Direct Mail

Direct mail usage by a public relations professionals can provide many positives and negatives while working to increase reach of your materials. Direct mail could be a useful medium if regarded with the right context. 

This method involves sending information in tangible form to a direct mail address of an office or individual home. Expecting to receive this information prior to pulling it out of the mail can be a positive thing. Those who are not expecting mail could easily regard it as junk, therefore, tossing it aside without acknowledgement. 

Advantages of using the method of direct mail are that the contents have the ability to be mass produced and distributed to multiple destinations worldwide. Direct mail has the benefit of making the recipient feel like they have been sought out based on personal value. Utilizing  a letter specifically addressed to the recipient shows the reader that they are the intended receiver of this information. 

When mailing to an individual, for your information to be considered with merit, the receiver must be interested in it. Junk mail is constantly carried to residents and information overload can be a problem when weeding out what is important and what is not. If directly mailing a packet to an important company, it would be beneficial for the company to know of its arrival prior to receiving it. 

Communication Mediums

I believe that often times, young public relations professionals get so caught up in the world wide web, that they forget how to effectively communicate on a personal level. Traditional communication tools have their benefit just as much as modern communication tools. While attending the Public Relations Student Society of America Regional Conference, the number one complaint that the professionals in attendance had regarding the up and coming professionals was our inability to communicate with their generation effectively due to our own obsession with self. Being computer-savvy regarding social networking and multimedia communications will always continue to be a positive light. Several jobs are catered around offering this position to new, young clients who are well aware of the field. At the end of the day, you will have a boss who will be from an entirely different generational stand point and doing things the traditional way all allow for you to be in good standing with them. 

The tools developed by PR Practitioners can go back as far as the 1900s and have continued to be changed and implemented into today’s society. The media was the original source for all PR information, just as it proves an ideal outlet today. 

Remembering the intentions for why media was distribute in traditional form will help us utilize the new technologies with a positive light. We have unlimited access to distribution sources and should not limit ourselves to the modern way of doing things. By continuing to appreciate the expansion of technology, while remembering the previous benefits of traditional pr communication mediums, we will increase understanding of the communication tools. 

 

Journalist in Practice, Public Relations in Theory

Our textbook, Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques, effectively outlines communication tips for working with journalists throughout chapter eleven, “Getting Along with Journalists”. The relationship described in this chapter outlines the past history of a love-hate relationship in the field of work. Despite the negative persona that these fields give off, their success is often mutually dependent on one another. Both journalists and public relations practitioners are in charge of keeping the public informed of day to day occurrences. 

The relationship of journalists and public relations practitioners has evolved to where it stands today because a sense of understanding as been determined. To me, these career paths often prove similar regarding the basis that they are both writers presenting information to the public. Although the intentions may seem different, often times they are misunderstood. A pr representative wants to promote and advocate their client in a positive light. Journalists work hard every day while adhering to strict deadlines that puts them under constant pressure. Often, they are in such a rush to get the story and get it published, they shouldn’t have to stop and think, “What will everyone think about this story? Who will it hurt? Who will it benefit?” They are simply doing their job of presenting the facts of the story to the best of their ability. It is important to remember that both journalist and pr professionals are expected to follow a code of ethics within their profession. Journalist can’t purposely have negative intentions when writing a story, just like a pr professional shouldn’t intentionally misrepresent. While this relationship continues to become more widely accepted and understood, I feel that there can always be more to learn.

Through my experience in college, I have learned that you can not please everyone. While working with the school newspaper, the George-Anne,  I discovered how much our readers cared about what was being published. Phones rang off the hook and the “Letter to the Editor” column was constantly filled with student opinions. Dealing with individuals who constantly regard your information with their viewpoints makes it pertinent to deliver the facts from an objective point of view, regardless of who may be benefiting or gaining. 

Media + PR= BFFL?

Media relations is know to be the most relevant activity associated with a career in public relations. A pr professional must work to maintain a positive relationship with media outlets. Working with these individuals is regarded as pertinent on a daily basis due to the constant flow of information and media coverage. A pr professional does not want to get swept under the rug by not have a strong bond to promote outlet for their client. 

Many times, situations can prove faulty when a media outlet is trying to deal with a pr representative. Dealing with the news, one must remember that these individuals have a job to do as well. They are responsible for the timely and effective presentation of information to the public. Any addition to that in your favor will be consider just that, a favor, unless you can make your client of value to them. Learning how to present a news story in a correct format while highlighting the positive light your client potentially offers will help you help them. Being understandable of deadline is especially important. Pr professionals often give themselves the persona that we think we are better than everyone else. It is necessary to remember when working with multiple outlets of media information, you are working to establish a relationship with them if you hope to benefit from what they have to offer. 

The media receives countless press releases and ideas for news stories daily. In order to make yours stand out, your name must be one of positive connotation if you hope to make a difference with your communication skills. 

PR is growing

The field of Public Relations has been recently expanding over the last several years. This notion is due to the publicity the field has received in the media. Pr is no longer a field that people don’t understand. Behind every major company and every pertinent individual, a public relations professional stands behind them to ensure representation of the client is properly adhered to. 

With networking of the individuals in pr, the expansion of the reach is growing. Business professionals are looking to hire pr professionals because the aspect of maintaing a client image is more tedious than one would imagine. This has become a distinct part of the business profession, and a separate category has been identified. 

I believe that most of the students that I have discussed pr with are drawn to this field for one reason. We are under the impression that a career in pr has endless possibilities. What other profession could you chose to work for a  nonprofit organization,represent a celebrity client, work for a pharmaceutical company, or even manage a tourist destination? A degree in public relations can prepare communicators to emerge in various fields of work. You will no longer be limited to a boring career option, but you are in control of making pr what you want it to be. Before you can professionally represent your client, one first must professionally represent what they as a public relations professional has to offer. 

Communication is Power

The phrase “communication is power” is often heard within the various communication fields as a motivational statement for the power communicators hold when making the decision to communicate with their public. Without line to communication, no one would be able to understand what is going on in the world. Communication is more than just speaking or communicating on one end. In order for communication to be “power” and be affective, it must be understood by the audience one is trying to reach. If your communication has no reach, the power in your words is limited. 

Positive communication within our society has the means to impact large numbers of people. With new technology emerging every day, the reach of who you can communicate with is expanding greatly. Not only can we discuss and share information with the people around us, but our communication is unlimited. Being able to have face to face interaction via the internet and Skype, will open up doors to communicators all around the world. Sometimes communication can prove faulty when the receiver/ communicator isn’t obtaining the message as intended. With new technological expansion, face to face communication can be utilized to help strengthen this fault. 

Without utilizing your outlets to communicate, you are in control of limiting your power. Sharing your thoughts and knowledge with others will help us to problem solve and be effective communicators in society. 

PR Practitioners & the Media

The relationship between public relations practitioners and the media could be described as a work in progress. Pr professionals and the media work closely together, with the media often having the upper hand. The media has the power to influence public opinion on your client by presenting information, whether it be positive or negative. 

The job of a pr professional is to prepare your client for media coverage. The media is a source of publicity for your client and is an opportunity for them to rise in public opinion, if properly prepared to answer media questions. 

The relationship of a pr professional and the media should be taken with great consideration for the balance of power. A pr professional should always value this relationship in order to strengthen their access to connections in the world of media. In order to represent your client and ensure they are getting coverage, this bond should be strong. Once the media presents the client or company in a negative light, it can be difficult to change the public opinion.

Read all about it!

For information to be regarded as news, it is vital that it be of news value status. The purpose of news is to provide the reader with ‘new’ information. Of that information, its pertinence is determined based on the impact it has on the reader, the timeliness of the information given, prominence regarding who the article is referencing , proximity to the reader, bizarreness of the situation,possible conflict, and currency of what the story is covering.

These values of news offer readers and viewers of the news a purpose for regarding the information. People want to know what the current information is regarding hot topics. Everyday, new events occur and people need to be informed of them. Facts need to be accurate and proof needs to be given. A lot of work goes into presenting the news information and the last thing a newspaper wants to lose is its readership just as a news station is dependent on viewer ratings. To ensure the news article is reaching an audience who cares, making sure that your article has value is necessary.

As a former journalist, my favorite type of news article to cover regarded human-interest pieces. Being able to interview a source and develop a twist to determine why my readers would be interested in that individual provided a challenge to my task of mundane information giving.

Writing with a purpose

Established guidelines for writing have been developed to make communication between various fields of work uniform and complete. In the field of public relations, this standard is set by the Associated Press (AP) style book. The AP style book was developed in order for public relations practitioners and journalists to format their written work in a way that would be regarded with uniformity when communicating with each other, as well as their audience. Media outlets relay the written text of public relations professionals and journalists to the public as a means of receiving information. In order for this information to be regarded with a purpose, a uniform standard should be followed. Copy editors are responsible for checking to see that the style of writing is in the correct format. As a writer, it becomes pertinent to responsibly write following a uniform style format so that an editor will not waste time looking for errors. The AP style book has been stressed in all of my public relations classes and I was able to practice this standard when writing for the George-Anne as a sports reporter. Editors easily become frustrated with reporters who slack in their area of AP style usage. This relationship with an editor is just as important as a pr professionals relationship with their media outlets. No professional workplace will consider publishing written material that appears to be sloppy and lacking context. The last thing a writer wants is for their article, press release, or even a blog, to be filled with style errors. By following a standard of writing, written material can be presented and appreciate for the context of the message being communicated without distracting the reader with style errors.

 

Comments on Blogs

http://jennayarbrough.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/the-last-5-conc/#comments

Email is a great way to communicate when done in moderation! I often find myself ignoring multiple emails from companies,even if I am interested in their service. Its good to learn about updates,such as concerts, if that is the information you are seeking. Companies should keep in mind that overloading is never good. As far as magazines go, I personally will continue to read them. Magazines have a longer “life value” than other forms of advertisement. People who read magazines are picking them up in their lesiure time and are therfore more prone to pay attention to the ads.

 

http://daviawoulard.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comments

 

I agree with your response! I also enjoy blogging. When I was younger, I would write in journals and diaries only to rip the pages out later so that no one would be able to snoop! It will be beneficial in the future to look back on what we thought we knew about pr and our various opinions as college students.

 

http://kadia18.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/urban-outfitters-emancipation-of-misrepresentation/

This is a very interesting and common situation. I agree with you, Urban’s response came across very harsh and defensive. I feel like company marketing departments and designers should be more educated on legalities of the industry before naming a clothing line.

 

http://sarahjrussell.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/persuasive-messages/#comment-13

feel like in situations like this, it is a good thing to be over the top with your advertising tactics. This commercial will catch the attention of viewers. It’s easy for people to view this ad and think that this doesn’t relate to them because they are “that” bad. But that is the point of the video. It stimulates the viewers to think. Do they ever want to become the girl in the video? No, hopefully not. It encourages you to be responsible and drink in moderation. If the advertisers had decided to go a less extreme route, it would have came across as “promoting” underage drinking.

http://twentyoneandup.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/the-power-of-persuasion/#comment-25

I enjoyed watching your persuasive video. Celebrities who team up to support causes always stimulate an effective word of mouth response. The video did a good job of stimulation an emotional response. By placing statistics of odds in positive scenarios and then depicting the cancer outcome statistic, it will catch the viewers attention. By showing people how something could potentially affect them, responses will be greater.

http://reillymcjury.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/peace-little-girl-daisy-johnson-1964/#comment-9

This is a very effective advertisement for persuasion, and I agree with the analogies you have made. Politicians have been using these tactics to obtain votes ever since LBJ utilized this approach. Fear will make people do, and believe in anything. This goes back to the concept that everyone is essentially only looking out for number one.