Applying Psychology to PR

August 11, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan 1 Comment

Psychology is a broad major that applies to many of the industries, but for some reason people only associate becoming a psychologist or psychiatrist as appropriate career paths for psychology majors. Most don’t even consider the possibility of working in the public relations industry, and some might insinuate that since you didn’t major in communication or journalism you are somehow incapable of working in the communications field. The reality is, psychology makes up majority of the theories behind public relations, social media, and marketing, becoming very much entwined within the industry itself. Why wouldn’t it? The study of human behavior is directly involved whether you are planning a campaign for behavior change, trying to manage a company’s image after a crisis, or persuading consumers toward a new idea.

You might be a new grad who majored in a social science, but now you’re interested in public relations. Or maybe you’re a young professional and after spending a few years in a different industry want to switch career paths. You are probably wondering, “How do my skills fit into the world of public relations?” Fear not, coming from a psychology and science background provides many transferrable skills that will help you succeed and can make you an attractive candidate to employers. Psychology actually equips you with many of the desirable traits for the public relations and marketing industry, especially with the new focus on social media in today’s society.

Research – Psychology and other sciences that are research-intensive, require you to be skilled at researching and analyzing information and data. You have experience not only with conducting primary and secondary research, but also in knowing how to critically evaluate the data and draw appropriate conclusions. Sure, there is an abundance of information available but you have to know how to evaluate the findings and whether it actually provides support for your objectives. There are a number of findings that support certain claims, but they will not help your client’s communications campaign if it’s based off of faulty logic or inadequate study design.

Writing – Psychology courses will not provide you with much experience drafting press releases or practicing AP style, but you certainly gain sufficient experience with writing. Whether it’s by writing research papers, article critiques, or lab reports, you certainly leave college having acquired numerous hours perfecting your writing ability. Now, it’s just applying your writing talent into a new format.

Social Psychology – Persuasion, behavior change, group behavior, and attitude formation are main concepts covered in social psychology, but they are also the basic concepts for planning a public relations campaign. Understanding the background of your key publics and why they hold their opinions, beliefs, and attitudes, is the first step in your plan. Knowledge of the principles behind attitude formation and group behavior is essential when planning and deciding what strategies and tactics will relate and be the most successful for your campaign’s messages and goals.

Social Media: Knowledge and understanding of how people’s behavior is affected through the use of online environments is extremely useful when planning social media campaigns. It’s not just about understanding how to use the technology, but deciding how to use these social networks to enhance your brand and increase interaction with your followers. What factors of the online environment change the way people interact, behave, and make decisions? Understanding these differences will help your company or brand when engaging followers. Interpreting how the different channels (Facebook vs. Twitter) affect behavior also becomes beneficial. Certain messages or tactics will have better reception and response on one channel versus the other for the simple fact of how people interact with it. It might seem like common sense but behavior can become much more complex and unpredictable through the online environment.

Recent grads, what were some of your favorite psychology courses in college? Current professionals, how do you find psychology applied in your job today?

Lauren Shank does freelance public relations and marketing, specializing in social media. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is a member of PRSA – National Capital Chapter. Connect with her on Twitter (@LaurenEShank).

August Twitter Chat Highlights: Preparing for Your Next Career Move

August 8, 2014August 8, 2014Lauren Gray Leave a comment

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the August #NPPRSA Twitter chat focused on how PR professionals can prepare for the next shift in their career. We discussed how to lay the ground work for career growth, considering both internal promotions and jobs at new companies.

Specifically, we’d like to thank our special guest for the evening, Ron Culp, Instructor and Professional Director of the Graduate Public Relations & Advertising Program at DePaul University. Ron also manages the industry leading blog Culpwrit for new professionals establishing a career in PR.

Join us again on September 4 for our next #NPPRSA chat.

Stay up-to-date with PRSA New Professionals on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

Review highlights of the chat below. What did you learn from the August chat? How can you prepare for your next career move? What can you do to broaden your experiences in your current position to be considered for a promotion? What should a PR pro do if they don’t see a future for career growth within their company?

Amy Bishop works in digital PR and marketing for DigitalRelevance, a content promotion agency. She is also Social Media Co-Chair for the PRSA New Professionals Section. Read her insights on customer experience and social business on her Marketing Strategy blog. Connect with Amy through Twitter, Pinterest or Google+.

The Artistry of Creating What’s Never Been Done Before – Part 2

July 28, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan Leave a comment

Continued from the previous post:

Nicole Dobrzynski, ‎Global Football Brand Manager at Nike

“I find my creative inspiration when I am least expecting it. I find that if I sit too long at my desk and try to force an idea, it is hard to land on something compelling. It sounds cliché coming from someone who works at Nike, but inspiration usually finds me when I am out being active – playing soccer on the weekends, taking a yoga class on a Tuesday night, etc. Maybe this habit has been formed from years of playing soccer, but it always seems to happen for me. When my mind is not forced to think about something, random thoughts tend to come in that are different from a concentrated thought.

I also recently read an article that stated that the best creative thinking happens at night. The theory is that your mind is the most tired at this point, which allows the brain to bypass normal logic and think in new and interesting ways. Whether this is completely factual or not, I like to think that there is some truth to this thought. This would help explain why I am able to weave together a seasonal concept in the span of a 60 min evening yoga session, when I have been thinking about it for the past eight hours at work with little success of finding clarity.”

Tony Telloni, Managing Director at Golin NYC

“I think the key to any good creator is the skill of observation. There is creativity in just about anything and everything you come across. You have to be willing to look at things a little bit differently and embrace the thinking that comes with it. At Golin, we like to take creative field trips. We’ll go to a museum opening or an art exhibit. We’ll know that an event is happening at Times Square or Grand Central Station, and we’ll make a point of all going down to see it, even if it’s not an event that’s run out of our office. We do that to keep our creative skills sharp and go where we know you’re going to find sources of creativity and inspiration. I think, willingness to share what inspires you with others is another really important factor and lets great ideas grow to even greater ideas.”

Ben Roth, SVP Creative at MKTG Inc.

“I think you have to be an explorer and open up your frame of reference. You have to read things…things that you don’t want to read in order to explore different points of view. I also believe that in our business, you have to ask the obvious questions that most people think – they already have a simple answer to them. Even if you don’t ask them out loud, ask them to yourself, write them down, look them up – and learn.

Many times, people come in my office, and we have long conversations. I’ll bring up one topic, after another topic, and another. Often they ask me: ‘How come you know that kind of stuff?’ It’s easy. Every day, I write down questions I have, I think about them, look them up – and I ‘learn’ them. I am not smarter than anyone else but I created a ritual for myself that if I don’t have an answer, I’m not satisfied – I look it up and I write it down. The same goes for words. If you come across a word and don’t know its meaning, write it down and look it up. When I started my career and just came out of school, I had little notebooks full of words I didn’t know, full of things I’ve learned. It’s about creating that routine for yourself.”

Inspiration is powerful; on that we can agree. Not surprisingly, there isn’t a simple recipe to it. First and foremost, it’s about finding a balance that works for you; discovering what and who inspires you. It’s about exploring the world, being receptive and sharing your creative journey with others. Beyond that, understanding creative blocks as part of the experience and seeing every moment, encounter and place as an opportunity to learn, opens new doors toward creating the unseen.

Helma von Zadow works with the Brand and Integrated Marketing team at Major League Soccer and is a member of the PRSA New York Chapter. She served on the 2013-2014 PRSSA National Committee as vice president of professional development. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Doing It All and Then Some as a New Public Relations Professional

July 17, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan Leave a comment

In the world of public relations it’s hard to find time to sleep. New stories always need to be pitched, thought-provoking tweets need to be sent and time-sensitive crises need to be extinguished. Learning to build and maintain an image, whether it’s for a brand, organization or individual can consume your life if you let it. As new professionals we feel like we have something to prove. Just the thought of turning off our phones might make us feel like we are going to miss the PR opportunity of a lifetime. I have good news! Another opportunity will come along.

As a new professional in the PR industry, finding a work-life balance can be challenging. We want to over deliver and work long hours to earn our spot at the meeting table. Also, our job is fun, which makes it hard to stop. In what other industry do you get to create engaging news stories, take over the social media world and throw memorable parties? Time flies in the PR industry and I often find myself begging the clock for a few extra hours.

Despite your love of the job, the hours and intensity will eventually catch up with you and your life outside of work will want to take center stage. So, how do we “do it all”?

Race Against the Clock – With limited hours in the day it is extremely important to manage your time. First, make a list of your tasks. Next, prioritize them by deadline and importance. This may seem obvious, but do the items with a tight deadline or items that need multiple approvals first. If you are at a standstill with an individual project, bounce ideas off a colleague or mentor. When booking meetings or after work socials, make sure you have a little time to breathe between each event. Rushing from one thing to the next will wear you out.

Divide and Conquer – You have a team surrounding you for a reason. If you need a press release reviewed, a few social media posts written or brainstorming support, don’t hesitate to delegate to an intern or co-worker on your team. Even if you work solo on a daily basis, you still have a network of PR professionals (i.e. PRSA) surrounding you to lend a hand. Using others around you as a resource will help you accomplish more within your work hours.

Learn The Art of Being Selective – With professional organizations, recreational sports, social events and service projects, when do we say no? Building networks, professionally and personally is extremely important, but be mindful of which organizations suck time and which ones add value. Join a select few organizations where you can commit and truly engage. Don’t join everything just to say you did.

Unplug – When the workday is over, disconnect from your electronics. We all need time to reboot. It has taken three years in the industry for me to realize doing this is okay. Our clients take vacations and our bosses sleep at night. We can too. Being without an iPhone, laptop or Wi-Fi can be scary, but take that time to enjoy the world around you. I promise you won’t regret it and your quality of work will show for it.

Hannah Wilson works as an Account Executive at Spark Strategic Ideas. As a leader on the account management team she oversees the daily actives of over 50 Moe’s Southwest Grill locations, international toy manufacturer Schleich and North Carolina-based restaurant Hubee D’s. Hannah graduated with a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in public relations from Virginia Tech. She is a member of the PRSA Charlotte New Professionals board.

Book Review: Improvise: Unconventional Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO

July 8, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan Leave a comment

This post is part of The Edge monthly series of book reviews on books relevant to new PR professionals.

“He has worked with some of the country’s most fabled business leaders, such as Apple’s Steve Jobs, Disney’s Michael Eisner, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. He has helped introduce the world to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokémon, and the seedless watermelon,” states a blurb about Fred Cook on the back of his latest book Improvise: Unconventional Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO.

If a description like that doesn’t inspire you to read a book then I don’t know what will.

This isn’t your average career development publication. It’s an entertaining education on leadership, creativity, business and getting ahead of your competition rooted in the very thing that propelled Cook to CEO of Golin—his unique experiences.

His outrageous stories catalog his adventures as a cabin boy on a Norwegian ship, a salesmen of leather goods in Italy, a doorman at a four-star hotel, traveling across the world, starting his own PR firm and many other experiences. These narratives, however, aren’t random. They all have a specific purpose: to keep you eagerly reading along and easily transferring otherwise complex lessons.

Much like the book’s title suggests, Cook puts a great deal of emphasis on the power of improvising. Employing his above-mentioned stories and wit, he details logical steps to embracing your weird thinking and harnessing it to advance your career. A consistent theme is the importance of gaining a variety of experiences to synthesize to your advantage.

The importance is showcased as Cook describes the very moments that equipped him to effectively maintain client relations and think outside the box to gain new business like Starbucks (before they were huge).

With so many qualified young professionals entering the marketplace, you’re going to be required to stand out. This book will help you do just that and is a must-read for the new pro as well as the seasoned veteran.

So start expanding your perspective and varying your experiences—pick up Cook’s Improvise, and I promise that your career will never be the same.

Ben Butler is the founder and president of Top Hat IMC—an integrated marketing communications firm in Wexford and Pittsburgh, PA. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and on Twitter (@BenButlerPR).