September #PREthics Twitter Chat Highlights: PR Ethics as a New Professional

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the September #PREthics Twitter Chat focused on how new PR professionals can handle ethical situations in the workplace. We discussed the importance of ethical practices as well as confronting unethical dilemmas and finding solutions.

PRSA Twitter Chat - PR Ethics

Specifically, we’d like to thank collaboration from PRSA, the Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS), and PRSSA for contributing to a lively discussion about this important topic. More information about BEPS can be found here.

Join us again in October for our next #NPPRSA chat.

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

 

Review highlights of the chat below:

What did you learn from the September ethics chat? How can you tell if a company is exhibiting ethical values? What can you do if a client or coworker is taking unethical actions? How can you always make sure your personal and company brands are ethical?

 

Tips for Alcohol Industry PR… and Basically Everyone Else

lMust be 21+

Tweeting to a minor is as bad as serving a minor. You don’t want to be that brand that is associated with underage drinking. Unless your account has an age verification prompt, be prepared to dig into the backgrounds of customers who interact with you. Yes, it takes cyber stalking to a new level, but it’ll enhance your engagement with the customer. Knowing a little about about more about the customer allows you to change your tone or tailor your response. Best rule of thumb? If you think they’re under 21, don’t respond.

Lesson to be learned: Know your audience.

It’s science

Understanding the distillation and brewing process will help you tremendously. It will come in handy when writing a press release about a new beer on your shelf or a wine you’re tweeting about with a customer. Not only will it save you time gathering information on the product, but you’ll understand how it’s created. Your vocabulary will be filled with keywords or phrases typically used to explain the products, making your job that much easier. It’ll eventually flow from you quicker than whiskey out of a barrel.

Lesson to be learned: Understand the product.

Do your homework

Think back to when you started applying for jobs. (I know, I know. I try to block it out, too.) You probably spent endless hours researching the agency’s clients, their award winning case studies and even memorizing their mission statement. The liquor industry requires that kind of attention, but in a few different ways. Each state has their own set of rules and regulations when it comes to selling, distributing and shipping wine, beer, liquor, tobacco, etc. Whether you work for a national brand or a small liquor chain, understand these rules. Questions like, “Can you ship to ___?” or “Why don’t you carry ___ beer?” pop up a lot.

Lesson to be learned: Listen. (And ask a ton of questions.)

It’s good to have options

Not into corporate or retail PR? Not a problem. Tons of PR agencies represent major beer, wine and spirit brands. Heck, GolinHarris just landed Diageo. You could even work for a distributor, a supplier, a bar or event planning team all under the umbrella of public relations within the beverage industry. If you’re serious about getting into the industry, spend time networking at beer events, talk to your neighborhood wine guy or even chat up the bartender at the whiskey bar. Remember: Just like in PR, it’s a small world. Everyone knows everyone.

Lesson to be learned: There are many paths for you to enter the industry.

What do you like to drink? Everything. 

From barrel aged beer to jammy cabernet to… well… Malort. Being open to tasting everything will not only build your palate but expand your knowledge across the field. It’s key to be well rounded in the beverage industry. Brewers, distillers and winemakers take their time to execute the perfect product that will eventually be poured into your glass. It’s an art meant to be enjoyed… and occasionally cause a hangover, but that’s beside the point. Swirl, smell, sample, taste, indulge. Enjoy the craft, but don’t forget to…

Lesson to be learned: Enjoy the product you sell.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Sure, brands like Budweiser or Yellow Tail always don’t have the best rep, but they are still enjoyed by many. Before you snub them, understand that craft beer and high end wines only make up a fraction of industry sales. The beer and liquor you find piled high in stacks to the ceiling are the brands that support a majority of your business. It’s easy to want to side with the little guys but don’t forget about the big boys, too.

Lesson to be learned: Believe in what you promote.

 

151f848Hilary Jurinak is a Communications Coordinator at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Illinois. She is programming co-chair on the PRSA new professionals committee and a former member of the PRSSA national committee. She can be reached on Twitter at @HilaryJurinak.

Tips for Professional Spring Cleaning!

The first day of Spring is here! The birds are chirping, and the sun is shining for an extra hour now! Everyone suddenly remembers all of the New Year’s Resolutions they’ve neglected and are back on the fast track to success. However, in your feverish pursuit to self improve, don’t forget to dust off areas of your professional life as well!

spring-clean

Here’s a list of habits to break this season:

1)   Always working overtime

This one is my kryptonite. I am one of those overly-caffeinated people who prefer to be busy (which is probably why PR was so appealing), and I often volunteer for extra projects around the office. Yet, if you are like me, be conscious of how much time you spend working after hours. Showing initiative and passion for your work is admirable, but a rested state of mind is more important. Burnout is a very real thing, which like jetlag, won’t materialize until it is too late to stop it. Preserve your free time.

2)   Ignoring the “age issue”

Many of us new pros are ambitious twenty-something grads who have only recently suited up for the big leagues. While most of the people we work for admit they hire new pros to stay current and add a fresh perspective to the company dialog, they generally shy away from giving our opinions equal weight because we lack years of experience. The problem occurs when new pros try to ignore or overcompensate for their greener resumes… I say, embrace this stage in your career! Be a sponge. Ask questions. Get advice from more “enlightened” colleagues and learn from their mistakes. There is a lot of knowledge and wisdom to be gained when you can admit that you don’t know everything.

3)   Clinging to a routine

A routine is defined as: a regular, unvarying, habitual or unimaginative procedure.

Unimaginative?! Yikes!

Our daily routines are great for saving time and adding stability to our busy schedules, but make sure to spice things up every so often. New ideas generally grow on trees found just off of the beaten path.

4)   Accepting digital pollution

I don’t know about you, but on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, my email is cluttered with unwanted advertisements, company newsletters, seminar invites and those spammers who think they’re sly by adding “Re:” in the subject line (we ALL see through your antics, buddy). Take a stand and don’t let yourself be annoyed unnecessarily! Depending on how long it has been since your last “unsubscribe” purge this may take a while; just trust the clean inbox WILL be worth it. And this digital spring-cleaning includes social media as well. A recent study by UCSD found that feelings shared on Facebook (both negative and positive) are contagious among online friends. (You can find the study findings here: Detecting Emotional Contagion in Massive Social Networks.) Keep in touch with people who encourage and inspire you, and maybe consider hiding those Debbie Downers from your newsfeed.

Good luck in your spring-cleaning endeavors; and remember, it only takes 21 days to break a habit!

megan linkedinMegan O’Neal graduated from UCLA in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, emphasizing in mass communications. She currently works as  the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for SDA and volunteers with the National MS Society, freelancing for the PR Department. Connect with her on Twitter @megannenicole.

PRSA New Pros Teleseminar: March 13 on Real-Time Marketing with Arby’s

Josh Martin, Social Media Manager at Arby’s, will host our first PRSA New Professionals Section Brown Bag Discussion of the year. Josh gave us a preview of what you will be able to learn from his teleseminar on Real-Time Marketing Done Right. Register for the March 13th teleseminar today.

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How would you personally define real-time marketing? 

To me, real-time marketing is simply making timely responses to mainstream events.

What are some notable differences when executing RT marketing with an agency vs corporate?

Agencies bring a lot of creativity and strategic thinking to the table when it comes to RT marketing. Corporate lives/breathes the brand on a daily basis and often has a better understanding of what will work with their audience. The magic happens when both agency & corporate can work together seamlessly.

What are some of your goals when planning/executing RT marketing? 

My goal for RT marketing: Don’t do anything stupid. RT marketing is about two things: listening and engaging. We want to make sure we’re listening first and understand the conversations that are taking place. If we decide to pursue an opportunity, our goal is for the content to not feel forced and stays consistent with our brand voice.

What advice do you have for brands/companies that don’t have a budget to promote/push out their content?

Brands can still be effective in social media, even with a limited budget. They need to be laser-focused on developing a content strategy and be patient with results.

In your opinion, is there a good ratio to be used of pre-planned content and real-time content?

Specifically during a major event, when brands are trying to stay relative. It’s important to have pre-planned content at the ready so you can move quickly during a major event, but it’s as equally important to be flexible and pivot to real-time content when an opportunity presents itself.

Want to learn more from Josh? Register here.