The New Year is off to a great start.  We’re focusing on our resolutions and trying to accomplish many tasks in one day.  With school and work projects, and family responsibilities too, the biggest question is always: How do you manage your time to be more efficient and to achieve your goals?

Recently a PR student and fellow PRStudChat community member, Keith Hayes, who attends Flagler College in St. Augustine Florida, reached out to me with a time management question. He wanted advice on “juggling a number of different projects at one time.”  I emailed him my list of time management “Do’s” and “Don’ts.” However, to fully answer Keith’s question and a question on the minds of so many PR students and professionals, we decided to turn to our community for some best practices.

On Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. EST, get ready to share your best tips on time management. Help your peers with your ideas about project management, apps to get you better organized, managing your calendar, and, most of all, selecting and committing to the right projects (and, not every project that comes along). I recently wrote a post about my favorite note taking software, Evernote, and how it helped me to write my new book.  If you want to share some “advanced” tips now, on your note taking software, we’ll highlight your favorite(s) and ask you to elaborate with the community the night of February 16^th.  Please feel free to comment on this post, or to start a discussion in our LinkedIn Discussion Group.

We’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts on time management and how you find more efficient ways to juggle the many exciting opportunities and projects in 2012. We want it to be a busy, yet productive year.  Join us for a dynamic discussion filled with helpful tools and resources to get you more organized. Hope to “see” you on the 15^th.

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. Read more

A Guest Post By Jim Joseph

Last week I had the distinct privilege of being a guest host on #prstudchat.  At first I was excited to be invited, thinking that someone out there thought I was a stud.  But when I realized it was going to be full of students … well as a professor at NYU I jumped at the chance!

I am a big believer in the overall brand experience as a way to think about marketing a product.  But the truth is there are lots of people who have theories about marketing.  For me, it’s less about theory and more about practicing and observing and learning and reapplying.  Marketing is a spectator sport, and we can all learn from the marketplace and from each other.  Twitter chats are one great way of getting together and sharing.  And when it’s quick and 140 characters, all the better!  I so enjoyed the “experience!”

QUESTION ONE:   How does PR contribute to a customer experience that builds loyalty?

We are the lucky ones!  I believe that public relations is actually the closest to the consumer.  Especially with social media, we are the part of the marketing mix that is talking directly to consumers as they live their lives.  We have been trained to talk WITH our consumers, not AT them (as in advertising).  We seek out the influencers who they trust, even when it’s just their other girlfriends!  In that way, our efforts seek to build relationships that lead to loyalty and ultimately create a lasting brand experience.  That puts us in charge of building the brand experience and ultimately for me, the brand.

QUESTION TWO:  What are favorite examples of companies with strong and consistent branding?

In my books, I discuss a number of examples where a brand has created a consistent and relevant experience that has created long-lasting loyalty.  J.Crew is one of my favorites because they’ve been able to tailor their experience, yet keep it consistent across all of their venues be it retail, web, social media, or catalog.  Every interaction is uniquely J.Crew, yet specific to the touchpoint.

Lady Gaga also comes to mind.  She’s not just a marketer, but also a brand.  Perhaps one of the best at having a strong mission for the “underdog”, consistent messaging about her fans, and a compelling experience that evolves and evolves.

I would say that brand Paula Deen fell off the wagon this month.  She had a very consistent experience (like it or not) but she took a very sharp turn and it is jarring for her fans.  Let’s leave it at that!

Can’t talk about the brand experience without talking about the magic of Disney – across all of their theme parks, movies, tv shows, merchandise – it’s all about the magic of childhood and recapturing it with your family.  They own it!

QUESTION THREE:  What communications touchpoints engage customers the most?

The answer to this one depends on the consumer and how they live their lives.  But in general, I would say that the most effective touchpoints are the ones that seemingly naturally pop up when the consumer is in the right mindset for your brand.  I’ve seen touchpoints in gyms that are more relevant than mass advertising or PR!

The best touchpoint is the one that bumps into your consumer at the time they might consider you. The other day I was at the gym and saw a poster in the men’s locker room for athlete’s foot.  Now that’s a touchpoint and a brand message that is “right place, right time!”  And you know what, they had samples at the front desk as well.

The best way to pick touchpoints is to know your consumer and how she specifically lives her life.  Figure out ways to get in front of her when she needs you.  That’s how she’ll jump onto your brand experience and then hopefully share it with others.

QUESTION FOUR:  What advice would you give to PR students & pros about creating a better brand experience?

We could write volumes about this, and in fact I have!  But to keep it simple, the first step is to know your consumer and to know her better than your competition does.   To know her is to know how to market with her.  The second step is to know what you, as a brand, are capable of offering her. You can’t give your consumer something that is outside of your brand’s skill sets and abilities.  So the key is to match what she wants and needs with what you are uniquely able to offer to her.  Then build the experience on her terms – when and how she needs you.

QUESTION FIVE:  What are the secrets to finding success at a New York PR firm? 

I think you need to be willing to do anything to learn.  My best advice is to start out working on a smaller brand where you can play a bigger role.  There’s not as much staffing on the small brands so you can become more of a leader and do more strategic activities sooner.

Make yourself indispensable to your clients and to your teammates.  Be the “go to” person for the brand’s information and you’ll find yourself in the middle of all the meetings where decisions are being made.  You’ll be in the middle of the action, not on the sidelines waiting to hear what’s going on.

Don’t expect anything to be handed to you.  Use some sweat equity to build your own brand.  Others will start to figure out that you are a future leader and they will gravitate towards you.

Think about what you want your own brand experience to be for the people you work with and for – make yourself valuable for them and you will rise!

Jim Joseph is the President of Lippe Taylor, the Author of “The Experience Effect” series and a professor at NYU

www.lippetaylor.com

www.jimjosephexp.com

Happy New Year #PRStudChat friends!  We’re ready to kick off 2012 by focusing on the customer experience.  On Wednesday, January 18^th 2012 at 8:30 p.m. ET, the #PRStudChat community will discuss how using public relations creates a better brand experience.

Joining us on the 18^th is our special guest Jim Joseph (@JimJosephExp), President of Lippe Taylor, and the author of The Experience Effect: Engage Your Customers with a Consistent and Memorable Brand Experience.   Jim is an expert in building brands that offer consumers unforgettable experiences. He will share his expertise on how to help companies create a simple yet powerful brand experience, one that resonates purpose fully, consistently, and continuously with their customers.

Here’s a little more background info on our special guest:

Jim Joseph is an award winning marketing professional who has specialized in helping blockbuster clients including Kellogg’s, Kraft, Cadillac, Tylenol, Clean & Clear, Aveeno, Durex, AFLAC, Ambien CR, and Wal-Mart create successful brand experiences that engage consumers and add value to their lives. His first book titled “The Experience Effect” is aimed at helping marketers build consistent brand experiences across multiple touch points.

Prior to joining Lippe Taylor, Jim started his own agency, which he later sold to Publicis and then merged it with two others to create Arc-NY, the largest integrated marketing services agency in Manhattan, at the time. He later took over Publicis’ Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, where he led the transformation of the agency from traditional advertising to diversified marketing.

We’re thrilled to have Jim join us for the January 18^th #PRStudChat session. We’re looking forward to a dynamic discussion on the best ways to create a more engaging brand experience. If you have any questions for our special guest, please feel free to post them on our LinkedIn Discussion Group.  Hope to “see” you on the 18^th!

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. Read more

It’s December and we’re ringing in the Holidays at #PRStudchat! Growing together over the past 2+ years, we’re like one big family and it’s amazing how much we’ve shared together.  On December 21, 2011 at 8:30 p.m., get ready to share some more. Our Holiday Twitter chat session will give PR professionals, students and educators a chance to discuss with friends “a few of their favorite PR things …”

Here is what we want to hear from you that night:

Q1. What are your favorite PR tools/services?

Q2. What are your favorite books?

Q3. What are your favorite classes?

Q4: What are your favorite PR communities … online and off?

Q5. What’s your favorite PSA (favorite Social Good campaigns/hashtags)?

Q6. Who are you favorite PR industry leaders/role models?

Q7. What are your favorite conferences?

Q8. Do you have a favorite portrayal of a PR Pro on TV or in the movies?

Q9. Do you have a favorite current Holiday campaign?

Q10. My favorite part about being a PR pro is …

We’re also taking this opportunity to invite the other PR Twitter communities to join in our December Holiday chat, to make it a more of a Holiday Mixer.  So, if any of the other PR communities want to participate in the festivities, please send @ValerieSimon or myself a note. We’ll add your hashtag to the communications moving forward and also promote your participation in future articles and blog posts.

We’re really excited about our Holiday celebration.  It’s a special time with special friends. We want to celebrate all of you and the tremendous support you’ve given us through out the years.  We look forward to a dynamic discussion filled with “a few of our favorite PR things.” Of course, if you have any ideas about your favorite PR things that you want us to discuss on December 21^st, please feel free to post them on our LinkedIn Discussion Group.  Hope to “see” you on the 21^st.

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. Read more

On November 16, 2011, at 8:30 p.m. ET, the #PRStudChat community will discuss social media in the organization and how PR, along with other key areas, work together to create a good social customer experience.  Our special guest that night, sharing his thoughts on the topic, will be Michael Brito (@britopian), vice president at Edelman Digital and the author of Smart Business, Social Business: A Playbook for Social Media in Your Organization.

Here’s a little more background info on our special guest:

Michael considers himself a student of the social business, community building and customer advocacy. Over the past 13 years, he has been fortunate enough to work for major brands in Silicon Valley to include Sony Electronics, Hewlett Packard, Yahoo! and Intel.  Edelman Digital hired Michael in 2009 as a Vice President of Social Media, where he is responsible for providing strategic counsel to many of their tech clients in the Bay Area.

Michael believes that marketing can be evil at times; but if done right, it can drive customer loyalty and brand advocacy. He thinks that marketers and communication professionals need to spend more time listening and taking action – less time talking.

He also believes that consumers are real people and relate to other people, not corporate entities and logos. They hate to be referred to as customer segments and/or target audiences.  Michael is confident that if brands treat them like humans with kindness and respect — and essentially show them a little love — their customers will love them back and tell others about it too.

We’re really excited about Author Michael Brio joining us for the November 16^th #PRStudChat session.  We look forward to a dynamic discussion on the best ways to create a better social customer experience. If you have any questions for our special guest, please feel free to post them on our LinkedIn Discussion Group.  Hope to “see” you on the 16^th!

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. Read more

On October 19, 2011, at 8:30 p.m., #PRStudChat will hold its annual “Back to School Night” for our students, educators and professionals.  The session will focus on PR education and the ever-changing learning environment.  Students will get a glimpse of what’s being done in other classrooms and professionals will get a full view of the current academic environment.

We’re excited to announce our panel of professors who will be joining us that night:

Stefan Pollack:

As president & chief financial officer of The Pollack PR Marketing Group, Stefan plays an integral role within the agency. His responsibilities include management of client services, new business development and financial planning for the agency. Stefan also oversees and directs media relations, social media and outreach programs on behalf of several clients in various industries in addition to leading the agency’s professional service firm practice.  He is the Immediate Past Chair, Americas Region Board of the Worldcom Public Relations Group and is an Adjunct Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California. Follow Stefan on Twitter @stefanpollack.

Stefan was recently interviewed for an Examiner post about Success in the Public Relations Classroom and beyond.

Amy Sauertieg: 

Amy Sauertieg joined the faculty of Penn State Harrisburg in Fall 2010, where she teaches course in Public Relations, Event Planning and Public Speaking. She began her career developing and marketing entertainment vehicles for such companies as Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods and Anheuser-Busch, and has been a marketing and public relations executive in a variety of industries, including television, economic development and social services. Previously, she taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY) and Marymount Manhattan College. Amy is a member of the PRSA and is a board member of Healthy Media Choices. She received her BFA in theater from Boston University and her MA in media studies from The New School.  You can follow Amy on Twitter @asauertieg.

Amy was recently interviewed in the Examiner regarding the Academic Perspective.

Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA:

Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is Associate Professor of Communication at Curry College in Milton, MA, where he teaches undergraduate public relations courses, oversees the public relations concentration, and serves as Faculty Adviser for the Curry College Public Relations Student Association. In addition, he is Lecturer in Communications at Regis College in Weston, MA, where he teaches graduate communication courses and serves on the College’s Graduate Communications Advisory Committee.  You can follow Kirk on Twitter @kirkhazlett.

Prior to his move into academia, Kirk practiced nonprofit and government public relations and marketing for more than 35 years in the US as well as Asia. During his professional career, he managed communication programs for healthcare and member services organizations as well as the US Army and US Air Force in Vietnam, the Philippines and the United States. He also provided consulting services for both the Manila and the Singapore Red Cross.

Accredited by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Kirk a Member of PRSA’s national Board of Directors and has held leadership positions with PRSA Educators Academy and PRSA Northeast District as well as with the Boston and Hawaii PRSA chapters. He was inducted into PRSA’s prestigious College of Fellows in 2009 and is one of just two actively-teaching college professors in Massachusetts to have earned this distinction.

Kirk was recently interviewed in an Examiner post, where he shared his Advice for College Students and Professors.

Karen Russell:

Karen Russell is a PR professor at the University of Georgia and the editor of the Journal of Public Relations Research. Karen joined us last year for the October 2010 #PRStudChat Back to School Night. You can follow Karen on Twitter @karenrussell.

A few of the questions that we’ll be asking our panel of professors and our community members will be:

Q1. What are the most effective learning tools used in the classroom today?

Q2. What are your favorite books and why?

Q3. How do you collaborate on group projects (social groups vs. physical setting)?

Q4. How do you integrate internships into the academic setting?

Q5. PRStudChat PSA – What hashtag or social media effort would you like to share with the community?

Q6. What are you learning inside of the classroom that you can’t learn anywhere else?

Q7. What’s your favorite assignment?

Q8.  What professor(s) have influenced you the most and why?

Q9. What sort of technology would you like to see professors using in the classroom?

We’re really excited about our Back to School night session and look forward to helping students and professionals to uncover different ideas and techniques to use in the classroom environment. If you have any questions for our special guests, please feel free to post them on our LinkedIn Discussion Group.  Hope to “see” you on the 19^th!

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. Read more

On September 20, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET, we’re holding a special edition of #PRStudChat, as we team up with our friends, Heather Whaling and Justin Goldsborough and their community, #PR20chat.  Together, we’ll be discussing how to help students use their PR skills to succeed in school and in launching their careers. Joining us that night will be two very special guests: Jessica Kleiman, VP-public relations for Hearst Magazines and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper, co-founder and principal of Allen/Cooper Communications. Jessica and Meryl are the authors of the book, “Be Your Own Best Publicist.”

The book breaks down the fundamentals of PR and how these tenets can be implemented for self-promotion.  Our authors have developed 10 guiding principles in their book, and we’ll be discussing these tips and techniques at length.  A few of the questions that we’ll be asking our guests and our community members will be:

Q1. What are some of the greatest barriers to communications in positioning your own brand?

Q2. What are some examples of being fearless in your career? Can you go too far?

Q3. What steps can you take to prepare for the inevitable unanticipated career challenges?

Q4. When is it better to collaborate and when should prepared to compete?

Q5. PRStudChat PSA – What hashtag or social media effort would you like to share with the community?

Q6. How do you stay updated on the PR industry? How do you use the info to keep yourself relevant?

Q7. When is it okay to call yourself an expert? Use hashtag #BestPublicist for a chance to win a copy of the book!

Q8. What are the challenges in balancing creative and strategic needs?

Q9. What was your best “mistake” and how did it help your career?

Q10. Does your passion emanate from love of the brand or love of PR?

For those of you who are less familiar with our experts, here’s some additional information on their backgrounds:

Jessica Kleiman is currently VP-public relations for Hearst Magazines, one of the world’s largest publishers of monthly magazines. She has guest lectured about publicity at NYU and the Radcliffe Publishing Course at Columbia University and has written for various newspapers, Web sites and magazines. You can access more background details on Jessica here.

Meryl Weinsaft Cooper is a co-founder and principal of Allen/Cooper Communications, a marketing, exhibitions and events company with a focus on art and lifestyle brands. Previously, as managing director  of the DeVries Public Relations‘ Home & Lifestyle division and as SVP-Partner at LaForce+Stevens, she led programs for a variety of hospitality and consumer brands.  You can access more background details on Meryl here.

We’re really excited about the September 20^th chat session and looking forward to helping students use their PR skills to succeed in school and in launching their career.  If you have any questions about Be Your Own Best Publicist or you have direct questions for our special guests, please feel free to post them on our LinkedIn Discussion Group.  Hope to “see” you on the 20^th!

A little more about Be Your Own Best Publicist:

In one of the toughest job markets in more than 20 years, with the unemployment rate hovering around ten percent, as well as dwindling job openings and promotion opportunities, standing out and making a good impression is more vital than ever.  This helpful, easy-to-follow guide shows anyone looking to land a new job, attract freelance assignments, stay essential in a current position or get that coveted promotion how they can use PR skills to achieve their goals.  Read more…

A little more about PR20Chat:

You can join #PR20Chat every Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 7:0 p.m. CT, for a lively, hour-long discussion about PR and social media trends, best practices and what’s next. Follow along using that hashtag.  The community is focused on discussing how social media influences PR pros’ engagement with ALL publics (not just the media and bloggers).

Moderated by Heather Whaling and Justin Goldsborough.  Our goal is to help PR pros deliver stronger results by understanding how new media is shaping the public relations industry.

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. Read more

There are wonderful opportunities presented daily in social communities and it’s refreshing to see students, young professionals, PR pros and educators taking advantage of these unique experiences.  From the participation in Twitter chats and conversations in Facebook groups to LinkedIn Q&A and networking with peers and potential mentors, we’re all growing together.

On August 24, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. ET, the #PRStudChat community will participate in the Mentor / Mentee Project, a session that’s focused on growing together.  This Twitter discussion will be devoted to creating strong ties between Mentors and Mentees.  We’ll use the power of community to better understand the roles of the Mentor / Mentee relationship.

Here are a few of the questions the community will be answering during the session:

Q1: How/Where do you find a mentor?

Q2: Is a mentorship an organic process or a formal process?

Q3: What expectations should you have in a mentor?

Q4: What expectations should you have in a mentee?

Q5: #PRStudChat PSA Opportunity - What handle or hashtag would you like to share with the community?

Q6: How much experience do you need before you become a mentor?

Q7: What can you do to make the most of time with your mentor?

Q8: What happens when a mentor relationship is not working?

Q9: Who is the mentor that has had the greatest impact on your career?

The August session will allow community members to get the advice and guidance they need, and, at the same time, share their knowledge about what they experience in mentoring today.  Information sharing and mentoring to provide peers with guidance should be at the forefront of our profession, so that our industry continues to expand and prosper.

We’re excited to share knowledge and watch the connections that night, hoping to create new mentoring relationships.  Please join us for a dynamic session to create long lasting ties in our community and keep PR learning and growing.

If you have any questions that you would like to ask the Mentors or the Mentees in the community during the session, please post them in our LinkedIn Group, so we can share them the night of August 24th.  Hope to “see” you then!

A Little More About PRStudChat:

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow up blog post by PR 2.0 expert Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals… A community where everyone can learn and grow together. Read more