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

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

I recently met Ruth Bazinet, director of media relations and social media in the Office of Public Affairs at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. When we were on Twitter discussing a #PRStudChat mentoring project, Ruth sent over information on her PR internship program that really caught my eye.  The program was full of wonderful in office and remote opportunities for their interns, with incredible guidance and mentoring along the way.

I asked Ruth to answer a few questions for me. I thought the interview would provide professionals with ideas on how they can enhance their internship programs, and also show students what to look for when reviewing internship opportunities.

Here’s my Q&A with Ruth:

Q. You mentioned to me that one of the first things you say to students when they begin their internships is that you want them to “completely fail while working with you.” How do you help them to move beyond “failure” to success.

A. Students coming into our program understand that they will be doing real work and will be held accountable for meeting deadlines and completing projects. They realize this is their chance to make mistakes now “when the stakes aren’t so high.” When a mistake is made, the student is immediately alerted and we discuss what should have been done differently to avoid it in the future. We sometimes walk through alternate scenarios to see the issue at all angles. Since we carefully select our interns, most of the time they are very quick learners and develop at a steady pace. Those that are not able to do that are given more manageable tasks. Offering challenges suitable to the intern’s ability at that time will give them a rich experience from which everyone benefits.

Q. In your opinion, what makes your internship program different than other program for students?

A. Our PR intern program is not only intended to help provide students with a growth opportunity during the semester but also after they leave the program. They are also given opportunities to work directly with the media.

Q. Are there any requirements for students who want to participate in your program?

A.  Interns must be full-time undergraduate students. A prior internship is not necessary but we do prefer communications students who are interested in pursuing a career in public relations. Students who are motivated and articulate stand out fast.

Q. What do you think are the most valuable learning experiences for students when they participate in an internship program?

A. I speak individually with interns before entering our program to see what they wish to gain from the experience. There may be a particular industry they are looking to enter – like sports or technology – and we try to present opportunities for them to get that direct experience. However, there are also overarching learning lessons we want each intern to gain while in our office. Understanding basic business etiquette, media pitching, solid research skills (including building media lists and story background checks) and using social media for business are some of the most practical skills they can acquire.

The two most valuable experiences we want them to gain during the internship is to understand whether public relations is the right career for them and how to land their next job/internship should they choose to proceed. Taking the next step and helping the intern move ahead (rather than the what-can-you-do-for-me attitude) will not only strengthen the reputation of the intern program but will also build a strong professional network that benefits both the intern and the organization.

Q. What advice would you give to other professionals and organizations looking to set up an internship program for students?

A. Any organization interested in establishing an internship program needs to understand that there must be a sufficient commitment of resources and time in order to succeed. We update our reference documents each semester, hold training sessions throughout the year and meet with our interns regularly to discuss their progress. An office should definitely consider whether they have time to consistently invest in their intern program before initiating a program.

Additionally, be sure to list your program with the career offices of local colleges. Getting to know the career center director and communications professors helps secure strong candidates. I have found some really great interns using Twitter as well. The intelligent use of social media is a nice indicator of how they may interact with reporters and staff, and reveals their level of professionalism and motivation.

A little more about Ruth Bazinet:

As the Director of Media Relations and Social Media at Roger Williams University (RWU), Ruth Bazinet brings nearly a decade of experience in public relations and marketing to help share the university’s story with the world.

Prior to joining RWU in 2010, Ruth was a public relations consultant with a high-tech and higher education focus. While in this role, she successfully pitched product launches, corporate news and trend stories on behalf of her clients. In 2009 she was part of the small team that helped a fresh startup become Silicon Alley Insider’s Startup of the Year. In addition to her high-tech and higher education client base, Ruth also represented one of the largest vacuum metallizers in the world.

With the increasing use of digital communications, the July 20^th PRStudChat session will focus on how advertising agencies and their clients are using digital media within their campaigns. Our two special guests that night will discuss the launch of the new Honda Quest with the PRStudChat community.  We’re thrilled to announce that Alicia Jones, social media strategist at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and San Tong, social media relationship manager at RPA (Honda’s ad agency that spearheaded this epic undertaking) will join us for a Tweet chat about the ins-and-outs of the project. They’ll explain what they learned along the way as well as answer the community’s questions.

We’re really excited about the July 20^th chat session and look forward to learning about how advertising agencies are successfully implementing digital communications and how they are finding success with these programs.  If you have any questions about the Honda Quest campaign or 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 the Honda Quest

The Super Civic Quest is an immersive an inventive piece of social media marketing. Created to coincide with the launch of a completely redesigned Honda Civic, the Quest leads players across some of the most popular websites and buzzworthy apps out there. Players can earn badges, Facebook credits and Amazon.com MP3’s. Conceived to specifically attract younger buyers, the Quest requires players to use their web savvy wits in order to discover 25 clues divided into five increasingly difficult levels in order to track down a missing Civic coupe that has vanished somewhere in the Internet. The missing Civic belongs to a distraught luchador – one of five characters that are the focal point of the larger Civic launch campaign.

Questies, as they’re affectionately known, uncover clues hidden on places like YouTube, Yelp, Twitter, Amazon.com, NotCot, Foursquare, Flickr, icanhascheezburgers and Failblog. They have to read ebooks, watch online security cameras, rearrange videos, download ringtones and explore augmented reality, to name just a few tasks. They have to use their computer. They have to use their smartphone. And sometimes they have to use them both together. In total, 30 unique clues and 7 pieces of custom content were created for the Quest.

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

Back in 2009, a Dartmouth study revealed that the largest not-for-profit organizations were outpacing corporations and academic institutions in social media adoption.  Today, more not-for-profits are finding value through targeted social media outreach and fundraising.  With so many organizations moving toward social media communication, we thought the topic of Social Good would not only educate but also demonstrate to our community how non-profits are making a difference through their social interactions.

The #PRStudChat June 15^th session at 8:30 p.m. ET will focus on Social Good. Joining us that night will be a panel of special guests, all communications professionals, working with non-profit organizations from awareness to fundraising.

It is our pleasure to announce the #PRStudChat panelists:

Shonali Burke:

Shonali Burke is the IABC-accredited, award-winning principal of Shonali Burke Consulting, which specializes in “integrated communication to the nth degree.” In other words, she helps you turn your corporate codswallop into community cool. She did this at various agencies, at the ASPCA, where she instituted their award-winning measurement program, and she can do this for you. But only if you ask. Nicely.

In 2007, PRWeek recognized Shonali as one of the “top 40 under 40″ PR professionals in the US, which she is quite pleased to keep reminding you about and never mind her grey hairs. More recently, she’s been named one of 100 PR pros worth following on Twitter by Valeria Maltoni aka Conversation Agent, and one of 25 Women That Rock Social Media by TopRank. She blogs at Waxing UnLyrical, under the watchful eyes of Chuck, Suzy Q. and Lola, her three rescue dogs. Her long-suffering husband has accepted that Shonali can most often be found on Twitter.

Heather Whaling:

As president of Geben Communication, Heather Whaling helps businesses develop and implement traditional and digital PR strategies. Named one of the top 30 PR pros to follow on Twitter, Heather has been quoted in Inc Magazine, Bloomberg BusinessWeek and Mashable about technology’s impact on communication and business. She also co-moderates PR 2.0 Chat (#pr20chat on Twitter), a weekly discussion about PR and social media. Connect with her on her blog (http://www.prTini.com), Twitter, @prTini or via email (heather@gebencommunication.com).

Heather was one of five women bloggers recently selected to visit Haiti earlier this year as part of a blogger outreach tour in support of Fairwinds Trading Heart of Haiti program.

Heather’s company, Geben Communication, focuses on telling a story … communicating the right message to the right audience … influencing public perception. Just as important, we believe in using our platform for good. In fact, the word geben means “to give” in German. Having worked with 30+ nonprofits, Heather believes in the power of these organizations. That’s why for every new client Geben signs, we’re committed to making a donation to a deserving cause.

Melissa Jones

Melissa Jones graduated from Rowan University with a degree in Communications, concentration in Public Relations.  She first got involved in social media while still in college; she volunteered her time at Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a nonprofit organization for childhood cancer.  She spent her time at ALSF simply building their online presence; communicating with existing supporters while also discovering ways to garner new supporters.  She is now working full-time at ALSF as their Social Media Specialist.

We hope you will join us on June 15^th at 8:30 p.m. ET to discuss Social Good and to chat with our panel of special guests.  Of course, if you have any questions you would like to ask the panel, please feel free to post them in our LinkedIn Discussion Group.  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