When Will Twitter Be a Household Name?

By: Sam Sova

I was on vacation this last week in Arizona and obviously had to do some golfing. Living in Wisconsin this is obviously not something that you can do at this time – although I do recall being dragged out by my father to golf when I was younger and there was snow in the sand traps and the ponds were still frozen. The two days that I went golfing, I got paired up with a different two-some of players. All four guys were mid-thirties with occupations ranging from an EMT, to dentist, to education. Being a game that does involve conversation, we all discussed what we did for a living. I said social media. Every response that I got was – like facebook…right?

So these people kind of got the idea of what social media was….kinda. They knew it was about building community over the Web, two of them even told stories about friending ex-girlfriends on facebook to see if they were “hot” anymore. But when it came to testing their Twitter knowledge, they were clueless. On the 13th hole at Vistoso and 17th at El Conquistador I pulled out my iPhone and snapped a scenic photo. Absolutely gorgeous in Tucson. After snapping it I put out a tweet that attached the image. Of course, my fellow golf partners asked what I was doing. And I said, “tweeting the hole.”

You can image…. eyes in the back of their heads. I explained twitter was a tool where you post 140 characters or less answering the question “what are you doing?” but I use it more for information gathering from the top social media folks in the industry. They were intrigued. Only one out of four even heard the word “twitter” before, but didn’t obviously look much into it. So the question is, when does Twitter get the type of props that Facebook has?

Take a look at my post called “Are You Using Twitter?”. Is twitter right now just for the techies? I’ll tell you right now that only a handful (and I have small hands) of my gen-y friends are actually on Twitter. And only one or two actually use it on a regular basis. Will it only catch on if Facebook acquires Twitter? I look on facebook and see how much people love to fill in their status updates with crap. Useful information. So maybe I like Twitter how it is now. There is some crap out there, but it is mixed in with valuable information. People linking to content that can make me more knowledgable instead of wasting my time seeing the countless facebook status updates on Sunday afternoon of how everyone is hungover….although very funny if I have a clear head, which has been the case for a while now.

Are You Using Twitter?

By: Sam Sova

Recently I have been seeing a ton of news about Twitter. The most eye popping to me is Guy Kawasaki saying “I think Twitter is, arguably, the most powerful branding mechanism since television.” Check out the post and video from Robert Scoble here. This is huge guys. Guy and Robert are the guys that you pay to see talk about social media and the future of the space. This is when you stop and really listen.

But if this is so huge, why is it not picking up in the Gen-Y group? When I look, it is mostly colleagues or people digging deep into social media or techies that get it. It is not my college buddy who I drank beers with in college giving his 140 word update of what he is doing. Example – Last week I posted a status update asking about twitter and if anyone is using it to friend me or let me know what they think. The result – no friends and five people within minutes ask me why the hell I use twitter! So does this, and Guy’s comment, mean that Twitter is more of a corporate/business/techie social function?

If you look at Facebook it started as a social function from the Gen-Yers, then was pushed out to the corporate/business world with SOME success stories, but not a lot. This is still where I keep in touch with those beer buddies. This is where I see those friends engaged (or unengaged). So looking at Twitter and just my own little experience here, could it be the opposite? More of a corporate/business function (or something with early adopters of mostly techies and web gurus) that eventually turns into a social function of the masses? 

I’d love to see what you all think. I think it is awesome. I see how it can be HUGE to my employer, but also to keeping in touch with all those beer buddies…but to do so they have to believe in it. Do you?

The Power of We

By Sam Sova

It is interesting how people associate things like work and sports with the term WE if they truly feel part of it. A few weeks back I was in Minnesota visiting some friends that I have not seen for years and really noticed this when everyone started talking about their jobs. Most people worked at places that nobody has every heard of (one being Fiserv) and it was interesting to see the difference in descriptions of the organization. The big thing was the use of either “WE” or “The company does….” So for example, one friend said, “I work at xyz company. We are the biggest manufacturer of nuts and bolts in the world with over 50,000 clients worldwide.” Where the other one said, “I work for abc company. ABC is the second largest publisher in the nation.” The big difference was WE. The people who used the term WE were truly engaged in what there company did and cared. They felt part of it. It was more than just a pay check and a 9-5. For the other example, you could tell that it was just a job for them. They really weren’t brand ambassadors. I sure wouldn’t work there or believe much by the way he talked about the organization.

People do this with sports too. I had a huge debate with a friend in college when I started talking about the Marquette basketball team as if I was really on it. “We will go to the final four this year.” When you are a true fan you are a brand ambassador for that team.

So the big question is do you use WE when you talk about your company? Are you a true brand ambassador? If not, it may be time to start doing or get out.

Speed Networking at Bar Louie

By: Sarah Nohr

Networking events can be scary. Especially as members of Gen Y – the generation who tends to always do what our friends are doing. We’re not generally a “fly solo” group. So when we see a sign for a networking event, most of us try to find a couple friends to go with us. Then we end up huddling in the corner talking to each other while drinking the free beer and scarfing down the complimentary apps.

But PRSA Young Pros is doing you a favor. We’re putting all of your friends in one place at an organized speed networking event. We’re removing the awkward step of having to approach a new group of people, a more experienced professional or an admired colleague. It’s actually part of the process to move from chair to chair, hand out your business card and get down to the nitty-gritty right away. Because you only have 5-10 minutes to do it in.

Last year, college students, young pros and experienced professionals alike attended our first Speed Networking event at Mo’s Irish Pub. By popular demand, we’re bringing it back this year. Check out the details below:

Speed Networking With PRSA Young Pros
Thursday, May 22
5:30-7:30 pm
Bar Louie (1114 Water St. – Downtown Milwaukee)

Speed network during happy hour with PR professionals at all stages in their career. Whether you’re looking to build your network in the Milwaukee area, need career advice or love to meet new people, we’ll help you build a well-rounded network in one night. Be sure to bring a fresh supply of business cards.
Don’t fret. Of course there will be FREE appetizers and a cash bar!

I hope to see you there! For more information on our upcoming Speed Networking event, visit our Facebook Page or contact Erica Zipp at ezipp@bader-rutter.com.

How Will a Teen Trend Affect the PR Profession?

By: Kim Nielsen

 

I recently read a summary of a study released last week by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, examining the writing habits of teens. Among the findings in the study, there is one that I find particularly disturbing – 64% of teens admitted to using informal style and slang in school assignments. The informal elements included such electronic communication standbys as lax capitalization and punctuation, abbreviations such as “LOL” and even emoticons.

 

If students fail to realize that school assignments merit a more formal writing style than everyday communications among friends, how can we be sure that they will be properly equipped to write as PR Professionals (or other members of the business world, for that matter)?

 

As electronic communications contribute to the continued blurring of the once distinct line between personal and professional communications, what can we do to assure that our own writing doesn’t fall victim similar trends?

 

Although I don’t know how all of this will play out, my feeling is this – when in doubt, err on the side of the more professional/formal.

The Best of the Best

By: Laurie Peterson

 

The Southeastern Wisconsin chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) annually hosts an awards banquet honoring the best of the best in Milwaukee public relations.  The awards will be formally announced on May 20 during the Paragon Award Banquet . 

 

Annually our firm, along with several other Milwaukee agencies, corporations and nonprofit organizations submit entries in the hope of being recognized for their hard work and, in most cases, creativity and strategic thinking. 

 

To be honest, Paragon award recipients might not be in the company of Dave Umhoefer and other Pulitzer Prize winners, but the awards symbolize and celebrate the strength and vitality of Milwaukee’s public relations industry.

 

If you can’t make it to the banquet, be sure to check the PRSA Web site following the May 20 event for a complete list of winners, and perhaps take a moment to congratulate the winning professionals for their work. 

 

As a budding pr professional, I am proud and excited to be part of such a thriving industry.  I look at the winning campaigns and tactics each year as inspiration, as I continually search for opportunities to grow into an award-winning professional. 

A “Uniform” for Public Apology?

by Kim Nielsen 

I came across this article yesterday. It’s an interesting commentary on the message that dress can send during public appearances, but I’m not sure that the specified clothing combination can really be considered “the uniform for the modern public apology.” 

For one, the combination of a dark suit, white shirt and a red diagonally striped tie (I’m surprised the flag lapel pin wasn’t mentioned) is shown in two cases of public apology over the course of four years – a period in which hundreds of public apologies were probably issued. 

On a second note, this look is not all that uncommon – it could be considered a uniform for public appearances in general. I am pretty sure that, in the past six months, I have seen a majority of the male presidential candidates wearing some variation of this “uniform” in a debate or other public appearance. I am equally sure that nearly every man I know of a certain age or status has at one time or another worn something similar. 

The men at the focus of the article – Governors Eliot Spitzer and James McGreevey (of New York and New Jersey respectively) – clearly made good choices in maintaining conservative appearances as they issued public apologies. I’m not sure that wearing an orange shirt or purple tie would have provided an appropriate back drop for their serious messages. But did this particular clothing combination (as opposed to any other conservative combination) really add anything to their apologies? Either way, I believe that there is a lesson here….While a professional appearance can make a person look better, it won’t mask other flaws.

Oklahoma Representative’s Hate Speech

by Sarah Nohr

This is Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern’s ugly anti-gay speech that was recently made wildly public on the Internet. 750,000 views on YouTube in just six days.

At one point, Kern is quoted, “If you have cancer in your little toe, do you just say that I’m going to forget about it since the rest of you is fine? It spreads! This stuff is deadly and it is spreading. It will destroy our young people and it will destroy this nation.” What an appalling and irrational analogy!

And talk about a positioning statement. I’m very surprised that someone of this political caliper would speak so strongly. I’m not sure what her image was locally prior to this, but this is not one of those situations where “any press is good press.” I can’t even begin to speak as an expert in political PR – but this makes me wonder what her reps are thinking now …

Please share this with others. I think this is outrageous.

Innovation

by Erica Zipp

 

I am finally beginning to understand how technology will affect future generations. While out to dinner a few nights ago, my husband and I were amazed at how quite the baby next to us was. When I looked over to see what was keeping this child so content, I noticed the baby was watching a movie on an iPhone. The child was smiling and perfectly content being entertained by a device that was too big to fit in a normal size purse a few years ago.

 

Things sure have changed since I was a kid. I’m pretty sure I was given the car keys to play with when I needed entertainment at a restaurant. Not the safest toy in the world, but we survived.