What would you think if you were driving down the highway and saw this? It really caught my eye and definitely made me do a very quick double take because I did not know what I was actually seeing.

It could be a very effective form of advertising and they were very creative with their interpretation of “stripping.”

The place was not open on Memorial Day as I was headed back to Atlanta, but I really did want to stop and ask them about the feedback/sales they had gotten from this strategically placed sign on a busy highway.

Three things this form of advertising does:

• It catches your eye
• Makes you want to tell people about it – word of mouth
• Makes the ad memorable

Is it effective though? Does a sign like this really make people remember your brand? Is this what you want to be known for?

Sex will continue to sell and it is definitely something to take caution in when/if your company or brand decides to go that route. Make it count and at least make it relatable and relevant!

Sometimes I really don’t think sex is an effective form of advertising, probably the least effective in perfume, food and other ads you see that make you wonder why on earth is a person in this and why does this ad need someone who is not in a lot of clothing?

Other examples:

Click image for original location.

Click image for original location.

The famous Dolce & Gabbana ads [inappropriate]

Click image for original location.

Click image for original location.

Click image for original location.

What do you think? Sex in ads work?

With Pinterest having a visual identity as its focus, we decided to bring our Pinterest Best Practices to life as well. From DIY to Social Media, Pinterest is quickly becoming an outlet for a variety of sectors and brands to engage. Before that first pin take a look at our infographic below to make sure you’re taking the necessary steps towards a noticeable presence on the platform. Take a look at Edelman Digital’s Pinterest account as well!

It’s my first time in a real, major US city as well and I’m loving it!

Click to learn more about my first week and what all I’ve learned so far:

Post link: http://www.prstarbase.com/forum/topics/trevelino-keller-from-behind-the-intern-s-desk

I’m absolutely for same-sex marriage and I voted *against* amendment one in NC to ban same-sex marriage.  I couldn’t be prouder of President Obama for his statement during the ABC interview:

“I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.”

It was great to see Twitter explode in support of President Obama and in support of same-sex marriage after the NC announcement to ban same-sex marriage and after Obama’s support OF same-sex marriage. I hope the tweets, Facebook statuses, emails and more continue to encourage people.

All people should be treated equality. Love it love and we should fight for it, not against it. It amazes me that people are criticized for who they love. I think people forget the people they are fighting so hard against are people too. All love is equal and I 100% believe in marriage equality.

I’m so ashamed to be a NC state resident where “we” voted to ban same-sex marriage in NC. Good think I’m living in GA for the summer, but I’m still not proud of NC at all. I hope my home state progresses forward and not backward in future elections and in future amendment propositions.

Just a few of my thoughts.

One of the most important things I learned this year is that you should get to know everyone, not just the people your friends like. There were a few times over the past year I did not give a few people a chance because they were friends with people who did not like me and it was a huge mistake. When talking to one of the people this week, who I’m now good friends with, she admitted she learned the same thing. We need to give everyone a chance.

It’s a hard lesson to learn when you’re in this very dramatic situation where someone seems to be stuck in an ongoing fight between two people. What I learned is that I should not dislike someone just because they are friends or were friends with one person or a group of people. Never automatically judge someone, their feelings or what you think they want, because you’re probably wrong.

Not everyone is going to like you or be your biggest fan… THAT IS OKAY! It really is. You can’t please everyone and you definitely can’t make everyone like you. Some people will not like you, will hold grudges and will root for you to fail. Prove them wrong, succeed with your career and personal life and live your life to the best you can. Be happy with you and your accomplishments.

Just a thought for this Friday! It was a great lesson to learn for myself and one I will continue to take with me.

If you are in public relations or communications in general and you’re not a member of PRSSA, you really are missing out and you have missed one of the biggest opportunities you will come across. The quote in the title was an actual quote said to my brother by a communication student. Full evaluation + explanation below.

I think it is always shocking when people do not want to be a member of the largest pre-professional organization in the world… and I think it’s shocking when people do not want to join a professional organization to better themselves in general. You get out of this organization what you put into it.

Contrary to popular belief, PRSSA is not everything I am and I do a lot of other things and am a part of quite a few other things. That being said, PRSSA is a large part of me and the person I am today. If you are asked as a student ,”You’re in public relations? Are you a member of PRSSA?” and your response is “No and I got a job just fine without PRSSA,” there are a few things to be noted:

1. You absolutely can get a job without PRSSA. People do it every single day.
2. You do not have to be in PRSSA to get a job.
3. PRSSA better enables you to get a job, develop as a young professional and build a network. 

PRSSA is an incredible Society with over 325 Chapters with well over 10,000 members! Heard of PRSA? Even BIGGER parent Society of PRSSA with over 32,000 professionals in the industry. Add that up and it’s well over 42,000 people in these two incredible organizations. What a network I’m proud to have on my side and what a network I’m so proud to be a part of.

I cannot even begin to explain how many people I have had the incredible fortune to meet through PRSSA and all the wonderful opportunities I’ve had as a student developing into a young professional through PRSSA. The classmates closest to me, the professor closest to me and my closest friends around the US are all in PRSSA. I have no idea where I would be without this organization and those people. I know on a daily basis there are so many people I can call, text and email with any question and I will get some great responses and help.

Everyone needs a network and people in the industry. Networking is one of the TOP ways to get a job and to make connections.

Through attending three National Conferences (so far), a few Regional Conferences, a few PRSA events and conferences and two National Assemblies (so far), I have made invaluable connections, friends and *lasting* relationships. I have learned SO much to advance my professional career. I do not know of a whole lot of other opportunities that afford the same chances. There are other organizations out there like PRSA and PRSSA that I highly encourage others to join like the American Marketing Association and others.

I cannot tell you how many people ever since I joined PRSSA in August of 2009 have told me RIGHT before they graduated how much they wished they had joined PRSSA and how much they wished they had taken the opportunities I had through PRSSA. Everyone and anyone can be in the exact same position and can be as well networked and experienced as PRSSA members, you just have to take the time and actually join.

That quote just really struck me and shocked me. PRSSA is more than just an organization, it’s an experience and it’s a lifetime of memories, relationships and connections. I know I will be a member of PRSA for the rest of my life. I know I will continue to be a PRSSA advocate for the rest of my life.

Before you write off an entire organization and assume you will be fine without it, get to know the organization, the people in it and what it can do for you, or more importantly what YOU can do for it.

Learn more about PRSSA and its benefits. 

Learn more about PRSA, its network and its benefits. 

Complete honesty in why I deactivated my account:

First, I really got tired of the “necessity” of having a Facebook account. I think it’s gotten a little out of control of how many sites make you sign up for an account with Facebook. I think it’s also a little ridiculous that people, and I used to be one of them, rely on Facebook so much. Facebook is a monopoly.

Facebook is SO integrated into our every day life and I do think that is a problem. We are programmed to it now. I’m willing to bet that Facebook is 1/3 first sites people visit, if not the first, when they pull up the internet every day.

Second, Facebook is filled with all kinds of drama, complaints and things I don’t really want to see or be a part of. I know you can control your friends and all of that, but I honestly got a little annoyed with the whole site.

Things have been MUCH better without a Facebook account. Not being on FB has really forced people to have actual interactions with me instead of just commenting and writing to me on Facebook. People have actual conversations with me and actually text me instead of just talking to me online all the time.

I’ve also been a lot more productive without Facebook. I don’t spend a lot of time just browsing around and wasting time. I’m actually working AND getting stuff done,  spending more time WITH people instead of just in front of a computer and I just seem to have a lot more free time. I never calculated how much time I spent on FB, but it must have been a lot of time.

Click image for original location.

There are a few things I miss:

Photos and easily communicating with people.

I absolutely love photos as they document my life and what I’m doing. I do miss seeing photos of my friends and I at events and such. They can easily send them to me, tweet them or put them on Instagram though. It’s not that bad.

Since FB is so intertwined with our lives, I do miss the ease of communication with people while learning about how they are doing.  Some people still say to me, “Did you see ______ on FB?” I keep reminding people I don’t have one! People’s reactions to me deactivating my account have been pretty funny though. This being said, I do like the forced communication now I have with people.

Since I do work in social media for a few different companies, I do have a WCU work account we use for our eMarketing team and I update various pages that way, but I get on, update and leave. I don’t stay to browse around at all.

I do think most companies and brands should have a presence on Facebook and I do think it is important for people to understand how Facebook works and how Facebook pages for brands operate.

Overall, I really enjoy NOT having an account for now! It is very nice. While I won’t be returning any time soon, I will probably reactivate one day. We’ll see! I definitely encourage everyone to try this for a while.

Similar article I found: My Life Without Facebook

Needless to say, we had quite an interesting conversation for about 20 minutes. I had him for psychology my freshman year and he still remembered me!

He said, “You look so different and much more mature now. I barely recognized you!”

Let’s start with that. My freshman year I was an interior design major with no clue what PR was and I was not taking college as seriously as I should have. I definitely wore sweatpants and sweatshirts to class almost every single day and did not care about what I looked like at all. Things turned RIGHT around when I became a PR major my sophomore year after taking the mandatory intro to communication class where another professor told me I would make a great PR major.

I told him about my new career and experience in public relations with my internships, PRSSA, conferences and more. He was very impressed and told me he was very proud of me for becoming “such an accomplished young woman.”

As we were about to part ways, I did tell him I was surprised he remembered me all the way back from my freshman year in just a regular psychology class out of hundreds of students. What he said in response was, “Well you made yourself pretty unforgettable by attempting everything, answering questions, asking for help and really being involved.”

That really stuck with me. While psychology was not my thing at all, I really did try to be involved in the class. I try to do this with most things I’m involved in. I put forth a lot of effort into everything I do and I’m very passionate about what I do. Sometimes I feel like I’m spread too thin with everything I do, but I really do love everything I do. Some people might say all of the work and all of the jobs I maintain at one time is pretty ridiculous, but it’s me and it’s what I love.

Summary: Be unforgettable in what you do and be passionate about what you do. This is definitely a life lesson for me and something I hope to continue to do throughout my life.

As I stated in that post, I really do love my job and it has been a great experience! I recommend everyone try to work with your university’s social media at least once. It is a very different experience and you really learn a lot.

Best parts:

• Facebook, Twitter and social media are mandatory for my job
• Coming up with very creative ways to promote different initiatives
• Encouraged to “pin” and be on Pinterest
• Tweeting to potential students and seeing their excitement about attending WCU
• Working with other departments for cross-campus collaboration
• Live tweeting to official WCU accounts for events, concerts, games, etc.
• Being a part of the team who takes pictures, attends events, etc. all for our social media
• Strategic planning for university marketing + other department/group Facebook pages
• Setting up workshops to explain Facebook uses + benefits to other departments
• Explaining the meaning and usefulness of Facebook to upper administration who might not buy in to social media at first
• Setting your own guidelines for your social media
• Crisis management!! Very interesting part.
• Working and posting things as they come. There isn’t exactly a set schedule to some things that just pop up.
• Seeing students and other  community members come to WCU’s defense when some bad comments are posted
• Seeing our WCU community grow together as our social media numbers grow as well
• We have a really awesome PR office with some great people in publications, design, news, etc. They are all great to work with!

Stories, personal conversations and genuine messaging are what sticks with people. I recently found this infographic that I think helps with this explanation process. Don’t be boring, don’t use company jargon, etc. Make your messages easy to relate to and conversational.

People don’t want to hear corporate-speak about your company, product or service, they want to hear actual stories about how your customers are doing better by doing business with you! [quote via Marketing Tech Blog]

Click image for original location with Marketing Tech Blog.