tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71694603408333839112024-02-08T02:09:06.721-08:00LeedsMetStudentPRLeeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-19063954256260595072010-04-11T13:10:00.000-07:002010-04-11T13:18:30.624-07:00A year later...I have found second year significantly easier than my first year as we were just building on theories, ideas and concepts that we had originally learnt. Also with the help of work experience it was easier to understand the theories as I had used them in practise when working in PR. I have successfully worked as a team in group work and have achieved some good results for presentations which is very positive.<br /><br />This year we have been put into groups instead of choosing who we work with and this has been a great experience as not only have I had the opportunity to work with people that I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">wouldn</span>’t normally, but have also had the chance to work as different parts of a team. Previously, I have often been team leader when we’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ve</span> chosen who we were with and I tend to organise what everyone’s doing. However, I worked with people I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">didn</span>’t really know as well and there were other team leaders within the group. It was a good opportunity to see how other people lead a group and it was and it meant that when I am team leader again, I can use some of the techniques they displayed for myself. For example, in one group they divided the tasks and then went their separate ways, did their work and emailed it to the team leader who put it together. However, when I do group work we all tend to sit together while doing the work and help one another then put it all together with everyone there. However, this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">doesn</span>’t always work as sometimes not everyone can attend the working session and so if we divided the work up then did it separately, we may be able to share the work load more fairly and then join together to complete the work.<br /><br />This year I also went for a work placement at Ptarmigan Bell-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Pottinger</span>. This was a fantastic experience and even though we were unsuccessful, our group really enjoyed working on the brief that they gave us. What was really valuable was have been given a real brief and little advice on how to go about working on it, so we did everything ourselves and our ideas were very well received by Nathan Lane, who said they were very original. It was a great experience actually pitching to Ptarmigan as it was a taste of the many opportunities Ptarmigan offered the successful student team and the enthusiasm that our group showed was clear. We worked really well as a group and we supported one another well. While we were pitching we were able to bounce off one another’s ideas and pitched with confidence and ease. It was a great opportunity to put all the information that we learnt in Public Relations Planning and Management and Persuasive Communications into practise and we used the theories that had been given to shape our pitch. Although we were unsuccessful, we were not resentful as we knew that we had done our best and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">couldn</span>’t have put more in and were just grateful for the fantastic experience that Bell <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Pottinger</span> offered us.<br /><br /> My career goals have always been that I would like to work in the beauty sector of Public Relations as that is where my passion lies. To achieve this I am determined to get a year’s work placement in one of the big beauty companies. I had an interview at Elizabeth Arden although <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">unfortunately</span> this was not able to be followed through as with the financial situation as it is at the moment they had to make cuts in the budget. However, I will keep looking (and hopefully find!).<br /><br />Overall, although this year has gone very quickly and the work loads have been a lot more than what we were used to in our first year as well as the pressure to find a placement, I feel this <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">year</span> has been a good year! Lets hope it stays that way!!Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-5119835839920450912010-03-27T06:53:00.000-07:002010-03-27T07:21:58.928-07:00Using legal highs? Are you an oxymoron?!Its the buzz on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">every one's</span> lips at the moment. Legal highs. I find myself talking about this subject nearly everyday and it shocks me that something so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">irrelevant</span> to my own life, has taken over. I know very little about drugs and moreover designer drugs and many think that I am ignorant, however, it has simply never been a scene that I have wished to act in.<br /><br />Legal highs are derived from <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ecstasy</span>, by its content rather than its effects and are both dangerous and unpredictable. However, these drugs are very easy to get your hands on. I googled "legal highs" so as to learn more about legal drugs such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mephedrone</span> and all the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">web pages</span> that came up were selling such drugs not information. I then decided to investigate the prices of such drugs and I am not surprised that many have swapped their drinks for drugs - these are so cheap!<br /><br />What I find most worrying about these designer drugs is that no one really knows the true effects. Obviously, the user finds the short term effects <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">incredible</span>, however, it is impossible to find out the long term effects of this drug. Personally, what I think the worst aspect of this new drug scene is the effect it has on your life as a whole. As many of the drugs are stimulants, it means that the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">individual</span> can stay up all night . However, this leads to the need to sleep all day or perhaps to force yourself to stay awake and then use the drug again the next evening so as to keep them up for a second night running. This leads to a contineous circle.<br /><br />Although as students we all have the odd day that we don't get out of bed until 3pm, the use of stimulants causes this reguarly, so university lectures are missed and the motivation and ability to work slowly disappears. Although the governement is currently looking at ways of making this drug illegal, there will always be a new designer drug to take its place.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-81251535281100450462010-03-03T09:29:00.000-08:002010-03-03T09:30:26.117-08:00B-Eating DisordersMany of us set New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight and many of us have given up by the 2nd of January when all the Christmas treats have to be finished off. However, there are many whose lives revolve around a constant diet, a continuous awareness of what they eat that their lives become consumed by food.<br /><br />There are 1.6 million people in the United Kingdom diagnosed with an eating disorder, but there is thought to be many more experiencing difficulties that are yet to be diagnosed. BEAT represents the UK’s Eating Disorders Association and are celebrating 21 years of working with those affected by eating disorders. Beat’s vision is simple: Eating Disorders will be beaten.<br />An eating disorder is a serious mental illness that controls the whole of a person. Many just believe it is about appearance, when in fact there are many reasons for eating disorders to arise. Problems with food can be linked to many different feelings such as loneliness, anxiety and sadness but also when a person feels that they lack control over their lives. Food can often be used, sometimes without awareness as a way to solve painful issues or times of distress. However, there is rarely one single cause for eating disorders. Problems with relationships, bereavement, a certain event or lack of confidence are all situations where eating disorders may become a matter for concern and may not just be because a person feels that they are overweight.<br /><br />People with eating disorders do not have a normal relationship with food. The two most serious eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa; however, binge eating and compulsive eating are also recognised as disorders.<br /><br />Anorexia can be characterised by extreme low body weight and a distorted body image. Anorexics are so concerned with gaining weight that they strictly control what they eat and drink and may exercise excessively in order to burn the calories. Ultimately, the mental illness takes control and the chemicals in the brain can distort thinking patterns making it impossible to make rational decisions about food.<br /><br />There are many effects that anorexia can have on your body such as dizziness, poor circulation, loss of menstrual cycle and discolouring of the skin. However, what can be more worrying to friends and family are the psychological and the behavioural side effects of anorexia such as denial, mood swings, lying and obsessive behaviour.<br /><br />During an interview with a mother who has a daughter who suffered from anorexia nervosa since she was 10 years old and now aged 21 is still having issues with food. “We still do not know where her fear of eating arose from and we feel there must have been a trigger that set her off in primary school. At one point our beautiful daughter was down to five and a half stone which for her height of 5 foot 11 inches is staggeringly low. She has been in and out of hospital and even though I am not to blame, I cannot help but blame myself. It was the constant lies and deceits that hurt us the most because my daughter and I used to be very close. We love her very much and only want the best for her.”<br /><br />Bulimia Nervosa is different as there is a mix of symptoms and not everyone displays the same ones and you do not need all the symptoms to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. Bulimics eat as they feel they have an emotional need that cannot be satisfied by food alone. Often sufferers binge on high calorie food or food in large quantities; however after eating there is a need to purge their food immediately by either using laxatives, vomiting or heavy exercise. Bulimia is harder for others to notice, and unlike anorexia, the weight loss is not as dramatic, although mentally it is just as tough.<br /><br />Bulimia, has similar effects on the body as anorexia. In addition, the throat can become sore, teeth can decay and bad breath can occur due to excessive purging, the quality of the skin can become sallow and there is the possibility of hair loss. Bulimics may spend large amounts of money on food or food may be secretly hoarded. As with anorexia, sufferers will lie and try and cover up as much as possible as they are ashamed of their behaviour.<br /><br />Eating disorders can occur at any age, although the people most likely to be affected tend to be young women, particularly between the ages of 15-25. This means that while you are at university you may have to see a friend suffer with an eating disorder. If you know anyone that shows the signs of an eating disorder you need to approach the subject with care, as sometimes people with eating disorders do not feel comfortable enough to speak to someone that close to them. When someone is suffering from an eating disorder, they find it hard to admit to themselves that they have a problem, and so admitting to someone else makes the situation real and so it is best to talk to them privately and mention that you have noticed their habits and let them know that if they want to talk that you will be there for them. Suggest other forms of contact for your friend if she feels uncomfortable talking to you face to face at first such as a letter or email and then encourage her to talk to you in person. Many people find it easier to express their feelings through writing and they are given the opportunity to write down everything that they want to say instead of forgetting or missing out information that can happen when talking face to face.<br /><br />Remember, that seeing a friend go through such distress can be hard for you too, so do not feel that you have to keep everything to yourself. Talk to your parents or to a counselor who can suggest the best way to go about the situation. There will always be help for those with eating disorder and those who are affected by friends or family.<br /><br />The BEAT eating disorders website can offer help (www.b-eat.co.uk) and there are also a number of help lines which help offer support. Whether it is you or a friend that suffers from an eating disorder, remember help is at hand and with BEAT’s help and continuous support, eating disorders can be beaten.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-31229356657983401282010-02-24T07:57:00.000-08:002010-02-24T08:00:22.482-08:00Barnado - PR Guru?<a href="http://leedsmetstudentpr.blogspot.com/2009/05/barnado-saviour-and-pr-guru.html">Barnado - Saviour and PR guru</a><br />Earlier, while cooking and watching The One Show they discussed the charity “Barnados”. Barnados are a charity that helps look after troubled children who may have been raised in situations ranging from drug abuse to homelessness. They believe that every child has a right to be happy and healthy.Barnados was set up in 1867 by Thomas Barnado who moved to London in 1866. It shocked him to see young children homeless and begging on the streets and so he set up “The Ragged School” which looked after those children who were facing poverty and gave them a basic education.<br /><br />One evening, a pupil at the school took Barnado to some of the poorest areas of London and showed him young boys and girls curled up in gutters or roof tops to try and stay safe and warm. Barnado then dedicated his life to helping destitute children and set up many homes for children to stay in. His motto was “No destitute child ever refused admission”.The Victorians of this time considered poverty as laziness and poor children were treated with disgust. Barnado however, needed support from the public to keep his houses running.<br /><br />Barnado was a man ahead of his time. He introduced ideas for fundraising and what turned out to be great PR. Barnado used photography which was a speciality in Victorian times and took photos of every child that ended one of his homes in the state they were found in and then again several months later when they had recovered from their experiences of living on the streets. These photos were then made in post cards and sold to the public to help raise awareness of his cause and money. Captions such as “once a little vagrant now a handy workman” were seen on the postcards in an attempt to change people’s mind about poor children.<br /><br />This was both successful and helped him raise enough money to open a girl’s house to help young girls living on the streets. It seems that Barnado was an early innovator in both child welfare and PR and his efforts still continue today 104 years after his death.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-2161149325205002462009-10-11T13:37:00.000-07:002009-10-11T13:39:17.615-07:00Our Personal PR Practitioner!I've spent the last year studying Public Relations, but how much do others know about it? Surely our everyday life activities such as meeting people, spinning the truth and enhancing our reputation are merely examples of our own personal PR?<br /><br />In the competitive world that we live in we are constantly pushed to show ourselves off. Every person has their own drive to successfully prove that they are better than others. This is clearly shown throughout development. Children push themselves to be best at skipping, sports or in class by learning their timetable prematurely. Teenagers are constantly trying to be as fashionable as Kate Moss, be the first to French kiss and get into the best universities. As adults we are motivated more by money and job security. Our CV’s are just one example of us showcasing our talents. However, the way in which we push ourselves depends deeply on our personality and motivation. I believe this can also be linked to parts of a business. <br />Some of us are more subtle than others. The people that shout out their talents from the street, making sure that everyone knows that they are the best - these are the advertisers of the human personality. They have no subtly with their approach to selling themselves. They want to put everything in black and white, paste it on a big screen and let everyone know that they are the best. <br /><br />This can be seen as a positive trait, as they are always in the limelight, they are more likely to be spotted and their works are more likely to be displayed in places where it can be seen. These people would be recognised for who they are and what they have done. However, this can also be a disadvantage. For example, if their work was to fall through, everyone would see them fail. They would not be able to lose with dignity, and losing to these people would be a major concern. An example from the recent media is Kerry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Katona</span>, she is constantly pushing herself to be in all the papers and gossip magazines. She also makes a television show about herself and how she is coping with being bipolar. She sees this as a positive thing because she is showing the world that she is on the right track and is happy, however, with the good mood days also comes the bad days and these are what the media and people pick up on. Although no news is bad news, the media find it very easy to pick up flaws and will focus on them and sadly this is what the public remember her for doing.<br /><br />Then there are the Public Relations officers amongst us who are keen to push ourselves forward and become well known, but in a more subtle way. People like this would probably become acquainted with those in higher positions, keep on good terms with these people and push themselves so that one day an opportunity would arise for them through their good relationships. Their contact list would be huge and there would never be an opportunity missed, any chance for another contact in another business would be taken seriously. These people would demonstrate their best work only, but discretely, only showing it to their target audience for examples possible future employers. They would spin the truth as to make themselves look better, if a bad piece of work was to be shown they were cover it up by producing a fabulous example of how they can do much better.<br />This behaviour has its advantages as only good work is usually portrayed and their ever growing contacts list would mean that many people would have heard of them. They would constantly be in contact with their contact list, ready for any possible interview for a job. However, a disadvantage of this is that they could be seen as too modest and not be pushing themselves hard enough to get to where they want to be. In the working world, especially during the credit crunch, people have to push themselves to get noticed as jobs do not arise as often as in previous years.<br /><br />However, in my opinion a mix of these personalities would be necessary to be successful in life. Although, even if people are not aware of what Public Relations is, they are probably working all types of PR for themselves, to ensure they have friends close and enemies even closer. We use it to cover our everyday mistakes that we make and when promoting ourselves. In fact, we are all our own PR practitioners.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-48645280732959607752009-08-11T07:35:00.000-07:002009-08-11T08:02:46.009-07:00Public Relations(hips)From my previous blog "What is PR?" I discussed the idea that Public Relations deals with reputation and maintaining relationships. From my experience of PR there was hardly a minute let alone a second that the phone did not ring or someone popped in. As Public Relations officers are constantly building relationships, what if one was to break. Its always been said that a reputation takes a life time to build and one act of bring it down. How can we keep everyone happy?<br /><br />Making:<br /><br />A speck of wisdom that I learnt while on my work placement is that journalists get thousands upon thousands of press releases sent to them everyday. If they were to actually reply or use every one of these press releases, well, the certainly would have square eyes. They would never get away! Especially as many of them will be round robin emails sent to everyone, not especially your target audience.<br /><br />I learnt that addressing an email to person's name who shall receive it will keep their interest. Even if you've slightly messed up and sent some coverage for a new band to a paper who deal with finances, seeing their own name will make them see you've made an effort. This also means that they are more likely to get back in touch with you and maybe even suggest further contacts.<br /><br />As a PR officer, you've got to remember that everything you do reflects not only yourself but also the company you are working for, the clients that you have and the public. This means always being well turned out and friendly, even if you're boyfriends just dumped you and your cat is missing.<br /><br />Breaking:<br /><br />Always make sure that when you are sending an email, letter, fax - ANYTHING that you double check it for spelling mistakes. A journalist would be very unimpressed at bad grammar or spelling mistakes and think "Idiotic PR officers, no wonder they're not a journalist!"<br /><br />A mistake that I saw when working on placement which was easily a<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mended</span>, but was very embarrassing for the company at the time was an email to the agents of a singer they were covering saying that a newspaper had loved her. This was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">definitely</span> not the case! They <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hadn't</span> read the article properly and actually they were really slating her for her work! The agents thought that the company were being sarcastic and rude! Not good!<br /><br />I daresay that throughout my career as a PR officer I will make many relationships and perhaps break some as well. The important fact is that each time you make a mistake you clear it up and try and get back on track! Public Relationships <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">aren't</span> the same as human relationships, you cant do it alone and stay single forever, you rely on them.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-60494511306011518162009-05-06T14:13:00.000-07:002009-05-07T09:17:13.537-07:00Can we come back please?The comeback; what most celebrities want and what most PR officers dread. Let’s face it, if you fell out of the spotlight in the first place, then the public probably don’t want to see you back, no matter how “out there” you’re willing to be. However, it is fair to say that the celebrity world is very forgiving and Mike Paul, a New York PR expert says “Hollywood is a kind of fantasy land as far as reputations go.” Here follows some of the best celebrity come backs…<br /><br /><strong>Michael Jackson</strong> – this must be one of the best come backs there has ever been. Although he was never out of the celebrity circle he did however severally damage his image and now he has people begging for his UK tour tickets. Everything from the facial surgery to his accusations of child sexual abuse he is still one of the most sought after celebrities.<br /><br /><strong>Britney Spears</strong> – Everything about Britney’s life has been a fantastic PR job. From her virginity that got her up in the charts as well as boys walls to the new sassy “I don’t need a man image”, to getting married in Vegas all the way through to the troublesome time she had over the custody of her children. It is fair to say that Britney has made a fantastic come back this year with her new album reaching number one and tour that shows she’s “Not a girl” anymore and she’s here to drive us “Crazy”!<br /><br /><strong>Victoria Beckham</strong> – The Spice Girls were the ultimate girl band but once they split Posh Spice was left wanting more. However, after a flop of an attempt at a solo album we thought she was gone forever. Oh how wrong we were. She is now a household name, well she is with a little help from her husband David Beckham and his right foot. Now "Posh" of Posh and Becks she has now matured her look, had three beautiful children and broken America in style. She is now a celebrity in her own right; with a clothing range, TV appearances in programmes such as Ugly Betty and part of the Spice Girls reunion tour in 2008.<br /><br /><strong>Take That</strong> – Could it be magic that the best boy band of the 90’s was reunited in 2006. After the departure of Robbie Williams in 1995 the band went their separate ways, with Robbie becoming a national heart throb. Since Take That’s reunion without Robbie they have had two very successful albums and have relighted fires in hearts all over the world.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-65587705823493224762009-05-04T16:38:00.001-07:002009-05-06T12:54:42.685-07:00The end of the "Fresher" Era.Alas, I have three final weeks left in Leeds before I venture home to Cambridge for a long and hopefully hot summer! Its incredible quite how fast this year has gone and it scares me to think that this is the end of my first year!<br /><br />Thinking back to this time last year I was studying hard for my A levels looking forward to a summer of 'nothingness' where there was no work, all play. So much has changed since then and I must say that every change has been worth it!<br /><br />Not only has this year taught me a lot about PR but also a lot about myself. Last year I would have failed at making beans on toast, but now I am cooking fine cuisine. For example, dinner tonight consisted of chicken stuffed with caramelised peppers, wrapped in bacon, with a baked potato and veg!<br /><br />Being away from home also has made me independant. As home is so far away I only tend to go home once a term, if at all, whereas my flatmates and friends appear to be going home every weekend. I think this meant that I had to learn to cope without Mummy! If anything needs doing, I know I have to do it myself. If I need to set up a direct debit, I do it. If I need to clean the inside of the cooker, I do it. If I need a house to live in next year, I do it! It's given me a great deal of confidence in myself, as I doubt if last year I would have managed to even change a lightbulb!<br /><br />I have also grown in confidence and have had to learn not to depend on others, something that for me was originally very hard. I was always used to falling back onto boyfriends, parents or friends. Now I try and sort everything out in my head by myself and only ask parents and friends opinions occasionally. I also know that I could walk into any room and talk to any body and would have something interesting to say! I am aware of what's happening in the media and enjoy a good debate.<br /><br />Although, the end of freshers is slightly concerning. I have liked knowing that we only had to get 40% to pass the year and that this year doesnt count towards my degree (not that it meant I didnt work incredibly hard Daddy if youre reading this!) Also it means that Im no longer the youngest in the university - I am an old hand at which nights are the best out in Leeds and where are the best areas to live!<br /><br />A couple of friends are joining me up in the "norrrrf" for university next year and I hope to pass on all the things that I have learnt. This year has been a whirlwind of excitement, tears, experience and knowledge and honestly, I cannot wait for the next!Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-46346446751716461512009-04-06T06:30:00.001-07:002009-04-06T06:33:22.559-07:00PR; it's just publicity isn't it?I say PR! You say spin! Lies! Deceit! Publicity! Followed by a number of other offensive terms that slate the term public relations. Everyone knows of the bad reputation that PR carries, and yet every successful company relies on it – ironic really isn’t it? Many say “Oh it’s just publicity!”, if this was the case, do you really think it would be such a popular choice? Thought not.<br /><br />Yes, I fully admit that I can see why some people may think that those working in PR are only there to gain publicity for their client. This is especially seen in Celebrity PR. Of course Britney wants everyone to see the images of her looking gorgeous on the beach on holiday – then people will think she’s recovered, happy and well. What the magazine doesn’t tell you is that Britney’s PR team want us to think that. Duh! Why else would they have sent the photos along with a press release and statement saying she is back with a vengeance? Well, it fooled you.<br /><br />Charities do the same. “NO!” I hear you cry. “Charities don’t need PR, we donate out of the goodness of our hearts.” Sorry, no. Charities rely deeply on PR to plan and deliver movements that will gain the respect and sympathy of the public, who will then be enticed to donate. Again, fooled.<br />The truth is that everyone relies on PR for awareness as techniques such as advertising don’t always cut it. Advertising works to a certain extent, but eventually the audience becomes aware that what they are seeing is purely an advert, of course it would say it’s the best product the world has ever seen! However, I doubt whether many who hadn’t studies Public Relations would even be aware of a PR story. I know I didn’t realise until I learnt more about it.<br /><br />Some stories are obviously PR stunts, for example, the stories that ran in the lead up to Prince Harry’s return from Afghanistan. However, if you were reading a magazine and they suggested a new moisturiser that would slow the aging process that they had tried, tested and treasured, you may be willing to believe them, rush out and buy it. It doesn’t seem relevant that the magazine beauty editor rolled into work worried about being an article short for that month’s edition to find a nice package on their desk with a few samples of moisturiser and a press release. They then regurgitate what is written in the press release and hey presto, you have a nice little article to fill that space. The problem is that journalists have a decreasing time constraints, face constant competition for stories and have a need for profits and sometimes it is easier to take what PR officers give you instead of being creative and researching things themselves.<br /><br />I bet you’re thinking, so that’s it? That’s PR? Just publicity? Wrong.<br />Public Relations and Publicity are not synonymous. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations claims that “Public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.”<br /><br />This accepts that some parts of PR are to do with publicity; however, effect PR goes even further than this. Public Relation officers are head of communications for a company and are responsible for making sure their reputation is upheld. Public Relations is the clever and subtle way of increasing the awareness of your business and to promote it. Yes, this could be considered publicity, but could also be seen as “reputation builders” and if the reputation is boosted this is due to good PR planning.<br /><br />Further than this, PR is responsible for finding out the target audiences of whatever product, service or client they are trying to promote. This involves extensive research as a successful PR campaign is tailored to the audience’s need. They also have to keep good relations with their stakeholders, who are critical to any business. The message has to be carefully planned so that the audience as well as the stakeholder are satisfied and this takes a lot of work as in some situations they each have different needs. This shows the hard work and complicated behaviour of PR, as it usually involves pleasing more than one person. This means that you have to keep on the right side of everyone and so this job usually bends towards those who are good at persuading and usually very charming!<br /><br />On top of this, everyday you will probably meet someone new and have to charm them as much as you would your stake holders and audience. That is a lot of pressure to be happy and cheerful at all times! You have to present yourself in a way that the potential client would want to do business with you and so you have to impress them into wanting to work with you. When working you have to build up strong relationships with journalists and keep these good connections as one wrong move can cost you a lot of coverage.<br /><br />So, is PR just publicity - a job with the aims to promote? I don't believe this for a second. Publicity believes that “any press is good press” whereas Public Relations wants only good press to promote the reputation of their client. With all this confusion about PR, all they appear to need is some “good publicity”!Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-44531581691756505542009-03-27T08:46:00.001-07:002009-03-27T09:26:22.956-07:00Questions, Questions....<strong>Why have you <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">chosen</span> to study PR and why did you choose this route?</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />After many tests on careers that I took over my secondary and sixth form education, Public Relations had always been mentioned. I then decided over the summer of 2007 to get work experience in a Public Relations office. I managed to get a placement at Elizabeth Arden in London, which was a fantastic experience. While I was there, I decided that I was definitely interested in working in PR. There was a girl working there who was on her placement year from Bournemouth University and I spoke to her about her course and she said that she would recommend going to university to study PR if I was interested, because it was getting harder to work yourself up in Pr now, which was a common route before. I then looked up universities that taught PR and liked Leeds Metropolitan best. I am glad that I chose the route that I did, because I do not feel that I was ready to be working full time yet. When I did my placement over Christmas I was very capable to do any task that I was given without having to ask for too much help, which meant that I had learnt a great deal.<br /><br /><strong>Who inspires you?</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />I recently read Max Clifford's autobiography "Read all about it", which other than being a great read was so informative. Although I have never been interested in pursuing a career in celebrity PR because I am not that interested in their public lives, I found it fascinating the way that Max Clifford has controlled and manipulated the media. His recent involvement with Jade Goody, although I don't believe that what he has done is right, it is not possible to fault his efforts and successes. However, I think my biggest inspiration is my father. He started his own finance business and through his hard work and dedication has made his business a success. He is responsible for the running of the business and I think he does a great job!<br /><br /><strong>Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?</strong><br /><br />I will be twenty nine by then (blimey!) and I would have liked to have made a name for myself. I always used to want to be a singer-songwriter up until a few years ago, I used to want to be famous. However, now I would rather be "well known" in my field, not necessarily as well known as Max Clifford, however, I would want to be known as an expert of PR! Hopefully I would have started my own business and have loyal clients and a good team working under me, who I can be an inspiration to. I would also like to be in a secure relationship and living comfortably, however, this is not the be all and end all - I would rather just be happy with my life!<br /><br /><strong>What particular skills and qualities do you think suit you to PR? What other skills would you like to develop in the future?</strong><br /><br />I think I have a natural ability to speak to anyone (AKA gift of the gab) and think I put people at ease when they meet me. I can be very persuasive and people will tell you (friends, boyfriends, parents) that if I want something I can usually wrap people around my little finger and get what I want. I can however, be forceful and if <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">I'm</span> not satisfied with something, I will say. However, I have an ability to put things in such a way that no one gets hurt, as I have a need to please people and understand that we are only human and people make mistakes.<br /><br />I believe that I need to work on my writing skills and on improving my vocabulary, grammar and spelling. It is to a satisfactory level now, but there is always room for improvement. I find that reading good novels helps and I also make sure that I read a good newspaper at least three times a week.<br /><br /><strong>What position do you usually take when working in a team?</strong><br /><br />Team leader! If I am confident in what I am doing, I like to take the lead. Although, I would say I am a good team leader because I am genuinely interested in how other people would do a similar task differently, and am always the first to admit if their idea is better. I am very good at encouraging those who are quieter in the group to come out of their shells. I believe that sometimes the quieter members of a group are those who sit back and take everything in, have time to think about the best way of going about things and hence usually have the best ideas! However, if I am less sure of a task I gladly allow someone to take the part of team leader and work just as well under these conditions.<br /><br /><strong>What is the best decision you have made?</strong><br /><br />I think my decision to stay on in Leeds. When I first came here I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">didn't</span> really settle very well and was quite upset. I had lived away from home before as I went to boarding school, however, I was still only thirty minutes away from home and Leeds is a good three and a half hours away! The main reason that I stayed was because I loved the course, whereas others loved the social life and looked forward to nights out, I looked forward to going to uni (yes I am a strange child!). Now, I have found my place and couldn't be happier here in Leeds. I have an amazing range of friends, love my course, have lots to do in my spare time and am only sad that the summer is nearly here!<br /><strong></strong><br /><br /><strong>What achievement are you most proud of?</strong><br /><br />My Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. I was the only girl in my year to complete it and there were only 5 of us in total who completed it in our year! Many people think that the award just consists of walking up hills and you get a pat on the back for it. However, it is so much more than that. We had to create our own routes, map read, cook, set up camp as well as walk through any weather we were given! More than that however, at every level you have to complete six months to a year of a skill, service and physical recreation. That takes some dedication and effort at each level! For Gold I worked in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Oxfam</span> for a year for a couple of hours a week, where I met some great friends. I also took up the guitar, wrote songs and recorded them (<a href="http://www.myspace.com/emilybethgarner">www.myspace.com/emilybethgarner</a> - bit of PR for myself there!!!) which is another great achievement! I also took up going to the gym four times a week, which I have kept up because it keeps me sane as well as fit and healthy!Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-45565951506804433412009-03-10T06:35:00.001-07:002009-03-10T06:36:05.307-07:00In businessThis Christmas I undertook work experience at a PR company in Cambridge and I can honestly say that it was the one of the most valuable experiences I have ever had. I was so keen to see how a PR consultancy runs day to day and demonstrate the skills that I had been learning everyday while at university.<br /> <br /> When I arrived on my first day, I was surprisingly calm. I was early and had time to sit in the car, take a few deep breaths before entering the office. My initial thought was how colourful the walls were with magazine and newspaper cuttings that demonstrated their influence in the media and I was instantly excited to get started! When I met the team that I would be working with, I was surprised at how young everyone seemed to be and how comfortable they were in their surroundings.<br /> <br /> I was instantly put to work and had to do some research into local Cambridge shops and businesses that would be interested in being invited to a monthly networking party that the company was organising. I then had to call around all the shops and businesses, which taught me a lot about using the phone!<br /><br /> I also did a lot of newspaper coverage. I had to find relevant sections out of newspapers to do with music and small businesses. Although this task was tedious it defiantly taught me a lot about all the different newspapers and what sections they feature, which is so important when working in PR and trying to get coverage.<br /> <br /> I was also responsible for putting together some press releases, and after my first few attempts I really got the hang of the format and the right type of language. It was also great to see some of my press releases online and in papers which I found really exciting.<br /> <br /> Now, I cannot wait to get out into the working world! I made so many great friends at the company, most of which I’m still in contact with now. It’s made up my mind that I defiantly want to do a year in industry in year three because learning about PR is all very well, however, the experience cannot be beaten.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-24892337703158944962009-02-22T08:40:00.001-08:002009-02-22T08:41:58.544-08:00What is PR?Public Relations is a modern occupation with its history laying mostly in America, Britain and Germany. There have been many attempts to define what Public Relations consists of, however, there is no one universal definition. It has been given a bad reputation of “spin” which uses deceitful and manipulative tactics; however, with the ethics and code of conducts of public relations, there is less of this reputation now. It is a complex subject with its techniques constantly developing and changing, yet many people have attempted to identify what is Public Relations.<br /><br />Morris and Goldsworthy describe public relations as “the planned persuasion of people to behave in ways that further its sponsor’s objectives. It works primarily through the use of media relations and other forms of third party endorsement.” (Morris and Goldsworthy, 2008).<br />Although this defines a basis of what public relations consists of, the definition does not go into enough depth and from my experience of public relations there is a lot more to the current practise than this definition states. Although their work is mostly achieved through media relations which is a massive part of Public Relations and there is a reliance on journalists to publish their articles in the press to gain coverage, in this definition there is no clarification on how this is done. This definition also mentions the planned persuasion of people, and planning is very important, however it fails to mention research. Research into the publics and environment is imperative when working in Public Relations as they need to be aware of the mindset of their audience as well as their sponsors overall goals. However, this is only two people’s opinion on what consists of the practise of public relations. Others, such as the CIPR, Public Relation Officers and intellectuals have alternative ideas as to what makes up Public Relations<br /><br /> The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the professional body of public relations for Britain and their definition states that; “Public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.” (CIPR 1987). <br /><br />This is similar to Morris and Goldsworthy’s definition as it shows the importance of persuasion of the public’s although the CIPR refer directly to reputation which is a huge part of PR and goes further into explaining how you would further the sponsor’s objectives. The CIPR definition also emphasises the importance of mutual understanding and well as building good relationships with the organisations, public and media. This is a key factor of public relations as the success of the business is dependent on relying and helping one another which will overall benefit both parties.<br /><br />In 1976 Harlow pulled together the 472 different definitions of Public Relations to create his own definition;<br /><br /> “Public Relations is a distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organisation and its publics; involves the management of problems or issues helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinions; defines and emphasises the responsibility of management to serve the public interest; helps management keep abreast of and effectively utilise change; serving as an early warning system to help anticipate trends and uses research and ethical communication techniques as its principal tools.” (Harlow 1976).<br /><br />Unlike Morris and Goldsworthy’s definition there is an emphasis on the importance of Public Relations as a management function and their use of research so that they can adapt to change. Harlow mentions the use of communication between the public and organisation and the importance of serving the public’s interest, which is essentially what Morris and Goldsworthy claims and is a key aspect of Public Relations. This definition although long winded, does incorporate the key issues, tasks and techniques that a Public Relations officer would take part in daily. However, it does not actually explain the essence nor the strategy of Public Relations.<br /><br />Overall, the issue of defining Public Relations is very complex as there are so many parts to Public Relations that overlap with other job titles such as advertising, marketing and journalism. It is ironic that a job which deals with communication runs into major communication issues when attempting to be defined. Public Relations may never have one universal definition because it is a profession that is constantly changing and developing. However, there is a clear need to define public relations to stop it being misunderstood as “spin” which holds its bad reputation and this may be achieved in the near future.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-59605348410506136152009-01-27T12:31:00.000-08:002009-01-27T12:32:27.332-08:00Edward Bernays. AKA. King of Spin.Edward Bernays is known primarily for being the Father of Spin but also nephew to psychoanalysis expert Sigmund Freud. Further to my previous blog about Freud, I am now going to investigate further into the mind of his close relative to see how he managed to use the subconscious to manipulate public opinion.<br /><br /><br />Bernays used psychology to help get into the minds of the public’s by using persuasive campaigns. He believed that propaganda that was seen throughout the Nazi period in Germany as well as all over the world during and just after the World Wars were perfect examples of how psychoanalysis could be linked to public relations.<br /><br /><br />"If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it? The recent practice of propaganda has proved that it is possible, at least up to a certain point and within certain limits."<br /><br /><br />He believed that deep understanding of the mind and how humans operated meant that manipulation of thought processes, even on a large target audience, could be possible. This was all documented in his essay “The Engineering of Consent” first published in 1947. Bernays believed that those who were undisciplined or lacking in religious guidance or morals could easily be manipulated subconsciously as they had no strong beliefs.<br /><br /><br />Bernays could be held responsible for the high levels of women smokers today, as it was him in the 1920’s who manipulated the minds of women everywhere from turning smoking into a taboo activity to a socially acceptable and attractive act. He manipulated women by showing powerful, strong females smoking and called cigarettes the “torches of freedom”.<br /><br /><br />Surely this is what Public Relations is all about; as advertising makes the reader perfectly aware that they are trying to be sold something. However, through the use of public relations we are not subconsciously aware of what message is hidden behind a story. I know for a fact that I have been tricked into buying products purely through great PR, and now that I have a deeper understanding on what PR is as well as knowing the methods Edward Bernays and Freud used I think I will be able to spot the spin even more in the future.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-64121828248629323882008-12-20T16:05:00.000-08:002008-12-21T13:28:07.366-08:00Freudian FussPsychology has always interested me since I took it up for ‘A’ level, however, one particular sector of psychology has got me thinking.; The “Psychodynamic approach”. After looking over my revision essays which is what makes up most of this blog post, I got thinking about Freud and whether I believe.<br /><br /> Now to most people this is the branch of psychology that is most known and disagreed with. Everyone seems to have a reason to doubt Freud and to be fair to him, all his findings are completely unfalsifiable and hence this is understandable. For me, nevertheless, I believe strongly in his works. Freud believed that psychoanalysis could uncover unconscious desires and conflicts that had happened in the past to solve mental disorders. If the unconscious was made conscious Freud believed that it would help the individual cope better with inner emotional conflict that is causing the conflicts. Freud’s technique aims to help the client gain insight and awareness to their repressed conflicts to discover the root cause of their illness. He did this in a number of ways which I will explain so that you can have a better idea of how Freud worked.<br /><br /> Dream analysis is where an analyst tries to interpret the client’s dreams to try and uncover their unconscious. Freud believed that dreams are unconscious drives disguised in symbolic form. There are two types of content – the manifest and the latent. The manifest content is what the dreamer will claim what happened (e.g. Shooting a teacher) and the latent content is what the analyst will interpret the dream to mean – which represents the dreamers urges (e.g. Ejaculation). Freud believed that dreams were wish fulfilment – usually based on a sexual or aggressive nature. Bring the subconscious ideas to the conscious means that the person is then aware and can get help from someone to solve their mental disorders because they can find out the root cause.<br /><br /> Free association is another Freudian technique for making the unconscious conscious. The client lies on a couch and free flow their thoughts, feelings and images about anything and anybody as they are not being judged by the analyst who has to suspend their own values and beliefs for the sake of the client. Freud believed that eventually as the conscious mind is emptied out the unconscious mind will begin to seep through. Freud believes that all memories are ordered and eventually the client will come across a crucial memory that could be causing their mental disorder. The analyst will make notes from what the client says, and if they think they have heard anything that was particular random or unusual they may question the client, asking them to continue with that story to find out as much as possible.<br /><br /> Word association is another way of making the unconscious conscious. The analyst reads a list of words one at a time and asks the client to say the first word that comes in the mind when that word is said (e.g. Analyst – Sky, Client – Blue). The analyst will start off saying passive words (yellow, sand) then work up to more emotional words (shame, disgrace). The analyst would listen out for hesitations, mind blanks or unusual responses, which could potentially show an unconscious repressed memory.<br /><br /> Eventually the patient will go through “transference” once they are getting close to finding repressed memories especially if the repressed memory involves a person. The client begins to redirect their feelings to the therapist that are unconsciously meant to be directed at someone significant in the client’s life – which is usually a parent. This can take two forms – love or hate. The client could turn to hate the therapist because they think that they are not getting better and that they’ve messed up their life and will usually compare the behaviour they think their therapist is showing towards the person it is meant to be directed at e.g. their mother or father. However, they could also end up falling in love with their therapist and become obsessive. This is important as it shows clearly the unconscious mind trickling into the conscious mind as they are acting out how they feel. The therapist must not encourage or prevent the behaviour and counter transference is very important to avoid. In counter-transference the therapist acts on the transference the client is experience, for example the therapist could begin to think they are falling in love with their client, which is illegal and against the ethical guidelines.<br /><br /> I can understand why many may think that treatment such as these seem ridiculous and almost impossible to work, however, having experienced a repressed memory myself I can see how it may be true. My repressed memory came through a dream, it was almost as if someone were piecing together a puzzle in my mind and although I was upset at the time, facing up to my repressed memory made me feel unusually calm. Psychoanalysis takes a lot of time and can go on for 5-7 years with several 50 minute sessions a week. This means that it is very time consuming, as well as being very expensive – £70-150 a session adding up £163,800 a year. However, I managed to treat myself. Maybe our own minds are more powerful than they seem.Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-49447740603260543452008-12-20T15:30:00.001-08:002008-12-21T13:29:55.791-08:00Trains fair?Travelling has become a way of life for me. Every weekend I mission to Leeds train station overnight bag filled with going out clothes and straighteners ready for an adventure in another city. However, every week I sit on nationalrail.com trying to find the cheapest train fare. It seems crazy to me that even with student discounts and booking long in advance I spent the majority of my money on trains.<br /><br /> Even with websites like thetrainline.co.uk which offers 33% off all rail tickets travelling has become a burden. I know I am not the only one that loves to travel, many of my friends have boyfriends in other cities or jobs back at home that they have to travel for. It seems ridiculous to me that even with cars and carbon emissions burning holes in the O-zone that train lines are still determined to be burning holes in my pocket! Surely it is in the interest of all to lower train and bus fares so we can save the environment? Maybe next year!Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-62657276325650502302008-11-23T08:03:00.001-08:002008-11-23T08:36:30.591-08:00The manic rush to Christmas...We are now sprinting towards Christmas, with the shops playing Christmas carols at any opportunity and there is talk of getting calendar's in our flat. With Fresher's week being two months ago it seems scary how fast time has gone in the fact that Christmas is only one month away. Where has the time gone?<br /><br /><br /><br />My parents are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">repeatedly telling me that students have too much time on their hands and that filling my days off and free hours will make the time fly. I took their advice and fill my days off with tasks and objectives then my free hours in between lecturers either working or spending time with friends in the SU. Now, I seem to blink and the weeks fade away.</span><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">I guess it's a good sign that I am thoroughly looking forward to my Christmas at home; to be back with my family and friends. As with all the assignments and presentations that are due in over the next month, I daresay Christmas is sooner than I think.</span><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span>Leeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169460340833383911.post-12246277750145604292008-11-23T06:46:00.000-08:002008-11-23T07:24:27.306-08:00My very first blog...It's funny, in today's society we are constantly talking about ourselves; our hobbies, friends and activities we enjoy doing. However, when faced with the idea of writing an "about me" suddenly my mind goes blank. So I'll keep this short and sweet.<br /><br />My name is Emily Garner and I live in Cambridge. I have just started my next great adventure at Leeds <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Metropolitan</span> University and am studying Public Relations. I am starting this blog because although I have met many other PR students on my course here, I am aware of all the other students at other universtites that I considered as well as possible future employers.<br /><br />So far, I couldn't have asked for more from university. It's given me the opportunity to meet new people as well as allowing me to learn more about life in PR. I love that every day something new arrises and brings about a new challenge.<br /><br />Keep reading...<br /><br />Many thanks,<br /><br />EmLeeds Met Student PRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05577943903760290879noreply@blogger.com1