Auburn PR Blog

The office door bell sounds as she casually swaggers through the door with her cell phone glued to her left ear and sopping wet bleach-blond hair hanging past her shoulders, framing a face devoid of make-up. Heads throughout the office turn, but the women doesn’t notice. She is consumed with her colorful yet lewd conversation with a colleague she met on a weekend business trip in Toronto. Her piercing laugh echoes throughout the building as well-respected faces scowl in disapproval.

Starting her workday two hours late and wearing a frumpy Auburn sweatshirt, the married woman continues her cell-phone banter of apple martinis and sexual innuendos with her mystery man for another 45 minutes as customers are forced to wait for her personal life to be set aside.

For the past 10 months, I have observed this behavior day in and day out during my internship. The woman that I described has been employed by this significant organization in the Auburn area for a considerable number of years. (I will refrain from the details) Throughout Alabama, this woman continues to earn a negative reputation for herself and her organization due to her unprofessional, rude and vulgar presentation. Over the past year, this organization has matured tremendously and continues steady growth. Even though the organization is flourishing, this woman’s actions and reputation make quite a statement on impressionable minds.

The most fundamental principle I have learned during my internship is the value of employees. A superior staff can make your organization sparkle with enthusiasm, unity and class, or tarnish your every effort to produce a fruitful business.

I just finished a project for a class I am currently taking called Multimedia Productions. We had to make a 5 to 8 minute audio project on a topic and edit it on Multiquence. While doing this project, I developed a new appreciation for Public Relations and what it has taught me. Over the years, my professors have stressed the importance of critical thinking. It was while making my project when I realized how beneficial it is to possess this skill. In some way, I experienced what it can be like for an employer interviewing potential employees. Those who saw the world in the simplistic way that most do were not beneficial to me and my project. However, those who could dig deeper because they initially questioned the “norm”, were the ones I learned from and included in my project. I wonder if employers are able to distinguish between the two kinds of thinkers during an interview. I am thankful to have had this experience in order to further understand the achievements critical thinking can accomplish.

Recently I have been introduced to a system within an organization called “Daily Customer Service Reports.” Each member of the orgnization submits a report (in email form) to an administrator and generally lists a single way they performed good customer service that day. This seemed tedious to me at first, though i did not question it — I am only an intern and i am soaking-up all the information i can with an open mind — but i hesitated to think of all the members of the organization that would not follow through with it.

I guess the follow-up rate was good — they are continuing with this system. I do see the value in it. This system makes everyone focus on relaying good customer relations and maintaing a positive relationship.

On Marcom Blog today, I read a post by Dave Wolf talking about career success and how it depends on “personal branding”. I feel this applies here, too. Personal branding is great for person to person…but even personal branding for your company’s image is something that should be evaluated and kept up-to-date.

I’m really excited about my Destin trip now. Woo - hoo.

I reccomend watching the live video titled “Surfer helps girl attacked by shark.” (It’s a little down on the right.)

I had never thought of this situation the way he talks about it. The surfer tells CNN that the young girls father thanked him for at least getting her body out of the water.

What a courageous move! As tragic as this situation was, I’m glad there was a hero in the water that day.

On Tuesday, our Campaign’s class is headed up to Camp ASCCA to see what this camp is all about. We think that by getting a bird’s eye view, we will have a better idea of what will and will not work, what they need, and what they really don’t want!

So we’re meeting to caravan at 7a.m. Yes, that’s right — college students up and moving at 7 a.m. I think that alone deserves a free computer! “Free computer?” — i can hear you asking yourself…”what is she talking about?” Well! In my last post i talked about how Camp needed a computer lab. After some reflection, i realized that was so insensitive of me. Here I am, asking major corporations to donate computers….and i didnt tell you how many we need!!!!

So! I DO appologize!
Dear Major Computer Companies (that i know are just WAITING to help us out) –
I will make sure and evaluate exactly how much space we will be working with and get back to you on exactly how many computers we will need!

Thank you in advance for your help! I will get back to you soon!
(The children thank you as well!)

One of our clients for this summer’s campaigns class is an organization called, “Camp ASCCA”. They put on Alabama’s Special camp for children and adults. They are a non profit organization and work very hard to keep their camp up-to-date and up-to-speed.

One thing we’ve decided they really need is a computer lab. Not only would this serve the campers, by giving them another outlet to contact Mom or Dad at home, but it would also serve useful during camp’s off season. By having a computer lab, companies or any other organization could use the camp’s facilities to host a retreat/conference. This would keep the profits coming into camp, even when there are no campers there.

Large companies, such as Dell, Gateway, and Apple, must get hit up all the time for charitable causes. This is my question. If one of these large companies, or even a smaller company (perhaps a brother/sister company to one of the previously mentioned companies), could donate even ten computers — that would change the life of this camp!

The company could even give them computers that are not top of the line, fresh off the press quality. All these kids need is an outlet so they can learn basic skills and maintain a fun, new way to contact Mom and Dad while at camp.

However, if the computer company could spare a few of their more recent featured computers, then camp could most definitely benefit from other organizations coming in during the off season and utilizing the up-to-date technology.

Any takers?

The Natalee Holloway case is one that I too have found myself caught up in. Every morning I wake up I turn to Fox News or CNN to see updates. While I can’t go on with my day without checking up on the case, I also get extremely angry with how the media has handled it.
I have taken many journalism classes over the years, and love writing. But, I also realized after taking a reporting class, that I could never be a reporter. Probing people with personal questions regardless of people’s feelings is just something I could never pull myself to do.
I do believe that there should be coverage of the Natalee Holloway disappearance, but I also believe that reporters should stop trying to play “investigator” and simply report the facts. Many assumptions have been made about what happened that night that may portray Natalee in ways that her family and friends do not. What parents want to hear the things that have been said about Natalee and what she was doing the night of her disappearance, especially when they are not “good things”? And for these unimportant things to be said on national news?
To sum it up…… I think there are facts that should be reported and “ONLY FACTS” and there are things that should not be reported. The Holloway family is going through a lot and all that they should have to worry about is finding their daughter.
As for Aruba, I have been there and loved it. I think this is a good wake up call for all of us. It is important that we remember these things can happen anywhere to anybody not just in Aruba. I honestly hope this unfortunate incident doesn’t drastically hurt such a beautiful and friendly island.

Yesterday, Natalee Holloway’s mother met the van der Sloots’. From a journalistic point of view, it was a great accomplishment for Greta Van Susteren. She was actually allowed to be present for the conversation between Natalee’s mother and the family of the man who is being accused for her disappearance. From a personal stand point, I feel that Greta did nothing but take advantage of a woman who is desperate to find her daughter. She had no right to be present in that meeting, even though Natalee’s mother gave her permission. She has no connection to Natalee…the only reason she is in Aruba is to report the news. I think that it was inappropriate for Greta to accept the invitation to go with Natalee’s mother. I am not judging whether or not Greta truly hopes that Natalee is found. But it is obvious that she went along for this meeting so that she could report what was said and what happened. If she was there for the right reason she would not have come back and blabbed everything on national tv. I do understand that she is a journalist and that it’s her job but there should be a time when furthering your career shouldn’t precede being a decent human being.

Rebecca

Gross me out. Among the thousands of chat room titles one can thumb through at Yahoo, there are rooms with some disturbing titles, such as:

9-17-Year-Olds Wantin’ Sex
Younger Girls 4 Older Guys
Girls 13 And Under For Older Guys
Girls 13 And Up For Much Older Man
Girls 8 to 13 Watch Boys (In A Particular Sex Act)

While this is grossly absurd, I’m wondering how much legal action can be taken. I would of course expect that Yahoo! take every site like this down, but I’m wondering how sites like this can just slip through the cracks? It seems that there should be some course of action taken to get a chat room title, or merely its existence, approved by a hosting website (like Yahoo.com)

The lawyer in me though, is scared that this will be practically overlooked because it is someone’s “freedom of speech” or that someone will say, “I can think or act however i want…it’s a free country!” [Sickos!]

Not to mention the fact that major corporations were being tied into this as well. Did they know what they were getting themselves into? Did they know what their money was paying for? Of course they’ll say no. Maybe they can be the ones that serve as the 900lb. gorillas to take sites like this into the court room and off of the web.

Is there something that can be done? Will it take searching for victims to put a stop to all this yahoo-wahoo?

Change is something that I normally adjust to quite well. I realize that for most people, change is a dreaded ocurrence. I, however, seem to enjoy it. I think that change and spontanaeity correlate in some way because I am also a huge fan of being spontaneous. What also leads me to make that connection is that my friends who detest any change to be prevalent, are also the people who become frustrated with me when I get excited about one of my many spontaneous adventures. The enjoyment of those things are just a part of who I am.
There is, however, one inevitable stage of life that brings about change, and I fall into the norm with a huge distaste for it. One of my best friends died last year in a car wreck, and it brought about change that I won’t ever grow fond of- her absence. It was spontaneous too; an instant removal of someone from my life. I have thought about it an extra amount of time these past few days because another one of my best friend’s father died suddenly from a heart attack this past Sunday (Father’s Day). It’s weird how an event can make you relive something from your past.
The point of this is that it seems that one of the biggest deterents from success is the fear of change. Leaders are afraid to make a decision leading to change because of the possibility of failure. People are afraid to make life-decisions that lead to change because they may end up less happy. We are dealing with this in our Campaign class because some of our clients are resisting our ideas that could improve their business or increase their success, because of their hesitation to bring about change. They are comfortable in the mind frame they’ve lived in thus far, and are uncomfortable with challenging those ancient ideas. Or, they realize improvements that will bring about successful change could mean extra work.
Taking a risk is exciting and is a choice I never seem to turn down. It’s the change that is caused by uncontrollable forces that I have a fear of. I can’t wait to move to Spain and experience spontaneous change every day that I wake up and the only hesitation I have is my tremendous fear of losing another loved one while I am across the world. I have to realize, though, that I can allow myself to be controlled by that fear, and miss an opportunity that could bring about life-changing improvements, or I can take that risk and all the adventures that come along with it.
Hopefully, my class and I will enjoy encouraging our clients to take risks of their own this semester.

Some Friends and I started a showcase in Nashville,Tenn. for musicians from Alabama. We call it Alabama Line. What started as a few muscians and a couple of promoters wanting to do something different has now become one of larger venues on Wednesday night. Alabama Line is made up of several different artist from country music to blues and rock. The attendance for each show is growing more every week. Country music legends such as Doug Stone, Tanya Tucker and members of the Muzik Mafia have stopped by to play a few sets. It has become a place where music lovers can enjoy original music and music executives can scout new talent. However we would like become larger and more well known. If any of you are in Nashville on an Wednesday night check us out at www.alabamaline.com. We are doing a bennefit concert for the Alabama Music Hall of Fame on July 9 2005. The hall of fame is in financial trouble and may have to close its doors. We are thinking about putting a blog in to the website to help promote this event. Please visit the website and let me know what you think.

In Steve Rubel’s blog, he talks about how some companies are using blogs as a type of research in place of focus groups. It costs less and allows a passage way to endless opinions and wants. I personally think that using blogs to find out consumer insight is genius. Blogs will provide more honest opinions because ,unlike focus groups, the blogger doesn’t actually know that anyone will be using the information and will probably be more honest. This idea can be compared to the campaign for the Opelika City School system. We will be tracking any information that is out there about anything to do with the school system and its employees. The school system can find out the publics honest opinion and find out where they need to improve. This information can become very valuable because it may not be something that a parent wants to voice at a PTA meeting, but will spill on his/her blog. Using blogs to track for information will hopefully prove to be very useful and inexpensive.

When my Dad arrived at, what would be, his last assignment in the Air Force he headed to Montgomery, Alabama — Maxwell AFB. There he met his boss, Gen. Rosa. The friendship that would develop is one that most people dream they have one day. My Dad out-stayed many commandants while at Maxwell, but the first was definitely the best.

Gen. Rosa left Maxwell and became superintendent at the Air Force Academy in 2003, after four top commanders were ousted following a sexual assault scandal. As of August 1, 2005 Rosa will leave his active duty assignment at the Air Force Academyto become president of the Citadel.

Gen. Rosa took over the at the Air Force Academy at a very crucial time. The Academy was struggling with accusations of sexual assault. Rosa publically admitted there was a probelm and worked to fix it. (And if you could watch him in action, you’d put you life in his hands too, just as the Academy did.) There have also been issues raised about religious intolerance. No matter what the issue Rosa was honest, forthcoming, and aware. He provided excellent leadership and was a good spokesperson for an organization when they need one the most.

I admire the way Gen. Rosa handled that situation. It’s no wonder the Citadel went after him to become the new predient of their institution. One of their finest graduates is coming home…and he means business!

Some friends and I started a showcase in Nashville, Tenn. for muscians from Alabama. It is called Alabama Line. Alabama Line features several different artist. What started as a small group of muscians has become a large venue on wednesdaynight in Nashville. It has become a place where music lovers can enjoy music and music executives can scout new talent. We are holding our first Alabama Line Jam concert at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. We hope it will become an annual event. One of our artist, JameyJohnson, has signed a deal withRCA records. We have had people artist such as Doug Stone, Tanya Tucker and several artist from the Muzik Mafia stop in and play a set. The website is www.AlabamaLine.com. Our goal is to become larger and more well known. If any of you are in Nashville on a wednesday night or know anyone who is check it out .

I dont know why I have become so engrossed in this tragedy. I almost feel guilty for being so wrapped up in it. I just sit a wait by the TV (when my cable is not out) and just hope and pray there is momentarily going to be some new update…some new breaking news that includes new evidence, a clue, SOMETHING to tell us where Natalee Holloway is. I just want to put off school and go to Aruba and start asking questions and flipping stones! (leaving not one unturned.)

And now the two groups of boys (Van der Sloot and the two Kalpoe brothers) keep changing their stories. I thought it was interesting, too, that the Kalpoe brothers have been held in the prison and van der sloot just got transferred there.

In a recent interview Natalee’s mother said she is confident that more suspects need to be brought and and interrogated. So, to me this means that there are serious facts that have been discovered and the Aruban officials have not acted on them.

Until other news breaks, this is Megan, crazed news story fanatic, signing off.

Change. At the mention of the word, you can see the fear building in eyes as small beads of sweat form on brows. Why is it that so many people are uncomfortable with change?
Undeniably human nature governs that we are collectively creatures of habit.

We often settle into a niche with an accompanying routine that is as familiar as the back of our hand. When this delicate balance is broken, reactions are mixed…usually all negative.

From my observations, I believe that the trepidation of change in the Camp ASCCA organization may present obstacles for our class. Many members of the staff have been apart of Camp ASCCA for 20+ years. Inevitably there are strong ideas and opinions about every aspect of the non-profit camp for children with disabilities.

Our class has great ideas and suggestions that can improve Camp ASCCA’s visibility and put the organization back on the map. I am apprehensive about presenting our vision to the staff. I am optimistic that Camp ASCCA will embrace our ideas; however, my reservations still linger.

With all of the drama that has been going on with Michael Jackson lately, you would think that he would be advised not to create more negative press. Even if he doesn’t have enough money to hire another publicist, any human would know the right thing to do in this situation. All during his trial he has had a least 100 fans outside of his home supporting him. They have been out there for the entire trial. On Fox news website, an article reports that not a single person as a representative of him or the Neverland Ranch has even acknowledged their support since the trial. Some of these fans have stayed out there as long as they had the money too. There are some fans that are desperately waiting on any type of message from him. A little obsessed with Michael Jackson….maybe…but these people will be the one’s who support him if he ever tries to come back. I don’t think that Jackson can afford to be ungracious to anyone at this point.

After I tell people what I’m doing for my internship this summer, the common response is one of a few: “oh that’s easy,” “anyone can do that,” “how hard can it possibly be?”, “we went 13-0 last season — piece of cake!”…

Now, I realize that no one is attacking me personally, and no one loves me any less for working with the organization I am interning with BUT it has got me thinking. And so, my question to you is, “If it’s so easy, then why is Auburn ranked 8th out of 12 in the SEC for budget? Why if it is so easy to get people to give money, then why does the development team work so hard and only come out 8th?”

From their website TigersUnlimited.com, their mission is to provide Auburn University student-athletes with a truly competitive advantage through annual scholarship support. Now, along with that comes the private support for capital projects, endowments and investment opportunities…and i guess that’s what the easy part is? I think that when people hear “fundraising for athletics”, especially on Auburn’s campus, they think ‘football’. That is an inaccurate assumption. Also on their website, it describes how through the support of many contributors, Auburn is able to fully fund all 21 of its athletic programs. Football is just one of those programs.

Now, I’m not saying that fundraising for athletics is harder than fundraising for something different. All fundraising takes talent and experience. I’m just trying to point out that to make an assumption that Tiger’s Unlimited is solely focused on “football” is inaccurate.

One of our favorite blogging pals, Jeremy Pepper ,wrote to me, commenting on my initial post voicing his aggreement with the stigma of athletic fundraising, all while raising a very valid point. He told me to have fun in athletics “but, any fundraiser can get a $1M check written to athletics. It’s the truly great fundraisers and development people that can get that check for the library. ”

True statement, Jeremy! (And thank you for being supportive and kind!) But I’m proud to say that now I’ll get my chance, as I will be taking a job in development at a private school in Montgomery, Alabama. (Now! Before all the comments start rolling in about how that job will be easy because (excuse #1) it’s in Montgomery…said with a fake tea cup being raised to the mouth with one pinky in the air! OR (excuse #2) it’s a private school and all the parents will pay however much you ask them to….FAT CHANCE!

I look at this job, just as any other development position, as an opportunity and a chance to grow and learn within my field. But most of all, I look toward this job with excitement….MY FIRST REAL LIVE JOB!

The nation’s attraction to following Natalee Holloway’s case is understandable. Not only are our minds attracted to tragedy, but the ‘oh so common’ question runs through our minds, “what if that was my child?”

This is one story I have followed closely. I don’t know if the attraction is due to human nature — “oh! a tragedy!” or if it is because she is close to my age and close to my home. It’s not evey day Alabama hits the news.

FOXNews reporter, Greta Van Susteren, has been following the story closely as well. Today in Greta ’s Blog she writes about taking the long trip back to Aruba. I admire the way she has covered the story so far and persisted in finding good, reliable coverage on Natalee’s situation. I feel sure she will not give up until there is no more story to cover.

Another thing that has impressed me is the nature of the citizens of Aruba. In every interview I’ve seen, each person has been so kind, willing to speak, and seems truly concerned. Greta was escorted by an Aruban man around to the, at that time, major playing sites of the investigation.

I also think that before anyone can begin pointing fingers to blame, or evaluating the parents’ decisions to let their children travel overseas to celebrate their graduation, the search must be completed.