What Feels Like the End Is Often the Beginning: A Reflection Post

This week I will be packing up my belongings and moving away from the city I have called home for the last 22 years of my life. This thought alone terrifies and amazes me all at the same time.  

Ever since I was a little girl, I had a game plan: elementary school, junior high, high school, college and then a job. I stuck to the comfort of this game plan thinking that every thing was going to go as planned, and I was going to have this picture-perfect life. I attended Bowling Green State University in the Fall of 2010 ready to put in my four years, graduate and then have a steady job. Those four years flew by fast, and I strutted across the commencement stage and became a proud alumna. I was excited and eager to find a job, and live out that cookie-cutter life I sought after as a little girl.

Well, I hate to break it to you all, but life didn’t work out as I had planned for.

While I was proud to have earned my degree, I had no job, and no idea what came next. What happened to my picture-perfect plan?

After moving back in with my parents and three months of ruthlessly applying to jobs had passed, I started to panic. What does someone with five internship experiences and a degree do when the job offers aren’t rolling in?

On a whim, I decided to apply for an internship with Rebecca Adele PR & Events. A few weeks later, I had an interview set up and accepted an intern position.

I accepted the position ready to immerse myself into the world of public relations and event planning, which for me was familiar territory. What I didn’t expect was how much more I would learn about my skills and myself. 

Through this internship I learned how social media management software is a PR girl’s best friend, how to craft a near perfect press release, how to develop a love-hate relationship with Pinterest and how to efficiently plan for an event. What I didn’t expect was how much I loved supporting my community through the Avant-Garde shows, how much I loved event planning and how much I love crafting press releases, blog posts and social media plans.

You could say that life through me a little curve ball with this internship, for I don’t think I would be where I am today without it.

I have accepted a position with the American Cancer Society as an event coordinator in hopes to continue my passions for event planning and PR work. While my time is coming to an end with Rebecca Adele PR & Events, I will never forget this experience.  This internship has lain down the foundations to what I hope will be a successful career path, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience.

And as for that picture perfect plan that I developed in my head? I think it’s safe to say I’ve thrown that idea out the window.  From here on out, I’m going to take life one day at a time, and just hope for the best.

Written by Tori Simmons from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Say What?! Facebook Newsfeed Algorithm Decreases to 2%

Is Facebook on it's way to become a thing of the past when it comes to promotion for small businesses and nonprofit organizations? 

Recently announced, Facebook has once again changed their algorithm to a mere 2%, which means that only 2% of the people liking a page will receive news and updates from that page. Just 2 years ago it was at 16%. I don’t know about you but when I “like” a page, I expect it to show up on my timeline! 

Facebook has been active for over a decade as a means of sharing and promoting and connecting and now this $212 Billion company is asking for business (both big and small), and non profit organizations to pay to boost their posts!

Facebook has completely taken this out of the hands of the consumer and made it virtually impossible for small businesses and nonprofits to reach all their clientele that they spend a lot of time building up, for what? So that 2% of the people can see it? That is unless of course you “boost” your post and pay to have a higher percentage of people see what you're sharing as a company.

So the question remains.. How does Facebook expect small businesses or start up companies or nonprofits to reach their fan base if they are preventing it? Facebook doesn’t even give the user an option to allow us to see all the pages that we like regardless of the algorithm! Sure there is the page interest list on the sidebar on the newsfeed page, but it sure doesn't look like any of those pages have been showing up, at least in my feed!

All-in-all this new 2% algorithm, defeats the whole purpose of having a Facebook page... that is, in my opinion. It just doesn't seem fair to alienate and aggravate active businesses on Facebook that have already worked so hard to get fans, and then tell them fans won't be seeing their content. Exceptions should be made to the algorithm because not every Facebook page is alike. If this 2% algorithm stays, “Find us on Facebook” will become obsolete.

The last time I checked, I clicked “like” on a company's page for a reason. This just doesn't seem like an ethical business tactic on Facebook's end. What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments section below!

Written by Victoria Ripepi from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Change. My Internship Reflection.

Change. The dictionary term for making the form different from what it is or what it would be if left alone. My version is a little bit different: inevitable, scary, and nerve-wracking are descriptions that I prefer to use. Graduating from John Carroll University was a change that I was not ready for. The real world, moving back home, and leaving my home for the past four years were all less than appealing.  

Summer came and went and this “big girl" job that was promised if I graduated college was still out of sight. In September, I finally landed a position as an intern at Rebecca Adele PR & Events and my hopes began to turn around. I was more than excited for this experience and to begin my journey towards the real world. 

I accepted this position eager to learn and gain knowledge and experience in the PR and Event Planning world. This internship has allowed me to do just that. I have written my first blog posts, my first press release and more social media plans than I ever would have imagined. In addition, working the Avant-Garde Art & Craft Shows were a learning experience into the long hours, excitement, critical planning and problem solving of event planning. 

I have accepted my first “big girl” job at Invent Now and my time at Rebecca Adele PR & Events is coming to an end. I am more than thankful for this opportunity and believe it has been a huge stepping-stone into my career. I am faced with another change but I guess that’s what life is all about. I am excited to begin this next journey and see where life takes me next! 

Written by Morgan Hartz of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Funny Bone No More, Lessons in Advertising to the Heart

If you were among the 4.5 million viewers of Super Bowl XLIX then you might have been reaching for the tissues this year during commercial breaks (even more so if you are a Seahawks fan). This year major companies decided to appeal to viewers’ hearts rather than their funny bone.  Companies such as Budweiser, Always, Nissan, Coca-Cola and Nissan ditched the giggles and made us all cry with their advertising messages (it wouldn’t be a Super Bowl without at least one memorable ad!).  

Brands are starting to think a little more seriously about the role they play in their audiences’ lives. These ads are becoming helpful for the rest of us looking to change up our marketing game. Here are three lessons we learned while watching this year’s Super Bowl ads:

Get Emotional: Ever since the beginning of consumer marketing, we know that humans buy emotionally. We buy something because we feel a certain way or want to feel a certain way. Later, we find ourselves looking back on that purchase and then justify it with logic.  If you want your marketing strategy to be a success, hone in on how your brand can provide your audience with a positive emotion about life. Coca-Cola beautifully embodied this with their ad, which transformed online hate messages into happiness on the Internet.

  - Don’t Be Morbid:  Who DIDN'T hate that ad from Nationwide where the kid dies? While Nationwide probably had the best intentions for that ad, they overkilled the emotions and made the message outright depressing. Fear-based advertisements only go so far with your audience.

  - Use the Power of Social Media: After watching Always #LikeAGirl commercial, who else hopped on Twitter to be a part of the movement? Today, social media is an integral part of all advertisement. Many viewers turn to social media outlets to comment or share their opinions about advertisement on social media outlets.  So, why not give them a hashtag to start the buzz with?

What do you think about this year’s Super Bowl Ads? Let us know!

Written by Tori Simmons of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Super Bowl XLIX – Touchdown for PR Beginners

The countdown is on. When you hear the words ‘Super Bowl’ typically two things come to mind - football, of course, being the first and running in close second, advertising.  It’s hard to forget the 2013 Blackout with Oreo’s famous “Dunk in the Dark” Campaign or last year’s Budweiser “Puppy Love” Commercial. The impact is priceless for these companies, but what about the PR underdogs? Rightfully so, a $4.5 million price tag on a 30 second spot is a wee bit out of budget for a lot of companies. Instead, Here are 3 Ways to Score Without Fumbling Your Wallet!

Super Bowl Parties

Make your restaurant the spot to be! Instead of viewers going to a family/friend party bring the party to your business. Create “invites” that excite the crowd with contests, food and drinks specials that they won’t want to miss.

Contests

Every sports team has super fans– over the top, face-painting, head-to-toe dressed, die-hard fans. Encourage your customers to do the same! The contest can be in person or a social media campaign. Have contestants come decked out or submit their pictures on social media. The best-dressed super fan receives a prize and who doesn’t love prizes…and maybe bragging rights, too?!

Nonprofit Support

Combine excitement with a helping hand. Offer pay-to-play for your contest or bets! Bets can be related to the game, commercials or score. Winner still receives a prize. Here’s the catch.. the money received goes to support any nonprofit of your choice. Encourage through flyers and social media and gain media attention for anyone that misses out on your event! 

What will this year’s unforgettable PR memory be?!

Written by Morgan Hartz of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Call Her Thor—But Don’t Stop There

 Is She Enough, Or Will Marvel Continue to Market Diversity?

The mighty Thor, thunder-God, symbol of aggression, war, and masculinity is now a woman. To which I say: it’s about time!

As of October 1, 2014, Marvel has updated its iconic character’s DNA to include two X chromosomes. All one has to do is take to Twitter or Facebook to see varying degrees of encouragement and backlash regarding this character change.

When I saw the image trending of the new female Thor, I was instantly excited. She’s strong, striking, AND feminine.

But I felt a twinge of lingering skepticism.

Her image transported me back to my childhood when I would sit with my older cousin and read comic books with him. I loved the intricate story lines, characters’ inner turmoil, and stunning imagery.

But it wasn’t long before I noticed there were no faces like mine in the pages of comics, and I began to drift toward books with a strong central heroine.

I’ve since peeked my head into the super hero world—mostly, I’ve watched a few blockbuster movies, studied mythology, and fell in love with Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, which is a multi-generational epic that follows two cousins as they create their own comic book empire.

The book is a fantastic literary achievement, but what irks me is the only female character starts out as a strong, interesting creator of comics, then gets tangled up in love, sells out, and scrapes by writing romance books.

Ugh. But let’s be honest, the media doesn’t exactly tell us we’re all perfect just the way we are.

This is something that I’ve seen communicated time and time again in books, movies, and media: these painfully obvious, missed opportunities for intellectual, diverse characters.

Don’t get me wrong; I commend Marvel for this seemingly huge step toward changing how we as media consumers, readers, and humans think about gender.   

But I worry that Marvel will smile and wave, take a pretty bow, and grow lazy in all this media-generated praise. “Look—We’ve diversified! Yes, Thor is still blonde and white and able-bodied….but she’s a woman!”

And while Thor is the most recent, she’s definitely not the only notable woman in comics. We can’t forget Elektra, Wonder Woman, and Storm.

While these characters have made huge advances for gender inclusion in the genre, the comic universe—and the media— still has a long way to go in communicating and marketing gender for what it is: a spectrum that is both diverse AND equal.

I don’t know what roads Marvel will take this new Thor down. I do find consolation in Marvel’s female employees speaking publicly about character changes like Thor’s; these are voices we need to hear more of. I do think social media is a great platform for Marvel to communicate with us as readers and consumers. Social media can be a two-way street where Marvel can ask questions and fans can offer feedback. I do know I want to see more changes like this.

Changes where people, and super heroes, are marketed for what they really are: powerful enough, despite gender or color, to change the planet.

Written by Casey Nichols of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Donald Sterling and His Apol”oh-geez”

One can’t turn on the television or flip on the radio without hearing about the infamous story of Donald Sterling and has racial rant to then girlfriend, V. Stiviano. His recorded message has been playing on loop on nearly every news-casters' morning, afternoon and evening showcases. Athletes and celebrities took to their own personal podiums to express their anger and frustration with such racial slurs coming from an important figure. Sterling realized he needed to do some PR work (which, if you continue reading, I’m not convinced any sort of PR professional was consulted.) He agreed to sit down with Anderson Cooper and issue, what is most noticeably, the worst apology this century.

Sterling, Cooper (where’s Draper & Price?) meet in a quaint room inside Donald’s home to discuss the videos, Sterling’s relationship with V., and finally air out Sterling’s side of the story. Conversation casually carries on as they discuss the details that have so obviously been thrown around by the media. Any normal person would figure that this was him coming forward to apologize, not only to his Clippers team, but to the African American demographic that took offense to the owner’s words. Sadly…that wasn’t the case. He explains, “Am I entitled to one mistake? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners.” So, attention fellow NBA owners: Donald Sterling didn’t mean to offend you. Shockingly enough, what was to follow was even worse.

Magic Johnson, who was photographed with Donald’s girlfriend on Instagram and was the kick-start to this ordeal, was quoted by Sterling to “want to help” with the whole ordeal. That’s why Sterling claims to have waited so long to issue any sort of statement or come forward with an interview. But when Magic supposedly “fell through,” Sterling decided to one-up himself with his offensive comments. He tells Andersen, "Here is a man who's—I don't know if I should say this—he acts so holy. I mean, he made love to every girl in every city in America, and he had AIDS, and when he had those AIDS, I went to my synagogue and I prayed for him. I hoped he could live and be well. I didn't criticize him. I could have—is he an example for children?"

What this PR crisis lacked, besides an actual PR team, is sincerity. His mock sob session while on the air really did convey a sense of being sorry, but only for being caught. As a PR Professional, it is absolutely key to make sure that a client is not only timely with a statement/apology, but offers a genuine acknowledgment of a wrong committed and a solution at hand to make it right. Sorry Donald, but I guess it looks like magic just wasn’t on your side.

Written by Maggie Burke of Rebecca Adele PR & Events.

To watch a few highlights of the interview, the link of provided below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4r8TrfWznQ