Summer Intern Reflection Blogs- Jackie and Olivia

The End of an Internship; The Beginning of What’s Next!

By Jackie Miesle

The last ten weeks have flown by. At the beginning, I was a bright-eyed, eager, jet-lagged college junior just returning from a semester abroad. I was ready to start my internship and soak up all the knowledge, criticism and experience I could get my hands on. I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, but I was ready to take on a new adventure.

Being a lover of all things creative, beautiful and positive, an internship with Rebecca Adele PR & Events was a gold mine for me. Within the first ten minutes of my first day, Becki had me writing a press release. I knew right then and there that this would not be a “coffee-run” internship – and I was just fine with that. I got to put my creative instincts to use as I wrote social media plans and found pictures and inventive content for client posts. Not many people can say they get to use Pinterest and Facebook for their job… But we’re lucky!

I have had countless learning experiences and opportunities for growth throughout this internship. I have learned about Public Relations in ways a textbook cannot explain. I have learned about social media and the power of content more than the amount of likes on a picture of me at the Louvre can teach me. I have sparked an interest in event planning and I’ve learned just how much time and detail is required to successfully plan an event. Most importantly, I have developed a voice and a presence as a young woman getting ready to enter the Public Relations profession; I have gained the confidence that this profession demands and I have every intention to use that to my advantage.

Now I am a college senior, filled to the brim with nerves and even more eager and enthusiastic than when I started. I am ready to face the year ahead and see where it takes me. I hope to get a job in or relating to Public Relations and Social Media. The uncertainty of my future is daunting, but I am confident that I will make my way and take on the unknown with a smile on my face.

I once said to Becki, while discussing what led me to this internship, “I couldn’t imagine a better fit for me.” She smiled and said “awww!” and even though it’s cheesy, I truly could not think of a better internship experience and I will always be grateful for the time I have spent working with Rebecca Adele PR & Events. A HUGE “thank you” to Becki for the incredible experience, for all the helpful guidance and for making our time so enjoyable with her wild, vibrant personality and kind, enthusiastic spirit.

On to the next adventure!

Jackie

Closing Time: A Reflection of My Time at Rebecca Adele PR & Events

By Olivia Marrali

My time at Rebecca Adele PR & Events is unfortunately coming to a close. This has been one of the most rewarding and fun experiences of my life.  I started this experience knowing I had a passion for PR, but I didn’t realize how deep my passion and love was.

This summer I was able to dive deep into different aspects of public relation and event planning and learn exactly what I love about it. From writing press releases to creating weekly social media posts for a wide variety of clients, I feel that I gained experience unlike any in the classroom.  The most rewarding part of my time here has been seeing my work published and different news outlets using my press releases for their own work. 

However, I feel the most valuable knowledge I gained is from watching and working with owner of Rebecca Adele, Becki. She is a strong and driven woman who owns three successful businesses. Can you say girl boss? She has taught me to be confident in my work and that it is possible to turn your hobbies into a career.

Upon graduation I hope to move to New York City and work in the public relations field. I am still undecided on what aspect of PR I want to work in, but Rebecca Adele PR & Events has greatly prepared me for any I may choose. 

I am so grateful for this experience and everything it has taught me, especially learning to love cats!

Written by Jackie Miesle & Olivia Marrali of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

The #DontJudgeChallenge Is Actually Judging

People all over the world are proving to not judge a book by its cover with the hashtag #DontJudgeChallenge.  But is the challenge doing more harm than good?

The #DontJudgeChallenege is the latest trend users are taking to on all forms of social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Vine.  The challenge is simple; users record themselves with drawn on zits, unibrows and other physical attributes that are associated with body shaming then transform and reveal a more beautiful version of themselves without the flaws. 

Intended to be a social media campaign in hopes to end body shaming, many question the message behind the hashtag.  The individuals participating in the challenge are clearly attractive and would rarely be judged on their looks. 

The campaign can be seen as a parody, making of fun of individuals with these features and cruelly mocking their looks.  If the universal description “ugly” consists of acne skin, messy hair and birth marks, that itself is being judgmental.   

These physical features (acne, braces, etc.) are something people, especially teens, cope with every day, and cannot be erased away in .1 seconds like the challenge videos. 

With its goal to empower teens and address the issue of those who are judged based on their appearances, it is instead insulting those with these flaws. 

Narccissism is the last word the #DontJudgeChallenge ever wanted to be linked to, but unfortunately it is. 

While other hashtags can add excellent publicity to messages or movements such as the #IceBucketChallenge and #YesAllWomen, this is not the case.  With good intentions behind it, they have, ironically, been backfired.  Perhaps, another and better web trend will launch soon, reminding us no matter what you look like—everyone is beautiful inside and out.

Written by Chloe Slavin from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

      

Millennial Moms: The New Target Market

We’ve all heard of the millennial generation; how they’re changing countless aspects of our society and are now surpassing the Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation.  It comes as no surprise that the Public Relations and Marketing world are revamping many of their campaigns to target this generation, as it now has an increasingly important role in our society.

Fall is just around the corner, which means we’re about to be bombarded with the yearly back-to-school ads and promotions.  So what’s different about the approach that many strategists are taking? Rather than focusing on the “tried-and-true” Mom, companies are targeting the “Millennial Mom”.   While previous generations relied on trusted brands and ideas that had been passed down to them, the Millennial Mom has a completely different method of decision-making and newfound creativity.  Millennial Moms rely on lifestyle blogs and social media sites such as Facebook and Pinterest to get new ideas for their family.  Our Moms usually paid attention to brand-generated content full of facts, but Millennial Moms are more trusting of word-of-mouth and peer-generated reviews.  Reportedly seven out of ten mothers will recommend their favorite products to friends and family.  Think about it: when we need help with decision-making, our generation is not using research to help us make our choice. We go to our friends, family, and network to choose what is best. 

Millennials are also more concerned with making a difference in their community, and enjoy supporting companies that do the same.  Brands are taking advantage of these views by emphasizing not only how their products will benefit the Millennial Mom’s family, but also how the purchase of these products will give back to worthy causes. 

Implementing loyalty programs has long been a success among major retailers.  Let’s face it, everyone loves an incentive and a great deal.  However, strategists have changed what they are placing the incentive on.  This generation’s Mom is much more concerned with convenience than quality.  One could attribute the preference for convenience to the fact that more moms are working nowadays.  The love for one-stop shopping stems form the working mother’s need for convenience in her hectic day.  Retailers that offer this convenience and extra rewards will attract more Millennial Moms come back-to-school shopping. 

Companies that want to gain the Millennial Mom as a customer need to pull all of these methods into their campaigns.  Give ways for the Millennial Mom to be creative.  Show her how she can find inspiration from the products and personalize them to fit her own family.  Make her feel like she is giving back in some small way by supporting a company that does good in the world.  Millennial Moms may be breaking the traditional “Mom” role that campaigns are used to, but they are also bringing in new, creative ways to target today’s most prominent generation.

Written by Kara Ferrera from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Facebook: More Trending Topics, More Substance

We all know how easy it is to scroll mindlessly through Facebook’s infinite news feed. With friends keeping you updated on their life-events, funny videos, or what they ate for lunch, you may get lost in the crowd of content. In the midst of all this over-stimulation, we can’t help but crave something with more substance. Well, Facebook has heard this cry and taken a step in a more substantial direction.

The dawn of Facebook Trending improved the site to give users a worthwhile experience while they update their statuses. Most are familiar with the “Trending” sidebar on the homepage. It features a list of words and phrases that are most often mentioned in Facebook users’ posts, along with a brief description or headline.

A recent update to Facebook’s Trending sidebar plans to expand the service by offering different categories for trending topics. At the top of the sidebar, along with an “All News” section, there will be five topics: Sports, Entertainment, Politics, Business, and Science & Technology.

As Facebook tries to become an established news distribution platform, the update caters to the unique consumer by offering a variety of stories and headlines that intrigue a specific Facebook user.

This change is will also be beneficial to marketers with content that matches category niches, allowing them to target their audiences through trending topics included on the list. It is also helpful to media outlets who want to get more exposure and user engagement.

Facebook’s latest update to the Trending sidebar is a positive step in the direction of high-quality content and providing its users with a meaningful, fulfilling experience. Though the site is first and foremost a social media platform, the growing news distribution feature adds both substance and variety to the social network.

Written by Jackie Miesle of Rebecca Adele PR & Events