Science After Hours and the role of PR in unique event planning

**Original Post Date: April 28, 2015…Sorry for the delay from my personal website to my wordpress blog**

This past Friday I attended the Franklin Institute Museum’s “Science After Hours,” a unique once-a-month special event for those who are 21+. For those of you who do not know, the Franklin Institute is located in downtown Philadelphia and named after Ben Franklin himself in honor of his dedication to science.

The Franklin Institute Museum hosts “Science After Hours” once a month with a different theme; this past Friday night’s theme was Video Games. On-site you can enjoy interactive exhibits, specialized tables, drink beer and wine (Yards Brewing company was there which was pretty awesome), and even get food.

I might not be a video game nerd but quickly after walking through the enormous line that wrapped all the way around the building, I realized the theme wasn’t really what the special event was all about. Instead, Franklin Institute was engaging the young adult community to love the museum I’m sure they attended several times as children. Almost all of the museum’s regular exhibits were open with tables set up in each room with a different video game theme. There was Pacman, Super Mario Brothers, Zelda, Frogger, Where is Carmen San Diego, etc. each representing science in a unique way.

For example, at the Frogger station we were able to see the dissection of frogs. Totally, not what I was thinking in regards to Frogger but I guess that makes sense–especially if you don’t make it across the road (splat!). But after looking at that table we explored the whole machine section and let our inner-children emerge to interact with various exhibits. While we spent probably 10 minutes at the “Frogger station” we spent a good additional 15 to 20 minutes exploring the museum’s exhibit.

 Next we explored the Pacman themed area where people were playing Pacman on the huge Imax screen, then we walked through a huge heart model. Other exhibits featured Carmen San Diego which I loved because a real-life forensic coroner (or “pathologist”)  had a table exhibit where you had to identify the body part’s wound to the correct weapon. I may be biased as I originally wanted to be a forensic coroner when I was in high school before I fell in love with public relations. I understand that is an extreme life-career change….but it is what it is and is a story for another time. Additionally we explored the brain and even went up to the observatory at the top of the museum discovering 3D printing and more.

But why was I so impressed and inspired from a PR standpoint?

The Franklin Institute saw a problem: young adults don’t attend the museum that frequently. And then museum asked itself: how do we fix this problem and how do we engage this audience?

The answer was simply a genius event planning strategy: host special events aimed toward young adults from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. with special themes, have a special price ($15 in compared to general admission of $19) and then make it 21+ so you can offer beer and wine and all that good stuff.

Event planning is a critical part of the public relations field and sometimes I think people in the industry put down event planning or belittle it. Which is wrong. I really wish I knew who is in charge of the communications department for the Franklin Institute and tell them what an incredible idea they had hosting these events. The promotion of the events is pretty on-point too and incorporates PR in various ways from social media, digital communications and promotions. Other themes were/are Star Wars-Star Trek-Dr. Who, Speakeasy, Bill & Ted’s Adventures, Science + Art, and more.

 How has this worked out? Tremendously well. After doing a little bit of research and actually attending myself, the Franklin Institute has hosted three in 2015 so far, all of which were sold out events. In my personal opinion, Science After Hours is an extremely successful idea and solution to a problem that was solved by communications.

 Oh, and did I mention I got to meet Ben Franklin too?

Making the Most of Your Internship

When it comes to internships, the saying “it’s what you make of it” couldn’t be truer. I consider myself a serial internship-er and I’m currently at my seventh internship. Making the most of your internship experience can help you obtain other internships, discover your passions and guide you in the right direction for your future career in public relations. Here are some of my tips to making the most of your internship experience:

• Ask questions. You landed the internship, which means you are qualified for the position. Your supervisor does not expect you to know it all and actually, they want you to ask questions. If you’re not asking questions you aren’t bettering your PR skills.
• Get to know everyone in the office. Make the effort to speak with everyone, not just your supervisor. I make the effort to get to know everyone in the office for a few reasons. One, you network. I landed my second internship because someone else working in the office recommended me. Two, it shows your professionalism and builds upon your people skills. Additionally, you might make friends!
• Save your materials. Building a portfolio is crucial in the public relations field. It demonstrations your experience and showcases your skills. Save all the releases you write, the fliers you make, the research reports, etc. When you go on your next interview and someone asks for a portfolio, you can show the interviewer all your hard work.

The biggest piece of advice I can share regarding internships? Have fun. Even if you decide you don’t like the setting or decide you don’t see yourself in that specific part of the public relations field, the worst thing you can do for yourself is hide in at your desk. Good luck!

How to Find Your “Dream First Job”

Most people have a dream job in mind, especially college seniors. If you love your major, chances are you know where you would like to see yourself in 20 years. Sometimes I think my peers and I have that dream job so stuck in our heads that we hinder our entry level job search during senior year. Instead of searching endlessly and trying to get a “dream job” right off the bat, why not aim for a “dream first job”?

So, this term “dream first job,” what does it mean? It means this: the ideal first job you should have to get you on the path that leads you to landing your “dream job” sometime in the future. Sometimes this isn’t quite what you’d expect in the first place. But how do we figure out what we need to do in order to get to that ultimate dream job?

• Informational Interviews

Reach out to a professional in a position that you would love to be in one day. It might sound scary but most professionals love sharing their story with college students. When I took my Intro to PR class my sophomore year, my professor made it a requirement to do an informational interview with someone in the field of public relations. He told us that 9 out of 10 professionals are more than willing to meet you for coffee or lunch and discuss the industry. After two years of informational interviewing I can attest this is true. Ever since I did that first informational interview sophomore year, I call myself an addict. I make it a habit to reach out to professionals in positions I would like to be in one day. It’s very helpful and in the end, you’ve made a connection. Just remember to always send a hand written thank you afterward and keep in touch with that professional, even if you decide their career path isn’t exactly what you want. It’s networking after all.

• Research

Don’t be afraid to research the industry. In fact, you should probably spend quite a bit of time doing so. A lot of people have misconceptions about certain positions in the field they are interested in. For example, in public relations there are so many industries you can make a career in from fashion to politics. Research the industry and look for industry leaders online. Follow their blogs, follow their social media handles and read industry news such as PR Week or Ad Week. I’ve spent more time reading blogs from press secretaries of congressmen and political consulting professionals than I can count. And I love it.

• Asking Professors

Your professors actually know what they are talking about. Sure sometimes you get bored sitting in their 8:00AM classes, but they are a great untapped resource. In the College of Communications at Rowan University, many of our professors either still work in the field or they spent many years working in the field before turning to academia. Put your detective skills on and search your professor online or the school’s website. They often have a bio. If you find a professor who works in the field (or used to work in the field) that you are interested in, stop by their office hours and meet with them. You never know who they might know and professors love seeing students take initiative.

• Internship or Job Shadow

Sometimes we can’t fit internships into our busy schedules but try and make room for them. Interning will provide you with the information and real experience to see if you like the field or not. Imagine getting a job and figuring out a month later that you don’t like it all? That would be terrible. With internships, you get to test the waters and decide if you like that part of the industry or not. I’ve had internships where, while I had a great experience, I decided that part of the industry wasn’t where I saw my future career. Interning is a great way to network, gain experience and figure things out personally about your path to your future career. If you can’t intern or you have no idea where to even begin about a dream job, ask to job shadow. This is where your informational interviews come in handy. Reach out to those professionals and ask if you can shadow them for a day. It’s an eye-opening experience and gives you a small taste of what life is like for someone in the field.

• Plan & Apply

Spend time reading the full job description before applying and try to make a plan. Do you see yourself staying at that company and moving up from your “dream first job” to your “dream job”? Research the company and find as much information as possible. Ultimately, you want to be in control of your future; so start now!

Auto Industry & Advertising

This weekend I ventured out to the Boston Convention Center with my parents, my aunt and uncle, and cousin Kim to the New England International Auto Show. I’m going to be completely honest: I’m not the world’s biggest car enthusiast. I was actually more interested in the event planning, marketing and overall advertising and public relations campaigns that go behind the auto industry. Luckily for me, there were a lot of exhibitors present, 37 to be exact.  That meant I had 37 car “slogans” to analyze and pick a favorite.

Advertising plays a crucial role in the auto industry and auto shows need critical event planning. The auto industry can thank advertisers for turning December into the classic “December to Remember.” Before, December was seen as a “sleepy” month for auto sales and today it is one of the top selling periods, according to Automotive News.

The advertising techniques vary depending on the brand and the brand’s personality but lately, advertisers have started to become very creative in messaging and content. The end of 2014 and beginning of 2015 has showcased a wide range of auto advertising.

By this point, who hasn’t seen one of Matthew McConaughey driving a Lincoln on television with the iconic “I’ve been driving a Lincoln since before anyone paid me to,” and “take the long way” featuring the bull. I had my own Matthew McConaughey moment and sat in the Lincoln MKC this past Saturday (minus the bull).

Or what about Chevrolet’s “Back in Black” spot? Or those strangely geeky looking hamsters from Kia? Every single time I turned on the television I saw the historic “Dodge Brothers” commercial featuring the 2015 Charger and Challenger. I personally liked Audi’s “Truth in Engineering” highlighting the Audi A8.  And those are just a few examples. The auto industry also began increasing online advertising efforts. Toyota has been pushing advertising efforts regarding the new Mirai, the hydrogen fuel call operated car that shows an alternative to gasoline. Pretty futuristic isn’t it? Toyota brought the Mirai to the Auto Show but you weren’t allowed to sit in the car, let alone touch it.

Physically being at the car show is something else. It’s all part of the marketing and advertising realm, even if you consider it “event management.” Sure, you can sit in almost every car on the floor (with a few exceptions of course) but what about the actual showcase, brochures and marketing materials. At this year’s Auto Show, you could sit in cars, explore the options, participate in simulated test drives, and even sign up to test drive at the event. Although, I’m not quite sure how many people took up the test driving offer.

Techniques were a little different this year, compared to others. Many exhibitors decided to ditch the traditional marketing materials opting for touch screen and smart devices instead. Mercedes offered touch screen podiums where you could “build your car” and email it yourself. What lacked this year were representatives walking around and “selling” you on the cars, or at least trying to bait you to go to a local dealer and test drive.

Overall? I had a great time and fell in love with two cars; one dream and one practical (I’ll give you a hint, the Porsche was totally the dream car).  As for my favorite and least favorite slogans? Audi takes the win for me with “Truth in Engineering.”

Enjoy my pictures from the auto show!

Sitting in a Porsche with Kim

Kim and the Kia Mascot

Mercedes CLA AMG edition

Sorry Matthew McConaughey, we haven’t been driving a Lincoln before they paid us…wait, they aren’t paying us.

**photos taken by Shannon Smith**

Handle Your Handle: Clean Up Social Media Accounts

In honor of the start of spring semester 2015, it’s time to do some “spring cleaning” on social media handles. Whether you’re graduating college this spring, a younger undergrad applying for internships, or a professional already in the field; handling your handle is important. I’m sure you’re thinking “I’ve heard this a million times” or “my accounts are private” but you should still make the constant effort to find the perfect balance of personal and professional. First impressions are extremely important. Potential employers will find your accounts, even if they are private and you better hope that you are okay with what kind of first impression your accounts provide for you.

If you’re a student thinking to yourself: “I haven’t even started acting professional on social networking sites yet” don’t freak out. Here’s a helpful tip I’ve heard from several HR professionals…they can tell if you just started posting lots and lots of “professional” or industry related trends and haven’t before. HR pros won’t be tricked by your “sudden” interest online. The best bet is to gradually start posting relevant industry trends mixed in with your regular posts. Unless a regular post for you is pictures of you drunk or partying, then you know, stop doing that. It’s definitely time to move on from that part of your life. Potential employers look at your accounts because they want to see if you are utilizing social networks appropriately depending on the platform. Especially so if you’re looking for a job that deals with publics.

Every social media platform has its own “unspoken” rules regarding how much you should share, or what is appropriate to share. And if you’re in the field of communications  and marketing, or looking to jump into that field soon, all of your social networks are fair game. For this post, I’m only going to discuss LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter as these are the most popular sites. You can apply most of these do’s and don’ts to your Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr accounts too.

Do’s and Don’ts by Platform:

LinkedIn: It’s a “business and professional” oriented social networking service.  It’s a great site for staying connected with people you have worked or studied with and possibly forming relationships with potential colleagues.

DO: Keep your profile up-to-date. LinkedIn is practically your online resume and anyone can see it. Add your positions and don’t just stick to three word bulleted descriptions of the job you did. Take the time to thoughtfully write full sentences about what you’re doing, a project you’ve worked on and what skills you’ve learned. This applies to your “summary” section as well.  Write a paragraph or two about who you are, your ambitions and what you’re most proud of. Include your online portfolios and link your professional blog, if you have one.

DO: Constantly network. Request someone who you had an informational interview with. Request people after you’ve had an interview with them. If you’ve had an internship in the past, take the time to find your supervisor(s) and request to add them to your network. When you send the request, personalize the message. Thank them for teaching you something or thank them for their time. It makes the difference when you receive a personalized message rather than the “I’d like to add you to my professional network” message.

DON’T: Post what you’re up to and your daily adventures on your newsfeed. LinkedIn is a professional network, it isn’t Facebook. Instead, share a story or blog post you find beneficial to the industry or something you have written. If you have a professional blog, LinkedIn is the perfect place to share your work.

DON’T: Upload random pictures. Try to use a picture that is just of your face or shoulders up. People should be looking at you, not your cleavage, your fancy “going-out” outfit, or half of your friend’s face.

Facebook: An online social networking service to stay in touch with family and friends. It’s a great site to have conversational engagements online and seeing what your family and friends are up to.

DO: Vary your posts. Yes, Facebook is seen as a “personal” social media but you should still engage in thoughtful conversation. I’m not saying you should post a lengthy status about your thoughts and opinions regarding every current event, but sharing a story you found interesting every once and a while shows you keep up with what’s going on around you.

DO: Consider your audience. I’m sure your friends don’t want to hear every single time you went and got coffee at Starbucks. But they probably want to see the post of your movie adventure with your best friend (Gone Girl was AMAZING) or that awesome recipe you want to try.

DON’T: Spam people all day. Post once (maybe TWICE) a day. Posting occasionally means you are narrowing your discussion content to what is most important to you. Spamming people just leads to frustrated friends and the dreadful “unfriend” button being clicked.

DON’T: Discuss personal things. Personal things are personal for a reason. Don’t post about that crazy drunk adventure you went on (or the pictures that go along with it). That also goes to say, take it easy on the politics and religion. Share issues that are important to you but watch the tone (don’t have the attitude that your stuff doesn’t stink), don’t use all caps and don’t be nasty.

Twitter: An online social networking site that only lets you send out 140 character messages to your followers. Depending on your settings, you can be private (only your followers can see your tweets) or you can have a public account which lets you engage in real time conversations with other Twitter users.

DO: Follow people you find significant and tweet often. By following people you enjoy, people you know or people who have similar backgrounds as you (such as fellow PR professionals) you can grow your follower base and enhance your own tweet content. Tweet regularly, at least once a day. Retweeting stories and other tweets you find relevant counts too.

DO: Engage in hashtags and tweet at people. Hashtags is how Twitter users can find a specific topic that interests them. Don’t hashtag every word (that’s annoying) but if you notice that #CrisisManagement is trending in PR posts, definitely engage in that conversation. If you are mentioning someone, tweet at them (unless you’re being nasty, but you shouldn’t be doing that anyways). You never know who might see your tweets! I’ve had supervisors find me on Twitter (and I have the last name Smith!) and I’ve had industry professionals from around the world favorite my tweet or even re-tweet me.

DON’T: Worry about your follow count. If you’ve just made an account or if you’ve had it for a while and you feel you don’t have a huge following count, it is okay. You don’t, and shouldn’t, follow people just to try and gain more of an audience. You will grow your audience based on your content and even if that might take time, it will happen.

DON’T: Drunk or pity tweet. We’ve all had our moments where want to let off steam and express a personal matter (you’re angry at a friend, upset by a significant other, etc.) but twitter is not the place for this. The place for that is actually talking to said person. If you do not have a private Twitter account, your tweets should be industry related and occasionally personal (like “Traveling to #Florida for a much needed #vacation). But remember, if you have a private account that doesn’t mean you should be tweeting about how awesome a slice of pizza would be, misspelled and at 2 in the morning.

Social networking can provide great opportunities….but just make sure that your first impression for jobs (which is normally your online one) says what you really want it to say about you.

Looking Past PR & Advertising Stereotypes

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and I wish everyone a safe and happy new year! As someone in PR and advertising, I have a love-hate relationship with the holiday season. Holidays include awkward family parties with relatives I only see once or twice a year. I frequently have family members ask me “what do you (want) to do again?” I respond with “public relations and advertising” and I get usually one of three responses:

 “Wait, what is it that you do?”

• “Oh, so you want to have no social life and work all the time?”

Or

• “So you want to be a spin doctor?”

Well, no.

I love public relations and advertising, both for different reasons. Unfortunately that means I deal with a lot of stereotypes but that doesn’t matter to me because I love what I am learning and I love all of my experiences. I saw past these stereotypes and I am learning about how incredibly rewarding and fulfilling a career in communications can be, but that doesn’t mean everyone else sees what I see. But they should. PR and advertising actually showcases various and unique skills that can’t always be taught. People should reconsider believing the negative stereotypes or thinking I aspire to be the next Don Draper (although he sometimes makes good points) and learn the truth—those truths show why PR and advertising professionals love what they do.

Stereotype: PR and advertising professionals socialize too much. Hollywood glamorized the industry in a way that showcases professionals as schmoozing with clients and reporters to get what they want. In reality, pitching clients and reporters requires strategic planning, research, carefulness, and precision. PR people build relationships with reporters based on trust and those relationships aren’t easily made and can’t be bought.

Most client pitching in advertising and PR happens in the client’s own backyard—boardrooms, corporate meetings and offices. The original philosophy behind the field works to connect brands, people and companies with the public. This means we must show the right mix of professionalism, compassion and hard-working commitment to clients.

Stereotype: PR and advertising professionals are “workaholics.” I see where people fall for this stereotype. Many professionals in the field have set hours but we also don’t always work a typical “nine-to-five.” Instead, they work on the clock and when “breaking news” happens or when a “crisis” happens and the publics and clients need them. That’s why you find very passionate people in the industry. You have to love what you do and be willing to go above and beyond to produce quality and effective work.

As for being “workaholics” who can’t balance a social and work life, I want to ask you this: who knows how to plan and organize their lives better than people who are talented enough to make livings as strategic planners?

Stereotype: PR and advertising professionals are “spin doctors.” This bothers me the most because it degrades the authenticity of communications professionals everywhere. I think people assume PR and advertising professionals are “spin doctors” because they confuse creativity with BS.

PR and advertising people are born with an extra creative sense. Not in the way that they’re all artists or graphic designers (but some are and that’s a gifted talent I wish I had more of) but in the way that it takes creative thinkers to develop and execute engaging and thought-provoking communications campaigns. People are bombarded with hundreds of communication messages daily—communications professionals need to work hard and creatively come up with a way to grab your attention and make you think.

Being a PR or advertising professional does not make you a spin doctor, instead they know what ticks people off, what generates attention, what makes people laugh, smile or cry, and most importantly, what connects us.

PR and advertising professionals receive a lot of slack—but next time you want to buy into the Mad Men stereotype, think about this: the communications industry constantly evolves and professionals have to act precisely, do research and strategically plan every move but they have to do it quickly because time is of the essence.

So cheers to you PR and advertising souls out there. Enjoy your new year, and think about how we can work together to change those negative accusations that come our way. And remember—don’t get discouraged, happiness is contagious, so keep doing what you love to do.

 “If you don’t like the conversation, change what is being said” –Don Draper, Mad Men

Photo: Don Draper on HBO’s Iron Throne (Game of Thrones)

Crafting Your Personalized Creative Resume

When you apply for an internship or job, you want your resume to stand out among the competition. A resume acts as your first impression, and since HR pros only look at your resume for 30 seconds, a pop of color, a two column design or a couple of graphics might do the trick to help set you apart. Unfortunately, when it comes to creative resumes, HR pros either love them or hate them. It’s a risk, but depending on the company or agency you apply to, that risk might pay off.

When you craft your creative resume, make sure you keep your personality in mind. For some people, using two columns and a small pop of color works well. For others, using graphics, boxes, columns, and multiple colors feels more creative. As long as your resume isn’t just a bulleted list on a Word Document, you have crafted a creative resume.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when creating your creative resume:

• Columns. If you have a lot of experience, definitely consider two columns. You’ll fit more information on a page this way.
• Software. Consider using QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Publisher as an alternate to the traditional Microsoft Word Document. These programs allow you to incorporate multiple colors, boxes and graphics.
• Fonts. Use a maximum of three fonts. One for your name, one for titles/headers and one for all of your information.
• Colors. When picking colors, think carefully. Make sure it can easily be read. If you have an online portfolio, consider incorporating the same colors to match.
• Focus on your information. Never let your design take away from your information. Your talent matters most to HR pros and simplicity in your resume’s design is key.
• Play it safe. Keep a “traditional” resume on file at all times. Some corporate companies won’t consider you with a creative resume. If you can’t fit all of your information on one page, still use two columns.

Creative resumes help you stand out over other prospective candidates, allow the reviewer to get a feel for who you are and act as a supplement to your portfolio as well. Have some fun crafting the perfect resume that represents who you are as a potential employee and a person. But be sure to remember your resume’s purpose–selling your skills and experience to a potential employer to land you the interview!

Introduction

Hello Everyone,

My name is Shannon. I’m a dual Public Relations and Advertising major and a political science minor with an honors concentration. In my spare time, I am the president of PRaction, Rowan University’s award-winning student-run firm, an active AJF PRSSA member, baker & cook, dog-lover, writer, book enthusiast, and traveler. Sounds like a lot, I know. I barely have time to myself but staying busy remains important to me. I started my blog on my portfolio website, http://smiths4911.wix.com/shannonsmith but wanted to find a personal space for my blog beyond my portfolio website to showcase my skills.

I’ve always enjoyed blogging. I first started this passion when I was a freshman in college. I was asked to start writing blog posts for Insulet Corporation’s product, the OmniPod. I am a type 1 diabetic and felt passionate about sharing my personal experiences living with type 1. If you would like to see that work, you can at:

http://suited.myomnipod.com/author/shannon/

I have since expanded my love for blogging and have incorporated it in as many internship opportunities as possible. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to blog for the Philadelphia Federal Credit Union’s MoneyLine blog. You can see that work here andhere.

I also write and run PRaction’s blog, which can be found here.

In short, I love sharing my thoughts and writing about what goes on in the field of communications. I hope you enjoy my blog here!

Best,

Shannon