Friday, November 20, 2009

Re-Cap of the Last Three Member Meetings

Quotes has had a lot going on these past two months, see below for meeting re-caps!

11/17 Meeting Recap: Joel Glass Talks Magic

On Tuesday, Nov. 17, Joel Glass, the VP of Communications for the Orlando Magic, came to the Quotes meeting to share his PR wisdom with all of us. He discussed how he managed the onslaught of positive publicity when the Orlando Magic made it to the NBA playoffs and finals earlier this year.

Before he spoke about the opportunities that came for the Magic when they made it to the finals, he talked about his communications objectives for the Magic and his overall PR philosophies. Here are some of the points he touched on:

  • When Glass is giving the players advice on dealing with reporters, he tells them to always remember their ABCs. ACKNOWLEDGE the reporter’s question, BRIDGE to what you want to say, and CLEARLY communicate your message. You don’t have to answer their specific question – develop your messages and clearly communicate them.
  • On the viral nature of social media: Everyone is a reporter. Traditional media has gone out the window, along with all of its rules. “With great technology comes great responsibility.”
  • If he had to boil PR down into three main points: (1) deal with crises from a position of strength, (2) minimize the negative and (3) maximize the positive.
  • Media relations activities are based on a combination of the message, audience, timing and method.
  • Glass asks each of the players to list three ways they want others to perceive them. He then bases the player’s media relations strategy on these desired perceptions. For example, Dwight Howard wanted to be viewed as hardworking – he now does all of his interviews as he’s walking off of the court.
  • When you’re using social networking as a part of your communications plan, make sure you know you have a specific strategy with specific objectives. Remember that every word counts. Glass suggests taking a few minutes each day to determine what you’re going to say through your social media channels.

Then Glass discussed how he dealt with the wave of positive media coverage resulting from the NBA finals. He said the key to keeping his sanity during this very busy time was to have a strong plan already in place. The Magic plans to go all the way to the finals every year and has a communications plan in place for when they do. Planning is an essential part of the public relations process, he said, and having plans in place for a number of circumstances is crucial.

Thanks again to Joel Glass for coming and speaking to us! GO MAGIC!


Ad Club Resume Workshop Recap: 11/5

The Ad Club hosted a resume workshop with PR, advertising and marketing professionals from Acropolis, Disney and Work Force Central Florida to give resume tips and advice. With Intern Pursuit right around the corner, we encouraged all members to attend and spruce up those resumes in preparation. Here’s a recap of some of the advice the professionals shared.

  • Make sure your resume looks professional and is consistent in format and font.
  • Absolutely NO errors on your resume (All of the professionals on the panel said they will throw your resume at the sight of even one error.)
  • Prove positive results of your successes (i.e. increased media coverage by 10%, boosted sales 5%, etc.)
  • Make sure to have internship experience before you graduate!
  • Use a cover letter and use it to expand on the highlights of your resume and showcase your personality. Include detail as to why you’re a good fit for the company, the position (pull words from the job description) and show you’ve done some research.
  • DO include an objective on your resume and use it to target each position you’re applying for if you can. DON’T say “to find an internship…” It may come off seeming desperate.
  • Longevity in positions is important. If it’s not a job targeted to the profession you’re working toward, just put it closer to the bottom.
  • Bring copies of your resume to the interview. Bring your portfolio with you as well.
  • Skills the professionals are looking for: strong writers, coordination of projects, ability to multitask, detail-oriented, well organized, etc.
  • When you put something on your resume, be able to explain your experiences and how they are going to help you in this job.
  • Definitely include your membership in Quotes and/or Ad Club.
  • Send a thank you card or email the day of the interview. Follow up within two weeks of your interview but the professionals suggest doing so no more than twice. And make sure there is a position available and it wasn’t just a hopeful resume send-out.

Thank you to Ad Club for putting this very educational workshop together!


Quotes member meeting recap: Halloween Horror Night Trip 10/27

  • In celebration of Halloween, Quotes made a trip to Universal Studios’ corporate offices to learn about the entertainment side of the development of Halloween Horror Nights and, of course, about the PR opportunities that come along with such a popular event.
  • First, Patrick Braillard, the Entertainment Show Director, spoke about how he and his team come up with the overall theme each year and the scare tactics to be used in event. He told us about the creative process and how they sit around and watch scary movies and eat junk food to get inspiration on everything from the haunted houses to scare zones and even the entire movie-inspired theme this year.
  • To cover the public relations aspect of the event Kristen Clark and Meara Lyons, Universal Orlando’s PR coordinator and a PR representative respectively, told us all about their exciting role in making HHN a reality. They showed us the communications plan, told us about coordinating the media when they invite them into the park to preview the event and showed us some pretty spectacular media teasers they’ve sent out to entice them.


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