Angela’s Blog

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Are you going green?  Going green seems to be a prominent topic these days.  It is a great thing to try and conserve and use environmentally safe products, but I think that going green might be a fad.  Like bellbottoms, Crocs and Birkenstocks I think that this green movement will stay for a while and then be overshadowed by something else.

I think that companies have to make some attempt to go green to keep up with everyone else.  Who wants to be that company that is not doing what everyone else is.  It’s all about competition.  Going green is hot right now and if you are in an industry where your competitors are doing green things then you better try and be a step ahead of them.

You usually don’t see Wal-Mart launching campaigns.  But they are now launching a month long green campaign.  I think that it is probably smart, but I really wonder how long this will all last.

I hope that this movement lasts and helps save our planet, but I still wonder if it is just a fad.  Only time will tell what will happen with this green movement.  

In an article on PRWeek.com, Alexandra Bruell tells about the controversy that a gossip Website is causing.  Juicy Campus is a Website that allows anyone to anonymously post gossip about any of the 60 listed schools. 

A sophomore at Auburn University currently faces criminal charges.  He made derogatory comments on juicycampus.com and is now being held accountable for it.  In another article that I read it said that the people on this site are being protected under the Communications Decency Act of 1996 and the First Amendment.  But they have to be telling the truth. 

The stuff written on this Website is in my opinion ridiculous.  Of course, everyone has an opinion and the people on this site are telling us exactly what they think about the most random things and people. 

The article says that there are many student groups at these various 60 schools that are petitioning for the site to be banned.  I don’t really that that would make a difference in what is going on but who knows it might.

In an article on PRWeek.com, Alexandra Bruell talks about how the MTV show The Hills is putting Fashion PR agency People’s Revolution in the spotlight.  The girls more focused on than the actual company but it is getting their name out there.  The Hills is a popular show among young adults. 

I think that having your business publicized on a popular TV show is a great way to get you name out.  Millions of people watch the Hills and will now know and this agency that would have otherwise never heard about it. 

It was a wise decision for People’s to hire Whitney and Lauren.  I’m sure that they are both a huge asset to the company but it is a major publicity move.  It has to be exciting to see your name on TV.  Hopefully this will benefit People’s in a great way.

Starbucks has been the first place that I think of when I think of coffee.  But lately there has been buzz about a new competitor.  While Dunkin’ Donuts’ has been around for a long time, I think that is just lately that they have started promoting and informing people of all of their beverage choices. 

Dunkin’ Donuts’ has recently started promoting its coffee and lattes.  Before the recent commercials I didn’t know that it offered such things that it does.  When I think of Dunkin’ Donuts’ I just think of donuts, nothing else. 

According to a recent article on PRWeek.com, Starbucks recent national employee training day has hurt its business.  Dunkin’ Donuts’ took advantage of Starbucks off day and offered a $.99 latte.  This made Dunkin’ Donuts’ sales increase and is said to have made a positive impact on donut shop. 

I think that Dunkin’ Donuts’ has done a good job of getting its name out in the public and letting them know that they have something new to offer.  And it may receive many new customers but I think that many people will still go to Starbucks. 

The article said that customers think that Starbucks quality has gotten worse but when I go past one there is still always a crowd in the restaurants.

It seems to me that many companies are starting to catch on to social media.  I read an article at PRWeek.com about Sears partnering with Hearst to launch a new promotional campaign. 

In the past, Sears used traditional media to advertise and promote.  Now Sears is stepping up to the plate of social media and diving into new things.

Sears is soon going to be using TV, print, catalogs, signs and displays, e-mail messages, video clips, blogs, and other Web sites to promote their new campaign “Reimagine you.” 

PRWeek.com said, “Hearst will create a Web site (http://www.reimagineyourself.com/) and 30+ page booklet to be distributed with a variety of its publications. The booklet will consist of three sections: ReImaginged People, ReImagined Homes, and ReImagined Stuff, reports CNN.”

I think that this can truly benefit Sears.  More and more people are starting to catch on to social media and so Sears will be able to target more and a diverse group of people. 

YouTube’s popularity is growing ever day.  More and more people are catching on to the idea of social media.  It is amazing that one Web site can bring so many people together.  You can watch videos that will make you laugh and videos that will make you cry and someone across the world is probably watching it at the same time.

In an article found at Mediaweek.com, it explains that Hearst Magazine recently started using YouTube.  They have asked contestants to submit videos describing a life dream that motivates them not to get pregnant. 

I think that this is a great idea.  But has it really worked?

I thought that I would check it out and see what some of the young women these days are thinking.  So I went to YouTube and searched for the “Plan A” videos and I only found about 10.  That is not very effective.  They are targeting millions of young women and only 10 have responded.  Obviously there is a problem somewhere.  I think that it is a great idea but something different needs to be done.

Running for any campaign takes a lot of time and resources.   Today I think that it has become more challenging than ever to try and reach all of your target audience.   I think that people today are hard to reach.   Online news sources are a growing trend although many people still read traditional newspapers. 

I think that every source of media can be beneficial for both political parties.  There are different kinds of people that support each party so I think that it is hard to say that one way or another would be best.

In my opinion, people should just cover as many channels as they have the means to cover.  You never know who you can reach. 

From what I have seen in the 2008 Presidential Election, it seems that all of the candidates have taken advantage of media channels.  Of course some have been more effective than others but I think that they have all done a pretty good job. 

Cody Pierce is a Marketing major from Gulf Shores, Ala.  She recently worked with the Auburn Magazine which is a magazine through the Auburn Alumni Association.  She tells of the tasks that she did while working there.

The Poynter article was interesting.  I think that it is a wonderful idea to use Facebook and other social media for the use of a university.  I don’t think that it would be as useful for emergency information but I do think that it can be extremely beneficial.

Auburn University is currently in the process of gaining a new emergency system, AU Alert.  I received n automated phone call and a text message last week.  It was testing the system in case of an emergency.  I think that a system of this nature is vital at a university. There is no other way for the administration to let 24,000 students know what is going on if a crisis were to occur. 

After the Virginia Tech tragedy, I was skeptical about the crisis management plan for our school.  I thought, “What if something of that nature were to happen here…in Auburn.”  Then a few months later they announced AU Alert. 
As we have learned from a recent experience Auburn has a lot to do in perfecting this system, but I think that it is a step in the right direction.

Hopefully there will never be a situation in which the university will have to use the system but you know what will happen.  It is good to know that Auburn is being proactive and trying to be ready for whatever may come.