Black Friday Deals

Black Friday is the shopping Event of the year!

With less than three days to go, many businesses have advertised their 2010 Black Friday ads since November 17th.

Stores like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, Sears, K-mart, and many others have anticipated their Black Friday sells beginning Friday and  ending on Sunday evening.

I decided to create a  informational list of stores with great bargains for Black Friday. Check them out below. For more information on other Black Friday sells go to Black Friday Info.

Black Friday Deals

1. BestBuy opens at 5:00am on Black Friday.

• All Sony Speakers – 25% Off
• Any Samsung Laptop Computer – $150 Off
•  Brother P-Touch PT-1280SR Electronic Labeler – $9.99
• 2012 (Blu-ray) – $12.99
• 2012 DVD – $8.99
• Ace Combat X (PSP) – $9.99
•  World Of Warcraft Battle Chest – $9.99

2. Target opens at 4:00am on Black Friday

• Boost Mobile Non-Contract Phones – $39.99

• Men’s Plaid Flannel Shirt By Mossimo – $8.00

• Women’s NCAA Team Fleece – $11.99

• Western Digital 2TB Desktop Hard Drive – $69.00

• Nikon S205 Digital Camera with 12 megapixels and 4X optical zoom – $79.00

• 2-Pack Faux-Suede Toss Pillows By Room Essentials – $7.00

• 700-Thread Count 100% Cotton Damask Sheet Set By Target Home – $30.00

3. Macys opens at 4:00am on Black Friday.

• Digital Frame Fragrances – Free With Any $65 Purchase
• 60% Off Carters Kids’ Sleepwear – 60% Off
• Giani Bernini Purse – $34.99
• 50% Off Designer Dress Shirts – $24.75-$29.75
• All Clearance Shoes – 50% Off
• Charter Club Cardigans – $17.99
• 12″ 5 QT Deep Dish Skillet – $11.99
• Designer Luggage – 70% Off
• 1/2 Carat tw. Diamond Earrings in 14K White Gold – $199.00
• Holiday Decor – 60% Off

4. Sears opens at 4:00am on Black Friday.

• 4 Dunlop Tires – $80 Mail In Rebate
• Boy’s Fleece – 60% Off
• Baby Collections Little Wonders – $6.50-$12.00
• 40-50% Laura Scott Handbags – 40% Off
• Men’s Arrow Crewneck Sweaters – $17.99
• 50% Off Men’s Wolverine Workboots – $45.00
• 50% Off All Ladies’ Covington Holiday Sleepwear – 50% Off
• All Ladies’ Holiday Slippers – $9.99
• 7″ Coby Digital Frame – $24.99
• Free Play Sleeved Blanket – $12.99
• Xbox 360 4 GB Console – $199.99

5.  Walmart door busters start at 12:00 a.m.

• HP Notebook Laptop Mouse and Sleeve Kit – $20.00
• Seagate FreeAgent 1.5TB Desktop Hard Drive – $70.00
• HP Pavilion Desktop PC Tower w/5GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive, Windows 7 Home Premium – $498.00
• LG Blu-ray Disc Player BD550 – $94.00
• Samsung Wi Fi Blu-ray Disk Player BD-C6500 – $138.00
• Apple iPod Touch 8GB With Bonus $50 Gift Card – $225.00
• SanDisk 4GB Flash Drive (Gray) – $8.00
• Sanyo 50″ DP50710 720P 600HZ Plasma HDTV – $498.00 *

I hope my list was of great help! Happy holidays and stay safe.

 

Ten things you could learn from PR Writing

Here is a presentation I’ve made and downloaded to Slideshare.com

Ten Things Learned From PR Writing

 You should try Slide Share for presentations. It’s great and easy! (Click here to try it)

PR Connections (Part 2)

PR Connections

Commentary, reflections and opinions about PR issues that I have found are listed below. For other PR connections check out my other blogs titled: PR Connections- Comment on Shelz & Neville Report & PR Connections (Part 1).

• On PRWeek, I found an Opinion based article explaining a debate on ethics in PR.  Though this article came out in 2007 of February, its a great article that I think everyone should look into. The issue that I find questionable is concerning how PR people admit to being dishonest at times. A statement that stood out to me is this, ” The fact that PR people admit they need to lie occasionally is a sign of growing honesty and confidence in what they do.” Weird, huh? In my mind, I am wondering what do they think is right? Do they know the difference between morals and values?  Click to read the article called “OPINION: Honesty on display at Ethics Debate” and tell me what you think.

• A website that I came across goes into detail about how the industry can manipulate you through public opinion and guess which one they choose.. Yes,  they chose Public Relations as one of the many professions that manipulate public opinions. Click to read more on “How the industry manipulates public opinion.”

• Another issue that many people may not know about is accreditation for public relations professionals. They question why is it that they need to become accredited in order to pursue there career when they have been working in the industry for years. One main reason to become accredited is to help the continuous growth of the industry. Do you believe that its necessary for public relations people? Take a look at the video below and  you decide.

Video Titled: Is Public Relations Accreditation Worthwhile?

• I came across a unique blog titled ” Why PR Sucks”. This blog was published by Todd Defern in 2004 from the blogging site PR Squared. A very unusual way to put it but he was very direct and truthful on what he believes why PR Sucks. There are different reasons why but he clearly defines which part in PR sucks. Read and tell me what you think about his blog.

• In looking into public relations issues. I found a presentation concerning some public relations issues. The deception within media comes from the PR firms, who are  behind many company scandals; such as Walmart blogs,  When AOL apologies for release of user search data and  the Myspace glitch that gave hackers teen data. These are all dilemma and issues that PR firms have created. Take a look at this power point. Its short, simple and to the point.

Power point: Public Relations Issues

• Another video that I will like to share with you is called “The Most Dangerous Ideas About the Future of Public Relations”. This video from Ad Age in 2004 asked the Advertising Editor Jonah Bloom with a running of only 3 minutes about why he thinks the future of public relations is a dangerous idea. When you listen to what he has to say, he is presenting his opinion and what he believes is about to come.  I do not totally agree but it is definitely something to think about when it comes to your future career going into shambles. Take a look and let me know what you think.

• In this article, It states how bad PR forces Apple to reconsider banning a prize-winning satirist. This article was published on April 16, 2010… Yes, its a recent article and it surely explains why Apple wants to reconsider the resubmission of an app made by Mark Fiore. Funny thing about this is why would Apple ask you to resubmit something after banning it? Confused, huh?  Here is why: “Because the app satirized public figures in violation of its policies. Fiore did just that Friday morning, even though he says he feels a bit odd about it.” For more details as to why this was Bad PR, read the article here: “Bad PR Forces Apple to Reconsider Banning Prize-Winning Satirist”.

To read more PR connections, go back to the top of my blog and click the links to my other PR Connections. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment.

Top 10 Reasons: Why PR Students Should Blog

10 Reasons Why PR Students should Blog

To blog or not to blog, that is the question? Many PR students wonder if they should start blogging or what’s it like to blog. In this blog, I want to give you my top reasons on why Public Relations students should take that fun and exciting step to blog.

Before I give you the top reasons, I will like you to know that I wondered why should I start blogging?  “I feel like its my own”. Blogging gave me a confident feel to my writing and it feels like my opinion actually matters. YAY to all you bloggers out there!

Now back to the Top Ten Reasons Why PR Students should Blog:

1. Gives a great Credibility: A public relations person needs to have credibility for support. When it comes to marketing a company, person or a product; having the credibility gives you  “integrity” to gain trust from your primary audience.
2. Creates an Audience for the future: As a one begins to look for a company or a product to help with its PR, having an audience from just blogging will help you advertise who you are as a writer, which will benefit you as a whole.
3. Expands your Writing Skills: In order to become a great writer, they say write until you can’t write anymore. The more practice and experience you have in writing , the better your writing skills will become.
4. Gives a Reference for Resume: A key essential in all interviews is to have plenty of experience in whatever you do. With that in mind, if you feel that your writing is up to par and your confident in it, give them your blog as a reference to gain points in experience.
5. Keeps you up to date with current events: In this day and age, things are continuously going on. With blogging you can subscribe to other bloggers that blog specifically on news related information. This will become your online source for current events.
6. May connect you with a possible employer or client: Like any other social site, Blogging connects you with millions of other bloggers that have other PR agencies looking to connect with a possible employer. If they notice your blog, they may ask if you would like to be apart of there company.
7. Helps you realize what you like to write about: Many of us do not know where to start when it comes to PR. It’s such a broad horizon with so many different opportunities. Utilizing a blog can help you explore many others and gather some ideas of where you’d like start.
8. Helps  market a  favorite product or person: Blogging is all about the “public opinion”. When you blog as a PR student you are marketing some person or product in some way. With tags to your blog, the search engine links to your personal blog and it will be read by readers who want to hear your opinion towards that product or person.
9. Helps you to have fun and become creative: Expressing yourself is a great feeling. Why not do so by blogging. As a PR student blogging gives a great opportunity for you to be creative, and have fun with what you are writing about. By being creative you can make or add your own theme that expresses who you are. This will help you to create “you” and  enjoy it as a whole.
10. Great Use for Networking: As said before, connecting with others through blogging will benefit you. This allows you to network with friends, family, and acquaintances based upon your interests. Networking is a big part of public relations so this is just a plus when it comes to blogging.

From another person’s reason to blog. Here is a great video on Why you should start blogging. Period.

What do you think about my top lists? What are some other reasons why a PR student should start blogging?

Writing Email, Memos, and Proposals

Chapter 14

Book: Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques (sixth edition) by Dennis L. Wilcox

The Challenge of Managing Communication Overload

• Public Relations Writers not only communicates to a broad audience, they communicate through personal things, such as emails, memos, phone calls, and face-to-face communication.
• A smart writer follows the basic guidelines which are clarity, completeness, conciseness, courtesy, and responsibility… these things should be in all writings.

Memo’s should be on one page or less and state the key message immediately. A memo has five components: date, to, from, subject, and message.

Email is rapid and cost efficient. It is not, however, a substitute for personal one-on-one communication. Email is less formal than a letter, but more formal than a telephone call.

Increase the effectiveness of email by:

1. Providing key information in the subject line
2. Keeping them to 25 lines or less
3. Using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation

NOTE: Keeping things simple, short and to the point is a great way to reduce information overload.

Click this link for more detailed information on Chp 14 (in presentation format)

Social Media News Release

This video is shares an overview of Social Media News Release from RealWire

What is a Social Media News Release (SMNR)?

Social Media News Releases are a new kind of press releases. SMNR’s are taking advantage of the online and media tools in order to communicate a message to the “online” community. It includes videos; such as YouTube, images, hyperlinks and audio. It’s like blogging from a business aspect yet in a creative fashion.

Some say that Journalist love receiving Social Media News Release’s more than the printed paper version of news releases. Pretty cool, ey!

PR Practitioners should use SMNR’s instead of or in addition to a “regular” news release when they want to reach an online audience. In order for them to do so, they would have to go through the measures of submitting a SMNR to convey their story with their message to their online community. An advantage for PR people in submitting a Social Media Release is allowing the two-way communication between the PR practitioners and the audience.

For examples and more info, Go to the links below:

• How to Write a Social Media Press Release
• Social Media Release Template, version 1.5
• Example of SMNR’s Features by Pressitt
• The Social Media Press Release – Digital Snippets

What do you think about SMNR’s? What are some better examples of Social Media Release’s than the ones shown above?

Tapping the Web and New Media

Chapter 12

Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques (Sixth Edition) by Dennis L. Wilcox

• The worldwide adoption towards Internet and the World Wide Web takes less than the adoption of any other mass medium in history.
• The World Wide Web is the first medium that allows organizations to send controlled messages to a mass audience without the message being filtered by journalist and editors.

The new media & Web have unique characteristics, they are:

1. Easy updating of material
2. Instant distribution of information
3. An infinite amount of space for information
4. The ability to interact with the audience

“Publicizing and promoting a website are necessary to generate traffic. Print and Internet advertising, e-mail, hyperlinks, and putting the URL on all printed material are some ways to promote a site.”

Blogs have become mainstream in terms of numbers and influence. There are three kinds of blogs, coming from a Public Relations standpoint:

1. Corporate
2. Employee
3. Third Party

Myspace and Facebook are the most popular for social networking sites.

Public Relations professionals need to understand that “traditional” media and “new” media are not mutually exclusive categories.

The traditional media is still alive and well. Regardless of the new media in public relations. The content is in traditional media and it often makes people aware of new products and services.

For more information on “New Media”  Go to this Hyperlink: What is NEW MEDIA?

Public Relations & Journalism

Chapter 10: Distributing News to the Media

Book: Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques (Sixth Edition) by Dennis L. Wilcox

• Selecting the right channels of distributing to the media is key to guarantee that your work is reaching the correct media and the correct audiences.

Media Databases vary but they do have five things in common that provides essential information:

1. Names of publications and broadcast stations
2. Mailings Addresses
3. Telephone & Fax numbers
4. E-mail Addresses
5. Names of key editors and reporters

• Editorial Calendars- where trade publications and business periodicals tend to operate.
• Tip Sheets- is a way to find media personnel who might have an interest in your material
• “Online news rooms are part of the organizations website, which is now a primary source for journalist seeking late breaking news and other information about an organization.”
• Key words are important with search engines optimism(SEO). Publicist must use key words that is helpful in use to search for information.
• Camera ready features are widely used by newspapers and other media outlets because they reduce staff cost and fill spaces.

Chapter 11- Getting Along with Journalist

Public Relations professionals and journalist have had a long love-hate relationship. With this in mind, two-thirds of journalist do not trust public relations people, but there is also the realization that they are mutually dependent on each other.

In a sense, media depends on public relations professionals.  In most mass communications, reporters and editors spend most of their time processing information and not gathering it.

Fun Fact

PRWeek conducted a national survey of Journalist and found that almost 60 percent used news releases “all the time” or “often.” Thirty percent acknowledged that they relied more on public relations sources than they did 5 years earlier.

The purpose of public relations is to inform, to shape opinions, attitudes and motives.

Giving gifts such as coffee mugs or T-shirts are Gimmicks that reporters and editors does not easily enjoy receiving.

The major complaint about journalist is that they are sometimes sloppy and they aren’t accurate, nor take the time with their homework.

The bottom line in effective media relations is being accurate, truthful, and providing outstanding services.

NOTE: Don’t irritate reporters by asking, “Did you get my news release? Also, don’t ask to see an advance copy of the story or when a story will be published.

For related information on PR VS Journalism: Take a look at 10 ways that PR people can sometimes drive journalists crazy.

Writing for Radio & Television

Book: Public Relations Writing & Media Techniques (Sixth Edition) by Dennis L. Wilcox

Radio is not the first mass medium when it comes to advertising for campaigning, events and etc., It lack the glamor and visual fun that television offers.

According to Michelle Wallace, She says, “Radio is the medium the demographics of age, gender, economic standing, and Ideology.”

Radio is based upon sound. So, every radio release must be written for the announcer to easily pronounce and also for listeners to easily comprehend.

Differences between a news release and a radio release are:

1. In radio release’s, you have to use all caps is the standard way of writing with a double-spaced format. Indicate length of announcement.
2. News Release’s you have the standard format but not all caps. Also, you do “not” have to indicate the length (30 or 60 sec).

Television is a great way of communication because it gives and shows great elements for sight, sound, motion, and color.

Key Terms

Audio New Release (ANRs) – are more interesting because they include soundbites, music, and sound effects.

Public Service Announcements (PSAs)- are short broadcast announcements used by nonprofit groups and public agencies.

Radio media tours (RMTs)- are a cost-effective way to reach many stations with an exclusive interview over a wide geographic area.

Video news releases (VNRs)- are widely used by TV stations and cable systems

Satellite Media Tours (SMTs)- are widely used in the broadcast industry. For setting up interviews at locations to reinforce a story.

10 Ways PR Practitioners Can Drive a Journalist Crazy

Journalism & PR Practitioner: Soul mates

Many people see Journalism and PR Practitioners as enemies when really they are people who have to learn how to work hand and hand. But there are some iffy situations where PR Practitioners can bug the Journalist.

Here are 10 Ways they drive Journalist Crazy:

1. PR Practitioners tend to not have enough background information when it comes to representing a product or service. This confuses and frustrates the journalist while trying to edit and complete the publishing factor.
2. Journalist believe that PR Practitioners have no clue on what’s “newsworthy” , because they often write about whats in the job description instead of writing whats current and relevant.
3. Journalist get annoyed with hype words that are unrealistic for news release such as “one of the Best”, they tend to think that PR Practitioners are incompetent and not capable of producing good news.
4. Journalist also think that PR people have a tendency to twist their story. They forget to sell the story but instead they sell whatever to fit their agenda.
5. When trying to contact for information or questioning, Journalist notice that PR people are never available and/or they never have a comment.
6. Deadlines: When publishing a story, journalist have to have a story before the deadline just in case there are needs for rearranging or changing up a story.
7. Calling: PR people tend to annoy Journalist with repeated phone calls asking why there story was not published.
8. Gifts can become annoying.. more like “persuasive gimmicks”, that is attached with there news release kits. Seems more like a bargain than presenting a great story.
9. Over obsessive: Faxes & emails are unnecessary when asking about your news release being published.
10. Last but certainly not least, Journalist would like PR Practitioners to write the story, not by overly using words, but by giving the meat of the story.

Sources: PERCEPTIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS AND JOURNALISTS & 10 Things Journalists Hate About PR Professionals

What are some of your thoughts on this?