Welcome Deanna McKinley

Tonight our guest speaker is Deanna McKinley, Public Relations Coordinator for Frito-Lay North America, a PepsiCo business unit. McKinley is responsible for community media relations nationwide. She is not only an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, but is one of the youngest APRs in the nation. 

Deanna earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism / Public Relations as a Presidential Scholar at Florida A&M University. Currently she is in the Master’s program in Communication and Leadership from Gonzaga University. 

She criss-crosses the country highlighting the work of the company's sales teams, touting their "Million Mile over-the-road drivers," and some of their facilities’ top environmental milestones. She helps organize and implement major community outreach events and juggles countless media requests. In a recent blog, Deanna claims she has "the coolest job in the company." Our students are anxious to hear her explain why.

Thank you for coming, Deanna.

See Deanna's blog at: http://www.snacks.com/good_fun_fritolay/2010/06/fritolay-pepsico-helping-feed-the-children-in-detroit.html?cid=6a00e5542733818833013485338f32970c

It's been a while, but the blog is back. I started this blog in winter 2005 as a class project for my Advanced Strategic Communication students. Blogs were new (see student comments from '06), and many deemed this concept a waste of time, destined to fizzle. It didn't, and the SMU Communication (CCPA) students kept at it until summer 2008. I got sidetracked by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. And the Comm Strategies blog sat dormant. Until now. Time to crank it up again. 

The seismic impact of online communications has exceeded all predictions over the last five years. Today's communication students teeter on the fault line of the latest aftershock — the social network explosion. Tracking the broader impact with an eye on what's next is the job description of current communication professionals of all stripes. What does it mean? This semester our class will look at the implications and ways of leveraging online media, with sources ranging from Noam Chomsky and Richard Edelman to John Stewart and Perez Hilton. We'll examine crisis comm, brand marketing, PR, global, corporate, agency, public affairs and cause communication in the age of social media. Plus, we'll consider how the digital age has impacted communications at its most basic level — crisp writing, critical thinking, solid research, relationship building, networking, and everyday skills that drive the message. 

So what's next? What skills will shape the next communication leaders? Where do today's students fit in to the comm field. Where is online communication going? Students will be blogging on these questions and various issues surrounding the field in 2011. But these questions and insights are not limited to students in this class. Outside comments are welcome, especially from former CCPA students, who might be checking back. I'd love to hear from you former students in "real world" communications or where ever you've landed. --Prof. Nina Flournoy

PR Profs tell students: Keep up the good blogs

With the semester's finish line in sight, I want to congratulate student bloggers for creating innovative blog sites with many insightful posts.

Not only did you delve into the assigned communication topics (the implications of technology for the PR/PA field, media relations, net neutrality, online ethics and CSR)but you brought a lot of your own thoughts about current and future communication "practices into the mix.

Especially memorable are your postings about the impact of blogs and online social networking on political systems worldwide, on the US presidential elections, the way in which bloggers have exposed human rights atrocities in China and how that has played out in the lead-up to the Olympics.

My repeated prompting for students to mingle in the blogosphere in an attempt to generate hits (comments) on your blog resulted in a few hits for students this semester, and also served to confirm our understanding that getting traffic to your blogsite can be tough with the zillions of blogs all competing for attention. I know you tried.

Caitlin Myers tried, and scored. Her lively profile on Tim Rogers, executive editor of "D", ended up on the magazine's award-winning blog: Front Burner. http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2008/04/17/d-magazine-intern-scores-a-on-profile-of-tim-rogers
It received both praise and sharp criticism, which illustrates the disconnect between PR and journalism. Chalk it up to experience.

Speaking of experience, we are grateful for the fabulous speakers (should I include Tony Blair?) who took time out to give students the benefit of their experience. We were wowed by Dallas communication professionals like Burson-Marsteller's Mike Lake, Weber-Shandwick's Ken Luce, Erika Holland, Allan Koenig and Ann Jane Cox, Fleishman Hillard's Destiny Varghese and Jenny Parker, and Scott Baradell, president of The Idea Grove, a branding strategy and public relations agency.

Baradell sort of capped off the semester when he concluded his talk last week by urging students to keep their blog going after the semester ends, and even after they graduate. Treat it like a living PR document, a resume that reflects your personal brand. Amen.

Enjoy your summer, and keep blogging. I'll be checking in to see what's on your mind. Thanks for making it a great semester. --Prof. Flournoy

Taking Root

It's not an orignial notion, but it is still fresh: working in corporate communication is about networking, establishing a strong root system in order to grow. That' what students in this Communication, Technology and Globalization class will be doing this semester. Students will branch out, make connections and explore new strategies and tactics being used in professional communications. Forward thinking communication professionals understand that the Internet is constantly changing the way we give and receive information. Consumers now access media, information and entertainment in a variety of ways, at a moment's notice — anytime, anywhere. In this hypercompetitive global marketplace, communication students must learn to navigate in a rapidly changing, complex web of information exchange. Getting your message out there has never been so instant and so complicated.

So this semester, we’ll examine the latest trends in communication technology, beginning with blogs. We'll use the blog format as a forum for discussing current best practices in corporate communications. We will do this by using our student blogs to invite the professional PR community to contribute their insights on our class blogsite. By doing this, we hope to put down roots, create mentor relationships, and open up frank, informative dialog.

To get started, each student is invited to post a comment here describing your goals for the class this semester. But first, browse the blog links on this site to get familiar with ideas that fellow communication students and professionals are discussing in the blogosphere. Be sure to sign your name to your comment. Next, each student will build a personal blog site. But more on that in class.
--Professor Flournoy

Look-Look at the New Entrepreneurs

This week SMU Advanced Comm. Skills students are hard at work finishing up their research
on a trend challenge presented to them by California trend-tracking company Look-Look.
According to the executives at Look-Look, young people (who they define as 19 to 35
years old) are redefining their career values and creating new paths for their work life.

Today's youth are moving away from the old definitions of success held by previous
generations. This shift has kicked-off a surge of young entrepreneurs who are striking
out on their own, developing new business models, launching independent ventures.
Look-Look calls this current breed the “New Entrepreneur.”

To examine this trend, the Look-Look folks have asked our class to research the SMU
community — current students and those who have graduated in the last five to 10
years — to find out if the new entrepreneur trend is showing up at SMU, and in what ways.
In addition to conducting independent interviews with SMU students and alums who fit
the model of the “New Entrepreneur," students in this class are researching the affects
this trend is having or will have on all types of businesses — retail, manufacturing,
technology, health and beauty, service industries, entertainment and fashion.

To read their independent findings, click on their individual blog links to the right
of this page to access their blog entries.

Feel free to leave your comments.

And thank you, Look-Look, for giving students an opportunity
to work on a real-world project.

--Professor Flournoy

What's On This Week

Just back from Spring Break, our class is researching PR case studies to determine the strategy used in handling different types of communication situations. Click on the student blog links to the right of this page to read their findings.

Up next? Trend spotting. Our class will examine trends — what they are and the promotional strategies for pushing them to trend status. We will be working with Look-Look, a trend tracking company that will guide our class in tracking specific trends and reporting the results.

Following are resources students will be browsing for background in assessing the current trend landscape:

http://look-look.com

http://www.springwise.com/ideas/

http://www.psfk.com/

http://www.slate.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/collective/

http://www.joshspear.com/

Stay tuned.

Kudos for our SMU Student Blogs

One of our student blogs by Meredith Hultman caught the attention of Dave Cote of Agency Next, a professional Marketing and PR agency. He writes about our class blog efforts and predicts that our "forward-thinking skills" will be instrumental in creating "leaders of a new generation of communication strategists."

(Read his entire blog post: Here’s a scholar (and the future of marcom BTW)

We appreciate his vote of confidence. It seems clear that since the Internet is second nature to today's students, communication companies will count on this generation of college students to help companies navigate in the blogosphere. Cote insists, "Organizations with members who blog well and blog regularly will benefit from the invested effort. Striking a balance between getting your message across while serving the needs of your users and building community is critical. Nothing propels adoption faster than online communities. Nothing builds traction more cost effectively. And nothing is more elusive or temporal."

Amen. And although I'm aware that if you're reading this blog, I'm preaching to the choir, it does not change the overwhelming evidence that the blogs have caught on well beyond original expectation. As Cote says on Meredith's blog, "PR professionals have caught the blog fever, and the only prescription is bloggers like you. As a matter of fact – give us a call when you graduate!"

Count on it.

Thanks Scott Baradell

Today, students in SMU's Advanced Communication Skills class heard from Scott Baradell, founder of Dallas PR firm Idea Grove. Baradell provided a fresh perspective on how students must learn new forms of communication, such as blogging and podcasting, to enhance their communication skills and give them an edge with prospective employers. He said communication professionals no longer refer to blogging as a flash in the pan. In fact, he characterized blogging as "huge" for the communication field.

Baradell urged students to continue developing their blog sites over time, not abandoning their blogs at the end of the semester. "Blogs are a great networking tool, and students should know that by listing their blog sites on their resume, they are giving employers an opportunity to see much more than just what you can squeeze on a resume." He said employers can browse the blog and see the quality of a student's writing style, their point of view, their technological skills and their reach. "Think of your blog as an extension of your resume," he added.

Good advice, Scott. We invite you to drop by our blog and give us advice and insight anytime. And we'll keep up with you through your blog: Media Orchard http://www.ideagrove.com/blog/index.html
Thank you!

Generating Buzz

I asked students to browse the Internet to find examples of unique, quirky or wildly successful ways PR or Marketing practitioners have generated buzz for their clients. Students will post their findings on their blog site (Student blog links are listed in the column to the right of this page). We invite communication pros. to share your tips or examples for creating Buzz. Leave your comments in this posting, but be sure to check student blogs to see what they have to say on the subject.
Looking forward to hearing from you!

Welcome to Advanced Communication Skills

Put on your sunglasses. The future of corporate communications is bright, even blinding. Students in this Advance Communications Skills class will spend this semester exploring new strategies and tactics being used in professional communications. Forward thinking communication professionals understand that the Internet is constantly changing the way we give and receive information. Consumers now access media, information and entertainment in a variety of ways--anytime, anywhere. In this hypercompetitive public relations marketplace, today’s practitioners must have some working knowledge of the technology that is changing the business of communication.

So this semester, we’ll examine the impact of blogs, podcasting, and RSS feeds. Students will also become familiar with the best practices in corporate communications. We will do this by using our student blogs to invite the professional PR community to contribute their insights on our class blogsite.

To get started, each student must post a comment here regarding your overall impression of blogging. Do this AFTER you have browsed the recommended blog sites and have read the blog articles assigned in class. Be sure to sign your name to your comment. Next, each student will build a personal blog site throughout the semester. But more on that in class.
--Professor Flournoy

What's Up in Communication Practices?

This question goes out to professional communicators: What current and future trends are taking hold in corporate communications, public relations, media relations, marketing and the like? If you've kept up with this blog, you know it's geared toward SMU Communication (CCPA) students in my Advanced Communication Skills class. Students last semester gained valuable insight from professionals who commented on this blog site and on the student blog sites. (Students were required to develop their own blog for the class. Their blogs are listed below.) One unexpected benefit from the class was internship and job offers students received as a result of their blogs. The assigned articles posted on their blogs gave potential employers an opportunity to see the students' skills and their knowledge of the field.

For spring semester, in addition to developing a blog, students will learn podcasting and webcasting, and how these new forms of communication are being used to effectively deliver messages in an world struggling with information overload.

So, as I begin preparing the class for the next round of students in Advanced. Com. Skills, I invite you to offer the benefit of your experience to the wannabe communication professionals of tomorrow. What are some of the best practices in PR today? What new strategies, cutting edge technology, networking opportunities, skills and approaches will give students an edge as they move into real-world communication work?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Have a great summer!

Hi ya'll.
Thanks to all of you for making this a great semester. I loved the experimental nature of the class and the fact that we all learned a lot about new technology, blogging, professional networking and best practices in communication. I hope you will keep your blog going. I will keep all student blog addresses here so we can keep up with each other. I'm sure you will want to change the focus or theme of your blog to suit your interests. I look forward to seeing how your blogs will evolve. Stay in touch and I will too.

Have a wonderful summer!!!

Communicating Through Pop Culture

The buzz biz thrives on celebrities. Get a celebrity to use your product when the paparazzi are around, and boom, your client scores. Pop culture has become an increasingly useful tool for PR practitioners working to generate exposure for their clients. That's the subject of the student blogs this week, so visit their blogs for the young perspective. Who knows better than SMU college students what's trendy and why?

Thank you, Pat Porter!

SMU CCPA students were awed at the wealth of experience and practical know-how Pat Porter managed to squeeze into a one-hour class last week. Porter, the Executive Director of Dallas Business Committee for the Arts (DBCA), discussed non-profit communications, business arts advocacy and cause-related marketing. She told students to watch trends in social venture partnerships, improved methods in research and documented outcomes, globalization, technology, strategic alliances and how non-profits are realigning to meet the changing demands in communication.

Thanks again, Pat. It's the first time I've heard students say they wish the class could have been longer.

Edelman Trio Tells It Like It Is

Advanced Comm Skills students had not one but three speakers from Edelman last week. All were SMU communications alums who came to offer advice to CCPA students about working in "real world" PR. SMU CCPA graduates Kate Parkhouse and Stephanie Blackburn, and SMU Journalism graduate Antra Higgins spoke frankly about what students can expect, ways to prepare and how to get an edge in the very competitive communications field.

Students gave a resounding thumbs up to the presentation.

Thanks to our speakers and to Edelman Dallas for letting you off work to visit our class.

Don't forget to blog!

I know. All you can think about is Spring Break. But before you go...Blog. Your random, anything-goes blog is due Friday, March 10. No need to blog on the main class site, just on your own blog.

Have an outstanding Spring Break.

Jody Venturoni on "real world" PR

This week our class was honored to hear from Jody Venturoni, executive vice presient and general manager for the Southwest region of Weber Shandwick. Drawing from almost 20 years of experience in communications, Venturoni gave CCPA students a no-nonsense take on working in agency-side PR. From her current work on issues involving the Wright Amendment to the difficult moments of leading the crisis response team for American Airlines after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Venturoni's background and experience inspired students to get started with internships in the field as soon as possible. I'm sure students were phoning her moments after she returned to her office Wednesday.
Thanks so much, Jody.

Looking at Case Studies in Corporate Communication

This week our class is browsing through case studies which demonstrate strategic moves by PR professionals who successfully (or unsuccessfully) handled a client's situation. We're looking at cases in which PR helped clients in myriad ways, from dealing with crisis or diverting a crisis, to a product launch or major announcement.

Students will research, select and examine one PR case study for the lessons it offers in what to do or not to do. They will post their blog on this topic on Wednesday, March 8. Visitors can browse and comment on the student blogs by clicking on the student links on the lower right side of this page.

Professionals are invited to suggest case study examples or sites for finding PR case studies here. As always, thanks for your input.

Emerging Communication Technology

This week we're exploring new communication technology that is changing public relations and business communication. What are the latest technological trends impacting corporate communicators? What are the implications for the future of PR? Students and Professionals are invited to post your insights on the subject here. Thanks!

Burson's Mike Lake Rocks

Our thanks to Mike Lake, chairman of Burson-Marsteller's Southwest division, for bringing the benefit of his more than 25 years of public and private sector PR experience to the students in our Advanced Communication Skills class last Friday. Mike managed to cover a wide range of information, from an excellent overview of local and global PR operations today, to concrete tips for graduating seniors looking for jobs and/or internships in the field. He even brought handouts of Burson's writing test given to job applicants. All much appreciated.

Students are asked to respond to Mike's lecture with comments and questions posted here. I've asked Mike to read your blog comments, so heed his advice and polish your basic writing skills. (Good advice, Mike!)

Note to students: Ordinarily I would have advised you to refer him as Mr. Lake, but in class he asked students to call him Mike, so feel free to address him as Mike when you're blogging.