PR Sugar On Sugar: Beet Cake

PLUS

= Beet Cake!  (It’s pink!)

Here’s the “sugar” part of PR Sugar.  I’m trying to balance the ratio between the delicious but nutrient deficient foods I eat with the servings of fruits and vegetables I know I need.  Today a friend told me about a recipe for beet cake, yup, beet cake.  It’s pink!

I just started Weight Watchers so beet cake is probably not on the menu at least for a little while.  (I’m pretty sure this diet isn’t for me.  My strategy is thus: subsist on coffee and salad all day, eat huge and unhealthy dinner.)  For now, I will just have to live vicariously through you, dear reader.  Let me know how it is!  And did I mention that it’s pink?

Thanks to Joy The Baker for the recipe!
Chocolate beet cake with (pretty pink) beet frosting.

Four tips for building your portfolio

I chatted this morning with Jon Duffy of integrated media powerhouse Duffy & Shanley and left with this key message:  your portfolio is important and deserves some strategic thought.

Here are Jon Duffy’s quick tips for your portfolio:

1.  Be strategic. (When you choose work samples, think “what was my objective?” and “did I accomplish this?”)
2.  Be your toughest critic. (More is not better.  Only include work that rocks.)
3.  Focus on the beginning and end. (All of your work should be sterling, but be hyper-thoughtful when you choose your first and last piece.  You don’t want anyone asking “why the heck would she put this piece first?”)
4.  Be proud of your portfolio.  (Be enthusiastic about every piece and show that enthusiasm to your portfolio reviewer.)

I have a huge binder where I keep all of my potential portfolio work.  I am looking forward to synthesizing into a smaller and more visually pleasing body of work.  I’m looking to make an incredible impact, after all.

Today’s Sugar:  Jon taught me not only about portfolio creation, but about appearance in general.  I was writing on a small legal pad with a generic black pen.  When you go in for a first meeting with someone, keep in mind that the only information your interviewer has about you is what’s in the room.  Think not just about your portfolio, but about the items you bring with you, how organized you appear, the bag you carry, etc.  FYI, I usually bring a very professional leather padfolio and a Cross pen.  The important takeaway here is that your appearance shouldn’t be accidental.

Chatting with Zach Servideo from SHIFT Communications

I’ve made a promise to friends and family that I will spend most of my spring break relaxing.  Having said that, I took advantage of a weekday off and grabbed a coffee with Zach Servideo from SHIFT Communications.  Zach also gave me a grand tour of the open-plan Boston office, introduced me around, and pointed out the company’s mission statement poster (pictured).

An account manager at SHIFT, Zach also shared some of the differences between working in a traditional PR firm and working at SHIFT, where social media is ingrained in the culture.  He explained that social is a daily part of the pitch process.  Commenting on articles in your client’s space with insight and added value is an effective way to form relationships.

Zach shares his quick tips for landing your dream PR job:

1.  Network like crazy.  He suggests meetups, professional organizations, and checking out greenhornconnect.com, a network that brings together young entrepreneurs with seasoned professionals
2.  Prove your media relations savvy.  Think of all the people you know who are starting a business or who own a small business.  Get them ink in the local papers.
3.  Social media cover letter.  SHIFT Communications invented the social media press release.  When you send emails to potential employers, link not just to your LinkedIn profile, but also to articles you’ve written or coverage you’ve earned for clients (see #2).
4.  Make your blog content work for you.  If you have a blog, you can repurpose the content for other audiences.  Perhaps there’s a newspaper that wants to hear your unique take on the topics you’re passionate about.

Rubik’s Cake?

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This cake showed up at my house the other night.  It tasted just as good as it looks and it was divided into 27 perfect pieces.

Will Coke and Pepsi give you cancer?

NO COKING, PLEASE

Last night I caught this story on the Huffington Post about how Coke and Pepsi are changing the process they use to make the caramel color in their sodas…because the current process could give you CANCER.  In fact, the state of California has mandated that if these two companies don’t make the change, they will be required to slap a cancer warning label on their cans.

I knew soda was bad for you, but man…

This girl really likes her pizza with a side of Diet Coke.  Is this the cataylist I need in order to make healthier choices in my diet?

In looking for media responses from Pepsi and Coke, I noticed that I went first to the companies’ websites and then, when I didn’t find what I was looking for, I went to Twitter.  Not there either.  Is anyone on top of this who can help me out?  I’m curious to know what they are saying to assuage customer concern.

 

Crocus: Spring Is Here

It’s amazing what one sunny 60 degree day will do to a New Englander’s spirits.  I feel like I have an entirely optimistic outlook on life simply because I can feel the warmth in the wind.

Today I saw something I hadn’t seen in the past several years (living in California): the crocuses, just starting to peak their way up from the ground.  Even though I experienced constant and vivid flora year-round in San Diego, I missed the incredibly satisfying feeling of anticipation you get when you see those first blooms and know the world around you is about to be filled with fresh stimuli.  Green buds will begin to appear on bare tree limbs.  Garden beds will fill: first with green, and then whichever secret colors are right now sitting beneath the earth.

The world is a place that is filled with wonder and delight.

Today’s Sugar:  Public relations professionals work incredibly hard: managing reputations, listening to stakeholders, and trying to keep up with a 24-hour news cycle.  In a profession that demands the smart phone be on and at your side, it is essential to schedule time to pause.  PR Sugar is all about adding a little something extra to the work we do: an extra tip, a new perspective.  Taking delight in our surroundings is incredibly restorative and helps us to be more effective practitioners.

Are They Insane? Taste the Linsanity: Fail

Ben & Jerry’s, I thought you were better than this.

I never thought I would be writing about a major Ben & Jerry’s PR scandal.  I grew up going to Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops painted with blue skies and happy cows in green pastures.  The tables told the story of the evolution of Ben & Jerry’s and I always wanted an opportunity to order a Vermonster.

I’ve mentioned B&J more than once on this blog, I’ve read case studies on the company about the Unilever acquisition, and I’m using the company for a media relations project right now (perfect timing with this crisis!).  Taste the Linsanity is a major fail from a socially responsible company I thought could do no wrong.

Here’s the Huffington Post article showing Ben & Jerry’s response:

Huffington Post – Taste the Linsanity

What do you think?  Was this a really bad idea on the part of Ben & Jerry’s?  Are people blowing this out of proportion?  Why did they focus on his ethnicity, choosing lychee and fortune cookies?  Why didn’t they make a red velvet ice cream (Harvard crimson) with chocolate basketballs, playing up the aspects for which the term “linsanity” was coined?  Can you come up with another flavor that would better reflect the phenomenon that is Jeremy Lin?

Today’s Sugar:  While it’s important to take advantage of timely opportunities, you must do the thing well or it could blow up in your face.  Case in point.

PR Advanced: professional networking is like flirting

Here’s my promised second post re: PR Advanced.  Keynote speaker Dean Ken Elmore said that in order to be a good networker, you have to flirt a bit.  You should be a generally interesting person, which means having knowledge not just about your industry but about culture, fashion, design, lifestyle, and good beer and wine. This bodes well for me as I love all of these things!

Another takeaway was from interactive career panelist Mike DiSalvo who noted that a successful online presence is when your online persona matches your in-person persona.  In other words, “work Mike” and “fun Mike” should be one person.

I’m proclaiming right here that I am going to try to infuse more “fun Julia” into my blog!

Here are some facts about “fun Julia”:

•     If she weren’t in PR, she would be a professional organizer.
•     She loves Gossip Girl, Dance Moms, and Teen Mom 1 (not to be confused with Teen Mom 2).
•     She thinks CSAs are awesome but has yet to join one.
•     She has trouble reconciling her love of all things preppy and pretentious with her love for hippies and counter-culture.
•     She was a foodie before it was cool. She has her dad to thank.
•     She loves getting dressed up all fancy and going out for drinks at a place like the
fabulous Eastern Standard (thanks for hosting last night’s after-party!), but sometimes
she would rather stay in and wear sweatpants.

Today’s Sugar:  It’s OK, even encouraged to be a real person in the business world.  Business and public relations are based on the foundation of authentic relationships.  It’s a realistic goal to be your interesting self without being unprofessional.

PR Advanced: Unleash Our Generation

I’ve been kind of burned out in the past few weeks with the onset of midterms so I was uber-thankful for yesterday’s energizing and restorative conference.  PR Advanced: Unleash Our Generation was a killer event for young public relations professionals and it was conveniently hosted by BU’s PRSSA, an easy commute for moi.

I was pretty much at my breaking point with schoolwork stress, but it all started to melt away as I listened to inspiration from Assistant Professor Steve Quigley and Dean Ken Elmore.  These guys really know their audience. (I want to delve a bit deeper into Dean Elmore’s advice, so stay tuned for PR Advanced: Part 2.)

There were a zillion helpful tidbits from the day’s events which ran, (for me, at least) from 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.  so I’m sharing with you some of the highlights, via #PRAdvanced.  Enjoy!

https://twitter.com/#!/BevinCoaine/status/173511721200267264

https://twitter.com/#!/ELospennato/status/173433909965635584

https://twitter.com/#!/katesinervo/status/173430065533681665

https://twitter.com/#!/Ivi_Mo/status/173511263563943940

https://twitter.com/#!/colleenflynn/status/173511134182244353

https://twitter.com/#!/MalShelbourne/status/173507942975422466

https://twitter.com/#!/AnneWeiskopf/status/173508811724816384

https://twitter.com/#!/Erin_Houlihan/status/173519460781654016

https://twitter.com/#!/smelende/status/173413849586868224

Be You: Transparency and Authenticity

Hey there,

I’m here today to talk to you about honesty, transparency and authenticity.  If Gossip Girl teaches us anything, it’s that secrets don’t remain secret – the truth will always come out.

I’ve been working with a new client with an instinct to hide the company’s true identity, thinking that it could turn off clients.  Again, the truth will always come out so it’s better to be honest, clear, and ok with who you are as an organization, rather than being shady and evasive.

In the case of this client, it’s that the company is one company that has a presence in many local markets.  The organization doesn’t want to acknowledge that the local branches are actually owned by a parent company.  I say, own it.  There is strength in having one solid company vision with locals working in the local markets.  It’s a totally valid business model and customers will come because of the combined strength of the parent organization and the real people on the ground in the various locations with whom customers can form genuine relationships.

Today’s Sugar:  Boston University has had this “Be You” campaign which some people find silly but I really like – I can’t help it – I’m a sucker for puns.  This refrain has played over and over in my classes and I think it’s an important part of my graduate education.  Be yourself!  If you’re a company, be yourself, flaws and all!  If I tried to be something other than myself when I started dating my boyfriend, we probably wouldn’t have dated for very long.  He loves me for being honest, communicative and sometimes flawed. If customers call you out for doing something crappy, fess up, apologize, and try to do better next time.  Own your organization for what it is and don’t try to be what it’s not!