IMC Hawks Blog

Category: IMC

  • Corporate Christmas?

    Holidays are usually perceived as a happy, carefree time of year, however, when reaching the holiday season corporations have to discuss and agree upon the appropriate way to acknowledge the different holidays. This is especially true in public school systems. In a school system such as a catholic school it is to be expected which holidays will be celebrated and even taught. However, in the case of UNCW, a public, non-denominational university special considerations must be made in order to not offend or exclude different beliefs. Instead of putting up specific decorations UNCW puts up things like wreaths with pretty red bows and some simple white lights. In my opinion they do a very tasteful and appropriate display of festivity without any favoring of a certain holiday or religion.

    This same phenomena can be seen in large business setting corporations. Many times instead of Merry Christmas you will see “Happy Holidays” or instead of hosting a Christmas party it will be titled as a Holiday Party. This sensitivity to others beliefs is respected in the office I work in, instead of sending Christmas cards to the donors and committee members the secretary sends out Thanksgiving cards that are very general and just say how appreciative our office is of our donors.

    This is not to say that the holidays are overlooked. There are still things such as holiday grab-a-dates, tacky Christmas sweater parties, decorations, holiday breaks from school, delicious food and even some festive weather to look forward to!
    -Emily Hunter

  • Does the word “corporate” in a job title mislead people?

    How are careers in corporate communication defined exactly? What kind of careers are even designated to the field of corporate communication?

    Jobs and professions in today’s society are categorized much more specifically by their titles than just being a doctor, dentist, blacksmith, plumber, or teacher. For example, careers that fall under the category of corporate communication are: corporate communications director, corporate communications specialist, internal corporate communications specialist, corporate communications/public relations manager, and corporate communications coordinator. What does all this mean? From the job title alone, it is hard to know what exactly the job description is and what it will consist of.

    Careers in corporate communication can be linked to jobs in public relations, advertising, integrated marketing communication and other related fields in communication studies. If you are searching for a job in any of these fields, don’t be afraid by the word “corporate” if it is in the job title. Society has given emotion to the word, corporate. It is made out to be this tough, professional, dictating vocation where everyone walks around in blue and grey suits all day. Yes, in reality there are people that wear blue and grey suits daily, but those are popular business colors. But, in all actuality, the word corporate is defined as “belonging to a corporation or company; pertaining to a united group.” Therefore, when a company assigns a job title with the words “corporate communication” in it, they are most likely informing people that they are looking for someone who can handle the specific communication tasks between many people either within their own corporation or with outside corporations whom they do business with. These companies are looking for people who can perform the needed skills in the public relations and advertising fields for a large company, not a small, local business for instance.

    -Danielle Dorantich

     

  • Why You Should Hire a UNCW Com Studies Major!

    Last week our Corporate Communications class discussed why other majors consider Communication Studies as the “easy major” or the “business school dropouts”. This is untrue and is the very reason that we have gateway classes such as com 105(intro to communications) and com 200 (research methods).  You are a pre-com major until you earn a “B” or better in both of these courses and then you become a full Communication Studies major. The gateway classes sort out the people who are serious about getting a degree in Communication Studies from the people who need to go a different route. Some people may think that a Corporate Communications class belongs in the business school; however, we feel that every corporation needs effective communication to succeed so, why not hire students who have a Communication Studies degree.

    Here are our entrance requirements: http://www.uncw.edu/com/academics-entrance.html

    In order to prepare for our future careers we have the option to partake in an internship. While an internship is not required to graduate with a Communication Studies degree from UNCW, many students choose to be involved in one. Most students who are interning from this department are working in fairly large corporations.  Since communication in different careers varies there are many positions a Communication Studies Major may hold. Students at UNCW  intern and may eventually be hired in positions like…event planner, public relations assistant, marketing assistant, account executive, news anchor, journalist, human resources recruiter etc. and that is just to name a few! The options available with a Communication Studies degree in the Corporate world are unlimited and with all the wonderful things we learn and the networking we create thanks to UNCW, we are already well on our way!

    -Emily Hunter

  • Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick

    “But meanwhile it is flying, irretrievable time is flying.”    -Virgil

    That’s exactly how I’ve felt over the past few weeks as a graduating senior. ‘Where has the time gone?’ Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not a poetry buff nor have I read anything from Virgil since high school AP courses. However, it always feels like time is just flying away. But while time is irretrievable as Virgil puts it, the memories of past times certainly are not.

    And yes, the title of this blog is the open verse of ‘Time after Time’ by Cydni Lauper…Don’t hate

    This post is chance for me to look back at the time I have had as Communication Studies major. I have learned so many things and gained a better understanding of who I am through this major.

    It is through Communication Studies that I’ve come to find a home. What makes this major and department so great is the fact that the students and teacher in it can almost be considered as family. Just think of all the group projects you have worked on, what type of friendships have come from those groups. There are professors in this major that I consider to be my mentors. In the Communication Studies everyone is allowed to express themself, or that’s what I’ve learned in my Adv. IMC class (I think we scared some of the Intro to IMC students at the TED event). But that is the wonder of Communication Studies, it is a major about effective and professional expression.

    The Communication Studies major has allowed me to combine two of my professional interests. Public relations has always drawn me to the profession due to its emphasis on creating relationships. I also have an interest in marketing. However I thought it was impossible to combine these two, and I would just have to choose one or the other. In Communication Studies that is not the case. Integrated Marketing Communications emphasizes the strengths of both professions into one. I have greatly enjoyed learning about brand marketing, and how you relate that brand with publics from Dr. Persuit (I am one of the lucky few to be her first class at UNCW).

    I must thank Communication Studies for not only providing me a home of learning, but also providing me opportunities to advance my life. I will be attending the NCSU Communication Graduate School in the fall. I look forward to continue my education about the subject to better myself and the major.

    Finally, remember that little section about group work and creating long lasting relationships. Well I am the success story. I met my fiance, Holly Souther, my freshman year in COM 110 Public Speaking. We then were COM 200 group mates. While it’s true that happened two years ago in my sophomore year, I believe that created a foundation for what Communication Studies is mostly about, relationships.

    So thank you Communication Studies, but remember this is not a good-bye…it’s simply a see you later.

    -Jesse Bazemore

  • Senior Week

    As the end of their last semester draws nearer, our seniors of The Advanced IMC Class are impatient, yet hesitant, to exchange the all familiar ‘Teal World’ for the foreign ‘Real World.’ We are confident in them and their abilities to succeed because of the knowledge and experience they have gained here at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. So this week on our blog, our seniors will reminisce over their experiences during the past four years at UNCW, discuss plans for the future, and of course, share how IMC has impacted their lives forever.

    – The Juniors – Mandy Baker, Lacey Inman, and Alissa Lockwood

  • The Importance of Public Relations

    This week, our class will be focusing on careers in the IMC field. After taking both the introduction and advanced IMC classes, I have found that public relations is a vital part of this field. Searching for a job after college can now be very difficult with the current job market. By having the right qualifications and characteristics, anyone can achieve a career in public relations. Companies such as Nike and Walmart, along with individuals such as Tiger Woods, have used public relations tactics to regain respect from the public. This field has proven its importance through the several successful, and failed, PR stunts.

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, public relations specialists “serve as advocates for clients seeking to build and maintain positive relationships with the public.” In order to be successful in PR, you must be able to work well with others and maintain your time wisely. Someone working in this field must be capable of making the public happy and taking their harsh criticism. PR deals with businesses ranging from nonprofit organizations to fortune 500 companies.

    Salaries for a worker in the public relations field can vary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that in May of 2008, the annual salary of a PR specialist was around $51,280. You can earn anywhere from about $30,000 per year to $100,000 per year, depending on experience and actual position in the field. Public relations is just like any company though; if you work hard enough, you can work your way up.

    Whether interested in working for a privately owned public relations firm or becoming an in-house PR representative, the work is stressful. Experience with press releases and face-to-face interaction will certainly help for success in this field. Being able to openly communicate with the client and efficiently multi-task are necessary characteristics of working in the public relations field. The demanding work load and pressures of deadlines can certainly be difficult, but the payoff is all worth it.

    – Lacey Inman

  • Groundswell- winning in a world transformed by social technologies

    Social Media is a revolution that has undoubtedly changed the business world as we know it, but the question to many is not what is social media, it’s what do we do with it? Groundswell- winning in a world transformed by social technologies, answers just that question.

    Written by Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li of Forrester Research, the book talks about consumers are taking to the web through Facebook, YouTube and blogs and talking about your brand, company and products. It is up to us to take advantage of this consumer effort. The authors discuss how companies are gaining insights, experiencing increased profits and even exciting their own customers.

    Groundswell may be written about a phenomenon that is fairly new to our radar, yet there is real statistical data which backs up their claims. But don’t go thinking that this book is nothing but facts, the authors tell stories. They share stories with real people which made it both appealing and relatable.

    When talking about social media which deals with computers and technology it is easy to get caught up in the technological jargon. Groundswell does a great job of keeping its focus on the social aspect rather than the technology. It is about the people, both the consumers and the company rather then the mechanics.

    The book has started phenomena of some sort. It has it’s own webpage with links to the Groundswell blog. This blog kept up mostly by Bernoff discusses social technology in many aspects of the business world. He also suggests other reading material such as Linchpin by Seth Godin. Once you read Groundswell you are swept up In this trend and now have somewhere to go to further your insight.

    Students, teachers, professionals and analysts from all over have read the Groundswell. Positive Reviews have been written by accredited papers such as t the Boston Globe and New York Times. Industry leaders like Craig Newmark have even weighed in. He states “Internet-style communication tools change organizational communication completely, providing a means for workers to run organizations more effectively. Groundswell describes how this can happen in any organization, focusing on the human issues, which is the hard part.” With nothing but praise how could you not want to run out and pick up a copy today?

    Oh and some good news! Bernoff has recently announced that he has begun work on a new book Harnessing the Groundswell Look for it this summer!

    Jess Smith