IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Public Relations

  • We Made It!

    Is this it? Is this really the ending of my time at UNCW? I can’t believe it. It feels like I was just in my first summer semester class with Coach Honeycutt, PE 101, the last “basic studies” class I needed to take before I could begin my journey of courses in the Communication Studies Department. I was a transfer student from Carteret Community College and although I was a Junior, my experience at a university was more like beginning as a freshman. I can remember the nervousness of starting that Fall semester 2009, I mean I had the experience of being on campus from the summer class but I had never been use to so many people. Especially COM 105, there was somewhere around 140 students (a number not so overwhelming now). I still am amazed at how well Dr. Weber commanded attention to the students and captured my interest, impressively it was his first semester teaching that class, and it wasn’t until the end of the semester that I found that out. I owe Dr. Weber a lot of respect and gratitude for how well he guided me that semester and continued thereafter. Without his direction and the many daily visits to his office, I’m not sure I would be graduating right now. After all, I did drop out of UNCG in my freshman semester. However, because Dr. Weber personally continued to remember my name throughout my time here at UNCW, offering leadership and advising, it allowed me to become more comfortable within the Com Department. And that’s the thing right there. Almost every professor in the Com Department can remember my name, that’s amazing! Especially with all the students that come through their class doors. Never before have I experienced such a large collection of professors who truly cared about me as a student and on a personal level. And I’ve attended 2 other colleges. They’ve made me feel very special and honored to be a part of UNCW.

    I owe a special and kind thank you to Dr. Brunson, who only had me in one summer class, but even so gives a friendly smile to me in passing and still calls me by name. Out of all the required Core classes I enjoyed her class, Communication Theory, the most. The warmth and kindness she has expressed really made me wish I could have  had her as a professor for COM 490, but I have tremendously enjoyed professor Kelly Dixon this semester. Kelly (as she likes to be called) taught Interpersonal Communication in my first full semester and the confident yet jovial attitude she expresses every single day, even now in COM 490, always makes me want to attend her classes. No matter how dry the lecture, Kelly always made the concepts and terms fun. I’ll never forget her fav. expressions like “devastated”. And I don’t see how I could’ve relaxed through all of COM 490 without her positive upbeat attitude.

    I also would like to recognize Dr. Persuit; and not because she’s my professor now and oversees this blog; and not because I want to flatter her and get some kind of bonus credit or something; but because I’ve never been so challenged at UNCW by someone who has not only such a hard work ethic, but is possibly one of the most intelligent professors I’ve ever heard lecture. And that’s saying a lot because all of our professors in the Com Department are highly intelligent. At the beginning of this semester one of our classmates said they were intimidated of Dr. Persuit (and this is someone who is very confident), and I can agree solely because I’ve never wanted to let her down or disappoint her. Ever. Yet I always feel like I will, or something. But I want to thank her not because of all of those things; but because she truly motivates me to do better. Back in the day, I had a high school teacher that once said, “Good, better, best. Do until your good is better and your better is best.” I’ve always wanted my best to come through in her classes, and in all the 3 classes I’ve had with her, I hope I’ve accomplished at least this much. But it’s such a relief to know that a lot of stress is almost over and that I will graduate. However, bittersweet. I have truly enjoyed my time at UNCW and the Communication Studies professors have made my experience here one of the best in my life.

    -JC Salter

    Holy shit, I’m graduating from college!  Not the most proper way to convey my feelings, but I can think of no other words that adequately describe my thoughts on this monumental experience.  A few short weeks ago, I uttered the same phrase with fear and uncertainty.  I’ve been a student for most of my life, and soon I wasn’t going to be.  What was I going to do?  The thought terrified me.  However, I now embrace graduation and I am SO ready for it.  I know I’ve been working toward this goal for the past four years, but now it’s a reality and I couldn’t be more excited and optimistic for what my future holds.

    During my time at UNCW I have grown and learned so much, both in and out of the classroom.  The people I’ve met have enriched my life in ways that I never thought possible.  It hasn’t always been a walk in the park (Com 200 memories anyone?), but I wouldn’t trade my college experience for anything.

    I came into UNCW with the intentions of being a Communication Studies major, and although I thought about switching, a few times I am so glad that I stuck with it.  I found the major that works with my brain; everything I’ve learned makes sense and I can see it applied in real life.  This is probably due to some of the awesome professors I’ve had.  Kelly Dixon made Interpersonal, Organizational and my Capstone classes that I enjoyed attending and has given me some of the best advice outside of the classroom.  Dr. Persuit fostered my love (and sometimes hatred) of IMC and corporate communications, and introduced me to the world of Public Relations, the field I have chosen to go into when I graduate.  Jennifer Chin further drove home the concepts of PR, and let me know how it was going to be in the real world.  These three women really made my time at UNCW something I loved and enjoyed, and for that I cannot thank them enough.

    -Eliza Wadson

    “I go back to the smell of an old gym floor
    The taste of salt on the Carolina shore
    After graduation and drinkin goodbye to friends
    And I go back to watchin summer fade to fall
    Growin up too fast and I do recall
    Wishin time would stop right in its tracks
    Everytime I hear that song, I go back, I go back.”
     
    “We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives
    Takes us to another place and time…”                                                                                                
                                                        -Kenny Chesney
       

    Graduation has snuck up much quicker than I had expected.  How is it possible that my college career is almost over?  Surprisingly, my attitude towards graduation is bittersweet.  The excitement and hype of graduating is unreal, but I wish I could experience college for a little longer.  I’m sure most of us graduating seniors agree, right?  This is the same feeling I had when I graduated from high school.  The idea of entering into another world, so to speak, gives me a broad range of emotions.  Where do I go from here?  What new people will I meet?  Will my friends and I stay in contact with one another?

    Only time will tell….

    I’ve changed immensely over the time I have spent at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.  I have met people from different areas in the country, had my fair share of long nights followed by early mornings, spent hours on end in Club Randall, and drank an incalculable amount of iced caramel macchiatos to say the least.  However, all of these things only led me down the path that got me to where I am now.

    I will leave UNCW with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and a large amount of gratitude goes out to all whom helped me achieve this.  Yes, there were times when I just wanted to blow off a paper or do the least amount on a project, but my conscience wouldn’t have it.  If I would have done that I wouldn’t be graduating with honors and I would have more than likely let down members of my group.  To all my fellow COM majors, you know what I’m talking about when it comes to group work and how much time is spent in basically every COM class each semester with a group.  For those of you in COM 200 or on the verge of taking COM 200 (or whatever it is going to be called next year due to the renumbering of the course list), that is only the beginning of group work.  My advice?  Strap-in, work hard, be a team player, prepare for all obstacles regarding conflicting opinions and handle them the most ethical way possible.

    I know that in my future career of public relations and integrated marketing communication, I will look back on my time at UNCW and refer to the advice and knowledge that all of my professors bestowed upon me.  They are well-educated in what they teach and make an impact on the lives of their students.  I see myself a year from now in the workforce with a specific project thinking…what would Dr. Persuit or Jennifer Chin suggest that I do?  All in all, I know that I’ll find myself hearing a song or being put in a certain situation that will take me back to my days at UNCW and remind me of all the good times that I had.  These are the days that, although frightening, I look forward too.

    -Danielle Dorantich

  • Communication Studies Family

    The countdown for UNCW’s Communication Studies graduation is getting smaller and smaller. Now the graduating seniors can see the “real world” at a distance, and the reality of graduating and growing up is causing stomach pains filled with nervousness, but excitement for the future. Personally, I find it so hard to say goodbye to my Communication Studies family. I have developed such great relationships with not only the students, but with the professors as well.These are the people that helped me become the motivated woman that I am today.  I’ve learned so many aspects of communication, from interpersonal to integrated marketing communication to negotiation and conflict management. Therefore, I want to thank the members of the UNCW Communication Studies faculty that taught me so much.

    I want to thank David Bollinger from the start in Introduction to Communication Studies. It was great traveling with you on the class trip to Greece and Italy. Most of all, the Direct Individual Study of communicating with women in a public health setting is what really helped me focus my career goal of communicating in the public health field. I also want to thank Tammy Bulger, it was great to have you in Interpersonal Communication and I learned so much from you in 490. I am so thankful for learning about the job search process and informational interview from you. I’ll miss seeing you at the basketball games. Although I didn’t have many classes with them, I still want to thank Bill Bolduc, Lauren Frye, Jerry Bagnell,  Dr. Olsen, and Susan Lanier. You all taught such different parts of communication and I know I will use these skills in the future.

    Most of all, I want to thank my fellow Communication Studies classmates. You all are so supportive and make a great family. I’m going to miss seeing all of you everyday.

    -Megan Canny

    I have had a great four years here at UNCW, and have been through some ups and downs. Unfortunately, I will not be graduating in two weeks like the majority of the best class of Seahawks to ever grace UNCW with their presence, the Class of 2011.  Instead, I will be officially walking across the stage in December. Though I would much rather be graduating now, it is simply not an option.  I originally came to the university as a NC Teaching Fellow, with plans to teach high school history. Halfway through my junior year, it finally occurred to me that I had not desire to teach. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to completing this “victory lap” as “super-senior” and entering into the real world. Yes, I am a rarity, as I am so ready to be out of college and into the real world on my own!

    I am so glad that I made the switch to communication studies. It has presented a world of opportunities for me and I have loved every minute of it. My future plans are to either have a career in public relations or IMC, we shall see where I end up at once I receive my degree.

    I would like to thank a few professors, who are so lucky to have to put up with me for one more semester. Dr. Persuit for giving me the override for this class after my countless emails and office visits begging you to let me in. It has been a great experience and has really been one of my favorite classes.

    Jennifer Chin for letting me into Intro to PR this semester so that I could take Advanced PR in the fall, which would allow me to graduate in December. I am looking forward to it.

    Tammala Bulger for answering my email in the fall of 2009, and calling me out for not properly calling communication studies the right name. You helped put on the right track to graduate.

    I can’t leave out my amazing group mates in Com 200, Taren, Sam, & Heidi. We made it through that challenging class, which I have to say, was much harder than any history class I ever took, including my senior seminar class.

    Congrats to all of the graduates….now go out and find a job so you can hook me up with one for January 2012!

    -Scott Burgess

    With my graduation date drawing near, I am forced to evaluate my life; where it has been and where it is heading. My time at UNCW has taught me a lot about myself and what I want to do with my life as well as other plans for my future. The classes that I have taken in my path to a degree in communication studies have taught me many things about many subjects that I will use in my future no matter what communication studies related job I take. At first when I was told to blog about my time at UNCW, I wanted to boycott. I don’t want to reminisce about my four years at UNCW and how I am now a big girl and have to face the real world. The most important thing I have learned since moving to Wilmington and attending college is to be true to myself. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and didn’t know how to figure out what I wanted to do. So by taking the wide range of courses offered through the Comm Studies department I was able to try a little bit of everything. I think that the capstone course that is required before graduation is finally what forced me to choose.  I didn’t have a choice but to pick something and go with it. I decided that I want to be a wedding planner. There aren’t any classes in particular that made me choose this but a little of everything. I realized that it’s scary to choose a path and start down it but by staying true to myself  I know that I am making the right choice for me, not just because it’s time to be a grown up. It’s time to graduate and make a name for myself in the real world but my experience at UNCW has me fully prepared to jump off the deep end and straight into the pool of professionals. I want to thank every single professor that I have had the pleasure of taking classes from. Each one of them have made such an impact on my life and I am prepared because of their expertise and real world experiences. I am truly going to miss of them and miss this school, even though I will be very happy sleeping in before I get my real job!

    -Melissa Gagliardi

    This semester has given true meaning to the expression “time flies”, probably because I have been so busy with school and my internship. I want to thank Dr. Persuit, Dr. Fellows, and the Southern States Communication Association for letting us create an IMC Plan for them and guiding us along the way. I have enjoyed putting the lessons learned in the Advanced IMC class to actual use with clients. I also want to thank Lauren Frye, who taught me the joys of writing in Strategic Writing last semester. Honestly, I had no interest in writing before I took her class. Now, I write everyday in my internship using the skills Ms. Frye taught me in her course and I actually enjoy it! Lastly, another reason I have been so busy this semester is because I am the Community Outreach Chair of the Communication Studies Society. I want to thank Jennifer Chin for being a wonderful faculty adviser and for helping us make a difference in our Com Department and the community of Wilmington. I won’t be graduating this semester, so I look forward to new and exciting experiences this summer and next fall in Wilmington! Good luck seniors, I’ll miss you!

    -Allison Day

  • How Green Do We Go?

    When an organization “goes green,” what does this really include?  As some of the other posts on this topic have noted, it is important for an organization to establish what “going green” means for them and what it means for their patrons.  Is it enough just be a business that recycles? Do you only purchase certain products from outside sources?  How far does the organization need to go?

    “Going Green” impacts more than just the environment.  If the concept is important to the organization it can dictate so many decisions and can mean big changes.  These decisions go further than creating a new marketing campaign.  Many corporations started using the “green” movement to revamp their brand image a few years ago.  Convincing campaigns can lead a viewer to believe that more is being done than in reality.  Eventually, environmentalists will uncover their efforts.

    Walmart, for example, implemented their new packaging strategy in 2006.  The new plan decreases the amount of packaging materials used and is supposed to reduce the total amount by 5% by 2013.  Even though 5% may not sound like a lot, after considering ALL the Walmarts and companies owned by Walmart (Sam’s Club, etc) it certainly adds up.  The idea of Socially Responsible Investors (SRI’s) is weighing heavily on organizations as well.  Without investments or capital, how is an organization going to pay for production?

    As the “going green” movement proceeds, it is important for businesses to cater to the developments not just to appease customers, but to appease other business owners that will influence growth.  Establishing a plan without exaggerating the strategies can go a long way when creating a new face for an organization!

    -Katelyn Truss

     

  • R.E.C.Y.C.L.E. It begins with you and me!

    Are you looking for a fun and easy way to help show support for Earth Day? If you are, there is an all natural rainwater car wash that features music, free food, and children’s activities such as birdhouse painting this Saturday, April 23. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the corner of 16th street and Queen Street. It is hosted by the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association, which our very own Allison Day interns for. The event is co-sponsored by the Carolina Green Building. The first ever Earth Day Rainwater Car Wash is completely free of charge and is 100% eco-friendly because the cars will be washed by natural rainwater that has not been contaminated by harmful chemicals.

    How does this relate to IMC? This event has been promoted by the Wilmington- Cape Fear Home Builders Association through non-traditional media with the use of a Facebook event, as well as the traditional media tactic of a press release. The event will also help foster social capital among families within the community by bringing people together to help continue the celebrations on the day after actual Earth Day.

    -Allison Day, Jessica Berinson, Megan Canny, Melissa Gagliardi, & Scott Burgess

  • IMC Rocks the Vote!

    Here at UNCW, SGA elections are in full swing. It seems everywhere you look around campus there are countless banners, flyers, bed sheet banners, and of course…CHALK. Everywhere you look you can see the candidates’ names written big in just about every color of the rainbow! I think just about every UNCW student would agree with me when I say that every student organization and the SGA utilize the abundance of sidewalk space to literally advertise for their organization, or in this case their candidates.

    If you want to advertise on this campus that means chalking, or painting the spirit rock. I myself have painted that rock and chalked this campus more times than…well, a lot. It is a method that everyone can’t help but notice as all you have to do is take a stroll down chancellors walk and especially around the center of campus and you will inevitably see some form of non-technological promotion and advertising. And when it comes to voting on the next student President, chalking up campus along with a Facebook fan page/group or event just might be the perfect combination. After all, basically everyone has access to the internet and everyone walks this campus on a weekly basis so these advertising techniques are without a doubt very effective in reaching out to students.

    Also coming up tomorrow however is Communication Studies Day and that means the fashion  show. Throughout the week, the popular social media outlet Twitter has been home base to creating buzz about the event and the models themselves. The audience will be able to vote on their favorite model via Twitter or in person. So just the fact that they are taking voting for model favorites and putting it online is very interesting and perhaps more intriguing for students. It also presents a way to have fun with the event and spark friendly rivalries. So come on out tomorrow and check out the 9th Annual Dress for Success Fashion Show, then pull up your Twitter and let everyone know who YOU thought was the best model!

    -Maxann Keller, Ryan Kelley, Eric Holtzman, Chad Graves, Katelyn Truss

  • Raise Your Brand to New Heights

      Gina Smith, like many students before her, set out on the collegiate path to a university degree 4 years ago. Whether she knew it or not, by the end of her journey she had created her very own brand. Many things contributed to Gina’s own brand, such as the Communication Studies classes she took, her internship in a PR office, or, more specifically, the student organizations or clubs in which she was involved during her college years. The real question out there is how did these organizations help to form Gina into the final product of alumni?

      The missions of many student organizations include several goals, each pertaining to the success of promoting their own brand through members like Gina. The tough part is how to obtain then keep those handy brand-promoting members, and further, how to promote their organization’s goals? We have the answer. IMC, of course!

      Tomorrow, a group of students from our Advanced IMC class will be addressing the themes of recruitment and retention of members, how social organizations can properly use media in order to reach both their members and the public, and finally, how to plan events for each organization in an hour-long information session called Raise Your Brand .

      We have invited representatives from each of UNCW’s student organizations in order to participate in this interactive information session in order to bring more awareness and action to each of their organizations. The final goal is to equip each organization’s representative with the knowledge and tools to be bigger and better on campus and in the community.

    ~Heather Cornman

  • The Mickey Mouse (Rehab) Club

    Miley Cyrus. Demi Lovato. Lindsay Lohan. What do these names have in common? They were all, at some point or another, cream of the tween crop for the Disney Corporation. But with Cyrus pole-dancing at concerts, Lovato going to rehab, and Lohan jumping between rehab and jail on a regular basis, the images of these celebrities hardly seem synonymous with a pair of Mickey Mouse ears.

    One of the key factors of IMC is the communication of one clear message to consumers through a variety of media channels. So, when Disney is trying to convince parents that they’re providing worthy role models for their daughters, but the tabloids are constantly covering the personal drama of the Disney stars, who do parents believe? At an initial glance, some might suggest that Disney should distance itself from the constant media mishaps of these tweens and move on to the “next big thing”. But when your company owns the rights to a teen star worth over $48 million (Cyrus’s estimated annual earnings according to the 2010 Forbes’ Celebrity 100), do you really want to let go of all that merchandising power?

    In the world of entertainment, making sure that one clear message is presented can be a tricky issue because the selling power often rests on the shoulders of a human being with free will instead of the reputation of a product. Especially with a company like Disney, who deals with celebrities that are often in the midst of teenage turmoil, controlling the talent is no easy task. But, as long as there are parents buying their little girls Hannah Montana wigs and Camp Rock backpacks, Disney’s marketing advantage seems to be doing just fine.

    Anna Kate Babnik, Tiffany Evans, Carissa Niederkorn, Deji Adeleke, & Katie Eagle