IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: PR

  • Archer Season 5 Promos: Too Revealing?

    Just when we think that all venues of promoting and advertising have been explored, something nude… I mean new catches our attention. Recently, FX’s adult animated series Archer promoted its 5th season, which premiered January 13th,  in a surprising way. The Archer team posted nude photos of it’s animated cast to Reddit, an online “anything goes” forum where the photos were quickly viewed by thousands of members.

    For those who may be unfamiliar with Reddit, it is a user-generated social news and entertainment website. Users can post anything they desire and rate other posts as well. The audience of the medium is predominately young males, which is also Archer’s target audience. I am certain that this is no accident. Reddit users were immediately able to recognize their favorite animated characters in these staged Reddit posts acting as actual Reddit users. The Archer photos were actually paid for advertisements placed on the sides of the gone wild forum, blending in with the rest of the posts.

    Image

    The medium that the Archer team used to send out their humorous promotions was absolutely perfect for their purposes. All over the web people are taking the time to post and comment on how Archer  has made a brilliant PR move and their inventive way of reaching their target demographic. The story of Archer’s recent brilliance relates to the theory of Media Ecology proposed by Marshall McLuhan in 1964. The theory can be best summarized in McLuhan’s words, “The medium is the message.”

    Although the content of a message is important, it could not exist without the medium in which it is delivered. The same story could be told through many different mediums, ultimately making them different stories. The Archer team chose to use the internet and more specifically, Reddit, as the  medium to promote their show. This story would not have been the same on a television commercial or a print advertisement in a news paper. The medium in which it was sent gave it identity and meaning.

    When people are posting about these advertisements, they are not commenting on the nude photos or the plugs for the new season. They are posting about the fact that they were posted on Reddit waiting for their target audience to discover it. The medium was the message, and it was successfully recognized and received.

    – Rachel Gracy

  • Anna Rexia Makes Another Appearance

    Zombies. Ghosts. Serial killers. These are some popular symbols of Halloween that are frequently seen in movies, haunted houses and decorations. However, what I find more frightening are some of the costumes that I see while trying to find my own “original” costume idea each Halloween. This year, I came across the most frightening costume of them all, not because of a scary mask or fake blood, but because it is poking fun at a serious mental illness that affects millions of people around the world. The “Anna Rexia” costume first caused some serious uproar back in 2011, when retailers like HalloweenStore.com and Ricky’s NYC began carrying the costume, manufactured by Dreamgirls International, but they stopped after a great deal of media backlash and thousands signed a petition on Change.org.

    Now, two years later, this controversial and insensitive costume is apparently back up for sale on the website HalloweenParty13.com, which I discovered from a Facebook posting of a more recent Change.org petition. At first, all I could think about was how disgusting a costume like that is, and how I would judge anyone wearing it, but I want to turn this into a learning opportunity by relating this controversy to public relations. My question is: Did the companies handle the outrage and negative publicity surrounding this costume appropriately?

    As I did my research, I found articles on news sites such as The Huffington Post and other blogs, about the resurrection of “Anna Rexia.”  I saw on Buzzfeed that the retailer HalloweenStore.com posted a status to their Facebook page about one week ago, explaining that people should do research before signing a petition because the retailer hasn’t sold that costume since 2011.  This status was calling out people who angrily emailed the store about their distaste, when they weren’t actually the retailers currently selling the costume.   The wording was harsh, with certain words fully capitalized and many exclamation points, which detracts potential customers and pushes current customers away.  The post has since been deleted.

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    via BuzzFeed

    During the original controversy in 2011, Dreamgirls International said the costume was a form of “dark humor,” and that people wearing it is a “matter of taste.”  However, the company is now saying that the costume was discontinued in 2007 and the matter is now out of their hands.  At first, Dreamgirls International was using the communication theory of framing, which highlights specific aspects of an issue and “frames” people’s perspective on it.  The company was trying to downgrade the offensive costume as being humorous and describing themselves as a “company run by women for women”; that just wanted to create an “eccentric” way for a woman to express herself on Halloween.  Now, they are denying all responsibility for any current sales of the costume.  This denial is not only inconsistent, but it is the opposite of what any student in an introductory PR class would learn—don’t deny ownership of a problem.

    I believe that neither of these companies handled the “Anna Rexia” backlash well.  If you, the reader, were the spokesperson of either company, how would you handle this situation?

    -Maggie Dowicyan

  • TechKNOWLEDGEy

    Changes in time catalyze changes not only in society but in the tools we use to connect with one another. From the telegraph to instant messaging our advancements in technology are so rapidly developing that some struggle to stay up to date. It has been a little over a century since the telephone was invented, and in that time we have managed to transform what we used to call a telephone into a device called a smartphone. We’re looking at you, iPhone. Not only have we managed to globalize communication in the last century but we have wrangled the use of the internet to help businesses communicate with their customers and allow friends to stay in touch. It is no wonder that with everything changing and developing so quickly that companies are turning to IMC consultants to help them keep up with the new technologies.

    As mentioned before, changes in time demands a change in tools. If a company can not manage their image there are people in public relations and integrated marketing communications that are fluent in the tools of social media and gauging the power of search engines. A smaller, local company may weaken if their consumers can’t access them as easily as others. Almost every business needs a website to maintain credibility and to inform the consumer of their services and locations. If it weren’t for technology, jobs for IMC and PR consultants wouldn’t have evolved into what they have become today. The more outlets for customer interaction the more roles that are needed to ensure a coherent brand message is being sent out and maintained through all possible points of contact. We are in constant change and with technology on the move it is imperative for a company to be able to communicate with its consumers by utilizing  the appropriate medium. Seriously, when was the last time you thumbed through the yellow pages to find a business? If you need to find something, you get on Google, enter your desired search and click on the best match that Google provides.

    For companies, staying relevant with modern technology is essential to creating a presence for your brand and technology today is allowing them to do so by employing multiple media outlets so that people can communicate with their brand. As the semester begins to draw to a close, a new crop of graduates will be entering into the job market, it’s imperative to keep in mind the true impact of the role of modernity. A company’s mastery of technology and multimedia tends to correlate with their success, in a time where “that was so five seconds ago” actually holds some truth. It is vital that businesses continue to make exponential progress, but unfortunately, this also means that like your now ancient VHS player and WalkMan, your brand new iPhone will soon be considered passe. Siri will be a thing of the past, something that the next generation will mock at throwback parties while rocking a Snuggie and some skinny jeans, poking fun at what lies in the past while riding the technological wave towards the future.

    By: Kacy Cox, Alexis Kapczynski, Sara Kaloudis, and Josh Bowman

  • Scandalicious

    The ‘jelly’ to politics’ ‘peanut butter’ is without a doubt,
    scandal; they go together hand-in-hand. It seems you can’t have one without the other. From John Edwards’ love-baby, to Bill Clinton’s “I did not have relations with that woman,” Anthony Weiner’s sexually-charged social media, to the more recent Herman Cain allegations of sexual harassment, politics and Capitol hill know scandal.

    The first step each of these political figures made when
    their scandals broke was to deny any involvement. John Edwards said “that’s not my baby,” Bill Clinton said “no way,” Anthony Weiner said the pictures were not him, and currently Herman Cain is claiming the allegations are smear campaign created by his opponents. But, is denying involvement the best move? What ever happened to honesty is the best policy? Is this the way political figures should market themselves and market the United States?

    It’s tough when public figures behave badly for they are scrutinized more than the average Joe. One celebrity feeling the impact of his actions is Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In case you missed the story, he recently admitted to his wife, Maria Shriver and his entire family, that ten years ago he fathered a love child with the maid.

    Being a former celebrity turned politician Arnold
    understands the importance of “spin” and “damage control.” These are two words
    that needed to act upon now more than ever, in addition to hiring a top-notch
    crisis management PR firm.

    This is not the first time a celebrity or politician has
    fathered a love child, or had a sexual harassment suit filed on them and it
    won’t be the last. In time, Arnold will gain back his stature as well as his
    credibility and integrity like Clinton has over the years, Weiner will learn
    that social media is not a toy to mess with; in all situations time heals all
    wounds.  If political leaders took this much energy to trot around the scandals, and not just come clean when a true incident arises and own up to it, then there would be no need for PR managers to enforce crisis control  and society would have more trust in these leaders we elected. Just like peanut butter and jelly, these scandals are sticky, messy, and oh so good to read about, but it is how these leaders will market themselves in the future to clean up their muddy messes. Time
    will tell, until then another scandal will arise.

    — Michela Noreski, Jordan Hill, Ashley Nelson

  • Connecting to Potential Jobs

    When it comes to the big job hunt, there are a plethora of considerations that come to mind. Seeking out career fairs, perfecting your resume, and getting the right professional look all seem to be high on the list. However, there’s one tool we sometimes neglect when it comes to seeking out jobs in our field, whether it be Marketing, Advertising, PR, or IMC: social networking. Sites such as LinkedIn provide a huge leg up for those looking for a job in our current market. You will be able to get your resume out to multiple different audiences with the click of your mouse, while also putting your resume out to employers who you may have initially overlooked.

    Not only is LinkedIn important for initially creating new job opportunities, it is also useful in growing and cultivating new connections and relationships. Networking is extremely important in the field of IMC and every connection you get could be a potential for a new opportunity. Active use of this resource shows those you have connected with, what you are up to, how you are looking to grow professionally, and if you are currently looking for employment options. With the current economic state, we have to exploit every avenue we can to ensure that we are able to find a job upon graduating.  While it is necessary that we have a strong resume and good interviewing skills, we also have to remember that our potential job opportunity could be found through LinkedIn.

    – Lauren Phelps, Alaethea Hensley, Jessica Kingman


  • 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