Thursday, October 30, 2008

Burger Planet Position Sheet: Team JKM

The hiring of Jayne Petersen and the revolution of Corny the Clown's image will help Burger Planet become the best fast food in the nation. Petersen is a fitness guru who has become famous through appearances on the Opal Whitcomb show. Petersen then went on to help Whitcomb lose 75 lbs. She promotes moderation and has written several bestselling books on weight loss.

Hiring Petersen as a spokesperson is crucial to Burger Planet's success because she is someone women admire and trust. Women in their 30s and 40s (the target audience) will continue to bring their families to Burger Planet and eat there themselves if they know Petersen endorses the restaurant. She brings credibility to the company through her books and experience helping women lose weight.

Corny the Clown will also begin to work alongside Jayne Petersen to help market Burger Planet's new menu. By pairing Corny with Petersen, Burger Planet will be able to revolutionize Corny's image to make him more appealing to health conscience families.

The new items introduced to the Burger Planet menu are to encourage healthy eating and provide alternative choices for consumers. Burger Planet has been a family favorite for years and it is common for our customers to eat at burger planet with their children. The nation’s “Soccer Moms” and other young parents would be most likely to continue eating at Burger Planet with their kids if they feel that we not only cater to their children, but to them as well. By marketing our new menu to our adult consumers we will be more likely to avoid law suits and claims that we use Crusty the Clown just as Camel Cigarettes used “Joe Camel.”

Along with keeping our regular customer base happy with these new menu items, we will attract new customers on a daily basis who will be eager to try our new items. There is a growing demand for healthy eating around the nation which is something that our competitors have also begun to notice. According to the Michigan Daily’s report on McDonald’s in 2003, when McDonald’s introduced their healthy salads, they reported to have increased their sales by 13 percent in the third quarter that same year. As we introduce these new items we can expect to see similar increases in our customer base while retaining our existing customers.

Burger Planet has become famous for its simple menu consisting of soda, fries, and burgers. Our food has been satisfying to our long-time customers and we want them to know that option isn’t going to change. Burger Planet wants to preach the message of moderation, not convince customers to ignore the traditional entrees that made the company its fortune. Burger Planet’s main sandwiches are named after planets. Some of these include, “The Saturn”, “The Venus”, “The Mercury”, and “Hemisphere French Fries” which are the most popular.

Burger Planet only offers soda for a beverage and does not plan to change this fact. We have made the most money selling soda, because of the low cost of the product to us. Customers also now have the ability to request all Burger Planet food products without the bun, making them low-carb offerings good for the Atkins and South Beach Diets. Keeping our same products and letting them be adjustable for other audiences will be a great asset to our company.

Friday, October 24, 2008

PR News 7

A recent article from PR Week talked about how industry consultants forecast 2009 to be a tough year for those in the PR field. Since marketing budgets are often considered a cost center, ad and PR spend are among the first to experience budget cuts. PR agencies have already reported shocking cuts from clients. The quote was made, “I think PR agencies should be prepared to adapt,” Feldman says. “Inevitably, there'll be some winners and losers.” This is a little bit scary to me. I will be graduating and looking to go out in the work force and jobs are going to be hard to come across in the next few years. PR agencies are going to have to work harder than ever before to make sure their clients are still getting consumers to remember their products. This is something college students and anyone else looking for a career the PR field needs to be aware of.

PR News 6

Cook & Schmid PR Agency has been hired to help serve the 48 square miles of North San Diego County by launching a water conservation education campaign on October 13. To start this project, Cook & Schmid conducted a survey of residents to learn more about their habits, knowledge of water conservation, and what would motivate them to conserve. I thought that was fun to read and see that the things we are learning in class are really applied into the real work force of PR. They came up with a catchy logo and let people know the consequences that would follow if they didn't start conserving water. The Olivenhain Municipal Water District (OMWD), has already reported that water use was down 7% over the past month. Water conservancy is an issue I feel strongly about and this article was pretty inspiring for me.

PR News 5

The American Cancer Society has decided to hire Brodeur Partners as its AOR. Brodeur was selected based on its “innovative thinking, transformational ideas, and a clear ability to glean insight". I found it interesting that they chose this agency out of all the many options they had. The ability to "glean insight" was something I'd never really heard as a desirable PR characteristic. It makes sense and is something I'd like to work on developing. Working for a non-profit organization that big is great for a company like that. Not only is it resume building but will be greatly rewarding for everyone involved. This would be a dream job of mine.

Photoshop Work!



Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Final Press Release 4: Cause Promotion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 9, 2008

Darla Jones
activities@smithfieldrecreation.com
Phone: 435-563-0048 ext. 2078
315 E 600 S
Smithfield UT 84335

NO ONE IS TOO HOT FOR THE TURKEY TROT
Cache Valley residents start off the holiday season with a healthy activity

SMITHFIELD, Utah-Oct 9.- The 5th annual Turkey Trot run is a great way to give back to the community and avoid the holiday weight. It is going to be held on Nov. 22 at the Smithfield Recreation Center. All events (1 mile, 5K, 10K) begin at 10:00 am. Profits made from this race will be used for a youth sports scholarship program.

Kalie Vickers, a participant in this years upcoming 10K race, has been training for three weeks now. “I’ve never had any desire to run a long distance race. However when I heard about the Turkey Trot and that all proceeds go to charity, I knew I had to get involved.” Vickers is doing a twelve week training program to get in shape for the upcoming race.

Not all participants have to go to such lengths to be involved. The 1 mile and 5K can be done at any pace and any age group can participate. Pre-registration before Nov. 18 is $13.00 with a shirt, and $6.00 without a shirt. Any registration after the 18th will be $15.00 with a shirt and $10.00 without a shirt.

Smithfield Recreation Center is striving to make the youth sports leagues available for anyone interested in participating. We encourage residents to get active and donate their time and money this holiday season. Registration can be done at www.smithfieldrecreation.com.

Megan Hanselman
PR Specialist
801-791-7728

-END-

Final Media Pitch

Subject Line: Logan Residents Can Find Solace in Economic Struggles

Dear Arie:

I wanted to give you the first heads up on a newly founded company called Cache Valley Area Investors Association. This association meets every other Thursday at the Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce to discuss ways that residents can earn a living while doing something they love. The main objective of the meetings is to teach others that it is okay to work because you love what you do, and not for the sole purpose of earning money. In these times of economic panic, this can be a great way to reassure people that they will make it through and can with a positive attitude.

This association has been founded by Utah State University’s very own staff member, Preston Parker. Parker leads the meetings and occasionally a guest speaker is invited to bring a fresh view on investments.

I really feel this association is something our community could benefit from and look forward to its publishment. For more information about this association, visit www.cvaia.com. We will discuss more information at our telephone conference on Wednesday and I will send you more information soon.

Thanks for all you do,

Megan Hanselman
PR Specialist
Megan.Hanselman@aggiemail.usu.edu

Friday, October 10, 2008

PR News 6

Four firms have been granted work in Iraq to provide communications services to U.S. military forces. I think it’s going to be very interesting to see what kind of stories leak out from this and how it may affect people’s views on the War in Iraq, along with the upcoming Presidential election. The article talks about how this is going to require a wide variety of communications specialists and that they are going to need to monitor the Arabic and Western media.

This would be such a neat experience. Not only would you be able to work with the media of such an influential country at this time, but you would be able to make or break the how the War in Iraq ends. It is something that anyone involved in journalism would love to get a piece of, especially PR.

PR News 5

Coca-Cola just relaunched is Full Throttle Fury energy drink. I found it very interesting that it was targeted at African-American males and that they changed the color of the can from red to orange.

Big Boi has been chosen to represent this new launch. This campaign will be involved with Big Boi's new album release and listening parties in Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles. I thought it was very smart of Coca-Cola to get a celebrity that many African-American males can relate with. I was excited to also hear that Coca-Cola was considering hiring an external PR firm to help with its future activities.

Spoof, Spam, Lurk, and Lag

I personally was not a fan of this article. I didn't like the setup and the way they tried to explain the differences between these four words. The conclusion was the best part. It came out and clearly stated what each word was instead of the previous four paragraphs of unnecessary babble. The word “spoof” had a completely different meaning than what I originally thought. I really liked how the article stated, “Each MOO presents a particular type of world--a selected slice of reality presented through words.”

Conversational Terrorism

This article was quite interesting for me to read. It was fun to evaluate myself on which "conversational terrorisms" I use on a daily basis. Working at an elementary school, I catch myself using the 'listen up', telling kids that if they would listen to me the first time I give directions their life as well as mine would be so much easier! The 'complimentary insult' is one I'm guilty of using on my friends and family often. If you really stop and think about what your saying and how your saying it, I think most people are not only converastional terrorists, but also victims. One of my personal favorites I've heard a lot is the 'I'm not saying this, but...' People say that all the time! Watch what you say people, it can have negative effects in ways you never intended.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Press Release 4: Cause Promotion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 9, 2008

Darla Jones
activities@smithfieldrecreation.com
Phone: 435-563-0048 ext. 2078
315 E 600 S
Smithfield UT 84335

NO ONE IS TOO HOT FOR THE TURKEY TROT
Cache Valley residents start off the holiday season with a healthy activity

SMITHFIELD, Utah-Oct 9.- The 5th annual Turkey Trot run is going to be held on Nov. 22 at the Smithfield Recreation Center. All events (5K, 10K, 1 mile) begin at 10:00 am. Profits made from this race will be used for a youth sports scholarship program

Kalie Vickers, an upcoming participant in this years 10K race, has been training for three weeks now. “I’ve never had any desire to run a long distance race. However when I heard about the Turkey Trot and that all proceeds go to charity, I knew I had to get involved.” Vickers is doing a twelve week training program to get in shape for the upcoming race.

Not all participants have to go to such lengths to be involved. The 1 mile and 5K can be done at any pace and any age group can participate. Pre-registration before Nov. 18 is $13.00 with a shirt, and $6.00 without a shirt. Any registration after the 18th will be $15.00 with a shirt and $10.00 without a shirt.

Smithfield Recreation Center is striving to make the youth sports leagues available for anyone interested in participating. We encourage residents to get active and donate their time and money this holiday season. Registration can be done at www.smithfieldrecreation.com.

Megan Hanselman
PR Specialist
801-791-7728

-END-

Media Pitch

Subject Line: Logan Residents Can Find Solace in Economic Struggles

Dear Arie:

I wanted to give you the first heads up on a newly founded company called Cache Valley Area Investors Association. This association meets every other Thursday at the Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce to discuss ways that residents can earn a living while doing something they love. The main objective of the meetings is teach others that it is okay to work because you love what you do, and not for the sole purpose of earning money. In these times of economic panic, this can be a great way to reassure people that they will make it through and can with a positive attitude.

This association has been founded by Utah State University’s very own staff member, Preston Parker. Parker leads the meetings and occasionally a guest speaker is invited to bring a fresh view on investments.

For more information about this association, visit www.cvaia.com. I look forward to our telephone conference on Wednesday and will send you more information soon.

Thanks for all you do,

Megan Hanselman
PR Specialist
Megan.Hanselman@aggiemail.usu.edu

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Final Press Release 3: Cause Promotion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 26, 2008

Preston Parker
Founder/President
cachevaia@gmail.com
www.cvaia.com

WORK BECAUSE YOU LOVE IT, NOT FOR MONEY
Nonprofit organization offers philosophy on how to work and be happy

LOGAN, Utah -Sept 28. – Local resident, Preston Parker, has founded Cache Valley Area Investors Association, CVAIA, a nonprofit organization. President Parker was inspired in founding this organization when he met others who believed in the same theory; you don't work for money, you work because you love it.

Parker believes that the key to living this philosophy is keeping your passive income high and expenses low. "Once your necessities are covered, money is no longer happiness. People with millions of dollars have the same problems as those who do not. It's just a matter of having a few more zeros or not."

Meetings are held every other Thursday night to help people who are interested in changing their lives. These meetings are a very non-threatening environment. People from all backgrounds are welcome to come and ask questions or advice on investments, money or gaining financial independence. Parker and other guest speakers with solid financial backgrounds lead the meeting. Meetings starts at 7:00pm and are held in the Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce. They last as long as needed and any age group is invited.

People in America have ample opportunity and options to be able to work in a job they enjoy. Understanding and managing passive income makes this possible. There are many associations which are helping educate people in how to truly become financially independent. Cache Valley Area Investors Association based in Logan, Utah, is one such organization. It was founded in July 2007 and currently has 50 members.

You can get involved by sending an email to cachevaia@gmail.com and joining the weekly mailing list.

-END-

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Tug of war Over the Internet

"Network Neutrality" is a new term for me. The thought has never crossed my mind ever that certain websites are fast because they pay networks. I see the reasoning in wanting network neutrality, but it doesn't seem like a reality to me. We all know the world revolves around money. If someone is willing to pay more, they are going to get the better product. The people providing the means for companies to control how their website work aren't going to turn away money. That's the reality of it. Like all other businesses in this world, Yahoo is going to have to fork out the money if they want to compete with Google, Amazon is going to have to up their game if their going to keep up with Ebay.

Google isn't always our friend...

Privacy on the internet has always been an issue. Google is a site I trust and constantly use. I honestly find it a little bit odd that Google keeps my search history records and that lawyers can use this in cases. I've always been told not to do anything on the internet you wouldn't want others to see. I've never searched for terms I would want to hide from anyone. Most searches are done for educational purposes in my case. I don't think it's really an invasion of privacy. I wouldn't see any reason for them wanting to keep search histories besides advertising and finding what peoples top interests or needs are. I could see this being an issue somewhere down the road, but for now I don't find it a big deal.

PR News 4

A major PR agency in Denver called Schenkein just promoted Sara Antonio to account executive and former Schenkein intern CJ Powell as an account coordinator.

Antonio was said to have a worked with a diverse range of their clients and provides them with nothing but exceptional service. I thought this to be interesting because not only is she a female, but the tradition of hard work still has meaning in the world today. She is a great inspiration and example of what women in the business world should do.

Powell gained his position just be simply being an outstanding intern. It goes to show that we should make our internships count and take full advantage of them. Schenkein was impressed enough by his work ethic that he now has a permanent position with their agency. I can only hope to be recognized and have my hard work pay off to that extent.

PR News 3

"Going Green" is the newest trend to support whether you are a consumer or a company. PR News brought up an excellent point about this latest fad. When we donate $15 to have a tree planted, why aren't we using that $15 to buy energy efficient light bulbs or recycled paper towels. Making a difference in our environment has to ultimately start with a change in our daily lives. Yes planting trees is a good thing, but recycling and using our engery wisely is more important. PR specialists representing the "Going Green" campaign need to be wary of this and perhaps change their strategy and target consumers to begin making changes in their own homes.

PR News 2

PR News released an article on media coverage of the 2008 Bejing Olympic sponsers. According to a Hill & Knowlton study, companies sponsering the Olympics received a far more positive coverage than negative media attention. Majority of stories covering sponsers such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and Visa had neutral coverage. Even though protests preceeding the Olympics provided a risk, negative attention was significantly lower than I expected. A representative from H&K commented that perhaps those who have not previously sponsered the Olympics will begin to reconsider.

The Bejing Olymics were a touchy subject this year and with so much contention between countries the past few years, I think it's smart to leave sponsers in a neutral standing. I feel like everyone is holding their breath, waiting to see how the results from the War in Iraq will play out, how the presidential elections will end and how other issues around the world are going to influence relationships between countries. No one wants to start pointing fingers and accusing companies of supporting controversial world issues.

PR News 1

A recent post on PR News Online brought up the subject of whether or not social media have made people less friendly in person and more friendly online. Are those engaging in these social sites the outgoing and social butterfly type? Or are they the antisocial and awkward type and this is simply a way to be more personable? My personal thoughts are that these social media sites is that they are definately ways for those who have a hard time being personable outside of the virtual world, to put their thoughts and personality out there for the rest of us to see.

I have a friend who does not speak. We have been friends since fifth grade and I've probably never heard her speak more than an hour total in the almost ten years I've known her. It's simply not her personality to have conversations with people. She keeps her thoughts to herself and if asked a question, will respond with a one word answer. However she is obsessed with, MySpace, Facebook, IM, and other social sites. She will IM till any hour of the night and is constantly meeting people over MySpace. If you didn't personally know her, you would never guess she was a shy and awkward girl. She lets her personality come out over the internet and I've learned more about her that way than I could ever dream of in person.

The internet is crippling our in-person social skills. I even catch myself being more friendly in emails than I would be in person. It's important to keep our social skills in balance with the virtual world, as well as the one we live and work in.