Caitlin and I had a great time visiting with those who made it out to the Clemson PRSSA meeting last night.  There was an awesome turnout – and I was impressed by the variety of questions the students had regarding how to make a great impression to land that first job in PR.

Good luck to everyone!  We are excited to learn about the successes you will no doubt have once you embark on your professional careers.  Here are some pics.

Madison, Clemson PRSSA president

Someone sent me the following quote from a New York Times article a few months ago – and it keeps popping up in my brain (typically on a daily basis).

“There’s a real appetite among clients for ideas,” said Brett Shevack, who opened a consultancy, the Brand Initiatives Group, early this year after serving as vice chairman for brand initiatives at BBDO New York, part of the BBDO Worldwide unit of the Omnicom Group.

“A lot of people are talking about the advertising agency industry, whether the model is dead or alive,” Mr. Shevack said. “What’s important is to lose the mentality of ‘agency of record’ and adopt the mentality of ‘catalyst of record’ ”

I love that term, “Catalyst of Record!” It challenges me to think of (and present) creative, new ideas for our clients, for our agency and even for how we interact with our friends and families.  It makes me wonder why don’t we all integrate more creativity into our daily lives..and I think this article touches on some great reasons why.

What has prevented you from becoming a “catalyst of creative ideas” or, alternatively, what has helped you? I’d love to hear from you.

I just returned home from my fourth trip to Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, a bi-annual get together (translation: trade show) of outdoor-related companies and organizations.  It’s a great group of folks, and I always enjoy getting the chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

One trend I noticed this year, more than ever before, was the proliferation of social media tools used throughout the industry.  Let me tell you, these outdoor folks are one technically-savvy bunch.  The place was abuzz with tweets, videos, blog updates and Flickr posts.  Companies offered deals to booth visitors who mentioned they’d seen their message online.  It definitely seemed like anyone who was anyone was using social media in some way shape or form.

From a PR perspective, I thought it was really interesting how many more outdoor blogs were represented on the show floor this year.  Folks like GearJunkie.com and ActiveGearReview.com have attended and covered the show for years, but it seemed their presence was felt even more.

I was able to sit down and chat with several of these outdoor bloggers and I asked them about the shift to more online media models from traditional print magazines (I hate I missed former National Geographic Adventurer editor Steve Casimiro’s panel discussion “The Media is Dead. Long Live Media” on Saturday, but I followed the conversation along on Twitter while sitting in the airport, natch).  The bloggers I spoke to seemed very optimistic about the direction their sites were taking – most spoke of triple digit growth in traffic.

And since most of the bloggers I spoke to are veteran journalists themselves, or have some experience in the media world, they didn’t seem too annoyed at the onslaught of PR communications prior and during the show.  In fact most said they found the information PR people sent over relevant and helpful to their readers.  For the record, the biggest complaints I heard about PR folks were about those who A) didn’t follow up to a media request for information and/or product or B) waited until the last minute to try and get information out and then expect it to be included.

Don’t think it was all doom and gloom for the magazines, either, though.  The print journalists I met with had a lot of enthusiasm about their product.  Sure their 2009 was tough, but many said they were still seeing stable subscription rates.  As one writer told me, “We operated pretty lean already, so when we did have to make cuts, it didn’t have to be as drastic as some other outlets.”

And honestly, I still love reading a magazine.  Sure I have a RSS feed set up to aggregate my blog feeds, and I monitor those throughout the day.  But when I’m at home winding down from the day, I like to pick up my Shape or Southern Living and catch up on the features. I think there’s still a place for that in our world.  But I digress….

I’m looking forward to reading more of the outdoor blogs I met at the show, and seeing how the media industry will continue to evolve as readers demand more real-time, content rich information.  The media is dead.  Long live the media.

I always think it’s an interesting process when I work with a recent graduate, PR intern or junior account person. There is a lot that goes into acclimating a young professional to what a PR person’s day really looks like – much of it can involve dissolving myths that shows like Sex and the City and MTV’s The HIlls have helped to perpetuate.   And Caitlin’s recent post reminded me of this.

To a lot of people’s surprise, a typical PR position doesn’t involve hosting non-stop parties and press conferences like Samantha Jones on Sex and the City. (Although, let’s face it, that would be fun.)

Sure, there are certain brands that can benefit from throwing lavish events and gaining exposure in US Weekly.  But, for the most part, companies that seek the assistance of a PR team usually need advice on strategic ways they can learn more about their audiences needs, communicate messages and news effectively to internal and external audiences and how to evaluate programs to determine the results/success of particular activities.

I admire a young professional who embarks on a PR career these days.  There’s a huge learning curve, because you not only have to become acquainted with the clients and their particular industries, but also how to use a slew of PR tools to:

• Understand audiences
• Identify appropriate media contacts
• Know the best ways to send news to – or pitch – an editor or blogger
• Continually strengthen writing skills
• Incorporate research methods to determine behaviors, monitor competitors and stay current on industry news
• Use plain-old people skills to help get our clients’ messages out to internal and external audiences

A job in PR isn’t daunting if you know what to expect.  It can be a lot of fun and very satisfying at the end of the day to know that your ideas and contributions are helping a company reach its business and communications goals…but that usually doesn’t involve a black-tie affair or swanky fundraiser.

If you have ever walked into Full Circle’s office space, you have likely met Mandy, who greets all our friends, colleagues and clients with the most resounding enthusiasm (which is pretty contagious).

When she leaves the office, though, she pursues her passion for singing. Last night, her name was on Brown Street Club’s marquee for the first time. We are so proud of her and will keep you posted on her new endeavours in the Greenville music scene in the future…

Mandy recently sang at Greenville's own Brown Street Club

It’s been ten full days here in Full Circle Public Relations’ office, and I have a lot to reflect on. The past two weeks have seemed to fly by as I establish my role as the fourth team member. Here’s an overview of the things I’ve learned:

The Learning Curve

I assumed that as soon as I walked through the swinging door, I would start knocking out writing assignments, but I didn’t actually have real assignments to work on until the end of my first week. Before then, I attended client meetings, learned about the clients and agency – and how important it is to stay current with industry news related to both. These bits and pieces of information are coming together now as I immerse myself in this new job that focuses on a variety of industries. Naturally, it’s a lot of information, but completely helpful and necessary for me to grasp the role I would be playing with these clients.

My laptop is my new best friend

Sure, I’m familiar with the Internet and e-mail, but I never thought I would spend eight or more hours a day on my Mac. I used to check e-mail one or two times a day while I was in school. Now, if I go more than half an hour or so without checking my email, I’m definitely missing something.

Last week while my laptop was being serviced, I was unable to any client-related work. The event made me think about how PR must have been conducted before this Internet age. Were client relationships stronger because there was more face-to-face and phone time? Are relationships between PR practitioners and their clients even better now that communication is facilitated quicker and more easily? Regardless, I don’t think there’s any turning back now.

Speed, and my lack of it

After my first few days, I was granted a several writing assignments. Liza and Kim walked me through what they wanted to convey in a news release, how to create a great pitch to the media and how to build a solid media list, among other things.

I never realized while I was in school or during a previous internship that I am unusually slow at doing these straightforward assignments. I spent a lot of that time asking questions – which I’m afraid is driving Kim, Liza and Mandy crazy because I have so many of them. The projects I am assigned definitely aren’t difficult; I just spend a lot of time completing them. If I do nothing else, I hope I can learn to churn out a news release or an e-mail pitch in less than two hours.

I am culturally biased.

While I’m here at work, I don’t have to feel stuck between my green cubicle walls. I’m allowed to move around and take breaks as I feel necessary. I have yet to fully take advantage of this freedom – I spend most of my time at my desk – but the knowledge of it is quite liberating. Before I ended up here I had never really considered workplace culture in my job hunt – I wasn’t about to be picky if I was offered a job. But now I’m glad I work in an environment that allows me to be productive, creative and motivated.

So after two weeks, I’ve found that I’m slow, technology dependent, have a lot of random information floating around my head but I love where I work. I’m not only learning about our client relationships but about public relations as a profession. It’s so rewarding to know that I’m really in it – and I plan on being here awhile.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Jan. 13, 2010 – Full Circle Public Relations continues to grow its team with two recent additions, Mandy Copp and Caitlin Greeley.

As Full Circle PR’s office manager, Copp provides administrative support, as well as research and graphics capabilities.  She moved to Greenville from eastern Tennessee with her husband last fall and holds a bachelor of fine arts from East Tennessee State University.

Greeley, who recently graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor of arts degree in Communication Studies, joined as public relations account coordinator.  In her new position she carries out day-to-day activities that support strategic public relations programs for the agency’s client base, which includes Costa sunglasses, Progress Lighting, Brains on Fire, Prescolite and Coldwell Banker Caine.

The firm has also contracted Laurie Fontenot, president of L’Acadian Communications, who assists with social networking strategy and execution.

“These positions are a reflection of our growth and commitment to our clients,” said Liza Jones, president of Full Circle PR. “The new hires have already made a positive impact on our entire team dynamic, and we are excited to have them on board.”

About Full Circle Public Relations

Full Circle Public Relations, LLC is a full-service public relations firm in Greenville, S.C., offering media relations, grassroots marketing, special event and social media support to nationally recognized brands. Full Circle PR works with one client at a time and produces strategic marketing plans that put them in touch with their audience using a variety of online and offline tools. Founded in 2009, the firm’s clients include Costa sunglasses, Progress Lighting, Brains on Fire and Coldwell Banker Caine. For more information about Full Circle PR, visit www.fullcirclepr.com, or call 864.672.9614.

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Caitlin Greeley, recent Clemson graduate and FCPR's newest account coordinator

The Full Circle PR team has started 2010 on a great note. We are working with some of THE BEST clients around and we have also doubled our staff since we opened our doors last year. (You might remember our first addition, Mandy Copp, who joined us as an administrative assistant.)

Well, we are thrilled that Caitlin Greeley began her position as Full Circle’s PR account coordinator on Monday.  She’ll help us with the day-to-day client and agency activities, which can leave more time for Liza and me to think of more strategic ways we can serve our clients.  We want to be a catalyst for great ideas and Caitlin is already a wonderful asset to our team. 

She is a recent Clemson graduate, and we are so happy to have her with us as she embarks on what is no doubt a long and prosperous career.

You will start to hear from her soon on this blog.  I think she can give a great perspective from someone who is learning about the industry and applying what she learned in school to real world experiences.  We hope to mentor her and I know Liza and I will learn so much from her along the way, too.

Welcome, Caitlin!  We are happy you are here.