Brand Personality

Last month I had the opportunity to attend the Georgia PRSA luncheon with Jessica Laiti of Cox Enterprises. During lunch, we heard from Rohit Bhargava of Ogilvy PR Worldwide. Mr. Bhargava gave a presentation about creating authentic brand personality through PR.

This has always been an area of huge interest to me–how to make your brand come alive with a  genuine personality that people will remember, respect and even advocate.

One of the examples Mr. Bhargava gave during his presentation really stood out to me; it’s now one of the first things to come to my mind when discussing successful branding.

Before I give any of the details away, check out the video:

This video shows the success of Coca-Cola’s “Friendship Machine” in Argentina. The Friendship Machine was a 12-foot-tall Coke vending machine that rewarded two people working together with two Cokes instead of just one on International Friendship Day.

For me, this is the perfect example of a company bringing a consumer brand to life in a positive, fun and engaging way.

Coke could have just given out buy-one-get-one-free coupons to celebrate International Friendship Day, but instead, the company went one step further by engaging consumers, allowing them to actually interact with the brand in real life.

Furthermore, by uploading the video on Coca-Cola’s YouTube channel, the spirit of the brand keeps on spreading as more and more viewers watch the brand come to life.

What other brands stick out to you as being particularly successful in creating an authentic personality? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to drop me comment or send an email my way at savhighsmith@gmail.com.

Thanks again to Jessica Laiti for letting me tag along to the PRSA luncheon, and to Mr. Bhargava for such a fantastic presentation!

Empire State of Mind

Last weekend I took the “small fish, big pond” concept to a whole new level–in the Big Apple itself: New York City.

 It was my grandmother’s 80th birthday, so my cousin, aunt, grandma and I headed to NYC to go all out in celebration! We had a great time; we celebrated my grandma’s birthday on a rooftop overlooking the city, we saw the Empire State Building, we helped out an event for 46NYC  in Central Park–we did a little bit of everything!

But on Monday morning my family took an early flight home and I was left to explore the big city on my own for the first time.

It was a little nerve-wracking at first, trying to figure out where to go and how to get around, but before I knew it I was having a blast!

I took the opportunity to visit a couple big PR agencies in the city and absolutely loved it. Kaitlyn Darr, a 2009 Grady Grad, took the time to show me around Weber Shandwick and talk to me about her work there. Kaitlyn said one of her favorite things about living in the big city is the constant energy. I have to say I fell in love with that aspect too–the city is absolutely thriving; there is always something big happening and you will always find yourself in the center of the action.

Although I had my reservations about the trip and how much I’d like such a huge city, I found I absolutely loved it! I have no idea where my path will take me, but I’m definitely not going to shy away from any opportunities to work, or at least travel to, the Big Apple in the future.

To those of you who have taken that courageous leap to pack all your bags and head to NYC–I have a newfound respect for you. To those of you who are thinking about making that leap–do it! I’m sure it’s tough, but from what I’ve seen, it’s absolutely worth it!

Agency Life

My summer has officially ended and school is back in full swing.

As I look back over my internship experience this summer, I find myself absolutely amazed at how much I learned and how much I’ve grown professionally as a result.  I’ve come back to class with a much clearer understanding of just what PR is out in the “real world” and with this, the reassurance that I did, in fact, pick exactly the right major for me.

One other huge takeaway from this summer is the realization that I absolutely love agency life. I found it to be the perfect fit for me, and would highly recommend an agency internship to any aspiring PR professional.

Here are a few reasons why I loved interning at an agency this summer:

• Client diversity: One of the best parts about working at an agency is getting to work with multiple clients. This summer I had five main clients that I worked with, and it was almost like having five internships at once. Not only did this ensure that I was never bored working for the same client every day, but it also allowed me to see the role of PR in a variety of settings. I got to see the overarching communication strategies for each of my clients and understand how PR functions within different companies.
  
• Project variety: With a variety of clients comes a variety of work. While you might have a strong focus on media pitching for one client, you’ll be working on something completely different for another client. Furthermore, you’re exposed to new trades and get to learn about more than one industry at a time. Rest assured, no one day will ever by the same.

• Fast pace: Things move so quickly at an agency that you’ll find yourself amazed at how much can be squeezed into just one day’s work. This is a huge plus when you’re interning, because you want to be able to fit in as much experience as possible while you’re there.
• Time management: As you can see from my previous blog post, working at an agency pretty much guarantees you a crash course in time management. The fast pace and constant deadlines teach you an invaluable lesson about using your time wisely.

• Exposure to different people around the office: At an agency, you find yourself working on several different teams, meaning you get to meet and work with a variety of people. For an intern, this is a great networking opportunity and a chance to foster good relationships with lots of people around the office.

So there you have it. If you want an internship that’s absolutely packed to the brim with valuable experience, trust me—give the agency world a chance! There’s never a dull moment.

Time Management

One of the most difficult things about working at an agency for the first time is learning how to truly manage your time wisely. Before this summer, I thought I was an expert in time management. I always have a hundred things on my plate and somehow always manage to meet all my deadlines. But after my very first day at Edelman I realized I still had a lot to learn.

My internship this summer has served as a crash course in time management. Here’s a few tips I’ve picked up along the way:

1. Obey the 60/40 rule. A few weeks ago, Dana Hartline, a vice president at Edelman, took the time to talk to me about some time management skills. One of the most valuable things I learned from our discussion was the 60/40 rule: plan for 60% of your day and leave the other 40% open. This little tip has been absolutely invaluable to me. I’m the type of person that likes to have a plan for everything–I spend 15 minutes at the beginning of every day drinking my coffee and figuring out a plan of attack for the day ahead. But planning out your entire day just sets yourself up for failure. There will always be surprises along the way and deadlines are never set in stone; when you plan for your entire day and leave no time for the unexpected, your day can quickly turn into a disaster. The 60/40 rule is a great way to keep things under control.

2. Knock the big stuff out of the way first. Another tip Dana gave me was to knock the big things off of your to-do list first. She told me to think of it this way: imagine you have an empty glass, a few small rocks, and some sand. If you pile in all the sand first, and then try to fit in the rocks, they’re not going in. If you put in the rocks first, and then the sand, the sand goes around the rocks and fits in quite nicely. In other words, if you wait until the end of the day to try to fit in all of your big assignments, it’s not going to go over too well. But if you start off with those big projects, knock them out, and leave the little things for the rest of the day–your day will go much more smoothly.

3. Prioritize. Whenever you’re assigned a new project, always remember to ask about deadlines so that you can prioritize your workload. Every morning, start the day off by looking at your to-do list and prioritizing your tasks for the day. You might have 20 things on your list, but what actually has to be done today? Learning how to prioritize is an absolutely essential key in learning how to manage your time wisely.

4. Know your limits. There’s a fine line between being comfortably busy and being completely overwhelmed, and you don’t want to cross that line unless you have to.  It’s important to know when to say “no” if you’re plate is getting too full, or you will spread yourself too thin and none of your assignments will get the attention they deserve. Know your limits and respect them. One of my favorite blogs, Zen Habits, has a great article with 7 simple ways to say “no.”

5. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I’m a perfectionist by nature and am guilty of spending too much time worrying about the little details of an assignment. One thing I’ve learned while working in the agency world is that you simply CAN’T waste time worrying about small, unimportant details. That’s not to say you shouldn’t proofread even the shortest of your emails–you always should. But remember to keep the big picture in mind before you obsess over the minute details of an assignment.

Kudos to You

Let’s face it–we all make mistakes. And interns, well, we make a lot of mistakes. And while that’s totally expected, it’s not always easy to handle. As an intern you want to do your absolute best and execute everything perfectly, but the reality is that you’re going to slip up somewhere.

Since failure is inevitable no matter what, it’s important to avoid obsessing over your little slip-ups. Instead, focus on your strengths and what you’re doing right.

One helpful tip that my internship manager has shared with me is to create a “kudos folder” for yourself. Every time you get an email with some positive feedback from your coworkers, drag it into that folder. It helps you keep track of all the things you’ve been doing well, and helps you put things into perspective on those rainy days were you just feel like you can’t do anything right.

My kudos folder has definitely helped me realize the positive impact I’ve had during my internship. I highly recommend it!

Aspiring to be Necessary

It’s hard to believe that I’ve already passed the halfway point in my internship. I’ve learned so much and met so many wonderful people; I will be very sad to see things come to an end.

The other day all of the interns in the office met with I’sys Caffey, a senior account executive, to talk about special events. She gave us great tips and extremely helpful advice on planning and executing the perfect event. But out of everything she told us, one thing in particular stuck out in my mind–advice she received from someone to “aspire to be necessary.” She said that great, hard-working people lose their jobs, but necessary people stick around.

Striving to be necessary is an idea that is worth considering at any point in your career, but as an intern, the idea really strikes home. I’ve spent my summer working hard to be seen as more than just an intern. I want to be seen as a valued, necessary member of the team.

After that conversation with I’sys, I’ve been thinking a lot about what value I add to my team. What do I bring to the table that makes me necessary? What am I doing that they will miss when the summer ends? What unique qualities do I possess that will make me difficult to replace?

As an intern, it’s important to ask yourself these questions. If the answers are “nothing” or “none” it’s time to do some self-evaluation.

Whether it’s the type of work you’re producing, or just the positive attitude that you bring to meetings–leave something worthwhile behind. Strive to be more than just another intern, become a necessary and valued member of the team.

Firenze

The only adventure I’ve left undocumented from Italy is our day trip to Florence.

Going to Florence was a very last-minute decision on our part, but I’m so thankful we made the trip. I absolutely loved it!

Beautiful Florence skyline

Our tour guide was a big part of what made the trip so special. He was born and raised in Florence, and knew the city like the back of his hand. You could hear the amore in his voice!

He showed us all the major sites in the city, but it was the little bits of information that he would throw in that made the tour so wonderful. At one point in the tour, for instance, he pointed out a rather plain looking street to us, explaining that it was the very street where the author of Pinocchio had lived. I had no idea the story had even originated in Florence!

Before long we were headed to the Academia, where the famous statue of David is housed. I was so surprised when we approached the museum, because the building itself was remarkably… unremarkable. It’s hard to believe that such a simple, practically unmarked building holds such incredible works of beauty within.

When we turned the corner inside to the main attraction, I was left completely breathless. The 17-foot masterpiece was even more stunning than I had imagined (and trust me, I had high hopes).

Michelangelo’ s David is different from most renditions of the biblical hero, because he is not depicted with the head of the slain Goliath. Most scholars agree that this is because Michelangelo’s statue is representing David beforehis battle with the giant. Instead of showing David as victorious and proud over his win, many think that Michelangelo captured that very moment when David was sizing up his enemy and realized, “I can do this.”

The face of Michelangelo's David

After seeing David myself, I would have to agree. It’s easy to look into his eyes and see that he is determinedly focused on his enemy in the distance. His body is tense, but composed. He is summing up his strength and will to take down Goliath.

One of the most fascinating parts of our tour was when our guide explained the process of getting the giant block of marble to Michelangelo in the first place. It had to be carted down the mountain via sleds, drug across land, lifted onto a barge and floated down the river… what an amazing feat! It’s incredible to think about how much work it took and how many people were involved with the process before Michelangelo even set eyes on the stone.

One of Michelangelo's unfinished Prisoners

Another sight that I was equally excited about seeing in the Academia was Michelangelo’s unfinished Prisoners. The Prisoners are four unfinished figures that Michelangelo was working on for the tomb of Pope Julius II. They are referred to as the “prisoners” or sometimes, the “slaves,” because they appear to be fighting to escape the stone. They are extremely fascinating works; you can still see Michelangelo’s chisel marks and it’s easy to picture him hovering over the stone, hacking away through the night.

Michelangelo believed that he was a tool of God. His job was not to create masterpieces, but rather to reveal the ones that were already there, hidden just beneath the stone. In the Prisoners, you get a true glimpse into Michelangelo’s mind and his sculpting process, and what a fascinating glimpse it is!

We spent the rest of the day exploring Florence and, of course, doing some shopping. Before we knew it, it was time to leave. On our drive back to Tuscany we were greeted with a beautiful surprise–a lunar eclipse! It’s hard to put into words how gorgeous the sight of a distant castle was with the red, eclipsed moon in the sky behind it. We saw the entire eclipse as we drove back; a spectacular end to a spectacular day!