FUTURE CAMP LEARNINGS

Ok #HumberPR, looks like our socialmedia class is coming to an end. what better way to finish than with a final class discussion where we pose questions to eachother, and use social media to involve the rest of the world....aka: welcome to Future Camp

The questions were asked....and here's what we answered

best advice or learnings from social media?
- It's ok to be a B student if you are an A+ networker
- Dive right in. Engage in conversations. Keep the dialogue going. It's not weird or creepy to follow someone or tweet at them, so do it! We have so many tools available to us (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Blogs, etc.) so use them and connect with as many people as possible!

advice for future humber PR students?
-don't be scared of the unknown. We came so far in just 4 months and future classes will do the exact same- connect with others and they will connect with you.

should humberPR hashtag specify our yr?
-NO! Social media is all about being inclusive, there is no reason to exclude others not involved in our section/program/year.

How can we strengthen our connection with the other section?
-Summer camp (aka our summer schedule is the exact same next semester so we are bound to see a lot more of them)
-engage them online AND in real life! Smile. Say hi. (pretty obvious.)
-perhaps future Humber PR classes can be section-free and people will be mixed throughout all of their classes (like highschool!).

So, what I am getting at is even though the class is over, our social media journey will continue. The value of social media is dramatic and I am very happy that I have knowledge about this emerging field.

Alright, until next time social media friends....keep blogging/texting/tweeting/uploading/facebooking/etc. and have fun!!!!!


Follow me on twitter ...and my classmates who shared in my discussion for non-profits: Shelley Burgoyne, Megan Vickell, Kara Merpaw, Jess Sanchez, etc.!!!!!

Happy Meal 1 Year Later- Still WAY too happy.

These pictures depict a home study that a nutritionist created to display the harmful effects of McDonald's food on a child's body.

STUDY =

• Joann Bruso put a happy meal hamburger and fries into a closet for a period of ONE YEAR

• The picture on the right displays the results.
  

Other than looking a little wilted, the year old hamburger BARELY changed. Joann Bruso took on this study to reveal how McDonald's cannot possibly be ok for children to eat considering the amount of preservatives it clearly contains.

"Food is supposed to decompose, go bad and smell foul eventually. The fact that it has not decomposed shows you how unhealthy it is for children."

Some people commented on previous blogs about this issue stating that this is not shocking because food decomposition is climate-dependant and thus lots of food does not get mouldy quickly. In certain parts of the world (France is an example), people shop for their bread DAILY. Food is supposed to spoil, especially anything made with yeast, and not last forever. The always-efficient North American culture added preservatives to our baked goods so we wouldn't have to go shopping as often and so that our food would last. However, Fast Food is expected to be just that. Fast. It is meant to be eaten immediately. That being the case, why is it so full of preservatives that it doesn't change over time?

I leave you with just one thought: Gross.

A new trend in the food industry will likely (and hopefully) be preservative-free!

Check out McSpotlight for some perspective.

Body Detox: Fact or Fiction?

A body detox/cleanse is said to rid the body of harmful toxins and leave the person feeling healthier and more energetic. Critics argue that this process is not backed by science, rather its simply a marketing scheme for companies to make money by encouraging and promoting body detoxification.

It has even been argued that the 'toxins' you attempt to rid your body of do not actually exist. However, the human body at death decomposes more slowly than it did 30 years ago. This is evidence for the fact that our generation consumes a higher amount of preservatives and synthetic chemicals than previous generations.

I believe that people SHOULD detox every once in a while due to the fact that we do absorb so many preservatives and pollutants. However, I don't think you need drops, a book, a package or anything else to help you cleanse your system.

An article I read listed 9 Quick Detox Methods and one of these was the Lemonade Diet. For 10 days you eat no solid foods and just drink a lemonade mixture. I have heard of other detoxes like this and I warn you that any weight lost is put right back on as soon as you start eating solid foods again. It is definitely not healthy to eat nothing for 10 days and I think this misconception is one of the reasons that detoxes have a negative stigma associated with them.

Another article suggested a 17 day cleanse which begins with a 24-hour fast. Once again, I don't think cutting out all food is a healthy beginning to the detox process.

Considering the amount of preservatives and processed foods that the typical person consumes in their lifetime I think that detoxing every so often is a way to give your digestive system some necessary help.

Here is my recommendation for a healthy detox:

• cut out dairy


• cut out gluten


• cut out processed foods


• cut out alcohol


• cut out anything with yeast in it


• cut out sweeteners and added sugars


• cut out tropical fruits


• get lots of sleep

I followed this meal plan for 12 days and felt noticeably lighter, more energetic and revived once I was done. It seems super strict but it is completely doable and definitely worth it! Some tips for making it through:

-almond butter and rice cakes will be your new best friend

-use spices on anything and everything (it's crazy how boring food is without the added processed goodness)

-fresh berries blended with ice make a refreshing and nutritious juice

-choose a time when you know you have 12 days that can be alcohol-free!

PINK - social media campaign analysis

PINK exemplifies targeted marketing and is a brand which truly communicates with its target audience through social media. PINK is a clothing line which was developed by Victoria's Secret to target a younger audience. PINK understands its target audience and proves this by effectively using social media to communicate and drive sales. On the first page of the PINK website you are given the option of becoming a fan of the brand on facebook, following it on Twitter and receiving text messages about upcoming promotions. Clicking the link "PINK Nation" brings you to an interactive page where you become a member to receive exclusive access to promotional videos, discounts and shopping tips.

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

• This website exemplifies social interaction and targeted marketing.
• To keep consumers coming back to the website it must constantly be updated. The information on the website is clearly relevant and kept up-to-date considering that when I searched it there was information about Spring Break and clothes to take with you on vacation.
• The website incorporates the target audience's love of music and recommends 10 current songs to rock out to. This will keep consumers coming to the site even when they are not planning on shopping.
• The interactive portion of the website allows the shopper to vote and potentially win a PINK party for their school.
• The Facebook page maintains TWO-way communication between the brand and consumers. It is on this page that people can comment and discuss why they love the brand.
  
• There are multiple tweets each day from the brand and this keeps followers well-informed.
  

THREATS

• The only real threat I see is future competition from other similar retail brands. PINK jumped on the social media bandwagon first but it is only a matter of time until other brands catch on.
  
• PINK will have to continue to be innovative and stay ahead of the trends with regards to both social and traditional media.
  

Check out Neil's and Catherine's blog for a continuation of this SWOT analysis. Also, check out Aislin's, Christiaan's and Laura's blog for a POST analysis of this website.

Tanning WITHOUT health risks

My 5 minutes of fame- courtesy of Global News


It is well-known that excessive sun exposure causes skin damage and can lead to skin cancer. In our beauty-obsessed society people still seem to choose a beautiful tan over their health. Up to 80% of people under the age of 25 believe they look better with a tan. This may explain why the number of new cases of melanoma (skin cancer) is growing, while the rate of other types of cancer is leveling off.

Sunless tanning was created as a response to growing concern that there is a link between sun exposure and skin cancer. Spray tans are NOT a form of spray painting or dying the body, as some people assume. Rather, the spray contains dihydroxacetane (DHA) and the resulting 'tan' is a chemical reaction between the DHA and the amino acids in the layer of dead skin cells. This chemical reaction is similar to how the inside of an apple turns brown when it is exposed to the air. This product is completely safe and can even be used by pregnant women!

A couple of my classmates and I recently tried spray tanning. Naturally, we got our spray tans on Global TV. Global was doing a story on spray tanning parties and so the 4 of us gave our opinions on the matter, got a spray tan, and then revealed to the world the finished product. I would definitely recommend it as a safe alternative to sun exposure. Although we got our tans for free, it is pretty pricey, each spray tan costs about $60. However, I think it is definitely worth is before a big event or even before you go away somewhere so that "you have some colour on the beach." (I stand by the line I said on TV)

For more tanning facts click here.

Check out aislin's blog for a look at the do's and don'ts of being on Global TV.


Below is the 4 of us with our spray tans. Looks pretty legit to me!

the new vegetarian = "FLEXITARIANISM"

First there was the vegetarian. Then, the vegan. Now, the flexitarian? Flexitarians are people who eat meat once in a while but try to avoid it when they can. Ok, so i get that it seems silly to even have a word for this- either don't eat meat or do...no one really cares. But, I have to admit that I myself am a flexitarian. Oh, I've tried to practice complete vegetarianism. It went a little something like this:

day one:

Breakfast - going well....no meat in cereal necccessary.

Lunch- good thing I like veggie wraps!

Dinner- at a barbeque. damn. ....pass me a burger.

Just for fun I found some other interesting labels for people who aren't full-fledged vegetarians:

Pescetarianism are people who classify as vegetarians but also eat fish.

Pollotarianism are people who classify as vegetarians but also eat poultry. Poultry is chicken. Chicken is meat. Umm, so aren't pollotarians the opposite of vegetarians? just sayin.

Back to flexitarianism, I am a flexitarian because I don't want to be one of those annoying people who goes to your house and requires a completely different menu than everyone else, but I think the healthier option is to consume as little red meat as possible. Annnd, I admit, I like being able to label myself as different from the general meat eating public.

Lots of people are trying to eat less red meat for health reasons and also for environmental reasons. Red meat contains high amounts of saturated fats and has been correlated to increased risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Regular consumption of red meat is linked to arthritis. It takes 78 calories of fossil fuel to produce just 1 calorie of beef protein. Cattle used for meat use up a ton of our planet's water resources. Check out this article for more reasons why being a vegetarian helps the planet.

So I say jump on the flexitarian band wagon and don't look back.

This article gives some great tips on making the switch to vegetarianism.

PRESENTING MY PERSONAL BRAND PLAN

Check out my slideshare presenting my personal brand plan:

Personal Brand- Health and Wellness for the PR professional

View more presentations from caseym21.

Out with the old, in with the new- PR is changing...can you keep up?

A change in PR occurred 10 years ago with the advent of the internet.

• the internet is not simply a resource for people in the PR industry, rather, it IS the industry



• Thus, with the internet came PR 2.0
  
  

PR 2.0

Deirdre Breakenridge (blogger and author extraordinaire) states in PR 2.0: A communicator's manifesto that a new breed of PR professionals has been born. Brands are now immediately connected to customers through online activity and broadband connectivity. CEOs, executives, stakeholders and even products are able to directly communicate and participate in dialogue with consumers. You can follow the head of the company who made your car on twitter, you can read blogs about McDonalds' employee treatment written by an employee, and you can become a fan of your favourite beer on facebook. These are all aspects of good PR. The product/company is putting its name out there, and remember- there's no such thing as bad publicity!

In our global market consumers have buying power and choices. We can boycott certain brands and access products and services across the globe. Therefore, consumers can expect a lot from their favourite brands. Deirdre states that consumers "desire direct communication, to hear firsthand about products and services,to be able to ask questions and receive quick responses, to hear a person’s voice and to learn the company’s position on an issue in its industry, and to believe they can trust the people behind their favorite brands."

Some organizations have taken the opposite approach and are staying off of the social media bandwagon. Marshall McLuhan coined the term "the medium is the message." This indicates that how a brand communicates with the target audience IS the message. The internet IS our industry. Marshall McLuhan stated that narcotic numbness describes how multiple organizations only embrace the technology they are familiar and comfortable with. Michael Cayley's blog post adds to this and compares an organization's fear of new branding tools to the story of the Wizard of Oz. David Lee King added great insight with his blog about inviting active participation. He implies that individuals need to start actually participating rather than simply listening. This advice applies to organizations that are just getting started connecting with the public through social media. Rather than participating passively they need to jump into the dialogue head first and build relationships with consumers.

Sick of being labelled a "spin doctor," Deirdre hoped the collaboration of PR with technology would increase the credibility of the public relations industry and thus decrease the negative stigma associated with it.

"Putting the public back in PUBLIC RELATIONS"

PR 2.0 puts the “public” back into public relations by reaching an audience on a much greater scope. Brands can now connect with people that they never would have reached in the past. The concept of putting the public back into PR is driven by technology and behavior of the modern day consumer.

• Deirdre states, "we are all learning and together, as professionals we are reinventing the PR industry, breathing life into our profession through the use of socialized media. We are truly Putting the Public Back in Public Relations.”
  

Another way that the public has become a key player in public relations is that organizations can now listen to bloggers, tweeters, etc. to find out exactly what the consumer wants! There is no more guesswork involved. In the past, products were created and PR would raise awareness for them. Now it is the opposite. Before a product is created organizations can listen to their public and see what people like and what they want and create products to suit these wants and needs. The public has become an essential part of public relations.

Why Blue Mountain Needs to Up the Ante

Rosy cheeks and powder snow are my combination for a perfect day. It’s official- I love to snowboard! I grew up as an avid skier. My family would travel every other March break vacation to a different ski resort. I have been to Vermont, New York, Quebec, and British Columbia to ski. Four years ago I decided I wasn’t getting any better as a skier and challenged myself to try snowboarding. I was hooked.

The past two weekends I spent at the closest decent ski resort, Blue Mountain. It seems they are still recovering from the warm winter that struck two years ago and doing everything possible to make money.

Unimpressed.

• Sky high prices



• Ridiculously long chairlift lines



• The hills are so crowded it's almost dangerous to get down the mountain



• The advanced hills intersect with beginner hills- making everyone scared that they will run someone else over
  

Is capping the number of skiers that can be on the hill each day an option?

One reviewer echoed my thoughts by stating Intrawest has expanded the Blue Mountain village with multiple dining options outweighing the capacity of the actual hill. Interestingly enough, if you go to the Blue Mountain Resort website the main image on the page is of the village- not the mountain. It could be a clever marketing trick. Perhaps they are trying to appeal more to the non-skier and get them to spend their money, rather than to the person who loves winter sports and will spend either way.

HOT TOPIC: Facebook. Twitter. Period.

Imagine what it would be like if the only news you could access was from a 140 character post on twitter. Now imagine if the only way you could get news out to your friends was via facebook. Some of you may say this imaginary world seems pretty similar to your own life right now. However, others simply could not picture a life without television, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc. The reason I pose these questions are because recently the occupation of journalist has come under fire. If people are getting all of their news and updates from other ordinary people around the world- what use do we have for journalists?


Why journalists may become extinct:

• Last year when a plane was forced to land in the Hudson River, the story was on twitter before it was anywhere else.


• Twitter was used to disseminate information during the riots in Iran when the rest of the world did not know what was going on.


• Survivors of the Haiti earthquake used twitter to display pictures and heartbreaking stories to the world

In our globalized and social media indulgent world it seems like absolutely everyone is a reporter/journalist of their own life. Whether people are writing blogs, tweeting comments for the world to see, or facebooking friends; it appears as though we have all become reporters and critics.

Naturally, journalists are worried and are fighting back. In order to prove that these forms of social media are not legitimate news sources, a social media experiment is being launched on Feb. 1st.

Experiment Details:

• Five journalists from different countries (including Canada)


• Will live in a French farmhouse for 5 days


• They will only have access to facebook and twitter


• No smart phones, no internet browsing capabilities, no tv, no newspapers, etc.


• Each reporter will research news updates via twitter and facebook and report live each day on a radio station to share their findings with the world

*Check out this article on Yahoo News for the complete details of the experiment

This experiment is going to be a showdown between the traditional media versus social media. If the journalists are able to find information to report solely from twitter and facebook that is ACCURATE and RELEVANT, what will the implications be? Will forms of social media put the more traditional media out of business?

Of course, social media does have it's drawbacks, and thus some expect this experiment to fail. There have been plenty of twitter hoaxes and so the reporters will have to sort through a lot of junk to find the truth. Some examples of twitter hoaxes include: a post about the death of Johnny Depp (clearly he is still alive), tweets stating that doctors and nurses can fly to Haiti for free to help out (I assumed this was true but was sad to find out that was not the case), and even a false tweet that the same sex marriage ban in California had been overturned.

Discussion

Clearly twitter is great for quickly spreading information. Considering that it is just as good at spreading false news as it is at spreading the truth, do you think that it will ever take over more traditional news sources? What do you think the implications of this experiment will be? Finally, considering that to an extent we have all become journalists, do you think this profession will eventually become obsolete?

To follow the 5 journalists and this experiment click here.

Check out this blog for more information about the experiment taking place.

SocAppReview: ClipShack or Clip-whack?!

ClipShack is a free video sharing site - but don't confuse it with the infamous YouTube. Reality Digital is the parent company of ClipShack and this site was originally launched to help corporations share videos and other media. In 2005 ClipShack was born and the idea behind it was that if they could make a site for corporations to share videos, they could also make one for individuals. This site appeals to videophiles who can post video clips for the viewing pleasure of friends, family and strangers. ClipShack claims to be "the friendliest video sharing site"- whatever that may mean. What makes one site friendlier than another?

Similarities to Other Video Sharing Sites:

ClipShack QUICKLY and EASILY allows you to upload videos directly from your desktop or from the web.

ClipShack sorts uploaded clips by Topic, Most Watched Clips, Most Discussed Clips, etc.

Getting a ClipShack account is absolutely FREE!

ClipShack allows tagging. Also, you get to decide once you post your clip whether or not you want others to be able to comment on it.

How ClipShack is Unique

ClipShack prides itself in being ahead of the trends and thus has added a Google Maps feature. This enables the user to map the content they upload and also to search by location. For example, when i searched the location Toronto, forty four clips came up- everything from videos of concerts in Toronto, to Toronto party pics. I think that this is a pretty cool feature and it will only be a matter of time until other social media sites like Facebook and Youtube offer this. Critics would argue that this is an invasion of privacy. But let's be honest, when you are posting pictures or videos obviously you know that you are revealing information about yourself, and chances are you want people to know about your life and where you hang out.

Another cool add-on to ClipShack is CS Interactive. This is a branch of ClipShack which allows users to rate movies, books, video games, and even jokes! ClipShack-ers use a thumbs up or thumbs down rating system and add comments as they choose. I like this feature because it is a very unbiased way to find out what strangers think of different entertainment options.

One final feature about ClipShack that is unique is the extremely strict regulations about uploading appropriate content. You must be 18 years old or older to use ClipShack, and even then you may not upload anything remotely suggestive, including "I will talk about anything," and "Tell me your wildest dreams." Conversely, YouTube allows users of any age. I think this will limit ClipShack's audience and market potential.

I think that ClipShack is a useful video sharing site and is extremely beneficial for the corporate world. The Google Maps feature probably won't be enough to get users to switch from YouTube and start using ClipShack, but it will be useful for current and future ClipShack-ers. For more information about ClipShack, check out Sarah Long's blog about it.

My video review of ClipShack

"How To" make Wikipedia work for you

WIKIPEDIA

INTRODUCTION:

The hard part isn't knowing how to use Wikipedia- rather it is knowing when to use it. I would bet that every person in this class has heard of Wikipedia. Wikipedia has been around since 2001 and is very well-known.

WHAT IT DOES:

This search engine will find you articles on everything from cotton candy to twitter. All you do is type whatever you are looking for into the search box and away you go. Here is the easiest resource for learning how to use Wikipedia and it is the link we shared on the class list.

• This link is actually a tutorial BY Wikipedia which explains using Wikipedia.



• When you click on the editing tab it states that almost every single Wikipedia page has a link that says edit this page.



• This tutorial is an awesome resource for first time Wikipedia users because it lets you practice editing pages and adding whatever you like to them.



• It also teaches you how to properly cite a Wikipedia page- something I definitely wish I knew how to do in unversity.

WEAKNESSES

The main problem with Wikipedia is also one of it's assets: the fact that it can be edited by anyone causes it to lose credibility. At any given moment someone can compromise the information you are searching for. Wikipedia is no stranger to internet vandalism. An interesting article I found from Time magazine stated that a Wikipedia contributor used the search engine to wrongfully acuse John Seigenthaler of murdering JFK. This kind of thing is obviously not what the search engine was intended for.

BEST PRACTICES

The best way to use Wikipedia is to keep in mind that anyone can anonymously change the information you are viewing. It is a good place to get some background knowledge on whatever you are looking for, but remember to use your judgment about the information you are provided. If you still are unsure check out this article which lists 7 tips for using Wikipedia.

WHAT I LEARNED

This "How To" assignment helped me to realize that there are so many different valuable tools online and I shouldn't be afraid to explore the internet and different networks. From the outset, a brand new search engine or video site seems daunting but there are so many handy resources online like instructional youtube videos and google articles that teach you exactly how to use them.

For some more tips on when and how to use wikipedia, check out Neil Sareen's blog