Chevron: I disagree.

Sorry for the long period of absence. A lot has happened between this summer and now, I've gotten considerably busier with freelance clients, a new internship and school. I'm trying to keep this blog up as the whim strikes me, which is what happened tonight.

You may have seen this already: http://www.chevron-weagree.com/

I'm sure there are a lot of ways to view this project. But, as a wishful Californian, I see it through the lens of Proposition 23.

When Chevron says we have "the right to a healthy environment," yet they don't give consideration to the greenhouse gases in one of the most beautiful but also most polluted states, I have to call B.S. on their public relations initiative.

This is the way I see it: a company who is partially responsible for the tragedy that occurred in the Gulf and elsewhere with oil spills. If you're going to participate in the oil business, that makes you partially responsible for tragedies that occur. You add fuel to the demand fire (if you will) and profit from the product, but when it comes to things being messy, you want nothing to do with it? No, Chevron. That's not how this works.

As a future public relations professional, I can't believe that there are people in the industry who believe this "We Agree" campaign is acceptable. All I see is a company profiting off of the sympathy we have for those who suffer from oil damage, hoping to paint themselves as another concerned citizen. True, we all use oil in our cars and all share the blame for the oil crisis - but for those who are raising money to clean up the gulf, putting in time and effort to alleviate the situation, driving efficient cars or electric cars and decreasing their need - they're at least working positively, rather than just pointing the finger.

Where's your call to action, Chevron? You don't have a petition, nor a place to donate, nor a way that the average citizen can join you in fixing the threat of oil spills or oil spills themselves. You have only a few sentences of copy, painting yourself as a good guy, as one of us.

I think you should rethink this campaign, and until then, I'll be making the few gas trips I do make for my hybrid vehicle to a different station that Chevron.

To the citizens out there - what do you think? Is this ok? Are you fine with this campaign? Does this make you want to buy your gasoline from them? Your views are surely different than mine, and I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Cool viral promotion for "The Other Guys"

I saw the trailers on TV, like many other people, for the movie "The Other Guys." Today, playing around on Funny or Die, I found a viral support video that unfortunately has... only about 570,000 views.

Fail, movie studio.

Will Ferrell's NYPD Recruitment Video from Will Ferrell

Is this thing on?

I apologize for the very long break in posts. Work at The Make-A-Wish Foundation got pretty busy! I recently left since school started again this week and I miss the office. It was a wonderful working experience and I learned a lot about nonprofit!

One of the things I love most about Chapman University (besides the fact that it is home to the national champion NSAC team, Circle Advertising) is that the class loads can diverse at any level. I've just left a 300-level internet communications class and now I'm headed to a beginner's Business class. After a heart-to-heart with one of my co-workers at Make-A-Wish, I think I may start taking first-year accounting as well.

General education courses have always baffled me, but I've enjoyed working in other areas of the school and refreshing skills that I haven't used since middle school (I'm looking at you, Statistics). But what are some classes that AREN'T general ed that every person, especially Ad and PR should take?

In my experience, classes I've taken that have really supplemented my degree and encouraged me to expand my view of my future industry have been the following:

1. Communications classes. This should be fairly obvious - if you want to talk to the masses, you need to know how they listen and interact. I took Mass Communications and Gendered Communication specifically.

2. Sociology classes. The impact that mass media communications, such as advertising, has upon the minds of its constituents is incredibly important not just for the purchase, but the social implications that it brings. An advertisement for Dove Beauty that encourages women to think about their bodies differently, the Old Spice man communicating with "women" right in front of their husbands, boyfriends, brothers... these successful campaigns have had a social fallout that goes far beyond the purchase. Understanding the impact they have is essential in keeping your work ethical and anticipating success of a campaign. Social psychology is an examples of courses.

3. Research classes. Social research, communication research, psychological research - the kind doesn't matter, as long as you end up learning how to write an unbiased survey for the purest nuggets of information.

What classes did I miss? I'll let you know how this accounting idea pans out...

Social Media Stalking - Keep Yourself Safe!

I read a chilling article today about a woman who was stalked by a fellow Foursquare user at a restaurant. While the situation is as creepy as it is unique, one thing that many social media users don't own up to is their own accountability in usage. I'm not saying sites like PleaseRobMe (the live Twitter/Foursquare site that announced users home departures) are at all justified in what they do; in fact, I think websites like that cross a major line that takes social media from something fostering open communication to a more fearful type of relationship. Regardless of how you use social media, I think there are four guidelines that everyone has to consider before making that Check-In, posting that Facebook Status or sending that Tweet.

1. What are my privacy settings like? My Facebook is locked up tighter than Fort Knox, and that's because the things I share on Facebook aren't meant for anyone's eyes but those of my friends and family. The best decision you can make before opening an account on any social media platform is planning what you do and do not want to share, which brings me to my next point...

2. Monitor what the news is saying about a platform. Most people know about the Facebook privacy issues that have been on everyone's lips recently, but there are still some users that had no idea. While it's easy to blame Facebook, you have to hold yourself somewhat accountable as well. Taking a moment to Google the platform and see what bloggers or news sites are saying about it is a step that you should take from time to time, regardless of what you're posting (personal or professional).

3. Self censor based on your own guidelines. I spoke earlier about Facebook being for personal use only... while it's tempting to add a co-worker to a personal-use account to share with them some photos, keep in mind your own professionalism. Do you really want your co-worker (or, if your co-worker has a nasty streak, your boss or other colleagues) to know how you feel about working late or what you did during your "sick day?" Now more than ever, social media tears down alibis for everything from work to divorces to a white lie to a friend. I'm not by any means endorsing lying. I'm just saying that by keeping home and friends on one platform and professional acquaintances on another, you'll be saving yourself from a lot of embarrassment, and helping avoid any dangerous situations.

4. When in doubt, Google yourself. As someone who routinely Googles herself to see how high her LinkedIn page is ranking, imagine my surprise last summer when I found that some ex-employees I had worked with at my parents' business were making threats on MySpace about my family and me. Obviously, lessons were learned by both parties that don't need any more discussion. However, the point is that while you may be embarrassed about typing your own name into a search engine, finding a threat to your safety and stopping it before it becomes an issue far outweighs the momentary discomfort.

While social media is fun and opens new doors in learning and communicating, there are always risks when using the platforms. By watching what you say, who you say it to, privacy agreements and monitoring your usage as well as others' usage of your name, you can keep the conversation going without worrying what the cost could be.

"Prepare for the End of the Web as We Know It"

Once again, Ad Age posts an article that is insightful, well-written and brings up new terms and ideas that help me reshape my outlook on internet marketing. Check this out...

It's Time to Prepare for the End of the Web as We Know It

I think "content snacking" is the perfect term for the most common manner that people are consuming media these days, and the three new behaviors are dictating how consumption will be evolving. Gotta love media!

Social Media "Blunders" vs. Sins

I found BusinessWeek's Six Social Media Sins today, and while it's a good article with valid points, I think they overlook the fact that these aren't sins if you don't know what you're doing on Social Media; these are more uninformed blunders.

So to add on to what BusinessWeek started, I made a list of three "blunders" that many newbies to social media make when trying to effectively spread their message.

1. Mixing messages - A twitter account or Facebook updates should have a cohesive theme to the messages (and NOT just marketing messages, like BusinessWeek warns). But if you're talking about what you ate for breakfast without asking readers without relating it somehow to your tone, then it's confusing to the readers as to who is on the keyboard - or even if it's the same person.

2. You think that followers, fans or subscribers are the litmus test of success. If you're communicating and meeting the goals that you've set for yourself, it doesn't matter if you have ten followers or ten thousand. If you're using Twitter to reach journalists and you've successfully contacted several, then you've met your goal. It doesn't matter if you only have 20 or so followers.

3. You think the more platforms, the merrier without evaluating the communication potential. You might not need a Youtube account if you don't really have relevant videos. If you're working for a certain company, for example, having a Youtube channel of just your commercials is straight marketing, and not something that will foster communication. As the article says, social media is "about engagement in two-way conversation" - so just having a profile to be on that platform without something that will create a dialogue, is really just a waste of your time.

Are there any other sins or blunders you see new people or uninformed corporations make? What's the worst mistake you've made, and what lesson did you learn from it?

Don't Fight the Conversation! Brands on Social Media

This article by Brian Solis details that on average, one in three people are talking about brands on social media every week.

Now I don't love statistics because sometimes, they confuse me. But findings show that one in three people is seeking advice; one person is making a recommendation and finally, one person just has that brand on the tips of his fingers for discussion. That's pretty powerful stuff.

For brands like J.C. Penney, who are realizing now they need to tap into this market and meet their customers where they meet. By meeting that one person in three, they can reach the other two.

How long until every company is required to have a Twitter? I'm giving it six months. For the critics saying Twitter is temporary, I'm curious to see where the platform will evolve from here.