PRSSA goes 2.0 event.

April 2, 2008 at 6:47 pm (PR and New Media, inductive PR, new media) (, , , , )

This weekend I went to the event from PRSSA called PRSSA goes 2.0.  I have to admit that at when i woke up on saturday I was thinking about going or staying at home. But at the end of the event I was so knowledgeable about new media and PR, That missing it would’ve been a really bad idea. Pam one of my classmates was there, she is very into new media. check out her post PRSSA goes 2.0 and does it well. I’m sure she explains it better than me.
 when I first got there I took my name tag and then walked to the main lobby.  Obviously I was planning to apply everything I learned from my PR classes. I was convinced that if there was one thing I had yet to learn from the PR practice, is how to approach people. Awful flaw! I know. -Is like being an astronaut that is afraid of heights- Apparently I can handle everything else, but walking to someone else and trying to sell myself (or product or brand) is very uncomfortable. I blush, I mispronounce some words, I say words in spanish…. it could not get worse (its like the nerdy guy trying to talk to the hot girl in high school).  And I guess for the other person is equally as awkward, since they are the ones who have to pretend to understand me and be nice about it.
     Ok enough about me being shy and back to the conference. Congratulations to the two universities who put the event together; Simmons College and Boston University. The event was amazing. The opening keynote speaker was David Merman Scott, I personally think he was perfect for the morning speech. David Scott has so much energy that the daily caffeine dose was unnecessary. I have heard him two times (he already talked in one of my classes) and both times I learn new things from his speech. I loved the comparison he did with his laptop as an available Ad space and the way traditional PR is handled today. I think there is no better or simpler way of explaining The New Rules of PR and Marketing.
   After the opening speech, we had the chance to hear from more experts: Greg Peverill-Conti, Lisa Davis, Elicia Basoli, Jason Glashow, and Laurie Shulman. Unfortunately we only had the option of choosing 2 of the speakers. I chose Greg not only because he is the VP of Emerging Technology and social media at Weber Shandwick, but he likes Soy chai latte… and what are the odds of having so much in common with him? Anyways, he was great in his breakout session. For my second speaker I chose Laurie Shulman she was amazing. Of all the speakers, I thought she was the more relatable for me as a student going into the PR world. 
     Dusty S. Rhodes from Conventures prepared an activity related to event planning. At the beginning I was very skeptical because we were given specific animals and then separated into teams, of course my first thought was “Ohh no, now we will have to impersonate these animals…. good luck being a jellyfish” I was a penguin, so I was ready to handle the walking and whatever the noise was. At the end there was no impersonation -thank God, although it would have been funny- but we had an activity that taught me a lot, specially since I am very into event planning.  
   Rick Murray from Edelman was the afternoon keynote speaker. He did an excellent job at explaining how important my generation is for the new way of conducting PR.  it was wonderful to see how things in the PR world have change since the emergence of new media. Even better, was to hear from Rick Murray how my generation has already an advantage in the new PR world, since we grew up in the digital world and some of the tools and techniques are already familiar to us. 
  Afterwards, a career fair was hosted by several PR companies. I obviously was to shy to have the initiative of approaching them, but after a while I noticed some of my friends shared the same feeling. And the PR representatives were very nice. Everyone was so approachable I almost overcome my fears -I’m still working on that, not everyone is as nice as the people in the PRSSA event-  Anyways, at the end of the day I was so much more smarter, I can’t wait to see how next year’s event goes. 

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About my last post, and the other side of the story.

March 31, 2008 at 11:06 pm (Colombia) (, , )

I realized that my last post was very targeted. And I want to make this blog one that can be relatable for anyone. My last post addressed one side of my view about Colombians in foreign countries. But in this post I want to address the other side of the issue. This side involves foreigners view of Colombia. I know this might sound confusing but let me illustrate with a few personal stories.    

(scenario # 1)   One day I decide to go to the pharmacy and get some Tylenol and some groceries. While I am in line the cashier guy hears me speaking in Spanish and asks me where I’m from… as always, I get excited and tell him that I am from Colombia…. After 10 seconds of silence he thinks is interesting to tell me about the drug problems in my country. I try to breath and fake a smile while swiping my credit card and taking my stuff. 

    Everyone that knows me knows I am very patient and friendly; after all I’m a PR MAJOR so I try to make the best of each situation. But if there is something that irritates me is having strangers comment on the bad aspects of Colombia; maybe is just me but I feel very passionate about where I come from.

 

(scenario # 2)   Some other time I met the parents of one of my best friends here at BU, they were so nice to me that when they asked were I was from,  I said to myself I would not get mad if they had “one of those” comments, but of course they did. His father asked me about Pablo Escobar. Once again I breath and unlike in the pharmacy situation, I can’t ignore the comment, so I try to give my best answer and explain how things have change ever since Pablo Escobar died -I mean the guy has been dead for 15 years now, I would think people had something else to comment about- anyways, he obviously noticed how uncomfortable I was and changed the subject.

  

 (scenario # 3) The are still other people that use these type of comments as icebreakers or jokes…. Hmmm please allow yourselves to process what I just said….. and take my advice,  IT IS NOT FUNNY!  Why in the world would someone think a good way to meet someone is to highlight the problems of that person’s country. I don’t know, maybe is just me but I wouldn’t approach a German person by commenting on Hitler, and worse act as if it was funny. Or a Turk by commenting on Armenians.  I always try to imagine how people meet at parties or even how I do PR, and I am sure conversations are supposed to be friendly and enjoyable for both parties involved, specially if you are dealing with a client.  Please imagine if I were to comment on Hitler to a German person? and try to act as if its funny? (Remember I am trying to meet this person) Even if the person likes Hitler or hates him, either way I’m sure the outcome would not be a smile, it would probably be something like “Zusätzlich ist eine Bildersuche.” 

    So this is how the conversations I just mentioned normally go:

    

     “X” person and me:

“X”: I notice you have an accent (or are speaking Spanish) where are you from?

Me: (big smile) oh I am from Colombia.“

X”: ohh yes I know Colombia…. (at this point I still have a big smile…) is it really dangerous there? do you live in the forest? How is it with the guerrilla there? Or Pablo Escobar? Or drug dealing/cartels….etc etc. (any of the options above are very likely to happen)

Me: (fake smile and frustration face) hhhmmm. hmmm aha that is my country . Anyways, nice to meet you (it wasn’t nice but I’m trying to be polite) I have to go to… some place fast. BYEEEE

 

   

       (I realized that until this point I have had a bit of a sarcastic tone, but the tone does not mean I’m bitter about these situations… believe me, of all the things people think about Colombia I would not want to add that of Colombians being mean or rude. I am just trying to illustrate a point of view.  So before I continue I would like to make clear that not everyone I have met was like I just mentioned. There are a few exceptions that I will address later.)

 

 

     Anyways, in my attempt to understand these reactions,  one of my interviewees pointed out that it wasn’t that she thought bad about Colombia, but rather that she knew nothing else about it since that’s all she hears in the news (as I mentioned in my last post). I like this answer because I want to believe this is in fact the truth.  Maybe it is the lack of available information and not the lack of knowledge. That was my conclusion.

 

 

So remember the stories I told you before?? Well they didn’t end there, I am a good PR person, i would never let a bad situation end bad.  To the guy in the pharmacy although I could have left the place, I did not. Instead, I told him that Colombia was not all about that, I told him that next time he met someone from Colombia he should try commenting on the good coffee or the great artists like Shakira or Noble prizewinner Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  He tried it with me for a second chance, he laughed, I laughed and we both learned something.  As for the parents of my best friend I was more subtle. I sent them a book called “Unseen Colombia” with a message saying “I hope you enjoy all of the wonderful things you are about to discover about my Colombia”.  From both experiences I learned that if you say things in a nice even funny way people are more open to perceive Colombia in a different light. 

 

  

For all Colombian reading this: try this next time.

For all non-Colombians: try to comment on good things and you’ll see how things are different.

 

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Here we go, My First Post

March 31, 2008 at 10:50 pm (Colombia, New Post, Starting a Blog, inductive PR) (, , , , )

Here we go, my first post…   

I’ve been thinking about this one a lot. I mean telling stories and involving bigger issues about my country??? Sounds hard if not impossible. Suddenly I remembered that in my Mass Research class there is this way of studying “x” phenomena called the “inductive” way, where you start out with little things to get to the bigger issue. So if human behavior can be studied using this method, why not apply it to my blog? That’s how I decided to do this. Because I get the chance to tell my stories and still address issues that I care about. “Prosaic-me” came from this idea of simplicity but relevance. And the term of “inductive PR” really came to be because people like you and me want to see the big picture but sometimes we don’t understand how we are part of it. Inductive PR is the perfect way to get people involved in something bigger but still recognize them as important individuals. Lets see how it turns out.    

         Unfortunately spring break is over… that short but much needed break is over. I’m getting ready to go to the airport: double-checking that I have tickets, money, ID and passport. While driving to the airport my grandma tells me over the phone-as she usually tells everyone traveling outside Colombia- “remember to be eating something at all times, so they won’t think you are suspicious” I’ve always assumed that by “they” she means immigration… But what I never quite got was the “suspicious” part. Seriously, suspicious of what? Not being hungry at 6 am when I’m boarding because is too early and I’ll probably throw-up anything I eat, or suspicious of not wanting to stuff my mouth all the time for an entire trip that lasts 12 hours? (talk about gluttony). Anyways, for the first time her comment got me thinking -besides I have a 8 hour flight so what else I’m I going to do?-  Why are we so afraid when traveling outside Colombia? or exactly what is it that we are afraid of? Truth be told, there is nothing to be worried about when you have nothing to hide. Its all because of what and how international news show Colombia. I’m not saying the news are inaccurate, but they certainly focus on just one part of the whole, the negative part.    

       Colombians are not all about violence, terrorism or drugs… That is a small part, and unfortunately a very notorious one. But I have never let that little part of the news affect me. That is because I know there is a lot that I can do to change that.  I know it sounds weird, but instead of just complaining or eating for 12 hours in a row to proof that I’m not “suspicious” of i don’t know what. I decided that if I want something to change I better take part in making that change happen. If  I want to change the image of how my country -Colombia-  is being portrayed outside, then I have to do something to make that happen.     

              I discovered some interesting sites while surfing the web that helped me be a participant in the struggle against the negative issues surrounding Colombia. For instance http://www.visionmundial.org.co is a branch of world Vision International that focuses on helping children finish their high school education as well as fighting against underage labor. I understand that at this point you are not sure of what you would like to do, but you still want to be part of making things different? then I recommend first visiting: http://www.colombianosenelexterior just to get some info and background about what are some of the problems and what can be done to help. Then, if you feel like being more active and want to participate but you are not sure what sites to visit, I say you visit Shakira’s organization at: www.fundacionpiesdescalzos.com to help Colombian children get an education and a better quality of life. In Shakira’s page you can donate money online, sponsor a child or buy the Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt she designed (were the money collected is donated to her organization). But if you feel like helping with an issue that is more directly related with the negative news I mentioned above, there is the Unicef Colombia site at http://www.unicef.org.co where you can get information on how to contribute to the fight against antipersonnel land-mines in Colombia. Also fighting the same issue there is http://fundacionmisangre.org an organization led by Colombian singer Juanes that raises funds to support programs that help the victims of anti-personnel land-mines.   

       Now you have a wide array of subjects from which to choose from to ensure that things can actually be different. I hope that by now you have found something interesting that you want to contribute with. If not, I invite you to explore the web. I would also love to help you find something, so please feel free to contact me. I am sure that the next time you are traveling to a foreign country with a Colombian passport there will be no need to show you are not suspicious, because as cliché as this might sound, your face will show a smile of satisfaction and your eyes will show how confident you are about being part of making change happen.

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BOD Blog Overdose

March 31, 2008 at 10:43 pm (First Post, PR and New Media, Starting a Blog, inductive PR, new media) (, , )

BOD (blog overdose) a rollercoaster of feelings. 

I’m back and guess what? I finally found what I’m into. But, please bear with me while I share my journey through 48 hours of blog overdose.     

So after seeing all my eyes and clicking fingers could resist. Well… I’m not going to lie, I was very overwhelmed and kind of frustrated. There are so many good blogs out there and so many good writers, I  was feeling like I had nothing to do as a debutant blogger. Unlike Amanda on  on the Prowl, literature was not my first option (check her blog i love it.). I like reading a lot, but when it comes to writing I have to think it twice. And in another language is even more challenging (FYI I’m Colombian so Spanish is my first language). But no worries, my brief new media experience has taught me – and as professor Quigley likes to remind us – that blogging is all about having a voice… And believe it or not, I started thinking that maybe my own voice doesn’t even speak English…. (I know soo dramatic). I guess what I was really thinking was that my voice is very different in English than it is in Spanish. Of course that did not stopped me.   

     After more clicks and links and coffee (hmm good Colombian Coffe) I soon remembered what Scoble and Scott and Cluetrain and professor Quigley say (I promise I will read more books and blogs to start quoting more people, but for now give me credit I’m really trying) Ok, so all of these smart guys say that -blogging- is all about passion, finding  your passion writing with passion, passion, passion, passion…  So I concluded that anyone would understand my passion even if it happens to have an accent.             

        Back to the blogosphere.  I’m clicking and linking to everything. Trust me when I say I covered the spectrum. I went from automobilist to art, to animals to traveling then click on Indy films then music then surfing or fashion…. I changed my mind in every click… All these bloggers write with such a passion for what they do, I feel like trying surfing or dancing or singing or car racing or even acting -You get the point-. But I want to clear one thing…. Not everything in the web was as great as I just mentioned. Unfortunately I can’t tell you everything I read in my 48 hour blog marathon because you will get tired. So let’s keep the good stuff.                  

     Finally, after wanting to try everything I could possibly imagine and changing my mind as how to write my blog, I decided that my passion and what really gets me talking and talking for hours are two things in life. One is telling stories and the second one is talking about my country, Colombia.. Yes my country, and although someone must be thinking “oh here comes other girl wanting to change the world into a better place..bla bla bla.”. Talk about Repetitive or what?? BORIING!. But no, that’s not what I’m about. Here is the thing… I have to thank one of my classmates for the next thing. She does not like blogs, but her reason is because she feels blogs are not being used in a way that helps a community improve with the exception of a few (at least that is how I interpreted her). I’m very intrigued to see how her blogs turns out to be, I will let you know when in find out.  Anyways, thanks to her comments I decided that if I have to write something and let everyone read it, it will be on something that really keeps me up at night and is also doing something to help a cause that I feel passionate about. 

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Before starting to Blog.

March 30, 2008 at 9:03 pm (First Post, New Post, PR and New Media, Starting a Blog, inductive PR, new media) (, , , , , , , )

Right now I am trying to remember everything i have learned until now… “have a voice, a tone, be authentic, be transparent, engage your audience” i am having a serious problem with focusing on one thing, or one idea… i tend to start a sentence and not finish it and then start a new one… anyways, here are my thoughts about my debut as a blogger…  first of all i have to admit this blog started as an assignment for one of my classes, but as i went through the process of exploring the blogosphere i realize this is a very fun thing to do,  i can be myself and address the issues i want, specially i love the idea of being myself….. BUT i have to accept it, writing was never my favorite class, specially since english is not my first language. Don’t get me wrong, i like writing, i just don’t like the idea of people reading what iI write, and more specifically grading it… but here i am, publicly writing my thoughts and accepting the fact that some people might not like it at all.             After thinking and over thinking my blog, I realized that I need some research. There are so many ideas crossing my mind that I’m sarting to feel dizzy. Besides from what i have read in my PR class we have to explore the blogosphere before we start our new blog.. But that’s fine with me, I mean if Scoble and Todd Defren says it and David Meerman Scott and the guys of Cluetrain….well it must be true. All of them  are like my new media celebrities. Funny part is that as much as I love the Hollywood paraphernalia… I have never been close to one celebrity as to have a real conversation about their jobs and passions. But with these new media guys is different, I already know 2 of them and let me tell you they are great…I even fealt like asking for an authograpg but that’s probably too oldmedia for them (I mean paper and a pen common). Anyways, Todd Defren and David Scott were amazing. 

 Here I am looking though blogs, and I’m like wow this one “click”…wow that one”click”… Hmm interesting link “click” another link “click”, great quote who wrote it….”Click… Click click click click”. Its soo easy that is addicting. Everything is in the web for you.  As you click and click there are things you never though you would learn and that are soo interesting so you click and click and click some more… Not until you are tired but until you feel you found something to write about, something you like, something you are passionate about. it is kind of that scene in the Fifth Element the movie, when the girl is watching a computer and learning everything trough words in a screen. She absorbs every piece of information and cries and feels sad or happy… it doesn’t have to be like as dramatic as in the movie. But you get it: explore, absorb, keep or safe, share or throw away what you don’t like… In other words click, link,  follow, bookmark,  share and save or close the window.  
   So before I start writing I decided that I will apply what Todd Defren said when I met him: “take 2 days out of your life, 48 hours to look through blogs… Just 2 days that will change your life as a blogger”
Enjoy it, I will. 

 

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