1. What exactly do you do at Tuomey?

I am the spokesperson for the
organization.  I am in charge of all marketing and advertising.  We
handle all of the press materials for the hospital. We design
billboards, TV spots, newspaper ads, brochures, etc., and we handle the
website as well.

2. How did you get started at Tuomey, as well as in PR? I actually
started in newspapers as a reporter.  Did that for a few years, then
became a city editor, then when I started working at The Item, I
switched over to the marketing department and also did some sales.
Prior to working at Tuomey, I was the spokesperson and PR person for
Sumter School District Two.  Marketing for the hospital sounded like a
great idea, so I sent in a resume, called our president & CEO
and the rest is history.

3. What is a typical day like for you? I don’t think there is such a
thing – which is what I like about the job.  I could be writing articles
for our magazine, shooting video for TV, overseeing a photography shoot,
dealing with the media on a crisis, working with our creative folks on
updating the web or working with a variety of departments on special
projects.

4. What stakeholders do you work with? The medical staff, the employees,
the community, senior management – just about everyone!

5. What are the pros and cons of your job? You know, I really cannot
think of any cons.  I do have a great job.  I guess that’s why I’ve been
here since December of 1997.  The hours can be flexible if I need them
to be.
 Ihave great folks to work with. We get to be creative and have fun and do
some really neat things!  It’s a great job!

6. What advice do you have for someone that is interested in PR, but
does not really know where to begin? I would say get some writing
experience – anyway that you can!!!  A good writer is so hard to find.
Go work at a newspaper for a while.  I promise, it will pay off.  That
daily grind will make you better. I promise!!
 
7. What is your actual job title at Tuomey? Director of Public Relations

8. What is one of your latest projects or tasks that you have had to do?
We’ve started a blog with our President & CEO, and that has been a great
experience for him and us.  Getting him involved in Facebook, as well as
the whole hospital, has been very interesting. It’s the new way to
market, so we’re now out there on You Tube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
It’s amazing now what you can do with your website, and that’s such a
great way to meet a whole new set of customers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z8gCZ7zpsQ&feature=PlayList&p=A68C0E6F6E2E51D3&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1

During the 2009 VMA awards, Taylor Swift received an award, but not in the way that she would have wished. As she went up there to accept her award, Kanye West runs up to her,grabs her mic, and begins to talk about how Beyonce had one of the “best videos of all time” Poor Kanye obviously was not thinking when he did this for he ruined his reputation as well as the rap music industry’s reputation. Bad PR? Definitely.

In this split second, Kanye dug himself in a hole of a shame. This was definitely awful PR for Kanye West and his managers. After he said this, so many people and fans that respected Kanye West no longer did. Not only did he create bad PR for himself, but he also created bad PR for other rappers. Other rappers associated with Kanye, and even rappers that are not associated with Kanye probably have suffered consequences as well. When people saw how well Taylor Swift reacted and how poised she was throughout the entire situation, she gained a lot more credibility. She, on the other hand created good PR for herself and all of country music. She stayed calm and under control and basically showed Kanye that she was a better person than him and that she could take this obstacle and overcome it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCD_4kmNQzM In this clip, Kanye tries to apologize and show his remorse, which is a step in the right direction, but he still has a long way to go. Sorry Mr. West, bad PR for you. Taylor Swift? The way she handled this definitely became great PR for her.

      When men watched this show, they more than likely were drawn to the looks of the models. Because of this, these men may be more inclined to go out and buy Victoria Secret products for their wives. For women watching this fashion show, they more than likely would love to buy these products because maybe, just maybe, they will look as good in it as the models do. I know my roommates and I were watching, and we felt very motivated to try and look like those models. Of course, we will never look like these models, but we can buy their products and feel more like them. Overall, this fashion show is a great form of public relations for Victoria’s Secret. It appeals to men and women and is a highly respected company to everyone.

Is this PR for Clemson or for Nike? In my opinion, this is great PR for both Clemson and Nike. When Nike creates their lightest uniforms yet and then chooses eleven top ranked teams to wear them before they are out for anyone, this is a great PR tactic for Nike. When elite football teams are seen in their uniforms, it will entice others to want these same jerseys when they hit the market. Now, when Clemson is seen wearing these, they are seen as an elite football team. These uniforms will separate them as elite and the public will recognize Clemson’s success. Clemson’s great season in itself has been awesome PR for the University in general, but the football team being known as part of an elite group helps out even more.

   For me, it is hard to imagine growing up in a world without social media, or having forms of social media without actively using it. Our generation is so wrapped up in these forms of social media that it would definitely become a challenge to go without it. It was even said in this slide that around 7 billion texts are sent every day. Even text messaging is a form of social media, that I am positive our generation would feel slighted if text messaging disappeared or if we were no longer allowed to use it.

“The key point here is that Social Media has yet to reveal its true impact. While many are defining its future, the majority of people around the world have yet to embrace it and participate. This means that it’s only going to become more pervasive and as such, become a critical factor in the success or failure of any business.”

 This site also discusses that the main goals of practicioners today are to understand people in organizations, strategic focus, change management, coaching and consultation, tactical skills, etc. It also said that practicioners use to focus more on journalistic skills, writing and editing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_communications. Wikipedia describes internal communications as a generic expression for all communication (formal and informal) that an organisation undertakes with its close stakeholders. In looking at this definition, I was able to understand more  exactly what internal communication was. In this one little definiton, it became clear to me that internal communication is not only important but crucial in an organization. Essentially, internal/employee communication holds an organization together. It allows an organization to overcome issues, crises, and change. Without overcoming issues such as these, an organization or company can never be successful.

  I definitely thought this was an example of good PR. Since we are just a campus sorority, our methods did not reach above and beyond to people in the surrounding area. However, given the means that we used, our PR was the most important part in making our Chickfila night successful. If we had not used any PR, then we definitely would not have raised money for St. Judes.

Also, this chapter talks about the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It was stated that public relations practicioners promote a particular product or service, then their actions may fall under the watchful eye of the FTC. I never even considered the idea that PR had to be watched essentially by the government. The FTC essentially makes sure that nothing is unfair or deceptive. This chapter was more informative for me than anything else. I never grasped how important, if at all, law was in the eyes of PR.