Final Press Release 1: Announcement

Social Media Club of Cache Valley
1504 Lynnwood Ave.
Logan, UT 84341
Contact: 661-772-7537

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 25 January 2011

LOGAN, Utah – The Social Media Club of Cache Valley is a group of like-minded individuals that has been here in the valley for nearly three years.  Monthly they meet in different areas throughout the valley to meet with a variety of different individuals.  From the twenty something college student on the cusp of social media to the grandma trying to keep up with her grandkids on this new wave of technology, they all seek to gain a greater understanding of social media.
            Preston Parker, President of the SMCCV, refers to it as “a very fun and inviting atmosphere with the intention to promote education to those who want to learn more about social media”.  The club has the goal of becoming a self-sustaining service organization.  They are moving towards that end with the supporting of at least two Christmas concerts last year.

The club meets monthly on the second Tuesday typically around 6:30 pm unless otherwise noted.  Visit them at smccv.blogspot.com for more information and to get in on the “tweets” of where they meet.
           
Thomas Broschinsky
Thom.bro@aggiemail.usu.edu

tpbroschinsky.wordpress.com
435.770.7675

Draft Press Release 1: Announcement

Social media Club of Cache Valley
1504 Lynnwood Ave.
Logan, UT 84341
Contact: 661-772-7537

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 25 January 2011

LOGAN, Utah – The Social Media Club of Cache Valley is a group of like-minded individuals that has been here in the valley for nearly three years. Monthly they meet in different areas throughout the valley to meet with a variety of different individuals. From the twenty something college student on the cusp of social media to the grandma trying to keep up her grandkids on this new wave of technology, they all seek to gain a greater understanding of social media.

Preston Parker, President of the SMCCV, refers to it as “a very fun and inviting atmosphere with the intention to promote education to those who want to learn more about social media”. The club has the goal of becoming a self sustaining service organization. They are moving towards that end with the supporting of at least two Christmas concerts last year.

Thomas Broschinsky

Thom.bro@aggiemail.usu.edu

435.770.7675

United Breaks Guitars Case Study

           With this particular issue it sounds to me like fingers could have been pointed at a lot of different people claiming that the issue was their fault or is theirs to deal with.  I say that as a blanket statement to include Dave Carroll and the rest of the band.  I know that while flying, if you have something that is fragile, then you can make arrangements the luggage handlers are aware by either stickers being placed on the luggage or some kind of special tag being put on the handle to indicate the contents are fragile.   To that extent, I would say that is something that Dave Carroll and his group did wrong.  However, that is not to say that the luggage handlers at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport are not responsible for their actions.

            I am sure that part of the training that luggage handlers receive concerns the proper way handling luggage and doing so in an efficient manner.  The handlers may have been in hurry trying to get the luggage moving so the plane wouldn’t be delayed but that doesn’t excuse the fact of throwing luggage around, especially a guitar case.  Regardless of whether or not there was a guitar in the case, it is always better to error on the side of safety.

            Now, concerning how United Airlines handled the situation, there are certainly much better ways to handle what happened then how they did.  I realize that in the customer service world there are specific ways of doing things and corporations have those in place so that customers don’t take advantage or the system.  However, the system should be set up to still be able to help customers and take care of issues rather than making them worse.  The fact that the issue wasn’t resolved right away, or at least within six months, was a big issue.  I have worked in different kind of customer service and you always want to follow policy and procedure but you it is always stressed to try to fix the issue the right way the first time so it doesn’t come up again.  That way you have happy customers and the company no longer has to deal with the issue. United Airlines should have done exactly that.  They had nine months at which point the issue escalated to Dave Carroll being in correspondence with an employee of United Airlines.  At that point and time, United should have weighed their options and said, “Should we give him the $1200 or make a gamble that he won’t tell anyone?  Let’s give him the $1200 and have it over with.”  Instead, they stuck to “their guns” and said no, denied the claim on some ridicules grounds, and paid a pretty heavy price, somewhere to the tune of $180 million.  United Airlines should have resolved the issue right away.

            As for Dave Carroll and the Sons of Maxwell, they did everything within their power and knowledge to get the issue resolved.  They attempted to contact an employee immediately after the incident but were passed off to this person or that person.  After resolving that they weren’t able to take care of it immediately, they took the only avenue they could, calling by phone.  It seems that Dave Carroll did everything he was told that was within his means.  He played the game to the best of his ability but United Airlines wasn’t playing fairly.  After nine long months of going back and forth the phone, email, and fax machines, Dave Carroll and the Sons of Maxwell did what they do best.  They used their talents as a creative outlet for their frustration to tell the world about what occurred while still being within their rights and without defaming and stating anything libelous about United Airlines. 

            Ultimately, the outcome that resulted was a necessary one.  It forced United Airlines to learn, though it was in a very hard way, it was still a necessary lesson.  Dave Carroll and the Sons of Maxwell did everything they could.  It wasn’t their intention to have United’s stock drop, but that was a consequence of United’s lack of action.  Dave Carroll and the Sons of Maxwell did everything right, United, though they stuck to “their guns”, did everything wrong.

Dear Jenna

                                                                                                                           

18 January 2011

Jenna,                                                                                        

            You recently asked me what my major is and what I intend to do with it for a career.  I tried to provide the best response I could at the time, however, it didn’t sit well with me.  This letter is my attempt to better help you understand what a public relations specialist is and how I intend to use it throughout my life.

            What a PR Specialist is not is a truth spinner.  This individual’s job hangs in the balance on how they represent their company or client.  If they do so in a manner that is deceiving or untruthful, it reflects poorly on them and their employer.  Neither of which is a desired outcome.

            A PR specialist also isn’t just a “people person”.  There is much more to not just good communication, but great communication.  The ability to persuade as to have people change a behavior is needed.  The understanding that sometimes people need the truth, no matter the outcome, but, to also understand that even though people scream for the truth, it is better it comes out in time.  Understanding the ever changing flow of media how to flow with it is the bread and butter of a PR specialist.  Also, a PR specialist is nothing if they cannot effectively communication with the written word.  Much of what is done is using a bunch of characters and symbols, placing them in a flowing form, and communicating in such a way to obtain a desired outcome or change in behavior.

            For myself, my desire is to utilize all of these abilities and traits of a PR specialist for the United States Air Force.  As a future Public Affairs Officer, I will utilize all of the aforementioned but also much more.  The nature of a PA Officer is to be able to use all forms of media to obtain a desired end.  Whether it be meeting with the media regarding something on base, putting out a statement about a downed pilot, or working with a commander of a base and advising him/her on how best to work the local government where I’m deployed.  All talents and abilities that belong to a PR specialist will have to be my hammer and nail so I can build anything that is asked.  That also means setting up activates on base or in the local community to also build a relationship of trust between the protector and the protected.

            I hope that this broadens your understanding of what a PR specialist does and the ever growing need for them. 

Sincerely,

            Tom

Good News

With the start of a new semester comes some good news.  

  1.  The John K. Cannon Squadron voted on a date for 2Cure Cancer.  The date is now 23 April!  That means as soon as I get some things finalized, we can start advertising.

  2.  I found out through some investigation that our potential venue is not located in Logan City limits.  That means that saves us some money and few issues we can run in to.

  3.  I'm working towards getting North Logan City to help sponsor our event.  If they do, that will save us nearly $550!  

  

So, that is the wonderfully good news.  Within the next two weeks everything should be set up.