SELINA PICHARDO - Blog

Jumping On The Rebranding Wagon

7/18/2014

For the past few months, I have been really unhappy with my blog. Maybe that's why I haven't been actively posting on my blog like I was at the beginning of the spring semester. I wasn't happy with my brand and I felt my blog was just a huge mess. What was my purpose? Who was I trying to reach? What was my brand?

So, I realized that I needed to take some time to step back and evaluate my brand. I will be taking a complete break from blogging and will instead focus all my time and energy on redesigning and rebranding my blog. I still really love the "big PR dreams" aspect of my brand, so I will be building around that one idea. Blogging and connecting with fellow bloggers is something I have grown to love and if it wasn't for the support of that community, I probably would not have the courage to take this big step.

One thing I am really scared about is putting a deadline on this process. I am so new to web design and it will take a while to learn. However, a deadline motivates you and prevents you from slacking off. So, my goal is to have my new blog go live on August 20, the day before my Fall semester begins. New year, new blog is how I look at it. This is such an exciting, and nerve-racking, step so I appreciate your support. I can't wait to show all my readers my ending results! I will still be active on Twitter so any tips you may have, hit them at me on social media. Thank you everyone and see you all in August. Until next time...

PRSSA NATIONAL CONFERENCE CHECK-LIST

7/9/2014

Public Relations Student Society of America

I will be attending my first PRSSA National Conference this October from the 10th-14th and words cannot describe my excitement. I am looking forward to the workshops, free agency tours on the first day, learning more about PR, making new relationships, and, of course, all this taking place in our nation's capitol is a big bonus: a city with a huge PR sector.

I was recently elected as Special Events Coordinator for the PRSSA chapter at Fresno State, and a major part of my duties this fall semester is organizing our D.C. trip. There is a lot to plan and I figured I would share with you a National Conference check-list for yourself or maybe for your own PRSSA chapter.

1.) REGISTRATION: The registration deadline is Sept 9, 2014. To register for the whole conference, the membership rate is $300. To register for a single day with a membership rate is $175.

2.) TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS: Make sure you book your flight and hotel rooms. The conference is being hosted by Omni Shoreham Hotel and the hotel is offering a PRSSA discount rate for their rooms. The discounted rate is $219 per room, per night. My fellow PRSSA members and myself will stay at this hotel. It's convenient and right in the middle of everything. I looked up other hotel rates in the same area and the discount rate is a good price.

For flights, right now is probably the best time to start looking and booking your flight. Keep in mind, the flight is going to be long, and depending which area of the country you're from, be smart about when you're planning to leave. My chapter is flying out from California, and even if we leave around 6:00AM on Thursday, some flights expect us to arrive in Washington D.C. around 8:00-10:00PM Thursday night and then the next day is Friday when the Conference begins. Also, it may be smart to arrive at the Reagan National Airport, which is the closest airport to the Omni Shoreham. That could save you money because no one wants to pay a taxi a ridiculous amount in meter fees. Once you arrive at the airport, have your transportation worked out. How are you going to get to your hotel: metro? taxi? car service? hotel shuttle service? Look up all your options.

3.) FUNDS: For some, like myself, this is going to be a very expensive trip. So look to see which options you have available that can help ease this burden. For example, PRSSA is an academic-based organization. Does your school offer funds for professional-related trips so you can be reimbursed? Have you thought about sponsorships? My chapter is currently in the process of writing a sponsorship letter and hopefully we can receive some funds from local businesses.

4.) TIME-OFF: If you're like me, you try to plan everything out. You're going to be gone for almost a week when you leave for the conference. So, have everything planned out with school, work, and/or internships. I plan on requesting time off from my job at the beginning of September so that way I am guaranteed the time off and also plan on giving my professors some type of notice around the same time as well.

5.) START SAVING: This really doesn't need a huge description. You're going to be taking a huge trip! So start saving for spending money and start saving for new clothes. This is going to be a huge event and of course you want to look your best.

Of course these are the general basics of the check-list. I will probably come across more a week after posting this! Have fun planning this trip and start getting excited. If you want some more information about the hotel, program, or who to contact for questions about the conference, look up the PRSSA National Conference website. Who's attending this conference? What are some items on your check-list? Let me know! Until then, keep dreaming!

~Selina

"Mockingjay": A Film's Bold Marketing Campaign

6/30/2014

Distributed by Lionsgates

Now, I will admit, I may have a little bias towards this topic because I love The Hunger Games saga! I love the books and I love the films. However, I can honestly say, all biases aside, one must truly admire the marketing campaign behind "Mockingjay: Part I" which is set to be released on November 21, 2014.

I'm sure everyone has heard the saying "Anticipation of death is worse than death itself". Sorry for the morbid quote, but I believe this quote best represents the marketing strategy behind "Mockingjay". Within the past week, the film has released a teaser trailer and new posters. Sounds simple, right?

Notice the teaser trailer does not show any actual footage from the film. Instead, the teaser is a service announcement from President Snow, the villain in the series. Just like our President address the nation, President Snow is addressing his nation on the importance of the Capitol, and anyone who tries to fight against the Capitol will suffer.

When people hear that a film teaser is out, they expect to see some glimpses of the film. What we get is a realistic look into the propaganda this type of government would produce to its citizens. We, as consumers of this film, understand this is an ad; but we can sense the darkness of this film as President Snow states citizens "will bleed" if they go against the Capitol and it just builds our anticipation of "Mockingjay" as we want to see this oncoming battle that is breaking over.

Credit: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I

Credit: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I

Before the teaser trailer was released, Mockingjay propaganda ads were released. The whole basis of The Hunger Game series is that citizens living in the Capitol are the ones with money, food, and living a luxurious life while other citizens living in other Districts are suffering. Yet, the Capitol wants everyone to remember that they take care of the remaining citizens in the poorer districts and because of that security, the remaining citizens work hard in service to their country.

The beauty of these character posters is the subtext behind these ads. The posters salute the "District Heroes" who contribute to the overall success of the country. These characters are heroes who are happy for their service. Yet, one poster shows a man who works even though he is missing a leg. The other shows a child covered in mining dust which hints at child labor. None of these posters show any of the film's characters. It just hints at the disconnect the Capitol has with the poor citizens.

The lines between reality and fiction are being blurred with this marketing campaign. However, it is effective because it hits home the main themes behind this series. It is building the anticipation of the final two films, especially for those who are familiar with the story. This is not a normal film marketing campaign. It is bold and new. Fresh and eye-catching. And it is working. When the posters and teaser trailer were released, Mockingjay was trending on Twitter. The teaser trailer has reached over 9 million views on Youtube. Critical acclaim is already being given to the film. We still haven't seen any footage from the film and people are ready to see Part I of The Hunger Games finale. Like I said, I may be a little bias, but I would call this a successful marketing campaign. Wouldn't you? What are your thoughts? Have you noticed this campaign or do you find it ineffective? Let me know your thoughts in comments or over Twitter. Until next time, keep dreaming!

~Selina

Go Out and Join A Student-Run PR Firm

6/5/2014

Fresno State's TALK PR Firm

I am very excited to discuss this subject. I have been planning this post for a couple weeks now because this is a topic that I have recently became passionate about: student-run PR firms. This past Spring semester, I recently joined Fresno State's student PR firm, TALK. It was something I was thinking about for a while and just finally decided one day to take the plunge and join. Today I wanted to share with you why you should join and the benefits of joining.

A student-run PR firm is a chance to hone your skills as an aspiring PR pro since with a student-run firm, you offer services to your university and/or local businesses. It gives you a chance to learn deeply about PR: to learn more about the field, learn about new practices, learn what it takes to make it in PR, and to learn from your fellow peers. I honestly believe joining this type of organization can be beneficial to your career and it does look good on your resume. I am excited for the next year as I accepted an E-Board position for TALK: Director of Public Relations. However, I just recently joined and do not really have much experience or advice to pass on. So, I turned to my amazing virtual support group of fellow PR friends on Twitter, asked who was involved in a student-run PR firm, and two wonderful PR women reached out. Today you will hear from Olivia Adams of Come Recommended and Meagan Fraser of Bread & Butter Public Relations. I asked these two ladies why did they join their on-campus firm, what was the most important thing they learned, and how can being involved in this type of organization be beneficial to your career. Enjoy their responses!

Meagan Fraser: I joined my on-campus PR firm to hone my skill set and gain more experiences to add to my resume. My firm, Allen Hall Public Relations, works with some amazing clients and I really wanted to be a part of it. I also wanted to meet other students like me and work with them to create some unique marketing and PR campaigns and strategies. I have never regretted my decision to join. The most important thing I learned while with AHPR was how to prioritize. The clients I had, all had a long list of goals that they wanted to accomplish. I had to learn what was most important from a PR standpoint, which enabled me to be able to help my client prioritize their goals in a way that made sense. Another really big skill I learned was time management. Juggling client work and school assignments isn't always the easiest thing and I definitely had to create a schedule for myself to keep me on track. I recently graduated at the end of March and was so excited to begin my full-time position at the end of April. AHPR gave me so many skills that have translated into my career. I think the biggest piece that has transferred over is client communications. It's so important to be able to build strong relationships with your clients and to be able to communicate with them effectively and efficiently. Being a part of my student-run firm also taught me how to sharpen my writing and how to build strong media lists for the things we were pitching. PR is such a fun career to have and it's definitely an industry that you learn from very quickly. Things don't always necessarily go according to plan and being prepared is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Olivia Adams: I joined Ferris State PRSSA's student-run firm because I wanted to gain "real world" experience as an underclassman. At the time, I had no idea what PR really was, so I thought this was a great way for me to learn how to interact with clients and do work that I could add to my portfolio. The most important thing I learned from being involved with Ferris' PR firm was client management. When I was involved, I worked with three other students and our client was a local deli. The business had a decent reputation in the community already, but it could definitely benefit from public relations. However, the owner of the business really wanted control over every decision we made and tried to micro-manage our work. This experience really showed me how in the real world that you're going to have clients who are going to do what they think is best for their organization, not what the PR firm think is best. Being involved with a student-run PR firm is a great way to gain experience before you have any internships. For most internships, employers want students to have prior PR experience. By being involved with a student-run PR firm, students can build their portfolios and resumes, and gain the experience they need to be a successful PR intern down the road.

If you want to connect with Olivia and Meagan, I will list their information at the bottom. They are wonderful connections to build relationships with and have so much advice to give. I hope you enjoyed their responses! Do you have prior experience with an on-campus firm? Any advice to share? Discuss it in comments or let me know over Twitter. Until next time, keep dreaming!

Olivia Adams
Twitter
Blog
LinkedIn

Meagan Fraser:
Twitter
Blog
LinkedIn

~Selina

Best Quotes from My Mentor

6/3/2014

This summer I was blessed with a PR/marketing internship at EPU-Children's Center, a local nonprofit in my city. The internship was originally part of my service-learning semester project for my PR class, but I grew to love the organization and how much I was learning from my work there.

My internship coordinator is the Development Director for EPU and my main job right now is to help her with planning our annual fundraiser, Fiesta de los Ninos. This past Thursday I spent all morning with my internship coordinator. Our main focus was to scout out local businesses, establish a relationship, and see if they would be willing to donate an item to our silent auction table. Before we got started, we had breakfast and talked. During this conversation, some interesting things were said; quotes that really struck me. So I want to share her wisdom and hope it has the same profound effect on you that it did me.

"It's still a man's world out there; the good ol' boys club. All that means is you have to work harder."

"Every career woman should always have THAT ONE powersuit; the suit when you walk into a room and people know you're here to rock."

"Always pay attention to your appearances. Pay attention to the audience you will be speaking to and coordinate your outfit around that.

"Start working on finding your organization system now. It will help you years later down the road."

"Always smile when you are talking on the phone. People can hear in your voice when you are smiling. It sounds better."

"Always dedicate at least an hour or two to some "me" time: when you can take a breather, answer all your emails, return phone calls, and have your to-do list set for tomorrow."

"If you can, learn how to play golf. You'll be surprised how many business deals happen on the golf course."

"Your portfolio is crucial. And having letters of recommendation ready to go in your portfolio can determine whether you get the job or right. It did for me; that's how I've landed this job and the previous one before it."

What was your favorite piece of advice? Do you have quotes of wisdom that you carried with you from previous internships? I would like to hear them in comments! Or tweet them at me. Until next time, keep dreaming!

~Selina

Collect Moments, Not Instagram Likes

5/28/2014

Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing Bruno Mars perform live at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA. It was a big deal for three reasons. One, a big artist was finally coming to Fresno. Two, the last time Bruno was in Fresno was to open for Maroon 5, but this time, he was here headlining his tour. And three....IT'S BRUNO MARS! The man who did the Superbowl Halftime show!

There was so much hype surrounding the show and he did not disappoint: his voice, his music, and his moves. It was Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Prince, and James Brown all wrapped into one show with his own personal kick. If you ever have a chance to see Bruno Mars live, TAKE IT! You won't regret it.

I only had one criticism from last night and it had nothing to do with the show itself: phone connection was absolutely terrible! It took 15 minutes for one text to send through and I couldn't post on Instagram until I got home. I was constantly on my phone trying to text my friends there, taking pictures, and taking videos for Instgram; and I wasn't the only one. The whole center was lit up by people on their phones. I didn't think too much of me being on my phone until Bruno Mars started singing "Marry You" which is my favorite song. Of course I started to record the song, but about 30 seconds in, I realized I was actually missing the performance because I was too busy recording the performance. It's kind of hard to see a huge performance through a tiny screen. I stopped recording and enjoyed the rest of the song.

Believe it or not, I had an epiphany right then and there. Yes, an epiphany while standing in a sold out center of over 16,000 people. I recorded previous songs and I would stop recording when I realized I was missing something cool. Here was I, at an amazing sold-out concert for the artist who performed at the Superbowl Halftime show. Instead of trying to record cool videos for my Instagram page, I should have stopped and enjoyed the moment. My dad said life is about living for moments; a moment happens and then we go about our lives waiting for that next moment. I was living a great moment, but I am ashamed to say that I wasted too much time on my phone.

I feel like people always want to take a picture or a video of something because it looks or sounds cool and we know we will get a lot of Instagram likes. Now, I am not attacking anyone: it is a simple fact of our generation. Like I said, I am guilty of this. Right when I got home, I uploaded all my videos, but the epiphany was still in the back of my mind. Maybe it is time to challenge myself. We want to document our moments so we can always remember them. However, maybe sometimes we don't need to document it. Maybe all we need to do is just stop recording and actually take in what we are experiencing.

This was my little rant for the week, but do you agree? Maybe we shouldn't focus too much on recording our moments but actually start living in that moment (yes, terribly cliché, I know)? Tell me your thoughts in comments below or send me a tweet! Until next time, keep dreaming.

~Selina

May 4th: The Day I Learned to Let Go and Started Growing Up

5/21/2014

Phi Mu- Eta Zeta

This past month I realized that in order for a new chapter to begin, you must close the current one. Growing-up is a scary process because change and the unknown is scary; but it so exciting because the future is endless.

As you noticed, I have been MIA for the past month, and it was because one huge, important part of my life had taken over: my sorority. I am a proud sister, and now alumna, of Phi Mu Fraternity. Don't be confused because I used sorority and fraternity to describe my organization. Phi Mu was founded in 1852, before the term "sorority" was even created, so Phi Mu is considered "a fraternity for women".

I have been apart of this amazing organization since Fall '10 and on May 4th, 2014, I went through a ceremony that declared me an alumna of Phi Mu. Sisters who go alum are sisters who are either graduating college or have accomplished four years. What does this all mean? Pretty much: your time is up, time to move on, let go, and time to grow up.

Phi Mu has been such a huge aspect of my life and it was, still is, extremely tough for me to realize it's time for me to let go of this chapter and begin a new one. I am not worried thought because my next chapter is looking amazing!

-I will be starting my summer marketing/PR internship with a local nonprofit.
-Next semester, I will serve on Fresno State's PRSSA E-Board as the Special Events Coordinator and Fresno State's student-tun PR firm, TALK, E-Board as Director of Public Relations.
-But most importantly: GRADUATION IS NEXT SPRING!

Joining a sorority was the best thing that could ever happen to me and going alum was a huge moment for me. It made me realize the future is here and you can't stop it. All you can do is take it on head first. Embrace it. Take chances and don't be afraid. You can't grow unless you takes risks and step out of your comfort zone. This past month was a huge moment for me, and even though I am a little scared, I feel prepared for my future.

Have you ever had a "oh wow, I'm really growing up" moment? A moment when you realized things are changing? I want to hear about them! Leave a comment or chat with me over Twitter. Until next time, keep dreaming!

~Selina

Big Cities for Big City-Dreamers

4/18/2014

Image Credit to Pinterest

The maid idea behind my blog was the fact that I've been dreaming to make it in a big city ever since I was in the seventh grade. I was born and raised in a small city, and the desire to leave has been my driving force to success. Yet, I realized that I have never posted about cities: my dream city and since I will be graduating next May, the best cities for PR specialists.

This past Tuesday, the Huffington Post published an article called 'The Top 12 Cities for Millennials to Live, Work, and Pay'. After reading this article, I realized some of the cities listed have also been listed under for best/happiest cities for PR jobs. From these mutiple lists, I went ahead and picked my favorite cities that I would be completely happy with establishing myself in.

1.) San Jose, CA: Recently, I have been really been researching into San Jose. I think it's because I love California; I am a proud sunshine child. The weather, the beaches, the culture, and it seems like every major city has that one spot where they sell the best tacos in town. I wouldn't want to leave good ol' Cali. My father actually wants me to end up in San Jose. He used to work there when I was little and he loved the city and how there was a centralized downtown area. San Jose is ranked #11 for Millennials because a lot of college graduates work there. It's known for PR jobs because of all the tech companies and agencies located in the city. Also keep in mind that San Jose is the largest city in the Silicon Valley area.

2.) Boston, MA: Even though I love California, Boston has been the dream city since the seventh grade. I am just completely fascinated by it and so is Huffington Post, which ranked Boston #6 on the list. The fact that Boston has a huge amount of college graduates living in the city contributes to the quality of life. Don't believe me? With Boston and Cambridge combined, there's Harvard, MIT, Boston College, Boston University, Suffolk University, and so much more. PR jobs thrive in Boston because of the healthcare, financial, business, and political sectors.

3.) San Francisco, CA: You can't get away from California and when people think of California, they most likely think of LA and San Francisco. A lot of college graduates from UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkley, Stanford, and San Jose State end up working in San Fran. People want to work in a city where they'll be plenty other people around their age, which is why San Francisco is ranked #5 on Huffington's list. The quality of life is ranked high: the culture, weather, food, attractions are just some of the reason why people are happy living in San Fran. This city is actually my backer city; I have an uncle who lives there and says he has a room ready for me whenever I graduate. San Francisco would offer me a lot of PR job opportunities especially in the financial and high technology sector. Also, San Francisco is ranked the leading financial hub of the San Francisco bay area and Northern California.

4.) Washington D.C.: Our capital is ranked pretty high on Huffington's list with a ranking of #3 and someone with political communication dreams such as myself, I know I will have to move to Washington D.C. if I want any chance of making a name for myself. When I first fell in love with PR, I started researching crisis/political communication firms and I could not believe how many PR firms are located in Washington D.C. However, I can't really be shocked with all the politics and how large the private sector is.

I will be attaching the other lists I based my information off. These are my top cities that I would be so excited to find a PR job in. Keep in mind, these are my personal favorites. There are so many cities I did not give credit to that I may find a job at. San Diego anymore? Austin? Chicago? What are you dream cities? Are you actually living and working in these cities? Are you satisfied? Please leave a comment because I would like to know. Or tweet me! I love tweeting ;) Until next time, keep dreaming.

~Selina

U.S. News Weekly: Public Relations Specialists Salary
Ragan's PR Daily: 10 Happiest Cities for PR and Marketing pros

"Kill 'Em With Kindness": Honey Maid's Strategy

4/14/2014

On March 10, Honey Maid launched a new campaign called "This is Wholesome" which embraces the idea of family and love. They released a 30-second long commercial titled "This is Wholesome"; a commercial showing three different families, and even though these families may be different, they are still a wholesome family.

Now, some of you may have found this commercial to be heart-warming and sweet, but others did not. Honey Maid was soon engrossed in a social media blow-out with numerous individuals saying this commercial was "disgusting" or "wrong" and some even saying "evil". The commercial does portray multiple families: a same-sex couple, a bi-racial couple, a single parent, and a rocker family. These families were far from the stereotypical "wholesome" family traditional America is used to, and the fact that Honey Maid, a well-known family product for the past 90 years, took a stance in saying these are the new wholesome families, threw a lot of people off. After criticism, the media waited to see how Honey Maid was going to respond. A press release stating their support in same-sex couples? An interview explaining how America is changing? Or how about a video implying to push politics aside, and it does not matter who you are; family is everything and is it what makes us whole? In the beginning of April, Honey Maid soon released a follow-up video in response to the criticism that had thousands applauding.

Honey Maid received an overwhelmingly positive response to this video, with people saying thank you for embracing love. This company could have chosen different routes to go about in response to the criticism from the first video. Instead of fighting back, they chose to respond back with kindness: a simple video stating that it doesn't matter who you are, the only thing that matters with family is love. The motto "kill them with kindness" is the strategy Honey Maid chose to follow and it worked. All biases aside, it was a smart move because we have all heard it before, "The KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method works best" and that is exactly what Honey Maid did. No big press conferences, press releases, or a show at all. A simple response that allowed them to keep their all-American brand intact.

To my big-city dreamers, what do you all think? Did Honey Maid respond in the correct fashion to their criticism? Was there something they could have changed or made better? Tweet me or leave a comment! Until next time, keep dreaming!

~Selina P.

In Honor of Flashback Friday, Check Out My Guest Post

3/28/2014

Hello my big-city dreamers! Since I didn't get a chance to share my featured guest post, I am taking advantage of "Flashback Friday" to finally share it with you. About a week and half ago, I wrote a piece for RachMarie PR.

I am a communication major trying to find my place in this crazy PR world and I will be competing with other students who actually have a degree in Public Relations. So I wrote that even though I am a communication major, I am not being held back and there are certain steps you can take to make sure you are preparing yourself for the PR world. Go ahead and CHECK IT OUT!

Also, while you're reading my post, take a look around on RachMarie PR's blog! She offers so much advice and you can find inspiration anywhere on that blog. Reach out and connect with Rachel because she's definitely a great connection you will want to have!
BLOG
TWITTER
FACEBOOK
LINKEDIN

Tell me how you like my post over Twitter! Until next time.....

~Selina