Social Media:Open Licensing

Find an indepth description of open licensing at http://opendefinition.org/guide/

    As stated on the website, open licensing is

"is a document that specifies what can and cannot be done with a work (whether sound, text, image or multimedia). It grants permissions and states restrictions. Broadly speaking, an open license is one which grants permission to access, re-use and redistribute a work with few or no restrictions.

...a piece of writing on a website made available under an open license would be free for anyone to:

• print out and share,
• publish on another website or in print,
• make alterations or additions,
• incorporate, in part or in whole, into another piece of writing,
• use as the basis for a work in another medium – such as an audio recording or a film,
• and do many other things …

Openly licensed works are hence free to be shared, improved and built upon!"


So why wouldn't you open license your work? Are controlled creative content a hinderance to the progression of creativity?

Social Media- Apps

http://www.psfk.com/2010/07/infographic-the-history-of-apps.html

http://socialtimes.com/social-media-marketing-apps_b24026

Search Engine Optimization

The following is a tutorial provided by Google to optimize the searchability of your website:
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769

Yahoo offers a similar guideline for their search engine here:
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/search/basics/basics-18.html


  The New York Times published a story in Febuary of this year concerning a huge SEO no-no.
JC Penny had become the number one search result for hundreds of search terms like “Samsonite carry on luggage,” "skinny jeans,"home decor,” “comforter sets,” “furniture," the list goes on and on.

   After investigations of the strange search engine resulting, it was found that JC Penny had found a new niche to the online dark-side to market their company. Google sorts their results in accordance with many factors, one of those being the number of outside links that filter into any given site. It had been found that Penny had tagged 2,015 sites with a direct link to their site. The vast majority of their tagged websites were out of use, serving the sole purpose of boosting JC Penny's search ranking.

New York Times reported that tags were found off topic sites:
"The phrase “black dresses” and a Penney link were tacked to the bottom of a site called nuclear.engineeringaddict.com. “Evening dresses” appeared on a site called casino-focus.com. “Cocktail dresses” showed up on bulgariapropertyportal.com. ”Casual dresses” was on a site called elistofbanks.com. “Semi-formal dresses” was pasted, rather incongruously, on usclettermen.org. There are links to JCPenney.com’s dresses page on sites about diseases, cameras, cars, dogs, aluminum sheets, travel, snoring, diamond drills, bathroom tiles, hotel furniture, online games, commodities, fishing, Adobe Flash, glass shower doors, jokes and dentists — and the list goes on."          

Both Google and JC Penny found wrong in the actions taken and worked to take down the links. The immediate effects of the removal of the links highlight just how effective their scheme was.

"At 7 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, J. C. Penney was still the No. 1 result for “Samsonite carry on luggage.”
Two hours later, it was at No. 71."


Read full story at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/business/13search.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

Distance Communication Skills: Skype Secrets

     Recent research conducted by the Polytechnic Institute of New York University has discovered some major glitches in Skype's privacy settings that could potentially expose the location and movements of Skype's entire database which consists of a half-billion users world-wide.

  Hackers can steal IP addresses easily by making partial calls to any skype user. The call does not go through and the target would have no idea the call was ever recieved. Hackers can gain access to your personal files, downloads, movements and physical address. The differentail concern with this particular glitch is that ANY person can gain access to ANY Skype user, the hacker does not have to be a contact to make partial calls. Skype typically runs when a user's computer is in use, regardless of whether the user is using their program or not.

 A blog by social media savvy Karen A. Frenkel quotes Skype’s Chief Information Security Officer, saying: "We value the privacy of our users and are committed to making our products as secure as possible. Just as with typical internet communications software, Skype users who are connected may be able to determine each other’s IP address. Through research and development, we will continue to make advances in this area and improvements to our software."

I don't know about you, but I feel much better. Oh wait...

  Extremists like Keith Ross, a researcher looking into the problem at NYU, points out the potential for terrorist groups to take advantage of the glitch and track targets. Targets at risk could include goverment officials, or employees of target organizations.

Read more at http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/24/skype-security-flaw-potential-terrorist-threat-nyu-professor-says/

Viral Videos

   From the humble beginnings of the numa-numa dance and the star wars kid, viral videos have become somewhat of a phenomenon in online culture.


What constitutes a viral video?
http://socialtimes.com/what-makes-a-video-viral_b61409

   A million views on a video is, to be put simply, a lot. However, videos that hit one-million views only to level off are not the videos that are remembered. YouTube expert Kevin Nalty puts it; “a video I submit is “viral” if it gets more than 5 million views in a 3-7 day period". He uses President Obama’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner comedy routine as an example, which was viewed over 7.2 million times the first WEEK it was uploaded.

 Number of hits alone do not make a video viral, it is the excitement and frenzy feel it creates. If people are watching it and people are talking about it, then more people are naturally going to watch it and keep talking. The interest level of the video is the stimulant for how long the "buzz" surrounding it will last.

  The longevity of the cycle of talked about videos add to the notorious "viral" title. Do the vidoes create a lasting "spin-off", if you will? People still joke about Gingers, thanks in part to the angry ginger video, (something I, as a ginger, am specifically bitter towards..). It has stuck, making camp in popular culture

Locating social media

    In a world of little online privacy, it seems natural for location based social media to thrive. Users of sites such as Foursquare and Facebook's location options allow users to share their whereabouts and swap information and happenings in their area.

   A new mobile app that has become particularly interesting to me is TagWhat; an application that allows users to upload mobile photos of landmarks around their location, adding personal commentary to the image. Commentary can include personal stories, random facts, historical information, deals, tips, anything others may find interesting (or... not).
 
   Maps meet scrapbooking meets Facebook meets Groupon in TagWhat. The potential to share deals and helpful information based on your location could reshape social media. The application undoubtably has a long ways to go, but it's potential is exciting.

Blogger Natalie Giddings addresses the differences TagWhat offers in comparison to other social media outlets in her blog, saying:

  "What differentiates TagWhat from Foursquare (and what makes it more like Facebook), is the fact that it eschews the formers' game mechanics and focuses on the user interaction and community building aspects of the latter. The basic use of TagWhat is that it lets users turn a view of any location into an engrossing, educational experience, as users provide interesting stories and entertaining information about every single thing that can be captured by your camera - think a diner and its history is interesting enough? I Love this examples they give on their website. Try to point the device at the tables, perhaps a user has tagged the exact table where a famous actor used to sit during his lunch breaks. TagWhat makes the world more interesting."

Read more: http://technorati.com/blogging/article/augmented-reality-meets-location-based-social/#ixzz1a7bHNVet

Traditional views and Social Media

Traditional media outlets seem be strung out across a range of emotion towards social media. Our traditional friends may want to thumb through an AA 12-steps-to-acceptance pamphlet next time they go to CVS, because social media is here to stay.

one: Admit we are powerless over the rise of social media- our professional fields have changed

two: Power greater that ourselves lies within social media, that can be harnessed for good

three: Stop turning a blind eye social media, and come to terms with the changing times of all       media outlets.

four: Make a searching and fearless inventory of social media sites and their potential as it pertains to us.

five: Admit to ourselves and our professional counterparts our previous wrong in verbalizing scathing and offensive thoughts towards social media in a vain effort to change the unchangeable.

six: Ready ourselves to take the plunge into mixing tradition with the abyss of social media

seven: Hunbly remove all bitter emotions and prejudgment towards online networking

eight: list all opportunites we have lost in our stupor of close-mindedness

nine: make efforts to uptake all opportunites that were lost do to reasons described on the previous step.

ten: continue to make steps to remove the bitterness and hostility that has inevidably cemented up into a wall of disdain towards social media and its users

eleven: sought through research and trail to improve our outreach through understanding social media. We understand this will give us power to carry our messages to the masses

twelve: Having been awakened from our slumber of ill-mindedness, we try to carry our message of glad tidings to all media experts who are hiding from the truth.

Now that we've excepted that the rise of social media has finally caught up with traditional views of marketing and business; we can move past of fragile, scared state and be welcomed into the world of media relations.
Clearly,  now more than ever, social media is working to redefine business and politics. In Liberal Democrats' View: It Was Traditional Media That Did It by Mark Pack, liberal representative's social media sites were monitored during a British political debate. After the debate finished, the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg's facebook following had risen percent, while his Twitter following rose 23 percent.
This information gave voice to the face that social media is not just for twenty-somethings posting pictures of themselves in the mirror anymore. Social Media is a real time representation of what is happening in our world. Twitter has supplied an opportunity for politicians to communicate their position with a mass audience.

My Events

In the Business of Blogging

In an article published in Bloomberg Businessweek in 2005, Stephen Baker and Heather Green delved into a new crazy sweeping the internet:

Blogging.

In 2005, when "Twittering was an activity dominated by small birds" and "Facebook was still an Ivy League sensation", this article was one of the first to address the potential of blogging; the opportunity for consumers to write in cyber stone what they think about you, your brand, your business. The writers realized that this communication outlet was a springboard to things to come. With 9 million blogs out there and a some 40,000 new ones published every day, blogs were and continue to be a force to be reconed with. Businessweek used online article as a wake up call to white collar Americans that blogs and online forums are not something to be ignored, but something to be utilized and appreciated.
The article dove into the gossip-y, scandal train stigma that blogging and online messaging was seen as.

The overwhelming majority of the information the world spews out every day is digital—photos from camera phones, PowerPoint presentations, government filings, billions and billions of e-mails, even digital phone messages. With a couple of clicks, every one of these items can be broadcast into the blogosphere by anyone with an Internet hookup—or even a cell phone. If it's scandalous, a poisonous e-mail from a CEO, for example, or torture pictures from a prison camp, others link to it in a flash. And here's the killer: Blog posts linger on the Web forever.

BUT

Ideas circulate as fast as scandal.

Potential customers are out there, sniffing around for deals and partners. While you may be putting it off, you can bet that your competitors are exploring ways to harvest new ideas from blogs, sprinkle ads into them, and yes, find out what you and other competitors are up to.

Something interesting happened with this particular 2005 article. Bloggers linked to the article, creating traffic from business men to blogs and vice versa. It became somewhat of a middle ground between the tech savvy and the stiff-fingered CEO's.

Read the UPDATED article at http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/feb2008/db20080219_908252.htm

Social Media: The Big Seven

Twitter has proven that one-hundred and forty characters and a user base of 200 million can put you on the map. Real time communication has affected nearly every professional field. Marketing in particular has been reshaped by the ability to communicate with an entities’ audience directly and immediately. The doors of privacy and silence have been ripped from their hinges and the user-friendly welcome wagon bearing tweets and freebies has strolled in. Companies and individuals are now expected to communicate in Twitter real time. TechCrunch recently reported that there are now 200 Million tweets a day, up from 65 million a day a year ago. Clearly, Twitter has proven itself as a force to be reckoned with.

13 Mind-Bending Social Media Marketing Statistics by Kipp Bodnar gives mildly creepy statistics on just how quickly social media is becoming mainstream communication.
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23865/13-Mind-Bending-Social-Media-Marketing-Statistics.aspx

The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of information being sent out into cyber-everywhere is noise. Sorry Kris Jenner/Kardashian, but I don’t want to read in awful shrt hnd (short hand for short hand) how excited you are to eat at some restaurant you’re shamelessly endorsing. To make it in social media, you need something to say and an audience that wants to hear it.
   Maybe I Should Shut Up: How to be Heard on Twitter by Andi Putra at http://www.webmarketerdepot.com/maybe-i-should-shut-up-how-to-be-heard-in-twitter/
 addresses the basic Twitter ettiquette that can translate into loyal followers and less unfollowings due to garbage thrown from your account onto the general public. Be kind, recycle, have something of importance to say. In a social media world where everyone has soapbox, you need a strategy to get your voice heard by the people you want to hear it.

Twitter has given us the opportunity to build a relationship with the people and forces that share our interests. Positive relationships can build our reputations and provide chances for success, while negative relationships can burn bridges and stiffle opportunities.

What are you planning to do with... That?

       As a soon-to-be junior in college, I find myself a constant recipiant of the repeatative, mildly-uncomfortable slew of questions reguarding my field of study . The asker of the mildly-uncomfortable inquisition (usually an aquaintance whose last name and existance I had forgotten some time prior) begins by asking the knee-jerk "So, are you in school?". After the polite assurity that I am, indeed, furthering my education and planning to aid society, "Are you in school?" is followed, without fail by: "What are you studying?"

"Public Relations".


When you Google Image search public relations, you get this:

?

and this

...?

In the cases of those who don't Google Image everything (as I have a tendancy to do), and who watch E! as I most defintely do; public relations most likely brings the following image to mind:

*Picture aquired via Google Images

It is no wonder, really, why I am met with blank stares and looks reflecting mild-to-moderate judgement towards my area of study.

I would like to take a minute to recognize a few responses to the mildly-uncomfortable questions we've covered thus far. These responses not only developed some personal reservations about working in the relations field, they hightened my suspicions that people are generally not intelligent.

In no particular order:

Me: "I'm studying public relations."
MUQA (mildly uncomfortable question asker): My friend Debbie* got her wedding planning lisence in like, a month online. I'll give you her number, you could save a lot in tuition.

Me: "Public relations".
MUQA: "What?"

Me: "I'm in PR."
MUQA: "Oh wow. Do you ever worry about getting AIDS? I could never work with blood!"



I understand that not everyone has a negative (or non-existant) understanding of PR. Most people have heard of the field though few are familiar with all that it includes. Those few who are familiar with public relations have a hard time explaining what we do to small-talk Joe Schmoe. There are countless applications of my intended degree. After many tounge-tied attempts to explain what public relations is, I have drawn up my definition:

PR professions have one hand directing traffic in an organization, and the other on the ground feeling for earthquakes that could damage their client.  Public relations deals with communication between groups. More often than not, public relations professionals are the liaisons of communication between their client, whether that be a person or organization, and the groups that benefit them. Networking, image, event planning and use of media all play into the job description.


S. H. Simmons provides my favorite definition:
“If a young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is — that’s advertising. If the young man tells his date she’s intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he’s saying the right things to the right person and that’s marketing. If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is – that’s PR.”  


      Even the most simplistic definition is not very simple.

Defining pr is child's play compared to explaining to MUQA what I plan to do with my misunderstood degree. This brings us to the climax of the mildly-uncomfortable slew of questions"

"So... what do you plan on doing with that?"

My two remaining years of college are ticking away like a time bomb, counting down to my impending doom of being tossed into the real world. Don't get me wrong, I have big dreams for myself. The problem is, I have too many big dreams for my future. In perfect land, answering the pinacle awkward question would sound something like this-

"The public relations field is exraordinarily broad. I've always been interested in working with large corporations, but my recent employment with a non-profit group has opened my eyes to a whole different aspect of the field."

 That girl has her act together, right? Her plan of attack is not yet etched in stone; but she has vision, dammit!

Real-life me sounds more unfortunately like this:

"I don't know, um, school is really fun but work sounds good too. I, um, want an internship in New York. Doing PR. I like doing non-profit, plus I'm good at planning events.. yeah, I don't know."

Ugh. That was rather confusing, you may as well have Google imaged 'public relations'.

The truth is I don't have a post-graduation master plan. I love so many aspects of PR, it is an absolute necessity to explore as many jobs in communications that I can.




*Name changed to avoid uncomfortable follow-up texts

Online Reputation Assignment

Info on Bradley Rheese

Bradley Desmond Rhees is from Heber City, Utah. He currently lives in Logan, Utah and studies at Utah State University as a PR major. Bradley substitute teaches seminary classes and wants to be a seminary teacher when he graduates.  He was born on November 15, and is a member of the LDS church. He worked the past three summers as an EFY councilor. He often goes fishing and hiking. He served an LDS mission in Roseville, California and has been back for two years. He is a fan of Portland State University, Brigham Young University, the Utah Jazz, and hates the University of Utah. He attended Wasatch High and was a member of the school’s choir.  He has taken recent vacations to Hawaii and Yellowstone. He is the oldest of three brothers and thinks he looks like Matt Damon. He seems to be a fun-loving, outgoing, goofy, all-American guy who likes to dress up as a cowboy.

http://efycalihawaiiteam2010.blogspot.com/2010/05/fefe-hake-i-am-brad-rhees-from-heber.html

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=1514553670&aid=2005132#!/profile.php?id=1514553670&sk=info

Final Media Pitch

March 1, 2011

Benjamin Wood,

Editor in Chief

Utah Statesman

Helping Students Help Themselves

Dear Mr. Wood,

                The Statesman has always been prided as an outlet for students to stay informed happenings in the world around them and better their college experience. I have recently become familiar with an organization here in Cache Valley called the Cache Valley Area Investors Association that can help students better their financial situations and understand how their personal finances work. Running a story about CVAIA and their meeting information would be a benefit to your readers.

                        “Becoming financially independent, which allows you to make decisions independently of money, is easier than people tend to believe,” said Cache Valley Area Investors Association President, Preston Parker. CVAIA educates Cache Valley residents on what is means to become independent from your finances. The group focuses on increasing passive income; the money one makes from sources other than their nine-to-five paycheck. CVAIA teaches how to make wise investments and implement the mindset of success to your life. Members meet the first and third Thursday of each month. Meetings are open to all who wish to learn, and are free of charge.

                If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something they love, not just a job that provides an income. Passive income largely makes this possible. There are many organizations with the stated goal of helping people understand the relationship between assets, liabilities, income, expenses. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad, Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret.

                Cache Valley Investors Association (CVAIA) teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographical locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.

                The local association’s website is located at www.cvaia.com, and is complete with information regarding upcoming meetings and tools to help you succeed.

For more information on CVAIA or their meeting schedule, please feel free to contact me

Danica Moran

801-910-7990

danniegirl18@hotmail.com

                                                                  -###-

Final Press Release 4

For Immediate Release

March 14, 2011

 Get ready for National Prevent Child Abuse Month!

"I need more hours in the day" is a common thought for most college students. The balancing act of keeping up academics, preparing for finals, maintaining social lives, and working long hours can leave students with little time to give to charity. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, children need your help. Child abuse is an ugly fact for too many youth in America, and this April students nation-wide are sending the message that child abuse can and will be stopped. You can help prevent child abuse and keep heart break out of a child’s life.  

Tuesday March 15, Kappa Delta Sorority will be kicking-off their annual Shamrock fundraiser benefitting Prevent Child Abuse America. This year’s festivities will last through Thursday, March 17, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. All proceeds collected during the week will benefit National Prevent Child Abuse America and Cache Child & Family Support Center.

This April, we encourage you to celebrate National Prevent Child Abuse Month whether you have five minutes or five days.

5 minutes

·         Be a friend to a parent- show them you understand.

·         Use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to spread the word about Prevent Child Abuse Month.

·         Visit www.preventchildabuse.org. Know what you can do to help both nationally and in your community.

.         Grab a pizza at Fox’s Pizza Den Friday March 17. Twenty-percent of all proceeds Friday go towards National Prevent Child Abuse America.

5 hours

·         Babysit for a neighbor, give parents a night off to relieve stress.

·         Relieve a family’s financial burden by giving your used clothing, furniture and toys to a family that could make use of them

·         Volunteer your time and money for programs in our community that support children and families, like CAPSA or Cache Child & Family Support Center (www.cachecfsc.org)  .

5 days

Attend Kappa Delta Shamrock events, March 15-17

·         Tuesday- All Greek Service Auction 7:30 p.m.

·         Wednesday- Pancake Breakfast on the TSC Patio 8 a.m.-11 a.m.

·         Thursday- “ShamRock –Till-You-Drop” St. Patrick’s Day dance and festivities party in the TSC 7p.m-11p.m. The Utah State basketball game will be broadcast at the event.

For more information, please contact:

Danica Moran

Beta Delta Vice-President Public Relations

801-910-7953

Danica.nicole.moran@aggiemail.usu.edu

                                                           -###-

Draft Media Pitch

March 1, 2011

Benjamin Wood,

Editor in Chief

Utah Statesman

Helping Students Help Themselves

Dear Mr. Wood,

                The Statesman has always been prided as an outlet for students to stay informed happenings in the world around them and better their college experience. I have recently become familiar with an organization here in Cache Valley called the Cache Valley Area Investors Association that can help students better their financial situations and understand how their personal finances work. Running a story about CVAIA and their meeting information would be a benefit to your readers.

                        “Becoming financially independent, which allows you to make decisions independently of money, is easier than people tend to believe,” said Cache Valley Area Investors Association President, Preston Parker. CVAIA educates Cache Valley residents on what is means to become independent from your finances. The group focuses on increasing passive income; the money one makes from sources other than their nine-to-five paycheck. CVAIA teaches how to make wise investments and implement the mindset of success to your life. Members meet the first and third Thursday of each month. Meetings are open to all who wish to learn, and are free of charge.

                If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something they love, not just a job that provides an income. Passive income largely makes this possible. There are many organizations with the stated goal of helping people understand the relationship between assets, liabilities, income, expenses. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad, Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret.

                Cache Valley Investors Association (CVAIA) teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographical locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.

                The local association’s website is located at www.cvaia.com, and is complete with information regarding upcoming meetings and tools to help you succeed.

For more information on CVAIA or their meeting schedule, please feel free to contact me

Danica Moran

801-910-7990

danniegirl18@hotmail.com

Draft Press Release 4

For Immediate Release

February 18, 2011

 Get ready for National Prevent Child Abuse Month!

"I need more hours in the day" is a common thought for most college students. The balancing act of keeping up academics, preparing for finals, maintaining social lives and working long hours can leave students with little time to give. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, children need your help. Child abuse is an ugly fact for many youth in America, and this April students nation-wide are sending a message that child abuse can and will be stopped. You can help prevent child abuse and keep heart break out of a child’s life.  

Tuesday March 15, Kappa Delta Sorority will be kicking-off their annual Shamrock fundraiser benefitting Prevent Child Abuse America. This year’s festivities will last through Thursday, March 17, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. All proceeds collected during the week will benefit National Prevent Child Abuse America and Cache Child & Family Support Center.

This April, we encourage you to celebrate National Prevent Child Abuse Month whether you have five minutes or five days.

5 minutes

·         Be a friend to a parent- show them you understand.

·         Use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to spread the word about Prevent Child Abuse Month.

·         Visit www.preventchildabuse.org. Know what you can do to help both nationally and in your community.

5 hours

·         Babysit for a neighbor, give parents a night off to relieve stress.

·         Relieve a family’s financial burden by giving your used clothing, furniture and toys to a family that could make use of them

·         Volunteer your time and money for programs in our community that support children and families, like CAPSA or Cache Child & Family Support Center (www.cachecfsc.org)  .

-Continued-

5 days

Attend Kappa Delta Shamrock events, March 15-17

·         Tuesday- All Greek Service Auction 7:30

·         Wednesday- Pancake Breakfast on the TSC Patio 8a.m.-11a.m.

·         Thursday- “ShamRock –Till-You-Drop” St. Patrick’s Day dance and festivities party in the TSC 7p.m-11p.m.

For more information, please contact:

Danica Moran

Beta Delta Vice-President Public Relations

801-910-7953

Danica.nicole.moran@aggiemail.usu.edu

Final Press Release 3: Cause Promotion

For Immediate Release

February 16, 2011

LOGAN, Ut- Anyone can achieve financial independence if they have the right tools to understand and control how their finances work. If the balance between liabilities, assets, expenses, and income are understood, it can be both powerful and life changing. Debt is avoidable and there is money to be made for those who are willing to reassess their financial situations.

             “Becoming financially independent, which allows you to make decisions independently of money, is easier than people tend to believe,” said Cache Valley Area Investors Association President, Preston Parker. CVAIA educates Cache Valley residents on what is means to become independent from your finances. The group focuses on increasing passive income; the money one makes from sources other than their nine-to-five paycheck. CVAIA teaches how to make wise investments and implement the mindset of success to your life. Members meet the first and third Thursday of each month. Meetings are open to all who wish to learn, and are free of charge.

                If people learn the right mentality and approaches to investing, they can all be successful in what they desire. People should be able to spend their time doing something they love, not just a job that provides an income. Passive income largely makes this possible. There are many organizations with the stated goal of helping people understand the relationship between assets, liabilities, income, expenses. They practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad, Poor Dad, The Wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret.

                Cache Valley Investors Association (CVAIA) teaches people how to increase passive income. CVAIA embraces the Law of Attraction, Law of Abundance, and Law of Exchange. CVAIA began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographical locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risks of investing.

                The local association’s website is located at www.cvaia.com, and is complete with information regarding upcoming meetings and tools to help you succeed.

For more information, please contact:

Danica Moran

801-910-7990

danniegirl18@hotmail.com

Draft Press Release 3: Cause Promotion

For Immediate Release

February 10, 2011

LOGAN, Ut- Anyone can achieve financial independence if they have the tools and education to understand their money. If the balance between liabilities, assets, expenses, and income are understood, it can be both powerful and life changing. Debt is avoidable and there is money to be made for those who are willing to reassess their financial situations.

            “Freeing yourself from monetary burdens and becoming financially independent is easier than people dare to believe.” Said Cache Valley Area Investors Association President, Preston Parker. CVAIA educates Cache Valley residents on what is means to become independent from your finances. The group focuses on increasing passive income; the money one makes from sources other that their nine-to-five paycheck. CVAIA teaches how to make wise investments and implement the “millionaire mindset” to your life.

For more information and dates of upcoming meetings, please contact:

Danica Moran

801-910-7990

danniegirl18@hotmail.com

Final Press Release 2; Image Management

For Immediate Release:

Feb. 9, 2011

Mr. James E. Muellenbach III, CEO

Burger Planet

(789) 235-9877

Fax: (890) 870-9876

J.M@BurgerPlanet.com

Burger Planet Works to Trim Waistlines

GARY, Ind. –Burger Planet is, once again, paving the way to the future of quick-service restaurants. With the help of Jayne Petersen, celebrity health guru, Burger Planet is introducing their new line of healthy options that will cut calories without compromising Burger Planet quality and taste.  The new items will work in accordance with Burger Planet’s “ongoing efforts to offer healthy choices”, says Mr. Hans Ketchup, Vice President of Communications.

                “Burger Planet has been a leader in the Quick Service Restaurant industry in offering healthy menu choices, the company believes in encouraging customers to live healthier … I have spent my life trying to teach women that lesson” Peterson said.  From lettuce wrapped chicken breasts to apple slices, pineapple, grapes, peaches and bananas; making healthy choices is now easy at Burger Planet.

                Burger Planet has served 52 billion happy customers since first opening its doors in 1934. Headquartered in Gary Indiana, Burger Planet’s 48,272 work to serve quality food, and are excited about Burger Planet’s new line and collaboration with Jayne Petersen. Peterson has worked as health guru to the stars throughout her career. Most notably, she assisted talk show host Opal Whitcomb lose considerable amounts of weight.

 For more information, contact:

Danica Moran

Danniegirl18@hotmail.com

(801)910-7953

Draft Press Reslease 2: Image Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mr. James E. Muellenbach III, CEO

Burger Planet

(789) 235-9877

Fax: (890) 870-9876

J.M@BurgerPlanet.com

Burger Planet Works to Slim Waistlines and Fatten Pockets

(City, state, and date - for location use the company headquarters) Burger Planet is, once again, paving the future of the fast-food industry. With the help of Jayne Petersen, celebrity health guru, Burger Planet is introducing their new line of healthy options.  

 For more information, contact:

Danica Moran

Danniegirl18@hotmail.com

(801)910-7953

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Press Release Final

For Immediate Release

Feb. 1, 2011

Social Media Club of Cache Valley

1504 Lynnwood Ave.

Logan, UT 84341

(661) 772-7537

Social Media Club of Cache Valley monthly meetings

Enhance your business and your life by learning the ropes of social media

                LOGAN, Utah- The Social Media Club of Cache Valley is a rapidly growing non-profit group out of Cache Valley. The club has been meeting the second Tuesday of each month since August of 2008 to discuss the importance and furtherance of social media. Meetings are open to all who are interested in learning and sharing their knowledge. A non-threatening environment is the goal of group meetings; members come to discuss and educate those have a desire to learn about social media. Subjects discussed range from what Twitter is to how Facebook can further your company’s agenda.

 “Social Media is only getting more important. It’s not only a means for personal communication and entertainment; it’s now a vital part of business.”  said SMCCV President, Preston Parker. The club has expanded from its original seven members; fifteen to twenty participants usually attend the Tuesday meetings. Every third meeting is help at local restaurant Café Sabor, where those in attendance can enjoy the group discussions as well as Café Sabor’s atmosphere and food.   

                The original Social Media Club started in San Francisco in 2005. As interest in expanding across California began to develop, the Club wrote up By-Laws and began opening chapters across the U.S.  The founder of the Phoenix, Az. chapter moved to Salt Lake City in 2008, and thus sparked the creation of Cache Valley’s very own Social Media Club.

                For further information or meeting times and dates, please contact

Danica Moran

675 North 800 East

Logan, Ut, 84321

(801)910-7953

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Draft Press Release: Announcement

For Immediate Release

Jan. 25, 2011

Social Media Club of Cache Valley

1504 Lynnwood Ave.

Logan, UT 84341

(661) 772-7537

Header

                LOGAN, Utah- The Social Medial Club of Cache Valley is a rapidly growing non-profit group out of Cache Valley. The group has been meeting the second Tuesday of each month since August of 2008 to discuss the importance and furtherance of social media. Meetings are open to all who are interested in learning and sharing their knowledge. A non-threatening environment if the goal of the group meetings; members are there to discuss and educate those who want to learn about social media. Subjects discussed range from what Twitter is to how Facebook can further your company’s agenda.

                “Social Media is only getting more important. It’s not only a means for personal communication and entertainment; it’s now a vital part of business.”  Said SMCCV President, Preston Parker.

United Breaks the Bank

               Dave Carrol made it very clear to the American people that United Airlines has gaping holes in their customer service policies. He was treated less courteously by staff than he wished after finding his $3,500 Taylor guitar had been broken during his flight. American Airlines, in Carrol’s eyes, gave him the run-around; refusing to replace his damaged item because he did not file a complaint within 24-hours. After hassling the airline for nine months, he released the infamous You-Tube video “United Breaks Guitars”, which instantly went viral. The song lyrics convey Carrol’s frustration, and he implies that many other passengers have been and will be in his frustratingdebacle. American Airlines immediately swapped their “nothing we can do” for “please let us compensate you”. The corporation’s public relations department went into crisis management mode. A spokesperson called Carrol’s song “excellent” to media. They asked if the song could be used forinternal training videos, and made donations to the charity of Carrol’s choosing.

                American Airlines never anticipated that one of what is assuredly hundreds of broken item claims they receive every day would affect them so greatly. It is hard to imagine a large scale corporation accommodating and reimbursing every claim made, but in hindsight this pay out would have been worth it. Would things have worked out from the beginning is Carrol had filed his complaint in the “proper” 24-hour time frame? Maybe, maybe not. The policy is obviously flawed and it should have been the responsibility of PR professionals and other management to anticipate dissatisfaction if not full blown disaster.  

Derogatory treatment of customers is awful publicity in and of itself. Perhaps Carrol would have withheld his singing missile if he had felt he was treated well and employees were trying to help. Public relations should have fed off previous complaints of staff and worked comtinually to edify their image.

Dear Cousin,

I’ve heard public relations described as the human side of marketing. Marketing is selling a company or product by using impressive images and enticing ads. Public relations sells their product by appealing to human emotions and logic. They get their client in and out of the public eye, monitor their image, and implement damage control when needed.

   Public relations deals with communication between groups. More often than not, public relations professionals are the liaisons of communication between their client, whether that be a person or organization, and the groups that benefit them.   Networking, image, event planning, use of media all play into the job description. PR professions have one hand directing traffic in an organization, and the other on the ground feeling for earthquakes that could damage their client.