Cookerly tonight!

Just a quick reminder that tonight we will have a speaker from Cookerly PR coming to speak about the boutique side of public relations. Cookerly does work in media relations, business to business marketing, issues management and crisis communications, special events planning and communication, social media and e-communications, community relations, collateral and design, and marketing and research support.  That meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in Sanford room 213. You might even learn about some internship opportunities for the summer, so don’t miss out!

Tweets from D.C.

Last week, a group of 16 members traveled to Washington D.C. for PRSSA’s second annual agency tour trip. Many of the students and faculty on the trip used Twitter to share everything they learned with the rest of us still in Athens. Here are some highlights from Lizzy Nephew, Lauren Mullins, Courtney Garmhaus and Bridgett Johnson.

@laurenmullins: Ogilvy: Traditional media relies on social media to find trends for their publications
@LizzyNephew: How to measure blogs: reader engagement, reach, post frequency, search position and in bound links – 5 great points
@laurenmullins: Learning about thatguy.com at Fleishman-Hillard.
@courtneyanne9: Let your boss know your interests so you can get clients you can really benefit – FH
@courtneyanne9: Social marketing is changing public awareness – Ketchum
@johnsonbridge9: I really think D.C. is the town I need to live in… Now to only find a great PR job.
@courtneyanne9: Learned so much today from Porter Novelli, Levick and Ketchum. UGA DC agency tour is the best trip ever!

Other members who traveled to D.C. for the agency tour trip include Sarah Alongi, Kristin Ballard, Allison Brill, Mary Carpenter, Katie Crawford, Caitlin Crowley, Alexis Economy, Isha Ghodke, Maura Hogan, Lauren Hughes, Kate Mischaikow, and Julia Rowe. It sounds like they all had a great experience! Want to read more tweets? Search #ugaDC on Twitter and catch up on all the activities from our nation’s capital.

CC Team’s New Environmental Blog

One of our Creative Consultants teams just launched a blog called Wilderness U – Georgia to promote environmental awareness for students across the state. Check out the blog, read some stories about Georgia’s outdoors and leave a comment! If you are interested in writing for the blog, send an e-mail to wildernessu@gmail.com.

To celebrate the blog launch, the team is hosting a party at Hotel Indigo this Thursday night, Feb. 25. The reception is from 6 – 8 p.m. and will have live music, small food items, and $3 domestic beers, $4 wine glasses and $4 well drinks for those of legal age. Stop by for the whole two hours, or even just for 15 minutes!

A Real World Experience

Every year, many PRSSA members wake up bright and early to head to Atlanta for PRSA’s Real World event. Emily Kittle, a senior from Athens, was among the members who spent last Friday networking with professionals and learning more about the communications field. Here’s what she had to say about her experience:

Attending Real World PR 2010 was the single most important decision I have made as a public relations undergrad.

Within eight hours I gained more confidence and knowledge about the exciting world of public relations than I ever thought possible. I attended seminars that discussed a variety of topics including social media, sealing the deal and landing the job, a resume critique and hospitality/travel/tourism public relations.

I had the opportunity to network with Atlanta PR professionals and gain insight into the day-to-day life of agency, corporate and non-profit sectors. I met a diverse group of representatives from the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jackson Spalding, Hope-Beckham and MS&L Worldwide, to name a few.

Not only was I able to network with professionals, but I also gained invaluable relationships with my peers. From the ride to Atlanta with the PRSSA car pool to eating lunch with students from other universities, every single moment expanded my public relations network.

Every conference attendee received a gift bag at the end of the day with exciting items that every public relations professional needs, including a business card holder, recycled pencils and notepads. My favorite “freebie” was the set of McDonald’s paper clips!

I wish I had known before my senior year what an incredible and rewarding experience Real World PR is. I urge all PRSSA members to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity next year – I promise it will change the future of your career as a public relations professional.

What’s all the Buzz about?

Most of us probably use Gmail, and if so, I’m sure you’ve noticed the new addition of Google Buzz in the left-hand side bar. So what’s the deal with the little multicolored speech bubble?

The cool thing about Google Buzz is that it’s built right into Gmail, so you don’t have to set it up. It’s similar to Twitter in that you can keep your friends updated on what you’re doing with message posts. However, there are no character limits on Buzz. If anyone comments on your post, it sends you an e-mail alert and you can reply right there. You can give a message a thumbs up, similar to “liking” something on Facebook.

Also different from Twitter is the way you can integrate photos and videos instead of just text. You can even link Buzz up to other social media sites that you use. Some backlash of Buzz has come from its complexity, and some social media users feel overwhelmed by the new addition to Gmail.

Check out this video to see Google’s explanation.

Have you all tried Buzz yet? What do you think?

Help out Bateman!

This year’s Bateman team has been doing so much for the Census already! Today they’ll be hosting an event from 10 – 2 at the Tate Center where candy, prizes and discounts will be given out. Stop by, get counted and show your support to the Bateman team! How else can you help?

Follow @athenscensus on Twitter.

Become a fan on Facebook.

Check out the Web site.

Scott Williamson comes tomorrow!

The Coca-Cola meeting is always a favorite of PRSSA-ers. Don’t miss out tomorrow night when Scott Williamson comes to speak! As the group director of public affairs and communications, he has plenty of experience and advice to share.  Plus, he’ll be speaking about the Coca-Cola internship in Atlanta this summer.

The meeting will take place in Sanford room 213 at 6:30.  See you all there!

Hungry after the meeting? The MS Walk Creative Consultants team is having a percentage night at On the Border. Just let the host know you are there with MS Walk and you’ll get a flyer that will donate 10 percent of your bill toward the 5K MS Walk of Northeast Georgia on March 27.

Congratulations PRWorkout Team!

Not only was PRWorkout a great success on campus, but it got national coverage! This event has been posted on the national PRSSA Web site – check it out here! Congratulations to Lauren Coppage and everyone who put this great event together and to all the speakers. This was only our second year hosting PRWorkout, and it has been such a success so far. Great job everyone!

Rock it Out!

On Wednesday Feb. 17 come by the 40 Watt for fun, music and a great cause! Grady Ambassadors presents “Rock it Out!, a concert benefiting Girls’ Rock.” Girls’ Rock is an organization that builds female youth empowerment through music education and creation. The Rock it Out! concert features Allison Weiss, The Orkids, Creepy and the Incendiaries. The show’s doors open at 9 and the music starts at 9:30.

Tickets for Rock it Out! are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. You can pick them up starting tomorrow Feb. 5 in Journalism room 207. Also, on Feb. 15 and 16 tickets will be on sale in Tate Plaza from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Not only will you have a fun night of great music, but you have the chance to win a Daisy Rock Guitar or various giftcards by entering the raffle. For more information just call 706-542-6840.

Cox Communications tonight!

Come out to Sanford Hall tonight to hear Jessica Laiti speak from Cox Communications. We’ll be in room 213 at 6:30 – be there!

After the meeting, head over to Doc Chey’s for dinner! Our Service and Outreach committee is hosting a percentage night on behalf of Dawgs for Haiti. You have to print out and bring this flier to have a percentage of your sales donated. You have to eat, so why not show support for these committee members and support a great cause?