Bad PR Example Thursday, Apr 23 2009 

PR Connections and PR examples brysony 10:43 am

Ok so remember way back when I said that the outdoors store in clemson was doing this really GREAT job at Grassroutes PR in Clemson? Well, that was when I wasn’t so INCREDIBLY annoyed with the emails that have been overflowing my inbox since the day I joined the group.  So he asked hundreds of people to join his facebook group to get exposure for the Clemson Outdoor Adventures Outfitters shop in may.  Then he sends every single one of the people in his group really long emails all the time telling us about the promotional events going on that week.  It’s like, enough already.  I’ll post one below that I received yesterday so you can kind of get an idea of how annoying this can be:

“It’s that time of year again when the pollen is out and students are cramming. Spring Finals are just around the corner and you know what that means…

Sell Books… Buy Gear!!!

Here’s your latest exclusive dealio:
40% off all Spring Clothing including Patagonia, North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Roxy, Quiksilver
40% off all Keen shoes
15% off Chacos and Rainbows (or more see below)
20% off all backpacks

Deal details: If you want 40% off of Rainbows do two things. Buy $50 worth of clothing (post discount pricing) and say the password.

What’s the password? Why it’s “Say hello to my little friends…”

There is a sale going on at the shop but the discounts are not as good as offered to the Facebook Group. Let’s just say it’s my way of saying thanks for putting up with all my posts…

How long will it last? Maybe one day or maybe through Finals… There’s only one way to find out and that’s to stop by the shop. Besides, you were planning on coming by and visiting before you left for your Summer adventures anyway… Right???

Good Luck with your studies and early congratulations to all the Spring Graduates! Just think, you are just days away from being able to wake up from the nightmare where you are in a class and there is a test and you have forgotten to study for it and think, whew! that could never happen to me again… By the way, I still have that dream on odd occassion. And no, I don’t need any dream analysis on that one but thanks just the same.

Lee”

This is the kind of stuff that should be posted on his group for people who WANT to be updated that specific week…not sent out in mass emails.  Maybe PRSSA could offer them some volunteer PR work?

 

Viral Video for Verizon Wireless Thursday, Apr 23 2009 

PR Connections and PR examples brysony 10:21 am

This is something that I shared with our PR class this semester that I thought was a pretty cool PR thing that Verizon Wireless did.  So you know “the network” right? For those of you who don’t, verizon has this marketing idea that they have used in commercials where they say that their network comprised of hundreds of verizon employees, literally follows its customers wherever they go.  Well, verizon actually sent their network out to follow random customers to reach out to the verizon wireless community.  Here is the video.  I think this is a great idea!  Anyways, this was one of my examples of good PR because the video spread like wildfire and it was a great example of Verizon wireless trying to reach out to the community.

 

Grassroots PR in Clemson, SC Sunday, Mar 8 2009 

1 and PR examples , , , brysony 2:30 pm

A small outdoors store is Clemson has been using facebook to create hype about the sales that the store is offering, and to get a “Facebook following” if you will, from students at clemson.  Here’s how it worked, I received an invitation about a week ago to join the group for the Clemson Outdoor Adventures Outfitters Shop .  I nonchalantly joined the group and a couple of days later received a facebook message with a challenge.  If the current members of the group got 200 more members to join, we would get a pair of rainbows at half price from the store that friday.  And the group worked.  The owner, who is completely new to the facebook group scene has almost 5oo members in the group, and they all get constant messages about the latest sales at the store, and special offers for the group members.  The sales are GOOD and the specials are even better.  I thought this was a great example of working from the ground up in PR because this guy, an owner of a small business, in a really small town, has figured out a way to create open communication between his business and his customers.  Not only are people able to receive information about the store, but they can post questions and suggestions on the wall of the group.  One guy suggested that they outdoor store should order more fishing gear.  This is not the most elaborate PR scheme, but i think it shows how public relations can be effective even on a small scale.