Archive for the ‘Millennials’ Category

MSL Atlanta Participates in PRSSA Shadow Day 2011

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

 

We all remember the first time we stepped foot into an office. It was intimidating and real, but mostly exciting and fascinating. From observing how people dressed to wondering is a company really going to trust me to do this one day, it marked a moment in our careers.

This month via PRSSA’s Shadow Day, we helped PR students learn more about communications, how agencies work and where their career could start or take them. Instead of only taking a sit ‘n’ listen approach, we mixed activities up and turned the floor to students – allowing them to ask questions and explore this diverse field.

The day started with an icebreaker, which led into a session hosted by five MSLers from each of our sectors (i.e. consumer, brand & talent, corporate, digital and creative studios). After that, our brand & talent team held an interactive brainstorm and we ended the day with our managing director, Kyle Farnham, sharing his unique and compelling career path.

Everyone here really enjoyed the day. We took a moment to remember that we were all once students and a person or company opened a door for us, and now, it’s our turn to return the favor.

From the students’ perspective, here is how one student summed the day:

I left MSL Atlanta with a great deal of insight and I cannot wait to share everything I learned and experienced with my fellow PRSSA members…I attended the event in past years and have never been presented with such a unique and inspiring experience as I was given on Thursday. Meeting and interacting with so many of your colleagues showed the type of company MSL Atlanta is.
 
 

 

Posted in Atlanta, Internships, Millennials, PRSA, Uncategorized | No Comments »

PR hiring trend: Employers want media producers

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Interesting article from Ragan’s PR Daily that speculates hiring trends of PR professionals. To get the most bang for their buck, employers are now seeking PR pros who are true “media producers,” equipped to produce content themselves via text, photo, video, audio and all of the above.

 
 
 

 

An excerpt:  “What’s the one thing most companies will need in mass amounts in the months and years ahead? That’s right, content. And, when it comes to content, the demands are increasing—every day—as companies look for text, audio, video, and photo content, and many combinations of the four.”

The author provides these specific skills and how they are applicable:

“Producing stories via photo. The ideal candidate knows how to frame a photo—and I’m not talking about taking pictures at your nephew’s T-ball game. The candidate will be comfortable with many forms of technologies, including camera phones and editing tools. And they’ll know the basics about photography including lighting, framing, and filters. Think Instagram, not Canon.

Producing stories via text. It’s an obvious skill that all PR pros need. But consider that you’ll be competing against former journalists more—people who know how to put a story together. To be the media producer of the next generation, you need to understand how to write a headline that will draw clicks. At the same time, you need to write a compelling lead while using bullets and other devices to make the article/post easier to scan. Think WordPress, Posterous, Tumblr, and Google+, not news releases.

Producing stories via video. Know how to shoot video using basic tools, how to conduct an interview, and how to set up a shoot. That doesn’t mean you have to be an expert—the demands on video quality have softened over the years (although not as much as predicted by the Flip-cam rush). Now, it’s easier than ever to record video on the go with smartphones that have pretty solid cameras built in. (I’ve shot a number of client videos with my iPhone camera. Just look what Tom Martin is doing with his Talking with Tom series; it’s shot and produced entirely with his iPhone.) Learn how to use editing software like iMovie (easier than you’d think). Learning these video production skills will make you more marketable because if PR pros want this kind of work done, we currently need to outsource it. Being able handle this in house means less outsourcing and less cost, which usually leads to happier bosses and clients. In this case, think iPhone and iMovie, not TV-style production.

Producing stories via audio. This one’s probably not as important as the previous three because audio is more of a niche approach, though it is a skill worth exploring. You should understand how to run an audio interview, including how to set up a podcast and conduct an interview, and know some of the basic technical aspects of audio production. Familiarize yourself with tools like Garageband and Audacity, although there are many different tools. (Take a look at this list.) The first step may be subscribing to a few podcasts and hearing how the experts do it. I suggest my long-time favorite For Immediate Release. Again, think Garageband, not radio studios.”

Arik C. Hanson is the principal of ACH Communications in Minnesota. He blogs at Communications Conversations, where a version of this story first appeared.

To read the full article, visit: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/8944.aspx

 

Posted in Content Creation, Media, Millennials | No Comments »

MSL Atlanta welcomes hopefuls for MSLGROUP’s Summer Insider Challenge

Friday, April 1st, 2011

Today we host recent college grads and soon-to-be grads to take an inside look at MSL Atlanta and see what it’s really like to be a PR practioner on a day-to-day basis. Stephen Brown is doing an excellent job leading the intern hopefuls through presentations about MSL Atlanta, our clients and how to think strategically to drive the outcomes needed to best represent our clients with boundless creativity!

One of the best parts of the day for us MSLers is getting to see the applicants’ introduction video! From Charlie Sheen appearances to channeling The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, it’s great to see the creativity that each of these college students exhibit in 30 second clips.

Follow @mslatlanta on Twitter and #mslsic and #mslinsiders to join the conversation.

Posted in Applications, Atlanta, Events, Internships, Media, Millennials, Social Media, Uncategorized | No Comments »

To Subscribe or Not To Subscribe…

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

I don’t have a print subscription to The Times, but like many Millennials, I receive NYTimes.com alerts to my Gmail account, I use the free NYTimes app on my smart phone to see Top News and I read articles of interest that show up in my personal twitter and Facebook feeds. Now the publisher wants to tell me something. An image of the letter is below, but here are the highlights:

- NYTimes.com is now offering digital subscriptions. This service was rolled out to customers in Canada on March 18 and will become available to the U.S. and the rest of the world on March 28

- NYTimes.com readers without a subscription will have access to a maximum of 20 articles/videos/slideshows/features a month. To access more, online readers will have to subscribe.

 - Current subscribers to the print issue will have unlimited access to NYTimes.com

 - Smartphone and tablet apps will still provide the top news section for free, but to access other sections through the apps, readers will have to subscribe.

 - There is no option to solely purchase a subscription to NYTimes.com, subscribers much choose:
    – $15 every 4 weeks for NYTimes.com and smartphone app access
    - $20 every 4 weeks for NYTimes.com and tablet app access
    - $35 every 4 weeks for NYTimes.com and smartphone app, and tablet app access
    – $29.60 every 4 weeks for NYTimes.com access and daily print issue home delivery (this is the rate in Atlanta, rates vary based on location)

 - Reader’s accessing NYTimes.com content via blogs, social media or search engines (like Google) will not be limited to the 20 features a month.

This new policy leaves me feeling conflicted. On one hand, I believe the free flow of news and information via technology is one of the greatest things to happen in my lifetime. With a device and connection to the internet, we have access to endless amounts of up-to-date information. My constant companion and smart phone tells me things before they can even be formatted for print, let alone delivered to my front door step. And much of this is free. And while I’d argue that this type of information exchange is invaluable to society, value typically comes with a price.

If we want something that is high quality, we usually have to pay for it. While the free flow of news and information makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, I have to remember that newspapers are a business – businesses that appear to require subscription and advertising dollars in order to survive. Yes, I want free information, but I also want accurate and clear information compiled by credible sources. What’s the point of receiving free information if it’s wrong?

There are a few points I find strange. First, why the price difference between the smart phone and tablet applications? Will they be dramatically different? Why is there no incentive for the unlimited option? It just appears to be the cost of the two options combined. Technically, doesn’t this option require subscribers to pay twice for the NYTimes.com access? Why is this change happening now? Is there any relation to the new Apple App store subscription policy entitling the company to 30 percent of all subscriptions sales through the App store?

While considering whether a digital subscription was worthwhile for me I realized that the way I currently access information from NYTimes (via blog, Google, social media, top news on my smart phone) means I will be relatively unaffected by these policies.

This leaves me wondering how many other Millenials are in the same situation and what audience is this really affecting? Who out there is the 20+ NYTimes.com article reader that only access content via the official website? Are tablet subscribers surprised that accessing the New York Times will come with a subscription fee when many other tablet media applications already require one? And finally, is this news revolutionary enough to be worthy of a NYTimes.com News Alert in my Gmail account or is that free service gone as well?

Posted in Conversation, Internet, Media, Millennials, News, Social Media | No Comments »