Portfolio Review Panels are Heating Up!

So far, we have some great reviewers on tap for Spring term portfolio reviews. Check it out.

More Focus Group Fun – Caveman Style

I think focus groups are fun anyway, but this set of videos is particularly amusing.

Fire Focus Group

“I don’t like the red color… When I think of red, I think of blood. When I think of blood, I think of dead… does it come in green?”

Wheel focus group

“If it rolls, that means it could roll away and get lost.”

“OR it could roll over your foot.”

How to Conduct Focus Group (a Satire)

This week, we’re talking about how to conduct focus group. Through the magic of YouTube, I found this great short film from Brian Pew.

Synopsis

A lawyer. A Wall Street banker. A housewife. A psychic advisor. An unidentified urban youth. A man on the edge. A roomful of toilet paper. New York City.

Focus groups are informal meetings conducted by corporations who want to better gauge the perceptions of consumers from specific demographics. Today’s focus group is about bathroom tissue. Jim is our moderator. Group participants sit in a conference room unable to see the people watching them from behind the one-way mirror. The people behind the mirror are bathroom tissue people.

Elizabeth has a conflict of interest. Rich refuses to touch the product. Fiona thinks the whole thing is trashy. Harriet assesses planetary influences. Kevin endorses Roll A. Lee doesn’t buy toilet paper. Everyone is starting to feel very uncomfortable.

In this satire of market research and New Yorkers, punches are thrown, business cards are exchanged, and nobody leaves empty handed.

Part One:

Part Two:

Advanced PR Writing… Some Reading

We start social media this week and to prepare, I have a few things for you to read (of course):

Edelman/Intelliseek Trust MEdia (pdf)

Backbone Media/Northwestern University Blogger Success

Mindset for social media (think about your answer)

7 Habits of Highly Effective Blogs

Browse del.icio.us tags on blogging and writing.

Research Resources

Just a reminder. You should have all your research instruments (questionnaires, focus group questions, etc) ready to go this week and complete most of your research by the end of week 3.

Reseach Tips – Questionnaires: Word document from Professor Tim Christy with some basic info about putting together questionnaires.

Survey Construction Slideshow (from class)

You can find info on focus groups on my del.icio.us page: http://del.icio.us/kellimatthews (click on focus_group tag on the right) I also have a book chapter that I will copy and send you as a PDF scan on other types of research. Stay tuned for that!

Key Messages: Tips for Advanced Writing Students’ Creative Briefs

We’re not likely to have time to cover key messages this week. However, you need to have a sense of what key messages should look like for your creative briefs.

The lecture (if you view “full size,” you can see my notes)

My del.icio.us links on the topic: http://del.icio.us/kellimatthews/key_messages

Links can be “Del.icio.us”!

I’ve set up a Del.icio.us page for the three spring term PR classes to share resources.

You can access  it here (login info sent via email).

You can get up to speed on Del.icio.us here.

My Del.icio.us page is here.

Event Management Panel Coming Week 3

As you may have heard, I’m logistically challenged. So, I’m hoping to rely on some experts in event management to help the PR Campaigns class through the adventure of planning a conference for professional, academics and students alike.

Week three I’m planning an event management panel in Portland at the White Stag building.

I want panelists to focus on four key areas:

• Sponsorships and financial support
• Logistics (location and event details)
• Marketing and promotion
• Finding and managing vendors and suppliers

So far, I have one confirmed participant. Stay tuned for more detail!

Spring Term is Blooming