What makes a “bad” breakup is changing. A bad breakup is no longer determined by how many dishes were thrown, whether an infidelity was walked in on, or how long a shouting match lasted. What makes the difference now is the medium used to deliver the news.

In many respects, social media has turned the worlds of marketing, advertising and public relations upside down. The practiced and preached marketing models, which some CEOs are still more comfortable with yet today, have been tossed aside for a completely new two-way communication approach. No more are the days when public relations professionals and marketers pushed out information to consumers, or developed flat campaigns to be disseminated through traditional media approaches. The seemingly one-way tube of communication has been broken. Let’s just say the average consumer now has an invite to the cocktail party…and he’s making a big entrance.

In just the past few years the world of social media networks has exploded in size and start-up companies are reaping the benefits. When effectively used, social media can put a company’s name on the map and into the homes of their audiences. Adam Penenberg explains how this can be accomplished in his book, “The Viral Loop.”

“To use it, you have to spread it.” This simple concept, developed by Penenberg, is just one of the social networking tips that he has to offer when it comes to marketing a new business or product. What it means is that if you have made the decision to base your marketing plan on a particular social media site, you must let the public know about it and use word-of-mouth. The word-of-mouth strategy is one of the most useful tools that a company can use. As Penenberg states, “Word-of-mouth is the most important form of advertising, and it’s free.” Not only is it easy on your budget, but to a potential customer it is the most trustworthy form of communication. People rely on their family and friends to get reviews and information about products, places and people. If a company can get positive word-of-mouth out in the public, their response rate will be quite successful. When used effectively positive word-of-mouth via social networking sites can be the sole aspect of a particular marketing strategy. Penenberg uses the term “viral coefficient” to track the number users are brought in by existing users. For example, a coefficient of one means that the growth rate is linear. The larger the coefficient number gets, the faster the growth rate speed is.

Because of the vast number of social networking sites on the Internet now, it would be almost impossible to not be able to find one that could efficiently reach your target audience. Whether you’re basing it on gender, income, or race, there is a networking site out there for your market. When you are able to successfully market to your desired target audience this also expedites the growth of a company or product. From Fortune 500 companies to grassroot non-profits, using the power of social media can create and establish an image with audiences and potential customers. Those that do not use the viral networks are seen as old fashions and not up to date with the modern technology compared to others. To make sure that audiences are getting your message clearly companies need to make sure that their social networking sites share these same characteristics; web based, free, user friendly, simple content and layout, and fast adoption. Penenberg found that when these characteristics are put into action they create the most effective and successful “viral expansion loops.” Some examples that match these characteristics include two of the most popular social networking sites on the web; Facebook and Twitter. Both have very simple designs and user friendly features that are easy to learn.

Once the social networking site has been established it is vital that people actually hear about it. Penenberg suggests using emails and lots and lots of networking. First, emailing is a fast and free way to get the word out about your networking sites. It also makes it very easy to forward the information to friends and family who may be interested, thus using positive word-of-mouth. Going along with this, is the concept of networking and using those contacts to your advantage. By letting those people that you have networked with before they pass along your information to their network and so on and so forth. This generates a snowball effect that is directing all traffic to your company and product.

From a public relations perspective Penenberg’s advice can be applied to all sorts of things, including creating an image for a person, place or product, controlling a company crisis, or even the simple news release. Social media can help generate interest for all for these situations. For example, a company can use their Facebook account to make sure that their online customers are satisfied with their service and/or product. Facebook makes it very easy to do this because the format is easy to use and a huge number of people use it. Facebook’s comment feature is also very helpful to give customers instant feedback and responses. Twitter, the other leading social networking site, is also very simple and user friendly. Both Facebook and Twitter allow companies and public figures give audiences updates on upcoming events and important news. PR professionals use social networking sites all the time to stay updated on the wants and needs of their constituents. In today’s society public relations, marketing and social networking all go hand in hand, working with one another and helping each other out.

Penenberg provides some great tips for people looking to start businesses, but his advice also works well in the general sense. I think that the most important piece of information that he expands on is the idea of “to use it, you have to spread it.” This is true because if you have a social network site but no one knows about it, you might as well not have one at all. Getting the word out about your site is crucial in starting that snowball effect of new audiences and customers. PR skills, like networking with other professionals, makes this step easier if you have built up a contact list of people that would be interested in your site.
“The Viral Loop” is a must read for gaining insight into the world of social networking sites and their relationship with companies and products. The relationship that these sites have with each other can be used to properly market a certain brand or person, and they not only help out with marketing but they can be used by PR professionals. With each passing year there are going to be more and more social media sites added to the already incredibly long list, making the viral loop that much larger.


University of Minnesota
Jour 3279
Blog Assignment

It is said that a happy customer will tell three people about their experience, and an unhappy customer will tell ten. Now this statement is not exactly true, due to the introduction and acceptance of social media a happy or unhappy customer can tell thousands of people with just one click of their mouse.

For example, I purchased a pair of designer boots last winter. They were beautiful, comfortable and quite expensive. Since they were designer boots I was expecting for them to make it through a few winters for me. After one week of wearing them, the sole began to detach it’s self from the shoe and the hard part of the heel fell off making my boots uneven and awkward to walk in. Being that I had always been satisfied with this brand it was quite upsetting to have my new boots fall apart so soon. So, I did what any unsatisfied customer would do, I wrote a review for the world to see.

Using social media is one of the fastest and newest ways to connect with customers. See the rest of my story here.

Rachel Geertsema
University of Minnesota
Jour 3279
Blog Assignment

The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways to Use Social Media to Drive social Change by Jenifer Aaker and Andy Smith incorporates useful ideas to make a lasting impact on society. The premise of the book is from the in sync movements that dragonfly wings make when flying. In fact, the dragonfly’s wings are 20 times more powerful than any other insect’s when they move together.

Similarly, Aaker and Smith contend that when using their four-step approach, you can create unimaginable social change for the better. The four sections include Focus, Grab Attention, Engage, and Take Action. Focus means that you must identify a single, concrete goal that provides guidance throughout the mission. Creating a hook that stands out in an information-overloaded society is the second wing. Engagement happens after people connect with your goal. And finally, the public will take action after responded to the audiences’’ reactions.

The authors further split the “wings” into sub-sections by using acronyms and case studies to exemplify their points. For example, Focus can be split into five elements by using HATCH: Humanistic, Actionable, Testable, Clarity, and Happiness. The most useful message from the book is simple: you must act together to create an impact, similar to the wings of a dragonfly. Overall, I found the book useful for any public relations professional and anyone trying to make an impact on society. For further information on the book, visit http://www.dragonflyeffect.com/blog/.

Erika Block
University of Minnesota
Jour 3279
Blog Assignment  

With campaigns for the upcoming presidential election beginning to take full swing, we are about to enter a showcase for great, and, well…not so great PR campaigns.  It is a chance for us to learn not from our own mistakes, but from the mistakes of others.  Some of the campaigns we’re about to see, such as Herman Cain’s infamous “smoking” , will leave us speechless and downright confused with what these public relations teams are trying to prove.  We are quickly entering a crash course in public relations, free of charge and provided for us by the hopeful leaders of this country.

After a competitive pitch involving nine agencies, has won the opportunity to develop brand strategy and cross-platform integrated creative for Wellmark, a health insurance company serving more than 2 million members in Iowa and South Dakota. The win adds an insurance client to the agency’s deep health-related client roster.   

It is deep into football season and playoffs are on the way. As my family was talking stats and gearing up for today’s Vikings game versus the Green Bay Packers I got to thinking how similar a public relations team and campaign is to football. Both have to practice be for the big game day, both need to work as a team, and both have different players responsible to different parts of the overall objective.

Practice comes first for both teams. A football team needs to practice to prepare for the big game day. A public relations team needs to do secondary research and planning in order to have a successful launch of their campaign.


The coach will primarily direct practice, see to that everything is running smoothly and people are doing what they should be doing. The coach is in relation to the CEO. He will make all of the major calls for the team but ultimately leave them for the quarterback and rest of team to execute.

The Kickoff starts the game and is the first really big exciting part of the game. It fires up the fans and the rest of the team in preparation for the game, whether you think it will be and easy-win or an uphill battle. This is the big launch in a campaign, like the kickoff it gets everyone excited about what is to come.

During the game the quarterback has an extremely important role. He will direct the team and lead them to victory. He is who the players will look to for leadership and guidance. The quarter back is your lead campaign strategist. They are in charge of the campaign and directing where to go next.

Tactics during the campaign relate to game play. This is the body of the game and where you primarily do your scoring. If the entire game is your overall campaign then each play and each touchdown are your smaller tactics within the whole. These are your smaller scale events, press releases, promotions and other campaign awareness and involvement.

Wide receivers and running backs are the quarterback’s options. He can choose to throw or hand off the ball to these players. These positions are your contacts. These could be other professionals, that you have built a relationship with and know you can ask a favor of. These people will try their best to catch that ball for you.

On your team you also have offensive linemen and the defense squad. Offensive linemen are your coworkers who are keeping everything together so the campaign does not fall apart. They will be doing a lot of behind the scenes work. The defense squad is crisis management. They take over when you lose possession of the ball and need to regain control.

The final seconds of the game mark the end of your campaign, and like a close scoring game, a campaign with a large final impact makes for a memorable one. This could be a large event or a grand prize at the end of a contest.

After the game is over and all is said and done, the team will oftentimes review the game at the next practice. The coach will point out things that went well and mistakes that were made. Evaluation of a campaign is important to know how you can improve your future campaigns.

Teamwork is something we can learn as public relations professionals from any sports team. When everyone’s ultimate goal is the same working as a team can only make this an easier game to win.

Rachel Geertsema
University of Minnesota
Jour 3279
Blog Assignment

Karwoski & Courage Public Relations has hired Courtney Hanson as an assistant account manager and promoted Vanessa de Bruijn to account manager.
was promoted to account manager after an impressive performance as an assistant account manager. A 2008 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, de Bruijn has been at Karwoski & Courage for one year and currently services accounts in the dental and architectural design industries.

was hired following her internship at the agency. In her previous experience, Hanson also completed internships at North Memorial Health Care, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University Department of Counseling and Health Promotion, and the American Red Cross. Hanson is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, and an emphasis in health communication. At Karwoski & Courage, Hanson’s accounts include clients in the healthcare and dental industries, as well as architectural design.

“Karwoski & Courage has had a busy year of growth, and Vanessa and Courtney have both proven to be up for any challenge,” said Glenn Karwoski, senior vice president and managing director. “Their work has brought about great results for our clients, and we’re glad to reward them both.”

Broadhead, a Minneapolis-based marketing agency, announces two new hires joining the Minneapolis office.

joins as public relations assistant account executive. Thungkaew’s previous experience includes project management at Knock, Inc., in Minneapolis as well as internships with ThirdCoast Digest and Zizzo Group in Milwaukee. She graduated in May 2010 from Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis., with a B.S. in communication: public relations.

joins Broadhead as a production artist. Previously, Olson worked at Yamamoto Moss Mackenzie and Martin|Williams Advertising in Minneapolis on brands such as 3M, Ameriprise Financial, Cargill, Syngenta Crop Protection, Target and Wells Fargo.

“As our business grows, we are strategically adding key players to our team,” says CEO/President Dean Broadhead. “I am excited to welcome Emily and Carolyn as we continue to add to our exceptional team.”

The city of Saint Paul has proclaimed Wednesday, November 9, as Bob Goff Day in recognition and appreciation of Bob Goff’s advances in the communications profession and his commitment to the city of Saint Paul.

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Risdall Marketing Group has promoted Joel Swanson, APR, to president of its public relations agency. Under Swanson, the firm also changes its name from Risdall McKinney Public Relations to s (RPR).

Do you have a passion for digital media and online learning? Become part of the innovative team of MWMC members who are leveraging today’s technology to create educational and enriching online content. If you are interested in any of the 4 Digital Programming Committee positions below, contact Brandi Palechek at . Each of the Digital Programming Committee positions requires a time commitment of 5 hours per month.

Digital Programming Lead
Gain valuable leadership and project management experience | Conduct team meetings and report progress to MWMC Special Projects VP | Lead committee members in executing strategic plans and achieving tactical goals as assigned by the Board | Foster an opportunity to grow into a MWMC Board position

Video Production Coordinator
Enhance your video production skills by working with industry experts and thought-leaders to develop content for MWMC members-only online videos | Assist with set up and recording of MWMC events and informational videos | Promote online video content via MWMC social media outlets

Video Production Editor
Build your portfolio by working with the Video Production Coordinator to create and edit recordings of members-only online content, MWMC events, and informational videos | Manage all video content on the MWMC website, YouTube, and Vimeo accounts

Sponsorship Coordinators
Strengthen your sales skills by getting sponsorships or donations | Assist with yearly MWMC digital programming strategy and planning | Ensure reach extends from internal to external professional women and their organizations to promote MWMC’s vision and mission

Allie Fendrick has been promoted to strategist, digital and social, at Beehive PR.

In her new role, develops strategic digital/social marketing initiatives for the agency and its clients, specializing in research, content strategy, measurement and social media activation.

“Allie is forever learning and adopting new digital best practices, which is a valuable asset to the agency and our clients,” said Lisa Hannum, CEO of Beehive PR. “Her ability to make the complex more simple and understandable is remarkable.”

will continue working with Beehive’s clients in consumer, retail and med tech industries, including Ergodyne, Peters Billiards, Christopher & Banks and Coloplast, as well as support the agency’s new business initiatives.

Fendrick joined Beehive PR as an intern in January 2010 and in July 2010 was promoted to social media coordinator. Her primary roles included employing online social media monitoring and measurement tools, expanding clients’ social media presence, and supporting blogger relations.

Strother Communications Group (SCG), has promoted to Account Supervisor. Nhotsavang, who joined SCG in 2009 from BAE Systems, has played a prominent role in developing integrated marketing strategies and executing public relations, print and electronic advertising, direct marketing and social media campaigns for clients.

A graduate of Ithaca College in New York, Nhotsavang is currently pursuing her Masters in Business Communication at the University of St. Thomas.