Are you feeling Spicy or Mild? Tapping the iconic power of the mood ring, Popeyes^® Louisiana Kitchen has launched a national promotion featuring a “Mood Wing” app (yes, as in chicken wing) that reports a Spicy, Mild or Mixed rating of users’ Twitter or Facebook posts. When consumers learn their mood, they also receive a menu suggestion and related spicy, mild, or remixed song from specially curated Spotify^® playlists. Developed by Popeyes’ new digital agency , the digital effort runs through May to support the restaurant’s Spicy or Mild Bonafide^® bone-in Chicken promotion that offers an in-restaurant opportunity for customers to proclaim themselves Spicy or Mild.

• You should come with your own warning label.
• !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (I think these belong to you)
• Your spiciness would make a fire stop, drop, and roll.

• YYou’re hot! You’re not. You’re hot! You’re not. (Repeat 73 times.)
• You’re like a yo-yo of unpredictable spiciness.
• You’re the flip-flopper of the fried chicken world.

• If you were a late ‘50s jazz musician, you’d be Mild Davis.
• You’re the calm before the storm, but without the storm.
• People call you “Mild Thing.”  And you make their hearts hum softly.

Karwoski & Courage Public Relations was selected as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2012 by Minnesota Business magazine. The first annual 100 Best Companies to Work For competition honors Minnesota companies that are setting the standard for leadership, benefits, best work environment, innovative training programs, happiest employees and more.

PRSA is excited to announce that Steve Barrett, editor-in-chief of PRWeek—the leading public relations trade publication—will be joining us for a Breakfast Roundtable on May 15 from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at Carmichael Lynch Spong.

Join the industry-centered discussion as we give Steve a sense of our public relations community. Steve will provide attendees with perceptions of non-NY agencies, how to compete within the current state of the industry and where the industry is headed in the coming years. Come armed with questions and be ready to join the discussion.

As editor-in-chief, Steve communicates with senior leaders in the public relations and marketing arenas, so he will be bringing ever rich and always interesting insights about the industry today and what its future holds.

To register for this event visit Minnesota PRSA's website.

This event is hosted by Carmichael Lynch Spong. To learn more about the agency, visit www.carmichaellynchspong.com.
Twitter hashtag:

We’re gearing up for another evening of MIMA’s reimagined version of a classic spectator sport – The Intern Game. Friday, May 18, 2012 at The Fine Line.

We’ve brought back local media personality (of T.V.'s Good Question fame) as our host along with a spectacular crop of paid summer internship opportunities at top Minneapolis agencies that includes:

• Nerdery: Development
• JWT: User Experience Architect
• Hello Viking: Designer
• Pixel Farm Digital: Producer

The only thing missing isstudents like you. This is your chance to submit your application to be a finalist.  To apply: Submit your application. and share why you should be one of the three finalist for each intern position. A cracked group of representatives from each agency will interview you live in front a boisterous audience.

The best part, one lucky person will be chosen for each internship and HIRED ON THE SPOT! How cool is that. Applications are due by 11:59pm, May 6th 2012. If you're bright eyed, bushy-tailed, talented as heck and a recent/soon-to-be college grad, go for it! Want to attend the live event?
Registration is free. This event will be packed full of top talent from local schools and agencies who are looking to hire…The Intern Game might be the best networking opportunity for students and graduates in town.

Register for this event here.

Unlike my fellow finalists in the Fast Horse Internship Campaign, I never intended to join the PR world coming out of college (also unlike my fellow finalists, I've already been out of school for some time). I started out a journalist. And while most of my work has been in that field, and I'll always be a news junkie, creative marketing is where my mind, heart and skills truly lie.

I started in the media biz as an arts & entertainment writer and editor at my university's student newspaper. Wanting to expand my experience, I applied and was unanimously chosen as the paper's publisher and editor-in-chief. The duties that came with essentially being the CEO—meeting/pitching clients, developing new types of digital content and social media strategies, tracking analytics, mining new sources of revenue, etc.—made me realize how fun PR and creative marketing could be (especially compared to the humdrum daily routine of city reporting!).

After running the show for a year, I graduated from school and was fortunate enough to beat out hundreds of other applicants to be SPIN Magazine's summer online editorial intern at its offices in New York City. I loved the work—like new award-winning website and headed to Minneapolis for another internship.

This time, I'd be blogging for Secrets of the City and doing online production for its parent Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. While I was technically an intern, this 40-hour/week, low-supervised internship was basically an entry-level blogger/web producer position, and my seven-plus months there helping develop the tone, design, functionality of a city magazine and its marketing initiatives taught me a hell of a lot about how creative marketing and PR can thrive even in a seemingly dying industry like print journalism. And that's exciting!

So after being laid off in March following departmental restructuring, I realized that I wanted to jump headfirst into the creative marketing field and this internship campaign was serendipitously announced up four days after I was laid off. That's my story, but I know it's the story of plenty of my fellow communications graduates who've had to fight and claw for the jobs they have or the jobs they continue to struggle for.

So why do I think should you vote for me over the other two finalists? Besides producing my video entirely by myself and learning Adobe Premiere Pro to edit it so it would look the best? Because I wholeheartedly believe in Fast Horse’s ideals, style and mission and I know I have all the traits of a successful “pony”–a good sense of humor, a passionate work ethic and a naïve hope for humanity and the betterment of our world—and I’m prepared to work my tail off to prove it.

So if you can relate to my story, empathize with my struggle and want to help me succeed, please by giving a "Like" and then voting for me at their .

—Nate Brennan

Carmichael Lynch Spong has named senior principal, chair of brand marketing and social engagement. Buchanan is based in the firm’s Minneapolis headquarters.

Prior to joining Carmichael Lynch Spong, Buchanan was senior vice president and deputy practice director for MSLGROUP’s consumer marketing practice in New York, where she oversawcommunications, experiential and engagement efforts for several of the firm’s top clients including Kellogg’s, H.J. Heinz Company, Hennessy, Amazon.com, Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, Nutella, Tic Tac and Evian.

Before MSLGROUP, Buchanan worked with top national and global restaurant, retail, packaged goods and consumer electronics brands such as McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Gardenburger, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, Samsung, Nikon, U.S. Bank, FreshDirect, Time Warner Center and Avis Rent-A-Car.

Buchanan has won many of the top marketing communications awards for client programs, including the PRWeek Award for “Issues Management and Crisis Campaign of the Year” in 2006 and a 2009 PRSA Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for “Multicultural Marketing.” She was named by PR News as “Brand Marketer of the Year” in 2007.

Beyond professional life, Buchanan donates her time to Share Our Strength, a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure that no child in America grows up hungry. She serves on the steering committee for Taste of the Nation, a premier culinary tasting event featuring dozens of the nation’s top chefs andmixologists, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Share Our Strength.

“Emily’s ability to bring big, transformational ideas to new business projects is matched only by her skill to expand existing clients’ project scopes by showing business value of services such as entertainment, brand marketing and social engagement. We are excited to have her continue her career in this important position as we expand our efforts in brand marketing and social engagement,” said Julie Batliner, managing director for Carmichael Lynch Spong.

You can vote for Tim  and feel free to contact him by or through .

serves as the vice president of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Meet this up-and-comer!

1. Tell us a bit about your public relations experience so far.

I've always been passionate about writing, so when I got the opportunity to write for my local newspaper, The Herald Journal, I was thrilled. After working there, I realized I was more interested in promoting than reporting, so I decided to major in public relations at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU). In my time at MSU I've enjoyed volunteering with PRSSA and serving as the vice president. I am currently the public relations intern at AgStar Financial Services in Mankato. My internship has allowed me to practice what I learned in classes and gain some incredible experience. I've really enjoyed putting my education into practice by writing for and organizing the quarterly newsletter, conducting a focus group to find out how clients want to receive communication from us and working with the press.

Samantha Schommer

2. What are some things that you have learned from being an intern at AgStar Financial Services?

I learned that being passionate about your subject matter is a great benefit when promoting a brand through social media. I know I want to appreciate the work of the company (or companies) I'm promoting because it will make my job more enjoyable. I've also learned more about effectively using social media to promote a brand. My internship has been a great experience because I've really been given a lot of responsibility and able to make a real difference for the company.

3. You graduate soon from Minnesota State University, Mankato. How has your job search been going? What advice do you have for fellow job seekers?

It's been going well! I started applying in February, but didn't get an interview until mid-April, so it wasn't easy at times. What helped me finally get a couple interviews was through connections with people at the companies I was applying for. I'm still in the early stages of interviews, but I'm thrilled to finally be starting the process. My advice to my fellow recent graduates is to network and attend events PRSA puts on. People in PR are so friendly and willing to help a new graduate out, but they're not going to help you if you don't take the initiative. Also, even if you feel like you are too busy, make sure you take the time to go the extra step like calling to check up on the status of your application or sending a thank-you card after the interview. It can really make a difference.

4. What suggestions do you have for other PRSSA chapters on having a successful chapter?

It's difficult to keep membership high when students are flooded with schoolwork, internships and other extracurricular activities. To keep them coming to meetings, the exec team has to hold them accountable and give them responsibilities. Anything from having members in charge of a newsletter or leading part of the meetings will give them the accountability they need to keep coming. Another suggestion I have is to think outside the box when it comes to fundraisers. Go the extra mile and do the extra work to put on unique fundraisers that will get your chapter noticed. It will also give you something different to talk about in an interview that shows you weren't just an average member.

5. What is your perspective on social media's role in public relations?

Social media is essential for a brand to communicate with its audience. Using it to engage positive feedback is wonderful, but it's also very necessary to have a plan in place for any negative feedback that may be received. I think that eventually, the traditional media release will not be effective and PR practitioners will have to do more of a digital release with embedded media. Also, I think social media will be the main avenue for connecting with reporters. Nothing will replace a phone call, but idea generation will be found more in social media. Overall, I see social media as vital in public relations.

6. What is your desired career path?

I would love to start my career with an agency as I have already had experience with corporate public relations. I think an agency would be such an exciting environment to be in and I would thrive there, working on multiple accounts. Ideally, I'd work my way up the ladder with the agency. It's been a dream of mine to someday, in the very distant future, possibly start my own public relations firm. It may be just a dream right now, but if I find myself in the position to make it happen, I would love to do it.

Connect with Samantha on .
Follow Samantha on Twitter: 

-- / Skogrand PR Solutions, LLC

Folkens brings 15 years of corporate, agency and non-profit experience to the firm. Most recently, he was the director of communications for the Minnesota AIDS Project and prior to that was with Fleishman-Hillard, leading clients in strategic public relations programs in the health care and technology sectors. In the corporate arena, Folkens worked for Medtronic and Orphan Medical, managing corporate communications.

Minneapolis ad agency used a 13-tweet job application to recruit its summer Lucky 13 interns and announced Friday (the 13^th, of course) it has hired eight young professionals hailing from places ranging from California and Texas to Illinois and Guatemala. The Twitter process attracted nearly 400 applicants who registered to post 13 tweets introducing themselves and demonstrating their digital capabilities to the agency (view “L13 Tweet Highlights Reel”).