Coca-Cola Groundswell

So what is the Groundswell?  Before taking Corporate PR this semester with Barbara Nixon I had never even heard of such a thing. So back to this Groundswell idea.  Basically the “Ground Swell” is exactly what it says.  It is when people begin interacting on the internet through social media about a company or something that interests them.  This in turn creates avenues for free advertising and also allows companies to get to know their customers better and at a faster rate.

When researching Coca-Cola I realized they have embraced the Groundswell at full force.  As one of the best and most interesting American icon’s Coca-Cola has to keep up with the times and cannot be a laggard.  Consumers are now more internet savvy than ever before and in order to keep up with the new generations to come Coca-Cola must remain on their toes.

 I observed their participation in the Groundswell on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to name just a few.  I also have been interested in their former 30 year historian/archivist, Phil Mooney’s, blog Coca-Cola Conversations.  Coca-Cola’s website, www.thecocacolacompany.com has even created their own green widget to allow their customers to be more aware of their water consumption.

So, do I believe that Coca-Cola has embraced the Groundswell? Definitely.  Any company that wants to stay ahead and in the game must do so.  Sometimes it depends on who your target customers are though.  If your consumers are in a generation that does not have the computer know-how, then it may be harder of a transition for them to respond to blogs when they can barely turn on their monitor.

Tasha’s Tweets

I have now been exposed to the world of tweeting.  About a week ago our class assignment was to create an account on twitter.  Twitter is a form of social media where you create short posts. You follow others and others follow you based upon your personal interests. It is a great site for networking and just for fun.  It is similar to posting a comment on your facebook or myspace. I personally have really enjoyed this site.  It can be for entertainment purposes or for more educational and work involvement.  I did not like however, the way that you have to re-post messages; it becomes tricky when you are trying to figure it out. I personally had an easier time responding to messages by just using the manual way.  I did think the idea of a retweet or responding to a tweet was a cute idea though.  I think that also the background options could become more extensive.  Maybe someone should start creating background similar to what myspace already has. I just had an epiphany, I think this may be an adult form of the new IM that we experienced in middle school. Twitter itself is an experience.  It is a way to connect with your friends and create contacts that you may never have been able to before.  If you are interested in a new subject this would be a great outlet. my personal twitter account is tashawhoachick

portuguese water dog

I cannot believe that Michelle Obama and Family have decided to get a Portuguese Water dog! That was my pic! Alas I cannot be the only person in the world who wants one. At least they will represent well. It doesn’t hurt either that their daughter Natasha also shares the same first name with me. I guess I may just be Obama chic at the moment.lol

My Social Media Policy

Social Media Policy

1. Connecting:

I am a senior at Georgia Southern University Majoring in public relations and about to graduate.  I have wanted to connect with others through social media by participating in the groundswell  for several purposes; school, friends, and employment connections.  It is a good idea to start networking in the most up-to-date ways right away!

2. Follow,add, friend:

When choosing whom to follow I look at others with common interests similar to mine, or something that I may be interested.  I may then add that person and follow them to see if I enjy what they bring to the table.  I am confortable with accepting new friends, but check out what their personal interests are and who they consort with before possibly shooting them an email and then accepting them as a friend.

3.Privacy, Boundaries and Safety:

I think it is important to be aware of predators and keep that in the back of your mind at all times.  This just means be cautious and think intelligently.  If something seems like it sends up a red flag chances are it is not a good idea. Choose friends in social media as you would any other friend.

4. Signal to noise: Have a point

When representing yourself at any time you want to portray your best self.  This may be done by choosing topics that are interesting and give yourself a voice.  Create a theme or just remain cohesive so that you are given proper credibility.

5.Personal data and sharing

It is not necessarily a bad idea to share your own personal data; this is how networking works, and is the whole concept behignd the groundswell.  I would advise to not share too much personal information if you do not feel comfortable.  Telephone numbers and addressess are not the kind of things you want out there for someone to take advantage of you in a negative way. Instead, keep most information private and keep contact limited to email.

6. My newworking needs and uses

Personally I am on: Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and would like to join LinkedIn.  I use Facebook for friends from school, Myspace for friends from home, and Twitter for public relations professionals and friends.  I would like to add LinkedIn so that I could have more professional connections since I am about to enter the corporate world.

Blog Reviews

 Phil Mooney, Coca-Cola’s previous historian/archivist for 30 years has his own blog called Coca-Cola Conversations.  This blog is a mixture of fun and informative information.  Because of his knowledge of Coca-Cola memorabilia and collectables Mooney is able to encorporate fun and knowledge in an interactive page for Coca-Cola consumers.  His page consists of anything from contests, to coca-cola cheese dip, and even every artist that has ever sung the Coca-Cola jingle.  Basically Mooney is the main guy to talk to about advertising because he has seen it all.

The LinkedIn Blog is similar to LinkedIn itself.  Several professionals create postings to bring important topics to light.  Krista Canfield, talks about how LInkedIn has served as a tool for helping promote cancer awareness. She also spoke of how by participating in LinkedIn and updating your profile you can become eligible to win a Banana Republic shopping spree.  Both of these topics pertain to LinkedIn’s direct audience, yet if people did not read this blog they may not be informed about these issues. That is the great thing about blogs.  By reading about one thing you are interested in you can stumble upon new topics or even hobbies that interest you.  Thanks to Estaban Kozak I realized that the largest global professional network has now made it easier to find people that you want to contact.  Within the time it took me to browse this blog I found loads of topics informative and since it is a social networking site I can look for people that have discussed topics that interested me personally.

Article Review

In the article that I have reviewed for my Corporate PR Class image control was the central theme. Image makers such as Coca-Cola the Fortune 500 company I have chosen to research have used their image to create a brand that everyone can relate to.

By choosing this article I thought I would learn about crises and how to control your companies image in the proper manner so that in a crisis situation your company has nothing to worry about. Coca-cola has such a secure image that crisis management should always be in effect, yet they have a lot less to worry about than most companies. This is relevant to my corporation, Coca-Cola, because in times like now when we are experiencing economic difficulty it makes larger corporations pay closer attention to their consumers more than ever.

Coca-Cola has used the concept of image as a dual process that projects and consumes an image. Coca-Cola as done this so well that they have become an icon. They have created a positive behavioral relationship with their public by creating Coca-Cola as an American product. Essentially it represents us as a nation, yet it is world renowned. The Coke bottle symbol itself is the most recognized symbol throughout the world. When asked if a person has ever tried a coke most people have. It can be compared to never having been in WALMART it is just unheard of these days.

Image and the way the public responds to that image can be challenged in times of crisis. Coca-Cola stands strong with a firm reputation for excellence. They do not have any skeletons in their closet. In a crisis situation such a strong backing will give a company immense leeway. Coca-Cola as an organization has made it through a Depression, the 80′s, and every time they triumph. They are a part of who we are and that is why their image and Coca-Cola as a brand survives.

Consumers perceive Coca-Cola in a number of ways. They are remembered by their commercials; whether it may be their Christmas commercials or their commercials where they use spokespersons to represent their product by singing their theme song which also represents Coca-Cola. In the familiar tune “Always Coca-Cola” we have been brought up to remember when grabbing for a cold drink grab for the right drink always make it a coke. We see paraphernalia daily, everything from t-shirts to the Coca-Cola bear. The old Coca-Cola signs that have become not only an icon they have become valuable because of what they represent and how they represent the American culture.

Through our image we represent ourselves and that is what Coca-Cola will continue to do. They created a strong foundation that they have only built upon. If Coca-Cola did not exist neither would America. It is us and we are it without it part of our identity is lost. This is the ultimate goal for companies to achieve with a product and this is why Coca-Cola is one of the Fortune 500 Companies.

Ki, Eyun-Jung; Hon, Linda Childers. (2007).Testing the Linkages Among the Organization–Public Relationship and Attitude and Behavioral Intentions.Journal of Public Relations Research, Jan2007, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p1-23.

How to make a circle in InDesign

1. Pick the select arrow in the first box on the top left corner.

2. Next, click on the fourth box down on the right hand side.

make sure you hold down the left key on your mouse while doing this.

3. Once this is pulled up three options will come up, pick the center one, or the elipse tool.

4. Then, click your mouse in the main in design area of your page and adjust your circle to the size you want to achieve.

Photography tips

1. Familiarize yourself with your camera’s settings.
2. Make sure when taking pictures you have a focal point.
3. Do not have too much going on in a picture it can be distracting.
4. Pay attention to your lighting so that it is neither too bright or dark.
5. Do not center everything; this can lead to boring pictures.
6. Let your picture lead the eye.
7. Take the weather into account. Temperature and lighting can affect your picture.
8. Remember the rule of thirds.
9. Look for focal points.
10. Timing is important.

To find more great tips go to www.photographytips.com, digital-photography-school.com/blog/10-beach-photography-tips/, or
www.alexnolan.net/articles/digital_photography.htm

Beginning Blogger

So what is a blog? A blog or web log is a website where entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. People use it to create posts on various topics which then get displayed throughout a social network. You may personalize your blog in any way you like, but keep in mind others may see this information if you wish.

So how can blogs be beneficial for PR Practitioners? Well, blogs allow us to have more advanced social networks, which in turn creates more awareness for the topics that we want to get across; thus also helping us to network in a more productive way. We are networking more productively because we are seeking out the audience we want to interact with, or they are seeking us out.