That's All For Now.

As I come to my last and final blog post of the semester (I know - so sad!), I will leave you with a few posts from my peers that I found interesting.  First and foremost, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to read what's on my mind and I hope I have enlightened your thinking about the field of public relations, especially in the social media and entertainment worlds.


The first blogger that I will discuss is Alyssa and her post on companies using surveys to provide feedback.  I totally agree with her when she mentions how fast food companies, in particular, make it extremely easy for customers to provide their feedback by using the Internet.  The Internet is becoming a very commonly used tool when it comes to public relations (as you can see from my social media blog), especially with surveys.  I am aware that some companies like to provide incentive for their customers to take the time to fill out a survey.  However, I found it interesting to learn that some fast food companies will actually offer free food! Does anybody need an extra opinion from me?! Sign me up!


As I digress...Another peer of mine who's blog caught my eye was Katerina. Her blog focused on social media, as well as mine, so I found this even more interesting to read.  Katerina discusses how she believes that an experiment should be done to find out if using social media would create more publicity and positive results for businesses.  I, personally, believe this should be done because businesses that are not already using social media to their advantage are most likely missing out! From experience, I have noticed that businesses who promote themselves via Twitter, Facebook, etc. have gotten more attention than those who prefer to remain quiet.  Are they "too good" for the Internet? Understandably, the "mom and pop" type will probably remain on the DL, but as for the big-name companies, I highly suggest you jump on the social media bandwagon.

You May Try This At Home.

When you hear the word "experiment," what's the first thing that comes to mind? Scientists? Laboratories? Those ugly and EXTREMELY unflattering goggles? Mmm...maybe.  Although I will be discussing research in this particular instance, I will be using the term in a slightly different way.


Experimental research does not always have to be conducted under very strict and careful instructions.  In fact, it can be done all in the comfort of your own home (without explosive chemicals, of course).  This type of research is used very frequently in the PR industry, especially with social media.  In fact, how do you think publicists evaluate which marketing tool is working the best for their clients?  Ah hah! Through experimental research!


Allow me to set up a situation (or...an experiment).  You are trying to determine which social media website allows for the most feedback and followers for a particular person in the entertainment industry.  Try Lady Gaga, for instance.  Start by pulling up MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook in your web browser, since these are the three biggest and most commonly used social networking sites at the moment.  How many followers does she have on each?  Comments?  Feedback?  By figuring out which website seems to be more popular for her audience and fans, you are conducting experimental research -- a blind experiment to be exact.  This just means that Lady Gaga isn't aware of the fact that you are stalking her fan base, which can reduce any form of bias (just in case you speak with her on a daily basis).


Well, what are your results?! The conclusion of our experiment today was that Lady Gaga's Facebook page resulted in the most fans, with a current total of 22,115,400 people "liking" her.  Does this mean that Facebook is the most popular form of social networking and can lead to more publicity?  It might, but not necessarily.  In this particular case, however, Facebook took the gold.

I'm Sorry, Did You Wanna Ask Me Something?

If you, yourself, have a Twitter or Facebook account, you probably are well aware that lots of celebrities do too. (Note to self: Don't admit your constant stalking of celebrities' tweets or updated Facebook statuses.) Whoops. Anyways, often times, these celebrities will ask their fans for feedback on their most recent outfits they wore to an event, or just general questions about what they should do, wear, what movies to see, etc. The list goes on and on. You might not realize that what they are doing can be considered a form of "surveys," which are a common method used in researching.

Now, you might be asking yourself where I am going with this. Surveys are commonly used on a daily basis, whether we realize it or not.  They consist of general questions that result in feedback that forms a consensus of opinions from the public.  What separates a survey from an interview is the simple fact that surveys do not get very specific and down to the nitty-gritty.  However, they can involve more specific questions about one general topic.  In other words, there is a very fine line when evaluating the difference between a survey and an interview.

Celebrities, often times, will tweet questions to their fans pertaining to a certain topic, with hopes that they will receive feedback that will aid in their "research."  Although this is not formal research they are conducting (I'm pretty sure none of the celebrities that I know of are professional scientists, unless you want to count Tom Cruise?) That's neither here nor there. What I am trying to have you understand is that by providing your feedback to these celebrities, with hopes that they will respond, RT (re-tweet), or simply read what you wrote to them, you are involved in a survey -- in a way.  "But don't surveys involve circling or checking off the best answer?" Not necessarily.

While browsing the Internet, I recently came across a website that displays a tweet from the rapper Bow Wow (wait, who?) that poses a question about if he was the only person who hates breakfast. The general consensus from fellow tweeters in regards to his question was "Hell Yes!" The people who took part in answering his question and forming this result were involved in a form of a survey.

So -- the next time you find yourself reading Kim Kardashian's tweets and being asked a question about which pair of Christian Louboutins you thought looked best on her, sit back, try to hold yourself back from vomiting, and remember that by answering her question and providing feedback, you are participating in an informal social media survey.

Let's Talk About...

Once again, I will be focusing on my peers' blogs and what they have been focusing on discussing with their readers.  I enjoy doing this because it gives me an opportunity to indulge in their feelings about different types of PR and what is on their mind. As I sit back and explore my peers' thoughts, I would like to present their ideas to you so you can think critically about different insights others have, as opposed to mine.

I will start with Alexis' blog that mainly focuses on Fashion PR and the fashion industry in general.  In her blog on qualitative research, she discusses a company (Avon) that conducted a focus group to determine what the make up habits were of Hispanic women in a specific area (Tallahassee, Florida.) The results of this focus group compared the habits of Hispanic women to those of other nationalities, specifying which tendencies they were most likely to have. I found this very interesting because the women who participated in this study were found to wear certain types of make up on a regular basis as opposed to Caucasians, African Americans, or Asians. However, as I have learned in class, focus groups are not always reliable when it comes to finding out information for companies or studies in general.  This because they contain a small group of people (usually about 6-12) and are performed in a small demographic.  Therefore, the information and insights gained from focus groups cannot necessarily be used towards conclusions based on the general public.

Another blog that caught my attention was Katerina's, which focused more on social media.  I was instantly drawn to to her blog because it relates similarly with the focus of my own blog.  In Katerina's most recent post, she discusses how qualitative research can be conducted using social networking websites, such as Facebook.  Social networking has becoming increasingly popular among the general population, including businesses (both new and old.)  Since almost everyone has a Facebook page, it is easy to access certain information about a person or organization in just the click of a button.  In Katerina's blog, she mentions how you can find out whether or not a celebrity is "liked" by fans by visiting their Discussion Board on Facebook.  People are able to leave comments about a person, stating whatever they feel (as long as it is Facebook appropriate,) as well as "like" posts and/or pictures of them.  This is one simple and newly available way to conduct qualitative research on a subject.  The only downfall is that not everyone in the PR industry is social media savvy.

Stay In The Loop.

Qualitative research takes place all the time in social media amongst celebrities and the media, and even the public.  This basically means that the mass media observes what people say and do.  In order to do so, the researcher must go to the people or the setting where the communication actually occurs.  This is done to gain insight into people's attitudes and behaviors, what they are motivated about, what their aspirations are, etc.  A lot of the time, qualitative research is used to inform business decisions and policy formation.

Business professionals can use social media to their advantage to find out directly what celebrities are saying about products or things in general.  It can also study what the general population thinks about a particular topic or celebrity.  What separates this from unobtrusive research is that they cannot just click on their social media page to find out information because they need to actually ask the person questions. In this circumstance, the celebrities would be asked to respond to general questions.  Then, the researcher would formulate additional questions to probe deeper into the celebrities' feelings and responses.

One way that qualitative research can be completed through social media would be through discussion boards or live video chats.  Since these two outlets make it possible to conduct rapid conversations and questionnaires between the researcher and the person being researched, they are very convenient to use.  Although it is much easier and probably more reliable to conduct this research in person, perhaps through a focus group, social media allows for the possibility to perform qualitative research via the Internet.

An example that I present you with about qualitative research and social media in the Entertainment industry is the Celebrity Loop Forum.  This website makes it possible for anyone to post questions or information pertaining to a certain celebrity, person, or media in the Entertainment industry.

Although, as I said previously, it is possible for researchers to conduct qualitative research with those they want to research through social media, it is probably better off sticking with up-close-and-personal research methods instead.

You Heard It Right Out of the Horse's Mouth!

This week's blog will primarily be focusing on the concept of Unobtrusive Research.  Wait, don't go anywhere just yet! I promise it won't be boring. "What exactly is 'unobtrusive research?'" you may (or may not) be asking yourself. Well, it is the finding out of information on your own without interfering with your subject's day-to-day activities.  This can be done in several ways, but when it comes to the social media world, things can either go extremely well or extremely wrong.


First -- You must find out if your source is credible or not. Since you are dealing with the World Wide Web, almost anybody can write their opinion or a false statement about a particular topic. One way to figure out of the source is credible is to check the website (if it is followed by ".org," ".edu," or ".gov" could be a start.) Next, find out if the person writing about the information is a reputable company or society. You have to be sure that a random college student isn't just typing away about random information until her fingers are sore (just kidding -- but really.)


Second -- If the person whom you are researching has stated something on their own behalf, you can be sure that this is most likely very reliable information because it is written in black and white right in front of your very eyes!  With most celebrities in the entertainment industry, publicity is right there in social media for anyone to read and talk about.  Almost all celebrities have their own Twitter or Facebook account, so their followers or friends can check up on them and their daily activities.  This can come in handy when you are trying to research them, unobtrusively of course.


A plus about unobtrusive research is that it avoids any form of bias amongst the subject and the researcher.  Since the subject most likely isn't aware that they are being researched, they will speak open and honestly about a certain topic.  However, with social media, most celebrities are watching what they say anyway and avoid letting things slip that they might regret in the future. Once this information reaches the Internet, it stays there forever and they cannot take back what they said (or wrote).


One example in particular that I would like to share with you is a post from Teresa Giudice's Facebook page.  For those of you who may not be aware of who Teresa is: she is one of the women on the Real Housewives of New Jersey on the Bravo network.  Teresa is constantly updating her Twitter and Facebook with statuses about her day, what she is doing at the moment, and even pictures taken on the spot!  One of her most recent posts on Facebook let her friends know that she will be at a Food Bank charity event on a particular day, with a link for more information about the event.  Therefore, if any of her friends would like to know more about the event, if she will be there, or what exactly she thinks about charities and this event in particular, they can view her Facebook page and they can access her personal thoughts all within the click of a button!


Unobtrusive research is done almost on a regular basis by social media users without them even realizing that they are doing it -- whether amongst friends, followers, or celebrities.  If you are refreshing your page to see new updates and statuses, or even searching for a particular person to see what they are up to, you are conducting unobtrusive research.  It is especially easy to do when it comes to researching celebrities, because the likelihood of being able to get in touch with a particular celebrity in order to find out certain information is slim-to-none.

Share It With the Class.

This week's blog will focus primarily on the viewpoints of my fellow classmates, as opposed to my own. I have chosen two blogs in particular that I believe are the most relevant to mine.  Each of these blogs discuss the two main components that make up my blog: Entertainment PR and Social Media. The first blog that I have chosen talks about the entertainment industry and how celebrities are often chosen to market products for companies in order for that product to gain recognition.  The second blog discusses the importance of social media to gain feedback from clients and to provide a channel of communication between companies and their audiences. I felt that both of these blogs were extremely interesting, so I will now share them with you.


The first blog that I came across was Steph's blog, which focuses on the simple fact that society craves information about the lives of the rich and famous.  Celebrities are all over the media and we can't help but wonder what they are doing next. Steph mentions how celebrities are often used for product advertising to "improve upon [a] company's sales results."  The quote that she shared from the University of South Alabama was, in my opinion, 100 percent true.  I thought that this topic shared almost exactly the same beliefs as mine and what I was trying to get across to my readers.  In my most recent blog post, I talked about how celebrities are more likely to sell products as opposed to the average Jane. People love to see a familiar face in an advertisement so they can feel a sense of connection with them and, in turn, trust them to buy the product they are marketing.


The next blog that I will share is Kevin's blog because he discusses how social media has become such a prominent way to connect businesses with their public.  Kevin mentions how social media websites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, provide a means of communication between PR practitioners and their target audiences. These types of websites provide such an easy way to receive feedback. What I liked about Kevin's blog was that it related to mine, in a sense. We both discussed the importance of social media and how it is becoming increasingly popular in today's society. It can be extremely beneficial for almost anyone to stay connected with certain clients, PR professionals, or even the media. The only problem that might exist is if you don't know how to use it.

Research Can Be Such an Ugly Word.

Fads are huge in society, despite what people choose to believe for themselves. If we see Lady Gaga get on a stage in a meat dress (oh wait, we already did) we would probably search all over for a replica -- okay, probably not. But you get my drift.  Celebrities' styles jump out at us through the pages in a magazine or on our TVs, and we can't help but want what they have. How does this have any form of relevance to social media? You will soon find out.


The hottest celebrities are chosen to market certain products for name-brand companies because those companies are smart. We wouldn't want to buy a lipstick if some random "nobody" was advertising it on billboards, right? Companies want recognizable faces to catch your attention, and if you know who they are, you might be able to relate to them and want what they are selling.


This is where social media comes into play with the public eye. Celebs are taking over sites like Twitter and Facebook for their own popularity boost, but they are using this to their advantage.  Take Snooki, from the MTV reality show Jersey Shore, for example. Although most of the time she tweets about her daily activities and whereabouts, she did a lot of PR for a spray tan company called "SUNLOVE." Her fans and other people were not only reading about her personal life, but they were seeing free advertisement for a spray tan company.  Although this might be hard to believe, there are people in this world who look up to Snooki (and her pouf--literally), so this type of PR can manipulate her Twitter followers to look into this new product and find out more about it, or even perhaps buy it.


In a YouTube video that was posted on the SUNLOVE website, Snooki describes her love for the spray tan product and demonstrates how it works on a live person.


PR has a funny way of working with people's minds and the best part is that people don't even realize that they are falling right into these companies' traps.  Organizations like SUNLOVE choose certain celebrities to market their products due to their popularity in society.  The more popular and loved they are, the more likely people are to consider the product they are marketing.


As you might not have noticed, unless you previously knew the topic of my blog this evening, the word "research" was never mentioned once in the context above. Is it because there was none taking place? Often times, people don't even realize that they are conducting research through their work in PR. Well, the companies have certainly done their research when they choose which celebrities are going to be their spokes person for their next campaign.  The results of their research are used for promotion and increase in sales.  If they never did research from the get-go, how would they know who their demographics are, what to improve, what their budget will be, etc.? In this case, social media has almost become a form of free advertisement and promotion for companies without forcing them to pay a dime -- unless they hire someone else to do it for them. 

Am I Grabbing Your Attention? Good.

When dealing with social media in the entertainment industry, ethical issues can play a huge factor when it comes to what to say and what not to say. Once something is posted into the cyber world, it is there forever. This can cause problems for people who make false statements, post inappropriate pictures of themselves (or others), or just say something flat out stupid. Although you might have full control over what you post on the Internet, the scary part is -- you don't have control over what other's can post.


In order to grab someone's attention to read what you have to say, you have a make a bold heading. The media loves to take the truth and run with it to make it more interesting for their readers.  This can sometimes cause the truth to be twisted and taken differently than it was meant, and in turn, cause rumors to start and spread.  Honesty, as we all should know, is the best policy, and is often a huge ethical problem that is taken too far in social media, if used at all.


The honesty policy goes hand in hand with privacy. Do you want the world do know your dirty little secret? I bet not, and if you do, kudos (yes, I really just said that). Just like changing the truth to make it more interesting, the entertainment industry loves to blab all of the gossip and new secrets about celebrities and their lives. Sometimes this can be taken too far and ethical boundaries can get crossed, as sad as that is to say. So, stay ethical, do the right thing, and don't blab things you wouldn't want blabbed about you. I guess when it comes to the entertainment industry, it is easier said than done.


When things like this happen, people can get very upset and blame the person who tweeted or wrote things about them on the Internet.  This is when the author, or the "tweeter," has to take full responsibility for their post and do some serious crisis management. This is the ultimate hardest part of PR that there is because how can you take back what you said and alter people's way of thinking? People form opinions very easily and can be quick to judge someone based on something they read online. Are you capable of changing their minds and reformulating their opinions?


As I was browsing the Internet, I came across an article that seemed almost impossible, stating that Kim Kardashian is believed to be pregnant. Who can really make a judgement that obscene about her based on a picture and a purchase she was "seen" making?  Who's to say that the pregnancy tests were for her use? Even if this article was true, is it ethical for the media to be drawing such attention to this? If Kim really is pregnant, would she want the public knowing so soon? What are your opinions about ethics when it comes to social media in the entertainment industry? Further more, if you read something that you believed to be unethical, would you do anything about it?

Entertainment, Meet Social Media.

Way back when (so far back that you probably forgot) people would read the newspaper or listen to the radio to hear the biggest scandal or exciting event that was taking place.  After time went on, the biggest source for information became the television. Then it was the text message.  Nowadays, all people have to do is click a button and BAM! What they're itching to know about their favorite celebrity can be found in the blink of an eye.  Just say, "When."


Almost everybody in the world has a social media account, and if you personally have one, don't even lie and say you're not addicted to it.  One of the semi-new and most popular of all social media right now is Twitter.  Some people have a Twitter account so they can follow all of the magazines, celebrities that they love (or hate), and find out about the juicy gossip they are craving.  All you have to do is "follow" whoever you want and you are instantly connected to them and engaging in their personal lives.  Who can resist getting this close to this kind of information?  Say goodbye to E! News because you have it all in the palm of your hand (figuratively speaking if you have Twitter on your BlackBerry or iPhone.)


As you can probably see where I am going with this, Entertainment PR and social media are so strongly linked these days, which is why this will be the primary focus of my blog.  If you love staying connected and in sync with all the latest drama with the stars, then feel free to pay a visit and drop comments!  Tweet tweet!


http://www.twitter.com/