Living Lauren

Comments Week 5

Lauren Stevens — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:02:57 +0000

http://km04662.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/pinterest-obsession/#comment-42

That is so neat that you were able to apply Pinterest to the PRSSA event at Georgia Southern. I have always wanted to copy cat the decor I have pinned on the website and I am sure everyone will like it. More importantly it’s a great conversation piece at the PR event!

http://dchesh.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/valuable-pinterest/#comment-9

I agree that companies on Pinterest don’t have to do much in the way of pushing a product or service that if it catches one person’s attention than surely it will spread and be pinned numerous times. I do agree that Pinterest many not have the sustainability like a Twitter or Facebook because of the lack of communication the site draws in. You don’t go on the website to see what your friends are saying or doing you visit it more for personal purposes and for that reason I don’t see it being as big of a success.

TOW 5–What’s your interest in Pinterest?

Lauren Stevens — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:34:59 +0000

Pinterest is the hottest new online social media website that acts as a bulletin board for everything you have ever seen on the internet and wanted to remember, loved, or you thought was funny and wanted to share with others. As Ragans PR Daily said, “Think of Pinterest this way: If Delicious and Flickr had a baby, it would be Pinterest.” It allows you to share pictures and leave captions and comments on other pictures. These pictures can consist of architecture, food, clothing, animals, jewelry, sayings, etc. To me the best part about these pictures is that most of them originated from somewhere on the internet and when you click the picture it will take you to its original site, whether it be on a department store’s website or a blog, etc. As of late with all the success Pinterest has seen top name businesses are starting to utilize the site for its PR value. It seems to be a great way to advertise new products, new ideas, or services without pushing them on people. Once one of your friends likes or pins one of the new product or idea it seems to spread like wildfire. The people who are repining what these businesses are posting are acting as the companies PR practitioners and it also becomes free advertising.

I personally love Pinterest. I find the ideas on the site to be refreshing and I pin anything from wedding ideas to fashion tips, hairstyles, and home furnishings. I found my new bedspread from something my friend pinned which ended up being an original pin from the company West Elm who has their own Pinterest page. I doubt I would have even seen the bedding if it weren’t for Pinterst or West Elm having a presence on the site. I also like to get creative with the DIY or do it yourself projects that are constantly being posted around Pinterest. I would definitely recommend Pinterest to friends and I already have done so. The site definitely takes some getting used to as anything new that you’re using does but I do find it to be pretty user-friendly and once you understand the general idea it is extremely effortless. So effortless in fact that my friends and I joke that you can spend hours on the site and not even know it just browsing all sorts of different things. I hope it is not just a fad although I will admit because it doesn’t have the communicative background like Facebook does, it doesn’t make you feel like you have to get on it everyday so that you don’t miss something. I don’t use it so much to communicate with friends as it is like a personal notebook to me. If it had more elements of communicating like a Facebook or Twitter people might be more inclined to keep up with the site more frequently.

Comments Week 4

Lauren Stevens — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:30:54 +0000

http://jacksonmcgahee.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/shmalentines-day/#comment-38

I enjoyed your hopeless romantic boast about how everyday should be about love not one day of commercializing our love for the sake of these industries making a buck off of us. I completely agree with you as you can tell in my blog entitled “happy hallmark holiday”. However, when you are on the receiving end of the gifts it is easy to play into V-Day like everyone else. I will say that when people are alone on Valentine’s Day cynicism easily overcomes all other emotions having been on both sides of the spectrum.

http://prbetty.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/cupids-arrow-hit-or-miss/#comment-40

I love that your favorite gift you received was that DVD because how amazing to know that he picked up on something you mentioned and passing and thought enough of it to remember it and think of you on V-Day. I love when my boyfriend does things like that because I clearly never think he listens to anything I say sometimes

TOW 4–Happy Hallmark Holiday

Lauren Stevens — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:59:48 +0000

Oh Valentine’s Day, you superficial holiday you, based on purely what I and I’m sure many others deem a moneymaker holiday aka the “Hallmark holiday”. Most notorious for putting the pressure on men everywhere to spoil their significant other with overpriced chocolates, flowers, and jewelry for no apparent reason. As for those who are valentine-less on this most poignant day of the year they are made to feel unloved and left out from the rest, reminded by the fact that they are single as they watch re-runs of their favorite sappy romantic comedy. I have fallen into both categories on Valentine’s Day, having drowned my sorrows in one too many Nicholas Sparks movies while also being treated to my share of elegant dinners. Clearly it is nicer to be on the receiving end of Valentine’s Day and feeding into all the hype but I wasn’t always as open-minded about it. In my early years of high school I was as against the idea of Valentine’s Day as I could be. I sported a black outfit head to toe and mocked the day to all of my friends who were smitten by a $20 box of chocolates waiting in their locker after class. Over the years more and more of my friends left me in the dust and swapped their black sweater for a red dress and became the same V-Day lovers we mocked for so many years before. I can’t remember the day I had a change of heart but I too at some point along the way caught the bug as many of us do. My mentality soon came to be, that if you can’t beat em..join em!

The upside to this holiday as many of us girls can agree on, is the gifts our significant others so graciously give. However, gift giving is an art and is known to be very tricky especially when jewelry is involved. For all the men out there, first of all good luck to you, it is not an easy task and every girl is different and has much different taste. And then it is even messier for the person on the receiving end to make sure your face says you love it when it is potentially the most heinous gift you have ever received. I am one of those people who can’t seem to mask their feelings when they are written all over their face. My family jokes that they know immediately if I like something or not based upon my reaction even though I try my hardest to smile and say I love it. It’s horrible I know, but I really can’t help it! One year a guy I was dating for a couple of months (hint to guys: don’t get jewelry for someone you haven’t been dating at least a year) gave me cheap necklace with a HUGE heart on it. The Poor guy had no clue I loathe any kind of jewelry in the shape of a heart. This year however, I have to say I received the most beautiful necklace from my boyfriend of three years because our anniversary just happens to fall on Valentine’s Day which is kind of serendipitous in the fact that this used to be the one day of the year I would go into mourning for.

If I were in the business of making money off of Valentine’s Day whether in the chocolate or floral business, my edge on the competition would have to be in my packaging. For me it’s all about appearance when I want to buy something over another brand. Having the edge on the competition is making the consumer believe what you are selling is better than the competitors even when it is the exact same product you are selling. I would style my packaging so that every girl or women would see it as expensive and trendy without being overpriced. After all isn’t that how we base most of our purchases on in our everyday wardrobe?

Comments Week 3

Lauren Stevens — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:02:04 +0000

http://km04662.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/social-media-in-the-pr-world/#comment-37

I agree with you about the positives of social media. I too immerse myself in social media daily but my view on its productiveness in the business world is a little different. I think people like us are way too influenced about things we read and we don’t need a lot of assurance that there is truth behind it, we normally take things for what they are and don’t do a lot of investigating. It is for that reason that I think businesses using social media as a main source of PR is dangerous for their company and their reputation because of what can so easy be written and misconstrued about them.

http://rebekahkatherine.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/social-media-the-new-wave-of-pr/#comment-67

PR practitioners are the ones who should be updating the social media sites of these companies. It reminds me of what we learned in class the other week about there being different types of complainers and how important it is to determine who these people are and how to categorize them. When you know that you will deal with them differently based upon what category they fall into. This is something the average person updating a site does not think of and may just react on impulse to which can definitely drive away customers.

TOW 3–Social Media > PR?

Lauren Stevens — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:53:16 +0000

Social media has completely changed the Public Relations world, and never again will PR function as it did before this change. It used to be that PR would function as one source channeling information through a few significant mediums to reach the public. Now PR is being channeled through just about every single Internet social medium there is, to reach the public. Also, what was once the PR practitioner sending these messages is now any company with a presence on these social media websites. I believe these changes can be for the worse especially when you have companies taking their PR into their own hands and not hiring a specialist to filter the content they are blasting out to the media.

You cannot control what people are going to write about you when given the opportunity, but a PR practitioner can control how you are going to respond to the criticism. Limiting your PR to these sites online can also be a negative thing because any comments made about your company or service online is there to stay. It can become an open forum to bash you and invite slanderous and negative comments that need no backing to make their mark. PR practitioners are trained to handle negative publicity and even how to market your company. An untrained professional can be a liability in that they won’t know how to handle certain situations and can put the company in a bad light. Companies should think twice about their desire to take PR into their own hands because although it may seem like a cheaper alternative, it is probably not be in the best interest of the company.

Comments Week 2

Lauren Stevens — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:59:18 +0000

Jordan McDonald–http://jordanmcd.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/what-to-experience-first-the-movie-or-the-book/

I completely agree with you about peers running out to get the latest book that turned movie, I have even been guilty of that myself but as I stated in my blog I never am able to get past the first chapter or so because I don’t want to spoil the movie. I think it is funny that you determine a “true fan” by whether or not someone has both read the book and watched the movie. I can see where you are coming from but I don’t know if not reading the book can make someone less of a fan of the series.

Khrys Dent–http://iamkhrys91.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/movie-or-book/#comment-7

I feel like you are the only one who agrees with me on this topic! I too only normally watch the movie, I just never thought of the idea that it creates for less disappointment to only watch the movie. I can recall so many times where people complain that the movie ruined it for them and I did not share their same opinion at all. I wonder why people don’t separate the two more in their minds, why would you want to see the same exact thing that you have read anyway? I think the movie changing it up a little keeps it interesting.

TOW 2–Book Vs. Movie

Lauren Stevens — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:38:43 +0000

I have to admit when asked if I would rather read the book or watch the movie, I am embarrassed to admit that I would rather watch the movie. So embarrassed about that actually, that my first instinct was to say “Oh of course I would want to read the book”. Simply put however, that’s not true. I am not sure if it is because I am a very visual person, and that is how to grab my attention or that I have grown up being a visual learner. I really engage well with things that I can put a face or place to, which is why I believe I would rather watch a movie.

Everyone always says the book is better than the movie so yes at times I fool myself into strutting into Barnes and Noble and buying the book only to get a few pages in and all of a sudden it is collecting dust on my shelf. Whether it was Marley and Me, Twilight, or The Help, they all have made nice ornamental use in my room. Once again, I am not proud of this and if you are wondering if I have ever read a book before the answer is yes. I am not that foolish however, there is something about my mindset when reading the book that says I would rather watch this play out on-screen. I even think to myself that reading it and knowing the ending will spoil the movie.

My favorite book to movie adaptation would probably have to be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Even though that is the only book out of the seven book series I think it is, I could never have pictured in my head what that movie brought to life. So to those who go along with the age-old saying that the book is better than the movie, I would have to assume they have never seen the leading men shirtless in the Nicholas Sparks movies because no book can paint that picture!

Comments Week 1

Lauren Stevens — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:03:34 +0000

1.) Drew Cheshire – dchesh.wordpress.com

http://dchesh.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/my-bucket-list/#comment-2

I definitely can relate to your post this week. I too want to travel the world and have similar places on my bucket list as well. London is at the top of my list especially because I want to see the tennis tournament Wimbledon while I am there. You also mentioned wanting to see a broadway show one day and I can tell you from my experiences they are definitely a great time! I have been fortunate enough to have seen broadway shows in NYC such as Wiked, Jersey Boys, Lion King, and Mamma Mia. Good luck on your dreams to becoming a well-known commentator for college football and Go Dawgs!

2.) Lauren Craddock – laurenjc.wordpress.com

http://laurenjc.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/bucket-list-2nd-edition/#comments

You mentioned in your post that you haven’t been to New York City and I said in mine that I wanted to live there. I have a feeling that once you visit you will add living there to your list as well! If you are interested here is a list of must do things when you get to visit that I thought were so great to do..Madam Tussand’s Wax Museum, Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Broadway play, Soho, Central Park, and Magnolias Bakery. There are so many more but that is all I can think of off the top of my head. I also thought it was neat that you said you snorkeled in the Bahamas because I did the same thing and thought it was a blast. I am definitely not as brave as you though because scuba diving terrifies me!

TOW 1–Before I Kick the Bucket

Lauren Stevens — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:57:40 +0000

Have you ever asked yourself what you want to do before you “kick the bucket”? Before now I haven’t put much thought into this but I believe it’s not only an intriguing question but an important one as well. Knowing what is on someones bucket list is understanding that person through and through; discovering their greatest goals, wants and achievements in life. I would like to say that my bucket list is pretty long but here are just a few things that would be at the top of my list.

Attend all 4 Professional Tennis Grand Slams around the world

This has always been a dream of mine growing up a tennis fan and player myself. I can’t think of anything more exciting than visiting France (French Open), London (Wimbledon), New York (US Open), and Australia (Australian Open) while getting to watch the sport I love most.

Skydiving

I have a lot of friends who have done this already but I have always been nervous and afraid to do it. I feel like by accomplishing this I would be overcoming one of my biggest fears and that is why I put it on my bucket list.

Live in New York City

Now when I say this I am very vague for a reason. I would be happy to live there whether it was for a few months or a year or even five
years, but for me living there means gaining the Independence I have always wanted and feeling like I have made it in life. After having
visited the big city four times I can truly say there is no where else like it.

“The ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions and their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not. ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ ‘Has your life brought joy to others?’” –The motion picture The Bucket List (2007)