Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

This weekend (or as of 12 p.m. today) ONU's Relay for Life took place on the tundra from a 6 p.m. kick off on Friday until just a few hours ago when we announced the total money raised, took our closing lap around the track and began to tear down the tents and stage. I've been involved with the cause for three years now and for a lot of reasons in my family, it's something that is extremely important to me. My sophomore year, I was on a team called A Walk to Remember with many of my friends and roommates on campus and we ended up being the team who raised the most money while I was in at least the top five, if not three, for participants who raised the most individually. This year, I had the opportunity to be one of the chairs of the publicity team for ONU's Colleges Against Cancer committee. I was so excited to be able to do a lot more hands on work as far as PR and communications went, and outside of everything I've done for Firm already. But when I started going to meetings, I realized that it was a lot more unorganized than I had imagined, especially my own committee, which comprised of myself and one other person. It was my first true experience in a working situation with objectives, goals and deadlines to meet, where I had to pick up a lot of the slack for things that should have been done far in advanced, but had yet to be accomplished. Had I been informed of these meetings sooner (because said individual isn't very good with responding to emails) then I know I would have taken enough initiative to make sure our PR efforts didn't fall behind.

It was also an experience where at first, I felt as though I was lost and without much direction at all, which should only provoke that desire to take initiative, but it's difficult when it's your first year doing something new without the help of others. I had no idea where to even begin. I had all of these ideas to promote the cause and spread the word on campus, but it was like no one was listening to what I had to say, or they were so set in their ways of how they've done things in the past, that my ideas were being tossed out the window. I guess, too, that's something I'll need to get used to. But once I got into the groove of doing things on my own, because my co-chair was less than helpful throughout most of campaign, I found that the resources I did have were very helpful and very timely. That made me happy, being someone who tries to be as prompt as possible with responses. But by the time relay came around, I realized that while I was frustrated and didn't have the opportunity to do as much as I would have liked, the stress was worth it. We had a great turnout and I really enjoyed myself this year. I also wish this wouldn't be the only year that I was able to contribute to the committee, because now I know what I could and would have done, should I have been able to take over. My plan, however, is to recruit one of our very lovely PRSSA underclassmen to take over for me and hopefully I can pass along ideas that I had and see them put into place.

Like I said, the entire event was worth the hassle that everything seemed to be at times. While I amount of teams we had this year wasn't nearly as high as what it was in previous years, we were still about to raise $15,200 for the cause. And oddly enough, my role as the publicity co-chair and seeing the success we had this weekend, made me think that if I ever did work for a non-profit organization, the American Cancer Association would be the one.

#ENGAGE: In Twitter!

I think I've come to the conclusion that out of the four books we have to read for social media, Engage has been the most useful and interesting to me. I actually didn't think so until we were assigned sections in class and my group was paired with the last section, which dealt with sCRM but more importantly, the chapters talked a lot about Twitter. Again, this could also be because out of the other books, this one is the most recently published, which also means that by 2010, Twitter has become more popular and mainstream than it has in the past. For this and the assigned section, I'm thankful. To me, Twitter is one of the most useful and coolest social media outlets that exists. From a business and PR perspective it presents a fun challenge of "How do you post a message to your audience in 140 characters or less that effectively says what you want but still maintains the overall voice of the organization?" It's just as easy to succeed this way as it is to fail and fail badly, at least in my opinion. Thankfully many of the companies and professionals that I follow do a great job of overcoming that challenge.

That in itself is a very cool aspect of Twitter. As a tweeter you have the opportunity to follow the feeds of your favorite brands, restaurants, even celebrities and see what they're up to on a day-to-day or weekly basis, depending on how addicted they are to tweeting. Likewise, Twitter is a great way to connect with people and professionals that you wouldn't normally think was possible. For example, over the last few months I've found that I have followers simply based on my interests and tweets, as well as the fact that I'm a PR student in the central Ohio area. I don't know any of these people but it's very, very cool to see that I've done (or tweeted) something that has caught their eye. I think, too, that's an important aspect of adding Twitter into any campaign or organizational function. It's important to have the ability to do or say something that will make people listen or want to hear if they are already listening.

There is also a great paragraph or two about what a hashtag is and why people use them. I am a fan of hashtags, personally, and I think the idea behind them is a genius tool for practitioners, especially when you consider the fact that anyone can make one up. And if said hashtag is catchy enough in any way, it very well may become a trending topic (TT), which is just another way to get your message out there to the public. But hashtags are so ingenious because more than likely if someone using Twitter has no idea what the meaning behind a TT, they'll click the link to find a potential definition and a list of tweets using that hashtag. So not only is it a good way to connect with people on a personal level, but from a PR and business standpoint, curiosity generates more traffic to that TT which continues to drive the desired message. And finally, hashtags are just convenient for being able to track who is saying what about you or the company with whom you're affiliated.

April Showers Bring May Flowers... And Unhappy Ohioans

But on the other hand, Happy Easter! Or if you don't celebrate, then happy Sunday. On a day such as this one, everyone expects to wake up with the sun shining and hoping for warm weather while we seek out what the Easter Bunny left for us this year. OK, by the Easter Bunny I mean mom and dad but sometimes it's still fun to pretend, even if said goodies were put in a bag with Winnie-the-Pooh on it. But then again, I'm OK with that too because let's be real, who doesn't love pooh bear, even at this age? However, when you live in Ohio, it's less likely to face a nice Spring day on Easter than it is to go out into the gloomy rain, much like today. So sadly, we must grin and bear it. Still, it could be worse, like the fact it could be raining and in the 30s, maybe even the 20s. Or if we were lucky enough, it could still be snowing. When considering the alternatives, I'll take 53 degrees and a little rain over anything else.

Although, despite the complaints, the weather doesn't actually bother me all that much. The point is, I get to indulge myself in a little chocolate (in the form of delicious Cadbury eggs) and in just a few hours I'll be dressed up and on my way to Easter dinner... Or lunch, because I can never tell. Early dinner or late lunch, is there a name for it like brunch or brinner (that's breakfast for dinner just FYI)? Anyway it has been a long couple of months and I'm excited to be able to spend today with my family after missing out recently on birthday and anniversary dinners. Every year we go to a restaurant called Cafe 422 near my house where we usually have the option of a three course meal. Like the creature of habit that I am, I'll probably get the wedding soup, chicken Parmesan and for dessert I'll more than likely have banana cream pie unless something more appealing and chocolate-y catches my eye. Laughter will be had, fantastic food will be eaten and hopefully this year no wine will be spilled on anyone's fancy attire and if it does, I'll just cross my fingers that it doesn't happen to me. Spending time with my family is one of my favorite things to do while I'm at home and how I've spent most of this long weekend, which may or may not be a good thing depending on the angle you take. Pro: family time, obviously. Con: less time to continue crossing off things from that weekend to-do list.

THEREFORE after all our plates are empty and it's time to gather ourselves and say goodbye, I'll do my best to recover from a slight food and candy coma so that I'll be able to study for Dr. I's test on Tuesday and research for the two giant end of the quarter papers that I'm not looking forward to writing, at all. But only four more weeks, I can make it! Also, this means the end of Lent and the continuation with my love affair with coffee.

My VisualCV!

I almost forgot to link this after I finished! Here is the link to my lovely social media resume that we had to create for our social media class this week. Trying to create an online portfolio to go with it was slightly stressful (still working on finding a way to get that podcast uploaded) but once I got started with everything else, finishing my visualcv was kind of a breeze. The assignment was also extremely helpful with finding a way to edit and slim down my printed resume with what's really important, and maybe eventually I won't even need anything else except the one I have online.

Professionalism & Personal Style in Social Media

Karlie and Emily's First Podcast!

Hey! Take a few minutes to listen to our podcast. We discussed an important issue in the world of social media, which was determining when to be professional on Twitter and Facebook and when it's OK to add your own personal style. We provide thought provoking questions such as where should the line be drawn between personal life and professionalism and whether or not to create separate accounts for each on SNS. We also give helpful hints for effectively meshing the two worlds, while making sure you don't put your job on the line! Below is a transcript from today's podcast.

INTRO
K: Hey listeners! I’m Karlie and I’m here with Emily for today’s podcast. Today we’ll be discussing professionalism and self-censoring on Twitter and Facebook. We’ve gotten the questions you’ve posted on our blog and we’ll do our best to make sure we answer them all.

So, after surfing around the Internet about this issue, I found one of the questions usually posed is whether or not having Twitter or Facebook is worth the time if companies are telling employees what they can or can’t post. What are your thoughts on this?

E: Most of the sources we found say it’s okay to be yourself but be careful what you post or tweet. Your employers are watching and listening. According to the 2009 Microsoft Study, 79% of recruiters search for candidates online prior to an interview, and 70% have rejected candidates based on what they found. In the end, just be smart about what you say online because it could cost you your job and your reputation.

K: I completely agree, within the last few months, comedian Gilbert Gottfried was fired from his job as the Aflac duck for Tweeting, “Japan is really advanced. They don't go to the beach. The beach comes to them." He also posted: "I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, 'They'll be another one floating by any minute now." This goes to showy no matter who you are, if you say something that puts a company’s reputation on the line, it’s OK, but you may be in need of a new career path.

E: Our goal today is to prevent this from happening to all of you. MSN Careers lists 8 ways to get fired because of social media. These are what not to do: “ Post off-color remarks, Post confidential details, Bad-mouth your clients, or disrespect your employer”

K: These may sound like common sense but you would be surprised at how often it happens. The last few suggestions MSN has are “ do not Post inappropriate photos, create animated videos of your co-workers, or talk trash about your boss.” Last, “Play hookey then post about it.”

E: Well I hope that answers the question for you, thanks again for writing in. Our next commenter asked, “ It’s difficult to self-censor yourself online, is it easier to just have a twitter account for work and one for personal use?”

K: While attending Ohio State’s Regional Activity for PRSSA, Speaker Brandi Hann who works in human resources at SBC Advertising says she personally does not feel separating is necessary but also feels that being wary of what you post during work days and at home is crucial. I agree with what she is saying because if you are a PR Professional who knows the proper way to use Twitter, there should be no question about the integrity of what you are posting.

E: This is so true, I would recommend using Facebook as more of a way to connect with friends and family, whereas Twitter and Linkedin might be better suited for developing professional relationships. So with that said, where do you draw the line between social and professional networking sites?

K: This question is probably best answered with an example from a Cisco Employee. Conner Riley interviewed for an IT position at Cisco Systems Inc. After being told she was hired, Conner went home and decided to mix her social and professional life by posting “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.” Unfortunately, Cisco made the decision for her and fired her within hours of her post. Tim Levad, a Channel Partner at Cisco: “Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.”

E: For our and your entertainment we will share a few more infamous tweets gone wrong like the “Cisco Fatty” incident. James Andrews, the then Vice President of Ketchum was visiting Memphis and upon arrival tweeted, “True confession but I’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say I would die if I had to live here!” Needless to say, this did not go over well.

K: Likewise, Kenneth Cole, the fashion designer tried his best to promote himself in lighthearted manner during a very tense and violent situation. He Tweets: “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo -KC” Cole later apologized via Facebook.

E: The account director at Chrysler’s social media firm was stuck in traffic in the Motor City when he tweeted: “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to (expletive) drive.” He thought he tweeted that on his personal account, but he didn’t, he actually posted it to his client’s account. It cost him a job and his firm the account.

K: In closing, we will go over 5 Rules for Professional Social Networking.

E: Karlie and I found a handy blog post on one of our favorite sites, Mashable. The first rule Dan Klamm of Mashable lists is knowing your platforms. Each social media platform has its own environment, and rules of maneuvering. In order to use these websites to your advantage, it is best to know how each social network operates.

K: The next rule Klamm writes is customize everything. In his blog post, he says “It shows that you value your unique connection with the recipient it is easy to feel used when you send them a generic request or message.

E: Ask for something specific, always know your motives for connecting via social media. Professionals have limited time to spare, make it as easy as possible for them to help you by knowing what you want out of the interaction.

K: An important concept is to take it offline whenever possible. Interactions online are often missing key components such as eye contact, body language and tone of voice which contribute to building relationships. When meeting through social media, ask for the preferred method of contact. Some like email, others like phone calls, and still more like face-to-face interaction.

E: Lastly, always say thank you. Simple enough, but always appreciated.

E: That wraps up this week’s podcast, thanks for tuning in; Feel free to visit our blogs for all of your social media updates at emily0989.blogspot.com and kfranco.blogspot.com.

Who Knew Blogging was REALLY a Full-Time Job?

I think the title speaks for itself, honestly. Almost every chapter we've read so far throughout all four books talk about blogging as time consuming and how maintaining an A-list blog can become a full-time job. At first that meant basically nothing to me but now six, almost seven, weeks into our social media class and I think I finally understand what that means. Sure, we're only assigned three blog posts and three comments each week which is minimal in comparison to what most bloggers contribute, from both what I've seen online and from what I've read in our books. That in itself is hard work in my book. I can barely find the time in my schedule to dedicate 15 or 20 minutes to pump out a blog post, and that's if I already have a topic in mind. Writing one (and that too, is a minimum) on a daily basis seems like something that would completely overwhelm me. But then again, that is probably why the authors call successfully maintaining one a job. As the weeks go on however, I'm learning to better manage my time blogging and become more of an efficient blogger, which is what becoming an A-list blogger is all about, right? However, I'm no where near that status nor will I ever be.

With that being said, I'm always impressed when I read through a chapter about a blogger who runs the company's blog or even a personal blog, but also has another career. Most of the time these people are PR professionals who are not only juggling a blog, but writing press releases, working with the media, updating Twitter, planning events and working with whatever else a client or boss might throw their way. So now I'm under the impression that those who successfully manage all of the above are superheroes in both the blogosphere and the world of public relations. But like I've been hearing for the last few years, and of course what I can gather from each chapter we zoom through in class, practitioners must learn to wear a variety of hats, even the ones they might not necessarily like. I suppose then, that we should all begin learning how to juggle our many obligations and to-do lists because one day we'll have to wear all those hats and then some, and hopefully become those public relations heroes we hear all about in the social media world. Sounds tough, but who doesn't want to be a superhero?

Blogging and Cases and Final Papers -- Oh My!

What you're all seeing above is what I like to call Karlie's "to-do" list until Easter Break. I know many of you probably have one that looks fairly similar, or at least fairly similar in the amount of things you need to finish within the next week. Every time I look at it, it becomes more and more intimidating and I'm less and less motivated to get any of it done. But I have to or else everything else that I have scheduled will fall off track and then I have to push things back and rearrange the days I'm going to get assignments finished, which then only fuels my procrastination further. At the beginning of this school year I made it my goal to quit being such a procrastinator and until I got to the middle of winter quarter, I was doing really well. But now I'm starting to feel that severe case of senioritis kicking in, especially when the countdown to walking across stage in my cap and gown grows shorter and shorter. As that closes in, my list gets that much longer and it's that much more I really don't want to finish. But I'll power through because that's what I do best, aside from occasionally working during that dreaded crunch time.

I tend to have issues when dealing with my "to-do" lists simply because I try to make them specific and even when I don't mean to, sometimes things come up and I have to redo the whole thing. It's really not that bad because it's also teaching me how to effectively rearrange my schedule to accomplish everything I need to in a timely manner for when I have a real job and things don't always go according to plan. However, this causes a great deal of stress in my life and as my lists get longer, the stress continues to build. I, for one, do not deal with stress well, we don't mix at all. But the odd thing is, that's all part of my process because in my mind, if I'm not stressed about something related to school then something isn't right in my busy life and I'll start wondering if I'm forgetting about something important and the deadline will creep up on me before I've had the chance to figure it out. Usually that's not it at all and I'm just lucky to catch an easy week or a stress-free weekend. Therefore, for all the despair and grief that stress tends to cause for me, it feels completely liberating to be able to scratch off from my list and know that it's completely finished. You could even say it begins to relieve the stress of the workload, and maybe it does, but I can never tell. The only time I ever really feel that weight being lifted off my shoulders is when everything is done, and in four or five weeks I'll be able to breathe easily again. Well, for the most part, anyway.

At least now that I've finished this post I can cross one more thing off my list for Friday.

The Newer "New Age?"

The idea of podcasting is still somewhat foreign to me, but fairly interesting. Obviously, I understand the purpose behind it and what it takes to create one, but the fact the authors of our books continue to say it's a SM tool that's currently on the rise confuses me. While it might be on the rise overall, this is clearly something that my generation, the future of social media they say, has limited to no interest in in the first place. I can see why. While I believe podcasts allow us to multi-task, which is good considering we're in an age where the ability to juggle multiple things at once is essential, I still feel like most of us would prefer to find our information via the Internet and read a few quick articles as opposed to sitting listening to our iPods, or even watching the news. I, for one, am definitely someone who would much rather plug in my iPod in my car to listen to my music as opposed to the latest podcast I might be subscribed to.

Which is also interesting because New Rules for PR and Marketing talks about Christopher S. Penn, who creates a financial aid podcast on a weekly basis for students. To my surprise, masses of students are listening to tips on how to tackle student loans and make college an affordable experience. I suppose then, this might be something all, if not most, of us would be interested in. As someone who has a month and a half left of school forever, I know I am. But the point is, I still don't know that I would have the attention span for a weekly podcast. Hearing someone talk for a given amount of time about a topic that I'm not particularly passionate about (not just financial aid) just doesn't seem ideal. I do however, think it's a clever trick on Penn's part to make his podcasts about 20 minutes long, because he says that the average American commute is 24 minutes long while the average attention span is only 18. I think I pointed that out in class as well, but what can I say? I have a thing for random facts of knowledge.

But anyway, while podcasting might be popular with the general population, I think something needs to be done to motivate more of the younger public to become engaged in the idea as well. If going by just the quick poll taken in class last week, then it could be a clear indicator of just how many people subscribe to at least one podcast, or even listen to one on occasion. I also think when or if the trend begins to decline as SM shifts and this younger generation becomes more prominent, the task will no longer be simply about practitioners creating podcasts, but also what should and can they do to influence a new audience into tuning in?

Do the Math: Three Laundry Room Pet Peeves

There are few things that really annoy me enough to consider them pet peeves. One is people who drive under the speed limit, another is people who don't use their turn signals and these last couple have only been realized upon spending a number of years living on ONU's campus. Our laundry room system generally sucks. Enough said. But is it? To my understanding Student Senate has heard numerous complaints regarding various aspects of doing laundry if you live on campus and of course the year after I graduate is when they plan to do something about it. Though I don't actually care because it wouldn't solve my newly founded pet peeves, which are as follows:

3. It costs $2.25 to wash and dry a single load of laundry - Granted, I know it could be worse and I know that paying to wash clothes is part of any deal when you live in an apartment building. Since my sister moved out she and I have been in an on going battle for who gets mom's quarters and she usually wins because for her, laundry is $1.25 to wash and dry. Anyway. The fact I feel like this is a giant wash of good quarters leads me to avoid doing laundry on campus as much as I possibly can. Instead, I wait until the next time I go home where I can do it for free, and I won't have to wait (but that's later to come). However, on days like today when I can't afford to wait ten more days, I have to load up the laundry basket, head downstairs, out of my section of Lake View and into the next building where I'll more than likely spend close to five dollars in quarters.

2. Not everyone is good at keeping track of time, thus clothes are often left to tie up washers and dryers - When you're a busy college student, losing track of time is somewhat understandable. Everyone has been guilty of forgetting that they have clothes in the washer or dryer at least once, myself included and felt like a bit of a hypocrite because this is one of the things I complain about. I hate when people leave clothes sitting for much longer than the time limit has been up. Too, too many times I've been tempted to fix this issue myself by removing someone else's clean clothes to make room for mine, but I don't because after much discussion with my sister, came to the conclusion that it was rude and I wouldn't appreciate someone else touching my things. Understandable. But it's still annoying when my journey to the laundry room requires me to exit my building and travel into the next and then back again with a full basket of laundry when washers and/or dryers aren't free. That also brings me to my final pet peeve...

1. In Lake View there are only a total of three washers and four dryers for the entire apartment complex - What's worse is I'm pretty sure people in live in University Terrace use this laundry room as well, but I could be mistaken. Last year I thought four washers and dryers for everyone in Stadium View was bad, but this is kind of ridiculous, especially for someone like me who doesn't have the best luck or timing when I decide to actually do laundry. I suppose I understand that not every residence hall can have as many washers and dryers as there are students living in them, but sometimes the ratio confuses me even though not everyone does their laundry at once. Though it always seems like that when I choose my laundry days. If we could just borrow the six or seven extra machines from the freshman dorms that would be great. I feel like I've at least paid my dues when it comes to waiting to wash my clothes.

Let Your Freak Flag Fly!

By now we are way beyond talking about viral videos in class but still, I continue to find things that could be considered viral and at least think about them in that sense. But ever since we watched the "Songs in Real Life" videos I keep going back to them because they're entertaining as ever and whoever thought of them is a genius. So I got to thinking, who exactly did come up with such an idea? Well, his name is Steve Kardynal or more commonly known as the chatroulette guy. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do for four minutes of laughter and ridiculousness but you've been warned, it's not completely appropriate. It took me nearly forever to make the connection between the two videos but once I did I began my quest to surf through his YouTube page and watch as many of his "music videos" that I could handle. Steve Kardynal is mostly known to dress in the similar style of said singer he's posing as then visit the local Apple store to record himself mimicking the song. Among them are Eminen's "Love the Way you Lie," Katy Perry's "Firework" and my current favorite, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" A somewhat fitting theme for his little shenanigans, I'd say.

I'm sure he doesn't make a fool of himself because he wants something from it or to be famous, especially because he simply made his chatroulette video through the art of "trolling" unsuspecting viewers, but it's cool to see that his YouTube channel has such a following. Each of the videos he posts has at least one million views. I love the idea of using social media for more than simply brand or company awareness, though in a way the idea of brand awareness still applies. For example, who Kardynal is and how people recognize him (when they do) is essentially his the way he has branded himself. His videos allow him to continue building his brand on the Internet and how people see him each time a new video is posted to the channel or an old one is viewed for the first, second or hundredth time. Much like people who follow real brands and companies, his followers might expect frequent updates from him or desire more silly and entertaining YouTube videos.

So to me, it's neat to see the same approaches to social media in PR used for an entirely different purpose.

Countdown to Operation: Coffee Consumption -- 2 Weeks to Go

Frequently, I find myself thinking about the fact I chose to go to school three hours away and in literally the middle of nowhere Ohio. The idea of going away to school was cool at first and as I get older, the novelty hasn't exactly worn off yet because it still resembles future independence once I'm able to move out to have my own real apartment. However, the challenge with living three hours away is that I can't just pick up and drive back home whenever I want, especially when it costs me anywhere from $2.75-$4.25 to take the turn pike and now that gas prices are reaching a ridiculous per gallon amount as well. Sometimes when I weigh the options, the drive home just isn't as worth it as I thought. There are times when I made special trips home aside from Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring and soon-to-be Easter break, such as going home for the weekend just to go with my mom and sister so she could try on wedding dresses. However, other than that, I can count on a single hand the number of times I've gone home and the times I had any visitors from home. If you're wondering, it's five until Easter.

I haven't been too homesick since my sophomore year here at ONU, but every now and again it still hits me even after being here for three years and two and a half quarters. It's difficult not to be at least somewhat disappointed when you call home that night to find out that your family went out for dinner for grandma's birthday, the grandparents 40th anniversary or more recently, tonight when the family came over to celebrate my sister's 26th birthday (who is also an April Fool's baby, go figure :) ). It's even less fun to receive text messages and phone calls that say "we miss you," "can't wait for you to come home," and "wish you could be here" because honestly, so do I. I feel like I miss out on a lot of these family gatherings during the school year, and while I talk to my family on a regular, sometimes obsessive, basis it's not nearly the same to hear about a nice dinner out than it is to actually be there for it.

But thankfully in just two weeks (long or short depending on how things go) I'll be packed up and on my way home for a nice long four day weekend. I'll be able to see my three dogs, all of which I wish I could bring back with me, my parents, my sister and the rest of my family. More importantly, I'll be able to spend another wonderful Easter tradition with them when we go out to dinner where I can get fancy and dressed up because come on, who doesn't like to do that? But even more importantly, Easter Sunday means Lent is over and I can officially go back to putting my precious coffee maker into good use. Let me just say, this will have been the longest 40 days I have ever experienced and I will not miss it. But it's a sacrifice, so I suppose that's the point. And when I pack my car back up again on Monday and drive all the way back to little Ada, I'll only have 4 terrifying weeks to go until I put on my cap and gown and cross the threshold into the real real world. 

April Fool's Day Takes the Internet by a LOL Storm

April 1st, though more widely known as April Fool's Day, is a time when kids call parents to tell them they've gotten into an accident and totaled their cars or that their favorite celebrity died and now the concert they were looking forward to this summer had ultimately be canceled. April Fool's pranks can range from the trivial and last minute, to the intricately thought out and well-planned in advanced. This seems to be especially true for various websites and companies like Google, who changed the font one viewed the search engine in based on the font searched; Hulu and YouTube changed their sites to transport viewers back to 1996 and 1911, respectively; there was the introduction of Gmail Motion which unfortunately isn't as legit as it looks and the last notable April Fool's Day joke was Funny or Die's transformation into "Friday or Die" which featured nothing but videos of Rebecca Black in various parodies of her infamous song and music video.

I think this is one of the most ingenious things that a company could do, even if they aren't the only ones getting involved with the spirit of the day. It also falls into the idea of "unmarketing" that's talked about throughout Engage and once again, touching on how vital and successful viral marketing can be, as was discussed in Groundswell and New Rules for PR and Marketing. This was definitely a great way for the participating companies and organizations to get their creative juices flowing and try to make themselves stand out among the rest. They did this whether intentionally or unintentionally by creating a prank for the day that would have people around the Internet talking about it and telling other people, linking them to check it out for themselves. I know I'm one of those people, who linked the Gmail Motion joke to my Twitter for my friends to see as well. Even if  someone isn't necessarily talking and telling others about it, they're still at least thinking of what the company did and in turn, are also thinking about the company itself. Likewise, it isn't necessarily a viral campaign that the books discuss, but for that one day site traffic could have easily increased just because people were talking about what the sites did for pranks and essentially centered an Internet conversation about it, whether it was "Friday or Die" or the "new" Gmail Motion. So for that single day, each company that took part in April Fool's Day ultimately had a temporary viral campaign to bring awareness for their brands.