Life is finally starting to get back to normal in Lisbon, ND. Sure there are still dikes and porta-potties all over town, but the threat of danger and evacuation is gone. The water is going down and people are getting back to their normal schedules. My research on Lisbon and the Flood Fight 2009 is going well. The Ransom County Gazette is turning out to be a wonderful resource. Some of the articles really show how the town came together to fight the flood.
Today I am planning on doing some interviews on town members. I am really curious to see what they thought of the communication between the town and the people. I am also going to find out how the town was called to sand bag central. I went to school in Lisbon for six years, but I don’t remember if there was a siren like there was here in Valley City. The siren was quick and got the job done. So I am curious to see how Lisbon did this. I also want to know how people were evacuated.
I know Lisbon has had a radio station, but I am pretty sure it went to all talk combining with a Fargo radio station. This would have been an excellent tool of communication. I remember going to school and as soon as I went down the hill into the town I would lose any station I was listening to and the Lisbon station would take over. In a valley where you can really only listen to this station and can kind of hear a few others; this would have been an excellent way to let the people know what was going on. So that is another question I will be asking in my interview today. I am also going to ask what channels on TV did they get any information off of.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Lisbon - Flood 2009
I have decided to do my crisis paper on my hometown of Lisbon, ND and their flood fight. I was unable to help fight the flood because I was in Valley City. Then, when we were evacuated I went to my ranch which is 20 minutes from Lisbon and went right to work helping my dad with the cattle. I kept Lisbon in my thoughts and hoped they made it out in one piece and for the most part they have fought the flood excellently. In the next couple of weeks I will be researching the exact things Lisbon and its officials did to make the city safe and how they communicated with those who lived in the danger zone and surrounding areas.
I am excited to find out everything the city did to inform the community. All the lines of communication they went through. I went to the high school prom grand march to watch and at the end they talked about how the students were a huge impact during the flood fight there just like in every other community fighting the flood. The gym gave a standing ovation to the prom goers and it was really touching. You could feel how much the community has bonded together in this time of need. Lisbon has always had a small town family feel to it and this crisis just brought the family a little closer together.
I have started looking at articles that were printed in the Ransom County Gazette. I plan on interviewing some people that live in Lisbon as well. I am going to get an idea of how they felt the information that was given to them was distributed. In my research I will see what good things Lisbon did during crisis and see if there are any things that the city could have done to make their communication better.
I am excited to find out everything the city did to inform the community. All the lines of communication they went through. I went to the high school prom grand march to watch and at the end they talked about how the students were a huge impact during the flood fight there just like in every other community fighting the flood. The gym gave a standing ovation to the prom goers and it was really touching. You could feel how much the community has bonded together in this time of need. Lisbon has always had a small town family feel to it and this crisis just brought the family a little closer together.
I have started looking at articles that were printed in the Ransom County Gazette. I plan on interviewing some people that live in Lisbon as well. I am going to get an idea of how they felt the information that was given to them was distributed. In my research I will see what good things Lisbon did during crisis and see if there are any things that the city could have done to make their communication better.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Hometown Crisis
The flood has been top news all over North Dakota. Every night you see stories about roads being washed out and dams breaking. Today I am going to write about my hometown and how the flood has affected them. Lisbon, ND is a small town in south eastern North Dakota. All the water that flows through Valley City eventually flows right through Lisbon in the Sheyenne River. The flood stage in Lisbon is 15 feet. This spring a record crest of 23 feet rose in Lisbon. In my opinion the rising river crisis was handled very well. The communication between the city officials and the community was excellent. When a dike leaked and parts of the city needed to be evacuated it was fast and there was little chaos.
The city came up with a crisis plan and a way to communicate to the town. The evacuations were planned out and they let the people know in advance which evacuation area they were in. They also closed bridges and roads to keep people safe where needed. The mayor was the town’s spokesperson. Ross Cole did a great job keeping the town informed and he brought the town together in order to fight the flood. They had updates on the local TV stations and the local radio stations.
There is one aspect of the flood crisis that I think the town could do better on at this time. That is the crisis communication of the town’s water conservation. In my opinion I don’t think most of the town is taking this seriously. The city has put porta-potties all over town and had a message out to conserve water for over a month now. However, the schools have remained open and are still using the restrooms and dishes. This is not conserving the water at all. I am afraid is the town doesn’t make it clearer that things need to be done soon; the sewer system will break just like Valley City’s did. I don’t know what the city officials should do to better communicate this to the people, but they should really try harder.
The flood of 2009 was devastating for many people and is still affecting many today. I think for the majority the crisis communication of every area was well executed. So many homes were saved due to the caring people of this area and the fast thinking of our area leaders.
The city came up with a crisis plan and a way to communicate to the town. The evacuations were planned out and they let the people know in advance which evacuation area they were in. They also closed bridges and roads to keep people safe where needed. The mayor was the town’s spokesperson. Ross Cole did a great job keeping the town informed and he brought the town together in order to fight the flood. They had updates on the local TV stations and the local radio stations.
There is one aspect of the flood crisis that I think the town could do better on at this time. That is the crisis communication of the town’s water conservation. In my opinion I don’t think most of the town is taking this seriously. The city has put porta-potties all over town and had a message out to conserve water for over a month now. However, the schools have remained open and are still using the restrooms and dishes. This is not conserving the water at all. I am afraid is the town doesn’t make it clearer that things need to be done soon; the sewer system will break just like Valley City’s did. I don’t know what the city officials should do to better communicate this to the people, but they should really try harder.
The flood of 2009 was devastating for many people and is still affecting many today. I think for the majority the crisis communication of every area was well executed. So many homes were saved due to the caring people of this area and the fast thinking of our area leaders.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Public Relations for the Web
Today I found an interesting article called Director of Internet Marketing demystifies Facebook. The article is all about how the Public Relations Association of Western North Carolina is trying to help its business use the web and social media to its greatest extent. They have scheduled a luncheon with a guest speaker, Jessica Cook. Jessica Cook is the Director of Internet Marketing at ADOC.
Cook will be speaking on the issue of social media and advertising. Most businesses will join Facebook or other forms of social media and then have no idea what to do next. In her speech she will give advice and help businesses learn how to use these Medias effectively.
Jessica Cook is the Director of Marketing of a strategic marketing, creative design, and interactive media agency called ADOC. Her job is to lead the team at ADOC to come up with new ways for their clients and industries to use the web. She also focuses on helping clients include social media into their marketing plans. She gives lectures and writes articles on empowering people to get on the web and get going.
I think the Public Relations Association in North Carolina is doing amazing strides to help their businesses within the state. I use Facebook very often and it is now full of advertisements. You can’t help seeing them with every click and every new page that comes up. It is a very effective tool that I believe only has room for advancement. I am sure other forms of social media are no different. I have even become interested in products because of these advertisings. Netflix for example does a very good job getting its advertisements seen on Facebook. I am now a Netflix user and it’s great.
I think Jessica Cook and the other employees at ADOC have the right idea in getting the effectiveness of the Web to the businesses known. Cook seems to really care about her clients and helping them use all their resources so they can get back the most for their money. The web is constantly expanding and we need more people teaching others to use it to their benefits.
Cook will be speaking on the issue of social media and advertising. Most businesses will join Facebook or other forms of social media and then have no idea what to do next. In her speech she will give advice and help businesses learn how to use these Medias effectively.
Jessica Cook is the Director of Marketing of a strategic marketing, creative design, and interactive media agency called ADOC. Her job is to lead the team at ADOC to come up with new ways for their clients and industries to use the web. She also focuses on helping clients include social media into their marketing plans. She gives lectures and writes articles on empowering people to get on the web and get going.
I think the Public Relations Association in North Carolina is doing amazing strides to help their businesses within the state. I use Facebook very often and it is now full of advertisements. You can’t help seeing them with every click and every new page that comes up. It is a very effective tool that I believe only has room for advancement. I am sure other forms of social media are no different. I have even become interested in products because of these advertisings. Netflix for example does a very good job getting its advertisements seen on Facebook. I am now a Netflix user and it’s great.
I think Jessica Cook and the other employees at ADOC have the right idea in getting the effectiveness of the Web to the businesses known. Cook seems to really care about her clients and helping them use all their resources so they can get back the most for their money. The web is constantly expanding and we need more people teaching others to use it to their benefits.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
United We Sand
The recent flood of Fargo Moorhead and surrounding areas has had a huge impact on our lives. Every day on the news we see people working together for complete strangers. They are filling sand bags and working the lines to get the dikes up and save as many homes as possible. Well I have recently become aware of one way a group of people is making a difference in more of public relations way. It is called United We Sand. They are making products to sell with different logos on them such as United We Sand Flood 09. It’s a great way to bring the public closer together and raise money to help with those who have lost homes.
The profits from the products sold will go to a few different places. Thirty percent are donated to the Impact Give Back – Red River Valley Flood Fight. This foundation is supporting The American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and First Link. The rest of the profits will go to creating the shirts and also donations to organizations that help the students of the area. United We Sand has realized the amount that students in the area have come out to volunteer. It is amazing to see record numbers willing to help in this time of crisis.
United We Sand is selling shirts, hats, mugs, aprons, cards, buttons, and pillows; basically anything you can think of. All of them have logos on them about the Flood. Phrases like Proud to be a Bag Lady, Never Give Up, and of course United We Sand. It’s really sad that so many people lost their homes, but without the help from the masses of volunteers so many more would have. This is a great way to give back and help those still in need.
This isn’t the only PR thing that I have noticed. Valley News KVLY has a new commercial about Togetherness. The commercial shows how the community is working together and how hundreds of strangers came together. The slogan ends with Valley News Watching Together. It’s really a moving commercial that they are using to support their news channel.
The profits from the products sold will go to a few different places. Thirty percent are donated to the Impact Give Back – Red River Valley Flood Fight. This foundation is supporting The American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and First Link. The rest of the profits will go to creating the shirts and also donations to organizations that help the students of the area. United We Sand has realized the amount that students in the area have come out to volunteer. It is amazing to see record numbers willing to help in this time of crisis.
United We Sand is selling shirts, hats, mugs, aprons, cards, buttons, and pillows; basically anything you can think of. All of them have logos on them about the Flood. Phrases like Proud to be a Bag Lady, Never Give Up, and of course United We Sand. It’s really sad that so many people lost their homes, but without the help from the masses of volunteers so many more would have. This is a great way to give back and help those still in need.
This isn’t the only PR thing that I have noticed. Valley News KVLY has a new commercial about Togetherness. The commercial shows how the community is working together and how hundreds of strangers came together. The slogan ends with Valley News Watching Together. It’s really a moving commercial that they are using to support their news channel.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Advertisements as Effective PR Tools
I will be the first to admit that I watch too much TV; which means there are those jingles and commercials that I have memorized. I can be driving to work and the Hornbacher’s song can come on the radio and I will sing along to it without even realizing it. There are very affective advertisements for food and restaurants that when they’re over they leave my mouth watering. The effectiveness of a commercial is very important it can make or break your product sometimes. This website lists essentials to an effective commercial: 10 Essentials to an Effective TV Commercial.
Right now there is a Cadbury Chocolate Egg commercial for Easter that to me is effective. They have different animals dressed up as the Easter Bunny. Every time I see it I laugh and want a Cadbury Egg. There are Allergy medicine commercials, such as for Singulair, that show how hard it is to live with allergies. Their commercials show how every activity you do make you sneeze and cough and prevent you from living a happy sneeze free life. I don’t even have allergies and sometimes I feel like I need this medicine.
There are also ineffective commercials. Medicine commercials that list worse side effects than what the medicine treats for aren’t appealing to me. There are also really annoying commercials. The Progressive commercials with Flo really get on my nerves. The lady is too perky and annoying I focus too much on her that I don’t listen to the meaning of the commercial.
Advertising campaigns also have their tricks to make an advertisement more effective. A catchy jingle that you get stuck in your head all day helps get the word out. The use of sound is also effective; there are always those commercials that are way louder than the show you are watching or the other commercials to catch your attention. Sometimes they are so loud it scares you. However, it works it gets your attention back on the TV if you were visiting and forces you to see what is making the TV so loud.
Commercials come and go, some work and some don’t. Advertising is key in making products successful in today’s world. Check out this website to see reasons Advertisement is Critically Important. Whether it is on the radio or on TV if your advertisement is effective it will bring you more attention and hopefully more profit. Any good PR department knows this and uses it to their advantage.
Right now there is a Cadbury Chocolate Egg commercial for Easter that to me is effective. They have different animals dressed up as the Easter Bunny. Every time I see it I laugh and want a Cadbury Egg. There are Allergy medicine commercials, such as for Singulair, that show how hard it is to live with allergies. Their commercials show how every activity you do make you sneeze and cough and prevent you from living a happy sneeze free life. I don’t even have allergies and sometimes I feel like I need this medicine.
There are also ineffective commercials. Medicine commercials that list worse side effects than what the medicine treats for aren’t appealing to me. There are also really annoying commercials. The Progressive commercials with Flo really get on my nerves. The lady is too perky and annoying I focus too much on her that I don’t listen to the meaning of the commercial.
Advertising campaigns also have their tricks to make an advertisement more effective. A catchy jingle that you get stuck in your head all day helps get the word out. The use of sound is also effective; there are always those commercials that are way louder than the show you are watching or the other commercials to catch your attention. Sometimes they are so loud it scares you. However, it works it gets your attention back on the TV if you were visiting and forces you to see what is making the TV so loud.
Commercials come and go, some work and some don’t. Advertising is key in making products successful in today’s world. Check out this website to see reasons Advertisement is Critically Important. Whether it is on the radio or on TV if your advertisement is effective it will bring you more attention and hopefully more profit. Any good PR department knows this and uses it to their advantage.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Easy PR for the future of cell phone chargers
I hate how when you get a new cell phone you have to get a new charger. I have so many chargers that are worthless to me. Chargers never work for more than one type of phone even in the same cell phone company. It’s just another way for companies to make more money. There are so many different chargers for all the different companies. Today I read an article that will help with all of that. Some Mobile Chargers to Become Widely Compatible on ABCNews.com explains how cell phone companies are trying to work together to produce a more usable charge for a wide range of phones. The GSMA mobile phone company is has made an agreement with 17 mobile phone companies to try and produce a standardized phone charger by 2012. The group of companies that have joined the program include 3 Group, AT&T, KTF, LG, mobilkom austria, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telenor, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone.
This will save money for millions. If you forget your charger at home you can just borrow a friend’s. It will also lessen the 51,000 tons of waste that cell chargers produce a year. According to the article every 20 months 48 to 51 million chargers become obsolete. I think what they are trying to do is awesome! If I could just plug my phone into anyone’s charger instead of having to find mine every time it would be a huge time saver. I think my roommate and I have about 5 to 6 chargers in the house and there are only 2 that are useable. The PR of this product could be amazing. Promoting a compatible charger to the public will be easy. It is a great way for the cell phone users to build a better relationship with cell phone companies. It’s about time this step has been taken towards uniting cell phones. I can’t wait till it is a reality.
This will save money for millions. If you forget your charger at home you can just borrow a friend’s. It will also lessen the 51,000 tons of waste that cell chargers produce a year. According to the article every 20 months 48 to 51 million chargers become obsolete. I think what they are trying to do is awesome! If I could just plug my phone into anyone’s charger instead of having to find mine every time it would be a huge time saver. I think my roommate and I have about 5 to 6 chargers in the house and there are only 2 that are useable. The PR of this product could be amazing. Promoting a compatible charger to the public will be easy. It is a great way for the cell phone users to build a better relationship with cell phone companies. It’s about time this step has been taken towards uniting cell phones. I can’t wait till it is a reality.
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