The Medium

Volume 24, Issue 1

FALL 2014

#HokiePR

Be resume-ready for summer

IN THIS ISSUE:

If you want a job after

college, you need to get an
internship. Professionals
dole out this advice like a
brand ambassador doles
out free swag.

Resume-Ready by Sara
Lepley, pg. 1
Utilizing Social Media
by Chloe Sikora, pg. 2
@Im_a_Hokie by
Shannon ODowd, pg. 3
Viral Hashtags of 2014
by Tatum Welsh, pg. 3
PRSSA Timeline by
Kevin Williams, pg. 4
National Conference
by Rebecca Robertson,
pg. 5
Hot Spots for Campus
PR Efforts by T.J. Davis,
pg. 6
Member of the
Semester, pg. 6
Nonprofit PR Hacks
by Megan Burpo, pg. 7
Fall Agency Tours by
Sara Lepley, pg. 8
2014 Editor-in-Chief,
Katharina Elberti
Copy Editor, Melanie Ford

by Sara Lepley

The why is pretty

straightforward: Why
wouldnt employers
want to hire people who
already know what they
are doing? The how,
on the other hand? Not
so much. Undergrads
frequently run into the
problem where they
cannot get an internship
without experience, but
they cannot get experience
without an internship.
When summer job season
rolls around, they find
themselves returning to
their high school job as a
sales associate, lifeguard
or waiter instead of
snagging a position at
a public relations firm.
What they might not
realize, however, is that
their summer jobs actually
serve as fantastic related
work experience to list
on their resumes if they

word it right, that is.

Below are a few examples
of how you can make
your work experience,
whatever that may be,
resume ready.
Instead of: Sold clothing
at Free People.
Try this: Effectively
promoted products in
order to contribute to the
bottom line.
Instead of: Protected
lives as a lifeguard.
Try this: Developed a
crisis communication
strategy to administer in
the event of rescues or
injuries at the pool.
Instead of: Took orders
and served food at Ruby
Tuesday.
Try this: Fostered twoway communication by
listening to customers
questions and concerns
and finding viable
solutions.
A useful tip is to look at
the keywords listed on the
job description you are

applying for and to work

from there. For example,
Edelman lists participate
in brainstorming
sessions when invited
by supervisor as a job
description for their
internship position.
If you spoke up at a
team meeting for your
job at Lisas Coffee
Shop, then you can say
something along the
lines of participated
in brainstorming with
supervisor about changing
description of menu
items, resulting in more
customers purchasing
promoted items. Viola!
You just made your
experience resume ready.
Also, including the results
of your contributions adds
that wow factor that
makes employers want
you on their team.
Applying for internships
can be stressful, but it
can also be really fun.
By playing around with
language and looking
at your job experiences
through the lens of public
relations, you can make
yourself stand out whether
you have had a PR
internship or not.
@TriSaratops_23

Volume 24, Issue 1

Fall 2014, Page 2

The most comfortable,

and perhaps the most
personally marketable,
way to promote your
student organization
yearlong is through social
media. But social media
should not simply be
used as a second resort
because you dont feel
like putting real clothes
on or leaving your heated room.
Social media marketing is a highly
underrated way to get your message
out there. It provides a larger
audience than any other tactic,
unless that other tactic is writing
words in the sky with a plane.
Everyone on your campus has either
Facebook, Twitter or both. Picking
a highly populated place on campus
is a good tactic if you are collecting
money or distributing something,
but if the task of your organization
is promoting an event, you should
also plan to get the message out
where everyone has the opportunity
to see it.

Furthermore, people are

more likely to come to an
event or donate to a cause
if they get the information from a
close buddy or the friend of a friend.
It creates less work for the browsing,
short-on-time college audience that
likely prefers to passively receive
information about an event that takes
lower priority than homework and
eating. Also, if information is liked,
favorited, or shared multiple times
on someones page, it will appear on
more individuals newfeeds.
Consider the ALS Ice Bucket
Challenge. This viral summer
campaign raised awareness and over
$100 million dollars just because
people continued to share posts and
tag friends to participate. It is a lot
easier to ignore the bake sale in

Chapter Statistics

92

total dues-paying
members

52

437
new
members

front of the academic building than

the repetitive philanthropy posts on
Facebook.
For those of you who are shy about
doing public relations and promoting
events for your club: social media is
your golden ticket to involvement!
If your club or organization has a
page, you can post from the safety
of your clubs alias; the majority
of page followers wont even
know its you. If your club doesnt
have a page, make one for them.
Designing a professional page for an
organization to promote events and
disseminate messages is a fantastic
resume builder. You could also start
a-passing-of-the-baton tradition for
the social media role, which then
makes you someone who delegates
tasks and mentors your peers -- both
great resume builder, too.
Social media outreach is a highly
sought-after skill for jobs and
internships. Displaying website savvy
and experience with event promotion
makes you a highly marketable
candidate. Employers are impressed
by those who can connect the public
with company events, as well as
those who demonstrate memorable
message creation. Practice through
your club and perfect the art of social
media outreach.
@Chloconutz

clicks to our blog:

vtprssa.weebly
.com/blog

Its Viral: Me Me Me
by Tatum Welsh

by Shannon ODowd

by Chloe Sikora

Now that it is getting colder outside,

passing out fliers and holding signs
on the Drillfield seems to be the
least appealing public relations
tactic possible. Scarf-wrapped
students will likely walk faster
when they see you.

Fall 2014, Page 3

@Im_a_Hokie

Utilizing social media to market yourself

Social media is the place to go.
It is here that people can pass
along the message as they please
and immortalize on their personal
profiles. Instead of a one-time
encounter, that message becomes a
permanent, recurring source
of exposure. They can
retweet, share, or reblog
your message for their
eyes, and hundreds of their
friends or followers. Its
a constant reminder and
becomes a stronger means
of access to information.

Volume 24, Issue 1

Star Chapter
Award

8 freshmen
sophomores 16
42 juniors
seniors 26

2014 has been a year of great change for

all aspects of social media. From the
increasing success of newer apps such as
Vine and Kik, to the popular trend of using
social media as a place for personal
promotion, there has been considerable
evolution within the public networking
world.

Do you have what it takes to take

over Virginia Techs Twitter account?
Each of the 29,000 Hokie students
has a college experience unlike any
other and now Virginia Tech wants
its students to share it through social
media. The Twitter Takeover program
uses the Twitter handle @Im_a_hokie.
PRSSAs Kaitlin Reese was able to
take part in this opportunity to share
her life with the Hokie Nation. When
she found out about the Twitter
Takeover through a listserv email,
Reese jumped at the opportunity
to interact with the Virginia Tech
community.

no offensive language, slurs, taunting

or references or photos of illegal
activity. A full outline of the account
rules can be found online with the
application.

The @Im_a_hokie Twitter account

was developed by the University
Relations team at Virginia Tech. The
goal of the Takeover is to bring real
voices to the Twitter account to show
followers what its really like to be on
The @Im_a_hokie tweeters can
campus and why prospective students
choose which week in the given
should choose Virginia Tech.
semester theyd like to be featured.
Allowing people to see into the
Reese, being a sports marketing
lives of people at the campus show
intern for Virginia Tech, chose a week prospective students what its current
she felt she could tweet a lot about
students really think of the university.
Virginia Tech sportsthe week of the It also conveys that the community in
Miami-Virginia Tech football game Blacksburg, Virginia is unlike that of
in addition to her life as a Hokie. I
other schools.
love tweeting about nonsense crap in
my life but also about sports, Reese
On top of swaying students to come
said.
to Virginia Tech, the @Im_a_hokie
When aske why should you take
over the account? Reese simply
answered, Because Im awesome go
check out my Twitter account.

The week runs from Monday through

Sunday at midnight. The
@Im_a_hokie account follows
different type of students and Virginia
Tech administrators. The interaction
I had with students on the account
was amazing, said Reese. I loved
seeing which tweets got the most
retweets and favorites out of the ones
that I tweeted.
There are a few ground rules to take
over the account. The tweeter is
not allowed to promote themselves,
friends or companies or sell anything.
As far as tweeting goes, there is to be

account allows Hokies to connect

with other Hokies that they may
not have met if circumstances were
different. In short, Hokies care for
other Hokies.

All tweeters for the account are

selected through an application
process. Hokies wishing to take over
the @Im_a_hokie account are to
apply online at www.unirel.vt.edu/
web/social-networks/connect-apply.
The application consists of basic
personal questions including the
applicants Twitter handle.

@shannon94_vt

One of the most prevalent changes is the

increase in hashtag trends. The hashtag
-- or the # sign -- is a key component to
understanding and tracking trends and
current topics of discussion.
Used mostly by Generation Y -- also
known as the Me Generation -- social
media has transformed from sites for public
communication into meccas for selfpromotion. Across medias such as Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram, self-promotion
is proved through the popular hashtags
of 2014. Here are 20 of the most used
hashtags of 2014:
#Selfie

#Caturday

#Instagood

#ThrowbackThursday (#TBT)
#lol

#Love
#Freedom

#FlashbackFriday

#WomanCrushWednesday (#WCW)
#Me

#NoFilter

#Smile

#WhatIMissMost
#SelfieSunday

#Hashtag

#Cute
#TransformationTuesday (#TT)
#FollowMe

#iPonesia

#ManCrushMonday (#MCM)

These 20 hashtags demonstrate the theme of

campaigning for ones own value, appearance
and feelings. However, while these hashtags
have been prevalent throughout 2014, perhaps
2015 and the maturation of the Me
Generation will bring another significant
change in social media trend.

@TatumHipp

Volume 24, Issue 1

Fall 2014, Page 4

Volume 24, Issue 1

Fall 2014, Page 5

PRSSA through the ages

by Kevin Williams

The Virginia Tech Public Relations Student Society of America has become one of the leading Chapters in the nation after
its formation 29 years ago. Countless VT PRSSA members have gone on to become professionals in the communications
field at companies such as General Motors, National Geographic, the U.S. Census Bureau and more; but VT PRSSA did
not become an award-winning chapter overnight. Here is a look back at the growth of Virginia Techs PRSSA chapter:

August 16, 1985: The Virginia Tech chapter of PRSSA receives its charter.
1992: On February 29, VT PRSSA hosts Communication Day, a series of
workshops led by communications professionals.
PRSSA also campaigned to raise awareness of Solitude, the oldest building on
the Virginia Tech campus.

Photo courtesy of career.vt.edu

PRSSA National
Conference

The part of National

Conference that stood out
the most to Virginia Tech
PRSSA attendees was the
agency tours. For the first
by Rebecca Robertson
year ever, conference attendees
had the opportunity to participate
This year, four members of
in an office tour and networking
Virginia Tech PRSSA attended
at various PR firms in the D.C.
the 2014 National Conference in
area, learning about agency life
Washington, D.C., a city home to
directly from company employees.
a thriving public relations industry. Some of the well-known agencies
Hosted by American University and that opened their doors to PRSSA
the University of Maryland, this
included Allison+Partners, APCO
event from Oct. 10-14 was themed Worldwide, Burson-Marsteller,
Intersections: The Meeting Place
Edelman, Hill+Knowlton
of Communication and Culture.
Strategies, Ketchum, Powell Tate,
Qorvis/MSLGroup, Spectrum
Courtney Edwards, Melanie
and the U.S. Navy Office of
Ford, Katharina Elberti and
Information.
Kaitlin Reese gained valuable

PR knowledge during their time
Firm Co-Director Kaitlin Reese
at PRSSA National Conference.
had a memorable experience
The weekend featured sessions
touring Burson-Marsteller and
about communication topics
talking with employees there.
such as finding a mentor, chapter
During the tour, Senior Director
development and working in
Keith Blackman spoke about his
specific industries like sports
career path and how he ended up
or retail PR. The conference
in his current position. I love
also included a career fair with
hearing how people start off after
employers from all over D.C.
college and end up in the job they

1994: After the death of Matt Hancock, a fifth-year senior, PRSSA invites his

mother to speak about organ donor awareness, which would be the focus of
much of PRSSAs activity over the next few years.

1995: In January, PRSSA held the first annual Images are Everything

workshop so that students could learn the basics of what PR practitioners do

for an organization.
PRSSA served as the media relations committee of the Virginia Special
Olympics for a third straight year.
In addition, they helped to promote the New River Valley AIDS Walk for the
first time.

1996: VT PRSSA wins the Dr. F.H. Teahan award for most outstanding

chapter in the nation. PRSSA president Amy McEwen accepted the award at
the national conference in St. Louis, along with a $500 reward for the chapter.

1998: PRSSA holds its annual workshop, now known as Communications

Connections, on March 21. The theme that year was Going Above and
Beyond.

PR Productions, the student-run firm, worked with Dr. Russell Jones of the
psychology department in order to garner participant interest in his latest
study.
PRSSA is asked to create the PRSA national recruitment video, which was
shown at the national assembly in Marina Del Rey.

Fall 2011: Shelly Whitaker, the public communications manager at

Advanced Auto Parts, served as a guest speaker for PRSSA.

Spring 2012: After a few years absence, Virginia Tech enters the PRSSA

Bateman competition and develops a campaign to combat childhood obesity.

2014: VT PRSSA was awarded the Star Chapter award at the national
conference.

currently hold, Reese said. Also,

Reese learned about how BursonMarsteller helped Virginia Tech
with public relations following the
April 16th shootings. I found it
interesting to hear about how they
guided Virginia Tech through this
process, Reese said.

Chapter President Courtney
Edwards also enjoyed her tour at
Powell Tate, a branch of the firm
Weber Shadwick that specializes in
public affairs. I think the agency
tours added a ton to my National
Conference experience, Edwards
said. While touring the office, she
had the chance to talk to employees
in every department about how
they do their job and what they
love about Powell Tate. I love
how any PR agency you tour has a
unique culture and approach to PR,
and Powell Tate was no exception,
Edwards said.

The National Conference weekend
was a huge learning opportunity for
Virginia Techs PRSSA attendees,
and the agency tours contributed
greatly to their experience.
@rarobertson93

Interested in joining? Email courtp19@vt.edu to receive listserv emails,

internship opportunities and meeting information.
Website: vtprssa.weebly.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/VTPRSSA | Twitter: @VTPRSSA
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Douglas Cannon | Professional Advisor: Lori Greiner | Local PRSA Chapter: Blue Ridge

Volume 24, Issue 1

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Volume 24, Issue 1

Fall 2014, Page 7

Hot spots for campus

PR efforts
by T.J. Davis
Here

at Virginia Tech, over 700

clubs and organizations make up our
student community. Each has similar
communication objectives: to increase
organizational awareness, membership or
event attendance. While there are many
places on campus to campaign, three stand
out from the others.

The Drillfield Thousands of people

trek across this campus hub each day,

making it the spot on campus with the
most foot traffic. On any given day, you
will see countless organizations and
clubs along the paths -- most notably the
Homecoming Court in fall semester. While
other schools may opt to just hand out
fliers, Virginia Tech students know how
to get the attention of their fellow Hokies:
food! From doughnuts in the morning to
hot chocolate or coffee on the extra cold
days, most tables have something to offer
passers-by along with their message.

Photo courtesy of career.vt.edu

Turner Place The dining hall

that generates the most sales on

any given day is undoubtedly
Turner. With some of the best
places to eat on campus, students
gravitate its way. You can catch
many organizations setting up
booths at the entrance to attract
people. This is a popular spot
for Greek Life as sororities and
fraternities are able to talk to
hundreds of people with tables
for dime war donations and
philanthropy.

Squires The final hot spot is

Squires Student Center. Not only

is it one of the most visited dining

places (we all love some Au Bon
Pain coffee, dont we?), but it is
also home to classrooms and many
helpful student resources. You can
always catch organizations, such as
Relay for Life, at the desk near the
ABP kiosk.
The one thing that all three locations
have in common is that they have
large amounts of foot traffic. Public
relations is all about knowing how
to cater to your publics, so going
where the people are is a great tactic
that most clubs and organizations at
Virginia Tech utilize every day.
@Tjdavis245

Member of the Semester - T.J. Davis

Year and major? Junior public relations major
Why did you get involved in PRSSA? I joined in fall 2014 after meeting several members
who explained the wide range of benefits and opportunities PRSSA offers its members.
Where do you one day hope to be career-wise? I hope to work for a public relations firm that
specializes in helping nonprofit organizations with their public relations efforts and social
media outlets.
What has PRSSA done for you? PRSSA has introduced me to many different opportunities,
such as internships, social media opportunities, graphic design work and writing for local
companies. These experiences have helped me learn more about public relations
and how it applies inin a hands-on, business setting. It also offered me many opportunitis to meet public relations
practitioners who are knowledgeable in their subject.
Whats one thing you would tell potential PRSSA members? I would tell potential new members that they should join for not
only the professional experience, but also for the opportunity to make great friends and memories.

Nonprofit PR
hacks
by Megan Burpo

Every company needs PR to drive

successes. They need creativity,
promotion and, often times, a
little bit of recon. Since nonprofits
in particular rely on donations
and fundraising to keep their
organizations afloat, understanding
key publics and generating
goodwill is a top priority. But
how do you stand out among the
millions of different organizations
vying for the publics attention?
Here are a few tips:
1. Create a Viral Video
Water is Life created a viral PSA
called #firstworldproblems.
The video portrayed residents
of all ages from a small African
village stating common sentences
that Americans normally tweet
as #firstworldproblems. A man
standing in front of a shack spoke
about how he needed two routers
to reach his large house, a woman
complained about being too full
to finish her sushi, and a child
spoke about how annoying it is
when mint gum makes her water
too cold. This video is a perfect
example of something relatable to
every American that still creates a
deafening message that individuals

are willing to share.

2. Host an Event
Hosting a large event is a surefire
way to bring attention to any
cause and with the possibility of
a charitable donation attached.
Hosting a 5K, auction or carnival
are common strategies to bring the
community together in support of
a good cause. However, to be truly
successful, create a unique causespecific event to which people can
look forward.
The American Cancer Society
hosts their Relay for Life nationally
once a year. This relay is hosted by
university and community groups
throughout April and May to raise
financial support for the cure. Relay
encourages people to stay up for 12
hours walking to demonstrate the
commitment to a cure, as well as
to gain sponsorship. Promotional
fundraisers that lead up to event
include hair dying, restaurant
percentage nights and speakers.
Although the actual Relay event
takes place in a 24-hour period, its
spirit goes on the entire year.
3. Differentiate with compelling a
message or story
Almost every nonprofit benefits
a good cause. So how do you
differentiate to the public why
yours matters? Finding a specific
and compelling story to share
helps the public to remember the

organization and truly become

invested. The Make-A-Wish
Foundation often records and
publicizes its recipients and their
stories. While this may seem
simple, every child has his or her
own personality, struggle and
story behind their wish that people
cant get enough of reading. After
connecting with someones story it
is safe to say that the public wont
just remember you, but will be
willing to donate in honor of that
special child.
4. Elect a Spokesperson
Getting a face behind your cause
allows people to associate your
organization with a personality.
St. Judes Childrens Hospital
has famous actors such as
Jennifer Aniston and the late
Robin Williams on promotional
commercials with their children.
If viewers see their favorite stars
caring about an organization, they
will also be inclined to do so also.
5. Narrow Your Media List
Narrowing your reach may
also help increase your storys
likelihood of publication. If the
New York Times knows that they
have exclusive access to breaking
news, how much more likely will
they be to run it? When the news is
big enough, a front page headline
may resonate more than a mention
in ten papers.
@MeganElizabeth

Volume 24, Issue 1

Fall 2014, Page 8

The 2014-2015 Executive Board

[from left to right]:
Firm Co-Directors, Kaitlin Reese & Allie Sheets
Chapter President, Courtney Edwards
Chapter/Member Relations, Hannah Gray
Director of Publications, Katharina Elberti
Vice President, Melanie Ford
Secretary/Treasurer, Stephanie Trager
Special Events Co-Chairs, Irene Kilmer & Mary Puglisi
[Not Pictured] Social Media Manager, Kasey Kraft

Fall Agency Tours

by Sara Lepley

The Martin Agency strives to flip

perspective on their head, and combines research and creativity to make
brands that last.

If you think every public relations

and advertising workplace is the
same, think again.
On Nov. 14, 2014, 11 members of
the Virginia Tech Chapter of PRSSA
toured three companies in Richmond:
The Martin Agency, PadillaCRT and
the communication and marketing
department of the Flying Squirrels
minor league baseball team.
The tour enabled us to find out what
one cannot learn online, from each
places work culture to how to get a
job.
We first visited The Martin Agency,
the advertising agency behind the
famous Geico Gecko. The upstairs
lobby looked like a chic warehouse,
with exposed ceiling painted white
and a massive window letting in the
sun and the citys landscape. Where
some work places separate workers
into offices or cubicle, The Martin
Agency had a much more open vibe,
inviting group work and
brainstorming sessions.

The next stop on the tour was

PadillaCRT, a public relations firm
that works with many food and
beverage clients, as well as Barnes
and Noble. With cozy brick walls, a
pool table and even a bar,
PadillaCRT felt like a mix between a
restaurant and your coolest relatives
house. A lifes-size trolley on the first
floorleft by the buildings former
residentsnow houses PadillaCRTs
numerous awards. Upstairs, the team
members decorated the outside of
their offices with flags from their
respective colleges and artwork
drawn by their children.

PadillaCRT started the tour with a

rundown of the companys history,
Lauren Prociv, strategic planner and introduced us to everyone in the
building, and then finished with a
a Virginia Tech alum, served as our
tour guide. From her we learned the lunch of pizza and salad where we
could speak with the workers about
story behind some of the agencys
most iconic ads. We also learned that what they do.

Finally, we visited the Flying

Squirrels. We received a tour of the
stadium ending at the Club House,
which functions as a locker room
and second-home for the baseball
players during the season. There, the
members of the marketing and public
relations team opened the floor for
any of our questions.
Each company also dispensed
different advice on how to get a job
there. The Martin Agency appreciates
when an applicants resume reflects
his or her personality and stresses
that calling just to make sure, they
received your application is a futile
way to get hired. PadillaCRT, on
the other hand, admires persistence.
One of the women who spoke to us
explained that she got a job
simply by showing up every day until
something opened up. For the Flying
Squirrels, networking makes all the
difference.
Want to get an insider look at some
of the coolest communication jobs in
Virginia? Join us for our next agency
tour this spring.
@TriSaratops_23