About Me

The course Public Relations Final Project and Thesis was a great sum of the Public Relations Masters Program. The course was a great way to gain feedback through peer reviews from students and the instructor. The constructive criticism helps with editing and it helps to get other insights with the ability to change grammar and punctuation errors before it’s publication. This course was to ensure that each student reached and exemplified the graduate education learned.

Public Relations Final Project and Thesis course used technical skills, plenty of research skills, and a great amount of writing skills in order to be successful in this course. When initially starting the course my expectations of the course was to add many more components to finalize the project. In reality the course did the opposite of that, I did not constantly add more components to this project, it was more of finalizing, narrowing down the most important factors. In this course there were many of things that I learned, such as, constantly read over your work and edit, ask for constructive criticism, be able to provide high quality products, and how to organize a thesis paper for review.

In the first week of this course, we learned how to fully develop our goals and objectives as well as the clients. Within the second week of the course, we formulated a campaign plan for our client. The third week we worked on the development of the thesis paper with peer feedback. The fourth and final week is the finalization in the final thesis paper and practice on writing professionally.

The course Reputation Management Strategies course was constructed to help learn how to monitor and respond in situations. Reputation Management covers monitoring conversations, search ranking, and being able to make effective planning and decision making. This course also gave me the option to examine how to defend and repair reputations via web, and press. Reputation Management has helped me structure my career and how to fully understand and represent reputation.

When originally starting this course my three my goals were to have a better understanding of how reputation works in the media world, learn effective ways to increase good reputations, and prepare for bad reputations. Upon completion of this course, I did get a thorough understanding of how reputation works and able to determine the difference between good and bad reputation. I learned several ways to increase and make reputations better. In addition, I learned how to prepare for the bad reputations and turn them around as well.

During this course like with the other courses I learned several pieces of information that are considered helpful. One of the best pieces of information to learn was the definition “reputation is an outcome, and as a result, cannot be directed in anyway”, (1.1, 2020). The second piece of information that I considered helpful was from a week 2 article. Within the article, “According to a 2011 report, 30 percent of consumer complaint appear in brand-sponsored forums and 70 percent on consumer-operated forums”, (Noort, 2012). The last valuable piece of information that I obtained was from week 3 lesson 3.1 Crisis Management. Responding to damaging online rumors and creating video and or blogs post for responses.

Responding to damaging online rumors can actually help more than harm your reputation if responded to in a professional fashion. Creating videos for responses are useful because consumers like visual representations. For those who prefer written blogs are more useful in that aspect. This knowledge that has been obtained during this course has prepared me for how to respond to a crisis or how to manage and enhance one’s reputation.

Reference:

1.1, L. (2020). Lesson 1.1: Defining Reputation Video Transcript. Retrieved November 22, 2020, from https://fso-lms4-immortal-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/506/20177/eaaad650-d5a8-4da3-b38b-46fc9227c83a-a365000e-1626-4e39-b6e1-027f74844254/Lesson1.1DefiningReputation.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20201123T015911Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAI4QJ7YJDQ7JYMBXQ%2F20201123%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=61b8c65d3633e69cfcfb1a7ea045569e8f892bc92b908ad7115b984756573eb1

Agnes, M. (2012, October 16). Online Reputation Management: How to Overcome Damaging Online Rumors. Retrieved November 22, 2020, from https://melissaagnes.com/online-reputation-management-how-to-overcome-damaging-online-rumors/

The course The Online Media Room has impacted my take on media relations and the PR world. Over the course of four weeks and the goals and objectives were made and provided in this course. Initially when I thought Online Media Room my thought was creating a space for others to view your work. Though it does offer examples of work for the public to view, it gives a more interactive feel.

The readings were very informative and useful resources to use. The discussions were based off of case studies that shared relatable topics to that week’s assignment. Not only were the discussions case study based but they provided opportunity for peer reviews and shared thoughts. This course showed me how to prepare for good and bad media and how to handle both.

The assignments showed me as a public relations specialist how to plan, promote, produce, and distribute content. Over these four weeks I have gained strength in evaluating and learning how to effectively reach my target audience. My peers were more interactive this course which is where the critique was provided to help us edit and make revisions to our media page. Tools and many resources were provided during this course to help structure the media room that we created this month.

Over the course of four weeks, this Media Relations class has taught me more than what I originally expected. When I first heard of the course Media Relations, I immediately thought that it would be a full month of pulling together a media kit and press release. This course has led me to believe that there is so much more to the media and PR world. This class did not meet my expectations, but it did exceed it.

The discussion post was not like the usual give your opinion on a topic, it was preparation for the week’s assignment. In addition to that, there was extensive research that was required in order to conduct a discussion point. The content was meaningful and very useful in everyday media and PR world. The response post required our peers to engage in meaningful and thoughtful conversation, as well as required some deeper research.

The media list and Twitter list that we were required to produce consisted of research on different roles in media, such as journalist, bloggers, TV host, and local reporters. This research alone not only gave me insight on who to distribute my client’s media to but also what to expect. This list also helped with networking and even inspired me to reach out to some influencers in the process. We then were required to produce pitches to different people, companies, and forms of media, in a professional tone. The pitches helped to strengthen my writing skills and also made me more aware on how to start disturbing my work on behalf of my clients.

After the pitches were cultivated, we were required to create a press release for the current client’s event. In previous classes press releases were required but this time it was more intense due to the press release and the pitch being a package. These two should be concise that way it makes the process easier when preparing to distribute to the media. Two of my favorite assignments were the talking points and FAQ sheet and of course the full media kit.

The talking points are very crucial especially if you are speaking on behalf of your client. Talking points are to help you summarize your pitch with key reminders during the press conference. The FAQ sheet prepares you for the press and prepares you for difficult questions during a conference. The media kit is the overall package that is given to the media as a reference for the client.

There was so much to obtain in this one course in a span of four weeks, and I have definitely grown as PR specialist and media personnel. This course has shown me to how to properly present myself and my client to the media. I am now aware of what to look for, ask, what type of media to gather and now I know what the media requires. In my personal life this gave me the understanding and confidence to be more vocal.

All in the span of 4 weeks the course Market and Consumer Analysis really opened my eyes and introduced me to aspects I had previously overlooked. Before initially enrolling into this course, there were expectations that consisted of learning basic marketing tools and verbiage. This course was detailed but straight to the point, not a complicated class but it did definitely challenge me on a mental level. From the weekly discussions, annotated bibliography, consumer analysis, research findings, to promotional videos has all strengthen my skills sets over this month.

The weekly discussions are very useful because they tend to build and strengthen your communication skills. The weekly discussions also help others to network and give constructive feedback on the assignments and ideas that are presented to the group. The annotated bibliography definitely helped when it came to finding information and having several sources and references to fact check. The consumer analysis was beneficial because it gave more insight on the consumers and where the target focus is at. The consumer analysis also helped to focus on the wants, needs, and concerns of the consumers. The most impactful project to me this month besides the capstone project was the promotional video for the consumers on behalf of the client.

Throughout these courses for the Masters in Entertainment Business degree, each course helps to strengthen your individual business plan. Digital Marketing is the ability to plan and coordinate marketing in different forms of media. Digital Marketing is very important in the Entertainment Business; this is what helps to build the brand and the artist. Digital Marketing is everywhere, online/social media platforms, ads, as well as artist word of mouth. Digital Marketing helps to identify the trends within the realms of the entertainment industry, and this can help artist and managers cultivate their own individual trends.

The original goals for this course was to learn new ways to help market an upcoming artist management company, and to use digital media in a way that would help to promote the business to an all new height. In the year of 2016 everything has transformed to the digital world. The use of digital media can help to promote businesses in ways that can only be imagined. The use of digital media can also make things more convenient for the artist in terms of promotion, as well as the companies, where virtual work can be done. Digital Marketing is gaining more and more popularity throughout this business because it makes things easier for everyone.

The first couple of weeks taught me a lot on how I view the aspects of digital marketing. Usually the first couple of weeks are the most vital and important weeks because this is where you learn the most. The first couple of weeks taught us how strongly and important digital marketing online can be as well as what kind of online platforms are available. Promotion and marketing are the key factors to keeping the business/company running, as well as attracting the right audience.

As far what I have personally gained from this course is how important branding yourself and image can be for digital marketing. Without branding yourself the right way it makes the job harder when trying to market to the public. Professionally, there was definitely a lot to take away from this course, how and who to target as your audience is one of the most important things in this industry. In my professional life, this is also great because this course can help to mold my upcoming business in a positive light by avoiding the mistakes that I learned.

References:

Business Plan Development is one of those classes where students are required to incorporate business skills that are developed throughout the program. The entire month students are required to develop a portion of their business plan each week for peer and instructor feedback. This course gets you to describe the industry trends, identify target markets, describing business ventures, create marketing and sales plan, and etc. At the end of the course, the goal is to develop a budget for a marketing plan, prepare a formal business plan, and understand the economics and related market opportunities.

Personally the original goal for this course was to gain knowledge on how to create a good business plan and to gain some feedback on the current plan. This course definitely met this goal by actually giving you the opportunity to do nothing but work on the business plan itself. This course has met every goal and standard that was imagined before starting this course. The outcome from this course changed by making future business entrepreneurs more aware of how important the actual plan is.

There was a lot that was learned throughout this course this month. One of the most important things that were learned was how to target the audience and follow through with the competitive market. Being professional was also another important tip to learn, because this can go along ways in the industry. Learning how to build a business plan budget definitely can go a long ways in this business. The business plan budget is one of the main factors of the foundation of how your business will be orchestrated.

Digital Marketing is the ability to plan and coordinate marketing in different forms of media. Digital Marketing helps to identify the trends within the realms of the entertainment industry, and this can help artist and managers cultivate their own individual trends. The original goals for this course was to learn new ways to help market an upcoming artist management company and to use digital media in a way that would help to promote the business to an all new height. The world has transferred to digital that most things are now done on the go and it makes it more convenient and hands on when you involve digital media in the forefront. Using digital media shows you how to use  different platforms to help promote your business in a certain way.

In the first half of this course there is a lot to be learned and within this short amount of time a lot was acquired. The most important thing that was learned in the first two weeks was how to market online and what kind of online platforms that you can use. Another good lesson to learn was using the digital media and the artist and fan base as collaboration in order to gain more recognition in the industry. Promotion and marketing is big and can be very costly and effective depending on it is done and if done the right way. Promoting and using digital marketing can actually make or break the way the company is being recognized and acknowledge.

In my personal life I will use these lessons that I learned that in order to help manage my personal life. By this I mean that having the right attitude can help to keep the right image of you, which is preparation for a company. In my professional life, this is great because this can help mold my business the right way or the wrong way depending on you.

References:

Entertainment Media and Distribution has been a great class full of knowledge and information to become successful within the industry. This class as well as the others have taught great lessons on how to make your business stand out to others. One of the hardest things to do within the industry is to distribute your media to the public properly. Coming up with ideas and being creative enough to create the materials are one thing, but distributing it is another thing within itself. Therefore this class has provided all of the information that was needed to be able to distribute to the right people.

Initially, the personal goal for this course was to learn how to get in with the media and distribute materials that are good for both sides. I wanted to grasp a better and deeper understanding of how to properly entertain the media and keep their attention when needed. This course definitely met my standards and actually excelled in what I wanted to originally be able to understand. Media and Distribution is one of those classes that gives it to you step by step and when you finally realize it, the project was getting pieced together. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone that needs to know how to touch basis with the media.

Advanced Entertainment Law has been one of best classes thus far for this major. Not only does it narrow down the things you should know, but also it points you in the direction of exactly what it is you want to specialize in. Personally it really helped to finalize my official business plan and to finalize exactly what type of business, as well as what services that my company will offer. This class offers so much because; it helps to understand the legal matters that fall behind everything that your business may consist of. This class also gives you the ability to be opened minded and it gives you the ability to know your worth and how to protect your work/art.

Advanced Entertainment Law definitely met my initial objectives, which were to get a solid understanding in legal terms and gain knowledge on the laws that apply to my type of business. The other objectives that were met were my ability to assess legal liabilities, and to understand all of the forms of intellectual property within my industry. The really interesting part of this course was evaluating different industry related contracts and learning the legal terminology. After completing this course, the things that were learned was how to locate contracts, and research case laws. Creating audits for intellectual property, register forms online and even reviewing basic contract concepts were some of the basics.

After completion of this course, I can admit that I have learned so much in order to maintain a business to last a lifetime. This course has definitely made me aware of all of the expenses that you need to maintain and account for in order to run a successful business. Before actually attending this course, my goal was to learn how to understand the books of my business in general. After a consistent four weeks, not only did I get the basic knowledge but also a deeper understanding of what there is to account for. There was plenty of information to obtain from this course. During the weeks of this course, I learned about net profit, gross income, and formulas such as horizontal and vertical analysis for financial documents. I got to work and recreate a balance sheet and income statement for a business and got to analyze a business for about four-five years.

In my opinion there are several ways to use the things that I’ve learned in this financing class personally as well as professionally. Personally when giving your money to a business, it is always helpful to have an understanding of how they operate in a sense, it may determine if you are spending your money in the right place. This can also benefit on a personal level when starting a personal business and being in charge or overseeing the person that is maintaining the finances. On a professional level it can be helpful in so many ways in order to help out in a business and even stay ahead of your competitors. By having some type of knowledge and hands in the finances of business can help to possibly save or even change things in your business that may benefit it in the long run.

Mutual Benefit: This video that I watched was a solution to save Australia money and place refugees into a positive employment base. The basic concept of this negotiation was a win for both parties; the people were protected as well as the community having more help. What I learned from this video is that sometimes you must give and be humble in order to receive what’s actually best for you and those surrounding you. This can help where the concerns are in business because it teaches you how to get to know your opponent. It also teaches you how to keep a level business mind as well as try to offer a gain for everyone.

https://youtu.be/I3SUhV594Ck

 Dirty Tricks: This video that I watched was negotiating for sustainable agreements, the co-author of the book getting to yes. William Ury goes into depth as he explains how you can negotiate and what strategies he has developed. I learned a little more about some of the strategies that we happen to discuss in class. I learned how to actually be prepared to have prior knowledge and insight on something else. Within the realms of entertainment, knowing how to use dirty tricks can be so beneficial. For instance, it teaches you how to do typical and extensive research in order to get ahead in a deal process.

https://youtu.be/e1NHqPDzqoU?list=PLU-9HaZTK2hTc_uK44WQpWFOpixIANF6M

Positional Bargaining: This particular video is another video of William Ury in a conference with different people explaining how lives were influenced. Different speakers were there to tell and influence others. I learned from this video that you are responsible for only you and the decisions you make so make them wisely. This encourages as well as shows how you can excel in life if you just take the time to do it. This can also help in entertainment business by showing you how to put yourself in a good position and advance constantly in your career.

https://youtu.be/Hc6yi_FtoNo

                      References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3SUhV594Ck&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1NHqPDzqoU&list=PLU-9HaZTK2hTc_uK44WQpWFOpixIANF6M