My time as an Intern

I’ve been learning a lot during my time as an intern for The Eisen Agency. I’m lucky to be working with such a helpful and flexible team of people. I’ve still been continuing to go to networking events and still writing press releases here and there for the company. I was recently asked to write a by-liner for a client we have and I decided to have a little fun with it.
I know people always read about the top activities to do in their area, but most of those articles always say the same activities for a specific area. So I decided that rather than doing 5 must-do things in Cincinnati, I would narrow-in a bit more and write about 5 must-do tours in Cincinnati. Tours are great for learning and also for having an enjoyable time with great friends and family. The tours that I included were a Segway tour, food tour, flight sightseeing tour, pedal-wagon tour, and also the Queen City Underground Tour. I thought this article would intrigue more readers because people aren’t always reading about the different tours in their home area, and this could boost the attendance for these various tours.
A few weeks ago I went to a PRSA networking event where Matt Prince told us about his career and how he wound up as the manager of PR and the editor of the newsroom for the Taco Bell Corporation. Matt is responsible for internal, external and social communications integration for the global Taco Bell brand. Matt has worked for a couple other companies, that including working for Walt Disney World as the Sr. manager of executive communications, and social media manager. Attending this event was inspiring to me because Matt is still a young man yet he’s already much more successful than most people are at his age. After his speech about his career he was willing to talk to anyone who had questions, and I was able to snap a quick photograph with Matt Prince!

Eventful week

I’ve chosen the word eventful to describe this week. Eventful as in I went to two events on Wednesday. I went to the first one Wednesday morning with my fellow new intern, Lauren. (Side note: I’m so happy to have another intern on board to chat with and to tag team some events together!)

Anyway, the first event was an AMA marketing research shared interest group bright and early at 7:45 a.m. that honed in on how critical thinking skills help researchers go from good to great. It was a smaller group of about 20 people lead by Susan Frede, VP of Research Methods at Lightspeed Research. She was very knowledgeable on the subject of critical thinking and stressed how crucial it is in both the workplace and when doing research. Some of the takeaways I gathered are:
– Model your own critical thinking
– Ask critical questions
– Speak in “tongues,” meaning speak in a vague way or use vague terms to see how people interpret it differently to gain new perspectives
– Play devil’s advocate- not always a good idea but can be helpful in thinking about all scenarios- good and bad
– Frame your questions so that others ask questions in return
– It’s not just younger people who are lacking critical thinking skills
– Identify the true problem at hand. You know this is the true problem if you have all the data to back it up.
– Biggest outage is time in developing critical thinking skills

Even though Lauren and I were the youngest in the room and as interns/prospective employees were on the other spectrum of the conversation, I found it very interesting to listen to and to hear what employers are looking for and how they deal with developing critical thinking skills in their younger employees.

The second event Lauren and I went to was the release of the summer edition of Venue Magazine. Venue is a local lifestyle and event magazine focused on community involvement. It was a great opportunity to enjoy casual networking, drinks and h’orderves. I really enjoyed this event as I am very interested in the fashion and editorial world and who doesn’t love getting a little dolled up? Here is a picture of Lauren and I with the magazine from Wednesday night!

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

It has been a little over a month since I started interning for The Eisen Agency and I feel like I have already learned a great deal in such a short amount of time. I have been dabbling in a few different areas so far, like whipping up press releases, blogging, coming up with social media plans, pitching story ideas and more.

I also recently went to an event hosted by Breakfast Bytes, which featured Krista Neher, the CEO of Boot Camp Digital, who spoke on the biggest mistakes people are making in their social media strategies. Not only was this event informational and interesting, it was also an opportunity to network with professionals in the field I desire to be in, and some even took my “Ambassador of Buzz” business card without questioning the creative title Sean came up with for me.

It might seem annoying or pointless to some to try all areas of an agency, but it certainly helps to clarify what areas you are better at than others and what areas you like more than others. Personally, I have found that I enjoy the writing and blogging more than I do the media relations side, which comes at no surprise as I have always loved to write. I also know that I like to be more on the creative side of things, so I plan to get more involved in that in the coming weeks. Trying everything seemed a little intimidating at first as I like to try to be good at everything, but ultimately it helps you understand your strengths and weaknesses and its an opportunity to grow and narrow in on what you really want to do, and I’m looking forward to the rest of my time here at Eisen to help me figure that out!

Cheers,

SB

Cinco de…Drunko?

The traditional graduation cap throw, only where is the cap….

Hola, Amigos!

(In honor of Cinco de Mayo I thought I would start off with a festive greeting!) My name is Amy Elking and I am starting my very first day as the newest addition to The Eisen Agency family as an intern. Two weeks ago I accomplished my biggest achievement yet: Graduating College! I am now proud alum of The University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, certificate in Public Relations, and minor in Marketing.

You may be thinking, “Why is a college graduate choosing to be an intern?” Simple: It all boils down to the unmatched experience I am going to gain from the talented team at The Eisen Agency. I am more than excited to spend this summer learning and growing in the world of PR and marketing; gaining knowledge and insight to spread my wings into the real world this fall.

Starting my first day on Cinco de Mayo has definitely been a perk; eating some delicious and hugely proportioned Mexican for lunch, learning about my co-workers and their love for Bravo TV(ahem, Natalie) and hoping to catch a Happy Hour as my first day comes to a close.  I know my days at The Eisen Agency will be filled with learning from the best and experiencing some major laughs along the way and I cannot wait till share my journey with you all!

Adios for Now!
-Amy

Blogging. It’s Kind of a Big Deal.

Over the past few months at Eisen, I have been exposed to the blogging process on a fairly consistent basis.  Not only have I crafted blog posts for clients, but I’ve also done a bit of research on the quality of the blogs of various local businesses (are they updated regularly, have quality content, etc.).  The agency has, from the get-go, emphasized the importance of blogging.  But I’ll be honest- though I understand the logic behind it now, I didn’t always “get it”.  Why is it so important for a business, especially a small business, to maintain a blog sharing news, bits of humor or other industry chatter in order to continue to develop and grow? 

In an attempt to answer these questions, I stumbled across this article. Enjoy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/loolwa-khazzoom/get-your-blog-on-the-impo_b_4499380.html

The Best is Yet to Come

Hello everyone.  It’s been over a month since I started my internship here at Eisen, so I feel that a brief introduction is necessary.  Here goes…

My name is Kerin Scott.  I am currently a senior at the University of Cincinnati, where I study journalism and anthropology.  Yes, I’m fully aware that I have chosen a pretty bizarre combination of educational foci, but for me it is the perfect balance of creativity, craft and science.  Will I use the vast majority of what I’ve learned? Eh, most likely not.  But I do graduate in April, so the time to figure out how to tie together all the bits of knowledge I’ve acquired over the years (both useless and practical) is rapidly approaching.  I’m hoping that my time here at Eisen will help me figure out how to do just that- seamlessly assemble my skills in a way that is both marketable and true to who I am.  So far, things are heading in the right direction.

Every day here brings with it a new experience, a new opportunity to grow as both an individual and future professional.  I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given here, and I look forward to what the next few months have in store for me.  In the words of Sinatra: “It’s a real good bet, the best is yet to come.”

Winter break has come to an end… and it’s back to OU for this Bobcat

By Briagenn Adams

So, I wasn’t entirely honest at the beginning of this internship when I promised that I’d write a new blog post each day. However, you’ll have to forgive me because I’ve been SO busy… and that’s definitely not a bad thing!

Today, on my very last day at The Eisen Agency, I’ve been reflecting on my past four weeks as an Account Coordinator intern, and I have Natalie, Randi, Neena, Sam, Sean, Lora and Rodger to thank for an absolutely amazing experience.

During my time here in Newport, I’ve had the opportunity to write press releases for three of our most important clients; write for and edit The Clubhouse,The Eisen Agency’s primary publication for PR and marketing professionals; attend a high-profile client meeting, which was totally cool and intimidating, by the way; compile and maintain media lists on MyMediaInfo.com; help create monthly editorial content for the 2014 calendar year; pitch stories and media alerts to Cincinnati and Kentucky news outlets; and get to know some of the brightest, most hard-working people this side of the Ohio River.

The Eisen Agency has completely opened my eyes to the complex world of public relations, and has solidified my future intentions to become an agency all-star. I’ve loved the energy in the office and the never-ending surprises that accompany day-to-day life. I’ve worked at The Eisen Agency for approximately 72 hours this break, and now I’m 72 hours more prepared for the real world after graduation.

THANKS, EISEN! ❤

For visual purposes and proof, here’s a picture of me in the intern office… I got the whole place to myself! (And sorry for the messy braid — I had a hard time waking up that morning!)

It’s been a great month-long adventure, and I can’t wait to see where life will take me next. Who knows? Maybe I’ll end up right back where I began… 🙂

Briagenn Adams, reporting for duty at The Eisen Agency

Hey, guys! My name is Briagenn Adams and I am the current intern here at The Eisen Agency.

I learned about The Eisen Agency while I was researching PR firms in the Cincinnati area. Immediately, I was drawn to its Breaking Bad themed website… I mean, what could be better than a group of people who refer to themselves as “Marketing Mixologists”? Whether or not the connection was intentional, I had to dig a little deeper.

After meeting and talking to CEO Rodger Roeser, I was sold on the idea of interning at The Eisen Agency during my winter break. Because I am a junior at Ohio University studying PR and marketing, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to further develop my education and professional experience outside of the classroom.

After talking with Rodger, we decided that my main goal over the next month will be to create a 2014 edition of The Clubhouse, a magazine written and produced by marketing experts, for marketing experts. So far, I’ve contacted some of our clients so that I can draft client profiles and showcase all the amazing work they’ve been doing this year. With journalism as my core passion, this assignment couldn’t be more fitting to my preferred skill set.

In addition to client profiles and article editing, I am eager to learn more about media list compilation, product pitching and campaign planning. PR and marketing are such varied industries; they each allow plenty of room for creativity, so I can’t wait to see what I’m able to bring to the table.

Stay tuned for more updates about my ongoing journey in Newport, Kentucky!

Monday Monday

Well, it’s a Monday. How about a little PR humor to add some pizazz to your day?

Check out this article about 5 things a PR professional can’t live without: http://www.prnewsonline.com/uncategorized/2013/08/05/5-things-a-pr-pro-cant-live-without/

 

I’ve Got the Power! Using Words to Motivate Customers to Action

So you are creating some copy for your advertisement, website, or social media page. It is not as simple as just putting words on a page. It requires some thinking and putting yourself in the customer’s shoes.

Crazy Egg has some great principles to creating copy that is actionable in their article about power words, also know as buzz words.

Words should:

• Be about saving
• Include genuine guarantees
• Instill urgency
• Promote quality
• Be action-oriented
• Be applicable to your target market
• Follow current trends but not too gimmicky

However, be cautious not to overuse buzz words to the point where they become trite. Check out this cartoon below about what happens when power words are overused:

Read more and see some examples in Crazy Egg’s article:

http://blog.crazyegg.com/2013/07/26/how-power-words-can-help-you-sell/?utm_source=buffer&utm_campaign=Buffer&utm_content=buffer708a1&utm_medium=twitter

 

If you want help in creating copy that is actionable without being too gimmicky, let NexPhase Marketing know!