Other important stuff....

If your coming to this blog looking for some specific items that aren't here, there have been several other posts and writings that I have that were posted to my other blog on accident. There are a few drafts that could use feedback and some writing I did in 2008 so check it out!

Mike Ferrell's Other Blog

Online Reputation

TO: WHITNEY SANT
FROM: MIKE FERRELL
SUBJECT: ONLINE REPUTATION
DATE: Nov. 25, 2009

I searched the internet using your name combined with things such as USU and public relations. The following is what I found from the results of those searches. The first search I tried was “Whitney Sant USU.” The result returned with a contact page for the charitable organization “Buckets for Change” which listed you as a team member.

The second search I tried was “Whitney Sant public relations.” This searched returned with the most recent post to your blog “pieceofwhit” which shows press releases and other writings pertaining to PR.

Another search that yielded results was “whitney sant Utah state.” This search brought up an article from “The Hard News Café” that you wrote about injuries sustained by the USU Football team’s starting tight end.

The results of these searches show that you do have an online presence and that that presence represents the positive attributes of your work so far. It shows work with charitable organizations as well as your writing and communication skills. The work that I was able to find online definitely defines you as a student, which you are, so no surprise there. You blog was easy to find, which is good because it does show in a positive light your writing and interests. It also places you in a good light that my first search resulted in the number one result being your work with charity.

MEDIA PITCH ROUGH DRAFT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 13, 2009
Mike Gorrell, Business Reporter, Salt Lake Tribune
90 S. 400 West, Suite 700
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
801-257-8734

Preston Parker, President
Cache Valley Area Investors Association
www.cvaia.org

CACHE VALLY ASSOCIATION STRIVES TO EDUCATE INVESTORS

Logan, UT- The Cache Valley Area Investors Association has been working for the past two years to educate potential investors on how to become financially independent. Association President Preston Parker said “education mitigates the risk of investing.” The goal of CVAIA is to help people understand what financial independence is and how to achieve it.

The concept is simple; make your passive income greater than your residual income. By investing time, money, and education now, the need for a dull, burdensome, remedial job disappears as an investor decreases their expenses and increases their passive income.

The CVAIA meets at 7 PM every other Thursday, at the Cache County Chamber of Commerce in Logan, UT. There is no fee to participate or join. Every meeting starts with a 30 minute meet and greet, which is followed by a guest speaker and question and answer time. Guest includes local entrepreneurs and investing experts.

The CVIAI plays an important role in helping individuals new to investing or looking for ways to improve their current investments. Readers of The Salt Lake Tribune stretch from Lewiston, UT to Ogden, UT and many of your business readers could benefit from the information given at the CVIAI meetings.

Cache Valley Area Investors Association teaches people how to increase passive income. The practice the methods found in the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVIAI began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographical locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risk of investing.

For more information contact me;

Mike Ferrell
467 North 300 East
Logan, UT 84321
405-315-8567
-END -

PRESS RELEASE 3: FINAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 24, 2009

Preston Parker, President
Cache Valley Area Investors Association
www.cvaia.org


CACHE VALLY ASSOCIATION STRIVES TO EDUCATE INVESTORS

Logan, UT- The Cache Valley Area Investors Association has been working for two years to educate potential investors on how to become financially independent. Association President Preston Parker said “education mitigates the risk of investing.” The goal of CVAIA is to help people understand what financial independence is and how to achieve it.

The concept is simple, make your passive income greater than your residual income. By investing time, money, and education now, the need for a dull, burdensome, remedial job disappears as an investor decreases their expenses and increases their passive income.

The CVAIA meets at 7 PM every other Thursday, at the Cache County Chamber of Commerce in Logan, UT. There is no fee to participate or join. Every meeting starts with a 30 minute meet and greet, which is followed by a guest speaker and question and answer time. Guest includes local entrepreneurs and investing experts.

Cache Valley Area Investors Association teaches people how to increase passive income. The practice the methods found en the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVIAI began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographical locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risk of investing.

For more information contact me;

Mike Ferrell
467 North 300 East
Logan, UT 84321
405-315-8567
-END -

PRESS RELEASE 2: FINAL DRAFT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 23 2009

Burger Planet

1254 Burger Lane

Gary, Indiana 34567

Contact: 476-234-0987

Burger Planet drives for a healthy lifestyle

Jayne Petersen supports new Burger Planet menu

Gary, IN- Jayne Petersen, weight loss genius to Opal Whitcomb and bestselling author, will be supporting Burger Planet’s new healthy menu. The new menu will include item such as all white meat chicken breast, available in a low carb wrap, and a new line of gourmet salads.

Customers now have the choice of enjoying the Burger Planet classics with healthy sides such as fruit packs. They may also choose to hold the mayo for a 150 calorie reduction to their favorite entrée.

“I want our customers to realize that Burger Planet is committed to offering healthy choices on its menu” stated company CEO James E. Muellenbach III. Muellenbach went on to say “The hiring of Jayne Petersen fits perfectly in the company's overall focus on healthy lifestyles.”

When asked why Jayne Petersen chose to join the company, she replied “The company believes in encouraging customers to live healthier, active lifestyles and I have spent my life trying to teach women that lesson."

About Burger Planet

Burger Planet was founded in 1934 and is now headquartered in Gary, Indiana. It is has 8,921 franchises is every state and across 17 countries. Founded by James E. Muellenbach I, the company is now a leader of The Quick Service Restaurant Industry. The company employs 48,272 people and has served 52 billion customers and counting.

For more information contact me;

Mike Ferrell

467 North 300 East

Logan, UT 84321

405-315-8567

-end-

PRESS RELEASE 3: DRAFT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 24, 2009

Preston Parker, President
Cache Valley Area Investors Association
www.cvaia.org


CACHE VALLY ASSOCIATION STRIVES TO EDUCATE INVESTORS

Logan, UT- The Cache Valley Area Investors Association has been working for two years to educate potential investors on how to become financially independent. Association President Preston Parker said “education mitigates the risk of investing.” The goal of CVAIA is to help people understand what financial independence is and how to achieve it.

The concept is simple, make your passive income greater than your residual income. By investing time, money, and education now, the need for a dull, burdensome, remedial job disappears as an investor decreases their expenses and increases their passive income.

The CVAIA meets at 7 PM every other Thursday, at the Cache County Chamber of Commerce in Logan, UT. There is no fee to participate or join. Every meeting starts with a 30 minute meet and greet, which is followed by a guest speaker and question and answer time. Guest includes local entrepreneurs and investing experts.

About Cache Valley Area Investors Association

Cache Valley Area Investors Association teaches people how to increase passive income. The practice the methods found en the ideologies of books including Rich Dad Poor Dad, The wealthy Barber, The Millionaire Next Door, Atlas Shrugged, The Automatic Millionaire, and The Secret. CVIAI began in August 2007 and now has members from many geographical locations and from all walks of life. The members come together with the same belief: that education mitigates the risk of investing.

For more information contact me;

Mike Ferrell
467 North 300 East
Logan, UT 84321
405-315-8567
-end-

PRESS RELEASE 2 DRAFT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Burger Planet
1254 Burger Lane
Gary, Indiana 34567
Contact: 476-234-0987

Burger Planet drives for a healthy lifestyle
Jayne Petersen supports new Burger Planet menu

Gary, IN- Jayne Petersen, weight loss genius to Opal Whitcomb and bestselling author, will be supporting Burger Planet’s new healthy menu. The new menu will include item such as all white meat chicken breast, available in a low carb wrap, and a new line of gourmet salads.

Customers now have the choice of enjoying the Burger Planet classics with healthy sides such as fruit packs. They may also choose to hold the mayo for a 150 calorie reduction to their favorite entrée.

“I want our customers to realize that Burger Planet is committed to offering healthy choices on its menu” stated company CEO James E. Muellenbach III. Muellenbach went on to say “The hiring of Jayne Petersen fits perfectly in the company's overall focus on healthy lifestyles.”

When asked why Jayne Petersen chose to join the company, she replied “The company believes in encouraging customers to live healthier, active lifestyles and I have spent my life trying to teach women that lesson."

For more information contact me;

Mike Ferrell
467 North 300 East
Logan, UT 84321
405-315-8567

About Burger Planet

Burger Planet was founded in 1934 and is now headquartered in Gary, Indiana. It is has 8,921 franchises is every state and across 17 countries. Founded by James E. Muellenbach I, the company is now a leader of The Quick Service Restaurant Industry. The company employs 48,272 people and has served 52 billion customers and counting.

Broken Guitars and Broken Reputaions

A little over a year ago, Dave Carroll boarded a United Airlines flight from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Chicago, Illinois. A traveling musician, Carroll was raveling for a tour in Nebraska with his band. After his attention was captured by the remarks of a fellow passenger while waiting for the plane to take off, Dave saw in horror as his guitar, a $3,500 Taylor guitar, was tossed from one baggage handler to the other. Upon arrival at his destination in Nebraska, Dave inspected his guitar to find that it had been damaged enough to destroy the sound of the guitar. After a year of correspondence with different members of the United company, as well as United’s partner in Canada, Carroll received nothing but a run around from both. On his final interaction with United, he was told that his claim was going nowhere and the reparations for his damaged guitar was in no way the responsibility of United Airlines. Carroll’s reply was that as a singer/songwriter he would write a song and put it on the internet so that he whole world would see it. The video of his song United Breaks Guitars became an overnight YouTube sensation with over 2 million views in only a few days.

I find myself relating to both parties in this dispute. As a person who has worked for several years in customer service, I understand how it feels to be the target of an angry customers frustration. Usually because of procedures and regulations that the company has that binds the agent of the company that the customer may or may not understand. On Carroll’s web site, he expressed the several different occasions that agents told him that in order for his claim to looked at it must be filed with the proper place and time. From the company’s point of view it is easy to understand that before they put up thousands of dollars to repair a guitar of a customer that they maybe saw $100 of profit from his ticket without ensuring that the guitar was damaged at the companies negligence. Also in comments from both a Los Angeles Times article, and from the YouTube video, there maybe some question as to the case that the guitar was stored in. Common sense would dictate that if an expensive guitar is going to travel with you, it would be stores in a hard sided travel case. If a fragile item is stored incorrectly, then it cannot be expected of the company to be responsible for damage incurred to the item if it could have been prevented by proper storage.
Now I am not completely insensitive to Carroll’s experience. The number one rule to good customer service is that there are always exceptions. Carroll, according to his website, made it clear to United that the guitar was a very expensive guitar that had sentimental value. That as well as the value of the guitar I would think would be enough to draw attention from a high enough authority that could authorize reparations to be made. From interviews and other publications on the matter it would seem Carroll is an understanding individual that could be easy to please and that any attempt to make the matter right from United would be acceptable. Instead of any attempt to make things right, United sent him from one agent to another and made no attempt to honor his claim. This would be understandably frustrating. It would be reasonable to think that a company the magnitude of United Airlines would have to the ability to give $1,200 in flight vouchers to cover the cost of the repairs.
I feel a bit of bias because of my work experience in this field. If the guitar wasn’t packed properly and claims were not made in a manner that the damage could be verified that it did indeed occur while under United’s watch, it seems unreasonable to take responsibility for the damage. However, the good of the company has to be kept in mind. A replaced guitar, although it be an expensive one, is an acceptable loss to create a customer that will promote United Airlines for life. Instead of a relatively small loss to create a very happy customer, United now faces millions of people afraid to check baggage with their flights, not to mention the damage to their reputation in customer relations. In an industry notorious for poor customer service, what better way to stand out than to have die hard believers in your company because of a few great customer experiences?

What is PR?

Dear Dave,

You asked me what public relations is; this is going to be my best shot at describing what public relations is and does. One definition of public relations came from buildingbrands.com, “Public Relations practice is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.” http://www.buildingbrands.com/definitions/07_public_relations.php

A practitioner of public relations is someone that can open and maintain clear lines of communication between an entity and the various groups of people that the company or organization serves. This happens on many different levels. Brandbuilder.com went on to emphasis the importance to many customers the ability to know the company behind the product. Public relations is more than just ‘launch parties’ for new products.

Public relations helps an organization and its public's adapt mutually to each other is the definition that the Public Relations Society of America in the organization's web site. Public relations plays a key role in maintaining the trust people have in the organizations they associate themselves with, whether it be a business or a not for profit organization. This is accomplished by clear and open communication between the two parties. It is the role of the public relations practitioner to be fluent and proficient in the many different ways that an entity can communicate with several different groups of people.

In order for a public relations officer to clearly and efficiently communicate a message, they must first know who needs to hear the message and what that message should be. For this reason, one of the biggest roles of a public relations officer is research. Before any message is communicated to a public, by any means, it must first be decided what that message is. In order to know what to communicate, it first has to be established what identifies the public that the organization need to connect with. Public relations practitioners must be familiar with several different ways of identifying a public including marketing, demographics; or identifying characteristics of people such as income, age, and gender.

Once that it has been decided who should receive the message, there are several different ways one group of people can communicate with another. The fastest growing way to communicate a message is the internet. The internet is unique because it much easier to reach a more specific group than say newspaper, and more members of that group. Public relations now utilizes not only web sites but all forms of social media, such a Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, as well as blogs.

One of the strongest tools of public relations is the press release. A press release gives reporters and other members of the press the information needed to relay the message from an organization to the public. For example if Apple released a new line of computers, they could send a press release that would be seen by many members of the press. They in turn could feature an article in the technology or business section of thier newspaper, include an article in their magazine, or a spot on their radio talk show. by sending one release, Apple had their message communicated to several specific groups of people from a few paragraphs being made available to the press.

I hope that help answer some of your questions. If you have any more questions you can always ask me but there is great information on the internet, for example, the PRSA web site, http://www.prsa.org.

-Mike

Hey

Well this is the first time I've tried throwing my hat in the 'ol blog ring. Im into a lot of different things but mostly this will just a little window to me. Enjoy!