Kory Mello and Jon Backus

It’s been several weeks since PAN’s summer interns joined the staff here in Andover, and already they’ve made a big splash in the PR waters. Kory Mello and Jon Backus are both 2009 graduates of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Today, they share with us their experiences so far with PAN and the public relations profession.

How did you first hear about PAN?
Jon: I had the pleasure of taking two classes taught by Phil during my last semester at Syracuse. I loved how he spoke highly of PAN and used real-world examples from the agency in class and decided to take a closer look.

Kory: One of my professors mentioned that there was another professor at the school who runs his own firm in Andover—I was like, ‘Wait a minute, Andover?’ I’m from Dracut; I’m literally right next door. I attended a roundtable of Boston-area PR firms that Phil was hosting and he invited me to submit my resume for the summer internship.

What has been your experience at PAN so far?
Jon: I’m impressed by the variety of things that we’re given and challenged with. I’ve done media lists and competitive reports, but at the same time I’ve also edited video and helped on podcasts

Kory: I’ve also been surprised by the responsibilities and the different things that I get to do. I’ve never worked in an agency before—we read in a textbook about what you’re supposed to do (and what you’re not supposed to do), but to be able to get the hands-on experience here in my first four weeks is fantastic.

What does a typical day for you look like?
Jon: When I get to my desk, I open Outlook and my Google reader. It takes me a little while to go through my RSS feeds for relevant news and coverage, and when there is coverage I make clips right away. Other than that, my day includes activities like preparing competitive reports, building up media lists and helping out in the office reception area. We’re also starting to get into pitching.

Kory: I don’t know about you, but my day starts with coffee. Only then do I take a look at e-mail, Twitter and my RSS feeds. I also help run a portal for Airwide Solutions called Mobile Messaging 2.0, so I spend time reading and filtering through various articles.

What has been your favorite task so far?
Jon: For me, the Mirror Image team heard that I had video editing experience and asked me to help them pull together a video for the client. It was a lot of fun, and along the way I was able to teach them a little about editing as well. 

Kory: I was able to work on the First and Main project. We just had an event where they rebranded a new shopping center in downtown North Andover, where not only was I able to pitch the media, but also get involved in the event planning. Several of my reporters came to the unveiling ceremony and I got to work closely with them answering questions and even helping set up the cameras. I’ve never done anything like that before, but it was cool to be in charge.

Do you have any PR “pet peeves”?
Jon: Two stand out for me. The first is grammar. Obviously, everyone slips up once in a while, but there are simple mistakes that people make over and over. It makes me cringe. The second is when a client pulls out the “no comment” comment. There’s always something that you can say, even if it’s a blanket statement.

Kory: Definitely grammar. For instance, reading a press release or an article and seeing writers use the wrong homonym, misplace an apostrophe or forget a hyphen.

What do you like most about PAN?
Jon: Working at PAN, not many things go unnoticed. If you put work into something, someone is going to say something or appreciate you for it. It’s awesome how appreciative everyone is for everyone else. I also love how I can get along with every single person here.

Kory: The atmosphere here is fun. PAN has so many different things that it does, whether it’s workshops, interviews, the newsletter, brown bags or PAN Pub—there are always new things to help everyone stay on top of the game. It’s a friendly atmosphere, and it goes from the top down, starting with Phil.

What impact would you like to have in the PR industry?
Jon: I’d like to be another person in the PR field that does it right and can take away from the stigma that public relations has. Not everyone has it. I know a lot of reporters that greatly appreciate all the help that PR professionals do for them, but many others buy into this stigma.

Kory: I agree we’ve got a bad rap. And not only do we have a bad rap, but people wonder what we do. It’s awful, not even my family gets it. Changing that image—that’s my goal.

What’s your favorite source for news and information?
Jon: I don’t have a single source. I rely on my Google Reader—it has everything I need to know. In my down time though, my favorite thing to read is the Arts section of the New York Times.

Kory: I don’t know what I’d do without my Google Reader. Everything comes into my RSS feeds. I’m also constantly watching CNN and keeping an eye on Twitter.

This year, the internship program is being led by Senior Associates Susan Forshner and Mike O’Connell, who help manage the interns’ schedules and serve as the buffer between them and the teams requesting their assistance.

According to Forshner, the goals of PAN’s internship program are different this year. In addition to integrating Kory and Jon into the world of PR through various account and administrative work, they will have the opportunity to work closely with other departments at the agency as well.

“It’s going to be a three-pronged approach when it comes to gaining experience this summer. Our goal is to give them a broad experience over all areas—PR, marketing and new business.”

For those familiar with Community Servings, you probably saw some great media around their annual fundraiser event, LifeSavor, which raised money for the customized meals they deliver to hundreds of critically ill individuals and families in Massachusetts. Held at the Boston Langham Hotel, this event included support from a number of the city’s best dining destinations and brands. Guests indulged in a beautiful cocktail reception at the Langham before being “trollied” over to restaurants around the city for intimate dinners, and then capped off the night back at the Langham for their legendary Chocolate Bar. Yum!

Barely a week later, national non-profit for battling child hunger, Share Our Strength’s Boston chapter hosted the annual Taste of the Nation Boston at the Hynes Convention Center. Almost a thousand guests poured in to sample more than 70 of the best restaurants and food & beverage vendors in the city, with live music by the Cassavettes and a swanky VIP lounge sponsored by Bombay Sapphire. Jody Adams of Rialto and Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley’s Bistro offered their services as celebrity chef spokespersons to attending media who covered the event in detail. Check out a nice round-up of the event here.

Last, but not least, some of the ladies from PAN were on site at the official launch of the Boston Chapter of GirlsInTech – a social network for female professionals in the technology industry. PAN clients were also in attendance at the event and contributed some fantastic thoughts and suggestions for future events and seminars. With GirlsInTech’s first education seminar on Social Media coming up next week, we will have much more to report back on! In the meantime, you can check out pics from the event at Lir in Boston.

As you can see, we have a pretty involved group here at PAN and look forward to sharing more of our community involvement with you. We look forward to seeing you about town! 

Much of what makes us human- our gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, enunciation, etc.- are often lost or misunderstood through electronic communication. With the sense of anonymity we feel typing onto a screen, our words become depersonalized, misrepresented, and they can easily be misconstrued. We create virtual personalities that are often more recognizable to our peers than our true personality.

We can essentially live out our lives sitting in front of a computer screen; we can order our groceries online, communicate with friends, stay updated on world issues, sustain a job, learn a language, and virtually satisfy a dream by creating a Second Life. While the prevalence of these advances certainly has benefits, is it ever truly as genuine as the real thing? Where has face-to-face human interaction gone?

Even our emotions have become compilations of punctuation signs – , <3 , >:-(

How long before our soul, the core of what makes us distinctively human, becomes misplaced in a binary world of 0’s and 1’s?

The stress of attaining a job in the “real world” is seen on the faces of students everywhere on campus. No one feels like they are doing enough, learning enough or getting enough experience and those that are doing those things are afraid to be just like everyone else. Seniors are opting out of their spring break plans “in case” they have interviews and staying in on weekends to send out their resumes. I have even decided to take my first 8 a.m. to ensure that I am learning the absolute most that I can each day.            

Then I started thinking (on my cold walks to class at 7:45), that maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. Maybe this economy has made us stronger candidates, more competitive and more eager than we would have been if we had graduated four years earlier. Sure I’m pretty upset that I don’t get to fall into a “senior slump” and party all day and night, but in the end the class of 2009 will be better for it.

I was fortunate to attend a presentation by Lindsey Pollack in the fall of this year and her book Getting From College to Career has been very helpful to me in the stressful time (www.gettingfromcollegetocareer.com). The book has everything from cover letter writing advice to job search websites and is great for anybody who is at a transitioning point in there careers. Maybe if recruiters recognize the drive from the class of 2009 and we do happen to get jobs, we’ll look back and be grateful that we graduated in tougher times.

Although there are clearly many advantages to using and exploring social media, it is important to understand and be aware that there are also innumerable disadvantages of social media.  Many critics of social media argue that oftentimes, information can be misinterpreted and messages can be skewed.  Because anyone can take part in social media and post on a blog, Web sites and blogs will become cluttered with excesses of information which can be inaccurate and negative.  There is also a lack of security and protection on many social media Web sites so things can easily get out of control.  However, regardless of the positive or negative aspects of social media, one thing is for sure and that is that it is an increasingly popular and innovative industry.  Consequently, visitors to social media Web sites and blogs should be careful when reading and posting information.  Consumers and contributors should always be cautious because frequently mistakes and falsehoods are written in addition to the fact that once it’s up it is for everybody’s eyes, and this should not be taken lightly.

It seems as though there is a reluctance to change though and a growing generational divide, especially among baby boomer generation and those prior, where the new is shunned.  For example, some believe that those of Generation X and Y have adapted a technological way of thinking, causing us to lose the nature of our intellect. In a conversation with my family over the holiday break, someone mentioned how frustrating young people can be about communicating – “Why can’t you just pick up a phone instead of sending an e-mail or a text message (source-personal conversation)?”

There was a recent news story on Sunday Morning about a published book entitled “Why We Hate Us: American Discontent in the New Millennium” (author-Dick Meyer). Essentially, it talked about yearning for the simplicities of the past and why today’s world is at a disadvantage. Some of the things mentioned were bringing back the romance of dating, or the elegance of ballroom dancing.

As a youth on the verge of graduating college, this generational generalization is somewhat offensive. While I agree that life might have been easier before we had eight different ways of communicating with someone, I think all of the wonderful changes things like technology has done for us. We may dance differently than other generations and embrace rap lyrics, but let’s face it, we need to listen to the words of our newly appointed President, “for the world has changed and we must change with it.”

What are your thoughts?

QIO systems is a new entity spun out of a former client called Eleksen, which pioneered “smart fabric” for wearable electronics.  QIO’s launch into the consumer market today introduces a device that lets people control personal electronics –iPod, iPhone, cell phones, walkie-talkies–through their clothing.  No more fumbling inside your pockets to change the song on your iPod or answer the phone.  Just swipe a fabric button on the sleeve or lapel of your jacket and keep skiing, or hiking or biking or whatever else you were doing.  

The wearable electronics market is not new.  Several manufacturers have been at it for a while with different approaches and results, but none have ever really made their mark as a true consumer electronics company.  QIO should change all that with it’s PANiQ brand of devices and compatible clothing from apparel manufacturers like Killa, on&on, Summit Wired, celio*, Bailo and other brand names from urban and high-fashion houses. 

In keeping with PANiQ’s hip, young theme we found an amazing artist named Jake Reese who works with Sharpies (yep, the pens).  His canvas for the Outdoor Retailer show?  T-shirts.  You can find his site here.  Some shots of his work at the show are below.  Great job, PANiQ! 

To start, he has a great point – it’s time to upgrade our efficiencies to best manage the many distractions that throw themselves our way every day. I admit it, I’m not always immune to the shiny thing in the corner (I’m talking to you, twhirl), but those minutes add up and it’s important to recognize that times-a-wasting when productivity (and thus, results) are particularly valuable these days. He writes:

“A person who works six hours a day but with total focus has an enormous advantage over a 12-hour-per-day workaholic who’s “multi-tasking” all day, answering every phone call, constantly checking Facebook and Twitter, and indulging every interruption.”

But, I get nervous when I see technology influencing a backward step in basic human standards. A strong work ethic is a valuable trait. “The ability to pay attention,” well, it just doesn’t have the same ring. What does this mean for future generations? When candidates try to sell themselves in job interviews, should they omit the “excellent at multitasking” hype? Somehow, “I can concentrate really well on one task at a time,” doesn’t sell me on your dedication to getting the job done.

I disagree with Mike, hard work is NOT dead; I think it should go without saying that to have a good work ethic includes the ability to pay focused attention and go above and beyond to get the job done. If that means you have to turn off your desktop alerts and forward your calls to voicemail to maintain your strong work ethic, do it.

I have one other thought on this: Not to open a can of worms, but I’m curious to know if the medical community is seeing an upward trend of increased Ritalin prescriptions from the past few years. If inattentiveness, difficulty getting work done, procrastination, and organization problems are resulting from our inability to focus on the task at hand, it could be a valid concern. As marketers, it’s a necessity to participate participate participate, including the involvement in as many social networks as possible, engaging with as many people as possible, as often as possible. Are we doing ourselves more harm than good?

When I turned twelve (three in Leap years), I was interviewed by the Lowell Sun for a piece they were doing on Leap Year birthdays. It was at that time I realized the perks and privileges that come with being born on Leap Year, not to mention there’s only 684 people born on Leap Day per 1 million, according to leapzine.com.

It’s a great conversation piece, as well. The most common question I get is, “So when it’s not a Leap Year, when do you celebrate your birthday? Is it the 28th or March 1st; which is it?” I usually tell some people the 28th and others the 1st that way I get two days out of it during the off years to make up for things.

I’ll have to say too that pulling the “but I am two” card when Mom would point out my childish antics, was invaluable all the way up through age eleven. But, let’s get serious for a moment. I’m turning six tomorrow. That’s a big step, and it’s going to take a bit of adjustment. When you’re five, let’s face it — no one expects much, but six, six, now that’s where you have to make it happen.

For all of my fellow Leap Year babies, Happy Birthday and enjoy the day! It won’t be around again ’til 2012.

Well, this mayor was doing something a little different. She was posting pictures of herself wearing only a black bra and panties on her MySpace page. But wait, it gets better… in the pictures she is sitting on one of the town’s fire engines.

The former mayor has responded to the situation by making it clear that the pictures were taken before she became mayor and that it is her personal life and has nothing to do with her position as a the mayor. She also noted that she is not going to take the pictures down.

I think it is horrible, that a public figure has pictures of herself in her underwear on MySpace, but I also don’t think that anyone should have pictures up in their underwear, there has to be a line between appropriate and pornography. Imagine if the pictures were of your 5 year-olds teacher, your doctor, the president. I think that many of us would be upset about it.

We all know that public officials have less privacy then an ordinary person and that they lose many of the aspects of everyday life that we all enjoy like taking a walk, grabbing a coffee or attending a sporting event without interruptions. Maybe having a personal MySpace page should be added to the “off limits” list for public officials.

And the reason that she is no longer the mayor is that a vote took place on Monday night, resulting in her position being recalled. The reason for her being recalled was the pictures and an issue involving the management of the town golf course.