Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you have all been waiting for — or at least the moment I have been hyping up for weeks in these blog entries — has finally arrived! As the title of this installment of First Im[PR]essions alludes, our hardworking “student firm,” PRservingBR, has signed a client for the Discover Baton Rouge with SCVNGR project!
Last week, we officially procured the business of LSU’s Hilltop Arboretum — and I genuinely do not think we could have gotten a more perfect client! The “nature” (pun only half-intended, but hey, it works!) of this specific nonprofit organization really makes it a prime candidate for a SCVNGR trek: We have an opportunity to take Baton Rougeans on a larger-than-life scavenger hunt of our beautiful capital city, and what better way to do that in the springtime than with a nature hike that is really a hidden treasure in our bustling metropolis? People are already antsy to get out and enjoy the balmy weather — now they will just be taking SCVNGR with them!
Our client also has the added advantage of ties to a prominent local entity: our dear old LSU. The Arboretum should be a great source of pride in the community, and we have access to a huge, multifaceted audience with one common characteristic: passion for anything even remotely related to the purple-and-gold.
I am one of those people, which is why I am very excited, on a more personal level, that LSU’s Hilltop Arboretum agreed to work with us. If there is one thing I want people to know about me, it is how much I truly love LSU, and working with a client to whom I feel connected illustrates everything about public relations that appeals to me. Studying this discipline at LSU’s Manship School helps me hone the invaluable skills of effective communication and promotion and apply them to any industry — and every industry needs public relations, which allows for versatility and endless possibilities. And of course, as a writer, I have always found it easiest to compose something that comes from the heart. For me, then, the key is to match my abilities with my passions to advocate for entities and causes in which I am deeply invested.
This accomplishes two goals: a fulfilling, successful career and a reputation of credibility and ethics. I have already received a lot of criticism, as most public relations people do, about my chosen professional path. Family and friends have accused me of joining a league of “organizational cheerleaders,” “spin doctors” and even “professional liars.” My aim is to change this cynical perception by illustrating how public relations is a powerful source for good and positivity in society if it is done honestly and professionally — in other words, if public relations practitioners mean what they are saying. This service-learning project for a client I am genuinely honored and excited to represent is the perfect chance to demonstrate this idea. After all, I think public relations IS a form of public service — hence our name, PRservingBR!
I chose public relations as my vocation so I could make a career out of serving and representing LSU in my own way (writing). Throughout this SCVNGR project and my post-graduation foray into public relations, my main sources of professional guidance will be the lyrics of our alma mater and the wisdom of Confucius: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
— Kelly
First Im[PR]essions 