Miss Reyes Speaks

The Happiness and Sadness of August

2010-07-30T08:22:00.001-07:00

This Sunday August 1st will be a both sad and happy day. Happy because I get the keys to my townhouse. Yes, that’s right- this little Latina is going to be an independent woman. I will be living with two former classmates who by the way are probably the most understanding and uncomplicated girls I have ever met. Needless to say, my father isn’t too pleased. He still lives by the old school mentality that a girl should live with her parents until she is married. Unfortunately for my daddy, I am not your typical girl. This little Pisces needs to swim and I know this change will be good for me. My mama on the other hand understands that I need this experience to mould me in to the woman I will be. My mom raised me like a Spanish boy- which means she liked doing everything for me. I am 22 and she still likes doing my laundry, so obviously I need to grow the hell up! I obviously will miss my parents soooo much but they literally will be living about 5 minutes away, so it’s not like I strayed too far.
So with this exciting move, what will be sad about Aug. 1st? Well, you see I live in Canada which means we get winter. I hate winter more than anything else in this world. I literally feel like my soul gets swept away with the blistering winds and harsh freezes. The beginning of August means summer is almost over. The heat and long days will be stolen from me once again. So August, I ask of you this: Please stay beautiful, please don’t run away too fast and please continue giving me a kick-ass summer!

Am I a Traitor?

2010-03-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I LOVE Madonna. She is the queen of pop and will forever be my woman. So when Lady Gaga first came out I called her a Madonna wannabe and although I did enjoy her music- I voiced that she would never amount of success the Queen has had. Fast forward two years later & I have succumbed to Gaga mania. I think it started after hearing songs like Paper Gangster and I Like it Rough from The Fame where I realized: Hey this bitch really knows how to make catchy music. Not to mention her duet with New Kids on The Block which is the best tune on their comeback album ()
Then came The Fame Monster and Gagaloo hypnotized me with the addictive song - Alejandro. If you’ve ever found Latino men attractive then you’ll know what this song is talking about. I could get more into the whole Latino men attraction but that’s for another time. Gaga tickets for the second leg of her Monster Ball tour just sold out and I’m stuck wishing I had tickets for this sure to be ridiculous show. One of my buddies has a theory she’s the devil saying “She’s just too good, always stuck in your head. Something is up with that…”
Whatever it is, there is no doubt this woman has captivated millions and has found a way to brand herself in a refreshing way. My fascination has left me feeling like a traitor to my beloved Madge. But then I think about it and realize: Lady Gaga would not be here if it wasn’t for Madonna. She paved the way for all pop female artists. Here is my final opinion. Although Gaga is great, she will never dethrone the Queen. Gaga is at her own element but that’s a title she cannot take.

Hope for Haiti and Canada for Haiti Air Tonight

2010-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life just doesn’t seem fair. On January 12th, 2010 at about 4:53pm ET- a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the nation of Haiti. Haiti is already the poorest nation in the western hemisphere and this natural disaster has made poverty in the nation even worse. Approximately 215, 000 people have been identified as dead and close to a million are now homeless. With poorly built structures and a lacking government-the nation definitely needs some major assistance. There were already a large amount of children in the orphanage system and this is going to raise that number. On top of this, the living conditions are not what any human should have to experience. There is little food, water and the site of bodies all over the place has got to be unbearable.
Tonight two telethons will air in hopes to try and help the Haitian people.
At 7pm on all Canadian networks (CTV, CBC etc.) the Canada for Haiti telethon will air. This will feature appearances from notable Canadian celebrities and performers like Metric and K’Naan will take the stage. Following this, the George Clooney telethon will air and like the Canadian one will also be commercial free. This two hour star studded telethon will feature performances by Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and Taylor Swift among many others. Famous Actors like Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks and Mark Walberg will be taking pledges. Also appearing will be Wyclef Jean who is actually from Haiti so it will surely be an emotional time for him.
I can’t even imagine what these people are going through right now. All the people who have rushed to their aid are the true heroes of this earth and their compassion is remarkable. It’s going to take a long time for this nation to recover but with prayer and faith they will hopefully rise above and become stronger than ever.

Dear NBC, Leave Conan ALONE

2010-01-14T11:20:00.000-08:00

I’ve been a fan of Mr. Conan O’Brien since I was about 14 years old. His tall lanky body, pale skin and string dance just really get to me. So obviously when he got the Tonight Show I was thrilled. No more waiting up until 12:30! Leno got a primetime gig at 10pm in hopes to add some comedy to the usually drama filled hour. The move forced other primetime shows (like Law & Order: SVU) to other time slots and people were frustrated they couldn’t find their favourite shows at the regular time. Ratings for Leno and for Conan were not up to the networks expectations and things of course got messy. In a frantic attempt to save their viewership, NBC proposed the following change:
Move Leno back to 11:30pm but only give him a 30 min. slot
Put Conan on from 12:05am-1:05am
Jimmy Fallon would be on from 1:05am-2:05am and poor Carson would be on at 2:05am.
Shockingly (note the sarcasm) Conan wasn’t having it. In a statement released on January 12th, Conan expressed his gratitude with his fans but explained he would not be agreeing to the change. Basically, Conan feels moving the Tonight show to 12:05 would damage the reputation of the Tonight show and having it air the next day, will no longer make it “the tonight show”.
(Click here for the full statement: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34828266/ns/entertainment-television/#storyContinued)

I honestly think this is so sad. If Conan is off the air, late night will not be the same (at least not for me). Sure, Conan is silly but that’s what I love about him. He’s not afraid to poke fun at himself or point out his awkwardness. On a positive note for, it’s been reported that if NBC decided to cancel Conan’s show they’ll have to pay him $30 million dollars for breaching his contract. NBC has already been seeing some pretty negative criticism over their proposal and as the number #3 network, they’re going to have to work even harder now to reclaim their “Must See TV” glory days.
So by now it’s probably obvious but I still have to proclaim: I’m TEAM COCO!

Up: More than just your average animated flick

2010-01-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

I had heard great things about UP since its release in May 2009- but in the past 6 months had still not experienced it myself. I was warned by my sister I would weep and even my male co-worker Vince said he had to wipe his eyes a couple times.
Since I’m on Christmas break and actually had time on my hands- I sat down and ordered UP on my Rogers digital cable. Well friends, I was not prepared. This movie has quite possibly one of the greatest love stories ever told on film. Sure the characters are computer animated and it still has childlike humour but the love between Carl and Ellie will melt your heart. I cried like a baby at least four times. To be honest, I think this movie could’ve changed my life. In a world of meaningless sex and people playing constant mind games with each other this movie displays the beauty of pure and unconditional love. Who doesn’t want true love like this in their lives? I always try to act all hard headed but this movie almost makes me want to expose the hopeless romantic in me- ALMOST
If you haven’t seen this movie, watch it. For those who have, demand your friends to watch it. After all, word of mouth is one of the best sources of promotion and this movie should seriously be watched by everyone.

Top Albums of the Decade?

2009-12-30T17:45:00.000-08:00

I love me some lists. So as the decade ended I was highly anticipating the release of Rolling Stone Magazine’s picks for “Top Albums of the Decade”. Looking over the list it was pretty evident that not all the albums were best sellers, which is a good thing because having a great album doesn’t mean having big name label back you up. Apparently, it also showed me I’m not as music savy as I thought. Note: Who is Wilco?
(Full list: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/31248017/100_best_albums_of_the_decade/44)

The list overall had an eclectic vibe to it and featured some of my faves. Amy Winehouse’s AMAZING album Back to Black was number 19, all 3 Coldplay albums were on it (although Rush of Blood to the Head should have been higher) and Eminem was at #7 with the mind-blowing (still kinda scary) Marshall Mathers LP.
I read through this list a couple times and was shocked when I couldn’t find the following albums:
· Dr. Dre- Chronic 2000: This is an album that makes you vibe to every song. I mean, Still D.R.E STILL drives people crazy at the club! (yup, you’ll see me bouncing to it;) On top of that, it was a comeback for Dre as he showed his haters he is still one of the top producers and rappers in hip hop history.
· Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory and Meteora: Linkin Park was undeniably one of the biggest bands of the decade. Sold out tours, album sales over the 10 millions and they were considered one of the only acts who could pull off the whole rap-rock sound. Yet, neither of these albums were found on the list.
· Madonna- Confessions on a Dancefloor: Ok, so you might think I’m a little biased but this was definitely one of the best records Madge ever released. For dance lovers it was one you could listen to from start to finish and was the perfect choice for an intense workout. Plus who didn’t love the infectious Hung Up? Such a fun song and of course intelligently sampled Abba’s- Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight).

Lists will not always satisfy every reader and people will always have their opinions. Never the less they are always fun to read. I kind of want to do my own list, so maybe watch out for that;)
So what do you think will happen in these next 10 years- will music go downhill or will it be the most innovative decade yet?

I Love Barack Obama

2009-12-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you've heard about my adoration for the President. Not only is he absolutely handsome but he is articulate, smart, charismatic and powerful. I could certainly go on with a list of adjectives but I won't get carried away.
This morning, President Obama accepted his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. Many critics speculated that this was awarded to him way too early. In a way I can understand their skepticism. He has just become president and has not done nearly the amount of humanitarian efforts as the other recipients. However, his appointment brought a sense of hope and change not only to the USA but to our world as a whole.
I of course tuned into CNN to get a peak of his acceptance speech this morning. In my career as a PR professional, I will probably have to do my fair bit of public speaking. Watching Obama deliver speeches is truly an inspiration. He speaks his words so clearly and uses the proper tone at the correct time. Confidence without being arrogant is very important when delivering speeches and he’s the master of that craft.
I personally enjoy public speaking. Being in front of a crowd is of course nerve wrecking but once I’m up there I can make myself feel at ease. I will continue to watch Obama deliver his public addresses, maybe I should start taking notes.

Cheating Spouses = PR Crisis?

2009-12-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

By now the whole Tiger Woods is a cheater saga, is getting to be old news. However, I couldn't help but notice that all the media outlets were calling his particular issue: a Public Relations Nightmare. CNN, GMA and even CTV National news had Public Relations professionals and media experts giving their opinion on what Tiger Woods should have done. They all claimed he stayed silent for too long and that his silence was what drew more media speculation. Finally, Tiger released a statement apologising for his “transgressions”. Tiger is not the first this year to be caught cheating. Just a couple months ago David Letterman admitted that he had cheated on his wife with one of his interns. Letterman refused to be blackmailed and so instead he revealed the story himself. Although this caused scandal, many applauded the way he handled himself.
Another cheater was found this summer in South Carolina. Governor Mark Sanford admitted to allegations he was cheating on his wife with a mistress in Argentina. Sanford held the usual politician "I'm a cheater" news conference but this time there was no sulking wife around.
In a media obsessed world, people's personal lives seem to be open for discussion. I bet our PR forefathers would have never guessed our profession would include having to clean up the infidelity of others. Public Relations does have very much to do with maintaining and building the reputation of a company or person. As their communications experts we will be the ones preparing them to face these scandals by:
• helping them to construct position statements/apologies
• training them on how to answer "dreaded questions"
• develop next steps with them
• determine which outlets they will use to address the media (news conference, YouTube video, public apology letter, etc.)

When husbands or wives in the public eye cheat, we will probably be their first emergency call. Media coverage about our profession has been large in regards to these scandals. I just hope that the unaware public realizes we do way more than aide the unfaithful.

A Little Aspiration Of Mine

2009-12-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

As I became more aware of what Public Relations entails, I knew there was one place I needed to work for. The Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto is in my opinion one of the greatest hospitals on the planet. When my cousin's daughter got sick, I noticed what a comforting and beautiful hospital it truly was. Housing some of the best doctors, Sick Kids strives to give even the most terminally ill children a chance at life. My curiosity for job openings at Sick Kids led me to their website. The hospital has a whole Communications and Public Affairs Department and their mission is to:
Assist SickKids in achieving its vision and goals by providing effective communications counsel to hospital leaders and key stakeholders and by implementing strategic public affairs, government relations, and advocacy programs.

Sick Kids would be a very rewarding place to work. I love kids and using my communication skills to assist this hospital would be a dream come true. After all what could be better than working for one of the most prominent medical facilities whose vision is : Healthier children, better world.

Teachers of Tomorrow?

2009-12-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

We are in the year 2009 and in approximately 23 days it will be the year 2010. Technology has consumed our culture. Remember when cell phones and computers were a mark of luxury? Now, they are practically a necessity and just about everyone owns them.
It is pretty evident that as PR practitioners we will need to be technologically savvy and understand digital media. Shannon Nelson of Pierce Mattie Public Relations in New York states: "Clients will need to be educated on digital media. I use digital media to be the umbrella for everything online from digital magazines, to websites, to podcasts, to blogs, to life streaming to social media ". The evolution in the ways we communicate and promote is actually astounding. Many companies are probably comfortable with the traditional methods of communicating their brands or ideas. However, as their PR people it should be us showing them what's new and effective.

A Loss For Daytime TV

2009-12-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

Waking up early in the morning usually means getting ready to the sound of Diane Sawyer while GMA plays in the background. I've grown to become very fond of Diane so you can imagine my sadness when she announced this will be her last week on the popular morning news show. To be honest, I still haven't recovered from the news that Oprah is leaving her show.
Both Oprah and Diane Sawyer have branded themselves as intelligent, compassionate and charismatic women. By being recognized through these positive attributes, success and power has been obtained in their careers. Branding is very important in any career and these two women are a prime example of this. In fact, they have branded themselves so well that people (like me) have actually become comfortable with their presence. It will be very hard for anyone to replace Diane on GMA and there will never be another Oprah.

Black Friday

2009-11-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

Black Friday is probably the biggest shopping event in the United States. Held right after Thanksgiving it kicks off the holiday shopping season. Retailers slash prices and cause havoc with their door buster specials. The recession took a toll on the cash retailers brought in last year, and so this season they're pulling out all the stops and using new ways to reach customers. With the popularity of social networks, retailers have found a new avenue to promote their sales and make consumers aware of their brands. By following retailers like Sears on Twitter or becoming a fan of Macy's on facebook- customers had a first hand look on what the deals would be and even receive special promotion codes to use for further discounts. Good Morning America reported that there has been a boom in this type of promotion. Some stores were even open at midnight or as early as 4am. Companies are hoping their efforts to communicate with their public through these social mediums will boost visits and purchases at the stores. Hundreds of Canadians flock over the border and line ups seemed to have started since 2am this morning at some stores. Maybe in spite of on going recession, retailers will see a boost in sales.

The Networking Fear

2009-11-24T09:37:00.000-08:00

For a recent assignment I had to conduct an information review. The task was to interview a PR professional and gather some insight on the profession. The biggest advice my interviewee gave me was to network! network! network!.
The whole idea of networking or "metworking" kind of throws me off. Being that I'm a student I haven't had a whole lot of actual on the job experience. Many of my classmates have already gained PR experience through part-time jobs or volunteering. Our placements begin in the middle of February and although I have some possible contacts, nothing is 100%. I'm eager to learn about the wonderful world of networking but need some tips and advice. Anyone want to help?

Adam Lambert Shocks the AMA's

2009-11-23T17:28:00.000-08:00

As mentioned earlier, I tuned in to the American Music Awards on Sunday night. I don't remember what I started doing but I missed the Adam Lambert performance. Out of all the performances, I missed the most outrageous one. He kissed a man, simulated oral sex and had men on leashes. In the news today, everyone is talking about how controversial this was. MSNBC.com has reported that ABC (the network that aired the show) has received over 1500 calls complaining about this performance. This is your typical PR showbiz issue. Celebrities do something crazy and their poor PR people have to scramble around to fix it. Adam has not been apologetic about this statement but the network will probably release an apology or a statement that might fall along these lines. "We apologize to anyone who might have been offended by Mr. Lambert's performance, but his opinions or views do not represent that of the network".
I remember Adam from American Idol and this performance doesn't surprise me. You could always tell he was going to be an extravagant performer and push the envelope. People shouldn't be too surprised. Madonna had men on leashes during her Confessions Tour and that concert aired nationally on NBC. Maybe the man on man kiss was a little shocking to some people but he is openly gay and shouldn't be ashamed of it.
ABC will probably keep getting complaints and Adam will keep getting backlash. As long as theirs awards show, PR people will be needed. So thanks for keeping us employed you crazy famous people!

PR and Me

2009-11-23T13:33:00.001-08:00

I just realized that I have about 4 entries but I haven't even introduced myself. I apologize for my rudeness. My name is Lily, short for Liliana, Reyes. I am 21 years old and in my second year of the Public Relations program at Conestoga College. Being in second year means I am expected to graduate in April 2010.

When I began the program, I was hoping I would become the next Samantha Jones (Sex and the City). She was powerful, had prominent clients, threw exclusive parties and lived an overall fabulous life. However, on my day of orientation I was quickly told this program was not designed to make me in to the next Sam Jones. I soon realized that the profession of Public Relations was much more than what was portrayed on this classic HBO show.

PR has so many different elements, it's fascinating. If you're an excellent writer you can specialize in that but if you're better at presentations then there is also a place for you. Plus for those of us with a mild case of ADD, the variety is comforting. You can do PR work for a fast paced agency or work for a non profit corporation. Don't mean to sound cliche but the possibilities are endless.

So, now it has come to this. I know I really like this program and can see myself in this profession but April is fast approaching and I'm getting a bit scared. I'm still debating if I should continue with school and get my degree or if I should just go on a job hunt. I don't have much time to decide but whatever it is I know that I belong in the PR world. I no longer want to be the next Sam Jones, I just want to be the best at being me.

I'm moving on, I'm throwing on my Louboutins

2009-11-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

Instead of working on countless assignments, I've decided to take a break and watch the AMA's (American Music Awards). Everyone seems to be behaving lately which means their publicists are probably relieved. However, it's only 10:08pm right now so there is still time for someone to pull a Kanye.
The performances are pretty good. Lady Gaga is always ridiculous but she's an eccentric and it's fantastic.
Jenny from the Block had her comeback performance. I'm liking this new song and even though she was clearly lip syncing she had some hot moves. Sadly, miss Lopez fell smack on her famous behind during the number. BUT I think we should all take some cues from her because although that looked like it hurt, she got right back up, did a little solo number and strapped on some Christian Louboutins (hence the song title).
So the point: Next time we're feeling down, get put down or fall on our butts, we should just get up and proceed with style and confidence.

What's In: Pale Skin & a Thirst for Blood.

2009-11-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

About 2 years ago my friend Faith insisted I read a book called Twilight. I never read it at that moment but soon enough she convinced other girls at our workplace to begin reading it. Needless to say, most of them also fell in love with Edward and wished the men around them took examples from this smoldering Vampire. Finally, I gave in and borrowed Faith's copy. I had to see what the fuss was about. Faith is a Twilight fanatic and her copy has little sticky tags stuck all over her favourite quotes. It was quite embarrassing walking around with it.
Maybe I'm bitter but to be honest I found nothing too spectacular about this novel. It was poorly written and Bella Swan is such a dull leading lady. She's way too needy and has no personality.
However, I must say the marketing/communications team behind Twilight are geniuses. Who would've guessed that a stay at home mom whose never had experience with writing before would be behind this "phenomenon". There is now official vampire mania going on in our society. Two new shows on primetime are about vampires, Nordstrom has a vampire/gothic inspired fashion line for pre-teens and you too can have the vampire look by visiting www.twilightbeauty.com. The sequel to this saga is set to come out on Thurs. night and fans are eagerly waiting. I bet some are even sleeping outside of the movie theater already.
I wonder how long this Twilight craze is going to last. I can't even say it will go away when the readers reach puberty because I know plenty of girls over 20 who also long for a 132 year old Edward in their lives. One piece of advice of I do have for the Twilight team: There is such thing as overexposure.

Workplace Meeting

2009-11-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, while at work we were called in for a very long and extremely dull meeting about a new scheduling system. The new system can be accessed from home. It will give us the ability to look over our schedules and put in any time-off requests from home. The idea seems useful but I have to say I was quiet disappointed with the way the meeting was delivered. When meetings are held they should be informative and enforce the benefits. Being drilled with key messages in Issues Management has made me realize how important they are in conveying messages to publics. The person holding the meeting was not at all prepared and any dreaded questions were just answered with:
"I don't know how that's going to work".
Some people in the meeting were a little disappointed with the change. Anytime they would express this, the lady holding this meeting just said, "Hey, don't shoot the messenger".
I'm sorry but that’s not very professional or convinces your staff to get on board. I understand that since they are launching it soon they wanted to let us know about it immediately, but they should know more about it themselves before presenting it. Considering, I work in a customer service oriented company you would think the people up in high divisions would have a little more class, confidence and professionalism when presenting something new to their staff. It's called effective internal communications people ;)