Tag: college

On October 17, 2023

In PR Design, Public Relations

Throughout my professional and academic career, I recognized how critical social media is in public relations. From news to entertainment, social media is a massive part of our lives now. PR professionals must use this tool to connect with audiences and promote our organization!

Having Social Media as a Tool in your PR Kit

You can use social media as a tool rather than just a platform in several ways. Many social media platforms have built-in analytic monitoring services, allowing organizations to track their engagement and impressions. This can be helpful to gauge how specific promotions and campaigns are working with your audience.

Social media also offers a two-way communication channel with your stakeholders and target audiences. Allowing for post feedback lets your audience feel connected to the brand or organization, keeping that relationship.

Creativity is a big part of social media that traditional news, press releases, and other forms of media do not offer. With social media, there are creative ways to connect to your audience. You can do this via polls, comments, taking on social media trends, and commenting on influencers’ posts.

Creating a Social Media Campaign for Mejuri

To polish my social media skills, I created a social media campaign for the brand I have worked with for the past couple of weeks, Mejuri. ( Check out my previous posts on Mejuri brand collateral for context!) For this campaign, I relied on consistency and adjusting the post to the platform. For example, this campaign was centered around the Mejuri anniversary sale and was an Instagram and Facebook post exclusive as that’s where our major audiences are.

Mejuri Anniversary Campaign: Instagram Post

Anniversary Sale: Facebook Post

Utilizing consistency in the Mejuri logo allows for brand recognition. Repeated promotion of “Shop our anniversary sale.”

I wanted to utilize these posts to be the main element of promotion. I followed through with Mejuris’ editorial picture feel and blended this into the anniversary campaign. Using high-contrast images and them becoming the catching eye point of the posts.

Facebook Cover

Twitter Header

I wanted a consistent header/cover for the Facebook and Twitter headers that would stay on these platforms for multiple campaigns and seasons. One element of Mejrui is their catchphrase, “fine jewelry for being your damn self.” I utilized light gray, cream and dark exposure images that match Mejuri’s clean and crisp tone.

When Creating Social Media Content, Keep in Mind…

Brand voice, culture and tone are key to staying connected with your pre-established audiences.

For Mejuri, aligning with their classy, editorial, and clean vibe was important. They have consistently used product images focusing on the “people” aspect. It is important to keep these elements. That way there is greater brand recognition, so it feels genuine to the audience.

Platforms for Social Media Campaigns

Platforms like Canva are user-friendly, free and expansive. Canva has several elements that you can add to your posts. Canva also offers templates that can provide a jumping-off point for your creations. Templates are great when you need to see examples and ideas to generate your own creativity and ideas.

There is also a new feature that can help in idea generation. Canva has an AI helper called “Magic Tool,” which allows you to input ideas and design elements.

Canva is a great accessible platform for social media creation and is easier than its predecessors, InDesign and Photoshop.

Canva offers many tutorials, and you can even utilize the AI helper to guide you through your designs.

Here are several more articles and resources on how social media can be one of the best tools in your PR Toolkit.

Mejuri and the Magic of Messaging

On September 6, 2023

In PR Design, Public Relations

Mejuri, a Canadian-based fine jewelry brand, is based on its mission:

The brand’s focus on simplistic, sustainable and timeless pieces is a crucial difference from its competitors. Mejuri understands that fine jewelry is an investment, and they opt to create designs that will always be trendy.

Based on their classic appearance, they also highlight the youthfulness of their pieces by promoting dainty, gold and delicate looks.

While I create a new campaign for Mejuri, come along with me as I show you how I narrowed down my choice of language, images and overall vibe for this project.

Utilzing Visual Langauge

One thing that first caught my eye with the brand is the usage of precise language that focuses on their drive to contribute to sustainability. The brand has a very empowering undertone without the fluff of overly positive messaging.

For example, this is their Pintrest account. The phrase “Fine jewelry for being your damn self” showcases the brand’s philosophy of changing the behavior around fine jewelry and creating an equitable environment for all consumers.

I want to continue this element of authenticity, short and precise language. I think another element of Mejuri is that they let the products speak for themselves by having these short captions, which I want to incorporate into this new campaign.

For the messaging, I want to implement their font that is very bold but not detailed:

This font also supports the idea that the brand doesn’t need the extra fluff, and the central concept is simplicity.

Choosing Images for Visuals

Mejuris most recent campaign, I feel, fits the brand the best. Their recent campaign gave an editorial style and implemented it with a clean, high-contrast look. I plan to incorporate this element.

I want to present my visuals as more image-based to further the idea that Mejuri products speak for themselves and don’t need a long explanation.

In my inspiration board for the images for the campaign, I focused mainly on highlighting their products rather than just being an element of the picture. Some examples of this are:

Connecting Typography & Imagery

For this campaign, I want to utilize these high-contrast images with a focus on the jewelry to allow Mejuris’ core values and ideologies to be expressed. I plan to use a straightforward font with an image that is the main focal point of the visual. I want to make up for the lack of words with how I position my few words. I think wrapping the words around some aspects of the images would be a great way to make this simplistic editorial campaign look a bit more creative and intriguing.

The goal is to highlight the quality, simplicity and luxurious feel of Mejuri products. Making these visuals too busy would take away from that key message.

The Goal, Inspiration, and Vibe of Mejuri’s New Campaign

MEJURI

We are on a mission to redefine luxury.

As I’ve touched on several times, the elements presented before all contribute to enhancing the core ideas of Mejuri. Overall, we want to return to that mission: “We are on a mission to redefine luxury.”

Mejuris products are pieces of fine jewelry for everyday use. So, for my inspiration, I drew from a set of images that I feel represent all stages of life but still have a trendy, editorial and simple appeal.

We want to highlight visual elements: clean lines and textures, high contrast, negative spaces and pops of color.

To see more inspiration I drew for this campaign, visit my Pinterest board for this project!

What’s your Type? Choosing the Right Font for Your Next Design.

On August 24, 2023

In Public Relations

Typography is a make or break in the way we design, communicate, and share our ideas with others.

What is typography, and how do you incorporate it into design?

Typography is the way in which we arrange letters and words to create an aesthetic and legible copy. Typography is the basis of design because there are many ways that the font we chose pushes a certain story or can be associated with certain things. So, how are ways we can break down typography to understand how it can completely change the ways of the story we want to portray?

Fonts and their Impact on Image

Typography is the way you want your reader to view your message. The choice of font can change the entirety of your messaging. A font that might be considered “loud or aggressive” should be chosen for a specific audience. On the other hand, fonts are seen as dainty or quiet and could be utilized in a calmer, more serene environment! Typography is one of the shakers and movers in design and public relations because the appearance of your messaging can be as harmful and helpful as the words you say!

Differentiating between different styles of fonts

Besides just basically studying a list of fonts and brushing up on your memorization skills, there are a couple of options to use while studying typography.

My favorite way to study typography was to play Type War. This game focused on choosing between options of font when displaying a letter. The two options might be “is this Verenda or Times New Roman?” and you choose between the two options. With enough repetition, I felt an actual difference in my ability to differentiate fonts. Some of them look very similar, so this one can be tricky!

Another great game I played was KernType. Now, while I liked this game… this one felt a lot more difficult for my learning style. With KernType, you adjust the space between letters to match the font they give you. The layout of this game was really interesting, and I got to learn a new term in the world of typography: Kern. Kern is the spacing of letters like so:

Photo: Adobe Creative Cloud, Discovering Kerning.

Ways choosing the wrong font can ruin the legitimacy of your brand

Having errors like these in logo designs can tarnish the hard work you have done for your brand and leave that idea in your audience’s head instead of your intended message. Several instances have been far worse than this, where it has been a scandal instead of just being a funny moment.

To see more typography fails that can inspire you before “choosing your type,” click here!

So… before you choose a font, make sure it is the best way to convey appropriate messages to your audiences!

Staying Motivated to Move!

On April 1, 2023

Staying active and prioritizing your health when you’re a college student or someone with a tight schedule can be one of the most challenging things to do. I struggle with this as I don’t have any significant weight loss or body goals; therefore, staying active is for being healthy. It is hard to prioritize this, but we all know the importance of having a healthy body and mind! Therefore, Im here to provide my top tips on staying motivated to move!

Pick out some tunes

Every good workout starts with a playlist that energizes us. Songs with a steady rhythm or beat can provide a rhythm to go with during runs and reps when lifting weights.

Here are some of my TOP workout songs to get your body moving:

What’s Next? – Drake

Cooler than Me (Single Mix) – Mike Posner

Make sure to check out my workout playlist!

Follow Along

My biggest tip for getting up and doing the workout is following along! I love to watch youtube videos for EVERYTHING. Of course, this includes working out & staying active. I find that when I watch youtube videos instead of trying to come up with the workout myself, I feel a lot more motivated because it takes a layer off that might deter me from actually doing the exercise.

I also found that to increase productivity, a lot of people will body double:

“Body doubling is a tool some adults use to help them start and complete projects. Sometimes referred to as an accountability partner, it is a technique for better productivity.”
Chadd.org, 2023

For example, doing workouts through a youtube video is a form of virtual body doubling!

Cute Workout Gear

Nothing makes us feel our best like a brand-new outfit. This idea transfers to gym time too! Invest in your gear and make it feel customized to you. I have hot-pink workout sets that make me feel amazing at the gym.

Tailoring your gear to your personality goes deeper than just outfits. Upgrade or personalize your gym bag, yoga mats, weights, and water bottles!

Another factor is that spending money on these items will make you more inclined to use them. Dressing the part will allow more room to feel confident in your skills and capabilities in the gym!

Switch it Up!

Working out shouldn’t just be for a utility, or it will ALWAYS feel like a chore. Make sure to incorporate variety and things that you enjoy.

For me, when I feel like I am in a rut, I will dance to my favorite songs for an hour and consider that my workout. However, movements don’t have to be black and white and are just as valid if they don’t fit the traditional “lifting weights and pumping iron.”

Prioritize your fun and make it an enjoyable experience for you. Reframing exercise as a hobby rather than a chore, you can completely rewire your brain to look forward to your time at the gym!

Exercise should always be an activity that improves your quality of life. When working out, make sure not to be motivated for the wrong reasons. Exercising because of lousy self-image and letting your self-hatred fuel you can be a reason why you burn out. Having exercise be a priority because you enjoy it, and it makes you feel good is a great way to stay motivated.

It can be hard to find time; however, changing your life can create time to be active. For example, walking to work or class can be a form of being busy that doesn’t require a set chunk of time in your schedule.

However you choose to stay motivated, ensure you are happy and healthy! Good luck!

How Hobbies will Revamp your Life

On April 1, 2023

Hobbies are something I feel are WAY too overlooked. When life starts getting stressful, the first things people drop are their hobbies. However, hobbies are integral to 1.) being a fascinating human being, 2. providing fulfillment to our lives.

Let’s talk about some of my hobbies and hobbies that I have wanted to try.

Hiking

I love to hike. Hiking brings a level of peace that no other hobby can. Walking through nature, you hear all the sounds, like the rustling of trees and wildlife, and smell things like fresh pine and wildflowers. Hiking is a form of meditation for me and allows me to disconnect from everything else and truly feel very grounded.

Another pro is getting to wear cute workout sets and taking snacks for a cute picnic by a scenic view!

Mixing Music

This is a random one, but one I have had so much fun with. For Christmas, I asked my family for a starter “DJ Kit,” where I could also mess with the reverb on songs and other settings. This one is a lot of fun- I can immerse myself in music and tune out the rest of the world as I listen to new rhythms and melodies I can create.

Here is a link to my DJ Starter Kit.

Yoga

I have been falling in love with yoga lately. I have tried many different forms of exercise and feel that yoga has been 1) low impact and 2) easy to fit into my everyday life.

Yoga is one of those hobbies that can be done almost anywhere at any time. Lately, I have been doing a little bit of morning yoga in my bed and feel that being able to make time for my hobbies has drastically increased my outlook on life.

For yoga, I don’t go to classes. However, I watch youtube videos that can give a wide range of types of yoga. For example, here is my favorite “early morning” yoga routine:

Wake Up Yoga 11-minute Morning Yoga Practice. Yoga with Adrienne

Pottery

Okay, this is one hobby I have only tried a couple of times but am intrigued about! I have seen “at-home” pottery kits going viral and have been dying to try them. I don’t know much about pottery besides my high-school pottery class, but I enjoyed working hands-on with art. Creating a piece of art to display around your home with your hands is a liberating feeling that I truly want to experience!

Learning to Green-Thumb

I am a notorious plant killer, and all by accident. I love having houseplants. They brighten up a home so well and add an extra layer. However, I am always disappointed when it hits the 1-month mark, and my plants look droopy. So to combat this, I would love to allocate some time to do a deep dive into all my plants and learn how to properly take care of them!

Several books online can help with most common house plants, and if you harbor an exotic plant, the internet has so many resources for all the plant parents out there!

Creating a Mood-Board

“Mood-Boarding” is one of my favorite passive forms of manifesting and allows me to be focused on my goals while still having fun. I love utilizing Pinterest for my mood boards, it can be so fun to look at pictures that inspire you and categorize them. Here is one of my past “mood boards”.

Hobbies really allow us to embrace our creative expression and be well-rounded individuals. Hobbies also can help us have an answer to that dreaded interview question, “tell me about yourself.” Overall, having interests for pleasure and not a necessity is vital to avoiding burnout and having a healthy and balanced life.

My “Go To” Apps as a Young Adult

In 2023, we will use our phones more than ever. And even if I try and break the bad habit, it is hard to rationalize it because of how easy it has made my life. So, although apps play a huge role in an organized life, I will show you my top apps for young adults!

Google Calendar

Yes, I have raved about this app in other posts, but that shows how much I use it! My boyfriend and I use google calendar for everything. For example, we share a calendar called “Zoe and Drake’s Calendar.” On this calendar, we put EVERYTHING. I mean from work shifts to when the trash cans must be pulled out to the curb, expiration dates, and more. We both have a busy schedules, so google calendar has been a lifesaver. We can see when we have time for dates and what our upcoming week looks like.

Suppose you feel overwhelmed with house responsibilities, classes, and appointments. I cannot say enough good things about this app!

Mint

Mint is another heavy hitter for me. Being a young adult comes with financial struggles for most people. Especially when you are in school! I downloaded Mint the day I turned 18 to manage my credit score and practice financial literacy. On the Mint app, you link your bank account and credit information. Once connected, you have all of your finances in one spot. Mint tracks your spending habits and graphs them for you weekly.

Mint also gives you a sum of all the money in your accounts, showing your net worth. On Mint, you can also add different assets, such as properties.

I love the mint app as it helps me keep track of student loans and spending habits and gives me a broad look at my financial situation at any given time.

Provided by Intuit (creator of Mint app)

Yelp

I feel that Yelp is one of those apps that everyone knows about but doesn’t see the full potential of the app. Yelp provides every single detail you need to know about a business before you try to visit it. Yelp has been fantastic in keeping business hours updated and preventing me from wasting time, money, or gas. I also love Yelp because the app provides a “featured” tab- letting you explore new restaurants, spas, and other things in your area. I love this aspect because it is a common struggle of never knowing what I want to eat or getting sick of the usual restaurants in my area.

Yelp also allows users to leave reviews; this feature has been a holy grail. I have been interested in going somewhere several times, and I checked the reviews and was happy I didn’t. So again, Yelp saves you time, money, and effort.

Fig

This is definitely for a more niche group of young adults with food allergies.

I have severe gluten intolerance and struggle with finding food as quickly as others. For example, the grocery store used to be a two- or three-hour excursion, and now with the fig app, I can scan an item, and it tells me if it has gluten in it.

There have been instances where I thought a product at the grocery store was “gluten-free,” and it turns out it wasn’t. So now, when I utilize the Fig app, I don’t have to worry about hidden gluten ingredients; I can only buy what I can eat.

If you try any of these apps, let me know how you like them! They have made my life a lot more efficient and organized, and as a young adult, that is critical.

Why I chose Public Relations

Choosing a major in college is probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I went through several majors as I took courses in high school, and I changed again during my first year. As a sophomore wrapping up their semester, I am confident In my major, Public Relations. So… how did I get here?

The first major I selected was Political Science. I am very passionate about politics and believe that they can change every person’s experience in this country. However, as I took a few courses, I realized, “wow, this is a lot of talk about the internal side of the government.” I quickly fell bored with discussing the processes by which the government does things. I had a different idea in my head of what I wanted to do: advocate!

Wanting to use my voice and advocate led me to Journalism. Journalism was a fun major; I worked for my university newspaper and took a writing class. I fell in love with writing and planning to strategically use my words for different outcomes. However, there was a catch: interviews. I hated conducting one on ones with people. Half of the time, people would cancel last minute, or I just felt that I liked to be the “big picture” person and create the interview goals, not do them!

This led me to where I am today, a public relations major. I wanted to use my strategic frame of thought but not have to dig for content. I loved writing and creating ideas that would later translate into public relations campaigns.

I would love to say that I arrived at this swift conclusion alone. However, I have to give credit where credit is due. My best friend is a senior at the University of Oklahoma, and she chose public relations as her interest. As I went to her for guidance is selecting a career path, she displayed her love for public relations and truly inspired me to take it on. Now a year later, I love it more and more every day.

Aliana Head (Public Relations Bestie) is on the left side.

Why Am I So Excited?

Honestly, utilizing social media (specifically TikTok) has given me the idea of an actual “day in the lives” of public relations specialists, and I couldn’t be more excited. I love interacting with brands as a consumer, and getting to interact with the public on account of a brand is even more exciting. I plan to showcase my drive, attention to detail, and creative communication style to excel in the field.

If you have any interest in the public relations field, do it! I have had a fantastic time educating myself about the area, and I hope always to stay learning.

Balancing work, school, and relationships as a college student!

In College Help

Finding time in a schedule as tightly packed as a student who works can feel impossible. However, every student has struggled with finding the right tiering of priorities, and I have found the ways that help me best to allocate my time wisely!

Visualizing your time

Utilizing apps such as Google Calendar and Apples Calender can change your time management. Taking the mental load off of remembering your commitments and having them all in one place allows extra time to spend on hobbies and self-care.

I like to color code my Google Calender by the type of activity. For example, Red is for school-related things, blue is for work, and green is for plans with friends and family.

Reclaim.ai Blog

Utilizing a calendar is essential to see where I can fit last-minute plans and study times and when my free time is.

Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries with work, school, and even family and friends is another critical aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle while balancing work and college. I struggle with this, as I typically think I have more hours in a day than I do. This leads to committing to things when I haven’t allowed myself enough time to recharge.

Creating these boundaries and saying no to work shifts, extra credit assignments, and plans with friends allows students to breathe and exit their “fight or flight” mode. Exiting “fight or flight” mode provides time to reflect on your college career and check in with yourself and your future goals. I also found that when I lack “recharging” time, I can become irritable and not feel engaged during things that matter to me.

It can be hard to set these boundaries, but if you can’t put energy into something, you’ll never reap the benefits of your hard work.

Getting Rid of Unachievable Expectations

This can be very hard for those who struggle with perfectionism. However, taking a step back and seeing that not every assignment you turn in has to receive a 100% grade and that you don’t have to be the highest performer at work can relieve a level of stress off your shoulders.

Being a student is a job in itself, and when you pile in relationships, internships, work, and so much more, it is near impossible to do every single one of those perfectly. So avoid burnout by realizing that sometimes you can only give half your usual effort, which is okay!

Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help

Lastly, one of the hardest lessons every student must learn is that it is okay to ask for help! Many professors, parents, and counselors even encourage it. It takes deep self-reflection and humility to ask for help, and it should never be looked down on! Leaning on your peers during this time should be highlighted more in college because we wouldn’t have a support system without our peers.

If you feel overwhelmed by your daily life, use these tips to ground yourself and get the most out of your days. You are in control of your life and should feel that way! Prioritize your mental well-being and learn ways to achieve your long-term goals healthily. Good luck!

Seeking Out Mental Health Services During your Time in College