This past Saturday, I ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. I had been training for 12 weeks, and I was so excited to be finished. Prior to starting my training, the furthest I had ever run at once was about six miles. So the prospect of running 13.1 miles wasn't exactly exciting to me. But I started a training program that forced me to build up my running endurance, gradually increasing the distance. There were several times during my training when I doubted whether I could run 13 miles - and that I contemplated quitting. But I stuck with it and managed to feel pretty well-prepared when race day rolled around.

Saturday morning, I woke up at 5am and was downtown, lined up for the race by 6:40. By the time it was 7:30, the race began, and 35,000 people started running together. It was such a neat feeling, being surrounded by so many other people running the race. The course also had musicians lined up along it for most of the route, providing entertainment for all the runners. Spectators lined up at different points along the course, cheering us on.

We ran from downtown, out to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, took a 2.5 mile lap around the track, then returned downtown for the finish of the race. When I reached the Speedway - about 6.5 miles and just over an hour into the race - the winners were just crossing the finish line. Kenyans Lamech Mokono and Valentine Orare tied for first place with a time of 1:02.53. That's an average of 4.77 minutes/mile! (For comparison's sake, I ran the race at a pace of 9.11 minutes/mile.)


After we had turned in our timer chips and chugged a bottle of water, volunteers handed out fruit, gatorade, and other snacks. Photographers took pictures of runners who had finished, and metals were handed out. The whole experience was really neat, besides being a great excuse to get in shape! I'll definitely consider running the Mini again next year. And I'm so used to running all the time now, that after two days of rest since the race, I'm already itching to run again. I don't think I'll run 13 miles on a whim, but 5 or 6 sounds pretty good.

This week, I had the privilege of spending time with two Indian students who were featured in the documentary Two Million Minutes. Apoorva and Rohit are both 18 years old and in their first year of university in Bangalore, India. They came over to the states for a ten-day visit, which has involved sightseeing, several discussion groups and screenings of Two Million Minutes, and the opportunity to see the U.S. for the first time. While here, they've traveled around Indianapolis as well as to Chicago and Washington, D.C. They seem to be having a great time so far and have been taking lots of pictures to help them remember their trip.

Since I work on the PR for the film, I always felt like I "knew" Apoorva and Rohit to some extent - having seen them (albeit on camera) in their homes, in school, and hanging out with their friends. Every day at work, I communicate with editors and other people about the film and these students, so they are a large part of my daily activities. This made it very exciting when they arrived in the states a week ago. Last Friday, my co-workers and I got to spend a good portion of the day with them, taking them bowling and to lunch to experience some American culture (although I'm not sure how much bowling embodies American culture).

Apoorva and Rohit were both so friendly and interesting to talk to. Despite being in a foreign country exploring unfamiliar places, being exposed to new foods and activities, and being around lots of new people, they adapted amazingly well and smoothly. Both students seemed very comfortable meeting and talking to new people and were able to socialize remarkably well for being in unfamiliar territory. Rohit even knew the names of some American music artists better than I did!

It's been very enjoyable spending time with both these students - getting to know them and being able to help show them around Indianapolis. Yesterday morning, I took them to the Indiana State Capitol Building for a tour. It was a neat experience for me too, as I had never been inside. We got to see the Supreme Court chamber, the Governor's office, and another room where legislative decisions are made. My favorite part was seeing Apoorva and Rohit take pictures of themselves standing at the podium at the front of the room where the Speaker of the House usually stands.

Overall, it's been an exciting week for me, and I know that Apoorva and Rohit have been involved in some exciting and interesting things as well. I hope they've had a good experience on their first visit to the U.S. and that they'll want to come back and visit again!

In any consumer business where there is contact between customers and employees, there is both an opportunity to impress the customer and a risk of losing the customer's business. From restaurants to retail stores, selling in-person to customer service over the phone, businesses must consider their relationships with customers an important piece of equity.

Regardless of the products or services a company provides, it is extremely important to be conscientious of customer expectations and needs. Retail stores should be sure to have sales clerks readily available to answer questions and help customers locate products. I hate shopping at most department stores because of the lack of salespeople around to provide help (along with the sheer overwhelming size of some of these stores. This problem could be minimized, however, by employing enough people to help direct customers who can't find certain departments or items.)

Another critical thing for retail stores is having employees who (at least appear to) genuinely care about helping out customers and making them feel comfortable in the store's environment. A real-life example of how a lack of customer service can reflect negatively on a store is the FedEx Kinkos near my office. I spend a good deal of time shipping packages for my clients from FedEx each week, so I've had plenty of time to observe the lack of dedication the employees at FedEx Kinkos have to customer service. I continually observe their overall apathy for their jobs; most of the time they don't bother to greet customers or ask if they need help. If the employees are working on something behind the counter when a customer enters the store and approaches them, they don't stop what they're doing or even tell the customer "I'll be with you in just a minute," as I would think is the very minimal courtesy required in such a circumstance. Instead they IGNORE the customer - avoiding all eye contact - until they've finished whatever else they're doing. I find this unacceptable and often wonder if the store loses customers because of this lack of customer service.

Another example of the role customer service can play in a business is of a restaurant where I was a waitress one summer during college. The restaurant - a popular East Coast Italian chain - was generally regarded fairly highly as having good food and as being a pleasant place to enjoy a meal. Until I worked there, I had always enjoyed eating there for both those reasons. After becoming an employee and witnessing all the behind-the-scenes work and management of the restaurant, I quickly became appalled by the poor management, lazy wait staff, and the inefficient nature of the business. I realized that the reason patrons of the restaurant weren't aware of these things was because of the attention that was given to customer service by the wait staff. Even those waiters and waitresses who were lazy behind the scenes and made no efforts to prepare food correctly or do their assigned "side work" to help each other out behaved quite differently while in front of the customers. The incentive for this? TIPS! Of course workers are willing to pay attention to customer service when they're receiving the vast majority of their payment directly from the customers and not from the restaurant. It frustrated me to no end that ultimately I received similar tips to those members of the wait staff who took no pride in doing their jobs right but instead focused only on being friendly and helpful to customers, insuring that they still received good tips. However, it did show me that even in a poorly-run business that doesn't always do quality work, the IMPRESSIONS the customer receives about the business can be the most important thing, which leads right back to the importance of customer service.

Every day at Dittoe PR, we act as representatives of the companies we work with. This makes it very important that we project a positive image for our clients, to ensure that the public sees them in a positive light!

Growing up outside of Boston, I was never really exposed to Nascar or anything to do with car racing. So I never thought I would ever find myself at a race car track. But that's just where I was this morning - at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It wasn't, however, for a car race - it was for a university business plan competition put on by Ball State University.

The competition, in its second year, is called the Nascent 500 Business Plan Challenge. Twelve teams of college students from across North America are selected to come to Indianapolis to compete against each other for the best entrepreneurial venture business plan. Each team presents its plan to a team of judges - all experienced entrepreneurs - in the back of a limo while traveling around the Speedway. It was really neat to be out at the track seeing all these college students so excited about their venture ideas. I could tell they had all worked hard leading up to the competition - I could see them rehearsing their presentations, going over important points with each other, and opening up data-filled spreadsheets on their laptops. They seemed overall slightly nervous but mostly excited to be participating.

I could also see the hard work and preparation that the Ball State Entrepreneurship Center had put into the event - they stuck to a tight schedule - and even utilized portable radios to coordinate activities among themselves! All participants in the competition were treated very well - on top of having the opportunity to compete for a $10,000 grand prize and a fast lap around the track!

Dittoe PR's contribution to the Nascent 500 was in bringing some media out to cover the event this morning. Specifically, some local TV stations came out and filmed the action, interviewed the organizers and students, and got to take in the excitement of the competition for themselves.

I was definitely glad to be able to make it out to the track to see such a unique and exciting competition. Who would have thought that I'd visit a race car track with one of my clients?

Each year, when the month of March arrives, I find myself (foolishly) starting to become excited about the prospect of an early spring. Even though I know I shouldn't expect consistently warm weather until about mid-April, I always find myself lured in by false hopes that warmer weather is closer than it actually is.

Last weekend, we had that first 60-some degree day of the year. I went running outside in shorts and a t-shirt, and it felt great! Now, several days later, I'm reminded by the unforgiving snow and cold temperatures that spring is still several weeks off.

At Dittoe PR, we're reminded daily of how bad our Indiana weather is relative to other areas of the country. Since we work with clients and media professionals from across the country (and sometimes in other countries), we get to hear about how "I bet it's cold out there in Indiana. Here in California/Texas/Arizona/Hawaii, we're having beautiful weather!" Well, that's great to hear. I'm so happy YOU'RE having great weather! Having grown up outside of Boston, I'm used to long, snowy winters, and as much at I don't enjoy them, I am at least used to them. Some of my co-workers, however, grew up in warmer climates - Sacramento, CA and Greenville, SC - and they like to complain about the cold. Luckily for them, I'm not such a "hearty New Englander" that I claim to enjoy the freezing weather or ridicule them for being wimpy. Honestly, I dislike the cold just as much as they do.

The one redeeming quality that I see in snow is that it enables a favorite sport of mine - skiing. Luckily, I will be able to take advantage of the recent snowfall on a trip to Vermont in a week. When I'm experiencing the exhilaration of flying down the slopes of the mountain, I know I won't have any qualms with the snow. I've been skiing since I was about 10 years old, and it's become one of my favorite recreational activities over the years. I've been unable to go the past two winters, so I'm very excited that I'll be back on the slopes soon.

Once my ski trip is over though, spring won't be able to come fast enough!

Seeing your client on national TV – and knowing you worked to get them there – is a pretty neat feeling. I got to experience this last week when my client Bob Compton was on ABC’s Good Morning America talking about his documentary film Two Million Minutes.

It all started with Dittoe PR securing coverage for Bob in several national publications in the first few weeks of the month. USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, and TIME Magazine all covered Two Million Minutes – and discussed the implications of the issues raised by the film. We were already very excited to have such well-known media outlets spreading the word about the work Bob has been doing. Later in the day on which these stories all ran in print, we were contacted by Good Morning America, which is when the real excitement began.

Usually, securing such great coverage comes only after spending a great deal of time “behind the scenes” engaging members of the media in conversations about our clients. In PR, we have to mark our progress with “little victories” such as simply getting a writer to respond to an email pitch we send them or having someone ask us for more information on a topic. In this case, the print coverage we had already secured led TV stations to contact us about interviewing Bob.

I usually never watch TV in the morning before work – but last Wednesday morning, February 20^th, I turned on ABC as I was getting ready in the morning and watched for Bob’s segment to run. When I heard the anchor announce that “next up is Bob Compton, documentary filmmaker,” I rushed in front of the TV to see Bob and one of the students featured in Two Million Minutes broadcasted live across the nation.

Since the Good Morning America interview, we’ve received a flurry of interest from other media outlets – Bob has interviewed with FOX Business TV and NPR, and he’s scheduled to interview with Voice of America radio and C-SPAN next week. He has also screened portions of the film to Senators Obama and McCain, and he hopes to get in front of Senator Clinton as well.

With the amount of attention Two Million Minutes has received lately, it’s hard to predict the extent of media coverage we’ll be able to secure in the future. If it’s anything like what’s been generated in the past two weeks, it’s sure to be exciting!

This week, I started my training for the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon in May. Until just now, I didn’t realize it was such a big event, but apparently it’s the largest half-marathon in the U.S., and overall, the eighth largest running event in America. This race will be by far the furthest distance I’ve ever run – it’s 13.1 miles long, and the furthest I’ve run is probably about six miles at a time.

While I like running and generally am able to keep a fairly good schedule for staying in shape, training for a half marathon will definitely take a good deal of discipline and a somewhat rigid schedule. I’m glad I’m starting my official training twelve weeks prior to the race, so I’ll have enough time to slowly work my way up to running longer distances than I’m used to. My training schedule involves a “long run” each Saturday – which will be the day of the race in May – which starts this week with a 4 mile run and slowly increases to 10 miles the week prior to the race. The remaining days of the week are each allocated to various shorter distance runs, some cross training, and some strength training.

One thing I think I will like about having this schedule is that I will always have a plan for my day’s workout and will know what I need to do each day to stick to the training. Working in public relations, I don’t usually have a “typical day at the office.” I have unexpected projects to work on, media opportunities, client meetings, and inquiries from people interested in our clients’ work. I think I will enjoy knowing that I have one thing that is constant and predictable each day – that being my workout. Whether I have a stressful day and am in need of a good run to clear my mind or I am tired after a long day, I will always have my workout to help get some energy back. It will also force me to stay in shape, even if there are days on which I just don’t feel like working out – I have to stick to the training schedule!

I just hope I’m prepared when race day comes – it’s May 3^rd – 79 days and counting!

I’ve never been extremely interested in politics – I’ve always just shrugged it off with apathy, saying “I don’t care.” However, with this year being only the second time I’ve been eligible to vote, I decided to make an effort to pay attention to the political scene surrounding the election. I also know I should be concerned with the issues presented – I have to pay taxes and support myself, make decisions about my health insurance, and I should be concerned with the nation’s security and our military involvement in other nations.

The primary elections have thus far presented an interesting array of candidates who appeal to different groups of people. Barack Obama, for example, has been an exciting and charismatic campaigner, appealing to many young people and those hoping for a big change in the way our country is led. On the other hand, John McCain brings a great deal of experience and knowledge to the table, appealing to conservatives who prefer a more familiar, predictable candidate.

One thing I have to wonder when observing presidential campaigners in the spotlight of interviews, public appearances, and presentation of their platforms is how much of what we see is acted out for the public. Obviously any public figure has to pay attention to his or her image, to ensure that people get a good impression from it. Many celebrities, politicians, etc. have public relations personnel who aid them in keeping up appearances, knowing what to say when in the spotlight, and managing their overall “public persona.” Politicians, especially those running for President of the United States, must be especially careful about the messages they send to the public – because these impressions affect not only people’s opinions on the candidates but their votes as well. Imagine the amount of stress the PR people for Hillary Clinton and George Bush must be under on a daily basis – and how volatile their jobs must be!

Here at Dittoe PR, we have our own share of stresses and excitement. Sometimes reporters and journalists fail to keep appointments with our clients, which is disappointing and frustrating – both for us and our clients. Other times, we land great coverage for our clients, resulting in higher sales and greater awareness of their products and services.

We only hope our clients will someday end up in the spotlight, just like the Presidential candidates always are. While it is no doubt stressful, garnering more attention for our clients is always our goal. Dittoe PR aims high!

Having grown up in Boston, I have been a Boston sports fan for years. I love the Red Sox and the Patriots. Now, living in Indianapolis, and working in an office full of Colts fans, it is rather difficult to outwardly show my enthusiasm at the Patriots’ successful season this year. (Well, at least without people giving me a hard time – saying the Patriots are cheaters, or making other negative comments about Tom Brady or Bill Belichick.) However, with the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday, I may just have to brave wearing my Tom Brady jersey for the first time since moving here.

 

I find myself trying to use my public relations skills to convince my co-workers and other people around here that the Pats are actually very team-oriented and aren’t the “evil” team that Indy fans seem to think they are. As you can imagine, most Colts fans are pretty closed-minded to feeling anything but complete hostility towards the Pats and anyone who is a Pats fan.

 

This got me to thinking what a tough job it would be to have the job of providing PR services to professional athletes, coaches, and others involved with professional sports teams. People develop such preconceived notions of sports figures who are constantly in the public eye that it must be difficult to attempt to change the opinion that the general public holds about these individuals. Luckily for me, the clients I work with are already reputable, and I haven't had to do any damage control to maintain these reputations!

As far as being a Patriots fan in Indianapolis, I guess all I can do is to stay strong in support of my team - and maybe remind those Colts fans who give me a hard time which team is currently undefeated and heading to the Super Bowl on Sunday. Go Pats!

One of my clients, Bob Compton, is screening his documentary film, Two Million Minutes, in various locations across the country throughout the upcoming weeks. This allows we, at Dittoe PR, the opportunity to work with the media in a variety of locations.

The film, which compares high school education in the U.S., India, and China, is being screened in Columbia, SC, Orlando, FL, Washington, DC, and Indianapolis before the end of the month. Dittoe is working with the local media in each of these locations to secure coverage and to promote the film using various tactics. By promoting Two Million Minutes throughout the country, we hope to gain as much national awareness of the film as possible.

This is one aspect of PR that makes it interesting - there are always new audiences to reach and new industries to learn about. I never knew much about the various organizations existing to promote education until I started working on the Two Million Minutes account. Now each day, I seem to come across another related organization.