An Overview of Target Corporation and What it does November 30, 2008

     Target Corporation is an American retailing company. It was founded in Minneapolis in 1902 by George D. Dayton under the name of Dayton Dry Goods Company. The first Target opened in 1962 in Roseville, MN and in 2000 the company changed its name from Dayton Hudson to Target. George Dayton constructed a 6 story building and got Goodfellow Company to move into it. In 1903 it changed to Dayton Dry Goods Company and then Dayton Company in 1910. In 1962 The Dayton Company entered discount merchandising by opening its’ first discount store Target. Target didn’t actually make any money until after its’ first few years being open. In 1965 they reached a profit of $39 million and opened their fifth store. In 1968 Target changed their logo to create a more modern look. In 1982 Target expanded to the West Coast opening stores in Arizona, California, and Texas. In May 2005, Target began operation in India. In January of this year, Bob Ulrich announced his plans to retire as CEO and named Gregg Steinhafel as his successor, which took place in May of this year.

Photo: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2205/2188596758_30c351875f.jpg?v=0

Fortune 500, (2008, May 05). Message posted to

      http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2008/full_list/

Target.com, (n.d.). Message posted to

      http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031807

Target Corporation, (n.d.). Message posted to

      http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-030795

 

How Target Embraces Groundswell November 20, 2008

 

Target proudly embraces the groundswell whether they realize it or not. “Target’s mission is to make their store the preferred shopping destination for their guests by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and an exceptional guest experience by consistenly fulfilling the Expect More. Pay Less.® brand promise.”

 Target first tapped into the groundswell in  1999 when they created Target.com.  Through their website they can respond to customer reviews and make appropriate adjustments. By doing this,  Target is embracing the listening portion of the groundswell.

A strong presence within the community is an important aspect of Target’s goal. 3.3 million pounds of food has been donated by Target to support the Nation’s Food Bank. Target is also involved in a program called Safe City which is community based. This Program unites local businesses, residents, city officials, and law enforcement to help minimize crime and create a safe environment. These involvements spread a positive message about the company. Target on average gives $2 million to the communities it serves. The groundswell views this type of community involvement as invigorating. In mature communities such as these, people solve each others’ problems.

Talking with the groundswell is key. Target  is ‘talking’ a lot. They have blogs, forums, and a website full of talk. Looking at comments on Twitter pertaining to Target, the majority of people who wrote about Target had nothing but positive things to say.

Target has embraced the groundswell to say the least, but I do believe there are a few more things they can do to get the best possible results. Target should get a bit more involved within social media. Possibly by creating a presence on a few more social media sites.

Target PowerPoint Presentation November 18, 2008

Social Media Taught in Schools November 10, 2008

     In the article Can New Media Be Taught In Schools? by Marshall Kirkpatrick, he talks about how it might be a good idea to teach new media in journalism and other schools. 

 

“According to Inside Higher Ed article, some colleges plan to fund new media sections in their journalism sections in their journalism schools” (Kirkpatrick, 2008). Many people think this isn’t such a good idea because jobs aren’t necessarilly abundant or secure in media.

 

“All the new things in the world of media like blogging, podcasting, wiki, tweeting are so fresh that there are hardly any established help tools. With that being said, there is a need for media to be taught in school” (Kirkpatrick, 2008).

 

Can these things be taught in school though? Some say students are better off watching the videos on YouTube by Common Craft.

 

Amy Sample Ward, a nonprofit technologist who has a degree in new media explained that the most profitable things she learned were through project-based assignments. They allow space to learn new media tools.

 

Kirkpatrick wraps up his article talking about how there will be new media courses  starting up in schools all over, and there will probably be a lot of bad ones at first, but hopefully there will be some that will actually be beneficial.

 

http://tinyurl.com/6xjsyl

Information from this post came from:

 

Kirkpatrick, M. (2008, July 31). Can New Media Be Taught In Schools? Message posted to http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/can_new_media_be_taught_in_schools.php

Tips on How to get Published November 7, 2008

In an article How to Get Your First Publication, author Sarah Turner gives tips to beginning writers trying to break into publishing.

-First editors want to know two things: 1.) whether you have good ideas

                                                                2.) whether you can write

http://tinyurl.com/5shfll

Tips

• Start small- “approach a community newspaper with a small article idea,” said Turner. Offer a 500 word piece and make sure it fits with the paper. Don’t worry about pay, just get your name out there.
• Build your writing portfolio- If you are starting from scratch, “try volunteering to do a newsletter or writing an article online. Also try entering a writing contest. Awards look great on a writer’s resume, and they boost your writing confidence” (Turner, 2008).
• Know your markets-” The most important rule and tip. Research and read the publications that interest you, and take note of tone, subject matter,sections, and advertisers. The closer you are to your targer, the more success you will have” (Turner, 2008).
• Hone your skills- Take any writing classes or workshops that you can afford to. Join a group or ask a friend to critique your writing, the more your work is read the better.
• Be honest- Don’t fake having experience, be up front when you approach an editor. It is ok to tell them you don’t have any experience. Be professional and motivated.

The information from this post came from:

Turner, S. (2008, Apr. 01). Retrieved Nov. 07, 2008, from http://resourcesforwriters.suite101.com/article.cfm/getting_your_first_publication

 

A Review of: Online Public Relations Thoughts November 6, 2008

     Online Public Relations Thoughts, a blog by Jim Horton. Jim Horton developed and maintains this blog to help PR professionals serve clients better, faster and cheaper. This blog is certainly up to date in news and on the ball about what is going on everywhere. I was well informed on topics relating to all aspects of PR having read numerous posts. The blog basically refers to different pieces from the media and points specifics out, that are funny, helpful, or just plain wrong. One thing I love and appreciate about Mr. Horton’s blog is his sense of humor. One particular post called Context  refers to this funny article. The article clearly displays poor communication and judgment, but teaches a real lesson.

 

    Looking at the archives of this blog, I see that Mr. Horton has been posting steadily every month of ever year since 2004. That in itself is pretty darn impressive, and anyone who has a blog can agree, that they can be a bit difficult to keep up with consistently.  Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Hortons blog, not only because it is helpful in the world of PR but it is current on events and issues going on in the world around us. Most blogs are opinion based, and I feel this blog has more facts than opinions and that is something I can appreciate. Words of wisdom to Jim Horton; keep up the good work!

Horton, J. (2004, Jan.). Retrieved Nov. 06, 2008, from http://online-pr.blogspot.com/

 

Culpwrit Blog Review November 6, 2008

    

photo from: http://tinyurl.com/5zr5d7

Ron Culp, a partner and managing director from Ketchum Midwest in Chicago, is the author of the blog culpwrit:guiding the career in public relations. After having read a few posts, I am intrigued by his motivation to help and mentor young aspiring PR professionals. In his blog you find many helpful posts ranging from the corporate career ladder to articles encouraging young people to becom change agents. This blog offers a PR student like me, advice and direction after college. I enjoyed reading Never Too Young to be a Change Agent, in this post he links to an article written by Alex Kneiss that gives the 5 ways a junior employee can be a change agent. I liked the fact that Culp just linked in a good article instead of trying to write about it himself. That is something I have learned through blogging and learning about social media in my classes; that it’s ok to take short cuts, just give credit. Culpwrit is a great source of information for people interested in the field of PR.

Culp, R. (2006). Retrieved Nov. 06, 2008, from http://www.culpwrit.com/

 

 

7 Things You Should Know About Blogs November 6, 2008

1.)  What is it?

- The word Blog means “Web log,” meaning an online chronological collection of personal commentary and links.

- Blogging has come a long way from online diaries to well respected reviews on specific topics.

2.) Who is doing it?

- Anyone can create a blog.

- There are group blogs, family blogs, community blogs, corporate blogs. A few examples given by educause.com  are: WarBlogs (blogs about the Iraq war), LibLogs (Library blogs), and EduBlogs (targeting education).

- “In educational settings instructors are using blogs as a teaching tool, and students are increasingly using them for personal use and class requirements.”

3.) How does it work?

- It is as simple as using any online program.

- The author writes posts,consisting of anything they wish, and it is uploaded to their blog. Once the post is up, subscribers to the blog will be notified.

- Post entries can include anything from text, photos, power point slide shows, hyperlinks, tags, music, video, and much more.

- Readers can submit feedback through comments on the post, or they can comment on their own blog linking back to the blog they are commenting on. This feature is known as trackback. Bloggers are notified if their work is referenced to in another blog.

4.) Why is it significant?

- Informative

- Expression

-  Connection

- Media outlet

- Blogs allow for immediate readership and reactions which lead to feedback.

- Blogs stimulate the growth of online communities.

5.) What are the downsides?

-  Bias

- Inaccurate

- Unmediated

- Highly volatile

6.) Where is it going?

- Blogs are growing exponentially

- An estimated 50 million people are blogging

- Blogs are public and long-lived

- Educators are learning how to maximize the benefits of blogs in and out of the classroom

7.) What are the implications for teaching and learning?

- As said by educause.com, “Blogs can be used as reflection about classes, careers, or current events;they can also capture and disseminate student and faculty-generated content.”

http://tinyurl.com/6bbg5q

For more information about blogs visit:

Thomas, (2005, Aug.). Retrieved Nov. 04, 2008, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7006.pdf

 

My Most Feel Good Songs of the Year! November 5, 2008

Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band

-Creative and Country!

 

I\’m Yours by Jason Mraz

-Best song! Always brings a smile to my face.

 

T-shirt by Shontelle

-Cute girly song, that most girls can relate with.

Don\’t Think I Don\’t Think About It by Darius Rucker

-Although this song kind of has sad lyrics, it is super catchy and a good listen.

Darius Rucker