…helping to organise the Midlands largest Twestival! More info here…
posted on February 7, 2009 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, Birmingham, Me, Social Media
…helping to organise the Midlands largest Twestival! More info here…
posted on July 21, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, CIPR Diploma, Entertainment, Family, For Blog's Sake, Me, PR, Warwick
So I have resigned myself to the fact that, like April, July is going to be pretty much…
We received our CIPR planning assignment on Monday 30th June and progress so far has been slow. It’s a pretty tricky assignment and being busy with work I just haven’t made much headway with it so it’s time to knuckle down!
I have lots of things to look forward to in August so that should keep me motivated. I’m making a note of them here so that when I am struggling with the assignment and feeling miserable I can remind myself of the fun to come!
EDIT: this list is not exhaustive – I shall be adding to it!
So, bring on August when I will feel more like this…
EDIT: I also feel that August might need a theme tune so am open to suggestions…preferably in the form of links to YouTube please!
posted on June 5, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, CIPR Diploma, Me, PR
Another busy few days ahead but busy is good.
Tomorrow I am off to London for a CIPR Education and Skills Sector Group conference, New Challenges, New Opportunities The Role of New Media in Crisis Communications. I am expecting it to be a good day. It has been organised by a former colleague and Director of Pickle Jar Communications and she has managed to secure the Director of Web Communications from Virginia Tech University in America – i’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the tragedy there last year. It will be really interesting to hear from their point to view how they handled it – i don’t think a University can ever be fully prepared for something like that to happen so it will be reassuring to see what lessons they learnt.
On Saturday I am in Nottingham for the sixth session of my CIPR Diploma. At the moment we are working towards for our second assignment – the Planning Assignment. We haven’t been given the assignment yet but basically we will be expected to develop a communications plan and rationale at just over 5000 words. Aapparently this is often a crisis communications situation so i’m hoping tomorrows conference will also be good preparation. The deadline is Friday 1st August so I exepct I will be knuckling down in July (but partying hard on the weekend of 1st August!).
After my course on Saturday I am then travelling across to Keele University for their Homecoming Reunion. I graduated from Keele in 2003 and don’t think I have been back there since maybe 2004 so I am excited and sentimental about returning. I spent three brilliant years there with brilliant friends and I am really looking forward to walking around the campus and remembering the good times spent sat out on the lawns of Keele Hall, drinking in Lindsay Bar and partying in the Union.
Then Sunday I will be coming home to sleep.
posted on May 20, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, Arts, Birmingham, Entertainment, Me, Music, Theatre, Warwick, Web
So it seems the weekend is catching up on me mid-week… this could be reinforced by the fact that I have spent the day in London at a CASE seminar (more on that another time) and last week was also busy with Custard Balti Comedy and Ideas Cafe at Warwick! Feels like I haven’t stopped lately so am quite impressed with myself for finding time to blog about it! I had a great (but busy) weekend…
On Friday night I went to see Into the Woods, a Music Theatre Warwick (student group) production at Warwick Arts Centre. It was performed in the Studio Theatre – an intimate little venue that I reckon held less than 100 people in the audience and the quality of the music, singing and acting was great! The best thing about the whole production for me was seeing members of the local community enjoying a Friday night out watching Warwick University students perform! Working in the Communications Office at Warwick, part of my job is in Community Relations and promoting the benefits of the University (and it’s students) to the local community so I really felt a warm glow when I saw some older members of the local community really enjoying the talents of our students.
On Saturday I had a night out in Birmingham for a double 26th birthday celebration – two old school friends (Lydia and Fiona) have birthdays on consecutive days so we went to the Yardbird jazz bar and Jamhouse to celebrate. A few of my friends now live in London so it’s great when there’s a birthday and they return home! What was even better was that I recently bumped into another old school friend that I haven’t seen for 8 years at a Comedy Club in Birmingham! I mentioned the night out to her and she came along with my old best friend from school! The birthday girls didn’t know about the surprise guests so there were shocks and smiles all round which was brilliant! I also had the opportunity to catch up with my friends families which is something I don’t get to do so often now that they live in London! It was really nice to catch up and reminisce about school days, sleepovers and Sutton Girls!
Finally, on Sunday I realised that my mate wasn’t returning to London until Monday so I made a flippant suggestion that Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong were playing Birmingham Academy in case she fancied it. At about 6pm on Sunday evening my mate called to see if I was still up for it and having seen them at Warwick University Students’ Union about a month ago I jumped at the chance to see them again (despite the slight tiredness from the previous night)! The support act, Beggars, were really great as well! Check them both out if you get chance!
A great weekend all round!
posted on May 6, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, Blogging, CIPR Diploma, Entertainment, Me, Music, PR, Social Media
So a week has passed since the deadline for my CIPR Diploma CRT and I have been too busy enjoying having my life back to find time to blog. It’s one excuse after another with blogging – too busy working to blog then too busy having fun to blog.
I actually completed my CRT a few days before the due date as I had a busy weekend planned and did not want the CRT hanging over me. Last weekend I went to see Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong at Warwick University Students’ Union, the Kooks at Birmingham Academy and a friends new apartment and this weekend I went to a friends pre-wedding meal at the Mailbox and another friends engagement party! The social calendar is full to make up for the hermit I became for the month of April.
The Kooks, Naive, Live at Birmingham Academy
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPRO_5wPzgQ]
Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong (live but not at Warwick SU) – definitely worth catching live if you get the opportunity!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFNpicBV2qs]
On Saturday I will be heading to Nottingham for the fourth of my CIPR Dimploma taught sessions and it will be the first session of the second module which focuses on planning and management in preparation for our second assessment in August. I was planning to publish my first assignment online here but I thought I should wait to see how good/bad it was before sharing! If the two essays (one on PR and Blogging and the second on PR and Ethical Propaganda) are any good then expect to see them here in June! Fingers crossed!
In the meantime, here’s a preview of my PR and Blogging essay:
Expectations from media, clients and audiences about new technologies are placing increasing pressure on public relations practitioners to increase their use of new technologies (Lordan, 2001). Whilst new technologies won’t replace traditional tools used in public relations the cost to PR practitioners in not using these tools will be in losing their competitive edge to those who have mastered new technology (Anderson and Reagan, 1992 cited in Lordan 2001). As advice to PR practitioners considering entering the blogosphere, Porter et al (2007) suggest an evolutionary approach in which “Practitioners begin using blogs routinely for informational purposes – seeking out alternative viewpoints, the latest news and experimenting with blogs for research purposes. Then use shifts to a more professional – albeit passive – orientation. This issues identification factor allows practitioners to continue to use blogs for information but in a more strategic and professional manner. The final step in the evolution of blog use is to begin engaging in two-way communication.” Whilst this model will not apply to all PR practitioners who use blogs, it does emphasise the importance of a familiarity with and a knowledge of blogs and the blogosphere before being able to use the tool for strategic and purposeful two-way communications.
References
Lordan, E. J. (2001) Cyberspin: The Use of New Technologies in Public Relations, in Heath, R. (2001) ed. Handbook of Public Relations, Sage, London
Porter, L. V. et al (2007) Blog power: Examining the effects of practitioner blog use on power in public relations, Public Relations Review 22 (2007) 92-95
posted on February 10, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, Me
Welcome to my blog. I hope it will be about things that interest me in life from my work to my social life, family and friends, music, books, illustrations, thoughts… thing’s that inspire me.
I work in Public Relations and am interested in online communications and new media. I have recently started a professional qualification with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations so I hope to use this space to record my thoughts as I develop my own views. I’ll try not to make it too pretentious!
I love music so expect some song lyrics, videos and music to provide some light relief from the pretentious PR chatter… I also like illustrations, cartoons, photos and anything else that inspires me. I love books and often buy them quicker than I can read them.
Anyway, that’s enough about my intentions for this blog. Thing’s rarely turn out how you intend them to so we will see what happens…
Whatever my blog becomes, I hope you enjoy it.