Both bills are aimed at changing the way our government enforces copyright laws by putting the burden of proof on the host of the content, not the owner. For a great (mostly unbiased) summary on what the bills say and how they might affect business and daily life for the average internet user, take a look here.

Like many issues that lead to such heated rhetoric, this isn’t a two sided issue in the sense that the opposing side believes copyright laws shouldn’t be enforced. And like them, we feel strongly that the rights of created content ought to belong to the person or organization that created it. Artists, directors, musicians and writers invest heavily into the works they produce, and their right to ownership of it as well as the law’s role to protect it from theft and misuse is valid and seems to be relatively undisputed by the opponents of SOPA and PIPA (despite what the lobbyists who pushed the bills might say).

There is good reason for the law to protect owners’ rights to their created works. However, protection at the expense of constitutional rights isn’t really protection at all. (For a historical perspective on the lobbying efforts of the MPAA and RIAA and how SOPA and PIPA would violate some key constitutional rights, take a look at this insightful TED video.)

Today, as much of the tumult of conversation has blown over, we want to take a moment to commend the congressmen and senators who have pulled their support of SOPA and PIPA:

• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
• Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
• Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
• Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.)
• Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
• Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.)
• Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.)
• Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.)

What has been incredible the last few days is the solidarity of the opposition to these bills. Regardless of left, right or center leanings, protecting the rights of the people has been at the top of the list for many of our lawmakers.

Perhaps this is the main thing we can take away from all of it. With the people as the focus of the government, not special interest groups or careers, all sides of the political spectrum have come together. As we move into the heat of the 2012 elections, our hope is that constitutional convictions would remain steadfast and that more examples of bi-partisan cooperation would make an appearance.

For more information about this year’s Childhelp Celebrity Golf Invitational and how you can support Childhelp, click here.

We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to help those in need this holiday season. Here are a few great organizations that are eligible for this type of donation:

Florence Crittenton
Hacienda Healthcare
Maricopa Health Foundation
St. Vincent de Paul
The Crossroads

In order to take advantage of this opportunity to direct your tax dollars you must:
• Give $400 ($200 if single/head of household) to a qualifying 501(c)(3) organization of your choice
• Ensure the organization has your name, address & telephone number for a written receipt of your gift for tax records
• Itemize your charitable contribution on your Arizona return and claim the credit

For more details and instructions on how to take advantage of this tax credit and a complete list of eligible organizations, please visit the Arizona Department of Revenue

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..we had one computer—with no internet connection…

..we had one fax machine that earned its keep…

..we had worked for one president…

..we could count our clients on one hand…

..it was a good start, but we were just beginning.

Since then, GCJPR has grown quite a bit…

..we exchange hundreds of emails each week…

..we’ve worked for over 100 clients…

..we send press releases with just the click of a button…

..our digital advocacy consulting work has grown exponentially…

..we’ve worked for two presidents- and we’re hoping for a third in 2012!

Today, as we celebrate the last twenty-one years of GCJPR, it seems appropriate to say that the more things change, the more things stay the same. Many, if not most, of the tools we use on a daily basis have changed, but how we do business will continue to be the same.

Though we may exchange several emails and even Facebook messages each day with a client, we still make time to meet regularly face-to-face. We still meet with reporters for coffee. We still spend time getting to know the real goals of everyone we work with. The bottom line is that nothing of value gets done without a great working relationship. Since the beginning, we have taken it upon ourselves to initiate and pursue those great relationships.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of GCJPR over the last twenty-one years. You’ve truly helped build it up to what it is today.

Sincerely,

Graduation is only weeks away now, and the job hunt is in full swing for thousands of soon-to-be college graduates. We are all in the same pool and competition is high. The economy is still not up to par, and businesses are looking for the best of the best.

The first thing that employees have to judge you on is your resume and cover letter. How a prospective employee views you is everything. You could be the top notch of your class and the most dedicated of all your peers, but if the executive that reads your cover letter thinks otherwise, you’re in for some trouble.

In one of my public relations classes, my professor told us the true definition of PR: perception and reputation. It takes years to build an image and seconds to destroy it. Take BP or Toyota, for example. Both once very reputable companies, and with one major disaster, they both sit at the bottom of the PR ladder, as far as image goes.

With this being said, make sure your resume accurate and up-to-date. This one sheet of paper is your time to shine and brag about all that you have accomplished. Read it over and over again until you are 110% sure that there are no errors. One simple typo in your resume makes you appear careless and lazy.

Also, everyone should have a well-written cover letter. A resume tells the employer what you have done, but a cover letter is your time to explain why you’re the greatest and what makes you more qualified than anyone else.

Which leads me to my next point. When applying for a job or internship, ask yourself this: What separates you from the rest? What makes you more qualified than your classmate? What is your unique selling proposition?

For me, being passionate about public relations and having a drive to succeed in whatever I do makes me unique. You can have all the talent in the world, have a personality that can attract everyone, but if you don’t love what you do, we have a problem. A major problem. So, with that being said, find something that you love to do. And I promise you this: success, happiness and the Benjamin’s will follow shortly thereafter.

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If your day was like mine, you had to ask someone, “What are you doing barefoot in the mall?” Unbeknownst to me, that was exactly what shoe designer, TOMS wanted me to do as a part of its One Day without Shoes campaign.

The shoe designer behind the barefoot frenzy had one message:  A lot of people all over the world go without shoes every day, and we have the power to change that (by purchasing TOMS shoes).

With a message so simple, it was easy for TOMS to rely on consumers to deliver it.  The delivery went something like this:

TOMS used barefoot people to create a buzz of curiosity and to get the public talking about their brand.  In the end, their goal was to get first time customers to buy a pair or two of shoesand become emotionally connected to the brand.

So how does this relate to writing effectively?

Let’s break it down.  A more simplified version of TOMS’ marketing plan looks like this:

Create Curiosity > Spark Conversation > Achieve Business Goals (sales, awareness, brand loyalty, etc.).

Easy right?  Let’s start with curiosity:

Since we can’t run around barefoot everyday to get people to read our blogs and press releases, we need to use headlines and titles to grab attention.  More often than not, reporters and producers won’t get past the headline in a press release.  The same goes for most internet users and blog posts.  So, if a title is boring or sounds like everything else on the web or in reporter’s inbox, it’s not going to get much attention.

However, be careful that your creative titles are backed up with quality content.  No one likes to feel tricked, so follow through with valuable information.

Engage in conversation

The second thing we can learn from this campaign is to be engaged in the conversation about your company, product, service or whatever it is you do.  In fact, TOMS went a step further.  Instead of just being a part of the conversation about their product or brand, they crafted a scenario in which a lot of loyal consumers had amble opportunities to tell other people about the brand. (And feel good about themselves for promoting a worthy cause).

The lesson here is to direct the conversation rather than be tossed and carried by the waves of chance.  By being a thought leader in your industry, you earn the right to direct the tone of the conversation.  Even better if you can get your customers to do it for you.

Make sure it all relates to your business goals

This is key.  As we saw in the TOMS campaign, engaging consumers, while incredibly valuable, shouldn’t be the end goal.  Instead, it should be a tactic for reaching other business goals.  That might look like calling consumers to action—such as donating to a worthy cause, purchasing your company’s products or recommending your services.  Or, it could be more subtle, such as fostering trust between your company and the consumer.

Overall, both the marketing process and the writing process require a little creativity and a lot of focus on where you are headed, and we applaud TOMS successful campaign.  At GCJPR we are experts in creating content and outlets for engagement at all audience levels. For your business barefoot people may not be the right path, but we can help you develop and guide ideas that work for your business from conception to launch.

Since taking Childhelp® on as a client in February of 2007, our staff has become more aware of the prevalence of child abuse in our nation and even in our own state.  It is a tragedy that the world we live in requires such an organization to protect children from people who would otherwise hurt them.  However, we are thankful that in light of the circumstances of the world, there are people like the employees and volunteers of Childhelp who have taken a stand against child abuse and neglect.

Today is the National Day of Hope, which commemorates victims of child abuse in addition to celebrating the hope we have that one day child abuse will be eradicated.  Throughout the day, people across the country will light a five wick candle and observe five minutes of silence in recognition of the now nearly five children who die each day as a result of abuse and neglect in the home and the millions of others who suffer.

This year’s Day of Hope comes alongside a campaign to bring new members and supporters into the fold at Childhelp.  In other words, to invite others to become “Childhelpers.”

At GCJPR we are proud to work alongside Childhelp in their efforts to protect the children of our communities and nation, and we hope you will consider becoming a Childhelper as well.

Photo featured on Sokoblovsky Farms' Web site, www.petitelapgiraffe.com

Today at 12:30 p.m. my officemate Ashleigh Allen announces her desire for a Petite Lap Giraffe (PLG).

At 12:31 p.m. I crush her dream, “It’s not real.”

“No, look at this… they have a Webcam,” persuades Ashleigh. “I saw him earlier.”

Him being “Vladimir” the PLG breeder’s prized Bull. Ashleigh flips around the Web site and shows me photos of the long-limbed miniatures.

Ashleigh points to different parts of the site, “Mallory, the breeder is in Russia, listen…” she puts on an accent and reads a sentence out loud, “..‘Our customers always supreme happy with the babies. So much so they send photographs and even commercials.’ They’re so cute!”

“There is no possible way that those are real,” I laugh, although I’m starting to teeter on the verge of denial as well. “Ashleigh! Go back to the Webcam, I guarantee Vladimir will be doing the exact same thing he was doing early… because it’s fake!”

As I walk back to my desk a wash of slight unease shades my officemate’s side of the room. Her white flag waves as she laughs, “But I still want one!”

DIRECTV: 1. Ashleigh:0.

For the record Ashleigh Allen is an intelligent, highly efficient professional. But that doesn’t mean she is resistant to the charm of miniature animals or a well devised advertising campaign.

Sokoblovsky Farms, Russia’s Finest Purveyors of Petite Lap Giraffes, has taken a funny television commercial to a viral level. The fantastical breeder’s site does not make reference or advertise DIRECTV services. However, it does host commercials “I am Epic Win” and “Opulence, I has it,” under the guise that the featured PLG, Ivanka, was born on the Sokoblovsky Farm.

As of the moment which Ashleigh fell in love with this tiny version of the Serengeti giant, 351,638 were also intrigued enough to click on the “I want Giraffe, clicking here” button of the fake Web site.

DIRECTV is generating awesome brand recognition without even using its name! Any large business that is clamoring to strike the elusive achievement of going viral must take note. Rather than trying to hawk services, DIRECTV is taking a moment to laugh with its existing and potential customers.

If the phase “go viral” has passed through the lips of someone at your conference table, review what DIRECTV is doing with Ivanka. It is a great case study in what viral marketing actually is.