So, this is it? Hello, real world!

I can't believe my time in the Mass Communication department is coming to an end. I can't believe I was blessed to be part of a winning chapter in a national competition for PRSSA. (See winning teams above) I'm blessed on multiple levels...

There's a lot on my mind, and there's so much I want to say, but I think a Top 10 things I learned is the best way to express what I'm feeling...

1. Never underestimate the power of networking. As we learned the last two years in the Mass Communication department there is nothing better than a strong professional relationship that can serve you well in future years to come.

2. Learn the power of AP style and use those skills in all your writings whether it be in the form of a flyer or a press release submitted to the media.

3. Treat your internship like it's the job you've always wanted and stay positive throughout your time there. You're bound to learn something new if you dive in head first.

4. Don't sweat the small stuff. There's going to be a time when you make a mistake. Fix it and move on. Don't dwell on the little things you cannot change.

5. Don't stay a benchwarmer for long. It's okay to watch from the crowd from time to time, but don't get stuck there. You'll never succeed if you don't go out and try it for yourself. (See number 4)

6. Learn when enough is enough. Sometimes you may have more than you can handle at a given moment. Don't be afraid to tell someone you cannot help them. It's OK!

7. Take a photography course if you can. If there's one thing I found out during my internship it was the awesome power of new skills. Take the photography course, it's a skill that will come in handy, mark my words!

8. If you've got an idea, share it! Don't be afraid if people don't understand it immediately. Take the time to explain it, and wait to see what your colleagues think. If they reject it, think of something new and move on. (See number 5)

9. Make the most of every situation. Sometimes you're going to be unhappy and you're going to work with people you don't like, and that's OK! You can be the person who gets the job done and does it with a smile on their face. It's better to be professional throughout than be a cry baby.

10. Finally, always do your best to work cohesively with your PR teammates. Thankfully, this always worked well in my PR group. I couldn't have asked for a better time these past few semesters.

I wrote a similar piece in my last opinion column for The Colonnade. Take a look here.

Oh, and one final thing: To my PR class, I am truly thankful for your friendship and the skills you have taught me. I will miss you all, but I know this is not goodbye but merely so long. So long is not goodbye as it's not infinite.

To Ging, all the LASC in the world, and thanks again for all your advising, patience, and generous support you've given us all. I truly believe with the skills you have taught us, we will all leave this school and take the PR world by storm!

LASC,

Tyler G. Bryant

Green Apple - A CSR Study

CSR Analysis:

Apple Inc.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a form of corporate
self-regulation integrated into a business model. The most beneficial CSR policies function as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby business would monitor and ensure its compliance to law, ethics for the influence of environment, consumers, the employees, stakeholders, and communities. CSR is a purposeful inclusion of public interest into the corporation’s decision making, and honors a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit.

One such company following a CSR regulation is Apple Inc., one of Fortune 500’s top companies. The company was founded in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 and incorporated Jan. 3, 1977. The company was founded under Steve Jobs, who currently serves as the company’s CEO. For the company’s first 30 years it was known as Apple Computer, Inc., but in 2007 the “Computer” was dropped to reflect the company’s focus on personal computers. Currently Apple has about 35,000 employees worldwide and its annual sales in U.S. dollars are roughly $32.48 billion, based on 2008 figures.

Apple prides itself on its aesthetic design and distinctive advertising campaigns. The company is known for its strong consumer relations and its fan base is unlike any other, based on customer reviews and analysis. “Fortune” magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008 and in the world in 2009.

On the subject of CSR, Apple requires suppliers to adhere to a Supplier Code of Conduct. This insists they provide safe working conditions for their employees, treat others respectfully and fairly, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes. The company monitors through factory audits corrective action plans, and verification measures.

Recently, however, Apple has found itself under severe criticism for its CSR implementation, and has begun an extensive experiment in improving its environmental impact on the world.

In 2007, Apple launched a new line of green products in attempt to quash shareholder requests for more corporate social responsibility. Currently Apple has a strong shareholder, with a “green” name. Al Gore, who serves as a board of director for Apple Inc. and recommended the shareholders vote against a resolution to define “sustainability” and would include a company-wide review of policies in the green initiative.

Apple’s criticism came from Greenpeace over its failure to publish information on its policies regarding the use of toxic chemicals in its products. Steve Jobs issued an apology and planned for new targets designed to phase out the use of the hazardous materials/chemicals.

This followed with the launching of the new 17” MacBook Pro laptop claiming to be “the world’s greenest family of notebooks.” The laptop is made of highly recyclable aluminum and is mercury and arsenic free. It also includes a non-removable lithium polymer battery. The claim says that the average user should get 1,000 recharge cycles before it needs replacing, three times the cycle of average batteries.

The decision to integrate the new battery technology into the laptop may attract some criticism from green groups, which have previously criticized the absence of a non-removable battery in the Apple iPhone.

The following is an evaluation of Apple’s green initiative through a SWOT analysis.

The S (Strengths) of the company’s initiative is pretty significant. Due to the threat of possible man-made global warming theories, this works well in the company’s favor. Should the theories be true, the company can pride itself in taking steps to improve both the Ozone and the environmental changes in climate. The inclusion of a lithium polymer battery that cannot be removed by the user is another added bonus for the strengths in their new green campaign. By the time the battery is dead, most users will be ready to purchase a new computer, anyway.

The W (Weaknesses) of the company’s initiative are quite slim, thankfully. However there are necessary steps to ensure the proper implementation. For example, Apple has the concern about adding a non-removable battery to its iPhone lineup and adding stronger and longer lasting polymer batteries, like used in the MacBook pro line.

The O (Opportunities) available to Apple is vast. The company now can attract a new audience and keep the old one as well. Whether or not the user believes in green initiatives, no one can argue the value in a longer lasting battery. A longer lasting battery means more use of the computer and more positive reviews from the consumer. The inclusion of the longer lasting battery may also attract new users because of its longer life.

The (T) Threats to Apple include the worry of the company wasting millions of dollars for a theory that has yet to be proven. The company may look back and wonder if the including of battery batteries and recycled material was a good idea should the theory be proven false one day.

The ROI, or the Return on Investment for Apple is significantly strongly in its favor, especially with the release of the iPhone and iPod family. The chart at the top of the page is a showcases the reasons consumers buy an iPod. Based on this data it is safe to assume Apple’s CSR is working to its benefit as the customers have remained happy for nearly 35 years.