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Tag: technology

AI and PR: The Magic Mix

AI and PR: The Magic Mix

November 29, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Public RelationsPublic Relations, social media future, technology, Technology Trends

Artificial Intelligence (AI) sounds intimidating, I’ll admit. Whether it’s the fear of the unknown or overall lack of understanding, people often have varying opinions of AI that are best summarized in one way: awesome but scary.

Exactly how  scary is it?

Many of us use AI on a daily basis without even realizing it. Take Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Samsung’s Bixby as examples. These voice-enabled bots have made it into our homes, phones and lives. Just by talking, we can ask these bots to play music, make telephone calls and even order our groceries for us.

With all things in life, there are advantages and drawbacks of AI. While there is speculation that Alexa, Siri and Bixby are always listening to us even when we don’t want them to be, they do make our lives much easier.

AI has already made its way into our personal lives, and it’s beginning to infiltrate numerous professional industries worldwide as well. AI has secured its spot within the retail and e-commerce industries, including Amazon and China’s Alibaba and JD.com, and it’s beginning to appear in banking and in healthcare.

What about AI in the PR industry?

It’s coming, and it’ll be here sooner than you think.

AI may seem daunting to the average PR professional, but don’t fret. AI will not take away jobs in the PR and communications industries; it will only make them easier. AI machines will complete monotonous tasks, such as filtering through data and providing us with any needed results.

Perhaps in the future, we can leave it to AI devices to research a list of potential media outlets for pitches in order to generate press coverage, or AI bots can compile coverage reports based on the media coverage. Instead of manually posting to event calendars, we can rely on a machine to do it. AI may also be able to inform us of the best social media strategies to utilize on an individual client basis based on aggregating data regarding levels of engagement.

The PR industry should welcome AI with arms wide open. It will save time, but these robotic devices may take awhile to perfect. The algorithms will likely not be error-free from the start and may make mistakes. PR professionals will always need to double check the work done by AI machines.

So, what is the perfect mix?

AI will be helpful, and it will streamline several processes within the industry. It is possible that in a few short years PR professionals will be working in collaboration with AI, especially in large companies. It may take a few more years for AI bots to become implemented into small scale agencies, however.

At the end of the day, we are people convincing people to explore our creative solutions with us. AI can’t do it all; human intuition and creativity are still essential components in the work in which that we specialize. PR requires hefty creativity, strategy and ingenuity as well as intuition to assess and create the delicate strategies to address pertinent issues. AI will never have the “gut feeling” through its numbers and algorithms that a seasoned PR professional provides.

Written by Clairemont Intern Anna Ostrowski, a senior at UNC.

Cover image from Unsplash.com

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Top 3 (free) graphic design tools of 2018

Top 3 (free) graphic design tools of 2018

August 14, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relationsdesign, Graphic design, PR trends, technology, Technology TrendsLeave a Comment on Top 3 (free) graphic design tools of 2018

With an increasing need for visual content, companies and organizations are becoming reliant on graphic designers and videographers to promote their campaigns. Luckily, there are dozens of free programs out there that can do the heavy lifting for you!

I scoured the interwebs to find the hottest design softwares that are available at no cost. I tested 10 different websites and programs to determine which three provide the best interface, toolset and quality. To accomplish this I spent about 20 to 30 minutes on each one to see what I could create. (Caveat: By no means am I a professional graphic designer; so please show some grace with my designs.)

easel.ly

Just as its name implies, easel.ly is a simple tool that focuses on graphics, shapes and colors. Its “drag-and-drop” feature makes adding images, shapes and graphics a breeze. The design tool’s best purpose is creating infographics. The website has hundreds of templates and samples to start, making the process quick and easy. You don’t even have to download anything, and everything is labeled very clearly. As with any free software, there is a premium version that gives you access to its entire library of templates and illustrations. If you are in need of a stat sheet or a quick poster, I would highly recommend it! easel.ly can be run right from your browser! (Not to be confused with ease.ly.)

GIMP

GNU Image Manipulation Program is an open-source graphics editor used primarily for photo editing, free-form drawing and reformatting images. GIMP looks pretty overwhelming at first with a lot of grey sidebar buttons and dozens of tiny tabs. However, every tool in the program is available with just a right click of the mouse! The software has so many different features that you could spend a whole day applying new filters, transformations, pathways, color scapes and more to your photos.

A variety of color applications and functions are offered in GIMP, which was my favorite part. While it may take a while to learn everything, the professional features available in GIMP make it a go-to for picture editing. You must download the software before using it.

Gravit Designer

I will finish the list with the most impressive software I encountered: Gravit Designer. Available directly in your browser, this all-in-one tool gives the user a wide range of creative space with an intuitive interface. The program is capable of graphics manipulation, creation and illustration. The screen is your digital playground in Gravit, and it was easy to find the tricks I wanted to employ. It has great functionality and allows you to develop shapes in a simple way. I would highly recommend using this for poster design, presentations and illustrating. It is available to download for any platform as well.

 

While these are my top three suggestions, the best program is the one YOU like the most! Below all are the programs I tried. Find the one that is most suited for you! Share your favorite programs with us on Twitter!

  • Vectr
  • Canva
  • Inkscape
  • Pixlr
  • Snappa
  • Blender
  • Piktochart

Cover Photo Credit: © [Redpixel] / Adobe Stock

Written by intern Nathan J. McDaniel, a senior at Western Carolina University.

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The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 24 – Smart TV

The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 24 – Smart TV

February 10, 2015January 31, 2023 Jasmin SessomsBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Public RelationsRaleigh PR Agency, Social Media, technology, Technology Trends

Meet the Coopers. An average American family. Meet dad, a widower and a father. The Coopers win a “house of the future” with a cyber housemaid named PAT (“Personal Applied Technology”). But the house goes haywire, and it’s up to the family to defeat the system. In 1999, Smart House was released by Disney. In 2015, our world is getting closer and closer to this technologically advanced experience that Walt Disney portrayed some 16 years ago. Computers are taking a leading role in our lives.

From the Jetsons‘ flying cars and moving walkways, today’s technology has evolved to reflect some of these early animations. These developments, however, have fostered an overarching concern in the minds of many Americans: Big Brother is watching you. First, be careful what you say on your land line. Then, don’t write anything incriminating via email or text. All of these things could possibly be taken be a third party and used against you. Next thing you know, you’re a “person of interest” on a governmental watch list–or so the story goes.

While watching the news this morning, I got a slightly more frightening Big Brother update. Samsung TVs, just like the one I was watching in the privacy of my bedroom, could possibly be collecting my conversations and sending them to a third party. Samsung is warning its customers about discussing personal information in front of the television set. The policy states that the TV will be listening to your every word, waiting for a command.

With media pitching as one of our areas of expertise at Clairemont, I wonder if we will soon live in a world where people begin to abandon the TV in fear. Will technology bring more bad than good in our society, causing us to adopt older methods of communication? Or will I soon be flying into work? Those are just a few tidbits to think about before sitting down in front of the television and airing your dirty laundry.

Editor’s Note: Clairemont enthusiastically welcomes Jasmin Sessoms to our team! Follow this former beauty queen’s journey as she documents her first 30 days in a Raleigh PR agency.

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Pin it, cook it, eat it.

Pin it, cook it, eat it.

January 8, 2014January 31, 2023 Margot HorganBlog, Social Media + Influencer EngagementCES, CES 2014, Consumer Electronics Show, Home Design, Interactive Cooktop, Social Media, technology, Whirpool2 Comments on Pin it, cook it, eat it.

Companies are unveiling some pretty mind-blowing technologies at CES 2014, but we may be most excited about Whirlpool’s new line of cooktops that it says consumers can expect by 2020.Technology meets cuisine in an interactive, multi-purpose cooktop that allows its users to find recipes on Pinterest, cook dinner and then check the weather – all on the same surface.

Activated by the sound of your voice or the touch of your finger, the Whirlpool Interactive Cooktop is just another example of how technology and daily tasks are meeting to create amazing possibilities. And, with seamless integration to mobile and social media, Whirlpool is helping make cooking and entertaining even more engaging.

According to a CES Q&A with Jason Tippetts, brand studio design manager of global consumer design at Whirlpool®, “The Interactive Cooktop is all about doing what you need to when you need to, how you like to.”

What household item would you like to be social-enabled?

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Trending: Wearable Technology

Trending: Wearable Technology

December 13, 2013January 31, 2023 Margot HorganBlog, Clairemont Client News10 for Humanity, Nymi, Run-n-Read, tech trends, technology, Technology Trends, TESS, Tiger Eye Security Sensor, wearable technology

From Google Glass to the Samsung Smartwatch to everything in between, the wearable technology trend is definitely on the rise. And, with $8 billion in projected revenue for 2013 and an estimated $20 billion by 2017, the industry – and the mind-altering gadgets it’s creating – is something to watch. Below, we’ve rounded a few of our favorite wearable tech gadgets, including a revolutionary personal safety device created by Clairemont Communications client, 10 for Humanity.

Tiger Eye Security Sensor (TESS)

Developed by Clairemont client, 10 for Humanity, TESS is a hands free personal safety device designed to be worn as a piece of jewelry. With the ability to protect people of all ages from criminals and bullies, the device will sense high stress in the voice when activated by certain words such as “help,” “stop,” or “no” and instantly dispatch the police, based on GPS location. At the same time, TESS will video record the incident to aid in the identification and prosecution of criminals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_741rnkWis

TESS is currently being developed in collaboration with top technology and safety industry leaders including: RTI International – one of the world’s leading think tanks; NC State University; and a host of other emerging technology experts and law enforcement agencies. TESS is the first product available by the North Carolina-based 10 for Humanity, which is committed to developing 10 innovative technology-based products and mobile applications that will reduce acts of violence globally by 10 percent in the next decade.

To learn more about this device, please see the TESS Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, which is raising funds through Dec. 31 to help bring TESS to market in the spring of 2014.

Nymi

A sleek band worn around your wrist, Nymi uses your cardiac rhythm to authenticate your identity and wirelessly control things like your computer, cell phone, car, security systems and more. With a turn or flick of the wrist, you can interact with your devices seamlessly and securely. According to its creators, Nymi can replace any number of identification prompted activities, including the PIN on your credit card.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUO7Qnmc8vE

As individual as a fingerprint, your heartbeat is completely unique and can offer the highest level of security. Nymi works off a three-factor security system, meaning to take control of your identity, you must have your Nymi, your heartbeat and a smartphone or device with the Nymi app. Additionally, Nymi will feature customizable notifications for text, email and social media meaning you will never be out of touch.

Run-n-Read

With this simple, clip-on gadget, you can now run on a treadmill and comfortably read a book at the same time. Run-n-read’s technology tracks your head movements and automatically shifts the text on your tablet to move perfectly in sync with your head and eyes.

Further simplifying reading while running, you can turn the page of your book by just tapping the Run-n-Read. Additionally, the gadget operates as a simple fitness tracker, monitoring the number of steps taken and calories burned and displaying the information on your mobile device.

What do you think about these gadgets? Which wearable technology products would you add to the list?

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