Taking Risks has Become my Love Language after ICON

By Reese Skiba, Rock PRSSA vice-president
 
“Your first risk started when you decided to come here,” said Chandra Gilmore, University of Delaware instructor, who led a session titled “Building Confidence and Connections in PR.”
 
On the first day of ICON, PRSSA students from across the country listened to Gilmore give us that advice. Her session stayed with me throughout the rest of my trip: you will not get anywhere without taking risks! So, here is what I learned when taking risks at ICON. 
 
ICON is a three-day conference that hosts over 2,000 individuals. Attending ICON, and as a junior from Slippery Rock University, was one of the best opportunities I’ve taken thus far in my college career. I was able to attend eight sessions, two networking events and three dinners with students from other colleges across the country. 
 
I became a sponge, absorbing information from different sectors of PR, including sports, digital storytelling, social listening, crisis communication and developing brand marketing.
 
A session that most stood out to me was on my last day was hosted by Zeno Group. The session was about obtaining brand love, and I took the risk of wandering into this session alone, without my fellow e-board members. I am glad that I did because Zeno caught my attention when the speakers related generational qualities to the five love languages. The relation was as follows:
 

1. Physical Touch: Gen Alpha, the newest generation, wants physical touch. Gen Alphas are growing up with artificial intelligence and immersive experiences, so they enjoy brands that provide a physical product. They are also young, so their attention spans are short. A hands-on activity or product will engage them!
   
2. Words of Affirmation: Gen Z's love language is words of affirmation due to its unique lingo and need for reassurance. Gen Z loves a good partnership between brands, especially ones that meet members where they are on social media.  
3. Acts of Service: This one is for Millennials who care about the impact brands make on communities. This includes a brand’s ethics, customer service and action in the community. Millennials love a brand that acts.
   
4. Quality Time: Gen X needs quality time when looking for brands. Gen Xers have been around for a while, and they want their brands to stick with them. Not only do Gen Xers want brands to stick around, but they also want brands to deliver.  
5. Receiving Gifts: Boomers love to receive gifts! Whether through perks, loyalty programs or coupons, Boomers want brands that give back to them. Think about your favorite Boomers: how many loyalty cards do they have?

 
This session was greatly instructive, despite being my ninth and last session of ICON. As I was sitting in this session, my interest was piqued because I could relate demographics to an evergreen reference about love languages.
 
That is one of the big ideas of public relations: making a story and creating interest. Even after being drained from a conference, I was drawn in by a unique idea. This session inspired me to be creative, be curious and sharpen my public relations knowledge.
 
Another big risk I took at ICON was connecting with students and professionals from across the country. Being from a small school that many individuals have never heard of was a bit nerve-wracking. But, as it turns out, many people were interested in hearing about Slippery Rock University and the interests that I had.  These conversations turned into dinners and meet-ups before sessions that created valuable experiences for me. 
 
As a junior, I took a risk to engage throughout this conference in different sectors of public relations and found information and people who have helped my academic career. I am extremely thankful to all those who got me there and cannot wait to attend my next PRSA event!