PRSA-NCC Providing Value in 2009

Spring is officially here! If you were unable to make it to our recent events, we have many more to come in April! So save the date for a professional development workshop, a committee meeting, or a networking event. If you missed the March 25 "Tips for Sharing Value in 2009," be sure to pull down the podcast from the PRSA-NCC Web site. Attendees raved about the ideas that were shared!

PRSA-NCC is also excited to host PRSA National's board meeting here at the National Education Association (NEA) on April 16-18. A Public Affairs Roundtable is planned for Thursday evening, April 16, and all members are invited. (Due to this event, please note that our regular NCC board meeting has been moved to April 23, from 6-8:30 p.m. at MS&L, 1133 21st Street, NW (21st & L), Washington, DC 20036.)

Keeping in line with this year's theme of value - I want to note the value of awards - specifically participation in our chapter's annual Thoth Awards! The call for entries is now on the PRSA-NCC Web site. I want to encourage every member to participate by compiling at least one award entry (remember you can submit multiple entries!)

When submitting an entry, you see your work and the communication process in action. You also highlight not only your contribution, but your organization's programs and/or campaigns. What I saw as a judge in the past made me very proud to be part of the PR profession. The quality of work, the level of professionalism, and the community-service minded initiatives were all stand outs.  Plan now to get your entries ready and in by the June 5 (early bird) and June 19 (final) deadlines.

Questions? E-mail or call me at:  barbara.burfeind@dma.mil or 703-428-0712. And I hope to see you soon at one of our many upcoming events!

Sincerely,

Barbara Burfeind, APR

PRSA-NCC President, 2009

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PRSA-NCC Sponsors BlogPotomac2009 Coming on June 12

PRSA-NCC is a sponsor of BlogPotomac, 2009's premiere social media marketing "unconference" for greater Washington, DC, which will be held on Friday, June 12, at The State Theater in Falls Church, Va. Stemming from the success of the first BlogPotomac in 2008, this year's event will provide attendees insights about social media best practices from some of the communications industry's most renowned minds.

This one-day affordable event will feature seven sessions from some of the sharpest minds in the business, including this year's keynote, author Shel Holtz. In addition to the list of presenters, Jen McClure, executive director, Society for New Communications Research (SNCR), will keynote the BlogPotomac speakers' dinner on Thursday, June 11. 

The nationally recognized social media sessions' speakers include:

•    Political Blogger Shireen Mitchell on Government 2.0 and political blogging
•    Ford Social Media Lead Scott Monty on integration of social media from a corporate perspective
•    SOBCon Organizer and Blogger Liz Strauss will kick off the afternoon sessions
•    Social Media Consultants Aaron Brazell (Technosailor) and Amber Naslund (Altitude Marketing) will discuss personal branding versus "team" social media
•    Network Solutions Social Media Swami, Shashi Bellamkonda will discuss how social media has changed the world by requiring immediate response

Tickets cost $95. Proceeds will be donated to the DC Central Kitchen. To register, please visit http://blogpotomac2009.eventbrite.com/. For additional details about the event, visit www.blogpotomac.com.

PRSA-NCC Diversity Committee Off to a Great Start; Seeking New Members

As the world around us changes, it is important that we, as public relations professionals, know and understand our changing environment - the diverse audiences and how to effectively communicate with them.

This year, NCC's Diversity Committee is focused on a holistic approach to diversity to engage the organization's membership and to partner with Chapter committees to offer inclusive, seamless programming activities and resources.

We are also committed to generating a national conversation with other PRSA diversity committees to foster a cooperative effort within the association.  Ultimately, we hope this leads to a unique partnership and a network of support for the 2010 PRSA National Conference, which will be held in Washington, DC.

We invite you to join us as we explore the growth of diversity within the industry and the nation.  To be a part of this year's diversity committee, please contact Patty Briotta at pbriotta@nafcu.org or Alana Hill at Alana.JHill@gmail.com.
 

Aspiring to Write a Great Speech?  Tips to Take You There Now Available Online

by Kimberly Mikec

Writing a great speech takes hard work and time; as Michelangelo said, "If you knew how much work went into it, you wouldn't call it genius." However, at the 2009 Speechwriters Conference hosted in February by Ragan Communications and PRSA, some noted speechwriters offered some tips to make it a little easier and a lot better.

Before writing the speech, the first step is to determine the purpose, which should be easily summed up in one sentence. Next, decide how long it should be and keep in mind that the attention span of an audience begins to wane after 20 minutes. Remember too that there is still Q&A time afterwards. One suggestion to keep things organized for your speech is to create a "spec" sheet, which would include items such as:

•    Name of person who will be speaking;
•    Date and time of speech;
•    Address and room number (include driving directions if unfamiliar);
•    Audience size and composition;
•    Topic(s) to cover;
•    Personal connections between speaker and audience (e.g., personal ties, previous speeches to this group)
•    People to acknowledge, if any;
•    Speech composition (e.g., full text, text with PowerPoint, notes only, outline only)

Once information is gathered, outline the speech. Include the thesis, the three main points as well as supporting facts, anecdotes and the conclusion that will call the audience to action. As always, avoid jargon, clichés, offensive terms and words that may be difficult to say.  Repeat important points for emphasis, but don't overdo it.

Once you have a draft, edit for length and eliminate long sentences and paragraphs; try to keep sentences to no more than 15 words and paragraphs to one or two sentences each.  Read it backwards and/or change the size of the font as errors will be more noticeable this way.  Now you are ready to prepare for presentation. Visit the PRSA-NCC web site for more tips on speechwriting, compiled by Aaron Ellis, APR,.   Also, don't miss PRSA-NCC member Kimberly Mikec's review of the event here.
  

AAPA/PRSA's Detroit Chapter's Strategic Communications Planning, Execution & Measurement Seminar Available to PRSA-NCC Members June 23-25

Created for public relations practitioners from all industries, PRSA-NCC member Aaron Ellis is organizing a comprehensive, two and a half day program June 23-25 in Detroit, Michigan, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center that will explore the full scope of developing a successful strategic communications plan. On the third day, participants will be challenged in an interactive workshop session to write a plan of their own.  Seminar sessions will include:

- The value of a well-developed strategic public relations program
- Outlining the necessary ingredients for a successful plan
- Audience perception polling
- Defining your goals and objectives
- Assessing your time, money & staff resources
- Determining the best communications "tools" for the job
- Formal and informal communications audits
- Case studies, tips, and a half-day interactive writing workshop

Seminar registration for PRSA/AAPA members is $765; $880 for non-members; $150 if taking only Friday, June 25 half-day strategic PR plan writing workshop (included in full seminar fee).

For more information on the program, registration and lodging go to the AAPA Web site or call Aaron Ellis at 703-684-5700. 

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Andrea Koslow   
Corporate Advertising
American Red Cross National Headquarters

1)    Why did you join PRSA? 

I joined PRSA in the hopes of reconnecting and connecting with colleagues in the DC area.  I hope to learn some new things too! 

2)    How long have you been in the PR field?

13 years

3)    What skills are required to do your job? 

When it comes down to it, there is lot of sales involved in nonprofit marketing and public relations.  There's in-selling to organizational stakeholders that involves regular presentations and updates on campaigns and there's ongoing sales of campaigns to external audiences of all kinds-from the media to supporters and volunteers and prospects.  So a mission-centered sales mentality is pretty critical to this job, along with the requisite production, distribution, account management type skills that most PR jobs require.

4)    What's your greatest career achievement? 

My greatest career achievement to date is being able to combine my skills as a communicator with my personal mission of helping people at the same time.  The fact that my team wins some pretty impressive awards while doing so is a bonus.

5)    Where would you like to see yourself in five years? 

Nowadays, we all hope we're still employed in five days-five years seems a long way away.  What I know at this point is that I hope my career in five years can continue to mirror my humanitarian instincts.

6)    How do you begin each day? 

Highly caffeinated.

7)    What's your dream job?

 To be a permanent member of a clinical trial group studying the benefits of daily therapeutic massage. 

8)    Who's your role model, and why do you admire him/her?

I admire so many people but lately Captain Sullenberger has topped the list.  He showed us all how being ready saves lives-a message we share everyday at the Red Cross.  He also was an example of how being calm during crisis is contagious.  Oh and he also gave me reason number 2401 not to be scared during turbulence.

9)    What's the last book you read or movie you saw? 

Frost/Nixon.

10)    Tips for maintaining the elusive work/life balance? 

My best tip involves getting home at a reasonable time.  I got a dog.  His name is Whiskey and he gets me home at a pretty regular time every night, which has been a blessing.  I can finish up from my home office if need be.   Needless to say, there were quite a few raised eyebrows the first time I flew out the door saying, "Goodnight, I really have to get home for Whiskey!" 

If you've joined the chapter within the past six months and would like to receive a questionnaire, please contact newsletter@prsa-ncc.org. To view past new Member Spotlights, visit the membership section of the Web site.

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What are recent developments that have taken place in public relations? Also, what are important steps with the growth of PR?-KJK, Vermillion, SD

KJK: I think the most important development in public relations that has taken place during my career is the growth of social media as a communications tool.  The public relations professional no longer has to rely on the media as the "gatekeeper" to a specific audience--he or she can communicate with individuals within that audience directly. 
 
I attended the 2008 International Conference of the Public Relations Society of America, primarily to learn more about Web 2.0, or "social media." And although I picked up a number of new terms, techniques and concepts, I was struck by how much social media relies on tried and true communications principles. For example: 
 
•    The oft repeated statement "Content is King" was always the case for serious communicators, who focus on creating messages-not glitz-that will resonate with their target audiences. But the emphasis on content in interactive media underscores the importance of a skillful communicator.  
•    "Brands don't communicate-people do." That sounds rather forward-thinking until you realize that word-of-mouth communication has always been the most effective. Good communication is about creating "buzz"-to get people talking about your brand.  
•    That leads to another catchphrase: "Create evangelists for your brand." A good communications plan always includes "influencers" like editorial writers, community leaders and celebrities as target audiences. 

One speaker gave comfort to "seasoned" PR pros who are struggling with Web 2.0. "While the public relations landscape seems to change at rapid speed, there are certain things that never change," said Kami Watson Huyse of MY PR Pro. "With the exploding growth of social media, the need for strategic thinking has never been more important."  

Which leads to the answer to your second question: "What are important steps with the growth of PR?"  There is no doubt that today's communications professional needs to think strategically as well as act tactically.  If you are to become valuable to your employer, you need to understand the organization's strategic goals-especially its communication goals.  Using new tools with traditional communications principles may be the best hope for success in today's changing economy. 

Regards,
Fred Whiting, APR

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