Throughout this post I will examine the diversity efforts made by the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, specifically within the major of Public Relations.
Before I divulge on the topic of diversity issues in the major of public relations I would like to expand the definition of diversity. Traditionally diversity is seen as minority races such as, African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and the various other minority groups. I would like to expand this definition to include the disabled, LBGTQ and those who enter college later in life. By broadening the definition you allow for more inclusiveness.
Diversity in the College of Journalism and Communications- Public Relations Major

Within my major of Public Relations the words ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusiveness’ are not often reflected throughout the hierarchy that is PRSSA. Many of the students all tend to look alike, blonde or brunette and white. Often times the people they give information to, such as meetings with the Public Relations Advisory Council, are blonde or brunette and white.

This is a major problem for me because I am neither blonde or brunette nor white. So does this mean that I won’t have access to information that could potentially help me get an internship or a job?
No, this means for me and anyone else that doesn’t fit the mold must work harder and strive to get into the top ranks of our public relations pre-professional organization. Climbing the social hierarchy within this major could be quite a task for an incoming freshman. So this has led me to two different solutions.
More Inclusiveness within PRSSA

I first must commend PRSSA for already taking the first step towards inclusiveness by creating a diversity committee. This year they have elected Roland Walker a Junior African American male as the head of this diversity committee. Since this is the first time having this committee he will have full control over the direction and vision of the committee. I would suggest that he try to bring in more speakers of color, offer diversity training to current members and stress that diversity is more than just color and skin tone.
Unity Public Relations Association

Prior to PRSSA’s creation of a diversity committee I had already began working on my own to create an organization that would meet the needs of students who wanted to feel more included in a Public Relations pre-professional organization. After not feeling included in PRSSA and hearing the same concerns from fellow classmates I decided to create Unity Public Relations Association. UnityPRA was created with the mission to put the needs of diversity students first. We strive to give real world hands-on experiences that allow members to have a role in the organization. We also offer opportunities for Public Relation professionals from various backgrounds to talk to us about their experience about being a minority within their field. This organization offers more relatable experiences and opportunities to students of different races, sexuality and disabilities.

I met Tracy after her participation in the PRSA’s YPRP Mentorship event. This is an important detail because it shows how open she is to giving back to the community – something that we will discuss in more depth shortly. Speaking at that event was not a rarity for her. She is very visible and active in the Rochester area, and I think that sets a tone for the rest of the agency’s employees about attitudes and values.

I hope you can gain some insight into Tracy Till and her company through the interview that I conducted with her and Laurin Fox, Account Executive.

What kind of atmosphere do you strive to portray at Butler/Till?

Tracy: I wanted it to be a family atmosphere; a place where people could feel comfortable, protected, inspired, and participatory. Your culture is your brand, and ours is our family. It’s about being incredible, striving, and doing. It’s collaborative and it’s human. 

To me, I want people to walk in to our office and see us for who we are. At the same time, I want us to walk into other people’s offices and still see us for who we are. We are what you get, and that culture is very alive.

Tracy admits to not being very “corporate.” Whereas her partner, Sue Butler, is very detail and process oriented, she is more creative. They make a great duo, because they can balance each other out and provide the best of both types of leadership.

Rank the following in terms of their priority, in your opinion:

Clients, employees, Butler/Till, and the Rochester community

I think that you should treat your employees just as well as your customers, so I think they share a similar platform. Butler/Till would be third, and Rochester community is fourth.

My product is my employees and their skills. From a customer’s perspective, if I don’t have the right talent and I don’t train my employees, they can’t deliver what they need to. I need to be able to service customers who have unique needs. So caring for my employees directly influences the satisfaction of clients. We wouldn’t maintain our clients if we didn’t have great employees.

If employees and clients are treated well and they are in love with Butler/Till, it becomes clear that the agency and the community simply fall into place. The agency thrives, which in turn allows it to continue supporting the community. I was previously unaware that Butler/Till chooses one charity or local non-profit organization each month. A series of fundraisers throughout the month contributes to a donation to that charity.

The best part, in my opinion, is that the organizations are chosen by the employees of the agency. It gives individuals the chance to propose something that they are passionate about, and it’s fantastic that co-workers can provide support and get behind the cause.

Can you speak about the different ways that employees are able to grow and develop professionally at Butler/Till?

Laurin: One of the great things when I was starting out was that it was completely dependent on what I was interested. Everyone helped me learn about the things that I wanted to learn about. For me, it was being involved in digital media. As I grew, it became more about media buying and eventually account service. I’ve been able to do it all while I have been here. The agency has allowed me to grow the way that I wanted to grow.

Butler/Till University is set up similarly to a college curriculum in that you can take whatever courses you choose. Whatever you want to learn, there is someone here that is able to lead that class.

I want people to feel like they have an opportunity here. So growing and expanding their minds keeps employees invested and interested. Diversity of accounts and roles is what prevents us from getting stagnant.

Why should a young professional choose Butler/Till as their “dream job” instead of another agency?

First and foremost, our culture. Second, it’s the opportunities provided here from an account perspective and from an education perspective.

In large agencies, people can really learn the fundamentals of marketing. In smaller agencies, people can learn how to be nimble and be involved in the entire process. Butler/Till essentially combines those, and we can offer the best of both worlds.

Culture for me was really important. Everyone always said that Butler/Till was like a family, and why wouldn’t you want to be a part of a family? This is where we spend so much of our time, so it’s great when it doesn’t even feel like work.

The other part was that I wanted to be able to touch different things. There’s the ability at Butler/Till to master something and then move on to something else and constantly continue your development.

What are the top three characteristics you look for in an interviewing process?

I can really see Sparkle. I do well with finding talent that is eager and interested.

The passion in young professionals is what is important, and that’s what I like to see come out in an interview. And then, of course, knowing our business and knowing what we do is an important part of it. You would be surprised about the lack of preparation that sometimes exists.

Inside Butler/Till, it’s clear that “being remarkable” is more than a phrase written on the all. It’s an agency filled with movers and shakers that strive to create a an environment that embodies success, growth, and family.

Does it sound like your dream job?

Jim Mignano, Treasurer, Brockport PR Club

*Jim Mignano is the Treasurer of the Brockport Public Relations Club. He is a Junior, enrolled as a Communication Major and a Business Minor. He writes his own blog at Millennial’s Marketing, and you can follow him on Twitter, @J_Mignano.*

On Tuesday, March 19, the Young PR Professionals of Rochester hosted an event called “How to Create, Expand or Maximize your Mentorship Opportunities.” Hosted by Tom Proiretti, the panel included Dresden Engle, Kevin Kane, and Tracy Till. In other words, it was a dream-team panel for any student or young professional.

I heard a lot of great advice during the program, and following are the three major takeaways.

What is mentorship?

Dresden Engle: Mentorship is the generous sharing of knowledge with someone else.

Kevin Kane: Mentorship is a way to broaden your horizons and get outside your comfort zone to learn new things and meet new people.

Tracy Till: Mentorship is a relationship with someone who inspires you to learn and grow. It produces aspiration within you. I still have multiple mentors today.

How do you identify a mentor? What are they like?

Dresden: Mentors respect their colleagues and mentees. If they exude generosity, it says “I respect you and value you.”

Kevin: Mentors are non-threatening, and don’t feel intimidated by youth. Some experienced professionals might be afraid to help a younger generation, in fear that they could be replaced. Those might not be the best candidates for mentors.

Tracy: Mentors are incredibly passionate about what they do, and they love to share their brilliance. If someone frequently gives tips and shares valuable information, they might be a great mentor.

Okay, so mentors are good to have. How do I get one?

In a word: Networking. Tracy Till explained that sending out resumes when looking for a job is like a broad marketing campaign. Networking, though, is a much more targeted campaign. There are two easy ways to network with people in your field.

1. Informal networking interviews

Dresden: Professionals are usually flattered and happy to let students observe them or even come in to ask them questions about their jobs and companies.

Tracy: Anyone can email me, and I will always respond. Individuals should always respond to me, though. You need to be authentic and follow through.

Kevin: You need to think about your personal credibility and reputation when participating in interviews with professionals. Make a good impression.

2. Attending professional events sponsored by the PRSA or AMA

Kevin: Do your homework before the event. Know who will be there, who you want to see and speak with.

Tracy: If you’re shy, set a goal for yourself before each event. That might mean that you start out with the goal of shaking five hands, but eventually you will get more comfortable meeting new people. You can increase your goal as you get better at it.

I think the best advice of the night came from the panel’s moderator, Tom Proietti, who suggests that everyone learns their zip code’s “+4,” and include it when writing your address. It shows the intense attention to detail that many hiring managers look for. Once you build a relationship with a professional – “stay  on their radar.”

What would you add? How did you find your mentor?

I heard a lot of great advice during the program, and following are the three major takeaways.

What is mentorship?

Dresden Engle: Mentorship is the generous sharing of knowledge with someone else.

Kevin Kane: Mentorship is a way to broaden your horizons and get outside your comfort zone to learn new things and meet new people.

Tracy Till: Mentorship is a relationship with someone who inspires you to learn and grow. It produces aspiration within you. I still have multiple mentors today. 

How do you identify a mentor? What are they like?

Mentors respect their colleagues and mentees. If they exude generosity, it says “I respect you and value you.”

Mentors are non-threatening, and don’t feel intimidated by youth. Some experienced professionals might be afraid to help a younger generation, in fear that they could be replaced. Those might not be the best candidates for mentors.

Mentors are incredibly passionate about what they do, and they love to share their brilliance. If someone frequently gives tips and shares valuable information, they might be a great mentor.

Okay, so mentors are good to have. How do I get one?

In a word: Networking. Tracy Till explained that sending out resumes when looking for a job is like a broad marketing campaign. Networking, though, is a much more targeted campaign. There are two easy ways to network with people in your field.

1. Informal networking interviews

Professionals are usually flattered and happy to let students observe them or even come in to ask them questions about their jobs and companies. 

Anyone can email me, and I will always respond. Individuals should always respond to me, though. You need to be authentic and follow through.

You need to think about your personal credibility and reputation when participating in interviews with professionals. Make a good impression.

2. Attending professional events sponsored by the PRSA or AMA

Do your homework before the event. Know who will be there, who you want to see and speak with.

If you’re shy, set a goal for yourself before each event. That might mean that you start out with the goal of shaking five hands, but eventually you will get more comfortable meeting new people. You can increase your goal as you get better at it.

I think the best advice of the night came from the panel’s moderator, Tom Proietti, who suggests that everyone learns their zip code’s “+4,” and include it when writing your address. It shows the intense attention to detail that many hiring managers look for. Once you build a relationship with a professional – “stay  on their radar.”

What would you add? How did you find your mentor?

an Assistant Account Coordinator at Van Eperen & Company. 

Posting, liking, tweeting – and now – pinning! If your organization isn’t pinning and repinning, it may be time to get with it and join Pinterest.

The Public Relations Society of America National Capital Chapter recently hosted an event focusing on social media trends for 2013. Denise Graveline, a consultant at Don’t Get Caught and Anthony Shop, managing director of Social Driver, shared their opinions and knowledge of these trends to public relations professionals at the U.S. Navy Memorial & Heritage Center. Both experts stressed the importance of visuals and the social media platform Pinterest, which can help attract your audiences and direct them to your website blog and other social media pages.

Pinterest – previously explained by Laura Van Eperen in our Spring 2012 Newsletter – is a social media platform that allows users to create pinboards, a web-version of a bulletin board and pin or repin photos and videos of anything that interests them (hence the name Pinterest). Pinterest is the third largest social media platform, trailing only Facebook and Twitter and is the fastest growing social media network. According to this Mashable article, Pinterest is now almost as popular as Twitter. Based on Graveline and Shop’s discussion, here are three great tips for using Pinterest within an organization.

1. Pin visuals from your blog.
People don’t want to read a block of boring black and white text – they want visuals. Incorporating visuals into your blog posts will not only attract more readers but it will also allow you to pin these visuals to a pinboard. Pinterest users can then repin your visuals, passing along your organization’s news. Graveline gained a lot of traffic to her blog because of her Pinterest account. This brings us to the next tip.

2. Don’t be a one-way pinner.
You have to show loVE to get loVE (VE & Co.-style love). Follow other bloggers and pinners, interact with them and share their information on your pinboards. This will make them much more likely to reciprocate. As Shop puts it: “Social media is like a cocktail party,” meaning you have to mingle with other professionals on social media networks for your information to be seen and shared.

3. Incorporate your organization’s personality.
Social media platforms can be fun! While it’s important to share your organization’s news, be sure to incorporate some personality while doing so. Van Eperen and Company’s Pinterest account shares news and blog posts, but it also includes a pinboard on business casual attire.

Now, go pin and repin. Be sure to think about what unique pinboards your organization can create to demonstrate its personality.

About Kaitlin: Kaitlin, a dance fanatic and undercover-balloon-animal-maker, provides strategic communications, media relations and event coordination support for corporate, non-profit, government and entrepreneurial clients as an Assistant Account Coordinator with Van Eperen & Company. Kaitlin earned her B.A. in Communication, Public Relations from the University of Maryland, College Park in May 2012

Vice President: Megan Hoying

Firm Director: Mirko Mandic

PR Director: Christina Wilkerson

Financial Director: Kyle Green

Professional Development Director: Ashley Bowe

Member Relations Director: Jenn Shafer

Web-Designer: Cierra Yanok

We look forward to see all the exciting things this new Executive Board will accomplish in the coming school year!

Taking the plunge

Remember that old iced tea commercial where the person falls backward into the pool? That’s a little how making the decision to seek an accreditation in public relations (APR) feels.

Over the years, I’ve heard the arguments for and against getting an APR. For: It will demonstrate your expertise. Against: No one knows what it is, so why bother. Today, there are 5,000 PR professionals who have earned the APR certification. I’m seeing other functions (HR, fundraising, association executives) using credentials too. Online job applications ask for your credentials. That has created the tipping point for me.

In the beginning of my career, I wasn’t ready. Then I didn’t have time. Now that I’m looking for my next great job in public relations/integrated communications/marketing communications, I’ve decided to devote some of my time to professional development and earn the right to add some letters after my name. In short, I took the plunge.

After 25 years in communications, this should be easy, right? That’s what we’re about to find out together.

To summarize where I am in the process, I’ve applied to the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), paid the $385 fee*, joined a study group in Chicago, purchased several textbooks on PR (suggested by PRSA), and have attended one study group meeting. Tonight is our second study group meeting where we will discuss KSAs – Knowledge, Skills and Abilities — that will be tested in a readiness review and then a proctored computer exam. I have to complete the process — which also includes completing a questionnaire, assembling a portfolio, and participating in an oral readiness review – by the end of January 2014.

Right now, the textbooks are giving off that new semester excitement. I learned about public relations from great supervisors on the job and through continuing education seminars presented by the Publicity Club of Chicago and the Public Relations Society of America. I had a few books on PR and business, but nothing of this caliber. The thickest textbook includes chapters written by people with whom I have worked and respect. One of my former bosses consulted on one of the chapters — I’ll be sure to read that one! The book that I was most pleased to get was an updated edition of the AP Stylebook — that’s a book that I’ve had on my desk since day one at the PR agency (my first real PR job). This one has a spiral binding which is extremely user friendly (and reminds me of the first AP Stylebook that I used).

The purpose of the APR program is “to unify and advance the profession by identifying those who have demonstrated broad knowledge, experience, and professional judgment in the field.” Here we go.

* Upon completion of computer-based examination, PRSA offers a $110 rebate. Total cost = $275.

I attend a lot of business networking events and talk to a lot of smart, experienced and educated people who are on top of industry trends. I also enjoy talking to people who have just a little work experience. Sometimes the ones who have only a couple of years of work under their belts are more in the know about what’s hot and what’s not. 

The Silicon Valley Public Relations Society of America Future of PR round table earlier this year in East Palo Alto was excellent with Facebook, Dell and others on the panel, as was a meeting I recently had with Global Fluency, a marketing communications and strategy firm headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif. That firm runs the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council.

I used to work at Global Fluency in the early 90s when it was called something else. It was awesome to touch base with Donovan Neale-May who runs both Global Fluency and the CMO Council again after such a long time. The firm seems to be doing just fine and has evolved over the years along with the market.  It was great to see that Executive VP Dave Murray is still there and doing well.

Additionally, I enjoyed the Silicon Valley International Association of Business Communications (SV-IABC) event on gamification in Santa Clara in November.

I took notes at all of these gatherings and have put together the top three trends driving for PR now.

1. The new IR is influencer relations. 

There’s a new acronym in town. It’s IR. No, not investor relations. I mean influencer relations. Because so many people blog now, from large corporations executives and industry analysts to consumers posting on Yelp, organizations should be focused on influence and not necessarily “press relations,” “analyst relations,” or “client relations.” Typically the acronym for external relations is public relations but the term is often misused.

 Public relations actually means “changing someone’s mind.” But over the years, most of us in PR mostly came to know it as press relations.

I advise that all communications departments at organizations globally reorganize their staff and put all of their PR and external communications people in a group called influencer relations. Rumor has it that SAP done a bit of this already and if that’s true, good for them. Nice job IBM for calling its PR team “external relations” because that is a nice start in moving in the direction of the trend.

2. Content marketing is white hot. 

In order to gain attention and make noise in a crowded market place, companies must focus on being great content creators and communicators. It’s called content marketing. They need to hire people who can come up with timely and interesting content.  People with a journalism background do great at this task. Kudos to Global Fluency’s Dave Murray for his recent white paper related to this topic. Here’s the link:  http://www.globalfluency.com/news/index.html

3. Digital marketing is top of mind.

CMO Council and a partner firm recently released a survey (http://tinyurl.com/cckvb3e) that said, among other things, that the thing that most marketers are concerned about is digital marketing. Digitizing everything is a “modern” communications task and it’s an interesting change from decades ago when we just had to hire a graphic designer, write some prose, slap them together, get them printed and mail everything to the intended audience.

I believe the CMO Council survey was much more complicated and meaningful than my summary here, but that was still my key take away from it.

Today the communications expert or marketer creates smart and interesting content and then digitizes it so it can be properly socialized.

It’s wild when you think about communications 20 years ago versus today. Back then, you’d fax a press release to your top 10 reporters or mail a hard copy invitation to 100 customers. Today, you’d socialize survey results on Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and use the online invitation tool to get everyone to the party.

The funny thing is, I remember asking someone 20 years ago, “What did we do before faxes?”
My 12-year-old who is now begging me for his own Youtube account just asked me, “What’s a fax?”

If you want to keep up on the latest trends, join me and my other IABC colleagues at our March 21st luncheon at Michael’s at Shoreline in Mountain View, Calif. I’m a director with the SV-IABC and I personally invite you to come.  It’s not free but it’s also not expensive and the networking benefits are priceless.

This month’s speakers will talk about the pros and cons of consulting for a big IT corporation. To register, visit: http://www.sv.iabc.com/

###

What is public relations? Easy, it’s relations with the public. That’s never the answer people are looking for though. I’m graduating in May and still find it hard to easily explain what PR is to those who have never even heard of it.

My parents don’t understand what PR is and trying to explaining it to them is never easy. Friends think I’ll be living the lavish lifestyle, jet setting from city to city promoting celebrities. While this is certainly an aspect of public relations it is not all that PR professionals do. The responsibilities of those working in PR change daily, making it hard to simplify exactly what can we do.

From 2011-2012 PRSA, Public Relations Society of America, led an international campaign (of course they did a campaign, that’s one thing PR pros do) to modernize the definition of public relations. Before the campaign, the definition used for public relations was from 1982! While I wasn’t around then I’m 99.9% sure the meaning of public relations has changed in the past 30 years.  The campaign, Public Relations Defined, received hundreds of submissions. After nearly a year of research and 1,447 votes later the new, modern definition was revealed.

“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

This definition is simple and straight-forward. It focuses on the basic concept every public relation department has no matter the industry. The campaign got public relations professionals talking about their profession and motivated to think about that and define what their profession is. The current definition is not only helpful to those already in PR but can be useful to those just now being introduced to PR.

While every public relations position is different this new definition can be broken down and easily explain what PR is in a general sense. So if you’re having a hard time explaining to your parents what you plan on doing in PR after graduation or want to set your friends’ straight remember the new, improved definition and blow them away with your knowledge!

This week, during my spring break, I took the opportunity to attend the “Reputation Management in a Cyclone: Your CEO, Social Media, and a Bankruptcy” event hosted by the PRSA Rochester chapter featuring David Kasnoff. The presentation highlighted some of the best practices of reputation management and circled back to the key idea behind public relations: relationships.

Kasnoff discussed three micro crisis communication cases in his presentation: Lockheed Martin’s CEO’s affair with an employee, Applebee’s social media meltdown, and Kodak’s reputation challenges. Below is a summary of each issue:

Lockheed Martin and the CEO’s affair

• In November 2012 Christopher Kubasik was appointed to CEO and president of Lockheed Martin.
• Shortly after being appointed, Kubasik resigned after internal ethics found that he had a personal relationship with a subordinate that violated the company’s code of ethics.
• Kubasik took home a $3.5 million separation payment from the defense contractor.
• Lockheed Martin responded stating that Kubasik’s actions in no way reflected the strength of the company, and then proceeded to name Marillyn Hewson the new CEO and president.

Applebee’s social media meltdown

• After her dinner on Jan. 25, Pastor Alois Bell crossed out the automatic 18 percent tip charged for parties of more than eight. “I give God 10% why do you get 18,” she wrote above her signature.
• Employee Chelsea Welch took a picture of the receipt and uploaded it to the online site Reddit (which violated company policy) and was then fired from Applebee’s.
• Applebee’s received a great deal of backlash on Facebook, and responded with a generic “We wish this didn’t happen” post to all comments.

Kodak files for Chapter 11

• January 2012 Kodak filed for Chapter 11.
• Kodak responded to the filing by meeting with local stakeholders in person to preserve relationships.
• Kodak offered alternatives to cash in CSR efforts.
• Stakeholders responded with significant appreciation of in-person meetings.

After discussing these reputation management issues at each company, Kasnoff touched on the key messages to take away from his presentation:

• Public relations is about relationships.
• Social media is instantaneous, but remember to listen first.
• Don’t leave social media to an inexperienced person.
• Build relationships regularly with external stakeholders; you can’t buy a friend when you need one.
• Sync the crisis communications plan with the community relations plan.
• Be human. Say, “I’m sorry”.

These key messages can, and should, be applied to all reputation management issues. Every situation is different and sensitive in its own way, but remembering some of the best practices of issue management could prevent an issue from becoming a crisis and ruining the established reputation of a company. Kasnoff did an excellent job breaking down the  key messages and making them applicable not only to the examples he discussed, but to any reputation management issue an organization may face. The key messages are simple, but should not be underestimated.

I have researched and learned about reputation, issue and crisis management in a classroom setting, but found it reassuring to see the connection between my academic studies and this professional experience. At the core of the connection is the idea that public relations is about relationships. Relationships between a company and its key stakeholders are not to be overlooked, especially in reputation management, as highlighted by Kasnoff in his presentation.

SDSU had a great group of representatives in Miami!

With three very full days of presentations, I was pretty exhausted by the time I got to my own presentation (the very last session!). Luckily, it’s a very positive environment and there didn’t seem to be any judgment as I tripped over my words a few times. In fact, everyone was very kind and encouraging, just like they were last year.

IPRRC really has something for everyone in PR, as you can see in the program. If you are a practitioner, you are sure to find presentations relevant to your practice. If you are an academic, you are sure to find presentations relevant to your research interests. Right now, I’m both, and I found both.

Social media was one of the most popular research topics. From best practices to ethics to creating dialogue to measurement, there was a ton of discussion about social media. My paper was also related to social media, but focused on new PR professionals and why they are often the ones to take on social media tasks. If the topic interests you, go read my thesis! Haha… I know that won’t happen, but if you want a shortened version, I’d be happy to chat about it!

Finally put all the finishing touched on my resume and website! My ticket is printed and my outfit is picked out – all there is left to do is count down the days. Good things are about to happen – I can feel it.

Scripps PRSSA Regional Conference
March 16, 2013 – Athens, OH

Given the weather we’ve experienced here in the Boston area this semester, this respite could NOT have come at a better time!

Vacations…or “breaks” as colleges apparently like to call them…are important for us all. We all are charging ahead full-speed, doing several things at the same time and operating on adrenalin and caffeine…mostly caffeine!

My PR superstars at Curry are starting to look a little googly-eyed themselves, and I have had more than the usual number of what I refer to as “talking off the ledge” sessions persuading them that they CAN get through all this…that Professor “X” REALLY doesn’t hate them…that a particular course WILL make sense after a while…

What does this mean? STOP! Spring Break!!

Now I’m probably not the best person to be recommending this. Do as I say, not as I do! Had it not been for my wife’s insistence years ago that we start taking an extended vacation (3-4 weeks) once a year, I would still be working nonstop throughout the year.

I had always rationalized that attending business-related conferences (PRSA’s annual International Conference, for example) counted as a “vacation.” The way I figured it, I wasn’t teaching classes or advising students…even though, at the conferences, I often participate as a panelist or presenter for a breakout session or as a PRSA College of Fellows mentor for young up-and-coming professionals. That, to me, wasn’t “work.”

Margaret won, and we now chill in Taipei or elsewhere for a few weeks during which I only write my various blog posts, an occasional article for one of the English-language newspapers in Taipei, post updates on Facebook, Twitter, etc., and schedule meetings with local PR professionals and educators. Oh, yeah, and have my regular morning breakfast at The Bread, my favorite coffee/pastry shop in our neighborhood, where I can see and be seen.

But my troops need a real break. Most of them are your classic over-achievers…superstars in the classroom, involved in multiple on-campus activities, up to their ears in internships, and, often, working a part-time job to boot.

Is this good preparation for professional life?? I would argue “yes.”

• They’re mastering the multi-tasking skills that will serve them well as public relations (or virtually any career field) professionals.
• They’re developing time management skills that will enable them to keep some semblance of balance in their lives.
• And, with all this, they’re developing into responsible young adults.

But they need some “me” time. They need a chance to relax, have fun, and “be a kid.”

So I’m delighted that some of them are not responding to emails that I sent (to a group they belong to…not individually) or posting regularly on one of the social media platforms.

They’ve tuned out and logged off. They’ve put on the brakes and are on spring break!

“If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.” – Herodotus, “The Histories of Herodotus,” bk. II, ch. 173

Additionally the PRSA advises member to,

“Sever relations with any organisation or individual if such relationship requires conduct contrary to the articles of this Code.”

However, in reality, a practitioner will be reluctant to ‘sever relations’ with an organisation that is paying for his or hers services. If a practitioner has financial responsibilities and a family to support etc, they are unlikely to leave a comfortable position in favour of their moral conscience, especially in the current financial climate.

Often the codes of conduct are ambiguous and open to interpretation. They are also not clear as to who should be prioritised first by PR practitioners, the organisations they work for or the publics they speak to. The PRSA promotes ‘mutually beneficial relationships between organisation and publics’ but fails to provide guidance for when obstacles surrounding this situation present themselves. In case of this event, the practitioner is advised to act in the way which causes the least amount of harm. However preventing harm may be achieved by withholding certain pieces of information, which then too can be deemed unethical and subsequently defeats the second principle of ethics, veracity.

Ultimately the triumph of either harm or truth is reduced to a judgement call by the practitioner, which relies on a mature ethical grounding.

Therefore, at the end of the day, the adoption of ethical practice depends on the individual and thus ethics are culturally specific. 2 factors determine how and why ethics are adopted; situational factors i.e. education, religion and personality etc, and secondly individual factors i.e. age, sex and nationality etc.

With these factors in mind, ethical codes are effective as long as the individual allows; if people are willing to lose their jobs or client accounts because of their ethical values then the codes of conduct will govern their work more so than if an individual does not have a mature moral conscience.  To those who do not have a strong moral standing, ethical codes will merely act as a veneer or ‘window dressing’ to persuade those outside of the industry that PR professionals work to a strict moral code.

Additionally it has been proven that a practitioner is more likely to follow a code of conduct if they are positively reinforced or rewarded for their ethical behaviour.

On the flip side of this, determining whether ethics are used or not could matter more dependent upon who is enforcing the behaviour i.e. higher management. Ethical codes are ineffective amongst PR practitioners who view themselves as agents of a higher authority; that is to say that if the matter of ethics lies with an individual of a higher decision making level than the practitioner, the practitioner may subsequently believe that adhering to ethical codes is not their duty, but that they must simply do as their boss tells them to.

There exists an increasingly important link between members of higher management setting a precedent for the application of ethical behaviour among its practitioners. Moral character, ethical attitude and intelligence of top level managers within a firm significantly impact the ethical nature of an agency and its practitioners. Top level managers serve as role models, provide ethics training and enforce appropriate discipline for those who practice unethical behaviour.

In conclusion the effectiveness of ethical codes is dubious as their use depends on practitioners and their environments, and thus there can never be a universal code that is applicable for everyone. Since the code of conduct, as promoted by the PRSA, has now shifted to serve an inspirational function, their effectiveness has increased. This is reflected in the growing number of agencies who require new employees to sign and understand a code of conduct, even if they are not members of a professional organisation. Through education practitioners will clearly identify the governing principles of ethics. Consequently ethics will become more consistent practitioners’ work which allowed them to build more trust with their clients and stakeholders. K

[ONE]: Have an interview coming up?

According to these tips for a phone interview, watching something that makes you laugh or puts you at ease right before the big call will calm your nerves and enhance your performance. Here’s the pep talk I chose before today’s big interview:

[TWO]: What is the difference between branding and marketing?

It’s something I never really thought about until the question was posed by the recent New Pros PRSA Twitter Chat.

My favorite, straightforward explanation by @Alexa_Tomey:

[THREE]: Where are you headed?

I’m anxiously anticipating the upcoming Scripps PRSSA networking trip to NYC, which is how I came across the Kate Spade City Guides. Say “Kate Spade” and you have my interest, but tell me all the places I must eat while traipsing through a new city and I’m in love.

Guides to cities around the world including Tahiti, Chicago, Shanghai and more are listed, offering everything from the best hotels to what should be included on your packing list. Hint: bookmark, now.

What have you learned this week?

As public relations students we often hear about the importance of strong, positive relationships between PR professionals and their clients. The ability to build these relationships is one of the greatest skills a communicator can master. It was not until I became account liaison of Red Stick PR that I fully understood just how important it is.

To have a successful client/agency relationship PR professionals must possess strong communication skills. Ken Jacobs offers quick tips to building such relationships on the Public Relations Society of America website. His tips are as follows:
1. Listen
2. Understand their world
3. Understand their fears
4. Use their language
5. Care
6. Be proactive
7. Become strategic
8. Change with them
9. Be the call your client wants to take
10. Articulate your standards
11. Create win-win situations
12. Go to them

Most of these tips seem very obvious, but when public relations practitioners get bogged down in the details of a campaign, these simple things can be overlooked. When we began our campaign for Fellowship Church our first course of action was to set up a client interview with the head pastor of the South Ascension location, Todd Blount. The purpose of this interview was first to get historical information and details about how the organization functions on a daily basis. The second purpose of the interview was to get a feel for the client and the church’s needs as an organization.

It was important for us to absorb as much information as we could from Blount in order to understand Fellowship Church’s world and the challenges it faces on a daily basis. As an agency it was also important for us to hear Fellowship Church’s mission and vision for the future, which helped us develop a passion for our campaign. The client interview was a huge success. The agency members and the client left with respect for each other and excitement for what was to come.

Thus far in our campaign I have been in constant, open communication with Blount. We have asked for his feedback before proceeding with fliers, coupons and event plans. Along with giving us his opinions about the work we are doing for the church Blount is engaged and interested in the specifics about our ideas and plans for the campaign. When we talked last week he expressed interest in the strategic messaging plan. Because of his history in communication Blount is familiar with most of the things we have done. Red Stick PR is very fortunate to have a client as interested and helpful as Blount at Fellowship Church.

Our next client meeting is Friday, March 8, 2013, at D’Vinci’s Cafe’ in Gonzales, La. The goal of this meeting is to finalize details about our teacher appreciate event in April. Once we have hammered down these final details we will proceed in putting our event plan memo into action. Check back on our blog next week to find out what progress we have made with the event.

For more information on Fellowship Church or to keep up with its progress via other sources, check out the website, Facebook and Twitter (@FC_Prairieville). For more information about me, please check out my Twitter (@jordanwhitneyc), Pinterest or LinkenIn profile. Thanks for reading.

Attending PRSSA and PRSA members with Fred Garcia. Picture courtesy of Prof. Betsy Hays.

Here are some of the insights he shared:

• Communication is an integral part of business, not an afterthought.
• We can’t move people if we don’t connect with them. Meet them where they are. Care about what your audience cares about.
• The single biggest predictor of failure is the perception that we don’t care.
• It isn’t the bad thing that happens that affects you, but what you do after.
• Silence in the face of a crisis gives the impression you don’t care.
• Know when you need to start communicating in a crisis situation:
  - Will those who matter to you to do or say something now?
  - Will silence be seen at indifference?
  - Are they talking about you and already shaping perception?

Thanks to Fred for visiting with our students and PRSA Central CA for helping us bring him to our campus.

Did you attend this event? What do you think is the most important thing to do in a crisis situation?

Reblogged from Boston University PRSSA:

If you had to miss PRAdvanced last Saturday, you truly missed out. It was an amazing day filled with honest advice and new perspectives all surrounding the theme of “Embrace the Possibilities”. This post is a quick wrap up of the event, a mix of what I learned from the conference and what the speakers said which really inspired me. However, you don’t even have to read this post to know what happened because almost every person that attended the conference was live tweeting, using #PRAdvanced.

Read more… 509 more words

PUBLICITY! REPUTATION MANAGEMENT! CRISIS MANAGEMENT! EVENTS! CUSTOMER RELATIONS!…. and the list goes on……

Unlike other professions, PR cannot be easily distinguished. One PR practitioner’s role could be on the other end of the spectrum compared to another practitioner. Differences in clients, values, needs and organisations are all contributing factors to this dilemma.

Conflicting views about what the profession offers surely has some impact on how it is viewed by both clients and the public. It is my own opinion that the lack of definition of PR is fuelling shows such as ‘What happens in Kavos’ and the nightclub industry to believe that standing outside of clubs and handing out flyers is ’PR’. Although any practitioner could assure these people that it is certainly not, what is the industry doing to prove its value?

Often, negotiation is the key to settling a dilemma; acting as mutual understanding to resolve differences, however it has not proven to be successful for providing PR with a definition as practitioners simply disagree and often provide their own to clients.

Some PR definitions include:

“The management of communication between an organisation and its publics.”- Grunig & Hunt

“The result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you. Public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.”- CIPR

“Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other. Public Relations broadly applies to organizations as a collective group, not just a business; and publics encompass the variety of different stakeholders.”- PRSA

My view is that three words which should be used within every definition of PR include communication, engagement and reputation. My reasoning behind the three words is this; without communication PR would not exist, without engagement PR would not be able to prove its success and reputation is the final result of the communication and engagement.

Do you think PR practitioners simply need to ‘agree to disagree’?  OR is a final negotiation for a formal definition required?

Sandra mencatat. Pertumbuhan blog dan media sosial telah meningkatkan jumlah berita online. Tapi, kecepatan mempublikasi sebuah berita seringkali mengorbankan kualitas.  ”Misinformasi dan rumor dapat cepat menyebar  dan cukup memicu reaksi, terutama bila mereka berkompromi dengan akurasi dengan mengatasnamakan kecepatan,” tulis Sandra dalam situs PRSA.

Oleh karena itu, Sandra memprediksi, di tahun 2013 adalah tahun kembali dihormatinya wartawan. Masyarakat akan lebih mencari berita bermutu, yang dihasilkan dari standar jurnalisme yang tinggi. Dan sebaliknya, jurnalisme warga atau citizen journalism akan kehabisan tempat di hati masyarakat.

Tren berikutnya adalah dikemasnya pesan komunikasi dalam bentuk foto dan beragam tampilan visual. Tren “the picture is the story” itu seperti mengembalikan pepatah lama yang mengatakan sebuah foto mewakili lebih dari seribu kata-kata.

Selanjutnya, praktisi PR akan menggunakan handphone nya untuk menyebarluaskan pesan kepada jutaan pelanggan dan juga para wartawan. “Praktisi PR sudah belajar merancang email dengan judul yang menarik perhatian, dan mengirimkan sebuah pesan singkat sebanyak 14o karakter. Kini gilirannya merancang isi pesan yang mobile-friendly yang  digunakan oleh jutaan pelanggan dan para jurnalis sebagai sumber informasi primer.”

Tren berikutnya adalah tentang Linkedin.  Adanya fitur  ”endorse” di jejaring sosial kaum profesional ini akan mendorong penggunanya berlama-lama di sana dan menghabiskan banyak waktu untuk memperbaharui halaman profilnya. Hal itu akan dimanfaatkan oleh lebih banyak pengiklan untuk memasang iklan di Linkedin.

Lalu, Twitter. Akan semakin tren bagi para politisi untuk memantau opini konstituennya lewat Twitter.

Dan akhirnya, pertumbuhan social media akan memaksa PR profesional untuk mempelajari dan mengikutinya. Keahlian baru, pendekatan baru, dan menemukan kreativitas baru dalam memberikan jasa yang terbaik kepada kliennya, adalah wajib hukumnya.

Siapapun klien Anda, kata Sandra, tahun ini pastinya akan menjadi tahun perubahan bagi praktisi PR profesional.***