We just finished our group’s annual conference – this time in beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico. We were privileged to experience the island’s warm hospitality, the beautiful city of Old San Juan and outstanding food!
Among our opportunities to experience the culture that is uniquely Puerto Rico was a collaborative visit by a dozen of our members to the Museo de Art Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (Museum of Contemporary Art – MAC).
Truly, MAC is not what we might typically think of in terms of “museum.” Yes, they have an extensive collection of modern artistic expression by Puerto Rican artists along with... ⇢ read more
As public relations counselors, we’re used to preparing our clients for how to deal with bad news. But, this past September 2018, our client experienced the opposite issue – how to avoid being overwhelmed by good news!
United Food Bank of Mesa, Arizona, learned that it would receive an abundance of USDA bonus food, along with trade mitigation foods resulting from U.S. trade renegotiations. In all, the food bank would receive about 3 million additional pounds of food, most of it requiring refrigeration.
For a food bank, 3 million pounds... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President Write Ideas, Inc., and Editor/Founder of PRCG Powerlines
The 14th Annual PRConsultants Group is a wrap, and it was the 3rd time this international group of PR pro’s had “boots on the ground” in the Lone Star State (Texas). This year’s theme, “Passport to Creativity,” inspired the 50 members attending to consider new, innovative ways to add color and relevance to PR campaigns around the world.
Here are some of my favorite highlights:
Keynote speaker C.C. Chapman, author and marketer, presented “Finding Inspiration & Staying Relevant in Today’s Marketplace.” He had tons of tips, and some of... ⇢ read more
There have been a few events/circumstances that occurred recently, which have prompted me to consider starting a new movement. Who's with me?
“What is it?” you are asking? Well, I would like to propose a new direction/focus to the practice of Public Relations and call it…Common Sense Communications. I think it might better explain what we do and how we personally approach the discipline as it relates to our clients and life in general.
A client called recently with a potential crisis at its facility, which was brought to their attention by a customer. Without providing all the important information to us,... ⇢ read more
Everyone needs to occasionally step outside of the daily “grind” to regain a broader perspective. For us, that opportunity is our annual conference with our PRConsultants Group.
We just returned from two jam-packed days in Albuquerque with colleagues from across the U.S. brainstorming, sharing best practices and building new connections with one another. Colleagues shared their case studies, strategies and insights. We listened to excellent speakers, like Martin Waxman and Steve McKee, who challenged us to embrace change and rethink old assumptions.
For teamworks communication management, this annual conference gives us a chance to refresh our own business plans. We always come... ⇢ read more
By Tom Garrity, President of The Garrity Group
Previously, we’ve discussed what nonprofits can do to increase their relevance before their target audiences. Today, we’ll tackle some thoughts on things that corporate leaders should consider when identifying ways to contribute time and resources for a nonprofit or community issue:
Look at existing resources – How much time and personnel do you “really” have to set aside? Answer that question before you start creating your target list.
What do you really want to accomplish? – If you are reading this, then chances are you want to make meaningful change. It is always good to... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President, Write Ideas, Inc. and Founder/Editor of PRCG Powerlines, @WriteIdeasPR
When 40 public relations consultants get together, there’s bound to be some magic sparks. This year’s 11th Annual PRConsultants Group Conference in Orlando, Florida, was a great example of long-time peers collaborating on the latest in strategy, technology, valuation, community service, and creativity in the field of PR. Created this year by a fabulous duo, Susan Hamburg and Brendy Barr, along with their committee, here are some highlights of the Orlando Conference:
Situated at the newly renovated B Resort in Lake Buena Vista, the group was treated to... ⇢ read more
Cousin Eddie, the infamous befuddled relative from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, is someone who makes the hair on the back of neck stand on end.
Cousin Eddie will say and do the most outlandish things that leave you forcing a smile, scratching and shaking your head, and questioning the integrity of your family.
In marketing terms, Cousin Eddie is not relevant and does not succeed in connecting with his intended target markets.
More on Cousin Eddie in a moment.
This year, my “year end” mail started to arrive a few weeks before Thanksgiving. You know those stamped deliveries in the presorted envelopes with your... ⇢ read more
By Deb Trivitt, President, Trivitt Public Relations
Omaha Gives 2013 was a recent opportunity for Omaha non-profits to raise money via a social media campaign orchestrated by the Omaha Community Foundation.
This one day fundraiser (yep, just 24 hours) was hugely successful for some agencies and woefully disastrous for others. I have two nonprofit clients. One in each category. What was the difference? Why did one raise $23,000 and the other $3,000. I think this video, How to Increase Your Online Giving With Social Media, explains it.
We are now working to get both clients’ online presence better established and identifying on-line ambassadors... ⇢ read more
by Amy Kossoff Smith
Write Ideas, Inc.
@WriteIdeasPR
This year’s PRConsultants Group Conference rallied 32 PR pros from around the country in Kansas City for professional development, networking, and some CSI (Communication Strategies and Innovation) fun. Conference Chairs Alex Greenwood, Barb Harris, and Sharon Kreher, along with a committee*, planned 2+ jam packed days of seminars, meals at local KC hot spots, and a Mystery “Who Dunnit” dinner where members took on “identities” from the roaring ‘20s to compete to find out “who killed Ed Malone.”
All in good fun, and keeping with the CSI crime theme, the conference was a killer success!
Sessions along... ⇢ read more
It is now almost commonplace, getting bombarded by people asking for your “vote”. I am not talking about candidates running for public office. This is the barrage of organizations that are seeking you to vote for their businesses as a part of a social media contest.
Some of the successful “contests” include the Pepsi Refresh Challenge and Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good campaigns; these programs enable organizations to tell their story, while competing for a prize, through public votes, that will benefit its mission. The latest craze is Mission: Small Business sponsored by Chase and LivingSocial.
Organizations enter into these online beauty... ⇢ read more
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