Make Your Plans Now to Attend the PRSA 2010 International Conference

I've registered for the PRSA 2010 International Conference: Powering PRogress (October 16–19, Washington, D.C.). Have you? The description below is from the PRSA national web site.

The value of public relations has never been more critical than it is today. If you are responsible for your organization’s communication outcomes, learn how public relations can enable you to reach your goals.

Today’s “information environment” is the new business environment, and you must learn how to navigate this terrain or risk being left behind. Innovative technologies and trends have extended the communications playing field and changed the game. There are new channels and new opportunities around every corner. The lines are blurring between communication disciplines, due to economic need and audiences’ insatiable thirst for information.

Now is the time to extend your skills and leverage the power of communications. Join thousands of communications professionals in Washington, D.C., the epicenter of thought leadership, for the PRSA 2010 International Conference, Oct. 16–19.

This year’s conference features keynote presentations from some of the most influential and respected thought leaders in the areas of social technology emergence, online research, branding, crisis communication, and public affairs, including: Bettina Luescher, chief spokesperson, United Nations World Food Programme; Bill Tancer, author of “Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why It Matters — Unexpected Insights for Business and Life”; Jeffrey Hayzlett, author of “The Mirror Test: Is Your Business Really Breathing?”; Charlene Li, author of “Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead, and co-author of “Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies”; and Shaping the Debate: Public Affairs Strategies and the Health Care Reform Bill public affairs panel.

Take part in more than 80 sessions within four tracks focusing on innovative strategies, effective tactics and techniques, specialization and practice areas, and the Business Case for Public Relations. The conference also features additional emphasis on the latest strategies in social media and public affairs.

This is the one event that covers all aspects of public relations and communications for the price of registration. Plus, if you aren’t already a PRSA member, you will receive a free one-year PRSA National membership with your paid PRSA 2010 International Conference Package 1 registration**. Be a part of a vibrant community of public relations practitioners who count on PRSA for their professional needs. As a member of our community, you will engage with experts, learn new public relations and communications strategies, shape your career, and have opportunities to participate in networking and leadership at the local and national levels.

It’s all here at the PRSA 2010 International Conference in Washington, D.C. You should be here too.

Register by Aug. 27 and save $200*.

See the Interactive Brochure

Registration Bonus: *The first 750 Package 1 registrants will receive a free copy of Li’s new book, “Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead,” which you will receive during conference check-in.

Conference Schedule at a Glance

** This offer applies to Package 1 Conference registrants only and is valid for PRSA National membership. Chapter and Professional Interest Section dues are additional.

Member Rediscovers River during Chapter Event

The history of the River Walk can be traced back to 1536, and has been the lifeblood of the area ever since…first with life sustaining water for both visitors and eventually inhabitants, and now as a tourist attraction that significantly impacts the economy of the area.

On June 30, the PRSA/SA Chapter and local IABC Chapter held a joint mixer with the San Antonio River Foundation at the oldest VFW Hall in Texas. The Southern-style plantation home was the perfect setting for us to get on a barge to float on the year-old Museum Reach of the River Walk.

The weather was perfect. The storms held off, the temperature cooled, and the evening was extremely relaxing and tranquil as we passed through lush landscaping and under some amazing artwork. Probably the most famous artwork are the 25, 7-feet long fish under the I-35 overpass adjacent to Camden Street. My favorite was the “sonic passage,” where world renowned sound artist Bill Fontana placed sequenced speakers under the bridge to emit a blend of recorded and live broadcasts from multiple locations along the river. It is eerily calming to the senses.

Another highlight for me was going through the lock and dam system. I’ve been through many of these across the U.S., but big or small, it is always amazing and a thrill for me. I don’t understand the engineering of it at all, and that mystery helps make it special.

As we glided along, we were told about the next phase for the River. It won’t be accessible by barge, but will form a unique park space throughout the Missions area with new hike and bike trails along the banks of the San Antonio River. Through the work of the San Antonio River Authority and the San Antonio River Foundation, this Mission Reach will be completed in 2014.

Those earlier explorers knew what an important gem the river flowing through this area was going to be to the survival and vitalization of the area. The San Antonio River Authority’s mission is to protect and preserve our shared water resources and pursue innovative solutions that will serve generations to come. I’m grateful for what our forefathers and our current leaders are doing to revitalize the river, while keeping its charm and even some mystery intact.

Guest Post by Monica Faulkenbery, APR, Assistant Communications Director for NISD and a board member for the PRSA San Antonio Chapter. This event was free to members. For more PRSA events, visit the chapter web site.

And the Winner Is...The Million Bulb Challenge by CPS Energy

Next in a series on winning entries from the Del Oro Awards 2010
La Plata – Community Relations entry

As the nation’s largest municipally owned natural gas and electric utility with 707,000 electric customers and 322,000 natural gas customers, CPS Energy needed to lower the cost of operating their rebate program and increase community awareness of the value of saving money while saving energy through rebates.

The Million Bulb Challenge campaign improved an existing compact fluorescent light (CFL) rebate program and presented the community with a clear goal – to distribute and rebate 1 million CFLs in 2009. Partnering with HEB and Home Depot would lower rebate costs through providing customers instant rebates and also helped overcome price barriers to the bulbs. A successful campaign would save more than 30 million kilowatt-hours and eliminate 4.4 million pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions.

CPS Energy publicized the program through its Energy Connection newsletter and held community events throughout the year to educate consumers on the cost-saving benefits of CFLs. A press conference in May, beginning the time of highest energy-use, gave a big push for awareness. By October, CPS Energy met its goal of distributing one million CFL bulbs and by the end of 2009 had distributed 1.6 million. It also exceeded its energy demand reduction target by 3.87 MW (saving a total of 38+ million KWH of electricity).

CPS Energy team members saved campaign pieces throughout the year with the idea of submitting an award entry, making the award process very simple. Not only were they able to raise the awareness of CFLs and energy savings but they were also able to publicize and reinforce the campaign’s excellent results with the Del Oro La Plata award recognition!

By Paige Ramsey-Palmer, APR, Corporate Communications Officer for San Antonio Credit Union and a board member of PRSA San Antonio.

PR News Round Up ~ July 21, 2010

via SmartBrief on Social Media
How to avoid a social-media lawsuit
Social-media marketing and customer service can be a legal minefield, and companies need to stay alert, writes Indra Gardiner. Sharing copyrighted materials or failing to adequately protect your users' privacy can lead to serious legal problems, Gardiner warns. Convince & Convert (7/21) Read story.


From MediaPost via PR Daily
21 social media tips for your next event
David Berkowitz, senior director of emerging media and innovation at 360i, provides excellent tips for attendees, speakers, and event organizers about the use of social media at events. His advice for speakers: Stats and tools are more likely to get tweeted. His suggestions for attendees: Mention on at least one social network that you are attending the upcoming event. And for event organizers, he recommends they create a Twitter list of the event speakers. — Matthew Royse Read story.

By Paul Sutton via Ragan’s Daily Headlines
Not getting Twitter followers? Here are 10 key reasons why
Check out these all-too-common practices that almost beg people to unfollow or block you. Read story.

via SmartBrief on Social Media
10 strategies for promoting your brand on Facebook
Facebook has enormous potential for marketers, writes Kevin Gibbons, but it's easy to overlook the basic strategies needed for a successful campaign. Start with the obvious and build a brand page, he suggests, and focus on making it interesting and engaging for your fans. "If you're marketing a lively brand or product, don't make do with a dull standard Facebook page, make your landing page lively and interesting," he advises. eConsultancy.com (7/16) Read story.

via SmartBrief on Social Media
5 things every social-media policy should include
Every organization should have a written policy setting out its expectations of employees who use social media, says Wall Street Journal career columnist Alexandra Levit. The key is to be clear and not to take anything for granted, she says: define your terms, spell out precisely what you consider acceptable, and explicitly tell employees the kinds of information that should never be shared on social networks. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (7/14) Read story.

via SmartBrief on Social Media
5 steps to successful social-media customer research
When the National Sleep Foundation wanted to boost literature sales without breaking the bank, digital director Suzette Gardner turned to social media to figure out what her customers really wanted. She advises casting a wide net, then building groups and starting conversations focused around the key issues you want to explore. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (7/20) Read story.

From PR Daily
Attend the two-hour webinar that’s all about the Flip camera
Three speakers, two hours, tons of useful advice — and it will cost you only $99. Read more about this PR Daily webinar. Read story.

By Mickie Kennedy via Ragan’s Daily Headlines
7 PR do’s and don’ts for commenting on blogs
Commenting on other people's blogs—when done properly—has many upsides. Read story.

From YouTube via PR Daily
How to pitch the Associated Press
This two-minute video, produced by the AP and featuring two AP editors, explains in detail how to pitch a story to the Associated Press. The editors break down what makes for a good AP article and provide tips about the kind of art the AP wants. Although it appears this video was produced for reporters, it definitely applies to your next pitch. Consider this a must-watch.

From Mashable via PR Daily
6 tips for search optimizing your website
Making sure that your website is searchable is one of the most important parts of driving eyeballs to your site. Mashable co-editor Ben Parr highlights six best practices to make your website search-optimized. My favorite tip: Use the Hubspot tool, website grader, which gives you a report card on where your site stands. With a couple improvements, you are on your way to an “A” in search. — Matthew Royse Read story.

From PR Daily
17 social media sites to help you save time and money
A few months ago, PR Daily held a webinar that walked attendees through the most popular and powerful social media sites for communicators. The presenter, Pete Codella, is back with an updated version. Read more about it.
From Knowledge Enthusiast via PR Daily
7 ways to win friends and influence people on Facebook
Ever read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie? It’s one of PR Daily contributor Matthew Royse’s favorite books. “It recently occurred to me,” he blogged, “that a lot of what he writes in the book applies to interactions on Facebook.” Royse offered seven ways you can use Carnegie’s advice for your client or company's Facebook presence. Good advice. Read story.

River Authority “reaches out” with a win!

Next in a Series on Award Winning Programs from the 2010 PRSA Del Oro Awards
El Bronce Award of Merit

How many cities have a river that runs right through it and has an impact to the local economy of millions, perhaps billions, each year?

We all know that San Antonio and its River Walk is a special place, and it’s the job of the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) to make sure it stays that way.

Recently the City and SARA expanded the River Walk with a 1.3 mile stretch of new walkways, landscaping, parks and public art. This also included a lock and dam system to be able to access the upper river area linking several downtown historic, commercial and cultural institutions.

The SARA created the Museum Reach Grand Opening Celebration brochure as a self-guided interpretive tour to be used during the weekend celebration. This award-winning brochure uniquely displayed the many different facets of the multi-million dollar project to the general public while demonstrating the ease of participating in all scheduled events. The design showcased the Museum Reach Grand Opening project’s facts, sponsors and event details.

The writing of the brochure was a group effort from the Intergovernmental and Community Relations Department (IGCR), and in-house graphic designer Clint Marzee. The result was a resounding success for both the grand opening, with 40,000 brochures being printed and distributed. It has since been updated and is now serving as a map of the area for future visitors.
Recently, the PRSA/San Antonio Chapter held a joint mixer with the local IABC Chapter to see first hand the Museum Reach end of the River Walk, plus find out more about the next phase—the Missions Reach.

For a peak at the Museum Reach go to http://www.visitsanantonio.com/visitors/play/the-river-walk/index.aspx.

By Monica Faulkenberry, APR, PRSA board member and assistant director of communications for the Northside Independent School District

Class C: One PR Man’s Story

By Deborah Charnes, VP Director of Public Relations, Bromley Communications

In Mexico and Latin America, where class distinctions traditionally are very marked, demographics are segmented by socio-economic status. Class A and B are the top tiers, representing the most affluent. Mexico’s association for market research, AMAI, describes Class A/B households as those that live in six bedroom homes in exclusive neighborhoods with round-the-clock armed security guards. The head of household has a doctorate or master’s degree, and children attend private schools with tuition of $10,000 or more each year. These families typically have an exclusive country club membership, and they also own a vacation home or condo abroad.

Class C is a big jump down and therefore picks up a significant piece of the human pie. This population has, until recently, been largely ignored by marketers as working poor consumers not worthy of advertising dollars.

At the 2010 International Public Relations World Congress held in Lima in June, Laura Schoen, chair, Latin America, Weber Shandwick, a major PR multi-national, spoke to attendees about the evolution of Class C since the 1980s. She cited a multi-year McCann Latin American Emerging Consumer Study. There are more than 200 million people that fit in the Class C sector, Schoen explained, making this population the third largest economy in the world. Spurred by a solid economic spurt in many of the countries in this region, a significant percentage of Class C families now own cell phones, homes and cars even though the average household income is $500 to 800 per month. Their parents were likely raised in poverty and never able to receive an education. This generation, however, is hungry for upward mobility. They use credit cards wisely. “They are natural born fighters,” said the speaker, and achievements are very important to them and their families.

Nelson (not his real name) was at the three-day conference. He was the picture of professionalism. Dressed in handsome suits each day, a smooth networker, he was able to make friends with seasoned professionals from other countries. After a few pisco sours, he talked about his personal challenges and dreams.

Nelson acknowledged his family fit between Class C and Class D. He was committed to move up the ladder. His mother sold her jewelry and other items to pay for his first year at a private university. Public institutions don’t look good on a resume, are sub-par, and have staff on strike every year, delaying the students’ progress, he explained.

After Nelson’s first year at the university he had to drop out to work and save money. He returned, with a partial scholarship, but by the age of 29 he still had more than a year left to complete his degree in communications.

When he learned an international PR conference was taking place in his hometown, he felt it was an invaluable learning opportunity and stepping stone. However, the price of student registration was $800, which he equated to his annual food expenditures. He spoke to his older brother who had left Peru to work in Spain. Although there are still challenges for South Americans living in Spain, the older sibling agreed the cost of the conference registration would benefit him in the long run. Thus, Nelson received the registration money from Spain.

While this may sound like the start of a rags-to-riches story, the moral won’t be told for many more years. What we do know is that 3,000 Peruvians receive a degree in the field of communications each year, and only a small percentage finds work in the field. The dean of one of the leading universities school for communications affirms that in the last 16 years, the number of students choosing public relations as a field of study has increased 200 percent.

This is a common story in Latin America. The new thread may be that more and more people from historically disadvantaged households are getting a quality education. There is enlightenment among the lower middle class, but the light at the end of the tunnel may flicker out. There is a great struggle among the Class C Latin Americans to emerge as a strong middle class. The quest for advancement, however, often leads them out of their comfort zone to Europe or the United States. Few Latin Americans from the Class C segment want to leave, but with their improved educational status they are more aware of opportunities beyond their borders. If some Americans think building a wall or reinforcing our border patrol or sending troops to the Rio Grande will stop immigrants from leaving their families, their culture, their language and their lands, they are wrong. The only deterrent to the exodus is when peoples’ homelands are safe havens and lands of opportunities.

And the winner is… The Coronation of a King

Next in a Series on Award Winning Programs from the 2010 PRSA Del Oro Awards
El Bronce Award of Merit

Fiesta royalty events organized by The Order of Alamo and LULAC Council # 2 typically carry a hefty admission price. aMAEzing Marketing, Special Events, PR, Media Services and Entertainment found a way to allow ordinary people to witness the crowning of Rey FEO XLV Charlie Garza at a free public event during the 10-day San Antonio celebration in 2008 and increased attendance from 200 to 400 in 2009.

The Public Relations Society of America, San Antonio Chapter, recently awarded aMAEzing with El Bronce Award of Merit for the “Coronation of a King” media kit, which garnered front page coverage in the San Antonio Express-News.

Twenty-six year PR veteran and aMAEzing owner Mae Escobar assembled a stellar team consisting of Rudy Arispe, Torrie Bethany and Kendra Puente. Input from a committee of former kings and Cavaliers and hand delivering the regal media kit, a black folder with a gold embossed crest of the present and past Rey Feos, proved to be valuable tactics. The folder included a fiesta medal, press release, VIP access invitation, the Garza’s biography and a fact sheet on the El Rey Feo tradition.

Efforts paid off when the next day the San Antonio Express-New ran a front page story with the headline,”Fiesta fit for a king.” CBS affiliate KENS-5, Univision, local talk radio KTSA, Telemundo and local FOX affiliate KABB-TV were among the media outlets that covered the event.

By Irma Orozco, PRSA board member and community relations coordinator for CPS Energy

CPS Energy Magazine Hits Home Run With its Employees

Third in a Series on Award Winning Programs from the 2010 PRSA Del Oro Awards
El Bronce Award of Excellence – Magazine category

The Broadcaster, published continuously since 1922, captures the accomplishments and monumental moments in CPS Energy’s history. Beyond this, the magazine showcases individual employees, their achievements and their personal stories. It is an “employee” magazine, so we make employees the focus of the publication. We have a
saying that The Broadcaster is the “CPS Energy family in print.”

At the end of 2008, our Corporate Communications Department conducted a survey of all employees to help measure how well we communicate with them. Asked “In general, how satisfied are you with the contents in The Broadcaster?” more than 40 percent of the respondents selected “Very Satisfied,” the highest-rated choice.

In 2009, even knowing the contents received an A+ CPS felt the cluttered, outdated look needed a make-over and could be more reader-friendly. The designer used a refined font and three-column grid, plus incorporated more white space. Additionally, a better balance between photography and illustrations was achieved. It’s apparent that the new look was a success.

“What an amazing facelift. You guys really hit it out of the park!” is what one CPS Energy employee wrote upon receiving upgraded version of “The Broadcaster”. With this kind of rave reviews it wasn’t surprising that the historical magazine received an El Bronce Award of Excellence at the 2010 PRSA Del Oro Awards.

By Trisha Box, PRSA Board Member and Director of Development at the Winston School San Antonio

PR News Round-Up, July 9, 2010

From MediaPost via Ragan’s PR Daily
Survey reveals why moms follow your business on Twitter
According to a new study by marketing firm Lucid and freelance analyst Lisa Finn, 68 percent of moms follow businesses on Twitter to receive useful information, 67 percent follow a business to learn more about products or services, and 60 percent are looking for deals. Meanwhile, the top two reasons moms use Twitter are networking/meeting new people (77 percent) and keeping up with news (60 percent), the study said. Bottom line: The study highlights that moms want info, connection with others, and to follow a Twitter account with personality. — Matthew Royse. Read story.

From Social Media Explorer via Ragan’s PR Daily
6 tips for dealing with the haters
Does this sound familiar? You suggest a social media initiative at your company — a new blog, for example — and the boss immediately asks, “What happens if someone writes a nasty comment about us?” Instead of calling your boss an old sissy and questioning how he ever got rich acting like such a wimp, refer to social media consultant Jason Falls’ suggestions for dealing with detractors. Good tips. Read story.

From Mashable
The eye candy of social media: 10 info-graphics that pop
Visually appealing social media graphics that engage people and share important stats can make or break your presentation or pitch. Gone are the days of dull pie charts and bar graphs. Web designer Grace Smith provided a colorful array of 10 sharp info-graphics. “Naturally, info-graphics have proven an excellent aid in expressing high volumes of social web information in a clear, visually appealing manner.” My favorites are the compass and prism. Yours? — Susan Young. Read story.

From Ragan’s PR Headlines By Lindsey Miller
4 techniques for spicing up corporate photos
Photographers and newsletter editors share how they stay away from hackneyed images. Read story.

From Ragan’s PR Headlines By Andrew Hennigan
Three essentials for recording a video interview
Less-than-obvious guidelines for making your on-camera exchange valuable. Read story.

From The PR Roast by Hugh Burnham
History is One Big PR Lesson
Independence Day has been a nationwide celebration of patriotism and pride since the “Declaration of Independence” was debated, revised, and approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776… This is the day that brings me to pause and contemplate the singing of the anthem that highlights the annual spectacular, “The Star-Spangled Banner”. Read story.

From ReadWriteWeb.com
Twitter hopes "@earlybird" will catch users' attention
Twitter is rolling out @earlybird, a service promoting deals from selected advertising partners. The account will be run by Twitter, but it will retweet Twitter-specific time-sensitive deals from participating brands. Read story.

From Convince & Convert
Finding the social-monitoring tool that's right for you
To find the right social-monitoring tool for your business' needs, it's important to have a clear sense of exactly what you're planning to do with it, writes Katie Van Domelen. Identify not just the area you'll be monitoring, but also the kinds of data you need, the specific users who'll be handling the tool and the operational and budgetary constraints you're facing. Only once you've figured out your real priorities can you get a sense of which tools would work for you, Van Domelen writes. Read story.

From AllFacebook.com
Increase your Facebook following 1,000% in 4 days
When BlitzLocal took over the Facebook account of Weekly World News, the brand had 3,244 fans; within four days, they'd boosted that number to more than 40,000. Here, BlitzLocal chief Dennis Yu reveals the eight strategies he used to boost the brand's following, including creating a landing page that explicitly asks users to "like" your brand and gives them incentives to do so. Read story.

And the winner is… Sombrilla

Second in a Series on Award Winning Programs from the 2010 PRSA Del Oro Awards
Award Recipient of El Bronce Award of Excellence (2010) – Publications

Sombrilla is the official magazine of The University of Texas at San Antonio. It is published by UTSA’s Office of University Communications and is mailed without charge three times each year to more than 60,000 UTSA alumni, donors, lawmakers and friends of the university. Through carefully crafted storytelling, Sombrilla aims to keep its readers connected and informed.

The key to Sombrilla lies in its execution.

Naturally, UTSA’s publications team conducts a significant amount of research and extensively plans each issue. However, Sombrilla doesn’t come to life until its stories and images are paired in a beautiful design that invites the reader to learn more about the university.

Sombrilla seeks high standards of reporting, writing, editing, photography and graphic design, resulting in a publication that is attractive, substantial and engaging. Each 9” x 12” issue of Sombrilla boasts 36-pages and four-color processing.

Captivating stories with a welcoming tone invite readers to become reacquainted with UTSA.

Gorgeous photos, illustrations and designs take readers into university research laboratories, into classrooms and into the homes of the people whose lives have been permanently changed by their connection with UTSA. Historical images from the university’s archives are also a common component of each issue, reminding readers of the university’s steady growth toward Tier One.

“Whenever someone asks me what my goals for the magazine were, I’d say I wanted people to read it,” says Rebecca Luther, former editor of Sombrilla. “They’d usually scoff and say there must be something more to it, and there is. But it all starts with getting people to read it and if the magazine is no good, they won’t.”

View Sombrilla online.

By Christi Fish, a PRSA San Antonio Board Member and a Public Affairs Specialist at The University of Texas at San Antonio

PR News Round-Up, July 2, 2010

From Bulldog Daily, By Terri Thornton, Owner, Thornton Communications
PR 101: How to Tick Off a Journalist in Four Easy Steps
It was three in the afternoon—an odd time to be asleep on a weekday—unless you're working overnights as a TV and radio reporter and producer, which I was. I answered, fearing an emergency. The caller said yes, it was an emergency! She insisted that the newsroom give her my home number because Jesus told her I needed to put an amateur gospel group on my morning show. While a God-fearing music-loving suburbanite wouldn't necessarily know better, it's surprising that otherwise great PR and marketing people put almost as much energy into making themselves ineffective. Here's how to do it wrong.

The Washington Post via Ragan PR Daily Newsfeed
10 mistakes organizations make with social media
Business reporter Steven Overly, of The Washington Post, says one of the top mistakes organizations make with social media is, “Doing too much at once.” He writes that simply creating a Facebook or Twitter account does not mean you are “plugged in.” Check out the other mistakes organizations make with social media, according to Overly. — Matthew Royse

AdamSherk.com via Ragan PR Daily Newsfeed
The 75 most overused buzzwords and marketing cliches in press releases
PR pro Adam Sherk scoured a multitude of press releases to determine how often certain buzzwords and clichés are used. Here are the top five, starting with No. 1: leader, leading, best, unique, and solution — and the list goes on and on. Read more.

Poynter Online via Ragan PR Daily Newsfeed
Speak IT: A handy glossary of tech terms
Not sure what the folks in your IT department are talking about? This story could help clear that up. The Poynter Institute published a glossary of tech terms. “They relate to Web standards, programming, online tools, social networking, online advertising, and basic technology. If you're particularly challenged, this thing called an iPhone is even defined for you.” (h/t Allan Schoenberg) Read more.

From iMedia Connection via SmartBrief on Social Media
How to engage the 1% of your fans who really matter
As many as a third of social sales are spurred by just 1% of a brand's online fan base, writes Jon Siegal, so identifying and targeting those influencers can pay big dividends. Forget splashy broad-gauge promotions, Siegal suggests, and focus instead on highly targeted campaigns designed to reach and reward your power-users. "Your key influencers are incredibly important, so make sure to treat them that way. By rewarding their loyalty, you'll reap more sales across the entire social web," he explains. Read more.

And the Winner is…The Event Center at Plaza Lecea

First in a Series on Award Winning Programs from the 2010 PRSA Del Oro Awards
Award Recipient of El Bronce Award of Excellence – Web Design

It is no doubt that we are an Internet-driven society. Whether it is reading the news, searching for the right gadget or even buying cars, we go to the World Wide Web as our first reference. For many companies and organizations it has meant revamping their marketing strategy to include a website that is both dynamic, diverse and user friendly.

When The Event Center at Plaza Lecea needed to market to more corporate and business clientele, they brought the Ashford Davis company (AFD) on board to determine how its website could be redesigned to attract weekday event clientele. Their weekends were quick to book with weddings and anniversaries, leaving weekdays and week nights available for other events.

The Event Center’s website wasn’t user friendly and the wedding product line received all of the emphasis. AFD established three main goals: increase functionality, establish conversion ratio goals and increase search engine visibility. “Much like any campaign, a website must be built around a strategy, says AFD owner Ashleigh Davis. “All too often people build websites “because they need one.” The only true approach is to first determine what it is you want your website to do; how you want your website to help you achieve your goals. Only then will you be able to accurately determine and implement the functionality necessary to make your website work for you.”

With the new site structure, each product line received the attention it deserved by funneling traffic efficiently. In order to monitor ROI and watch traffic patterns, AFD established separate “Requests for More Information” with goals defined in Google Analytics. These new goals will allow Plaza Lecea to decipher precisely from where converted leads are coming – referring websites, specific keywords or CPC campaigns. Functionality had increased by 26 percent, and new visitor traffic had grown by 140 percent..

Ashleigh Davis launched AFD in November 2008 with the intent to bridge offline marketing strategies with emerging Internet visibility initiatives such as search engine optimization and social media marketing. After only one year in business, AFD has received several awards including the El Bronce Award of Excellence for Web Design. Davis was pleasantly surprised. “Receiving the El Bronce Award was truly an honor. I never imagined I’d be receiving recognition for the work I completed my first year in business!”

By Trisha Box, PRSA Board Member and Director of Development at the Winston School San Antonio

PR News Round-Up – June 29, 2010

From BusinessWired via Ragan’s PR Daily
4 reasons your press releases won’t make Google News
A worthy argument against the “die, press release, die” crowd is search engine optimization — press releases help drive a brand’s Google ranking. But what if your press releases aren’t appearing on Google News? BusinessWired blog, a part of Business Wire, offered four reasons why this might happen and how you can fix it. Read more.

From Bulldog Reporter's Daily Dog
Highlights from the PRSA Counselors Academy 2010
BurrellesLuce's Johna Burke interviews Tom Gable, APR, Fellow PRSA, CEO Gable PR, LLC, who discusses key takeaways from his presentation on strategies for agency success. View video.

From Richard Edelman’s 6 A.M. blog
The Third Way--Public Engagement
I am speaking this morning at Edelman’s fourth New Media Academic Summit, jointly hosted by New York University and Syracuse University, attended by more than 100 professors from 10 countries. My bold assertion is that there is a Third Way for companies to communicate, beyond paid and earned media, by embracing Public Engagement. Read more.

From Fast Company via Ragan’s PR Daily
New study says social media triggers ‘generosity-trust’ chemical in our brains
Looking for ways to justify social media to your boss? Now, you have science on your side. A Fast Company article describes how a neuroeconomist has discovered — for the first time — that the chemical oxytocin in our brains, which is responsible for empathy, generosity, and trust — can be increased simply by tweeting! Yes, folks, you have to read the story — it sounds too good to be true. — Matthew Royse. Read more.

From Communications Conversations via Ragan’s PR Daily
The people have spoken: Winners feted for PR Readers’ Choice awards
On Friday, PR pro Arik Hanson announced the winners of his 2nd annual Readers’ Choice awards for PR blogs. The big winner: Chicago-based PR pro Gini Dietrich. Her blog, F.A.D.S. (The Fight Against Destructive Spin), won the award for PR Blog of the Year. Check out the other winners. Read more.

By Bill Sweetland via Ragan’s PR Daily
7 ways to stop CEOs from boring the audience
How to bring out your executive's human side. Read more.

From PRNewser via Ragan’s PR Daily
Survey: Majority of people place more trust in companies with Twitter feeds
Need to sell Twitter to upper management? Here’s a compelling case for it. According to the 2010 Digital Influence Index, a seven-country survey of 4,243 people by Fleishman-Hillard and Harris Interactive, “75 percent of people surveyed said they view companies that [tweet or post status updates to Facebook] as more deserving of their trust than those that do not,” according to the survey. Read more.

By Adam Holden-Bache
7 More B2B Social Media Tools You Haven’t Heard Of
Read story.

From Public Relations Matters via Ragan’s PR Daily
5 ways to stay current on PR trends and news Read more.
You’re busy. You hang out with your family and friends and think, “How do I have time for a fulltime job?” Then you’re back at work thinking, “How do I have time for family and friends?” In this environment, staying on top of industry news and trends often hits the backburner. But there are ways to stay current without investing too much time, says PR professor Barbara Nixon. She offered five suggestions. (One way is to subscribe to PR Daily. Definitely agree with that.) Read more.

From Ragan.com
Vocus buys Help A Reporter Out: What can subscribers expect?
Don’t worry, subscribers to Help A Reporter Out (HARO), nothing is going to change. On Thursday (6/10), PR software-maker Vocus bought HARO, and the question bouncing around Twitter was how the acquisition will affect the free service. “There will be absolutely no difference,” HARO founder Peter Shankman told Ragan.com. “I’m still running HARO; the editors are still running HARO. And we will never charge—it will still be free.” Read more.

Hear from the Communicators' Point of View in the BP Oil Spill Crisis

There’s naturally a lot of conversation online and off about the BP, federal agencies, the President and anyone else who is or could be involved in the clean up of the Deepwater Horizon oil mess. There’s the environment angle, the coastal resident livelihood angle, the worker safety angle, the regulation of oil drilling angle, etc., etc. And for readers of this blog, there’s the public relations and communications angle.

Interestingly, there are a couple of podcasts that have interviewed communicators who are in the middle of the crisis.

The For Immediate Release podcast by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson posted an episode on May 15, 2010 where Neville interviews Neil Chapman, BP Head of Refining and Marking Communications.

The On the Record Online podcast by Eric Schwartzman posted an episode on June 4 titled: “BP Oil Spill Crisis Communications: Inside the US Government's First Attempt at Using Social Media to Communicate a National Disaster.” Eric interviewed U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer Jim Hoeft, who is coordinating communications at the Official Site of the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command for the Joint Command Center in Louisiana.

The On the Media NPR podcast by Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone had a story on June 04 about the Coast Guard, BP, and media access to the Gulf oil spill.

And then there’s the PR critic, “Leroy Stick,” who started a Twitter feed, @BPGlobalPR, in order to poke fun at BP and its “BS” PR statements. He has no connection to BP. Advertising Age landed an interview with him that you can read online. Whether or not you agree with his tactics (e.g., brand-jacking), he does make some thoughtful points.

Print Media Learning Readers Have Value

Print journalism may not be dead, but print media is going the way of the railroad. That was the message from Bill Conroy, of the San Antonio Business Journal at the June PRSA luncheon. In the years before social media, according to Conroy, media dominated one way communication. Conroy noted that Marshal McLuhan’s mantra “the medium is the message” served to reinforce the power of the press. He referenced this relationship as the hypodermic syringe model, a painful one for the audience to absorb.

Now with Facebook and Twitter and thousands of other social technologies dominating our lifestyle, everyone has journalistic power in the new two way communication model. This is difficult for media companies to accept, but Conroy was confident that the money stream will catch up to social media because they are perfectly poised to deliver quality content.

Conroy told the audience that print media still draws advertising revenues and cited some statistics that show health in his own paper, but said that the ad revenue structure is still changing. He suggested that media outlets “have to have a message that makes you a must-read.”

Offering the gamely suggestion that objectivity has been used by the media as a smokescreen because they owned the conversation, Conroy believes that a more symbiotic relationship with audiences was needed. He even went so far as to say that “the people that matter most are the readers, and frankly, we forgot that in the arrogance of (wanting to) dominate the market.”

For public relations practitioners who have always struggled with this arrogance, it seems like a fairytale ending that local print media actually acknowledged the power of readership. Conroy continued by saying that media need to have a more symbiotic relationship with audiences, giving them stories in the form they want it. And he even suggested that media will need to offer “less lecture and more dialogue.”

One thing Conroy said will not change for print media are the principles of fair reporting, honesty and lack of bias. This is an important statement to public relations practitioners who often suffer at the hands of newer, citizen journalists who don’t play the rules of the game between news media and PR folks. Time-honored principles like full disclosure, embargoes, conflict of interest and ethical behavior have not necessarily been adopted by the online community in the devotional way to which the public relations community has grown accustomed. It’s anyone’s guess if some of those principles will carry on in the new world of journalism.

PR News Round Up ~ June 11, 2010

From This Just In/PR Tactics
Grocery Rivals Funding Stealth Campaigns Against New Wal-Mart Stores
As Wal-Mart has grown into the largest grocery seller in the United States, competitors threatened by proposed new Wal-Mart locations have often hired a company called Saint Consulting Group to secretly run antidevelopment campaigns against the retail giant, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. Read more. (Related on PRSAY: A Glimpse Into the “Dark Side”)

From Social Media Examiner
Top 5 Social Media Myths Debunked
As with any new technology, social media has spawned its share of misconceptions and myths that keep people from interacting. It’s time to debunk the big myths that are keeping business owners and marketers on the social media sidelines. Myth #1: My Customers Aren’t on Social Media Wow, if I had a dollar for every time I heard [...] Read more...

By Lee Odden (via Ragan)
5 steps for building a marketing strategy on Twitter
Engagement with your target audience is crucial, so follow these guidelines. So you want to succeed with Twitter, eh? Before you run off and chase shiny butterflies and little blue birds, take a seat and collect yourself. Then read the following tips on creating a potential Twitter marketing strategy that will help you become more productive and successful using Twitter for business. Read more.

From MediaShift (via Ragan)
How 6 big summer films are embracing social media marketing
Just as corporations and small businesses alike are experimenting with social media, so are Hollywood studios. “Facebook is rocket fuel for word-of-mouth and studios are experimenting with how to best engage users in order to convert those who ‘Like’ a movie to someone who purchases a ticket,” writes Nick Mendoza, the director of digital communications and ad firm Zeno Group. He explained how six big summer movies are using social media. Read more.

From BusinessWired (via Ragan)
Study: Only 13.5 percent of PR pros put links in press release
Scary statistics on press releases from a study by Business Wire's blog, BusinessWired. It asked 268 PR pros if they include links in their press releases; 85 percent said they do. However, BusinessWired then looked at roughly 1,000 press releases and found that a mere 13.5 percent contain links. Oops. So, what’s the advantage of including links in your press releases? “Relevant, timely hyperlinks in your press release … can amplify your message, help increase your search engine optimization, and drive traffic to your website or other relevant sites,” according to BusinessWired. — Susan Young. Read more.

From TVNewser (via Ragan)
Report: CNN close to dropping Associated Press
If the report is correct, and CNN drops the AP, then the 24-hours news network will operate without a wire service — it dropped Reuters in 2007 — instead opting for its own in-house wire service, which CNN has reportedly nurtured as a potential revenue source. Read more.

From The Christian Science Monitor
Study: Web tools cement local communities
Social-media tools are helping people to renew their ties to their local community and to forge stronger relationships with their neighbors, according to a new Pew Internet and American Life study. Web users are substantially more likely to meet their neighbors offline, the study found. Regardless of Internet use, the study found that knowing neighbors' names was the most important factor in increasing community engagement. Read more.

From The Christian Science Monitor
Primary voters used Twitter to learn about candidates
Confronted by intimidating 80-page voter-information pamphlets, primary voters in California and other states have been using Twitter and Facebook to find out about the candidates. Peer recommendations help voters cut through the clutter and get the information that matters to them, say political-media experts. Read more.

From USA Today
Ford trades auto shows for Facebook
Ford Motor's latest Explorer model won't be introduced at a glitzy auto show -- instead, it will make its debut on Facebook. The company will launch the car with a campaign that focuses on drivers' real-world experiences, rather than glamorous TV ads. "We live in a 140-character society ... When we have people's attention, we want to make sure it sticks," says Scott Monty, Ford's head of social media. Read more.

There’s Definitely a Business Case to Be Made for Public Relations…

by PRSA Chair & CEO Gary D. McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA

I recently had the opportunity to ring the opening bell for the NASDAQ – a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I clearly had never placed on my bucket list. Even more curious, it was done for an organization that is not a listed or public company. I was there representing a professional association of public relations professionals, which represents a multibillion-dollar global industry.

So how did this happen? It was the result of an advocacy program for public relations launched by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) to outline the value and impact that public relations has on an organization’s success – The Business Case for Public Relations™.

Many don’t understand the essence of our business. Stylized notions of celebrity publicists and Beltway spokespeople pervade the news and popular culture, and the term “PR” itself has become common shorthand for the impression – good or bad – that organizations create.

That’s why PRSA developed The Business Case for Public Relations. The program showcases the role of public relations and the professional value it delivers to essential business outcomes:

• Distinct skills provide services like crisis mitigation, reputation and brand building, wealth creation and consumer engagement.
• More than other communications and marketing disciplines, public relations engages all stakeholders of an organization, identifying and delivering impacts that are strategically aligned with concerns of the boardroom, employees, customers and investors.

• Public relations skills are critical to restoring waning public confidence in government and financial institutions as well as being essential to define, develop and maintain the transparency that consumers expect from the companies with whom they choose to do business.

Today more than ever before, companies and organizations need the value that public relations can deliver. As consumer engagement grows through social media, companies will need to outline an increased ability to manage the relationship and conversation that impacts their success in the marketplace. But companies need to engage a public relations professional that understands how to research, plan, execute and evaluate based upon the organization’s defined objectives in order to achieve value.

If your public relations activities are focused on business output and media clips instead of business outcomes, then you are coming up short in a return on your investment. On the other hand, your investment in public relations will garner attention when you can show how that investment delivers value in financial performance by generating sales, revenue and profit; improves your brand equity and reputation; allows for stronger and more efficient employee recruitment and retention; and increases the support you seek for policy decisions or achieving market position.

I hope that you will take time to find out more about the value of public relations on an organization’s performance by visiting www.businesscase@prsa.org. Moreover, I hope that you find and define the value that public relations is currently delivering or can definitely deliver in your organization.

PR News Round Up -- June 8, 2010

From Brian Solis
Rules of Engagement in Social Media
As social media continues to evolve, establishing not only policies and guidelines but also defining the “rules of engagement” will encourage thoughtful interaction as it benefits the business, brand, customer, peers, and prospects at every touchpoint. In the end, we earn the attention, relationships and business we deserve. Following is an outline of best practices to help you craft a practical set of rules that guide representatives as they engage… Read story.

From Pew Internet and American Life Project
The State of Online Video
Seven in ten adult internet users (69%) have used the internet to watch or download video. That represents 52% of all adults in the United States. Moreover, video creation has now become a notable feature of online life. One in seven adult internet users (14%) have uploaded a video to the internet. “We are seeing a surge in online video watching that is driven by a combination of broadband access, the increasing use of social networking sites, and the popularity of video-sharing sites,” explains Kristen Purcell, Associate Director for Research at the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and author of the report. “To tap into these trends, untold numbers of websites now showcase online video as part of their content.” More.

From Web Worker Daily via Nonprofit Online News
6 New Terms to Use When Measuring Social Marketing Efforts
I'm normally pretty disgusted when consultants (such as myself) make up fancy new hyped-up terms for well-established concepts in order to draw attention to themselves and create anxiety-based demand in their market. But these 6 New Terms to Use When Measuring Social Marketing Efforts actually seem pretty useful. Plus, they are not named in that annoyingly cutesy way that many firms use to glue the terms to their own brand and marketing. The six terms are Attractions, Participations, Interactions, Actions, Transformations, and Transactions. Not all of these apply to every campaign or program, but I encourage you to familiarize yourself with them. Using them will lead to better designed and managed social media efforts. Read story.

From Social Media Examiner
How to Make Twitter More Useful for Your Business
If you’ve been using Twitter, you’ve likely checked out an app or two to make your Twitter experience more robust, or even just a bit easier. TweetDeck, Twitpic and Tweetie are all examples of Twitter apps. What if I told you there was a magical place that could easily be your one-stop shop for all your Twitter needs… Read more.

From PRBreakfastClub
At GM, four communicators oversee the Facebook page
PRBreakfastClub recently spoke with Christopher Barger, GM’s director of global social media, who mentioned that four employees have direct responsibility over the company’s Facebook page and its roughly 90,000 fans. Six employees, on occasion, tweet from GM’s Twitter account, he also said. Check out the full interview with a whole lot more about GM’s social media efforts. Read story.

PR News Round Up - June 2, 2010

From Mashable
42 new guidelines for social media added to AP Stylebook
Not sure how to correctly write acronyms and phrases related to social media? The AP Stylebook has you covered. Mashable reported this morning that the Associated Press released new social media guidelines, which includes 42 definitions, use cases, and rules for writers to follow. “Among the more interesting changes — at least from a grammar and style standpoint — are separating out ‘smart phone’ as two words, hyphenating ‘e-reader,’ and allowing fan, friend, and follow to be used both as nouns and verbs,” according to Mashable. Read story. Read the guidelines.

From Reuters
BP taps former Department of Energy PR chief as its new spokesman
Over the weekend, the oil company announced that it hired Anne Kolton, the former head of public affairs at the Department of Energy and one-time aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, as its chief of U.S. media relations. As you might imagine, the PR team at BP is a bit … overworked. “BP's media team has been overwhelmed by press and public attention since the Deepwater Horizon rig … The company has flown in staff from London to help deal with media requests, but has also been forced to put its media hotline on voicemail to process the many calls — some abusive — that come in,” reports Reuters. Related Hullabaloo One blogger thinks the hiring of Kolton is a bad PR move. “They think they can do anything if they have the right public relations — but they can't even do that right,” he wrote. More

From iHealthBeat
4 hot summer trends in healthcare social media
Are you keeping an eye on what’s happening in healthcare social media? It’s a lot to wrap your brain around, from HIPAA regulations to the latest techniques for Flip cams. But there are four other trends you should be paying attention to. Here is one: Engaging e-patients. “E-patients can provide feedback not only on improving hospital websites, but also as participants in quality improvement within the health system,” iHealthBeat says. Read story.

From Bulldog Reporter
Video interview: Todd Dezen- March of Dimes and D S Simon Productions Win Big Apple Award
Doug Simon, President and CEO of D S Simon Productions spoke to Todd Dezen, Associate Director, National Media Relations, March of Dimes about how winning the PRSA-NY Big Apple Award for Use of Broadcast, can serve as a platform to help March of Dimes combat premature births. See short video interview. Read post.

From Mashable
More than 90 social media resources
This list is like the Library of Congress for social media advice — or at the very least it’s like a really big Barnes & Noble. Read story.

From PRNewser
PRWeek publisher calls it quits at magazine
Julia Hood, the publishing director and former editor-in-chief of PRWeek, is leaving the magazine to become president of the Arthur W. Page Society, a professional organization for chief communications officers, reports PRNewser. Read story.

Social Media Workshop for Non-Profits

Confused about where to go next with social networking sites for your nonprofit? Does your organization seem to have more barriers than pathways? Explore solutions with colleagues and social media professionals at Smooch SA (Social Media Opportunities for Charities); coffee hour and workshop tomorrow at the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health. RSVP here. Participants will get a chance to explore current organizational barriers and start to develop solutions. It's free!