Register Now for the PRSA International Conference and Save $200

The 2009 PRSA International Conference is being held in sunny San Diego on November 7-10, 2009. I have been to a few International Conferences and have always been impressed by the breadth of the presentations, the networking opportunities and the sheer number of PR professionals you get a chance to meet. There are four tracks in this year’s conference and they look interesting.

Following is a link to conference details and the planned sessions.

If you are considering going, you should register now and save $200. While I love PRSA, why give them more money than  you need to?

Lessons Learned from “Spinning the Web”

This past weekend, I disconnected from the grid to spend time with my family. I came back and was pointed to a NY Times story on “Spinning the Web: P.R. in Silicon Valley” and the TechCrunch response.

Both articles are interesting, and I could get my Master’s deconstructing the nuances of the NY Times story. But after reading both stories, there are two things I wanted to say after reading both articles:

1) The most effective PR people are counselors – The core of PRSA’s code of ethics is the phrase “responsible advocates.” That to me is the most important part of our job. If we are “yes men” or “yes women”, if we engage in the irresponsible tactics that too many paint our whole profession with, then we are not doing our role ethically and are not living up to our responsibilities.

This means pushing back to a client or a manager when it is called for. Not just a token pushback, but standing firm with the courage of our convictions. If a client has an idea and we think it is wrong, we are obligated to tell them so. It is one of the core responsibilities of our job.

A colleague of mine, Dave Close, once told me that every time we interact with a reporter our capital with a reporter either goes up or down. Additionally, the agency for which we work’s capital goes either up or down, so be sure we are always bringing something that increases our capital.

I want to take what Dave says one step further, and state that every time we interact with people as trusted public relations counselors, we also impact the capital of the entire industry. Every time someone “dials for dollars” or doesn’t work to form mutually beneficial relationships, we hurt the entire industry.

2) There is no magic bullet. Media/no media, tech bloggers/no tech bloggers. It is not a simple either/or proposition. Every engagement we undertake on behalf of our employers and out clients needs to be approached with fresh eyes. Following a carved-in-stone PR recipe is a course for disaster.

Yes, there are always certain fundamentals (research, planning, solid writing, determining how to reach the right audience, determining who the right audience is, listening to the audience and all stake holders, engaging in real conversations and of course – results that measure outcomes and results, not outputs). But the ingredients of each recipe need to change. Just because you launched a product for Company X using tactics A, B and C, doesn’t mean the same process with work for Company Y. Most of us know this, but there is always the danger of the rut that needs to be avoided.

Think of it, our goal is to help someone reach the top of a mountain. If we follow the rut, the same old way of doing things – we may have an easy path, but it is rarely the rut that takes you to the top of the mountain. Rather, the rut helps you circle the base pretty easily. But it is by blazing a new path that we reach the heights.

Why we need to pay attention to the USJFCOM

The 4th of July is approaching. It is a day of celebration and a day to honor those who have served and given so much.

Around this time of year, my thoughts always turn to the services. I tend to pay more attention to publications I do not follow that closely most days. For example, I recently received a news brief from Jane’s Defense in my email inbox. The headline intrigued me: “USJFCOM explores network-free warfighting.”

I read some more and the tease – “US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) has conducted a comprehensive wargame that, among other things, evaluated the military’s ability to fight without networks” – reminded me of something important:

As communications professionals, we are living in an ever increasingly-networked world. Laptops, e-mail, IM, Twitter, IP phones and the Web have replaced the typewriter, letters, faxes, delivery services and press conferences. But what happens if we experience disruption? Blackouts, solar flares, or other events can shut us down for hours or weeks. But most likely the world outside continues moving.

While our challenges would never be as severe as those faced by the U.S. military, we can take lessons from the foresight the military is showing. Many of my financial services clients and I have these discussion as part of our crisis planning during any engagement.

I remember doing a lot of this a decade ago as the Y2K crisis approached. I was one of many communications professions for which New Year’s Eve 2000 was a day of work, not a night of celebration.

Following are three tips to keep in mind.

1) Plan for the worst – You do not need to be a manufacturer, an airline or a healthcare company to have a crisis. Part of your communications planning process should be spent thinking about what are the challenges you may face, and how will you respond to them? You won’t get them all, but if you identify the five most likely issues, you won’t be scrambling to make up responses on the fly.

2) Rehearse – The USJFCOM didn’t just think about these issues. They practiced them. Companies should have crisis drills where they practice their response. This year’s Best of Silver Anvil Award winner, Northern Illinois University, received the Anvil for the work they did during a crisis. They credit the skills of their response to the drills they ran.

3) Make sure “everyone gets the word.” Crisis planning should not be limited to just the communications and public relations department. Give guidelines to everyone and make sure people know where the plans are in case you are unavailable. It’s the little things. How are you going to get the message out, monitor the discussion, change the Web site, keep the company informed, etc.,

Call for Speakers now open for Northeast District Conference

The Northeast District of the Public Relations Society of America will host its annual conference on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009, in Rochester, N.Y. We anticipate upward of 200 practitioners will attend the event.

The deadline for proposals is Friday, June 5, 2009.

PROPOSALS:

We’re looking for experienced presenters who can motivate and energize an audience on the latest tools, techniques, trends and knowledge of new technology or research pertaining to public relations.

Industry experts, seasoned practitioners, researchers, or public relations service providers are welcome to submit a proposal to individually or jointly present on a topic relevant for PR practitioners with varying levels of experience. We’re looking for presenters from both the corporate and not-for-profit worlds. The tracks chosen for this year’s conference are:

• New & Social Media – From digital media to best practices for integrating blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. into your PR campaign – we’re looking for case studies and tutorials from experts on these topics.

• PR/Marketing – This track will focus on the cross over between PR and marketing initiatives and aim to provide information on how PR practitioners can work with their marketing counterparts on delivering united messages.

• Internal/External Communications – We’re looking for speakers to present case studies of great internal and external PR campaigns. How are you using PR to effectively communicate with your employees – particularly in today’s trying economic times when many organizations are forced to cut back? Are you an expert in crisis communications who can share your experience?

• Student Tracks – The conference will have tracks geared toward PRSSA members and recent graduates. We’re looking for everything from career development and enhancement (resume preparation, interviewing skills, etc.) to finding your first PR job and building a professional network.

• Miscellaneous – Not sure if the proposed session you want to submit fits into one of the above tracks? Maybe you’re an expert on political PR, grassroots PR, ethics or marketing to a diverse audience? We’ll have one track dedicated to all other topics – so please feel free to submit all other ideas under this track.

We are open to any proposal that provides PR professionals with new knowledge, insight and ideas that can enhance their professional capabilities.

Here are the components you need to submit:

1. Title of presentation

2. Track you’re submitting under

3. Description of proposed presentation (200 words maximum)

4. Three learning objectives participants will take away from the session

5. Biography (100 words maximum)

6. List of previous speaking engagements

Programs must offer solid and authentic tactical and strategic insights, and must NOT be a commercial for products or services. Presenters selected will receive a complimentary registration to the conference.

SEND PROPOSALS TO:

Conference co-chairs (spaces added to fight spam bots):

Heather Kowalczyk, hkowalczyk @ sjfc.edu

Bethany Ryan, bethanyr @ text100.com

Deadline: Friday, June 5, 2009.

Speak up!

A week ago today, PRSA National and the Bylaws Task Force posted some high level proposed changes to the PRSA Bylaws on Tactics Online. They have been posted (in greater detail) in the governance section of MemberNet for even longer.

Yet in one week, there has not been a single comment on the public forum, and I feel very alone on Membernet. I believe one other member has commented.

This is a very important discussion as it will help determine the way the Society evolves over the next few decades. Topics include changes to membership requirements, how National officers and Board Members are elected, the composition of the National Board, change to the Assembly, APR, and other topics.

Please spend a few minutes and make your voice heard. Otherwise it will be my voice that is either easily ignored or given disproportionate weight (not sure which).

Note: I am not commenting on my thoughts and questions about the proposed changes publicly at this time. I am sharing my thoughts on MemberNet, which is open to PRSA 22,000 members. It’s a “family matter”, but like any big family decision, it is best accomplished with input from all family members. So please, spend a few minutes – read the post or the MemberNet thread and share your voice. Speak up.

Don’t make me this guy:

Honoring a great educator

Last week I had the pleasure of attending an event at Boston University where the PRSSA Students unveiled a new scholarship  – the PRSSA/Steven Quigley Scholarship.  The scholarship will go toward PRSSA National dues for a PRSSA student member who displays the same passion and drive for the industry that Professor Quigley has shown and practices every day

According to Alexandra Karadimas, President of the Edward L. Bernays Chapter of PRSSA at Boston University, “During his 30-year career, Professor Stephen Quigley has touched the minds of each and every student entering the Public Relations industry at Boston University. Through his engaging classes and compassionate advising, Professor Quigley continues to provide astute attention to the changing issues of our profession. Professor Quigley has provided encouragement, guidance and inspiration to students aspiring to pursue a career in public relations.”

While at times I felt like I was attending a memorial (Steve still has a long career ahead of him), it was a very moving event. Michael Cherenson and Bill Murray of PRSA National also took the time out of their busy schedules to write a letter to Steve recognizing his work.

It is only through the dedication or professors like Steve Quigley, and the active, involved members of the Public Relations Student Society of America, that the public relations profession will continue to grow, thrive and set new standards for excellence and innovation.

Steve sets an example for us all.

Are you ready to give back? Throw your hat in the ring

Do you want to do more to help advance the public relations profession? Have you ever consider becoming more active in PRSA at the national level? Well the time to step forward is now.

The 2009 National Nominating Committee of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has begun its annual process of soliciting applications for 2010 Board Officer and Director positions, as well as for Assembly Delegate-at-Large and Assembly International Delegate-at-Large.

Available national positions of potential interest to members of the Northeast District include:

• Chair-Elect
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Director-at-Large
• Assembly Delegates-at-Large (two positions are open)

Eligible board candidates are Accredited PRSA members in good standing who have served in at least one of the following capacities:

• Voting Delegate in at least one national PRSA Assembly
• Chapter President
• Section Chair
• District Chair
• Chair of a National Committee, Task Force or Advisory Board

The Assembly shall be composed of delegates.  For those considering one of the Delegate positions, as a minimum requirement, all delegates, with the exception of the International Delegates –at-Large, shall either be Accredited or a current board member of their respective chapters, districts or sections.

All candidate applications must be received on Monday, June 15, 2009 by 5 p.m. in the time zone in which the candidate resides. Once eligibility is confirmed, PRSA members will be able to send comment letters regarding candidates.  The letters are limited to 300 words or less. The deadline to submit comment letters on candidates is Monday, July 13 at 5 p.m. in the time zone in which the letter writer resides.

If you want more information, click here.
The timeline, including conference call information to learn more can be found here.

PRSA Leadership Rally: Be There

Each year, PRSA National hosts a leadership rally for incoming Chapter Presidents, Section and District Chairs (other chapter leaders can go as well, but they don’t receive a stipend). I know times are tough, but this has to be one of the best individual, non-PD events PRSA hosts.

The rally really prepares you for many of the situations you may encounter as Chapter President and makes you aware of a number of things you may not have considered. I know when I went as President-Elect of PRSA Boston a few years ago, it opened my eyes to new situations and helped me make my term much more successful than it would have been otherwise.

As a Chapter President, the buck stops with you and you wear many hats. The rally is chock-full of helpful sessions to raise incoming president’s awareness of issues they will face – ranging from financial and membership to motivating volunteers and getting the most out of your board. It is also a great chance to interact with the National officers and board members.

What was even more valuable to me, were the connections I made with other PR professionals. A key challenge facing any local organization is avoiding the rut of “But this is how we do it/We have always done this.” At the Rally you get to hear from hundreds of chapters on how they do things, what programs they put on, how they handle and recruit sponsors, etc., It helps you build your network of people you can turn to for advice throughout your term to make sure you consistently deliver value to your local members.

PRSA National has done a great job with this event.  I hope to see the Northeast turnout strong.

If you are not going to the Rally and are a chapter leader, incoming chapter leader in the Northeast District or interested in possibly becoming a chapter officer – don’t despair. We are going to be hosting a “QuickStart” leadership rally for any chapter leader or people interested in potentially becoming a chapter officer at the Northeast District Conference in October this year. More details to come.

The most overused words in press releases?

Yesterday, I came across this great article on the most overused words/gobbledygook in press releases in 2008. The researcher (David Meerman Scott) analyzed more than 700,000 news releases.

Without further ado, following are the words:

If you want to read the full post and learn the methodology used, click here. Personally, I am shocked “solution” didn’t make the cut.

What other words and phrases do you hate?

Great program for New York PR Students

On April 25, the PRSSA Chapter at Buffalo State will be hosting a day-long regional event “Degree, Check! Earning Your Stripes in the PR World.”

The program will center on the first few years after graduation and the experiences new professionals encounter when they are starting to pave their own way into the field of public relations. It will provide students with an opportunity to spend a day hearing from recent college graduates who have learned how to succeed in the field and get advice from seasoned professionals on topics such as ethics, crisis management, and social media. Practice interview opportunities will also be provided.

If you are a PR student and can get to Buffalo for the event, check it out.

More information can be found here