Mark Your Calendar – February 22
Join us as Geno Church, word of mouth inspiration officer at Brains On Fire shares the many lessons he has learned about building authentic word of mouth movements for businesses, social causes, and nonprofits. Many of these learned lessons go against traditional marketing and PR approaches. In this presentation, you'll hear original and actionable advice on how businesses can spark long-lasting word of mouth from customer-led movements that thrive both offline and online.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
11:30 a.m.- noon: Check-in and networking
noon: Lunch and program
The Phoenix
812 Race Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Cost:
$23.00 Cincinnati PRSA members
$23.00 PRSSA members
$35.00 Non-members
RSVP by noon on Wednesday, February 16
For more information about the program, please visit www.cincinnatiprsa.org.
Sponsored by:
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New Pros Announce Event Line-up
The New Pros have a great schedule of events planned for 2011. Topics will include media relations, social media, Mommy bloggers, non-profit public relations and more! Check out our page on Cincinnati PRSA’s website for a full list of 2011 events: http://www.cincinnatiprsa.org/professionals/index.php.
Join us for our first event of the year on Tuesday, February 8th at Scene Ultra Lounge (641 Walnut Street, across from the Aronoff Center) from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. for a happy hour. The American Marketing Association new professionals will be joining us, so come out and meet some new faces!
We will be hosting our annual Pro-Am day event in early April. This event gives college students the opportunity to spend a half-day shadowing a public relations professional in the agency, corporate or non-profit world, while giving new professionals the chance to show off skills they’ve learned thus far in the “real world.” Stay tuned for details!
For the latest news, remember to follow us on Twitter @CinPRSANewPros. If you are interested in being added to our email list, please let us know at cincynewpros@yahoo.com.
As always, if you have any event suggestions, feel free to let us know!
Megan Haughney
New Professionals Chair
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Senior Communications Consultant - External
TriHealth
TriHealth seeks a senior communications consultant with healthcare experience. TriHealth provides competitive salaries and one of the most comprehensive benefit packages in the area. TriHealth is Greater Cincinnati’s seventh largest employer with two nationally recognized tertiary-care hospitals, physician group practices, ambulatory care centers, and numerous ancillary services.
For more details on this position and other open positions in the Tri-state, please visit the PRSA Job Bank at http://www.cincinnatiprsa.org/jobBank/index.php.
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Do you know someone who could benefit from being a PRSA member? Whether it’s a friend, co-worker or family member – now is the time to get them to sign up.
From Feb. 1 – 28: New full members receive a FREE Cincinnati Chapter membership when they join National. This is a savings of $55! New members can register at www.prsa.org – just use promo code: FEB11.
As you probably already know, joining PRSA puts you in touch with the world's leading advocate for public relations and communications professionals. Members receive an award-winning magazine and monthly newsletter, plus full access to the PRSA website. For a list of the many perks of membership, check out this page on PRSA's site: http://www.prsa.org/JoinUs/Member_Benefits/
If you have any questions or need help persuading one of your friends or colleagues to join PRSA – contact me at jdunne@go-metro.com, on Twitter https://twitter.com/writerjillie or on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/jilldunne.
Jill Dunne
Membership Chair
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Blacksmith Committee Volunteers Needed
Your Blacksmith Co-chairs, Shara Clark and Barbara Flick, need your help to make this year’s Blacksmith competition and awards ceremony the best ever. We’re starting plans now to showcase the best of the best from PRSA members and other industry professionals throughout the Tristate for work produced from January 2010-June 2011. Entries will be judged by the Houston Chapter of PRSA.
Being on the Blacksmith committee is a great way to get involved in the chapter and meet other members with a minimal time commitment (no more than one meeting per month). We invite you to join us in planning and implementing the 2011 Blacksmiths. The first meeting will be on Thursday, March 3 at 8 a.m. If you’re willing to help, please contact Shara (smclark@gafri.com) or Barbara (barbara.flick@strata-g.com) before Feb. 28.
Shara Clark & Barbara Flick
Blacksmith Co-Chairs
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Blacksmith Highlight
Each month leading up to the annual Blacksmith Awards Ceremony, we’ll highlight one of last year’s winners and share a tip from the entrant that can help you with your 2011 entries.
Blacksmith Award winner for Multicultural PR Campaign and winner for campaign Best of Show:
“Engaging Hispanic Moms Where They Live, Shop and Play” presented by Empower MediaMarketing for Bush’s
In 2009, Bush Brothers embarked on a mission to become the beans that every Hispanic mom “knows, chooses and loves.” Entering a category dominated by well-known Hispanic brands, countering cultural perceptions of canned bean usage (“short-changing the family” vs. dried bean use) – all without brand awareness and credibility – provided marketing challenges for the well-known, family-focused American bean company.
The campaign garnered 15.3 million impressions and more than $140,000 in broadcast value. To increase brand trial, 48,000 samples were distributed, resulting in a 40% lift with key retailers and key markets were up as much as 20%.
Blacksmith Award Winner Tip:
Ensure that the results of the campaign are directly linked back to your/the client’s goals.
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Anyone without a smartphone was headed to their local cellular provider to upgrade after last months presentation on “Mobile Marketing: Why smartphones are upending traditional print and web based marketing” by Bob McCarthy of ServiceWeb Systems.
Bob shared with us tips on how businesses could use mobile devices to reach customer markets in new ways. Check out a few photos from this tech savvy presentation.
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Name: Mimi Rasor
Position: Partner
Company: Saybrook Marketing Communications
Twitter handle: @CincyPR
What social media outlets do you use? For business, I use Twitter and just joined LinkedIn. We also blog on our website and have a fan page on Facebook. I also have a personal Facebook account, though rarely used. And of course, I occasionally check the latest "Double Rainbow" phenomenon video my kids watch on YouTube.
How long have you been a Cincinnati PRSA member? At least 20 years.
What do you find the most beneficial about Cincinnati PRSA? I think the educational programming and networking has been very helpful. I also appreciate PRSA's webinars and national reach. At times when we've needed arms and legs in other markets, we can usually find help through the local chapter.
Whom do you suggest your fellow chapter members follow on Twitter and why? Probably most beneficial are the reporters you work with or are actively trying to pitch. I also appreciate items from Mark Ragan, local arts organizations, and social media gurus.
You're in PR which means you're interesting by default! Tell us one fun fact about you: I am mom to four kids under age 15 who keep me hopping! And a true sign I am in PR & marketing -- I have been known to put together funny PowerPoints to get my kids to pay attention to things like doing the laundry. (I'm sure they will make fun of me later for it.)
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New Member Welcome
Name: Anna Hogan
Current Position: Communications Manager, Freestore Foodbank
Previous Experience: Analyst Relations (Convergys Corp), Sales/Marketing (Education Systems, INC), Account Executive (Wordsworth Communications)
Education: BA in Speech Communication from NKU, MA in Organizational Communication and Public Relations
I’m originally from Detroit, but love Cincinnati. I’m a huge NKU nerd but my first love is the University of Michigan. I love playing and watching sports (especially NCAA football and basketball) and am always up for an adventure. I have amazing parents and sisters, a beautiful nephew on the way who I can’t wait to meet, and a wonderful boyfriend and new puppy (Oscar!). I love that every day I have the opportunity to make a difference, and I try my best to approach every situation with that mentality.
Name: Kyle Shumate
Current Position: Marketing Manger at Dinsmore & Shohl, the largest law firm in Cincinnati.
Previous Experience: Prior to joining the firm, I served as the Office Manager for Game Day Communications and worked under Jackie Reau, a fellow Cincinnati PRSA chapter member.
Education: I earned my B.S. in Marketing from Northern Kentucky University and am hoping to pursue a master degree in the near future.
I currently support marketing initiatives for an AMLaw 200 firm with more than 450 attorneys across 10 offices. My main responsibility are those activities that involve building good working relationships with the media, in particular, persons responsible for editorial coverage. Outside of my professional career, I'm busy planning for my wedding next year and coaching my little brothers basketball and baseball teams, as well as, playing on three softball teams and numerous other recreational activities.
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Rumpke Names First Communications Director
Congratulations to PRSA member Amanda Pratt, APR, for being promoted to corporate communications director at Rumpke. She will serve as the firm’s first corporate communications director. Pratt and her team are responsible for all internal and external communication designed to protect and enhance Rumpke’s reputation. During her career at Rumpke, the corporate communications group has assisted with communication of acquisitions, site expansions and crisis situations. Rumpke's corporate communication team was named Corporate Communications Team of the Year at the 2010 Cincinnati PRSA Blacksmith Awards. Pratt is a graduate of the Ohio University, and she earned her APR status in 2009. Rumpke is one of the nation’s largest privately owned residential and commercial waste and recycling firms, providing service to areas of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia.
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Event marketing resurfaces as popular PR tactic
By Rachel Peterson
Miami University PRSSA Chapter
In the ever-changing world of public relations, getting ahead is the goal. Businesses once aiming for local clientele are now focusing globally with the help of social networking websites and custom-designed web pages that allow their company to be one click away from anyone with internet access.
This trend is no longer new, and that means one thing: noise. With every business online, it is difficult to make possible clients sit up and take notice of a website or Facebook page. Simply put, it is no longer enough just to keep up with technology.
Many companies have revitalized a traditional way of generating publicity: event marketing. Event marketing relies not on a virtual world, but on the real world, with novelty being the cornerstone of its practices. In many ways it is a return to the original forms of marketing and public relations: show the public something amazing, interesting, or just plain strange to bring attention to the product or service. The assumed hope of corporations using this tactic is that, upon catching the eye of the public, people will notice the company or business providing this interesting event.
The Guinness Book of World Records is quickly emerging as one of the most popular forms of event marketing. The notoriety of a Guinness Record can help a company hoping to attract the attention of an often media-barraged public. News of any person, group or organization attempting to break a world record travels fast, and even faster if a major corporation is involved. That translates into media impressions with each mention of the project on the radio, television and in newspapers. It only takes a short blurb to capture the interest of the public, and that is what these companies are counting on. More importantly, it seems to be working.
The popularity of event marketing has led to the rise of other publicity tactics as well. For example, Cricket Communications recently partnered up with Samsung Electronics Co. to create the world’s largest cell phone. The Wall Street Journal reported the 15-foot-long phone resulted in 38 million media impressions due to the publicity generated by aiming to create a Guinness world record.
This new trend leaves some questioning if event marketing is helping or hurting companies in the long run. The immediate publicity that results from the event looks promising. However, while the strategy may work for cell phone companies, it is not suitable for all businesses. Michael P., a Marketing Director for Charles Schwab retirement services, said, “For consumer brands and products those attention getting techniques can be very effective, but on a business to business side of marketing the sales process is much longer and much more relationship based, and less affected by those types of promotional tactics.” Many of the successful examples of event marketing come from companies that do not need to be taken as seriously.
One important aspect to consider about this trend is what the public is asking of any given business. Just as a Facebook page might not benefit a particular organization, event marketing is not necessary for every business. Before running off to set the next record in the hopes of boosting publicity and sales, companies are not only faced with a decision that could ultimately reflect positively on them but also if – after the show is over – the public will be walking away.
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2012 World Choir Games Mascot Design Contest
The 7th World Choir Games, the largest choral festival and competition in the world, will be held in North America for the first time in the event’s history from July 4-14, 2012 in Cincinnati. More than 400 choirs from 70+ countries are expected to compete, with a total of 20,000 participants.
The only thing missing is a mascot.
The Organizing Committee of the 2012 World Choir Games is launching its Mascot Design Contest. The winning mascot design will serve as the symbol of the 2012 Games, and its image will be made into merchandise, T-shirt designs and gain exposure in several ways in front of thousands of people from all over the world. Plus, the winner will win $500, and there are several prizes for finalists, too.
Individuals, companies and schools engaged in design, imaging, brand development, etc., are all eligible to enter. Designs can be submitted now through February 20, 2011. A Selection Panel will determine the finalists and winner with input from a public vote. For more information on how to enter, visit http://cincinnati.com/blogs/wcg2012/contest/
Read more in the Cincinnati Enquirer
The Eisen Agency Publishes New Marketing Magazine
Top Cincinnati public relations and business development firm, The Eisen Agency, announces the publishing of its new trade magazine ‘The Clubhouse.’ The magazine is available in print or may be downloaded online at http://issuu.com/clubhouse/docs/clubhouse_2010. The magazine features marketing experts and leaders from across the country sharing practical and useful strategies and insights into better marketing a business or organization.
“It’s not a magazine about our firm, it’s a magazine that shares how anyone looking to better market their business, be a better agency, or grow their organization can do so more effectively,” agency president Rodger Roeser says. “It’s loaded with practical tips, ideas, strategies and thought leadership that will energize, guide, and inspire fellow businesses and marketing professionals.”
Roeser, also an award winning newspaper and magazine journalist and also national chairman of the Public Relations Agency Owners Association, created the magazine on the heels of shrinking trade publications and news opportunities in the public relations, advertising, and marketing industry, citing that “just far too many stories were not being shared.” Roeser said work has already started on the next installment, and that anyone with a good pitch or story may contact the agency to share a story of inspiration, extraordinary work, insightful and clever marketing programs and profiles of top experts. Roeser estimates current print circulation of the magazine to be 10,000, while online subscribers have already topped 20,000.
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(from www.prsa.org)
PRSA offers a host of opportunities to grow as a professional. Visit http://www.prsa.org/calendar to access a calendar of upcoming events.
By Anne Wylie
December 27, 2010
Want to achieve your New Year’s resolutions this year? Just do as I do: Resolve to watch more reality TV.
And if you want to achieve something worthwhile in 2011, here are five writing resolutions you should make today:
1. Remember the reader.
To make your next blog post, news release or pitch relevant to your readers, try beginning with this formula: X who have struggled with Y will now be able to Z, thanks to A. Here’s how it looks in action:
Commuters who now spend an hour each day driving from Sunrise Beach to Osage Beach will soon be able to make the trip in 15 minutes, thanks to a new bridge that ABC Company will build this summer.
That’s far more likely to engage the reader than the tired ABC Company yesterday announced that … lead.
2. Make copy look easy to read.
To make copy look more inviting, pass the “Palm Test.” That is, use subheads, bolded lead-ins, bulleted lists and other display copy to break up the text into chunks smaller than the palm of your hand.
3. Find and fix passive voice.
If you can add “by my grandma” to the end of a sentence, then you’ve probably written in the passive voice, says Tim Burnett, who handles Express communications at FedEx. Example: “A nap was taken … by my grandma.”
Once you’ve identified the passive voice, make sure the subject is doing the verb: 1) Find the verb. 2) Ask who’s doing the verb. 3) Move that subject in front of the verb. Result: “My grandma took a nap.”
4. Tell a story.
Stories are “the most powerful form of human communication,” Peg Neuhauser writes in the book “Corporate Legends and Lore.” But too many PR pros avoid anecdotes because they think that they don’t have enough space.
Paul McCartney wrote three stories and a chorus in 179 words. He called it “Eleanor Rigby.”
To add a mini anecdote to your next piece, try the PSR method — that is, describe the Problem, Solution and Results in one sentence each.
5. Quantify your value.
Numbers sell stories. For instance, articles with numerals in their titles tend to be shared more on Facebook than stories without digits, according to a 2010 study by viral marketing scientist Dan Zarrella. So quantify the value that your piece delivers. Offer 10 tips, seven steps or five New Year’s resolutions.
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