Tips, Info and Words of Advice

Happy Monday FPRA Treasure Coast!

Need Your Input
The State Association Accreditation and Certification and Chair, Jeff Nall, APR, CPRC is trying to gauge the interest level of APR and CPRC candidates attending a four-hour study session in Orlando on Saturday, March 21. Please let our Accreditation and Certification Chair, Debra Banta, APR, know if you would be interested in attending this session no later than February 4. She can be reached at bantad@martin.k12.fl.us.

More Image Tips from Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC
20. In reviewing the two-page summary, judges can give up to 70% for the two-page summary and another 30% for the support materials. Three judges are expected to review each entry and then the scores are totaled and divided by 3. A review of all scores at the end of the judging determines the Image, Award of Distinction and Judges Award necessary points.

21. You may also want to consider NOT entering the entire project. In other words, sometimes it’s better to enter a segment of a project in Division B or Division C rather than having to meet the requirements of Division A, Public Relations campaigns. If this is your first entry, that may be a good course to take. Your evaluation points may relate more to the results of a brochure or an audio program than to the overall public relations project, which uses several PR tactics. It’s often easier to demonstrate the value of one segment of the project than the entire project.

22. Get a copy of the judging form and review the questions that are asked. You will know just how to write your two-page summary. In their review, the judges determine if the results of the project fulfill the objectives you initially set out to accomplish. Are they measurable objectives? In other words, if you wanted to increase attendance by 100%, did you do that or higher? The form also determines the quality and effectiveness of the support materials.

Mark your calendars
Be sure and mark your calendars for the February 10th luncheon meeting in St. Lucie West where we will focus on Crisis Communications and the very special March 10th FPRA Treasure Coast 25th Anniversary Celebration reception and performance at the Sunrise Theatre in downtown Fort Pierce.

Newsletter
If anyone has any submissions for the newsletter, please send the information to me as soon as possible. Thank you.

Note to Board Members
Please make sure you send me your vote on the new members and Treasurer. Thank you!

PRWeek Article
I came across this article on the PRWeek website and I thought I'd share it with you. Be careful what you post!

Ketchum employee's Tweet causes client controversy
Tonya Garcia
January 16, 2009

MEMPHIS, TN: A Tweet by a Ketchum staffer that was visiting agency client FedEx in its hometown prompted an angry memo that reached executives on both sides and the blogosphere.

A Twitter post made by the screen name “keyinfluencer,” which lists James Andrews, VP, director of interactive at Ketchum, as its owner, made the “true confession” that “I'm in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say ‘I would die if I had to live here!'”

An employee of FedEx then wrote a letter to both FedEx and Ketchum leadership that said the comment was “inappropriate” and they were “confident” that “it is enough to expect a greater level of respect and awareness from someone in your position as a vice president at a major global player in your industry.” The memo was posted on the blog of Peter Shankman.

“This is an unfortunate situation and demonstrates very poor judgment by Mr. Andrews,” wrote FedEx, in a statement e-mailed to PRWeek. “The reaction by our employees proves once again that FedEx takes great pride in our hometown of Memphis.”

“This lapse in judgment also demonstrates the need to apply fundamental communications principles in the evolving social-networking environment: Think before you speak; be careful of you what you say and how you say it,” the statement continues.

Ketchum also called the incident a "lapse in judgment," in a statement. “We've apologized to our client... We greatly value this long standing client relationship. It is our privilege to work with them,” the Ketchum statement read.

In later Twitter postings, the “keyinfluencer” said he was “Having a great day with my new friends at Fedex” and apologized. He also posted an apology to his blog.

FedEx concluded that “Mr. Andrews made a mistake, and he has apologized. We are moving on.”

Have a great week,
Linette

Historic Day for the U.S.A.!

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Historic Day for the U.S.A.!
What an exciting day for America and for all of our citizens. I hope you were able to watch today’s Inauguration of President Barack Obama. With the emergence of Facebook and other social networking technologies, I felt like I was there with all my friends (both in Florida and in D.C.) without the chill of the weather! All weekend long, friends posted photos of their arrival in D.C. and of the concert. CNN.com Live also partnered with Facebook to let people “Experience the Inauguration,” where people could watch the inauguration and see friends’ status updates, all in the same place. Your FPRA Chapter has a “Group” on Facebook and if you are on Facebook, feel free to join us!

Call for Entries for the FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter 2009 Local Image Awards
The Image Awards Committee has announced the “Call for Entries” for the FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter 2009 Local Image Awards. Please be aware that there will be “no snail-mail” “call for entries” this year. This information is only available electronically on our website at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/! Don’t forget the 25 Tips for Image Awards are available on this blog (http://www.fpratreasurecoast.blogspot.com/). A special thank you to Image Co-Chairs Robin Delgado and Dorothy Kamm and committee members Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC and Nancy McCarthy, APR, for their hard work and organization in getting this event going. Thanks and good luck!!

More Image Tips from Moore (Adrienne, that is)
17. When you read the entry booklet, you will see that the judges have the right to disqualify an entry. You don’t want that to happen. Make sure you follow all the rules regarding the set up of the entry binder, from font and type size to page layout. Use the Research, Objectives, Implementation, Evaluation and Budget headings in your two-page summary. Follow the NEW Rules for the Budget process. Meet all the binder requirements for placement of information.

Judges are instructed to look for the headings listed above in the summary and sometimes, will even measure the margins around the summary pages to make sure they are one inch around, as instructed.

18. Judges have the discretion to move your entry to another category. That will NOT disqualify your entry. Try to stay away from the OTHER category, if possible. The association has worked to include all types of projects in the stated categories.

19. Judges for Image Awards are selected from another Florida chapter. Most likely, those judges will not be familiar with your area or business. While you don’t want to waste space in the two-page summary to explain the demographics or location of your project, it often helps to say things like . . . on Florida’s East Coast or an underserved community . . . in order to give the judges a quick reference. Some of this may be handled in the one-page Organizational Summary to help orient the judges.

Media Conference Update
There will be a kick-off meeting for the 2009 Media Conference on Tuesday, January 27 at 4 p.m. at the office of Beverly Jones, APR, chairman of the event. Please plan on attending if you are interested in helping; however, if you can’t attend and want to help, please contact Beverly at beverly@bbjonespr.com for more information. Beverly’s office address is: BB Jones Communications, Inc., 2682 SE Willoughby Blvd., Suite B, Stuart.

2009 FPRA Annual Conference Update – January 2009 from your Annual Conference Committee
PR on F.I.R.E. ~ Foundation, Innovation, Reputation, Education
Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to attend the 2009 FPRA Annual Conference? We sure hope it is!

Thanks to everyone who recently completed our short survey to help us find out a little more about what your expectations are of the conference and suggestions on speakers, sponsors, and sustainability. According to the survey, we already have 141 members planning to attend our conference in August – that’s fantastic! And congratulations to Lonnie Parizek of the Capital Chapter for winning the FPRA bucks.

One of our sessions is a panel discussion focusing on “PR Under Fire” (Foundation and Reputation components) to address the criticism our profession is receiving, especially during these difficult economic times, and what we can do to address that criticism and change the negative perception. Suzanne Sparling, APR, Immediate Past President of FPRA, has agreed to moderate this panel. Panel members include representatives from non-profit and government organizations, as well as agency and academic representatives. Following the panel discussion, we’ll hold breakout sessions with the panel members to address proactive ways to address this criticism.

Here’s another member testimonial from Denise D. Feiber, APR FDACS/Div of Plant Industry, Public Information Director of the Gainesville Chapter.

In these times of tight budget constraints, I feel more confident asking my boss for conference funding support when I can demonstrate that attendance will not only help me professionally, but will also benefit my agency. One way I have done this is by seeking opportunities to showcase our agency’s project work at conference – by volunteering to serve as a leader of a roundtable discussion or preparing a poster for display and discussion.

SAVE THE DATE
Location: Boca Raton Resort and Club, Boca Raton, FL
Date: August 9 – 12, 2009
Registration Fee: $595/person

If you have a testimonial about how the annual conference has benefited you and your employer, please e-mail it to ksmittle@ch2m.com. Remember, you can register now and make your hotel reservations. Room prices are tiered, starting as low as $145/night. We look forward to seeing you at the conference in August 2009!

Member News
Congratulations to Krista Garofalo, Director of Communications & Marketing for the United Way of St. Lucie County. Krista is participating in the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership St. Lucie Class 27 this year.

Congratulations to Kathryn N. Treadwell, Director of Community Development for The ARC of Martin County. Kathryn and her husband, Andrew, were lucky enough to attend the University of Florida Gators’ National Championship win on January 8th! Go Gators!

Former Chapter President Melinda Glasco (2003-2004) and her husband David are awaiting the arrival of their second child, a boy. She is eight months pregnant with the arrival planned around March 23. Little Julia, born around the time Melinda was president, is now four years old and says she is ready for her new baby brother. Melinda works at the Upledger Institute in Palm Beach Gardens. Congrats to Melinda and David and of course, big sister, Julia!!

Have a great week,
Linette

Elastigirl(s) to the Rescue

Happy Monday FPRA Treasure Coast!

Elastigirls to the Rescue
Flexibility is so important in our business, right? Well, we're going to have to be flexible for this month’s program as our scheduled speaker had an unexpected work-related appointment that prevented her from coming to the Treasure Coast tomorrow. So, as I thought about it, we have some pretty darn good (ok, great!) experts in public relations and Image Award winners right here in our own Chapter. For tomorrow’s monthly program, we will hear from our very own “Elastigirls” (think “The Incredibles”) Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC, Nancy McCarthy, APR, Robin Delgado and Dorothy Kamm. Nancy will focus her presentation the value of entering and Dorothy will address the changes in the entry process. Robin and Adrienne will talk about following the rules…kind of like a “What Not To Do” (think “What Not to Wear”) for Image Award entries. We will have all “25 Tips on Image Awards Entries” prepared in a handout for those in attendance and other useful handouts as well. I am grateful that our panel of experts ~ Adrienne, Nancy, Robin and Dorothy ~ is willing to fill in at the last minute, and I am sure we will all leave tomorrow’s meeting with valuable and important information.

Speaking of Image Award Entries…
Let’s continue with more information on entering an Image Award from Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC.

15. When you read the entry booklet, you will see that the judges have the right to disqualify an entry. You don’t want that to happen, especially if this is a strong project with great results.

Make sure you follow all the rules regarding the set up of the entry binder, from font and type size to page layout. Use the Research, Objectives, Implementation, Evaluation and Budget headings in your two-page summary. With new rules for budgets, be sure to follow those instructions in order to identify hours working on the project.

Judges are instructed to look for the headings listed above in the summary and sometimes, will even measure the margins around the summary pages to make sure they are one inch around, as instructed.They also have the discretion to move your entry to another category. That, however, will NOT disqualify your entry. Don’t pick the OTHER category, if you can avoid it.

Mark your calendars
Be sure and mark your calendars for the February 10th luncheon meeting in St. Lucie West where we will focus on Crisis Communications and the very special March 10th FPRA Treasure Coast 25th Anniversary Celebration reception and performance at the Sunrise Theatre in downtown Fort Pierce.

Member News
Judy Cruz and Mille Wood were spotted in the Sunday edition of Luminaries pictured at the opening of the St. Lucie Heart Gallery to benefit the Children’s Home Society.

Congratulations to Kendall Clifford on her engagement to T. J. Large, a professional baseball player for the Boston Red Sox. Her engagement announcement and photo was in Sunday’s Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers. Kendall is an account executive (i.e. Sparkstarter) and public relations and marketing specialist for The Firefly Group. The couple plan to marry on December 5, 2009. Best of luck, Kendall and T.J.!!

And finally, congratulations to the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce Leadership St. Lucie Class 27. FPRA Treasure Coast boasts three members in this class ~ Cara Perry, Florida Atlantic University; Catherine Whitaker, St. Lucie County Fire District; and Tanya White, St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce! Way to go ladies!

Have a great week,
Linette

New Year, New Opportunities

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Welcome to 2009! I hope that everyone is rested and ready to rock the New Year for the FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter.

January Monthly Meeting
The first thing on the agenda is our monthly business meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, January 13 at 11:30 a.m. at the Martin/St. Lucie Service Center in Stuart. The program topic is Effective Public Relations Campaigns & Image Award Information presented by the Image Awards Committee! Wendy Crites Wacker, APR, is our guest speaker. Wendy is the director of corporate communications for Regeneration Technologies Inc. (RTI), the Florida-based processor of orthopedic and other biologic implants. Wendy’s role at RTI includes directing all corporate communications, which includes internal communications, media relations, community relations, investor relations, government relations, donor services communications and general corporate public relations. Wendy has a bachelor’s degree in English and a bachelor’s degree in public relations, both from the University of Florida. She received her Accreditation in Public Relations in 2001. Wendy served as president of the Gainesville Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) in 2004-05 and vice president of professional development for the state association in 2005-06. She currently serves as vice president of chapter services for FPRA. The FPRA Gainesville Chapter has awarded Wendy with the Member of the Year Award in 1998, as well as the John S. Detweiler, Ed.D., APR, CPRC Professional of the Year Award in 2007.

Be sure to make your reservations by Friday, January 9 either online at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/ or by calling Programs Chairman Cara Perry at (772) 873-3339 or e-mail at ccarlton@fau.edu. The cost for members is $15 and $20 for non-members.

More Image Awards Tips…by Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC
This week, the emphasis is on the binder and what it should contain:

9. The binder – hardcover, stiff-spined, three-ringed, no larger than 3 inches thick - starts with the entry form on the front page. This can be an original or photocopied form with the necessary information, including the Division and Category circled.

10. The check, which was originally attached to the entry form, is now attached to a photocopy of the entry form and placed in the front pocket of the binder. For multiple entries, you may attach one check with copies of each entry.

11. The two-page summary follows the entry form. Three additional copies of the two-page summary can be provided in the front pocket of the binder. Those are distributed to the judges who will be reading your particular category and entry.

12. An organizational summary should immediately follow the two-page summary, providing the judges with an idea about the company background and PR staff. Remember, this is another way of introducing the judges to your project, how many people worked on it and what type of projects your business or agency handles.

13. Support materials will follow which could include everything from newspaper clippings, photos, brochures, and other printed materials used in the project, and more. Anything that doesn't fit within the 8 ½ x 11 format should be folded, photocopied or photographed for the judges to review. Any audio or video should be submitted on a CD or DVD. Again, that eliminates bulky tapes and allows the entry to maintain the 3-inch binder width requirement.

14. At the back of the binder, the final page should be a 50-word summary of your entry. This is what the narrators read at the Image or Golden Image event. It’s another opportunity to demonstrate the success of the project and how beneficial it was to your business or your client.

Professional Development Opportunity from the Southwest Chapter of FPRA
There’s something for everyone at this year’s PR University – the signature professional development seminar for the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. Actually, there’s a deluge of information, inspiration and experience to be had at this one-day event, a downpour we think your members would love to be caught in!

FPRA SWFL would like to extend an invitation to you to join them on January 9 at Hodges University in Fort Myers. Information on speakers, schedules, and sponsorships can be found below. For details on costs and registering, please visit http://www.fpraswfl.org/calendar/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=2.

A Special Invitation from the Gold Coast PR Council

5th Annual Bernays Awards Luncheon
Keynote Speaker is CNN Reporter John Zarella

WHAT: The Gold Coast PR Council (GCPRC), the largest independent organization of public relations and marketing professionals in Palm Beach, Broward & Martin counties, invite you to attend the organization's fifth annual Bernays Awards, which are named after the late Edward Bernays, the father of modern public relations. Awards will be presented in five competitive categories, with winners selected by an independent panel of PR professionals.

WHEN: Thursday, January 29 -- 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Indian Spring Country Club, 11501 El Clair Road in Boynton Beach (Located between Jog and the Turnpike, turn south off of Boynton Beach Blvd.)

WHO: Keynote speaker will be CNN’s Miami correspondent John Zarella, who directs the cable news Network’s coverage of Florida and the Caribbean. He also is CNN's chief reporter covering the space program. Among his major assignments were covering the Challenger shuttle disaster, all major hurricanes, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the Cuban and Haitian refugee crises.

COST: $40 for GCPRC members and $45 for non-members. If you would like to become a member of GCPRC at the luncheon, the cost is only $75, and this includes the cost of the luncheon. Tickets may be reserved by contacting GCPRC Vice President Gary Schweikhart at 561.756.4298 or by return email or at gary@pr-bs.net. The deadline to RSVP is January 22, 2009.

For more information about GCPRC, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.goldcoastprcouncil.com.

Have a great week!
Linette