Get excited for the FPRA Holiday Party hosted by the FPRA Social Committee! This is a great opportunity to have some classy fun before finals and spend time with your friends in FPRA before we leave each other for a month!
The party is located at Mint 101 Restaurant Downtown Wednesday, December 2 from 7- 9 p.m. Appetizers will be served and don’t forget your cocktail attire! Look here for a description on cocktail attire: http://www.greatestlook.com/dresscode3.html
101 Restaurant is located at 215 W. College Ave. It is directly across the street from the Post Office and next door to Hometown Coffee. For more details on 101 Restaurant, please visit www.101mint.com. Here is a map of metered parking locations downtown: http://www.flsenate.gov/data/capitol_map/parking_map.pdf
Can’t wait to see you all there!
Public Relations: How to Piggyback Your Story Ideas onto Holidays |
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The Fourth of July. National Garden Week. Hanukkah. Veterans Day. Public Service Recognition Week. Thomas Edison’s Birthday. New Year’s Eve. Get Organized Week. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Tie a story idea into one of the above—and hundreds more holidays and anniversaries—and chances are good that you will catch the attention of a reporter, editor or news director. That’s because the media are obliged to print and air stories on major holidays and anniversaries. Another reason is because on major holidays, and sometimes the days before and after, are “slow news days.” Offices, schools and government agencies Year after year, editors are looking for more than just the cliché stories, such as sending reporters to the local shopping mall to report on the day-after-Thanksgiving crowds. They’re looking for something more unusual—something their readers aren’t expecting. Here are ways to tie your story idea into well-known and lesser-known holidays and anniversaries and increase your chances for coverage.
Posted at 101PublicRelations.com EH |
are closed. People in a position to give official comments are difficult to find. So the media are looking for anybody who can give them a compelling story that ties into a holiday they must cover.The FPRA Social Committee has only just begun creating some really great events for all FPRA members this semester. In anticipation for what will be an amazing Christmas party, we have created two events that you can participate in.
The “Major Match” program is a great way to get to know your peers and receive invaluable one-on-one time with College of Communications students. Junior and senior “Major” students will be paired up with freshman, sophomore, transfer and simply interested “Majorees”. The possibilities are endless- talk to your Major about applying to the College of Communications, get advice about internship opportunities, talk about career goals or just become acquainted with people who will quite possibly be your peers and co-workers even after you graduate. We will have a meet and greet on Wednesday, Nov. 18th at 6 p.m. at Hometown Coffee House.
If you thought it couldn’t get any better, you were wrong. FPRA is going bowling at Crenshaw Lanes. It is only $1.50 for shoes and $1.75 per lane per hour to spend a great evening with your fellow FPRA members on Nov. 19. We are going to have dinner at Chili’s at 6 and begin our night of bowling at 8. Make sure you let us know as soon as possible if you are going to participate by emailing clm07g@fsu.edu. Make sure you let us know if you’re going to dinner as well so we can allow Chili’s a bit of warning before FPRA takes it over!
We all really look forward to these events and hope you will “Carpe Diem” and make the most of these great opportunities!
-FPRA Social Committee
The first trip of the year was a huge success. Minus a couple traffic problems both days were smooth sailing.
Wednesday night a group of 25 FPRA-ers were lucky enough to attend the Orlando Magic game. About half way through the game our group was welcomed on the jumbo-tron over the court and once the game ended we were invited onto the court for a post game photo with two of the Magic dancers. One of our members, Danielle Brydia, caught a t-shirt from the promotional team and another, Shelby Garriga, received a text from her friend that our group made it on to TV. It was a pretty exciting night.
Thursday morning the group woke up bright and early for a 9am meeting with Mason Moore from Fry Hammond Barr in our hotel. Fry Hammond Barr is a local public relations and advertising firm focusing mainly on healthcare, retail and nonprofit clients. Their 5 core competencies include media relations, community relations, crisis communication, social media and event planning. Mr. Moore was engaging and enthusiastic and he gave us a wide range of advice from dealing with clients to the changes in modern media to how to find a job in a tough market. His presentation proved to be a great way to start off an early morning.
- Great quote from the meeting: “I don’t claim to be an expert but I know enough to be dangerous”
Next, we were off to the Florida Hospital where their 5-man public relations team described how their office runs similar to a newsroom. Before meeting with Mrs. O’Lenick and her team, many of our students had never considered a field in healthcare PR but afterwards some found a strong interest in it. The team was kind enough to feed all 50 of us a delicious lunch and we engaged in an almost 2 hour question and answer session. The discussion was going so well, we were forced to cut off someone mid-question because we had run over our allotted time.
- Some great advice the team gave us: Be flexible, learn about your beat, network within the organization, network with reporters and always try new techniques.
Darden Restaurants was our third meeting of the day and we were honored to not only visit with a fortune 500 company worth $7.2 billion but to see their brand new ½ million square foot facility. The sprawling campus includes a gym, wellness center, Wachovia bank and dry cleaner. Our hosts explained the background of Darden and the structure of their communications teams.
- Fun fact from the meeting: Darden is the 29th largest employer in America and believe a satisfied staff is of the upmost importance for a successful company.
To wrap up Thursday, the group headed over to the Orlando Magic RDV Sportsplex facility. We met with Joel Glass, Vice President of Communications and he was more than happy to field all of the questions we had about sports public relations, rogue athletes and crisis communication. Mr. Glass even presented a case study of their most recent crisis situation and how they successful answered the media’s tough questions.
Friday morning we all got a little bit later start because our meeting with Universal Studios was not until 10 am. We met with a fellow Florida State public relations program graduate who was also active in FPRA while at FSU, Alyson Lundell. Alyson and her colleague showed us how they use creative tactics to keep the tourism media interested in their messages. She also gave us a sneak peak of the brand new land at Islands of Adventure, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.” After she answered all of our questions, they took us out into the park to ride Spider-Man and the Hulk.
- A perk with the job: When the Universal staffers are having a tough day or need a break, they head into the park and jump on a ride.
After Universal the trip was over and everyone went shopping, met up with friends or headed home to Tallahassee. It was a wonderful experience and we learned a lot from the professionals we met with.
- Kara Kelley
Thanks to @Annie_Fiedler for the awesome signage!
Last night’s Professional Networking Event was a big success. Thank you to all the professionals and students who were able to come out to Cafe Cabernet.
Students, we’d love to hear some of the insights you got out of the event. For a quick recap of my experience, I asked each professional: “What’s the one thing you wish you would’ve known or been told before leaving college” Here are summaries of some answers:
I never thought I would have to use math as much as I do. Just wait until you have to start doing budgets!
Karen Kirksey
I wish someone would have told us how to read and understand proposals! The jargon, the format and the order can be very confusing.
Kristen Marie (@KristenMarie09)
I wish I wuld’ve taken more PR classes. I feel that even today my interns and new hires don’t know how to write!
Judi Spann, APR, CPRC (@JudiSpann)
PR classes can never fully prepare you for real world experience. Be sure to network within your major. Your old professors can be your greatest professional resource.
Sandi Copes (@SandiCopes)
Feel free to comment if you have something to add!
Becky Kuitems
FPRA Professional Liaison
Here is some media information I found interesting from iMediaconnection.com. If you would like to read the rest of the article visit http://bit.ly/31xPol.
6 PR facts every marketer must know
1. The press release is dead. If the firm you’ve selected can write a good press release, good for them. That matters if you’re a publically traded company, with federal regulations on disclosure being what they are. Except all but a few of the companies in our space are private, and more than 90 percent of the stories you read every day in the trades and major publications have nothing to do with a press release.
2. Don’t beat a dead horse. If your firm has not heard back from a reporter, it might be because that reporter thinks the pitch isn’t any good, or it might have nothing to do with that. Reporters in our space get hammered every day with pitches. We all get too much email, but if your PR person/firm is being shut out, or if that person is you, don’t push harder, push somewhere else.
3. Be considerate of reporters’ time. If you had seven 350-word deadlines today, received more than 300 emailed pitches every day, and just received a press release from a PR firm that was dated today, would you even bother reading it?
4. Please, no hype. As my friend, the widely respected PR exec George Simpson, told me, “Don’t allow or encourage your PR firm to write releases and/or pitches that are full of marketing hyper-speak. You know, all those stupid phrases that no one will buy anyway like ‘industry leading’ and ‘trendsetting’ and ‘landmark.’ If they ever start off a sentence with ‘Finally,’ fire them immediately. If they use an exclamation point anywhere in their copy, cut their retainer by half.”
5. Help reporters build a story. Reporters will seldom prefer to do a feature on a particular company, and when they do it’s usually because that company is defining a new segment, or a new way to look at an old segment.
6. Don’t rely on press to drive sales. This response is my favorite one, and it’s the most essential from one of our industry’s most respected editors. I hear it all the time, within broader complaints.
By: Mark Naples
Posted By: EH
The FPRA Social Committee has only just begun creating some really great events for all FPRA members this semester. In anticipation for what will be an amazing Christmas party, we have created two events that you can participate in.
The “Major Match” program is a great way to get to know your peers and receive invaluable one-on-one time with College of Communications students. junior and senior “Major” students will be paired up with freshman, sophmore, transfer and simply interested “Majorees”. The possibilities are endless- talk to your Major about applying to the College of Communications, get advice about internship opportunities, talk about career goals or just become acquainted with people who will quite possibly be your peers and co-workers even after you graduate. To get involved, please e-mail wem08@fsu.edu with the following information:
- Tell us if you’re a Major or a Majoree
- Name
- Year in school
- Describe your interests and what you hope to gain out of being a Majoree, or if you want to be a Major, tell us what type of experience you have and how you will be able to help a Majoree
- Phone #
- Let us know if you will be available on Nov. 18th at 7 p.m. for an FPRA coffee date to meet your match.
If you thought it couldn’t get any better, you were wrong. FPRA is going bowling at Crenshaw Lanes… and it’s not just any old bowling session. If we can get at least 28 people, we get to rent out the entire venue for Cosmic Bowling! It is only $5 to spend a great evening with your fellow FPRA members on Nov. 19. We are going to have dinner at Chili’s at 6 and begin our night of bowling at 8. Make sure you let us know as soon as possible if you are going to participate by emailing clm07g@fsu.edu. Make sure you let us know if you’re going to dinner as well so we can allow Chili’s a bit of warning before FPRA takes it over!
We all really look forward to these events and hope you will “Carp Diem” and make the most of these great opportunities!
Media Tips Courtesy of www.RonSachs.com
Reporters can help you tell your story if you respect the role they play and help them do their jobs. Observe these basic rules of media engagement and enhance your chances of success.
Meet reporters’ deadlines.
News is a daily business. Your comments won’t be reflected in the story if you don’t return press calls in time to meet reporters’ deadlines.
Tell the truth always.
You learned it in kindergarten. It still applies, especially when dealing with the media.
Expect to be “taken out of context.”
Reporters take miniscule excerpts from lengthy interviews and include them in stories. They can’t report everything you say.
Assume you are on the record.
Don’t say a bunch of things you don’t want to see in the story and then tell the reporter after the fact that he or she can’t use what you said. Unless you have an agreement to speak on background or off the record ahead of time, anything you say is fair game.
Don’t call with a timeless pitch on deadline.
After 3 p.m., reporters are on deadline to file their stories. Television and radio news services are preparing their daily feeds. This is not the time to call unless you are weighing in on a breaking story or have a hot, timely news tip.
Be quotable.
If you want to be part of a story, have something to say. If you can turn a clever phrase or are prepared to express a strong opinion, there’s a good chance you can earn a place in a story.
Be a source.
The best way to cultivate good, long-term relationships with reporters is to be a good source of information. Their success depends on getting to the facts first. Call with good tips and you will become a trusted source.
When in doubt or in trouble, call a professional.
Ron Sachs Communications has been helping corporate, non-profit and government clients get their stories told for more than a decade. We can help you break through the clutter and deliver your message, too.
- EH
Public Relations can sometimes be a mysterious occupation. As I like to say, when you’re in public relations, you’re supposed to be the man behind the curtain. If the wizard makes himself known, the magic of OZ is ruined. And it’s because we like to act as that invisible middleman that the average person is often unclear about what a PR professional actually does.
Our frequent blogger Dominique Hodge came up with a few myths about public relations and interviewed Kelly Robertson, APR, to get her feedback on dispelling those myths for the masses. Hopefully this can help the next time someone approaches you with a “But I thought that PR…” so you can reply with a more informed answer.
Myth 1: There is no such thing as bad publicity
Kelly Robertson: The goals of your client truly determine if there is such a thing as bad publicity. Want to raise awareness about an issue? Start conversation? All publicity is good publicity. But yes, in the mind of your client bad publicity can and does exist. Let’s say a restaurant makes the front page of the paper because of unsafe or unsanitary practices. Bad publicity. A good PR practitioner however, will use the opportunity to turn bad news into good.
Myth 2: The Internet makes PR easier and cheaper
KR: The Internet is changing the way PR practitioners do PR. It is an addition to the channels of communication and it is cost effective but it is not eroding traditional channels as this point in time.
Myth 3: PR practitioners are just party planners or publicists
KR: This is just one small piece of the public relations industry. Making a blanket statement such as this does not do justice to the strategic planning, development and implementation of communication campaigns that are done on a day-to-day basis.
Myth 4: PR practitioners are spin doctors
KR: Generally speaking, PR practitioners despise the word “spin.” Why? Because it has a negative and deceitful tone. Those in our industry carefully craft strategic messages – creatively – and ethically.
Myth 5: Anyone can do PR
KR: Absolutely. PR requires a very specific skill set – strong writing and strategic thinking. Anyone that truly puts their mind to learning and acquiring these skills can be successful in this industry. Interested in getting into PR? Don’t do it because “you’re good with people.” It’s the number one most common misconception about the industry. It requires a lot more than a friendly voice and ability to small talk.
PR is not rocket science and my interview with Kelly confirms that although anyone can say that they are a PR practitioner, it is the little things that set an effective PR practitioner apart from your average Joe turned PR practitioner. It is always good to look at the way people view public relations so that you can know what needs to be done to set yourself apart and become a great PR practitioner.
Kelly Robertson, APR, is the Public Relations Director and Social Media Strategist with Kidd Public Relations in Tallahassee, Fla. Kelly took time out of her busy day with client planning, tweeting, typing and facebooking to grant us a quick interview. For more insight follow Kelly on twitter @KellyRobertson
Becky Kuitems and Dominique Hodge contributed to this post
If you are interested in rushing a cap chap committee, they will be holding another rush before the next meeting.
Next month the luncheon locations are moving to the Tallahassee Center on the 2nd floor in Kleman plaza.
Barefoot Wine
- Started running the company out of their home
- After a little while they hired their first “Barefooter” (brand ambassador).
- Each Barefooter gets a fun name like “Tootsie” or “The Toeminater”
- They couldn’t afford traditional advertising so they told the Barefooter to pick their favorite non-profits and donate cases of barefoot wine to their events
- At the events the Barefooter puts up signage and explains the wines as they are being distributed
- Barefoot has 5 platforms in their grassroots marketing strategy
- Barefooters – brand ambassadors
- AVP – Official sponsors of the Professional Beach Volleyball league
- AVP Next – Sponsor local teams in tournaments so they can compete to join the AVP
- Surfrider Foundation – Partnered with Barefoot with a mission to keep beaches clean or “barefoot friendly”
- Lesbian, Gay, Trans, Bisexual
- They have www.barefootrepublic.com which is their fan club that provides exclusive news
- Official website – www.barefootwine.com
- Also on Twitter and Facebook
The next Capital Chapter Luncheon will be on November 19th. We hope to see you there.
- Kara
