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Top 2011 PR Trends and the 2012 PR Future

WWPR Board

 

It’s December 30 and everyone seems to be reminiscing about 2011. Last night, the Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) board met for dinner to celebrate another year and thank everyone for their hard work for the organization. I’ll let President Kendra Kojcsich do the official 2011 WWPR round-up, but in the spirit of the New Year, here are some of the PR best of lists for 2011, along with predictions and tips for 2012.

6 Game-Changing Journalism Events of 2011 by Meghan Peters on Mashable – Number one is DC’s own Andy Carvin of NPR.

5 Social Media Favorites from 2011 by Steven Hughes on socialmediatoday – Hughes reviews his favorites, which may not include your favorites, but you might learn something new.

Top 10 PR Rants for 2011 by Scot Van Camp on The PR News Blog – I really like #10!

2012: The Year of the Personal Brand by Bryan Clark on the Personal Branding Blog – You’ll find some great book recommendations and a reminder to get social.

#PRin2012: 12 Trends That Will Change Public Relations by PRSA Staff on PRSAY – A common theme on many of the prediction posts continues to be the convergence of PR and marketing.

Eight Social Media Trends for 2012 by Gini Dietrich on SPINSUCKS – Dietrich lists “Reporting to all Stakeholders” as #1.

11 New Year’s resolutions for PR and marketing professionals by Carm Lyman on Ragan’s PR Daily – We can all use the the first resolution – Resolve to be a better writer.

Social Media Tips for the New Year by Brad Friedman on Socialmediatoday – Do you have a Google+ business page?

Why we need better PR in 2012 by Jason Mollica on PRBreakfastClub – Mollica reminds us to take another look at our crisis plans in light of some 2011 events.

2012: The Year of 4Fs by Deirdre Breakenridge on PR 2.0 – I recommend taking the time to watch the video for great resolution ideas for 2012.

What have been some of your favorite year-end wrap-ups or 2012 prediction blog posts? Where do you see the industry going in 2012? Please comment and share with the WWPR Blog readers.

NEWSLETTER: November 2011

In this issue:

Heathere Evans-Keenan Named Washington Woman of the Year
Upcoming Events
WWPR Blog
Get Involved
Member Spotlight
Articles of Interest
Job Board
Sponsor Spotlight

Heathere Evans-Keenan Named Washington PR Woman of the Year

On November 16, top DC-area public relations professionals joined Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) in honoring Heathere Evans-Keenan, APR, president of Keenan, PR Inc., as the 2011 Washington PR Woman of the Year.

A panel of communications industry judges selected Evans-Keenan based on her exceptional influence, dedication to the public relations field, and her community involvement. Evans-Keenan founded Keenan, PR, Inc., in 1999. She is also the founder of the Independent Public Relations Alliance. She has received numerous awards for her public relations work and was a 2008 Washington PR Woman of the Year honoree . Evans-Keenan does pro bono consulting with The Children’s Law Center, a former WWPR pro bono client, and mentors students and new professionals.

Christine Till, director of communications at Venable LLP, and Donna Vincent Roa, PhD, ABC, CSR-P, managing partner and chief strategist, Vincent Roa Group LLC, were celebrated as honorees at the event. All of the honorees impressed the attendees with their remarks on their experience in the communications industry and shared lessons learned.

The event featured a keynote address by Jen Psaki, senior vice president and managing director, Global Strategy Group, a former White House deputy communications director and nearly five-year member of the Obama communications team. Psaki discussed her experience with the White House communications team and the advances that professional women have achieved..

A raffle was held to benefit WWPR’s pro bono client, Thrive DC, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent and end homelessness by providing vulnerable individuals with a comprehensive range of services to help stabilize their lives.

Congratulations to all of the honorees and thank you to our sponsors and volunteers for their important contributions to WWPR’s annual signature event!

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Upcoming Events

For full information about our exciting events and programs, please visit our Events page.

WWPR members receive member rates for PRSA-NCC and AWC events.

– PRNews Facebook Conference: December 1

– IPRA’s Holiday Luncheon & Networking Celebration: December 1

– The One Party: December 7

– Put More Power and Precision in Your PR/PA Writing, PRSA-NCC Writing Seminar: December 8

– WWPR Holiday Party: December 13

– PRSA-NCC Holiday Party: December 19

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WWPR Blog

On the WWPR Blog you will find recaps of the monthly professional development seminars, news about upcoming events, and insights on communications trends and issues.

Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll find on the blog:

All members are invited and encouraged to contribute to the WWPR Blog. Please send submissions to debbie@wwpr.org.

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Get Involved with WWPR Today!

Here are a number of great ways to get involved with WWPR and make the most of your membership. For more information visit our Committees page.

Volunteer on one of WWPR’s committees

  • Interested in serving on the board next year? We’re looking for dedicated members who want to lead our committees and help plan our signature events. For more information, please email kendra@wwpr.org.
  • Looking to build your graphic or web portfolio? Join our website committee and leave your mark on the WWPR website. Help manage the website, contribute content, and plan for future site enhancements. Knowledge of WordPress, HTML and photo editing software would be helpful but not required. For more information, please email Kate Barrett, website chair, at website@wwpr.org.
  • Help publicize Thrive DC events and create a communications plan. Join the Pro Bono Committee by emailing probono@wwpr.org.

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Member Spotlight

Member Spotlight: Rebecca Noel

Growing up, Rebecca Noel always thought she wanted to work in marketing. But, after taking her first public relations class at the University of Maryland, she found her true calling. After four internships and campus involvement as the PR director for the student programming board, Rebecca knew PR was the right fit for her.

Most recently, Rebecca joined the Food, Beverage and Nutrition team at Porter Novelli in Washington, DC, working on behalf of clients such as The Laughing Cow, SOYJOY and Nature Made Vitamins. She supports the team on day-to-day public relations programs by creating media monitoring reports, developing media materials and implementing media relations, digital communications and stakeholder outreach, and more.

Upon entering the PR industry after graduation in 2010, Rebecca wanted to become involved in the Washington PR industry to grow professionally and learn from other professionals in the area. She thought WWPR’s Marketing & Communications Committee would allow her to work on her social media and communications interests. Since joining the committee, Rebecca has written several Member Spotlights for the WWPR newsletter and helped with the marketing and PR for WWPR events.

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Articles of Interest

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Membership News

New Members

– Andrea Adleman, Consultant

– Melissa Beattie, American Staffing Association

– Fred Kaiser, Central Michigan University

– Sue Hensley, National Restaurant Association

– Chieko Noguchi-Scheve, Archdiocese of Washington

– Raegan Weber, The Center for Education Reform

– Beth Huffman, Dechert LLP

Renewals

– Trish Donnally, ForrestPerkins

– Debra Silimeo, Hager Sharpe

– Jennifer Sergent, Washington Design Center

– Erica Hurtt, The Clearing House

– Erin Wendel, American Physical Therapy Association

– Lauren Lawson-Zilai, Goodwill Industries International, Inc.

– Shamia Holloway, Shamia Holloway

– Kirsten Seckler, Special Olympics

– Helen Mitternight, Vanguard Communications

Interested in joining or renewed your membership? Simply complete the online membership form.

To learn more, please contact Leslie Rutledge, Membership Chair, at membership@wwpr.org.

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Job Board: DC Employment & Volunteer Opportunities

Our Jobs section offers WWPR members and website visitors a central location to see who’s hiring in PR, communications and related disciplines in the DC metropolitan area.  Positions will remain active on the site for 30 days unless removed by the poster, ensuring the list includes only active job openings.

Post an open position by visiting www.wwpr.org/jobs. It’s easy and free to connect with outstanding communications professionals in our area!

Please contact web@wwpr.org with questions or feedback.

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Sponsor Spotlight

D S Simon Productions has been a leading media and business communications company since 1986. An award-winning broadcast PR and social media video firm, D S Simon Productions specializes in satellite media tours, Internet media tours, b-roll production and distribution, corporate and web video, video players, ground tours, co-op tours and radio tours.

D S Simon Productions is an official Newsroom Resource of the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) and the National Press Club (NPC). Their staff consists of newsroom veterans and journalists, award-winning producers and broadcasters, innovative editors and technical directors, seasoned public relations professionals and polished corporate communicators.

For more information visit www.dssimon.com.

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Web Gone Wild: Three Creative Techniques to Drive Web Traffic

WWPR Vice President Tina McCormack Beaty

From 0 to 60 ramps up speed, but how do you ramp up web hits when starting at 0? You get creative, and fast.

Travalo, a portable and TSA-approved fragrance atomizer, launched earlier this year in the U.S., after a highly successful launch in the U.K. The U.S. distributor was bringing new sizes, new colors, and new product lines to consumers in the U.S. and Canada. The website launched on May 25, 2011, and in just over two months, we had secured the little-known U.S. site with over 10,000 unique visits- and more importantly, a positive impact measured directly by a boost in sales.

How’d we do it? Three creative tactics:

Virtual Blog Event
We invited 30 beauty, travel, and mommy bloggers – three large and targeted segments in the blogosphere— to attend a virtual exclusive product review session. The hook was for them to test and review Travalo, being one of the first voices in the online media to talk about the product. For us it was a controlled environment to generate significant chatter during a small timeframe. The group was invited to include pictures, video, and testimonials – all of which we provided to make the process as easy as possible for them As an enhancement, we offered one Travalo to review and another Travalo for them to conduct a giveaway on their site. The bloggers accepted the challenge and over the course of a concentrated few days, new posts began popping up. The tactic directly drove an increase in web traffic, the largest spike of the entire three month campaign, and increased the Travalo name online in a short period to amplify SEO.

Facebook Ads
Knowing your target market’s eyeballs are on Facebook is only half the battle. We knew that men and women who travel and are interested in beauty/luxury products were on Facebook multiple times a day and considered it a resource, according to recent Pew research. But the issue was micro-targeting them by demographic and specific interest. We first went after those with birthdays within the next week; those interested in travel, beauty products, and luxury goods; those recently engaged; as well as those interested in fitness, sports, and luxury items; those who played softball specifically; and those folks who rode the DC metro. The categories were selected by those which fit our target demographic in unique sub-segments. We wrote and ran multiple versions of copy per category, putting more dollars towards successful ads and pausing the unresponsive ads. The response was interesting and slightly unexpected- the best performing ads, based on clickthrus, were targeting men who felt sweaty after working out and women who had birthdays in the next week.

Engaging Online and Print Media
We decided to reach out to two bloggers for every one traditional publication whether online or print. We gather up the usual suspects: glossies, national travel, Nielsen-rated momblogs, and then cast a wide-net of product review sites. We knew we needed to balance long leads with instant hits, and we didn’t shy away from the lesser known names. Some bloggers with small audiences have the most devout audiences, which helps to create action and thus more traffic to the site. We also secured feature print and web placement in O Magazine that helped to generate the second largest campaign spike in web traffic.

These three tactics fed off of each other and were strategically placed on top of one another in an effort to make an early impact. They also directly achieved our goal of raising awareness, both online and off, for Travalo and had the best outcome possible- a significant increase in sales for the new U.S. company.

Every client and subject is different – what are your tips and tricks for driving traffic on a limited budget to a new website? Share below or tweet me at @TMStrategy.

2011 Washington PR Woman of the Year Shares Her Five Guiding Principles for Communicators

2011 Washington PR Woman of the Year Heathere Evens-Keenan and WWPR President Kendra Kojcsich

We work in one of the greatest professions imaginable. Having experienced the varied sectors of our industry—public relations agency, corporate and government—there are five guiding principles I’ve learned that have made all the difference in how interesting, rewarding and fun our work can be. These tips have become somewhat of a roadmap and I share them with you, my fellow communicators, in hopes that they will bring you career success and satisfaction in 2012 and beyond.

1.     Build Your Personal Brand

Take an active role in building your personal brand. Decide what you stand for and how that gets communicated over time. Create purposeful and consistent communications that support your brand across all available vehicles. Social media is a perfect platform since forums like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter provide an excellent outlet for brief, succinct dissemination of your messages.

2.   “Use Your Powers Only for Good!”

This motto (from colleague and skilled graphic designer, Stephanie Helline of Strategic Design Studio) is one of my favorites because it perfectly captures the superhero-like specialized skills we have mastered. Our toolkit as communicators is powerful. We are the shapers of ideas. Those skills have a tremendous ability to affect the world around us. Make sure you use them in some way to give back—give your time to mentor students, support nonprofit organizations, positively impact your community, or advance our profession. And, always work only with clients, organizations and issues you can stand behind personally. If things change and you lose confidence or trust in those you are representing, it’s time to walk.

3.     Be a Cross-Trainer

Savvy communicators use all tactics and strategies at our disposal to reach key target markets—it makes no difference if the approach is considered public relations or more of a traditional marketing tool. Understand how to each different tactic can best be used to deliver the most effective outcome. The best campaigns seamlessly integrate both public relations and marketing. Keep up on the latest developments and ask yourself, “What will most effectively deliver the measurable objective we have set?”

4.     Make a Commitment to Bold-Faced Integrity

Daily, purposeful, bold-faced integrity in all things should be a driving focus in your career. From following a professional Code of Ethics, to adhering to your own moral code, as a communications professional I believe there is no other way to operate.

5.     Know that Nothing Gets Done in a Vacuum

You are not the Lone Ranger forging your career. The truth is none of us get very far alone. It takes a village of supporters, colleagues, mentors and friends. Get active in groups like WWPR, PRSA, IABC, AMA and other communications organization whose membership is a ‘Who’s Who’ list of some of the most accomplished communicators in our industry. And, think about how you can be helpful to your colleagues in both big and small ways. Choosing to approach your profession with a spirit of partnership and mentorship, rather than a competitive stance, takes your career to a whole new level.

We are all an amalgam of the people who have come into our lives at some point and left their mark. Each of these open, generous, knowledgeable communicators elevates our great profession. Think about what mark you will leave and take an active role in making it happen. Bring energy, excitement and purpose to your field and build your own reputation for greatness.

I hope to see many of you at future WWPR events and I wish you all the best in the coming holiday season and new year!

Have your own recipe/tips for success? Post them here on the blog or send comments directly via Twitter to @KeenanPR or email heathere@keenanpr.com.

NEWSLETTER: October 2011

In this issue:

PR Woman of the Year
Past WOY Update
Upcoming Events
WWPR Blog
Get Involved
Member Spotlight
Articles of Interest
Job Board
Sponsor Spotlight

Join us for WWPR’s 22nd annual Washington PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon on Tuesday, November 15!

This event celebrates three public relations professionals who are leading our industry through integrity and ground-breaking ideas. Join us for the award announcement of our 2012 Women of the Year during a plated lunch and raffle drawing, benefiting Thrive DC, WWPR’s pro bono client.

Mingle with the area’s top communications professionals at this WWPR signature event at the Capital Hilton’s Presidential Ballroom.

11:30 a.m. — Registration, raffle ticket sales and networking
12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. — Luncheon, speaker and award announcement

Click here to RSVP. Email your questions to PR Woman of the Year Co-Chairs, Laura Cilmi and Emily Hughes at woy@wwpr.org.

It’s not too late for your company to sponsor this signature event! Contact Lisa Newman at sponsorships@wwpr.org for more information.

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Catching Up with Sarah Temple, 2009 WWPR Woman of the Year

By Melinda Semadeni

Communications has always been Sarah Temple’s passion. From her start as an editorial assistant at The Financial Times in Canada she realized the power of the written word. In her 20 year career she has worked for corporate public relations, public institutions, and non-profits with a focus on social marketing, strategic alliance development, and health communications.

Currently Temple works as senior vice president and chief of client affairs in Ogilvy Washington’s social marketing practice. At Ogilvy she has advised CDC and National Institutes of Health clients on social marketing initiatives ranging from women’s health and cancer to family history and children’s health. Earlier this year, Temple and Ogilvy colleagues worked on a pro bono basis assisting the Gender Equality Project with positioning and messaging for the group’s launch at the World Economic Forum-an effort to engage corporations in fostering equal opportunities by establishing a global standard and certification system in gender equality.

Temple considers curiosity a key element in keeping communicators sharp in the ever-changing landscape of digital media. “Curiosity will help you succeed. You must question assumptions and data, be willing to wrestle with a complex problem and ferret out the ambiguity. Social media may be a game changer in how we communicate and engage but the basic tenets of public relations hold true. Strategies don’t change; the latest new tool needs to be applied strategically as it did 10 years ago,” said Temple.

She believes WWPR is valuable opportunity for women communicators of states in their career because it provides a space for women to share industry best practices, their war stories, and connect. Temple was honored by WWPR as Woman of the Year in 2009. She enjoys volunteering as a judge in the Emerging Leader Awards and moderating WWPR professional development panels.

A native of Calgary, Temple holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, has served as an adjunct professor of PR and corporate communications at Georgetown and was a board member of the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts & Culture, part of the National Park Service.

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Upcoming Events

For full information about our exciting events and programs, please visit our Events page.

WWPR members receive member rates for PRSA-NCC and AWC events.

– WWPR & PRSA-NCC Speed Networking Social: November 1

– DC Week: November 4-11

– PRSA-NCC “The Changing Landscape of Social Media – What Communicators Need to Know” Program: November 9

– WWPR PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon: November 15

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WWPR Blog

Have you checked-out the WWPR Blog recently? You will find recaps of the monthly professional development seminars, news of upcoming events, and communications insights.

Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll find on the blog:

All members are invited and encouraged to contribute to the WWPR Blog. Please send submissions to debbie@wwpr.org.

Top

Get Involved with WWPR Today!

Here are a number of great ways to get involved with WWPR and make the most of your membership. For more information visit our Committees page.

Volunteer on one of WWPR’s committees

  • Looking to build your graphic or web portfolio? Join our website committee and leave your mark on the WWPR website. Help manage the website, contribute content, and plan for future site enhancements. Knowledge of WordPress, HTML and photo editing software would be helpful but not required. For more information, please email Kate Barrett, website chair, at website@wwpr.org.
  • Help publicize Thrive DC events and create a communications plan. Join the Pro Bono Committee by emailing probono@wwpr.org.

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Member Spotlight

Member Spotlight: Ivy K. Pendleton
By Rebecca Noel

Ivy Pendleton has been interested in public relations, marketing, and communications since her days as an undergrad at Tuskegee University, where she served as Director of Public Relations for the Student Government Association. Since then, Ivy has worked in PR and marketing for a telecommunications company in Atlanta and freelanced before moving back to the Washington, DC area to obtain her Master’s degree in Health Communications from Trinity University and eventually starting her own firm, TCA PR.

TCA PR, a full service public relations agency in Washington, DC, focuses on the nonprofit, international and healthcare sectors.. Most recently, Ivy took the role of Public Information Officer and spokeswoman for the Historical Southern Sudan Referendum, which is working to decide the unity of Sudan or the Secession of South Sudan, for the International Organization for Migration and South Sudan Referendum Commission. In only two months, she led her team to achieve more than a million media impressions, high visibility on social networks and a 99 percent voter turnout in the U.S.

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Articles of Interest

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Membership News

New Members

– Sharnequa Steed, AAAS

– Lauren Anderson, Fifth Estate

– Amy Buckley Reingold

– Catherine Cochran, USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service

– Nicole Lanciano, YMCA of Metropolitan Washington

– Allison Vennerberg

– Priya Ramesh, CRT/tanaka

– Maria Novick, The George Washington University School of Business

– Rockhelle Johnson, Conference of State Bank Supervisors

Renewals

– Emily Hughes, National Environmental Strategies

– Elizabeth Stuckle, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

– Portia Palmer, Palmer Global Communication Group

– Pat Wheeler, Cultural Tourism DC

– Luana Bossolo, American Psychological Association

Interested in joining or renewed your membership? Simply complete the online membership form.

To learn more, please contact Leslie Rutledge, Membership Chair, at membership@wwpr.org.

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Job Board: DC Employment & Volunteer Opportunities

Our Jobs section offers WWPR members and website visitors a central location to see who’s hiring in PR, communications and related disciplines in the DC metropolitan area.  Positions will remain active on the site for 30 days unless removed by the poster, ensuring the list includes only active job openings.

Post an open position by visiting www.wwpr.org/jobs. It’s easy and free to connect with outstanding communications professionals in our area!

Please contact web@wwpr.org with questions or feedback.

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Sponsor Spotlight

Vocus is a leading provider of cloud-based marketing and PR software that helps organizations reach and influence buyers across social networks, online and through the media. Vocus provides a suite of software for online marketing, social media and PR that makes it easy for organizations to generate online visibility, build their social networks and attract new customers in today’s new customer-led buying cycle. Headquartered in Beltsville, MD, Vocus has been recognized as one of the best places to work in metro-Washington, D.C. For more information visit www.vocus.com.

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