Social Media Crisis Management: Cause & Solution
Author: WWPR
Event Recap: Savvy Social Marketing
By Dinesha Rogers
Cause-related marketing is a powerful marketing tool that business and nonprofit organizations are increasingly leveraging. Although originally a marketing strategy that occurred offline, cause marketing has been conducted more and more through online channels in the last decade. The advent of online cause marketing has allowed consumers, for example, to take a far more active role in cause marketing. To better understand the tools and methods of social media marketing for cause-driven campaigns, I had the pleasure of attending the Washington Women in Public Relations’ (WWPR) luncheon panel discussion.
On Tuesday, November 17th, WWPR’s Professional Development Committee and representatives from Golin welcomed a packed house for an extremely informative and fascinating discussion on cause-driven marketing campaigns. The amazing expert panelists included:
- Julie Dixon, Deputy Marketing Director, Golin
- Alexandra Nalevanko, Corporate Education Partnerships, Discovery Education
- Ronne Ostby, Director of Strategy and Planning-Health Marketing Group, ICF International
- Brian Reich, Managing Director, little m media
After a great introduction by WWPR’s President, Avelyn Austin, the panelists dove into a great discussion led by moderator, Melissa Springer, Vice President and Client Strategy at Social Driver. Each panelist spoke about efficacious social media campaigns and articulated how clear goals, content, and actions need to be established before a campaign should consider going into market. Ronne Ostby stated, “Research is the foundation of everything. For me and the work that I do, it’s really about what we are trying to persuade folks to do: 1) What are they currently doing?; and 2) How do they feel about what we’re asking them to do?” Truly committing and engaging with your audience is essential in raising awareness for your cause or mission. Creating an impact is the ultimate goal of cause-driven campaigns.
The audience was then led to critically think about how to find the balance between meeting business and personal goals. “Cause marketing does not work because everyone is self-motivated. It works because there is balance and passion for what you love to do”, Brian Reich explained. When marketing for a cause, the benefits occur when the consumer achieves the consciousness of being a philanthropist and aiding the world in a progressive light.
The expert panelists believe the future of cause-driven campaigns will continue to be an emotional attachment and exude more in traditional media/events. They encouraged the audience to continue to walk in their purpose and pursue that thing that drives you daily. Developing communications plans surrounding social purpose initiatives, from both corporate and non-profit sectors, is not always easy. But, with effective planning and execution, your campaigns will be able to influence the world!
For more information about Washington Women in Public Relations, visit their website at www.wwpr.org. Also, follow them on Facebook @WashingtonWomenInPublicRelations, Twitter @WWPR and Instagram @wwprdc.
WWPR Names Christina Nicols the 2015 Washington PR Woman of the Year
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 16, 2015) – Christina Nicols, senior vice president and director of strategic planning and research at Hager Sharp, was named the Washington Women in Public Relations’ (WWPR) 2015 Washington PR Woman of the Year Friday in a ceremony honoring top public relations executives and celebrating women in communications.
Nicols was one of three public relations professionals chosen as an honoree for the 26th annual award. The other finalists were Carrie Fox, president of C. Fox Communications, and Lisa Throckmorton, chief operations officer at SpeakerBox Communications. The three finalists represent women who have led some of the most influential communications campaigns in the District and across the country.
“This is a phenomenal honor and I am humbled to be surrounded by such exemplary leaders in the field who are dedicated to mentoring and supporting the next generation of public relations professionals,” said Nicols. “It is a special privilege to join the ranks of previous PR Woman of the Year recipients including Hager Sharp’s own cofounders Susan Hager and Marcia Sharp, as well as our CEO Jennifer Wayman and executive vice president Debra Silimeo.”
Nicols was presented the award by Silimeo, the 2010 PR Woman of the Year, at Friday’s luncheon.
WWPR, a professional society advancing women communicators in metropolitan Washington, established the Woman of the Year Award in 1990 to honor the most talented women in the public relations profession. This year’s luncheon was held at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C., and featured keynote speaker Kelly M. Parisi, vice president of communications and marketing at Lean In and alumna of The George Washington University. “I am thrilled to return to Washington for the opportunity to recognize these courageous women who are vivid examples of what it means to lean in—Carrie Fox, Christina Nicols, and Lisa Throckmorton,” said Parisi. “Thank you, WWPR, for inviting me to be part of this beautiful event and filling the room with women I consider to be peers, role models, and friends.”
Parisi’s remarks centered on bravery as she applauded all three women for their courage, ingenuity, and passion and reminded the audience that it would take a billion acts of bravery to create greater equality in the world.
“Christina Nicols embodies all the exceptional characteristics of a WWPR Washington PR Woman of the Year,” said WWPR President, Avelyn Austin. “Each year we are overwhelmed by the exceptional group of nominees and finalists. This year, we are so pleased to showcase the remarkable accomplishments of Christina Nicols, Carrie Fox, and Lisa Throckmorton.”
The event included a raffle offering a wide range of prizes from popular local businesses, from gift certificates to restaurants, hotels and salons, to highly coveted career coaching sessions. Proceeds from the raffle benefit the WWPR 2015/2016 pro bono client, Bright Beginnings, Inc. The DC-based organization delivers daily childcare, quality early education, and parenting support for more than 150 homeless children in the District of Columbia.
Special thanks goes to WWPR annual and event sponsors, raffle contributors, and in-kind donors for their generous support of the event and organization.
About the Washington PR Women of the Year Selection Process
Each year, candidates are nominated through an open application process. The applications are then reviewed and evaluated based on standard criteria, which include: accomplishments in the public relations field; contributions to the community; and industry leadership. The final selection is made by a panel of esteemed communications professionals based in the Washington, D.C. area. The judging panel included WWPR President Avelyn Austin; WWPR Vice President Mara Vandlik; Susan Apgood, News Generation; Laura Lawson-Zilai, Goodwill Industries; Emily Rasowsky, Social Driver; Kris Tremaine, ICF Corporation; and WWPR’s Past President, Lauren Smith Dyer.
About Washington Women in Public Relations
Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is a member-based professional society cultivating and inspiring female communicators to reach their full potential in the D.C. market and beyond. The organization is committed to providing leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and industry networking. Find out more at www.wwpr.org, “Like” us on Facebook.com/WashingtonWomeninPR, join our group on LinkedIn, and follow us on Twitter @WWPR and Instagram @WWPRDC.
PR’s Role in Politics – Public Relations in the Time of Politics
The Role of Public Relations in Politics is a monthly column written by WWPR member Margaret Mulvihill, examining the role of PR in politics.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Washington Women in Public Relations
At this point in the political cycle a decade ago, I would have asked what role, if any, public relations would play in the upcoming Presidential election. Today, I simply ask myself how big a role public relations can be expected to play. I can answer that question very simply too – huge. Public Relations (PR) is already playing a huge role and not all the candidates have declared yet. We currently have 15 declared candidates, only four of whom are Democrats.
The candidates’ scramble to assemble that PR dream team began close to six months ago. By now, some of the best and the brightest of our colleagues have been locked-in for the duration, or at least locked-in until the primaries are over.
Here are the main candidates who have declared they are running. I’m including Jeb Bush in this round-up, because, come on! We all know he’s going to run for President of the United States. Jeb was in the news this past week because there’s already been a big shake-up on his team. David Kochel was replaced by Danny Diaz as campaign manager. Not to mention that the big donors are not lining up behind Bush as he had expected them to.
Here are the Democratic candidates’ main campaign selections to serve on their respective teams:
| Candidate | Staff |
| Lincoln Chafee | Jonathan Stevens, Debbie Rich, Kenny Alston |
| Hillary Clinton | Cheryl Mills, Minyon Moore, Jake Sullivan, Maura Pally, Dan Schwerin |
| Martin O’Malley | Bill Hyers, Steve Kearny |
| Bernie Sanders | Tad Devine |
Here are the Republican candidates’ main campaign selections to serve on their respective teams:
| Candidate | Staff |
| Jeb Bush | Sally Bradshaw, Mike Murphy, Danny Diaz, Jack Oliver, Josh Venable, Kristy Campbell |
| Ben Carson | Barry Bennett, Doug Watts, Ed Brookover, G. Michael Brown, Ruth Sherlock, Ryan Rhodes |
| Ted Cruz | Jeff Roe, Chad Sweet, Nick Muzin, Jason Johnson, Victoria Coates, Catherine Frazier, Jason Miller, Josh Perry, Austen Furse, Mark P. Campbell, Rick W. Tyler |
| Carly Fiorina | Sarah Isgur |
| Mike Huckabee | Alice Stewart, Bob Wickers, Bryan Sanders, Chad Gallagher, Chip Saltsman, Hogan Gidley, Sarah Huckabee Sanders |
| George Pataki | Vincent Balascio |
| Rand Paul |
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| Rick Perry | Jeff Miller, Henry Barbour, Rob Johnson, Terry Nelson, Rob Jesmer |
| Marco Rubio | Alex Conant, J. Warren Tompkins, Jack Whityer, Jessica Ennis, Jim Merrill, Mark Hutchison, Norman Braan, Rich Beeson, Terry Sullivan, Todd Harris |
| Rick Santorum | Terry Allen, Jessica Colon, Matt Benyon, John Brabender, Jon Parker, Nadine Maenza |
That is a lot of high octane public relations professionals in politics. What could possibly be the perceived need from a candidate’s point of view for this level of PR representation? The only answer to that is that it’s very much an individual perception of need. Let’s look at a few of the big-name candidates. Let’s try to look past the spit and polish of the Presidential 2016 faces we are seeing today.
Hillary Clinton definitely needs all the PR power she can assemble, and she has a good team. Why does she need that team? She is aware that she is perceived as being the ultimate Washington insider, and although her past, present and future have been endlessly picked over, the worry is always present that something new will pop up. Her main hurdle remains her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Jeb Bush has a seemingly insurmountable mountain ahead of him. Both his father and brother are past Presidents, neither especially popular during or after their tenure. Jebya must be aware that the electorate may not be ready for a Dynasty re-run. His best PR person could be his wonderful mother, Barbara. His main hurdle remains his brother, former President George W. Bush.
Rick Perry is a conundrum. It’s difficult to understand why he’s running, given his performance in the 2012 Presidential stakes. His most memorable word from that campaign is “OOPS!” He gave a speech earlier this month during which he perspired so heavily that the sweat poured down his face, drawing immediate and unwelcome comparisons to former President Richard Nixon. His main hurdle remains former Governor Rick Perry!
Marco Rubio is in similar state of distress. He is aware that few voters will ever forget that glass of water, and adding to his discomfort, he must know that no amount of PR is going to make those traffic violations go away. In February 2013, Rubio gave the official Republican Party response to President Obama’s State of the Union address. Eleven minutes in, he suffered a Nixonian collapse into panic, sweat, and an urgent need for water. Add to that his traffic violations, and his lack of personal finance savvy, he remains his own main hurdle.
What a very interesting collection of politicians we have, each running for the highest public office in the nation. In turn, each of them has a very interesting collection of PR, communications and campaign staff on their respective teams. I, for one, look forward to my colleagues’ presentations of their candidates, as I await the coming of the 2016 Presidential Messiah! At the end of the day, we will be able to discuss which player had the most powerful and politically effective public relations representation.
What It Means To “Do Your Best”
By Alexandra Dickinson, Director and Chief of Staff at Beekeeper Group, and co-Dean of the DC Chapter of the Awesome Foundation
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Washington Women in Public Relations
“Do Your Best.” A friend and colleague of mine gave me a pennant with those words that now hangs above my computer on my desk. Slightly to the right of that pennant is an equally important reminder: my Washington Women in Public Relations 2014 Emerging Leaders Award.
Despite my efforts to always act as a role model for my peers, to do unto others as I would have done unto me, I sometimes fall short. Busy schedules, growing and unwieldy to-do lists, and a paralyzing bout of procrastination occasionally get in my way. When these things happen, it’s easy to fall into the trap of apologizing for your shortcomings, and writing it off at that.
For me, I’ve started to take a new approach, thanks in no small part to WWPR’s very kind recognition. Being accepted as a leader in anything feels good, there’s no doubt about that; but being recognized as an emerging leader feels like an honest embrace of the important process of self-awareness and growth.
In our industry presentation and immediate reactions makes a big difference. We work to embody the very best of our clients, and to communicate their messages as clearly as possible. But more often than not, circumstances change. Doing public affairs work in a digital landscape means constantly adapting to new trends, new voices, and new ideas.
Because of this constant state of change, leaders need to be nimble. Leaders also need to recognize that their ability to inspire is only as good as their ability to grow. At its core, this growth requires the recognition that you aren’t perfect. You will make mistakes, but as long as you can grow, and adapt, you can lead. In the end, that kind of growth is what being an emerging leader is all about.
When Beekeeper Group partner and Queen Bee, Shana Glickfield, nominated me for the award, I was humbled; but when I attended the event with all of the other Emerging Leaders, I was in awe. The five other nominees had each already achieved incredible things in their careers, and hearing their stories, it was clear that they would all go on to accomplish much more.
Being included in such an esteemed group was a huge honor, but more than that, it was a reminder of the power of numbers: our industry may seem competitive on the surface, but in reality, it’s cooperative. Standing next to a group of amazing, and unstoppable women, will motivate anyone to do their best, and to help others grow, and emerge, into leaders themselves.
In the end, being recognized as an Emerging Leader meant more than a regular award for me; it was a tacit recognition of all that we can achieve when we work and grow together.
