NEWSLETTER: May 2014
Jun 6, 2014 | News & Updates
| WWPR Newsletter May 2014 |
| From the President |
 Since launching our 2014 professional development program, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) has organized four sold-out events for DC-area communicators. From the coattails of January's Annual Meeting, we jumped right into our "Nonprofit & Philanthropy Panel" in partnership with Johns Hopkins University (February), "Crisis-Free Life vs. Crisis-Charged Workload" in partnership with Levick (March), "Speed Mentoring" in partnership with Hager Sharp (April) and this month's "Communicating Across Cultures" in partnership with Ketchum. Each of these events reached sold-out capacity! In other exciting news, the 2014 Emerging Leaders Awards (ELA) are now accepting nominations (click here for details). WWPR's Emerging Leaders Awards ceremony honors young leaders for their unique skill and talents. These are the PR pros to keep your eyes on. Learn more about past ELA honorees here A huge thanks to all who take the time to share feedback which we use to shape our programs, to our partners who continue to support WWPR's mission and to my fellow Board of Directors who are working hard to strengthen and provide value to the DC-area communications community. I hope to see you at an upcoming event. As always, if you have any questions or comments you'd like to share with me directly, please contact me at Lauren@wwpr.org.  Return to top |
| 2014 Emerging Leaders Awards: Nominations Due May 23rd! |
| Nominations are now open for the 2014 Emerging Leaders Awards! Help WWPR find communications professionals who stand out based on their accomplishments, drive and impact on the industry. Nominate a colleague, friend, or yourself (don't be shy!) before Friday, May 23, at midnight. Last month you voted on the hors d'oeuvres you would enjoy most at the Emerging Leaders Awards reception (July 22 at Zentan Restaurant). Now, we want to know what WWPR can do to make it easy for you to attend events! Please answer a few transportation questions, here. Survey closes May 30. Return to top |
| Professional Development Update: Secrets to Planning Perfect Events 6/26 |
 WWPR, in partnership with Pepco Holdings, Inc., will host a panel presentation, "Secrets to Planning Perfect Events" on Thursday, June 26 from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery, 702 Eighth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001. Hear from event planning industry experts about budgeting, creating a project plan, tips on working with caterers and design professionals, how to plan green events, and more. From 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., there will be networking, a wine tasting courtesy of Total Wine & More and light hors d'oeuvres donated by Geppetto Catering, Inc.To learn how to plan flawless business events, register now for this program. Cost: Free to WWPR & PRSA members; $20 for non-members. Return to top |
| April Speed Mentoring Event Challenges Women to Look Inside for Career Advancement |
| By Alyssa Ritterstein, WWPR Professional Development Committee Member On April 10, women leaders throughout the DC-area revealed career advancement strategies during the Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) speed mentoring event. Many of the executive-level communicators called on their mentees to know themselves.The mentoring event consisted of a networking time, followed by an opportunity for a mentee to speak with an established female mentor in three 20-minute small group sessions. Here is a snapshot of three sessions. Hager Sharp's Interim CEO Lynne Doner Lotenberg pushed women to understand who they are and apply that knowledge to the workplace. Lotenberg challenged women to ask for a promotion, if they earned it; know when they need help and get it; and, assert themselves at meetings. Meanwhile, United Nations Foundation Senior Communications Officer Rachel Henderson offered advice on career paths. "Shape the direction you want your career to go," Henderson said. "Stay at a job if you want to be an expert at it. Don't stay, if you don't." To get to the next step on the career ladder, Henderson promoted LinkedIn as a means of networking and finding job opportunities. She also encouraged women to get involved in a hobby so as to stand out with current and potential employers, become a leader at the office, and, most importantly, create time for themselves so that they can do better at their job. Tangela Richardson, national public affairs specialist for the Social Security Administration, had a different approach. She invited mentees to look inside and develop their personal brand for career advancement. Richardson recommended women promote their brand through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook or Instagram as well as advance it through professional organizations like WWPR. To learn more about upcoming WWPR events, please go to https://wwpr.org/events. Return to top |
| PR in 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. The Politics of Public Relations  Let's turn this column on its head from being, "The role of public relations in politics." Let's look at the role of politics in public relations. All of us who have worked for agencies will sigh in understanding! There is no workplace more fraught with politics than the public relations workplace; there is no comparable industry where politics play such an enormous role. However, we're not going to delve into individual firms -- this time.READ MORE Return to top |
| The B Hive |
By Beth Stewart, WWPR Marketing Communications Committee Member 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.RECAP: Employing Visual Content for Compelling Storytelling  As a budding communications professional I often find myself in this balancing act between bringing rich, engaging content to my firm's audience while also trying to stay current and entertaining in our ever evolving industry. And something tells me even the seasoned communicator has the same issue. We've all come across an infographic or two or even those enticing "listacles" on such infotainment sites as BuzzFeed. But does it really make sense to interpret one message in an infographic over video? Or forgo a press release all together for an exciting image instead? The reality is multimedia has transformed the way audiences are absorbing information and we as communicators need to understand how to hone in on this powerful tool. To get a better grasp on using multimedia, last month I attended PR Newswire's and the Business Development Institute's forum on "Employing Visual Content for Compelling Storytelling." READ MORE Return to top |
| Member Spotlight |
This month's Member Spotlight interview features WWPR member Lauren E. Patterson, Business Development & Advertising Associate at The Daily Caller, and ELA Committee member.  Q: How did you get started in communications? A: My interest in communications began when I developed a love of politics during my undergraduate studies at the College of Charleston. I was fascinated by the role that media plays in civic engagement on national and international scales. I was never actually interested in politics until I had the outstanding faculty at my college to provide an open environment for learning and debate. Traditional news coverage seems to leave a gap between readers and engagement in what's occurring in their day-to-day lives. While most of this is related to not-so-easy to digest political news, I couldn't be happier to work for a new media publication that engages readers across the country and invites them to communicate with each other, national associations, or government relations with their daily news gathering routine. I never before understood the role that advertising plays in business development. My grandmother was actually a pioneer in the industry, and I find it ironic that I'm now working with strategic communications related to what she was first asked to do in the 60's at a broadcasting company. She was the first female to work in her industry due to her artistic ability to appeal to the public eye, and I hope I can live up to her amazing endeavors in creativity. Q: What inspired you to get involved with WWPR? A: I am brand new to D.C., but quickly found a stellar communications professional who suggested WWPR. The start-up atmosphere of a new media publication is possibly one of the most challenging yet rewarding environments imaginable. The duties that I am able to provide for my clients vary so dramatically that it starts with understanding what is important to public relations professionals. My main focus has been to understand why media is important to sustain, while also understand how it can benefit as a "firehose" to public relations efforts. The extreme energy that comes from having 11 million eyeballs checking our site for news coverage multiple times a day relates to how important adjacent content needs to be for communications efforts to connect in a strong and impactful way for both sides. I'm a people person, and I am doing my best to bring meaningful partner content in both paid and earned spectrums to our new audience of news gatherers around the country. Being involved in WWPR has not only connected me with a strong way to understand the public relations environment, but a fun way to be involved in an important part of D.C. media. Q: What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment professionally? A: I came to D.C. not even a year ago with no clue how I was going to fit in or where I was going to be helpful. I am lucky to have fallen into the beginning of a life-long career that I am passionate about, but more importantly find excitement about on every level. I developed skills and a working knowledge of the advertising and communications industry on both D.C.-based and national platforms that I am passionate about. To go from no industry, "D.C.", or digital experience to running some of the most successful communications campaigns for advocacy efforts can be overwhelming. The strongest accomplishment is not mine, but begins with the around-the-clock efforts of journalism that begins in my office. There's nothing more that I could want than to help sustain media; the strong levels of engagement that I am able to interact with make me realize the opportunity that lies in the future for new media and trade association or brand marketing efforts. The additional fact that my CEO and publisher are the coolest bosses make my job one of the most fun I can even imagine. The enjoyable atmosphere and comic relief for breaking news make the start-up minded challenges much easier to face each day when I wake up. The opportunity of digital space is endless, and I can't imagine a more creative and dynamic job that includes communications, media and business in one. Return to top |
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