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| Tuesday, September 7, 2010 |
| - In This Issue - |
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Socialize and Network with Other PRSA Members
Expand your professional social network by joining fellow PRSA members for a social event at El Bait Shop in downtown Des Moines Wednesday, April 16, from 4:45-6:15 p.m. Appetizers and two drinks will be provided free of charge for PRSA members.
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PRSA Central Iowa Seeks Board Nominations
As the calendar turns toward spring it is time again to start developing our chapter’s leadership team for the upcoming year. The 2008/2009 year begins on June 1, 2008.
Each year it takes more than 20 members to fill board and committee chair positions within our chapter. Please contact chapter president-elect Darin Leach, APR, at (515) 284-4747 or Darin.Leach@ia.usda.gov if you are interested in serving as a 2008-2009 board member or committee chair or would like to know more about the positions. The deadline for nominations has been extended to Friday, April 18.
The success of our chapter comes from the dedication and effort of our members. |
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PRIME Awards Ceremony April 24
Every year, the PRSA Central Iowa Chapter annually recognizes individuals in four categories who, during the course of their careers, have made outstanding contributions to the profession. Join fellow PRSA members as we gather to celebrate PR excellence in Central Iowa.
The event will be held Thursday, April 24 at 6 p.m. at the Des Moines Scottish Rite Consistory, 519 Park St., Des Moines. Tickets are $30 members; $40 guests and $20 students. Register online at www.prsaciowa.org. |
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Leveraging the Power of Social Media in Your Organization
Social media is all around us and is changing the public relations landscape. Consumer generated content is growing exponentially and is giving people the opportunity to impact your brand both positively and negatively.
You know it when you see it, yet it’s a stretch to think how you might leverage social media in your organization.
Mike Sansone, self-proclaimed “Conversation Conductor” and business coach, will share the latest tools, trends and techniques to help you connect with your customers and amplify your relationships through social media at the May luncheon, May 15 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Location is to be determined.
Mike is an independent business consultant specializing in business blogs and conversational copywriting. His experience in public speaking, sales and marketing, writing, and real-time online communication are strengths Mike relies upon in his role as a Conversation Conductor.
Prior to starting his own business, Mike helped to build thriving online communities with America Online, Real Fans Sports Network, Ignite Sports Media and HeyMax. He also has coordinated the growth of offline communities as a property manager, volunteer, and minister.
Cost for the luncheon is $20 members; $25 guests and $15 students. Please
register online by May 9.
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“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” Annual Business Meeting
To wrap up a year of great luncheons, speakers and events, Central Iowa PRSA members are invited to attend the Annual Business Meeting Thursday, June 19 at Principal Park. A short business meeting will take place in the Butter Kernel Corner picnic area at 6 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner consisting of all of your favorite picnic foods, including hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad and more.
Then it’s time to “play ball” at 7:05 p.m., when the I-Cubs take on the New Orleans Zephyrs. What a great opportunity for members to socialize and network with each other, while watching America’s favorite pastime!
The normal registration fee to attend the meeting will include a ticket to the game, an I-Cubs souvenir and the buffet dinner. Be sure to register today and help us make the final event of the year a homerun! |
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 Meet Ann WilsonName: Ann Wilson, APR
Position: Senior Director of Communications
Company: Iowa State University Foundation
Alma Mater: Drake University
Family: Husband Ric Silvestrini, daughter Taylor (11)
How long have you been a member of PRSA? 20 years
This is a big year for Iowa State. Not only did they beat Iowa in both football and basketball, but also the university just celebrated its sesquicentennial and the foundation launched an ambitious fundraising program, Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose. What are some of your main duties that assist the Foundation in reaching its goals? It has most defiantly been a great year to be an Iowa Stater! My role is to supervise a communications department that creates and implements opportunities to demonstrate the impact of philanthropy at Iowa State. We work closely with senior management, development officers (our fundraisers), donors, and ISU administrators to develop our strategies. Our communications department is responsible for brand/image management, media relations, campaign communications, graphic design, publications, Web sites, video production and public relations council.
In light of the Foundation’s goals, have you had to change your PR/Communications strategy in light of what seems to be a tightening economy? If so, in what ways?
Last October we publicly launched an $800 million fundraising campaign—the largest in ISU history. We spent three years preparing for this moment, and will be working on this major endeavor through 2010. It’s important for current and potential donors to see and understand the impact that private support makes on campus. However, our marketing and communications efforts are not the reason why donors give. They become engaged, develop a relationship with Iowa State and want to help make a difference. To date, our campaign has raised $562 million—and with three years left to go, we feel very confident that we will meet or exceed our fundraising goal.
Two of the presentations at this year’s PRSA Institute (April 8) will focus on crisis communications. Have you ever been in a situation of crisis as it relates to public relations and if so, how did you handle it? When I arrived at the ISU Foundation in January 2003, we were in the middle of a long drawn-out lawsuit regarding donor privacy vs. public/open records. This continued during my first three years and I was very involved in managing the issue, developing communications plans and working with local and national media. My ongoing advice to senior leadership was not to over-react, keep all audiences clearly informed, and help educate the media on all sides of the issue. In 2006, the Iowa Legislature passed legislation that assured donors that their personal financial information that they share during the gifting process is protected by law. The ISU Foundation was very instrumental in working on this bill.
Another topic at Institute is “creativity.” How are you creative in your job and/or in your free time? On the job, our staff is very creative. While philanthropy might seem boring to some, there are so many wonderful stories to tell and that never gets old. And the vehicles in which we tell those stories allows us to be very creative by using print, video, flash e-mails, electronic newsletters, design, photography and donor events to their fullest potential. Regarding creativity in my free time—my life right now revolves around my daughter and her sports and activities. I am just enjoying all her creative adventures! |
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Know the Code (of Ethics)
Each month, PRSA Central Iowa features one of the provisions of the PRSA Code of Ethics in its newsletter. These articles help remind you of the importance of ethics in public relations and of your ethical obligations as a PRSA member. For further information or guidance on ethics-related matters, please contact ethics chairperson Dave Remund, APR, Innova Ideas & Services, at 515-875-4960, or dave.remund@sigler.com.
Provision: Enhancing the Profession
Principle: Public relations professionals work constantly to strengthen the public's trust in the profession.
Intent: To build respect and credibility with the public for the profession of public relations. To improve, adapt and expand professional practices.
Guidelines: As a PRSA member, you shall:
- Acknowledge that there is an obligation to protect and enhance the profession.
- Keep informed and educated about practices in the profession to ensure ethical conduct.
- Actively pursue personal professional development.
- Decline representation of clients or organizations that urge or require actions contrary to the PRSA Code of Ethics.
- Accurately define what public relations activities can accomplish.
- Counsel subordinates in proper ethical decision-making.
- Require that subordinates adhere to the ethical requirements of the Code.
- Report ethical violations, whether committed by PRSA members or not, to the appropriate authority.
Examples of Improper Conduct:
- A member declares publicly that a product the client sells is safe, without disclosing evidence to the contrary.
- A member initially assigns some questionable client work to a non-member practitioner to avoid the ethical obligation of PRSA membership.
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Des Moines Builder Recounts “Extreme” Experience
When Hollywood and Iowa builder Hubbell Homes hooked up in 2006 for an episode of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (http://www.hubbellextreme.com/), it was, as Rick Tollakson recalls fondly, “total chaos.”
Tollakson, Hubbell Homes president and chief executive officer, led his staff and a team of more than 4,000 volunteers and dozens of vendors in the construction of a new home for a deserving Tama County family. With between 200 and 300 people working on it at any one time, the house was built in just 93 hours and completed “just in time for the Iowa/Iowa State football game kickoff,” jokes Tollakson.
When the project got off to a sticky start with Des Moines media – they had little to no access to compelling video or the program’s stars – Tollakson and his public relations savvy staff, including Rachel Flint, did all they could to entice reporters to cover the project. Their efforts paid off, with an average of 10 media interviews a day during the week of construction. That translated to more than 7.5 million impressions.
Tollakson and his staff’s flexibility were tested at every turn of the project, but careful pre-planning, with time built in for delays, enabled them to complete the house on time. The family, which had been living in a run-down trailer, was wowed by the “reveal” and held a thank-you party for Hubbell staff and volunteers in their new home. |
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 Bookmark This: The Associated Press Stylebook on Briefing and Media LawWhether you’re a student struggling through Composition 101 or a PR pro on a quest for perfection, The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law is always ready to fill the role of trusted advisor to your creative genius. Revised and updated in 2000, this version contains a 40-page section on media law, guides for punctuation and bibliographies, and specialized glossaries for business and sports writing, all in addition to its 280-page generalized stylebook.
The majority of this book is an excellent tool for anyone who ever has to write for the public. Whether it’s a newsletter for your badminton league, a training manual for your employees, or a press release detailing your company’s quarterly earnings, this stylebook will help you turn out well-written copy that gains the approval of every English teacher you’ve ever had.
As a companion to the AP Stylebook, take a look at “One Word, Two Words, Hyphenated?” by Mary Louise Gilman. Anyone who writes should have this book close at hand (or is it close-at-hand?) |
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Hanser & Associates Wins International Award for Public Relations
West Des Moines-based Hanser & Associates has won a 2008 international Telly Award in the public relations category.
The award recognized nationwide public relations by Hanser & Associates (H&A) for Paramus, N.J.-based Coach USA. The 2007 campaign included a video news release (VNR) regarding megabus.com intercity bus service in the United States. H&A placed the VNR on television stations throughout the United States as part of a campaign that placed nearly 1,000 news stories for Coach USA in 2007.
“Hanser & Associates is honored to have our national public relations materials for clients recognized among the world's best,” said H&A President Ronald Hanser. |
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