September Meeting – Google Your Brain: Unleash the Power of the Questions You Ask Yourself

Date:                Thursday, September 18

Time:                11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Location:          inPlay

                        615 3rd Street

                        Des Moines

Our brain works much like Google, one of the most popular search engines.  Ask Google a question and it gives multiple answers, links and pictures. When you ask your brain a question it gives a list of responses, beliefs and memories. Whether you know it or not, many of your decisions, action and goals are based on your brain’s “search results.”

Mitch Matthews, Iowa native and creator of the “Q” game series, uses business examples and personal stories as well as experiences from attendees. This program is great for new and seasoned practitioners to encourage creative thinking and action planning.

Please register online at www.prsaciowa.org by Thursday, September 11.

If you have questions about the online registration process please contact the chapter’s treasurer-elect Jarad Bernstein at 280-2040 or jarad.bernstein@hubbellrealty.com 

Welcome to the 2008/2009 Programming Year

Welcome to another programming year for the Central Iowa PRSA Chapter!

The chapter’s leadership team has been very busy this summer planning activities and has many exciting things in the works for the fall and spring.  In fact, 27 members have either taken on board responsibilities or are leading committees.  Thank you to all of you for your dedication to the chapter!

One of the best ways to get the most out of your PRSA membership is to get involved in a chapter committee, and we have plenty of opportunities this year.

Committee members are needed to help with planning our annual Institute event in April, our chapter’s awards evening also in the spring, as well as with social and professional development events all throughout the year.

If you are interested in volunteering on a committee, please visit the board of directors tab on our chapter web site at www.prsaciowa.org and contact a chapter leader.

Or, you can always feel free to send me a note or give me a call.

Enjoy the programming year!

Darin Leach, APR

President, Central Iowa PRSA Chapter

Darin.Leach@ia.usda.gov

Ph: 284-4747

The Birth of the “Social Media Release”?

Compiled by Greg Beaubien for Tactics and The Strategist Online – Appearing August 4, 2008

Traditional press releases are poised to become obsolete — at least as stand-alone entities. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved new guidance last week allowing companies, under certain circumstances, to post financial information on their Web sites and blogs and still meet public disclosure requirements. The TechCrunch blog calls the SEC announcement “a historical decision that could break the age-old shackles that bound businesses to traditional media and distribution channels in order to satisfy full disclosure.”

By approving blogs as a viable form of disclosure, TechCrunch writes, the SEC is officially recognizing social media and opening the door for the “social media release.” Like a traditional press release, it would announce corporate data, but the social media release might also include Web 2.0 features like a custom video hosted from YouTube, supporting graphs and images of executives funneled from Flickr, audio podcasts piped in from iTunes, market data sources from Docstoc, and related stories and commentary linked from Delicious. Hosted as “an elegant and media-rich blog post,” TechCrunch says, the social media release would act as “an aggregated hub for these disparate brand beacons, and at the same time, each piece is findable and sharable within each social network . . .”

In the blog’s opinion, a social media release should only augment a traditional press release and disclosure, and not replace it. The new, socially rooted format would complement traditional and search-engine-optimized press releases by combining news and social assets in one tool that is easy to digest and repurpose. As existing social tools evolve and new services are introduced, social media releases could provide “a blank canvas for PR, marketing and the community to define how they’re read and shared.”

October Meeting Preview

Our October luncheon will be Thursday, October 16^th again at inPlay in Des Moines. 

The topic is scheduled to be “Communications Efforts from the Flood of 2008.”  The communications team will discuss communications strategies used with the media and public during this summer’s floods that threatened Des Moines.

Make Plans to Attend the International Conference in Detroit October 25 – 28

The theme of this year’s PRSA International Conference, set for October 25 – 28 in Detroit, is “The Point of Connection” and will feature addresses from Craig Newmark, founder and chairman of Craigslist, along with other outstanding keynote speakers including Penelope Trunk, Bob Lutz and Mitch Albom.

If you haven’t attended PRSA’s international conference in a while this would be a good one to check out.

For more information please visit www.prsa.org/conf2008. The deadline to receive special hotel rates is September 30.

Expanding the Chapter’s Web Site - Share Your Ideas

As you visit our chapter’s Web site we’d like to know your thoughts. What ideas do you have for improvement, additional content, etc.?

One thing we would like to do is expand the content to include best practice ideas/success stories from our members. 

• Has your company conducted recent research that our members would find interesting? 
• Have you helped launch a new product?
• Have you used a new technology to assist a client?

If you have done something recently that you’d be willing to share with our chapter members, please send your information to Darin Leach darin.leach@ia.usda.gov or Sara Wille at iawilles@msn.com.

We want to make our Web site an even better tool and resource. 

Know the Code (of Ethics)
Each month, PRSA Central Iowa features an ethical reminder, tip or tidbit in its newsletter to reinforce the importance of ethics in public relations and your ethical obligations as a PRSA member.

For further information or guidance on ethics-related matters, please contact 2008-09 ethics chairperson Leigh McGivern, APR, BasicLeigh Communications, at (515) 287-3725, or basicleighcommunications@mchsi.com. This month focuses on one of the provisions of the code.

Provision: Free Flow of Information

Principle: Protecting and advancing the free flow of accurate and truthful information is essential to serving the public interest and contributing to informed decision making in a democratic society.

Intent: To maintain the integrity of relationships with the media, government officials, and the public; to aid informed decision-making.

Guidelines: As a PRSA member, you shall

·         Preserve the integrity of the process of communication.

·         Be honest and accurate in all communications.

·         Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible.

·         Preserve the free flow of unprejudiced information when giving or receiving gifts by ensuring that gifts are nominal, legal, and infrequent.

Examples of Improper Conduct:

·         A member representing a ski manufacturer gives a pair of expensive racing skis to a sports magazine columnist, to influence the columnist to write favorable articles about the product.

·         A member entertains a government official beyond legal limits and/or in violation of government reporting requirements.

Congratulations – It’s a Boy!

A big congratulations to this year’s technology chair Sara Wille and family!  Sara, her husband Jeremy, and children, Jack and Ava welcomed new brother Ryan Edward to the family on August 22.  Big brother and big sister are very proud, as are mom and dad!

Meeting Discount Offered for Those Who Prepay Now

Members can receive a year-in-advance discount by prepaying for the entire year’s programs.

Sign up for this option before the September 18th meeting to attend eight meetings during the 2008/2009 program year for the price of only seven.

Year-in-advance sign up can be done at www.prsaciowa.org. Please contact Jarad with any questions.

Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities with Chapter

A wide variety of corporate sponsorships are available this year including monthly chapter meetings and various chapter events. Please contact chapter president-elect Rhonda Clark-Leyda at clark-leyda.rhonda@principal.com or phone 247-6634 for more information.