PRSA Boston Blog

Initial 2008 PRSA Assembly Report

2008-10-26T17:37:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday (from 8 to 5 - more on that in another post) PRSA had its annual assembly. It was my honor to serve as the delegate from PRSA Boston. Compared to past assemblies, this one was relatively low-key – although we laid the groundwork for the “Mother of All Assemblies” in 2009 (Where the plan is to potentially rewrite all of PRSA’s Bylaws…)
I will be making a series of posts recapping the assembly over the next week, but I wanted to get a quick one in now.

PRSA National provided us with an update on the state of the society. Overall, membership has increased by 4,000 over the past few years, and the PRSSA will have more than 10,000 members. This bodes well for the future of our profession. In my opinion, We still need more members, and to do that we need to provide even more value.

There are a number of new initiatives planned, including:

PR Journal
APR Study Guide
Capitol Hill Program
Internship Guide
Multicultural
Diversity Toolbox
Established research policy
Assembly survey

You may notice advocacy and thought leadership are missing from the list – that is because they are core to the growth and mission of the society and are being tackled separately (and I plan to lend whatever assistance National wants on those efforts). I am not sure I agree with the order of the above activities, but there are initiatives here to expand our value to almost every member.

PRSA National highlighted its Clean Elections campaign. They plan to continue the dialogue post election. Again, I applaud it, but is elections central to most of the members? We are not an organization focused primarily on politics – let’s focus on business, academics, etc. But my concern is a matter of degree and this will benefit the members.

For 2008, PRSA National is also presenting a new section model and focused on improving chapter support.

They also recognized we need to strengthen core benefits. One example of potential interest to independents, small agencies and those in transition is PRSA will be offering new insurance programs for companies and individuals. More details to come.

Some random notes:

For those of you that hate having to remember your PRSA Number to log into Membernet, you can now change it via the preferences section.

If you are interested in getting more involved nationally, fill out the My Preferences section on Membernet to highlight your volunteer interests. National is watching.

PRSA Job Center now has some salary information. I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, but combined with PR Week’s study, this should be useful to members for various reasons.

Significant changes to the PRSA Website are coming and they look good. They are also working on tying the local Web sites to national. They will provide templates to use in site redesign chapters want to keep the same look and feel. PRSA National would like your feedback on the proposed site. You can check it out and provide feedback on Membernet through November 15.

As always, post if you have any questions.

2009 PRSA Boston Slate

2008-10-21T10:00:00.004-04:00

Good morning,

A special guest posting as immediate past-president and chair of the nominating committee.

The formal stuff:

Pursuant to Article III, Section 3 of the PRSA Boston Bylaws and Article VII, following is the slate of proposed officers for PRSA Boston. At the time of election (our annual meeting on November 19) all will be active members of the society and chapter. If any members of the Board up for election (or currently serving) let their membership lapse during the course of their term, their duties will either be suspended or revoked at the discretion of the board.

Now I have that out of the way, the slate:

President – Jack Jackson, president On-Message Public Relations

Jack Jackson is president of On-Message Public Relations, an agency that traces its roots to the corporate, product and issue communication programs he began doing independently in 1998. Since then, his client base has extended to computer hardware and software companies; biotech and life sciences firms; Web and IT service providers; and, for the past four years, clean energy and environmental technologies. Jack’s PR career has played out almost entirely in New England—with the single exception being the year he spent in Redmond, Washington, where he launched and directed a 55-person PR office servicing Microsoft. In this capacity, Jack was lead outside PR counsel for all of Microsoft’s high-profile Web properties and interactive digital products.

Before turning to PR, Jack was a reporter for United Press International, specializing in science and technology news; a writer and editor for the Harvard Medical School Health Letter; an editor for the Chicago Tribune-New York Daily News Syndicate; and a segment producer for WCVB-Channel 5.

Jack earned his MBA in marketing, with high honors, from Boston University and holds a BS in science from Penn State. He’s been a PRSA member for 11 years now, and has served on the Boston leadership team since 2000.

President Elect—Meghan Gross, Public Relations Manager at Foley Hoag LLP

Meghan Gross has over 15 years’ experience in developing and implementing strategic communication plans for clients in a wide range of industries including professional and financial services and technology.

She is currently Public Relations Manager at Foley Hoag LLP, a 250-lawyer firm with offices in Boston, Washington, and Waltham, Massachusetts. As the first in this role, Meghan works closely with firm management to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for positioning the firm and its core practice groups with its key audiences. Prior to her current position, she spent four years in a similar role at Ropes & Gray LLP.

Prior to entering legal marketing, she spent several years working on the agency side at Weber Shandwick Worldwide and Arnold Worldwide, managing account teams serving the technology and financial services industries. Meghan also worked in public affairs in Washington, D.C. at the well-known bipartisan public affairs firm, Powell Tate. She began her career in political media relations, working on state-level referendum campaigns in Massachusetts and in state government.

She is an adjunct instructor of public relations at Boston College in the Department of Communication. Meghan received her M.A. from The George Washington University and a B.A. from Boston College.

VP, Programs—Rod Gibbons, APR, Raytheon

Rod has more than 15 years experience in successfully leading top performing communications programs for diverse, global organizations in higher education, aerospace and defense industries. He currently directs the employee communications program involving 13,800 employees in a $5B business unit of Raytheon. Previously, he was the Public Affairs Director for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. A former naval officer, Rod has served in dynamic and high visibility public affairs and aviation assignments around the world.

VP, Membership—Guy T. Shields, APR Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems

Guy has 20+ years experience in communications. He currently leads the external communications efforts for a $5B business unit of Raytheon. Previously, he was the Deputy Chief of Public Affairs for the U.S. Army in the Pentagon. A retired Army Officer, has had multiple assignments working internal communications, media relations and community relations for organizations ranging from two thousand soldiers up through more than a 750 thousand soldiers and their families. Guy has served in dynamic and highly visible public affairs assignments including Panama, Bosnia, Rwanda and Iraq. Guy has a BS from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and an MA from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI.

Treasurer- Darlene Hollywood, president, Darlene Hollywood Public Relations

Darlene Hollywood has supported publicity and public relations initiatives for both individuals and businesses for more than fifteen years. As sole proprietor of Darlene Hollywood Public Relations, Darlene, with a network of freelance consultants, currently supports PR efforts for national brands including Welch’s and Skinner Auctions & Antiques, as well as lesser know entities such as Kaon Interactive and Paxonix.

Prior to establishing her consultancy in January of 2006, Darlene was a director at Horn Group, servicing a high-tech clientele. Before Horn, Darlene was vice president of Laura Tomasetti & Associates (now 360 Public Relations) where she spearheaded several mom-focused campaigns for Hasbro, The First Years and Isis Maternity.

Secretary - Jackie Lustig, APR, Executive Vice President, Racepoint Group

With more than 25 years experience in public relations and marketing communications, Jackie focuses on business development, agency marketing, and a variety of initiatives that grow and strengthen Racepoint Group. In addition, she leads the agency team supporting One Laptop per Child – a campaign that has garnered the industry’s highest honors including the PRSA Silver Anvil and the United Nations Grand Award.

Prior to Racepoint Group Group, Jackie was senior vice president of marketing and business development at Weber Shandwick. She oversaw the firm’s advertising, intranet/extranets, collateral development, direct marketing, media relations and awards marketing programs. In 2005, both PRWeek and The Holmes Report named Weber Shandwick as “Agency of the Year.” In 2002, Jackie launched the newly formed Weber Shandwick in 68 offices in 23 countries.

Before Weber Shandwick, Jackie was deeply involved in the marketing of emerging technology companies. As the head of the Emerging Business Practice of The Weber Group and Vice President at Neva Group, she provided strategic counsel and architected award-winning marketing campaigns for numerous Internet-related, telecom and networking start-ups.

Jackie spent the first 13 years of her career in a variety of sales, marketing and financial communications roles in technology companies including Bytex Corporation, Prime Computer and Fujitsu Microelectronics.

Jackie has a BA magna cum laude in History from Brown University and an MBA summa cum laude in Marketing from Babson College.

Board member-At-Large, Diane Pardes, president of Pardes Communications, Inc

Diane Pardes, president of Pardes Communications, Inc., has 25 years of experience in high-tech, business-to-business, consumer and nonprofit PR. A veteran of major Boston agencies, Diane has a track record in providing creative and strategic counsel; designing and implementing results-driven campaigns; writing feature articles and whitepapers; and delivering high-level media coverage. She has worked with emerging companies as well as industry leaders such as the Wall Street Journal Interactive edition, IBM, Freixenet sparkling wine, Polaroid, Avid Technologies, and the Mass Technology Leadership Council. Diane has held senior positions at Miller/Shandwick Technologies (now Weber/Shandwick Worldwide), Redgate Communications (acquired by AOL), and Ingalls, Quinn & Johnson.

She graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She is also a member of the Boston Club and serves on the Strategic Planning Committee and Enterprise Committee. Her programs received a Bell Ringer merit award and a Telly award. Diane was recognized twice as one of the top 10 PR professionals in Massachusetts by Women’s Business.

Assembly Delegate, Julie Lear, APR, Lear Communications

Julie has more than 14 years public relations and communications experience creating award-winning launch, cause-related, and educational awareness campaigns for companies in the packaged goods, retail, food and beverage, and consumer health & beauty sectors. In 2005, Julie founded Lear Communications which specializes in strategic marketing communications for consumer product and service companies. Julie was formerly consumer group director at Schneider Associates in Boston. She began her career in television production working for both local network and national cable stations. Julie has previously served as PRSA Boston’s vice president of membership.

PR Ethics Debate Rages over Book by Former White House Spokesman

2008-06-09T16:11:00.003-04:00

PRSA National has found itself involved in a controversy over the nature of public relations and its ethical standards.

The brouhaha came in the wake of former White House spokesman Scott McClellan’s controversial new book, “What Happened,” in which he indicates that he and the Bush administration misled the public over the war in Iraq.

A CBS on-air legal analyst delivered a commentary noting that some in the public relations community “wonder whether the former flack violated the ‘ethics’ of his craft.”

The CBS analyst, Andrew Cohen, a lawyer, stated, in part, “Apparently, an industry the very essence of which is to try to convince people that a turkey is really an eagle has a rule that condemns lying….”The Public Relations Society of America states: ‘We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent...’ This clause strikes me as if the Burglars Association of America had as its creed ‘Thou Shalt Not Steal.’

”Show me a PR person who is ‘accurate’ and ‘truthful,’ and I'll show you a PR person who is unemployed.”

Them’s fightin’ words, PRSA National concluded, firing off a letter the same day as Cohen’s broadcast, blasting the legal analyst and urging members to blog on the CBS web site about our code of ethics and how we are, indeed, honest.

The PRSA response – both the letter from National and the blog posts – generated a second polemic from Cohen. In it, Cohen quotes a lawyer friend.

“In an academic sense, your hyperbole is inaccurate and therefore, perhaps, unfair,” the lawyer writes to Cohen. “There are certainly ethical PR folks out there. But, like lawyers and the Fourth Estate, there have been so many bad actors who for so long have abused the public’s trust, that the hyperbole pretty accurately represents the feelings of most in the public, and is sadly not that far from the truth. The PR industry needs to take some responsibility for this state of affairs (as do lawyers and the media) and work to restore the public’s faith.”

Another comment came from a blog posting on Cohen’s page on the CBS site. The unnamed poster claims to be both a journalism and PR professor. The professor recounted what one student recently said of the class:

“One student, a business major, told me he respected me because I spent the entire 15 weeks beating into him that PR was about mediated shared meaning founded on truth. He said he had no idea he had to tell the truth in PR before he started the class. He thought his PR experience was going to be akin to a creative writing course for the business world. The rest of the class seemed in agreement. I was glad I could help set the record straight for these students, but the real problem lies elsewhere. All of those leaders of industry-in-training, all of those future pols, have a misguided view of PR, and those are the ones who will one day be signing the public relations officer's paycheck. Public relations is equally duty-bound to the audience as it is to the organization. And, yes, I believe my idealism would get me fired if I was not in an ivory tower. The root of PR's PR problems lies with intent and influence of the client or the management, not the trained and ethical practitioner.”

That same day, PRSA National sent out a press release calling for government reform and challenging the 2008 presidential candidates to “adopt a communications policy engaging principles like those in the PRSA Code of Ethics.”

The next day, PRSA National CEO and Chair Jeffrey Julin posted a video response to Cohen on the PRSA National site. Julin said, in part,

“It is PRSA’s belief that in a free society every individual and organization has a right to communicate and to advocate for positions, and those positions are generally judged by the public not only on merit, but also on the credibility and reputation for honesty, earned over time, by the people and organizations putting forth those positions…

“Public relations is about relationships. Relationships are built on honest communications and trustworthy behavior. That is what the members of the Public Relations Society of America are about, and that is what we bring to our employers, to our clients, and our communities.”

Committee declines to issue student award for 2008

2008-05-27T15:54:00.005-04:00

Every now and again, an awards committee will decline to issue an award. It isn’t that the applications or the applicants themselves aren’t worthy of consideration. It’s simply that the level of excellence expected by the awarding body has not been met. It happens on occasion with the Pulitzer Prizes, considered the top awards in journalism. According to the plan of the Pulitzer Prize awards, "If in any year all the competitors in any category shall fall below the standard of excellence fixed by The Pulitzer Prize Board, the amount of such prize or prizes may be withheld."

After careful consideration, the PRSA Boston Scholarship Grant Committee has decided not to issue a PRSA Boston Scholarship Grant in 2008. The committee determined that the applicants, although worthy students of public relations no doubt, did not achieve the level of excellence in their grant applications that the committee has come to expect for a winner.

This is the first time in the eight-year history of the scholarship program that the committee has reached this decision.

In the words of the chairman of the Grant Committee, Art Dimond, the decision “was an extremely difficult one for us. Ultimately, we reached it because while we thought that each application had merit, we concluded that no one application had a special quality -- a spark, an originality -- that we have perennially sought.”

As someone who has competed for awards, both in public relations and, before that, when I was a daily journalist, for journalism awards, I can say that the times I did not win were as educational as the times I did win. I used the experience of not winning an award to examine my work, my application and the winners (either that year or in other years) and learn how to do a better job.

We Have Seen the Future of Journalism and It Is ....

2008-05-21T16:37:00.009-04:00

Thanks to blogging and social media, within five years the New York Times and other major newspapers might simply be weekly or twice-weekly news magazines. That was one of the predictions at PRSA Boston’s monthly program, “The Future of Journalism in a Social Media World” held last night (May 20) at the American Cancer Society offices in Weston.

The session, put together by PRSA Boston Program Committee member Todd Van Hoosear of Topaz Partners, was moderated by veteran journalist Paul Gillin, author of "The New Influencers" and the upcoming book "Secrets of Social Media Marketing."

The panelists were:
-- Ted McEnroe, director of digital media, NECN

-- David Wallace, adjunct journalism professor at Emerson College who has written for the New York Times and online sites such as TechDaily

-- Robin Lubbock, director of new media, WBUR

-- Howard Sholkin, director of communications & marketing programs, IDG Communications

The sell-out session offered more questions than answers, as do so many thought-provoking takes on the future of a changing industry. But what good questions they were.

For example:
-- Do we need the so-called “traditional” media such as newspapers, radio, television, now that so many people have the ability to publish content and attract readers?

-- With so many people accessing blogs and other web sites handled by so-called “citizen journalists," who are not trained members of the mainstream media, are we going through one of the greatest standard-lowering exercises of all time?

-- Can we trust the accuracy of such blogs?

-- In a bid to reduce overhead and become more profitable through buyouts of reporters with the longest tenure, are newspapers shooting themselves in the foot? After all, the buyouts are offered to the most experienced reporters – those who often have the best sources and the most comprehensive knowledge of their areas of expertise.

One interesting take-away from the session:

The power of the Web allows news organizations to give us far more information than any other outlet all by itself (radio, television, newspaper or magazine) could give us. For example, MSNBC earlier this year examined inspection records for bridge repair throughout the United States and has made all those records available on its web site (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/) so that anyone who wishes to learn how safe the bridges she travels on every day can just click on the site and track her trip.

Does it work? After the session, I tracked the route from my home in Natick to my hometown, Needham, just a few miles away. I found that all the bridges I would need to cross are “functionally obsolete,” yet all met safety standards – as of early 2006, the latest data available on the MSNBC site. Good information. And I’m not dismayed that the data is only available through early 2006. As a veteran newsman who left that field for public relations and marketing, I know that most state and federal inspection data available to news organizations is at least one or two years old.

Not Content with just Content

2008-05-15T12:00:00.004-04:00

Do you have a piece of interesting news related to public relations in the Boston area? We're not content to just post content; we'd like to hear about living, breathing news, such as the item on the Sabre awards (see posting below). It could be an issue of concern in the Boston public relations community, it could simply be the news of a new public relations agency that has formed recently or an award your agency has won.

PRSA Boston is looking for news tips, breaking news and story ideas for its blog and for its monthly newsletter, News & Views. If you have any news you believe we should be aware of and possibly write about in the blog or newsletter, please send an e-mail to both Christopher.ranjitkar@gmail.com and tom.nutile@comcast.net. Chris can be reached by phone at (781) 526-6444. Tom is at (508) 397-2810. If possible, include a telephone number where we can reach you during the day as well as your name and e-mail address, if you're not sending your information by e-mail.

Boston makes a strong showing at the Sabre Awards

2008-05-15T00:01:00.006-04:00

Last night The Holmes Report held its annual Sabre Awards dinner at Cipriani's in New York City. The Sabre's are one of the most prestigious awards in the PR industry and it is an honor to be a finalist, let alone win.

I am an agency guy, so my attention was on the agencies...and Boston represented well at the Sabres. No one agency dominated and that is a testament to the great work PR pros in Boston are doing.

Shift Communications was named New Media Agency of the Year. Congratulations to Todd Defren and his gang. They have done a lot in this area and it is a well deserved honor. Shift was also a finalist for a Silver Sabre.

Racepoint won a Silver Sabre for their work on behalf of NeuroLogica - Scan on Demand.

Schwartz Communications (and some of my teams) also did well. Schwartz took home a Gold Sabre for its work on behalf of Digication, a small tech startup in Rhode Island. What makes this especially compelling is it beat out Hitachi, New York Life and Rubbermaid to win. Schwartz was also a finalist for a Bronze Sabre.

It just goes to show you, the awards do not always go to the multinationals. If you do go work for your client, submit it.

I saw Greenough and a few others among the finalists as well. If I left your name out, my apologies. Leave a comment on send me some pictures and I will add them or likes to them. I try to know all PR people in Boston, but I am sure there are some I missed. And for agencies with offices around the country, unless I know the work was done out of Boston...I did not mention it.

Congratulations again to all the winners.

Award season is upon us. The Bell Ringers are in a few weeks and the Silver Anvils follow in early June.

The Future of Journalism in an Online World

2008-05-09T12:21:00.006-04:00

A major television news station offers buyouts to some of its best-known on-air talent. The audience -- and the ad revenue -- just isn't there to support the salaries of the television stars.

The editor of a major newspaper writes to me to say that “Ours is a faith-based business: We have to have faith it'll all work out.”

People are getting their news online. Advertising revenue is going there, but not enough, for newspapers with web sites, to offset the lost print revenue. Newspaper publishers still are searching for the right online business model. Does one charge, as does the Wall Street Journal’s site, or does one offer it for free, as does the Boston Globe?

Radio, in the meantime, is making its content available online around the globe, but still has not solved the problem of how to maintain ad revenue.

Where is journalism headed in this increasingly online, social media world? Our PRSA Boston colleague and Program Committee member Todd Van Hoosear of Topaz Partners has put together a top-notch PRSA Boston program to examine this question.

The program, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 20 at the American Cancer Society offices in Weston, will be led by veteran journalist Paul Gillin, author of "The New Influencers" and the upcoming "Secrets of Social Media Marketing".

The program is entitled “The Future of Journalism in a Social Media World.” Todd tells us that the questions the panel will discuss include the following:

How are blogs, podcasts and online video impacting the both the business and the reporting of news?
Will journalists need to master video, audio and photography in order to practice their craft in the future?
How has the journalism profession been impacted by the success of bloggers moving into the reporting business?
What does the future have in store for mainstream media? How can those media stay relevant in a changing information world?

Panelists include:

Ted McEnroe, Director of Digital Media, NECN
Robin Lubbock, Director of New Media, WBUR
Howard Sholkin, Director of Communications & Marketing Programs, IDG Communications

To sign up for this important program, click on this link.

Shuffle up and deal for charity

2008-05-02T08:56:00.007-04:00

The 2nd Annual PRSA Boston/PR Newswire Charity Poker Tournament was a resounding success. Thanks to the players and PR Newswire's generous sponsorship, PRSA Boston is once again able to give out a $2,000 scholarship to a deserving local college student.

The night was fun and was a mix of agency and corporate players. The trash talking that went on before the event via email and twitter was half the fun. We had people of all skill levels, including my personal nemesis Lauren from Racepoint who had never played before and managed to suck out twice and get runner-runner flush to beat my trips. Luckily I survived and rebuilt my chip stack (although, alas I finished 12th thanks to someone beating my all in pre-flop AK with a T9u...)

To the delight of an agency I will not name, Schwartz employees did not repeat as the 1-2 finishers. (Of course, that agency was *proud* their award was for having one of their people go out first).

Dan Evans, a great PR Newswire executive, proved he can do more than answer frantic phone calls from PR people asking about the excellent suite of PR Newswire products and took down the tourney. He is the 2008 Champion.

Darlene Hollywood (the current VP of Programs for PRSA Boston) and a talented PR counselor proved that she knows her way around the felt and finished second, taking Top Agency Player honors.

Tim Whitman from Schwartz Communications finished 3rd. (And he is still talking about how he lost with Trip Aces)

It was great to see so many new faces, and so many different agencies represented.

Following are some images from the event:

The final table. I forget one person's name her, so I am slighting you all...

The champions

David Weiner, PR Newswire
Darlene Hollywood, Top Agency Player
Daniel Evans, PR Newswire - Champion and Top Corporate Player
Mark W. McClennan, APR - Tourney organizer and immediate past-president, PRSA Boston

The winner received a special surprise, but I am keeping that for another post...

PR Lessons from the War Zone

2008-03-05T10:38:00.003-05:00

Imagine having to create the public relations plan to embed journalists during the Iraqi conflict. Then imagine having to handle the PR effort to communicate daily not only with the embedded media but with the thousands of unembedded journalists covering the conflict.

Guy Shields, APR, then a colonel with the U.S. Army, and his colleagues had to do just that. He and his public relations staff had to deal with everything from Fox’s Geraldo Rivera inadvertently giving away troop movements, to military maneuvers that resulted in the loss of civilian lives.

Shields, now a public relations officer for Raytheon in Tewksbury and a member of PRSA Boston, worked with and received feedback from numerous journalists as he peformed his tasks in Iraq. One of those journalists was Steve Komarow, who was embedded for USA Today. Along the way, Shields learned valuable lessons that have helped him be a more effective public relations practitioner.

Come to PRSA Boston’s March 25th program at the Newton Marriott to hear Shields and Komarow share more than just war stories.

You will learn, for example, how to build a public relations program virtually from scratch with a limited amount of time. You'll also learn how Shields and his colleagues coordinated and developed uniform messaging across both internal and external audiences.

To register or to learn more about this program, click here: http://prsaboston.org/calendardetail.asp?ID=1

-- Tom Nutile, PRSA Boston President

"Tools of the Trade" vendor trade show Friday

2008-01-31T13:14:00.000-05:00

Do you want to find out about the latest tools of our trade? Learn about public relations, marketing, social media and media training tools that will help you do your job better?

Please come to PRSA Boston's "Tools of the Trade" vendor tradeshow Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel at 138 St. James Ave. in Boston's Back Bay.

The yearly event is a good place to network with your peers as well as meet vendors face to face, get live demonstrations, sample and view products first-hand and talk to a variety of PR/marketing/communications services providers all in one place in a single morning.

All that, and a continental breakfast, too. Cost is $10 for PRSA, Pub Club, BWC and AMA members and $20 for nonmembers. To register or learn more, here's a link: http://www.prsaboston.org/calendardetail.asp?ID=104

PRSA Boston 2008 President
Tom Nutile

What's your PR Holiday wish?

2007-12-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

Make me a lame duck and my posts dry up...

Something I read that I thought might be of interest to all of you. One of my colleagues shares his PR holiday wishes here.

What are your wishes? Leave a comment here or on his blog...

Find out why Boston.com will dominate

2007-11-09T09:38:00.001-05:00

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had a speaker change for the PRSA Boston Annual Meeting. Instead of Howie Carr, David Beard the editor of Boston.com and Boston Globe veteran will discuss:

His perspective on the ever-evolving news industry and discuss the rise of social media and emerging dominance of online news over print.

He will also provide specific advice on the types of stories and topics they seek to cover on Boston.com, plus how the Website works with, yet differs from, The Boston Globe.

Beard will also share anecdotes from his rich journalism experience, which has included stints as a deputy foreign editor, regional editor and assistant managing editor of The Boston Globe and as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press in Latin America.

Also on the Program Agenda:
Presentation of the Fourth Annual PRSA Boston Beacon Award For Lifetime Achievement in Public Relations to Kirk Hazlett, APR, president of PRSA Boston
Election of the 2008 Chapter Officers

Sponsored by Market Wire
When: November 13, 2007 – 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Dinner & Networking 6-7:00
Program 7-8:30

Register at http://www.prsaboston.org/. We only have a few seats left!

Have some respect

2007-11-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

I hear time and time again the low esteem in which PR people are held by the general public and the media. We are called “spin doctors” and “flacks”. Every year there is a round of stories about the “horrible flacks.” It is what I consider to be a standing headline.

We can’t keep others from calling us what they will. But there is no reason for us to continue to use negative terminology when talking about ourselves and our industry.

The people whom I have met through PRSA and my professional career are public relations professionals, executives and counselors. If we want others to respect our jobs and our profession, we need to stop using words with negative connotation. More than almost anyone else, we understand the power of words. Why are we handicapping ourselves?

Don’t get me wrong. Using a word without negative connotations does not fix the issue. There are people who give public relations a bad name. But the same holds true for any profession.

We need to do consistently good work, we need to measure results quantitatively, and we need to address underlying issues. But all the good work of a group of people can be undermined with a wrong label.

For example, a few years ago, I represented a company who was in an industry that had negative connotations. They were an independent distributor who operated in what others called the “grey market.” It wasn’t the black market, but there were perceptions that there was something shady about what happened in the industry. This company had outstanding processes, qualified suppliers and a great track record. They wanted to differentiate themselves from others.

One of my most difficult challenges was to convince them to stop referring to themselves as being in the grey market. All their good work was undermined by that term they would use in interviews. The appellation had been tagged on them for 20 years.

We conducted a campaign to educate the media and the spokespeople. As a result the use of the negative term declined 80 percent over two years.

It was a lot of effort. Our challenge is even greater. But we can all help. If you want people to respect our counsel and the value we bring –do me a favor – don’t call yourself, your colleagues or your competitors flacks.

What do Howie Carr and I have in common?

2007-10-29T09:50:00.000-04:00

We are both speaking at the PRSA Boston Annual Meeting in December. With two strong draws, the event is sure to sell out quickly so register now...

Following are some more details:

11/13/2007
6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, 138 St. James Avenue, Boston, MA

Howie Carr, the award-winning columnist, controversial talk show host, and New York Times bestselling author, will share insights and anecdotes from his years as a reporter and commentator. Throughout his career, he has dealt with thousands of public relations people. He will give us his thoughts and answer your questions on how to do effective public relations and the future of journalism on the radio, in print and online. He promises to be just as sharp-tongued and provocative before PRSA Boston as he is on the radio and in print, sparing no one as he shares the best and worst PR experiences and gaffes that have come his way.

Carr’s hard-hitting exposes of local politicians and political corruption and patronage have drawn quite a bit of regional and national attention over the years. He has worked at numerous broadcast media outlets and served as the Boston Herald American’s Boston City Hall bureau chief and its State House bureau chief.

Carr has received the National Magazine Award and has been nominated for an Emmy Award. His new book, “The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century,” was praised by critics and on the New York Times bestseller list for 11 weeks in 2006-07.

Also on the Program Agenda:
Presentation of the Fourth Annual PRSA Boston Beacon Award For Lifetime Achievement in Public Relations

Election of the 2008 Chapter Officers

To register, go here.

I hope to see a lot of you there.

Changing the Face of PRSSA

2007-10-15T18:14:00.000-04:00

At the upcoming Assembly, there is going to be a resolution to change the face of PRSSA, specifically "NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED

That the 2007 PRSA Assembly of Delegates directs the Board of Directors to appoint a task force consisting of representatives of the Educational Affairs Committee, the Educators Academy, the PRSSA National Committee, and other PRSA members at large to develop a strategic approach to expanding and promoting the affiliate program and to develop a plan of action to work with universities and colleges to qualify their curricula under the PRSA Bylaws for a PRSSA charter. The task force shall be directed to report on its deliberations and actions to the 2008 PRSA Assembly of Delegates."

Its proponents argue in favor of it with the following points.

1. This resolution creates a mechanism by which PRSA and its education-related entities work collaboratively with PRSSA to identify mechanisms to expand PRSSA opportunities to more students and more colleges/universities, rather than placing PRSA and its National Assembly in the position of appearing to dictate to PRSSA what its policies and practices re membership and chapters should be.

2. This resolution advances PRSSA, the profession and the professional by improving public relations education through a strategic effort to work with universities and colleges to qualify their curricula under the PRSA bylaws for a PRSSA chapter.

3. This resolution promotes nurturing and growing PRSSA membership, but does so through a commitment to institutions that meet the spirit and standards of the PRSA/PRSSA mission to prepare students for the contemporary and future practice.

4. Holding all PRSSA members and Chapters to the same set of high standards creates a climate of equity and equality so that all members and chapters are held in the same high regard.

5. A PRSSA Affiliate program already exists to embrace students interested in public relations at institutions not yet meeting requirements or applying for a PRSSA Chapter charter.

6. That Affiliate program has just completed its pilot year, but is still in the embryonic stage of development and could benefit by expansion and promotion. We at least need to give it a better shot than we have to this point.

What do you think? How do you want your Boston delegates to vote?

Fun and surprises at the September Meeting

2007-09-27T16:42:00.000-04:00

In PR we know we need to be prepared to deal with anything, and that nothing goes at planned. Well the September PRSA breakfast meeting on measurement proved to live up to that expectation.

What do I mean by that? Fifteen minutes before the event is scheduled to start, we receive a call that one of our three panelists was in an accicendt on 128 and was going to be late. (She was OK. More upset that anything). So we stall for 15 minutes and she arrives (fine thankfully). Then 45 minutes into the session I get paged - my wife went into labor four weeks early and I needed to leave *right then*. The majority of folks has no idea why I had to leave.

Tom Nutile, the president-elect picked up my moderating duties without a pause and the program went on.

In the end though, everyone seemed to get a lot out of it, and we heard a lot of praise for the panelists, the topic, and the questions, Share your thoughts on what mattered the most to you and what were your favorate takeaways.

And yes, on Tuesday evening, by second son (Jack Michael McClennan) was born 4 weeks early. But he still managed to be 9 lbs 14 ozs.

I will post again soon.

Valleywag Sucks!

2007-09-21T08:26:00.000-04:00

Not really. I actually like reading it quite a bit. But I wanted to lead with that because it was just one of many entertaining comments I heard at the Social Media Club Boston event last night. (Note: The quote was from Dan Lyons stating that they didn't out him as the Fake Steve Jobs)

PRSA puts on great programs, but we are not the only font of PR knowledge. Judging by the number of PRSA members I saw there, you all agree with me.

I wanted to share a few interesting snippits from the event:

Josh Bernoff’s advice to companies planning to engage the blogosphere (POST):

P—Profile (who are you trying to reach)
O—Objectives (What do you want to do?)
S—Strategy
T—Technology (How do you want to do it?).

It is a mistake to pick a Tech and build from it (i.e. What are we going to do with Facebook?).

He also stated companies need to have one of five goals before creating their blog and engaging in the blogosphere:

Speaking
Listening
Energizing (getting people to help you sell your stuff)
Support
Embracing—Get other people to help you design your next product/services (i.e. Dell and the Linux PC)

Have something to measure against. (a common theme of mine, so I was glad to hear it) What’s the goal? Not just “we need to”

They summed it up nicely – Social media is only bad for liars.

We will continue some of this discussion at the PRSA September event on measurement on 9/25. See you then.

Where should PRSA go in the next three years?

2007-09-18T12:03:00.000-04:00

Next month, at the PRSA Annual Assembly, the National Board will be seeking input from the Assembly Delegates on the strategic direction of the Public Relations Society of America. This is part of the update of PRSA’s three-year strategic plan.

PRSA Boston has a wonderful group of delegates. PRSA Boston has a great board. But we are not the font of all wisdom. New England is a bastion of participatory democracy. Open Town Meetings are still where most business gets done. I want to extend this to PRSA. Discussion doesn’t need to be constrained.

Over the past few years, some of our best ideas have come from our members. So I wanted to use this blog to seek input from all of you.

Specifically, right now I have five questions:

1) Where do you want to see the society go in the next three years?

2) What would you like to see PRSA National start doing that is not currently doing?
3) What do you wish PRSA would stop doing (no need to comment about sending less e-mails, we already know this).

4) How can PRSA National help you more with professional development?

5) What are we overlooking? What more can we do for you?

I will aggregate this information left here as comments and present it to the PRSA Boston Delegates prior to the Assembly.

I expect there to be a number of follow up posts as the Assembly approaches and as comments lead us onto new tangents.

When responding, I ask that even if you post anonymously, that you indicate:

a) Are you a member of PRSA
b) What Chapter are you a member of?

9/25 - PRSA Boston Measurement Program

2007-09-10T11:57:00.000-04:00

It really must be fall, two posts from me in a day.

I strongly encourage my readers to register for the Sept. 25 PRSA Boston *breakfast* program on measurement: Measuring Up: Gauging the Effectiveness of Your Public Relations Efforts

We will be looking at practical advice, including continuing the debate about social media measurement.

More information is available here.

Praise for a disaster handled well

2007-09-10T10:23:00.000-04:00

I wanted to take a step back from promoting PRSA Boston and its events, to give praise to a company for handling crisis PR very well.

Like many families, mine was impacted by the Thomas the Tank Engine wooden train recall. My 2 year old son loves playing with them, brings them everywhere and reads the train catalog daily telling me what he hopes Santa will bring (he calls it 'Reading the news').

Two weeks ago we send back his Red Sodor Island Caboose for replacement with one with less lead in the red paint.

On Friday we received a package and a letter from the manufacturer - RC2. The letter was a standard apology, and a check for $1.30 to cover the cost of postage. Nice, but expected.

The package included a new red Caboose, and not just one new train as a thank you/apology but two new trains. My son is ecstatic with his new spotlight lorry and cherry picker (It picks cherries, daddy...).

I will be buying more from them in the future.

Quick response an apology and over the top customer service made a bad situation into one that reaffirmed my commitment to buying from the company in the future.

Great networking night

2007-08-23T12:30:00.000-04:00

For those of you that missed the PRSA Boston networking night last night at the Long Wharf Marriott, you missed a great event. There were about 40 PR pros there from agencies (SHIFT came out in force), corporations, non-profits and educational institutions.

I met some new members and learned some new things about existing members. (I never knew we had a PR pro that focused solely on PR for chocolate and chocolate companies. Now *that* is cool). Best of all, she gave me recommendations of what chocolate to buy for my wife. (I am keeping that in reserve and make the trek to Mike's Pastry for some cannoli).

The discussions were interesting ranging from diversity to social media to Mattel and taking control of your career.

Thanks to the Marriott for a great venue.

I hope to see everyone at our September measurement event...

Keeping the eye on the ball

2007-08-08T12:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was reading Dilbert (as I do every day) and the comic really stuck a chord with me. You can view it by clicking here.

It got me to thinking. Measurement is essential. Tracking results, time, and campaign effectiveness are core to great public relations. But we also need to be sure not to get trapped in Excel box hell.

Numbers are beautiful. I love working with them, parsing them and seeing what I can get them to do (And yes, I know many PR people do not share my love of numbers).

But we need to be sure that we don't just focus on the numbers and getting that Excel box or graph to move from 72 to 74. If we look only at the numbers, we can miss important things. We can put blinders on and not step back and think, should be blow all this up and take a new approach? It is taking the step back that often transforms incremental growth into exponential growth.

What do you think?

Summer Party

2007-07-28T12:44:00.000-04:00

Sorry its been a while since a posted. Summer roadtrip with the family. Totally disconnected. Made me marvel at the power of imagery..more on that later.

This is a just a quick note to remind folks the PRSA Boston Summer Social is scheduled for Aug 22 from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Oceana Bar, Long Wharf Marriott, 269 State Street, Boston.

More details are available here

It's Free AND it's great - 7/17

2007-07-06T14:30:00.000-04:00

The third in our series of free programs for PRSA Boston members is being held on July 17 at Foley Hoag. We are trying something new and making this a breakfast program.

"Performing Great PR Even in Mile Wide, Inch Deep Conditions"

Do you manage PR for multiple clients, multiple lines of business, or multiple offices? It is rare today for PR practitioners to have the luxury of focusing on one enterprise. How do you sustain winning programs and ensure you are staying on strategy while tending to daily fires? At this free breakfast program, you will learn the answers from two seasoned PR professionals who have been there in the trenches — Meghan Magner, Public Relations Manager at Foley Hoag LLP, and Stephanie Goldstein, CMO at WilmerHale.

Space is limited. If you are a non-member and want to come:

1) You should join
2) Convince a member to bring you...

If you are a member and want more details - click here.

Summer Fun

2007-07-02T15:45:00.000-04:00

Just because the summer is here, the iPhone launch is over and the beach beckons - don't think PRSA Boston will be taking a vacation. (That's my way of indirectly apologizing for the delay in communications).

We have at least two interesting programs planned for you this summer, a free program on mile-wide/inch-deep PR and the Summer Social in August.

Check back soon.

Finding a mentor - Free program for PRSA Boston members

2007-06-18T05:49:00.001-04:00

For the second in our ongoing series of free programs for PRSA Boston members, Jack Jackson, veteran PRSA Boston member and Ethics officer, will host a session on Wednesday, June 27 on Finding a Mentor (or as he puts it: How to hunt and capture someone in an impossibly fast-paced and ever-changing workplace who cares as much about your PR career as you do)

Jack shared the following description with me:

Everyone assumes a trusted mentor can spell the difference between career success and an absurdly average work life. But how often does a colleague approach you and offer to serve as a guide? This interactive professional development event is geared to help entry- and mid-level PR practitioners identify prospective mentors and then how to capitalize on their expertise.

Topics covered in the discussion include:

Potential sources of mentors
Approaching a prospect
Sealing the deal
The care and feeding of a mentor

The details:

Wednesday, June 27

7:00 pm — 8:30 pm

Needham Public Library

Space is limited. Please respond to Jack@On-Message.com by June 25 to reserve a seat

PRSA can take you to some unexpected places

2007-06-08T08:20:00.000-04:00

I will be out most of next week at the PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Conference in Cabo, Mexico. Definitely a nice place for a conference (although I wish they did Cabo in December and not June).

For those of you that don't know, the Counselors Academy is a special section in PRSA open only to agency heads, senior counselors and VPs at agencies with 10 plus years of experience. You can find more information out about it here.

The local group of members has been getting together for semi-monthly breakfast meetings.

This just goes to show you that PRSA can take you to some unexpected places and provide the resources you need to develop you skills and do your job better.

I hope to see you all at the June 14 event (please sign up this week...it makes catering so much easier). Hopefully I will have a nice tan, since many of the sessions are supposed to be poolside.

Two great networking events

2007-06-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

In June there are at leeast two great networking events I wanted to draw your attention to (full disclosure, I have affiliation with both).

1) PRSA Thirsty Thursday at the Newton Marriott, June 7. Meet PR pros, talk and socialize.

2) Red Herring East (June 27-28) - Hyatt Harborside, Boston. It's a good spot to make new venture contacts and spot emerging market trends and opportunities. Some interesting speakers and I like a lot of the categories.

Are there other networking events I am missing? If so, post a comment...

Eat, Drink and be Merry

2007-06-04T14:44:00.001-04:00

For this week we shall network! (Yes, I butchered that quote).

I invite all PR, marketing and communications professionals --- both PRSA members and non-members alike --- to come and meet new people, reconnect with old friends, hang out, network, share war stories, recruit and expand horizons at PRSA Boston's Thirsty Thursday. There is no fee (you just have to pay for your own food and drink)!

It will be held on June 7, 2007 at the Newton Marriott Bar, 2345 Comm. Ave (Route 30), Newton, MA. Come anytime after 6:00 p.m. and see who is there and have fun!

When: Thursday, June 7, 2007
6:00-??PM

Where: Newton Marriott Bar
(http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/bosnt-boston-marriott-newton/)
2345 Commonwealth Ave.
Newton, MA 02466

Rebuilding Brand America - June 14

2007-05-21T08:12:00.000-04:00

The June PRSA Boston program is going to be one to remember, and one I think will be of particular interest to senior-level managers. (That doesn't mean new professionals should not come though - everyone can get a lot out of it).

Dick Martin, former EVP of PR and Brand Management for AT&T and distinguished author, will be speaking on rebuilding brand America. He will share his insights into what America and American business must do to safeguard the future of American business abroad.

Martin will speak on the topic of his newly released book, Rebuilding Brand America, which shows how U.S. global companies can help rebuild America’s reputation by becoming new, more sympathetic ambassadors to the world—without loaded political agendas.

Martin will discuss topics from his book, which include:

· How America is perceived around the world and why.
· How the practice of capitalism in America is different from the rest of the world and what that means for U.S. multinational companies.
· How many traditional American values differ from ideals in the rest of the world. How that can lead to misunderstandings and conflict.
· How branding works. Why it is not advertising or PR and what it has to do with anti-Americanism.

Following are the details:

Date: June 14, 2007 – 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Networking/Dinner: 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Program: 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Place: Foley Hoag LLP Law Offices
Seaport World Trade Center West
155 Seaport Boulevard
Boston, MA 02210

Seating is limited. Sign up now by clicking here.

Doing it right at Curry College

2007-05-18T13:02:00.000-04:00

Today I wanted to recognize a student at Curry College (and the College itself) for outstanding achievements in public relations.

Specifically, last week, a Curry College senior, Ted Smith, who is majoring in public relations, was honored with the college Communication Department’s “Public Relations Award.”

One of the professors there asked me if I would be willing to write a letter congratulating him on this recognition. I was more than happy to do so (note: He interned at the agency for which I work, but I had nothing to do with the award or application, and I did not manage him). Rather than keep the letter available to just a small circle of people, I wanted to share with the greater Boston PR community the kind of professional that is coming out of our schools

The letter read as follows:

On behalf of the Boston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, and its 400 members, I extend my congratulations to Ted Smith for being honored with Curry College’s “Public Relations Award” in recognition of his consistent scholastic achievements, successful completion of an internship at the premier PR agency for high-tech and medical companies, and unfailingly enthusiastic work as a Speech Associate in the College’s “Speaking Center.”

In addition, as a former PRSSA member myself and avid supporter of student-based public relations organizations, I am especially proud to recognize your work as the founding vice president of the Curry College Public Relations Student Association. You and your fellow board members have set a great example for others who follow in your footsteps. You have set the bar high by your own personal example of what an aspiring public relations professional can accomplish.

It is only with passionate advocates, dedicated to excellence in public relations, that our profession can grow, prosper and maintain public trust. You have amply demonstrated that dedication, and we, your professional colleagues, extend our sincerest congratulations. We look forward to welcoming you as a member of the Public Relations Society of America in the not-too-distant future.

Have you taken the time to interact with the next generation of public relations professions? If not, you should. But based on my experiences with Ted and the other interns at Schwartz - I am confident the new graduates will build on the work we have done and to steal a hackneyed cliche - The future is bright.

Congratulations Ted and congratulations Curry!

Beer helps you be a better PR person!

2007-05-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

If I told you drinking beer can make you a better PR person, many of you that don't know me would wonder if I lost my mind. (Those that do would helpfully offer to take my extensive single malt collection off my hands).

But, last night at the Boston Beer Company (makers of the great Sam Adams beer), Michelle Sullivan, the company's director of PR shared some great advice on product PR with 30+ PRSA Members over a few glasses of adult beverages.

What I really liked about the program is that Michelle focused on six case studies - five that showed what they did well and one that showed what they tried that failed. Many of these case studies have lessons I can apply to my technology accounts.

They audience was full of questions and the tour was a great way to kick off the evening. (Look for a more extensive recap in our June newsletter) What did you think?

Following are some pictures to show off the night:

Congrats to Boston Agencies

2007-05-09T15:29:00.000-04:00

Congratulations are in order for a number of Boston Agencies. (And yes, I wrestled about writing this post).

Last night, I had the honor of attending the Sabre Awards (put on by Paul Holmes and the Holmes Report). Boston agencies seemed to do well last night.

Schwartz Communications (the firm for which I work) was named the 2006 Technology PR Agency of the year.

But Schwartz wasn't alone in getting honors. Shift Communications, Text 100 (I believe folks out of the Boston office) and Racepoint were there in force and honored for their work this past year. If I missed you, please let me know.

To me the most impressive thing about last night (aside from the speculation of just how dense the award is...I swear it is heavier than a Silver Anvil which is 5 times its size) was the quality of the work that was honored. Social Media was front and center as was international public relations. It is events like these that help re-energize PR pros and show them what it is possible to accomplish.

Congratulations again to all the winners.

Globe tour and tonight

2007-05-03T08:59:00.000-04:00

Good morning,

1) Just a reminder the Third Thirsty Thursday is being held tonight at the Temple Bar in Cambridge. I hope to see you all there.

2) Following are some photos from the Boston Globe tour thanks to Kelly Woodsum at the Publicity Club of New England. Thanks, Kelly!

Don't forget to register for the Sam Adams event. We only have a few spots left.

Great event at the Boston Globe

2007-04-25T15:48:00.000-04:00

I delayed a bit in posting this (for I wanted to plug our Sam Adams event), but the joint PRSA Boston/Publicity Club of New England event at the Boston Globe was absolutely fantastic.

I have been to many of these "Meet the Editor" events over the years, and this one contained more useful tips, tricks and insight that any three others combined. The editors went beyond the typical points to really provide insight into how to work with them, what they are planning for their sections and provide updates on the Globe's plan for its Website.

I was turned on to the White Coat Notes blog and have been told there are many more to come.

I really want to thank Kelly Woodsum, Executive Director of the PubClub (as well as Beth Bryant the PRSA Boston Chapter administrator) - they did all the heavy lifting for this event. Tom Nutile, your president-elect did a great job moderating. And last but not least, thanks to all the editors who gave of their time.

Don't forget - three PRSA events in May. I hope to see you all there.

Product PR and beer

2007-04-23T17:07:00.000-04:00

On May 15, PRSA Boston is going to combine two great things (no, not chocolate and peanut butter)...product PR and beer. This will be a memorable program. Come and check it out - and improve your PR skills in the process.

Find great conversations, cool libations and a tremendous learning opportunity all in one program! - “Samuel Adams Shares Its Recipes For Product PR Success”

Michelle Sullivan, director of public relations for Boston Beer Company (the makers of Samuel Adams Beer), will pour forth tips, tricks and best practices for product and beverage public relations success.

Since joining the Samuel Adams Brewery, Sullivan has lead a number of high profile initiatives, including the product PR launches for Samuel Adams Light and Samuel Adams Utopias, and the multi-year development and implementation of the “Samuel Adams/VH1 Summer Jam,” at which 53 radio stations broadcast live from the brewery.

Sullivan will discuss:
- A day in the life of a PR executive for a beer company,
- How Boston Beer Company gets the most from its product launches,
- The secrets to successful events,
- How to find and capitalize on opportunities when competing against larger companies,
- Lessons Sullivan has learned and how you can apply them to your jobs.

Also: Prior to the event, during the networking section, participants can take a guided tour of the Samuel Adams Brewery. Sample refreshments will be served.

SEATING IS LIMITED, SO GET HOPPING AND REGISTER TODAY!

Date: May 15, 2007 – 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Brewery Tour: 6:00 - 6:45 p.m.
Networking/Dinner: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Discussion and Q&A: 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Place: Boston Beer Company/Samuel Adams Brewery
30 Germania Street
Boston (Jamaica Plain neighborhood), MA 02130
For directions, go to: http://www.samueladams.com/contact_tour.aspx

To register, go click here.

Introducing Free Programs for PRSA Boston Members

2007-04-20T07:53:00.000-04:00

It's something I have been talking about for a while, and it took longer than I wanted it to, but the free program series for PRSA Boston is finally off the ground.

This first program is Thursday, May 10, and the topic will be “How to Become a Strong Manager – Making the Transition From SAE Level to Manager”

Human resource directors from SHIFT Communications and Schwartz Communications will lead a round-table discussion with Senior Account Executive and Manager-level agency employees to provide guidance for handling the trials, tribulations and joys faced on a daily basis as a manager at Boston-area public relations agencies. Tips and tricks for developing your management skills will also be shared.

Topics that will be discussed include:
- Tips for helping your team prioritize;
- How to eloquently, yet firmly, push back on a client;
- How to manage a diverse team: what to do when same-level teammates are performing very differently;
- Ways to establish two-way communication; and
- Appropriate ways to respond to emotional issues, as well as to emotional employees.

Date: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Business Wire
Two Center PlazaSuite 500Boston, MA 02108

Space is limited. Please respond to jjewett@shiftcomm.com by Tuesday, May 8 to reserve a seat.

Expect to see many more free programs over the course of the year for PRSA Boston members on a wide variety of topics.

The Third Thirsty Thursday

2007-04-12T08:23:00.000-04:00

The first two PRSA Boston Thirsty Thursdays went so well, we are continuing the networking on Thursday, May 3.

We will gather at the Temple Bar in Cambridge and just network. We invite all our members to come and meet new people, reconnect with old friends, hang out, network, share war stories, recruit and expand horizons. There is no fee (you just have to pay for your own food and drink)!
Show up after 6:00 p.m. and see who is there and have fun!

When: Thursday, May 3, 2007
6:00 p.m. -??

Where: Temple Bar
1688 Mass. Ave. (near Harvard Square)
Cambridge, MA 02138

Globe event sold out!

2007-04-11T09:29:00.000-04:00

The Boston Globe Meet the Editors and Tour event has sold out. We have reached out cap of 100 attendees and have a waiting list of more than 20 people.

I am sorry for those that did not get a chance to register. The good news is, I know we all hate the multiple reminder emails, and you won't be receiving them.

We will be having a cap on future events as well, and expect them to be just as high quality. So please, register and register early for future programs. You will cut down on emails and you will get a spot.

PR pros to invade the Boston Globe 4/23

2007-04-06T09:47:00.000-04:00

PRSA Boston and the Publicity Club of New England have joined forces to bring you a great program in two weeks:

“Breakfast with The Boston Globe Editors” (at the Globe)

The panel of Globe editors will include Gideon Gil, Caleb Solomon and others.

The panel will answer questions such as:

1) How will the Globe evolve as print circulation numbers decline and audiences increasingly turn to Internet sources for news and information?

2) What is the best way to work with the Globe’s reduced staff of editors and reporters?

3) What new trends are occurring with seeking stories, information gathering and reporting?

Attendees with also be able to register to take a tour of the Globe after the panel discussion.

Cost: PRSA Boston Chapter and Pub Club Members $35Non-Members/Guests $55PRSSA/Pub Club Student Members $20

To register, click here.

I want to thank Kelly Woodsum of the Publicity Club for working tirelessly to pull this one together on short notice.

This was a great opportunity and we couldn't pass it up. Lucky, the measurement panelists we had pulled together for April agreed and graciously offered to do the program in the fall. So never fear, you will be able to get your fill of measurement as well.

I expect this program to sell out quickly - so register now!

We want to give you $2,000

2007-04-04T16:52:00.000-04:00

Well, only if you are a undergraduate or graduate college student studying in the Boston area...

Starting today PRSA Boston is accepting applications for its 2007-2008 Scholarship Grant Program, which provides financial support – on the basis of financial need and academic merit – to college students or researchers in the communications field.

The amount of this year’s grant will be $2,000 (Thanks to all of you that played poker).

Undergraduate and graduate students attending a college or university in eastern Massachusetts are eligible, as are individuals conducting communications or public relations research. Additionally, the grant can be used by a student working in an unpaid internship at a nonprofit organization.

Grant applications are available now. Applicants can obtain a copy by contacting PRSA Boston chapter administrator Beth Bryant at 617-926-9595 or bbwrites@verizon.net.

The deadline for applications is May 15, 2007. The winner will be announced at a chapter meeting during the summer.

This is the 7th year we have awarded the grant and I am personally glad we can help others with their PR education.

April Thirsty Thursday! - This week

2007-04-02T09:46:00.000-04:00

Good morning,

With the NCAA Tourney ending tonight, opening day toiday, and the poker event now over - people need a chance to get together, socialize and network.

Thanks to my friends at Novell and Waggener Edstrom, the second PRSA Boston Thirsty Thursday event is scheduled for this Thursday, April 5.

No activities are planned--just come, hang out, network, share war stories, recruit and open your horizons.

It will be held at the fabulous Lounge at OM in Harvard Square. Plan on being there anytime after 6:00 PM.

Crowning the Champion

2007-03-29T12:02:00.000-04:00

Last night, 50+ PR professionals came together for the 1st PRSA Boston/PR Newswire Charity Poker Tournament. Based on the comments I recevied from the people that were there is was a great event. (I know I had a great time, despite not making it to the final table).

It was great to see so many new faces, and so many different agencies represented. There was a strong contingent from Schwartz Communications (the agency for which I work), With Racepoint, Topaz, Text 100, LP&P, Schneider, EmergePR, Horn Group and other agencies and independent practitioners well represented. We had relatively few corporate players.

The food was plentiful, the drinks were good and the poker was fast and furious. It was a great chance to network and have fun.

The event started at 6:45 and wrapped up by 10:30. We had people come back from the brink numerous times, a staight flush, first time poker players making it to the top twenty and lots of laughs.

Most importantly, due to this event, the PRSA Boston Scholarship can now be $2,000 for a deserving college student. Thank you for all you support - and special thanks to our sponsor - PR Newswire, they do a great job. Without their support, the event would not have been possible. Thanks to the Waltham Elks for letting us have the event there as well.

Following are some images from the event:

The final table

Bottom left and going around clockwise: Patrick Richardson (Schneider), Joe Pacheco (Schwartz), Jess Fiorelli (Schwartz), Tim Whitman (Schwartz), Davd Weiner (PR Newswire) Chris Poisson (Schwartz), George DeTorres (MultiVu), Mystery man (sorry), Peter (the dealer), Jon Siegal (Schwartz), Darlene Hollywood (HollywoodPR)

The Winner and his winning hand: (Jon Siegal, Schwartz)

The award ceremony:

Left to Right: Dan Evans (PR Newswire)

George DeTores (Best Corporate Player, MultiVu)

Jon Siegal (Champion, Schwartz Communications)

Tim Whitman (Best Agency Player, Schwartz Communications)

Mark W. McClennan, APR (President PRSA Boston, Schwartz Communications)

Thanks everyone for turning up, share your comments on the event.

The Future is Bright

2007-03-26T08:18:00.001-04:00

This past Friday, I had the honor of being a keynote speaker at the S.I. Newhouse School's New Media Series. (Thankfully Steve Rubel didn't speak on the same day as me) at Syracuse University.

When I first found out my scheduled speaking time, I was filled with some dread - as Friday afternoon's are not usually the best time for speakers at a college campus. I was told to expect about 40 students.

To my pleasant surprise, there were more than 110 students and five faculty packed into the auditorium to hear me speak about practical advice for social media. (The presentation was title: Social Media: Tales from a Converted Skeptic).

That type of attendance shows that professionals that are about to enter the PR workforce realize the power and importance of social media. They asked a number of insightful questions and I had a great discussion with a few of the students after the session.

The Syracuse students are not alone. As PRSA Boston president, I have had a chance to meet with students from many of the PRSSA chapters in the area. Their drive, intelligence and passion are evident in every interaction.

When you see a PRSSA student at a PRSA event, please take the time to talk with them. Your mentoring and advice will be appreciated, and you will come away re-energized, for the future is bright.

What Dora the Explorer can Teach us about PR

2007-03-20T08:29:00.000-04:00

I realize the blog hasn't contained as much though-provoking content as some would like, so I decided to rectify that...

When people think of fonts of PR Wisdom, they often think of senior practitioners, educators, authors, APRs and Edward Bernays. If you casually suggested that Dora the Explorer is a font of PR Wisdom—at best people would conclude that you spend too much time watching television with your children.

While that may be correct, the architecture of the show really does live the essential values of a great PR campaign and provides guidance on what PR professionals can do to motivate their teams to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Now I don’t really believe the creators of the show set out to create a roadmap for PR success. But they have. (Either that, or I really have been watching too much TV).

Following are 10 fundamental PR lessons Dora not only expounds, but lives. If we incorporate them into our daily practice, we will be better practitioners.

Planning is essential—Before Dora sets out, she establishes a clear plan with a concrete final objective. There are measurable steps along the way. Sound familiar? Having a quantifiable and concrete goal and determining the best way to get there is the essential element for conducting a strategic, results-oriented PR campaign.

Ask questions—Anyone who has watched one episode of Dora can tell you the most common question on the show is “Where are we going?” Well, PR pros need to ask the same question before developing or implementing any campaign. If we don’t have a clear understanding of the desired end result, the odds are we won’t accomplish what we want.

Make a Map—Just because you know your plan doesn’t mean everyone else does. Create a clear “map” that everyone can follow so all constituencies understand the plan, the direction, potential obstacles and the final objective.

Reiterate objectives so you don’t lose sight of your goal—Dora doesn’t just set a goal and hopes she achieves it. She reiterates the key steps along the way and solicits input from her key publics (friends and you). By regularly reminding our teams, agencies and company management where we are going, you can be sure the PR campaign does not become distracted by “nice to haves.”

Never start a campaign without your backpack—PR professionals need the right tools to do the job. While the specific tools may vary – focus groups, releases, events, thought leadership campaigns, etc.,—as PR pros we have a number of tools in our backpack – and it is essential to pick the right tool for the task. By being prepared and knowing what we have, we can overcome obstacles we are likely to face and advance the campaign towards our end objective. Dora has different tools in her backpack each episode. This shows that one size does not fit all. We need to look at each situation and bring the right tools to the table.

The power of friends—A company won’t realize its PR goals or objectives without help. Enlist friends to spot distractions and help you reach your end goal. The big mountain may be too big for Dora to climb, but Tiko in his car can zip right up over it. The same goes for reaching skeptical consumers. The CEO or VP of Marketing may not be the right person, but an author or analyst may just be the friend you need.

Fighting Communications Noise—You don’t always want to say “Watch Out!” sometimes you need to say “Cuidado” (to save Tiko the squirrel). Just because you think your messaging is clear, doesn’t mean that it is. You need to understand how your target audience communicates and adapt your communications and message to meet their needs and interests.

Beware of Swiper—With any good PR program, there are always competitors or new situations that will try to sidetrack you into reacting to them. Don’t be distracted. Focus on your goal! If you suffer a setback, quickly figure out how to fix it and get back on track.

Praise is an Essential Motivator—At every milestone you need to reinforce that success. Dora does it in two distinct ways—with the Fiesta Trio after each challenge is overcome and with a great, loud “We did it” when the overall objective is reached.

We can apply the same methodology to campaign execution. Publicly praise people when small, but important tasks are done. This gives them a feeling of accomplishment and keeps them motivated to reach the final goal. The little things matter.

When the goal is reached – don’t just note it and move on – celebrate the work the team has done. If you do this, people will be willing to go the extra mile for you in the future.

Always Review—At the end of each episode Dora always asks people to share their favorite part of the story. As PR pros we need to review each campaign to find out what worked, what didn’t and what resonated the most. We can then improve our execution for the next campaign.

What do you think? Are there other lessons we can learn from Dora? What else do you see as PR inspiration?

What do you want?

2007-03-19T10:44:00.000-04:00

I was reading the brohaha re: PRSA and O'Dwyer's over the weekend, and also had an editor forward me their blog post decrying poor PR people. (Thankfully she indicated the agency I work for is not in the mix). You can read about it here. I encourage everyone to share their thoughts.

One of the core elements I want to come from my presidency is to have PRSA Boston serve its members with the programming and networking that they desire and need. We will be unveiling the "free" programming shortly (We just need to nail down a few dates).

But while most of our monthly programs are set for the year, we still have some room to adjust our schedule. What topics are of most interest to you? What do you want to see us discussing? We are here for PRSA Boston members, and value your input. So chime in by emailing me or posting some comments.

Time is running out

2007-03-12T12:17:00.000-04:00

And I don't mean for my beloved Orangemen who were shown no respect on Selection Sunday...

The PRSA Boston/PR Newswire Charity Poker Tourney (being held at our March event) is only a bit more than two weeks away. The slots are selling out fast, so if you haven't yet registered please email our Chapter Administrator ASAP at bbwrites@verizon.net

Whoops!

2007-03-06T13:10:00.000-05:00

There was an unfortunate hiccup in our event registration system. (It's nicer than saying it failed catastrophically since I don't have all the details).

If you registered for the Poker Tourney via the Opinionpower link I had on this site, we did not get it. We are sorry and are doing what we can to fix it as quickly as possible, but we are unlikely to recover the registrations we lost (Which included mine!!!)

We want to see you at poker, though, so if you registered - please reregister by emailing the PRSA Boston Chapter Administrator, Beth Bryant, at bbwrites@verizon.net

Sorry

Are you the best?

2007-03-01T19:38:00.000-05:00

Are you the best? Do you want to help a good cause and find out? Do you want to have some fun networking? Well on March 28, Boston PR professionals get the chance to find out at PRSA Boston's regular meeting.

What am I talking about? At the regular meeting, we will be having the first ever PRSA Boston/PR Newswire Poker Tournament to find out who is the best PR poker player in Boston. (All proceeds benefit the PRSA Scholarship fund, which has given out close to $10,000 to date).

Trophies (courtesy of PR Newswire) will be awarded to:
The Best Player
The Best Agency Player
The Best Corporate Player

Note: No cash prizes will be awarded, just bragging rights for the year and the chance to help a good cause.

This tournament is being held in conjunction with our meeting and is appropriate for people with even just a basic knowledge of No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Poker. If you haven’t played in years, that is no excuse. All you need to win is a chip and a chair!

For more details, go here.

Rumor has it, one PR agency (not Schwartz) has already claimed they will win best overall and best agency. Are you going to let them?

What a great event!

2007-02-27T07:36:00.000-05:00

Good morning,

Last night was one of the most informative, dynamic and passionate PRSA Bost0n events I have been to in a long time.

The panel discussion on social media, moderated by John Cass, with panelists Paul Gillin, Todd Defren, and Todd vanHoosear touched on everything from tips for blogging success to five things to never, ever do when engaging social media.

The panel discussion ran for almost a full two hours in front of a packed audience. I believe the final tally was 90 people. Shift, Racepoint and Schwartz Communications (the agency for which I were) had a strong showing, but the session was a good mix of corporate communications professionals, small agencies, principals and independent practitioners and large agencies.

All agreed that if you try the "command & control" system of PR in the social media, you are doomed to failure. (I personally believe that if you try it in traditional PR you will not be as successful as you could be. Two way, symmetrical communication will provide the greatest impact).

A few recommendations they made that I wanted to share with members:

1) When starting to engage in conversations in the blogosphere follow the tried and true PR practice of listening and learning about the people with whom you will be interacting. Then a good opening to to simply let people know you are present, listening, ask them what they want to know and ask how you can help.

2) Avoid drive by commenting. (You need to return to your posts)

3) If you haven't started tagging, you should. There are some great resources that explain this in greater detail, and I invite yo to share them in comments.

4) PR is still essential.

5) The vast majority of markets are still not represented in the blogosphere. Now is the time to act! (If you are tech, entertainment, politics or financial services and not active, you are late to the game).

6) Don't visit http://www.willitblend.com/ unless you have time to kill. 30 second videos, one of which received more than 3 million views.

7) One of the Todd's (sorry my notes were lazy at that point), pointed out there are four levels of participation.

a) Monitoring (all should be doing)
b) Joining conversations
c) Starting conversations
d) Optimizing visibility online.

I believe that serves as a good guide for our members who are still looking for guidance on what to do.

There is a lot that I did not include in the wrap up, but I invite others to comment and share their thoughts. (And I will follow up with any interesting posts I find on this program).

These are the types of high quality programs PRSA Boston wants to bring our members. Chime in if there are topics of interest to you.

Why I hate PR 2.0...

2007-02-24T14:50:00.000-05:00

No, I don't hate social media. I just don't like how the practice is being labeled by some as PR 2.0 (I don't like a lot of labels, as anyone who has had the misfortune to listen to me rant about the 'Red State' label knows all too well).

Why don't I like the term PR 2.0? I believe it does a disservice to all those who have come before us, giants such as Ivy Lee and Arthur Page etc., by lumping them in one category of PR 1.0. I believe it ignores game changing events such as the news release, press conference, newswire, Internet, etc.,

But I am a tech PR guy at heart. I first cut my teeth on enterprise software, and remember the arguments over 14.2.5 or renaming the product so it could be 1.0.

So let's have a little fun and collaboratively come up with what dot rev we are really on.

My list is by NO means complete. I am sure it will change and change dramatically, but lets start off with this for now. (And yes, it is very U.S. centric)

PR Alpha - 1800 B.C. - the pamphlets cited in almost all PR textbooks I have ever read to help educate about the best ways to plant grain and deal with field mice

PR Beta 1.0 - 1622 - Catholic Church founded the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide

PR Beta 2.0 - 1788 - The Federalist Papers

PR Beta 3.0 -- Amos Kendall, a member of Andrew Jackson's kitchen cabinet, served as the first U.S. presidential press secretary.

PR 1.0 - 1850 - The birth of press agentry (yes, its bad now, but so are most 1.0 products *except those by companies that I represent of course). Widespread.

PR 2.0 - 1889 - The first reporters come to the dark side and begin press agentry at Westinghouse. Significant change.

PR 3.0 - 1897 - The American Association of Railroads first uses the term Public Relations (I toyed with having this be 1.0, but it wasn't dramatic enough, and introducing the term deserves more than a .5)

PR 4.0 - 1900 - The first PR Agency (Publicity Bureau) is founded in Boston. Introduction of the agency model.

PR 4.5 - 1906 - Ivy Ledbetter Lee introduces the "Declaration of Principles" (It's very significant but internal and process/standards oriented so it gets a .5)

PR 5.0 - 1906 - The first news release is issued. And they are still being issued today. From one-to-one to one-to-many

PR 5.1 - 1923 - Edward Bernays coins the term PR Counsel

PR 6.0 - 1927 - Arthur Page hired by AT&T as first corporate VP of public relations. This only intensifies the debate that still ranges today about getting a seat at the table. Elevation of the recognition of the importance of PR.

PR 7.0 - 1947 - PRSA is formed - Founding of a professional organization/standards body is important.

PR 8.0 - ? - The first commercial newswire begins operation, creating what will later be called the first spam - one-to-many exponentially

PR 9.0 - 1995 - Companies really start to use the Internet and Web in public relations. (Yes, I realize some happened well before that, I was on GEnie and had an MCImail account).

PR 10.0 - 2006 - Social Media and public relations takes off

So. What key compelling events am I missing? I want to add radio and TV into the mix, but am debating where to put them.

Going the extra mile

2007-02-21T16:27:00.000-05:00

First, sorry to the delay in posting. I wanted to keep Social Media on the top as long as a could.

I want to divert a bit from my regular posting to take a minute to thank someone for going the extra mile. When it comes to PR, we are regularly asked to do so. A crisis erupts, an event falls through, a customer complains, the client decides they want a 258 page report in three days...whatever it is, one of the things that really demonstrates a good PR pro is their willingness to unhesitatingly go the extra mile (often without complaint). And yes, we should plan ahead to eliminate the *need* to go the extra mile, but events often conspire to make us change our plans.

So I wanted to take a minute to thank a vendor that many of us use for going the extra mile. On a project I was working on recently, MediaLink, not only went the extra mile, but did so again and again. Changes had to be made to an Audio News Release at the last minute (which involved re-recording) more than a few times. They could have told us the deadline was passed. They could have charged us extra (I was expecting that) and they did neither. They matter of factly did what was asked, and the project was a resounding success. There were a few other things I was doing with them at the time and they accommodated all of my last minute needs without complaint.

For that they deserve public praise. But I *know* companies other than MediaLink do this. I know PR people do this. So why not share some of those "Extra Mile" stories in the comments section?

Note: Neither PRSA Boston nor the agency for whom I work is endorsing MediaLink or any of its services. I am sharing a personal anecdote that I believe deserves to be shared.

Learning About Social Media

2007-02-09T15:37:00.000-05:00

Aside from the question, why are dues so high? One of the most common questions I get from our members is, I hear the buzz about social media, but how do I learn more, and how can I use it?

Well, PRSA Boston has brought together a panel for you. We have gathered some of the leaders and pioneers together for a practical discussion of tips, tricks, and tools as well as the pitfalls to avoid for successfully reaching and engaging bloggers and other social media participants.

The panel will answer questions such as:
What is a social media release and how can you create one?
What are the five things you should avoid doing when utilizing social media?
What can you do to make your Website more effective?
What are the most practical means for working with bloggers and communicating your message?

Our panel of experts and thought leaders includes:

John Cass - author of "Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging," to be published by Butterworth-Heinemann, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc., in 2007.

Todd Defren - principal, Shift Communications, research fellow and advisory board member for the Society for New Communications Research. Defren created a template for the Social Media Release and Social Media Newsroom.

Paul Gillin - veteran technology journalist with more than 24 years of editorial leadership, writes the social media column for BtoB magazine. His forthcoming book, “The New Influencers,” chronicles the changes in markets being driven by the new breed of bloggers and podcasters.

Todd Van Hoosear - practice Leader for social media, Topaz Partners. Van Hoosear is active in the Social Media Club Boston and Chief Propagandist for Tech PR Gems.

When: February 26, 2007 – 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Dinner & Networking 6-7:00
Program 7-8:30

Where: The Newton Marriott
2345 Commonwealth Avenue (Route 30)
Newton, MA

Sign up here

It's a party!

2007-02-07T15:43:00.000-05:00

PR Week asked me to pass this on. And in the interests of helping our members have fun, and making them think better of me and the agency I work for, I wanted to post the details, ASAP:

Please join PRWeek for a Cocktail Party in Boston

PRWeek invites you, a key practitioner in the Boston area, to a cocktail reception at the Reflect Room at the Nine Zero Hotel. Come and meet senior PRWeek editors and staff for an evening of drinks and conversation. We hope to see you there.

When: February 22, 2007 Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm Where: The Reflect Room Nine Zero Hotel 90 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02108 Please RSVP to Irene.chang@prweek.com by February 13th. This event is sponsored by: Waggener Edstrom

I will be in San Francisco, so can't make it. But I hope some of you hve a good time! Post here in comments about how it went.

Responsible PR and marketing

2007-02-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

I had planned another post for today, but yesterday's events caused me to change direction.

Stating it most charitably, yesterday a promotional event went awry, significantly inconveniencing thousands and costing Boston taxpayers a significant amount of money. (And I am not referring the the inconvenience of those trying to install Vista).

Details of the event can be found http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/31/boston.bombscare/index.html

or for a more local take on it

Although this is guerilla marketing, I post for it does impact us as practitioners as:

1) We are often called upon to provide counsel re: marketing
2) We plan special events and activities ourselves.

How does this relate to the PRSA Code of Ethics.

Discuss....

Great event Friday

2007-01-28T16:13:00.000-05:00

I was really impressed with the event this past Friday. If you missed it, you really missed a good one. I have a tendency to get jaded when it comes to PR vendors. As someone at the largest independent agency in New England we hear from a lot of them (just like our corporate members get jaded hearing from PR agencies).

But every once in a while it is really good to take a step back and look at these great companies that are doing so much to both make our jobs easier and open up new opportunities. We had 15 companies exhibit at our Tools of the Trade showcase, and more than 60 people attend. It was great hearing about new measurement tools, some interesting new ways to distribute news releases, Webcasting options, you name it.

I was there from the time it opened until it ended, and I still wish I had more time to spend with our vendors.

PRSA Boston appreciates their support.

What were your thoughts on the event?

This is the first of many new events for the year. Next month we will be hosting a practical panel discussion on dealing with consumer generated media and bloggers....2/26. More details to come.

If you procrastinate, you have almost no shot

2007-01-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon.

Just a reminder that the deadline for the Silver Anvil awards is fast approaching! (So are the Bronze Anvils, but you have more time there).

The Silver Anvil are, to my mind, the most prestigious PR Awards. They also require the most effort. This is a great chance to showcase the outstanding work you do over the course of a year and be recognized for the work you do. They keys are simple - solid research, good strategy, great execution and quantifiable results (more than just X clips...show how you moved the needle).

This is not just for large companies!

My teams have won Silver Anvils in the past. Some were for moderately large companies, but another was for a 20 person start up and we beat out some of the largest institutions in our category (hundreds of offices, thousands of people) to win. Now, I think I am a good PR pro, but I know so are the members of PRSA Boston.

The deadlines are:
Silver Anvil
February 16, 2007 Early Bird Deadline
March 2, 2007 Final deadline

You can find more info and the application form at: http://www.prsa.org/awards/

If you want to do these correctly and have a chance of winning, start now if you have not already done so. Why give PRSA more money just so you can have two more weeks? (Well, I guess we could make the argument it would keep our dues down for longer...but still).

The event itself is amazing. More on that, and some photos later.

If you have any questions, feel free to post them here or email me and I will do my best to answer them.

Upcoming event and other musings

2007-01-16T08:23:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a good weekend (Go Pats!) and the New Year is going well. Just a brief post reminding people about our upcoming event in a few weeks: The PRSA Boston Fourth Annual "Tools of the Trade" Products & Services Showcase.

It will be held at the Fairmont Copley on Friday morning, 1/26. It is a great place to meet many of vendors that serve the PR community, find out about their upcoming offerings and see if they are a fit for you, without sending hours in meetings in your office!

To register go to: http://www.prsaboston.org/calendardetail.asp?ID=81

On another note, it is good to see someone is reading my blog (grin). I received a call from PRSA National that wanted to let me know that they *do* offer the daily news via RSS feed. Of course, what they push is just a link to make you go back to the main page, so I am not sure it qualifies, since I still need to take additional steps. In this case, getting it via email is the best choice for me, for I can truly be a passive consumer.

Expect the first newsletter soon.

Get more from your PRSA Membership

2007-01-05T09:25:00.000-05:00

Good morning,

Like I suspect many of you, I believe PRSA National sends us just a few too many emails. (Yes, I have told them that repeatedly). But it has come to my attention that some of you have not been receiving what I consider to be the best email PRSA National sends.

Every day they send an email containing news of interest to PR Professionals. (Now when they do it via RSS I will be very happy). But until then, it is the one email from them I always open, and most of the time there is at least one or two articles or interest.

If you do not receive it, you should:

Follow this link and log in: http://iweb.prsa.org/iweb/Profile/EditProfile.aspx

Click the Communications Preferences tab and click the box next to where it says Daily news monitoring service on industry trends, advocacy and other issues impacting the profession

You will need to be signed into Membernet in order to change your communication preferences!

If you do not have your Membernet userid or password, please contact our IT department at membernet@prsa.org or follow this

link:https://iweb.prsa.org/iweb/LogIn/RetrievePassword.aspx

Enjoy! As always, feel free to contribute comments- do you find the emails useful? Are there any other hidden gems from National you want to share?

Welcome 2007!

2007-01-02T08:11:00.000-05:00

Like many of us, I made a number of New Year's Resolutions about my personal life. (We will see how many I will keep). I also made a few resolutions about public relations (which I intend to keep). I wanted to share some of them with all of you, and encourage you to consider making some PR resolutions:

Following are Mark's 2007 PR resolutions (in no particular order):

1) Simplicity. Keep messaging, campaigns, etc., as simple as possible.

2) Focus on advancing the profession and the professional. If you need something, or are interested in something...let me know.

3) Kill the "slug" listing in news releases whenever possible

4) Continue to explore the make consumer generated media an integral part of PR campaigns.

5) Continue to educate myself on new PR strategies, theories and tactics and apply them to my accounts

6) Have fun

What are your New Year's PR Resolutions?

Happy Holidays

2006-12-20T15:56:00.000-05:00

I am going to try and avoid adding to the digital hubbub around what happened in 2006 and what will happen in 2007. One was good for PRSA Boston and I am confident the other will be great for our members.

I will be off for a bit and probably will not post again until the New Year. Have a happy holiday and a great new year and get ready for a year where PRSA Boston will help advance your skills!

And if you don't get the daily newsfeed from PRSA, you should...

I am so excited for 2007

2006-12-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry it has been a while since my last post, but I always want to make sure I have something meaningful about PRSA Boston to say.

In this case, I just had a great call with our program committee today and we have a whole lot of great stuff planned out for 2007. We will have a good mix of educational, networking and fun events. We are going to be doing more events in Boston and also trying a few experiments...(more on that later).

The teleseminars that went over so well will be back in 2007!

But only a few things are set in stone. Is there a topic that you would like to see? If so, chime in. Let us know. We are here to best serve the members of PRSA Boston and want to know what you like.

Holiday Party Recap

2006-12-06T17:43:00.000-05:00

Last night's joint holiday party between PRSA Boston and the PubClub was a blast. A good chance to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and do my usual cocktail party trick of bringing conservation to a dead halt by asking too serious questions.

-But I do want to know: What do you consider to be the fundamental truth about public relations? Leave me a comment.

Best of all, I met a number of new people that want to get more involved in our chapter. Rest assured you will be contacted soon.

We also discussed some great programming ideas for 2007 - including some things we have never done before. So hold on to your hats, 2007 will be a wild and fun ride.

I look forward to seeing everyone at out next event- January 27- The Tools of the PR trade showcase.

More details to come soon.

Law Firm Media Professionals Event

2006-12-01T12:05:00.000-05:00

This morning I spoke at a breakfast of the Law Firm Media Professionals. It was an honor to be invited and I enjoyed speaking on one of my favorite topics - PR measurement. I even took the bold step of starting out with a lawyer joke (subtly modified).

Q. "How can you tell if a PR professional is lying when they tell you they have the absolute perfect way to measure the effectiveness of a PR campaign?"

A. Their lips are moving.

There are many great ways to measure PR (and many horrible ways), but I do not believe there is any perfect way. We need to be consistent, quantifiable, rigorous and defensible. But you need to approach it in different ways based on your goals and your organization.

I learned just as much as them, so I really enjoyed the opportunity. I have conducted many thought leadership campaigns for clients over the years, but the amount of conflict of interest issues they need to deal with on a daily basis- puts anything I have had to consider to shame. I am impressed.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the holiday party on the 5th!

Congratulations to Bridgewater State

2006-11-29T10:08:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Bridgewater State College for its new PRSSA Chapter.

Yesterday, I had the honor of visiting the campus to help celebrate the founding of its PRSSA Chapter. It was a great event that was attended by the President of the College as well as senior faculty and students. The students were excited and passionate about public relations.

Bridgewater State College is now the 10th college or university in the Boston area to have a PRSSA chapter. For all of our members at corporations or agencies who are looking for good interns to help them....let me strongly suggest you recruit from the PRSSA chapters in our area.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the holiday part on 12/5.

It's a party!

2006-11-21T16:02:00.000-05:00

Everyone is invited to join their PRSA Boston and Pub Club peers for a fun, relaxing evening at our yearly joint holiday bash and end-of-year celebration!

Mingle, network and get caught up with old friends as we toast the season and nosh on hearty appetizers at Charley’s Saloon on Boston’s trendy Newbury Street.

When: Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Charley’s Eating & Drinking Saloon 284 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 617-266-3000T-accessible via green line to Hynes Convention Center/ICA Center at 100 Mass. Ave.

Cost: PRSA and Pub Club Members - $15
PRSSA/Pub Club Student Members - $10
Non-Members/Guests - $20

To Register, Go To: http://www.opinionpower.com/Surveys/241043178.html

I look forward to speaking with all of you there!

Vendor musings

2006-11-18T21:20:00.000-05:00

One of the good things about the International Conference was the ability to meet with a number of the main vendors to PR agencies quickly (Don't worry we will be doing it for everyone in Boston in January 2007).

Two random thoughts struck me from some vendor conversations I have had over the past few weeks and I wanted to make a recommendation and pose a question to my readers:

1) Measurement - All the typical measurement vendors were either at the PRSA International Conference vendor showcase or speaking. (Cymphony did a very good job). The best measurement discussion I had though was over drinks with Katie Paine at the Tech Section bash. KDPaine introduced me to a new, low priced but seemingly relatively effective offering - DIYDashboard.com. It won't meet everyone's needs, but I was wondering if any PRSA Boston members had used it and had thoughts to share. (In the interests of transparency, I have heard multiple pitches from measurement vendors, neither Schwartz nor I currently use any of their services although we are exploring options). This is not an endorsement of DIYDashboard, but it caught my attention, and I hadn't heard much about it so I wanted to see if anyone else had feedback to share?

2) SEO - It's a hot topic and both BusinessWire and PR Newswire have offerings for SEO for press releases. (I use both BusinessWire and PR Newswire). They seem to be taking different approaches. BusinessWire has you focus on editing it yourself and seeing immediate impact. PR Newswire used a third-party firm to optimize and the impact seems to be long-term but not short term. Have any PRSA Boston members used these services from the wires and have any thoughts to share? I personally plan to try both for some of my clients in the next few months.

Note: PRSA Boston and PRSA is completely neutral and does not endorse any vendors. Use whomever best fits your needs.

Hopefully this type of post will get more discussion going.

Annual Meeting Recap

2006-11-16T13:38:00.000-05:00

Last nights PRSA Annual meeting was a resounding success. We had more than 100 people in attendance. I will save the highlights from Caleb's speech for later (mainly for when I have been back in the office for more than 30 minutes).

Some key items:

1) Congratulations to Pat Pollino, APR, Fellow PRSA for being awarded the 2006 Beacon Award. It was well deserved.

2) Thanks to all the 2006 PRSA Boston Officers for their hard work over the past year, and to our Chapter Administrator, Beth Bryant, APR for going well above and beyond the call of duty.

3) PRSSA Boston University will he be hoding a regional PRSSA event in 2007 and is looking from help from the PR community. More later as I get more details.

4) The officers for 2007 will be:

President - Mark W. McClennan, APR
President-Elect - Tom Nutile
VP Programs - Karen Kennedy
VP Membership- Julie Lear, APR
Secretary - Diego Miguel Sanchez, APR
Treasurer - Meghan Magner

We need your help to make PRSA Boston even better in 2007. If you are willing to volunteer, please let us know. Even if you have just 3 hours to give over the year, we will take it!

Thanks!

First day conference report

2006-11-12T20:28:00.000-05:00

The first day is off to a great start. They reported we have 2,400 at the International Conference (although I believe they took some liberties by including PRSSA in the total, so it is more about 1,600). Still an impressive gathering.

The keynote speakers were great, with Tavis Smiley challenging listeners to change their thinking. He was driving home some familiar points "having values adds value" and he took a dig a "reputation management" stating that corporations should work to create reputations that do not need to be managed. (I heard a lot of comments on that line throughout the day). He had some other very interesting thoughts, that I don't have time to explore right now, if I want to keep these posts short (as I want to).

As KDPayne indicates in her blog (http://kdpaine.blogs.com/), Tavis Smiley was one of the most influential speakers she has ever heard. I almost completely agree with her, but would put Mike Paul "The Reputation Doctor" up there as well (http://www.mikepaulblog.com/blog/). She has the highlights of his speech on her blog, you should check it out.

After that I went to a Jim Lukaszewski "Master Class" on "Why Should The Boss Listen to You" or as I think of it - better understanding the CEO and presenting ideas in a way to break through the clutter.

He has some interesting tidbits to share:

- Don't worry about getting a seat at the table. If you do your job right, you are the table.
- Something I have always believed - PR pros need to read more management books (check out HBR, your CEO does)
- Restrain your creativity. Every idea comes with a price tag (budget and time). Better to present a few essential ideas than a laundry list to show your creativity.
- Negative feedback is failure. Be positive and coach. Positive language reduces the time you need to communicate your idea by 10%; constructive coaching reduces it a further 10%; and focusing on outcomes reduces the time by 25%. It lets you get more done and have an impact on the organization.

More later. Off to the Welcome Dinner now.

Next year's conference is in Philadelphia. It would be great to see more PRSA Boston members there.

PRSA Assembly Update

2006-11-11T19:58:00.000-05:00

Well, the PRSA Assemby is finished for 2006. It was an interesting time. While some of the things the PRSA Boston Chapter wanted, were not approved, the majority of them were. I am proud to have been given the opportunity to serve as a delegate this year, and am also proud to report that we kept up the "rabble-rousing" tradition set forth by Pat and Paul. Many delegates told us during the morning that they were considered that without those two here, Boston would be quiet...but in the afternoon we received at least a dozen complements that we were keeping up the tradition.

Barbara Wellnitz and Steve Quigley did a great job as the other Boston delegates and clearly communicated our (and your) thoughts.

For the highlight/recaps:

1) The means for the assembly to pass resolutions was clearly defined (although some last minute added language made things ambiguous).

2) As a result of that the Central Michigan proposal was soundly defeated. (93% opposed)

3) The vote to eliminate proxy voting was defeated (97 to 175). We were in the minority suppoting it, and I think the Assembly made a mistake, but we will see how it plays out.

4) What makes it even more interesting is during new business a resolution was passed directing the Board to look into ways to delegates to participate via conference call, videoconference or web conference. So while we made it easier to have votes at the assembly via proxy voting, we are potentially obviating the need for proxies.

5) The "Emergency Proposal" was defeated. This was a good call. The Board has almost completed policies on this topic, and there was too much wigle room for parliamentary chicanery.

There are some new benefits PRSA National is rolling out to members, including a Web respurce where practitioners can find RFPs for new business!

More later. I am off to have dinner with other PR folks from the Northeast District

Using new resources

2006-11-02T20:21:00.000-05:00

I figured I would take a break from speaking about upcoming events, to make sure all of you were aware of a great resource - the PRSA National Silver Anvil Award database. (http://www.prsa.org/_Awards/silver/index.asp?ident=sil0)

This database lets you search and read the two page summaries of the Silver Anvil Award winning entries from 2006. They are worth reading and you can get some great ideas from them that you can apply to your own campaigns.

PRSA Members can search entries going back to 1969!

Check it out. It's a great and effective form of low cost professional development.

Shining a light on the Beacon Awards

2006-10-30T14:25:00.000-05:00

This year at our annual meeting in November, we will be announcing the winner of the 3rd annual PRSA Boston Beacon Awards.

The official criteria are that it: "recognizes extraordinary achievement by an individual, either working in the public relations industry or from the general business (either for-profit or not-for-profit) community. The purpose of the “PRSA Boston Beacon Award” is to recognize an individual who has furthered the standing of the public relations profession through professional practice and personal relations as well as through betterment of the community."

The deadline is fast approaching but there is still time to act. Click on the title above to be taken to the award submission page. The deadline is November 3.

The competition is always tough and I hope we have more entries this year. I look forward to joining you in recognizing our 2006 recipient at our annual meeting on November 15.

The International Conference is Coming!

2006-10-28T12:14:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder...the PRSA International Conference is coming up in a few weeks (Nov 11-13) in Salt Lake City. I will be speaking at it and encourage all of you who have been thinking about attending to come (and it has nothing to do with my speech). The topics look great and it should be an enjoyable few days.

I will try to post some updates from the conference for those of you that can not make it. I am heading out a few days early to visit my brother who lives in Salt Lake.

In conclusion - consider attending, great topics, great people and great professional development opportunities.

Welcome

2006-10-27T22:36:00.000-04:00

Good evening. Welcome to the first of many blog posts about PRSA Boston. I am looking forward to our annual meeting on November 15. For more details, go to www.prsaboston.org.

For those that do know me, my name is Mark McClennan. I am currently president-elect for PRSA Boston, one of the largest PRSA chapters in the nation.

I am starting this blog as a way to help keep our members better informed about activities as well as share some of the excitement of our events with those who can't make them.