SILVER ANVIL NEWS
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Receives Public Relations Professional of the Year Honors From PRSA
PRSA presented its highly coveted Public Relations Professional of the Year award to White House Press Secretary Robert L. Gibbs for his groundbreaking use of new communications techniques and technologies, as well as successful delivery of campaign messages to a broad electorate. “Robert Gibbs and his team revolutionized the way presidential candidates speak to voters by engaging best practices in current communications techniques and technologies,” said PRSA Chair and CEO Michael Cherenson, APR. “He transformed static, one-way messaging into a dynamic dialogue to engage an expansive electorate like never before.”
As communications director of the Obama campaign, Gibbs made groundbreaking use of Web 2.0 technologies, including blogs, social media sites and online video, to engage the electorate, especially younger voters. The campaign amassed a vast database of e-mail and text addresses to enable direct communications with voters on a massive scale. At the same time, the campaign maintained a disciplined communications approach that yielded the ability to speak with a single voice and precise narrative, and to carefully control the flow of information and respond rapidly to attacks while maintaining fluidity and creativity of language. “From the moment the Obama campaign began almost two and a half years ago, we set out to do things differently,” said Gibbs. “We had to connect with people in a new way — through their homes and communities, their families and their friends. We had to break away from the old rules of campaigning that emphasized tactics and political posturing, and instead focus on the message of change being communicated by our candidate. In the end, we knew our success depended on our ability to stay focused on that message and relay it honestly and consistently to people across the country.”
Click here for more information about the Public Relations Professional of the Year award winner.
Click here to view photos from the 2009 PRSA Silver Anvil Awards Evening.
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White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
| Northern Illinois University Captures Best of Silver Anvil Award
The 2009 Best of Silver Anvil Award was presented by PRSA to the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Office of Public Affairs for successfully managing all aspects of crisis communication within minutes, hours and days following a campus shooting in February 2008. Shortly after 3 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2008, a gunman burst onto the stage of a large lecture hall at NIU and began firing into an audience of nearly 150 undergraduate students. When his rampage was over, six people lay dead and 19 others were injured. The NIU Office of Public Affairs immediately went into crisis mode, handling everything from emergency alerts, news conferences and message development, to media relations, event management and speechwriting.
“A tragedy was met with the best of human nature and the best in public relations practices at Northern Illinois University,” said PRSA Chair and CEO Michael Cherenson, APR. “The Northern Illinois Public Affairs office shared information, inspiration and compassion as quickly and completely as possible. Their amazing work is what the Best of Silver Anvil was created to recognize, and I salute their efforts.”
Click here for more information about the 2009 Best of Silver Anvil Award Winner.
Click here for a complete list of 2009 Silver Anvil winners.
Click here to view photos from the 2009 PRSA Silver Anvil Awards Evening.
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From left: NIU President John Peters; NIU Office of Public Affairs Assistant Vice President Melanie Magara; PRSA Chair & CEO Michael Cherenson, APR.
| Silver Anvil Award Ceremony Featured on “Cover Story”
Joice Truban Curry, PRSA Honors & Awards Committee chair, and Jim Roop, APR, Fellow PRSA, PRSA Silver Anvil Awards Subcommittee chair, discussed the Silver Anvil Awards program and finalists on WebmasterRadio.FM’s “Cover Story” on June 3.
Click here to listen to this podcast and all other Silver Anvil podcasts in PRSA’s podcast center, Voices of Public Relations.
Jim Roop presents an award at the
2009 Silver Anvil Awards Ceremony
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Joice Truban Curry at the
2009 Silver Anvil Awards Ceremony
| 2009 CONFERENCE NEWS PRSA 2009 International Conference Program Now Available
Stay on top of the hottest topics at the PRSA 2009 International Conference, which features more than 175 leading experts directing more than 80 Professional Development sessions — including Master Classes — and case studies of Silver Anvil Award finalists, including Häagen-Dazs' "Loves Honey Bees: Let’s Lick This Problem," Air New Zealand’s "Pink Flight 2008" and Kleenex's "Let it Out: The Movie." The sessions are divided into four tracks focusing on innovative strategies, effective tactics and techniques, specialization and practice areas and the business/management case for public relations. There will be additional emphasis on social media, sustainability/green marketing and military public affairs. The Conference program includes member input as it offers more opportunities for career counseling, insight into social media strategies and enhanced networking. There also will be time to meet with leaders in the public relations profession during the Meet the Experts sessions. Keynote Speakers
Conference attendees will hear from keynote speakers Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, and Todd Buchholz, former White House director of economic policy, regular commentator on American Public Radio’s “Marketplace,” and critically acclaimed author. Huffington will explore the connection between politics and public affairs, and the impact it has on the future of the public relations profession. Buchholz will focus on how worldwide events influence today’s economic environment and how they affect public relations practitioners.
Click here to view the program descriptions for the Conference.
Click here to view the Conference brochure.
Members who register before Friday, Sept. 25 will save $200. Click here to register. Back to top
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Arianna Huffington Todd Buchholz
| PRSA NEWS “PRSA Diversity Today” Podcast Focuses on Hispanic Public Affairs
 PRSA shares insights on how to execute effective campaigns to influence Latino communities, mainstream constituents, government and institutions in the latest installment of “PRSA Diversity Today” podcast series.
With more than half of the sitting members of Congress representing districts with significant Latino populations, Hispanic public affairs expertise is increasingly in demand. Dr. Rochelle Larkin Ford, APR, hosted the following guests, who shared their thoughts on reaching out to this segment: Manuel Mirabal, president, Tonio Burgos and Associates’ Washington, D.C. office, leads the firm’s government affairs and communications functions. Mirabal is considered one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States and one of the 25 most powerful Hispanics in Washington.
Maria Cardona is a seasoned Democratic strategist, public affairs and communications professional with more than 18 years experience in the political, government, public relations, campaign, community and coalition building arenas. Katy Varney is a partner at McNeely Pigott & Fox, located in Nashville, Tenn. She has a strong background in government affairs and coalition building and has a nationwide network of contacts.
Click here to listen to this podcast. The show also is hosted on WebmasterRadio.FM on the PRSA Conference channel. Also, you can subscribe to the show via an RSS feed or download it through iTunes — search for “PRSA” at the iTunes Store, and the shows will be listed by date.
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Manuel Mirabal
Maria Cardona 
Katy Varney
| PRSA International Section and Business for Diplomatic Action Offer a Speaker Forum to PRSA Chapters
The International Section of PRSA and Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA) have joined forces to offer a speaker forum to PRSA Chapters that features leading public relations and global affairs experts who will address critical international issues that impact all public relations practitioners. Forum speakers will be drawn from a select pool of top executives from the public relations community and BDA board. The forum will provide PRSA Chapters with a groundbreaking opportunity to tap into unparalleled global expertise on critical issues that can affect all public relations practitioners, regardless of where or in which sector they practice. It also will provide opportunities for practitioners and their clients to engage in a variety of business-led public diplomacy action initiatives. To learn more about the PRSA/BDA International Issues Forum, or to schedule a forum speaker for your local PRSA Chapter, contact Will Titus at (212) 460-1421.
| | PRSA and WebmasterRadio.FM Present Podcast Interviews From the 2009 Digital Impact Conference
WebmasterRadio.FM's roving reporter John Cass, director of marketing for ideaLaunch, and author of "Strategies & Tools for Corporate Blogging," conducted a series of interviews with attendees and presenters from the 2009 Digital Impact Conference. Interviewees discussed what they learned from presentations at the conference. Click here to listen to the interviews from the 2009 Digital Impact Conference.
| | Akron Beacon Journal Features Comments From PRSA Chair & CEO Michael Cherenson
Betty Lin-Fisher of the Akron Beacon Journal features insights from Michael Cherenson, APR, who recently visited the Akron Chapter of PRSA and discussed the importance of clear communication from companies during a recession. Click here to view the full article, which appeared May 18 on the Akron Beacon Journal Web site.
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Michael Cherenson, APR
| Spring 2009 Public Relations Journal is Now Online
Click here to view the spring 2009 issue of PRSA’s Public Relations Journal, published quarterly by PRSA. This publication is an open-access, peer-reviewed electronic research journal facilitating the transfer of knowledge from the educational community to the professional community. The spring 2009 issue includes the following articles: - "Designing an Employee-Centered Intranet and Measuring Its Impact on Employee Voice and Satisfaction" by Bethe Spurlock and Julie O’Neil, Ph.D.
- "An Updated Look at the Impact of Social Media on Public Relations Practice" by Donald K. Wright, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, and Michelle D. Hinson.
- "Reflections of Perceptions: Measuring the Effects Public Relations Education has on Non-majors’ Attitudes Toward the Discipline" by Lisa Fall, Ph.D., APR, and Jeremy Hughes.
- "Expanding the Public Relations Palette: Facilitation as a Means Toward CSR Policy Development" by Alan R. Freitag, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA.
- "An Exploratory Study of the Media Transparency in Ukraine" by Katerina Tsetsura, Ph.D., and Anastasia Grynko.
- "Two Sides To Every Story: Using Coorientation To Measure Direct And Meta- Perspectives Of Both Parties In Organization-Public Relationships" by Trent Seltzer, Ph.D., and Michael Mitrook, Ph.D.
Public Relations Journal is edited by Dr. Donald K. Wright, APR, Fellow PRSA, professor of public relations at Boston University.
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| NEWS AND OFFERINGS FROM MEMBERSHIP Save on Budget and Avis Car Rentals
PRSA members enjoy special rates, discounts and the latest in technology, products and services with Budget and Avis. For more information, log in to MemberNet and click on Member Benefits.
| | Accelerate Your Career
“I believed that having the APR credential would boost my self-confidence and my ability to compete for positions in public relations — and I was right.”
— Natalie Knox Lowman, APR
Director of Communications
ConocoPhillips Alaska The APR Study Guide is a valuable resource to set you on the path to success with the computer-based Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). This guide is available online, free of charge, and contains tips, background, exercises and case studies focused on the knowledge, skills and abilities evaluated by the Examination. This guide is intended to supplement a candidate’s other preparation materials, such as the textbook(s) chosen from the “Short Bookshelf,” the Online Study Course, Teleseminars and other tools. Click here to download the APR Study Guide.
Click here to learn more about APR Accreditation.
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| Update Your Member Profile and You Could Be a Winner
Take a few minutes to help PRSA serve you better. Tell us your job title, organizational setting, industry and area(s) of specialization. Each month — May through August — five randomly selected members who update their demographics information will receive gifts, including a $100 Amazon gift card and items from the PRSA Store.
Update your demographics information by logging in to MemberNet. If you are renewing your membership by mail or fax, you also can update your demographics on the back of the dues invoice.
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| Ask the Experts to Be Categorized by Subject Matter
With the many questions and answers posted to the PRSA Jobcenter “Ask the Experts” forum, we will soon create an index that will allow you to search questions by subject. Some categories to be featured include: - Career Transitioning
- Establishing Career Goals
- Long Distance Job Hunting
- Closing Resume Gaps
To post a question about careers, visit the “Ask the Experts” forum.
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| Alan Cohen, MBA and Certified Professional Coach, Joins Mentor Program
We are proud to announce Alan Cohen as a new addition to the Jobcenter Mentoring program. Cohen has more than 25 years of experience in business, including public relations, marketing, human resources, training and development. He was a keynote speaker at PRSA New York’s Career Forum last April at FIT. To learn more about Cohen, visit “Ask the Experts.”
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| Follow PRSA’s Jobcenter on Twitter
We want to help job seekers stay on top of more than 1,500 job opportunities, as well as provide trends, articles and career guidance in the changing economy. Featured jobs will be posted daily. Employers can access more than 6,000 resumes and an expanded network of 250,000-plus resumes. This is another much-needed avenue for employers to obtain tips for hiring the best talent and upholding employee morale. We want to help job seekers stay on top of more than 1,500 job opportunities, as well as provide trends, articles and career guidance in the changing economy. Featured jobs will be posted daily. Employers can access more than 6,000 resumes and an expanded network of 250,000-plus resumes. This is another much-needed avenue for employers to obtain tips for hiring the best talent and upholding employee morale.
| | Follow the Latest Articles and Blog Posts From PRSA on Your FriendFeed or Twitter Accounts
Receive links to the latest articles from PR Tactics and The Strategist Online, as well as posts from PRSA's ComPRehension and Whatever Suits blogs, through your FriendFeed or Twitter accounts. Simply subscribe to PRSA Resource Center on FriendFeed or follow @prsa on Twitter. You also can read the FriendFeed through your RSS reader by subscribing here. You do not need a FriendFeed account to subscribe to the RSS feed.
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| Join PRSA’s LinkedIn Group
Have you joined PRSA’s group on LinkedIn, a social networking site that connects you to people with similar interests and goals? PRSA members can get introduced to other public relations professionals, search for jobs, seek expert advice from peers and request personal references. Stop using business cards and use PRSA’s LinkedIn Group to manage your vast and growing network of contacts. The group is available exclusively for our PRSA members. You must have a LinkedIn account to join. Back to top
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| NEWS AND OFFERINGS FROM
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Using Social Media for Disaster Response and Recovery
FREE Webinar, Tuesday, June 16, 3–4 p.m. EDT
In January 2009, the Obama Administration issued the now famous “transparency in government memo” that called on federal agencies to adopt practices and technologies that would enable a higher level of citizen participation in, and collaboration with, government. This PRSA webinar on social media offers a comprehensive view of how federal agencies successfully overcame institutional barriers to adopt social media and the benefits of engaging constituents through these tools. It will highlight the experiences of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and discuss the successful ways in which FEMA uses social media to engage and inform emergency management partners and the public to be better prepared for disaster response and recovery. You will learn: The role of social media in government transparency. How to use YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Google Maps as public education tools. The ins and outs of legal and IT security issues associated with new media. Best practices for successful social media implementation. The benefits of social media to your organization's brand and reputation.
Instructors
John Shea joined FEMA External Affairs in 1999. Since then, he has fielded multiple positions within FEMA headquarters Region 9 and was officially named the public information officer for New Media in June 2008. Michael Dumlao is a senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton specializing in creative multimedia design and social media strategy with a focus on participatory risk and crisis communications.
PRSA gratefully acknowledges the support of Thomson Reuters in providing us with webcast technology. Click here to register for this webinar. Back to top
| | NEWS AND OFFERINGS FROM SECTIONS Special Promotion: Experience the Value of PRSA’s Professional Interest Sections
What are Professional Interest Sections and how do they add value to your PRSA membership? This month is the perfect opportunity to find out. Now through June 30, members can add a PRSA Section of their choice at a $20 savings on their first year’s dues.
Sections are designed to focus on issues, trends and research of a specialized practice area. With forums to contribute expertise and resources to increase professional effectiveness, Sections offer niche networks and programming that are precisely relevant to professionals who work in one industry or that focus on a specific practice.
The offer is open to PRSA members and associate members, and is valid for new Section memberships only — not renewals. There is a limit of one “bonus” Section per member. Click here to add a Section membership. For more information, visit Sections.
| | PRSA’s Public Affairs and Government Section Hosts One-Day June Conference
PRSA’s Public Affairs and Government Section will host a full-day conference June 24 in Washington, D.C., tackling critical topics in public affairs and government. This one-day event will offer two program tracks designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of the public affairs professional: - The National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training Session is dedicated to learning how various jurisdictions can work together in response to natural disasters, emergencies or large events.
- The Issue Management and Strategic Planning attendees will learn how to develop an entire strategic planning process from implantation to evaluation.
Click here to learn more about this program and to register.
| | PRSA’s Association/Nonprofit Section to Host Conference on Donors, Dollars and Dealing With the New Economy
PRSA’s Association/Nonprofit Section will host a full-day conference July 31 in Washington, D.C., specficially geared to communication professionals linked with association and nonprofit sectors. Themed “Show Me the Money! (And the Members!): Donors, Dollars and Dealing With the New Economy,” the conference will focus on how to create greater engagement of members and donors through use of social marketing and strong retention campaign strategies. Click here to learn more about this program and to register.
| | PRSSA NEWS Loyola University New Orleans Takes Top Prize in 2009 Bateman Competition
A team of Loyola University New Orleans students took first prize in the PRSSA 2009 Bateman Case Study Competition. Conducted annually, the Bateman Competition judges teams of college students on their ability to develop and present a comprehensive public relations campaign.
Sponsored by the Consumer Banker’s Association (CBA), this year’s Bateman Competition focused on supporting the CBA’s “Hit the Books Running…the more you know, the less you’ll owe” program. The effort was initiated to promote college accessibility and affordability by raising awareness of behaviors that can begin early and at home for lifelong benefits of higher education. The winning campaign, “The Bling Starts Here,” engaged students in age- and culture-friendly initiatives to get them excited about preparing for college now. To help its campaign resonate among a younger demographic, the Loyola University team used popular hip-hop jargon and social media tools, such as Facebook and MySpace, to reach students with frequent updates on events and information. PRSSA 2009 Bateman Case Study Competition finalists will be recognized at an awards ceremony during the PRSSA 2009 National Conference, to be held Nov. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif. Click here for more information on the Bateman Case Study Competition.
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The Loyola University team gathers with faculty advisor Cathy Rogers (right) to celebrate their win: The team members (from left) include Vicki Voelker, Janine Sheedy, Ashley Sutton, Heather Miranne and Sarah Mackota
| PARTNERSHIP NEWS Top 10 SEO Tactics for Public Relations & News Optimization
By @Lee Odden, CEO TopRank Online Marketing, editor Online Marketing Blog
 Traditionally, search engine optimization (SEO) efforts have been managed by corporate marketing departments – either in-house or through an outside agency. However, will all the opportunities to create value in the form of increased online brand visibility, reputation management and internet based media coverage, public relations deserves a seat at the corporate SEO table.
To achieve that, it is important that public relations professionals understand the foundation of SEO tactics as well as the business benefits for public relations efforts and to the larger organization. The upcoming series of posts will outline SEO and public relations tactics with the most impact, how to choose the best keywords, one-page SEO and link-building best practices, and measuring the value of SEO to public relations efforts. It will also cover when PPC is a better fit than SEO, how to combine SEO and social media promotions and the finer points of selling the benefits of SEO to decision makers.
Corporate Web site optimization projects require an equal measure of search engine knowledge, understanding of corporate messaging and ability to appreciate and acquire links from credible sources. By learning the fundamentals of SEO and the possible impact on public relations effectiveness, public relations departments can demonstrate their competitive advantage.
To that end, here is a series of 10 blog posts that present specific tactics that will help public relations practitioners implement content optimization tactics and improve online public relations performance through search:
Keep in mind that while these explanations and examples will be centered around public relations and news content, many of the SEO and social media marketing tactics can be applied to any kind of content whether it be job listings, FAQs/Knowledge Base information or products/services.
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