June 2009 L.A. Connect

We have such a wealth of content in this month’s newsletter that I’m going to keep my comments short, sweet and focused on issuing a challenge.

PRSA-LA is assembling a team tasked with creating a strategic plan to demonstrate the value of PR and show the community that PRSA-LA members are the industry’s thought leaders. We’re looking for great writers, strategists and creative thinkers.  

If you are interested in being part of PRSA-LA’s PR & Marketing team, please send an e-mail with the subject heading "PR & Marketing" to prsa@celebritysource.com. You must be a member of PRSA-LA to participate.  

Happy summer, and enjoy the rest of your read!

Multicultural Marketing & Communications:
Reaching Diverse Audiences Through Social Media

Multicultural marketing continues to gain importance for driving mass market brand awareness. And with the advent of Web 2.0, many of the most successful multicultural marketing initiatives are harnessing the power of online social media to connect diverse audiences in new and engaging ways.

This monthly program, organized by PRSA-LA’s Multicultural/Diversity Committee, will examine best practices for reaching today’s multicultural marketplace via the latest social media strategies.

Space is limited, so RSVP today!

Video Highlights and Full Audio Stream Now Available

Video highlights and a full audio stream of last month’s panel discussion titled "Don’t Get Kicked in Your Career: Recession Strategies for Employment Empowerment and Career Advancement" are now available on PRSA-LA’s Web site courtesy of Jacket Media (www.jacketmedia.com).
 

Here are a few insights and morsels of wisdom from the distinguished panel of experts:

	"Treat every conversation as if it were an interview." Peter R. Villegas, J P Morgan Chase & Co
	"From the perspective of an executive recruiter, this is a time that it’s ok to say that you were downsized." Betsy Berhemer-Credaire, Berkhemer Clayton Inc.
	"Never relax or take anything for granted… and never sit back and say ‘Ok, whew! I’m here.’" Dawn Wilcox, APR – Allison Partners
	"Know your brand, and apply what you do for clients to your own career." Lilli Cloud – Blue Feet Personal Branding and Marketing

Click here for video highlights and the
full audio stream

McDonald’s Smoke-Free Anniversary

On June 20th, Meg McDonald, APR and her husband will celebrate their second anniversary as a smoke-free couple. Both were long-time nicotine fiends who each blazed through a pack and half a day. To chronicle their experience, they kept a video journal that’s posted on YouTube. Click here to view the first video in the six-part series.

Sokoloski "Masters" PR

Philip Sokoloski recently earned his master’s degree in strategic public relations from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication. He wrapped up his studies with a project examining communication strategies for mergers and acquisitions by nonprofit organizations. The new post-grad plans to continue serving as manager of communications at FilmL.A., Inc.

Participation is limited to PRSA-LA chapter members who have received or awaiting approval to take the Fall exam. The fee for all six classes is $20 to cover photocopies and refreshments. Upon passing the APR exam, the fee will be refunded in the form of a gift card or credit toward a PRSA-LA event.   

While PR pros tend to be great sales people, they’re usually more comfortable selling their clients than themselves. The good news is that the skills we have honed for media relations can also help us achieve new business development success.

Preparation is essential, so before you begin, do your homework to thoroughly understand your audience, your pitch (i.e., what makes you unique), your client’s business environment and your competition.

Once you start reaching out to prospective clients, you’re likely to encounter three general types of people:

• Gatekeepers. These people are your best source for insights about the organization. They have inside knowledge about the company and organization’s health, vendor relationships and areas of opportunity and dissatisfaction. They can also connect you with the real decision-makers. Be authentic, and ask for help to find the appropriate internal audiences.

• No Interest and No Budget. These people are content to rely upon current (and perhaps insufficient) resources. Be interested, and gently challenge them with questions to gather more information. Why is the organization happy with its current provider?  Does the agency handle all PR areas – social media, events, media relations, etc? Are there functions they can’t handle because of team size or budget? If there’s no budget, has this always been the case? What will it take to get a budget?  Do senior leaders believe in PR?

• Unhelpful Prospect Resources. There are many ways to connect with PR decision-makers, so don’t hesitate to try them all. If the receptionist isn’t helpful, try marketing, sales, tradeshow teams, procurement, customer relations or any other department. Use your new connection as the referring party. Be resourceful and persistent. Use the Internet, social media, current clients and even reporters as sources for contacts.

With its "Stay Smart Promotion," PRSA National is waiving its $65 initiation fee for new members who join by July 15th. This savings will cover most of the $80 fee for annual membership in the local L.A. Chapter (90% of PRSA members enhance their experience with local Chapter membership).

PRSA National is holding a free webinar for PRSA members on Tuesday, June 16th at noon Pacific time titled "Using Social Media for Disaster Response and Recovery." Topics will include best practices for using popular social media sites as public education tools, and the ins and outs of related legal and IT security issues. APR members will earn one maintenance credit for participating.

1 Night.
6 Locations.
Unlimited Networking!

ConneXions Networking Mixers Return August 27th

L.A. is a very big place. That’s why PRSA-LA is planning its second multi-location ConneXions Networking Mixer on August 27th. The first such mixer was held last March and was a resounding success.