By: Michelle Mockler
From Left: HPRA – LA President Anna Garcia; PRSA – LA President Victoria Lelash and BPRS – LA President Shawn Smith
On May 17, PRSA-LA partnered with the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA-LA) and the Black Public Relations Society (BPRSLA) to produce the first-ever event collaboration among the associations, “The Evolution of PR in the Digital Landscape” panel discussion.
The panel was moderated by Ayanna Henderson, director of digital marketing and social media partnerships at Boomopolis, who led a powerhouse panel including: Deborah Braidic, vice president of communications and digital strategy at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Serena Ehrlich, director of social and evolving media at Business Wire, Abby Harris, manager branded integrations at Maker Studios, Paul Kadzielski, digital director at Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Rachel Matos, director of social media at Latina Bloggers Connect.
From Left: Deborah Braidic, Serena Ehrlich, Abby Harris, Paul Kadzielski and Rachel Matos
Covering all aspects of digital, the discussion kicked off with the panelists sharing insights on how to generate content on social media for consumers and how leveraging the power of social media can elevate brands and campaigns.
The panelists went on to describe how the rise of social media and new technologies is changing the way public relations professionals and clients conduct business. With social media and technology ever-evolving, brands and organizations are using influencers and real-time engagement to build relationships and brand affinity with consumers.
Key takeaways included:
- Be driven by the client’s business goals in addition to the typical standards of a successful digital campaign.
- Meeting your metrics is not the end goal, but part of the race.
- Think like a marketer and track/measure your successes accurately with the latest third-party platforms.
- Incorporate the strength of video into your outreach by utilizing Instagram, Vine, Periscope and/or Snapchat.
- There is power in awareness. Understand what activates your audience and vary your content accordingly across social platforms.
- Use data to refine the implementation curve of your digital campaigns.
“I thought the event was very well organized with knowledgeable speakers,” said Ingrid Greene, corporate communications consultant at The Wonderful Company. “The panel covered the latest topics in digital public relations, and it was great to see such strong enthusiasm from PRSA members.”
In addition, Santa Monica College students were in attendance to record the event for the production of a highlight video. The event concluded with an open Q&A session that reiterated the concept of public relations as a strategic management discipline focused on building reputations. With today’s evolving digital media landscape, there has never been a more progressive time to work in our industry.
For a list of PRSA-LA’s upcoming events, click here.
