February Member Spotlight

Sue Lampitt 

Intech Printing & Direct Mail Inc.

4408 Corporate Square

Naples, FL 34104

www.intechprinting.com

Sue Lampitt has spent the past 30 years of her career in southwest Florida representing the commercial print and direct mail industry. In her current position as sales and marketing director with Intech Printing & Direct Mail, Inc. Sue focuses on her clients, new business development, and client education. She continues to reach out into the community through charitable involvement, creative direct marketing methods and professional networking.

Her background in customer service, marketing, print and graphic design continues to add value when reaching out to new and existing clients. Sue believes in taking the time to understand the complexity of each client’s business and their objectives. This approach enables her to provide the right mix of services by sharing insight and best practices that enhance offset, digital print and direct marketing campaigns. 

With the introduction of personalized digital variable data she relishes the opportunity to share how her clients are continuing to gain optimum results when this technique is applied to their direct marketing campaigns. 

Working together with corporate accounts she has developed custom web-to-print portals to increase efficiencies in the ordering process. This method of ordering has enabled businesses to save time, dollars and add value to their daily operations. 

How does the Public Relations profession play a role in the industry you are currently in?   

“Although it is perceived that print is no longer a front runner in the communications mix, I have to argue that is not the case with the many successful companies that I am privileged to work with. The most effective campaigns include a mix of all media and direct mail continues to be the front runner in the growth of our business. With the use of variable data and creative marketing strategies we have been informed of excellent results coming from our clients!”

“I appreciate the opportunity to share a little bit about my background. Over the years I have met some wonderful friends that I have had the privilege of doing business with that are long-time members of FPRA. I have always enjoyed the camaraderie and educational aspect of this wonderful group and I am so happy to be involved again.”

FGCU's Student FPRA Chapter Presents: Time To PR-TAY!

Time To PR-TAY!

Join the FGCU student FPRA chapter at its first PR-TAY on Thursday, March 14 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on the FGCU campus. The student chapter is celebrating a successful year as a re-energized chapter of providing programs and networking opportunities for future PR professionals. 

FPRA Southwest Florida Chapter President Jessica Clark, APR, along with Tiffany Esposito-Kittinger, APR and David Simmons, both past student chapter presidents, will be speaking about the importance of networking and preparing for a future in public relations. 

Food and beverages will be served. 

Venue: Florida Gulf Coast University

   Sugden Hall (School of Resort and Hospitality Management)

           10501 FGCU Blvd South

           Room 114

Attire:  Business attire

RSVP:  By March 5, 2013   

           Email: Nathaly Fields at  nathaly.fields@yahoo.com

Save the Date for March's Chapter Luncheon!

Monthly Luncheon with guest speaker Sharon McAllister
Monday, March 11th
11:30am-1pm

Sharon McAllister, with business degrees from the University of Hawaii and the University of Chicago, became a part of the Lee County community upon her early retirement at the age of 39.  Her experience as a Divisional Vice President with H&R Block quickly transitioned into active local community service.

In 2000, at the request of Don Paight, City of Fort Myers Downtown Redevelopment Director, Sharon took over the existing "Lee Sidewalk Arts & Crafts Show", with the understanding that she would form a not-for-profit organization and transform this annual event into ArtFest Fort Myers, a juried fine art festival.  Under her tutelage, this event has quickly gained national recognition, while bringing an unparalleled art experience to the community.

In her tireless campaign to nurture the arts in Fort Myers, Sharon has taken on a variety of leadership roles in the community. She is the immediate past Chairman of the Public Art Committee, where she still serves in the ongoing development of a public art program for the City of Fort Myers.  Sharon is also the current President of the Fort Myers Conference and Convention Center, the marketing arm of the downtown Harborside Event Center. Illustrating her commitment to creating a vibrant downtown Fort Myers, Sharon's input regarding the arts and event management has been evidenced during the entire planning process of the downtown waterfront redevelopment.

  

Sharon will share inside information on ArtFest and everything that goes into executing this hugely successful special event.  She will discuss how the event has evolved since inception, and quickly gained national recognition under her leadership.

Register today!

$20 for members   $25 for non-members   $10 for students

Thank you to our luncheon sponsor, Shell Point

March Webinar Approaching

Florida Public Relations Association March Webinar Events The Florida Public Relations Association is excited to present its next web-based professional development opportunity! During the month of March two webinars are being presented free of charge to FPRA members only. The first one is Building Community Partnerships and the second one is on how to Develop Your Online Brand Voice. Registration is NOW OPEN for the March 14 webinar Building Community Partnerships.

Building Community Partnerships March 14, 2013 | 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST Dianne Owen Establishing community relationships can be an effective addition to your PR plan. But how do you do it, and more importantly, how do you measure its impact on your organization? This webinar profiles the success and failures of one company as they work to position themselves as a leading financial brand in their community. Dianne Owen is the Executive Vice President of Marketing for FAIRWINDS Credit Union. In her role, Dianne oversees all of the credit union's strategic marketing functions including advertising and promotions, community relations, market research, branding, corporate communications, planning and budgeting. Owen has been with the credit union in the role of marketing for 18 years. In that time the credit union has grown to $300 million to over $1.5 billion in assets and currently has 37 branches throughout Central Florida. Owen has a BSBA in Marketing and an MBA from the University of Central Florida. Owen currently serves as Chairman of the UCF Alumni Association and member of the UCF Annual Fund Committee.

To ensure an interactive and efficient program, virtual seats are limited. Registration is expected to fill up fast so don't delay and register today!

NEW Job Opportunity for FPRA SWFL Chapter Members

Please use you new log in credentials on our chapter's FPRA website to see all the details!

If you have lost your log in credentials it's easy to retrieve them.  Just click here to have them emailed to you.

Just another perk to being an FPRA member in Soutwest Florida!

Attention Members!!! This Members Only Event Will Be a Homerun!!!!

If you love baseball, we have a great opportunity for you!  On Thursday, March 28 we have an opportunity to attend the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins!   We may also schedule a tour of the stadium prior to the game for attendees, details will be sent out to those registered.  This is a 7:05pm game and members can purchase one member ticket at the rate of $10. Additionally members can purchase one guest ticket for $20. Payment must be made prior to receiving tickets and a PayPal invoice will be generated upon registration. To register please email jclark5983@yahoo.com. Space is limited, so tickets will be reserved on a first come first serve basis.

February Meeting Recap

The February meeting had a great turn out of members and guests, all eager to hear about what organizations want when they sponsor events.  We welcomed Brian Hamman with CenturyLink, Jessica Stillwell with FineMark Bank, and Kevin Anderson with Chico’s to participate in a panel that offered great tips to those in attendance.  Some of the highlights include networking and forming relationships with local business members while also appreciating any donation that an organization can offer to support the program or event.  They also prefer that organizations do not assume that by sponsoring an event one year, it means that they will sponsor each year.  It is always better to send a request letter asking if they would like to sponsor the event or activity again.  Attendees were able to participate in a Q&A at the end of the presentation, and the speakers answered individual questions when the meeting concluded.  This was another great meeting, thanks to all who organized it!

 

 

President's Word

So far, 2013 has been awesome for FPRA!  The last two months of FPRA meetings have had great attendance from members and non-members, breaking attendance records for our regular monthly business meetings.  January’s meeting brought 70 attendees and February’s meeting went to 80!  Since we have had more guests at our meetings recently, it has also helped to increase our membership with several new members to FPRA.  So if you see some new faces, make sure to introduce yourself!

As we move forward through 2013 there are still many great opportunities for members and non-members.  The lmage Awards are right around the corner, and there is still time to submit an entry.  March 8 is the deadline, and you can download the details and application online at www.fpraswfl.org.  The chapter Image Awards are a great opportunity to showcase your best projects and programs to professionals all across southwest Florida. 

I want to also share that the new website is up and running, and you should have recently received your new member log-in and password via email.  If you have not received this, please let me know.  We are still fine-tuning the website, so if you have any issues, please contact me.  

Make sure to stay in the know on the upcoming meetings and events offered by the Southwest chapter of FPRA.  Our next meeting on March 11 will look at ArtFest, the Image Awards Ceremony will take place in April, and the chapter will also offer a Community Showcase event for non-profits on April 19.  Details for all of these events will be on our website, and more events will be posted soon. 

I can't live without...

Lynn Schneider; APR, CPRC can't live without her calendar planner.  See below what she has to say about her go-to-tool that helps her survive the day...or week...or month!

"I could not live without my calendar. I carry a black leather portfolio-style monthly planner that zips closed and fits in my purse. Yes, I have my schedule on my Smart Phone, but call me old fashioned, I still like being able to flip back and forth between the pages of my paper version to compare entries on various dates at one time. Also, it’s easier to review an entire month-at-a-glance in my regular calendar. Maybe someday I will give it up, but for now, it keeps me organized!"

Lynn Schneider, APR, CPRC

AVP, Marketing & Communications

Shell Point Retirement Community

If you have something you can't seem to live without, let us know!  

Local Image Submissions Are Due on Friday, March 8th at 5pm

***ATTENTION FPRA MEMBERS***

Wordpress is generating an email to each FPRA member once their account has been created to gain access to the member section of the FPRA website.

Please keep an eye out for an email from WordPress It will have "username and password" in the subject line.

Monthly APR Trivia: February

Question: True or False, The Accreditation in Public Relations certification is good for the life of the PR professional who earns it?

 Answer: True; however every three years, APRs must meet maintenance requirements and submit documentation. The requirements are simple to accomplish for any PR professional actively working and learning. NOTE: Volunteering in any capacity for FPRA provides a significant number of points toward achieving the maintenance requirements!  

Make Your Membership Work for You!

You've probably heard the old adage, "you get out what you put in," right? While that applies to most things in life it certainly applies to your FPRA membership! 

The core purpose of FPRA is to enhance the profession of public relations and that means we have to enhance you, our members, in terms of your skills and abilities. Our programs chair and leadership work hard to offer value added opportunities for you to expand your knowledge base with impactful monthly meetings and other, additional events such as PR University, the Media Breakfast, etc.

You may not be able to attend every event or meeting, but I would encourage you to attend as many as you can. You will only get out of FPRA what you put in… it starts with attending meetings and events and could possibly lead you to take a leadership role. Either way, we're here to support you!

Be sure to visit our newly updated website for a list of upcoming events. If you have questions about your membership, feel free to contact Samantha Scott, APR at 239.221.2858 or samantha@getpushing.com

Social Media Corner: Analyzing Social Media Trends for 2013

By: Jessica Boles

2012 will go down in history as a significant year for social media. Facebook hit a billion users and went public, Instagram was bought out by Facebook, Twitter news feeds saw over 250 million tweets per day and Pinterest exploded. Here’s a look at the largest social media trends for 2013 set to unfold during this year.

Social Media Trend for the Upcoming Year

One of the biggest trends that we are starting to see is that social media will move beyond the marketing department. More enterprises will start to embrace social media tools for uses that go beyond the familiar marketing and community building. Marketers need to have bigger skill sets other than “PR”, “advertising” or “SEO”. All marketers will need to know all aspects of social media and other departments will start to make their own business plays as their audiences grow and demand better ways to work with one another.

Another trend to be seen in 2013 is the use of big data and how it will be more manageable. Companies now have access to unprecedented volumes of information about their customer base and trends. This year will see the emergence of new software and tools to manage this huge amount of data. This software will have the capability to track multiple social platforms in real time from tweets to Facebook likes and user comments. This is a critical tool to use so businesses will understand their customers beyond demographics and truly understand their behavior.

While the PC is still the most used device when it comes to social media, there has been a 63% increase of time spent on mobile devices for social media use. The growing trend looks like mobile devices are becoming the computing vehicle of choice. Businesses need to shift practices as their customers will reach for their mobile first for purchases and immediate information. When it comes to consuming social content, it’s all about mobile and mobile apps this year.

Whether its social media moving out of the marketing departments, use of big data and mobile apps, or  carving out your niche in the social media community, 2013 will be an exciting year as the social media game begins to change. 2013 is here!  So get in the game and capitalize on these trends for the upcoming year.

Bonita Chamber of Commerce is Hiring!

JOB DESCRIPTION: MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (NEW MEMBER SALES FOCUS)


Job Title: Membership Development Department: N/A Reports to: Director of Operations Date: January 2013

Supervises: N/A Revised: x Exempt Nonexempt

Position Summary:

The Membership Development representative (new member focus) is responsible with minimal supervision, for selling 15 Chamber memberships per month to prospective non-member businesses by communicating the benefits of the Chamber.
Job Specifications: (Minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required)
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with emphasis in communications or business.
Education/Training (or equivalent):
Four Year Degree
Experience: (Type of work experience, minimum number of years of each).

• Must have previous sales experience. Self-starter who work well autonomously.
• This person must have a proven track record in sales.
Special Administrative Knowledge:
• Database management, excellent writing and computer skills.
Special Skills and Abilities:
• Excellent follow through, time management and excellent customer service.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office programs including Outlook, Excel and Word.
• Must have/maintain a dependable vehicle with proof of license and insurance.
Unique Duties/Responsibilities:
The position will also be responsible for:
• Actively develop leads for prospective members and attain sales goal of 15 members per month.
• Manage and maintain supplies of membership collateral materials, updating as necessary.
• Prospect all Chamber products and services including but not limited to lobby advertising, enhanced website visibility, web banner sponsorship and all other ancillary products and services.
• Respond to telephone and e-mail membership inquiries, booking and maintaining appointments for prospective members.
• Provide prospective members with an enthusiastic and informative presentation of Chamber benefits and presents approved membership options and prices.
• Complete all membership paperwork for new members, including application and orientation requirements.
• Track and report daily membership sales calls through the diligent use of contact management software. Provide to President and CEO and the Director of Operations each Friday.
• Distribute passes, fliers and other materials to create flow of prospective members.
• Coordinate with Membership Development Representative 2 (retention focus) quarterly New Member Orientations.
• Manage annual membership drives.
• Assist President with Invest for Success sales.
• Develop relationships and encourage member referrals.
• Assist Membership Development Retention Representative 2 (retention focus) with all aspects of Business Before Business and Business After Hour events.
• Attend Chamber meetings, trainings and retreats.
• Works to upgrade current and new members to higher levels of membership.
• Maintain all proper paperwork such as copies of membership applications.
General Responsibilities:
• Staff Chamber functions as needed
• All other duties as assigned by supervisory staff.

All interested parties please send resume and three writing samples to

Tiffany Esposito-Kittinger, MBA, APR

Tiffany@BonitaSpringsChamber.com  

Pushing the Envelope is Hiring!

COMMUNICATION ALLY / PR COORDINATOR

Job Description

Role: Assist with client and project management and reputation management services via research, publicity efforts, media relations and administration of clients.  Duties include copywriting, coordinating with media, managing the media database, proofreading documents, publicity efforts, and helping with other public relations project-related work.  Will also assist in new business proposal execution, presentations and other related activities as needed. The ideal candidate will have strong communication skills (written and verbal) and must be an independent thinker / problem solver and be very organized. Two years related industry experience a plus.

Part Time: 20-25 hours per week approximately

Qualifications:

• Degree or in school for Marketing, Communications or Advertising
• Microsoft Office suite understanding and skills
• Database management / Excel skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Experience with WordPress
• Experience in web marketing and social media use for business ideal

Job Duties

• Assist in development and implementation of communications plans
• Research and make recommendations on marketing campaigns / promotions
• Draft and distribute news releases and media alerts; perform media relations
• Facilitate reputation management and related reports
• Coordinate market research projects as needed
• Host or co-host client update calls/meetings as needed
• Coordinate and produce/write blog posts for PTE and clients
• Negotiate rates and bids from vendors as needed (printers, designers, production companies, photographers, talent, web developers, etc.)
• Develop and implement processes to increase effectiveness
• Other duties as advised by supervisor / other staff

 

All interested candidates should sent their resume to samantha@getpushing.com.