What's In It For Me? The Value of FPRA SWFL Membership

Guest Blog by: McKenzie Cassidy

Once I joined the local chapter of FPRA SWFL I met an entire network of practitioners with an impressive range of experience and backgrounds. They were all so helpful as I dived headfirst into chairing the Chapter’s largest professional development event: Public Relations University or PRU. My fellow members provided valuable suggestions, assisted with making important connections, offered sponsorship opportunities and shared information about the event across the region. I possessed no significant event planning experience when I first joined and thanks to the support of the Chapter, I feel confident in organizing future conferences or celebrations for my employer.

What's In It For Me?- The Value of FPRA SWFL Membership

Guest Blog from Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA President, Trish Robertson

When I think about the value of FPRA and ask myself “what’s in it for me?” my number one thought is experience. Working in public relations field isn’t monotonous – it’s different every single day. Attending workshops, meeting local professionals and taking on leadership roles have provided me with the experiences I need to be a better employee. In public relations, you have to be prepared to make quick decisions and just when you think you’ve gotten the hang of something new, it changes. Being an FPRA member helps us prepare of the unexpected and obtain the experience we need to be better PR professionals.

Take it from Aristotle

Want to write persuasive PR copy?
An article posted by the Content Marketing Institute alleges that all you need to do is follow Aristotle's lead, which means keep in mind that ethos, pathos and logos.
See here: What Aristotle Knew

JUST FOR FUN: Public Relations, vintage-style

JUST FOR FUN:

PR, back in the day ... somewhere between 1952 and 1964

While poking around a Southwest Florida liquidator store recently, I stumbled upon a 3rd edition of Cutlip and Center's "Effective Public Relations," copyright 1952 (revised in 1964). A few excerpts show their age.

-- Dayna Harpster

 *... when someone in Indian headdress sends up the smoke signal 'Give' on Michigan Avenue during a Red Cross fund campaign, this is not public relations. It is an act of press-agentry, although it may be part of a PR program."

* "Without inquisitive intelligence, the practitioner is handicapped. It is vital that the curiosity and the interest be genuine. ... It must really be of importance to the PR man to understand why certain people tremble when it thunders, go to a movie every Wednesday night, join the Ku Klux Klan, read comic books, have hysterics, love cats, go to fortune tellers, steal from each other, lie about the size of a fish or refuse to believe the truth."

* "WORD TO THE LADIES. Public relations offers almost as much career opportunity to women as to men. Men hold no monopoly in the powers of persuasion. The function has that in common with advertising and journalism. In some areas, such as social welfare and the fashion industry, women often get the nod over men for jobs."

* "It is the phony event to promote a dubious product or cause that comes under fire. Precious news space or time given to Miss Universe cannot be used in explaining the complex situation in Southeast Asia."

* "Practical men know that adoption of a code of ethics does not automatically bring morality to a calling, but such codes do reflect a concern among the leaders for raising the ethical level. They provide yardsticks of measurement. And, like a New Englander's conscience, a code can make a practitioner 'durned uneasy.'"

FGCU Student Chapter Fundraiser Feb. 17

Nominations open for chapter awards

Chapter Awards: Nominations Open

 

PR Professional of the Year

Our chapter honors a member who exemplifies the high standards of the public relations profession in Southwest Florida with the PR Professional of the Year Award. The recipients of this award display a professional attitude and exercise professional conduct, are cooperative and supportive of fellow public relations professionals, and are very interested in raising the professional standing of FPRA in our community. Think of this person as one who both leads by word and deed. She/ he is a person you respect for their work and for their determination constantly improve.

 

Chapter Member of the Year

The Southwest Florida Chapter Member of the Year is one who goes above and beyond in their commitment of time and energy to ensure the success of the chapter. Not only has this recipient embraced the creative thinking and opportunities for participation in chapter programs and projects, but she or he also serves as an ambassador to the community of what FPRA is all about. Basically, this person excels at their profession, and enjoys giving back to this chapter to inspire future PR leaders to learn and grow through FPRA.

 

Rising Star

The Rising Star award recognizes and up and coming leader in our chapter. This is someone who has shown enthusiasm and passion for the profession, and where ever you see them, they are likely to be making a positive difference through their service to chapter events, career pursuits and in other arenas. We like to encourage our members to seek opportunities to get involved, and the Rising Star awardee is someone who puts this call into action.

 

Unsung Hero

The Unsung Hero Award was created to recognize the contributions of an individual SWFL FPRA member for their hard work and dedication to the chapter 'behind the scenes' that helps to enhance and promote the Public Relations profession.  This award honors an individual who consistently provides support and assistance to the chapter and its professional goals without hesitation.

 

Lifetime Achievement Award

By far the most prestigious and honorable award, the Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for those public relations professionals who have dedicated their career to the profession and the advancement of it. It’s given only when there is someone eligible and is not required to be distributed annually.

 

How much do you know about mosquitoes?

We bet you'll learn even more if you join us at Lee County Mosquito Control March 1.

Meanwhile:
1. What natural phenomenon increased mosquito activity by 500 percent in one study?
A full moon.

2. How many mosquito species are known to be in the United States?
176.

And more fun facts:

• Mosquitoes are known from as far back as the Triassic Period – 400 million years ago. They are known from North America from the Cretaceous – 100 million years ago.
• There are about 2,700 species of mosquito. There are 176 species in the United States.
• The average mosquito weighs about 2.5 milligrams.
• The average mosquito takes in about 5-millionths of a liter of blood during feeding.
• Mosquitoes find hosts by sight (they observe movement); by detecting infra-red radiation emitted by warm bodies; and by chemical signals (mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and lactic acid, among other chemicals) at distances of 25 to 35 meters.
• Mosquitoes fly an estimated 1 to 1.5 miles per hour.
• Salt marsh mosquitoes can migrate up to 40 miles for a meal.
• Bigger people are often more attractive to mosquitoes because they are larger targets and they produce more mosquito attractants, namely CO2 and lactic acid.
• Active or fidgety people also produce more CO2 and lactic acid.
• Smelly feet are attractive to certain species of mosquitoes – as is Limburger Cheese.
• Dark clothing has been shown to attract some species of mosquitoes more than lighter colored clothing.
• Movement increased mosquito biting up to 50% in some research tests.

FROM MOSQUITO.ORG

January lunch at the police academy

FPRA GOES TO THE POLICE ACADEMY

In the first of 2016's planned offsite lunches on Jan. 5, we met at the Southwest Florida Public Service Academy in Fort Myers for a tour, talk and lunch.
The academy's Todd Everly told us about the criminal justice and fire fighting courses conducted there in a semi-military style. The academy is affiliated with the Lee County School District and Fort Myers Technical College.

We toured the building, a former elementary school (with some short facilities to show for it), and saw classrooms, workout room, the fire tower and other sights. We returned for a delicious barbecue lunch and discussed the image of law enforcement today and asked Everly questions.
In other business, we welcomed new member Logan Peters from Robb & Stucky and thanked our sponsors, LCEC, Charlotte Behavioral Health Care, iPartner Media Flame Productions and Florida Southwestern University.

 
 

January Member Spotlight: Robin Griffiths

 

 

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
ROBIN GRIFFITHS 

Robin has been with Gulf Coast Humane Society since 2014.  Her career began in Saudi Arabia  with Litton Corporation’s National Defense Program. By the mid 1980s she developed a taste for multimedia which included marketing and sales positions with several companies including Gannett Corporation, Waterman Broadcasting, WINK TV and a local publication company, Nautical Mile Media Group. In 2009 Robin developed her own media consulting business, RS Media Group, in which she worked with the marine and auto industry focusing on media buys and public relations.

Originally from Parsons, Kan., Robin grew up in Springfield, Mo.  Her 20-year career in multimedia has included working with many celebrities. She has modeled professionally, traveled extensively and has been involved in various charitable organizations. Her passion is writing and she is currently working on her first book. She enjoys all types of outdoor activities and still loves to travel.  

Robin and her husband live in Bokeelia with their two rescue dogs, Bo (Bocephus) and Ti (Tiberius).

What's new in digital branding and marketing?

2016 is here and so are new trends in digital branding and marketing. From mobile video advertising to online reputation management, marketers are once again adjusting and transforming strategies to keep up with recent changes. The following infographic shares the top 10 digital marketing trends we’ll see in 2016:

Source: www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10_digital_branding_and_marketing_trends_to_watch_19830.aspx 

Crisis PR: A DO, a DON'T and protesters with dead fish pictures

When a dam burst in Brazil, causing a flood of wastewater to cascade out of an iron ore mine – resulting in 17 deaths and hundreds of leveled homes as well as the worst environmental disaster the country had ever seen – two public relations spokesmen illustrated the best and worst in crisis communication. The involved companies were BHP and Vale.

The former addressed the issue immediately. The latter didn’t, and cast blame on another company with which it was doing business.

The fallout from there involved protests by people who covered themselves in mud and carried pictures of dead fish.

Read the story from Insurance Journal here.