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.

Start thinking about your IMAGE!

Local Image Awards 2016:
Think strategically!

Even though the deadline for Local Image entries is three months away, your local Image team is preparing for the 2016 Local Image Awards. And so should you!
 Look at your work product and think about its potential for being submitted for a Local Image Award. As you plan or participate in projects from January 2015 through the competition deadline of March 4, 2016, try to determine if it will meet the Image standards. Also, study the Image Award categories - maybe the special event didn’t meet all the objectives you set, but the speech you wrote for the CEO to give during the event exceeded expectations and changed the attitude of the audience. Be smart - always look at all the elements of a campaign and try to find the perfect fit. Also, entries this year will be submitted electronically, so collect and organize your support materials digitally, which will make it much easier to prepare and submit your entry in March.
If you have never entered before, need a little bit of guidance or a nudge, then you might just need an Image Buddy! Your Local Image Committee has seasoned “Image Experts” who will be there to offer encouragement and advice on how to submit an award-winning entry. We can give you one-on-one help with a trusted and knowledgeable “buddy” – so you will feel more comfortable about asking questions and make entering Local Image a little less daunting.
 
If you have any questions about the Image entry process or Image Buddy program, please contact Vicki Moreland at vbmoreland@flylcpa.com or 239-590-4502.

 

Who is at the keyboard?

SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE WAY UP

 

 

By Andrew Perrin

Nearly two-thirds of American adults (65%) use social networking sites, up from 7% when Pew Research Center began systematically tracking social media usage in 2005. Pew Research reports have documented in great detail how the rise of social media has affected such things as work, politics and political deliberation, communications patterns around the globe, as well as the way people get and share information about health, civic life, news consumption, communities, teenage life, parenting, dating and even people’s level of stress.

Social Networking Use Has Shot Up in Past Decade

 

 

 

Year	Internet Users	All Adults
2005	10	7
2006	16	11
2008	34	25
2009	50	38
2010	60	46
2011	65	50
2012	67	55
2013	73	62
2014	74	62
2015	76	65

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

A special analysis of 27 national surveys of Americans across the past decade documents this substantial spread of technology throughout the population, although the overall number of users of social networking sites has leveled off since 2013.¹ At the same time, there continues to be growth in social media usage among some groups that were not among the earliest adopters, including older Americans.

The figures reported here are for social media usage among all adults, not just among those Americans who are internet users. In many previous Pew Research reports, the share of social media users has been reported as the proportion of internet users who had adopted such sites, rather than the full adult population, which continues to include a relatively small share (currently 15%) who still remain offline. In this report, a broader picture of the American landscape is presented, and so the figures are based on the entire adult population.

Across demographic groups, a number of trends emerge in this analysis of social media usage:

• Age differences: Seniors make strides – Young adults (ages 18 to 29) are the most likely to use social media – fully 90% do. Still, usage among those 65 and older has more than tripled since 2010 when 11% used social media. Today, 35% of all those 65 and older report using social media, compared with just 2% in 2005.
• Gender differences: Women and men use social media at similar rates – Women were more likely than men to use social networking sites for a number of years, although since 2014 these differences have been modest. Today, 68% of all women use social media, compared with 62% of all men.
• Socio-economic differences: Those with higher education levels and household income lead the way – Over the past decade, it has consistently been the case that those in higher-income households were more likely to use social media. More than half (56%) of those living in the lowest-income households now use social media, though growth has leveled off in the past few years. Turning to educational attainment, a similar pattern is observed. Those with at least some college experience have been consistently more likely than those with a high school degree or less to use social media over the past decade. 2013 was the first year that more than half of those with a high school diploma or less used social media.
• Racial and ethnic similarities: There are not notable differences by racial or ethnic group: 65% of whites, 65% of Hispanics and 56% of African-Americans use social media today.
• Community differences: More than half of rural residents now use social media – Those who live in rural areas are less likely than those in suburban and urban communities to use social media, a pattern consistent over the past decade. Today, 58% of rural residents, 68% of suburban residents, and 64% of urban residents use social media.

What follows is an overview of changes over time in social media by various demographic groups. A full archive of Pew Research Center reports on different social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn as well as about social media usage on mobile devices in general can be found at: http://www.pewinternet.org/topics/social-networking/.

Social Media Usage by Age: Ubiquitous Among Youngest Adults, Notable Among Older Adults

Age is strongly correlated with social media usage: Those ages 18 to 29 have always been the most likely users of social media by a considerable margin. Today, 90% of young adults use social media, compared with 12% in 2005, a 78-percentage point increase. At the same time, there has been a 69-point bump among those ages 30-49, from 8% in 2005 to 77% today.

Young Adults Still Are the Most Likely to Use Social Media

 

 

Year	18-29	30-49	50-64	65 or older
2005	12	8	5	2
2006	41	6	3	0
2008	63	27	9	2
2009	72	44	22	7
2010	78	53	33	11
2011	80	60	37	13
2012	83	67	43	19
2013	88	73	52	26
2014	84	77	52	27
2015	90	77	51	35

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

While usage among young adults started to leveled off as early as 2010, since then there has been a surge in usership among those 65 and older. In 2005, 2% of seniors used social media, compared with 35% today.

Social Media Usage by Gender: A Shifting Balance Over Time, With Parity Today

In 2005, 8% of men and 6% of women used social media.

Women and Men Use Social Networking Sites at Comparable Rates

 

 

 

Year	Female	Male
2005	6	8
2006	10	13
2008	26	24
2009	40	36
2010	50	42
2011	52	48
2012	59	51
2013	65	59
2014	63	60
2015	68	62

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

Starting in 2009, women started using social media at slightly higher rates than men, although this balance has shrunk yet again in recent years. Today, 68% of women and 62% of men report social media usage, a difference that is not statistically significant.

Social Media Usage by Educational Attainment: Those With Higher Education Levels More Likely to be Social Media Users

Those who have attended at least some college are more likely than those with a high school diploma or less to use social media, a trend that has been consistent since 2005. In that year, 4% of those with a high school diploma or less used social media, along with 8% of those who attended some college and 12% of college graduates.

Those With Lower Levels of Education Are Less Likely to Use Social Media

 

 

Year	College graduate or more	Some college / Associate degree	High school graduate or less
2005	12	8	4
2006	9	17	9
2008	29	32	20
2009	49	47	28
2010	56	55	35
2011	61	61	39
2012	65	65	44
2013	72	69	51
2014	69	71	50
2015	76	70	54

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

Currently adoption rates for social media stand at 76% for those with college or graduate degrees, 70% of those with some college education and 54% for those who have a high school diploma or less.

At the same time, the share of those with a high school diploma or less who use social media has grown more than tenfold over the past decade.

Social Media Usage by Household Income: Those Living in Affluent Households More Likely to Be Social Media Users

There were modest differences by household income when Pew Research first began measuring social media usage in 2005: 4% of those living in households earning less than $30,000 used social media, compared with 12% of those living in household earning $75,000 or more.

Those in Higher Income Households Lead the Way

 

 

Year	Less than $30K	$30K-$49,999	$50K-$74,999	$75K+
2005	4	8	8	12
2006	8	16	9	10
2008	24	28	27	30
2009	33	41	44	50
2010	39	49	52	58
2011	42	57	55	65
2012	50	58	59	69
2013	57	63	69	72
2014	58	64	67	74
2015	56	69	72	78

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

Those differences have persisted even as each group has seen dramatic growth in usage.

Today, 78% of those living in the highest-income households use social media, compared with 56% of those in the lowest-income households – a 22-point difference.

Social Media Usage by Race/Ethnicity: Consistent Similarities

When it comes to race and ethnicity, trends in social media adoption are defined by similarities, not differences. Whites, African-Americans and Hispanics have broadly adopted social media at the same brisk pace.

Racial Differences Not Very Evident as Social Media Usage Has Grown

 

 

Year	White, non-Hispanic	Black, non-Hispanic	Hispanic
2005	7	6	10
2006	9	11
2008	22	26	36
2009	39	36	37
2010	46	43	45
2011	50	48	48
2012	55	52	54
2013	61	60	65
2014	59	61	66
2015	65	56	65

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

In 2005, 6% of African-Americans, 7% of whites and 10% of Hispanics used social networking sites. Today, those figures stand at 56% of African-Americans and 65% of both whites and Hispanics.

Social Media Usage by Community Type: More Than Half of Rural Residents Now Use Social Media

Adults who live in rural communities have historically been the least likely to use social media. In 2005, 5% of rural residents, 7% of suburban residents and 9% of urban residents reported social media usage. Today, 58% of rural residents, 68% of suburban residents and 64% of urban residents use social media.

Rural Citizens Have Consistently Lagged Behind

 

 

Year	Urban	Suburban	Rural
2005	9	7	5
2006	14	10	10
2008	28	24	18
2009	37	37	28
2010	49	47	37
2011	53	51	43
2012	58	57	48
2013	65	62	55
2014	63	64	53
2015	64	68	58

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, 2005-2006, 2008-2015. No data are available for 2007.

Pew Research Center

1. The data reported here result from a general question about whether people use social networking sites of any kind, rather than an aggregation of individual site usage. No data is available from 2007. ↩

Dear Santa: What I want happens in August ...

 

When writing your Christmas wish list for Santa this month, consider asking the big fella for a trip to the FPRA annual conference in August. It’s never too early to start planning, and you should take advantage of being on Santa’s nice list while you can!

Thinking back on my trip to conference earlier this year, I’m reminded of the many benefits. Tops on the list, of course, are all the fantastic educational sessions with tremendous speakers. I’m always inspired and find it amazing how many great ideas you can think up just by getting away from the office. Conference also is a great time to network with fellow PR practitioners from around the state. You never know when you might need to collaborate with Sunshine State counterparts or pick their brains when you’re stumped with a PR challenge. If you’re fortunate to be recognized for a Golden Image award, conference is even more fun, but if it’s not your year, you’ll be motivated just hearing about the best PR campaigns in the state.

Annual conference also is a great opportunity to build stronger bonds among the PR professionals from within our chapter, too. We tend to sit together by day and enjoy dinner and refreshments together by night. Yep, everyone knows just where the Southwest Florida chapter is sitting because we’re awfully spirited! Besides the fact that it’s a lot of fun, the relationships you build at conference can only be maximized when we all head back home. Southwest Florida’s still like a small town and we all work together in one way or another.

Last, with six years as our chapter’s accreditation chair, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say my favorite part of annual conference is the recognition of the new APRs and CPRCs! What better way to re-charge your professional development battery than by applauding our profession’s most distinguished members? You might just leave conference with plans to add some initials after your own name!

 

-- Kara Winton APR, CPRC

 

Global perspectives from Cindy Banyai ... and other meeting news

At the Nov. 3 lunch meeting, members heard Cindy Banyai, an expert on international aid, community improvement, fundraising and sustainability talk about what types of images appear in the media and how the emotional reactions they provoke affects viewers’ willingness to contribute money and time to a cause. Mainly, she cautioned against “poverty porn,” or depictions of people to be helped by a fundraiser as helpless and pathetic victims.

Words also can push cause marketing into the realm of poverty porn. More effective in garnering response and more respectful to those in need are words like challenge, opportunity, aspires to, living with, affected by and change; need, problem and victim are examples of “deficit thinking” and are best avoided.

Banyai also pointed out that a change was taking place in the way younger people want to give money or time. Rather than just “checking a box” for money to be deducted from paychecks or sent to a particular organization and not hearing about it again, millennials want to see directly how their donations are helping.

                                     Tim Engstrom and Monica Dean concentrate.

In other meeting business:

·         Kate Gooderham, APR, CPRC, Vice President for Professional Development, recognized four new APRs who received certification this year. They each receive a pin and a check for reimbursement of part of the testing fee.

·         Lisa Davonzo of the Special Projects Committee announced details for the Merry Mixer, Dec. 3, 5:30 to 8 pm at Six Bends Harley-Davidson in south Fort Myers at Daniels Parkway and I-75. The cost is $20 for members, $25 nonmembers, $15 for students. Members can sponsor nonmembers at $20 each.

·         Members were reminded to renew by Dec. 31. All who had already renewed were entered into a drawing for a basket of prizes. Winner was Lisa Rizzio.

·         Guests included two people from Hope for Haiti, five from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation and one from Greenfield Advertising Group.

Social Media Corner October 2015

A recent article on socialmediaexaminer.com titled “5 Psychology Tips to Improve Your Social Media Posts” explains how styling your content to reach your audience on an emotional level will help improve engagement. The five psychology tips they recommend are:
 

1. Images Speak to Viewers: Images are generally the first thing people see in a social media post, so choosing an image that conveys what your post is saying is essential. Remember to use an image that stands out and relates to your target audience.
2. Color Communicates: Select a color or colors that you will consistently use on your social media posts to represent your company. The colors should stand out and speak to your fans.   
3. Words Trigger Action: Research different trigger words to see which ones speak to your audience on an emotional level. Use those words to begin your description. Here is a great list of 50 trigger words and phrases: http://www.copyblogger.com/trigger-words/. 
4. Emotion Connects: Every social media post evokes an emotion, so take advantage of this and share things that are fun and happy to get the most engagement.
5. Conversation Engages: This is not anything new; people want to be social on social media so communicating with your audience will connect you on an emotional level. Ask your fans a question or have them share their opinion about a recent project or event. Respond back to their answers and keep it light and friendly.    

Before you create your next post, keep each of these tips in mind. These are very simple steps to help produce positive, emotional content which will help improve your connection with your audience and, in turn, your social media engagement.
 

November Guest Speaker- Dr. Cindy Banyai

Dr. Cindy Banyai, a nationally recognized expert in community development and civic engagement with a passion for communications that preserve dignity and humanity, is the featured speaker at the November 3, 2015 membership luncheon of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association.
Dr. Banyai will relate to her projects in Japan and the Philippines and her work in Southwest Florida as she describes strategies for identifying and avoiding “poverty porn.” This genre of communications can result in gratuitous characterizations of misfortune that oversimplify complex social problems and dehumanize the people involved, sometimes impeding long-term solutions to their circumstances.
She will illustrate how to identify poverty porn and demonstrate the power of words in storytelling with dignity, using images that promote humanity, and crafting messages without “deficit thinking.”
Dr. Banyai is the Principal Consultant at Banyai Evaluation & Consulting, LLC. She studied International Relations and Psychology at Michigan State University, and received her Master’s and Ph.D. from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan where her research focused on community development, public administration, evaluation, and governance. She is also serves as adjunct faculty at FGCU’s Department of Public Affairs. She was recently awarded the 2015 Donald Littrell New Professional award by the Community Development Society, in conjunction for her work with the Southwest Florida Community Foundation.
Founded in 1938, the Florida Public Relations Association is the oldest public relations association in the United States. The Southwest Florida chapter is dedicated to programs and activities that enhance the success of public relations professionals in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades Counties, including professional development and certification.