Member Spotlight: Betsy Clayton, Lee County Parks and Recreation

Our February Member Spotlight is a new member to our chapter! 

Betsy Clayton is the waterways coordinator for Lee County Parks and Recreation. She assists with Lee County Parks’ media relations with editing and writing, and also works with the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau in hosting eco-, outdoors and kayaking journalists from around the country and globe.

Her primary job is to market and coordinate the Great Calusa Blueway, a 190-mile mile marked canoe and kayak trail from Bonita Springs to Bokeelia via Estero Bay, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass, the Caloosahatchee River and its tributaries (see www.calusablueway.com). She coordinates the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival (www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com), a 10-day countywide eco-festival with more than 70 events. It happens each year the last weekend of October through the first weekend of November.

Clayton also is a freelance journalist. She’s a columnist for The News-Press’ Tropicalia and an outdoors columnist for Florida Weekly. She writes for luxury lifestyle magazines and boating publications throughout the U.S. and Canada.

A graduate of the journalism school at the University of Oregon, Clayton also has lived in Washington State, California, Washington D.C. and – of course – Southwest Florida, her home for 16 years.

Chapter Members: Create a SWFL FPRA account for access to exclusive benefits!

Where can I find a current membership list? What in the world did I do with that last imPRess email? How can I get my job posting out to experienced public relations professionals?

These are just a few questions that can be answered very simply – just visit the Chapter Web site at http://www.fpraswfl.org/! Great resources, such as a current membership list, archived issues of the newsletter, meeting presentations and minutes, job postings and more are all just a couple clicks away. You can also catch up on our chapter blog, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts just by clicking the icons at the bottom of the homepage!

To make sure you have access to all the Web site has to offer, visit http://www.fpraswfl.org/. Under the Members Access tab, navigate down to “Create Member Account,” and fill out the form. Here, you'll create your own username and password and be on your way to making the most of your membership! When you submit your form, it will be reviewed and promptly approved for all current members. If you are not already a member, you can apply to join our chapter and begin receiving these exclusive benefits.

We are constantly working to improve our presence on the Web, so if you have any questions or comments regarding the site, please contact Web site Chair Erin Comerford at eecomerford (at) flylcpa (dot) com.

President's Word: Sharing Some Love

A love letter, mysteriously found…hmmm.

Dear Public Relations:

Through all the ups and downs, it is tough to know who will be there for you no matter what. But I have faith in you. You see me through a positive lens and lift me up when it seems the world is a very unfriendly place. When things aren't going so well or we make a mistake, you know how to speak the truth and keep focused on our company values and how to make it right. It's true, some may whisper slights like "spin doctor" or "flack" when they speak of you, but the truth is you are in touch with the needs of people and our diverse audiences, ready to build relationships and defend well-earned reputations. You work ethically and systematically, realizing that every project worth developing deserves a plan. Life is complicated, but you have a knack for writing and explaining the details and being creative all at the same time. Plus, you reach out and work so well with others, like Human Resources, Marketing, Accounting and Legal Services. Connecting with people at every step of the process, through all manners of traditional means and newfangled online tools, you, my dear Public Relations, are my life-line to the people on whom my very success or failure depends.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

All my love,

Business, Inc.

FPRA and AdFed: Stronger as Colleagues

Recently, the Southwest Florida chapter of FPRA has begun re-building bridges with the American Advertising Federation Southwest Florida chapter. VP of Community Relations Laura Puerto has been leading the effort for FPRA. Incidentally, FPRA members Wendy Payton-Enriquez and Angie Basile are also currently serving AAF-SWFL as president and vice-president, respectively!

In this economy, and with the continuous evolution of our communications-related professions, we each have much we can learn from each other, similarities to share and valuable connections we can make. We have agreed to cross-promote our events and look for ways we can offer our members greater benefits through ongoing partnerships. Watch for details about an upcoming joint event that you will not want to miss!!


Check out what AAF-SWFL is up to now on their Facebook page and or click on the event flyer posted to the right.

Image Tip #5: Time Flies!

The Aviation industry is a leader in technology. Current modernization programs are improving safety and reliability, while reducing fuel costs and consumption. The term “NextGen” is used to describe more efficient aircraft and engines, sustainable airport infrastructure projects and the move to satellite-based air traffic systems. The focus is on managing precious resources, supporting growth and ultimately having a positive effect on the environment.   

As most of you know, the end result of an Image campaign, especially in Division A, is a large binder filled with pages – and pages - of supporting documents in page protectors with sections and tabs. And of course, we do a back-up binder just in case. After all, PR professionals are organized and detail oriented!

And where do those books end up? Piled - forlornly - on a table at Golden Image to be sifted through, picked up, hauled to your room, returned to the office and then…stored on a shelf.  

In an effort to be “Next Gen,” your Image committee suggested an innovative idea to the Vice President of Golden Image. Let’s manage our resources and submit entries electronically? The VP of Golden Image was receptive to the concept and said she would discuss it with the State Office.

A few weeks later, the chapter chairs were told that the State Office liked the idea of Golden Image “going green!” Since it will take some logistical changes, the State is considering beta testing electronic submissions for Golden Image 2010. Entries would be submitted the traditional way, along with an electronic version. Judges would be able to see what changes or enhancements would be needed to support and evaluate electronic submissions in the future. Of course, you would not be penalized for anything related to the electronic version - it would just be used to work through the process of bringing Golden Image into the “jet age!”

As you are getting ready to work on your local Image entry, think about how you would submit it electronically. It may take a little scanning and use of different resources, but eventually you will end up with a complete digital file of your best projects on your hard drive, instead of collecting dust on your shelf.  

Thanks for your support in this effort to be creative and sustainable!


The Call for Entries will be available in early February, so start getting (or scanning) your award materials together now!

The Holy Grail of PR: Measurement

By Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC

What is the real value of PR? How do we measure its impact on the bottom line? These are questions we’re often asked to answer, especially around budget time.

Few of us have large enough budgets to hire research firms (even though current industry standards say that we should allocate 10 percent of PR program costs to evaluation).

Or – as a colleague once said – if we were to measure everything we do, we wouldn’t have any money left to do anything. So how do we justify our budgets, our programs and even our jobs to management?

There are a few key DIY ways that won’t break the bank. Most of us know the basics of measuring output goals. We count the number of news mentions our releases generate. We might even count the number of column inches or minutes of broadcast time in a news story and convert it into Ad Value Equivalency.

There are at least two other output measures to consider: prominence and tone, which concern the quality of the news mentions. Was the story negative or positive, did it communicate the message you desired, was your company mentioned in the headline? Is your company mentioned in the lead or buried further down in the body of the story?

Answering these questions will help in the evaluation of output measures, but the real PR test is determining what impact we had on the goals of our company or client. Outcome measures are the “holy grail” of PR. How did your public relations activities change public perception of your company or change behavior? That’s the real measurement that management wants to see.

How do you measure PR results? Do you set SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, targeted) objectives and evaluate your programs? Add your comments below!

APR Candidates: Feel More Prepared

From the most recent FPRA statewide newsletter, Vice President of Accreditation and Certification Jeff Nall, APR, CPRC wrote:

"FPRA’s mission is to enhance the profession, which includes the careers of its members. Both the APR and CPRC credential can do just that by affirming your commitment to professional development , the profession and to its ethical practice as well as the broad knowledge, experience and professional judgment necessary for today’s public relations executive or manager...As you start off the New Year with goals for love, habits, budgets and yes, even the quintessential Florida beach body, I encourage you to include your career in your resolutions for 2010."

We couldn't agree more!

For those who missed free Online APR Open House event: Good news! It will be repeated in April 2010.  Click here for details.

Also, here are the links to a recording of the session and a PDF of the slides from the session:
* Slides 
* Webcast

New and exciting plans are underway to support our chapter members interested in earning their Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation. The Southwest Florida Chapter rivals any in the state for helping and supporting our APR candidates onto a path for credentialing success, and our annual study sessions are set to begin soon!

This year’s study sessions will begin with two meetings to help candidates plan for the Readiness Review, the first important step in sitting for the APR exam. Meeting dates are Feb. 16 and March 2, both beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Next, we will host an informational and planning session at 5:30 p.m. on March 16 to launch the spring study sessions. We will share general information on the APR process and get input from candidates on the suggested meeting schedule for the study sessions.

Remember, there’s no perfect time to pursue your APR. You will always be busy at work and at home, so adopt Nike’s philosophy and “Just Do It!” We will help you every step of the way. For more information and details on the upcoming meetings, email Mary or Kara today!

Kara Winton, APR, CPRC kara(at)prioritymarketing(dot)com
Mary Briggs, APR, CPRC mary(at)briggsrogers(dot)com
Credentialing Co-Chairs