President's Word

The New Black: Personal Relationships
By: Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC

Personal relationships are back in vogue. That’s right. The old-fashioned face-to-face, let’s get together and talk in person or via phone type of relationship. 

No, it’s not time to give up your smart phone or iPad, but it is time to set them aside occasionally, disconnect digitally, and dive in for some direct human interaction. 

In the recent 2010 Happiness Survey conducted in 16 countries (including the U.S.), 40% of those surveyed said catching up with loved ones at the end of a work day was the happiest time of their day.  Conversely, only 5% said they were happiest when connecting with friends online.

The latest wave of building relationships online...is to take them offline.  Tweetups, Meetups, and special events solely for niche online communities are mushrooming as we build relationships online and then over time start feeling the need to meet our “digital” friends and get to know them on a more personal level.   “Putting faces with names” as we used to say in the pre-social media age. 

We recently spent a full day at PR University in Southwest Florida, embracing the power of personal relationships and by extension – networking for success.  We’ve captured the thoughts of outstanding speakers Andy Robinson, Greta Schulz and Josh Hallett, amongst many others, on our FPRASWFLBLOG.  It wasn’t just the power of the speakers that drove home the importance of personal relationships, it was also the personal connections with fellow PR and marketing professionals that day.  I know of job opportunities discussed, possible leads on new clients, and ideas shared on engaging the next generation of PR leaders throughout the day. 

Still questioning the validity of personal relationships in our digitially-driven age?  In a 2009 survey conducted by Harvard Business Review, almost 95% of those surveyed said “face-to-face meetings” are critical to successful long term relationships.

One way to build personal relationships is to join, and become actively involved with, a professional trade organization.  In Southwest Florida, the Florida Public Relations Association has been providing professional development and networking opportunities to public relations and marketing professionals for more than 25 years. If you're not a member, I invite you to join.  If you are a member, I hope you are using the resources of the organization to power your success.  

Get in style. Get personal.

November 2nd Business Meeting: Lights, Camera Action!

Lights, Camera, Action! – Tips on Making Your Video Stand Out!

On Tuesday November 2, prepare to have all your questions on video production answered! Kirsten O’Donnell, Director of Public Relations for Goodwill Industries of SWFL, and Ken Sneeden, President of Ken Sneeden and Associates Multimedia Production; team up to offer PR pros insight into their experiences and tips on how to make the best of your video productions. The presentation will be given in a panel format, with O’Donnell covering the aspect of how to do it yourself and get a great product, while Sneeden will talk about when it's time to hire a multimedia firm, and how to work with a firm to get the video results you want. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session near the end of the presentation.

Click here to register today!

Kirsten O'Donnell has worked in nearly every job possible in Television News production: From writing, reporting, and anchoring, to editing tapes and shooting video. Since entering the world of public relations four years ago, she has looked for new ways to incorporate video-- and in particular online video-- into Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida's PR and marketing efforts. She produces both internal and external videos for the agency, and online video plays an integral role in one of Goodwill's biggest events-- the annual "So You Think You're Thrifty" competition-- a search for the thriftiest shopper in Southwest Florida.

Ken Sneeden is an award-winning former broadcast journalist and television station executive. Sneeden was the creator of the nationally recognized Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Awards television production and continues to provide professional and volunteer services to local, regional and state public service efforts. For the past several years, he has donated multimedia production services to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s "Celebration of Reading" presentation in Naples, produced by VolunteerUSA. Messages produced by the company include video productions, live and interactive multimedia presentations, and touch screen kiosks.

Membership Renewal Reminder!

It’s that time of year again, as Membership Renewals are due October 31!

Membership in FPRA provides:

• Exclusive member-only savings and opportunities
• New career opportunities
• Involvement through leadership roles
• Information on communications tips and trends through quality programming
• A place to build relationships with the area’s leading PR pros!

And if that isn’t enough to encourage renewal by October 31, we’ve sweetened the deal! Everyone who renews before the 10/31 deadline will have their name put in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to the Twisted Vine in downtown Fort Myers. Drawing will take place at the Dec. 7th meeting. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership, do it now! Email carla.ulakovic [at] gmail.com for a Membership Renewal Form.

A limited number of membership scholarships are available for renewing members. If you're interested in a membership scholarship, please submit two or three paragraphs outlining your financial need, involvement in chapter activities, commitment to professional development and how your participation in FPRA will benefit the chapter and your professional career. Submit your request to carla.ulakovic [at] gmail.com.

PRU: Putting the Relations back in PR

PRU: Putting the Relations back in PR included a diversified panel who touted the importance of building relationships through successful communication.

Greta Schulz, President and CEO of Schulz Training, energized the PRU crowd during the morning session with thought-provoking questions and practical advice on how to grow one’s business by building relationships. She encouraged us all to Stop Selling and Start Building Relationships.


Josh Hallet, of VOCE Communications had the answers to all of our burning social media questions. Attendees learned how to chart their social media success and build stronger brands through social media planning, monitoring and measurement tools. And yes, there is such a thing as over-posting.

Attendees took the opportunity to network and play a few trivia games before lunch hour speaker, Andy Robinson, took the stage driving home the basic principles of building and maintaining relationships.

One thing is for sure, no one in the PRU audience wanted to be a “dead fish”. Suzanne Willis, spoke to the group on “The Art of Making Meetings Pay Off” highlighting tips, tools and tactics to set the foundation of strong relationships. Suzanne urged us all to master the art of the handshake- the key is to be firm and make eye contact, and most importantly try to avoid a limp handshake known as “the dead fish”.

Do you ever find yourself shuffling papers, or straightening your office when a deadline is quickly approaching? According to Butch Ward, Managing Director of the Poynter Institute, this may be a part of our writing process. Butch took us back to the basics and really encouraged attendees to look at the writing process and find ways to better map out a project from start to finish.

What better way to end the day, than with three of the area’s finest in graphic and print design? The SWFL Chapter welcomed, Homer Gaines, Sue Lampit and Shell Lamers Redfern, to discuss tips and tools for PR pros to use in order to be more successful with their design elements. From logos, to websites to direct mail pieces, all of the attendees burning questions were answered. To read more, click here!

The event was a success due to a wonderful line-up of speakers, volunteers and sponsors. The SWFL Chapter would like to once again thank the News-Press; Briggs and Rogers Marketing & PR; LCEC; Southwest Florida Community Foundation; Gravina, Smith, Matte and Arnold; and Nulman PR & Marketing for their support of the SWFL Chapter and PRU.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with our team by completing this short survey. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L7DWKFH. Thank you for sharing today with us!

Thank you SW Florida FPRA for the opportunity to attend this years PR University. The speakers were informative and impressive. I have implemented several of social media tracking items already. It was truly a well planned event right down to the attendee gift jars matching the logo and program materials. - Patrice Cunningham, Lee County YMCA.

View more PRU photos by clicking here!

Local Image 2011

Local Image Awards are held annually to recognize outstanding public relations programs in Southwest Florida. So, even though it is months away, your Image committee is excited and already making plans for the professional and social event of the year…and so should you!

Put your projects under the microscope and consider everything you do to be a potential award-winning entry. We know it takes time and effort but we want you to showcase your very best work

• In order to enter, some part of the project must take place between January 1, 2010 and mid-March 2011 (end date will be announced shortly).
• Write your plan now. Set your goals (broad) and objectives (precise). What are you trying to accomplish? You can have qualitative and quantitative objectives, but they must be specific and measurable.
• Organize support materials. Keep a file for notes, surveys and documentation. Start saving copies of results, proof of research, before and after samples, e-mail correspondence or feedback, media clips, letters/notes, reference materials, photos, etc. Basically, collect everything that will help someone understand your project and provide back up to your two-page summary. And for 2011, let’s make every effort to save work product electronically!

Remember…"Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found." – James Russell Lowell

SAVE THE DATE

PR2011: The Evolution of Public Relations

August 7 – 10, 2011
Naples, Florida

From its earliest days as an emerging profession with “founding fathers” Edward Bernays and Ivy Ledbetter Lee, public relations has been a dynamic industry with its share of controversy and change. However, even with their foresight, Bernays and Lee could never have envisioned where our profession stands today with the impact of technology, cultural diversity and global reach.

The 2011 FPRA annual conference will embrace the evolution of public relations including the foundational skills and knowledge required to be competitive in today’s marketplace, as well as taking a giant leap forward …exploring the journey ahead for our industry.
The conference will kick-off with a Tailgate Party to raise funds for the Florida Public Relations Education Foundation. It’ll be a collegiate showdown to see which school reigns. So start dusting off your college colors and plan to win one for the home team.

Mark your calendar now and visit http://www.fpra.org/ for more information.

November Member Spotlight: Danielle Flood

Danielle Flood joined ECHO, Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization in December 2007 after serving as a missionary in Niger, West Africa for two years. She is responsible for ECHO's Public Relations and Communications, including ECHO's website, media relations and social media campaigns.

Flood graduated magna cum laude from Florida Gulf Coast University with degrees in Spanish and Anthropology. She enjoys learning languages, experiencing diverse cultures and being outdoors.

Flood is active in the Florida Public Relations Association where she served as Special Projects Co-chair and currently serves as Website Chair for the Southwest Chapter.