Nov. PRSA Meeting Recap: Boelter shares the secrets of Goodwill’s wildly successful “Retro Rendezvous”

Pat Boelter

Pat Boelter

Goodwill’s annual “Retro Rendezvous” is the biggest event held by the organization each year. It continues to grow and hit 800 guests this past year. With so much to plan and so many people to cater to, how exactly do you stage a sold out special event? Pat Boelter, Chief Marketing Officer for Goodwill Industries of SE Wisconsin, presented on this topic on Nov. 7, at the Hilton Hotel in Milwaukee.The Retro Rendezvous started out as an annual themed fashion show ten years ago. As the event grew, so did the entertainment. Goodwill soon added dancers, singers, celebrity guests, and partnered with Boston Store. Eventually the fashion show got nixed all together and it became more of an entertainment show with fundraising at its core. Goodwill also secured a media sponsor and transformed the event from just a “chicken dinner” to an amazing experience.

With the evening growing rapidly in size and impact throughout the years, it was necessary to raise the prices of the sponsorship levels, tables, and ticket costs. The majority of the attendees became corporations and the auction became a silent auction conducted by handheld technology. Goodwill also needed to keep the media hosts fresh as well, selecting new hosts this year.

Toward the end of her presentation, Boelter gave the audience some advice she learned during her many years involved with event planning for Goodwill. She said one of the critical mistakes organizations make is not understanding the real reason for having the event beyond the simple concept of raising money.

Boelter said special events are not the most efficient way to raise money; they take a great deal of people, time, and money to make money. She said special events should be a part of a strategic plan to grow the volunteer, customer, board base, and acquire future donations, as well as to boost the organization’s profile and brand in the community.  They can also create a lot of positive publicity. Not only is pre-event publicity crucial to heighten interest and aid in ticket sales, but post publicity can be just as valuable in building brand awareness and future event growth. For this reason, a media sponsor is a good thing to have. If broadcast personalities are involved, coverage is almost guaranteed.

Boelter said creating an emotional moment within the event allows for sponsors to connect and gives the event meaning beyond the activities. Guests should leave with a better understanding of the organization and more confidence in it then when they came. Messaging should be simple and straight forward and reinforced in different ways using different means throughout the event. Boelter told the audience that event quality matters, have a surprise in store for the guests, and make every part of the event hassle free.

“It is not just about money, but to gain sponsorships for the future, strike while the iron is hot and people are willing to give,” she said. Boelter also stressed that a contingency plan is crucial and people should plan for repeatability and expandability because anything can happen at any given moment. She also recommended evaluation and debriefing after the event, and said organizers should seek out the opinions of guests and staff. Lastly, she said celebrate.

“Celebrate the success of the event and take time to appreciate everyone who helped with it,” said Boelter. “That includes (appreciating and thanking) yourself.”

Oh, to be young again!

by mentor Jerry Topczewski, APR

During my public relations career, I have worked with many people I admired, but I never had a “mentor.” I wish I did. Why? Because there is so much to learn from the people around us and having the opportunity to seek wisdom and counsel from an “elder statesman”can be invaluable. 

One reason I never developed a mentor relationship was I didn’t know how to approach a potential mentor.  As a young pro, I had a fear of failure, as many new professionals experience.  But, that fear led to a stubbornness of not wanting to ask questions or to admit that: 1) I didn’t know something; 2) I wasn’t qualified to do something; or, 3) I wasn’t competent to achieve something. 

The PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter mentor program eliminates those fears and replaces them with a view that these young pros seeking mentors are motivated to be successful in their careers. My young pro and I try to meet once a month for breakfast and our conversations range from what’s in the news to what we are working on to where we are going on vacation. 

I am impressed by her enthusiasm, professionalism, poise and confidence.  Besides sharing from my career experiences, I have tried to introduce her to people within our profession she might not otherwise have a chance to meet and to settings outside public relations where professionals interact. Most importantly, I try to listen to her experiences.

Being a mentor has helped me, too, giving me a chance to learn from my young pro, learning how technology is part of her work day and how she views our profession and the opportunities it presents.  It has also helped me get a better insight on some of the younger professionals in my own organization. 

Her enthusiasm is contagious and energizes me, staving off some of those cynical views of work, profession and career that are earned over time.

Oh, to be young again!

Never stop learning

by mentee Emily Bultman, CDE

I do not consider myself a public relations professional “newbie”, having worked in my current position for almost four years. However, my career philosophy is one never stops learning.

Following this notion, I jumped at the chance to participate in the new Public Relations Society of America – Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter Young Pros’ Mentor Program.

In any field, having a professional mentor is helpful in developing and advancing one’s career.

Mentoring is a vital resource for a PR professional.

Being matched with a mentor within the industry and outside of my employer has helped broaden my perspective on the profession. There are a number of benefits to building a mentor-mentee relationship with a seasoned PR professional, including access to new contacts, knowledge and skills.

My mentor has invested his time and energy by making himself available for regular face-to-face meetings. He has shared valuable insights from throughout his career, answered questions, given advice, listened to my experiences and provided feedback.

This experience has opened the door to a number of different learning and networking opportunities for me. Overall, it has been incredibly rewarding experience. I am excited to learn more from my mentor in the coming weeks and months.

International Assembly Update

Cohen to lead PRSA in 2014 with new strategic plan

By Assembly Delegate Ann Peru Knabe, APR+M

The Public Relations Society of America held its annual assembly in Philadelphia on Oct. 26. Hundreds of delegates from around the country voted on numerous issues and a slate of officers. The Southeastern Wisconsin PRSA chapter had 3 votes (based on chapter membership numbers).

This year’s assembly was a little unusual because there weren’t any highly controversial issues.

On the bright side, PRSA is fiscally healthy. This means no dues increase (yeh!). There were also some new initiatives unveiled, to include free webinars for members and other opportunities.

At the end of the assembly, there was a town-hall meeting where people could say what’s on their minds, but nothing stood out as extraordinary, except the recurring discussion of PR Accreditation. The nominating team’s slate of officers, which go through a thorough vetting and in-person interviews in late summer, was unanimously also approved during the assembly. As part of this slate of board members, Joe Cohen is the new chair-elect for PRSA. He is a senior vice president at MWW, a consumer marketing firm based in the New York City area.

Joe Cohen, PRSA chair-elect

Joe Cohen, PRSA chair-elect

On a personal note, I found Cohen a strong listener and visionary. I have met him twice now (at PRSA and the Universal Accreditation Board), and both times I was impressed with his reflective thought-process and listening skills. 

Cohen will lead us into the new PRSA Strategic Plan which paces great emphasis on two goals: Championing the strategic value of ethical PR and the role of PR as a lead discipline in driving organizational strategy, and creating virtual and face-to-face communities where members build relationships to learn, network, and mentor. These goals were discussed in-depth at the assembly, and delegates were asked to give written feedback after breaking into teams. With these new initiatives, PRSA is working to meet the needs of its members and public relations professionals in the ever-changing industry by delivering relevant, lifelong learning opportunities.

The assembly also received a briefing from a research group called OPG. PRSA hired OPG to evaluate the “APR” brand, and identify its strengths and weaknesses, and offer recommendations to increase the “value of APR” in the years to come. This is particularly timely since Accreditation hits its 50 year anniversary in 2014.

A final conference update, more close to home, is that Brian Lee of our sister chapter in Madison is heading up PRSA’s Midwest District. I have known Brian for years since meeting him at a PRSA leadership rally. The Midwest District is planning a regional PRSA conference in June 2014 in Springfield, Mo. The conference might be a more affordable option for Wisconsin members to attend.

In closing, it’s always interesting to get the view from the top-level leaders in PRSA. I am confident they are steering the profession in the right direction, and eager to see Cohen’s strategic plan implemented in 2014.

Kicking Bad Habits – How to Make Publicity Important but Not The Primary Strategy for Everything

Submitted Matt Braun, Director of Public Relations – Hanson Dodge Creativefastfood

I’ll admit it, I like fast food. Have since I was a kid. And when I was a single, young professional, seemed a lot more convenient to swing by a drive-thru to get a burger or taco than go home, cook, clean, etc.

It’s a habit I’ve kept me with for some time, and have slowly worked to wean away from – both from a sophistication standpoint of simply enjoying better foods with better company and also a health standpoint (in case you didn’t know, not the best food in the world comes through a window). I’ve come to appreciate the journey towards healthy eating and what goes into good food.

Publicity solutions that communication experts provide to clients are kind of like fast food. Have something to announce? Write a press release. Have something that really isn’t newsworthy but have to meet your quota to make your client happy – write a press release.

And when you write a press release, make sure you put it out on the wire and pitch every reporter you know with it because its news, right?  Unfortunately, this is a mindset I see way too often in the world of communications.

Whether it be because we’re afraid to push back with client demands (internal or external), are lazy or just don’t know any better, we settle for the old ‘we need a press release, strategy.’  And I’m here to tell you its not good.

As professional communicators, our job is to provide counsel to clients. Counsel in terms of what topics have news value, what topics are better used on maybe a self-publishing platform, and what topics simply should be kept in the drawer. We need to think ourselves as message chefs that know when to sprinkle a bit in this channel, a bit over there, and then when to really make a full course meal.

That’s why our clients should turn to us, and if you have the conversation with clients on this topic they’ll thank you later. To be an effective communications professional you must understand that what we can provide – multi-channel communication vehicles – can help support real business needs. Need more people to know about your new product? Launch a YouTube based video series that you also promote via social ads and tie into in-store video that also can be announced via a press release.

Clients pay agencies (and even internal employees) good money to think. Don’t settle for a drive-by solution. Instead, carefully think through how a well-orchestrated program can help your client shine. It’s the kind of  feast they’ll never forget and keep coming back to you for.

Keys to Social Media Success: A Review of the October PRSA luncheon

Submitted by Caitlin Welsh, UWW PR Studentwingate

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, Michele Wingate from American Family Insurance spoke at the PRSA luncheon in Milwaukee. Wingate’s presentation focused on the benefits of using social media, and how organizations can create successful relationships with their consumers through the use of social media.

Her presentation began by her explaining the approach that American Family Insurance took when developing their social media strategy. Their strategy was entitled; “Protecting Dreams” and that would be implemented throughout all of their social media campaigns. They hoped to lead with social media and from that their advertising would do the rest.  For example they ran the “30 Days of Thanks.” This campaign was designed to thank the people who protect your dreams. This thirty day campaign showed followers different ways to thank the people around while maintaining their advertisements by followers “liking “or sharing their posts.

One of the more successful campaigns that American Family Insurance did through Facebook was their “Fight Hunger” campaign. American Family teamed up with the National FFA’s (Future Farmers of America) to fight Hunger.  By donating a dollar for every new Facebook “like” American Family pledged to donate a dollar until they reached their goal of $20,000.00. From this campaign American Family Insurance received great recognition and their followers went up 53%.  They succeeded their goal by $3,000.

Wingate explained what the keys are to a successful social media campaign. First, each campaign has to link back to the organization’s original message. For example, all of the campaigns that American Family did went back to their mission of protecting dreams. After this the organization has to choose what social media platform that would work best for them. For American Family Insurance, Facebook was an effective outlet for them. American Family has also had much success on Pinterest as well.

After the platform is chosen, the organization has to stay committed to the social media site. This is done by making daily posts and answering questions and concerns that your consumers have. The success of a company’s social media site also has to do with the skills that your company has to regulate the site. American Family Insurance as a team that works on the site at all hours of a day. With these types of skills the success of a social media is higher than those that do not have the necessary tools. Wingate also said that a social media site cannot be successful without the willingness to listen, learn, and adopt. With social media always changing it is important to stay on top of the newest ways of doing things. Companies have to stay relevant if they want their social media site to succeed.

Wingate did a great job presenting the tools success of social media and how it can benefit a company. She did this by showing the successful campaigns that American Family Insurance has done in the past and why they worked for their company. Her presentation outlined the measures that a company needs to take to have an effective platform, and the tactics that need to be done to make a social media site a success. The October PRSA program was an excellent choice for students to attend.

 

 

 

 

 

Young Pros Learn Crisis Comms

The Chapter's Young Pros Learn Crisis Comms from Seasoned Veterans

The Chapter’s Young Pros Learn Crisis Comms from Seasoned Veterans

On Wednesday, September 25, fifteen students from UW-Whitewater attended “PRSA Young Pros Discuss: Crisis Communication in Milwaukee.” The purpose of this event was to inform, teach and help college students in the field of public relations understand how to handle a crisis in communication.

The people who attended were divided into three groups and given a different crisis communication case to work through as if they were the PR coordinator.

The PRSA Young Pros had three seasoned professionals that attended as well and jumped into the groups to help evaluate and understand the crisis communication process.   Carol Weber, Matthew Wisla and Alan Gaudynski, all PRSA members, led each group discussion.  Each has many years of experience in public relations and was happy to pass along knowledge and advice.

The event had excellent attendance and the students who attended all were able to walk away with new people to network with, advice to take home, and more knowledge about what crisis communication is and how to go about managing crises.

— Justina Kruser, UW Whitewater student

 

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Free SE Wis. chapter membership for new PRSA national members

 ... for a limited time ...

… for a limited time …

Join the community of Public Relations Society of America members by Oct. 5 and receive a free membership to the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter.

Already a member? Then please share this with someone you think should join!

By becoming a member of PRSA National by Oct. 5, you will receive FREE membership to the PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter (use promo code Aug13 at www.prsa.org).

Among other benefits, Chapter members enjoy great chapter events, such as these upcoming examples:

  • Oct. 16 – Social media strategy of American Family Insurance
  • Nov. 7 – Fundraising strategy of Goodwill Industries
  • December – PR Palooza social networking event

Don’t delay, register today or share this with someone you think should join the Chapter.

Again, visit http://www.prsa.org/ and use promo code Aug13. Must complete registration by Oct. 5, 2013.

 

PRSA Young Pros Fall Events 2013

September 25, 2013: DISCUSS Event: Crisis Communication

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Gravity Connect
305 N. Plankinton Ave. Suite 100, Milwaukee

 

Engage in an educated and in-depth discussion about the importance of strategic, planned and focused crisis communication in the midst of a tragedy. Milwaukee Young Pros can take part in an interactive case study and learn important best practices from seasoned and practiced public relations professionals as we work through real scenarios that have impacted both agency and corporate industries. Come ready to get your hands dirty and have fun doing it!

$5 for PRSA/PRSSA Members & $10 for non-members


October, 2013: Milwaukee Art Appreciation, Creativity & PR Collide

Time and Date TBD
Downtown Milwaukee

Learn the importance of creativity and ingenuity in everything from public relation to owning your own business. Further details to be announced soon!


December, 2013: PR Palooza

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Date and Venue TBD

Start the holiday season off with other Young Pros from Milwaukee as we wine and mingle our way into December, in conjunction with the PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin parent chapter. Don’t miss this fantastic networking opportunity to talk with public relations professionals from throughout the city and working in agency, corporate and in-house environments, all while celebrating the end of the year. Additional details coming soon!

Last Chance! Register now for Wednesday’s big event!

September 2013 Chapter Event

September 2013 Chapter Event

Have you registered for this week’s luncheon on Wed. 9/18? Do it today! http://bit.ly/1fuVaj5

Public opinion about an organization, a product, an event, a policy, a law, a person, can make or break you.

Register now for the Sept 18 monthly chapter luncheon event and learn how public opinion is influenced through opinions in media and how public relations people try to shape those opinions.

David Haynes, editorial page editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Jerry Bott, general manager at News Talk 1130 WISN, will share insights on managing the issues that demand their attention.

Evan Zeppos, managing director and executive vice president at Laughlin Constable. will discuss how public relations people should interact with media and what the expectations should be in generating or responding to media opinions, as well as the changing ways opinions are formed outside traditional media.

Cost: $30 members; $45 guests, $25 students
When: Sep 18, 2013
Time: noon-1:30 p.m. (registration opens at 11:30 a.m.)
Where: Pfister Hotel, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave, Downtown Milwaukee
http://bit.ly/1fuVaj5