Recap of “The Bucks: A Fresh Start” luncheon

By Lauren GonnPRSA bucks luncheon feb2015

Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin, and Senior Vice President Jake Suski spoke at PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin’s Feb. 18 luncheon to share the Bucks’ approach to marketing and public relations.

Feigin and Suski explained their goals and challenges with the Bucks organization and how they want to transform and re-develop the organization. They see public relations as a big piece of their messaging strategy, with their greatest asset being the actual basketball players. Their goals include establishing more partnerships in the community, and using social media to increase engagement among fans.

The Bucks players love Milwaukee and once basketball season is over, the Bucks are hoping more and more players will want to settle down in the area; instead of leaving till the next season. The organization continues to work on expanding their audience – which gets easier as they continue to play well! The Bucks are doing a fantastic job at identifying what they need to do; and developing the right strategy to accomplish their goals.

Update from International PRSA Conference: Membership is up

By Karren Jeske, APR and Ann Peru Knabe, APR+M

Screen Shot 2014-10-20 at 10.03.38 AM Southeastern Wisconsin PRSA board members Karren Jeske, APR, and Ann Peru Knabe, APR+M, represented the chapter at the 2014 PRSA Assembly in Washington, D.C. The annual meeting is held prior to the international convention. Jeske and Knabe voted on behalf of the chapter on several key issues.

The immediate past chair, Mickey Nall, APR, and current chair, Joe Cohen, APR, presented the state of the society. This was a good news story: PRSA is very healthy from a fiscal perspective, membership is up, and there was an increase in positive sentiment about the organization. National dues will not increase in 2015 and more than 50 webinars (live and on demand) will continue to be offered FREE to members throughout 2015.

The assembly passed two significant bylaw amendments that affect leadership at the national and regional level. The first amendment allows eligible non-APR members to apply for the two at large seats on the board, and the second amendment clarifies that voting members of the PRSA board of directors may not concurrently serve as district or chapter officers. While some assembly delegates expressed concern this may further dilute the value of APR, others said it encouraged inclusiveness in the decision-making process and evolution of the society.

Mark McClennan, APR, was elected as chair elect for 2015, and will assume the role of chair in 2016.  The slate of officers recommended by the nominating committee was also elected.

Screen Shot 2014-10-20 at 10.04.14 AM Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D., CAE, was announced as the new CEO.

The assembly also featured a town-hall meeting where delegates could discuss concerns about the society of   interest. Several people voiced concern that PRSA was starting to use “marketing language” in its conversations and  literature. However, others indicated this is the trend for PR – a convergence of PR, marketing and paid media.

The next assembly will be held in Atlanta on Nov. 7 in conjunction with the 2015 International PRSA Conference, Nov. 8-10.

 

Top 10 insights from Aurora Health Care’s intranet pilot program

Aurora Health Care recently launched a pilot intranet program, designed to enhance connectivity among caregivers, foster employee collaboration and, ultimately, to help drive better patient outcomes. Aurora employees Don Klein and Annette Guye-Kordus shared what they learned in the process. Here’s their list of the top 10 takeaways:

1. Make sure you have the right platform for your organization.
2. Put your geek on – make friends with IT!
3. Measure, measure and measure again.
4. Be enthusiastic! Embrace the new way of doing things.
5. Get leadership on board. Position the new system as innovative.
6. You have to become an expert.
7. Customized training for the audience and their tech maturity is worth the effort.
8. Access + content = activation. Encourage community owners to be creative even if it’s not what they do.
9. Assemble a support team to include manager, technical and industry roles.
10. Governance is important. Users will have questions from day one.

Does your company have an internal social networking system? What successes and challenges have you encountered?

Barbara Behling shares crisis communications strategies

Barbara Behling

Barbara Behling of Red Cross

By Kelly Savage, chapter chair of accreditation

It’s always a pleasure to hear about the tremendous  impact the American Red Cross has on our community. I’m so blessed to volunteer for this organization and support its programs through grants on behalf of State Farm®. On Wednesday, May 28th I also had the opportunity to learn from Barbara Behling at a Southeastern Wisconsin PRSA luncheon as she shared details about her role as a PR professional assisting the Red Cross with crisis communications for national and local disasters.

It was fascinating to hear how the Red Cross handles these challenging situations. Barbara has assisted with so many tragedies, from the Sikh Temple shooting to Hurricane Sandy to recent wildfires in California.

One thing that resonated with me was Barbara’s comment that she never forgets the dates of the disasters to which she’s responded. It’s so important for organizations to realize not only that you need dedicated and sympathetic people to handle crisis situations, but also that these situations take a toll on the individuals managing these issues. Since the Red Cross responds daily to tragic events in people’s lives, they luckily have trained professionals to help volunteers and employees through these hard times. I can imagine sometimes organizations might miss how these situations affect the people whose job it is to help others pick up the pieces of their crumbled lives.

The other idea that stood out is that groups shouldn’t join in on a fight that’s not theirs. In other words, stick to the issue at hand. At times the situation isn’t about you or your organization, and if that’s the case, don’t complicate the situation. Stay on the sidelines and do what you do best to contribute. Barbara shared that the Sikh Temple church members wanted to highlight the Red Cross so donations could be made to help the organization continue its great work, but they decided it was best to not take away from the issue at hand. I think that is noble and the public can respect that.

Barbara’s stories help us remember that behind every crisis are individuals and families who have been affected, as well as those who are trying their best to make things better as much as possible in a given situation. As long as transparency, integrity, a prompt response and the consideration of unintended consequences are a part of the process, hopefully everyone involved will be able to move forward quickly and smoothly.

One Man’s Stories Are Changing the World

natestpierreThe Internet can help you achieve almost any goal, whether it’s sharing a video, meeting new people or driving sales to your business.

Nate St. Pierre has a different goal in mind: to bring love and compassion to those who need it most. In his free time, the Milwaukee man has created several charitable projects that have provided donations and kind words to people in difficult situations.

Determined to do what he could to make the world a better place, he assembled an online army of volunteers and challenged them to help others. The movement, called It Starts With Us, eventually grew to 10,000 members across 100 different countries.

During a presentation at PR Pro Day on Friday, St. Pierre said the key to attracting attention and inspiring action comes down to being true to the story: Make it simple for people to engage. Relate to your audience on a personal level. Tell a story that will capture their attention.

“If you make it easy to consume and easy to do, these stories will get out,” he said. “The stories will do it themselves.”

After seeing the power of It Starts With Us, St. Pierre launched a spin-off project called Love Bomb, which called on group members to find blog posts of people going through a tough time. These blog posts would then get bombarded with positive comments from people in the “Love Bomb” community, bringing positive energy to those coping with family medical emergencies or  contemplating suicide.

One girl told St. Pierre she was planning to come home and kill herself, but changed her mind after reading the 150 positive comments from those in the Love Bomb community.

After changing the world with words, St. Pierre decided to make a difference with money. He launched another project, called Love Drop, that asked group members to donate their time and money to helping out people in need. They hired videographers to tell these heartbreaking personal stories to inspire action from group members.

One Love Drop story that hit particularly close to home in Milwaukee centered around a family with two non-verbal autistic boys. Because one of the boys would run away if left unattended, the family needed to buy a $13,000 service dog to monitor his whereabouts. Love Drop was able to fulfill that family’s needs, as it did for 11 other families that year with a total of $90,000 in donations.

St. Pierre is also able to help people in his day job at Give Forward, which has raised nearly $100 million for medical expenses. One of his more recent accomplishments was raising $71,000 for 8-year-old Lacey Holsworth, a cancer patient who won over the hearts of college basketball fans when she became friends with Adreian Payne of Michigan State University.

When asked about his secret to building a membership base and inspiring action, St. Pierre said his approach is to do more storytelling and less selling.

“My outlook is to build something that’s so awesome that people can’t help but want to be a part of it,” he said. “If you don’t have to market your product – if it’s so cool that people will do it themselves – that’s the best marketing you could ask for.”

 

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(Jeff Rumage writes about public relations news for PRSA’s southeastern Wisconsin chapter. You can reach him at jeffrumage(at)gmail.com.)

Former Journalist Portia Young Enjoying Her New Life in PR

Portia Young’s passion for journalism made her a household name in Milwaukee. She climbed the TV news ranks from a small-town reporter to the anchor desk at WISN 12.

Former WISN 12 anchor Portia Young talks about her transition to public relations at Sargento. (Photo by Scott Patrick)

Former WISN 12 anchor Portia Young talks about her transition to public relations at Sargento. (Photo by Scott Patrick)

But after 14 years of hard work in the news business, Portia’s priorities shifted with the birth of her daughter. She soon realized that the life of an anchor and the life of a mother were nearly incompatible – especially working early mornings, weekends and holidays.

“There is a pendulum of work-life balance, and in TV news, that pendulum always swings back to work,” she said.

Portia left WISN last year to become public relations manager at Sargento. She shared her thoughts on the news business and her transition to PR life at a PRSA luncheon this week.

Portia said she always knew there was life outside of TV, because she had solid writing skills that are sought-after in public relations. She said she is happy at Sargento, even though she is not in the spotlight every day.

“For me, it was never because I had to be on TV,” she said.

WATCH: Portia Talks About a Hyperlocal Shift in TV News

Portia still gets to tell stories at Sargento – but she’s telling them to a different audience. Now, she writes feature stories about Sargento employees and shares them with other employees on the company’s intranet pages. One of her more recent stories was about a truck driver who gave his coat and boots to a woman in freezing cold weather.

Portia said it’s rewarding to represent Sargento, which has been named a top workplace Wisconsin. She is excited to tell the stories of employees, many of whom have stayed at the company for decades.

“I never realized how internal messaging could be so powerful,” she said. “I didn’t realize what kind of impact that would have.”

 

PORTIA’S PR POINTERS

  • Don’t be pushy or tell a reporter what to do.
  • Think of B-roll opportunities and arrange interviews with people other than the “talking heads”
  • Journalists cringe when you ask for questions in advance. Keep in mind, she said, that journalists “don’t want to blow the lid off of everything every day.”
  • Return phone calls, even if you don’t have much to share. The journalist will respect you, and may be more receptive to your future pitches.

 

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(Jeff Rumage writes about public relations news in Milwaukee. You can reach him at jeffrumage(at)gmail.com.)

 

The Reinvention of the Business Journal

By Jeff Rumage

Every Friday, local business executives turn to the Milwaukee Business Journal for business leads, industry trends and information that will keep them ahead of the competition.

Mark Kass, the editor-in-chief of the Milwaukee Business Journal, talks about the paper's new layout and its web-first approach to breaking business news.

Mark Kass, the editor-in-chief of the Milwaukee Business Journal, talks about the paper’s new layout and its web-first approach to breaking business news.

But in a dynamic media environment, the weekly business publication decided about 10 months ago it needed to catch up to the pace of business by switching to a web-first newsroom – posting breaking news to the web and social media before worrying what the full print story will look like.

Breaking news on the Internet is hardly a new concept, but it is rare for publishers to change their print product as a result. The reinvented print edition complements the web edition, while also providing a different editorial experience with new sections and more in-depth coverage.

“If you follow us, you need to be in print and on web,” said Mark Kass, the editor-in-chief of the Milwaukee Business Journal. “Because if you’re not on the web you’re going to miss a lot of stuff.”

Kass outlined some of the changes during a PRSA luncheon on Feb. 19.

The first thing you will notice about the reinvented Business Journal is the cover story – usually a hot topic brought to life with a splashy headline, captivating photos and in-depth analytical coverage. Kass said he also likes to tease another seven to eight stories to give readers a sampling of what’s inside the cover.

Watch: Mark Kass Talks About Reinvented Business Journal

Another change to the paper is how the pages are sorted. They are no longer sorted by industry – they are sorted by the reporter who covers that beat. This gives the reader a more personal connection with the reporter, and also allows the Business Journal to hold up its reporters as the experts of their beat.

The Business Journal also added newer features to try to connect with its readers outside of traditional editorial sections. Like the Last Call page, which features restaurant news and other lifestyle features meant to reflect the “after work hours” of Milwaukee business executives. Another new page, called The Pitch, highlights the rise of entrepreneurism and start-up tech businesses in Milwaukee.

PR pros have an opportunity to pitch their clients in the new “executive profile” section, which is published in the print edition and with a short video on the Business Journal website.

The reinvention of the Business Journal means PR professionals now have two venues to monitor business news, as well as two venues to pitch their clients. If you are going to try to make the print edition, though, be sure to call a reporter before noon on Tuesday.

 

SEO Is More Than Just Keywords

Cuppa SEO owner Joey Donovan Guido shares his SEO expertise with local PRSA members on Jan. 15. (Photo credit: Jeff Rumage)

Cuppa SEO owner Joey Donovan Guido shares his SEO expertise with local PRSA members on Jan. 15. (Photo credit: Jeff Rumage)

By Jeff Rumage

The importance of web visibility in our digital world cannot be overstated. So it’s no surprise that search engine optimization has become one of the most sought-after marketing skills – but it’s also one of the most misunderstood.

I personally have used SEO to a high degree in my last job as an online news editor.  Coming from the newspaper world, it was a bit of a shock the first time I saw a short article about a peanut butter recall climb to the top of Google News. Because the article was filled with keywords about a nationally trending topic, that short article attracted 10 times the web traffic of a hard-hitting police article that required much more journalistic elbow grease.

So, how can we ensure our topics get as close as possible to the top of Google’s page ranking system? Luckily, Joey Donovan Guido, the founder of Cuppa SEO in Madison, was able to shed some light on SEO best practices during our PRSA chapter’s January luncheon.

I was already aware that Google places greater SEO value on things like headlines over body text, but Guido shared some interesting tips to give those title tags gain more SEO value, like using rich keywords (maximum 70 characters) and separating them with sticks (press “shift” and “\”).

I also was unaware that people who “stuff” title tags – a.k.a. the “black hat marketers” among us – are caught and punished by Google. That’s certainly an incentive to make sure your keywords are representative of the content you are providing.

Video: SEO Expert Shares Tips for Digital Success

As far as the body text, I already knew that linking to other reputable websites is important, but I did not know the location of the keywords mattered. Guido told us that you should ideally aim to have keywords in the first sentence, middle paragraph and in the last sentence.

The thing I think I enjoyed most about Guido’s presentation had nothing to do with keywords or tagging. It was a broader point about the importance of good, quality content. Believe it or not, good SEO is ultimately an exercise in knowing your audience and developing relationships.

You’ve already done most of the heavy lifting if you know your product and the market’s “pain points.” Talk with company officials and their customers about what information is most sought-after, and then capture those subjects in a relevant, informational and truthful way.

Search engines can’t entirely predict what information will be relevant to each user – not yet anyways. But the ability to provide information that is useful to another human being is going to continue to be an important skill – even if that conversation is happening through the screen of an iPhone.

Young Pros host social media event at Hanson Dodge Creative


This week, the PRSA Young Pros were treated to a presentation on the 10 Principles of Good Content by Sarah Van Elzen, social media director at Hanson Dodge Creative. Sarah discussed what defines “good” content, provided industry relevant examples and showcased the top 10 principles every writer needs to know.

Sarah Van Elzen and event guests

Sarah Van Elzen and event guests

More than 30 young and seasoned pros along with senior students from nearby universities filled the room and had an opportunity to network over wine and cheese plates. Attendees were encouraged to use the hashtag #PrinciplesOfGoodContent for a chance to win the book, Social PR Secrets by Lisa Buyer. (Sarah is quoted in the book on page six.) Patty Bloom, a reputation management assistant account executive from Charleston Orwig, won the book with this tweet. Sarah loved her sense of humor for using the wrong hashtag.

We grabbed five minutes with Sarah to ask a few follow up questions:

Q. For a client starting out in social media, is there a place they should absolutely be – whether it’s a blog, Facebook, etc?

A. It varies by client. I’d recommend a blog for nearly every brand because it will showcase long form brand voice, provide content for social platforms down the road and help optimize the client’s online presence from an SEO standpoint.

Q. Do you have a favorite platform right now?

A. Instagram

Q. What is the most challenging thing about working in an ever-changing industry?

A. Keeping up with the new trends

Q. What is the one key quality or characteristic that makes a social media person successful?

A. Organized

Q. What is the best piece of advice you can give to someone entering this field?

Be active…in professional social platforms.

Be professional…in all your content. 80% professional. 20% personal.

Be proactive…reach out to industry thought leaders and connect with people.

Be there…have an online profile and examples you can refer to quickly with a link.

Q. Is there anything in your own personal life that helps make you better at social media?

A. My job history growing up helped significantly. I worked as a server and had to handle customer service situations frequently. I also worked at a telemarketing company during college which helped with quick thinking and communication.

Q. You’ve worked with House of Harley-Davidson. What would you name your motorcycle gang?

A. Yogi Gangsters

Turning content into results, Sarah Van Elzen is responsible for leading the HDC social media practice. Her team engages audiences across a variety of platforms, focusing on campaign strategy, content development, community management and analytics. Sarah began her career in music marketing and then moved to sunny Florida for her ongoing endeavor in online PR and SEO. Sarah has managed social media strategies for clients since 2007, when Facebook launched brand pages and Twitter was just a few months old.

Through a variety of agency positions, Sarah’s experience encompasses web content strategy, SEO, online PR, social media strategy and relationship management.

Her client experience includes: fashion, CPG, technology, finance, tourism, real estate, law and health & beauty.

Sarah regularly practices yoga, bringing a sense of calm in and out of work.

Want Your Videos to Go Viral? The Packard Brothers Show You How

Getting Viral With The Packard Brothers

Getting Viral With The Packard Brothers

On an unassuming Wednesday afternoon in February, two young men stood before a room of PR pros and demonstrated how to use shock, awe, humor and above all, creativity, to help online videos go viral.

Jack and Nick Packard of Packard Brothers, a Milwaukee-area video production agency, shared their knowledge, experience and examples of creating Web videos that get noticed and passed along.

Here are a few takeaways from the presentation:

The most successful videos on the Web tend to be one of these three types:

  • Craft (DIY instruction)
  • Co-op (leveraging existing entities, i.e. making a real-life Angry Birds game)
  • Idiocy (self explanatory)

Successful online videos need:

  • Simple premise
  • Catchy music synched with action
  • Short length (2 min or less is ideal)
  • Relatable format (viewer says “I could have shot that!”)
  • Great editing

Successful videos (for brands) should be built with:
A clear call-to-action (give the viewer something to DO after viewing)

Measuring online videos’ success:

  • YouTube Analytics
  • Google Analytics
  • Unique visitors to the site your video pointed them
  • Offer redemption if the video led to a coupon/promotion

How many views will a successful comedy video have? The Packards believe the number is 100,000. (Real/organic views – not purchased)

Advice to brands/clients/businesses/executives:

  • Be willing to take risks
  • Have patience – success doesn’t come overnight
  • Good creative ideas trump production quality, every time

Everyone hopes their clever videos go viral, but a communications strategy that sounds like “We will produce a viral video …” is absurd and a recipe for disaster. Jack Packard demonstrated that point with perhaps the most salient advice of the presentation by saying, “Calling a video on the web a viral video is like calling anyone with legs a marathoner.”