By Sandra Fine, APR of rbb Public Relations and PRSA Miami Board Member

If Monday’s message at the PRSA conference was all about speaking to the customer, Tuesday honed in on the art of telling your story to that customer. In one of the most inspirational talks of the conference, Joe Rohde, senior vice president and creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, discussed the importance of theme in telling your story to convey an authentic and memorable experience. Well, certainly Disney has that concept down pat.

As an aside, I guess those rumors about Disney’s harsh rules banning its cast members from having facial hair or wearing jewelry have been dispelled. Joe not only sports a scruffy face, but also one heavy (and painful looking) earring, comprised of a collection of souvenirs picked up on his exotic travels. Joe is the lead designer at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the new Aulani resort in Hawaii.

Unlike many creative types, Joe was able to channel his artistic passion into practical applications that PR professionals can apply to our campaign thinking. Here are a few of his gems:

1. The art of storytelling starts with landing on your theme, which sets the roadmap for “what this is going to be about.” From that point on, all decisions on how to do it are driven by the theme. In Animal Kingdom’s case, the theme was the “intrinsic value of nature,” and everything stayed true to that concept.

2. Of course, there are metrics that need to be built in to projects, but according to Joe these will come naturally as long as you follow the theme. For example, when Disney told him that Animal Kingdom needed a thrill ride, Joe traveled to the Himalayas to explore how to incorporate that ride into his theme. As it turns out, the native people believe that the Yeti is the protector of the mountains (fitting into the intrinsic value of nature theme), and from there Expedition Everest was created. Joe said that theme expands opportunity and allows us to diverge from metrics.

3. When telling your story, audiences don’t have time for what they think they already know, so it’s important to combine natural storytelling patterns with interruptions and tweaks to keep their attention.

4. When asked how to spark creativity, Joe said it comes from distraction and not falling into predictable feedback loops. In closing, he told us that success is a willingness to always continue to learn.

With education in mind, I headed off to the next sessions of the day, which also seemed to follow the theme of storytelling. In a seminar about reputation management, John Doorley of New York University talked about the importance of brands realizing their “intrinsic identity.” He also dispelled the common saying “perception is reality.”

In John’s opinion, “perception” doesn’t give practitioners the opportunity to do much about it. Instead, he quoted Abraham Lincoln: “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it while the tree is the real thing.” John’s point: A tree can be changed to affect its shadow.

Now, normally I avoid the social media workshops while we wait for the pundits to stop telling us things we know (remember we don’t have time!) and start showing us those results. But PRSA tweeps were saying great things about Mark Evan’s “Your Social Brand,” so I wandered in. As it turns out, although we may think we already know all the social media best practices, Mark says 71 percent of customer complaint tweets get no response at all. Why?  1. Fear  2. Resources.

A few more interesting points:

1. With an almost uncomfortable number of references to Justin Bieber and his social media influence, Mark reminded us to party where the party is happening. In other words, listen and monitor where people are talking about you.

2. Sometimes it’s best to pause and let someone else in the online community respond to a negative comment.

3. You must be doing one of the three E’s: Engaging, Educating or Entertaining. If not, what are you doing there?

4. Mark doesn’t put too much emphasis on social media ROI and quoted KFC’s manager of public affairs, who said “We don’t get a lot of pressure to justify ROI. Social media is a very important customer service element and that’s enough for us.”

5. Mark equated social media to going to the gym. You have to be consistent and committed to see results.

That sums up my recap of the best from the 2011 PRSA International Conference in Orlando. I’m pretty excited to head back and start weaving my stories with my theme and keeping my customer always in mind.

By Sandra Fine, APR of rbb Public Relations and PRSA Miami Board Member

I’m at the PRSA International Conference in Orlando this week, and I’m providing you with the inside info from here on the ground. The clear message from the presenters is the need to evolve all communications to appeal to what your customer wants – whether that customer is the media, the people who buy your products and services, your boss or your employees.

The tone at PRSA validates what we’ve been telling clients for some time now. The on-demand, digital age has opened new opportunities for communications channels beyond traditional media, but that also means end users have infinite options. As if we weren’t already self-centered enough as Americans, now more than ever before we want to know what’s in it for us.

And let me tell you: If the answer isn’t in plain black and white, we’re moving on.

This sentiment really isn’t all that new, but big brands today are still sending out one-way messaging on social media and centering their press materials around their news and their announcement, rather than the benefits to the customer.

So, in the spirit of writing from the perspective of my readers, I’m going to break down the most compelling learnings from the conference. I’ll keep it brief too, because as my reader I know you only have time for the key information that’s going to help you do your job better.

1. Information is free, but attention is expensive. Ann Wiley’s seminar on thinking like a reader discussed the audience’s instinct to look for the information with more gain and less pain. There are only two rewards for readers: living life better and being entertained. If you aren’t providing one of the two rewards, you are doing it wrong.

Want to get your copy read more often? Learn to write with the “what’s in it for me” mentality, and restructure your prose to lead with the benefit to the readers and substantiate it with features. Ann summed it up best with a tale about her Grandpa Wiley, who back in the day was the best fisherman in town. Why?  Because he thought like a fish – he used the bait they liked, not the bait he did.

2. The folks at MGH and Maryland’s Department of Tourism really get the whole customer-centric theme. In fact, they let their customers do the heavy lifting in promoting the destination of Ocean City. Recognizing the importance of peer-to-peer recommendations, they assembled a 20-person ambassador program to take advantage of social media and online forums, while still retaining some control of the messaging.

Not only did the ambassadors post on external social media sites, but they also fielded questions from potential tourists right on the city’s website, reducing the work for the internal department.

A few more key points:

• Disclaimers are a MUST. Providing ambassadors a disclaimer to use, along with a link back to your site’s website, not only encourages transparency but also traffic.
• Use incentives to motivate ambassadors, and don’t be afraid to “fire” them when they aren’t performing.
• Give them inside access – make them feel special and part of the team.
• For this program, small groups of ambassadors worked better, as they felt more connected to the job and didn’t count on anyone else to handle the bulk of the work.
• Never tell them what to say.

By: Nathalie Santa Maria of Fusion Communications and PRSA Miami Board Member

Passion is the one adjective that best describes the theme of the 2011 PRSA International Conference. From the guest speakers during general session to the professionals from all over the world who surrounded me for three days, we all radiated passion about creativity, inspiration and imagination.

There is an intrinsic lure to the possibilities that passion brings to the field of public relations. Be it the future of our profession by awarding a Gold Anvil to Cheryl I. Procter Rogers, APR, Fellow PRSA; the enthusiasm of Shonali Burke, ABC, while discussing new methods to measure success; or revisiting writing techniques that allow us to think like a reader with Ann Wylie; attendees’ showcased a passion and eagerness to learn so that we could bring back the most valuable information to our local chapters, colleagues, clients and/or company.

During Soledad O’Brien’s opening remarks, she spoke about how passion guided her to the first internship she landed and how it paved the way for her journalistic career. While growing up in the late 1960s in Maryland with a Cuban, black mother and Australian, Irish father, blending “in” was not an easy feat. But, I think her family’s inability to blend in during a tumultuous era of racial divide paved the way for her ability to tell the story via the characters in her documentaries that exhibit passion and have a story to tell.

Not to mention, passion is what drives the thousands of employees who promote the Walt Disney World brand every day. Conference attendees sat during Joe Rohde’s general session presentation sporting Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse ears. We all connected with that warm and fuzzy feeling we love when we think of Disney World. Rohde and his team’s exemplary vision in creating the theme that is fundamental to what Animal Kingdom is today, is something that we, as clients, practitioners, students, and new professionals, can bring to every project we take on.

Passion doesn’t only speak one language. It speaks louder than any non-verbal cue and defies every language barrier. What stands out and shines above the crowd is what catches our interest the most, and when we exhibit passion, we all find a unique story to tell.

On Wednesday June 15, 2011 - Experts from Univision and the U.S. Census Bureau along with the Hispanic Marketing Committee of PRSA Miami hosted a webinar to discuss implications of the Hispanic population results from the 2010 U.S. Census and the opportunity for marketers to reach this growing population.

The webinar was introduced by Silvia Prado of Logos PR, PRSA Miami Board Member and Hispanic Market Committee Chair. The presenters included research veteran Elizabeth Ellers from Univision and Raul Cisneros from the Census Bureau during this one-hour interactive webinar focused on going beyond the numbers to understand what changes are documented by the new counts. Maribel Ferrer from Fleishman Hillard will moderate.

This complimentary professional develepment webinar was offered by PRSA Miami and sponsored by Univision, Fleishman-Hillard, HispanicAd, Hispanic PR Blog, and PR Newswire and was open to the public.

Below are the materials from today's webinar:

VIDEO & PRESENTATION: PRSA Miami and Univision: Census 2010 Hispanic Webinar Video & Presentation

VIDEO ONLY: PRSA Miami and Univision Census 2010 Hispanic Webinar Introduction Video

WEBINAR RECORDING: Coming soon

Continue to enjoy member benefits such as this free webinar and low-cost professional development opportunities by joining PRSA Miami. Sign up today at prsa.org/joinus and submit your application online.

It’s time to step up and help lead Miami’s PRSA Chapter in 2012 and beyond! Furthering our profession through work in our Chapter and Society builds knowledge, friendships, contacts and careers.

PRSA Miami’s Nominating Committee will meet soon to prepare a slate of candidates to fill the 2012 elected Chapter positions listed below. The positions of Assembly Delegates and Accreditation Committee chair require those individuals to have their APR. All other elected and appointed positions are open to all Chapter members in good standing.

Use this Nomination Form to nominate qualified Chapter members or yourself for open board positions. In the “Willingness to Serve” section, check the committees for which you are willing to volunteer as committee chair or committee member. Please reply by e-mail. The deadline is Friday, July 15, 2011.

The Nominating Committee will present its slate of nominees for elected positions to all Miami Chapter members no less than ten days prior to our Chapter’s annual meeting on Sept. 30, 2011. Election shall be by majority vote of the members present and voting. Contested elections shall be conducted by written ballot.

For more information on position descriptions, nominations, and the elections process, visit PRSA Miami online at www.prsamiami.org, click on “About PRSA,” then “Bylaws.” If you have questions, contact Annabel Beyra at 786-301-9323 or e-mail at annabel@fusioncomminc.com.

2012 ELECTED POSITIONS

President-Elect

The president-elect, in the absence or disability of the president, exercises the powers and performs the duties of the president. The president-elect also generally assists the president and performs other duties as prescribed by the board. The president-elect will assume the office of president in 2012.

Secretary
The secretary keeps records of all meetings of the Chapter and of the board, issues notices of all such meetings and performs all other duties customarily pertaining to the office. The secretary sends copies of the minutes of all Chapter board meetings to all board members no later than 30 days after the meeting. The secretary, if assigned by the president, may also be responsible for distributing Chapter news and event information.

Treasurer
The treasurer receives and deposits all Chapter funds in the name of the Chapter in a financial institution approved by the board, issues receipts, and makes authorized disbursements by check after proper approval by the president or board. The treasurer also prepares the Chapter’s budget in consultation with the president and the committee chairs for approval at the January board meeting. The treasurer provides financial reports to the board at each regular board meeting and renders an annual financial statement to the Chapter’s membership.

Director-at-Large (two positions open for three-year term, 2012-2014)
In addition to the four Chapter officers and appropriate number of assembly delegates, the board includes six directors-at-large positions. Each director-at-large serves a three-year term. The board supervises controls and directs the affairs of the Chapter, determines its policies or changes within the limits of the bylaws, actively pursues its purpose, and has discretion in the disbursement of funds. It may adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of business as advisable and may, in executing these powers, appoint agents or employees, as it considers necessary. The board also acts as trustee of the EvClay/PRSA Miami Chapter Endowment Fund, with fiduciary responsibility for protecting its assets. Duties include approving an annual Endowment Fund investment plan, reviewing the previous year’s financial activity and determining the level of scholarship funding to be awarded for the year in the first quarter of each year. Each director assumes oversight of one or more committees as assigned by the president and reports committee activities to the board in the absence of the chair(s).

Assembly Delegate (two position open for three-year term, 2012-2014)
The board includes a number of Assembly delegates (currently three, based on our chapter size) who represent the chapter in PRSA's national governing body, the Leadership Assembly, which is held in conjunction with the annual International Conference. Delegates vote on issues of importance to the Society with guidance from the chapter board. Delegates must be APR and have at least one year of past service as a chapter officer or director at large. A stipend is provided to delegates to offset the costs of Assembly attendance.

2012 APPOINTED POSITIONS

Committee Chairs
Committee chairs are not elected, but rather appointed by the President-Elect. Each committee has one or two chairs that are responsible for preparing a plan and budget to be incorporated into the master budget submitted for the board’s approval in January. The chairs report committee activities to the board regularly.

Returning 2012 PRSA Miami Board Members

2012 President
Fernando Figueredo, APR

Immediate Past President
Annabel Beyra, APR

Returning Board Members:
Connie Crowther thru 2012
Silvia Prado thru 2012
Michelle Palomino thru 2013
Richard Gibbs thru 2013

Assembly Delegates
Georgina Gonzalez-Robiou, APR thru 2013

1) Responding to members' requests and concerns, PRSA has become much more visible in the national media, advocating on behalf of the profession. PRSA has had comments, op-eds and letters to the editor appear in the Financial Times, Economist, the Harvard Business Review, PR Week UK, The New York Times, Adweek, AdAge, and on various blogs. For a full recap of news originating out of PRSA's advocacy campaign, visit the PRSA online newsroom or in the "Newsroom" of the national website.

2) PRSA, responding to Chapter needs and requests, has - among many things - revamped the Chapter Leadership toolkit (through MyPRSA - Leadership Tools); updated and enhanced all Chapter landing pages and microsites hosted by National; created and launched a Chapter social media policy and provided a template for bylaws.

3) PRSA provides several free webinars throughout the year. The next free program will be April 28 about accreditation. The last was held on March 17. There are other free webinars available in the PRSA on-demand library.

4) Not one, but three, members of the Sunshine District (state of Florida) are members of the national PRSA Board of Directors this year: Rosanna Fiske, APR, from the Miami Chapter is the esteemed President of the Board; Kathy Barbour, APR, North Florida Chapter serves as Secretary; and Geri Evans, APR, from the Orlando Chapter is a Director, elected from the Sunshine District.

By Geri A. Evans, APR
National PRSA Board Member
PRSA Director, Sunshine District

Judges for the student exhibition will serve on one of two review committees:

1. The first will review/judge the Full Media Kit and Public Relations Writing entrees:

• At least five year’s experience in Public Relations/Media Relations (or Communications) as a practicing professional
• Ability to review student works
• Capacity to offer constructive critiques of student work in written form (all students receive copies of the judges evaluations of their work)
• Knowledge and use of AP Style and proper formatting for written materials
• Capability to judge basic design pieces such as a Media Kit folder, original PowerPoint presentation and newsletter

2. The second will review/judge the Brochure and Promotional Piece/Flyer entrees:

• At least five year’s experience in Public Relations/Media Relations (or Communications) as a practicing professional
• Ability to review student works
• Capacity to offer constructive critiques of student work in written form (all students receive copies of the judges evaluations of their work)
• Knowledge and use of design basics such as scale, proportion, use of color, choice of artwork…etc.
• Previous experience creating such pieces for targeted audiences and ability to put this practical knowledge to work while judging if these works are viable in a professional setting

The Business Improvement District (BID) of Coral Gables seeks letters of interest and/or qualification statements to provide media and public relations support for the retailers, restaurateurs and business community of Downtown Coral Gables. The BID invites PR professionals to provide their qualifications for specific activities and projects that promote Downtown Coral Gables & Miracle Mile as a sophisticated retail, dining and entertainment destination located within a work/live/play urban downtown environment.

View the full request for qualifications for project details and submission instructions.

The deadline to submit your response is 4 pm on Tuesday, April 5, 2011. Contact Taciana Amador at the Business Improvement District of Coral Gables at tamador@shopcoralgables.com for questions prior to the due date.

Every summer, Americans commemorate Independence Day. But this year, your Fourth of July festivities could celebrate a personal revolution in your skills as a public relations professional.

On February 22, PRSA Miami Chapter will kick off a series of classes to help members earn the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) credential. The course is designed to prepare candidates to successfully complete the APR process by July 4.

If you have five years or more of PR experience, this free course is a great opportunity for you to put the coveted “APR” designation after your name, signifying to employers, clients and colleagues that you expertly practice our craft in today’s dynamic business environment.

The course is a joint effort between the PRSA Miami and Gulfstream Chapters.  The program includes weekly instructional classes that cover the competencies tested by the APR exam.

Each Miami Chapter candidate will also be assigned an APR-credentialed mentor to help them through the portfolio presentation and other projects involved in preparing for the exam. As an added incentive, the first three Miami Chapter members who successfully complete the APR process this year will receive a $100 stipend.

Please read over the material posted on the following link and mark your calendar to join us on February 22 at 6:30 p.m. for a casual informational session that will fully explain the course details.

Accreditation in Public Relations - APR: PRSA  

For more information, contact your APR committee members:

Chairman –

Mike Gibaldi, APR
Mike.Gibaldi@businesswire.com
(305) 389-4615

Co-Chairman –

Chuck Prichard, APR
Chuck.Prichard@dhs.gov
(305) 397-4128

We hope you will consider taking advantage of this exclusive opportunity offered only to our members!