By Melissa Dykstra, Vice President

Within less than a week after school started in my district, I began having knocks at my door and children on my porch fundraising for band, football, cheerleading, you name it.

We have a rule in our family that if it’s a kid from our neighborhood, and he’s doing the asking himself, we’ll buy something. (Thank goodness my neighborhood isn’t very big.) But, we make him work for it. He’s expected to know how the money he’s raising will be used and when we’ll be receiving our lovely new (insert item we don’t need here).

So, between orders of pizza kits and cookie dough, I started wondering, do we apply that same kind of rule in our emotional fundraising with employees?

In other words, are employees more likely to become invested in an idea, a change, a brand, if the “ask” is coming from someone they know who is authentic in his or her discussion pitch. I believe the answer is unequivocally yes.  

Emotional fundraising happens when companies spend time in their planning answering the old WIIFM (what’s in it for me?) question. There are always (okay, usually) good reasons for change in a company. The change will increase productivity, sales, profits - maybe even all of the above.  

What good employee communications brings to the party is the ability to translate those business reasons into emotional reasons for the employee. Does it mean an employee will have more opportunity for advancement as the company grows? Does it mean an employee will have increased ability to share his or her ideas? Maybe it simply means there will be more opportunity for salary increases ahead. These are the emotional concepts an employee will buy, and for good reason if it’s sold in the right way.

Emotional fundraising takes a combination of communications techniques. Just like any school fundraiser you’ve seen, a successful campaign includes printed materials, online components, word-of-mouth and most importantly, an engaged sales force who isn’t afraid to spread the word.

So, when it’s time for your next campaign, think about:

• choosing the right person - someone who lives in the neighborhood
• who knows key messages - why you’re raising funds
• who will have face-to-face conversations - ring the doorbell

Just think, with all of this going for you, you’ll finally be able to get those new band uniforms - or upgrade your communications budget.

By the way, my daughter will be selling magazines in October…

By Bryan Haviland, Executive Vice President

I’ve been in the public relations field for 27 years. By most of society’s standards for success, that’s a good start on a lifetime career. I like to joke to colleagues in the profession that I’m living proof you can raise three kids through early childhood on a one-income PR salary (and major sacrifices from your spouse).

I’ve worked for major corporations and highly regarded PR agencies. I’ve counseled important business executives and government leaders. Engaging, thought-provoking work. A perk or two on occasion. Always ethical. Adds up to a respectable living, right?

So, why is it, after all these years, that I still feel a little defensive - and clearly in wheel re-invention mode - when I get the question from neighbors, my mother, or even my own children:

“Just what is it that you do? What is public relations?

Each of us in the profession get this question and know there isn’t enough time to explain (or real interest from the questioner in hearing) what we really do for a living. So, we mentally cobble together a personal elevator story. We each have to rely on our own definitions because we all know the textbook definitions of PR just don’t work for those outside the marketing or communications professions.

I know this is a topic that has gotten PRSA’s attention in the past and, like old luggage, just won’t go away. Recently, during a conversation I had with Leslie Backus, national PRSA Board member, I mentioned that I needed to write a book someday about the very unique nature of the public relations profession, and what it takes to make a rewarding career from it.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Carol Merry, Vice President

“Risk” is probably one of the large words in business news tag clouds these days.

A NIRI newsletter called it the “word du jour in boardrooms and on the minds of institutional investors.” A September 15 story on CFO.com says that, after relative finance department obscurity, risk managers will be offered a seat at the big corporate finance table following the recent meltdowns.

“What’s your risk tolerance?”

That’s usually the first question from an investment advisor. With the answer, they fashion a strategy that matches your goals to your risk profile. It’s a procedure that more companies and organizations might want to emulate.

Knowing that a momentary misstep may turn into a widely publicized and endlessly speculated-upon incident with an extended lifespan on YouTube is intimidating. You can’t plan for everything. And you can’t be inhibited in growing your business. As the CFO.com story declares, risk management is misunderstood: “It is not about eliminating or minimizing risk, as the name would imply. It is about avoiding uncompensated risk.” In other words, determine what level of reward is worth what level of risk.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Aaron Brown, Associate Vice President

It was great to be back at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Monday night speaking with the Ohio University PRSSA chapter. Thanks to the 60-plus students who came to the meeting and participated in the discussion about key attributes of successful public relations professionals.

I was impressed with the chapter’s familiarity with new social media tools. Yet, the lasting impression I took away was the curiosity of the students about the role these tools are playing and will play in public relations. Chapter Vice President Anastasia Pronin is writing a thesis about the authenticity of blogs. Chapter President Paul Maston has members following PRSSA updates on Twitter. Senior member Aaron Baer shared insights of how he played a role in the social media discussion with key executives at an internationally renowned hospital during his summer internship.

This type of curiousity and experimentation, coupled with excellence in traditional public relations skills such as writing, research and analysis, is exactly what’s needed from successful PR pros and their campaigns. A key portion of the discussion last night was about the importance of new ideas and flexibility in today’s public relations campaigns. Regardless of industry, the target audience will always be on the move - on foot or online. We talked about the many ways to stay one step ahead, and how to bring along corporations that may be just warming up to the new role of strategic public relations in maintaining a dialogue with their customers.

In the past 10 days, I’ve been fortunate to talk with more than 100 future PR practitioners who are diving head first into the profession. If they keep up the pace they’re on now and continue to embrace the lessons PRSSA can bring them, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them leading the PR charge in the years ahead.

By Lara Kretler, Associate Vice President

Our agency recently hosted Keith O’Brien, editor of PR Week, while he was in Columbus to speak at a Central Ohio PRSA luncheon. I had the opportunity to ask him whether he sees more PR agencies developing separate social media departments or integrating social media into the organization holistically. He said it was about half and half.

At Fahlgren Mortine, we are incorporating social media into everything we do for our clients. When we meet with a prospective client, we put their business and communications objectives through our social media prism to develop the best possible program incorporating both traditional and new media strategies. To do otherwise would be leaving opportunities on the table - and this includes media relations.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Aaron Brown, Associate Vice President

I was fortunate to spend an hour last night in Ada, Ohio, with about 40 future public relations practitioners from Ohio Northern University. It was their first Public Relations Students Society of America (PRSSA) meeting and they had a great turnout - especially freshmen! Those students really have no idea how far ahead they are in the career game just by participating in PRSSA. I hope the students were able to gain some insights that help them understand the role of PR in our world today.

I always learn a lot about the pulse of the budding professionals from meetings such as this one. Students asked some really good questions, such as how to best prepare for what the PR world has in store for them, or what types of mediums they should be using to get their news. I can understand their intrigue because the definition of public relations, which has always been ambiguous, is becoming only more cloudy with the role of social media and consumer-generated content. I was thrilled to hear that ONU’s new visiting professor, Alisa Agozzino, is teaching a class and doing her dissertation on social media. And yes, each of her students is required to blog!

I’ll look forward to hearing more from this great chapter this year. I expect many of them will be applying for our top-notch Founder’s Award Internship. What will the Ohio University PRSSA chapter have in store when I visit them in 10 days…check back to find out.

By Paul Vetter, Vice President

When staid, mainstream publications like The New York Times started aggressively using the microblogging service Twitter, clearly it became a tool PR pros need to be using — especially those of us old enough to remember the thrill of sending our first faxes back in the ‘80s. Twitter references abound in the Gray Lady over the past few months.

Recently, political reporter Kate Phillips announced that readers could keep track of the latest news from the Democratic Convention through Twitter. The Times has also been using Twitter posts as quotes in stories. One recent blog entry quoted several Twitter users about their eager anticipation of Barack Obama’s text message announcing his vice presidential choice. Coverage of the Olympics opening ceremony quoted a Tweet complaining about NBC’s decision to delay broadcast until prime time.

An August online story included a blow-by-blow account of Twitter-based efforts by conservatives to force a vote on new oil drilling during the House’s August recess, a movement known as #dontgo.

“First, while Reps. Mike Pence and Tom Price provided the spark by starting the House floor revolt, it was the rightosphere (and crucially, the Twitterverse) that poured the gasoline,” the Times reported. 

These examples showcase the immediacy and power of Twitter.  What are the issues, opportunities – and risks — as the “Twitterverse” converges with MSM?  Stay tuned — it should be quite a show.