By Megan R. Auren Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) recently hosted the webinar “Collaborate with Corporate Brands for Fundraising Success,” in which presenter Cyndee Woolley, APR, discussed effective methods for nonprofits to strategically approach corporate sponsors. Woolley began her presentation by sharing the five driving forces that make a nonprofit fundraiser successful: 1. Successful outcomes…
By Aliki Vrohidis With an entertaining presentation featuring references to “Star Wars,” “The Godfather” and other pop culture hits, Steve Wehrenberg educated an audience on brand archetypes at a Minnesota PRSA event held at the University of Minnesota. Wehrenberg is a professor and program director at the University of Minnesota with more than 35 years of…
By Aliki Vrohidis As a brand, using a celebrity as your spokesperson can have a huge payoff. Celebrities have the potential to share your brand with millions of fans since they already have a high level of recognition. This awareness often translates into profits. . .but there are cases where celebrity spokespeople can hinder a brand. When…
By Aliki Vrohidis Media relations has many uses, but is often used for one goal: promoting your business. One of the most economical ways to gain mass exposure is to be included in news media stories. Although your story pitches for features on your business may not be picked up by reporters, there is another way to position yourself…
With a panel made up of agency, corporate and academic experts, Minnesota PRSA took some of the mystery out of PR measurement and social media campaign evaluation at a recent event moderated by Douglas K. Spong, APR, Fellow PRSA, founder and president of Spong PR. Given the overwhelming amount of data available to communications professionals, it can be…
By Megan R. Auren Where research fits into public relations Public relations activities are often explained with acronyms like ROPES and RACE. ROPES: Research, objectives, programming, evaluation, stewardship. RACE: Research, action, communication, evaluation. It is important to note research is the foundation of all public relations activities and should operate on a continuous cycle. However,…
By Aliki Vrohidis The art of the media pitch is a difficult skill to master. Media pitching begins with a newsworthy story, customized media list and typically, a specially crafted email. After delivering what you think is a brilliant, personalized pitch, reporters may take hold to the idea or may not even respond. The question of…
Despite the fragmented nature in which people receive information today, there’s still value in using media relations to secure a positive story in traditional media outlets. Some of the benefits of media coverage on a TV or radio station, or in a newspaper or magazine include: Visibility. In my hometown of Minneapolis, the Star Tribune…
By Aliki Vrohidis A common question I receive from family, friends or potential clients is, “What does a PR professional do?” It’s one I’ve found difficult to answer but necessary for others to understand. The difficulty of this question comes from the many hats a PR professional wears. Responsibilities and tactics vary by industry and…
In April I published a book of life lessons I learned from my 93-year-old grandfather, Maynard Johnson. While thinking about ways to promote the book, “Maynard’s Memories: Life Lessons from the Developer of Airlake Industrial Park in Lakeville, Minnesota,” I learned about Amazon Giveaway, an offering from the Internet giant that provides anyone the opportunity to…