Learning audience behavior to drive stronger results

By Megan R. Auren Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) recently hosted the webinar “Learning Audience Behavior to Drive Stronger Results.” Founder and owner of Wax Marketing Bonnie Harris led the webinar and presented on the use of integrated marketing communications (IMC) strategies to learn and influence customer behavior. Harris began her presentation by bringing everyone up to…

Details

Collaborate with corporate brands for fundraising success

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…

Details

Getting your story straight (it starts with your brand archetype)

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…

Details

Developing an expert source relationship with the media

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…

Details

Taking the mystery out of PR measurement

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…

Details

Just how important is research in public relations?

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,…

Details

The importance of follow-up calls in media pitching

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…

Details

Benefits of media coverage

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…

Details

What does a PR professional do?

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…

Details