Thursday Thoughts - January 16, 2014

This week there’s plenty to remind you about…

TOMORROW

Hope to see you tomorrow at our monthly professional development session.  Guest speakers are from Ocala’s own Signature Brands… you might leave with a tasty treat!

KISS – KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE

Check the attachment to your weekly email from me (FPRA Ocala members) for a short-read article that's a GREAT reminder to us all.  (Courtesy of FPRA President Chris Gent, APR, CPRC)

IMAGE UPDATE

Unless you’re mega-organized or have a really good memory, you might struggle to remember what you did last week much less last year. And, after the whirlwind of the holiday season, the last 365 days seem blurrier than ever.  That’s why I’ve started to preheat my entry now for our Mid-Florida Local Image Awards competition, reciPe for Results. Even though the competition deadline isn’t until Monday, March 17, those nine weeks will be here in a hot minute.  Don’t let your solid entry get lost in the volumes of writing, unplanned on-camera interviews, emergency design projects and ever-looming deadlines that we all face every day. Today, let’s get cookin’. To help you get started, we’re excited to provide you our 2014 Mid-Florida Local Image Awards Call for Entries and competition guidelines. Pour yourself (another) cup of coffee and take a few minutes to review the judging criteria, rules and various competition divisions. Remember: The deadline to submit your local Image entries is Monday, March 17, 2014. We will honor this year’s top chefs at CTAE’s Commercial Food and Culinary Arts school (Brewster Hall | 1014 SW 17th Road, Ocala) on Friday, April 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  For questions, contact Image Committee Chair Heather Danenhower, APR, at heather.danenhower@duke-energy.com or 352-563-4489.  

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

“FPRA: The Road Best Travelled,” August 11-13, 2014, in Orlando.  Click here for more info.

THE WORST OF 2013

Here are some thoughts about bad communications in 2013. The list includes Carnival, Chick Fil A and Obamacare. (Courtesy Carole Savage, APR, CPRC)

 

PIO CONFERENCE

Finally, FPRA Ocala Secretary Jessica Greene shares this info with us:  Registration is open for the Florida Association of Public Information Officers 2014 PIO Symposium.  Takes place Friday, Jan. 24, 9am-5pm at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center.  $50 registration fee.  Topics include the Sandy Hook School Shootings, Crisis Communication – Hurricane Style, Will George Zimmerman Ever Go Away, Using Social Media to Tell a Story, and a Social Media Brainstorming Session. For more details, call 386-676-2744 or email info@ffca.org. 

 Continue to “think FPRA!”

Thursday Thoughts - January 10, 2014

I’m sharing LOTS of information this week so please read carefully! 

PRestige Newsletter

WOW – our brand new e-newsletter looks great!  Headline-oriented and easier to read!  Hopefully, you received it in your email inbox this week.  If not, click here.

 

IMAGE UPDATE

Unless you’re mega-organized or have a really good memory, you might struggle to remember what you did last week much less last year. And, after the whirlwind of the holiday season, the last 365 days seem blurrier than ever.  That’s why I’ve started to preheat my entry now for our Mid-Florida Local Image Awards competition, reciPe for Results. Even though the competition deadline isn’t until Monday, March 17, those nine weeks will be here in a hot minute.  Don’t let your solid entry get lost in the volumes of writing, unplanned on-camera interviews, emergency design projects and ever-looming deadlines that we all face every day. Today, let’s get cookin’. To help you get started, we’re excited to provide you our 2014Mid-Florida Local Image Awards Call for Entries and competition guidelines. Pour yourself (another) cup of coffee and take a few minutes to review the judging criteria, rules and various competition divisions. Remember: The deadline to submit your local Image entries is Monday, March 17, 2014. We will honor this year’s top chefs at CTAE’s Commercial Food and Culinary Arts school (Brewster Hall | 1014 SW 17th Road, Ocala) on Friday, April 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  For questions, contact Image Committee Chair Heather Danenhower, APR, at heather.danenhower@duke-energy.com or 352-563-4489.  

FPRA WEBINAR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

FPRA’s webinar series kicks off Jan. 16 @ 11:30EST with PR and Big Data presented by Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO of Pure Performance Communications and widely regarded as an international thought leader in public relations and marketing. Deirdre is the author of five seminal works, including “PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences,” “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations,” and most recently, “Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional.”  Because research is an integral part of the PR planning process, the webinar explores ways to analyze and use big data for better public outreach, competitive marketplace intelligence, creative program development and measurement – all critical to the PR profession today. Cost is $25 for FPRA members, $50 for non-members. Registration opened Jan. 8. For more information, contact Laura Byrnes, APR, FPRA state vice president of professional development.  

PR STRESS

Think PR is stressful?  You’re RIGHT!  So says The Wall Street Journal:  Click Here

THINK BEFORE YOU TWEET

Check this out.  I think there are several lessons in this incident. Most notably for all of us in PR is the intersection of our personal and professional lives when it comes to social media. (from Jessica Green, Marion County Fire-Rescue)

Until next week, continue to “think FPRA.”

Today is our monthly professional development session.  I hope you’ve reserved your seat at the table to hear Abby Pemberton talk about Publix and her company’s social media success.  You can still pay at the door if you’ve not RSVP’d. 

Because some folks missed it last week, here’s adirect link to the December issue of PRestige, our monthly newsletter.  News tip: next month, PRestige takes on a whole new look… stay tuned!

 

Heard of WestJet Airways?  I hadn’t either… until I watched this video.  What a GREAT example of PR that’s gone positively viral! 

 

 

Annual Conference:  “FPRA: The Road Best Travelled,” August 11-13, 2014, in Orlando.  Clickhere for more info.

Looking for a job? Know someone who needs a job?  Here’s one in Lake County:  

Click here to see this job posting.

Finally, I wish each of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday Season, and a Safe and Joyous New Year!

 

Until next time… continue to “think FPRA!”

Thursday Thoughts, 12.12.13

FPRA Ocala Chapter

Click here for a festive surprise! 

Next Friday, Dec. 20, is our monthly professional development session: click here for more info and to RSVP. 

“FPRA: The Road Best Traveled” – FPRA’s 76th annual conference takes place August 11-13, 2014 in Orlando. Click here then scroll down for a short video on next year’s conference. 

December’s PRestige newsletter is linked for your perusal.

Like music trivia? Check it out. Particularly like Christmas music? Check out this funny video...

Or, if you're like me and prefer the original version, here's Andy Williams...

The Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) has finalized a new “Certificate in Principles of Public Relations” for students.  By way of background, the certificate is designed for any undergraduate student who is:

• a public relations major or major in a similar field at an accredited college or university with a faculty member who will certify he/she is a public relations or related major
• within six months of graduation (before or after) 
• prepared to take a formal preparatory course 
• willing to pay the $125 exam fee (to cover Prometric testing) plus a $25 registration fee.

The latest FPRA white paper benefits us all: PR is Not Always Loved by Management; Here’s How to Get the Romance Started 

Finally, State Office membership rosters will be purged at the end of this month. If you know someone who has YET to renew his/her membership, encourage them to do so now. If they wait, they’ll have to start the process all over again, submit a resume and application, be board approved… and perhaps even pay a late fee.  Remember, memberships are renewed through the State Office.

Gearing up for just one more complete shopping week before Christmas… I encourage you to “think FPRA!”

Kevin Christian, APR

FPRA Ocala Chapter President
Marion County Public Schools

Thursday Thoughts 12-5-13

Click here for a festive surprise!

Our monthly professional development session on December 20 is confirmed with a great speaker… you won’t want to miss this one! Think Publix, Facebook, and Twitter combined… more details to follow in your inbox.

REMINDER:  The FPRA membership database will be purged December 31.  Anyone who renews after this date will not be included in the printed membership directory, may have to start the entire application process over, and may have to pay a $25 late fee to re-join.  Currently, the Ocala chapter has the fourth-best renewal rate in the state… which would improve if more non-renewals sign up.  Questions? Contact Jenifer Lowe, president-elect and membership chair.

Have you considered the next step in your career -- becoming Accredited in Public Relations?  APR is the only universal, post-graduate credential available in the public relations profession. It is considered the “Mark of Distinction” for those demonstrating knowledge, experience and commitment to the profession. When you earn your APR credential, you join an elite group of 5,000 public relations professionals worldwide.  Join some of your credentialed peers Monday, Jan. 13 at 11:30AM in the Hospice of Marion County board room (3231 SW 34th Ave. Ocala, 34474) to hear an overview of the credential process. All you need to bring is your lunch and an appetite for information -- we’ll supply the rest! If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Lisa Varner or call 352.854.5230.

Finally, our Image Award committee is hard at work finalizing details for Save the Date, Call for Entries, and Awards Invitation… based on the “recipe” offered in the November meeting, the 2014 Local Image Awards promise to be desirable, delightful, and delectable!  More details to come in future communication…

Until next time, continue to “think FPRA!”

Thursday Thoughts 11-27-13

As you enjoy time this Thanksgiving with family and friends, I encourage you to pause for a moment to reflect on how much we all have for which to be thankful.  Even in our worst scenarios, we have so much more than many others around the world.  Perspective is a good thing, and holidays provide prime time to examine and reflect.   If you need inspiration, read this quote then click on it for more:

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”  --W.T. Purkiser

It’s possible some chapter members may NOT receive email communications from the State Office due to firewall restrictions.  Some issues of e-facts (state newsletter) may not make it through company filters. If you’re not receiving emails from the State Office and your company cannot change firewall settings, you might consider using a personal email address instead (remember to provide this to the State Office for future membership / contact rosters).

From Barbra Hernandez, APR, with Marion County Board of County Commissioners:  [Individuals, brands and PR practitioners that succeed in this new era will do so with edict similar to Dachis Group’s CEO Jeff Dachis new mantra – “This shift from mass communications to a mass of communicators has created a strong fundamental shift.” He’s right, and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his team just underestimated how mass this group of communicators could be. Click here to read the full article.

Finally, here’s a “visual invite” to our December meeting, complete with holiday music and snow: 

(Special thanks to Devon Chestnut, APR, Gainesville Chapter member and State Board Executive Committee member, for producing this spot for us!)

In giving thanks, continue to think FPRA!

Thursday Thoughts 11-21-13

Happy Thursday! One week from today, we’ll enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with family, friends, and others who make our lives meaningful.  I hope the time away from your job is peaceful and filled with rest… although some of you may venture into the “Black Friday” zone.  If you do, best of luck with that!

Special thanks to Carole Savage, APR, CPRC, on a successful ACES meeting this week.  Though small in attendees, the conversation was rich and full of thought!

Last week’s State Board meeting was filled with information for chapter members.  Among them:  Golden Image is going electronic!  Yes, that’s right – no more three-ring binders at the state level.  Stay tuned to Heather Danenhower, APR, for more details on this exciting evolution and how it may impact our local Image Awards.

In membership, the Ocala Chapter slipped to 4th in the state for renewal rates, but from those listed as “non-renewed” on the State roster, we’ve identified several locals who already ARE in the process of renewing.  If you’re still undecided, do so today… you’ll avoid a late fee and possibly having to start the entire process from scratch.  If you’re not sure, you can always email the state office. <mailto:state@fpra.org>

Exciting changes are in store for our newsletter… so keep reading these weekly emails to discover those changes!

Here's information on the 76th annual FPRA Conference in Orlando...
 

I hope you’ll start making plans now to attend!

MARKETING OPPORTUNITY – we’re looking for monthly meeting sponsors wanting brief time before Ocala’s best PR professionals.  If you know someone who’s interested (for a fee), let me know.  I’m happy to contact them to make the pitch.

And finally, watch for a new job posting on www.fpraocala.org <http://www.fpraocala.org>  soon offering someone with graphic arts experience a good opportunity that’s local.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!