Impacting Legislation and Public Policy

Communications strategist and PPRA past president Jeff Jubelirer joins two of our region's sought after lobbyists to discuss PR and Lobbying: the art of building relationships to impact legislation, public policy and government budgets.

Jeff Jubelirer, president of Jubelirer Strategies, is widely recognized as one of the top corporate communications and public relations strategists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Perhaps best known for his unparalleled expertise in issue & crisis management and public policy advocacy, Jeff is the "go to" media person and political analyst for Fox 29 and NBC 10.

Daniel F. McElhatton is a partner in The Echo Group. For five years, he served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Allyson Schwartz, responsible for guiding the Congresswoman's legislative, policy and political priorities in both Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. as well as managing her Ways and Means Committee and Budget Committee legislative staff.  Prior to his work in Washington DC,  Dan served under Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, working in the Pennsylvania Department of Labor with a focus on post-secondary education and workforce development. 

Ted Christian oversees GSP Consulting's operations in Eastern Pennsylvania, bringing a background that has spanned the business, governmental and political arenas for the past 12 years.  Most recently, Ted was the State Director for the McCain-Palin campaign in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Ted has also worked on congressional races, ran a state party and worked for a national party committee.  He served for nearly four years in the federal government, as senior adviser to the Regional Administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration's Mid-Atlantic region, the premier procurement and acquisition agency in the world.

Date:
June 21

Location:
Philadelphia CVB
1700 Market Street
Suite 3000
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Time:
 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Light Breakfast will be provided!

Registration Fees:
FREE for members only!  Space is limited to 35 people, so register early!

Want to register? Click here and visit the PPRA event registration page. 

Your Resume Speaks to Me, It Literally Did

Social media is changing how consumers and companies interact, that much is clear, but it is also changing how employers (and job seekers) are connecting on a previously unimagined variety of levels. Mobile technology is evolving, growing, consuming, and inundating every known subject area of PR and now it is influencing career paths.

The problem is a common one and many graduates who are now toiling away behind their computer screen or tablets are faced with a new spin on the traditional job search. 

“How do I make a traditional document feel unique?” 

"Do I need my own website?"    

"Who should I follow on Twitter?"

"How much information is too much?"    

 "Am I over-thinking this?"

Stephen D. Vujevich, a transplanted Pittsburgh native, self-proclaimed social media addict, and now a recent Communications-Public Relations graduate from Immaculata University is taking matters into his own hands, and utilizing the resume creativity that has been featured in one of Mashable’s latest stories.

He designed and launched his own personal webpage, tied in a Facebook fan page, added professional Twitter name adjustment, a LinkedIn, a Livestream show, and the list goes on.  It seemed that none of these approaches, despite his experience, were gaining enough attention from prospective employers.

Riddled with resume advice from workshops, advisors, professionals, and professors, something caught Vujevich’s eye in the form of Victor Petit’s “Content-Rich Resume” video. “I knew that when I first saw this concept passed around online that I needed to develop my own. It’s perfectly brandable; it’s bold and unique,” Vujevich proclaimed. Petit’s and Vujevich’s foray into more untraditional approaches to personal branding are not alone and in outstanding company.

Vujevich is now implementing QR code tech and fusing it with YouTube and his traditional black and white resume, is starting to turn some heads in the local industry, and has Five Tips for Creativity for fellow jobseekers:

1. Force Yourself to Think – Ask yourself, family, and friends what distinguishes you as a person and possibly transform it into a focus group scenario. 
2. Pick Keywords – Utilize words that describe your experience and your personality and paint a vibrant and unique image of yourself.   
3. Creative, not Crazy – DO NOT think that by planning some outlandish stunt or alternative way to garner attention that it is “backlash-proof.” Use your commonsense. 
4. Be Not Afraid – Ask for help, look to network, inquire from professionals, and dare to be different in your job hunt. We’re not going to bite. We understand. 
5. Embrace Tomorrow’s Technology – Just because you have an iPhone does not grant you omnipotent knowledge. Take time to research what is next in mobile tech and how it can benefit you.  

Stephen Vujevich is a new PR pro with a sweet spot for SM.  Earlier this month he received his bachelor’s degree in Communication and PR from Immaculata University, he has been quoted in two national AP articles related to social media, and is now acting as a volunteer SM consultant for the Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School project. Peruse www.stephendvujevich.com to find out what Stephen is working on next.

Fair and Balanced Event Recap

More than 30 years ago, when “The Time of Your Life,” was revived on Broadway, with Henry Fonda playing the lead, LIFE magazine asked the playwright, William Saroyan, to review his award-winning play.

Instead of coming East from his home in San Francisco, Saroyan “reviewed” the play as he imagined it would be performed.  LIFE ran the review, which (like G. B. Shaw’s Prefaces) reflected his philosophy of life as well as re-telling the story of the play.

This is the approach that I am going to take in reporting on the PPRA’s April 27 program, “Fair and Balanced?” 

 

The title of the panel discussion refers to the trend to opinion in the news rather than giving the facts and enabling the reader or listener or the viewer to make up his mind.  The reasons for the trend include the profusion of electronic toys that enable everyone to be his own expert and tell everyone else that he is, indeed, an expert and is entitled to express his opinion.  This is called  “civilian journalism,” or something equally stupid and inane.

Another problem is the apparent need for “instant” news--”I want to know what happened five seconds ago, not thirty seconds ago.”  Thus, the print media is fashioning a rod with which to beat its own back by supplying “online” news, therefore reducing the number of people who would wait till the newspaper comes out.  Often I wonder how I survived not knowing about the bombing of Pearl Harbor until the day after it happened, or the successful invasion of Normandy until the second day?  

A third reason is that apparently, somewhere down the line, people have become more stupid and incapable of making their own decisions, so the news must be “interpreted” for them.  This is to compete with all the self-declared “experts” who have all the electronic toys and, therefore, can express their views on all subjects, whether or not they have all the facts (or, indeed, any facts!).  

So, how is all of this related to the question of “Fair and Balanced”?  In the old days, we who studied journalism (now, of course, it has been elevated to “communications”) at university (I was fortunate to have been taught be ex-newsmen, and not by academics whose acquaintance with newsrooms is watching “All The President’s Men”) were taught that the journalist must gather the who-what-when-where-why-how of any event or “story” before the story could be written, and the (dare is say, “intelligent”?) reader/listener/viewer had enough information to get on with his life.

This training is what the public-relations practitioner must also need to do his job well when he provides that information to the news media or whomever is the target.

A topic for future discussion might be how an opinion-filled “press release” is interpreted by an opinion-forming journalist.  But, I digress.

So, is journalism today “Fair and Balanced”?  Newspapers are losing circulation because they apparently have rejected the old idea of fair and balanced.  Television news programs apparently are losing audience because they have rejected the idea of fair and balance.  So, where does the public get its “news.”  When one listens to all the ill-informed comments that are made around the lunch and dinner tables, at parties, in bars, it would appear that “news” is the least thing on peoples’ minds.  It is opinion, and “mine is as good as yours.”

It is apparent that the news media--or most of it, to be more accurate--has abdicated its role in our society  It has willingly helped the hangman place the noose around its neck.  Those with all the electronic toys are the masters now.

And, where does that leave the public-relations practitioner?  Use the toys to get your message (don’t bother with facts, it’s opinion that counts) out to your target audience; the “traditional” media is probably useless.   But, be prepared when some of that target audience target your client or your employer.  How will the practitioner cry “foul” when the concept of “fair” has been killed and buried?  Another topic for discussion?

This blog post was written by PPRA member Andrew Kevorkian.

PPRA 2011-2012 Slate of Officers

As an Active or Life Member of PPRA, you are entitled to vote on the proposed slate of officers of the Board of Directors for 2011-2012.  The slate was recommended by Bill Cowen, Nominating Committee Chair, as well as members of this year's nominating committee who were Beth Archer, Eric Cortes, Cathy Engel, Silvana Pop and Mark Tarasiewicz.

The Nominating Committee is pleased to present the following slate of candidates for nomination as officers and directors for 2011-2012.  The election will take place at the Annual Meeting to be held on June 15th at 5:30 p.m. at the Stotesbury Mansion.  Click here to register.

President
Christopher Lukach
Anne Klein Communications Group, LLC
(assumes position as outlined in the PPRA Bylaws)

President-Elect
Kera Armstrong
Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy
 
Vice President for External Affairs
Bonnie Grant
Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
 
Vice President for Programs
Meredith Avakian
DuPont Co.
 
Vice President for Membership
Ashley Berke
National Constitution Center
 
Vice President for Communications
Jill Flanagan
Villanova University
 
Secretary
Michael Cavacini
The Star Group   

Treasurer
Caryn Williams 

Comcast Cable Communications, Inc.

 
Directors
Lisette Bralow
Philadelphia Folksong Society
(Term expires June 2012)
Eric Cortes 

WWSI Telemundo Philadelphia

(Term expires June 2013)
Darren Behuniak
Devon International Group
(Term expires June 2014)  

Immediate Past President (Chair)
Beth Archer 
Anne Klein Communications Group, LLC
(assumes position as outlined in the PPRA Bylaws)

Thank you for your continued support of PPRA.  Your input counts!

Moonlighting as a Freelance Writer: Earn More and Advance Your Career

"Moonlighting." It just sounds better than "working a second job." And as PR people, we know that words matter. Most of us write in some capacity, we're often good at it, and hopefully we even enjoy it. I know I do. That's why I moonlight as a freelance writer. The great thing about writing is that you can do it anytime and anywhere making it an ideal part-time job. Thanks to technology you can write from home (it's cliché but yes, in your pajamas, if you'd like) plan your own schedule and make extra money all while fostering dreams of being the next James Patterson (hey, it could happen, he started in advertising).  

Thanks to the economy and tight job market more and more Americans are working second jobs, in 2010 the number totaled 27 million according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In my experience part-time freelancing isn’t going to make you rich but you can earn enough to enjoy a nice dinner, a weekend away, or, if you’re like me, to pay your monthly parking bill!

How to start? That’s easier than you think! Make a list of topics that you know about, perhaps fields that you have worked in or been exposed to or hobbies and interests that you cultivate. Search the Internet for publications that cover these subjects. Look at what is out there, contemplate story ideas, then (and this is the most important part) get writing!

Most articles are sold by query letter so don’t write the whole article, instead write a pitch letter selling your story idea, send it out to editors of publications that are a good fit and while you wait to hear back – write more. Writing is as much as numbers game as anything else – have lots of queries out there so you up your chances of getting assignments. Websites are a good place to start, though they often pay less than print publications they need content more frequently and are more likely to take a chance on a newbie. However don’t shy away from pitching the big guns, there are certainly writers who have made their first sales to well-known monthly magazines.

The web has tons of resources and information from e-classes to sample pitch letters and online writers group – any question you could ask has probably been answered somewhere on the Internet. So get Googling! A good place to start and one of my favorite websites is The Renegade Writer (http://www.therenegadewriter.com/).

One word of caution, do be cognizant of your day job when freelancing – don’t exploit professional contacts for your freelance work or use your work computer or office hours for your writing and avoid potential conflicts of interest with both writing and PR clients. If in doubt it’s always better to mention your freelance work to your boss as he/she could easily find anything you publish online. There are many benefits to freelance writing including making you better at aspects of your fulltime job and providing a much needed creative outlet. I’ve never had an employer voice concern about it but you do want to keep it in perspective and until you’re able to leave your fulltime job that should be your priority.

I recently watched an interview with Julie Powell, author of Julie and Julia in which she said that the Julie/Julia project was not really about cooking or blogging but about Julie making time to do something for herself every day. For me writing is that something – it transports and energizers me, and sometimes, just sometimes, it even helps me pay my monthly parking bill. Whether or not you decide to moonlight as a freelancer, I hope that this is that year that you make the time to do something for yourself.

Aimee Cirucci is a Philadelphia-area PR pro by day, freelance writer and college instructor by night. She is the author of more than 20 published articles and three essays appearing in print anthologies. Check out the fruits of her freelancing at www.cirucci.com.

Spreadin’ the Love through Social Media

Every year, Philabundance, the region’s largest hunger relief organization, sees a spike in donations, volunteers and overall interest in the organization around the holidays, end of October through the end of December. And every year, like clockwork, donations, volunteers and interest drop significantly once January hits.

In an effort to keep Philabundance and hunger top of mind for supporters during the ‘after holiday slump’, Philabundance needed a way to increase food donations and overall awareness. Hence, Spread the Love was born, a two week virtual food drive securing peanut butter & jelly from a local grocer for every “like” Philabundance received on Facebook.  The concept of Spread the Love was inspired by both the viral nature of the campaign and the Valentine’s Day time frame.

The Goal

Spread the Love was designed as a Valentine’s themed social media campaign. The goal was to grow our Facebook fan page “likes” while engaging current and new supporters as well as growing our eNewsletter subscription base.

The Incentive

Our first step was to find incentives for potential supporters. We decided to hold a virtual food drive through Facebook to increase our “likes” and offered a chance at winning a $500 travel voucher from US Air for signing up for FreshNews, our eNewsletter or forwarding FreshNews to a friend.

Partners

In order to hold a virtual food drive, Philabundance needed to secure a food industry partner that was willing to donate. ShopRite agreed to partner with Philabundance for Spread the Love and would donate a jar of peanut butter or jelly for every new “like” Philabundance received on Facebook.

US Airways, the official airline of Philabundance, offered Philabundance a $500 travel voucher to raffle off through a social media push- Spread the Love was a perfect opportunity.

Mix 106 partnered as the media sponsor and aired PSA’s promoting the two week long food drive and hosted a charity badge on their website where monetary donations could be made for purchase of pb&j.

Suburban Square partnered with Philabundance for the Spread the Love event held near the end of the campaign.

Execution

Philabundance pushed this opportunity out through our eNewsletter, Facebook and Twitter. Strategically targeted tweets and Facebook posts encouraged current supporters to invite members of their network to join Philabundance’s network in order to provide a jar or peanut butter or jelly to neighbors in need.

Local papers and blogs were alerted of the virtual food drive and encouraged their readers to participate. We secured coverage from Action News, Examiner.com, WHYY’s News Works and KYW.

The Spread the Love event was held at a local farmers market to help close out the campaign. Supporters could drop off PB&J donations in person and sign up for our eNewsletter for chances at the $500 travel voucher.

Results

This campaign was extremely successful for Philabundance. In two weeks, Philabundance gained more than 4800 news fans. As a result, more than 4800 jars of peanut butter and jelly were delivered to Philabundance from ShopRite. We also gained more than 230 new eNewsletter subscriptions and Philabundance saw an increase of nearly 95% in web traffic. We were able to track all of these statistics through Facebook analytics and our own website statistics.

With a little creativity and some TLC, executing a successful social media campaign can be very rewarding and your results have the potential to grow each year the campaign is conducted. Check out Mashable for a breakdown of what others have done in the past. Have you ever helped drive a social media campaign for your company or client? How did it work out?  

Lindsay Bues currently serves as Public Relations Coordinator at Philabundance, the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization. As PR Coordinator, Lindsay is responsible for expanding relationships with regional media and increasing Philabundance’s visibility throughout the region. She recently graduated from Temple University with a degree in Strategic and Organizational Communication in 2009. While at Temple, Lindsay served as chapter president of Temple’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

Matt Cabrey Welcomed Into PPRA's Hall of Fame

On Tuesday, May 10th Matt Cabrey was inducted into PPRA's Hall of Fame. Each year PPRA hosts a luncheon to honor the new inductee making it an annual signature event. Matt is a part of Shire Pharmaceuticals’ international corporate communications team but his public relations talents and passionate demeanor goes well beyond his role at Shire. 

The Rittenhouse Hotel's grand ballroom was filled with Matt's friends, families, colleagues and fellow PPRA members.  Some guests knew Matt better than others but everyone left feeling a deeper connection with him because of the intimate setting.  Before lunch was served he even made his way around the room greeting each table to welcome them and thank them for being a part of this monumental day.

Fittingly, Karin Phillips, Community Affairs Director of KYW Newsradio1060, was the emcee for the program.  She and Matt both are consistently making an impact on the community helping locally based charities find a voice and putting visions into actions.

Guests at the luncheon were invited to donate can goods for Philabundance and children’s socks and underwear for Cradles to Crayons, two local charities that Matt is extremely involved in.  This also goes along with PPRA’s philosophy of making connections and bettering our community. 

The honorable Michael A. Nutter, mayor of the city of Philadelphia, was among the many who paid tribute to Matt’s dedicated work in the city of Brotherly Love.  Mayor Nutter presented Matt with a citation of the city thanking him for all of the charity work making the city a better place.  Ironically, just before mayor Nutter arrived to the luncheon he received 30 donated laptops at City Hall from Shire’s team that Matt leads.  The laptops are for student programs that are in need of them to meet their goals. Mayor Nutter shared his gratitude with everyone.

Angus Russell, CEO of Shire Pharmaceuticals, was the keynote speaker who praised Matt for his humble efforts in bettering Shire Pharmaceuticals and the global community.  Shire Pharmaceuticals has grown so much since Matt began working there in 2004.  When he joined the team he was one of 43 employees working at the Shire Chesterbrook campus and today it is home to more than 1,000 employees.

Making connections was the topic of many of the remarks made by the guest speakers including Allison Grove, Principal of g2 Communications, Mike Troupe, Vice President, Facilities of YMCA of Philadelphia & Vicinity and Lisa Cetroni, Matt’s former elementary school teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes.  Several weeks ago Matt invited each of them to make remarks because the connections he made with them at different stages of his life and career made a lasting impression.

Long before his career began he was already making positive impacts in his community in the Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia. Lisa Cetroni’s remarks stood out from the others on Tuesday because of her unique connection with the young Matt Cabrey.  She had the honor to be his elementary school teacher in both 4^th and 7^th grade at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. Lisa currently is a teacher at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Virginia and traveled back to Philadelphia just for this occasion proving how highly she thinks of Matt.  She shared fond memories of Matt being a role model in his class.  Lisa even recalled his “endearing uni-brow” and pastel leisure suite he sported for his class portrait. Matt ended up being the valedictorian of his elementary school in 8^th grade making Lisa very proud. 

A very exciting moment took place near the end of the program when Eddie Bruce performed a surprise rendition of the song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”.  The lyrics were altered by to fit Matt’s personal experiences and his warm personality.  It was a big hit and Matt was so pleased to have his close friend Eddie there for him.

The program concluded with Beth Archer, PPRA president along with Hall of Fame Luncheon Co-chairs Sharla Feldcher and Larry Rubin presenting the official Hall of Fame plaque to Matt.  He is now a member of the legendary group of Philadelphia’s finest professional communicators, the PPRA Hall of Fame.

PPRA Hall of Fame Members

2011 Matt Cabrey

2010 Lisa Simon

2009 Ellen Toplin

2008 Nina Zucker

2007 David Brown

2006 Bonnie Squires

2005 Ike Richman

2004 Anne Klein

2003 Dan Circucci

2002 Nessa Forman

2001 Joanne Calabria

2000 Brian Tierney

1999 Shelley Picker

1998 Dr. Jean Bradey

1997 Larry Rubin

1996 Judith Garfinkel

1995 Sharla Feldscher

1993 Richard A. Doran

1992 Harry R. Belinger

1991 J. William Jones

1990 Anthony P. Zecca

1989 C. Allan Laferty

1988 Abe Rosen & Allen Sommers

1987 Charles F. Schalch

1986 Sally Berlin

1985 Stephen R. Lawrence

1984 Shirley Bonnem

1983 Thelma Gray

1982 Gloria Hochman

1981 R. Mitchell Thomas

1979 Martha A. Gable

1977 Clifford Brenner

1976 Sylvia Kauders

1975 Christian T. Mattie, Jr.

1973 Milton A. Eisenberg

1972 Reginald E. Beauchamp

Thank you to the committee who helped plan this wonderful event!

PPRA Hall of Fame Committee

Sharla Feldscher, co-chair

Larry Rubin, co-chair

Kera Armstrong

Emily Berish

Shirley Bonnem

Lisette Bralow

Michael Cavacini

Christina Crews

Ellen Feist

Ricki Greenwood

Sylvia Kauders

Nina Scimenes

Lisa Simon

Bonnie Squires

Mark Tarasiewicz

Below are a few photos from the day's event:

Beth Archer, PPRA President, along with Hall of Fame Co-chairs Sharla Fleldscher and Larry Rubin present the Hall of Fame plaque to Matt Cabrey

Mayor Nutter presents Matt citation from the city of Philadelphia photographed with Beth Archer, PPRA President, Karin Phillips, KYW Newsradio 1060 along  and Angus Russel, CEO of Shire Pharmaceuticals

PPRA Hall of Fame members at the luncheon along with inductee, Matt Cabrey

This blog post was written by Nina Scimenes. She has been an active PPRA member since 2005 and is currently a part of the Hall of Fame Luncheon committee. After graduating from Cabrini College with a Communications degree in 2006 Nina went on to do PR at various organizations and now she is the temporary Marketing Manager of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. This year Nina has also been a PR Consultant for Rock to the Future, a local non-profit that is benefiting from pro-bono PR from PPRA members. When she is not immersed in PR work she is blogging on her new blog, Always a Brunette, and training for her next triathlon. Last year she completed her first triathlon in Philadelphia and is brave enough to go back from more including a swim in the Schuylkill River.

PPRA Life Member Beverly Rehfeld Shares Advice

My professional career began in RCA Victor’s Record Advertising Department where I wrote copy for albums  “Little Nipper Albums.”  Though I enjoyed the assignment, I found myself drawn more and more to the field of public relations and how it could serve corporate management, government and consumers.

Early in my career, and sometimes even now, I was not necessarily in step with my colleagues about the meaning and scope of public relations practitioners.  At times we refer to our field  from the narrow perspective of  skills such as press releases, spin, special events and glitzy presentations.  All of this is necessary to expand communications and visibility with constituents at all levels but it is not the total picture.

I believe public relation practitioners need to  understand and question internal policy with regard to fulfilling the organizational mission.  The practitioner needs to become conversant with organizational minutes, rules and regulations and whether or not they are being followed. Is what we say what we do?   If not, what do we need to do? Do we plan for failure?  How do we ameliorate deteriorating situations? Is there conflict internally between departments/employees?  What do we do about complaints?  In short, these questions need to be a part of the PR practitioner’s role in serving as employee or consultant.

I attribute my professional and personal growth to Temple University’s Program for people with a handicap or disability.  I took my job at a time when people who appeared different from everyone else were hidden at home or institutionalized.  I had no previous experience with people with special needs.  Temple’s program brought me in touch with clients, staff, families and community members who served to increase my knowledge about the potential in all of people.

I count research and listening to others, as among the most crucial skills public relations practitioners need.  Before I moved to St. Louis, I found both at PPRA meetings. I still maintain my membership as it helps me stay current and keep up with many  friends from whom I learned the importance of compromise and team work.

The advice I would pass on to young professionals is always ask the question. Before you plan anything, use my PAM FORMULA (P=What is our purpose? A=Who is our audience? M=What is our message?)

This blog post was written by PPRA Life Member Beverly Rehfeld.

PPRA 2011 Annual Meeting: Meet The Mayor

Join us at the beautiful Stotesbury Mansion in Rittenhouse Square as we celebrate another successful year of PPRA!

Our special guest speaker will be Mayor Michael A. Nutter, who will be accompanied by his Chief Spokesperson Mark McDonald and his Director of Communications Desiree Peterkin Bell. We’ll hear directly from the Mayor and his staff about lessons learned over the past three years and the value of public relations in running the city. We also will get a glimpse into his plans to maximize opportunities in the future.

In addition, we will honor our Fast Track and Dr. Jean Brodey award winners, say thank you to our outgoing president Beth Archer, and induct our incoming president Chris Lukach and PPRA's 2011-12 Board of Directors. It’s a celebration you won’t want to miss!

Date:
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Time:
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Registration/Networking Cocktail Reception
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Program

Location:
Stotesbury Mansion
1923 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Registration Fees:
$45 for PPRA Members
$60 for Non-Members
$25 for Students
$5 additional fee for walk-ins 

Want to register? Click here and visit the PPRA event registration page. 

PIFA Created an Army of Bloggers

An army of bloggers took the city by storm to promote PIFA

Photo Credit , George Widman    

How do you get the word out about 135 events over a three-week time period? Create an army of bloggers. That’s what Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) did.

PIFA is inspired by the Kimmel Center and they incorporated partnerships and collaborations with hundreds of artists, organizations and individuals from around the globe. It was nearly impossible to ignore the presence that the inaugural PIFA had in our city recently (4/7/11-5/1/11). No, I am not referring to the giant Ferris wheel or aerial dancers on Broad Street last Saturday for the PIFA Street Fair, I am referring to the non-stop social media presence that PIFA had on Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and approximately 30 blogs!
 
Nina Zucker Associates, local boutique public relations firm, represents PIFA and worked closely with Dafni Comerota of the Kimmel Center on the PIFA campaign.They were given the challenge of reaching a broad audience to include a younger crowd that doesn’t typically get involved in the arts and cultural community.

“Out of that challenge, we tapped Ed Salvato, a journalist and social media specialist who was brought on board to oversee social media strategy and create the campaign. As a result, the blogger army was born,” Nina Zucker, President of Nina Zucker Associates and member of PPRA’s Hall of Fame, said.

Reaching a broad diverse audience, many types of bloggers were included: mommy bloggers such as Frugal Philly Mom, arts bloggers, gossip bloggers such as Philly Chit Chat, as well as other local Philadelphia popular blogs including my own independent blog, Always a Brunette. Bloggers from Canada, France and the UK were also part of PIFA’s army of bloggers.

PIFA created its own Twitter handle, Facebook page and YouTube channel so that the bloggers could post their links onto the different platforms. The hashtag #PIFAphilly was trending on Twitter several times prior to the festival as well as during the festival.

PIFA’s army of bloggers certainly helped draw in the crowds with over 100,000 people visiting the Kimmel Center Plaza for the Eiffel Tower light shows two times each night and 150,000 attendees to the Street Fair on Broad Street.

The tremendous success, “Was a result of the fact that we merged traditional media and PR/marketing tactics with new and social media efforts,” said Zucker.

When Salvato was asked if he would include an army of blogger again if he had the opportunity to work with PIFA in the future, he simply answered, “Absolutely.”
 
This blog post was written by Nina Scimenes. She has been an active PPRA member since 2005 and is currently a part of the Hall of Fame Luncheon committee. After graduating from Cabrini College with a Communications degree in 2006 Nina went on to do PR at various organizations and now she is the temporary Marketing Manager of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. This year Nina has also been a PR Consultant for Rock to the Future, a local non-profit that is benefiting from pro-bono PR from PPRA members. When she is not immersed in PR work she is blogging on her new blog, Always a Brunette, and training for her next triathlon. Last year she completed her first triathlon in Philadelphia and is brave enough to go back from more including a swim in the Schuylkill River.

Making the leap from corporate to agency, with PPRA’s help

The conversation started with an off-hand remark at the PPRA Hall of Fame luncheon last year. I was on maternity leave, but I didn’t want to miss the Hall inducting Lisa Simon. After the festivities, I was catching up with fellow PPRA board member Chris Lukach and I mentioned that I didn’t know how I was going to successfully do my job while juggling a new baby and a two-hour commute.

Like most new parents, I was planning to go back to work. I wasn’t really looking to leave my challenging, engaging job that had afforded me many opportunities over the past six years.

Chris sympathized, and casually mentioned that maybe we should do lunch once I figured out what my plans were.

Fast forward several months and lunches and meetings, and I’m now a Senior Account Manager at Anne Klein Communications Group, working alongside Chris and the AKCG team.

Because of my leap, I am frequently questioned by colleagues: “What’s life like on the other side?”

The fact of the matter is that it is much the same. The work is the same. It requires the same skill set; I’m just managing a more diverse workload. I may be working one day to promote conservation steps a water company has taken, while the next day I may be working on a crisis for a hospital. I’m still working with great friends and interesting clients, just in a different capacity.

What’s different is how I sell my abilities. In corporate, “selling” my abilities stopped at my last job interview. Most of my colleagues assumed that I could perform my job if I was hired for it. Now, I sell our team’s talent every day to current clients, future clients, and, frankly, anyone who will listen.

What is also different is the dynamic with my former colleagues in corporate America. If I tell them about our capabilities, will they think I’m over selling? Do they think I’ll charge them for the same conversations about work we have always had?

These hang-ups are likely manufactured in my mind, but they make me extra cautious around corporate colleagues — friends, really — I’ve known for several years.

The truth is that I would like their business. I do want to work with them, but I don’t want it to be at the expense of our relationship. The balance between professional connections and friendships exists, but I’m still finding it. Because, after all, you never know when the next off-hand remark to a friend will lead into the next client, the next project, the next opportunity.

This blog post was written by PPRA President Beth Archer.  Beth is a Senior Account Manager at Anne Klein Communications Group in Mount Laurel, N.J., where she works with clients in the utility, healthcare and higher education industries.  She had her first internship when clips where still clipped out of a newspaper. Connect with Beth on Twitter or LinkedIn.