2012 PRism Awards 

It's time to get your materials in order!

PRSA's Los Angeles Chapter is now accepting entries for the 2012 PRism Awards, our annual program recognizing the very best in strategic public relations programs and tactical execution in numerous award categories. 

The awards are open to all public relations practitioners who work in the Los Angeles County, Ventura County and Santa Barbara County or who have completed work for clients based in those areas between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.

Award entries are now accepted via an online system.  Complete details regarding the new online entry process, as well as the 2012 Award Categories and FAQ, can be found on the PRSA-LA Web site. 

Here are some dates to keep in mind:

EARLY ENTRY DEADLINE
Wednesday, August 1, 2012, by 11:59 p.m. PST
(Save $40 to $50 per entry)

FINAL ENTRY DEADLINE
Friday, August 24, 2012, by 11:59 p.m. PST

No extensions beyond these deadlines will be granted!

Winners will be announced at the 2012 PRism Awards Show and Dinner on Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland. Mark your calendars now. More information about the show will be shared when it is available.

Save the Date 
Looking to increase your mastery of social media?  Mark your calendar for 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 for PRSA-LA's upcoming Social Media Program and Bonus Workshop at the uniquely distinctive Los Angeles Athletic Club. 

In this informative session, you'll hear from experts designing and implementing highly successful regional, national and international social media campaigns.  While exploring detailed case studies, you'll learn tips on how to measure success, the keys to engaging key audiences, future trends, and more. 

Also back by popular demand will be our pre-program workshop (3-5 p.m.), in which participants will share the latest tactics and social media research tools.

Look for more information to be posted soon on the PRSA-LA Web site. 

Don Perkins Community Service Grant 

For more than 20 years, PRSA-LA has awarded the Don Perkins Community Service Grant to a qualifying Southern California non-profit organization with a demonstrated need for public relations support to advance its mission. This community service fund was created by an endowment from the late Don Perkins, a long-time Los Angeles public relations practitioner and journalist.

As a PRSA-LA member, this is a great opportunity for you to contribute professionally and financially to the non-profit organization of your choice. The endowment requires that either a PRSA-LA member in good standing, or a counseling firm or agency that has at least one member in PRSA, assist in managing the non-profit's public relations program made possible by the grant.

Forward this information to your favorite non-profit and you may help them secure a $10,000 grant to fund a public relations campaign to promote their important work and increase awareness to a larger audience of constituents.

Non-profit organizations providing services or programs (except those of an exclusively religious nature such as churches and religious institutions) located throughout PRSA-LA's chapter area are welcome to apply. This includes organizations registered as a 501(c)3 in the State of California that reside in these areas: Los Angeles County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County and Kern County.

The application process is simple. Check out the Overview and Eligibility Guidelines, which includes a link to our new easy-to-use online application form.

Get started now! The deadline to apply is August 31, 2012. The winning charity will be presented a check for $10,000 at the PRism Awards Show on Wednesday, November 7, at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland.

Questions?  Contact PRSA-LA Board Member and Committee Chairperson Stephan Roth at stephan@prsala.org or 323.951.0059.

Upcoming Partner Event  

PRSA is partnering with Hispanicize Digital to launch the "Latino Social Media Insights Tour," a series of professional development breakfasts for PRSA Chapters nationwide that feature panels with Hispanic bloggers and expert presentations on current trends in Latino social media.

With Hispanic buying power currently at $1 trillion and expected to grow to $1.5 trillion over the next five years (Nielsen), these breakfasts are a great way for Chapter members to gain important insights into the rapidly growing Hispanic marketplace and evolving consumer mindset.

This program aims to bring some of the big answers to key questions agencies and marketers are asking today about Latino social media.

PRSA-LA is working with Hispanicize to make L.A. a stop on the national tour. Keep a close eye on L.A. Connect and the PRSA-LA event calendar for details, or visit Hispanicize online or on Facebook for all the latest.

PRSA New Member Promotion  

Looking for a way to encourage more of your colleagues to join PRSA?  The organization's summer member promotion will help you make the perfect pitch. 

Now through August 31, locals who join PRSA National will receive FREE Chapter Membership in PRSA-LA for one year.

Send them this link to register and take advantage of this opportunity.

 
A Few Reasons to Join PRSA & PRSA-LA

PRSA is the world's largest community of public relations and communications professionals.  Some of the best reasons to join include:

• More than 21,000 colleagues to connect with on MyPRSA through our members-only directories and online discussion forums  

• Members-only discussion boards, a database of case studies, articles and research, including Silver Anvil Award winners and nominees, and preferred pricing on seminars, boot camps and conferences   

• Updates through the daily Issues and Trends newsletter, monthly Public Relations Tactics newspaper and The Public Relations Strategist quarterly magazine featuring executive-level insight  

• The Business Case for Public Relations, PRSA Code of Ethics and opportunities for Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) that offer values, principles and practice guidelines that define professionalism and success  

• More than 50 free live and on-demand webinars scheduled for 2012  

2012 Member Benefits Highlight      

 

New Complimentary Online Learning Opportunities Debut in August      

 

 

This year, PRSA National introduced a very special new member benefit: FREE access to its entire catalog of online learning opportunities (section-specific material excluded). 

Here is a rundown of some of the options that will be available to members in August. For more information or to register for these opportunities, click on the link associated with each: 

• Strategic Communication: Connecting Strategic Vision to Execution
  
  In this webinar taught by Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communication and faculty director at the top-ranked Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, you'll learn the connection between strategy development and execution using strategic communication. Instructor: Paul Argenti. Date: August 2, 2012. REGISTER  

• Building Belief: A New Model for Activating Corporate Character and Authentic Advocacy
  
  Leading companies are building strong corporate characters that encompass each enterprise's unique identity, differentiating purpose, mission and values. Learn how to develop brand and reputation in the era of globalization and social media. Date: August 9, 2012. REGISTER  

• Building Community Trust: Overcoming Critics, Bloviators and Opposition
  
  Few successful businesses, organizations or individuals can afford to ignore what their employees, the public or key audiences think, say and do about them. This is especially true when the issues or questions are explosive, corrosive or emotional. This powerful program will help you preserve, protect and defend your trust relationships while overcoming opposition and critics. Instructor: James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, CCEP. Date: August 9, 2012. [NOTE: Registration for this webinar will be coordinated by PRSA-LA. Contact Mindy Gail at 818.582.3233 or info@prsala.org.]

• How to Use a PR Mashup for High-Impact Results: Pairing Social Media with Traditional Communications Techniques
  
  What is the ideal mix between old and new media? In this webinar, you'll learn how top organizations are blending new and traditional media for more creative, exciting and results-bearing programs. Instructor: Mike McDougall, APR. Date: August 14, 2012. REGISTER  

• Key Message Development: Building a Foundation for Effective Communications
  
  How can you put key messages to work? In this webinar focused on PR techiniques and tactics, you'll learn a five-step system for preparing strategic messages. Instructor: Debbie Wetherhead. Date: August 23, 2012. REGISTER

• Building Effective Crisis Plans: Learn to Identify Crisis-Causing Risks and How Your Crisis Plan Can Pass Seven Powerful Tests
  
  In this webinar, you'll learn how to identify crisis-causing risks and exposures. Discover the crisis plan components most planners miss (but must have), and how to avoid, anticipate and pre-empt the mistakes that cause response failure. Instructor: James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, CCEP. Date: August 28, 2012. REGISTER

A Taste of What You Missed        

 

At Breakfast With...

Telling Your Story to Local Media       

 

 

Attendees at PRSA-LA's recent At Breakfast With...Telling Your Story to Local Media event were treated to an hour of candid, valuable advice about working with some of the Los Angeles market's most popular Latino news outlets.

Panelists included Cecilia Bográn, reporter, KMEX-TV Univision 34 & KFTR-TV TeleFutura 46; Lorena Dominguez, reporter, KWHY-TV Canal 22 and MundoFox; Agustin Duran, editor, LatinoCalifornia.com; and Juan Carlos Gonzalez, news reporter, KXOS-FM Exitos 93.9 FM and freelance reporter, Univision. The moderator was Raul Gordillo, media and employee communications manager, Southern California Gas Co.

PRSA-LA member Andrew Hindes, president of The In-House Writer, attended the July 10 gathering at the Gas Company Tower in downtown L.A., and passes along this sampling of the panelists' helpful tips:

• Know Your Audience. All four journalists said they look for stories that affect the Latino community and have a local angle. "The same press release you send out for the Anglo market doesn't work for the Latino market," said Bográn.

• Habla Español. Have a Spanish-speaking expert or spokesperson available, said Gonzalez. "If you start looking around for one when I call, it's probably going to be too late for our deadline."

• Trending Topics. Hot topics include immigration, health, entertainment, lifestyle, personal finance and business.

• Pitch Appropriately. The panelists all said they prefer to receive pitches via email, followed up by a phone call or text. The email subject line should clearly convey the news story as well as the Latino angle.

• Timing is Everything. Bográn suggested the best times to contact KMEX reporters with timely stories are 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., before the daily staff meetings for the station's afternoon and evening shows.

• Write for Your Audience. While all the outlets represented accept press releases in English, Spanish-language releases are generally preferred. "They make our lives easier," said Duran.

 

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