Save the Date 

We extend our thanks to all who submitted entries online in consideration for the 2012 PRism Awards.

Finalists will be notified soon, but it's time to mark your calendar for the annual Awards Show and Dinner on Wednesday, November 7.  The event will take place at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland. 

Please plan to join us as we recognize the very best in strategic public relations programs and tactical execution in numerous award categories.  Tickets will go on sale soon. 

Meanwhile, those with an interest in placing an ad in the 2012 PRism Tribute Program can find ad specs and sponsorship levels on the PRSA-LA Web site. 

For more information about PRism Awards sponsorship opportunities, please contact Laura Calliari at laura@artsandexhibitions.com or (424) 247-8619.

A Taste of What You Missed 
What makes a social media campaign successful? That was the question on everyone's mind at PRSA-LA's daylong social media event, held September 12 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

The day began with a series of "how-to" workshops. The first was led by Kyung Han and Joe Rhoton of EmPower Research, who discussed how to monitor online trends and analyze data. The second workshop, led by Serena Ehrlich of Mogreet, was a whirlwind primer on topics ranging from working with the "blogger mafia" to leveraging Google+.

Next up was the panel discussion featuring Tracy St. Pierre of NBC Universal, Jessica Ryan McNeill of Dermalogica and Tom Biro of Allison+Partners.

Moderator Rene Lynch of the Los Angeles Times started by asking the panelists to discuss their most innovative use of social media. Lynch of NBC intrigued the crowd with a description of how the broadcast networks are implementing new "second screen" initiatives that enable viewers to experience shows such as "The Voice" simultaneously on both their TV and mobile social media device.

Elaborating on Lynch's observation that "no one wants to be sold to, but everyone wants to buy," the panelists agreed that organizations must use common sense in their social media campaigns. They cautioned PR pros against the temptation to put tactics (such as creating an account on the latest social media platform) ahead of strategy.

Biro from Allison+Partners then described his agency's process for developing each client's social media strategy, which begins with an in-depth audit to see where and how the client is portrayed online.

As the discussion wrapped up, McNeill from Dermalogica made an admission that was surprising, yet perhaps shared by at least a few PR pros in attendance: "I don't use social media in my personal life, and the reason is simple... I don't like it," she declared.

And with that, the panel ended to roaring applause.

A Taste of What You Missed        

 

At Breakfast With... Health Care Media        

Attendees at PRSA-LA's recent At Breakfast With... Healthcare Media event were treated to an hour of candid, valuable advice on September 13, at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology's downtown Los Angeles campus.

The event, sponsored by the Southern California Gas Company, proved popular with the more than 30 PR professionals from both the nonprofit and corporate sectors in attendance.

As all those who pitch healthcare reporters know, it can be a challenging task. PRSA-LA put together a panel comprised of journalists from the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, and La Opinion to help uncover the most effective methods of approaching healthcare media and generating positive results. Fortunately for everyone, the participants definitely didn't hold back.

Los Angeles Times' Chad Terhune, who writes about the business and policies of healthcare and hospitals, appreciates when PR folks follow him on Twitter, read his stories, use helpful hashtags (he searches for specific terms) and engage via social media.

Susan Abram from the Los Angeles Daily News said she typically looks for stories featuring a local angle in the San Fernando Valley, but can go broader because sister papers carry her stories county wide.

Yurina Melara at La Opinion focuses on public health issues tailored to the needs and concerns of the paper's immigrant-heavy readership. Melara emphasized that she doesn't merely inform readers; she also wants to offer readers tangible help, so PR pros who announce free or low-cost resources (medical screenings, social services etc.) are always appreciated.

Everyone agreed personal testimonials are a must for good storytelling, so providing access to individuals or families with experiences to share is of particular value. As Terhune said, "People want to hear about other people."

As for news releases, the short answer is: they don't want them. Unless a story is really big, new, or extremely useful to their readers, our panelists said they don't find value in news releases and newswires. They are also not interested in weekly or monthly themes that many organizations use to help push news, so PR pros need to be more creative and strategic in the kind of information they make available, and how.

The panelists noted that assignment editors do not decide and assign all stories. Reporters have discretion into the topics they cover. They warned against pitching a story to a reporter and also going to his/her editor (or cc'ing the editor), because it suggests the publicist doesn't trust the reporter to make independent decisions about what stories they choose to cover.

Member Education Benefits       

 

New Complimentary Online Learning Opportunities Available in October       

 

 

PRSA National offers all members a very special 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 next month. For more information or to register for these opportunities, click on the link associated with each: 

• The New PR is Spelled "Customer Service"
  
  In this webinar you'll learn the how to create an amazing experience for your customers. Why? Because in the new age of broadcasting, part of every PR professional's job is to give the customer such amazing experiences that they do your public relations for you. Instructor: Peter Shankman. Date: October 4, 2012. REGISTER  

• Writing for Social Media
  
  How can you make your blog posts more personable? In this webinar, you'll discover tips on how to make your blog postings, tweets and other status updates more relevant, valuable and interesting to your readers. Instructor: Ann Wylie. Date: October 25, 2012. REGISTER