Tag: PRSA

Masters vs. APR

Dana PhelpsAPR, Blog, The Clairemont Team, , ,

Seeking to advance your knowledge of public relations? There are numerous ways to do so, and here Sarah Hattman provides insights through the lens of earning her APR while Cherith Andes offers her perspective based on her masters degree in communication and media studies.

Prepping for the Job: APR vs. Masters in Communication

SARAH HATTMAN: APR

APR. It might make you think annual percentage rate, but for those of us who are PR practitioners it means Accredited in Public Relations. It’s a credential earned by public relations professionals who prove their competency in the knowledge, skills and abilities required to practice public relations with an effective and well-rounded approach in today’s business world. It’s a great tool for anyone who works in PR and is looking to to advance their career or simply expand their knowledge beyond their immediate experience. The path to accreditation is challenging but attainable as long as you commit to the multiple step process.

I first heard about the APR process while attending a professional development luncheon when I lived in Albuquerque and was a member of PRSA’s New Mexico Chapter. It was 2011, and I was only a few months into my PR career. After working in news for a decade, I saw it as a great opportunity to embrace and learn more about the profession.

My APR at Work

  • Building Blocks for My PR Career: PRSA defines PR as, “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” The APR process forced me to further consider all the facets of PR: how it works, what’s the best strategy to make my message known, how the methods we use to communicate are always changing and how I can be a better communicator?
  • Challenging Myself: Often times, people tend to fall into a routine and develop a certain way of doing things. However, in the world of PR, no two clients or strategies are the same. To be the best that you can be you have to recognize this and challenge yourself to look at each project from all angles in order to develop a successful plan.
  • Moving Out of My Comfort Zone: Before I started the APR process my comfort zone was media relations. I had first-hand experience on both sides. First as a television producer, reporter and anchor who worked with PR people fairly regularly, and then as a PR practitioner who pitched stories to the media. I recently read Frédéric Harper’s blog post “The Magic Happens Outside Your Comfort Zone,” and it really resonated with me. While my background in the media is useful for my PR career,  it was earning my APR that gives me the confidence to move beyond of my comfort zone.

CHERITH ANDES: MASTERS IN COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA

After several years in the communications and marketing industry, I found myself returning to the same question: “But why this approach?” Strong PR requires a fountain of fresh ideas, but simply put, creativity without strategy fails to produce results. Effective communication campaigns marry targeted research with comprehensive strategy to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time. Without the guiding hand of research, even the most innovative marketing campaigns fizzle and fade, and potentially epic ideas join a graveyard of missed opportunities.

I refused to follow that demise.

To build my “communication tool box,” I pursued my masters degree in communication and media studies. Through two years of late nights and hefty papers, I sought to uncover the academic bedrock supporting accurate research, strategy development and–ultimately–effective PR campaigns. Now a few years after graduation, my masters undeniably provided knowledge, skills and tools that inform my work on a daily basis.

My Masters at Work

  • The Big Picture: Many practitioners fall into the trap of a tactics-only approach to PR while failing to consider the broader factors at play. During my masters, I studied key theories that illuminate the patterns behind interpersonal and organizational communication. Step beyond Grunig’s basic Four Models of PR, for example,to examine how muted group theory or Noelle Neumann’s Spiral of Silence theory affects behavior adoption. Eye-opening, I promise. PR practitioners cannot afford to ignore this types of influences when crafting a campaign, and my masters trained me to examine PR strategies within a wider theoretical context.
  • Reliable Research: Ever read an article that cites something like “Sixty-eight percent of all middle-class Americans prefer XYZ?” Statistics can be misleading, especially if not defined, conducted and represented with precision. My masters provided hands-on work with quantitative and qualitative research methods, from focus group methodology to public survey coding (down to the intricacies of margin of error relative to sample size). These concepts translated into well-honed skills for collecting and integrating scientifically accurate data into relevant communication campaign.
  • The Old Hats: Here’s to the ones who have gone before! During my masters, I had the opportunity to learn from some of the leading communication researchers in the nation. Their experiences provided a wealth of case studies: what works, what doesn’t in a real-life dynamic. From Toyota’s crisis communication strategy to Binder’s research on Twitter and public opinion, I’m armed with an arsenal of applied communication examples (not to mention a network of great advisors) to guide my projects.

I have had the pleasure of working with both of these smart and talented women and admire their commitment to the field of public relations. Want to know some other things I find pretty awesome about my colleagues? Check out our other posts on The Clairemont Team.

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CAPRSA Instagram Takeover v. PR Baton

Dana PhelpsBlog, Counselors Academy, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Deja vu. That sums up my initial reaction to participating in an Instagram takeover on the PRSA‘s Counselors Academy feed designed to give a sense of what it is like to work in PR. Hmmm. Why does that sound familiar?

In 2013, with the help of my Clairemont team, I launched PR Baton “to show the world what a day in PR looks like, one photo at a time.” We called it a social media experiment, and we created and synced Tumblr and Instagram accounts utilizing signup forms and calendaring apps. We also wrote rules and recruited “runners” to carry the baton. It produced 469 posts from varied PR professionals in the United States and Canada before the management of it started to become a full-time job. And then we returned to our full-time jobs of taking care of our clients’ PR and social media campaigns.

Was I ahead of my time? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, it was a fun exercise that allowed us to learn even more about digital communications and led to several interesting conversations with clients and prospects about social media possibilities. Now back to my Counselors Academy Instagram takeover…

I love that members of Counselors Academy are now participating in this way to share our work, new ideas, best practices and just the everyday stuff of working in public relations. Clairemont has also utilized Instagram takeovers for our clients to collaborate with like-minded organizations to gain additional exposure.

Have you participated in an Instagram takeover or secured one for your company or client? We’d love to feature your best examples in an upcoming post. Hit us up on Facebook with your faves.

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Dana Phelps Hughens Named Counselors Academy Chair-Elect

Tracy LathanBlog, Counselors Academy, The Clairemont Team, ,

Clairemont’s Dana Phelps Hughens Named Chair-Elect for Board of PR Agency Owners

The members of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Counselors Academy have elected Dana Phelps Hughens, CEO of Clairemont Communications in Raleigh, NC, as its 2017 chair-elect.

Counselors Academy is a professional interest section of PRSA that focuses on the business of agency PR. Its entrepreneurial members are owners or senior managers of leading independent firms in the U.S. and Canada. Counselors Academy’s programs foster networking, mentoring and learning.

Dana was asked to join the Counselors Academy executive committee in 2012 and served as the chair of the section’s marquee event, the PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Conference, in 2013. This year’s conference will be held May 7-9, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. Known for its robust networking and learning opportunities, the Spring Conference enables collaborative peer relationships in which meaningful business counsel, operational best practices and industry trends are shared and gained.

PRSA is the largest professional organization serving the U.S. public relations community. With a mission to “advance the profession and the professional,” PRSA provides news and information, thought leadership, continuing education and networking opportunities; sets standards of professional excellence and ethical conduct; and advocates for the business value of public relations and greater diversity among public relations professionals. Based in New York, PRSA comprises 112 local Chapters; 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on specific industries and practice areas; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which is active at more than 340 colleges and universities.

 

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Clairemont’s Hughens Joins NCPRSA Panel

Clairemont InternBlog, In Our Community, PR People, , , ,

From NCPRSA…

Understanding Industry Awards From Industry Experts: Learn How To Construct Award-Winning Entries in Preparation for the NCPRSA InSpire Awards!

The NCPRSA InSpire awards recognize the most outstanding public relations campaigns, programs and tactics, and the dedication and contributions of public relations and communications professionals. Whether you are part of an agency, a non-profit organization or a corporation, being recognized with an InSpire Award can help elevate your career, help improve your business and put your personal stamp on the public relations profession.

Join us Wednesday, February 15 for a panel discussion to learn pro tips from these previous award participants and winners representing a variety of industry perspectives.

Panelist Bios:

Dana Phelps Hughens
CEO, Clairemont Communications
As chief executive officer of Clairemont Communications, Dana is living her dream, backed by 20 years of experience in public relations and marketing. She leads the Clairemont team in building communications strategies that include traditional media relations, marketing communications, and social media promotions for national and international brands.

Dana’s focus on creating magical client experiences began the year she interned in guest relations at Walt Disney World and was the co-founder of a student-run public relations agency on her college campus. Prior to launching Clairemont Communications, she served as a senior vice president and global practice group co-chair of Fleishman-Hillard. In addition to her agency work, Dana has held corporate communications positions, including the role of key lieutenant to Nortel’s chief marketing officer. She was responsible for global planning and integration of all marketing functions including corporate communications, branding and advertising, employee communications, tradeshows and events.

Throughout her career, Dana has led her teams to win several industry awards including: a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil, a PRSA Silver Anvil Award of Excellence, Inspire Best in Show awards by the North Carolina PRSA chapter and several other Inspire and Raleigh Public Relations Society Sir Walter Raleigh awards.

Eva R. Hornak, APR
Communications Manager, S.T. Wooten Corporation
Eva is the first and only communications pro at S.T. Wooten, a 65-year-old construction company. She focuses on employee communications for nearly 1,000 co-workers, writing the award-winning employee magazine and several internal newsletters. She also works with the management team on a variety of corporate and executive communications, including the website, videos and presentations. After contracting with a local PR firm in 2016, Evie now oversees the company’s social media and trade media outreach as well.

Eva started her career in 2004, spending six years with Raleigh public relations agency Epley Associates, which later became The Catevo Group. Clients she served included John Deere, BB&T, Lawn Doctor, Novozymes Biologicals, Misys, MediClick and Raytheon. She next served as communications manager for the Irrigation Association, where she managed member publications and reports, media relations and member committees.

Eva earned her accreditation from the Public Relations Society of America in 2013 and is a past president of the North Carolina chapter of PRSA. She served two years as secretary of the PRSA Southeast District board and has held various board roles for the Raleigh Public Relations Society. She is a past awards chair of both NCPRSA and RPRS.

Kim Strazisar
Kim Strazisar Communications, LLC
With more than a decade of experience, Kim is dedicated to giving her clients personal, practical, and professional public relations and communications services. She specializes in working with small business and non-profit organizations, because a limited budget, full schedule, or small staff shouldn’t keep quality communication out of reach. Her passion is teaching and speaking on communications topics. Most recently she has taught branding workshops at Meredith College and started hosting communication workshops for small businesses.

Before launching Kim Strazisar Communications, LLC in September 2014, she spent six years as Communications Director of the North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association (NCNLA); responsible for developing, coordinating, marketing and publishing all NCNLA publications and advertising, along with grant writing, and event planning and management. She also worked as an account executive at The Rossman Group (now Truscott Rossman) in Lansing, Michigan, providing public relations services for multiple clients including The Michigan Oil & Gas Association (promoting Michigan Trust Fund Sites), DTE Energy (fighting energy deregulation), and Children’s Trust Fund of Michigan (raising awareness and funds for child abuse prevention). Her work won the agency several PACE Awards from the PRSA Central Michigan Chapter, including “Best in Show” for her work for The Michigan Oil & Gas Association. She has also volunteered for previous NCPRSA Award committees.

Her communication experience all started at The Phoenix Group (now Minacs Analytics) providing market research support for automotive clients like Daimler Chrysler.

Click here to register for the event.

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Tracy Lathan Receives Excellence in Mentoring Award

Dana PhelpsAwards, Blog, The Clairemont Team, , ,

The North Carolina Chapter of Public Relations Society of America (NCPRSA) has selected Tracy Lathan, APR, as the 2016 recipient of the Michael L. Herman Award for Excellence in Mentoring.

Lathan is an account strategist with Clairemont Communications, an award-winning, full-service public relations and marketing communications firm, and has been practicing public relations in the Triangle for more than fifteen years. In 2009, she received the Accreditation in Public Relations designation from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the profession’s only national post-graduate certification program in the field of public relations. For the past five years, Lathan has served as accreditation chair on the NCPRSA board of directors to mentor nearly a dozen other PR professionals in the Triangle to achieve this important designation.

Additionally, Lathan mentors team members at Clairemont on day-to-day account management best practices and leads regular client service lunch-and-learn sessions for the agency. She has been directly involved in developing the strategy and executing public relations programs that have earned Clairemont numerous awards for excellence in PR by NCPRSA and Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS). It is because of these things, as well as her previous leadership roles with RPRS, NCSU Alumni Association and the Raleigh Chamber, that NCPRSA recognized Lathan for her mentorship.

“It is a true honor to receive this award since Mike Herman was my first employer and mentor,” said Tracy Lathan, account strategist, Clairemont Communications. “Mike had a tremendous impact on so many PR professionals during his career, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share what he taught us with the next generation of practitioners.”

The Michael L. Herman Award for Excellence in Mentoring is presented to an individual who best exemplifies the ideal image of a mentor through hands-on instruction and support. It is given in memory of the late Mike Herman, APR, whose years of work and dedication to the public relations field made a lasting impression on the profession. He was inducted into the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows in 1998 and received PRSA’s highest individual award, the Gold Anvil for lifetime career achievement, in 2009.

Herman was a beloved mentor to both students and professionals, having served as an adjunct professor at N.C. State University, chair of the PRSA Counselors Academy and ethics chair of NCPRSA. He influenced PR professionals on a global scale, serving on the International Public Relations Association’s (IPRA) Governing Council and as keynote lecturer at the Russian Public Relations Association in Moscow and at the International Conference of Latin American Public Relations Professionals. He was also a role model in his community as an active member of his church, a Master Mason and a member of the Amran Shrine.

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