September President's Letter 

As professional communicators, we're more enthralled with words than most people, and typically more motivated to improve our vocabularies. I recently stumbled upon some new ways to do that:  

• Words with Friends^TM is a free iPhone app that allows users to play Scrabble^® with friends or complete strangers. I'm not a big gamer but am justifying this "play time" by calling it professional development! Besides increasing my vocabulary, I'm improving my strategic thinking skills. 
  
•  The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) announced 2,000 new words in their Third Edition, which was released August 19. Among newly acceptable fodder are geoengineering, frenemy and chill pill. You can subscribe to OED's Word of the Day on its website RSS feed.    

While you're busy beating me on Words with Friends^TM, don't forget to register for our upcoming events. Dayton Area PRSA has strong fall line-up including the second annual SummitUp. Registration for this event is now open. Don't miss this exciting chance to network as well as increase your social media vocabulary!

Also, don't forget about our free Coffee & Conversation get-togethers held monthly at Boston Stoker on Far Hills. It's a great way to fit in some casual networking. Watch our website for dates and times. I look forward to seeing you at these and other events where we can chat and impress each other with our newly acquired words!

Sarah Hibner

Navigating the mommy blogosphere: Reach the world's largest target market

By Emily Foshee

The full text of this article ran in the May issue of Tactics. To read the complete article, visit www.prsa.org.

Moms spend $2.1 trillion annually on everything from clothing to cars to health insurance. They are the world's largest target market and the competition for their attention is growing every day.

If you want to get your share of this lucrative market, then listen up. Moms trust the advice and recommendations of other moms more than any PR or advertising initiative, according to "The Digital Mom Study," conducted by Razorfish and CaféMom in 2009.

Since the traditional way of building relationships with this target audience has changes, how do you convince moms to buy your product? Cultivating relationships with savvy mommy bloggers - if done correctly - may result in these individuals becoming effective advocates for your company.

Reaching out to mommy bloggers is a different process than pitching traditional media bloggers. In fact, when working with mommy bloggers, delete the word "pitch" from your vocabulary. Here's what you can do to be successful:

• Know your audience. This is the cardinal rule of PR, but it needs repeating. Get to know the mommy bloggers that you'd like to have review your product or service. Get the feel of her blog by reading a month's or even a year's worth of posts.
• Identify which blogs are influential in your target market. There is a difference between blogs that are popular and those that will help you accomplish your marketing objectives. Don't forget to review the Web analytics on the blog.
• Be genuine. Never send a generic, canned pitch to a mommy blogger. Build a relationship with her, and craft your pitch to her specifically. If she's receptive, then send your product to her for review. Use caution, however. She must disclose the connection that she has with your product or service on her blog.
• Don't send news releases. Most mommy bloggers won't even look at a press release unless it is related to a specific product that they are reviewing.
• Approach the mommy bloggers who you've selected offline. Host a blogger event at the mommy blogger's favorite local restaurant with free product samples. Invite the bloggers who live in the area.

Identifying and working with influential mommy bloggers is critical to your company's success and should be an integral part of your marketing mix. These suggestions will help you establish and nourish mutually beneficial relationships with key playes in the world's most coveted, lucrative target market.

Emily Foshee writes copy for companies that market  to the $2.1 trillion mom market. To learn more, visit www.efosheecopywriting.com or email her at Emily@efosheecopywriting.com.

John W. Davis

John Davis recently joined the Dayton Chapter PRSA Board as Treasurer, after previous treasurer Liz Sidor relocated from Dayton. The Board would like to thank Liz for her dedicated work on the PRSA Boad and welcome John as our incoming treasurer.

John currently serves as the director of public relations for Cedarville University, an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist university of arts, sciences, professional and graduate programs. The University offers more than 100 areas of study to 3,000 students.

A graduate of Cedarville, John holds a bachelor degree in public administration with minor emphases in Bible, business and economics. In 2009, he earned his APR accreditation through the encouragement of the Dayton, Ohio chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Prior to joining the Cedarville PR team, John spent his latter high school, entire college and early career days in radio learning everything from board ops to transmitter engineering.

Today, John oversees the creation, editing and stocking of the Cedarville news pond along with coordination of media relations. In addition, he negotiates Cedarville's local, regional and national advertising presence. He also provides communication counsel during times of crisis management.

Married since 2000, John and his wife Jennifer are the parents of Jacob, Jenna and Jesse.

Please join us on Thursday, September 23rd at the monthly Dayton PRSA luncheon.

Where: Brio at The Greene; 4459 Cedar Park Drive, Beavercreek, OH

When: Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 11:30 a.m.

Details: Please join us as TriCom B2B addresses B2B communications

Coming October 19

Join PRSA as we partner with the Greater Dayton Advertising Association, IABC Dayton and the Dayton Chapter of the American Marketing Association for the 2nd annual Summit Up: a social media confab. The day-long seminar will be full of expert speakers, breakout sessions and networking with other PR and marketing pros. More details will be available soon. Check back with us as our planning for this event unfolds!

Coming this November

PRSA Pro-Bono Day for Nonprofits: Need some great advice on event planning, brand building and fundraising but can't find the budget resources to pay for it? This November, PRSA will offer all this and more to nonprofit organizations. This free seminar includes break out sessions and a keynote speaker. Plus, nonprofit professionals will get one-on-one time with a PR Pro for a strategic planning session. Brush up on your media skills without paying a dime! Register early, seating is limited.

Does authority turn good people into bad leaders?

From the current issue of Public Relations Tactics

 August 18, 2010

Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd was known as an unusually effective and straight-laced executive, so when he resigned last week in an ethics scandal, many people expressed surprise. But the public shouldn't have been shocked, Jonah Lehrer writes for The Wall Street Journal. Surveys of organizations have shown that the vast majority of rude and inappropriate workplace behaviors, such as the shouting of profanities, come from those with the most authority.

Psychologists call it "the paradox of power." Contrary to the Machiavellian cliché that self-serving and morally dubious behavior leads to power, studies have found that people give authority to those they genuinely like. But the traits that help leaders accumulate control in the first place often disappear once they rise to power. Instead of being polite, honest and empathetic, they become impulsive, reckless and rude.

"When you give people power, they basically start acting like fools," Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, is quoted as saying. "They flirt inappropriately, tease in a hostile fashion, and become totally impulsive." Keltner notes that people with authority tend to behave like neurological patients with a damaged orbito-frontal lobe, a brain area crucial for empathy and decision-making.

Studies have found that people in positions of authority are more likely to rely on stereotypes and generalizations when judging other people, Lehrer writes. Their sense of power makes it easier for them to rationalize ethical lapses, and instead of analyzing the strength of an argument, they focus on whether it confirms what they already believe. If not, the facts are ignored.

 - Greg Beaubien

2010 APR Boot Camp is Here

It is time for the Dayton Area Chapter's annual APR prep course designed to help our members get ready for the accreditation process. This year, we have organized many of our most talented members and APR alumnus to serve as instructors of this intense nine-week APR Boot Camp.

From history and research to planning and media relations, you will learn the ins and outs of the APR exam and probably find that you already know more than you think you do!

The cost of the APR Boot Camp is $125 and includes access to the most recent version of the APR study guide and to some of the best PR pros in our area. To start the process, you need to register for the camp at www.prsadayton.com. There you will get additional information on how to apply for accreditation through the national PRSA office. Also on the web, you will find a syllabus for the 2010 camp and some testimonials from previous camp goers on their experience.

Accreditation in PR is one of the best ways to show current and future employers and clients that you really have the right stuff. APR is a mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice, and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective, and sound professional judgment. Be sure to check out our full list of accredited members also available on our site.

I hope you will join us for this incredible opportunity.

 

PRism Award Winner Spotlight

 

Liz Sidor

Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations

"Crown Equipment C-5 Media Day"
Category: Special Events and Observances

 Crown Equipment Corporation (Crown) manufactures forklifts that are sold throughout the world. It is the number one brand of electric lift trucks in the United States and the seventh largest lift truck manufacturer in the world. The company's award-winning line of lift trucks has earned a reputation for exceptional product design, engineering and manufacturing.

For nearly 60 years, Crown has been one of the world's largest forklift manufacturers. However, it only manufactured products for 50 percent of the market - electric forklifts. In the fall of 2009, Crown introduced its first company-manufactured internal combustion (IC) engine forklift, which entered the company into the other half of the forklift market. Crown's IC lift truck, the Crown C-5, represented the culmination of nearly 10 years of research, product development, and testing. The truck was designed to change the landscape of the IC market and solve decade-old problems that IC users simply learned to tolerate. The Crown C-5 featured a number of innovations, including a new industrial engine that was jointly developed with John Deere Power Systems.

Fahlgren worked with Crown to develop a comprehensive public relations campaign designed to introduce and promote the Crown C-5. Understanding the historic nature of the launch, Fahlgren recommended a full-day media event at Crown headquarters in New Bremen, Ohio, for material handling, supply chain, manufacturing and food/grocery trade media. The event would give select editors and reporters an opportunity to see first-hand the truck before the official launch date and speak directly with engineers and executives.

Fahlgren contacted the entire targeted media list approximately two months before the launch date under an embargo. The agency worked with the media interested in attending the event and helped coordinate their schedules

Fahlgren worked with Crown to develop event talking points, messaging, scripts, presentations and visuals that would give attending media a first-hand, in-depth look at the new product and its many innovative and unique features, as well as convey the unique aspects of the Crown culture. A Fahlgren team member spent three days before the event coaching executives and assisting in presentation development.

The Media Day event surpassed all of the objectives and was deemed a success by the client. Seventeen key members of the media attended the event representing 20 targeted trade publications. Coverage of Crown C-5 was secured in all 20 trade publications represented at the event. The Crown C-5 was mentioned or featured on the cover of four publications represented at the event. 

Meredith Leslie

P&G Pet Care

 "Keeping P&G Pet Care Employees Connected"
Category: Internal Communications

P&G Pet Care, makers of Iams and Eukanuba dog and cat foods had a sixty-year history of being headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. On May 28, 2009, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced the headquarters were moving 50-miles south to the P&G Mason Business Center. This could have been devastating for the 250 employees, more than half of whom were negatively impacted by the move. Through a comprehensive employee communication campaign, the move was completed with the least amount of disruption and without the loss of critical talent. 

Due to the timing of the announcement, only five months before the moving trucks arrived, a short timeline was necessary. Following the move announcement to employees, a group of employees from various function and backgrounds came together to serve as the Move Communication team. The team determined that an integrated approach and tactics, including online, posters and face-to-face communications to share move updates, promote the move activities and get employees engaged in the move process.

The overall communication strategy focused on many delivery methods including in person communion, electronic push and pull messaging, posters and signage and a celebration of Iams and Eukanuba history.

As a result of thorough communications, all eligible employees participated in support programs. Zero employees reported that they were unaware of the programs.

By noon on move day, October 23, all 240 employee offices were boxed up and ready for the movers. All employees were out of the building by the final walk-through and celebrated the last day at the office at a local pizza parlor. All employees arrived at their new workspace on Monday, October 26. Breakfast carts were located throughout the building welcoming employees. By noon that day, all employees had their computers unpacked and were online working.

The program was viewed as success by management. The senior human resources manager said, "You have made this a simple process for everyone and will be a major contributor in employee satisfaction and retention. Your efforts facilitated what has been called one of the company's most successful moves. Our employees were well prepared for the move and adjusted quickly after the move. This limited disruption to our business to such a minimal level it went unnoticed by our customers, suppliers and the consumer."

To date only 3 employees have resigned from the Organization citing the move to Mason as their reason for leaving. This was under the goal of 2% attrition. 

New Member Orientation

New to PRSA? Starting in September, PRSA will offer new membership orientation on a quarterly basis. The first orientation will take place on Sept. 10 at 3 p.m.

During the call, PRSA will share ways to make the most of membership, share tools, and give you an opportunity to get to know one another.

Contact Member Services via email with questions and details on how to participate.

Dayton Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis

The Ohio River Valley Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation is seeking assistance with their annual Dayton 5K Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis. The event is Saturday, December 11 at the Dayton Mall. The Jingle Bell Run/Walk is a fun and festive way to kick off the holidays by helping others!  Participants wear holiday themed costumes and tie jingle bells to their shoelaces.  This is the 25^h year for the event in the Dayton area, the second year at the Dayton Mall. The chip timed race is outside the mall on area streets and the Registration and Let's Move Together Wellness Fair (booth area) is inside the mall.   

This non-profit organization needs the help of a PR professional to create a communications plan and handle media relations for the Dayton Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis. Please contact Barb Precht, community development director, at 513-271-4545 ext 309. Or by e-mail at bprecht@arthritis.org.

PRSA Programming Feedback Wanted

Thanks to everyone for attending our programming this year, and make sure you check our website for details on both Summit Up in October and Pro Bono Day in November. It's hard to believe the year is drawing to a close. We'd like to get your feedback on any programming you attended this year, as well as topic ideas you'd like to see covered in 2011. Please email PRSA Dayton co-chair of programming, Alison Bour with your suggestions at: Phoenix@siscom.net. 

APR Debate

One of the hottest topics at Assembly this fall will be whether to continue requiring national board members to have their APR. There are compelling reasons on both sides of the issue.

Prior to our board voting on our chapter's position, which our delegate will take with her to Assembly, we would like members to weigh in with their opinions. Please post comments to the Dayton Area PRSA Facebook page.

Diamond Award Call for Entries

Entry Deadline - Friday, Sept. 17, 2010. Late Entries Accepted Until Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, with payment of late entry fee.

Download your 2010 Diamond Awards category descriptions and entry forms now here.

The East Central District of the Public Relations Society of America is calling for shining examples of public relations campaigns and tactics for its 33rd annual Diamond Awards competition. The Diamond Awards are presented to public relations practitioners who have successfully addressed a communications challenge with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness.

The Diamond Awards are open to any public relations professional who is a member of the 16 chapters in the PRSA East Central District or any nonmember whose place of business is within the district's boundaries. The East Central District covers the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.