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If you’re Skyping into a live TV interview from your home office, make sure you lock the door! Robert Kelly, a professor of political science at South Korea’s Pusan National University, learned this lesson the hard way after his two children stole the spotlight during his March 2017 BBC interview.

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This February, I represented PRSSA-UD at one of the Public Relations Student Society of America’s Delaware Chapter (PRSA-DE) networking events. As I sipped coffee and ate some of the provided refreshments, I listened to Dave Brond from Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C) and Cortney Klein from WSFS Bank discuss the elements of an effective strategic planning process. Here are my top three takeaways from Brond and Klein on how to best create a strategic plan in order to optimize its potential for success:

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How do you use social media in public relations? I’m not asking how you write a social media strategy for your clients, or how you adapt social messaging across different platforms, or how you’ve run a social contest, or how you’ve leveraged Periscope at an event. I’m asking if you, as a PR professional, are using these amazing tools to “PR your PR”—to gather research and information, and to develop relationships with and pitch journalists.Read full post...

As a public relations professional working in the 21^st century, I am reminded every day about the importance of combining traditional tactics with (the ever-growing in popularity) practices from the wonderful world of technology. Social media, search engine optimization and big data analysis—to name a few—are not going away any time soon, but many of us in the marcom industry still have a lot to learn when it comes to integrating these strategies into our campaigns.

Recently, I’ve been taking advice from my friends in Hollywood. You might not believe it, but megastars like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift have some genius marketing tricks up their sleeves. Let’s take a look at their most recent album launches.Read full post...

The interview at 6abc that helped get the word out about the organization Preston’s March for Energy.

PR professionals have gotten a bad rap, stereotyped as cutthroat, competitive communicators who are constantly stressing out, skating around the truth and drinking excessive amounts of coffee (well, we do drink a lot of coffee). But despite the generalization, PR pros can actually do good. Did I say that loud enough? We can do good.

Recently, I was tasked with gaining media exposure for a pro bono account, Preston’s March for Energy, and its annual fundraiser. The organization was launched by the Buenaga family of Wilmington, Delaware, whose son, Preston, has disabilities that keep him from being able to ride a standard bicycle. A few years ago, a family friend started a Facebook campaign to raise money and donated a custom bike to Preston. After seeing the happiness it brought him, Read full post...

Media training will help ensure—if you land that interview with your dream outlet—that you are ready.

If you’re asking the question, the answer is probably yes. If you’re in a position to speak on behalf of your company or organization in front of the “fourth estate,” you should have some understanding of how the media operates and how to get your messages across effectively. Good media training can get you there.

As the spokesperson for a company, product or issue, you should be credible, comfortable and knowledgeable. With proper training, you’ll be able to develop effective messages and determine the best ways to communicate those messages. You’ll be prepared for interactions with the press: at a press conference or trade show, in a phone interview, or—the unthinkable horror—in an ambush interview. In training, you’ll participate in “mock” interviews that will force you to confront issues, tackle possible negative perceptions and explain your positions convincingly.Read full post...

Twenty years ago, I crammed into the Philadelphia Civic Center with more than 6,000 of my fellow Temple University classmates to receive my journalism degree. After a few years spent working for a newspaper, I came over to the “dark side” and joined the agency world. I’ve never looked back.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how different my job is today from when I was a junior account executive all those years ago. For starters, we now have Internet that doesn’t require one of those AOL CDs. But aside from that, I’ve also been thinking about all the great advice I’ve gotten over the course of my career. Here are a few of my favorite tips:Read full post...

As a communication major at the University of Delaware, I have endured endless lectures and read countless chapters about the importance of crisis communication. Any public figure, organization, or institution is vulnerable to a “crisis,” whether a serious threat to people or property or a blow to their reputation. Public relations professionals know that the best way to handle crises is to have a plan. Read full post...

Think about all the untold stories, all of the unshared expertise, experience, and knowledge.

Remember summer reading lists? If you were like me, you procrastinated until late August then hustled through all of the books — barely finishing before the first day of school or even later (don’t tell Mrs. Holden). But there was one summer reading book that I couldn’t put down — To Kill a Mockingbird. I assumed I’d never hear from Scout and Jem Finch again. But hold on, Maycomb. Harper Lee is publishing a “sequel” called Go Set a Watchman, which chronicles Scout’s life as as an adult.

This story of rediscovery is incredible. Here are the Cliff Notes:Read full post...

PR training helps our clients communicate clearly and effectively.

I’m a PR professional. But my real job is storyteller. I use press releases, feature articles, social media and grassroots outreach to get our clients’ messages across. But sometimes, the client needs to be the storyteller.

The AB&C PR team offers a variety of training modules to help our clients communicate clearly and effectively. Maybe you need some help with a stressful situation, such as giving a speech in public or having to be interviewed by the media. Don’t sweat it. Yours truly, a PR pro, is here to help.Read full post...

We needed to face the problem.

Whether enjoying our famous beaches, working outside or just relaxing in the summer sun, Delawareans spend a lot of time outside. So what’s the big deal? Well, ultraviolet radiation from the sun — and indoor tanning — have done some serious damage in the First State. The most recent report from the Delaware Division of Public Health (DDPH) found the state’s melanoma incidence rate is now the fourth-highest in the country. Additionally, many people don’t put melanoma and skin cancer into the same deadly category as prostate, breast, colorectal and other cancers.Read full post...

With no speaking notes for nearly 30 minutes, Durant spoke from the heart with a humility unseen and unheard of in today’s professional sports world.

By textbook and tradition, we in PR are in the business of influencing, and frequently, outright changing perceptions.  We try to inform and educate. Sometimes we are given great stories to tell; more commonly we’re asked to elevate the mundane or, perhaps too often, gild the less positive aspects of a situation.Read full post...

Content has reigned supreme for decades, but now distribution is assuming the throne (or at least sharing it).

If you’re a marketer or small-business owner, you should be creating high-quality content that gets shared and ranks high in search engines. But with more than 750 million websites competing for people’s attention, how can you make sure your online audience is receiving your message?

The answer is effective distribution.

Most of us have heard that “content is king.” And it’s true — no one is going to read your message if it’s not intriguing. According to Chad Pollitt, director of marketing at DigitialRelevance, great content goes unread everyday, and tweeting or posting it on Facebook isn’t going to cut it. In this day and age, you need to create a distribution strategy to connect your content to a larger audience.

Here’s how to get started:Read full post...

Nurture your PR campaigns and plans through to the end … even if that means risking frostbite.

Long before LeSean McCoy rushed into the record books in Sunday’s Eagles-Lions game in Philadelphia, the game itself was already a legend in the making. A surprise snowstorm and a second-half comeback by the home team made a captivating story for sports fans across the country.

Now that I have thawed out from hours spent in the icy stands of Lincoln Financial Field, I realized that Snow Bowl can offer some valuable public relations lessons. Think hypothermia has made me delirious? Consider:

1. Be prepared for anything. Even the most carefully crafted plans could change. This is true whether you’re planning to launch an ambitious PR campaign for a product that suddenly isn’t ready for market, or if you game-planned for a few snowflakes and not a swirling snowstorm.Read full post...