The Update

3/2006

Welcome to the official newsletter of the Greater Spokane PRSA Chapter. Past issues can be found by going to www.prsaspokane.org and clicking on the "Newsletters" link.

The meeting will be held at Cataldo Hall on the campus of Gonzaga University from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and is open to any interested public relations professionals or students. The meeting fee, which covers breakfast, is $9 for members, $11 for non-members and $7 for students.

About Dale Erquiaga
Vice President and Managing Director for R&R Partners, an integrated communications firm, will draw from his experiences on a successful national campaign to help us understand the use of effective advertising and marketing combined with public relations strategies.

Read his full bio. (Adobe PDF)

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By GARRY MATLOW
Chapter President

When I'm looking for career advice, the first place I turn usually isn't Donald Rumsfeld, or any secretary of defense, for that matter. But I was surfing the CNN website a couple of weeks ago when a headline caught my eye. It read, "Rumsfeld: Al Qaeda has better P.R."

I automatically took my index finger off the scroll wheel on my mouse and paused. Was this the same outfit that vilified Sen. Patty Murray for saying Osama Bin-Laden won the hearts and minds of poor Muslims by building hospitals and schools? Apparently so. But according to Reuters, Rumsfeld said the United States lags "dangerously behind" al Qaeda dn other enemies in getting out information in the digital media age and must update its old-fashioned methods. He said "our enemies have skillfully adapted" to the new weapons of war, which include e-mail, Blackberries, instant messaging, digital cameras and blogs.

There was a great quote from Secretary Rumsfeld as well: "For the most part, the U.S. government still functions as a 'five and dime' store in an eBay world." Then came the telling part of the story. The reporter felt the need to tell the readers that Rumsfeld was "referring to old-fashioned U.S. retail stores and the online auction house, respectively." This said to me that reporter thought some readers wouldn't know what a five-and-dime store was and others would be scratching their head over the term "eBay."

We live in a fast-changing world. Just think of the computer that sat on your desk 10 years ago, if indeed you were using one. In 1996, the Palm Pilot was still a year away from being released, and a cell phone was, by today's standards, large and heavy and barely got eight hours of standby time on a single charge. As public relations practitioners, we need to keep abreast of the times, and be aware of the new communications channels, even if we choose not to use them. As Secretary Rumsfeld observed, if our competition is operating on the cutting edge and we aren't, we are at a distinct disadvantage.

The text of the Rumsfeld story can be found at http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/17/security.rumsfeld.reut/index.html

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PRSA’s Day on the Job adds a new element for 2006! After the morning program and one-on-one workplace interaction between communications professionals and students, participants will gather for a free lunch and time to reflect on their mornings experiences. Additionally, an afternoon speaker will share tips on professionalism with participating students.

Communication students and professionals alike can benefit from PRSA’s 2006 Day on the Job. Students have the rare opportunity to shadow a communications professional at work. Professionals have the chance to contribute to the profession and help inspire the next generation of professionals.

The Day on the Job event begins at the regularly scheduled PRSA/SPRC breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, April 7 at Gonzaga University. Breakfast is free for participating students. After the breakfast meeting, professionals and students disperse to their respective places of work. At noon, students and professionals will gather back at Gonzaga for the free lunch, networking and reflections. The professionalism program for students begins at 1:00 p.m. and concludes at 2:00 p.m.

As much as possible, students are paired with professionals whose jobs most closely match their interests. Participating schools include: Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, University of Idaho, Washington State University and Whitworth College.

If you would like to participate in the PRSA Day on the Job, contact Chris Bieker at chris.bieker@wa.usda.gov or (509) 323-3014 and provide the following information:

Your name
Contact information
School or Place of Work
Year in School (if student)
Particular interests (Corporate, agency, non-profit, government, health-care, technology, education)

Contact Chris by March 24, 2006.

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History of and current issues in public relations
Management skills & issues
Business literacy
Crisis communication management
Ethics & Law
Using information technology
Communication models & theories
Media relations
Research, planning, implementing & evaluating communication programs
Advanced communication skills

The small group study will begin Wednesday, April 12 at Shriners Hospitals for Children from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. As PRSA members you are invited to attend any or all of the free classes for this series. The completion of the series provides the review for taking the readiness review through PSRA. For more information please contact Maggie Crabtree at 623-471 or at mcrabtree@shrinenet.org.

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The EWU Community-Minded Design Competition is a unique event that features the design work of regional college students who are challenged to create a design for a selected local non-profit organization. Students from across the region will be asked to submit a design solution (in the form of posters, brochures or other printed material) that address the needs of the featured non-profit organization. The top three entries will receive cash prizes, while the first place design will also be given to the featured non-profit organization and printed... at no cost to them! This is your chance as a leader in the community to have your non-profit organization receive innovative print materials for free. So what do you need to do?

There are two ways to get involved. First, if you are interested in having your non-profit organization featured for this year's competition visit www.ewu.edu/ewucmd for more information about submitting a proposal. The postmark deadline for these proposals is March 11. More information will be available in the near future.

Second, if you know of college students interested in participating in this competition, have them keep their eyes and ears open for a call for entries announcement in May. They may also e-mail Lance (lkissler@mail.ewu.edu) if they wish to receive personal notification when this portion of the contest begins.

This is a great opportunity for our local college students, non-profit organizations, industry leaders and the community to come together and address social issues. Students receive pertinent experience, examples for their portfolio and cash awards! Non-profits receive community awareness and $1,000 worth of printing!

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Help shape the future of public relations at PRSA's 2006 International Conference!

In today's dynamic public relations environment, experience is not enough. Taking strategies and tactics to the next level is critical for organizational success. PRSA is seeking leaders in the industry to share their expertise and experience to advance the profession and the professional.

2006 International Conference theme:
Benchmarking Your Public Relations Strategies With the Best

We invite you to submit proposals featuring your strategies and best practices for the following daily Conference themes:

- Advancing Your Leadership Opportunities: As more CEOs recognize the strategic value of public relations, how do we leverage this leadership opportunity?

Sessions will address trends and fundamentals including advocacy, reputation management, competition, differentiation, integrity and branding.

- Maximizing Value: What tactics and strategies can public relations professionals use to optimize organizational success

Sessions will address leadership, stewardship, ethics, specialization, industry innovation, measurement and ROI.

- Emerging Trends: How do we meet the challenges and embrace the opportunities of the 21st Century to stay on the leading edge of our profession?

Sessions will address trends, globalization of economies, organizational consolidation, integration of public relations and marketing, personalization, digitization, diversity and multiculturalism, new technology and news media.

We look forward to reviewing your proposal to present at the premier public relations event of the year! The submission deadline for all proposals is March 20, 2006. For complete details on submitting your proposal, please visit www.prsa.org/conf2006.

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Join us on March 16 at Gonzaga University for the teleseminar which will explain how you in order to reach your readers, you must do your best to ensure that your communications are among the tiny sliver of information that they actually read. To do this, you need to think like a reader. In this session, you and your team will be given the tools necessary to master the process. Specifically, you’ll learn:

• The four-step process that makes your information appear more important, valuable and rewarding to the reader.
• A two-minute "perspective shift" that pushes reader interest to the top of your message.
• How to demonstrate reader benefits in your material by making your copy F-A-B.
• Simple ways to nudge your material closer to the audience’s interest.
• How to think like a reporter.
• What editors are really looking for in your release (hint: "New and improved" doesn’t cut it anymore).

You will hear from: Ann Wylie, president, Wylie Communications, Inc. has served on all sides of the PR "desk": a PR pro in an agency, a corporate communicator for Hallmark Cards Inc., an editor of a nationally acclaimed executive magazine and a consultant with her own firm. Her workshops take her from Hollywood to Helsinki and from Portland to Paris, helping communicators in companies like Reader’s Digest and The Mayo Clinic. She helps organizations like FedEx and Sprint PCS launch or improve their communication vehicles and find new inspiration for their work.

For more information or to RSVP, contact:
Garry Matlow - 328-6326 x211 / gmatlow@arc-spokane.org

DATE: March 16
TIME: 12pm-1pm
LOCATION: Teleconference Center, Foley Center (1st floor), Gonzaga
COST: Free for Members / $20 for guests

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Do you regularly attend the PRSA International Conference (at least in years when it's not cancelled by a hurricane)? Your PRSA chapter is looking for someone to serve as its Assembly Delegate.

The PRSA bylaws require us to elect an Assembly Delegate to serve a three-year term. Service would include meeting with the chapter board before and after the National Assembly, which is held in conjunction with the International Conference.

The Greater Spokane Chapter offers a $500 stipend to help its Assembly Delegate with expenses.

If you're interested, send an email to gmatlow@arc-spokane.org or mcrabtree@shrinenet.org.

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Joni Kirk
Media Relations Officer
University of Idaho
P.O. Box 443221
Moscow, ID 83844-3221
Phone: (208) 885-7725
Fax: (208) 885-5841
joni@uidaho.edu

Sarah Morford
Public Affairs Manager
Grant County Public Utility District
30 C St. SW
P.O. Box 878
Ephrata, WA 98823
Phone: (509) 754-6633
Fax: (509) 754-6844
smorfor@gcpud.org

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