The Blog Hub
As we look to 2021, I think about the lessons I will take with me. Thank you for letting me share them.
Take this day, this month and the new year to reflect with gratitude on the blessings small and large which have come your way. and to welcome the new beginnings of 2021.
Our team has been notified that nationally-known directory resource, DesignRush,selected us from a roster of top marketing companies as one of the best inbound marketing agencies of 2020. As an expert resource assigned to vet the top inbound marketing agencies as well as being the trusted go-to for other marketing, digital branding, communications and SEO specialties, DesignRush is a trusted resource; we here at PRA Public Relations are honored to have made the list.
Us!
PRA Public Relations is excited to be named to DesignRush’s 2019 list of the country’s Top Integrated Marketing Agencies for 2019. PRA Public Relations joins a select list of national agencies and experts with proven performance in delivering smart, strategic integrated marketing, public relations and communications services. This ranking, created by Design Rush, a comprehensive directory of the nation’s leading marketing and communications agencies, covers a range of agencies by geographic market, agency size and budgets.
While we may not practicing our acceptance speech or worrying about our red carpet attire, rest assured we are celebrating our award win by delivering the best results possible in public relations and supporting marketing communications solutions.
Would you like to learn more about how we can put our award-winning solutions to work for your company’s success? Contact pam@prapublicrelations.com or give us a call: 503.298.9749
It’s a conundrum. Most folks agree that access to relevant, unbiased news is important. By the same token, technology, digitized content, changing consumer habits and revenue models have been upended as readers have traded in subscriptions and ad-supported print content for news streams and social media hubs.
The tech we love to use to consume news has been gobbling up the very medium we rely on.
We have two pieces of news to share with you today that we’re over the moon about.
PRA Public Relations is a national Top 25 B2B PR Agency Award Winner
DesignRush has listed us as one of their Top 25 B2B Agencies for all the right reasons: client care, expertise, great results. Even better, they’ve shared some great insight on why PR matters, and what 80% of executives care about when they are decision-making (spoiler alert: PR plays a huge role).
One day a year, the world takes a deep-dive look at the power of the press. But why not make the case for checking in on the health of the fourth estate on a daily basis?
Media trends, transparency, tools and access to intelligence are the bread and butter of the trade, and journalists face an every-day battle to do the work they were born to do: cover the key features and breaking news of the world and industry, and apply needed context. Attention to this critical mission should be on the minds, and the reading radar, of all of us, every day, right along with the journalists struggling to deliver credibility, vital news and relevance to our inboxes, devices and doorsteps.
Powerful Statistics, Sobering Reality
As citizens and residents of the United States, we take the First Amendment and its guarantee of freedom of the press as a given. However, there are some sobering statistics we should look at.
The "didn't see that coming" statistic? This country does not lead the way in freedom of press rights; we don't even rank in the top three. Or even the top twenty:
According to Reporters without Borders, the United States ranks 43rd out of 180 countries for press freedom.
Across several political administrations, the fourth estate has dealt with suppression of information, attempts to reveal sources, intimidation and other factors. And, in a sobering call to reality, journalists deal with much more than simple repression. As of today, over 13 journalists in 2017 alone have been killed in the pursuit of news.
Yes, journalists are the gatekeepers of information for our society, and they can pay a steep price for their commitment.
What can we do, not just on World Press Day, but everyday, to help them in their mission, while guaranteeing our continued access to free and unfettered press? Here are some simple steps:
There's Hope in the Next Generation
There's a bright spot in all of this, however; and it's called the next generation.
The Washington Post sponsored a student essay competition, which caught my eye. Designed for students in grades four - eight, it's an extraordinary "from the mouth of babes" look at what it means to have freedom of the press, here and abroad.
This year's winner is Jahnavi Dave, an eighth-grader, and her take-away was impressive:
Free press and technology go hand in hand. - Jahnavi, Dave, 8th Grader
Individuals and entities may use technology to chip away at the transparency and credibility of the press; but savvy media consumers, and tech-conversant next-generation readers also understand that technology is a powerful tool for protecting and accessing a free and independent press.
So, make every day World Press Day, and use both your rational judgment and the tools of technology to read, share and elevate the best efforts of the journalists committed to reporting on the news, trends and issues that so impact our lives.
By Pam Abrahamsson, founder, PRA Public Relations
pam@prapublicrelations.com | @Pam_A
While many of our previous posts have dealt with the “what” or “how” of earned media/public relations, here’s a look at something critical to the communications profession: the “why.”
And for a look at the “why” of a communications program, who better to spotlight than a 20 year+ professional who exemplifies the power of purpose in the industry?
KJ McAllister, principal of KJM Public Relations, and a past executive for Fortune 500’s Hewlett-Packard, exemplifies “why” it is vital to support community as part of your industry calling. Her commitment to using her public relations skills for advocacy and social impact is a case study for harnessing the power of communications to create positive outcomes.
From serving on the board of key industry professional organizations, from International Association of Business Communicators, to Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and more, she’s considered it a matter of professional priority and civic good to volunteer time and skill to support the profession. She’s also been a key communicator, helping mentor innovative creative conferences and other events.
Under her leadership as president of IABC, she’s expanded the education and interaction performance of the organization’s annual conference. As a board member of PRSA, she’s helped create a robust conference and speakers roster that has educated, engaged and energized countless area professionals.
Why is this important? Because the communications profession is a powerful one, much more so than most individuals realize. The power to persuade, inform, set conversational agendas and drive media coverage impacts communities, generates emotion and drives action. It is a serious responsibility to be a communicator, and professionals need to be mindful of the impact they create through their profession.
Leaders like KJ understand this, and make meaningful, thoughtful and strategic communications outreach and civic engagement an essential foundation to their work. Her industry efforts are keenly focused on educating, encouraging and setting an example of civic-minded and ethical practice of the profession.
Of course, there is another aspect to positive use of communications; and KJ is equally active in this sphere: community.
Whether she’s volunteering for a local charter school, supporting the good efforts of local children’s causes or lending her support (and an ear) to Portland’s vibrant startup community, she puts her figurative money where her mouth is. Arranging interviews, creating outreach strategies and ensuring positive coverage of key causes is an ongoing passion of KJ’s.
When we asked KJ about some tips for becoming community-focused communicators, she had a few thoughts to share. We are happy to pass along.
1. Listen & Look: It’s essential to truly understand the enterprise or organization and its goals before you weigh in with strategies. It’s great to be well-meaning, but to be well-meaning and effective, take time to audit an organization, and create recommendations that will benefit the mission.
2. Balance: The call-to-action for community engagement is a continuous one. To ensure you are able to “help for the long haul,” learn the fine art of saying “no” when your plate is full. Creating a balance between personal life, work and community engagement is tough, but it is necessary to ensure you can continue to be of service on a long-term basis.
3. Question: It’s so easy to get swept up in the good intentions and momentum of a great cause. However, if you don’t ask tough questions; about media readiness, performance, financial viability and a number of things which an organization needs to have in place to succeed, then you are not helping them.
Creating media attention is great if an organization is well-situated to flourish and grow in the spotlight, but a poorly-planned initiative can be disastrous. The answers may not be what you had hoped, but so much better to fact check internally, then have a top journalist point out the failings of a well-meaning cause.
Questions or comments? Interested in hearing how KJ can help drive the communications strategy within your community?
Contact: kj@kjmpr.com, or visit: www.kjmpr.com.
The Hacking Social Impact 2015 Unconference was an epic weekend of inspiring and world-changing talks, videos, action-oriented workshops, all centered around business innovation, social impact, venture capital, investing, entrepreneurship, and much more!
And, we might humbly add, it included a presentation about the impact of today's social and earned media landscape from our founder, Pam Abrahamsson, and TreDigital's rockstar principal, Maria Dykstra. Read ON for all the details, and to learn how YOU can Hack Social Impact! More
