We collected 118 entries from 32 different businesses and organizations and presented 41 Prisms and 42 awards of excellence awards, which were judged by the Hawaii Chapter of PRSA. We also presented four individual chapter awards honoring PRSSA members, young professionals and public relations veterans, which were judged by a local committee.

The 2012 Best in Show Prism Awards were presented to:

• Non-Profit – The Ohio Department of Transportation Keep It Safe Out the Door Music Video by MurphyEpson with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

• Non-Profit – Ohio Travel Planner by Great Lakes Publishing on behalf of the Ohio Tourism Division.

• Profit – Think. Do. Elevate. Browse by ELEVATE Thinking

Here’s a list of all the award winners.

This effort couldn’t have been done without dedication and commitment from committee chairs Alisha Wilkes and Aimee Shadwick and committee members Stephanie Seiffert, Melissa Harman, Fay White, Heather Gilbert and Jack Jeffery as well as board liaison and past president Todd Bailey.

We are so fortunate to have such a passionate, creative, and inspirational group of public relations practitioners in central Ohio. Congratulations to all the professionals, businesses and organizations that were recognized during the PRism awards luncheon.

Bateman, along with other student public relations competitions, offers students more than a dose of healthy competitiveness, a trophy and/or a cash prize.  Possibly one of the most valuable pieces each student gains through participating in the competition is a team-completed planbook that can be used to showcase his or her writing, creativity, and ability to plan and implement a public relations campaign from start to finish.

Even though it is evident that students reap fruitful rewards from participating, what’s in it for the client? Beyond cost efficient labor, clients can benefit in a variety of ways. First, clients gain a statewide or nationwide campaign that fits each community’s unique demographics and culture as determined by each competition team. Secondly, because this Millennial generation has naturally immersed themselves in social media, the client benefits from the wide outreach through this expanding medium. Although social media is popular, most students are taught not to forget the traditional roots. In turn clients reap the reward of state or national media exposure over an allotted period of time as determined by the client. Finally, clients score creative and innovative campaigns at a fraction of the costs to hire a professional agency or firm.

Even though student competitions are stressful and exhilarating at the same time, most professionals and students alike will agree the final outcome is a win-win for all. If you are a professional trying to find an out-of-the-box way to bring life to a client’s project, or a student who is desperately looking for an energizing way to improve your skills and your resume, consider participating in student public relations competitions. I promise you’ll walk away with more than you thought possible.

But knowing how to work that built-in network makes all the difference. A few simple reminders can help you leverage your membership – and land that dream job.

Ask for help. People like to feel as though they’re making a difference, and that they have valuable insight to share. Take advantage of your network and reach out! You have an automatic introduction – “I’m a member of PRSA, and found your contact information on the website….”

The fear of “bothering” others seems to be one of the biggest deterrents to asking for help – but the people who tend to feel bad about asking for time are the first ones to help others. Remember all that you’ve done to help others, and make the call.

Think about how you ask for help. I’ve received more than one e-mail from random strangers at all levels – “I saw your name on the PRSA website and would LOVE to work at Acme, Inc. … you can see by my resume that I’m a great candidate … please let me know if you see any jobs for which I’d be a great fit.”

While I appreciate the fact you’re taking initiative (it’s not easy to cold-call anyone!), your approach can make all the difference. Instead of asking me to keep an eye on the job board, invite me out for coffee to learn what it’s really like to work here, and for advice on how to get your foot in the door.

Pay it forward. When someone asks you for help, do what you can. Not only is it gratifying to help others, building relationships now connects you with people who can help you down the road.

MyPRSA – What is it?
MyPRSA is a members-only section on the PRSA Central Ohio website. After registering, you’ll have access to the Jobs section, be able to update your contact and job information, submit blog topic ideas and volunteer for events, among other great features.

Do I have to be a PRSA member to access MyPRSA?Yes. To access the members-only sections of PRSACentralOhio.org through MyPRSA, you’ll need to be a member of PRSA, and a section member of Central Ohio PRSA.

Not a PRSA member yet? No problem – joining is easy! Check out our How to Join section. If you have questions about membership, please contact membership@prsacentralohio.org.

What are some of the features I can use in MyPRSA?

Update your information
Have you recently been promoted? Has your contact phone number changed? Here’s the place to update it. You can also add your social networking sites and list your undergraduate alma mater. The information you provide will be searchable through the COPRSA Member Directory, only available to registered MyPRSA members.

Search Central Ohio PRSA member directory
Did you meet someone at a recent COPRSA event but can’t remember their company? Want to find out who that awesome PR person from Huntington Bank was that you networked with last fall? You can search by name or company and access contact and job information that members provide during the MyPRSA registration.

Check out our blog and consider contributing
While our blog, PRSA Perspectives, is available publically on the site, as a COPRSA member, you have the opportunity to share ideas for upcoming posts. We cover topics ranging from chapter-specific news to job searching to PRSSA and students, as well as industry-related news. You can subscribe to our posts via email – just enter your email address in the “Get all our latest post via email” box in the upper right hand corner. Have ideas for upcoming posts? Submit them via the “consider contributing” link under the MyPRSA resources.

Find a job in our members-only job bank
Looking for a job? Our newly-improved Jobs section on our website is members-only, which means you’ll have access to positions that might not be posted on traditional career sites. All job postings are pre-approved by the COPRSA website committee, and you’ll be applying for positions either posted by or found by fellow COPRSA members.

Submit a job posting
If you’re hiring for a position, you can access the job submittal form from the MyPRSA welcome screen. This form is sent to the COPRSA website committee for review and will be posted on the jobs or internship site after approval. Remember, only MyPRSA members can access the Jobs bank.

Volunteer for an event
Are you interested in joining a committee, being involved with the annual PRism Awards or helping with upcoming events? Volunteering with COPRSA is a great way to become more active in the professional community and network with a variety of people in many different industries and careers.

Sounds good – how do I register for MyPRSA?
Want to take advantage of these awesome, members-only features in MyPRSA? If you’re a member of PRSA and the Central Ohio section, you can register on the website, and get started using MyPRSA today!

The same goes for cover letters and resumes. A good cover letter/resume will ultimately land you a call back or interview. Here are a few tips on creating a stand-out cover letter.

1. The hiring manager has a name. Find it. I read an article that was spot on with regard to addressing the cover letter. You have multiple search engines at your fingertips and a wonderful site called LinkedIn, so finding a hiring manager’s name can be done within minutes. If you’re having trouble, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and ask.
2. Tailor-made. If you’re applying for multiple jobs, your cover letter should not be a one-size-fits-all document. Tailor your cover letter to the specific job/position. Plus, the job description should include characteristics the company is looking for – probably a good idea to include a few of those characteristics if they fit your work style and/or personality.
3. Short and sweet. I can admit it. I enjoy talking about myself and my work – most of us do. That said, don’t use your cover letter to divulge your life story. Keep it short and to the point while letting your personality shine through.
4. Confidence vs. cocky. It’s a great feeling when you read a job description and it sounds like the position was made for you. Before you go on and on about how great you are, take a step back and make sure you’re exuding confidence and not sounding cocky or arrogant.

For more tips, take a listen to the podcast I helped out with for PRSSA. (Side note. I am now well aware that I need to work on my ‘um’s.’)

Inside scoop on the podcast. This is a great program developed by a PRSSA student right here in Ohio. Joe Clarkson, senior PR major and member of PRSSA at Ohio Northern University, is the vice president of Internships/Job Services of PRSSA. He created this monthly podcast, Intern Talk, to help educate students on important topics like job search, internships, resumes, etc. Joe interviews PR professionals about different career-oriented topics and then shares them on the PRSSA blog.

Do you have any other helpful tips?

This fast growing social bookmarking site launched in May 2011 is gaining some serious momentum. Think of it as a virtual pin board. Users create boards surrounding a particular interest and collect or “pin” their favorite related items on these boards. Then you can find great “pinners” who share your interest and start following them.

How successful is Pinterest? While still in a closed beta stage, TechCrunch reports Pinterest hit more than 11 million unique monthly visitors last month, faster than any other stand-alone site in history.

Unique visitors to the site grew 400% from September to December 2011, and just last week; one study showed that Pinterest drives more visitors to third-party websites than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined.

And the most recent revelation is that Pinterest is secretly swapping links for profit.

But let’s push all the headlines aside for a moment. The bottom line is that Pinterest is incredibly beautiful, enticing and very addictive. Once you are done drooling over the gorgeous photos that capture style, food, crafts, kids and everything else in between, you may want to pay attention to the marketing power this could produce for your brand.

Here’s what I mean. I was looking for great banana bread recipes. I went to the Chiquita site and stumbled upon a delicious recipe of chocolate dipped bananas. I immediately “pinned it” onto my ‘yum-yum’ board.

In less than 60 seconds, the board had 90 “re-pins.” That means that this little known recipe buried on the Chiquita site just found a brand new audience and some new glorious, wonderful web traffic. Isn’t it a beautiful thing?

Sure it’s the hottest thing right now, but that doesn’t mean you should immediately jump on the bandwagon without a little investigation. Use it, and learn it from the inside out.  Mashable has a great beginner’s guide on using Pinterest.

I found Pinterest several months ago, and frankly have loved every single moment I have spent on the site. I loved the intimate sharing of the community; it truly felt like a whole new world was opening up to me. So, is it right for my employer?

At Nationwide Children’s we have formed a “Power Pinterest Group” to brainstorm all the ways that we can use this tool in the healthcare field. Will it be right for us? That remains to be seen, but make sure you look before you leap into the shiny new social media pool that is calling your name.

Anyone who works in the news business knows that there is a daily struggle to find good stories. News rooms across the country are putting more pressure on journalists to find story leads, all the while asking them to do more and more with less and less. Some journalists know that if they do not have multiple ideas every day, they are seen as not doing their job.

On the other side of the desk, communications professionals are developing ideas, pitches and leads every day. Their clients or organizations expect them to climb up the proverbial hill and broadcast their message far and wide. They are writing press releases, submitting photos, writing features and trying their best to get the attention of editors.

Those of us who work for organizations are trying to communicate with our audience one-on-one or through the media. With budgets at a premium, placed stories or pitched ideas are the bread and butter of what we do.

So if journalists are desperately searching for stories and communications professionals are out there talking, then where is the disconnect? On paper, this should seem like a perfect storm of supply and demand.

Understand the Deadline

Over the years I have learned that time is journalists’ biggest enemy. Quite simply, they do not have the luxury of listening to a lot of details, background and nitty-gritty that communicators sometimes bombard them with. It may not be ideal, but like reviewing resumes, journalists have no more than 30 seconds (if that) to decide whether there is a story idea worth developing.

When I was a Navy Public Affairs Officer (PAO) I would prepare leadership to speak or engage with the media and the public. One such time I briefed an Admiral before he was to speak to a large audience of sailors who had a lot of work to do after his visit (and truth be told, they did a lot of work BECAUSE of his visit). The advice I gave him was a common PAO saying: Be there, be brief, be blunt and be gone. As communicators I think this might be good advice for us as we pitch story ideas.

Leads Are There For the Taking

Journalists ask questions; it is what they do. They are always looking for information and quite often they do not know what they do not know. Sourcing good stories is no exception. In today’s media industry the best resource they have is being limited: time to work their beats and talk to their contacts. Reporters are asked to cover more ground, have a broader scope of interest and do a lot more. How they source story ideas is tougher. To this end, journalists are getting more creative— at least the successful ones are.

Many journalists are turning to Twitter and other social media tools to reach their audience and some are using it to source stories. The fact is, not enough are using this new resource.  Communicators are no longer simply emailing releases. They are putting stories, photos and topics on their client and organization Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages. These sites also host feedback from customers and constituents. In one simple glance, a journalist could not only find a lead to a good story, but he or she could also can see if there is any interest in it from the comments and feedback being left.

The bottom line for professional communicators is that we need to do a better job of being brief, being blunt and being gone. The bottom line for journalists is that they need to update their contact lists and make sure that they not only have phone numbers and email addresses, but they have links to their contacts’ Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages.

There is no better phone call a communications professional could get than one that starts, “I saw something on your organization’s Facebook page that looks like a good story. Tell me more.”

Here are seven lessons learned to consider as you prepare for a change within your organization.

• Begin with the end in mind. Communicating about a change is much more than distributing flyers to your staff and community about the effort’s goals or a new initiative you are rolling out. It’s about developing a comprehensive strategic plan. It’s about communicating, doing, redoing and communicating again. And again. It’s about showing staff how their day-to-day activities contribute to the organization’s goals.
• To go fast, go alone, but to go far, go together. Key stakeholders must be engaged early as partners. Successful change agents focus on stakeholder benefits, not simply the changes that must be made by the people involved. Successful reformers seek out leaders from all constituencies, get their input, keep them informed and let them lead. This also ensures that reforms remain institutionalized and are never about a single person. Powerful coalitions are built when leadership is shared and supported; it also makes it harder to give up when the going gets tough.
• People are down on what they’re not up on. If you’ve connected stakeholders to the larger vision through meetings, communications and input, they will believe it’s worth it. Remember to consider all stakeholders involved. Personalize messaging to each group to ensure relevance and understanding. And, carefully consider the timing and sequence of your communications.
• Build champions for change internally and externally. Successful change occurs when leaders are engaged, believe in what they are doing and model the behaviors they are expecting of others. And, leaders must be visible at all levels.
• Connect the dots. Effectively communicating a cohesive and aligned message across all aspects of an organization’s reform efforts is critical to long-term success. Help stakeholders understand that the change is not just “one more thing” that will come and go, but rather a new way of thinking or approach—every day.
• Training and support matter. Most people will endure a change if they understand “the why.” And, “the how” really matters, too. Be thoughtful as you implement and personalize training and support for your stakeholders as they partner with you through this transition.
• Celebrate and share success. Create opportunities to recognize excellence and people develop an appetite for it. Tie your communications to your end goals. Add “and then some” to whatever you do.

Several of the first PRSSA chapters in the nation – The Ohio State University’s Walt Seifert Chapter and Ohio University’s Hugh Culbertson Chapter – are among the chapters that the Central Ohio PRSA chapter supports. In fact, Walt Seifert, a past president of the Central Ohio PRSA and a long time faculty member at The Ohio State University, was one of the architects of PRSSA and loved to tell the story about making the motion before PRSA’s Assembly to create a “pubic relations student society of America.”

Students and chapters at Otterbein College and Ohio Northern University are frequently recognized at the national level for their accomplishments. Chapters at Capital University, Ohio Dominican University and Marietta College provide the valuable co-curricular opportunities that students must have for success in the field.

This year PRSA is instituting a new approach called the “Champions Challenge.” PRSA Central Ohio’s President Todd Bailey, never one to shy away from competition (and winning), discovered last year that the Central Ohio PRSA chapter had almost as many members who were supporters of “Champions for PRSSA” as some of the nation’s largest chapters. With a few phone calls, Todd soon had the Central Ohio PRSA chapter leading the list of chapters with the most “Champions.”

But this is a new year and through Todd’s idea of a “Champions Challenge” other chapters are being encouraged to increase their “Champion” numbers – for the satisfaction of leading the nation in this important area and for a very practical reason. For 2011/2012 PRSA chapters qualify to receive one free associate membership for a graduating senior for every five “Champions” it recruits. The free membership can be used by PRSA chapters in any way that they wish – for contests, promotions etc. – with the goal of increasing the number of members of the class of 2012 who join PRSA after graduation. That’s something that’s good for everyone.

The time to act is now – the “Champions Challenge” ends Dec. 31. To join the “Champions for PRSSA” download the enrollment form (Word or PDF version) and send in your $50 tax deductible check (credit cards may also be used) made out to the PRSA Foundation noted “Champions.”

I’ve sent my check and I know that Todd has sent his; now is the time to join us and send yours!

Thanks for continuing to make me PRoud to be a member of the Central Ohio PRSA chapter!

Here’s a good summary of the proposal from the PRSA website.

“In addition to discussions of governance-related matters and the strategic responsibilities of the PRSA Leadership Assembly, delegates will be asked to vote on a motion to increase the cost of PRSA membership dues.

The motion is being put forward by the 2011 PRSA Board of Directors. It is based on the recommendations of a Business Model Task Force engaged by the Board to evaluate PRSA’s 2011 forecast and budget, and to recommend ways that PRSA can balance its budget in future years while continuing to grow its  financial reserves, in accordance with association financial best practices.

After reviewing historical data and discussing various options, the Business Model Task Force recommended an increase in annual dues by up to $50 for the regular member category. On that basis, the PRSA Board of Directors is asking the Leadership Assembly to approve a $30 increase in the cost of basic PRSA membership dues, to $255 from $225, effective for members renewing on or after Jan. 1, 2012.”

Any change to the dues structure is sure to generate significant debate, and the most recent proposal is no exception. There has been a healthy national discussion among the membership, at times heated.

As a part of our responsibilities as the chapter’s board of directors, we also have engaged in a focused dialogue on the issue over the course of three separate board meetings. This included hearing directly from National PRSA Treasurer Philip Tate, APR, as well as Dr. Stephen D. Iseman, APR, Fellow PRSA, a member of our chapter who also represents PRSA East Central District on the National Board.

Additionally, during our September board meeting, the proposal was discussed at length with our National Leadership Assembly delegates, who will serve as our representatives at this year’s Assembly. For their part, assembly delegates likewise have participated in dedicated delegate conference calls during which this issue was discussed in depth.

In this case, we are fortunate that our board and assembly delegates represent a broad cross section of the industry, and more importantly our local membership. Additionally, in discussing the issue, we learned that the board also represents a wide range of perspectives as it relates to payment of dues – some have their dues paid by their employers while others pay out of their own pocket.

In the end, the local board unanimously recommended at its September board meeting that our delegates support of the proposal during the Leadership Assembly.

We recognize there are valid arguments for both sides of this issue, but believe the stronger points favor passage of the proposal. Our primary reasons for support are the following.

• Maintaining Adequate Reserve: According to the Q&A posted on the PRSA site (a worthwhile read if you have time), “PRSA’s annual financial goal is to contribute 1 percent of budgeted expenses to its financial reserves. This is in keeping with The American Society of Association Executives’ (ASAE) financial best practices, which suggest, among other things, that nonprofit organizations such as PRSA maintain 50 percent of their annual expenditures in a reserve fund. Over the past nine years, PRSA has consistently met this financial goal by aggressively controlling costs and by diversifying nonmember revenue sources. Due to economic, competitive and other factors, however, PRSA’s 2011 budget anticipates that the Society will be unable to afford the 1 percent contribution to financial reserves.”We support National PRSA in following ASAE best practices on financial reserves, and its recognition and acknowledgement that it would not be able to meet this important goal during the 2011 fiscal year. Longer tenured members of the Society may recall that this type of measured financial approach is a relatively recent development for National PRSA, and an important one in our view.The local board also believes financial stability is critical to the future success of our chapter. In fact, many years ago, following a time of significant financial challenge for PRSA Central Ohio, our leaders took an even more conservative approach setting a guideline that our chapter should hold approximately two years of operating expenses in reserve, a metric we successfully hold to this day. This financial strength provides important flexibility to the chapter and has allowed us to maintain a strong chapter while offering a wide variety of local member benefits. The leadership of the local board many years ago put PRSA Central Ohio on a path of national leadership, a position we hold to this day.

• Increased Cost of Operations: The cost of business continues to increase, which comes as no surprise. The last dues increase nationally was almost 10 years ago, when dues were increased to the current level of $225. The proposal will help PRSA adjust to the increased cost of business. Notably, during the last nine years, PRSA has dramatically increased benefits and advocacy on behalf of the profession and the professional, despite holding the line on dues.

• Continued Excellence in Membership Offerings: As noted in the Q&A, “PRSA cut $1.5 million in operating expenses from the PRSA budget over the past two years. Specific cost-control measures have included staff reductions, a salary freeze, realization of cost and operational efficiencies, elimination of underperforming products and services, reducing board travel and cutting sales and marketing expenditures.”Failure of the proposal, the local board believes, would have a negative impact on membership benefits, as PRSA would be forced to make additional cuts. The financial situation, and by extension membership value, would become an even bigger issue in future years if the issue is not addressed now.
• Increased Membership Benefits: As part of the proposal, there has been discussion about what additional benefits members would see if the proposal passes. In our view, the proposal is worth passing on the merits of maintaining the organization’s financial stability alone. However, if passed, there would be increased benefits for PRSA members including webinars offered for free to members. We believe this will be well received by the membership.

Finally, if you have not yet had a chance to read about the proposal, PRSA has dedicated a page on its site to the issue. It’s worth a few minutes to read. It includes a number of resources including the Q&A referenced above, a history of PRSA dues, and details on the hardship program and quarterly payment options for those who may be having difficulty paying dues during this challenging economic cycle.

We welcome your thoughts and discussion. If you would like to talk more, please contact me at 614-480-4757 or todd.bailey@huntington.com. Thank you for your membership in PRSA and PRSA Central Ohio.