Summer Bulletin 2012

June 7 Event: Summer’s Here at Strikes for Scholarships 2012!
Join PRSA Detroit for the 4th annual Strikes for Scholarships bowling event – a Beginning of Summer Celebration – on Thursday, June 7. The fun begins at 6 p.m. at Garden Bowl in Detroit. *Strikes for Scholarships* welcomes bowlers at all skill levels to network, socialize and raise dollars for PRSA Detroit’s scholarship fund to support the next generation of public relations professionals. In honor of the beginning of summer, this year’s event will also include coney dogs and other summer-inspired food, drink specials on refreshing summertime beverages, and maybe even a few fun giveaways. Grab your colleagues and register for a team of five today. Even if you don’t have a team, you can register as an individual and we’ll pair you up with other bowlers for a fun and memorable networking opportunity. Individual bowlers are just $25, and teams of five are $100. Registration includes three games, shoe rental, refreshments and more.		If you are interested in a little extra marketing exposure, a variety of sponsorships are also available, including lane sponsorships for just $100. This year’s event is generously title-sponsored by DTE Energy. Since 1993, PRSA Detroit has awarded roughly 35 scholarships totaling around $50,000. Help PRSA Detroit reach our scholarship fundraising goal of $4,000 in 2012 by participating in Strikes for Scholarships! Register here or at www.prsadetroit.org via PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account to use PayPal). For more information, call Nancy Skidmore at 248.545.6499 or email: nskidmore@earthlink.net.

June 27 Event: Diversity Deep Dive: Connecting with the LGBT Community & Media
In response to participant interest from the Ofield Dukes Diversity Summit in February, the Chapter’s Diversity Committee has teamed up with Affirmations – a community center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies – and Between the Lines, Michigan’s weekly newspaper serving the LGBT community to present a professional development program that enhances the chapter’s 2012 theme of Embracing Diversity. Join us on Wednesday, June 27, as Jan Stevenson, co-publisher of Between The Lines and Antonio David Garcia, executive director at Affirmations share their insights on: Who the LGBT consumer is Why they’re important to public relations professionals How to effectively communicate and develop relationships with the LGBT media and community resources		The program will take place at Affirmations, located at 290 W. 9 Mile Road in Ferndale. Look for the two-story, purple brick building; enter from 9 Mile or from the back. Parallel parking is available on 9 Mile Road, and metered parking is located behind the building in a lot across from the rear entrance. Registration and continental breakfast begins at 8 a.m. The one-hour program will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by an optional tour of the Affirmations facility. Cost: $15 for members; $25 for nonmembers. Register by Thursday, June 21 here, or at www.prsadetroit.org via PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account to use PayPal). For more information, call Nancy Skidmore at 248.545.6499 or email: nskidmore@earthlink.net.

Get Ready for Golf! PRSA Open to be Held August 14
While tee time is still months away, plans for the PRSA Open are off to a great start with PR Newswire returning as Presenting Sponsor for the third consecutive year. “It’s great to have PR Newswire return as the Presenting Sponsor,” said John Austerberry, APR, PRSA Detroit president-elect and former chairman of the PRSA Open Committee. “Not only did they provide important leadership and support in 2010 and 2011 when we were reviving the Open from hiatus during the recession, but this year they are taking on the task of organizing the event too.” Dave Bonkosky, strategic business development manager for PR Newswire, and Tom Gubbins, PR Newswire account manager, are co-chairing the 2012 Open. Bonkosky reports that they have secured a valuable sponsorship for graphics services.		“MJA Graphics has already stepped up and offered us our printing sponsorship at no cost, which in turn will allow us to give more to the scholarship fund,” said Bonkosky. “We are looking forward to hearing from other organizations in PRSA Detroit ready to step up and help with sponsorships too. It’s a great cause to help out some hard-working college students. If you’re looking to get involved with a sponsorship, please email me at David.Bonkosky@prnewswire.com.” Additional sponsorships remain available, including: Corporate Sponsor, $500; Refreshment Sponsor, $300; Lunch Sponsor, $200; and Hole Sponsor, $50. Details on sponsorship opportunities and benefits are now available on the chapter’s website. The 2012 Open will be Tuesday, Aug. 14 at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Macomb. The Open will feature a barbecue lunch, 12:30 p.m. shotgun start, beverages on the course and light hors d’oeuvres with beer and wine after play.

PRSA 2012 Michigan Conference: A Great Success!
On May 17, PRSA Detroit held its Michigan Conference, CommLab 2012. It was a very successful event, attended by 200 PR practitioners, included two keynote presentations and 9 breakout sessions. Our thanks to all who attended and sponsored. Congratulations and our thanks to those that made it all happen, the PRSA 2012 Michigan Conference Committee:		Co-Chairs: Jocelyn Allen, Don Tanner and Jennifer Wilt, APR Committee: Mark Benner, APR; Sara Bloomberg, Tom Constand, Kate Eidam, Jennifer Flowers, APR; Deana Goodrich, Katie Maltais, Derine McCrory, Lynda Messina, APR; Stephanie Scheer, Kristine Schultz, Nancy Skidmore, Megan Soule, APR and Katy Teer


From the President’s Desk By Jennifer Flowers, APR
One of the most common reasons PRSA Detroit members list for joining the organization is networking. And, a key ingredient of networking is relationship-building. Even in these times of electronic communications and social media, there is still a need for connecting in person and personally with other communications professionals. PRSA is an ideal organization to provide a point of connection for communicators inside and outside of Detroit. Even though my Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and other online channels are in heavy use, some of my most valued and fruitful relationships are those developed in person over time, especially through committee work and attendance at PRSA events. Throughout my 17 years within PRSA, here are some of the best ways the organization has helped me network and develop as a professional. New Business Development: Agencies and suppliers that are looking for opportunities to engage with communications decision-makers at corporations and organizations often do so at PRSA Detroit programs and meetings. These new business networking opportunities are especially strong at the committee leadership level of PRSA Detroit where participants can work side-by-side with a potential new client or employer in an “on the job” way. Career Enhancement and Mentoring: Whether a member is a senior-level professional with 20-plus years of experience or a new professional who just landed a first job out of college, all communicators can benefit from establishing mentor and mentee relationships to enhance their careers and learn new skills. These types of relationships are easily and readily available within PRSA Detroit. Whether informal or formal, the relationships established within PRSA Detroit can be helpful career or business navigation guides. For example, I chaired the new professionals committee of PRSA Detroit for a few years when I started in my career, and many of the committee members who I worked with have all flourished in their respective careers and are friends I call upon when I need career advice or encouragement.		Connecting with Students and Giving Back to the Profession: One of the most rewarding aspects of PRSA membership is the ability to nurture the future of our profession by investing in the communications students who are going to be our future employees and leaders. Through the strong relationships PRSA has with the Public Relations Student Society of America chapters at colleges around the country, PRSA members are able to invest in the future of our profession and ensure a positive legacy. In addition to all of the wonderful career development reasons to build relationships and network within PRSA, one of the most important but surprising benefits I’ve realized after being a longtime member of PRSA is the gift of new friendships. Since my presidency started in January, I have seen firsthand the many ways PRSA Detroit members have rallied to support one another in personal times of need, including personal illness, the loss of parents and spouses, and even while starting new families. I have witnessed PRSA Detroit members helping one another through some of the most difficult times in their lives. Perhaps most of us didn’t join PRSA to make a new friend, or didn’t know it would be a PRSA friend who is there for us in our darkest hours. But, isn’t it nice to know that PRSA allows members to connect in ways that deeply affect both their professional and personal lives? So, I encourage all members to attend an event this summer; join a committee; or pick up your directory and take a fellow member out for coffee and networking. Get up, get out and connect! You may forge a new business relationship, find a new professional to hire or even make a lifelong friend.

Support Our Chapter and Maximize Your Visibility with a PRSA Detroit sponsorship
Looking for the best way to help your company maximize its PRSA Detroit membership? Consider becoming a sponsor for the 2012-2013 year. Check out this list of sponsorship packages that offer you both visibility and connection to our 375-plus members and non-members as well, who visit our website and attend PRSA Detroit events throughout the year. Some sponsorship packages include foursomes in the Aug. 14 PRSA golf outing.		Contact Dan Artman, Dan.artman@wowway.com or Nancy Skidmore, nskidmore@earthlink.net for further information.

Submit Your Picks for Hall of Fame and Hefty Award Honors
PRSA Detroit’s Senior Council is seeking nominations for both the 2012 PRSA Detroit Hall of Fame and Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Awards. Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, Aug. 15. Induction into the Hall of Fame is the highest recognition our chapter can bestow on individual practitioners. It reflects a practitioner’s significant contribution to the profession and to the PRSA Detroit Chapter, as well as to the community. APR and retired candidates are given special consideration. The Hefty Award recognizes a practitioner for his/her long and significant service to the Detroit Chapter. While APR accreditation is not required, the candidate must be a member of PRSA Detroit. Hall of Fame and Hefty Award nomination forms and listings of past recipients are available via the Awards tab of www.prsadetroit.org. Nominate a professional today: be it a trailblazer from the Detroit Chapter’s earliest days; an outstanding executive from your past; or an impressive colleague with whom you work currently.		The Senior Council is establishing a continually updated pool of outstanding practitioners for both honors and will hold nominations for award-worthy candidates who are not celebrated at November’s 2012 annual meeting for consideration in future years. For questions and to submit completed nomination forms for both awards, contact Senior Council Co-Chairs Pat Adanti-Joy, APR at patricia.adantijoy1@gmail.com and/or Pam Young, APR at pyoung@emich.edu.

Ethics: 5 Ways You Can Honor the Code With Social Media By Joan Witte, APR
The personal touch and ability to humanize a brand is at the core of social media’s success. But, the line between ‘authentic’ word of mouth endorsements and social media marketing can get very blurry. For people posting under the company moniker, followers, fans, and friends all clearly understand the source. However, it’s a different ballgame if someone is posting about a client or customer under their personal brand. I asked fellow professionals how they balanced social media and honoring the PRSA Ethics Code. The one commonality: full disclosure is definitely a challenge with Twitter’s 140 character tweets and 160 character profile limitations. Actually, it’s more than a challenge since the October 2009 release of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. It is now a legal issue. The guide outlines how elements of our PRSA Honor Code are a matter of law, not preference. If you are posting under your own name, here are 5 ways you can protect yourself and honor The Code. Create a page on your website for listing your relationships The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) strongly recommends posting a link on your profile page that directs people to a full “Disclosure and Relationships Statement.” This makes it easy for people to find the information. Cite the identity of the brand in your profile If you don’t have a website to link a full disclosure page to, then you may want to list the key clients. Once again it’s the Twitter 160 profile character limit that poses the biggest constraint. If they are publicly traded, you can use their stock exchange ticker. There is typically enough space in Facebook’s “About Me” section and your own personal blog to highlight any relationships.		Make a hash tag notation There are common hash tags that you can include in your tweet that serve as forms of disclosure such as#spon (sponsored), #paid (paid), #rep (represent), and #samp (sample). Sample is used when someone receives a product sample or is asked to try out a service as part of the company’s market research and outreach.If you do a search, you will see lots of people are using these terms. State you are sharing your personal opinion If you feel the lines may be blurry, add some insurance by stating the views are your personal opinion. If you are microblogging and faced with character limitations, use acronyms like IMO (in my opinion) or IMHO (in my humble opinion). Tag a Video, Audio blog, or Podcast Most people are familiar with rolling credits and caveats at the end of broadcast mediums. A short sentence at the end will result in a salute of honor by disclosing any relevant relationships. Whether it’s PRSA’s Code of Ethics, FTC regulations, or WOMMA, the goal is to create clear and easy-to-find disclosures. If any of the terminology is unclear, InternetSlang.com can provide some insight.

PRSA Detroit Leadership News
At the May PRSA Detroit Board Meeting, the board voted to accept current program chair and Lambert Edwards Account Director Elizabeth Robbins-Sabourin as a new board member to fill Jennifer Marsik Friess’ remaining seven month board term. Marsik Friess and her husband are currently relocating to Dallas. Congratulations to Elizabeth! Robbins-Sabourin has been serving as co-chair of the PRSA Detroit Programming Committee. Prior to her current role with Lambert Edwards, she was the public relations and marketing manager at Gas Station TV and was a senior account executive at Weber Shandwick. Robbins-Sabourin also is an adjunct faculty member at the Art Institute of Michigan, where she teaches a variety of classes in the fashion department including Public Relations. She holds a master’s degree in public relations from Michigan State University and a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and communications with a public relations concentration from the University of Michigan.		Thank you to Jennifer Marsik Friess for your contributions to PRSA Detroit as a Board Member, Committee Chair and volunteer. We wish you all the best!

Worth Noting
Eisbrenner Public Relations, Michigan’s leading business-to-business PR firm, has promoted Alexandra Sherbow to assistant account executive. “Alex has a tremendous work ethic and a strong desire and dedication to provide outstanding results for our clients,” said Steve Blow, vice president, Eisbrenner PR. “She has earned the respect of her teammates and clients by providing valuable ideas and high quality work on a consistent basis. She is a valuable member of our team and we look forward to continuing to watch her succeed.” In her new position, Sherbow will provide support to account teams through development of communication plans, media relations, project management, and writing and editing. Sherbow began at Eisbrenner PR as an intern in 2011 and was hired as an account coordinator later that year. Prior to joining Eisbrenner PR, she interned at the Detroit Zoo in the public relations department as well as the American Red Cross Washtenaw County Chapter in the marketing department. Sherbow graduated from the University of Michigan where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies and psychology. Franco Public Relations Group (Franco), a Detroit-based, full service public relations agency, has hired PRSA Detroit Member Sara Bloomberg as an account executive. Bloomberg will provide media relations for a variety of Franco’s accounts including Comerica Bank, The Detroit Regional Workforce Fund, Foley & Lardner LLP and National Heritage Academies. Prior to joining Franco, Bloomberg was an account executive at a Southfield-based PR agency and social media coordinator for Broner Inc. Bloomberg has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in integrated public relations from Central Michigan University. She is a resident of Birmingham, Mich.		The Quell Group has hired Greg Scott as senior creative director, Mike Niederquell, president and CEO, announced. “Greg is an award-winning design professional and an expert in strategic concept development,” said Niederquell. “His diverse background will lead branding and design services to help position our clients uniquely in their markets.” Scott was most recently the creative director of Pitney Bowes Marketing Solutions Group, where he was responsible for the business unit’s advertising and marketing, as well as client work. He previously held the roles of creative director at R.L. Polk and art director at Robert Solomon & Associates Advertising. Scott’s experience spans multiple industries, including automotive, consumer retail and high tech, and he has served small- to medium-sized businesses up to Fortune 500 companies, such as Mitsubishi, Porsche Cars North America and Sprint.

Welcome New Members!
Amy Bryson Airfoil Public Relations Bryson@airfoilpr.com Jessica Choi General Motors Jessica.choi@gm.com Marc Harlow Harlow Public Relations marc@harlowpr.com Andrea Haupt Towers Watson Andrea.haupt@towerswatson.com Barbara Hendrickson Visible Communication LLC barb@visiblecommunication.com Howard Hughey Macomb Community College H2.hughey@gmail.com Jody Lamb RepairClinic.com, Inc. prmanager@repairclinic.com Kate Malicke University of Michigan Dearborn kmalicke@umd.umich.edu Greg Melvin gregcmelvin@gmail.com		Julie Northrop Northrop.julie@gmail.com Leslie Pilling Presence II Productions leslie@presenceiiproductions.com Amanda Ross Stunning LLC amanda@stunningcreative.net Jennifer Rutherford PRIME Research Rutherford@prime-research.com Alexandra Sherbow Eisbrenner Public Relations asherbow@eisbrenner.com Scott Spielman Oakwood Healthcare, Inc. Scott.spielman@oakwood.org Tara Stewart Kuhnen Michigan State University Stewar85@msu.edu Amanda Thatcher University of Michigan Health System athatche@med.umich.edu Gary Warrick PRIME Research warrick@prime-research.com

Upcoming Events
June 7: Strikes for Scholarships Bowling Event Garden Bowl 4120 Woodward Avenue, Detroit June 27; Diversity Deep Dive Affirmations 290 West 9 Mile Road, Ferndale		August 14; PRSA Detroit Golf Outing Sycamore Hills 48787 North Avenue, Macomb November 8: Annual Meeting The Dearborn Inn More information to follow

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