Hoosier PRSA Blog

January Luncheon: PR practitioners vs Lawyers

If you’ve practiced public relations in situations fraught with legal issues, you know how challenging it can be. If you haven’t, you need to be prepared. The best outcome of “Public relations vs. Lawyers” is win/win/win. In this month's presentation, you’ll hear about three top strategies to ensure that one of those winners is you. The January 14 luncheon presentation will give you insights and tips on creating a winning result that benefits the organization involved and its publics. 

Bobbi Simmons, APR, a veteran of both agency and corporate public relations, will discuss three cases from her career that involved legal issues: seriously damaging false rumors; a client who wanted to violate SEC regulations; and a cooperative project that went sour. She’ll use cases to illustrate how those three top strategies can help you avoid common pitfalls.

Joining her is Rick Pitts, corporate counsel for Arlington/Roe & Co., Inc. Rick is a new ally of Bobbi’s since she joined Arlington/Roe a year ago. He’ll share the lawyer’s point of view, how it differs from the public relations point of view and how to reach common ground.

They’ll end with additional resources that can help you learn even more winning strategies in the battle of public relations practitioners vs. lawyers. Be there!

Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2008
Location: The Marott, 2625 N. Meridian (

map/directions)
Time: Registration and networking -- 11:30 a.m., lunch -- 12 p.m., program -- 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Cost: Members, $25; Guest, $40; Student, $18; Teleconferencing, $15

Register now!

Thank you to January's luncheon sponsor: ExactTarget

Researchers Find Small Is Better

Cornell University release an interesting case study this month about Twitter usage. Twitter is being used (or should be used) for reputation management, customer relations, community relations and seems to be an excellent viral communication tool.

Researchers originally thought was that Twitter users "who receive attention from many people will post more often than users who receive little attention." Indeed post frequency was high among followers and friends. But there is a saturation point that correlated with the number of followers for the users studied. According to this study, users with many followers " are not necessarily those with very large number of total posts."

The study suggests that assessing social networks should not be based on their size. That, the frequency of direct messaging is a more accurate measure. While Twitter users will typically have large followings, their actual "friend" (understood in a loose context) network is quite small, which suggests a two-tier network: "a very dense one made up of followers and followees, and a sparser and simpler network of actual friends."

Greg Verdino gives this more treatment on his blog.

For the full report: Social networks that matter: Twitter under the microscope

Marilyn Shank, APR, receives 2008 Durocher Award

At the chapter's  December 10 luncheon, Hoosier Chapter President Sonja Popp-Stahly, APR, (pictured on right) presented Marilyn Shank, APR, (left) with the 2008 Durocher Award from the PRSA East Central District. Marilyn is vice president of Shank Public Relations Counselors in Indianapolis.

The Donald P. Durocher Award recognizes outstanding professional service on the part of East Central District PRSA members. The award is named in honor of a former national PRSA Board Member, East Central District PRSA Chair and Detroit PRSA Chapter President, Donald P. Durocher, APR, Fellow PRSA. In his memory, the district board recognizes a practitioner who has achieved a distinguished service record – someone who can clearly be identified as a role model for other practitioners.

Criteria for the award include past and current evidence of outstanding ECD service in the following capacities:

• PRSA chapter service
• PRSA national service
• Impact on the profession
• PRSSA chapter and national service
• Other professional organization work that contributed to or enhanced the understanding of the public relations field

Marilyn is a past Hoosier chapter president and past East Central District chair.

December Luncheon Registration Deadline Extended to Monday

Everyone is invited to the December Luncheon: Communication Secrets to the Opening of Lucas Oil Stadium on Wednesday, December 10, 2008. The reservation deadline for the final luncheon of the year has been extended to 5 p.m. Monday, December 8.

Come network with colleagues and join us on the 10th as we hear about the strategies, tactics and messages used to create the communications plan for the opening of the Lucas Oil Stadium. You’ll hear from Bill Benner, associate director of communications for the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, and David Sease, vice chairman and partner with Sease, Gerig & Associates, who represents the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority.

Plus, our luncheon sponsor Moeller Printing will be giving away a dinner package at St. Elmo's steakhouse in downtown Indy. Don't miss this luncheon, register today!

Sincerely,
Hoosier PRSA

Click here for more details and to register!