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Fall 2014
For
IMMEDIATE
Release
We are pleased to have a variety of programs and
mixers included in this year’s line-up. Our next
educational program, “Getting Exposure for Your
Professional Services Firm,” will take place on
“There may be people who November 5 at 6 p.m, and we’re already planning
have more talent than you, our holiday mixer, so please mark your calendar
but there’s no excuse for for December 2 (details to follow). Please visit
anyone to work harder than prpli.org for a complete list of upcoming events.
you do.” – Derek Jeter
Please don’t hesitate to reach me at info@prpli.
org. I look forward to hearing from you as we plan
Yes, I still have baseball on
for another successful year.
my mind, even though my
team didn’t make the playThank YOU for supporting our organization.
offs (again). However, in
light of Derek Jeter’s recent Best regards,
retirement, we are reminded that it takes a lot of
hard work to be successful, and to make it in New
York. At PRPLI, we are thankful to be celebrating
our 25th anniversary this coming year. We have made it this far and have been successful at what
Kimberly Elardo, President
we do thanks to the hard work of our board and support of our members throughout the years. A
lot has changed since 1990; however, each year
we continue to improve our membership benefits
and hope that you take advantage of all we have
TABLE OF CONTENTS
to offer.
Kimberly’s KeyNote
I am pleased to announce that along with our
11 returning board members, we have four new
board members this program year. Please join
me in welcoming Valerie Esposito, Andrea Jones,
Julie Manteria, and Stu Vincent to the team. In
a short period of time, they have proven to be
such valuable board members. If you are interested in joining a committee to get more involved
with PRPLI, our board members, and industry
colleagues, now is the time to do it. From Young
Professionals, Outreach, Newsletter, and many
more, we have a committee for everyone. Click
here for more information.
from the editor............................................... 2
wide world of pr, in the mind’s eye.......... 3
native marketing, PRPLI spotlight............4
socially connected, design corner...............5
photo gallery...................................................6
he said, she said..............................................7
new members, opinions................................8
in case you missed it, by the numbers......9
shout it out, upcoming events....................10
2
Who We Are
From The Editor
Our Executive Board
and Board of Directors
consist of the following
members:
Kimberly Elardo
Kali Chan
Ellen Christie
Patricia Gambale
Virginia Lestingi
Louise Cassano
Valerie Esposito
Tara M. Gordon
Andrea Jones
Michael Kinane
Nina McCann
Julie Manteria
Sharyn O’Mara
Donna Rivera-Downey
Stu Vincent
Contact Us
Public Relations
Professionals of
Long Island
P.O. Box 158
Hicksville, New York 11802
[email protected]
To visit our website go to
www.prpli.org
Editor:
Louise Cassano
What happens when a PR practitioner
whose practice includes event planning
hires an event planner to put together a personal party? I guess it equates to a doctor
whose medical condition requires hospitalization or, for that matter, a tailor who treats
himself to a custom-made suit.
Such was the case recently when my husband and I hired a family member to plan a
party we were hosting. Initially, we rejected the idea because both of
us are reluctant to do business with family members. We had weeks
of stress prior to the event with my sister being hospitalized out in
Port Jefferson and my husband’s cousin, whose personal affairs we
handled, passing away.
So, after consideration, we decided to add yet another stress to our
lives and hire his cousin to plan our event. His cousin’s business
is fairly new, so we assuaged our concerns with the notion that we
would be helping her promote her business to a friendly audience.
Boy, were we surprised! From the start, this woman and her daughter, who are in partnership, proved that giving up control can be a
godsend. A personality like mine doesn’t give up control easily, but
the professionalism that was exhibited from the get-go proved to us
that we could relax in this one area of our lives—a welcome release.
We just described what we wanted, and every detail was attended
to with perfection.
Clients have often thanked me for lifting similar burdens from them,
and before I had this experience, I never completely understood how
important that can be. That said, I wonder if most of us understand
how valuable our services are to our clients. Do we understand that
what we do has an intrinsic value? Do we know what those services
are worth?
I want to start a campaign, one that doesn’t involve ice water being
dumped on heads, in which people in our professions think about
the good they do and give themselves a pat on the back.
Sincerely,
Design/Layout:
Melissa Rose
Copy Editor:
Bill Krol
For more information
about PRPLI, please visit
our website at PRPLI.org
or email us at info@prpli.
org
Louise Cassano, Editor
Get Involved
Become our fan on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter @PRPLITweets
Connect with us on LinkedIn
3
Wide World of PR
Sports Public Relations
by Krista Giannak
In the Buses for Baseball program, major league baseball
players provide the means for
children in underserved populations to attend a baseball game and meet the
players personally.
Action Team, a national youth volunteer program
with about 100 high schools in 30 states, is the
signature program of the Major League Baseball
Players Trust in partnership with Volunteers of
America, in which players hold regional training
sessions with Action Team captains.
According to Greg Bouris, director of communications for the Major League Baseball Players
Association (MLBPA), and Kimber Auerbach,
director of communications for the New York
Islanders, sports public relations is important
both locally and nationally.
Bouris discussed “putting a local face” on MLB
PR. The Major League Baseball Players Trust, a
nonprofit organization administered by the players, supports various causes that the players
choose, such as the Buses for Baseball program.
“The players can only do so much, but they know
that through every Action Team in each high
school, their volunteerism message reaches tens
of thousands of students each year,” Bouris said.
By extension, the association can use the same
public relations materials, changing school and
player names for different communities.
Auerbach emphasized strong media relationships
and unique story angles. “For example, Josh
Bailey loves to fish. We reached out to Outdoor
Life about an NHL player who loves to hunt and
fish, and they loved it. When we get to know our
players that way, we can pitch interesting stories.
The people reading Outdoor Living may not be
Islander fans, but they may make a connection,”
he said. Another example is a star player winning
an award, which becomes a national story.
Auerbach also described his travels with the
Islanders: “I get to meet a lot of the writers in the
cities where we play....to read more, click here.
In the Mind’s Eye
You are the company PR person. An
employee is accused of sexual harassment.
What are the first three things you do?
1. Make an emergency call to your company’s
attorney, while reviewing the HR policies.
2. Assure the accuser in the presence of two
other staff, and/or attorney, that the matter will be
considered and addressed.
3. Write a brief, nonexplanatory memo/statement
to use if and when you and crisis team decide it’s
needed.
Ellen Christie
E. C. Public Relations
In order of their importance, what are the three
most important skills of a PR practitioner?
My answer is writing, writing, and writing!
Jeffrey S. Morosoff
Hofstra University
Judgment; communication (oral and written);
interpersonal
Debra Scala Giokas
Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP
Which department in your company should
be most closely allied to PR?
Marketing and sales without a doubt! Need to
align oneself with marketing for synergies, and
all need to keep a watchful eye on sales just in
case there is a need to change direction.
Jacqueline Pash
Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.
Getting Exposure for
Your Professional
Services Firm
Date: Wednesday,
November 05, 2014
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Hyatt Place Garden City
Click here to register!
4
Native Marketing
Native Marketing: An Enigma, Wrapped in
Celebrity, Surrounded by Product Placement
by Donna Jannine
We all know about new, “native” marketing, but the
dynamic between marketers and the media continues to be a topic of interest. Both the benefits
and pitfalls should be clear to us by now. Companies can connect with audiences like never before
through compelling original video content.
Traditional media institutions are wary of sponsored content appearing too similar to their own,
and they have every right to be concerned. A paid
post on Buzzfeed is not and should not be looked
upon as journalism, and an institution like the New
York Times doesn’t want to risk its reputation. But
move past the traditional—and even upstart—
players in this media ecosystem, and the results
may surprise you.
News websites aren’t the only places that advertisers are looking, and audience demographics
continue to shift. We’re already there: websites
such as YouTube have hundreds upon thousands
of unique channels with massive audiences cultivated through social media and original content.
Remember, the demographics of those audiences
often skew younger. There are millions of adolescents who likely never read newspapers in print,
and they probably don’t watch the evening news
either, but they never miss updates on the channels and websites they subscribe to.
More than two million people happened to catch
Funny or Die’s foray into native advertising. Tom
Brady, Under Armour, Dick’s Sporting Goods,
and stereotypes about a Boston accent meshed
together seamlessly into a three-minute advertisement camouflaged as a satirical video. How many
tweets do you think Will Ferrell received for his
newest “viral” post?
Ironically, this video, produced outside the realm
of the Funny or Die brain trust, wasn’t the first that
blurred the lines between comedy and advertising: James Franco’s Gucci Commercial Outtakes
was posted nearly five years ago, well before
native advertising was a buzzword.
Combine a celebrity with a product and you get
an advertisement. Gucci did just that with Franco,
but that doesn’t mean it had to be the same stale
pitch. Nowadays, the hook is the lifestyle of the
product and its users, not just a famous face or
a testimonial. Throw in some humor or drama for
flavor and season to taste.
What you see now is an innovative way to advertise. The content has changed, but the purpose is
the same: start a buzz and get millions of eyes on
the prize.
Donna Jannine is the director of public relations at
Zimmerman/Edelson, Inc.
Spotlight On Katherine Heaviside
In the world of public
relations, the name Katherine Heaviside is very well
known. Heaviside is founder and president of EPOCH
5 Public Relations. Among
other
accomplishments,
she has been named a
New York State Woman
of Distinction; one of Long
Island’s Top Influentials by
Long Island Business News, recipient of Promote
Long Island’s Spirit of Long Island Award for Entrepreneurship, and is a charter member of the Top 50
Women in the Long Island Hall of Fame.
Heaviside has been published in national magazines and major newspapers, appeared on
television and radio, and presented seminars
throughout the United States. She also serves on
several boards including the United Way and the Long
Island Association.
Heaviside starts her day at 4:30 a.m., and weather
permitting, will go out for a run. In the winter, she
exercises in her gym at home in Huntington. She
checks her email, then gets into the office at 8:30
a.m. and is usually there until 5:30 or 6 p.m. However,...to read more, click here.
By Martha Carney
5
Socially Connected
Social Media 2015: What to Expect in the New Year
This past year was a busy one in the world of social
media. Many social media websites changed their
looks and algorithms, impacting the way PR practitioners use social media for business.
PR practitioners are preparing for changes ahead.
“In 2015, we will be looking to focus more on return
on investment because we would like to be able to
assign a monetary value to social media engagement,” said Natalie Belva, public relations associate
at AHRC Nassau.
“We want to effectively demonstrate the worth of
social media and take advantage of what it has to
offer for a nonprofit such as AHRC Nassau,” she
added. “We also hope to strengthen outside relationships, both locally and regionally, to become a
leading resource for our field.”
“What I foresee is more competition to get your
message to your target audience,” said Julie A.
Manteria, marketing consultant for JAM Marketing
and PRPLI board member. “I’m already noticing
that when I start to type something into Facebook’s
search bar, I see more suggestions coming up,
which means to me that more businesses are taking social media seriously as a vehicle to deliver
their message. Ultimately, this will force marketers
to have even more relevant content than before to
outshine their competition.”
As we forge ahead into 2015, here are three things
that we can expect to see next year:
1. Paid advertisements: Paid advertisements on
Facebook have been proven to reach targeted
audiences and improve website conversions. In the
new year, businesses should be prepared to make
room in their budgets for paid advertisements on a
variety of social media platforms.
creating full-time social media positions, there is a
big focus on overseeing the quality of content and
proving the value of social media. Clear and concise statuses that provide useful information can
go a long way when delivering your message.
By Valerie Esposito
Design Corner
Infographics: Why You Need Them
by Melissa Rose
Everyone has a message. The hard part is
bundling it up so the message is understood by
anyone and everyone.
• 20% is all that is remembered after
reading text
• 90% of information is transmitted to the
brain is visual
• 200% more images on social media are
liked as compared to just text
• 12% average increase in traffic after
publishing an infographic
What are the major parts of an infographic?
• The visual
• The colors, graphics, and icons used in
designing the infographic
• The content
• The text, statistics, time frames, and
reference
• The knowledge
• The facts and conclusions to convey the
overall message or story
This is what a completed infographic looks like:
2. Visuals: We already know that statuses that contain pictures get more “likes” than those without. In
2015, we will see even more photos and videos, so
make sure that the ones you create for your business will stand out from the crowd and tell a story in
a matter of seconds.
3. Quality content: How many times have you read a
status and wondered what happened to the person
in charge of proofreading it? With many companies
Source: www.marketo.com
6
August Combined Networking
The well-publicized joint networking event in August attracted a large group of
communications professionals, writers and not for profits.
Photos Courtesy of:
Photographer
Steven Giannitsis,
S Photo East,
www.sphotoeast.zenfolio.com
Marcum Challenge:
The PRPLI Marcum Challenge team included (l-r)
Patricia Gambale, Louise
Cassano, Martha Carney,
Amanda Sanchez, Dan
Tesseyman, Julie Manteria, Kimberly Elardo, Anna
D’Aloisio, and her son,
Alex D’Aloisio.
7
He Said, She Said
clear. What better time than fall. We do fall cleaning
at home. We should also do it in the office.
Take a moment to dust off your marketing plan. If
you don’t have one, at least dedicate some time
to sorting through your publicity files and revisiting
old clips. What worked? What didn’t work? Did the
message revolve around your company’s mission
statement? Are you telling the right stories for your
organization? What stories are left unsaid? What
stories need to be told?
She Said...
If you have ever hunted for a house, you well know
that the process is a tiring one with many ups
and downs. The best part of finding a home is the
opportunity to make it your own. That means
design.
If you’re a fan of HGTV, then you are probably well
aware of this key point. But it’s worth mentioning.
When you’re looking to design an entire home,
whether that means renovations or simply a new
coat of paint, and some flooring and furniture that
maximize the layout of each room, you need an
inspiration piece.
Such a piece can be as simple as a china plate you
inherited from your grandmother, a favorite pattern
of a dress or tie, or a picture you brought home
from one of your vacations. There is logic to this. By
narrowing the focus on one item, the color scheme
becomes clearer. The style becomes clearer. Your
vision becomes clearer because you were able to
find your personality.
Now how does this relate to public relations? When
you build a marketing plan, you need a vision statement. You need an inspiration piece. That piece
(and oh, are the graphic designers going to love
me now) is the logo.
A logo captures the essence of your brand. It
reminds you of the personality of your firm or
company, and it serves as a focal point in which
you should center your plan. It can actually guide
your publicity strategy by reminding you of what
you stand for, what you’re all about, and what you
should tell your publics.
The best way to become inspired is to become
Then make a list for yourself. Dust it off from time to
time throughout this year. Pin it up on your bulletin
board. Make a dream board of tasks you hope to
accomplish for your organization. Keep your logo
in sight.
If you don’t like your logo, maybe it’s time to move
away from it. Start fresh. Start packing. Begin anew.
It’s work. Oh, it’s work. Anybody who has ever
moved will tell you the same. It’s one of the most
stressful endeavors. But in the end, everything
seems to fall into place. As is true of anything in
life, the more you work for something, the more you
appreciate it.
Debra Scala Giokas is the director of marketing
at Certilman Balin. Follow her on Twitter @debrascalag.
He Said...
Ahh, Inspiration . . .
Usually, when I have some spare time from my
daily duties as a business owner, I write. I need
to write because if I don’t my brain will fill up with
things I need to commit to paper and eventually
explode if I don’t relieve the pressure. All writers
have this problem, and they deal with it in different
ways. Some go insane (which at times helps with
the writing) and others fill their jean pockets with
Post-it notes, only to destroy them with the next
wash.
Deb mentioned our house hunt. I so wish I had kept
a diary of this because it’s been brutal. I won’t go
into the gory details but suffice to say I have been
he said continued on page 8
8
he said continued from page 7
consumed with the chores at hand in preparation of
going from one house to another and, in our case,
still another (that’s a whole other story). If someone
ever tells you that this is easy, you should be suspicious of them immediately.
So it follows that I have not had any spare time
(I know, I know I should have planned my time
better) to speak of recently and have put my writing on hold. With that, I have probably missed tons
of opportunities to be inspired. This is not healthy.
Though I don’t necessarily wait for something to
inspire me to start writing (a deadline helps), inspiration is highly recommended if you plan to involve
any part of your soul on the endeavor.
A logo, for instance, should be inspirational. If you
designed it right, it took you a long time to settle on
the final design. After all, it graphically depicts what
your company is all about. That’s not easy to do
when you want to advertise not only your services
but also your company culture and ethic. It’s probably one of the most important pieces of how the
public views your services—and you.
But, inspiration comes from an array of sources. Someone once asked Willie Nelson how he
comes up with the lyrics to his songs. It’s easy, he
answered. All the words are floating in the air; all
you have to do is reach up and grab them. Inspiration should be as basic as basic comes. How
many times have you felt instantly charmed by a
child’s giggle or the sound of two birds welcoming
the morning?
Simplicity is becoming an endangered art. Don’t
make the mistake of getting hopelessly lost in the
cacophony of the latest tech speak or fancy-sounding marketing jargon. What counts is if you live
your message and, if in the end, you can sit back
and enjoy the comfort of knowing you’re doing the
right thing.
George Giokas is chairman of the board of
HealthDay, president/CEO of StaffWriters
Plus, Inc., an adjunct professor at Stony
Brook University’s journalism department,
and author of the young adult novel “Nickel
Ice.” Follow him on Twitter @georegiokas5.
New Members
Natalie Belva, Public Relations Associate
AHRC, Nassau County Chapter
Lisa Chalker, CEO/Owner
Family Affair Distributing Inc.
Susan Dragovich, Catering and Events Manager
Havana Central
Teresa Hansen, Senior Marketing Associate
WeiserMazars LLP
Paul Laursen, freelance writer, editor
and photographer
Victoria Moore
Michael Ruppert, Marketing Coordinator
Grassi & Co.
Jason Scheer, Marketing Manager
Alcott HR
Jennifer Wassenbergh, Marketing Communications and Content Specialist
Grassi & Co.
Opinions
Regarding our first program of the year, “Proving the Value of Social Media,” presented by
Jerry Allocca of CORE Interactive Marketing,
here’s what people had to say:
• Great topic, detailed info, very useful.
• Great presentation. Definitely took away a
few pointers.
• The program was very informative and
helped me better understand how to use
social media.
• I learned a great deal. It related well to
my PR106 class.
• Jerry’s presentation was great.
• Valuable content – engaging speaker.
• This presentation was jam packed with
information.
9
In Case You Missed It
A Review Of PRPLI’s
October Meeting
by Lisa Chalker, Family Affair
PRPLI was honored to have author and speaker
Jerry Allocca present at our most recent breakfast event at Hofstra University. Through a combination of teaching points and reinforcement
through real-world analogies, Allocca was able
to engage, educate, and provide practical ways
to use his information in everyday practice for
our individual companies.
According to Allocca, there are four key metrics to using social media: (1) Awareness, (2)
Engagement, (3) Influence, and (4) Conversion.
It’s the combination of using all four key metrics,
analyzing the data gleaned from Google Analytics, and reshaping your marketing strategies—
based on those analytics—that will bring the
best results to your social media campaigns.
He also recommended sites such as KLOUT,
#tagdef, and Kred, just to name a few, as extra
tools needed by “marketing gurus.”
Allocca’s book, Connected Culture, is a great
reference tool for the office. My hunch is that
everyone who attended went back to their
offices wiser and full of ideas about how to
enhance their social media campaigns.
Check This Out
Donna Rivera-Downey: Non-Profits Need a
Social Media Plan presented by PRPLI and My
Long Island TV at mylitv.com. Click here to see
video.
By The Numbers
Compiled by Bonnie Eissner
PRPLI members revealed their
Twetiquette in our September quick
poll. The statement our members
were asked to respond to was: “I
follow the people who follow me on
Twitter.”
The responses were:
* Most of the time 31.2%
* Rarely 25%
* Never 6.2%
* Always 3.1%
* Other 31.2%
Of the participants who responded “other,”
60 percent don’t use Twitter.
Thanks to all who participated.
Check the PRPLI Newsbite for each month’s
poll.
Did You Know?
Your membership offers the following benefits:
• Exciting programs, including our annual
awards dinner
• Member discounted rates for programs
• FREE mixer / networking events
• The weekly electronic update: "NewBites"
• The quarterly electronic newsletter: "for
immediate release"
• Access to our job bank postings
• Active engagement on the PRPLI
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts
•
10
Shout It Out
Kudos to longtime PRPLI member Randy Kaplan on an outstanding exhibit titled “On The Ball,”
now on display through December 14 at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library in Washington, D. C.
Kaplan’s extraordinary baseball collection contains 1,000 baseballs autographed by heads of state
and high-ranking political leaders from various countries. Learn more about the exhibit at http://www.
lbjlibrary.org/exhibits/on-the-ball/, which is displaying 116 of Kaplan’s baseballs. Check out Kaplan’s
photos on the library’s Flickr page at http://bit.ly/1lOHwQ8 or on Kaplan’s Facebook page at https://
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kaplan-Collection/634225369952405.
A poem by Debra Scala-Giokas has been accepted into the 2014 Nassau County Poet Laureate
Review. A book launch is scheduled for Saturday, November 15, at the Walt Whitman Center. Another poem is scheduled for the fall edition of the Long Island Quarterly, an online publication of poetry
from the region. Way to go, Debra.
Coming Events
Mark your calendar now for these exciting
programs. Check our website at prpli.org and
our weekly Newsbites for updated information
and links to registration.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Hyatt Place, Garden City
Topic: Getting Exposure for Your
Professional Services Firm
Speakers: Ken Cerini (Cerini & Associates),
Jillian Eisman (Meyer, Suozzi, English &
Klein), Julie Gross Gelfand (Marcum LLP),
and Naomi T. Johnson (State Farm
Insurance). Moderated by Andrea Jones,
founder, OnTarget Marketing
SAVE THE DATE
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
6 to 9 p.m.
PRPLI Holiday Mixer
Location: Jewel, Melville
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Time: 8 to 10:30 a.m.
Location: Adelphi Center, Hauppauge
Topic: Build Your Professional Tool Kit
Three offerings: (1) Crisis Communications
Workshop, Katherine Heaviside, Epoch 5; (2)
Prezi Presentation Tool Workshop, Dr. Amy
Poland, St. Joseph’s College; (3) Headshots
by Steve Giannitsis, S Photo East (additional
fee will apply.)