By: Aileen Katcher, APR, Fellow PRSA

In his forward to Worldcom Public Relations Group’s new free e-book, PR in 2012: Emerging Tactics and Trends From Around the Globe, social media guru and author, Jay Baer says the rules for public relations have changed.  I maintain that the basic strategies are still the same, but how we accomplish them has changed – and that has brought new opportunities.

In the free downloadable book, 20 of our Worldcom partners from around the world share their insights on specific challenges, opportunities or issues they face in their practice and market. It’s interesting to see the similarities and the differences expressed from country to country.

Partners in both Canada and Australia cited the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to their clients, particularly in the natural resources sector.  Firms in both countries also mentioned the impact of hosting the Olympics to tourism and economic development.

Our Polish partner mentioned sports too and event marketing strategies, citing opportunities at EURO 2012 – the UEFA European Football Championship (which I believe is not the US pigskin variety, but soccer.)

From South Africa, I read about harnessing technology to tap the consumer market.  I enjoyed the chapter’s upbeat attitude about the economy, comparing the attitude of today’s empowered consumers there to that of the “business euphoria” following Mandela’s release a decade before.

In an article from a New York partner on how to attract the new generation of travelers, I felt a bit old when I realized I was the aging boomer they were talking about who was being replaced by the more demanding, opinionated, less loyal, more cynical Gen Y traveler as a key audience.

There is a post from Chicago about the health care market seizing on competitive research, Minneapolis on measuring value versus ROI and tips for digitizing brand reputation efforts from Prague.  From a partner in Los Angeles I learned the difference between micropolitan and metropolitan markets.

Worldcom is a great partnership that draws on the expertise and local market know how of 104 partners in 92 cities on six continents.  KVBPR is proud to be part of it.

KVBPR loves to keep up with its intern alumni.  Since he completed his internship and college education ten years ago, Joel Fortner worked for the US Air Force doing public relations as a civilian.  Now he has launched Washington, DC-based BlueBridge Communication (web site coming soon) to help businesses and nonprofits communicate better, especially those connected to the government. 

This week, he interviewed KVBPR partner Aileen Katcher on leadership for his Friday feature Behind Leadership.

Click here to read Behind Leadership: Aileen Katcher 

By Melinda Dale

As a PR professional who is less than five years into her career, there is one battle I have found myself fighting on more than one occasion – the millennial stigma. Like it or not, young professionals these days do not have a gleaming reputation. We are often seen as irresponsible and unreliable with a weak work ethic. It is believed many of us walk around with a sense of entitlement, assuming success and status will be handed to us.

Granted, every stereotype is based on reality in one way or another. I will admit I have encountered peers who fit many of these assumptions. However, the vast majority of us do not. We know what it means to work hard to succeed and we have the drive and intelligence to do so.

I recently read a blog by Alan Pearcy, editorial assistant at Ragan Communications in Chicago (and fellow millennial) called 10 myths about millennials. Not only is it packed with wit and humor, something a lazy and unintelligent writer would not be able to accomplish, but it brings to light a lot of the great professional qualities of our generation.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Millennials are the future – true.
2. Millennials are unconcerned with worldly affairs – false.
3. Millennials are perhaps the most diverse, progressive generation in U.S. history – true.
4. Millennials never finish what they start – false.

I invite you to read Alan’s blog post and remember these points next time a project requires you to work with a young 20-something.  We’re not all bad.

By Aileen Katcher

When I saw this Wall Street Journal blog post this morning, Reply All: The Button Everyone Loves to Hate I thought, ah, someone else who shares my pet peeve.  In fact, the post was about accidentally hitting reply to all and the nightmares that has caused some careless people (something we have all been guilty of at least once if not more often) but it didn’t quite hit on what my problem is.

I serve on several boards and am on several list serves.  There are often group emails sent out of necessity.  But, if the message is about when the next meeting is, I don’t really care if you have to catch a plane at that time and can’t attend or if another board member has a client meeting then, etc.  I’m sure the organizer cares, but the other 25 board members probably don’t. 

Or, if someone in my breakfast club is looking for a pet sitter, I don’t need to know all the details of the one you (or the other ten members who respond) recommend.  If I do, I’ll email the person making the inquiry and ask them to share the names they receive. 

We all get far too many unnecessary emails.  While it is a great way to communicate, it can be easily abused.  And, yes, there are many times when “reply to all” is necessary and helpful. At KVBPR, we always copy account team members to keep them in the loop. 

But, there are many times when “reply to all” is not necessary and can be downright annoying. So, before you hit reply to all, make sure you haven’t made any of the faux pas noted in the WSJ blog.  And, then, ask yourself “does the entire group really care or need to know this?”

By Holley Stein, APR

Nashville Post launched its new website today.

Some changes that I love:

• The navigation tabs have moved from the left-side of the screen to the top of each page;
• Users can now switch between Nashville Post and The City Paper websites with a click of the mouse;
• The industry pages pull up current news and relevant personnel announcements for that industry; and my favorite,
• An enhanced search capability where you type in your search term and it pulls from both websites’ blogs, personnel announcements and news items. This is very helpful when searching for client news.

It is interactive, user-friendly and does a good job of integrating both publications. Have a look for yourself.

By Aileen Katcher, APR, Fellow PRSA

The goal: raise awareness of the Nashville International Trade Mission to South America for the Nashville Health Care Council and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.

The challenges: jet lag, a three-hour time difference, a packed agenda, language barriers … oh, and I was in week three of my personal push to stay off caffeine.

The opportunities: 30 delegates with different perspectives meeting health care and government leaders in Chile and Argentina and exploring the potential to work together and learn from each other.

The KVBPR solution: a plan that became the road map for best practices in intercontinental event communication, significantly raising awareness of the trip in the Nashville business community and highlighting perspectives.

An exclusive relationship with SouthComm provided advance stories, daily blog posts and post-mission trip stories. Each day of the week-long mission, the NashvillePost ran a blog or video post from their Latin American correspondents (myself and Council President Caroline Young) and included it in their daily email summary of stories.

With a three-hour time difference and a packed agenda for the mission, developing content and making deadlines was sometimes a challenge. It meant occasionally skipping lunch, leaving evening events early, or rising at the crack of dawn to write about the prior day. Sound hectic? It was, but it was also the most enjoyable writing I have done in a long time.

Although we had developed a list of potential subjects to cover, we had to be flexible and seize opportunities. For example, the “We are Chile” post practically wrote itself after we learned how the country had come together following their tragic earthquake and mining accident. Another blog developed after three delegates discovered they attended the same law school at different times yet ended up in very different health care related jobs.

While I was busily writing and recording in South America, the KVBPR team and Council and Chamber staffs in Nashville were proofing, editing video footage, formatting photos, updating social media sites and delivering completed materials to the NashvillePost each day. The Chamber posted links to the stories on its site and the Council encouraged its members to post links on their sites.

In addition, KVBPR produced The Daily Five – a daily email news digest of the top five local and national health care stories, plus any trip coverage, in a PDA-friendly format that helped delegates stay informed of news at home.

I learned a lot (including developing a love for Mate, a tea product that provides caffeine-like results without the negative side effects), met some fabulous people (including a neighbor who runs by my house everyday on his jog), saw and fell in love with two countries I had never visited, and overall had a fabulous time. And, the Nashville Health Care Council and Chamber achieved the visibility and awareness of the trip that they were seeking.

So, where are we going next?

By Tonya Kimbrough

I was talking about my recent visit to the Greenbuild tradeshow in Chicago, when someone asked, “What makes a building green?”  Before I began working with our client SSRCx, I had the same question.  I imagined walking into a green building and being overwhelmed with all of its greenness.  “Ah, so that’s it.”

In fact, I’ve learned green buildings don’t look very different, if at all, than other buildings.  They are just built smarter, with more efficient systems and features.  These features can include things you might not notice at first, like low-emission paints, fabrics, carpets, and even green cleaning supplies.

Walking the aisles at Greenbuild, you will find most of the materials look very similar to what you would find at other building shows, including, as our guest blogger in this post points out — toilets!  But the products and services are made or operate differently in a way that makes them more efficient and healthier, both for the environment and building occupants.   It shows that little changes here and there can make a big difference.  

Check out this post from Brian Bloom with KVBPR WorldCom Partner Liggett Stashower (LS) in Cleveland, Ohio, where he discusses his impression of Greenbuild 2010.

Going, going . . . green

By Brian Bloom, Liggett Stashower

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, I went to visit several of my clients and prospects at a trade show. Well, actually, it looked like a green flea market called the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo with a potpourri of sustainable building products and services.

Walking through the entrance in Chicago’s McCormick Place West, Greenbuild looked like a normal trade show. Once inside, the expo had all the ingredients of a fruitcake. Very fitting for the upcoming holiday season! All the big boys were exhibiting. You know, companies like Philips, General Electric, Glidden, Sherwin-Williams, Armstrong, Andersen Windows, Acuity, Rubbermaid, etc. However, the largest exhibitor at Greenbuild, in only a 30’ by 30’ booth due to the show’s space constraints, was selling toilets. Yes, TOTO toilets! Most of the other exhibitors were in 10’ by 10’ and 20’ by 20’ booths.

Read more of Brian’s post

By Renee Sloan

If you know anything about me, you know I love to cook.  I also love finding a REAL bargain.  I found both of those “loves” on a really great website — Just a Pinch Recipe Club. While I need to disclose that Just a Pinch is a KVBPR client, it is a really great deal at only 99 cents a month. You can join me and amateur chefs around the country as a Premium Member and receive all of the following:

• A free, embroidered apron that is nice enough to wear when you have guests over for dinner (valued at $35 retail)
• A weekly email containing $5 in coupons for name brand stuff you actually use — and lots more coupons on their website
• A customizable recipe box where you can organize your recipes (which is kind of like having your own cookbook)
• A planning calendar where you can plan and schedule menus
• Grocery lists based on the recipes you have chosen to prepare
• 20% off of Just A Pinch’s Company Store purchases

You can quickly recoup your yearly membership fee of $11.88 with the savings you will receive from their coupons.   Plus, you have access to really great recipes from some fantastic cooks – and can also post some of your own recipes.

Wouldn’t it be great to find recipes that keep your time in the kitchen to a minimum, especially during the summer months? At the same time, you can prepare delicious, nutritious meals for your family.  Give the Just a Pinch Recipe Club a try – you definitely have nothing to lose.