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Institute
The Central Iowa Chapter of PRSA is pleased to host the 2012 PRSA Institute on Thursday, October 25 in Des Moines presented by Strategic America.
This year's Institute will focus on the business element of public relations and how to move strategies into actionable tactics that engage your key audiences.
Keynote Presentation: The Communications Revolution That's Ours to Own
Barbara Iverson, President of Financial Services Industry Practice,Weber Shandwick
Sponsored by DuPont Pioneer
Never before has the market been such a dynamic one for public relations. Multiple studies are forecasting that public relations and word-of-mouth marketing are the fastest growing marketing disciplines. The rise of social media -- everything digital -- has prompted companies and organizations everywhere to focus on new ways to engage with their customers. Companies are laser-focused on reputation and how it relates to valuation and to purchasing decisions. The time is now for PR professionals to seize this career opportunity of a lifetime.
Barb Iverson is the president of Weber Shandwick's dominant financial services industry practice. Barb has 36 years of communications management experience in business, government and education. Since joining Weber Shandwick in 1996, Barb has been heavily focused on providing clients with strategic and integrated communications planning and counsel, thought leadership and reputation/brand management, with particular emphasis in the banking, electronic payments, retirement services and insurance industries.
The Business Case for Employee Engagement: Real ROI
David Grossman ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA
Founder and CEO, The Grossman Group
Sponsored by Strategic America
In today’s highly competitive marketplace where margins can be paper thin and there is relentless pressure to perform — from both customers and the Street — companies can’t afford the cost of poor communications. Join our conversation to understand what the costs of poor communications might be in your organization and how to avoid employee apathy and disengagement by mitigating it. In this session you’ll learn about benchmarking the costs of poor communication and misuse of channels, the upside of communication done well, and actionable strategies to improve engagement.
David Grossman is one of America’s foremost authorities on communication and leadership inside organizations. He’s a sought-after speaker and advisor to Fortune 500 leaders, and author of the highly acclaimed books, “You Can’t NOT Communicate: Proven Communication Solutions That Power the Fortune 100,” and its follow-up, “You Can’t NOT Communicate 2.”
Deepening Connections and Changing Perceptions
Rebecca L. Harris, Ph.D
Social Media Strategist, General Motors
General Motors is a rich part of America's history, and — like many businesses — is emerging from the turmoil of the national economic meltdown stronger than before. They came to understand the need to reconnect with those who stood by the company and its brands, and reach out to new customers. Rebecca Harris from GM will share two case studies on how in-depth conversation data enabled the company to find out exactly what customers want, and how a key choice in event sponsorship — the annual SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas — propelled GM to be seen as leaders in the social media space.
Rebecca L. Harris leads the social media team at General Motors Corporate Communications. Her team is responsible for the GM Corporate Facebook and Twitter engagement, video strategy, brand social media strategy and blogger outreach. Working as a “match-maker,” Rebecca marries outreach and coverage in this space. She continually draws on her experiences to provide insight and drive improvement into processes, including bringing new and improved tools and integration to better meet the strategic needs of the organization.
Smart Measurement for PR in the Digital Age
Shonali Burke, ABC
Vice President, Digital, MSL Group
It's a new decade in a still-quite-new century... so surely PR measurement must have changed significantly over the past several years? Yes and no. While the explosion of social media and the critical role it can play in strategic communications has shined a new light on the measurability of our profession, many of us still put far too much emphasis on tracking and measuring only outputs, not outcomes. Join award-winning Shonali Burke, Vice President Digital at MSL Washington D.C., as she gives an in-depth look at how measurement has — and hasn't — changed, and the most practical way to tackle it.
Shonali Burke is an award-winning and respected thought leader within the PR and social media communities. With a foundation in media relations, Shonali embraced new media at a time when most people dismissed Twitter saying, “No one cares what I had for lunch.” The significant expertise she has since gained in online and digital media, community-building and measurement allows her to creatively strategize and implement holistic, integrated and outcome-based programs and campaigns. Her experience spans a wide range of sectors, including nonprofit organizations, entertainment, art, food, healthcare and tech. Former clients include USA for UNHCR, Oxfam America, Network Solutions, BNA and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
What’s Your Pink Slime: Understanding Risks, Preventing Missteps and Managing a Crisis
Eileen Wixted
Principal, Wixted Inc.
Sponsored by Iowa School Public Relations Association
This presentation is aimed at helping organizations identify potential communication risks and determine how to communicate information to the public in a way that will manage the issue down. Instead of blowing it up. The presentation contains excerpts of video, real-life examples and outcomes of companies that failed to communicate effectively in a crisis situation. Led by a seasoned crisis communication veteran, the topic is a sure to engage all audience members and provide each attendee with a toolbox to take their proactive communication efforts to the next level.
Eileen Wixted is a strategic communications veteran with core competencies in the nuclear and health care industries. As a strategist and communication trainer, she has helped clients navigate brand-damaging issues as well as prepared clients to face hostile media and government investigations. Eileen spent more than a decade as a broadcast journalist and is the recipient of an Emmy Award. Eileen is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in mass communications. She is a native of Brooklyn, New York.
Iowa School Public Relations Association
