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http://iabcstl.org/2012/11/november-event-mercy%e2%80%99s-crisis-communications-response-to-the-joplin-tornado/
On May 22, 2011, disaster struck Joplin, Missouri, when a catastrophic Category 5 tornado ripped through the small town. The destruction was swift, but so was the response.
From the very onset of the disaster, Mercy Hospital’s team coordinated an intense network of communications both internally and externally. From national media coverage to communication with on-the-street personnel, the Mercy team deftly executed their crisis plan.
- Get the inside story on how they executed it.
- What did they do first?
- How did they coordinate so much with such chaos around them?
Plus, you’ll hear about the philanthropic activities and communication that have occurred since that fateful day, including a major gift announcement and the filming of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Hear firsthand how Mercy navigated this crisis and pick up tips that you can use to hone your own crisis communications plan…efore the day you really need it.
When: Thursday, November 15, 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Where: The Center of Clayton, 50 Gay Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105
Meeting fees: $30 – members, $40 – nonmembers, $20 – students
Register Now: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=klve7pkab&oeidk=a07e6krgy6nc740d3f8&oseq=
About Our Presenters:
Barb Meyer, Vice President of Marketing and Communications
As the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Barb is responsible for all media relations for Mercy Health System. She will cover in depth the crisis communications response in Joplin immediately following the tornado and in the year after.
Nancy G. Schnoebelen, Director of Advancement Communications
As Director of Advancement Communications, Nancy manages Mercy’s philanthropic communications. She’ll be discussing the efforts following the tornado to raise philanthropic support for the rebuilding in Joplin.
http://iabcstl.org/2012/11/gamification-engaging-employees-one-game-at-a-time/
by Jeremy Henderson
There is a new word buzzing around the halls of Silicon Valley: gamification. Simply put, gamification is the infusion of gaming elements into business to create a fun, entertaining engagement experience for employees or customers. The broad interpretation of the term lends itself to infusion into any brand or web property that effectively converts users into players. Over the past several years, the incorporation of gaming elements into non-gaming websites has become one of the most important movements in technology.
http://iabcstl.org/2012/11/putting-the-fun-into-the-fundamentals-of-effective-communication/
by Kathryn Yates and Adam Wootton, Ph.D.
The screen at the airport flashes up the inevitable delayed announcement as the storm clouds continue to roll in through the evening. However, in the waiting area, the response is muted. Sharply dressed businesspeople sit glued to their iPads, a child wins another level of Angry Birds and the flight attendant silently gloats over the killer word she just played in Words With Friends.
The U.S. has over 100 million mobile phone games; half are played every day. It is easy to forget that the iPhone (which revolutionized mobile gaming) has been around for only five years. In this time, the way we communicate has been revolutionized with the adoption of mobile and social technologies. But, it is games that have really captured the hearts (and wallets) of users.
While the past five years have been a tough time for many businesses, not so for gaming. At the same time as the corporate world has been forced to tighten its belt, employees have begun to use new and exciting techniques for communication and entertainment. However, there are easy and efficient ways organizations can bring games and gamification to corporate communication, which can massively increase the attention we, as communicators, get from employees.
http://iabcstl.org/2012/10/october-is-membership-month/
If you’ve been considering IABC membership, there’s never been a better time to join!
New or lapsed members who join in October save $40 and get entered into a drawing for a chance to win 2 free tickets to the 2013 Bronze Quill Awards. You can register on-line at iabcstl.org/join or email Kim Pett with any questions at kpett@midtownprinting.net.
http://iabcstl.org/2012/10/you%e2%80%99re-invited-to-a-members-only-orientation-to-iabc-st-louis/
Whether you just joined us or have been a member for a few months, we want to thank you for your decision to join IABC St. Louis.
To make sure you get the most out of your membership, we would like to give you a guided tour of all the resources and benefits membership provides. This small group meeting composed of members new to IABC in 2012 will allow for lots of questions, answers to your individual needs, and introductions to other new and experienced members. Join us in a state-of-the-art training lab at the BJC Learning Institute and learn how to reap all the rewards of membership. Morning refreshments provided!
RSVP to info@iabcstl.org.
Friday, November 16, 2012
8 – 9:30 a.m.
BJC Learning Institute
8300 Eager Road
2nd Floor, Suite 200
Saint Louis, MO. 63144
Telephone: 314-362-0983
http://iabcstl.org/2012/10/mospra-2012-fall-conference/
Doing the Right Thing: Helping your organization grow its reputation while gaining community support
The conference will be held from Thursday, Nov. 8, through Friday, Nov. 9, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Clayton, Mo.
Conference Details and Schedule
Click HERE to complete the online registration form for the 2012 Fall Conference.
Registration Deadline: Friday, Oct. 26, 2012
Hotel reservations must be made by Oct. 15 to receive the group rate.
Cost: MOSPRA Members: $100; Non-MOSPRA Members: $125
Please send your check made payable to MOSPRA to the School District of Clayton, Communications Department, #2 Mark Twain Circle, Clayton, MO 63105.
Hotel Accommodations: The conference will be held in Clayton at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 7750 Carondelet Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105.
MOSPRA has reserved a block of rooms for conference attendees at a special $89/night room rate. Reservations must be made by Oct. 15 to take advantage of this rate. To make a reservation, visit www.cpclayton.com, click to Book Online and use the group code MOQ, or call 1-800-439-5719 and reference MOSPRA when booking your room.
http://iabcstl.org/2012/09/a-pinterest-ing-panel-how-st-louis-companies-are-using-pinterest-to-tell-their-brand-story/
Join IABC for a most Pinteresting panel presentation! Pinterest is the fastest-growing social network in history, with a user base of 1.4 million daily. Pinterest now produces more referral traffic than LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube combined, making it a valuable tactic to enhance a brand’s web presence. Three St. Louis brands will demonstrate how they have leveraged this platform for marketing success.
Takeaways include:
- Learn why Pinterest is important and why brands are flocking to this platform
- Observe the different Pinterest approaches for companies and nonprofits
- Understand how brands can integrate Pinterest into an overall marketing and communications strategy
- Ask your Pinterest questions and get tips from Pinterest pros!
When:
Thursday, October 25
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where:
The Center of Clayton (Meeting Room C)
50 Gay Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105
Meeting fees:
$30 – members
$40 – nonmembers
$20 – students
About Our Presenters:
Jayme O’Renic, Build-A-Bear
Jayme is currently the Senior Manager, Digital Marketing for every kid’s “beary” favorite retailer – Build-a-Bear Workshop. She’s been immersed in the digital marketing of Build-a-Bear for three years and will shed some light on how they are using the power of Pinterest today.
Founded in St. Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop is the leader in interactive retail, offering an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience.
There are more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, Mexico and South America.
Leigh Walters, Missouri History Museum
Leigh’s experience includes integrating social media into marketing strategies and researching new ways to use this medium for agency clients in multiple industries. She currently manages social media strategies for the Missouri History Museum, where she has been the Assistant Director of Communications since 2011.
The Missouri History Museum seeks to deepen the understanding of past choices, present circumstances, and future possibilities; strengthen the bonds of the community; and facilitate solutions to common problems.
The Missouri Historical Society, which operates the museum, has been active in the St. Louis community since 1866. Founding members organized the Missouri Historical Society “for the purpose of saving from oblivion the early history of the city and state.”
Amy Luna, Reliv International
Amy has been a Graphic Designer at Reliv International since 2006, designing for print publications and providing graphic support on the company’s social media team. A Pinterest enthusiast since the platform launched, Amy was the natural choice to manage Reliv’s Pinterest presence. She has played an integral role in several successful social media product launches.
Chesterfield-based Reliv International produces nutritional supplements that promote optimal health.
Reliv supplements address essential nutrition, weight loss, athletic performance, digestive health, women’s health, anti-aging and healthy energy. The company sells its products through an international network marketing system of independent distributors in 15 countries.
http://iabcstl.org/2012/09/pr-tech-testing-a-new-pr-role/
by Deirdre Breakenridge
A couple of months ago, I came across a folder of old papers, including my “to-do” lists from my first job in the PR industry. The to-do lists were dated pre-1990. Looking over the notes and activities was a blast from the past to say the least. My daily activities then were focused on creating media lists from the Bacon’s media books, verifying contact information, and typing media lists and individual letters to journalists. One starred task was to fax an approved news release to several of the journalists on my list, per their stated preference. These carefully planned activities were very much in line with the PR professional’s role at the time. However, sharing news and engaging with the public today requires those in PR to take on new roles and responsibilities.
What does the PR person’s day look like as we move toward 2013? It most likely begins with email, Twitter, Facebook and, of course, making sure you get your dose of national and international news. Your smartphone is close by as is your iPad so you can stay connected at all times. We don’t just watch the news on TV anymore; we get involved in it, sometimes choosing to interact with news personalities and reporters via Twitter. Technology is all around us, and we’re embracing new channels and methods to reach consumers.
http://iabcstl.org/2012/09/be-social-how-to-reinvent-the-public-relations-profession/
by Paul Furiga, ABC
This year, four precocious children of the Internet celebrated important birthdays. The oldest, barely eight, commands more attention than the populations of several countries. The chattiest turned six and has become the world’s stream of consciousness. The third, barely five, is a pure show-off, and by many measures, the most popular. The youngest, barely two, is the most photogenic and fastest-growing Internet progeny ever.
If you read that paragraph and couldn’t guess what I was talking about, this article is for you. In the past 10 years, the growth of social media, and electronic communication tools in general, has fundamentally reshaped public relations and the broader communication discipline. (For the uninitiated, the four Internet children I referenced are, in order, Facebook, born February 2004; Twitter, born March 2006; YouTube, born February 2005; and Pinterest, born March 2010.)
http://iabcstl.org/2012/09/the-evolution-of-public-relations-professionals/
by Angee Linsey
There’s no doubt that the role of a public relations professional has evolved more in the past five years than in the previous several decades. Technology and social media have revolutionized how we receive information—and allow us to control what information we receive and from whom.
As people in the public relations field move through their careers, it is more important than ever to stay on top of what’s required to be the best in the business. In speaking with PR leaders, a few themes have emerged that will continue to reshape the PR industry.