The Public Relations Society of America is embarking on a plan to enhance the profile and prestige of the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential.
"The APR turns 50 next year, and given its continued importance to PRSA and the public relations profession, we believe the time is right to work with the Universal Accreditation Board to explore the APR's potential and identify possible avenues for improvement," said PRSA 2013 Chair and CEO Mickey G. Nall, APR. Abandoning Accreditation, Nall stressed, is not an option that PRSA is considering.
To assist with...
Risdall Marketing Group (www.risdall.com) expanded the depth of its online marketing division with the addition of Tracy Henry as online marketing manager.
"Risdall is known for its expertise in the digital space as the second largest web/online marketing agency in Minnesota. Tracy's blend of marketing and online experience enhances our integrated and Web-focused approach to projects," said John Risdall, vice chairman and CEO of Risdall. "With his advanced knowledge of online applications and strategies, Tracy is adept at establishing and adapting online campaigns to align with client goals."
As online marketing manager, Henry works closely with Risdall's online...
Signature Brands, LLC, a dessert decorating and specialty baking products supplier, has hired Eric Mower + Associates (www.mower.com) to support the launch of its new product line, Breyers Ice Cream Toppings. The Breyers name is being used under a license agreement with Unilever.
EMA will create and execute an integrated national campaign that includes digital and print advertising, public relations, social media and promotions. Breyers Ice Cream Toppings is set to launch nationwide around the unofficial start to summer—Memorial Day—in select Target, Walmart and grocery stores.
"When selecting an agency partner, we were looking for a team of people who truly understood...
Over the next three years, global organizations will make understanding and interacting with the customer their top priority. So says a new study from the Economist Intelligence Unit, Voice of the customer: Whose job is it, anyway? Yet only 56 percent of respondents to the survey, sponsored by SAS, believe their companies...
KEF America, manufacturer of reference-quality audio speakers and equipment, has selected Waggener Edstrom Worldwide (WE; www.waggeneredstrom.com) to promote the brand and its products, with a focus on its new X Series computer speakers and M Series line of headphones. KEF America is partnering with WE to bring the KEF audio experience to a larger audience. WE will promote the brand through integrated marketing efforts that include experiential events as well as word of mouth, digital, news and reviews campaigns.
"Musicians, engineers and audiophiles have long known about the incredible sound KEF offers," said Stephanie Scola, KEF America Marketing manager. "Now we...
Influencer marketing platform Traackr and contact management firm Nimble, creators of the simply insightful relationship management platform, have announced an integration of their services to enable social businesses to manage their influencer marketing programs end-to-end. The combined platform will provide users the ability to perform influencer discovery and tracking, relationship building and nurturing, as well as activating and measuring results.
"Building relationships with key individuals who can impact a market, a brand and ultimately sales, has become a core skill to the modern marketer," said...
By Brian Pittman, Associate Publisher and PRU Training Director, Bulldog Reporter
Let's face it: Countless social media initiatives are launched every day—only to crash with a thud. It's the same for numerous "brand ambassador" or even content marketing programs we cover in the PR trade space. Put simply, they're often introduced with much fanfare and online buzz … and then they disappear overnight.
The Culprit: Lack of Strategy
Why do these online efforts so often fall short? I've asked this during several PR University webinars. The best answer came via...
By David Warschawski, Founder and CEO, Warschawski
One of the most frequent comments we hear is, "We are a service-oriented company and not a product-based company and therefore branding doesn't make sense for us, or it just won't work."
This statement couldn't be further from the truth and, in fact, is completely backwards. Service-oriented companies are in greater need of creating brand-centric experiences for their current and potential clients than product based clients. Why?
Today, almost all companies are selling a commodity in the eyes of the consumer. You...
Shoddy customer service, redundant questions, disconnected processes and long waits are causing customers to leave brands in droves, according to a new survey commissioned by Redwood Software, a provider of enterprise process automation. The results emphasize that it's the "little-big problems" that customer-facing companies should be concerned about—the things that may seem inconsequential up front, but build up over time to dramatically change the relationship a customer has with a once-favorite brand.
U.S. consumers expect excellent, streamlined and efficient end-to-end service wherever they go. If they don't...
By Joseph Gallo, Vice President, Lead Media, Weber Shandwick
The tried and true methods of media relations sometimes end up on the back burner due to the advent of social media. As they are overlooked, public relations pros should think back to certain fundamentals when it comes to working with the media. Below are 10 best practices that PR pros can integrate into their media relations routine:
1. Suffer the email trap: As email has become a more prevalent method of communication in recent years, PR professionals have begun relying on email to build their rolodex. This needs to stop—there's nothing like a face-to-...
