PRSA Southeast District Best Practices Call Activating Your APR Program

Nashville ChapterDec. 13, 2018

Meredith Libbey, APR Leigh Lindsey, APRFord Motor Credit MP&F Strategic Communications

Nashville Chapter

APR ActivitiesCandidates/

APRs

2015 Info session: 4 prospects, after hours 1/1

2016 Info session: 9 prospects, free lunch 1/1

Nashville Chapter

Objectives: • Build a pipeline of APR candidates• Support candidates through the APR process

Approach:• Hold a series of 60- to 90-minute workshops for

practitioners with presentations by experts • Free, open to members and non-members

Nashville Chapter

2017 Seven workshops with experts in • Law and Ethics, • Leading the PR Function, • Managing Issues and Crisis Communications, • Communications Models and Theories, • Research, • Planning, and • Implementation.

Nashville Chapter

2017: • Provided expert speakers PDFs of PowerPoints from

PRSA, but … speakers developed their own materials• Evening (5:30 p.m.) workshops in changing venues• Promoted via emails to members, Facebook, Twittero Distributed updated list of upcoming workshops at

each sessiono Facebook and Twitter were not effective

Nashville Chapter

2018 • Continued free evening workshops, changing venues• Most effective promotion: emails to past attendeeso Facebook, Twitter, WOM reached nonmembers

• Recommended readings for sessions from “Effective Public Relations” and the APR Study Guide

• Offered candidates mentors• Announced date for panel presentationso One venue, two candidates

2018 WorkshopsCutlip & Center’s Effective Public Relations (EPR), 11th edition, by Glen M. Broom and Bey-Ling Sha (2013, Pearson) is a prime resource for APR preparation

Date KSA Presenter Location

Feb. 85:30 p.m.

The Four-Step Process: Planning Bonnie Riechert, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSASuggested reading: EPR chapter 12 on Planning and Programming, APR Study Guide pages 22-24, 46-62

Room 1037, Janet Ayers Academic Center,Belmont University

March 14 5:30 p.m.

Leading the PR Function Greg Bailey, Fellow PRSAAPR Study Guide pages 63-85 *Limited to PRSA members* RSVP by 3/10

DVL Seigenthaler

March 28 5:30 p.m.

PR Law and Ethics Ed Lanquist Jr., Patterson Intellectual Property Law Aileen Katcher, APR, Fellow PRSA, Nashville Ethics ChairEPR chapters 5 “Professionalism& Ethics” & 6 “Legal Considerations,” APR Study Guide pages 86-100, Associated Press Style Guide “Briefing on Media Law” RSVP by 3/23

University School of Nashville

April 115:30 p.m.

Managing Issues and CrisisCommunications

Noelle Mashburn, APRAPR Study Guide pages 108-111 RSVP by 4/6

Metro Schools

May 175:30 p.m.

The Four-Step Process: Implementation

Ameerah Palacios, APREPR chapter 13 “Taking Actions,” RSVP by 5/7

Metro Schools

TBD5:30 p.m.

The Four-Step Process: Research

Kathryn Harlan, 20│20 ResearchEPR chapter 11 “Defining PR Problems,” APR Study Guide pages 28-45

20|20 Research

Aug. 15 Panel Presentations Attendance limited to approved candidates and panelists CMT

Sept. 13 Communications Models and Theories

Kevin Trowbridge, Ph.D., APR EPR chapters 7 “Theory: Adjustment & Adaptations” and 8 “Communications & Public Opinion,” APR Study Guide pages 112-124

Belmont University

Oct. 15 APR Info Session Meredith Libbey, APR, Greg Bailey, PRSA Fellow, Kevin Trowbridge, Ph.D., APR Belmont University

2018 Results

• 70 event participants• Presenters included two Ph.D.s, three PRSA Fellows, two

APRs and two outside experts (intellectual property attorney, market researcher)

• Three APR candidate panel presentations • Six prospective APRs attended the box lunch information

session o Two immediately said they will pursue the APR

Welcome and Introductions 5 minutes

Meredith Libbey, APR, Kevin Trowbridge, Ph.D., APR, Greg Bailey, Fellow PRSA

My Accreditation Story 10 minutes, Kevin

Accreditation Process 10 minutes, Meredith

1. Apply and pay the fee

2. Make a panel presentation

3. Pass the computer-based exam

4. Maintain accreditation

• Helpful resources

Q & A 15 minutes

Close 10 minutes, Greg

APR Info Session Agenda

Nashville Chapter

Year APR ActivitiesCandidates/

APRs

2017 7 free workshops: 59 unique attendeesInfo session: 10 prospects, free lunch

2/0

2018 7 free workshops: 64 unique attendeesInfo session: 6 prospects, free lunchAssigned mentors

4/2 in process; 2 relocated

2019 TBD 6 “planning” to pursue

• Assigning mentors makes a big difference!• The candidate is expected to make the first call.

• Seeing an APR’s Panel Presentation materials helps candidates prepare

• Ongoing activity drives interest• Free parking and info session with free lunch help

• Setting the Panel Presentation date provides a deadline for candidates, reduces work for chairs• One venue, panelists participate in more than one panel

Nashville Lessons Learned

For future consideration:

• A standard time (first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m.) and venue for workshops

• Tighter connection between the workshop presentations and KSAs

• Recommend candidates talk to APRs who prepared in different ways

• Workshops on Evaluation, Panel Presentation preparation

• Panel Presentation rehearsal

Nashville Lessons Learned

Questions?

Nashville Lessons Learned