Illinois State University Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America
PRemier
April/May 2016
ISU PRSSA Announces 2016-2017 Executive Board
The 2016- 2017 ISU PRSSA Executive Board includes: President: Audie Lauf Vice President: Tyler Krivich Secretary: Katie Rio Treasurer: Chloe Kasper Digital Media Director: Manny Carrera PRi Director: Andrea Casali
Table of Contents: Page 2......PRSSA Finds Their “X-Factor” Page 4......National Assembly 2016 Page 5......Tips From Your Friendly Newsletter Chair Page 6......2015-2016 Scrapbook
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ISU PRSSA Finds Their “X-Factor” By: Cassie Zimmer As a college student, setting an alarm for 4:30 a.m. on a Thursday night is a rather interesting twist to the usual Thursday night antics; however, the excitement of heading into Chicago to learn about the field I am passionate about was validation enough to want to jump out of bed before the sun was up. I knew this feeling was shared by my fellow public relations-lovers as we congregated car-by-car, smiling faces and all, at the local Dunkin’ Donuts. With a heavy dose of caffeine running through our veins, we were ready to depart for the windy city where the “Creativity Forum: The PR X Factor” event was being hosted by DePaul University’s Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter. Everyone was excited to see what the day would hold, knowing that we would be visiting some of the most well-known agencies, not only in Chicago, but also worldwide. When registering for the event, we had the option of four different groupings of agencies. Some of the line-up included Ogilvy PR, MSL Group, Starcom, and Edelman. There was also an option to partake in the networking hour after the agency visits concluded. A couple of us took advantage of this and were able to connect with a several public relations professionals working in the industry. The Chicago streets welcomed us with a few missed turns and an urgent need for more caffeine. With the 1990’s radio station still playing in our head, we successfully registered and sat through the sat through the welcome introduction given by DePaul’s PRSSA president. We wasted no time in breaking off into our tour groups and proceeded to the first on our list. I chose to attend the the Ogilvy and MSL Group tour and soon headed off to Ogilvy PR with the rest of the participants. This section required us to take the CTA, which was new territory for this country bumpkin. It was apparent that I was not well-versed in the art of public transit after fumbling through the entrances and looking at others for guidance on how to properly swipe the card over the sensor. Maybe it was the silver, cage-like contraption you had to walk through after doing so but in any case, it was intimidating. Once we arrived at Ogilby PR, It was definitely an all-hands-on-deck event, and I enjoyed learning from different Chapter members.The entryway to the office was eclectic and goofy, which automatically made me feel right at home. We were able to instantly
see how much they value their company’s history through the use of their office decor. We toured the office right away with Collette and Ricky introducing us to the different departments and showcasing all of the amenities the office offers its employees, an on-site barista for example. After the tour, Collette and Ricky gave us a layout of the agency’s day-today functions and introduced us to the different campaigns they have created for their clients. Our group then headed to the MSL Group, which is a well-known agency with over 100 offices worldwide. Its main mission is to make the client’s voice matter and to have it heard through multi-channel, creative programs. The office was definitely smaller compared to what we saw at Ogilvy, but still managed to have an open environment where employees could collaborate and share ideas. MSL Group had a few people from the corporate, media relations, and digital departments share their work they have done with the company. It was interesting to hear from the three different departments and helped me acquire some insight as to what department I may be interested in working in. They then highlighted some of their global campaigns, including the beloved Always: Like a Girl campaign. After leaving the MSL Group it was time to head back to the DePaul University. We made it back to the main room and caught up with the rest of the ISU PRSSA members who, aside from needing another dose of caffeine, had been thoroughly pleased with their agency choices. DePaul had set up four different breakout sessions from which we could choose to attend two. I choose to attend the Fleishman Hillard presentation that discussed their client Gatorade and their progression through the market space. It was interesting to hear about their latest products and what they are doing to help promote their brand in communities across the nation. The next session was presented by Weber Shandwick and served as an open question and answer segment about the world of public relations. I believe the event was very successful and I would recommend it to anyone who is in PRSSA next year. I learned several public relations insights, what may be ahead for the field, and had the chance to talk to a few people from the industry. I applaud DePaul PRSSA for hosting such a great event.
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National Assembly 2016 By: Sydney Holland Public Relations Student Society 2016 National Assembly in Austin, Texas was a valuable experience filled with great people, networking opportunities, and amazing street pizza. PRSSA National Assembly opened my eyes to how much bigger the world of the PRSSA is outside of the Illinois State University Chapter of PRSSA. I got a first-hand view of how the PRSSA National Committee is selected and a better understanding of it how it impacts us as PRSSA members. All the delegates I met were incredibly passionate about PRSSA and everyone had a lot in common. On the first full day of National Assembly we kicked things off with a series of workshops aimed to develop ourselves professionally and improve our Chapters. At the leadership workshop, everyone was eager to share their struggles and triumphs of their Chapters in regards to recruitment and keeping members active and engaged. It turns out, everyone had similar obstacles and helpful advice was shared. I gained a lot of beneficial information, as well as got to know the other delegates and a little bit about their Chapters. We also had two keynote speakers throughout the PRSSA National Assembly. David Grossman, CEO of The Grossman Group, who opened up to us on how to be authentic, as well as Southwest Airlines Communications Director Brandy King, who answered all of our questions about how to be successful communicators. The next day, we voted on the PRSSA National Committee. While it was a long process, it was awesome to be a part of the selection process and be able to personally know the people on the National Committee. This experience allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and really branch out. The people I met and the knowledge I gained is something that will benefit me in and outside of PRSSA. I am grateful for this experience and the many other opportunities and benefits that PRSSA gives its members.
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Tips From Your Friendly Newsletter Chair By: Kelsey Farrell As my time as the 2015-2016 PRSSA Newsletter Chair comes to an end, I’ve taken some time to reflect on my position and share some helpful tips for the next lucky student who takes on the task of building a newsletter from scratch. 1. Work in the Fell Hall labs. I made the mistake of building my first newsletter on the archaic “graphics stations” in Milner Library, which don’t open on the grade-a computers in Fell. Instead of working on the newsletter between classes or during my downtime, I had to take a trip to Milner and pray a graphics computer was open. If I had a dollar for everyone I’ve weaseled out of a computer I’d have $2. 2. Choose your tunes wisely. Podcasts make you lose focus and sometimes you’ll end up typing what you’re listening to. Playing the same album over and over again helps keep you on track while still offering variety. Playing the same song over and over again means you’re spiraling out of control and need to hit up Eienstein’s ASAP. 3. Save, save, save! This seems like a given, but do you know how many times I’ve accidentally deleted the entire newsletter? Four. Four seperate times. 4. Remember, InDesign doesn’t support spell check. I think I’ve misspelled “public relations” at least once a month. Make any edits in Word before you move over to the beast known as InDesign. 5. YouTube is your best friend. No matter how frustrating placing photos and maintaining gap tints can be, there’s always a friendly face (or disembodied voice) on YouTube that’s happy to teach you how to make a newsletter the chapter can be proud of. Signing off from Milner Library, Kelsey Farrell
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2015-2016 Scrapbook
Upcoming Events: Have a safe and fun summer!