Message from the president
Happy Summer! And what a glorious summer it is…
My number one order of business this month is to offer my sincere and hearty congratulations to the Nerland Agency; on June 4 they were awarded a 2009 Silver Anvil Award of Excellence at PRSA’s annual awards event in New York. Way to go Nerland!
Nerland won “Best In Show” at our Alaska Aurora Awards event in January for their “ACS Yellow Pages Distribution and Recycling Event.” The Alaska Chapter encourages our top award winner each year to enter the national Silver Anvil competition. Nerland entered in the “events and observances, business products” category… and their efforts definitely paid off.
The Silver Anvil is the icon of best public relations practices, and Nerland’s win is a coup for them, for the PRSA Alaska Chapter and for the public relations profession in Alaska. The win speaks volumes about the quality of work and professionalism in our industry here. Thanks to Nerland for representing our state so well on the national front.
I look forward to seeing more great entries in the 2009 Aurora Awards Program – from Nerland and from the many other talented professionals out there. Maybe Nerland’s success will ignite a little friendly competition.
I’m also looking forward to seeing all of you at our June 15 luncheon where Natalie Lowman, APR, Director of Communications for ConocoPhillips Alaska will share her experiences and tips for communicating difficult news. On July 15 we’ll welcome Ed Bennett, manager of assignments and web content for KTUU Channel 2, as he shares insights into the evolution of television news as electronic media plays an ever increasing role.
Good weather, good news and good professional development opportunities. It’s shaping up to be an excellent summer. Enjoy!
Best regards,
Amy Burnett, President, PRSA Alaska Chapter
Anchorage lunch program: Communicating difficult news...in critical times
No one likes to be the bearer of controversial news but it is, at times, unavoidable. It only takes one event to tarnish a reputation and use up your company's goodwill if these critical communications are not handled with care. As communicators, it often falls to us to figure out the best way to deliver difficult news, attempting to minimize the negative outcomes to our organizations. From cuts to philanthropic giving and employee layoffs, to being prepared to respond in an oil-industry incident, Natalie Lowman, APR, director of communications for ConocoPhillips in Alaska, deals frequently with difficult communications issues.
Lowman will share her own experiences and offer tips for guiding your organization during troubled times . A PR colleague from the military and another from a local foundation will be on-hand to share their recent experiences as well. Join PRSA on June 17 at the Hilton Anchorage Hotel as we explore a topic that affects all communicators. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Presentations will begin at noon.
Register now through Cvent. Sponsored by Bradley Reid and Associates.
Fairbanks lunch program: Fairbanks City Mayor Strle to speak on effective communication
Our annual PRSA spring luncheon will be hosted by Lynda Sather at Chez Sather on Monday, June 22, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Our special guest speaker will be Fairbanks City Mayor Terry Strle who has garnered kudos for her outreach efforts and focus on good communication. Lunch provided.
Chez Sather is located at 453 Valley View Dr. Directions: take Farmer’s Loop to Skyline Dr. Go north on Skyline to the fourth road on the right, which is Valley View. Chez Sather is the 6th house on the right, beige with dark brown trim. Phone #457-6743.
Seating is limited so please RSVP to Sharon Burke at slburke@alaska.edu or 474-7587. After this meeting, PRSA Fairbanks will not be meeting again until fall.
Ethics question of the month
Ethical practice is the most important obligation of a PRSA member. We view the member code of ethics as a model for other professions, organizations, and professionals.
This month's ethics question: Your employer markets a sensing device that is supposed to detect the presence of radon levels that have been determined to be harmful to humans and cancer-causing. This is a breakthrough product. The demand is such that your employer has two manufacturing plants working at capacity. You just became aware of the results of studies that show the sensing device does not work as claimed.
What do you do? Which code provision of the PRSA Code of Ethics best applies to this situation?
Hint: Review the PRSA Code of Ethics on line at http://www.prsa.org/aboutUs/ethics/preamble_en.html
(see bottom of newsletter for answer)
Nerland Agency wins 2009 Silver Anvil Award
Anchorage’s own Nerland Agency Worldwide Partners was honored with a 2009 Silver Anvil Award of Excellence by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) at the international organization’s annual Silver Anvil Awards Evening, held at the Equitable Tower in New York City on June 4.
Nerland Agency was recognized for the ACS Yellow Pages distribution campaign and annual recycling event in the Silver Anvil Events and Observances category. The integrated marketing and public relations recycling event campaign was developed by the Agency to drive possession and usage of the 2008-09 ACS Yellow Pages as well as encourage and reward people for recycling the competitor’s books and all outdated phone books.
“We’re very pleased to win this national honor recognizing the work that we do for our clients. This communications campaign was a winning example of integrated communications at its best and, in the end, benefitted the local community’s recycling efforts,” said Karen King, president of Nerland Agency.
Silver Anvil Awards and Awards of Excellence recognize complete communications programs incorporating sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. Winning organizations and individuals must meet the highest standards of performance in the profession. Only a handful of Alaskans and Alaska businesses have been recognized with the prestigious Silver Anvil or Silver Anvil Award of Excellence.
“This is certainly a testament to the level of talent and expertise we have here in Alaska among the public relations profession,” said Bruce Pozzi, a former Silver Anvil Award of Excellence winner.
Nerland Agency is an employee-owned advertising and public relations firm, with more than 30 years of experience developing brand identity, enhancing corporate image, improving public awareness, and increasing sales for its clients. In 2008, Nerland began offering a full spectrum of Web-based solutions for digital communications needs, exclusive to the Alaska market.
TAPS takes center stage on National Geographic show
Our PR colleagues at Alyeska Pipeline Service Company have been working closely with National Geographic television to tell the story of a significant valve replacement on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. This Thursday we can all see the fruits of their labor with the premier of National Geographic’s "World’s Toughest Fixes" episode about the Remote Gate Valve 72 replacement that took place in June 2008. The show is scheduled for Thursday, June 11 at 5 p.m. Alaska time on channel 54 in Valdez, Anchorage and Fairbanks on GCI Cable.
A television crew from the National Geographic Channel spent several weeks in June 2008 in the Fairbanks area, filming preparations for the valve replacement, and staying for the duration of the shutdown. Check out the following link to preview the valve replacement show and learn more about the "World’s Toughest Fixes’" series."
Check out the following link to preview the valve replacement show and learn more about the "World’s Toughest Fixes’" series.
PRSA Alaska Chapter on Facebook
The PRSA Alaska Chapter has a new page on Facebook. The new page will push events and content onto fan's pages, and is a better option for the chapter. You can find it by searching "Alaska Chapter Public Relations Society of America" or follow this link.
Answer to ethics question of the month: Disclosure of Information
An example of unethical behavior is to continue the marketing program without requesting from management clarification about the study results
Source: Public Relations Society of America web site