October 2021 Newsletter

President's Corner

I must say, I see a lot of great PR and communications content out in the world around us lately. You are all are rocking it! We have an impressive group of PR pros in Northeast Wisconsin. I am incredibly proud to be a part of the PR profession and our organization.

One of the things I most appreciate about PRSA is how it helps us keep on top of every aspect of our ever-changing field. In this day and age, data and analytics are more than buzzwords – they’re cornerstones for demonstrating the success of our efforts! That’s why we’re devoting our annual October workshop to a topic I bet we all need to get a little smarter about!

Join us on Oct. 25 for a two-hour virtual workshop that will focus on best practices for collecting and analyzing website performance data and understanding social media analytics. Emily Hoppe and David Sauter of Envano and Lori O’Connor from Vye will lead us through the analytics, what it all means, and how to use the data to make communications decisions.

You’ll find more information about our All About Analytics workshop in this newsletter and on our website. When you register, you’ll note that the cost is $20 for members, $30 for non-members, and students are free. I know last month we told you that our monthly programs would be free for members while we continue to stay virtual - and they will be! However, the event we’re holding this month (and next! More info on that coming soon!) are not our typical programs. We hope you’ll agree that the cost is still quite a bargain for this meatier and more in-depth material.

We hope to see everyone on Zoom on Oct. 25. If you can’t make it or a last-minute PR emergency arises, we’ve got you! We’ll send a link out to all those registered. So no excuses! Register today!

Have a great day,

Kara Leiterman
President, PRSA Northeast Wisconsin

Diversity & Inclusion Spotlight

By PRSSA Northeast Wisconsin Chair Colin Wylie

During my undergraduate experience, I completed a minor in nonprofit management. In those classes, I first learned about corporate citizenship. I was fascinated to discover the science, strategy and great lengths that organizations would give back to the community and the world. Merging this newfound passion with my love for communication made for some unique opportunities.

Looking to the future, organizations have to find innovative ways to satisfy the triple bottom line: people, planet and profits (prosperity). Some of these goals will ideally intersect with diversity and inclusion efforts. We as communicators are placed in the position as storytellers, relationship builders and facilitators in this great work.

This month, PRSA National is hosting an increasingly important webinar about “Building Better Partnerships Within Corporate Citizenship and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.” The event, on October 27, should provide an “in-depth discussion on the correlation between corporate citizenship and DEI, as well as how adding DEI communications strategies can elevate organizations year-round.” You’ll want to sign up in advance and clear your calendar.

WisCOMsin Awards

UPDATE: VIDEO RECORDING OPTION NOW AVAILABLE! Can't make the "live" virtual session? We will be sending a link to the recording to all registrants.
This virtual session on October 25 will focus on best practices for collecting and analyzing website performance data and understanding social media analytics.

Lori O’Connor, New Business Developer for Vye, will discuss website performance analytics. Since your website serves as the online door to your business, it should be the epicenter of your marketing efforts. Therefore, your website must perform at a high level. So, how do you know how your website is performing? With so many metrics available, which are the most critical to track? Lori will help you answer these questions and more regarding website performance, search ranking, and user experience. Learn which metrics to track, which tools to use, and benchmarks to analyze.

Emily Hoppe and David Sauter of Envano will discuss best practices for tracking social media impact. They will cover what key metrics mean, which tools/tips/tricks make measuring social impact easier, and how to interpret and share social media reports with your organization.

Please join us on Monday, October 25, virtually from 11:00 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. to learn how you can advance your organization with higher website performance and a successful social media measurement strategy.

Lori O’Connor, New Business Developer | Vye
Lori has been in sales and marketing for 25+ years and has seen the industry evolve. She uses data and technology creatively to connect and build relationships with mid to large-sized companies vying for more market share, more qualified leads, and better talent.

Lori is actively involved in the community and serves on the Communications Taskforce for the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance, the Marketing & Branding Committee for NEW North, and the Management Women, Inc. Board.

Lori is an avid sports fan and resides in De Pere with her husband and two children.

Emily Hoppe, Content Marketing Manager | Envano
Emily Hoppe is like the Swiss Army knife of digital marketers. With experience in strategic planning, content marketing, graphic design, and social media, she has a knack for communicating big picture ideas in a meaningful way. Life is an adventure to her, and she makes the most of it by spending quality time with her wonderful husband, family and friends.

David Sauter, CEO | Envano
David is not your conventional CEO. Often found tinkering with the latest technology, he’s intrigued and propelled by new ideas, opportunities, and solutions to build brand attention and customer connections in the interactive space.

Ethics

Ethics Question:

You work for a large public school district where preliminary testing revealed that one-third of the district’s schools tested positive for high lead levels. The school district wants you to release the list of tested schools and mention that, if necessary, each location will handle its own remediation plans. However, while analyzing the data, you notice a trend that the majority – not just a third – of the district’s schools randomly tested exceeded health department guidelines for lead. What do you do?

Contact the local health department and leave a message with them about your concerns.
Issue a press release with all data findings and urge leadership to shut all schools down to address the larger problem and protect the public.
Leave things as they are but continue random testing in all schools to see if it is an ongoing problem.
Release a list of schools tested, including those that had lead levels that exceeded health department guidelines.

Question credit: Shelly Najor, Ph.D., and Jamie Ward, Ph.D., co-chairs PRSA-Detroit Ethics Committee

The answer is below.

Member Spotlight

This Member Spotlight feature is on Kristin Rozek, School & Community Relations Specialist for the Green Bay Area Public School District.

Describe your typical day. As every communications professional will tell you, there is no typical day. However, most of my days include helping to manage our school and District social media channels, school and District websites, event planning, internal communications, and promoting the amazing things happening in the Green Bay Area Public Schools.

What made you decide to have a career in public relations, communications, marketing, or a related field? I always knew I wanted to have a career in the communications field. Internships in the non-profit, agency and corporate communication fields gave me the confidence that I was pursuing the perfect avenue for me. In addition, my experience as a big sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters helped me realize my passion for supporting and advocating for children, which I have the privilege of doing through my position with Green Bay Area Public Schools.

Why did you join PRSA NEW? I joined PRSA Northeast Wisconsin right after college when I had my first professional job. I was interested in the networking opportunities and professional development and had been a member of PRSSA at UW – Eau Claire. Little did I know, I would meet many exceptional communications professionals in the area who I now consider colleagues and friends.

What are some of your hobbies? As a mom of two little boys, I don’t have many hobbies these days, but I love going on walks, reading and exploring new places when possible.

What can’t you go a day without? A cup of coffee and making to-do lists.

Where is your happy place? Our family has a cabin in Townsend, WI. Being at the cabin on a sunny summer weekend making memories (with a cocktail in hand) is hard to beat!

What brings out the kid in you? My boys keep me smiling (most of the time) and remind me of the beauty of childhood.

What’s on your professional or personal to-do list? Professionally, I have always been interested in earning my Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). I’m also very excited to be the incoming president of PRSA Northeast Wisconsin in 2022!

Would you like to be featured in our Member Spotlight? Email [email protected] for more information

Member Anniversaries

Jon Jarosh, Destination Door County
Member Since: 10/29/2010

Jennifer Kaminski
Member Since: 10/10/2011 – TEN YEARS!

Kelly Grace McBride Moore, Bellin
Member Since: 10/14/2015

Holly Wachtendonk, Hiebing
Member Since: 10/11/2012

Ethics Answer Key

Answer:
B. Issue a press release with all data findings and urge leadership to shut all schools down to address the more significant problem and protect the public.

Explanation:
Disclosure of information requires us to address the more significant issue of protecting the public rather than managing each school individually.

The PRSA-Detroit Chapter Ethics Committee developed a quiz for its members to test their knowledge and show their commitment to upholding the ethical standards of PRSA and the public relations profession. The questions are based on practical situations and real-world dilemmas. We have been granted permission to use their questions so you can test your knowledge. Each month I’m posing one of the quiz’s questions. In addition to selecting the correct answer, I urge you consider why it is the correct answer. Good luck, and may the ethics be with you!