Blogs

By Karen Reynolds, President of the Publicity Club of New England

We extended our deadline to Wednesday, March 10, for all Bell Ringer submissions. Late drop off (with late fees) will be Monday, March 15.

Here’s a few thoughts on deadlines…

"A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all."
- Rita Mae Brown

"I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by."
- Douglas Adams

By Shawna Hassett, Duffy & Shanley

How many times have you heard it? "2010 is the year of social media." It's just February and I feel like that expression is so terribly dated. Yes, social media is certainly amping up - clients, companies - they are all trying to figure out how to play in the social media space. It's our job as PR professionals to be sure we are ahead of the curve in order to provide counsel to our clients or management. But when there is SO much information out there - and NEW information is being created at an alarming rate, how do we maintain our positions of "authority?" Learning... constant learning is key.

By Karen Reynolds, Publicity Club of New England President
February 9, 2010

Like many organizations, we at the Pub Club declared this year The Year we’d dive into Social Media.

Armed with a talented group of board members representing the best and brightest from New England, we identified several areas where we could make a big splash. We launched a blog, opened a Twitter account, and created not one, but two Facebook pages. We also implemented a continuing Social Media workshop series with an ambitious calendar of 5 events for the 2009-2010 programming season.

On Monday, January 25, the Publicity Club of New England continued its exploration of the ever-changing world of social media by bringing together some of the area’s most prominent “Mommy” bloggers. The sold out event, which took place at Boston’s Hotel 140, gave communications professionals a look into the minds of these increasingly influential online voices and tips on how to build long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with each one of them.

This week’s “Get to Know Boston’s Healthcare Media” panel event proved as popular as ever. The sold out event was moderated by Solomon McCown & Co.’s Michal Regunberg and included panelists from print, television and new media. They shared their insights, tips, thoughts on Twitter, etc. The Pub Club wanted to share some nuggets from the night.

For those who believe that public relations is a soon-to-be obsolete profession, think again.  U.S News & World Report unveiled this week its “America’s Best Careers 2010” listing, and guess what made it into the top 50?  You got it – public relations.

In just the past year, the Publicity Club has developed new programs and workshops related to the emergence of social media, implemented a new position on our board managing new media, and ignited the interest of 284 followers on Twitter (@PubClubofNE).

We're gearing up for 2010 and look forward to an exciting year of programs and workshops and celebrating with you all at the Bell Ringer ceremony in June.

The Publicity Club of New England is proud to announce that it has selected Judge Baker Children’s Center as the beneficiary of the 2010 Bell Ringer Awards ceremony silent auction. The Club sat down with Kristen Woulfe, communications manager for JBCC, to discuss the organization and how the monies from the auction will benefit it.

The Publicity Club of New England is excited to announce the 2010 Bell Ringer Awards Call for Entries. For 41 years the Bell Ringers honor the best public relations and communications work in New England. We invite you to showcase your work and celebrate with your colleagues.

Highlights to this year's Call for Entries:

What does building a brand mean today?  Now more than ever before, building a brand should incorporate a carefully calibrated mix of both "on land" and "online" marketing elements – that is to say, the traditional methods of allowing potential buyers to touch and feel a product, and the digitally-oriented, social media strategies that have been gaining popularity in recent years.