Career Development

Intro to Sports PR: Professional Sports Not the Only Game in Town

Diahnn Henderson 1 Comment

When you think of the Sports PR industry, do you think of professional sports teams, red carpet events, and flashing bulbs from cameras? Maybe you think of representing high profile athletes.  While this may represent one segment of Sports PR, there are other opportunities within the industry that are equally as valuable. Our New Pros Section Chair, Sarah Siewert, interviewed her KemperLesnik colleague Alex Prosperi on life in the sports PR industry. KemperLesnik is a full service sports marketing, event planning and PR agency in Chicago.

Sarah: Describe a typical week in this industry.

Alex:  A normal day at KemperLesnik always involves a lot of work, brainstorming of new ideas and reaching out to clients. The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, which KemperLesnik has managed since 1990, is the premier early-season college basketball tournament in the country that is annually played during Thanksgiving week, and it is my primary account. When the tournament is in full swing, my typical week includes monitoring stories about the Tournament, pitching college basketball writers, building the media list, updating the Tournament website and managing our social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr). The other challenge is preparing for our on-site needs, like outlining where media will sit on press row, figuring out our needs for the media room and of course, how many Hawaiian shirts to bring for the trip

Sarah: What is the work environment like?

Alex:  The work environment depends on the day. When we have a big announcement (i.e., announcing the bracket, the future fields or a new sponsorship) it can get pretty chaotic. There is a lot of work that goes into drafting, editing and sending out press releases as well as contacting key media to pitch our story. During a typical work week, I always try to keep the environment lively by throwing around new ideas and talking about current events.

Sarah: Who are your clients?

Alex:  KemperLesnik has a wide variety of clients, but I personally work on the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. I’m also working on the McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Games, but I am more involved in the operations side for that event.

Sarah:  Are there specific PR activities you do not typically do in this industry?

Alex:  Not really. For the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, I’m pitching, monitoring, managing social media, promoting the tournament at schools through our Surfboard Delivery Program, and then managing the media on-site.

Sarah:  Are there specific PR activities you do often in this industry?

Alex:  Out of all my roles, my biggest responsibility comes down to managing the media on-site and helping to produce great coverage of the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. To me, the bottom line is that I’m working to help promote the Tournament and make sure everyone knows that it’s the premier early-season college basketball tournament in the country.

Sarah: What other activities are important in this industry?

Alex:  In any industry, I think the main thing to remember is that everything comes down to personal relationships. So whether it’s through email, phone calls or face-to-face, I’m always working to develop close personal relationships. Once you have those, it’s much easier to work, especially in PR.

Sarah: What are industry-specific challenges?

Alex:  One of the biggest challenges in PR is getting that initial first step in the door. You may have a great pitch but sometimes it’s challenging to get past that first stage. This idea reinforces the importance of first impressions and to not get discouraged when something doesn’t go your way.

Sarah: What might surprise you about this industry? 

Alex:  It’s a lot more work than you would think. Growing up with a Dad that did PR, I had no idea the legwork involved with doing something as simple as getting a placement in a local magazine. It truly opens your mind to the hard work that goes into any industry, whether it be PR, marketing operations, you name it.

Sarah: What kind of non-PR courses are beneficial?

Alex:  With any field, but especially in PR, it’s critical that you see the entire picture. You can’t be short-sighted or not understand multiple perspectives. My favorite class in college was Sports Law because it taught me to think things through all the way and really examine situations in detail. In PR, it’s crucial to think like your audiences thinks. Will the pitch letter you write resonate well with a certain writer? Just because you’re pitching 10 writers on one topic doesn’t mean you send all 10 the same pitch letter. Think like your audience.

Sarah: What kind of non-PR skills/interests are important?

Alex:  It’s important to educate yourself in the field you’re working. I love basketball so knowing information about the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational comes naturally. But if you are a sports nut who finds a job in PR for a technology firm, you have to learn about your field. It sounds simple enough, but I can say with confidence that part of the reason I enjoy my job and can do it well is that I know my field.

Sarah: What specific tips can help new pros find a job in this niche field?

Alex:  Right off the bat I’d say to read and surround yourself with social media! Learn as much as you can about it. Although it’s mainstream, lots of firms are still in the infant stages of using it. If you can demonstrate a sound knowledge and ability to run a social media outlet for your company, you become a key asset.

Alex Prosperi graduated in 2010 with a degree in Sports Management from the University of Michigan.  Through his internships with KemperLesnik and ESPN he gained valuable experiences that led him to his current full-time role with KemperLesnik where he supports the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational.

Don’t Press “Send”! E-mail Lessons from a New Pro by Joshua Romero

Heather Sliwinski 1 Comment

Being a new staffer at an organization can be a challenge – reading through binders of HR paperwork, figuring out everyone’s names and responsibilities, getting the copier code right, learning how to dial out, the list goes on and on. The last thing you should worry about is making rookie mistakes communicating via e-mail.

Here are some of my tough lessons learned in the world of e-mail communication:

Did I Press “Reply”? I Meant “Forward”.

What Happened: When I was assigned to write my first news release for the law school featuring a quotation from the dean, my supervisor suggested that I craft a statement from the dean and ask for his approval. She was very encouraging of my work, suggesting that the dean rarely, if ever, suggests changes or revisions to the statements we prepare. I sent the dean my quotation.

When he replied, I was surprised to see that he had some significant changes to what I had prepared. Keeping my supervisor in the loop of my progress, I sent her an e-mail: “Of course, he would want to edit the very first quote I put together for him. HAHAHA! Good thing this hasn’t gone out yet. Can we just go home, since this is most definitely a Monday!?!”

I thought the e-mail went to my supervisor. Apparently I hit “reply” instead of “forward” and the lighthearted message went right to the dean’s inbox.

What I Learned: Our dean is a very gracious man! In all seriousness, he was very understanding of the incident and understood my joking about the challenges of our work. He even said that it is good for us to laugh at those things. More importantly, I learned to always double-check the recipient before I press send.

Can I Have Your Number?

What Happened: It was a busy media day for me with three requests for legal experts coming in from three reporters on three different subjects. With the chaos of logging reporter contact information and trying to get professors on the phone or on e-mail, my desk was covered in a patchwork of Post-it notes. I secured one of our professors and the reporter asked me to e-mail her the professor’s contact information. I typed out the e-mail, double-checked who I was sending it to and pressed send. Moments later, I got an e-mail back from the reporter: “You sent me my phone number.”

What I Learned: As important as it is to respond quickly to media requests, it’s just as important to provide our media colleagues the correct contact information. I got lucky. The reporter saw my e-mail and corrected me. She gave me a chance to make things right, when she could have just moved on to another legal expert.

You’re Not So Special

What Happened: I’m probably not alone in sending out news release e-mail blasts. I’ve been fortunate enough to develop one-on-one relationships with some members of the media who have asked that I send all of our news releases to them. With these contacts, I compose a news release e-mail and “Bcc” them. After a few weeks without sending news releases, I had some news to share. Since I was out of practice on my releases, I accidentally entered my contacts in the “To” box instead of “Bcc.” Whoops! Looks like my media friends aren’t so special anymore, because everyone gets that news release.

What I Learned: On the surface, I learned to double-check where you’re entering recipients’ e-mail addresses. More importantly, I realized the value of that personal touch with your media contacts. Just because everyone wants your news release, that doesn’t mean you can’t send it out individually. It is more work, but I’ve found that it helps to nurture those relationships you’ve already built. It also gives your media friends that “I’m special” feeling. Plus, it keeps them from thinking that someone else might cover the story so they don’t have to.

Learn from my mistakes. Only press ‘send’ when you know you’re sending the right message to the right person. For those who can’t break the habit of pressing ‘send’ prematurely, you can always learn how to recall an e-mail!

 

Joshua P. Romero is the marketing & communications coordinator at California Western School of Law in San Diego. He manages the media relations and social media programs for the school. Romero is Member Co-chair of the New Professionals Section of PRSA.

Intro to Independent PR: Part One with Robert Udowitz

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

According to the 2008 PRSA Membership Value Perception and Satisfaction Study, 6 percent of PRSA’s members are “independent practitioners”. This month’s “Intro to” series features two such professionals who once worked in agency, corporate and association PR and have since joined the ranks of independents.  Robert Udowitz, Principal at RFP Associates, LLC, spoke with Mike Greenberg of the New Professionals Section about life as an “indie”.  Check back on Friday, February 25 for part two of the series with Susan Rink, Rink Strategic Communications, LLC.

 

Mike:  What was your PR experience like before you decided to practice as an independent?

Robert:  I am entering my seventh year as an independent. Immediately prior to going out on my own I was working at a trade association as its director of communications. Before that I had been in corporate communications and at a couple of PR agencies in Washington, DC, and New York City.

Mike: What do you offer clients that an agency doesn’t?

Robert: In most cases I offer my clients equal if not more experience through a more economical and efficient model.  I’ve done crisis counseling, community relations work, media relations, analyst and investor relations, writing and event planning.  I have even created an animated video—from concept, to writing the script and directing the shoot!

Mike: What is your work environment like?

Robert: My work environment is as professional as it was when I had an employer. With all the modern technology I use, the only disadvantage I have is the lack of an office tech support team at my beck and call. 

Mike: What types of non-PR abilities and interests are needed in order to succeed as an independent practitioner?

Robert: You must possess some simple financial management and business skills.  In particular, when you start out you need to determine how much to charge clients. Then you need to tabulate your monthly expenses so you know how much money has to come in to afford your lifestyle. From there it’s critical that you devote time each month toward bookkeeping and billing your clients. Your business skills are critical to building a client base, marketing yourself, and maintaining a steady income.

Mike: What are the greatest challenges an independent faces?

Robert: The work will always find you, but there’s never enough time to market yourself for those times when you need more work. As long as you stay networked and are always talking to your colleagues and meeting new people, you will find work the moment you have the time to take on something new.

Mike: What has surprised you the most about being an “indie”?

Robert: How capable I was. In the confines of office work there isn’t much time to create opportunities that go outside of your assignments. And, sometimes you observe that the decisions that are being made aren’t as productive as they should be. As an indie, you have an ability to accomplish more and there’s a degree of pride when you are able to look back and see all that you have done.

Mike: What advice would you give a new professional who wants to work as an independent?

Robert: You have to have experience, and preferably a diverse amount of experience.  The more you’ve exposed yourself to professionally before you go out on your own, the more of an asset you’ll be for your clients.

Robert UdowitzRobert Udowitz, Principal, RFP Associates, LLC

Over the course of his 25-year career, Udowitz has worked at public relations/public affairs offices, corporations, and trade associations. He recently began RFP Associates, LLC (www.rfpassociates.net), a PR agency search firm specializing in the request for proposal process for companies seeking a public relations agency. Prior to creating RFP Associates, he operated RUdowitz Consulting, a PR/PA consultancy based in Washington, DC, where his clients centered in the financial industry but included commercial real estate companies, trade associations, a magazine publisher, and government contractors.

Udowitz has been a member of the Board of the Public Relations Society of America’s National Capital Chapter for the past four years and on the Board of the Independent Public Relations Alliance for more than five.

FREE Webinar: Breaking Into International PR

bcamen 1 Comment

Ever thought about working overseas or wondered what it might be like representing foreign clients at a major agency? Have you considered working at the U.S. headquarters of a foreign-based company or an international non-governmental organization (NGO)?

Geared towards students, new professionals and more experienced pros looking for new horizons, this free webinar will provide expert advice on how to take advantage of the growing opportunities in the global practice of public relations.

The webinar will be led by David Gallagher, senior partner at Ketchum and president of the company’s European operations. Based in London with dual U.S. and U.K. nationality, David is also chairman of the British Public Relations Consultants Association and a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the PR Guild of the City of the London. He sits on management boards for Ketchum companies in the U.K., France, Spain and Italy, and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s global advisory council on news, media and entertainment and sits and its global health advisory board. He is a journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.

Date: Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Time: 1 p.m. Eastern
12 p.m. Central
11 a.m. Mountain
10 a.m. Pacific
Duration: 60 minutes

To register & more info: http://bit.ly/eyPDWQ

Nine factors that determine news value by Brian Camen

bcamen 1 Comment

Since this blog is dedicated to new PR professionals, it’s always important to be reminded of the basics. The following are nine factors that determine news value (originally posted on my blog, The PR Practitioner).

As PR practitioners, we need to craft our pitches with the following factors in mind:

  1. Timeliness – Don’t pitch or send a news release about an event that happened two weeks ago. New news is always better than old news (unless it’s a source pitch about an anniversary of a major event)
  2. Proximity – Don’t pitch your news to the locals in Detroit if your company is located in Arizona and has no Detroit ties.
  3. Usefulness – People love practical tips and lists.
  4. Prominence – Even though cable news shows are always looking for sources, they would still rather have the leading expert (or someone famous) on to comment as opposed to someone with an uneducated opinion on the subject.
  5. Impact – The more people your story affects, the better.
  6. Novelty – The weird and odd stories are always an easy sell.
  7. Conflict – We love to hear about turmoil, fighting and the little guy defeating the big guy.
  8. Human Interest – People are interesting.
  9. Sex Appeal – Things that are trendy sell easier.

In your opinion, which of the above are the more important factors that determine news value?