Olivet Nazarene University PRSSA
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Photos Provided by Rachel Schramm
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December 2016
Letter from the President
Meet the Executive Board
National Conference 2016 Overview
Inspired Strategies Agency
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Pages 6 & 7 Vol. 1 #1
Pages 8 & 9
Pages 13, 14 & 15
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EMPOWERED Executive Board Rachel Schramm President Nicole Pilbeam Vice President Hira Uddin VP of Fundraising Destinee Ferguson VP of Member Services Jasmine Smith Secretary/Historian Elijah Svoboda National Liaison Hayden Keifer Director of Visual Communication Danielle Snuckel Director of PR Baylee Harrison Treasurer Kate Cox Co-Chaplain/Ethics Officer and Community Outreach Coordinator Steven Nowinski Co-Chaplain/Ethics Officer and Community Outreach Coordinator Alexis Smith Inspired Strategies Agency Director Kaleb Miller ASC President Elizabeth Kerns Faculty Advisor Debra Bethard-Caplick Professional Advisor Vol. 1 #1
Olivet PRSSA
Letter from the President Rachel Schramm Olivet PRSSA President
The opportunity to serve as Olivet’s PRSSA President has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. But my journey to this role is a bit different than most. My freshman year at my university I knew I wanted to be a Communications major, but I did not know where I fit within the department. I bounced around from major to major until one day during my spring semester the head of my department, Dr. Jay Martinson, approached me outside our building. I still remember this moment so vividly in my mind. He explained how the department wanted to launch a new major at ONU, “Public Relations and Strategic Communication,” and how he thought I’d be the perfect fit as a student leader within this program. With an excited smile I quickly said, “Yes!” but then followed with, “So what is public relations?” I may not have known what I was getting myself into, but my respect for Dr. Jay’s opinion when I said yes was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. It’s now been almost two years since this moment, and those two words ‘public relations’ have completely changed my life. I’ve had the honor of being the founding president of our PRSSA and working alongside a team of incredible students. The dedication our faculty advisor, Prof. Elizabeth Kerns, has had to our program is above and
Photo by Destinee Ferguson
Rachel Schramm is a junior public relations and strategic communication major and is the founding president of Olivet’s PRSSA. If you are interested in joining PRSSA or have any questions, contact Rachel at rkschramm@olivet.edu.
beyond anything our department could have envisioned. The growth we’ve had over this past year exceeded expectations and I know the Lord has been weaving through this program since the beginning. Now, through the leadership of our Vice President of PRSSA, Nicole Pilbeam, we are continuing this journey by creating our newsletter, EMPOWERED. Besides having the letters “PR” cleverly highlighted, this word means more to
our organization that just that. We are empowered students through the opportunities provided to us through our university, but even more so through our foundation in Jesus Christ. We want to empower other students within our major and through this organization. Our goal is to use this newsletter so others can be informed and included in all that we do. I truly hope you enjoy reading this newsletter, and don’t forget that you too are in fact, empowered.
m m a r h c S l e h c a R
With Love,
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Olivet PRSSA
About Olivet’s PRSSA
Olivet PRSSA is an official club at Olivet Nazarene University working towards official recognition as an official chapter of the Public Relations StudentSociety of America National organization. As the new PR program launches at Olivet, a group of founding students have passionately launched a club and were recognized of Sept. 8, 2015. Local PRSA chapters are working with ONU faculty and students mentoring them through the process of chapter recognition. Founding students have jumped with both feet into embracing the mission of the national organization and will uphold the code of ethics through the recognition process. PRSSA Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communications. We seek to advance the public relations profession by nurturing generations of future professionals. We advocate rigorous academic standards for public
Photo Provided by Rachel Schramm
relations education, the highest ethical principles an diversity in the profession. PRSSA is made up of more than 11,000 students and advisers organized into 300 plus Chapters in the United States, Argentina, Colombia and Peru. We are
headquartered in New York City, and led by a National Committee of PRSSA and PRSA members. We have a rich history of support from our parent organization, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), which offers professional
development, networking opportunities and news. PRSSA helps you enhance your education, broaden your network and launch your career in public relations.
Like us on Facebook at ‘Olivet PRSSA’ Follow us on Twitter at @OlivetPRSSA Website: olivetprssa.wordpress.com Vol. 1 #1
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Olivet PRSSA
PRSSA Girls’ Night In
Danielle Snuckel Olivet PRSSA Director of Public Relations
On Friday, Nov. 11, the girl members of PRSSA gathered together for a Girls’ Night Out, or “In,” since it was held at Rachel Schramm, Olivet’s PRSSA President’s, apartment. The goal of the night was for the new members to get to know the returning members in a fun and personal setting. The event kicked off at 7:30 p.m. with pizza, snacks and desserts. As each girl helped herself to her choices of food, there was music to bring the party to life. After everyone arrived the games began. Everyone sat in a circle and mingled, painted their nails and played Apples to Apples. Around that time, PRSSA’s Faculty Advisor, Prof. Elizabeth Kerns, stopped by to join the girls. After several rounds of
Apples to Apples were played, Schramm created “getting to know you” questions for everyone to answer. Each girl got a chance to introduce themselves and reveal their interests and personalities to the rest of the group. Some of the questions that they answered included, “What is your dream job in PR?,” “Who is your favorite Disney Princess and why?” as well as more personal questions such as “What is your biggest fear?” and “What is something you struggle with?” Answering these questions allowed each girl to feel more comfortable with her peers of PRSSA as well as
create friendships deeper than conversing at weekly meetings. The night came to an end after each girl wrote an anonymous note of encouragement to someone
else at the event, providing words of appreciation or wishing that they will receive strength through the end of the semester.
Photo by Elizabeth Kerns
PRSSA Calendar of Events December
• Dec. 6-9: Coffee Grams Fundraiser • Dec. 6: Ugly Sweater Christmas Potluck Party
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January
• Jan. 17: First Meeting of the Semester • Jan. 24: Mentor/ Mentee Party • Jan. 31: Guest Speaker
February
• Feb. 7: Creating Valentine’s Day cards Veterans • Feb. 21: LinkedIn Workshop • Feb. 28: Guest Speaker
March
• March 3-4: PRpalooza, DePaul University • March 14: Resume Workshop • March 21: Executive Board Panel Night
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Olivet PRSSA
Olivet PRSSA Partners for Blanket Drive
Jessica Kilbride Olivet PRSSA Member
PRSSA has partnered with Olivet’s Enactus and Inspired Strategies Agency (ISA), to collect blankets for the homeless in the Kankakee area. The blanket drive started Monday, Nov. 28 and will continue until Friday, Dec. 9. The blankets will be donated to the Gift of God Street Church in Kankakee and from there be distributed to local homeless shelters located in Kankakee County. There will be boxes placed around campus, specifically in various dorm and apartment buildings and the Communications Department building. “This drive promotes and encourages relationships between different majors, and Dr. Bowling calls upon us to give back and we are trying to embody that,” said Kate Cox, Olivet’s PRSSA Co-Chaplain and Ethics
Officer. In the fall 2015 semester, PRSSA held this same blanket drive and collected over 150. This year PRSSA is looking to increase that number by including local churches.
New or gently used and clean blankets will be accepted and donated. “I remember seeing that homeless shelters were in need of blankets during the winter season, and the whole thing really just took
off after that. PRSSA also wanted to focus on giving back to the local community,” said Destinee Ferguson Olivet’s PRSSA Vice President of Member Services.
Opportunities Through Olivet PRSSA Event Committee
EMPOWERED Newsletter Staff • • • •
Graphic Design Writing Photography Copy Editing
Contact Nicole Pilbeam at napilbeam@olivet.edu
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Social Media Committee
• Content Creation for Olivet PRSSA Facebook • Content Creation for Olivet PRSSA Twitter • Blogging
• • • •
Event Planning Decoration Coordinating Budget Coordinating Event Promotion
Contact Rachel Schramm at rkschramm@olivet.edu
Contact Danielle Snuckel at dnsnuckel@olivet.edu
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Olivet PRSSA
PRSSA National Conference Overview
Olivet PRSSA Takes on National Conference Jessica Kilbride Olivet PRSSA Member Nine Olivet Nazarene University students left for Indianapolis, Ind. on Friday, Oct. 21 to attend the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) 2016 National Conference. This event lasted five days, ending on Tuesday, Oct. 25. There were over 3,000 students and professionals who attended. PRSSA is an organization that helps nurture students interested in public relations (PR) and communications by expanding their knowledge about the profession and networking. The PR students at Olivet left the national conference determined to focus more on leadership in their community. “One of the sessions that I went to [at the conference] was called ‘The Courage to be Authentic,’” said Brooke Fraley, Olivet senior. “It definitely was encouraging and reminded me that I am who I am for a purpose. I am given the gifts and talents of public relations
and communicating for a reason.” Each morning started with a keynote speaker. The remainder of the day included three or four workshops and ended with a different event each night. These included “The PRSSA 500,” a dinner and dance party for the students on Friday, the Diversity Mixer, a networking opportunity on Saturday, a session about internships from Lauren Berger, founder and CEO of the Intern Queen, on Sunday and the “Circle City Celebration,” awards ceremony and dinner on Monday. Emma Finkbeiner, PRSSA 2016-2017 National President, explained the number one goal of PRSSA National Conference is doing a community service initiative. This year 500 cards were signed by the professionals and students who attended national conference that were sent to the Veteran’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind. “One of most important things PRSSA offers is a
community and network of peers who will all be your colleagues someday, working next to each other in offices all over the country,” Finkbeiner said. Olivet Nazarene University’s PRSSA was established on Sept. 8, 2015. They currently are waiting on their paperwork to be finalized so they can be nationally recognized as an official chapter in the PRSSA organization. “The days were long and full of tons of information, but I left feeling more refreshed and excited. [National Conference] reminded me why I want to be a public relations professional and how much I truly love this profession,” Schramm said. Some of the upcoming PRSSA events that Olivet’s own PRSSA will be attending are regional conference at DePaul University on March 3-4 and National Assembly in Settle, Washington from March 3-6. There is another regional conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 7-9. Photos Provided by Rachel Schramm
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PRSSA National Conference Session Overviews
The Courage to be Authentic
Nicole Pilbeam Olivet PRSSA Vice President
‘Who am I? What do I value? What is important to me?’ David Grossman, a speaker at the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) National Conference and Founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, said we should ask ourselves these questions to find who we are. Grossman was one of the best speakers I have ever personally witnessed, his message was moving, emotional and he did a great job connecting with the audience. Grossman’s session was about “respectful authenticity” and how not to live by the
“suppose to track” but live in a way that makes you happy even if not everyone agrees. Grossman spoke about not changing your personality with different crowds, or ‘wearing different hats,’ to get people to like you, because it will cause you to be unhappy. He talked about authenticity within the workplace. Grossman said authentic leaders are best because they are able to make decisions that are right for themselves so they can be happy; while continuing to lead well because they are not making decisions that go against their values. Grossman said, “Imagine a workplace where women do not have to act like a man to be seen.” He did this scenario with race,
sexuality and many other social identifiers. He went on to explain that authenticity is not a skill but a component of one’s self. These are his three main points to being authentic: Know yourself: Be who you are and know what matters to you; pay attention to what you already know about yourself and increase your knowledge to grow and evolve. Some ways to help find what matters to you is to make a list of people that you admire and find out why you admire these people, also to find your five strengths with the Strengthsfinder test. Be your best self: Find someone that will give you the truth about yourself, they may see
aspects about you that you do not. It is tough to be authentic, but do not change yourself to get people to like you. Practice talking out loud to correct yourself, self talk in your head is very different than what you say. Have ‘quiet courage’: Authenticity is about truth, but you still have to be respectful. As people for feedback to modify your behavior. You have to be audience centered because relationships are about everyone but yourself; when you listen to others they will listen better to you. Before you create a relationship with anyone else you have to create a relationship with yourself and stick with that because your relationship with yourself it the most important.
and generation z individuals are wondering the same thing. Integrity in a work culture cannot be faked, and when internal teams need motivation we cannot fake that either. 2. Too many companies over promise and under-deliver One of the main issues in interviews is that companies promise multiple things, like a certain work culture, and then expectations are not met. As mentioned earlier, company environment cannot be faked as well as motivating a team. Watch out for this in interviews and do not be afraid to ask more questions regarding the company's culture.
3. Humans are storytelling animals We are past the day and age of simply selling a product or "traditional advertising." We now are more responsive than ever to stories-stories related to products, people, places, you name it. Why do you think Coca-Cola showcases "happy moments" in their advertisements like a family party or friends spending time together...then with a Coke in hand? We relate to stories and experiences. Humans interpret the world in two ways: physical reality and symbolic reality. Physical reality is how we experience the world with our five senses while symbolic is how we
associate those things as symbols. Our experience with a symbol, or symbolic reality, can be more important to us than the physical object itself. So regarding the Coca-Cola ads, our experiences with Coke or where Coke has been means more to us than drinking the Coke itself. 4. New Internal Engagement Pillars (according to Brian Easter) • Purpose > Profit • Resolve unresolved conflicts • Putting the team first • Philanthropy as a cornerstone • Integrity before business objectives
Engaging Your Internal Audience
Rachel Schramm Olivet PRSSA President
This October Olivet's PRSSA attended the 2016 PRSSA National Conference in Indianapolis, Ind. This blog is focused on key points from Brian Easter, Co-Founder of Nebo Agency, in his session. 1. Organizations need INTEGRITY One of the most important questions employees are asking in job interviews these days is not how much do you pay, but what is the work environment like? One of my personal biggest fears in the future is whether I will work someone where I will be valued and appreciated... and many other millennials Vol. 1 #1
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Meet the Exec
Rachel Schramm is a public relations and strategic communication major with a minor in leadership and Olivet PRSSA’s President. Rachel is a part of the Class of 2018, after graduation she plans to use her degree to become the VP of PR for a Corporation or an International Corporate Trainer.
Nicole Pilbeam is a public relations and strategic communication major with minors in business, mass comm. and professional writing. Nicole is Olivet’s PRSSA Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of EMPOWERED Newsletter. Nicole is a part of the Class of 2019, after graduation she plans to use her degree to work for a non-profit helping raise awareness about mental health. Hira Uddin is a public relations and strategic communication major with a minor in leadership and Olivet’s PRSSA VP of Fundraising. Hira is a part of the Class of 2017, after graduation she plans to use her degree to work in healthcare PR.
Destinee Ferguson is a public relations and strategic communication major with a minor in business. Destinee is Olivet’s PRSSA Vice President of Member Services and is a part of the Class of 2018. After graduation she plans to own her own event planning business focusing on weddings in order to be a stay-at-home mom. Jasmine Smith is a public relations and strategic communication major with a minor in leadership and Olivet PRSSA’s Secretary. Jasmine is a part of the Class of 2017, after graduation she plans to use her degree to work for a PR firm or do PR for celebrities.
Elijah Svoboda is a public relations and strategic communication major with a minor in Political Science and Olivet’s PRSSA National Liaison. Elijah is a part of the Class of 2019, after graduation he plans to use his degree to achieve his dream job of becoming the President of the U.S.
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Olivet PRSSA
Photos by Destinee Ferguson
Hayden Keifer is a public relations and strategic communication major with a minor in business and Olivet’s PRSSA Director of Visual Communication. Hayden is a part of the Class of 2018, after graduation he plans to use his degree to become do tourism PR in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Danielle Snuckel is a public relations and strategic communication major and Olivet’s PRSSA Director of PR. Danielle is a part of the Class of 2019, after graduation she plans to use her degree to become a member of a social media or event coordinating team for a professional sports team.
Baylee Harrison is a public relations and strategic communication major with a minor in business and Olivet’s PRSSA Treasurer. Baylee is a part of the Class of 2019, after graduation she plans to use her degree to work within a public relations agency.
Kate Cox is a public relations and strategic communication major and Olivet’s PRSSA Co-Chaplain and Community Outreach Coordinator. Kate is a part of the Class of 2018, after graduation she plans to use her degree to become the White House Press Secretary.
Steven Nowinski is a double major in public relations and strategic communication and communication studies with minors in music and leadership. Steven is Olivet’s PRSSA Co-Chaplain and Community Outreach Coordinator and is a part of the Class of 2018, after graduation he plans to use his degree to become a PR representative for a social justice organization. Alexis Smith is a public relations and strategic communication major with a minor in theatre and is Inspired Strategies Agency’s Agency Director. Alexis is a part of the Class of 2017, after graduation she plans to use her degree to become the head writer for Saturday Night Live.
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So you want to try a Twitter chat? Opening the window of dialogue between the public and your company
Kaleb Miller ASC President I’ve been following a lot of big companies on Twitter recently just out of curiosity. Twitter is such a funny thing, because we get to see the thoughts and feelings of the company expressed through the same channel of communication as the rest of us. But sometimes, it’s just not enough. Think of companies such as Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds and Nike. These are some seriously huge companies.To the public, they are nothing more than big time corporations who only exists to make profit off of your purchases (which I mean…is sort of true). PR aids in making this less of a problem when it comes to these companies consumer relations. And to tie it all back in, Twitter is one of the biggest tools companies can use to better that public image if used in the right way. As I sat in one of my public relations classes this semester we discussed a Twitter Chat that the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) was doing with their followers, talking about ethics. This got me thinking; why don’t more companies, such as the ones I mentioned, do the same thing with their companies? Sure, the PRSSA Twitter chat might have been a little more professional and formal, but does it have to be? I think not. Let’s say Nike wanted to do a Twitter chat with it’s 6.53 million followers. What kind of things would they want to talk about? Well, like the PRSSA chat, it would be most effect to focus around one topic. What topic, you say? Well that depends on what Nike wants. PR departments need to analyze their followers and their target audience and hone in on a topic that they believe would be of most help to their consumers. Maybe it’s about a big reveal in a product line, or even questions about fashion tips with some of their current products. Companies need to choose chat topics that are: • Relevant • Intersting • Helpful to the consumer • Engaging • Open for conversation According to 2013 article from Social Media Examiner, contributor Kristi Hines says, “Each time you participate in a Twitter chat with valuable comments and advice, you’ll gain new followers. You’ll also generate leads for your business as people in the chat visit your profile to connect with you, so make sure your Twitter profile is updated to help people learn more about you and your business.” This is really important to companies want to humanize Vol. 1 #1
themselves to their target audience. Tying back to what I said earlier, the public sees big companies as profit seeking bigwigs. These Twitter chats open up dialogue between your company and people to help them feel as if your company is more “real” or “human,” therefore creating a great sense of trust between consumer and business. Think of hashtags that are easily remembered and are easily tied back to your company. This is a very important step, because if you can get your chat trending locally, you will want the public to recognize it’s reaction to you company. If it were Nike, and we were having a Twitter Chat regarding a recently released product, you might use something like #NikeRevealChat or maybe even #ChatWithNike. As long as your company has the time and resources to give a Twitter Chat the attention it needs, this could really be a tool that your company sees great benefit from. …just make sure to keep an eye out for the Twitter trolls.
Opportunities Through National PRSSA Membership • Networking • Professional Development • Leadership • Writing Experience • Photography Experience • Internship Opportunities • Scholarships and Awards • Job Center • National and Regional Events • PRSA Jobcenter • Competitions Page 10
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6 Tips from Hootsuite Academy Rachel Schramm Olivet PRSSA President
3. When you create a content calendar...highlight KEY DATES!: Remember these dates and work with them! Content calendars will always be essentials.
As an assignment I had to go to Hootsuite Academy and take a few of their free online training courses (highly recommend by the way). One is focused on the benefits of Hootsuite itself while the other is a social media training. I'm going to share some of the tops tips I picked up. 1. If you're a small business or organization; check out Hootsuite Campaigns: For those who don't know what Hootsuite is, it is a social media management platform. Hootsuite Campaigns are tools businesses can use to help launch their own PR/Marketing campaigns without involving outside help (which costs extra $). For example, if you are doing a giveaway, you can host a campaign for it through Hootsuite and then your audience can go to your unique URL for it and sign-up. You can change what kind of information you collect based on your preferences...it's all very customizable. 2. Download Hootlet: Hootlet is a program you can download on your computer where if you find an amazing article you want to share on one of your platforms connected to Hootsuite, you can click a button near your bookmarks to share it directly (and of course, you can customize what you say and where you're sending it). How convenient!
4. Three Steps to a Social Media Audit: It is so important to figure out the voice your brand or self is on social media. What value is your social media adding to your audience? What are your competitors doing and what can you learn from them? Remember to meet your audience where they're at when it comes to what platforms you are using. Here are the three steps: • Create an itemized list of current social media networks and their activity rates • Follower counts per social networks • Competitive analysis (refer to question above) 5. SMART Goals: If you are trying to figure out where you want your company to go or what you want to do for a client, make sure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. Ask yourself if you would be able to tell when your goal was half complete. If you can't answer this, it's probably not a SMART goal. 6. Create a document for your business or business you are working with that defines the brand's voice: Ask yourself, “what adjectives describe ‘x’ brand?” Let your social media voice reflect that. Is one of those adjectives "quirky?" Well then play around with humor. If it's something like "reliable," then maybe keep your tone more professional.
EMPOWERED Staff Nicole Pilbeam Editor-in-Chief
Rachel Schramm PRSSA President
Alexis Smith Agency Director
Danielle Snuckel Associate Editor
Kaleb Miller ASC President
Alyssa Martinez Contributing Photographer
Jessie Kilbride Writer/Photographer
Destinee Ferguson Contributing Photographer
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10 Tips for a Successful Blog
Photo from inspiredstrategiesagency.com
Jessica Kilbride Olivet PRSSA Member Employers scoff at physical resumes. These days they go straight to your digital footprints you leave behind on the Internet. They look at your social media platforms to see who you truly are and if they want you on their team. Blogging is one of the ways to build up your portfolio online, and it’s also a way to express your creativity. Ron Culp, renown blog writer for Culprit, and Anne Waddington, contributing writer for Loxa Beauty, shared 10 tips on how to create a blog worth reading. A lot of bloggers are not successful. Why? Well they don’t follow these simple steps . . . 1.Inspiration: What drives you? If you don’t have a clue, check out other people’s blogs for ideas or write down what you are passionate about. For your first few blogs, write about whatever you want and see what interests you most.
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2.Gather Thoughts: Always have something with you to write down any idea that pops in your head. Keep an “Inspiration Binder” or Pinterest Board of all your ideas so you can reflect on what you have already written about and have an idea of where you’re heading next. 3.Test Ideas: Write down 150 legitimate ideas you could write about. If you have a particular topic in mind, do the same. Can’t come up with 150? Then blogging is NOT for you!
ensure all your social media platforms coincide with one another because you don’t want to cause confusion. 6.Plan Ahead: Let’s be real, if you want a quality blog, you need to do research. Slopping something down last minute won’t cut it, unless you sincerely don’t care. What do you want to discuss with your readers? Think about what visuals (i.e.: infographics, video statistics or images) will drive your point and appeal to your audience? 7.Invest in a Blog: Yes, this means spending money. Is this a hobby or something bigger? In retrospect, compared to your college tuition, this is nothing. Plus, you might get an internship and even
a potential job out of your blogging. 8.Be Authentic: This is YOUR blog, so be YOU. Share your original thoughts, ideas and content with your readers. 9.Avoid Haters: Literally, block out the haters. “Don’t second guess yourself,” Waddington said. 10.Connect and Engage: As Waddington outlined, your readers are YOUR support system. They are giving their time to you by reading your content and commenting, so COMMENT BACK. Give them the light of day by responding to every email, question and comment. Successful blogging is not easy; it takes guts.
4.Experiment: Right now you may not know what topic to write about, so explore and learn. Hated the Halloween party you attended, blog about it! Learn how to make graphics, do whatever it takes. Already an experienced blogger? Avoid boredom with your readers by deviating from your normal posts. 5.Personal Branding: Market yourself and your blog. Who are you? How are you different from everyone else? Don’t forget to
Photo from inspiredstrategiesagency.com
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Letter from the Agency Director Photo by Destinee Ferguson
four clients in the Kankakee County; Kankakee Chamber of Commerce, Olivet Nazarene University’s Communication Department, Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assault (KC-CASA) and The Exploration Station… A Children’s Museum. We have four account executives with Inspired Strategies Agency (ISA) is a student-run public relations firm three to four junior on Olivet’s campus that works with clients within the Kankakee area account to benefit the community. If you are interested in learning more about executives to ISA contact Alexis Smith, ISA’s Firm Director, at atsmith@olivet.edu. round out a team. We meet every Monday Those four personalities Alexis Smith for an all staff meeting that were Rachel Schramm, Agency Director focuses on Hira Uddin, Kate Cox and professional development. myself. In the fall of 2015, We have all heard similar It is hard to define what ISA versions of this story before. we came along side Kerns is. It is essentially a to set the groundwork for a Four unlikely personalities practicum where students student-run public relations come together to make a firm. We committed the next earn one credit, but I run difference. They are ISA like a business. I spent connected in many avenues year of our lives to creating seven months creating a and administering but the most prominent is policies and procedure community engagement through a woman, manual along with templates surveys for two clients, Elizabeth Kerns. She believed in their abilities and Kankakee County Chamber for every piece of paperwork that an agency staff member of Commerce (KCCC) and saw how each would need to be successful the Kankakee Valley individual skill set could in agency. At the beginning Symphony Orchestra work in harmony to change of the semester Account (KVSO). The passion we the course of the Communication department. had for this agency must had been obvious because What this woman could not Inspired Strategies Agency envision was the effect it (ISA) grew from four to 20 in would have on Olivet less than a year. Nazarene University (ONU) This year we are servicing and Kankakee County. Vol. 1 #1
Executives sit down with their clients and create a client contract with objectives that will be fulfilled throughout the course of the semester. Every Ac-count Executive is required to have weekly meetings with their team and their client. This ensures that everyone is on the same page. There is no better way to give back to this community than by using the skill sets God has given us to make a difference in the lives of others and the community. The work that is produced for our clients is rewarding, but it’s not the best part. The greatest benefit of this agency is the unconditional support our clients provide to mentoring us as young professionals and believing in our abilities. ISA has grown exponentially in the last year and will continue to grow. My hope is that this agency will become bigger than any of us could have ever imagined. My prayer is that as this agency grows one thing will remain the same and that is the passion that we have for this organization.
h t i m S s Alexi
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About ISA Clients
Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce (KCCC)The Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit that unites businesses and professionals in the area by providing resources to learn, grow, and flourish. Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assault (KC-CASA)KC-CASA is a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of services for survivors of sexual assault, assisting in their recovery, and working towards the elimination of sexual violence.
Strategies Agency Olivet Nazarene University’s Student-Run, Strategic Communication Agency
Exploration Station … A Children’s MuseumThe Bourbonnais exploration station is a hands-on museum designed for children and their families to explore and discover a world of possibilities. Communication DepartmentThe Communication department at Olivet Nazarene University is devoted to shaping individuals to better society through effective communication within the framework of Christian principles.
ISA Spring 2016 Leadership 1 Faculty Advisor 1 Agency Director 4 Clients 4 Account Executives 20 Staff members InspiredStrategiesAgency @olivetAgency www.InspiredStrategiesAgency.com
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Senior Leadership: Agency Director- Alexis Smith (AD)
Consultants: Associate Director of Human Resources & Internal Relations (ADHRIR)- Hira Uddin Associate Director of Training & Development (ADTD)Rachel Schramm Associate Director of Digital and Social Media (ADDSM)Jasmine Smith Account Executives: Hayden Keifer, KCCC Kate Cox, KC-CASA Nicole Pilbeam, ONU Comm. Department Elijah Svoboda, Exploration Station Katy Maurer, Strickler Planetarium Associate Account Executives: Helen Berdebes, KC-CASA Jessica Kilbride, Exploration Station Baylee Harrison, Strickler Planetarium
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Inspired Strategies Agency Fall 2016 Staff Senior Leadership: Alexis Smith, Agency Director
Elizabeth Kerns, Faculty Adviser and Managing Director Account Executives:
Kate Cox, Account Executive, Kankakee County Center Against Sexual Assault (KC-CASA) Hayden Keifer, Account Executive, Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce (KCCC)
Nicole Pilbeam, Account Executive, Olivet Nazarene University’s Communication Department
Christina Cusumano, Junior Account Executive, KC-CASA
Baylee Harrison, Junior Account Executive, Communication Department Lindsy Hentschel, Junior Account Executive, KCCC Julie Hogan, Junior Account Executive, KCCC
Jessie Kilbride, Junior Account Executive, Exploration Station Samantha Lopez, Junior Account Executive, KC-CASA Mackenzie Mehaffey, Junior Account Executive, KC-CASA Jasmine Smith, Junior Account Executive, KCCC
Rachel Schramm, Account Executive, Exploration Station… A Children’s Museum, Bourbonnais Township Park District
Danielle Snuckel, Junior Account Executive, Exploration Station
Junior Account Executives: Helen Berdebes, Junior Account Executive, KC-CASA
Consultants:
Ailis Bull, Junior Account Executive, Communication Department Steven Case, Junior Account Executive, Communication Department
Elijah Svoboda, Junior Account Executive, Exploration Station Hira Uddin, PR Consultant
Jasmine Smith, Associate Director of Social & Digital Services
Photo by Destinee Ferguson
Vol. 1 #1
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EMPOWERED
Vol. 1 #1
Olivet PRSSA
*Currently in the process of becoming nationally affiliated
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