Apply for the 2012 Trevett Award Now!

Each year, PRSA-LA recognizes one outstanding young professional in the chapter with the award named after Tom Trevett, APR, co-founder of the chapter’s Young Professionals Section–the first in the nation. The Trevett award recognizes outstanding young PR pros who have demonstrated excellence in their work, advocacy for the profession and a commitment toward community service.

In addition to coveted recognition of colleagues, the winner receives a trophy and monetary prize ($1,000) awarded at the PRSA-LA PRism awards banquet. Second place receives $500. Each recipient is strongly encouraged to use at least some of the winnings for professional development.

All young professionals in the greater Los Angeles area, who are employed full-time in public relations, have five years or less of professional experience and are members in good standing with PRSA-LA are eligible. If you are overqualified for the award, we ask that you encourage your eligible colleagues and associates to apply. Please note that the application does not require a nomination.

The deadline for all entries is Wednesday, October 19, 2012. We strongly encourage you to apply for this honor. Click here to download your application. Further details can be found online at http://www.prsala.org/Trevett-Award .

Tonight! December 14th, don’t miss the last mixer of the year!! Also new board positions are open!

Hello Everybody!

This has been a great year, tonight come join us as we are holding our final mixer of 2011. Come mingle, network, meet those in the PR, marketing and communications fields and enjoy some free appetizers with  the young professionals of PRSA-LA.

The cost to attend the mixer tonight is FREE for everyone!

As the 2011 year is coming to an end we will be having board positions for the 2012 LA Young Professionals Board opening up and would love to see anyone who is interested in joining and holding a position come and apply or learn more about it!

Where: Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica (upstairs)

1351 3rd St. Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Time: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM, Wednesday, December 14th 2011

Cost: FREE!

 

Social Media Community Management Internship

We’re changing the game in marketing and looking for talented people to help!

Uptown Treehouse is a cutting edge full service marketing agency that is revolutionizing the space through technology and social media. We are currently searching for Community Manager candidates who will be responsible for managing our clients’ social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and the blogosphere. This person should have an interest in using social media as a tool that provides value to businesses and brands. Whether you’re developing an innovative editorial calendar to evangelize a new product launch, or building strategic relationships to drive brand advocacy, you will be exposed to the key drivers and fundamental values that make Uptown Treehouse a leading agency in the communications industry.

Your key day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Listening to pertinent conversations and news relevant to the clients’ audience.
• Create and maintain content calendars including writing Facebook posts, Tweets and blog posts.
• Respond to comments and mentions to add value to the user’s experience while driving client goals.

This is full-time paid internship that will last for three months and lead to a more permanent position if you make the cut. If you are still in school but graduating soon, shoot us a note and we’ll try and make something work if it’s a good fit.

Here’s why you’ll like us:

• We’re small enough that you’ll make a huge difference.
• We’ll empower you to work directly with clients.
• We’re hiring you to make a good practice even better through trying new things.
• We’ll keep you challenged and constantly learning.
• The best communications plan wins. We run on data, not politics.
• We don’t have bureaucracy, middle managers or pointless meetings.

Here’s why we’ll like you:

• You love social media and utilize technology to reveal your unique voice.
• You thrive when given independence but are also a great team player.
• You are calm under pressure and step up to big challenges.
• No detail is worth looking past and going above and beyond is your status quo.
• You don’t think in terms of 9:00 to 5:00 instead you’re constantly connected while on the go.
• You’re always one step ahead and can connect the dots when thinking about a project.
• Your talent is limitless and you’re brimming with creativity.

Is this you? We know you’re rare and are probably thinking about other interesting opportunities so we don’t want to waste your time and know your resume isn’t going to do your talent justice. If you’re interested in changing the world with us then tell us a bit more about yourself in an email to our Director of Social Marketing: dillon@uptowntreehouse.com and be sure to Tweet to us.

Sample Tweet: “Just applied for the #UptownTreehouse Social Media Management Internship! @DillonBianchi @aseemb”

More about Uptown Treehouse

We’re a one year old start-up based in the Los Angeles area with an incredibly smart, dedicated team of people who get things done. We love being on the cutting edge and are helping to push forward an incredible paradigm shift happening in the marketing industry. We’re small enough to be interesting but big enough to have worked with some great national brands like popular television shows and large corporations such as Microsoft. Our clients have high standards and we love beating their expectations! Take a look at our blog to learn even more: blog.uptowntreehouse.com

SAVE THE DATE! PRSA-LA YP’s March Mixer

WHAT:

Are you interested in a variety of public relations sectors but aren’t sure which one is right for you? Join us at the first event mixer of the year for a chance to network with multiple public relations professionals representing a wide range of areas!

PR fields represented include:

• Healthcare
• Entertainment
• Sports
• Corporate
• Multicultural
• Nonprofit
• Environmental
• Technology

Parking: There is valet directly in front of the restaurant on the right hand side of Culver (just past Irving Place). Or there are two parking garages on the left hand side of Culver. One of them is located on Cardiff Ave (stay in your left hand lane and turn left onto Cardiff and parking garage will be on the right hand side).

Cost: $10 for PRSA/PRSSA members and $20 for non-members/guests (cash or check will be taken at the door) 

To RSVP contact Katrina Keilman, PRSA LA YP Programming Co-Chair at katrinakeilman@gmail.com.

 

WHEN:

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Networking begins at 7:00 p.m.

 

WHERE:

 Rush Street – 9546 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232
*Food will be provided

New Year’s Resolution to Find a Job or Internship?

Make sure you check out the jobs and internships tabs right here on our PRSA-LA YP WordPress site.  A collaborative effort among all of the board members, both of these pages are updated with new positions as they become available and are made known to us.

Just posted under the jobs tab, is a position at Bay Area tech agency Engage PR, which is at the account executive level.  Engage is also hiring interns.

If you have a lead on a job that might be of interest to any of our members, please feel free to post it as a comment or send us a link via Twitter, and we will get it posted ASAP.  Thanks!

Entries for PRSA-LA YP’s Trevett Award are now open!

Each year, PRSA-LA recognizes one outstanding young professional in the chapter with the award named for Tom Trevett, APR, co-founder of the chapter’s Young Professionals Section–the first in the nation. The Trevett award recognizes outstanding young PR pros who have demonstrated excellence in their work, advocacy for the profession and a commitment toward community service.

In addition to coveted recognition of colleagues, the winner receives a trophy and monetary prize ($1,000) awarded at the PRSA-LA PRism awards banquet. Second place receives $500. Each recipient is strongly encouraged to use at least some of the winnings for professional development.

Last year’s award winner, Constance Farrell, had this to say about the honor:

The Trevett Award gave me the confidence I needed to further pursue my passion for public sector public relations. Winning the Trevett Award was the catalyst that led me to apply for graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in public administration. With the award money, I was able to buy a laptop, which I desperately needed, as well as apply to my selected schools.

I am now attending the University of San Francisco and using my public relations knowledge to test other students’ understanding of the PR practitioner’s role in government and nonprofit organizations. I am also working as the communications officer for San Francisco Architectural Heritage, a historic preservation nonprofit. The organization has never had a public relations professional on staff, so I am working hard to raise public awareness through strategic media outreach and email marketing, as well as building a stronger constituency for preservation in San Francisco and partnering with other Bay Area organizations.

Winning the Trevett Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America was a true honor and a shining moment in my career. I very much look forward to garnering a stronger understanding of public sector PR through my studies and application at S.F. Heritage and bringing my polished skill-set back to Los Angeles.

All young professionals in the greater Los Angeles area, who are employed full-time in public relations, have five years or less of full-time experience and are members in good standing with PRSA-LA are eligible. If you are overqualified for the award, we ask that you encourage your eligible colleagues and associates to apply. Please note that the application does not require a nomination.

The deadline for all entries is Wednesday, October 27, 2010. We strongly encourage you to apply for this honor. Further details can be found online. Click here to apply today!

Times are changing…

With the ubiquity of terms like “emerging” and “improved” in our day-to-day jobs, it’s not hard to remember that everything is changing lightning fast in our field.  Especially true with young professionals, part of the change is job turnover.

A lot has been written about the difference in turnover rates between agency and in-house PR jobs.  Hit the PR pubs (PR Week, Strategist, etc.) for info on that, and we’ll cover it in another post.  This one’s about us.  (Forgive the twinge of narcissism.)

From the beginning of the year, we’ve tried to give a face to the PRSA YP group, taking time to ID board members, post bios and encourage you guys to come introduce yourselves at events.  Just like the environment in the rest of the profession, we’ve undergone a number of changes just in the last few months.  Here’s a snapshot.

Right from the top, our president is no longer Kerry Slaughter.  No, we didn’t hold a coup and overthrow her.  She is now Kerry Sinclair, as she was married last month.  When you see her at an upcoming event, be sure to congratulate her!

Our membership chair, Caitlin Mattias, has accepted an account executive position at industry giant Hill & Knowlton, where she is working with (among others) mobile industry giant Qualcomm.

Right before Caitlin went to H&K, one of the co-chairs responsible for putting on our great events, Eva Groves, left its health care practice to become an associate at health care-focused agency Chandler Chicco.

Finally, I’m on the move too.  After four years at the David James Agency (and a lifetime in southern California), I’ve taken a Sr. AE position at Engage PR and relocated to the Bay Area.  I’ll continue to blog and Tweet from afar.

Through it all, the Young Professionals affinity group for the LA chapter of PRSA continues to grow and remain among the most active.  That’s a testament to all you guys.  Please keep up the enthusiasm, and continue to spread the word about our group!  Also, if there is anything we can do or any suggestions that you have, don’t hesitate to contact us!

YP Board Profile: Dillon Bianchi – Collegiate Outreach Chair

Dillon Bianchi is your YP Collegiate Outreach Chairman for the PRSA-LA Chapter. Contact him @dillonbianchi or at Dillonbianchi@gmail.com for any information on obtaining or posting an internship.

He was born and raised in San Francisco and Sonoma County, Calif. He attended San Diego State University, and California State University Los Angeles majoring in Communications (emphasis in Public Relations and Organizational Communication), and a minor in Spanish.

Mr. Bianchi currently works as an Account Executive with VMS, an industry leading media intelligence firm. At VMS, he has developed and managed client relationships with Harrah’s Entertainment, The Phoenix Suns, U-Haul, ASU, Verizon, Cox Communication, Weight Watchers and also major PR and Advertising agencies, such as Rogers & Cowan.

He recently spearheaded a Social Media campaign by developing a strategic plan, and proposal, which was adopted and is currently being used by VMS. In turn, he was awarded a committee team member position, which leads innovative dialogue necessary to remain an industry leader in media relations.

In his free time when he is not revelry touring Los Angeles with his friends, he enjoys creating art, reading, writing, and music. He also loves outdoor ventures, and sports.

Connect with him on Twitter!

Recapping “Lights, Camera, Action!” – Entertainment PR

For those of you who were unable to make it to our event last week, here is a recap of what we heard from our outstanding entertainment PR panel.  We all learned so much about the industry through the discussion!

Rita Tateel (The Celebrity Source) discussed the role of celebrity sponsorships and promotional placements in PR. Her company negotiates with celebrities to appear at events and in campaigns for three reasons—for money, a good cause or free giftbags.  She also went on to detail the ways in which a celebrity can single-handedly drive a brand but cautioned us that he/she can only do so with the proper credibility, capability and motivation.

Matt Paget (Rogers & Cowan) spoke about aligning consumer and sports accounts with social media and buzz entertainment strategies. He described a recent Dasani “Green Cap” campaign that was associated with Earth Day in NYC and LA. He partnered with celebrities such as Donatella Versace and Nicole Ritchie to make customized hats to get people excited about Dasani’s new 100 percent recyclable water bottle. This campaign resulted in more than 300 million media impressions!  Matt’s advice to us was to go into job or client situations with an emphasis on your own strengths that might not necessarily be the agency or client’s strengths.

Tiffany Everett (Warner Brothers) discussed online publicity specifically dealing with the release of the movies, The Hangover and Valentine’s Day. Online buzz marketing/viral campaigns are taking over the publicity side of studios, and she’s seen rapid changes between sites like MySpace, Facebook and, now, FourSquare.  Tiffany’s advice to young professionals was to keep networking, and take great care never to burn bridges.

Beth Morris (Rogers & Cowan) went into depth about representing personalities and talent. She has become a pitching machine, as she works specifically on up-and-coming stars and is usually their first publicist.  She delivers to her clients a customized approach that forms the personalities that will define them in the industry, booking photo shoots, magazine covers, red carpet-wear, etc.  Despite all the perceived glitz and glam of entertainment publicity, Beth reminded us that the job still boils down to the nuts and bolts types of PR principles involved in creating and developing a good brand.

Leslie Jacobe (Sony) is a rising young professional, who began her career at Sony four years ago during college.  While it has not always been easy to obtain jobs from college internships in the past few years, Leslie has succeeded. Her focus at Sony involves working with satellite offices all over the nation and spearheading regional marketing for movie releases with print/online and broadcast coverage.  Leslie’s pragmatic approach to working in PR has translated to her feeling that everyone has a different path into the field but for her, the longevity of her internships played a key role.  It was her method of standing out from the crowd and making herself an integral part of the team at Sony.

Nicole Wilson (Universal Pictures), another rising young professional, rounded out our panel.  She began her career in talent publicity and has moved around quite a bit in her early years. If it’s any consolation for all of you “confused” young professionals, she had to bring in her resume because she had so many “career changes” after she graduated from college!  From the talent agency, she moved into studio publicity but then to talent publicity at PMK, back to studio work at Universal.  After listing all that out, she took a deep breath and gave us the advice to keep working hard at writing, as the press is often lazy and will sometimes simply print exactly what we’ve written.

The most uplifting theme of this panel was how passionate and comfortable the speakers are with their careers. It was inspiring to hear each panelists’ view on following their PR dreams, and it was readily apparent that they all truly love what they’re doing in the industry.

Thanks so much to those of you who were able to make it out for the event!  For those of you who couldn’t, hopefully this recap covers it for you, and you are able to join us next month for a discussion on going digital.

Details, Details…

On Wednesday’s entertainment PR panel!  We’re excited to welcome a great lineup of speakers to cover the entertainment industry from multiple viewpoints.

• Rita Tateel, Past President of the Public Relations Society of America, talking about the role of celebrity in PR
• Matt Paget, Rogers & Cowan, talking about aligning consumer and sports accounts with entertainment
• Tiffany Everett, Warner Bros, talking about online publicity
• Beth Morris, Rogers & Cowan, talking about personal publicity
• Leslie Jacobe, Sony, rising Young Professional
• Nicole Wilson, Universal Pictures, rising Young Professional

Per the norm, networking starts at 6:30 p.m.  Parking is available in the parking structure of the Pacific Design Center:

Rogers & Cowan
8687 Melrose Ave., 7th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Take the elevator up to the 7th Floor of the green building.  Parking will be validated by Rogers & Cowan.  See you all Wednesday!  (RSVP to our Facebook event)