I’m a former newspaper journalist and seeing people just distort the writing drives me crazy. They’re talking about even using Chicago style for our press releases and pamphlets.

What’s a good reason to get them on board??

–        Tony

Ah, the ongoing dilemma … when non-journalists don’t understand the importance of AP style.

I don’t know which of my articles you came across, but “Why I Am an AP Style Stickler” should help some.

Getting the whole agency to use it is tough, since people are steadfast on their writing habits (even if they are incorrect!), but your organization’s press materials – or anything going to the media – should always be in AP style.

Explain to your colleagues that putting press materials in Chicago style will not only irk reporters (causing them to pause over unnecessary commas, instead of reading and absorbing the content), but add unnecessary work (the media will have to change everything to AP style – meaning they’re less likely to reprint what you sent them verbatim), and it is just disrespectful.

It’s called a press release; it’s for the press – it needs to be treated as such.

You could compare it to sending an email to your boss that said “Yo, man, What’s up?” It’s the wrong vernacular and tone. Just like writing a friendly versus a business letter, you have to apply the appropriate style for the media.

As for using it in general, you can emphasize that AP style was developed, in part, for copy to be easily read by the public. It is the style that the public reads every day in magazines and newspapers, so why not have everything in that style?

If your agency still refuses to listen, you may want to try and convince them to develop a formal style guide that everyone will stick to – some people will never budge on certain things, but you can at least attempt to make everyone consistent.

Best of luck!

“The AP Stylist” is written by Sandy Young, SoCalPRBlog’s resident contributor for all things AP style. Young is a public relations senior account executive at J. Walcher Communications and freelance writer who resides in Alpine, Calif. (East San Diego County). She has been a member of several of San Diego’s top public relations and marketing communications agencies, is currently a board member for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) San Diego/Imperial Valley Chapter and has worked with clients in a wide variety of industries nationwide.

To submit a question for “The AP Stylist,” e-mail Young at sandy@jwalcher.com, and put “AP Stylist Question” in the subject line, or post a comment below. Young can also be reached on Twitter: @san_dyego.

Better known simply as the Bernays Awards, every year PR practitioners from all walks of professional life, from agency to in-house, new pros to seasoned practitioners, come together at the awards to honor the best and brightest work from the past year, mixed in with a whole lot of fun.

This year, the Bernays Awards are setting sail for paradise on October 5. Destination: Bali Hai Restaurant on beautiful Shelter Island. We hear from the planning committee that this year’s event is sure to be extra special and we can’t wait after getting a peek at some of the details:

It’s no secret that PR people love a good party, so the committee is making sure there’s plenty of Island spirit to go around by offering hosted signature cocktails, small bites and leis during the welcome luau, as well as an authentic ukulele show and hula performance. The aloha spirit will continue with a fantastic, three-course meal, featuring Polynesian-inspired fare such as macadamia nut-crusted mahi mahi, grilled kalbi asada steak, pineapple upside-down cake and more. As a special bonus this year, hosted beer and wine will be provided throughout dinner. And just when you think you’ve finished feasting and celebrating like a king (King Kamehameha, that is!), you’ll be sent home with your very own custom “Mahalo” cupcake, provided courtesy of Sprinkles Cupcakes.

All of this, plus the chance to network with San Diego public relations’ finest, is just $85 for PRSA chapter members ($105 for non-members), but buy your tickets soon because after September 12, prices increase to $100 and $120 respectively. Hawaiian-chic luau attire is suggested, so get your grass skirt ready.

See you in the South Pacific!

2011 Edward L. Bernays Mark of Excellence Awards
6 to 9:30 p.m. (welcome luau begins at 6 p.m., dinner/awards begins 7 p.m.)
Bali Hai Restaurant, 2230 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego, 92106
To register, visit http://www.prsasdic.org/pieventsmgmtsys.asp?itemid=40&submit=getrecord&recordid=130

–        AD

Well, it refers to what you are talking about, but in general, you will want to use “flier” to adhere to AP style.

According to the AP Stylebook, “Flier is the preferred term for an aviator or a handbill.”

When referencing an airplane pilot, you might write: “It is debatable whether the airplane flier fell asleep or if he was distracted while flying.”

If referring to physical handouts, usually made of paper, a correct sentence could be: “I was given 100 fliers to distribute by the end of the day.”

The only time you need to use the spelling “flyer” is if it is the proper name of something, such as a train or bus. (I suppose this spelling would also be correct for some periodicals, as well, but this seems contradictory, since these publications should be using AP style …)

The only time I believe “flyer” should be used? When talking about Radio Flyer wagons – those things are fantastic.

“The AP Stylist” is written by Sandy Young, SoCalPRBlog’s resident contributor for all things AP style. Young is a public relations account executive at J. Walcher Communications and freelance writer, as well as a board member for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) San Diego/Imperial Valley Chapter. She has been a member of several of San Diego’s top public relations and marketing communications agencies and has worked with high-profile clients in a wide variety of industries nationwide.

To submit a question for “The AP Stylist,” email Young at sandy@jwalcher.com, and put “AP Stylist Question” in the subject line, or post a comment below. Young can also be reached on Twitter: @san_dyego

Guest blog post from Robert Noltenmeier, Clinical Assistant Professor of Public Relations and Corporate Communications at the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies

Isn’t it ironic that social media often is antisocial? In our ever-evolving and fast-moving social-media world, perhaps it’s good to pause and look back at history. In the 1920s, Edward L. Bernays, the first public relations counselor, called for a code of ethics to govern the emerging profession similar to codes in law and medicine. Bernays believed public relations practitioners, like lawyers, have a right to represent clients. He also felt, however, that PR practitioners should refuse dishonest, fraudulent or antisocial clients.

Given the current social media Burson-Marsteller/Facebook flap, isn’t it ironic—or prescient—that he used “antisocial” back then? How far has the profession “emerged”? In fact, it’s emerged a great deal through PRSA’s and IABC’s codes of ethics and the Arthur W. Page Society’s Page Principles, among others—all voluntary standards for evaluating an individual’s, group’s or company’s behavior that, alas, don’t carry substantive penalties.

The current Burson-Marsteller and Facebook issue clearly violated normative standards. To me, normative standards in public relations amount to self-regulation in U.S. financial markets. We know what happened there. The recent successful prosecution of the Wall Street insider-trading case (pending appeal) will perhaps encourage Wall Street’s return to normative behavior. Likewise, we can hope and expect that the Burson-Marsteller and Facebook flare-up will make public relations codes of ethics enforceable through real penalties as other professions have: disbarment or practicing prohibitions. In other recent social media gaffs, those involved have been fired. Those are choices societies and professions must make to control antisocial behavior in a social-media world.

Questions for Mr. Noltenmeier can be directed to his email, rfn1@nyu.edu.

This new platform will take advantage of the combined resources and expertise of the three stations and increase the local content offered to each market. Shows and segments will focus on the news, information, entertainment and lifestyle programming of interest to those living in the three individual television markets and to California as a whole.

 “California is a mecca of culture, a center for business, tourism and innovation that is always on the cutting-edge of news, entertainment and trends.  Having three television stations located in different parts of the state makes it possible for us to create the first channel dedicated to capturing the true essence of life in California.  California Nonstop will allow viewers to keep up with what’s happening in the state on both a local and regional level, said NBC4 LA Vice President News and Content Vickie Burns on behalf of all three stations.

Programming for California Nonstop will feature a mix of shows produced specifically for the channel by the three California stations, along with programs produced by NBC Local Media.  Additional local programming will be added over time.  

New weekday shows include an hour-long newscast produced by each station that will air in their respective markets at 7PM.   “Nonstop News LA,” “NBC Bay Area News at 7PM” and “NBC San Diego News at 7PM” will all begin airing on May 3rd.   Colleen Williams will anchor the Los Angeles Newscast, which will include a lively examination of top issues impacting Southern California.  The Bay Area newscast will be anchored by Brent Cannon and provides a thorough summary of the day’s news and in-depth local stories at a time that is convenient for late commuters.  Mark Mullen and Catherine Garcia will anchor “NBC San Diego News at 7PM,” which will provide a comprehensive wrap-up of the day’s local news. 

“Morning Mix” is an hour-long compilation of the most interesting segments culled from the three stations’ early-morning newscasts and other news reports, and “The Rundown” is a half-hour show spotlighting a lively blend of topics appealing to Californians, introduced in an informal and conversational way.

The weekly shows include “California Nonstop Foodies,” a 30-minute journey of unique California culinary experiences, from diverse food and cooking trends to the restaurants and chefs that have made the state a center for cuisine.  

“Nonstop Scene in California” is a half-hour show illuminating the people, places and things that make California distinctive. “The Filter with Fred Roggin” is a rapid-fire, half-hour news and commentary program offering perspective on the week’s hot topics. 

California Nonstop is the fourth Nonstop channel launched by the NBC Local Media Division. New York Nonstop debuted in 2009, while Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington introduced their 24/7 channels in October of 2010.  In addition to California Nonstop, the NBC stations in Dallas and Miami will also be launching Nonstop Channels in their respective markets the week of May 2nd. 

California Nonstop is available on every major cable system in California.

In Los Angeles, the Channel can be seen over-the-air on NBC4 LA’s Digital Channel 4.2 and on the following cable systems: Time Warner – Channel 225, Cox – Channel 804, Charter – Channel 304, Verizon FIOS – Channel 460

In San Jose/San Francisco, California Nonstop can be seen over-the-air on Digital Channel 11.2 and on the following cable system: Comcast Digital Cable 186

In San Diego, California Nonstop can be seen over-the-air on Digital Channel 39.2 and on the following cable systems:  Time Warner – Channel 253,  Cox – Channel 107

Five questions with Donoho’s responses as follow. He never loses his sense of humor and I enjoy working with him because he makes stories personable, honest and complete. Bring that reporter sense with years of editorial and online leadership experience and I’m excited to see what the future holds for one of my favorite magazines.

1) We’ve already seen a shift in the online presence at SDH/GL with the addition of your blog, eclub, an accessible roster of staff, etc. What has been your top priority in getting started in your new role as Editor?

As could be expected, my top priority has been to get picked to complete a High5 Q&A. After that, I’ll be acquainting myself with the players in the home-and-garden niche, and assessing how to bring my contacts — writers, photographers, bartenders — into the fold.

2) What is Eclub all about and how can companies get involved?

Eclub is a weekly subscription email with bonus tips on design, gardening and recipes. Anybody can sign up for it at sandiegohomegarden.com. Interestingly, we have found that the smartest people in town have gotten on the list.

3) Are you planning to round out the coverage and content of the magazine so that it covers economical design tips as well as those for the upper-class in San Diego?

SDH/GL will cast a wide net and continue to focus on featuring inspirational and aspirational photo layouts and design tips. Do look for a wider range of voices, though, as well as humanistic touches to the photo shoots we will do.

4) Are you looking for interior designer contributors?

Absolutely. We regularly feature tips from designers in our Ask The Experts department. And most of our features entail insights from the designers and architects whose work is on display. And we run annual contests for best houses, kitchens, bathrooms that wouldn’t exist without contributions from designers.

5) We’re already seeing more attention to the culinary world in San Diego online. Do you plan to expand the scope of food coverage?

Yes. We will make note of the fact that the “L” in SDH/GL stands for Lifestyles.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

I’ve already ordered new subscriptions as gifts and hope socalprblog readers get inspired to do so too! Lauren Walsh Forgione is lead publicist with Citrus Public Relations and one of the founding editors of socalprblog.

Shortfuse Marketing has been retained to provide public relations support for the national launch of iMingle™, a new marketing approach for direct-to-consumer insurance and the first provider to offer group buying for auto insurance.  iMingle is aimed at what the company calls the i Generation, those consumers who routinely turn to their social networks to find information, compare deals and seek recommendations from their peers. For the first time, an insurance product has been designed specifically to meet the needs – and expectations – of these policyholders by rewarding them for two things they are already doing: using social media and buying insurance. The company is first in the insurance industry to tap social media to allow individual policyholders to link, or “mingle,” their auto insurance policies with those of their friends so they all qualify for group discounts. 

Shortfuse is handling national and regional publicity for the launch of the iMingle brand, which is so far available in 12 states including: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Wisconsin, Virginia and Iowa.

Stalwart Communications moves from virtual office to Class A space

Stalwart Communications® recently moved into Kearny Mesa’s StoneCrest Office Park Class A complex after achieving revenue breaking records in 2010. The agency  took occupancy after achieving annual double-digit revenue growth since its inception – including a 50 percent rise in 2010 –  with a desire to  have a creative, team-oriented, collaborative environment . 

Nuffer, Smith, Tucker Appoints Bryan Spevak to V.P.

Nuffer, Smith, Tucker has promoted Bryan Spevak to vice president. Spevak will continue to spearhead public relations and marketing efforts for a number of the firm’s clients, including WD-40 Company, Viejas Entertainment & Production, Super Glue Corp. and the Museum of Making Music. Spevak joined Nuffer, Smith, Tucker in 2006 as an account executive.

Prior to joining NST, Spevak spent three years at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, where he served as public relations/marketing manager, overseeing all institutional, exhibition and program-related communications. Spevak started his career as a publicist at Geffen Records and relocated from Los Angeles to San Diego in 1994 to manage the daily operations for local label Cargo/Headhunter Records. He received his bachelor’s degree from California State University-Fullerton. He is also a member of the San Diego Music Foundation’s board of directors.

Arika Anderson Daniels is a founding partner of Scatena Daniels Communications, a boutique marketing communications agency focusing on connections, creativity and results based out of San Diego, Calif., as well as one of the founding editors of SoCalPRBlog. Follow her on Twitter.

Create an Ideal Client Profile

Create a list of ideal qualities for “A” clients and focus your business development efforts on retaining and attracting clients that fit those criteria. You can include factors like minimum annual deal size, target industry, etc., or characteristics such as “supportive, intelligent, grateful, easy to work with, realistic in what PR can achieve for their business.” Use the criteria as a checklist and be strict about qualifying all new prospects.

Rank Your Current Clients

To be successful in attracting “A” clients, you may need to make room for new opportunities by letting go of less profitable clients currently on your roster. First, rank your clients according to your ideal guidelines. You might be surprised at the results! Then, decide whether you want to create a growth plan or choose not to renew contracts when they expire.

Focus on Your Passions

Spend the bulk of your new business effort focusing on the unique niche(s) you are passionate about to develop client relationships that are both personally and professionally rewarding. Look for companies that align with your mission, vision and values who are working in areas that your team is excited about. Get creative and consider putting up a vision board with images, quotes, anything that inspires you on a daily basis.

Leverage Key Influencers

Tap into your network of key influencers to gain access to ideal clients, establish credibility and top of mind awareness. Ask your current “A” clients to be referral sources to other high quality prospects. Another tactic is to create an advisory board to strengthen relationships with your influencers and obtain advance notice of opportunities on the horizon.

Refresh Often

As your business evolves over time, you will need to continually refresh your ideal client profile to stay in line with shifts in your strategy and the competitive landscape.  Review your checklist on a quarterly basis and ensure your team knows what qualities are most important. Keep your eyes on the “A’s” and trust your instincts for success in achieving the perfect client mix.

Sarah Hardwick is founder of Zenzi Communications, a Solana Beach, CA based PR and social media firm dedicated to helping clients “Be Known.” Follow her at www.twitter.com/SarahZ, visit www.zenzi.com or www.Facebook.com/ZenziBEKnown

Jeneration PR is pleased to announce that Kathy Pape will join the agency as the newest Account Executive.  Pape is a former newscaster who left the anchor desk to pursue a successful career in public relations.  She specializes in beauty, fashion and childrens’ products, and has secured placements on NBC’s TODAY Show, Access Hollywood, Good Morning America and all the major fashion magazines.  Pape will be responsible for managing day-to-day strategy, executing media outreach and celebrity seeding plans, and working with the Jeneration PR team to deliver exceptional results.  Follow Kathy on twitter @kathypape and Jeneration PR @JenerationPR.

c3 adds Two New Restaurant Clients to their Roster

c3 Communications, Inc. (c3) announces Seau’s The Restaurant and San Diego Home Cooking as new clients.

c3 was retained to implement a robust new social media campaign for Seau’s The Restaurant, as well as Raw Mana, bar and sushi lounge at Seau’s The Restaurant. Seau’s, a sports bar owned by legendary sports figure Junior Seau, had been an iconic figure in the San Diego community since 1996.  c3 will not only be promoting Seau’s The Restaurant and Raw Mana, but will also increase awareness of many community events Seau and his Foundation host and participate in, through various platforms of social media.

San Diego Home Cooking, another staple in the dining presence of San Diego, opened its first restaurant in 1997 in Escondido and has now grown to four locations, serving over 750,000 people a year. San Diego Home Cooking will be opening its fifth location in Mission Valley this spring and has hired c3 to execute heavy community, grassroots and media relations, not only for the new location, but also for the other four locations.

Scatena Daniels Communications Secures New Clients Mama’s Kitchen and Cranial Technologies

Scatena Daniels Communications, Inc., announces the addition of two clients to its growing roster of non-profit and health care/wellness clients.

Mama’s Kitchen is a non-profit organization, whose staff and volunteers provides three meals a day for every day of the year free of charge to nearly 300 men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS or cancer in San Diego County. Founded in 1990, Mama’s Kitchen continues its 20^th anniversary festivities with special events and advocacy initiatives. Get connected to the organization on Facebook and Twitter.

Cranial Technologies selected Scatena Daniels to manage public relations and social media promotion in support of the opening of their Orange County clinic in February 2011. Based in Arizona with 13 clinics throughout the United States, Cranial Technologies provides a non-surgical treatment of plagiocephaly, and its founder Jeanne Pomatto-Hertz researched and developed the first cranial molding device to receive FDA-clearance. The DOC Band^® and Cranial Tech became leaders in the treatment for this often misdiagnosed condition. Follow the progress of the Orange County clinic on Facebook and Twitter.

Cook + Schmid Adds Burgeoning PR Professional Channel Woods-Joe

Cook + Schmid announces that Chanel Woods-Joe has been hired as an account coordinator to work on client accounts including SCS Engineers, County of San Diego Department of Mental Health Services, and San Diego Coastkeeper.

Woods-Joe began with Cook + Schmid as an intern in October 2010 and was offered a full-time position upon graduation from San Diego State University in December. 

Arika Anderson Daniels is a founding partner of Scatena Daniels Communications, a boutique marketing communications agency focusing on connections, creativity and results based out of San Diego, Calif., as well as one of the founding editors of SoCalPRBlog. Follow her on Twitter.

BlogDash was the brainchild of David Spinks, who I’ve had the pleasure of mingling with, a savvy 20-something whose been a fixture on the social media innovation scene for a while.  The site seeks to be an “all-in-one” blogger outreach tool to help pros locate influencers and pitch them effectively.  PR pros can easily find bloggers based on search criteria like location, topic of interest, traffic and much more, making it easy to create targeted lists.  What’s also great is the site lets you import existing lists so you don’t have to recreate the wheel.

For bloggers, registration on the site is free, and anyone listed on the site has the ability to control much of the information about them, such as pitch preferences and contact information.  By owning those details, they have a better chance of receiving pitches that meet their interests, and PR people have a better chance of not P**sing bloggers off. David tells me the team’s overarching goal is to improve the blogger/PR relationship that has been tarnished as a result of mass messaging systems and spam tactics.

My only concern about BlogDash is the hefty fees, which start at more than $99 per month for the entry-level subscription for one user, three users for $299, five users at $499 and 8 users for $799, which would make it almost $10,000 per year. For a large agency, 8 users might not even service a department, so to outfit the agency it would be easy to go over $100,000. In addition, BlogDash will be competing with services like Vocus and Cision which also offer blogger databases. While they may not be as customized as what BlogDash hopes to do, some agencies might not be able to justify the additional cost.

Learn more about BlogDash here.

Rachel Kay is president of RKPR, a boutique agency specializing in national consumer brands. With experience in both the agency and in-house setting, Rachel has worked with top tier brands including Kashi, ConocoPhillips, Clinique, Frederick’s of Hollywood, Samsung, Kodak, Givenchy and many more. In addition to co-founding SoCalPRBlog, she also writes at www.CommuniKaytrix.com.