Aug

6

Sports PR Weekly Roundup: August 6th Edition

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It’s the latest installment of our weekly roundup of sport business, PR and career-related news. Please feel free to share relevant blog posts and articles in the comment section!

Sport Business

  • Huffington Post addresses research that says female athletes’ endorsements are hindered by sexualization and lack of visibility.
  • Insider discusses iPad is changing the way that NFL players and coaches prepare for game-day.
  • NBCNews.com highlights the value of U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas’ endorsements following her two gold medals.

Public Relations

  • ProfNet gives advice about sports PR to PR professionals who have never handled a sports client.
  • Sean Clancy at Evolving Communication writes a well-reasoned and thought out letter to Jay Paterno with how his family should respond to the Penn State scandal and JoePa’s involvement.
  • Celeste at Personal Excellence wrote a lengthy, but quite helpful, guide on how to get media coverage for your business, blog or start-up. PR pros will already know (or hopefully do) what she writes about, but it’s a great primer for someone interested in obtaining media coverage.

 Career

  • Ask a Manager and one of their readers provide some great advice when it comes to salary negotiations.
  • Glassdoor Blog lists three career lessons we can learn from Olympic athletes.
  • The Fast Track notes five ways to better manage millennial employees.
  • The Bamboo Project discusses how to find and work with your career stepping stones.
  • The Best Practices blog on Harvard Business Review’s website asks why aren’t you delegating? It examines why many do not delegate enough and how to go about changing that.
  • The Personal Branding Blog asks what is your brand’s color?

Jun

18

Sports PR Weekly Roundup: June 18 Edition

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It’s another installment of Sports PR Weekly Roundup with links to interesting blog posts and articles in five major relevant categories: sport business, PR, career and blogging & writing.

Sport Business

  • SportsBiz with Darren Rovell highlights Chevy’s charitable initiative with One World Futbol to distribute 1.5 million of these balls over the next three years as part of its new deal to be the official car of Manchester United.
  • The New York Times details the marketing of Olympic swimmer Ryan Locthe and “the making of an Olympic sex symbol.”
  • According to Sports Business Digest, the Washington Nationals have started displaying their players’ Twitter handles during their at-bats on the score board. This blog also discusses that the Yankees are blaming StubHub for the team’s low attendance.
  • Fang’s Bites points out that ABC/ESPN is pretty happy with their overnight ratings so far for the NBA Finals. The blog also notes the interview Jim Rome did with David Stern and what went down in this contentious interview.

Public Relations

  • Nieman Journalism Lab did a great piece on lessons the New Orleans newspaper can use from the newspapers in the Motor City (my hometown).
  • A guest blogger on Lindsay Olson remarks on a trend she noticed of reporters using email interviews for articles more so than previously and what PR pros should learn and consider from this trend.
  • Columbia Journalism Review writes about the announcement that 1,900 applications were received for new Internet domain suffixes.
  • Mediashift notes a trend in journalism schools where the universities are having student content populate entrepreneurial news sites.

Career

  • A blogger at Brazen Careerist gives tips on how to ace the water cooler chat with coworkers of any age.
  • Fast Company suggests managers put on their coaching hat to bring out the best in Millennials.
  • Career Center Blog discusses the struggles many workplaces are having with noise distractions in shared work spaces. I know I have to put my iPod on sometimes because my coworkers are just too distracted and I cannot focus on my work at hand with all the chatter.
  • Linked 2 Leadership lists questions leaders should ask to help them find their voice.
  • Personal Branding Blog drives home the point just applying for a ton of jobs online isn’t going to land you a job (most likely).

Jun

1

Preparing for a Press Conference

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During my time with the Wings, I have now seen five players retire thanks to one of the best defensemen in NHL history, Nick Lidstrom, announcing his retirement this week after 20 years with the team. With that in mind, I thought it might be prudent to point out some things PR departments have to consider for press conferences without using specifics from previous pressers.

Depending on the situation, not all of these are necessary to even consider but the goal is to give you an idea of the many issues and areas of the company that may be considered and involved in pulling off a press conference (sometimes with only 24-48 hours notice).

  • Some announcements only warrant a teleconference rather than a press conference. Make sure you go with the appropriate route for the announcement.
  • Schedule the time for the press conference and make sure the room is available at that time at least two hours prior to the start of the press conference so media can set up their equipment with ample time.
  • Sometimes you can have no say in the timing of the presser because of the schedule limitations of the participating parties. If it’s something that you’ll have to really work to get media to attend, make sure there is no other big announcement planned for that day or big event that would take away from your press conference.
  • Send out a media advisory with information about the press conference. It has to be carefully worded to avoid giving away the announcement if it needs to be kept under wraps.
  • Make sure the operations department knows exactly how to set up the room for the presser and that there are enough seats for the anticipated number of media and guests.
  • Work with your new media (video, web, social) to have teasers/promos about the actual press conference as well as have content ready to go for the website as soon as the announcement has been made.
  • If possible, set up live streaming of the press conference on your website.
  • Make sure your parking department knows to expect media and allow them to park for free when normally they may have a media list to follow.
  • Work with your hospitality department to have at least the basic beverages provided for the media and guests in attendance.
  • Have a press release, if necessary, ready to be sent out via email as well as distributed to media in person at the presser. Have numerous people review the release at least before distribution.
  • Select an individual to act as moderator for the press conference to do a brief introduction of participating individuals, open it to questions and close out the presser. They’ll also want to make sure media know to raise their hand if they have a question and wait for a microphone before asking a question (or whatever your procedure may be to ask a question).
  • Double check that the moderator has the correct titles for the individuals participating in the press conference.
  • If a jersey or some kind of merchandise item is needed for press conference, do a rush request/order on the necessary materials.
  • Make sure your audio guy has the right equipment and set-up for the press conference.
  • Make sure you have people to handle the microphones for questions and that they know what they’re doing — having two reporters start asking a question at once is a big embarrassment.
  • Put someone on recorder duty to record the press conference and transcribe it if necessary.
  • Make sure you have the correct backdrop for the presser.
  • If it looks like the turnout isn’t going to be what you expected, invite colleagues to attend to help fill up the room. If the presser is going to be packed, set up another room where colleagues can watch the presser so they aren’t trying to crowd into the actual room where the press conference will take place.
  • If the announcement involves a retirement, make sure his/her teammates are aware of the press conference to attend, if possible, but do not tell them if the player is retiring because word will get out and the player wants to be the one to make the announcement. You don’t want a teammate essentially making the player’s retirement announcement for him.
  • Make sure the front row or two are reserved for the special guests (i.e. player and his/her family, owners, company president, hockey ops personnel and former players).
  • Assign members of the PR department to these special guests to help with any one-on-one interview requests after the announcement has been made. For example, I was assigned to shadow Red Wings great Ted Lindsay following the NHL’s 2013 Winter Classic announcement.
  • Make sure building security knows what’s going on — that a large number of media and other visitors are anticipated that day. They want to keep out fans trying to weasel their way in if the presser is strictly for media and special guests.
  • Communicate times to important individuals internally (i.e. company president, owner’s family, etc.). Obviously the sport operations side will know what’s going on if it’s a presser to announce a signing or retirement, but you need to keep the business side in the loop without letting too many people know and risk having it leak.
  • If needed, put together press kits and/or media gift items to be distributed at the press conference. If you’re doing a press kit, keep in mind the quality of paper and know that a lot of high-profile individuals may be flipping through it.
  • Ensure everyone in the PR department arrives early and has a clear schedule to handle last-minute problems. It’s important that they understand the rundown of the day so they can handle any inquiries from other departments. They will also want to wear darker suits to blend in so if they get caught on a camera, they’re not a distraction visually.
  • Make sure the PR department has fully charged phones or whatever you are using to keep in touch on the day of the press conference.
  • Above all, secrecy is key so in all that you do, so keep it to need-to-know personnel only and emphasize the importance that they cannot share the information with anyone outside the small group of individuals necessary to pull off the press conference.

For those of you who have not been involved in the planning of a press conference, hopefully you learned something new. For those of you who have, please add your suggestions in the comment section because I know I didn’t cover everything!

May

28

Sports PR Weekly Roundup: May 28 Edition

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It’s time for another edition of our Sports PR Weekly Roundup in which SPRB points out interesting articles and blog posts about sports business, public relations, career tips, personal improvement and writing tips — basically anything someone in sports PR may find interesting and useful. Did I miss something? Share with us by leaving a comment!

Sports Business

  • Fang’s Bites lists the 2012 Sports Business Award winners.
  • A Forbes article about how Lewis Howes leveraged LinkedIn to make a seven-figure business in three years.
  • The Big Lead does a Q&A with the San Francisco Giants about their social media efforts.
  • Sports Biz with Darren Rovell comments on how Congress wants to eliminate military sport sponsorships.
  • According to the Sports Business Digest, the Detroit Tigers are the first American League team to reach one-million likes on the team’s Facebook page.
  • The Business of Sport delves into crafting your sponsorship pitch.

Public Relations

Career

Writing & Blogging

  • Blogging Tips lists 20 email marketing tips you should know.
  • Copyblogger goes into three components of a content marketing editorial guide that works.
  • ProBlogger names 14 proven ways to simplify your blogging and get more done.

May

27

Sports PR Blog: Round Two

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After a lengthy hiatus, I am going to try my hand at running Sports PR Blog one more time. Between my very time-consuming job, chronic knee pain (13th knee surgery is next month), and life getting in the way, this blog has been neglected for quite some time and I do apologize for that. I don’t think I’ll be able to update the blog daily as I once did, but I will do my best to ensure at least one blog post goes up each week.

While I work in the PR department of a pro sports team, my position is community relations and that is where my passion truly lies. As such, you will see my blogging focus more on CR than PR. As an executive once told me, “PR is how people think about your team. CR is how people feel about your team.” I’m in the business of making dreams come true and developing and implementing programs in the community on a daily basis – I love my job. You will see me link to non-profit and event planning blogs that I wouldn’t have linked to before my hiatus, but I’ll still keep my eyes peeled for sports PR news and analysis to share with you.

Thank you for your patience and it feels good to be back!

Oct

20

Job Opening: UFC Public Relations Intern

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship needs a 2011 spring intern. If you think you fit the bill (see below) and want to be part of this fast growing sport, head to this website to apply. Please note that I have no connection with the UFC — I’m just merely passing this job posting along to the SPRB readers. Good luck!

Just like the way our fighters prepare with their training partners to be their very best, here at the Ultimate Fighting Championship we encourage that type of teamwork. A UFC employee, like a mixed martial artist, is well-rounded and willing to put in the time necessary to be world-class. With an office full of champion workers, the UFC has fought relentlessly to break into the sports world with undeniable success – But the fight isn’t over yet. So if you would like to watch the sport you love grow right in front of your own eyes because of your hard work, then come join a great team and become part of a sports revolution.

This program offers the intern the opportunity to become directly involved in the Public Relations activities that are part of the daily operations of the department. We strive to make this a challenging and interesting experience for you and make every effort to tailor it to the specific skills and projects that you would like to pursue and build on. This department contributes to the organization through promotion of UFC and WEC products.

We are currently seeking an intern for our Public Relations deparment for the Spring 2011 semester. This internship will work closely with the Publicists.

Through this opportunity, you will learn entry level public relations, and will have the opportunity to learn and observe the activities that go into promoting the company, its events, and the fighters that participate in the events. You will receive exposure to all facets of public relations, including press releases, special events, creative brainstorming, and media contact.

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Oct

19

Job Opening: Edmonton Oilers Paid Communications Intern

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The Edmonton Oilers are looking to hire a paid communications intern for a four-month stint (January – April). Interested and have the right qualifications? Check out this website to apply. Please note that I am not posting this on behalf of the Oilers — I’m just merely passing this job posting along to the SPRB readers. Good luck!

Reports directly to the Manager, Corporate Communications
• The Communications Internship is a full-time, four month contract (January– April, 2011) that is recognized through an internship honorarium of $1050.00 per month.
• The Communications Intern position is responsible for supporting the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club Corporate Communications initiatives.

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Oct

19

Job Opening: Philadelphia Eagles Communications Specialist/Executive Assistant

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Looking for a sports PR job? The Philadelphia Eagles have a job opening that may interest you. For more details and to apply, head to this website. Please note that I have no connection with the Eagles — I’m just merely passing this job posting along to the SPRB readers. Good luck!

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
The Philadelphia Eagles are known as one of the more aggressive and progressive organizations in professional sports. It is an organization succeeding on many fronts.
The executive offices of the Eagles’ organization are located in the NovaCare Complex. This spectacular 108,000-square-foot-facility offers the very best in terms of space, amenities, care, and effort put forth for the players, coaches and staff of the Eagles’ organization.
Lincoln Financial Field is one of the premier sports and entertainment facilities in the United States. This stadium is managed and operated by the club, creating new opportunities and challenges for the organization.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Communications Specialist will assist the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations with daily tasks and correspondence. Will assist in ensuring compliance with National Football League guidelines and regulations. Must possess strong written communication skills. Must be flexible and open to working non-traditional hours.

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Oct

18

Job Opening: St. Louis Cardinals Media Relations Specialist

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The St. Louis Cardinals posted a job opening for their Media Relations Specialist position. If you are interested, visit this website to apply. Please note that I have no connection with the St. Louis Cardinals — I’m just merely passing this job posting along to the SPRB readers. Good luck!

Summary of Job Responsibilities: The Media Relations Specialist fulfills the duties of Front Office liaison between the Club and players and local, national and world media outlets. This includes controlling media access to management, coaching staff and players. The Specialist writes press releases and game notes; conducts historical research ensuring accuracy when disseminating information representing the club and it members.

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Oct

18

Sports PR Weekly Roundup: October 18 Edition

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It’s time for another edition of our Sports PR Weekly Roundup in which SPRB points out interesting articles and blog posts about sports business, public relations, career tips, personal improvement and writing tips — basically anything someone in sports PR may find interesting and useful. Did I miss something? Share with us by leaving a comment!

Sports Business

Public Relations

  • Communications Conversations lists eight blogger outreach no-nos to avoid at all costs.
  • PR Buzz asked an interesting question: “Did the LPGA violate civil rights by prohibiting transgenders from playing on Tour?” And then asks how the LPGA should respond from a PR angle.
  • Journalistics discusses why PR pros should use the inverted pyramid when it comes to writing press releases.
  • MediaShift shows how data visualization can drive home a point/story.
  • Mark Coddington argues as to why sports has taken the lead in newsroom innovation.
  • Fresh Influence lists five social media lessons brands can learn from baseball.
  • PR Geek Speak pulls some PR lessons from Showtime’s show, Dexter.
  • PR Rock and Roll believes that Facebook handled the release of The Social Network quite well through PR.

Career

  • Entry Level Living starts off this post by saying that she has never met someone who loved their entry level job. While I disagree with that statement as I have an entry level position and love it, I do get what she is getting at with her post. She then points out benefits that come with an entry level job as well as ways to get the most out of the position.
  • Dumb Little Man provides seven steps to avoid burnout for those of us like me who are overworking.
  • PickTheBrain lists 10 amazing success lessons from former NBA star Michael Jordan.
  • Work Awesome gives some ideas of how to tackle e-mail if you start feeling overwhelmed just opening your inbox.
  • Quips & Tips for Achieving Your Goals provides a step-by-step look on how to achieve your work goals.
  • Altitude Branding notes four steps of the super productive.

Writing & Blogging

  • Copyblogger gives seven tips for an authentic and productive writing process.
  • Pushing Social provides 29 no-brainer tips for quick blogging success.
  • ProBlogger offers some blogging tips from pro triathletes.

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