Christina C. Steed presented on perspectives from the public relations field. She discussed her background and role at Flowers Communications Group, a leading multicultural integrated marketing agency. She covered FCG's services including strategic planning, social media, and community relations. Steed also discussed the importance of social media and internships for PR professionals and answered frequently asked questions about defining PR, the role of press releases and pitches, and why PR is a valuable career.

1. PR Perspectives from the Field
Presented by:
Christina C. Steed, Senior Vice President
Flowers Communications Group
October 17, 2012

2. Today’s Topics
About me
Who is FCG?
FCG’s Work
Social Savvy
Our clients
Recent events
Frequently asked PR questions
Wrap-up/Q&A
2

3. About Me
Currently a senior vice
president at Flowers
Communications Group
11 year plus communications
professional—began in
broadcast journalism
PR Week’s, “40 Under 40 Rising
Star”
Past employers include:
GolinHarris, H + A International,
Inc. and LBP Manufacturing, Inc.
Developed expertise in
marketing, research, fundraising,
community and public relations
Want to know more? Learn
here:
Follow me on Twitter:
@ccsteed
3

4. Who is FCG?
• Flowers Communications Group is one of the country’s leading
multicultural, integrated marketing communications companies.
• We:
 Are a trusted, award-winning marketing
communications partner for some of the
world’s most recognizable brands
 Shape “total market” programs with
cultural insights
Flowers Communications Group (FCG) is one of the country’s leading multicultural, integrated
marketing Utilize an integrated approach with
 communications agencies.
expertise in public relations, social media
and marketing services
 Remain a proud member of the IPREX
global communication, that boasts 1,500
communicators in 115 countries
 Maintain status as a certified
MBE/WBE/DBE organization

5. Who is FCG?
• Areas of Expertise include:
 Strategic Planning and Management
 Campaign Ideation
 Media Relations
 Social Media
 Consumer Engagement
Flowers Community Relations
Communications Group (FCG) is one of the country’s leading multicultural, integrated
marketing Creative Services
 communications agencies.
 Research, strategy and insights
 Media Management
 Issues Management

6. FCG’s Approach
Flexible/
Agile
ic
-ce nt r
B rand
Bu s Multicultural
ines
s Dr relevance
iven
6

7. Socially Savvy
Flowers Communications Group (FCG) is one of the country’s leading multicultural, integrated
marketing communications agencies.

8. Socially Savvy
Flowers Communications Group (FCG) is one of the country’s leading multicultural, integrated
marketing communications agencies.

9. Socially Savvy
Flowers Communications Group (FCG) is one of the country’s leading multicultural, integrated
marketing communications agencies.

10. Our Clients
10

11. Recent Events
 Black McDonald’s Operators Association
Inspiration Celebration Event
 https://vimeo.com/home#/home/myvideos
11

12. Recent Events
*
*
12

13. Recent Events
13

14. Frequently asked PR Questions
14

15. IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS
What is PR?
:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCiK5-
R2c0I

16. What is PR?
 The formal definition of PR has changed many times
over the years as society evolves with the help of
technological advances
 Earlier definitions emphasized advertising and
publicity, while more modern definitions incorporate
concepts of “engagement” and “relationship building”
 According to the Public Relations Society of America,
PR is currently known as a strategic communication
process that builds mutually beneficial relationships
between organizations and their publics
16

17. What is a press release?
 A story that presents the most newsworthy
aspect of a product, company or service—
typically written in Associated Press writing style
 Good press releases place the most pertinent
details at the top of the release, much like the
lead of a hard news story and are SEO optimized
 Subsequent paragraphs include supporting
details about the brand, spokesperson quotations
and any final information that is vital to/for the
client
 Bad press releases Gawker’s, “PR Dummies”
17

18. What’s a pitch? And how is it done?
 A pitch letter allows direct communication
between the PR representative and the journalist
 It’s an opportunity to persuade the
journalist/client to read the press release but
more importantly, establish a relationship with
them
 Personalize it. Keep it short. Avoid clichés
 Keep it light at
http://99problemsbutapitchaintone.tumblr.com/
18

19. What role does social media play in
PR?
 Though a relatively new area, social media is at
the heart of many companies’ public relations and
marketing initiatives
 It starts with developing profiles and pages on
relevant networking sites
 Two things drive social media: original content (i.e.
blogs, photos, press releases) and interactions
with connections
 No matter the social media platform, a link back to
the company’s site should always be included
 Headlines are extremely important, especially on
Twitter. 140 characters forces you to foster a
connection with the social community quickly
19

20. Do I need an internship?
 Yes! PR is all about establishing
relationships
 Visit DePaul Experience often for
weekly postings of internships
 Once in your internship, value the
experience. Speak up! Volunteer
for tasks. Read the news and PR
blogs. Be polite and ask questions!
 Find a mentor and make a
connection. You never know who
knows who to help you land your
dream job
20

21. Why PR as a profession?
 Creativity
 Exciting changes in the industry
(multiculturalism, social media)
 Smart people, smart clients
 Change the world one pitch at a time
21

22. Thank you for your time!
Q&A
22