APPR Seminar: Q3 & Q4 Idea Generators
by All Points Public Relations, April 15, 2021
The All Points PR team held our monthly seminar, hosted by Senior Director Bailey Hewitt and Creative & Digital Account Lead Marin McCall, as the agency begins planning Q3 & Q4 idea generators. This biannual planning process is our proactive approach for building integrated strategies for our clients.
We call these plans our Idea Generators. In our 2021 design, the Idea Generators take the form of a custom blueprint. These blueprints lay the foundation for collaborative discussions with our clients on specific ideas for building up their franchise brand during the latter six months of 2021.
Looking back at Q1 and Q2, our agency celebrated big wins with our integrated campaigns. We melted into the candle business as we created pie-scented candles for our client, Perkins. Christian Brothers Automotive revived love for old “clunker” cars. Spherion applauded their female leadership team members for Women’s History Month, while Carebuilders at Home’s “Love is in the Care” campaign highlighted the impact of caregivers and the work they’ve done in the community.
By taking this proactive planning approach, we are able to pause and be creative. We work in a fast-paced environment, but idea generators provide the opportunity to put our heads together and think out of the box. The final product outlines six months’ worth of ideas integrated across public relations, content marketing, social media and digital marketing.
We kick off our planning process with a brainstorm, followed by internal edits and strategy design before finally presenting to our clients. Our goal is to present comprehensive ideas while remaining timely and flexible when the time comes. Every strong foundation and beautiful work of construction begins with a strategic blueprint.
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APPR Seminar: Virtual Conferences and Webinars
by All Points Public Relations, March 23, 2021
The All Points PR team held our monthly seminar, hosted by Senior Director Bailey Hewitt with presentations from six other team members, on attending conferences and webinars. Typically this time of year, our team is just getting back from the IFA Convention after a week of learning and networking opportunities. This year looked a bit different, but five APPR team members virtually attended the IFA and shared their biggest takeaways from the sessions.
Bailey kicked off the seminar by discussing her experience with keynote speaker Seth Godin, who advised his audience to make a change by telling stories. So many of our favorite brands found success in telling stories. For example, Starbucks turned a traditionally to-go product into a destination with its push to meet a friend for coffee. As storytellers, it’s our job to create “a tribe of others” and tell people what’s out there.
Senior Account Lead Katie Gibbons sat in on Jimmy John Liautaud’s seminar. Founder of widely popular sandwich concept Jimmy Johns, the chain halted its franchising initiatives in 2003 due to failing stores. Jimmy John shared that of the 70 failing stores, most were not following the systems and processes set forth by the brand. As a franchisor, it’s important to look for franchisees who have a passion for the industry and want to get started for the right reasons.
Next, we heard from Senior Account Lead Mackenzie Coopman about the importance of creating a defined franchisee profile. Narrowing down the ideal candidate allows you to better target prospects—not just by who they are, but where they are. This includes looking at their soft-skill sets, values and backgrounds.
With so much of the franchise discovery process happening virtually, Director JoeyLauren Jiracek says that some virtual events are here to stay, even after the pandemic. Virtual Discovery Days allow potential franchisees to meet more team members. Video is becoming a necessary tool with virtual tours, follow-up messages and connecting with franchisees.
Additionally, team members Alana Guggenheim, Rachel Nehring, Cole Koretos and Jonathan Bazar shared insights from webinars hosted by Cision and Hootsuite on public relations and social media lead generation respectively.
As an agency, we’re always looking for learning opportunities for our staff. Many of our associates and account leads have taken virtual courses to apply their knowledge to our agency. By offering employees additional training opportunities, we’re investing in the advancement of their careers while adding value to our clients.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the office.
APPR Seminar: New Organizational Practices to Set Your Team Up for Success
by All Points Public Relations, January 25, 2021
The All Points PR team kicked off the new year with our January seminar discussing clear processes and systems to set us up for success. This topic truly excites Senior Director Bailey Hewitt and COO & Executive Vice President Lauren Izaks, who led the charge.
Both Lauren and Bailey highlighted how these organizational changes allow for more transparency across the agency. Collectively, there are many moving parts, and having easy access to information boosts our productivity and benefits our clients.
Here are the ways our agency freshened up organizational methods for the new year:
- Continuing monthly computer checks as a proactive approach to avoid major computer malfunctions
- Transitioning file storage to Dropbox Smart Sync, so the entire agency has access to files without taking up too much hard drive space
- Reviewing Monday.com dashboards for an all-encompassing view of daily tasks, deadlines and upcoming priorities
- Reporting improvements for lead ad tracking and email performance
- Maintaining “Inbox 0,” a reminder to immediately file emails away rather than storing them in your inbox
Now more than ever, technology is how we are interconnected. It’s important to take the time to familiarize your staff with both new and old procedures to ease the transition and avoid confusion. This seminar was crucial to starting the new year off on the right foot.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the office.
Account Lead Nicole Odziewa Shares National Pitching Tips During APPR’s Monthly Seminar
by All Points Public Relations, October 22, 2020
It’s that time again – another All Points PR monthly seminar has come and gone, and we’re here to share some highlights! Account Lead Nicole Odziewa led our recent October seminar, “A Guide to Pitching National Reporters,” which also included additional presentations from COO & Executive Vice President Lauren Izaks and Senior Director Bailey Hewitt.
Before launching into Nicole’s helpful guide to national pitching, Lauren and Bailey delivered timely updates to the team regarding Zoom best practices and 2021 agency planning. At All Points, we pride ourselves on our continuous efforts to improve our craft, as well as our thorough approach to planning with purpose. We’re gearing up for some exciting changes as we work to unveil our brand new 2021 agency campaign – but those plans are under wraps for now!
Following the updates from Lauren and Bailey, Nicole took the stage to cover all angles of national pitching, from finding the right contacts to customizing your pitch to the reporter. One of the biggest takeaways Nicole shared is the importance of using our resources. Social media is a key tool for national pitching and provides a wealth of opportunities to learn more about the reporter, what subjects they’re tackling and to find out if they’re looking for sources.
Our agency covers all the points when it comes to elevating our clients’ brand recognition and including them in national conversations. Nicole’s savvy approach to national pitching serves as a great example for the agency as we ramp up our efforts to align with today’s fast-moving news cycle.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the office and stay up-to-date on our latest seminars.
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APPR September Seminar Led by Leadership Coach and Northwestern Professor Alyssa Dickman
by All Points Public Relations, October 14, 2020
The All Points PR team recently welcomed Alyssa Dickman, a leadership coach and Northwestern University professor, to lead our September seminar exploring the “Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” based on the work of Patrick Lencioni. Alyssa was introduced to the All Points team by COO & Executive Vice President Lauren Izaks and Senior Director Bailey Hewitt. Lauren and Bailey are working toward earning a Leadership Certificate from Northwestern’s Professional Development Program, and Alyssa is their professor.
With a passion for coaching and teaching, Alyssa describes her role as partnering with individuals and organizations to explore their strengths, challenges and opportunities. Alyssa will “tell it to you straight when something needs to be challenged and always believe that you have the creativity and resources to design and accomplish your goals.”
Ahead of Alyssa’s presentation, each team member was asked to complete a team assessment incorporating the five dysfunctions of a team. Alyssa then connected with the All Points team via Zoom and led an interactive discussion to help us recognize and overcome these five dysfunctions. Following Alyssa’s presentation, we entered break-out sessions within our Pods across the agency to discuss our evaluations while applying what we learned about trust, conflict, commitment, accountability and results.
This seminar came at a crucial time as many organizations and teams across the country are adapting to different communication and collaboration methods due to COVID-19 and social distancing. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Alyssa for spending time with the APPR team, and we look forward to putting what we learned into practice.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the office and stay up-to-date on our latest seminars.
APPR Seminar: Content Marketing Lead Amanda Goecke Shares Updated SEO Systems and Processes
by All Points Public Relations, August 27, 2020
On Thursday, August 20, Content Marketing Lead Amanda Goecke led our August team seminar and shared several exciting updates from the content marketing department.
Amanda kicked off her presentation with an overview of updated systems and processes regarding SEO, or “search engine optimization.” SEO involves the process of increasing the quantity and quality of website traffic, as well as improving site visibility, for organic searches. This is primarily achieved through tactics including keyword usage and inbound/outbound linking.
The seminar also touched on how Google Analytics and its tracking tools can be used to enhance SEO and reporting efforts and drive results for our clients. Whether through content marketing, digital strategies or press releases, SEO is a strong component that can be applied across departments at All Points PR to optimize our writing. Amanda closed out the sessions by sharing a new strategy for developing future content plans.
This month’s seminar served as a great time for the team to learn about new developments within the content marketing department and how they can be integrated throughout the agency.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the office and stay up-to-date on our latest seminars.
APPR Seminar: Digital Advertising 201 with Sr. Creative & Digital Account Lead Spencer Abbott
by All Points Public Relations, July 14, 2020
Sr. Creative & Digital Account Lead Spencer Abbott recently led an All Points PR team seminar, “Digital Advertising 201,” to share best practices for launching digital work and providing our clients with ongoing advertising support.
As an integrated agency, the All Points team consistently shares new procedures, best practices and the latest trends across the agency to ensure each team member stays up-to-date. From setting up ads and adjusting targeting to monitoring and sharing results, Spencer covered all of the essential steps to ensure ads are running, and effectively reaching and engaging targeted audiences.
With a wide range of digital advertising capabilities on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google, this seminar served as a helpful touch-base to align on best practices, and for the Creative & Digital team to share their learnings with the other departments across the agency.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the office and stay up-to-date on our latest seminars.
APPR May Seminar Led by Professional Speaker Anne Bonney
by All Points Public Relations, May 28, 2020
The All Points PR team recently welcomed professional speaker Anne Bonney to lead our monthly seminar on Monday, May 18, entitled: “Ignite Your Team: Leadership and Collaboration Summit.”
Anne specializes in delivering “engaging, inspiring and educational programs igniting the courage in audiences to embrace the discomfort of change, effective communication and presenting.” She connected with the team over multiple sessions via Zoom and led interactive discussions on leadership, effective communication and conducting virtual meetings and presentations.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has certainly redefined the way in which we work and communicate with one another, a change that many professionals around the world needed to adapt to very quickly. Anne shared a variety of tips and tricks to consider as we work remotely and practice social distancing, many of which focused on leading team meetings, conference calls and presentations virtually. She demonstrated several functions we can leverage via Zoom, such as polls, chat messages and screen annotating. Anne also expanded on ways in which we can reframe our approach to communicating with one another to effectively convey our thoughts and ideas.
We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Anne for spending the day with the APPR team and leading such a spirited discussion on leadership and collaboration. Our team looks forward to implementing these learnings through our work, remotely and when we’re back in action inside the office.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the office and stay up-to-date on our latest seminars.
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April APPR Seminar Led Virtually by COO & Executive Vice President Lauren Izaks and President Jamie Izaks
by All Points Public Relations, May 15, 2020
On Thursday, April 30, The All Points PR team hosted its first-ever virtual seminar via Zoom, led by COO and Executive Vice President Lauren Izaks and President Jamie Izaks.
Jamie kicked off the seminar by diving into some of the positives we’ve shared as a team so far this year. This reflection included our growth as an agency and the strategic planning we’ve implemented with our clients, from the beginning of Q1 to navigating the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Lauren then took the virtual stage to cover a variety of topics related to working from home, returning to the office and keeping our mental and physical health top of mind. While the uncertainty of this time can be overwhelming, Lauren offered a variety of tips and tricks addressing these areas, as well as ways to keep ourselves grounded. Complete with a demo of the “box breathing” technique, she provided plenty of thoughtful insights on managing our work, health and wellness. Ultimately, we were reminded of the importance of staying focused and channeling our energy toward situations that we can control.
Although the team couldn’t be together physically for the April seminar due to social distancing, it was an essential time for us all to gather and reflect on the impact of the current situation at hand. It’s critical that we remain positive, continue to work together as a team and keep pushing forward, both personally and professionally. Thank you to Lauren and Jamie for hosting such a great seminar, and we look forward to all that’s in store for the next one!
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the office.
The All Points Team Discusses Work from Home Best Practices During March Seminar
by All Points Public Relations, March 24, 2020
It’s now more important than ever to be connected, especially during times of uncertainty. In light of recent developments, the All Points team grouped up for our March seminar earlier in the month before departing the office to work from home.
Led by COO and Executive Vice President Lauren Izaks and Senior Director Bailey Hewitt, the March seminar focused deeply on best work-from-home practices. It’s essential that we leverage the tools and systems we have in place to stay productive and connected. This seminar served as a great opportunity to implement our new collaborative workflow tool, Monday.com, for work-from-home purposes. We explored all the ways in which we can work together, organize our tasks and create consistency across the board by using the comments section, “My Week” function, email alerts, status labels and more.
As a tight-knit office, we understand the significance of communication, especially when it comes to the support of our clients and staying strong as a team. By aligning on best practices, our team members are better equipped to approach each day with a solid plan.
Here are a few tips we encourage those working from home to keep in mind:
- Get ready as if you were leaving for work (take a shower, get dressed, etc.)
- Create a dedicated workspace
- Maintain regular working hours and mealtimes
- Limit household distractions (electronics, roommates, family members, etc.)
- Stretch, stand and stay active – consider at-home workouts and fitness apps
The health and safety of our team members, families, clients and communities is of utmost importance. Maintaining social distance during this time allows us to keep ourselves and others healthy, and continue to provide effective integrated public relations support to our clients.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the office.
The All Points Team Powers Up 2020 with January’s Seminar
by All Points Public Relations, January 31, 2020
Going on six years, the All Points team holds an agency-wide seminar once a month that’s led either by a team member or an outside resource. The goal of these seminars is to empower others to share their skills and expertise to help the agency grow as a whole. Some months, topics focus on ideas related to PR, content marketing, digital advertising or social media, and other times, we focus on internal matters.
As we Power Up 2020, our January seminar focused on internal processes and systems. We pride ourselves on being an extension of our clients’ teams, and in order for us to do so, we have to have efficient programs in place.
We took an in-depth look at how our team members organize projects, communicate internally and how performance updates were delivered to clients. Led by Senior Director Bailey Hewitt, the agency gathered this month at an off-site location to dive into a full day of learning. During the seminar, we rolled out a new project management tool and refined other elements essential to how we serve our clients. Our team members also learned more about the social media platform TikTok, and how our clients can get involved.
As it can be difficult to set aside the time to focus on internal structure, it’s important to do as we continue to grow with our clients and develop new skills that help us stay creative and competitive. We look forward to implementing this tool and delivering more results.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook and Twitter to hear about our latest seminars, and follow along on Instagram to keep up with the office.
All Points PR’s Gillian Losh and Alex Sanchez Share Key Takeaways from the PRSA 2019 International Conference
by All Points Public Relations, November 26, 2019
The All Points PR team is constantly looking for new ways to stay on the forefront of the industry and explore today’s latest and most pressing topics in public relations, social media and content marketing. Director Gillian Losh and Public Relations Associate Alex Sanchez recently attended the Public Relations Society of America 2019 International Conference in San Diego, CA, and the rest of the All Points team had the pleasure of hearing more about their experiences during the November seminar.
Featuring workshops and keynote speakers, including renowned journalists Bob Woodward and Laura Ling, the PRSA conference offered the exclusive opportunity to network with communications professionals and gain practical insights into today’s public relations landscape.
With tailored discussions about digital marketing, crisis management, big data and measurement and more, Gillian and Alex enjoyed the opportunity to hear from industry leaders on today’s best practices, trends and outlooks. Key takeaways included ways to enhance pitching with data, the importance of keeping an updated crisis playbook and the effect of tailoring your language to your audience by avoiding too many buzzwords and industry jargon.
Our monthly seminars serve to promote ongoing education and refinement of skills, motivating and inspiring our employees via relevant topics and out-of-the-box ideas. We thank Gillian and Alex for sharing more about their time at the PRSA 2019 International Conference, and we look forward to implementing and continuing their learnings across the agency.
Be sure to check out All Points PR on Facebook and Twitter to hear about our latest seminars, and follow along on Instagram to keep up with the office.
