Raleigh Public Relations Society

The Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS) aims to advance the art and science of public relations and to strengthen communication, understanding and cooperation among the diverse individuals, groups, and institutions of the Society.

Events

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RSVP: RPRS Holiday Social – Tuesday, December 11, 2018

We are returning to the luxe and chic 10th & Terrace on Tuesday, December 11, 2018, from 6 – 8pm for our annual holiday social. As always, there will be fun door prizes, great networking, some tasty apps, and a complimentary adult beverage for the first 25 guests to RSVP.

What are you waiting for? Use the ticket form below to RSVP and save your space! This event is open to all current members and potential new members who would like to join us as guests for this event. Questions about membership? Please contact Membership Chair Olivia Easley at Membership@RPRS.org.

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RPRS Honors Communications Professionals in the Triangle and Names Lifetime Achievement Recipient

Congratulations to all of our Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communications winners!
We had a fantastic time celebrating all of your hard work represented amongst the 57 entries into this year’s award program. The awards banquet was held on Tuesday, October 23, 2018, at Jiddi Space & Courtyard at Sitti restaurant in Downtown Raleigh. Thanks to Sitti Restaurant for the delicious food and beautiful atmosphere!

 

A very special note of congratulations to Rick French who was named our 2018 Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement winner.

 

 

 

What a fun night! Congrats to all the award winners.

 

 

Our official post-event press release follows:

RPRS Honors Communications Professionals in the Triangle and Names Lifetime Achievement Recipient

Annual Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication awards banquet recognizes PR practitioners for successful campaigns and tactics

Raleigh, N.C. – October 25, 2018 –The Raleigh Public Relations Society recognized local public relations and communications professionals during its 2018 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communicationceremony. The awards banquet, held on October 23 at Jiddi Space & Courtyard at Sitti restaurant in Downtown Raleigh, and the keynote address was provided by Susan Scott, Chief Advancement and Marketing Officer for UNC-TV.

“The Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication have been an integral component of the Raleigh PR Society since we began as an organization in 1959,” said Lindsay Priester, president of RPRS.  “It’s a huge honor for us to be able to host these awards for such a varied and talented group of professionals. The expertise in communications in the Triangle is vast and truly impressive.”

The Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication competition is a showcase of exemplary work by PR and communication professionals throughout North Carolina. The competition is held annually and recognizes projects that have achieved excellence in a variety of categories, as judged by an independent panel of judges. This year’s awards were judged by members of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Oregon Chapter.

RPRS also recognized Rick French with the 2018 Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement. This award is given annually to an individual who has made meaningful contributions to the field of public relations over the course of a career.

 

Rick is the founder, chairman and CEO of French/West/Vaughan. Under Rick’s leadership, FWV has ranked as one of the nation’s 20 largest independently owned public relations agencies and one of the world’s 75 largest integrated marketing agencies. Rick has been named “Business Leader of the Year” twice by Business North Carolina, “Agency Professional of the Year” by Bulldog Reporter and has been recognized as one of the 300 Most Influential Communicators in the World by PR Week in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

 

“All of us at French/West/Vaughan would like to congratulate Rick for this remarkable achievement,“ said David Gwyn, FWV president and partner. “From the beginning more than 20 years ago, Rick had the vision and entrepreneurial spirit to be original, creative and bold enough to do things that had never been done in Raleigh, and that vision has benefitted a great many people – for that we owe him a debt of gratitude.”

 

RPRS Awards Chair David Dean championed the transition from a manual award submission process to an online process for the 2018 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication. Dean said, “Thanks to the generous sponsorship of York Properties and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, RPRS was able to integrate an online award submission platform that facilitated a more efficient submission process that generated greater revenue for the organization.”

 

Special thanks to RPRS Banquet Chair Allison Thiebaud, of AT Marketing and Public Relations, for planning and coordinating this year’s awards banquet. The 2018 award winners are listed below. Visit https://rprs.org/awards/for a full description of each winning submission.

 

 

The Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication recognized the following 2018 winners:

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Bang for the Buck

 

Platinum Winner

French/West/Vaughan with Earned Media Drives Visitors to Wilmington’s Island Beaches During the Off-Season

 

Gold Winner

FWV with Rodeo Right at your Fingertips

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Branding

 

Silver Winner

Tompkins International with MonarchFx Rebranding

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Community Relations

 

Platinum Winner

North Carolina Museum of Art with Art in Bloom

 

 

Silver Winner

FWV with Home Sweet Greensboro

FWV with Bassett Furniture Donates $10,000 Worth of Furniture to Family in Need

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Special Events – One to Five Days

 

Platinum Winner

Clairemont Communications with Il Palio Fires Up at the James Beard House

 

Gold Winner

Largemouth Communications with Ascom Breaks Through the Noise at HiMSS

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Special Events – Media Event

 

Platinum Winner

Clairemont Communications with Western Governors University Comes to North Carolina

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Social Media

 

Platinum Winner

FWV with Greg Olsen Gets Back in the Game

 

Gold Winner

FWV with Melitta Engages with #PourOverLovers

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Financial 

 

Gold Winner

FWV with PSCU’s Record-Breaking 2018 Member Forum

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Green/Sustainability – One Time or Special Event

 

Platinum Winner

Clairemont Communications with Briar Chapel’s Pepper Festival Turns 10

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Green/Sustainability – Ongoing

 

Silver Winner

FWV with Tough Denim, Gentle Footprint

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Healthcare Program

 

Gold Winner

FWV with Introducing CRISPR-Cas3

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Integrated Communications 

 

Platinum Winner

Clairemont Communications with Babalu’s Grand Opening Rocks the Guac

 

Gold Winner

FWV with J. Peterman Steps Back Out in Their Derby Day Best

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Marketing Consumer Products

 

Silver Winner

Butterball, LLC with “Perfectly Imperfect” Thanksgiving

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Sports Program

 

Platinum Winner

FWV with Taking One for the Team: NFL Agent Leigh Steinberg and Players Score on Super Bowl’s Radio Row

 

Gold Winner

S&A Communications with 2018 SAS Championship Community Outreach

 

 

 

 

 

 

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Student

 

Silver Winner

William Peace University with The Wiz Movie Party for Black History Month

 

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Word of Mouth

 

Platinum Winner

FWV with The One Percent (Jerome Davis)

 

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Social Media

 

Silver Winner

Clairemont Communications with The Vita Vite Lifestyle

 

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Collaterals – Podcasts 

 

Gold Winner

NC F&B Podcast with NC F&B Podcast Episode 95 – James Beard Awards in Chicago

 

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Magazines – Internal

 

Silver Winner

S.T. Wooten Corporation with Beyond the Specs

 

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Media Relations

 

Platinum Winner

Clairemont Communications with Talbots and Oprah Magazine Dress for Success

 

Gold Winners

Prep Communications with Veritas Collaborative Opens New Atlanta Hospital

FWV with Introducing CRISPR-Cas3

 

Silver Winner

FWV with Fight for Film

 

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Media Kits

 

Platinum Winner

Clairemont Communications with Il Palio’s Freshly Baked Media Kit

 

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Videos – Broadcast/Web Commercial

 

Gold Winner

Clairemont Communications with Wendell Falls Builder Spotlight Videos

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Videos – Streaming

 

Gold Winner

Largemouth Communications with Mike Holmes Talks Electrical Safety with Eaton

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Websites –Internal/Intranets

 

Platinum Winner

Butterball, LLC with The Table – Intranet Site

 

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Writing – Blogs  

 

Gold Winner

S&A Communications with DealersLink.com Blog

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Writing – News Releases

 

Gold Winner

Prep Communications with Veritas Collaborative Opens New Atlanta Hospital

 

CATEGORY – Tactics: Writing – Op/Ed

Silver Winner

S&A Communications with ACERTUS Guest Article on USA Truck Driver Shortage

 

 

 

 

About RPRS
For more than 50 years, the Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS) has advanced the art and science of public relations and strengthened communication, understanding and cooperation among diverse individuals, organizations and institutions throughout the Triangle. The organization regularly hosts professional development opportunities, including monthly meetings, networking socials and the annual Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication banquet, which recognizes the best public relations projects and professionals in North Carolina. For more information, visit www.rprs.org.

 

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RPRS Member-Exclusive Savings: Think Outside the Bowl Business Strategy Conference – Durham

We have an exclusive RPRS Member Discount for the upcoming Think Outside the Bowl Business Strategy Conference happening in Durham on August 23! Want in on the deep savings? Login to your member account today at https://rprs.org/login/ and you’ll find all the details on your member homepage on how to save $26 when registering for what we know is going to be a great day with Stan Phelps and Evan Carroll – two of favorite local marketing thought leaders.

Think Outside the Bowl Business Strategy Conference - Durham

Tickets for the full-day experience are just $125 $99 (with our exclusive discount code you’ll find on the member homepage) and you’ll receive the following benefits:
  1. Continental Breakfast
  2. Morning Keynote Sessions
  3. Your Choice of Goldfish Book
  4. Lunch at The Durham Hotel
  5. Our New Business Strategy Intensive Program
  6. Small Group Access to Goldfish Series Experts

See you in Durham for a day of “thinking outside the bowl”!

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Summer Unconference: Thank You & Shared Resources

Thanks so much to each and every one of you that attended our July Unconference event! We had some great lightning speakers and inspired conversations – not to mention the delicious food and beverages (Thanks Mulino!).

For our new guests who attended, we look forward to welcoming you as a member of the Raleigh Public Relations Society soon! You can find more details on pricing and benefits here.

If you weren’t able to make it, we recorded a few of the inspiring and informational speaker presentations so you can catch up without too much FOMO. ?

“Smash and Mash” in Your Career – Eva Hornak, APR

The Power of Transferable Skills – Stephanie Llorente, APR

Introducing Raleigh Influencers – Chris Alupului

Pictures from the Event

A big thank you to Chris Alupului of Raleigh Influencers for capturing these great event pics!

The Apps I Shared

During my lightning talk, I shared some of my favorite digital assets for marcom pros. It’s easy to think that we all have the same “toolkit” at our disposal, but I’m always amazed at the power of sharing tech tools with industry friends who have yet to tap into some of them!

Grammarly (Like built-in spell check, only BETTER! The weekly progress reports via email are totally geeky fun, too.)
CapitalizeMyTitle.com (When you just can’t remeber what to capitalize and when.)
Animoto (For creating quick storyboard videos from photos and licensed music.)
Dark Sky (Insanely accurate local weather conditions for your events.)
Cluster (Private photo sharing app with easy printed book production.)
Yammer (Team messaging app.)
Proposa (Locally-based proposal software from an experienced agency founder.)
Google Photos (Never worry about losing your phone, and your photos, again!)
And of course… the newly revamped RPRS Awards platform!

See You Again Soon!

We had a great time hosting this event and making lots of new connections as well as enjoying some OOO (out of office) time with old pals. We look forward to seeing you at our next event. As always, you can find our line-up of events here!

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Join Us! RPRS Summer Social – “Unconference” – July 24, 2018

Shake up your summer evening routine and join us on the patio at Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. for our summer social which we’ve themed as an “unconference”!

RPRS Summer Social "Unconference" 2018
Join us Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar

There’s no rigid agenda here, just the best things you love about going to industry conferences… a few hot tips, some inspiring takeaways, networking with old and new contacts like, and of course, a few product demos…

RSVP Today

The event is free to attend, but drinks are on your own. Sorry, no big spender sponsors for this “unconference”! 😉

Please register for your ticket below. We have space for 40 of our closest friends! Can’t make it after you RSVP? Please email VP@RPRS.org so that we may cancel your ticket and open up space for another guest to attend.

Rain or Shine

Although we plan to enjoy the luxe patio for this event, we’re are having our unconference rain or shine and will move indoors if inclement weather is in the plans for our evening.

Practice Your Public Speaking

Want to get a little extra face time at this event? We’re looking for five speakers to host “lightning talks” – a three-to-five minute speaking opportunity about your hot take on an industry trend or best practice. Since this is an unconference, there’s no fancy AV equipment so you’ll have to do it unaided by an accompanying PowerPoint presentation.

Sound like a good opportunity you want to jump at? Pitch us! Email VP@RPRS.org with your topic and our board will select five speakers by Friday, July 20, so you’ll have the weekend to practice in front of your mirror, your dog, or your non-judgemental BFFs.

The Logistics

There’s plenty of parking on-site, so come on over to Mulino at 309 N. Dawson Street in Downtown Raleigh when your day wraps up. Plan to Uber instead? We can’t blame you – and encourage you to enjoy a glass of wine, craft beer, or one of the inspired seasonal cocktails since you won’t be driving home!

Come when you can, leave when you must. Our unconference is a casual one happening from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. The first lightning talk will begin at 6 p.m. and we’ll have demos of our new online awards platform going all evening, too!

Questions or More Info?

Leave a comment below or email VP@RRPS.org!