 IABCLA will host the first workshop in the 2021 Communication Management Pro Series — a discussion on ethics — on Thursday, January 21 at 12 p.m. via Zoom.
Jim Lukaszewski, America’s Crisis Guru®, IABC Fellow and co-author of “The Decency Code” will speak on “Ethical and Unethical Crisis Management.” The content Lukaszewski will share demonstrates IABC’s Code of Ethics in practice. The session will provide excellent preparation for the Communication Management Professional (CMP) and Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP® ) exams to be offered in California in May 2021. Following the presentation, there will be a 15-minute Q&A about CMP and SCMP certification led by IABC Board Member Victoria Dew. IABC’s Orange County, San Diego and San Francisco chapters will host workshops in February, March and April on other topics covered in the exams, including strategy, analysis, and engagement, context and consistency. To sign up for the ethics seminar, click here. (Note: I’m IABCLA's vice president/president-elect, and I often post updates on chapter happenings.)
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 Thank you to everyone who attended IABCLA’s Holiday Happy Hour on December 17 via Zoom!
The chapter raised $400 to support the work of The LAGRANT Foundation and its mission to support diverse students and young professionals in the advertising, marketing, and public relations fields. In addition to chapter members and foundation staff, students and faculty from San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Journalism and Media Studies program and Cal State Fullerton’s PR program were on hand. The event brought together four organizations — IABCLA, LAGRANT, SDSU, and Cal State Fullerton — that work to grow leaders in the communications field, and the chapter looks forward to continuing its relationship with the foundation and the universities in 2021. (Note: I’m IABCLA's vice president/president-elect, and I often post updates on chapter happenings.)  What’s a good way to end a bad year?
IABCLA’s Holiday Happy Hour on Thursday, December 17 at 5:30 p.m. PT via Zoom! The cost is $5 and proceeds will benefit The LAGRANT Foundation. The chapter will match ticket sales and double support. The foundation is dedicated to increasing the number of ethnic minorities in advertising, marketing and public relations by providing scholarships, career and professional development workshops, mentors and internships to African American/Black, Alaska Native/Native American, Asian American/ Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino undergraduate and graduate students. To sign up, click here. (Note: I’m IABCLA's vice president/president-elect, and I often post updates on chapter happenings.)  Note: I'm the vice president/president-elect of IABC Los Angeles (IABCLA), and I often post news of chapter happenings. Deborah Hudson, my fellow board member, wrote this overview of our recent DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) seminar for our group's blog. I wanted to share this important information. IABCLA's second ZOOM webinar on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) – “It’s Not a Marketing Exercise: Understanding Privilege’s Impact on Inclusive Brand Campaigns” – on October 21 continued the association’s journey by looking at how to unpack privilege and build inclusive branding that reaches customers. The presentation and discussion was an eye-opener, once again led by Farida Habeeb, Ph.D. and Beverly Durham. They were joined by Karen Trachtenberg, a member of the IABCLA executive board and a marketing copywriter. The trio made a persuasive case for unpacking white privilege as a foundation of inclusive marketing – a brand can realize its full potential by reading the diverse communities it serves Unpacking White Privilege To begin the unpacking process, the talk kicked off with a recap of the dimensions of inclusivity:
But what is privilege and how does it blind people? Privilege is the advantage people have, that they don’t think about, because these characteristics don’t exclude them from seats at the table – in fact, the characteristics bring them to the table of power where the seats are filled by people that look the same as they do. For most of American history, privilege was the province of white, straight, Christian, English-speaking men – White Anglo Saxon Protestants (WASPS, as they were once called). Privilege can amount to blindness – because we don’t have to think about it. We don’t look beyond our narrow circle. Or it can be tone-deafness. For instance, the presenters mentioned a letter issued by the NFL on the need to address racism. Though signed by league president Roger Goddell, the document was condescending in tone and inauthentic – it put forth abstractions, not actions. The document also failed to admit the NFL’s debacle in the way it handled Colin Kaepernick’s protest on behalf of Black Lives Matter. Opening Your Eyes To Your Privilege
The presenters challenged participants to unpack their own privilege with a series of pointed questions:
The challenge to communicators is substantial. As Deborah Kaufman, participant and principal of Healthcare Recruiting Inc., summed up: “How do we help our companies and our clients understand privilege, dismantle racism, and move towards authentic change? How can we start to move from ‘just talk?’ One step forward can include what IABC presenters unpacked today — from looking at case studies of what’s working and not working in marketing campaigns to making the case of starting DEI at our own workspaces. Together, by sharing best practices and our shared experiences/struggles, we can work to become more aware, and to do the slow, ongoing, hard, and important work of change.” We encourage you to review the presentation – it can be accessed at shorturl.at/uxAST.  Thank you to all who attended IABCLA’s webinar “The Great Reset: Winning in 2020” on November 12 via Zoom.
Julie Wright, an IABCLA board member and president/founder of (W)right On Communications, and Mary Randall of Excelerate, led a fascinating discussion. Their presentation addressed the fact that the disruption brought about by the pandemic has presented an opportunity for change as it relates to employee experience. (X) is a collaboration between (W)right on Communications and Excelerate. During the event, the (X) team discussed the fact that the pandemic created or accelerated three great disruptions to organizations:
To access a recording of the session, please go to: https://lnkd.in/dFm2tyi. (Note: I’m IABCLA's vice president/president-elect, and I often post updates on chapter happenings.)  How do companies keep culture and community alive in these uncertain and challenging times?
This is one of the questions that will be discussed during IABCLA’s “The Great Reset: Winning in 2020” on Thursday, November 12 at 12 p.m. PT via Zoom. Julie Wright, an IABCLA board member and president/founder of (W)right On Communications, will lead the webinar with Mary Randall of Excelerate, a management consulting company specializing in enterprise strategy. (X) is a collaboration between (W)right on Communications and Excelerate. Julie and Mary will talk about how about the massive disruption this year due to the pandemic has presented an opportunity for a “reset” as it relates to employee experience. To sign up, click here. The event is free. (Note: I’m IABCLA's vice president/president-elect, and I often post updates on chapter happenings.)
“The Race is On: Talking About Identity in the Corporate Workplace” Tuesday, October 13 @ 5:30-6:30 p.m. Free IABC San Francisco will host an interactive conference that breaks down how to talk about identity in the workplace. Participants will leave with actionable steps for culturally-sensitive communication with customers, employees, and corporate leadership. To sign up, click here. “It’s Not a Marketing Exercise: Understanding Privilege’s Impact on Inclusive Brand Campaigns” Wednesday, October 21 @ 12-1 p.m. Free IABCLA will organize the function, and it will explore how marketers can ensure their brands are creating inclusive content that aligns with social justice imperatives. Brands championing DEI effectively will be discussed and attendees will leave with DEI marketing strategies in order to elevate their business goals. To register, click here. (Note: I’m IABCLA's vice president/president-elect, and I often post updates
on chapter happenings.)
The next Comms Labs will be Friday, October 16 @ 12 p.m. via Zoom. Sign up information will be posted to the chapter's website — IABCLA.com — in the days to come. Also look for details on the group's social media — please visit Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
IABCLA will have several happenings this fall, including a second DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) webinar — “It’s Not a Marketing Exercise: Understanding Privilege’s Impact on Inclusive Brand Campaigns” — on October 21 at 12 p.m. via Zoom. Click here to register. (Note: I’m IABCLA's vice president/president-elect, and I often post updates on chapter happenings.)  Are any comms issues gnawing at you? Is there a problem you’re trying to solve?
Then join IABCLA for its very first Communications Lab on Friday, September 25 at 12 p.m. via Zoom! Guests will have the opportunity to hash out ideas in a fast-paced midday chat format. The monthly happening will be the fourth Friday in September, and it will shift to the third Friday in October and November. Whitley Crawford, an IABCLA board member, will moderate the discussion. She owns a marketing company that places freelancers in small and medium-sized businesses, and she can be reached through LinkedIn. Comms Labs is your opportunity to connect with like-minded folks for connection and insight. To sign up, click here. The event is free! (Note: I’m IABCLA's vice president/president-elect, and I often post updates on chapter happenings.)  Thank you to everyone who attended "IABC SoCal's Happy Hour: Build Your Network and Share Tips and Tricks for Succeeding in the Coronavirus Job Market” on September 10.
Karen Trachtenberg, an IABCLA board member, led the conversation. Karen’s worked across several industries, so she’s gone through a job search or two. Here are her thoughts: 1. Expectations: it’s best to know exactly the type of role you want before you begin your search, as a blanket approach probably isn’t going to land you your dream job. If, for example, you’d like to do social media for Formula 1, then drive in that direction. 2. Online Presence: make sure your social media looks and sounds professional. This is especially true of LinkedIn, as it’s a place for business communication and not personal politics. Also, leave the photos of you at a raging kegger back at college! 3. Associations: look for any and all networking opportunities — it’s worth your time if you make just one genuine connection with another person. (Karen: “Make friend. Get job.”) In addition to IABCLA, comms folks in the Southland can get involved in Social Media Club LA, PRSA Los Angeles, and a host of similar groups. Given the pandemic, many of these organizations have virtual networking sessions so a long drive to and from a venue doesn’t need to be a consideration — at least until COVID is over. 4. Recruiters: it could be worth the money to pay a headhunter who’s had demonstrated success to help you in your search. He/she may have the contacts, know-how, and industry insights to land you a position. 5. Introductions: be proactive! When you meet someone new, ask them for an introduction to another person in your career area. Most people genuinely want to assist others, so they’ll probably be happy to put you in touch with their colleagues. 6. Cover Letters: A. Short: keep your cover letters brief at less than a page. In fact, Karen typically keeps hers to two or three paragraphs. B. Unique: mention something in the document that’s not on your resume — you don’t want your cover letter to be a repeat of your CV. C. Tailor: adapt your resume and cover letter to each position. D. Writing: be sure to show off your writing skills if you’re a communicator. 7. LinkedIn: A. Premium: paying for the platform’s premium service is a good investment as it can provide information and analysis to assist you in your search. B. Groups: join LinkedIn groups aligned with your interests and participate in discussions, as it could help you stand out and draw the attention of employers. C. Video: a personal video is another way to draw attention to yourself. Some folks now have short recordings in their profile summarizing who they are and what they do — a cover letter or an “elevator pitch” of another sort. D. Messaging: do cold email others. Sometimes it can be difficult to reach out to folks you don’t know, but just be genuine, honest, and to the point. (“I noticed this opening at your company, and I’d love to contribute! Here’s how I can help…”) Your advice is much appreciated, Karen! Please stay up to date on IABCLA by visiting the organization’s website — IABCLA.com — and by following the group on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. The group will have several happenings this fall, including a new Communications Lab where guests can test out their comms ideas. The kick-off session will be Friday, September 25 at 12 p.m. via Zoom, and you can register by clicking here. (Note: I’m IABCLA's vice president/president-elect, and I often post updates on chapter happenings.) |
AuthorI'm Eli Natinsky and I'm a communicator. This blog explores my work and professional interests. I also delve into other topics, including media, marketing, pop culture, and technology. Archives
January 2021
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