Speed Networking at Bar Louie

By: Sarah Nohr

Networking events can be scary. Especially as members of Gen Y – the generation who tends to always do what our friends are doing. We’re not generally a “fly solo” group. So when we see a sign for a networking event, most of us try to find a couple friends to go with us. Then we end up huddling in the corner talking to each other while drinking the free beer and scarfing down the complimentary apps.

But PRSA Young Pros is doing you a favor. We’re putting all of your friends in one place at an organized speed networking event. We’re removing the awkward step of having to approach a new group of people, a more experienced professional or an admired colleague. It’s actually part of the process to move from chair to chair, hand out your business card and get down to the nitty-gritty right away. Because you only have 5-10 minutes to do it in.

Last year, college students, young pros and experienced professionals alike attended our first Speed Networking event at Mo’s Irish Pub. By popular demand, we’re bringing it back this year. Check out the details below:

Speed Networking With PRSA Young Pros
Thursday, May 22
5:30-7:30 pm
Bar Louie (1114 Water St. – Downtown Milwaukee)

Speed network during happy hour with PR professionals at all stages in their career. Whether you’re looking to build your network in the Milwaukee area, need career advice or love to meet new people, we’ll help you build a well-rounded network in one night. Be sure to bring a fresh supply of business cards.
Don’t fret. Of course there will be FREE appetizers and a cash bar!

I hope to see you there! For more information on our upcoming Speed Networking event, visit our Facebook Page or contact Erica Zipp at ezipp@bader-rutter.com.

bizMe – A Girl’s New Best Friend

By: Sarah Nohr

If you haven’t already heard about it, please do yourself a favor and subscribe to the updates on one of the hottest new online magazines out there: bizMe.biz.

This has quickly become one of my favorite quick-reference guides that I point other young pros to when they’re looking for real-life business advice. My friend, Amanda Guralski, is the publisher and founder of this unique site that offers young professional women advice on everything from fashion to interview techniques to budgeting to keeping fit in the office world.

One of my favorite posts from the Spring issue was “Budget: No pain, plenty to gain.” As a working girl on a budget – who spends about 600 hours a week working in Excel for her clients anyway – I certainly could benefit from organizing my finances a bit!

Also: keep watch for more on bizMe and PRSA Young Pros in this year’s events calendar. We’ve got some fun stuff brewing!

PRSA Health Academy Conference

By Sarah Nohr

We work in a multigenerational workplace. Traditionals, Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y. The problem? We all tend to market to ourselves. Meaning we in Gen Y tend to think that by starting a new group on Facebook will actually attract the 60-year-old woman in need of hip replacement surgery to call the hospital for more information. (Well, perhaps we’re not that stupid.) And our managers in the Baby Boomer generation still think that placing an ad in a newspaper is a foolproof way of attracting college grads to apply for a job opening.

After my return from my three-day retreat in Chicago at PRSA’s recent Health Academy conference, my head is full to the brim with new ideas on how to improve our strategic marketing efforts at my company by tailoring messages to different generations. Of course, being a low man on the totem pole, implementation of my eager efforts is not entirely likely. Why? Because I’m a Gen Y. I’m eager and driven and want instant gratification for my great ideas. I want my superiors to notice my efforts and tell me I’m brilliant. At least, that’s what the Baby Boomer presenter told me at the conference.

Here’s a rundown of some of the other things we Gen Y “kids” are supposed to attribute to ourselves. What do you think? Accurate?

Generation Y (Ages 6-28)

• We are entry and mid-level careerpeople; college and gradeschool students
• We are very motivated and competitive, but need regular reinforcement from our managers that we’re doing a good job
• In general, we like our family, our parents and our grandparents (much more than Generation X did)
• We are followers. We tend to do what everyone else is doing – like Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
• We don’t trust others because our parents (Baby Boomers and Gen Xers) taught us that “the world is not safe”
• We like it when you ask us for our opinion at work – it makes us feel important
• We HATE face-to-face communication at the workplace but excel at group/social events and digital communication
• We value deals when you market to us (2-for-1, dollar menu, etc.)
• We don’t watch prime-time TV; if you want to reach us on TV, target us on cable
• Only less than 10 percent of us are not Web-dependent - meaning 90 percent of us would NOT survive without the Internet
• We are the leading producers of all Web-generated content
• Our brains are wired for complexity – we really can check our e-mail, listen to our iPods, text and have a conversation with you at the same time
• We like instant gratification. Mail-in warranties do not appeal to us.
• Many of us have multiple e-mail addresses and when you swamp us with too much junk mail, we’ll switch our e-mail address on you
• Males of our generation are VERY hard to reach – via phone, mail and e-mail (believe me – I know!)
• We will eliminate your company as a choice based solely on your Web site – in less than 5 seconds

Oklahoma Representative’s Hate Speech

by Sarah Nohr

This is Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern’s ugly anti-gay speech that was recently made wildly public on the Internet. 750,000 views on YouTube in just six days.

At one point, Kern is quoted, “If you have cancer in your little toe, do you just say that I’m going to forget about it since the rest of you is fine? It spreads! This stuff is deadly and it is spreading. It will destroy our young people and it will destroy this nation.” What an appalling and irrational analogy!

And talk about a positioning statement. I’m very surprised that someone of this political caliper would speak so strongly. I’m not sure what her image was locally prior to this, but this is not one of those situations where “any press is good press.” I can’t even begin to speak as an expert in political PR – but this makes me wonder what her reps are thinking now …

Please share this with others. I think this is outrageous.

Happy Cows Come From Where?

by Sarah Nohr

So here’s what I don’t understand: What were their media buyers thinking when they decided to run these commercials in the Wisconsin market? I get that these commercials get us Wisconsinites all riled up – but how in the h*ll is that increasing market share/sales? I’m assuming this is part of an image campaign – but I see running this in Wisconsin/Minnesota as a waste of money. Why would you want to tick off your target market? What’s the strategy here?

Honestly. Happy cows come from California. I’m so sick of these. Maybe they should do a commercial for tourism, too. “Happy people come from California.” It’s pretty obvious that the 96″ of snow here has put me in a slightly cynical mood…

I suppose we’ll be battling this one out till the cows come home …