​

Stepping in front of the television camera for the first time can be a nerve wracking experience if you aren't properly prepared. Madeira offers a comprehensive media training program that teaches you everything you need to know to look and sound like a pro.

CPR Services USA, Inc. client recently participated in our media program and aced their first television appearance on ABC 7 in Little Rock, which you can view here. 

Food insecurity impacts a startling 36,000 children living in Pinellas County, Florida. Madeira is honored to help the Pinellas Community Foundation increase support for programs like these.

Stay tuned for a major campaign announcement coming in early 2018 that will help provide nourishing meals to even more deserving families! 

Trends in Public Relations: Creating a Buzz in 2018
January 18, 2018 from 1-4 PM
Register: https://nlctb.org/events/trends-in-public-relations-creating-a-buzz-in-2018/
Earn 3 CFRE Continuing Education Points

Developing a Winning Narrative for Give Day Tampa Bay
April 12, 2018 from 2-4 PM
Register: nlctb.org/events/developing-a-winning-narrative-for-gdtb/

​Crafting an Effective Marketing and Communication Strategy
May 24, 2018 from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Register: https://nlctb.org/events/crafting-an-effective-marketing-and-communications-strategy/
Earn 4 CFRE Continuing Education Points

​Digital Video 101: Shooting Professional Quality Video with Your Smartphone
June 7, 2018 from 12:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Register: https://nlctb.org/events/digital-video-101-shooting-professional-quality-video-with-your-smartphone/
Earn 4 CFRE Continuing Education Points
​

A special thank you to Mary Shedden of WUSF for sharing this excellent tutorial! 

Your audience is reading and turning to video more than ever before. At least one-third of all online activity is spent watching videos. Simply having a video on your landing page can increase conversion rates by 80 percent. A recent survey of CEOs found that 59 percent would rather watch a video than read.

Video is a powerful tool and only gaining traction. It's now a skill every marketer and public relations professional must master. 

Madeira Public Relations recently had the pleasure to present our Digital Video 101 Workshop at the Florida Public Relations Association's annual conference in Orlando. Workshop attendees learned how to create compelling digital videos using just their cell phones paired with a few our favorite tools and accessories highlighted below:

TOOLS
Microphone Options:

• https://www.amazon.com/Rode-VideoMic-Directional-Microphone-Phones/dp/B018KIJGU8/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1475688431&sr=8-8&keywords=cell+phone+microphone

Too much salt in your diet can increase your blood pressure and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. That's why the American Heart Association wants Bay Area residents to avoid sneaky salt in their diets by enjoying more healthy home cooked meals.

With the help of Tampa General Hospital nutritionist, Alexandra Vermillion, ABC Action News Morning Blend viewers learned how to check labels for hidden salt and create their own delicious marinades perfect for heart-friendly summertime grilling.

You can view the information packed segment here:
http://www.abcactionnews.com/morning-blend/avoiding-sneaky-salt

​A communications plan developed for the State of California earned Madeira an APEX Award for Publication Excellence in the category of Campaigns, Programs & Plans - Public Service. Of the 1,361 entries submitted, only 543 received Awards of Excellence in this prestigious annual awards competition spanning 100 individual categories.

The panel of judges included John De Lellis, Concepts Editor and Publisher, Ken Turtoro, noted publishing and marketing executive, circulation consultant and senior APEX judge, Christine Turner, Contributing Editor to the Writing That Works Archives and Bill Londino, Consulting Editor of Writer's Web Watch.

It's hard to believe 36,000 Pinellas County children live each day with food insecurity! The summer months are often the most challenging time for children who rely upon their school lunch program as their primary meal source.

Our Pinellas Community Foundation client is working to end childhood hunger in Pinellas and is leading a summer food drive in partnership with Regions Bank benefiting the Florida Dream Center and UMCM Suncoast. 

Nonperishable food items can be delivered to any Regions Bank location in Pinellas County. You can also show your support by texting ihelped to 41-444. The Pinellas Community Foundation will match the first $20,000 donated.  

Madeira secured three live broadcasts and an 16 additional taped segments on Bay News 9 highlighting the food drive. Local ABC Action News (WFTS) and the Tampa Bay Wire also featured news of the food drive on their websites. 

An outdoor advertising campaign combined with generous support from WUSF are also being leveraged to increase support for the Pinellas Community Foundation's Childhood Hunger Relief Fund and Campaign. 

We're honored to be named one of the top public relations firms in Tampa Bay by Expertise. Among 100 firms reviewed, Madeira made the coveted top 18 list. Read more about how we stacked up against the competition here.

T​hank you to all who attended this morning's workshop hosted by Donate Life Florida. We hope you found the information to be helpful in your work to save lives by continuing to grow Florida's donor registry. Below are a few of the resources mentioned during today's discussion:

Data/Research
2017 Edelman Trust Barometer
http://www.edelman.com/executive-summary/

Nobody Wants to be Wrong: Understanding the Political Divide
https://www.jou.ufl.edu/insidaights/nobody-wrong-political/
 
Recommended Reading
Don’t Think of an Elephant
http://amzn.to/2qmC3YV

Contagious: Why Things Catch On
http://amzn.to/2ppT57r

Madeira is honored to win its third Hermes Creative Award for a strategic communication plan developed on behalf of the state of California Department of Public Health. The plan provides a researched based roadmap to increase visibility and participation in the state's nationally recognized asthma management programs.

Madeira Public Relations has had the distinct pleasure of working with the Pinellas Community Foundation as it it embarks on an ambitious rebranding campaign. Efforts encompass the upcoming launch of a refreshed website and a host of other media and marketing initiatives including a digital storyteller campaign featuring interviews and testimonies by the foundation's 80 grant recipients.

Madeira was pleased to return to the Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay to host another series of workshops for Tampa Bay Area nonprofit executives. Workshops offered included Digital Video 101 and Building Your Strategic Communications Plan.

Workshop attendees included WUSF, Metropolitan Ministries, Tampa Bay Watch, Ironman Foundation and numerous other respected local charities. If you are interested in having Madeira host a professional development workshop for your organization, please click here to learn more! 

The National Office of the American Lung Association has tapped Madeira Public Relations to lead a digital advertising campaign promoting the importance of lung cancer tumor testing. The campaign will encourage lung cancer patients to have more meaningful conversations with their doctors to ensure their treatment plan best addresses their specific tumor type.

Madeira Public Relations will serve as the Florida state media advocacy lead for the American Heart Association's advocacy endeavors in Tallahassee this legislative session while also providing ongoing strategic communications support. Madeira will focus on five public health focused policy initiatives this session including efforts to increase healthy food access for the 2 million Floridians now living in food deserts.

The holidays are the perfect time to remind our valued clients and colleagues how much we appreciate your business and support. Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and a delightful New Year!

Famed photographer Chase Jarvis famously said, "The best camera is the one you have with you." These days, our smartphones are often what's handy when opportunity strikes. The problem is the sound quality is horrendous at best. Your smartphone's microphone is designed for supporting phone calls but provides consisently poor audio quality when shooting video. 

We're huge fans of Rode brand microphones, which can be purchased on Amazon for under $100 and will dramatically enhance the quality of every video you shoot.

Stay tuned for more tips or schedule a private tutorial to learn more about building a digital brand video libary connects that you to your target audience.

Heather Grzelka, APR, principal and founder of Madeira PR has been appointed to the Florida Public Relations Association State Executive Committee. Grzelka will serve as the organization's Vice President of Research and Planning for the 2016-2017 board year. She will be responsible for leading statewide research initiatives strengthening the nation's oldest professional public relations association’s influence and impact on cultivating outstanding accredited practitioners.
 
Grzelka is also the immediate past president of the Florida Public Relations Association Tampa Bay Chapter where she was recently recognized with the prestigious state President's Award for Chapter Administration. Grzelka continues to serve on the chapter’s board of directors and is a passionate advocate for developing opportunities to help young PR professionals succeed in their careers.  

Madeira PR recently completed development on a strategic marketing and communications plan for the California Department of Public Health. The plan reflects months of target market research designed to increase the impact and demand for the state's asthma intervention resources for school and health professionals. 

The ability to control asthma symptoms has proven to reduce emergency room utilization rates and improve academic performance. California now has a clear delivery structure and system to track and measure progress toward meeting its goal of reducing the burden of asthma on its more than 3 million residents living with this serious and in rare cases fatal lung disease. 

Madeira has also developed similar asthma intervention communication strategies and tactics for the national office of the American Lung Association.

Madeira PR is pleased to welcome the Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) to our client roster. Serving Pinellas County for nearly 50 years, generous PCF donors ensure local nonprofits receive necessary grant funding to continue their service missions.

Today, more than 130 Pinellas based nonprofits rely on the foundation's steady support. Donors who give to the foundation are committed to making a long term investment in their community. Interest and dividends yielded from these generous contributions are disbursed through a competitive grant program that is structured to provide perpetual annual funding to local charities making the biggest impact on hunger, homelessness and other critical issues impacting the quality of life in Pinellas County, Fla.

Madeira will be leading the foundation's rebranding efforts including the launch of a new website and increased earned media visibility. 

Madeira is now a Florida state certified Woman-Owned Small Business! Our certification is applicable to the following suite of services:

• 80141505 - Marketing plans
• 80171600 - Publicity and marketing support services
• 80171602 - Online and social media publicity service
• 80171603 - Publicity and marketing advisory service
• 80171800 - Media relations services
• 80171802 - Media relations and advisory service
• 80171803 - Media training and coaching service
• 82101900 - Media placement and fulfillment
• 82111700 - Creative writing
• 82111704 - Copywriting
• 82111705 - Speech writing
  ​

The firm is also holds the same certification at the federal level. Please keep us in mind for your contracting support needs. 

When caught in a prickly situation, deciding your next move can be a difficult task amidst increased media scrutiny. The key to navigating any crisis requires:
​

• Admitting there is a problem.
• Describing how your organization is taking action to correct the problem.
• Taking the corrective action you've promised as quickly as possible.
  
  

Need a lifeline? We're here to help. Know that  a crisis can happen to any organization and is not a question of if but when. The best defense is having a good plan in place.

Schedule your complimentary crisis consultation today to learn more about how your organization can better position itself to avoid or reduce the impact of troubled times.

Madeira will be joining our friends at Imagine Consulting to lead a media relations workshop at the Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay next Friday, May 6th. As of today, registration is still available by clicking here.

Inevitably, there is never enough time, even in a jammed packed four hour workshop, to fully delve into this vast and sometimes complex topic. That is why we always like to offer a resource guide where students can continue to explore the subject matter at their own pace.

Even if you are not able to join us next week, we thought it would be helpful to share an abbreviated listing of books Madeira keeps handy on our own office bookshelf. Foremost,The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law is a book (now also available digitally) we reference on an almost daily basis. Others that we regularly rely upon include:

Cutlip & Center's Effective Public Relations, Glen M. Broom

The Media Training Bible, Brad Phillips

Public Relations Writing: The Essentials of Style and Format, Thomas H. Bivins

The Elements of Style, William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

Woe is I, The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, Patricia T. O'Conner

Confessions of a Public Speaker, Scott Berkun

The Power of Visual Storytelling, Ekaterina Walter and Jessica Gioglio

Primer of Public Relations Research, Don W. Stacks