Did you know our very own Stephanie Dufner was the social media strategist behind the Ice Bucket Challenge? She'll be sharing her insights on how the ALS Association used integrated communications in response to the flood of donations and publicity that poured in during the summer of 2014 at the Communicate Your Cause workshop on April 26, 2019, in Oxnard, California.

This half day event presented by the Gold Coast Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and California Lutheran University's Center for Nonprofit Leadership has limited seating, so register today by clicking here.

Hurray! Facebook is making it easier to mobilize your followers around community issues. Facebook is now in the process of rolling out a new feature called Community Action. If you haven’t received an email yet, Facebook should soon be sending your page notification inviting you to try this new advocacy tool.
 
According to Facebook, here’s how it works:

It's 2019! Does your organization have a solid plan to navigate this year ahead? Madeira will be leading a workshop at the Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 1 PM on how to craft a winning communications strategy. Register today by clicking here.

Madeira will be returning to the Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay on February to 7, 2019 at 1 PM to offer a workshop on how nonprofits can generate publicity. Attendees will learn what has replaced the old-fashioned press release and how to dazzle assignment editors with story ideas that capture headlines and television appearances.

This high energy class will also cover basic media training skills ensuring you shine the next time you're in the media spotlight.

This class is designed for anyone who is new to marketing and communications as well as those whose job involves interacting with the news media. Earn 3 CFRE continuing education points for attending this workshop. Register today by clicking here.

If you're in the Greater Los Angeles Area, you won't want to miss this informative workshop taught by our campaign director, Stephanie Dufner on January 30, 2019 at 10 AM at the California Lutheran University - Oxnard Center.

This workshop encompasses best practice tips and tricks on generating news media coverage and working with journalists. Topics Stephanie will cover include:

• effectively pitching your organization
  
• news release writing and distribution
  
• telling your story in a compelling way
  
• interview preparation
  
• cultivating relationships with journalists.
  

The program includes specific tips, tactics and strategies to get you started or enhance your existing media relations efforts. Register today by visiting here.

Madeira is thrilled to be honored with a gold MarCom Award for a media relations project completed for our Florida Dream Center client. 
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MarCom Awards honors excellence in marketing and communication while recognizing the creativity, hard work and generosity of industry professionals.

For the second year in a row, Madeira has been named one of the top PR firms in Tampa, and we couldn't be more thrilled! We're grateful to the good people at Expertise for recognizing our commitment to our valued customers and our passion for championing organizations with purposeful missions.

Madeira was honored with an APEX Award in the category of Writing - Editorial & Advocacy Writing for an article published on behalf of the American Heart Association in Tampa Bay. This is Madeira's sixth APEX Award since 2012.

The APEX Awards is an annual competition for corporate and nonprofit publishers, editors, writers and designers. With over 1,4000 entries in this year's competition, Madeira was selected among 556 Awards of Excellence recipients.  

Our Campaign Director Stephanie Dufner will be leading an AMAfeed this week covering copywriting, collaboration and creativity. Go ahead! Ask her anything! Discover how writing for business can and should be a pleasure!

The hot the movie to see this weekend is the Mr. Fred Rogers documentary, Won't You Be My Neighbor. For those of us who grew up watching Mr. Rogers, the movie is more than a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Mr. Rogers shaped the ethos of a generation touting kindness above all else.

The June 8, 2018 edition of The Atlantic featured an excerpt from a pamphlet two of the show's writers created as part of a good natured parody deciphering how to speak "Freddish."

​More accurately, the latest Pew Research study finds an estimated two-thirds of tweets linked to popular websites are generated by automated account. If bots rule Twitter, is it still worth the effort to try and break through the noise?

Yes! Twitter has become our defacto newswire service. Did you know that less than three percent of news stories are picked up from traditional wire services these days? The good news is that Twitter still holds the attention of influencers and opinion makers vital to your brand.

So go ahead and make some noise. Just make sure you repeat yourself or in the case of Twitter, retweet yourself. According to Nonprofit Tech for Good, being heard means placing your message in the pipeline more than once. Post your tweet and retweet it a few days later. Use HootSuite or another scheduling platform to repost your content during nonbusiness hours including late evenings and weekends. 

Remember, the average shelf life of a tweet is just 24 minutes. The more opportunities you create for your message to be seen, the more likely your brand will be heard.

It's one of our favorite days of the year--Give Day Tampa Bay! We're pleased to be supporting our friends at Suncoast Organized Animal Relief (SOAR) as a match sponsor. SOAR is nearing its goal of opening a pet food bank in Pinellas County, Florida but needs your help to get there! Please give generously between now and May 1 by visiting here to ensure every needy pet has a full bowl. 

Pets are important members of nearly half of all American families. Madeira Public Relations is proud to be guiding media and grassroots advocacy efforts to ensure the Fairness to Pet Owners Act is signed into law.

After spending time on Capitol Hill last week meeting with members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, we were assured by the positive feedback we received on this important consumer protection measure that will greatly reduce the number of pets re-homed for medical reasons. Consider  joining us by speaking up for the health of our companion animals. Visit APAW.org to take action today!

While consider the greater Tampa Bay Area home, we hang our hat on the fun side of the bridge! If you also call Pinellas County home, our amazing Nonprofit Leadership Center client is offering a special discount to attend their annual Leadership Conference. It's one of our favorite learning and networking events of the year, and we hope you can join us!

Politicians frequently make them. So do celebrities. Even members of the British Royal Family have been known to throw out one when speaking with audiences or members of the press (Prince Philip, I am thinking of you).

What I am speaking about: on-camera verbal blunders. They make a person look uninformed, unprepared or even worse, not qualified for an occupied or aspirational role. Who can forget Gary Johnson’s befuddled response on MSNBC’s Morning Joe about the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo. “What Is Aleppo?” the 2016 Libertarian Presidential Candidate inquired to the interviewer, Mike Barnicle. Barnicle went on to explain the city’s significance to the former New Mexico governor and thus established Johnson most likely lacked the capacity to occupy the nation’s highest political office.
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Words matter. They impact our credibility. Others form impressions of us based what we write or say. Shakespeare showed us the value of words in his poems and stage productions. 

Having served as a Nonprofit Leadership Center trainer for many years, we're thrilled to be taking on a new role! We'll be working to increase the number of organizations that turn to NLC first for their professional development and problem-solving needs by brightening their brand spotlight. If you live in the Tampa Bay Area, chances are you might not be taking advantage of all NLC has to offer! 

Florida West Ballet dancers surprise shoppers with a pop up performance at the Sundial St. Pete.
We had a blast helping the American Heart Association paint the town red for National Wear Red Day. On February 2, numerous landmarks across the Bay Area from The Dali Museum to the University of Tampa lit up red to take action against heart disease. The highlight of the day was filming a pop-up performance by the Florida West Ballet followed by a fashion show. 

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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
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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.