I recently was asked by a long-time communications colleague, “How do you convince leaders to shift away from defensive communications and toward …

The Hispanic Public Relations Association Silicon Valley (HPRA SV), the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Bay Area (NAHJ Bay Area), and Northeastern University Silicon Valley hosted a panel discussion in San Jose about the rise of ChatGPT-like programs and the AI technology that’s powering them.

David Vossbrink has been a mentor to many people over his long career, both formally and informally, and both within the PR profession and outside of it. It’s led to mutually rewarding relationships, but sometimes it’s also been frustrating when mentees haven’t taken full advantage of the opportunity of working with a seasoned pro.

PRSA SV’s flagship online event Friday Forum broadcast in full force on May 19th with attendees from corporations and startups across many roles from executive coaches to media relations consultants.

Hundreds of mostly Bay Area public relations professionals gathered Tuesday night at the San Mateo Marriott for the first time since 2019 for the 15th Annual Public Relations Society of America  Silicon Valley (PRSA SV) Media Predicts gala.  At the start, President Vanessa Yanez was…

On the Friday Forum “From College to Comms Pro,” I learned what it’s been like to shift from university life to a communications career in recent years. I heard how things have changed, and stayed the same, since I graduated. In the panel on September…

The communications industry’s most popular pre-holiday event is returning in person for the first time in three years on December 6th at the San Mateo Marriott. PRSA Silicon Valley is excited to announce Media Predicts 2022, an evening celebrating the diverse PR professionals and media…

The College of Fellows is the pinnacle group of professionals in PRSA. the Society. It’s considered the gold standard for public relations professionals. Induction into the College is an emergence into new ways of serving the PR profession and the professional. Nearly 700 members have…

Allison+Partners recently released its latest report, Purpose Under Pressure, in collaboration with Carol Cone ON PURPOSE and The Harris Poll — noting significant growth in a company’s Purpose driving employees’ decision-making and overall buy-in. The research builds upon the findings of a 2020 study, The…

How we shop, eat, and consume goods has changed forever since the pandemic. Our May 20 #FridayForum, co-hosted with PRSA Colorado, was moderated by Robin Raskin, a long-time journalist, author, publisher, award-winning technologist, and founder of Virtual Events Group. The panel featured Head of Custom…

Our May 13 #FridayForum featured industry experts BOCA Communications HR Director Wendy Brittain, Aspira Consulting CEO & Founder Oscar Garcia and Bill.com PR Specialist Phoebe Nguyen. Moderated by PRSA-SV Board Member Adriana Gonzalez Sebastian, the panel offered lots of valuable tips about how to ensure…

Finding Mentors and Getting Value from the Relationship with Mega Jewell, Odalys Jasmine Garcia, and Jeannie Entin To Odalys Jasmine Garcia Arce, mentorship is “Sometimes for a reason, a season or a lifetime.” Working as LinkedIn’s events project manager and creator-host of Hella Latin@ Podcast,…

In the world of communications, it is important to grab your audience’s attention to gain their understanding of your message. The ongoing pandemic has caused changes in the marketplace and given rise to the “attention economy.” On April 22, #FridayForum welcomed Manhattan Strategies, an independent…

Hi everyone. My name is Raina Stroescu and I am a public relations major at the University of Oklahoma who has been interning with PRSA Silicon Valley the past few months. I’m about to enter my senior year of college and begin the job application…

Trust in tech companies has continued to decline in the U.S. and Canada, while rising in most of the rest of the world. That’s according to fresh data from Edelman’s annual 2022 Trust Barometer, shared first with Axios. Why it matters: The decline in trust…

Panelists at our March 18th PRSA-Silicon Valley #FridayForum overwhelmingly agreed that the pandemic continues to massively disrupt job networking, searching and hiring. Their advice is to be your best self, use tools like LinkedIn wisely, find your next job before you need to, and have…

At a recent #FridayForum, several managers of the multi-award-winning PR agency Bospar discussed how former journalists provide a distinctive perspective that’s appreciated by tech PR clients.  Bospar’s panelists included: Curtis Sparrer, principal, co-founder and a former broadcast news producer, SocialMedia VP Mega Jewell, previously a…

Employee engagement has always been important – even more so now with the shift to remote/hybrid working. In many companies, this shift has resulted in a decline in employee engagement and connection. At a recent PRSA-SV #FridayForum, Visa VP and Head of Global Employee and…

Early on in our PRSA-SV #FridayForum chat, Visa’s Head of Global Employee and Executive Communications Stacey Zolt Hara shares, “First and foremost, I am a writer.” From reporter to press secretary, and later as policy director for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), her focus was…

There are no second chances to make a first impression. Here’s how those starting new roles should make an effort to stand out. It’s always both exciting and stressful to take a new position—it’s a leap into the semi-known and an opportunity to start building…

Trust. It’s one of the most elusive and important currencies in our society. In a world where trust seems to vanish more and more each passing day, Edelman shares the numbers behind what we trust, why we trust it, and what it means when our…

Anyone with access to the Internet can create an epidemic of misinformation and disinformation with just a few keystrokes. In fact, 87% of executives say the spread of disinformation is one of the greatest reputational risks for businesses today. Especially in this era of COVID…

The career challenges we are confronting are new and we are in the midst of finding solutions. The “New Normal” is not normal, but it is new. The most significant shift is that the job seeker is in the driver’s seat and the temptation to…

BOCA had the pleasure of sponsoring PRSA Silicon Valley’s 14th annual MediaPredicts, a pre-holiday event that’s a must-attend for anyone who plays a role in the world of high-tech PR. MediaPredicts features a panel of high-profile reporters who come together to reflect on the past…

I have a confession to make. Online meetings can be dry. I should know: my PR agency Bospar has been a remote, work-from-home agency since we launched at the start of 2015. While PRovoke declared our model “prescient” at the height of the lockdown, they…

With research, planning, and evaluation, your job interview is a lot like a PR campaign. At a recent PRSA Silicon Valley workshop, two PR pros with very different perspectives shared their insights on how to ace a job interview. David Vossbrink has nearly a half-century…

If you’re ready to boost your social media, consider making videos. No matter what digital media platform you or your clients are on, chances are you’ll notice there’s more video than ever before. As a former television anchor and reporter, I learned firsthand how valuable…

Here’s how young PR pros can push for change from within their organizations The social unrest that unraveled during the pandemic has caused a seismic shift in the expectations of young, emerging professionals. According to Glassdoor, nearly 80% of job seekers consider the need for a…

PRSA Silicon Valley (SV), part of the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community, has announced a new board member, Judy Cushman, a new agency advisory committee member, Manhattan Strategies, several signature events and more. As part of a national network of more than…

Dear PRSA Silicon Valley Fam:  It’s fall and it definitely feels like we’re just getting started. I’m thrilled to share that PRSA Silicon Valley is out there accomplishing so much for you – our community – including distributing awards to our diversity scholarship winners, expanding…

In August, United Airlines announced that all of its 67,000 employees must receive COVID-19 vaccines or risk losing their jobs. The airline, the first U.S. carrier to impose a vaccine mandate on its workers, initially set a late-October deadline for employees to prove their vaccination status, but…

While many companies talk about diversity, equity and inclusion, recruiting and hiring practices for people of color in management occupations are progressing at an unimpressive pace.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the makeup of public relations managers in the U.S. is predominantly white (91%)…

As PR pros, it’s our job to promote our clients or employers. Published articles that include links back to their websites are SEO gold. That said, should we ever insist a journalist include a backlink in an article? Digiday Reporter Lara O’Reilly (@larakiara) recently tweeted…

Here’s how finding connection helped one PR pro keep her career going during COVID-19. For the past 16 months, we’ve all been riding the COVID rollercoaster. None of us chose to get on board, but nevertheless we were forced to deal with the highs and…

“The hallmark of a successful career is good work, not a title.” Many of us found our way to public relations through meandering paths or happenstance. Not so with Adrienne O’Hara, Gap Inc.’s head of comms and culture. Adrienne knew exactly what she wanted to…

As far as Latinos in Communications are concerned, the stats are grim: in 2014, only 10.5% of people employed in public relations were Hispanics, even though they make up about 18% of the general population and are the second fastest-growing population segment. In 2018, a Harvard…

PRSA-SV #FridayForums serve as a platform for individuals to speak out on a variety of topics and express their beliefs without judgment. Last Friday, we had the pleasure of listening to Board Member and Bospar Principal/Cofounder Curtis Sparrer, National LGBTQ Task Force Communications Director and…

Have you ever considered a career in the public sector? PRSA-SV’s #FridayForum How We Got Here: Working in Public Sector Comms panelists provided key insights on a broad range of career opportunities the public sector has to offer and helped us understand how communications and…

#FridayForums provide an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge on a wide range of topics – from how to be a good storyteller to adapting to the different tasks life throws at us. Last Friday, Bloomberg News Senior Executive Editor, Global Technology Brad Stone shared tips…

The Silicon Valley Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America stands in solidarity with our diverse Asian-American community and colleagues. But it’s not enough to merely voice our support: we must do the work as well. As professional communicators, we have the responsibility to…

“Companies are under greater scrutiny than ever before,” said Howard Bragman, founder of La Brea Media in Beverly Hills, Calif. and our featured #FridayForum speaker. While a PR professional might see a crisis as an opportunity to get a quote or an opinion covered by the…

There’s good news for communications professionals: recruitment and corporate searches are heating up! As the economy recovers, businesses look for ways to retain and motivate great talent. Our March 26 #FridayForum featured KC Partner’s Recruiter Brooke Kruger  and BOCA Communications Founder Kathleen Shanahan. The panelists…

Women’s History Month gives us time to reflect on all the incredible contributions made by women in the public relations industry over the years. While there have been many trailblazing communicators in history like Betsy Plank, our recent #FridayForum featured three women at Roku who…

Looking to start your own PR agency, comms consultancy or build a side hustle? Our #FridayForum guests Flock Marketing Agency Founder Alice Chan, Upwork Director Jeff Kruger and SmartHustle Founder Ramon Ray say the business climate’s favorable to go independent and be successful. Alice Chan…

For those of us who have been in Silicon Valley for a while, Jon Swartz is about as iconic in technology journalism as the Golden Gate Bridge and Ghirardelli Square are to San Francisco. A 20+ year veteran with publications such as USA Todayand MarketWatch,…

A Conversation with Eric Newcomer: For those of us in the PR industry, the idea of sidelining the media might seem counterproductive. After all, so many of us have built our professional identities around our ability to work effectively with the press, and we take…

Ethnic communities in the U.S. are growing. As communicators, we need to utilize smart tactics to reach them. For example, the demographics of my town of Saratoga, a quaint village nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, switched from mostly white to Asian…

PRSA Silicon Valley dipped its collective ears, voices and toes into Clubhouse last week when Smart Media Hustle Founder Ramon Ray engaged, entertained and enlightened a global group of some 50 PR professionals. MC’d by Chapter President/HP Global Head of Print Communications Vanessa Yanez and…

FridayForums regal us with insightful conversations about the state of PR and how to wrangle through a world gripped in unpredictability. We were fascinated, abhorred and inspired (sometimes all at the same time!) by the events of 2020. I remember vividly how our fearless Chapter…

This Friday we’re bringing back a popular FridayForum guest  – Morning Consultant Cofounder and CEO Michael Ramlet. Last year, Michael’s Data Driven Brand Communications During COVID helped us decide where to focus our brand-centered communications. His January 22 presentation is sure to be just as…

At our last #FridayForum of 2020 (aka Season Finale), Robin Beaman made us laugh, shared career stories, and inspired us to reach new heights. Robin’s remarkable career includes establishing the PR department at Black Entertainment Television (BET) and managing publicity, community engagement and special events…

Ageism is getting old. “Long on experience” used to be a badge of honor. Oh, how times have changed! While ageism has been with us in the workplace for many years, today it’s routine in technology and many other industries. For many of us, it…

How is COVID-19 affecting American priorities and perceptions?  We found out at our PRSA-SV #FridayForum featuring Andrea “Andy” Coville, author and CEO of global communications firm Brodeur Partners. Andy specializes in helping organizations achieve relevance – an elevated brand state that fully engages the market’s…

Our #FridayForum featured PRSA Silicon Valley Board Member Netta Conyers-Haynes, who recently joined Sequoia Consulting Group as Vice President of Corporate Communications. She talked about her career, her path to the top, taking a new job (and leaving one) during a pandemic, and lessons she…

As public health communications experts for Santa Clara County, Britt Ehrhardt and Marianna Moles have been in the eye of the pandemic storm since January.  In a complex and contradictory environment of shifting priorities, incomplete and changing information, and competing agendas, they’ve worked with a…

Businesses must now decide how to manage three intertwined issues: the election, Covid-19, and the necessity of action on diversity, equality and inclusion. Our October 23 #FridayForum, featuring Edelman COO Lisa Ross and moderated by PRSA-SV Board Member/SJSU Assistant PR Professor Dr. Shaun Fletcher, left…

This year’s turbulent “pandemic economy” has created insecurity in the job market, hitting PR practitioners especially hard. There are, however, a few silver linings among these economic storm clouds. Despite the hiring freezes, layoffs, and furloughs we’ve seen throughout corporate America, Amazon has been “hiring…

Remember Samantha Jones, of Sex and the City fame? She was the epitome of what PR was thought of for many decades. Glitz, glamor, parties, etc. No longer, says Gideon Fidelzeid, PRWeek editor.  Today, the C-suite is leaning on their comms counsel, both in-house and…

At our “Recruiting Top Diverse Talent” #FridayFriday on Oct. 2, PRSA Silicon Valley Board Member Elsa Kebede sat down (virtually) with The LAGRANT Foundation Chairman & CEO Kim Hunter to talk about racial diversity in the workplace. And why the industry’s approach to equitable change…

2020 has without a doubt been THE year of upheaval. Covid awakened us to major disparities. Conversations about equity, diversity and inclusion are finally being heard but we know we have so much work to do. So what happens when a panel of PRSA-SV members…

Healthcare communicators have always worked on the front lines of life and death. Now in the midst of the pandemic and other recent events, healthcare issues are a central part of everyone’s lives. On PRSA-SV’s last #FridayForum,  Amy Flood (SVP, Public Affairs, Gilead Sciences), Brent…

Employers have relied on the expertise of their communications teams to help navigate the monumental events occurring around the world. Just as people were acclimatizing to the pandemic “new normal,” protests against racial injustice erupted in response to the senseless death of George Floyd. Because…

When this pandemic first hit, few of us imagined the severe impact on our livelihoods. PR agencies are losing clients. Companies are putting comms initiatives on hold or eliminating them altogether. This has resulted in employee pay cuts, layoffs and reduced outsourcing to subcontractors.  …

New Board Members Across Agency, Corporate and Public Sector Answer the Call to Serve, Educating and Advocating for Industry Change and Connecting 1000 Mentors to 1000 Mentees SILICON VALLEY, September 1, 2020 – PRSA Silicon Valley, as part of PRSA, the nation’s leading professional organization serving the…

VC marketing and communications roles are some of the most coveted roles in the PR industry. The industry is known for low attrition and a finite number of available roles. Meanwhile, the venture and startup ecosystem is fast paced, stressful and ever changing. So what…

PRSA SV is the first group to interview Simone Ross in her new role as TED’s new tech curator. “My job,” she says, “is to seek, source and find the cool, interesting, smart, wonderful and meaningful stuff that is happening in tech, as a driver of productivity and progress, both social and economic.

On Friday, August 7, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel that included Shai Phillips of Berkhemer Clayton, Inc, Jennifer Doidge of Russell Reynolds Associates, Peter McDermott of Korn Ferry, and Judith Cushman of Judith Cushman & Associates. No one saw 2020 coming. No one could have planned for it. Layoffs, furloughs,…

Marketing a consumer brand in today’s rapidly changing environment is challenging. This is especially true for Early Warning VP of Consumer Brand and Marketing Melissa Lowry and VP of Communications Jeremiah Glodoveza.

As technology continues to play a critical part in how we consume information and engage with the world, there’s no better way to understand its impact on our lives than to hear it from those who report on it.

Friday’s Forum focused on five ways we can refuel and increase resilience during a prolonged period of life during a pandemic.

“Pride is Cancelled. Now What?” #FridayForum By Intern Leith Ghuloum and PRSA Silicon Valley Chapter Immediate Past President & NVP Vice President, Head of Marketing Ellie Javadi On Friday, June 26 we were joined by Alexandra Legend Siegel of Salesforce, Andy Nguyen of Out in…

During the June 12 Friday Forum, we were joined by guest speaker Michael Ramlet, the co-founder and CEO of Morning Consult, a data intelligence company that delivers real-time insights on consumer trends. In the midst of a civil rights movement and a pandemic, the need…

In the midst of a global pandemic, injustice and discrimination in the US have reached a tipping point. Our June 5 #FridayForum with HP’s Chief Communications Officer Karen Kahn and Chief Diversity OfficerLesley Slaton Brown honed in on the current inflection point felt across society.

Communication saves lives when you’re UNICEF. Its impact responding to the global pandemic
with supplies, support and lifesaving information is as far-reaching as it is inspiring. UNICEF
USA CMO Shelley Diamond shared the following insights during PRSA Silicon Valley’s #FridayForum.

Sarah Frier, Bloomberg tech reporter and author of No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram, pulled no punches in her Mary 22 #Fridayforum opening salvo: “When one becomes conscious of how performance is measured on social platforms and why, we rethink what we value and how we behave.”

At the May 15, 2020  #FridayForum, we heard from Porter Novelli’s VP of Marketing Research & Insights Whitney Dailey and EVP / Global Lead of Innovation & Impact Practice Sandy Skees. The duo shared the firm’s newest proprietary COVID-19 Tracker, a benchmark study examining American…

On Friday, our eager community of PR and communications professionals gathered to hear insights from esteemed social media experts and consumer behavior specialists — Cindy Waters, a Digital Strategist Consultant, and Sean DallasKidd, Partner and CCO at Demonstrate.

During the May 1 #FridayForum she shared candid and thoughtful stories about how her team is handling communications during COVID-19.

In last week’s #FridayForum, we hosted an esteemed group of communications and marketing recruiting professionals. Our all-star panelists included: Jessamyn Katz, the President of Heyman Associates, a global recruiting firm specializing in Marketing and Communications Leadership and Executive Searches. Angee Linsey, the founder and CEO…

In last week’s #FridayForum, National Emmy-Winning TV News Reporter Joe Vazquez, gave us an inside perspective the COVID-19 news environment. He said 80 to 90 percent of coverage at KPIX5 is related to the pandemic, as it is with most news channels all over the…

Three Bay Area professors led a lively discussion about “Communications Education in the Age of Misinformation” during our second #FridayForum on April 10. Communications leaders from USF, SJSU and the Naval Post Graduate School described the perception gaps they experience teaching in a virtual classroom…

By HP Communications Specialist Shruti Sharma Last Friday PRSASV + SF had a conversation with Edelman’s CEO, Richard Edelman, to talk about “Brand Trust and the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Richard covered real-time statistics and insights on consumer attitudes towards brand behaviors during Covid-19. We learned where…

By Mar Junge, Senior Leaders Team More than 75 PR agency owners, principals, and senior leaders called in to PRSA’s Counselors Academy COVID-19 online meeting this week to share advice and best practices. If you’re a CAPRSA member, you can link to the recording on…

By Vanessa Yanez, Chapter President It’s only mildly amusing that I wrote this on the weekend anniversary of Careercast’s “most stressful jobs in America” ranking. As many of us laughed/lamented about how nobody knows how to define public relations, the profession ranked 8th “most stressful”…

By Meghan Fintland, PRSA Silicon Valley Board Member This year marks my 20 year anniversary of working in PR. Wow, have times changed! Over two decades, I’ve been fortunate to work at agencies and corporations, both large and small across the technology, healthcare, automotive, and…

Chuck Byers, Professor of Practice, Santa Clara University What’s Up? I taught brand management at Santa Clara University for many years. Now I’m also teaching marketing for all MBA students and serve on a committee overseeing an online MS in Marketing (using my brand management…

By Lacey Haines The PRSA Silicon Valley’s Annual Spotlight Awards recognizes the Valley’s top agency and in-house talent. Nominees were recognized at the November 13, 2019 Media Predicts Gala & Award Ceremony. Today, we announce the winners and thank everyone involved, including our esteemed nominees….

As I reflect on this past year of service, I’m feeling so appreciative of what our community accomplished in 2019. This year, we doubled down on our mission to offer peer-group experiences that help forge deep camaraderie, connection and support. In spite of how busy we all are, we each…

What’s your background and what are you doing now? My roots are in the Midwest (Eastern time zone) but I have a multi-geographical background that includes country, city, beach and the mountains in Michigan, Colorado and northern California. After graduation from university, and fueled by…

The PRSA Silicon Valley Chapter has established the Ryan Donovan LGBTQ Memorial Scholarship to be awarded annually to an LGBTQ communications student attending an SF/Bay Area school. Donations can be made at the Gofundme page. LGBTQ students face a variety of obstacles, financial ones included. They may have less…

Are you interested in being a more proactive member of PRSA? Or, did you recently join and want to maximize your membership? Want to learn more about becoming an accredited pro (APR)? Maybe, you need points and hours to maintain your APR? Or, maybe you…

Jocelyn Breeland, Executive Director of Strategic Communications, Residential and Dining, Stanford University Tell us a little about your past and your current job… I’m on my second or third career – depending on how you count. With a degree in International Relations, I started as a…

Public Information Manager, San Jose Office of Economic Development Tell us about your current job… I’m the Public Information Manager at the San Jose Office of Economic Development, and at this stage of my career, this is the best job I’ve ever had. It’s not…

What’s your background and what are you doing now? Most recently, I managed public relations for a global leading-edge software company, overseeing seven PR agencies worldwide. As a result of my efforts, the company increased U.S. media coverage by 53%, global coverage by 93%, and tier-1…

By Steve Burns, Executive Vice President & Managing Director, West Coast at BCW Global The top seven crises to grace The Holmes Report’s “Top 20 Crises of 2018” span allegations of a CEO’s embezzlement, a sex scandal, the world’s second-largest cybersecurity breach and the knowing…

Ellie Javadi, VP – Head of Brand and Marketing, Norwest Venture Partners I’m super excited to share some of the truly inspiring information that was delivered at this year’s PRSA NPD Conference held in Seattle last month. First off, the speaker line-up was amazing! We heard from a…

This article originally appeared in Entrepreneur. Getting coverage in the mainstream press is more than just sending a pitch email to a reporter By Ellie Javadi, Head of Marketing, Norwest Venture Partners @ellie_java “How do I get coverage in TechCrunch, the Wall Street Journal and other tech pubs?”…

Graduation and summer internship season is upon us. Can you believe it’s already here? When I think back to when I was an aspiring PR intern, I remember the mix of emotions – excitement, anxiety, and eagerness (to name a few). Was I saying the…

Doing the very thing you don’t want to do often turns out well. Have you noticed that, too? My own reluctant flip-flop is responsible for the free resources I’m about to share with all of you, dear fellow members of the Silicon Valley PRSA. Here’s the advice…

“Networking” may be the one word that business communicators both love and hate with equal passion. It can drain the energy from even the most extroverted, yet maintaining and growing a network should be a top priority for all business professionals. A large, diverse and…

In this age when knowledge and information are king and social infrastructure platforms are de rigueur professional membership organizations are becoming even more essential to the progress and professional development of public relations and communications professionals. With credit to American Express, membership does have its privileges…

Krista Todd, senior director of external communications at PC, gaming and tablet accessories maker Logitech was my guest last week on “In Conversation with Silicon Valley”. The recently-promoted PR and social media leader, and former head of PR at TiVo, shared her views on a…

In Silicon Valley, we love our acronyms. As for abbreviations that come after a last name, not so much. It doesn’t take an advanced degree to drive innovation, launch a startup, or have a successful career in PR. So why, after nearly 40 years practicing…

As the technology industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, so does the demand for a dynamic relationship between journalists and public relations professionals. While some believe journalism has suffered over the years, we believe journalists and public relations professionals continue to play a…

2014 has been a thrilling year for the business and technology community within Silicon Valley and the global technology market. From the Alibaba IPO to the wearable takeover, let’s face it, technology is hot! While some may argue the business model of journalism is broken, journalists…

“We are the translators!” Bergevin discusses the complexity of ‘deep science’, and the Internet of Things. We are delighted to host Paul Bergevin as the latest guest on the “In Conversation with …Silicon Valley” live webinar series recently. Paul is one Silicon Valley’s most accomplished communications leaders….