News / Articles

December 2021

Published on 12/15/2021

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Happy December!

It seems like only yesterday we were outside frolicking on the beach or in the pool and now the sun sets around 4:30 p.m. and the weather is colder. The holidays are upon us and everyone is in a (hopefully) festive mood!

The 2021 Pepperpot Awards, held December 1 at The Lucy, was a terrific event and the feedback we received was incredibly positive. After last year’s virtual event, it was amazing to gather in person to celebrate and recognize the top achievements in public relations campaigns, tactics and professionals, along with the proper protocols that we put in place to ensure safety. We also want to thank Fox 29’s Marcus Espinoza for doing a great job as our emcee for the night.

Congrats to all of our winners, in particular The American Association for Cancer Research, for receiving the Best of Show award in the category of Audio/Video Programs with its AACR Annual Meeting Press Conference Webcast: Connecting with Journalists Virtually to Promote the Latest Cancer Research.

On another front, we incorrectly reported in the last newsletter that the Philadelphia chapter would be celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2022. The year is actually 2023, but we’re still moving forward with plans for this celebration to honor the chapter’s history, leaders and members. It will be filled with news features, special events and a branding campaign, among other ideas.

The board is in the process of assembling a committee to plan and produce the events. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact me directly at michele_besso@yahoo.com.

We are still holding a 70th anniversary logo design contest. The winning submission will be featured on the chapter website and in our newsletter, media releases, print materials and even next year’s Pepperpot Awards materials.

To enter, please submit your design concepts to michele_besso@yahoo.com. The logo must contain our chapter name and the words "70th Anniversary." Please submit your entry in .jpeg and .png format and create both a color version and a black and white version.

Lastly, I would like to welcome our new board members to the table. I’m thrilled to work with each and every one of you and am excited to see what creative ideas you bring to the table. I’d also like to thank our current board members who are rotating off the board. You have worked hard this year and I appreciate all you did to make our chapter stronger. I wish you the best of luck and please stay involved with PRSA!

On December 20, we will be presenting an amazing program, “T he Evolving Philadelphia Media Landscape and How it Impacts PR Practitioners: A Deep Dive with The Lenfest Institute for Journalism.” Our programming chair, Shari Rosen, worked hard to put this event together and we hope to see you there via Zoom later this month!

As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, ideas or concerns at michele_besso@yahoo.com.

Enjoy the holidays and Happy New Year!

Best,

Michele Besso
President, PRSA Philadelphia

Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 Pepperpot Awards!

The PRSA Pepperpot Awards are a staple in the Philadelphia region, recognizing best-in-class PR campaigns, tactics, and professionals. The “Pepperpots” were named by Bill Parker, APR, then-chapter president and head of the Campbell Soup’s communications department, as a play on the famous “catch-all” Philadelphia soup to represent the effort and variety PR professionals put into their campaigns.

Earlier this month, PR and Communications professionals from the Greater Philadelphia region came together to honor and recognize the work of their peers. A total of 90 entries were judged independently by PRSA Central Michigan across more than 25 public relations categories—from campaigns such as public service, special events, and COVID communications to tactics such as feature stories, newsletters, and websites.

Read more about the event here.

The Evolving Philadelphia Media Landscape and How it Impacts PR Practitioners: A Deep Dive with The Lenfest Institute For Journalism

December 20 | 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Students $5 | Members $10 | Future Members $15
Register Today

Join PRSA Philadelphia for an exclusive fireside chat with Jim Friedlich, CEO and Executive Director of The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, an innovative non-profit organization that supports local journalism in Philadelphia and nationwide. The conversation will be moderated by Rick Alcantara, President of Rick Alcantara Consulting and Executive Communications Director for Princeton Strategic Communications. During this discussion, Jim will speak about lessons from the BEYOND Summit, how journalism in Philadelphia is being re-imagined and its impact on PR practitioners. This promises to be a terrific program, presented virtually to extend its reach.

The Holiday Hustle:
How to Find Time to Relax and Recharge Amid the Busy Season

By: Brittany Eifert,
Assistant Account Executive at RPA

The holiday season can be both an exciting and overwhelming time of year. For many, the season begins around Thanksgiving with Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping and continues through New Year’s Day with visits from family and friends. Leading up to this eventful time, though, students feel the stress of finals prior to winter break and employees work feverishly to button up any loose ends prior to holiday time off. Altogether, this season can be bittersweet. However, if you take the proper measures to stay afloat during the hustle period and recover after with rest and relaxation, you will likely enjoy the sweeter side of the holidays. Here are some helpful ways to accomplish these important goals:

Step away from your tasks at-hand: While it may seem impossible some days to take your eyes off of countless emails and projects as they pile up, the reality is you need to find a balance between your work and personal life. Take five minutes to get up and get your blood flowing at least a few times a day. This will give you a mental break from tedious work and allow you the opportunity to go outside and get some fresh air.
Take time off: If your company does not have a winter break, you should at least request some time off around the holidays. Whether you plan to spend time with family and friends, start an exercise regimen, or simply relax at home, it’s important to take some time to recharge and reset.
Set your out-of-office memo: These days, so many of us check for emails on our phones even after logging off of our laptops and desktops for the evening. Prior to your time off over the holidays, be sure to schedule an out-of-office automated reply for any emails that might come through during that time.

Overall, here at PRSA Philly we wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season.
We will see you next year!

Help PRSA Philadelphia Celebrate 70 Years of Service!

In support of our upcoming 70th anniversary, we're conducting a logo design contest! Submit your logo concepts for the chance to have your work featured throughout 2023 including on our website, monthly newsletter, media releases, print materials, and more!

The logo must contain our chapter name and the words “70th Anniversary.”
Entries must be in .jpeg and .png formats and contain a color and black and white version.

To enter, send your design concepts to michele_besso@yahoo.com..

Love your PRSA Membership? Encourage a friend or colleague to join today!
Learn more here.

PRSA Job Board
For those of you who may be in the hiring position, we hope that you will
submit your openings as they become available so we can share them with our
community of PR and communications professionals.
If you are on the job hunt yourself, check out our local chapter listings.
We also encourage you to visit the PRSA National job board.

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