expertise | The Parthenon

Written by Kathryn Stuart, Olympia Creative Account Executive

As public relations professionals, there are many values and competencies we are taught and expected to uphold throughout our professional careers. The PRSA Professional Values set out to guide our work. They include: advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty and fairness. Olympia Creative is made up many diverse individuals with the ability to provide our own style of conducting business, and that is what makes us unique. At the end of the day, our different styles are rooted in the values we apply to every aspect of our campaign.

As account executive, there are two values I focus on: advocacy and honesty. The PRSA Professional Values describes advocacy as “serving the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent.” As advocates for Capitol Area Special Olympics of Louisiana (CASOL) we must always be mindful of how we present ourselves when we speak on their behalf. Our two main goals for this semester are to obtain more corporate sponsors and increase awareness of the services CASOL provides. How and what we communicate with the two key audiences is different, but we always remain professional advocates for CASOL by presenting ourselves in a respectable, knowledgeable and professional manner.

As public relations professionals it is part of our job to clearly communicate with our clients, and the best way to achieve this is honesty. Author Ian Altman states, “Those who operate with transparency and integrity reap huge rewards.” As a team, we approach each person and situation equally by establishing open communication based on honesty, sincerity and respect.

One value, outside of the PRSA Professional Values, I find very fitting for Olympia Creative is passion. According to the 2013 Millennial Impact Research report, the millennial generation tends to be more passionate about charity work and has a greater sense of social responsibility. One of the greatest lessons I learned from my father was to find passion in whatever I do. Passion plays a huge role in what we are trying to achieve. Before we became Olympia Creative, we each had an individual passion for Capitol Area Special Olympics, and I believe our passion is what is going to keep us focused and enthusiastic about reaching our goals.

Author Ekaterina Walter describes successful brand advocacy as “the best advocacy programs enable customers to hold the image of a brand in their own hands.” I am inspired every time I meet with my group members for being perfect examples of this definition. Driven by our passion for Special Olympics, each member provides their own bit of flare and enthusiasm to our group. Our combined work ethics, values and passion for Special Olympics is what drives our determination to provide exceptional work for our client and enables them to view us as competent public relations professionals.

To find out more about Special Olympics visit its website, Facebook, and Twitter.

There’s a special magic in teamwork. Although Olympia Creative has newly been founded, we firmly believe six heads are better than one. We’ve all gained experience in the world of public relations through classes at Louisiana State University and through our own internships. Together with Capital Area Special Olympics (CASOL), we are eager to show off our wealth of knowledge and our arsenal of innovative tactics.

Brian Tracy, a leading author on the topics of personal and business success, once said, “Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.” Communication is at the heart and soul of an organization. Without being able to effectively communicate with its clients, an organization is not likely to flourish. With our help, we hope to open the floodgates of two-way communication for Capital Area Special Olympics and allow its message to be shared with its clientele, volunteers and sponsors. We also aim to reach those audiences who were not previously aware of the benefits of Special Olympics.

Since image is perception, public relations is essential to every company. Maintaining a distinct and specific image allows a company to have the upper-hand and the comparative advantage. Olympia Creative prides itself on its ability to maximize awareness of a company through the use of social media, guerrilla marketing tactics and advocacy events. And during all of our juggling, we can provide our clients with the knowledge and tools to sustain in an ever-changing social networking world.

At Olympia Creative, we believe in using the RACE strategy. This acronym stands for research, action planning, communication and evaluation. Research is imperative for effective communication. First, we must isolate and get to know our publics. This information will give us the tools to be able to effectively connect with them. Last week, we had a conference call with CASOL to get to know the organization a little better. We are also conducting our own research via online survey to get a little more information on how to better aid them. These courses of action are imperative to our strategy.

Next, action planning will allow us to alleviate its weaknesses and capitalize on its strengths. We will be able to flip issues into solutions and reach our target goals and objectives. We will give CASOL the tools to use its Facebook page more effectively and consistently. Additionally, through the birth of a Twitter account we want to help CASOL reach its audience and establish new connections. Social media isn’t the only thing Olympia Creative’s got up its sleeve. We will also aid CASOL in its fundraising efforts by building its cache of corporate sponsors and creating and lucrative and enjoyable event for all of CASOL’s publics.

And after we’ve completed our events and implemented our strategies, we will measure our results. A campaign is nothing without evaluation. We’re confident in our abilities at Olympia Creative and we are ready to change the face of CASOL!