Pitch Perfect: Mastering the Art of Media Relations

Three journalists, three different media outlets, one question: is your brand “newsworthy?” Whether you are in the marketing and advertising industry, retail, or something as intricate as bioengineering, assisting the media’s ability to reach you is essential to the longevity and relevancy of businesses everywhere.

Join IABC Nashville Wednesday, March 20, for an in-depth panel discussion with some of the city’s most well-respected journalists as they share their insights on how to sharpen your storytelling skills and establish a good rapport with the media.

Panelists:

Stephanie Langston
Emmy-nominated reporter, WKRN

Ashley Haugen
Managing Editor, StyleBlueprint

Joel Stinnett
Reporter, Nashville Business Journal

Moderator:

Paul Ladd
Senior Correspondent & Director of Listener Response, World Christian Broadcasting

This lively discussion will cover best practices for business communicators reaching out to news outlets including:

  • Researching Your Story Angle
  • Anticipating Journalist Needs
  • Proper Introductions and Correspondence
  • Practicing Good Habits and Earning Favor

Event schedule:

11:30am-12pm – Networking
12:00pm-1pm – Panel Discussion and lunch

Register today

From keywords to intent: Energize your content strategy for 2019

Mark your calendar for our next professional development luncheon Wednesday, February 20, and join us for an in-depth panel discussion that will energize your 2019 content strategy. This is an event you do not want to miss! 

Whether you’re building your first strategy or you’ve been using the same approach for a while, it never hurts to revisit your content strategy plan — to make sure it’s innovative, strong, and intentional.

Come hear from Nashville’s top content strategists as they share with you their insights on how to maximize your brand’s content strategy in the new year! They’ll deliver their recent findings on the latest trends, winning tools, and their own stories of how to build a successful strategy that’s unique to your brand.

Reserve your spot today for this “must see” event

Event schedule:

11:30am-12pm – Networking
12:00pm-1pm – Panel Discussion and lunch

Meet our expert panelists and moderator:

Laura Creekmore
Director of Taxonomy and Content Strategy at Syndigo

Laura Creekmore has been making tech and content hold hands and play nice for more than 20 years. She is director of taxonomy and content strategy for Syndigo, a platform for suppliers and retailers to organize and share product content. For 10 years, she ran Creek Content, a consultancy focused on communications and content strategy for organizations in complex fields like health care and financial services, and before that led digital media at content marketing firm Hammock Inc. and co-created Smallbusiness.com. She has taught content strategy as an adjunct faculty member at Kent State University.

Laura graduated from Vanderbilt University and has a master’s in information science from the University of Tennessee. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Nashville, and a member of the board of directors for the Association of Junior Leagues International, the Oasis Center, and the Tennessee Justice Center. She is past chair of the board of Nashville Cable, and a past president of the Junior League of Nashville. She speaks and presents workshops on content strategy, content marketing, breaking through a cluttered media landscape, connecting with your audience, public speaking, and nonprofit governance issues.

Cynthia Floyd Manley
Director, Content Marketing and Social Engagement at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Cynthia Floyd Manley directs content marketing and social media strategy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, one of the largest academic medical centers in the Southeast. She leads an award-winning social media program for the Vanderbilt Health and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital brands, along with My Southern Health, a consumer health content site.

Manley began her career as a newspaper reporter and editor and is still considers herself a “journalist at heart.” She has served in a variety of roles at VUMC, including public information officer, publications editor, and marketing manager, as well as communications officer for Vanderbilt’s National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center.

She serves as an external advisor to the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network, is a member of SocialMedia.org and SocialMedia.org/Health and is active in the Association of American Medical College’s Group on Institutional Advancement.

Jesse Spear
Media & Content Marketing Strategist at redpepper

Jesse Spear is the Media & Content Marketing Strategist at redpepper — a creative agency in Germantown known for its work with Cracker Barrel, Slack, and Mars.

After growing up on Long Island, NY, she made her way south, earning her B.A. in both Media Studies and Spanish from the University of Virginia, then receiving her Master’s in Marketing from Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management. During her year at Vanderbilt, she realized her affinity for Nashville, agency life, and BBQ nachos.

At redpepper, she’s responsible for the agency’s internal content strategy. Jesse has made subject-matter expertise a strong pillar of redpepper’s content portfolio. Her efforts have led to a 219% increase in blog traffic, the implementation of a unique content calendar structure, and fine-tuned targeting tactics. As a newcomer to Nashville’s agency scene, she offers a fresh perspective on the importance of a creative, cross-platform content strategy.

Moderator Sarah “Birdie” Loeffler
Content Strategist at NDC, Inc.
IABC Nashville President

Sarah “Birdie” Loeffler is the Content Strategist at NDC, Inc. and has been a dedicated member of IABC since 2014. In 2018, she received the President’s Award for exceptional contributions by a chapter member to the health and growth of the chapter.

Birdie has a technical writing background and specializes in translating technical information into easily accessible and creative language for marketing purposes. At NDC, she oversees the marketing content strategy to provide a personalized experience between the NDC brand and their customers.

Reserve your spot today for this “must see” event

 

Valentine’s networking mixer: Fall in love with IABC Nashville

Join us for our first networking mixer of the year at Walden! In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’re sharing all of our love and bringing together middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky’s finest communications professionals over tasty libations, delicious bites and engaging conversation.

Enjoy your first drink and appetizers on us as you get to know our members and start building long-lasting relationships with some of the most enthusiastic connectors!

It’s a night you won’t want to miss. We promise you’ll love it. Reserve your spot today!

Where: Walden

Date: Thursday, February 7

Time: 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Members are FREE and non-members are $10 to attend! Prepay only. Registration will not be taken at the door. 

IABC is the only place to connect with communicators globally!

Reclaiming the Lost Art of Logic in Language on Wed., January 23

Join us on Wednesday, January 23 for a networking and professional development luncheon.

The war against ambiguity and nebulosity in our written communication is not won by correctly placed commas and dutifully agreed subject and verbs. It starts with logic – an adept alignment of audience with message, purpose, and medium.

Michael Deas, Director of Communications and Public Relations for Volkert, Inc., will discuss reclaiming the lost art of logic in language and use real-life examples to show where logical thinking helps make the communication process easier.

See you for lunch on Wednesday, January 23, at Maggiano’s Little Italy, 3106 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203.

Click here to register today!

Meet us at StagePost on Nov. 14

StagePost Studios is Hosting our Nov. 14 Networking and Professional Development Luncheon

Lynn Bennett, StagePost Studios Founder & CEO, will be our host at his state-of-the-art studios, located at 255 French Landing Drive in Nashville. Join us to learn why webcasting is gaining popularity with companies that need to connect with large audiences.

Webcasting is proving to be a highly successful way to reach and engage a wide audience because of the accessibility of both mobile devices and traditional computers.

 

Cost Effective, More Personal

Advances in technology make webcasting a cost-effective way to deliver town halls, product training, and corporate news and information. It delivers a more personal message than memos and press releases.

Lynn’s talk will focus on how to plan and design a webcast that gets the results your client or company wants. From developing an audience and creating the content to delivering it over the internet, Lynn will provide examples and discuss best practices. He will share video samples of several webcasts and discuss how they were produced and he measured their success.

We hope to see you for lunch on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at StagePost Studios, 255 French Landing Drive, Nashville, TN 37228.

Click here to register today!

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