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Anyone can claim to practice public relations. Anyone. Edward Bernays, a 20th century pioneer in the field, bemoaned this development. It seems little has changed. If anything, the market is even more crowded with self-proclaimed "public relations experts."

So, as a public relations professional, what can you do? How do you differentiate yourself from the legion of individuals who claim to practice public relations?

You get educated. You seek training and professional development opportunities. You work to deepen your understanding of the rich tapestry that is public relations.

That’s why you joined PRSA in the first place. And that’s …

Welcome to ‘Meet the Board Mondays’, a new series to help you get to know your 2019 Board of Directors. This year, the San Francisco Bay Area chapter is led by a dynamic, passionate group of PR pros who are committed to help advance the profession and the professional in this foggy city! In our second installation, we bring you our Director of Awards and President-Elect (2020), Aida Zepeda-Torres.

Give me a P-R-S-A!

P: PERSON  

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi! I'm Aida Zepeda-Torres and I'm this year's PRSA SF Bay Area Director of Awards …

I recall the time when I first moved to the Bay Area in 2013 from New York. Given that I was so new to the area, I wanted to network with as many people as possible to get a better understanding of the landscape and to make new connections. One of the individuals who I would later meet a few years later was Michele Horaney. She was Chapter President at the time in 2015 and we met for coffee at the Nespresso Cafe over by Grant and Geary in SF.  I recall Michele letting me know about the PRSA-SF Bay …

Welcome to ‘Meet the Board Mondays’, a new series to help you get to know your 2019 Board of Directors. This year, the San Francisco Bay Area chapter is led by a dynamic, passionate group of PR pros who are committed to help advance the profession and the professional in this foggy city! To kick things off, we start with our fearless leader, 2019 President John McCartney.

Give me a P-R-S-A!

P: PERSON  

Who is John McCartney?

John is our chapter’s 2019 President. He’s also the Managing Director of West Coast at Wise PR. A Filipino …

Today, brands demonstrate the value of their comms and PR programs through vanity metrics such as reach, share of voice, or impressions. But as C-suite executives demand to see a direct correlation between PR and real business results, the industry requires a new approach. To become a true business driver, the comms profession must undergo a complete shift to embrace data as part of its storytelling craft. The answer lies in taking a systematic and strategic approach to earned media campaigns through Earned Media Management.

Earned media management provides a strong framework that delivers the much-needed tools and resources …

On behalf of the PRSA-SF board, I want to thank YOU – our members, future members, local students, partners, sponsors, and the whole PR community here in the Bay Area – for such a fun, memorable, and impactful 2018. As I reflect upon the year, I’m reminded of so many highlights, including:

• Trying new things. In the Spring, we enjoyed partnering with the Oakland A’s for a sports PR and journalism panel and night at the ballgame, the first event of its kind in years. We also held a Personality Types program on leveraging your uniqueness for workplace success …

Get in the holiday spirit with your friends at PRSA-SF and AMA SF at a special holiday party to benefit our friends in the Tenderloin! Mingle in one of San Francisco’s hottest lounges with marketing, PR and communications professionals from across the Bay. Learn about open positions and scout new talent for your organization.

Indulge in holiday cheer with light fare, complimentary drinks (depending on ticket purchased), dancing and photo booth fun. Participate in a silent auction to benefit the Tenderloin After-School Program, from which proceeds will go directly to the nonprofit group whose mission is to provide a …

We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at this Thursday’s storytelling and networking event at PianoFight in San Francisco. We’re particularly excited as this event is unique for us – during the typical drinks and mingling, we’ll be taking volunteers to take the stage and share stories. The theme for the stories will be, “a turning point in your career.” Then, we’ll head into PianoFight’s small venue to hear those stories live, on stage!

As PR pros, we’re constantly telling stories, so you already know that a good story needs a clear setting, defined characters, a plot that’s …

Meet Isaac Kos-Read,

President, Kos Read Group, Inc.

We periodically feature veteran and new PRSA San Francisco members and tell the story of their public relations career. If you would like to suggest a PRSA San Francisco member for a profile, please send an email to info@prsasf.org.

Why did you join PRSA and what is one of your favorite benefits that the organization provides?

I joined PRSA to stay abreast of the crazy fast pace of change in PR. Every day it feels like there is a new tech platform or tool for telling better stories, managing …

A Message from John Vernon - 2018 PRSA San Francisco Board President

They say time flies when you’re having fun – at PRSA-SF, we must be having a lot of fun! While 2018 sure seems to be flying quickly, I’m excited to take a few moments to reflect upon a successful first half of the year, and to look forward to everything we have in store for the second half of the year.

At our board’s kick-off retreat in January, one of the goals I expressed as Chapter President focused on trying new things this year. This is something I’ve …