Meet New Member Kelly Scargill

/in , , /by

New Member Spotlight

Name, Title, Organization: Kelly Scargill, Executive Director of Public Relations and Communications, SolutionHealth

Originally from: Pennsylvania

Currently live in: Peterborough, NH

Work History/Background: I began my career in Los Angeles in advertising at BBDO West in client management. I then shifted into public relations when I moved to San Francisco. After working for a couple of PR firms in the Bay Area with focus in high tech PR, I decided to move back east and get my master’s degree at George Washington University.

After graduating with my master’s, I worked in house for nonprofits in DC as the media relations and communications lead. After my son was born, my family moved closer to family in New Hampshire. I then worked in house for a public college for 10 years, and followed this with my role at SolutionHealth, which currently is the umbrella organization for Elliot Health System and Southern NH Health, in Manchester and Nashua, NH, respectively.

Why I Joined PRSA: I am excited to be part of a larger community of professionals, particularly after working in house. To learn from, and share ideas with, other like-minded people keep our work interesting, rewarding, and effective.

Most Challenging PR Situation I Have Faced: When COVID-19 hit, I was working for a public college. The vast majority of students were traditional in age—meaning teens and early 20s—and they lived on campus. Ensuring the health and safety of every student, staff member, and families of the students were of utmost importance. A clear, concise, adaptable, strategic communication plan and effective delivery was essential to meeting the needs of everyone. It was a great lesson in how to pivot and adapt, and how to best reach various audiences with tools and messaging that had not been considered before.

Bucket List Trip: Bora Bora.

Hobbies/Interests: Reading, running, swimming, writing, and spending time with my husband and my two kids, who are teens.

Contact Information: krshall@gmail.com

 

 

Register Now for Interact AI Conference!

/in , , , , /by

Registration is open for what’s shaping up to be the Yankee Chapter’s best professional development event of the year!

Interact AI: Workshop for Communications and PR Professionals is a high-impact workshop exploring how public relations and communications professionals can harness the power of artificial intelligence in real-world, strategic ways. From content planning and brand messaging to research, crisis response, and internal use-case development – this session will equip attendees with the insights and tools needed to apply AI with purpose and precision.

This event will be held October 6, 2025 at Southern NH University.

GET ALL THE DETAILS HERE

REGISTER BEFORE SEPTEMBER 8 to get the Early Bird discount!

EVENT REPORT: Supporting & Empowering Employees Keeps Delta Climbing

/in , , , , /by

KEEP CLIMBING DELTA:  AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE SUCCESS STORY

The Yankee Chapter of PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) invited Delta Air Lines communicators Kristin Seay, Managing Director of Operations Communications and Laura Smyth, General Manager of Employer Brand Communications to share their wisdom on how Delta has built a strong, people-centered culture, at their July 31st virtual lunch & learn.

Founded in 1925, Delta celebrates its centennial anniversary this year.  The airline remains focused on their mission of “connecting the world better than any other airline.”

According to Seay and Smyth, “it’s the people of Delta that make it all happen”.  Supporting them are:

  • A staff of 100 communicators (serving a workforce of 100,000) – though Seay admits, “even 500 would not be enough!”
  • A CEO and leadership team that fully support the investment in communication, employee engagement and appreciation

Size of budget and staff aside, here are words of wisdom from Delta Air Lines that we can all apply to our organizations:

  1. Give your employees a boost when they need it most.  Summer is an extra-busy, extra-challenging time for the airline industry – there are customers flying off to vacation, weather challenges etc.  Their “summer boost” campaign consists of everything from movie ticket giveaways to a “mid-summer cool down” with employee toolkits to an end of summer celebration featuring  food, fun and the presence of senior leaders.
  2. Target communication with personalized messages for different stakeholder groups. The communications team leans heavily on email, but they streamline it, and send personalized weekly messages to their internal stakeholders: Airport Customer Service; Flight Operations; In-Flight Service; Operations & Customer Center  (aka the “nerve center”); Reservation & Customer Care and Tech Operations.   “We keep the weekly communication focused on what’s most important to each group.”

In addition to email and Thursday updates, Delta offers:

  • DeltaNet (intranet) as its “communication of record”
  • SkyHub, an internal FB platform that offers employees an opportunity to share feedback, personal photos etc.
  • Life@Delta, a new platform used to showcase “a day in the life of a Delta employee” Side benefit: it’s a great talent acquisition tool!
  • Delta Vision, 800 strategically-placed digital billboards with attention-grabbing headlines
  • Delta News Hub, primarily used for press releases and other external announcements
  1. Share profits with employees. Delta’s “work together, win together” program means that when the company does well, so do the employees.  Profit-sharing is announced on Valentine’s Day and is reported to be “the happiest day of the year for Delta employees.”
  2. Offer feedback mechanisms for employees. Don’t just listen — act on their ideas.  Delta offers a variety of in-person and on-line opportunities to both celebrate employees and listen to them, including:
  • “Velvet” conferences (up to 20 per year); Two-day meetings that offer in-person updates from executive leaders for frontline employees –wildly popular!
  • Town Hall meetings – Virtual, 45-min updates, as needed (note: during COVID, these meetings happened up to 3X a week!). Done at both the corporate and divisional levels.
  • Base and station visits: An authentic way for senior leaders to meet Delta team members in their workplaces to get to know them.
  • Email the CEO: CEO Ed Bastian invites any member of the Delta team to email him directly with feedback or ideas. Some recommendations are implemented quickly; others take more time.  “We had a flight attendant who pointed out that pizza was being served on a morning flight and within a week, Delta made the change to a more breakfast-sensible inflight meal”.  Other examples include changes in family leave policy and establishment of the emergency savings fund.  “Some of the best ideas come from our frontline employees.”
  • Employee engagement surveys: These annual surveys demonstrate how the communication team “moves the needle” on engagement each year.
  1. Engage in storytelling that highlights employees. Smyth shared a heartwarming video of Delta team members who were supported by their teams during cancer treatments, highlighted for acts of heroism at the “Chairman’s Conference” and engaged in acts of extreme kindness (e.g. one Delta employee donated a kidney to a regular customer she befriended over the years).
  2. Create activities that foster teamwork. From the annual leadership conference to the “Jet Drag” competition that raises money for the American Cancer Society to the Boulevard Bash that celebrates employees, retirees and their families – Delta knows the importance of fostering collaboration and team spirit.
  3. Measure your success. Delta’s leadership team sees the impact of making their people the center of all that they do, through metrics on employee engagement and behavioral results. In addition to measuring click-through rates and engagement in activities, the annual engagement survey includes questions like, “Are you proud to work at Delta?” and “Do you have the tools you need to do your job?”.  Third-party advocates also recognize Delta’s success (Delta is #15 on Fortune 100 list of “Best Places To Work”): https://news.delta.com/delta-earns-no-15-spot-fortune-100-best-companies-work-forr-list

 

Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA is Senior Counsel and Partner at Jackson Jackson & Wagner, a behavioral public relations and management consulting firm based in the Seacoast of NH.  rschell@jjwpr.com.

 

The Ins and Outs of Influencer Marketing

/in , , , , /by

Hey Vermont, we’re headed your way!!


The Ins and Outs of Influencer Marketing

Friday, Sept. 5, 2025; 2-4 p.m.

Hula – 50 Lakeside Ave, Burlington, VT 05401

$25 Yankee Chapter members and friends; $35 non-members  $15 Virtual

Join us for an engaging panel discussion featuring leading voices in the influencer marketing space. You’ll hear firsthand from:

  • Nick Mattera, Vice President at Ykone, a global influencer marketing group
  • Lindsay Bumps, Influencer Marketing Consultant, former Influencer Relations Lead at Ben & Jerry’s
  • Erin Torres, Social Media Influencer for Travel Like a Local: Vermont and VP of Communications & Culture at Livian Realty Group.
  • Learn how to effectively incorporate influencers into your PR and marketing strategy, build lasting and authentic relationships, and stay ahead of industry trends. Stick around after the conversation for an hour of networking, complete with light fare and refreshments.

REGISTER HERE!

 

From Noise to Noteworthy: Turning Media Intelligence Into PR Impact

/in , , , , /by

From Noise to Noteworthy: Turning Media Intelligence Into PR Impact

Thursday, August 14, 2025 3-4 p.m. Virtual

Free for PRSA members; $200 for non-members

REGISTER HERE: PRSA Storytellers: From Noise to Noteworthy: Turning Media Intelligence Into PR Impact | PRSA

August 14, 2025 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time)

In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, PR professionals are bombarded with data from news coverage and social chatter to stakeholder reactions and crisis signals. But how do you transform that noise into a strategic advantage?

Join Onclusive for an inside look at how real-time media monitoring, social listening and insights-driven planning can help communicators drive measurable impact. Discover how top PR teams are using media intelligence to shape campaigns, protect reputation and deliver C-suite value.

Whether you’re navigating a crisis or planning your next big campaign, this webinar will equip you with practical tools to elevate your communications strategy. We’ll explore best practices in social listening to uncover audience sentiment, identify trends and inform storytelling.

By the end of this webinar, participants will:

  • Understand how to leverage real-time media monitoring to track brand coverage, spot emerging issues and measure campaign effectiveness.
  • Learn how to turn data and insights into actionable strategies for proactive PR planning and crisis readiness.
  • Gain practical tips for integrating media and social intelligence into executive reporting and communications strategy

May 21 Crisis Communications Panel Wrap up

/in , , , , /by

It was a great turnout for the Yankee Chapter’s May 21 panel discussion on crisis communications. Our homegrown crisis communications experts, Clark Dumont, APR, Fellow PRSA and Lauren Collins Cline, explored how to build communication strategies in an unpredictable and ever-changing world.

Enhance Your Customer Experience: Create Positive Interactions with Frontline Ambassadors

/in , , /by

Enhance Your Customer Experience: Create Positive Interactions with Frontline Ambassadors

By Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA

We all know there are no shortage of difficult situations frontline employees face when dealing with the angry customer – whether you work for an airline or a municipal utility or a retailer.

It’s important to remember that leadership’s job is to support those customer service representatives and other “customer-facing” positions so that customers walk away feeling positive about your organization, even when they are dissatisfied about a situation…

READ MORE HERE

 

New Member Spotlight – Stephanie Rhodes

/in , /by

Name, Title, Organization: Stephanie Rhodes, Director of Public Relations and Media for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Originally from: Massachusetts

Currently live in: Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Work History/Background: I began my career as an intern at Fleishman-Hillard (FH) in D.C. From there, I went on to work at an FH subsidiary called Stratacomm. Following my agency experience, I worked on the media relations team in-house at the American College of Cardiology. This experience brought me across the country and to Europe traveling to various scientific cardiology conferences.

I then served as a communication manager for the University of Michigan Health System for six years while my husband earned his doctorate in business economics. I currently serve as the director of public relations and media at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

Why I Joined PRSA: I was a member of PRSSA while in college, and have been a PRSA member on and off throughout my career. I was excited about the opportunity to join a local chapter as I am interested in connecting with other PR professionals in my area as I work remotely. I have already signed up for many interesting webinars and look forward to in person opportunities as well.

Most Challenging PR Situation I Have Faced: I began my position with ASTHO just before the 2021 COVID-19 Omicron peak. It was a very fast-paced introduction to the world of public health media relations. At the height of the response, I was responding to over 100 media requests per month from national health reporters. It was intensive but a great learning experience!

Bucket List Trip: Greece.

Hobbies/Interests: Yoga/pilates, reading, enjoying the beautiful Maine coastline, and spending time with my husband and toddler daughter.

Contact Information: StephanieAbraham09@gmail.com

 

PR Measurement in 2025: Disappointing, Misdirected and Still Divided

/in , /by

By Katie Delahaye Paine

Measurement and Analytics Consultant at Paine Publishing

February 26, 2025

According to Bard AI, I’m not a great prognosticator so I won’t making any grand predictions this year, but I do want to share my perspective on the industry that has consumed my attention for the past 36 years. Right up front, I’ll admit I’m pretty disheartened about the state of PR measurement. Despite the ubiquity of AI and some advances in technology, it really hasn’t evolved very much in the last few years, despite all my prior more cheerful predictions.

I’m aware that when most people think of PR Measurement, they think of “monitoring” not actual measurement. But whatever you call it, that segment of the measurement market is nowhere near where I thought it would be, given all the AI hype. The reality is that most PR monitoring companies have been using some form of machine intelligence for years and it hasn’t made good PR measurement any easier. Here’s why:

Bad Metrics Just Won’t Go Away

Despite the fact that everyone purports to despise vanity metrics, they are still showing up on most industry platforms. Worse still, despite delivering no value people are still trying to use them to “prove value.”   “Reach” numbers just keep getting bigger, in inverse proportion to their credibility. No one I know trusts them, but they keep showing up on every platform I see.

And then there is this:

Yes, AVEs (Advertising Value Equivalencies) are still with us. This chart showed up on an “Instant Insights” dashboard for a client of mine, last week. Insight? Really? How on earth can you find insight in 2025 from a metric that the industry declared invalid the same year that floppy disks became obsolete.

You Can’t Find Insight in Pretty Charts

The one thing that most communications pros need most is insight, and, ideally, data that can tell the story that leadership needs to hear to convince them to renew your budget. But none of the major platforms are doing that. For example, Cision is finally migrating all its customers to its “integrated” platform called CisionOne that purports to solve all your problems by integrating all of its various services and technologies into a single interface. But what problem does that solve other than making it easier to create press releases which no one reads that get sent to reporters who don’t care, who work for media that your target audience doesn’t trust  – but more on that later.

Most platforms confuse visualizing data with actual insight. Insight requires looking at what happened and providing some data that allows you to move beyond the “what happened” report to actually answer the questions “so what?” and “now what”.

While most of these supposedly integrated platforms may display traditional and social media metrics in the same platform, and occasionally add in “activity metrics”  (i.e. how many presses releases you sent), you still need to download the data, combine it and then run an analysis and try to find some correlation that might reveal a connection between your activities and the results.

Never mind that most platforms make it incredibly difficult to download the data in a useful format. Take SurveySparrow – a good, cheaper alternative to Survey Monkey. They do allow you to download a spreadsheet, but it is incomprehensible unless you happen to be using SPSS. CisionOne requires you to save your dashboard as a PDF and then export that PDF as an Excel sheet if you want to further analyze it. This does not make my life easier!

Few are Measuring the Media that Matters

The biggest irony of all of these platforms is they measure things that may no longer matter to your audience. According to the most recent Pew data, more than half of Americans get at least some news from social media, 50 million Americans regularly receive news from online influencers and only 26% of U.S. adults reported getting news from “traditional” media.

Which means that most people are using their monitoring platforms to track media outlets that will have no influence on, or credibility with, your target audiences. The reality is that individuals only absorb information when they think that it’s worth their time to pay attention to what you have, and they trust the source of the information.

Which poses a significant problem for brands in 2025. The most recent election proved the power of niche podcasts and influencers, most of which are not on anyone’s “Top Tier Media List.”  According to the most recent Edelman Trust Barometer trust in media and corporations has plummeted in recent years. So might I recommend budgeting for a survey of your target audience to find out where they get trusted information these days, before you update your Top Tier Media list and/or sign up for a new monitoring service.

Sadly, silos aren’t going anywhere.

Last year, I fantasized that departmental silos would be crumbling by now. But sadly, the walls are as impenetrable as ever between communications, marketing, PR, Public Affairs, and everyone else in the organization that might influence your audience.

The only good news for earned media side of the fence is that the threats to the effectiveness of paid media are growing by the day. As it turns out, AI is already threatening to invalidate many of the usual paid media metrics.

The other staple of today’s marketing efforts, Email, which up until now has been somewhat immune from all the other threats to traditional communication methods, now has big problems of its own.  Stricter privacy rules, spam filters, and automatic blocking are making it harder to get into people’s inboxes, never mind having them open your missive. I don’t know about you, but I add about 5 emails a day to my “blocked” list because the senders seem to think that I care about every press release that they put out there. (GlobeNewswire and PRWEB are you listening?)

So, maybe there’s still hope for earned media, but to all my communications colleagues out there, good luck. I started my first measurement company, The Delahaye Group, in 1989. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the intervening years but maybe none as many as disrupting as are on the horizon in 2025.

New Member Profile: HAZEL KOCHOCKI

/in , /by

Originally from: Plainfield, Illinois

Currently live in: Bedford, NH

 Work History/Background:

Thirty years ago, I kept a quote from Sharon Stone thumbtacked to my cubicle wall: “Today, I’m fast enough.”  That quote was from the movie, “The Quick and the Dead,” which was about a gunslinger in a deadly situation. The fact that I connected with that quote says it all: my public relations career was high stress and high stakes.

Early in my career, I worked for a few different public relations agencies, including Newsome & Co. (which became the Boston office of New York-based Hill & Knowlton) and Weber Group (now Weber-Shandwick). In those days, we talked about “publicity” rather than “earned media,” and I routinely accompanied executives to in-person interviews and backgrounders with press.  One of my most memorable clients was the World Wide Web Consortium at MIT, and I worked closely with HTML inventor Tim Berners-Lee in the mid-90s to spread the word about the World Wide Web and the need for interoperability standards.  It was exciting, but I also felt something was missing.

Taking time out for family needs gave me time to reflect and consider my personal goals and career path. I spent a decade at Malden Catholic High School near Boston, where I progressed from Director of Marketing to Director of External Affairs, overseeing Advancement, Marketing, and Admissions.  Finally, I had found a position that utilized my skills and background and resonated with my sense of mission.  My time at Malden Catholic came to an end when my husband and I moved to Los Angeles for his career.  I then worked for six years with California State University, Northridge, beginning in executive communications for the university president and later overseeing communications for the Office of Academic Affairs.

Having moved back east and settled in New Hampshire, I was delighted in 2023 to begin work with Easterseals NH & VT. As Senior Director of Communications, I love feeling like I contribute – even in some small way – to the organization’s mission to “elevate all abilities.” Easterseals NH & VT served the needs of nearly 19,500 individuals last year, and I lead a small, dedicated team of writers who are equally passionate about the work we do.  I no longer identify with gunslinger Sharon Stone, and I truly enjoy applying my skills to such a worthwhile organization.

Why I Joined PRSA: Networking, professional development

Bucket List Trip: I would love to visit Prague someday to explore my family heritage.

Hobbies/Interests: Birding and uploading lists to the Cornell Ornithology Lab; walking my two dogs, preferably on a local rail trail; hiking; reading American history (I am currently enjoying And There Was Light: Lincoln and the American Struggle by Jon Meacham.) 

Contact Information: hkochocki@eastersealsnh.org