Deidre Campbell on LinkedIn: Associate Director, Communications for FLI Network (2024)

🌟 Wondering what parents really want from your school's communications? Understanding the needs and preferences of parents can help you tailor your communication strategies for better engagement and connection. Click the link below to read more! 📚👨👩👧👦Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/eJasK_DB #ParentEngagement #SchoolCommunications #WeducInsights

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ARE YOUR #COMMUNICATIONS #ACCESSIBLE? Not sure or don't know where to start - this incredible resource compiled by Christine Fleming has got you covered.I've going to shamelessly steal this paragraph from the intro to explain why you should read (and action) the suggestions in the piece:"At its core this means respecting and understanding that people’s ability to access and process messages is as varied as they are. By embracing these differences we can work towards creating and making things as user friendly as possible. Ultimately this will benefit not just those with specific needs but all of us, as it will provide choices that could open doors for everyone."As #communicators, we need to make sure that no-one is excluded or left behind from our messaging. But to think of this in the relatively narrow lens of the improvements we make being confined to this person or that person is to miss a bigger picture.Let's take the relatively simple example of plain English (and my heart SINGS) to see www.hemingwayapp.com mentioned!). Think of a classic novel, something by Jane Austen let's say.The language used there may not be helpful for folks with a reading age of 9 to engage with the text; or for someone with English as a 2+ language; or those folk who, for other reasons, are excluded by long, flowery and complex prose.Equally, someone with a PHD who has just worked a 70 hour week, is coralling children, coping with a bust washing machine and other life trials may be "technically" able to engage with the text, but do they have the cognitive capacity to take its meaning and act on it?As communications folk, whether in #LocGov, #NHS / #PublicHealth, #BehaviourChange, #PR / #Marketing in any industry, we're probably not writing Austen-like prose. However, that's not to say that we don't sometimes create Austen-like complexity. Check out annual reports, website "news" stories, research findings and other general culprits!So, this excellent guide really is for everyone. Thanks Christine & all of the contributors!https://lnkd.in/eqbfSJJc

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I am excited to share that I have successfully completed the Foundations of Public Relations course at Toronto Metropolitan University. The experience deepened my understanding of strategic communication and storytelling. As I reflect on completing this Public Relations course, I have come to realize how closely this field intersects with Student Affairs.Notable key learnings below:🗣️ Know your Audience: Public Relations practitioners and Student Affairs professionals both aim to connect with and develop a mutual understanding with their audiences. With students, knowing what resonates and how to engage effectively is crucial to host successful programs. Although not too long ago, my experience as a student is so different than the post-COVID student experience. I’m lucky to have an amazing group of student staff to help me stay connected to the student experience and understand my audience. 🎯 Set and Assess your Goals: Clear, actionable goals are fundamental in both fields. In Public Relations, setting objectives for a campaign helps in measuring success and adjusting strategies. Student Affairs professionals need to set clear learning goals and ensure that initiatives align with broader institutional aims. By setting clear objectives for student programs, you can tweak elements to improve learning outcomes and stay true to your goals if things don't go according to plan.📖 Storytelling is King: Both Public Relations and Student Affairs rely heavily on the power of storytelling. Crafting and sharing compelling stories—whether it is highlighting student success, showcasing campus achievements, or managing a program/service/event—can significantly enhance engagement and influence student and community perceptions.I am always looking for ways to develop student programs based in strategy. Send me a message! I’d love to chat more about this.

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I had the pleasure of speaking to marketing and communications students at the Arizona State University - Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student-run Cronkite Agency today. Summarizing my experience in nonprofit, higher ed, agency, startup and public company settings, they had a lot of questions about the IPO process, agency life and how to market themselves. All great questions that us seasoned communications professionals probably continue to ask ourselves at every stage of our career. Many of the students are graduating in May, entering a tough job market. But based on what I saw today, they have the ambition and awareness to make it! What advice do you have for this next generation of communications pros? What do you wish you knew your last semester of college?

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Issue 9.3 highlighted impactful GIFTS. This writing-based GIFT by Ejae Lee is a great assignment to implement in a PR Writing course. This assignment is designed to focus on learning knowledge about social issues and developing public relations writing and critical thinking skills. The learning goals of writing a 350-500-word social involvement statement are to understand the concept and importance of corporate social responsibility and advocacy practice in the field of public relations, to apply the essential elements of excellent PR writing, and to deepen knowledge of diversity, inclusion, and social issues within and beyond the classroom. Empirical evidence of this class-tested writing assignment showed that students successfully applied the essential elements of good PR writing that they learned in the course. Additionally, this assignment helped students cultivate awareness of important current issues and a better sense of diversity and inclusion, as well as advance the competitive skillsets that public relations students are expected to develop for their careers as beginning PR professionals.Are you teaching a writing course where you are trying to better implement social advocacy, diversity, and inclusion? Read this GIFT today to help your students build their writing and critical thinking skills: https://lnkd.in/eeA2Z6ve#PR #PREducation #PublicRelations #PRProfs #JPRE #PRGIFT #PRGIFTS #PRWriting #PublicRelationsEducation #GIFTIssue

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If you're a school administrator, you've probably heard a family say, "Why doesn't the school share things with us?" or "We never know what's going on." It's a common complaint, but it's also a sign that communication is lacking. Building and keeping trust with families is crucial to student retention, and communication is key. Before jumping to conclusions about why families leave, take a self-survey of your school's communication practices. Are they helping or hurting your retention efforts? My colleague, Connor Gleason, has some great tips for you! #CommunicationIsKey #StudentRetention #FamilyEngagement

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Why PR Chose MeGrowing up, I wasn't the loudest voice in the room, I was always the kid silently reading a book lost in the world of words. Words always seemed to have the power to captivate me. They could ignite my imagination, spark conversation, and even shape my view of the world. Reading gave me a wild imagination, I would always come up with ideas of how the story would end or how I wanted it to end. This fascination with storytelling and the dance between communication and perception naturally drew me towards the world of Public Relations.But PR wasn't just about the "what" for me, it was about the "why." Here was a chance to not simply tell stories, but to amplify voices and create a ripple effect of understanding and impact.This passion for stories found its way into my academic journey at Daystar University's PR program.#DaystarUniversityToday, as a PR student, I'm constantly seeking ways to learn and grow. Whether it's devouring books and journals on Public Relations or actively participating in the Public Relations Association of Daystar, I'm driven by the desire to become a skilled storyteller and strategic communicator.Public Relations isn't just a career path for me, it's a chance to be a storyteller, an advocate, and a bridge builder. This is why PR chose me, and I'm excited to see where this journey takes me and how my words can impact the world around me.#PRAD#publicrelations

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Know how to approach research communication? 🤔🗣 In order to do the job well, you have to be able to converse fluently in complex academic terminology and translate it into the language of the everyday without simplifying or dumbing down.When it comes to promoting research in the media, there are four parties who can be involved in the communication process: academics, departments, institutions and third-party agencies, for instance a media relations consultancy. The most effective communication strategies combine several or all of these groups.At BlueSky Education, we have a lot of experience in this area thanks to the volume of interesting, impactful research papers that are constantly being produced by faculty at the business schools we work with.Our PR expert Jamie Hose goes through four approaches to research communication…1. The authorial approach2. The departmental approach3. The institutional approach4. Hiring an external agencyTo find out how we can help your institution, get in touch with BlueSky Education today. Or to read more of Jamie’s blog, visit the link below! ⬇ https://lnkd.in/emWQq4m2#Blog #BusinessEducation #PR #ResearchCommunication

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Many of you know that I’ve been building a college counseling practice alongside my corporate communications and PR work. It all started in 2016, when I first volunteered to help first-generation low-income students with their applications and essays. Then, last year, someone paid me $500 just for a couple of phone calls providing a second (actually third!) opinion regarding the advice they were already getting from their independent school college counselor and from the high-priced college consultant to whom they were paying five figures! That’s when I realized that I could provide value to families at all income levels, not just students with limited resources.This work draws on the same strengths that made me successful in PR and corporate communications. It is still about helping people identify what makes them special and then helping them develop narratives and evidence. It is also about matchmaking. This time, it's not about matching companies, news, and story angles to the media targets read by stakeholders. It’s about helping students identify and gain admission to the colleges where they’re most likely to thrive! The best part: I love watching students gain confidence and self awareness as they go through the college application process. It doesn’t have to be stressful!

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"Tracy, what did you actually learn as a communications major at USC?"If you had asked first-semester freshman me, sitting in my bedroom taking Zoom classes, I might have answered with some buzzwords from any Annenberg syllabus. But ask me today? Here's my heartfelt answer.In four transformative years, I learned to:Be Curious: There will always be new ideas and experiences to explore. Keep an open mind to learn about others and, in turn, yourself.Be Courageous: Growing up is daunting. Freedom and respect come with tremendous responsibility, so be brave and always do your best.Be Confident: Train your brain to trust your gut. Listen and reflect, but never doubt who you are.Be Creative: You don't always need paint and canvas to create art. Words and ideas can be powerful tools to illustrate your life's picture and tell your stories.Be Compassionate: Be kind to yourself and others. Do what’s best for you, but not at the expense of others, because life has a way of returning kindness.I owe my incredible experience to many amazing organizations and people: USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, USC Marshall School of Business, USC Annenberg Media, USC Associates, Annenberg NY Maymester '23, my family, friends, professors, advisors, mentors, and everyone who inspired me to strive for excellence. Thank you.Now, with a diploma in hand, I realize that the journey ahead is filled with unknowns. But looking to my fellow USC Annenberg alumni and the billions of people navigating the world every day, I have so much to look forward to, feel excited about, and be challenged by.I once thought that college would be "the best four years of my life." Today, I believe that the best is yet to come. Here’s to the next five, twenty, fifty years of discovery and growth.Fight On! ✌️

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