Speaking

Speaking

Sydney Ayers: Book a PR pro who’s seen it all!

This seasoned PR pro shares insightful – and shocking – lessons from the field.

Surprising insights. Lessons learned. An accomplished public relations expert, Sydney Ayers, APR, Fellow PRSA shares her stories with communications professionals throughout the US and Canada, deftly delivering entertaining stories and critical lessons on serious subjects.

Sydney Ayers’ topics for keynotes, breakout sessions and workshops include:

“Strategic Corporate Philanthropy that Gets Results”

The business landscape has evolved. What was common practice years ago no longer is accepted. Consumers and clients demand more of the companies with which they do business. Employees want to feel like they are part of something larger than themselves. Today, more than ever, it is vital that organizations lead with an authenticity previously not deemed important.  Corporate social responsibility is increasingly becoming an imperative to business success. This presentation provides an overview of what leading companies are doing to engage with the communities they serve and how others can learn from those experiences to develop programs of their own.

“Ethical Communications from an Authentic Core”

Fake news! The media is the enemy! It’s on the internet so it’s true! But is it? Every day we are bombarded with conflicting messages about important facets of our lives. It can be hard to maintain integrity in what seems like a continual assault on our senses. Today, it is especially critical to focus on common sense ethics to drive every communication decision. And that isn’t always as easy as it sounds. This presentation covers what should be considered when facing an ethical challenge and what must be done to enhance the free flow of information through truthful, transparent communications.

“What Happens Next? A Crisis Communications Primer”

Ayers Public Relations defines a crisis as a critical event or period of time, which can bring significant change, either good or bad. Crises may affect your financial stability, ability to conduct business or most importantly, reputation. While big events such as the terrorist attacks on September 11th or the Sandy Hook school shooting rightfully grab headlines, crises usually are much more routine in nature, such as lawsuits, layoffs or product recalls. The thing is both good news and bad travel at the speed of light in today’s fast-paced, information-on-demand culture. This presentation reviews the different levels of crisis an organization might face and provides tips for effective crisis communications designed to help those organizations weather the storm.

“Authenticity in Public Relations”

With the rise of two-way communications – facilitated in large part by social and online media – it is essential that today’s marketers use every tool at their disposal to elevate brand awareness and establish product/service differentiation. To that end, it is critical that paid, earned and owned media are used strategically to disseminate information to key audiences. During this presentation, Sydney discusses the significance of authentic messaging and how it’s imperative that these messages carry through on all platforms in order to prevent brand confusion, showcase product/service attributes, set brands apart and ultimately reach organizational communications goals.

Schedule a keynote or workshop.

Contact Sydney Ayers, APR, Fellow PRSA.