PRSA Charlotte January Luncheon

Embedded Communicators: Telling Your Organization's Story From the Front Lines

You’ve heard of embedded journalists. But what about embedded corporate communicators?

 
In late 2012, Superstorm Sandy left 8.5 million homes, schools and businesses without electricity. Duke Energy dispatched nearly 3,000 employees and contractors to help restore power in the Northeast as part of a mutual assist program among electric utilities. In addition to many line workers, engineers and mechanics, the company sent a lone corporate communicator to help tell the company’s stories from the front lines using social media.
 
Lee Freedman was embedded with a Cincinnati-based Duke Energy crew that specializes in underground networks, like those in Lower Manhattan where Freedman and this crew were based.
 
At our January luncheon, we’ll be joined by Freedman and Duke Energy’s Paige Layne, APR, to hear about the experience and the obstacles they faced in getting sign-off from upper management for this social experiment, and how they were able to produce personal, dynamic content in less-than-ideal environments.

You'll also learn how to:

• Gain buy-in from executives and traditional (and skeptical) "old school" communicators.
• Get over the technology pitfalls when local cell and data networks are down.
• Plan ahead so you can act swiftly the next time an opportunity like this presents itself.

Networking begins at 11:30 a.m., lunch at 12 and the program begins shortly after. The cost is $25 for PRSA Charlotte members, $35 for non-members and $15 for students.

Register Now!