Category: First Data

2010 Denver PR Predictions – Cara Crifasi

~ Jeremy Story ~ 2 Comments

By Cara Crifasi
Director of Communications
First Data

Evolution Kills Some, but Breeds Others

Traditional media continues to contract and many iconic publications such as Editor and Publisher, the Rocky Mountain News and Gourmet Magazine ride off into the sunset leaving us a little parched and missing something that we knew for so long.  Today, we must adjust our strategies slightly to take advantage of the power of real-time information and connect with our communities and advocates.  We are seeing more traditional media adjusting their business models to compete in the new landscape and employing things like Twitter as a tool for dissemination of news and to drive Web traffic to their sites.  As we embark on 2010 and further bridge traditional and social media tools, we should remember not to wander completely astray from the genesis of our profession by remaining true to our roots and being real and transparent.

Oh the Possibilities

We saw some of the possibilities this past year and how quickly news can spread through social media – who did not follow the “Balloon Boy” hoax unfold on Twitter, or keep up with news about Michael Jackson’s death on Facebook? And who didn’t Retweet photos of the Hudson River crash after someone they follow posted it?  Personally, I am excited to see what new social technologies will take-off in the coming year, or at least become more of a reality than science fiction or vaporware.  The speed at which things are changing is unprecedented, so keeping up will continue to be important as well as a challenge for the public relations industry.  Luckily we have a plethora of tools at our fingertips to guide us and inform us as we sail along this changing media landscape in 2010.

Upcoming PR Events in Denver

~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment
  • The Denver Press Club is holding an open house this Friday, May 9.
  • PRSA Colorado is sponsoring PR Boost: Giving Nonprofit PR a Leg Up this Saturday, May 10. Volunteers are still needed.
  • The New Denver Ad Club is sponsoring The 3,000 Faces of Eve: Recognizing the Dynamic Realities of the Female Market on May 13. Women executives from CBS, First Data, CP+B and Thomas Taber & Drazen will “discuss, deliberate, explore and dispute how, why, when and where women are marketed to.” 
  • The Jewish Family Service of Colorado is hosting a luncheon May 13 featuring Frank Deford, who graces the pages of Sports Illustrated and is a contributor to HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and National Public Radio’s Morning Edition.

Free PR Salary Tip of the Week …

~ Jeremy Story ~ 1 Comment

First Data has long had a reputation as being a tough place for PR people to work, and it looks like the KKR acquisition hasn’t made it any easier. The Denver Post profiled the company this weekend and noted that additional layoffs are likely, and yet today Andrew Hudson’s Jobs List has a Director of Communications position open there. But typical First Data — they are lowballing the salary at $75-$100K.

Here is our free PR salary tip of the week: you should be able to negotiate $150K+ for a Director of Communications position at a sizable company such as First Data.

With that, the others hiring this week include Pure Brand, Xcel, Western Union, Arrow Electronics, Colorado Ballet, Digital Globe, Jackson Life Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Regis Jesuit High School, Rose Medical Center, and U.S. Paralympics.