San Diego public relations firm c3 Communications, founded on Jan. 3, 2000, by Joice Truban Curry, will begin its 24th year in business next month with several new clients.
“I can’t help but marvel at the extraordinary journey we have taken over the years,” Curry told Times of San Diego. “It’s all about being honest, passionate and loving what we do.”
Curry said new clients include:
- OHM Fitness will launch its San Diego footprint in 2024 with plans to open 16 locations.
- Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom is a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the learning experience through music.
- The Fit Expo will be held Jan. 20-21, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
- The Pacific Coast Sportfishing Tackle, Boat, Travel and Outdoors Show will be held March 7-10, at the Orange County Fairgrounds.
“I feel very lucky to work in this vibrant industry filled with remarkable individuals, media and clients,” Curry said. “Public Relations is not for the faint of heart, but seeing the impact and helping others makes it all worth it. Our staying power is a testament to our passion, contacts and skills and I am so excited to see what cool things we will work on in 2024 to continue to help others.”
c3 has been recognized as a top PR agency winning more than 25 awards from the Public Relations Society of America, including the national PRSA Silver Anvil award three times. The firm is a member of the PR Consultants Group, a nationwide network of senior-level public relations and marketing consultants representing top markets in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. c3 represents San Diego and Palm Springs for the network.
Team Lewis Opens New Global Marketing Office in Dubai
Team Lewis, a global marketing and communications agency with an office in San Diego, has opened its 25th office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates .
The UAE operations, which launches with a roster of global clients including Blackberry, will be led by Maha Ayash, who joins the agency from Four Communications, where she was an account director.
Ayash, who is fluent in English and Arabic, has worked with clients in several industry sectors, including mobility, business advocacy, sustainability and aerospace. She has a master’s degree from the American University of Beirut.
“I am thrilled to join Team Lewis,” said Ayash. “I look forward to building a talented team to deliver integrated services to our current clients as well as diversifying our client portfolio.”
Yvonne van Bokhoven, Team Lewis executive VP, said, “The UAE and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region are lynchpins for many global industries. The opening of this office is an important step on our journey. Our clients asked us to open in this geography due to the significant market opportunities, and we responded.”
Team Lewis, founded in 1995, has more than 650 employees across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Team Lewis’ local office is at 530 “B” St., San Diego.
PRSA Releases Guidelines on Ethical Use of AI
The Public Relations Society of America, a national communications industry trade group, has released guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence .
The 10-page document, titled “Promise and Pitfalls: The Ethical Use of AI for Public Relations Practitioners,” is rooted in the organization’s code of ethics.
According to PR Week, an industry trade publication, “The best practices examine potential ethical issues with the use of AI tools to ensure privacy, fairness and transparency while mitigating potential biases. The guidance encourages members using generative AI tools to validate the source and content of information being presented, stressing the importance of the human element to fact check all generated content. This is stressed specifically for automating or writing government, financial or other sensitive information, acknowledging there is always a margin for error.”
Allison Carter, executive editor of PR Daily, an industry news outlet, said the guidelines should help PR professionals act with an ethical conscience and make informed, responsible choices, especially in light of the U.S. election year and growing polarization that will only add to the swell of misinformation and disinformation, much of it driven by AI tools.
PRSA’s board of ethics and professional standards authored the report following extensive research, expert input and peer review, the association said in a statement. The guidelines build on previous work from the PR Council, Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Global Alliance and the Department of Defense.
“At the start of this year, when we were convening a number of committees on what would be the top issues of the year, AI and mis- and disinformation were the two that emerged consistently,” said PRSA chair Michelle Egan, as quoted by PR Week. “The board of ethics and professional standards then went to work, taking the code of ethics and looking at AI through that lens. Members were tentative about ChatGPT and other generative tools and so they were hungry for what’s the lane that we should stay in.”
PRSA, based in New York, offers professional development education and networking through more than 400 professional and student chapters across the U.S., Argentina, Columbia, Peru and Puerto Rico. For information on the San Diego-Imperial County chapter, visit prsadic.org.
IABC and AMA Hosts Holiday Mixer
The International Association of Business Communicators San Diego chapter will partner with the American Marketing Association San Diego chapter to host the “Jingle & Mingle Holiday Mixer” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Craft House at the Fashion Valley mall in Mission Valley, 7007 Friars Road.
In addition to networking, the event will feature cocktails, appetizers, a photo booth, raffle prizes and a white elephant gift exchange. Bring a gift valued at $15 to participate in the gift exchange. Cost to attend is $30 for IABC and AMA members and $45 for nonmembers. For more information and tickets, visit sandiego.iabc.com or sdama.org.
Event sponsors include Craft House, Fashion Valley’s newest restaurant, and the Fashion Valley mall.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.