Only occasionally do I take the time to rant on , but I feel that it is warranted. Recently, I have been receiving news releases from PR pros that are ridiculously long!

I understand that some believe the press release is outdated. Personally, I think it can be a wonderful tool, but it needs to be used properly. Most journalists, and even more so with bloggers, don't have the time to sift through a three page new release to try and find the point of the release.

Put your key message(s) up front, add a quote and summarize what you want your reader to know and then send the release. If you are pitching to bloggers this is expecially important because no one wants to read a three page document on the web!

Also, make sure you target your media pitches. I am pretty good about posting news releases to this site, if they are in some way related to public relations, advertising or marketing, but lets keep it to that.

Guess I must be grumpy today :-)

Last Friday's Business Journal had two important articles on marketing communications. In the first article, author reflects on the status of the marketing communications and public relations industry. Here is an excerpt:

...marketing executives are predicting a greater need for their services in 2006 as companies begin to better understand the value of marketing in a communications-driven world.

"We probably won't see the marketing budgets of the late 1990s in quite the same way again, but the slowly recovering economy has made many clients think more about the value of their public relations as part of the marketing mix," said Steve Gill, public relations director for Minneapolis-based Gabriel deGrood Bendt.

In Garrison-Sprenger's second article she highlights a new marketing communications team between "advertising veteran John Foley and public-relations legend Scott Meyer." Again from the Business Journal:

The two entrepreneurs have taken Foley's 20-year-old advertising agency, The Foley Group, and transformed it into a brand and reputation management firm called Level.

Meyer, who in 1986 helped found what is today Weber Shandwick, will be managing partner of the new firm. He most recently served as chief marketing officer of Lawson Software in St. Paul. Angie Franks, another former Lawson executive, joins Level as chief operating officer.

Get the full Business Journal story on the state of the marketing communications industry here.

Get the rest of the Foley/Meyer story here.

Technorati Tags: The Foley Group, Lawson Software, Business Journal, Weber Shandwick, Minnesota, Advertising, Public Relations, Marketing Communications

Job # 1
Job # 2
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Weber Shandwick, is looking for a Senior Account Executive for its Investor Relations/Technology team. We offer the chance to work with outstanding clients in an exciting and energetic office.
Senior Account Executive candidates should have 5+ years of experience, with at least 2 years of agency experience.

Must have the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, always with a keen attention to detail. Candidates must be motivated team player with a strong client focus. The position offers the opportunity to supervise and mentor junior team members.

The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills, with an emphasis on outstanding writing. Must have solid background in media relations, and be comfortable with everything from writing high-profile news releases and case studies and pitching/placing stories to planning media events, media tours, etc.

We have a wonderful work environment and offer a competitive salary and benefits program.

If you would like to join us, please apply online or send a resume and salary requirements to:

Human Resources:
www.webershandwick.com

Fax
Email:
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Weber Shandwick, is looking for a senior member for its Consumer Marketing Practice with serious youth marketing skills. We offer the chance to work with A-List clients in an exciting and energetic practice.

Candidates should have at least 5-10 years of experience, including 3 – 5 years of youth marketing experience. Ideal candidate will have deep youth marketing insights, proven brand building track record and strong managerial and supervisory skills. Excellent strategic thinking and planning skills are required, in addition to a strong background in exceptional client service. Candidates must have superior communication skills, both verbal and written.

Weber Shandwick is one of the world’s leading public relations and communications management firms. In more than 82 owned offices across the globe, Weber Shandwick relies on a clear client focus, the finest talent in the industry, and a commitment to delivering outcomes – not just output – to produce memorable public relations programs with measurable results.

Weber Shandwick has had a record year. We have received Industry Awards including being named PR Week’s Agency of the Year 2005, Holmes Report Agency of the Year, Advertising Age’s Highest Rated PR Firm, and PR Week UK International Consultancy of the Year 2005. These honors are a tribute to our high quality work and our commitment to achieving real business results for clients.

We have an eclectic and electric work environment and offer a competitive salary and benefits program.

If you would like to join us, apply online at:

www.webershandwick.com

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Email:
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Weber Shandwick, PRWeek’s Agency of the Year 2005, and the leading Twin Cities public relations firm, is looking for a senior member for its Consumer Marketing Practice with serious sports marketing game. We offer the chance to work with the industry’s top clients in an exciting and energetic practice.

Candidates should have at least 7-12 years of experience, including 5 - 7 years of sports marketing experience. Ideal candidate will have extensive sports marketing experience and contacts, proven brand building track record and strong managerial and supervisory skills. Excellent strategic thinking and planning skills are required, in addition to a strong background in exceptional client service. Candidates must have superior communication skills, both verbal and written.

Weber Shandwick is one of the world’s leading public relations and communications management firms. In more than 82 owned offices across the globe, Weber Shandwick relies on a clear client focus, the finest talent in the industry, and a commitment to delivering outcomes – not just output – to produce memorable public relations programs with measurable results.

Weber Shandwick has had a record year. We have received Industry Awards including being named PR Week’s Agency of the Year 2005, Holmes Report Agency of the Year, Advertising Age’s Highest Rated PR Firm, and PR Week UK International Consultancy of the Year 2005. These honors are a tribute to our high quality work and our commitment to achieving real business results for clients.

We have an exciting and engaging work environment and offer a competitive salary and benefits program.

If you would like to join us, apply online at:
www.webershandwick.com

Fax
Email:
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Weber Shandwick announced today that has joined the agency’s Northern California team.

Pepper is a nine-year technology PR veteran who founded Phoenix-based POP! Public Relations in 2003, and is one of the industry’s earliest (founded just after ) and best-known PR bloggers. His POP! PR Jots is currently one of the top 20 most popular PR blogs, ranked in the top 15 percent of the world’s most actively linked blogs .

Congrats Jeremy. Best of luck!

JOB SUMMARY:
Oversees go to market strategies to strengthen the Pure Polaris Brand and meet revenue goals through consumer/dealer awareness and integrated sales programs

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Develops and Executes Pure Polaris Catalog strategy and ensures integrated Pure Polaris presence across all divisions

2. Works closely with product line developers and corporate marketing to understand product line and develop integrated product launches

3. Develops and implements tiered distribution communication and consumer awareness campaigns

4. Develops promotional campaigns including database marketing, web-marketing, public relations and event marketing to drive consumer traffic and sales within the distribution channel.

5. Develops all Pure Polaris market research including monitoring retail trends, market opportunities, competitive analysis and serves as the voice of the consumer and dealer throughout the Pure Polaris product development process identifying market opportunities.

6. Defines and improves the overall go to market strategy & process. Other duties as assigned

SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE:

1. Bachelor's degree in related field.

2. Marketing or related field with 3-4 years experience in Sales & Marketing.

Previsous work with an independant dealer distribution channel preferred. Strong organizational, oral and presentation skills. Demonstrates a work ethic that aligns with the fast paced stressful environment that Polaris has to offer.

WORKING CONDITIONS:
Fast-paced office environment.

Apply Online

Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards have been announced. Check out the list of companies selected here.

, Thomson Legal & Regulatory, Eagan; Fleishman-Hillard, Minneapolis; RSM McGladrey, Bloomington; Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Plymouth; and the Minnesota Medical Foundation, Minneapolis, were the other multiple award winners.

Kevin Hunt, Thomson, won an Award of Excellence for "Special Edition -- Rwanda War Crimes," Audiovisual, One-Time Video Program/Overall Production. Hunt also won an Award of Merit for "TLR-TV," Community Relations, Private. Rounding out the awards for Thomson was Elizabeth Kephart with an Award of Merit for "The West Key Authors Program," Multi-Audience Communication, Private.

Rachel Studinger, Jennie-O Turkey with Fleishman-Hillard, won an Award of Merit for "Jennie-O Turkey Store Oven-Ready Turkey Launch," Marketing Communications, Private; Sarah McNeil, CommVault with Fleishman-Hillard, won an Award of Merit for "Launching CommVault's QiNetix Version 5.9," Writing, Personality Profiles; and Meg Heitlinger, Jennie-O Turkey with Fleishman-Hillard, "Jennie-O Turkey Store Give Turkey a While Media Kit,"
Special Project Design, Other.

Arik Hanson, RSM McGladrey, won both an Award of Excellence and an Award of Merit: "RSM McGladrey Advantage: Actionable Intelligence for Midsized Businesses," Marketing Communications, Private (Excellence) and "RSM McGladrey Advantage," Publications, Newsletters (Merit).

The Minnesota Medical Foundation won both an Award of Excellence and an Award of Merit. Steve Johnson won an Award of Excellence for "Minnesota Lifeline/Medical Reserve Corps," Audiovisual, One-time program/overall production and Catherine Henry won an Award of Merit for "Imagine the Future: Minnesota Medical Foundation 2004 Annual Report," Publication Design, Annual Reports.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel won three Award of Merits. Mollie Harig for "CWT 007: Mission Possible Strategy Campaign," Employee/Member Communication, Private; Amy Blake Field, "Operations Insider," Electronic and Digital Communication, Electronic Newsletters and Jennifer Skatter for "Rising Star Award Events," Special Events, Private.

"The judges consistently applauded entries for the thoughtful strategic work plans, creative well-executed work samples and meaningful measurement," said Brett Pyrtle, president of IABC Minnesota and principal, Turning Point Communications, St. Paul.

The Bronze Quills are the highest state honors bestowed by IABC and are evaluated by judges from IABC chapters across the nation. Entrants were judged on a seven-point scale based on the entry's work sample and comprehensive work plan. Eleven Awards of Excellence and 23 Awards of Merit were given to people based on the highest scores.

IABC Minnesota also presented the second-ever EXCEL (Excellence in Communication Leadership) Award to Michael W. Wright, CEO, Entegris, Inc.

"The EXCEL Minnesota award recognizes the significant role senior executives can play in effective communication," said Pyrtle. "Michael Wright's role in and support for a community strategy demonstrated creativity, innovation and a commitment to business results by the launch of Entegris in 1999 when two competing organizations, Fluoroware and Empak, merged to become one organization.

"Wright placed priority on defining the new business in a way the customer would understand, developing key messages to focus all communications and encouraging his employees to be bold and different."

Through Wright's efforts, Entegris grew from $260 million in revenue to $700 million in 2005. The company is the undisputed leader in its industry, with greater than 70 percent market share in its key market segments and measured awareness result levels for the company of 80 percent in 2004. Entegris products are integral to making microchips. The company makes more than 10,000 products used to transport and protect semiconductor and disk drive materials during processing. Its semiconductor products include wafer carriers, storage boxes, and chip trays, as well as chemical delivery products such as pipes, fittings, and valves. Its disk drive offerings include shippers, stamper cases, and transport trays.

The remaining 2006 IABC Bronze Quill Award Winners are:

Awards of Excellence:

-- Deborah Malmo, The Nancekivell Group, "Oxymora: The Nancekivell Group Image Campaign," Marketing Communications, Private.
-- Jennifer Michlitsch, Guidant Corporation, "GuidePoint," Marketing Communications, Private.
-- Laurie Bauer, Musicland Group and Axiom Marketing, "The Sam Goody Bad Gift Boycott," Special Events, Private.
-- Meilssa Hohertz-Foat, Buck Consultants, "The Health Savings Account Revolution: Pre-Enrollee CD," Electronic and Digital Communication, CD-ROMs.
-- Ryan Benbo, Weber Shandwick, "CannonArtillery.com Memorial Day Tribute," Audiovisual, One-time video program/overall production.

Awards of Merit:

-- Amy Barnett, City of Savage, "Envision Savage Communication Plan," Community Relations, Public.
-- Tim Wilson, Faegre & Benson, "Trends, Your Business and the Law," Marketing Communications, Private.
-- Anne Brownfield Brown, SuperValu, "Introducing a New Business Iniatitive to Employees," Employee/Member Communication, Private.
-- Jennifer Cresap, Wells Fargo Institutional Trust Services, "Panalpina Investment Education Campaign," Benefits Communications, Private.
-- Annettte Grabow, M.A. Mortenson, "Affirmative Election Campaign for M.A. Mortenson," Benefits Communications, Private.
-- Barbara Farland, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, "The Journey Ahead," Writing, Other.
-- Chris Schermer, Schermer Kuehl, Entegris 2004 Annual Report: "Proof of Concept," Publications, Annual Reports.
-- Jennifer Kelly, Medtronic Foundation, "Raising Healthy Kids: The Parent Empowerment Guide," Publications, Special.

Get the press release here.

Bronze Quill UPDATE:

Padilla Speer Beardsley (PSB) led the 2006 Bronze Quill Awards with three Awards of Excellence and five Awards of Merit at the IABC Awards Gala ceremony at Blaisdell Manor in Minneapolis tonight. The annual event, sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, honors local professionals for excellence in business communications.

PSB Awards of Excellence:

• Minneapolis MOSAIC with Kristin Heinmets of PSB, "2005 Minneapolis MOSAIC: A World Tour. Without the Jet Lag," Special Events, Public.
  
• Minneapolis Downtown Council with Kristin Heinmets of PSB, "Meet Howie Dazzle: 2004 Holidazzle Parades," Special Events, Not-For-Profit.
  
• Shelley Ward of PSB, "Cookie Exchange Builds Buzz for Gold Medal and Glad," Marketing Communications, Public.
  

PSB Awards of Merit:

• Minneapolis MOSAIC with Kristin Heinmets of PSB, "2005 Minneapolis MOSAIC: A World Tour. Without the Jet Lag," Community Relations, Public.
  
• Minneapolis Downtown Council with Kristin Heinmets of PSB, "Meet Howie Dazzle: 2004 Holidazzle Parades, Community Relations," Not-For-Profit.
  
• BASF ProVM with David Kistle of PSB, "ESA Congressional Briefing," Government Relations, Private.
  
• David Kistle of PSB, "Timberlines -- News for America's Forest andLand Managers," Publication, Four-Color Magazines.
  
• BASF Pro Turf with Greg Smith of PSB, "Making New Champions: 2005 BASF People vs. The Pros," Special Events, Private.
  

Technorati Tags: IABC, Minnesota, Advertising, Public Relations

Last night at the Blaisdell Manor IABC hosted the Minnesota 2006 Bronze Quill Awards Gala: Minnesota's Best. The awards ceremony honored some of Minnesota's best business communicators.

Stay tuned for a complete list of winners.

Technorati Tags: IABC, Minnesota, Advertising, Public Relations

The Economist has an interesting article on the increasing role of public relations in business "especially as traditional forms of advertising struggle to catch consumers' attention." Here is an excerpt:

Some journalists regard PR people as a nuisance, or worse. Even so, PR is surprisingly effective, at least according to a recent study by Procter & Gamble, the world's biggest consumer-products group. P&G is a firm that marketers pay a lot of attention to, not least because of its advertising budget of some $4 billion. It has always been at the cutting-edge of marketing—P&G is credited with inventing the television soap opera as a new way to sell goods. But with fewer people watching television and the circulation of many papers and magazines declining, the firm has become pickier about where it spends its advertising budget. Increasingly, it wants a measurable return on investment from its campaigns.

Get the full article from Economist.com by clicking here.

Tags: Advertising, The Economist, Public Relations, PR

PSB's Blog just posted a message that Warner Bros. and CBS are joining forces to create another network. Get the CBS press release here.

Get the Fox News story here.

Tags: WB, CBS, Warner Bros, Merger

The is now accepting nominations for one of its most esteemed honors, The Public Relations Professional of the Year Award. With this award, PRSA recognizes an individual whose work during the previous year shows the application of the highest degree of public relations expertise.




Tags: PRSA, Public Relations, Awards, Professional of the Year

Today's Business Journal annouced that Fallon has decided to replace CEO Paul Silburn. From the Business Journal:

"...the honeymoon period is officially over -- founder Pat Fallon gave Silburn his walking papers on Monday, citing a displeasure with the direction the London native was taking the storied Minneapolis agency...

...According to a December article in trade publication AdWeek, under Silburn's leadership, Fallon has lost accounts worth about $130 million in billings, closed its New York office, parted with Sony and about a fifth of its 50-person creative staff left the company. At the same time, the agency landed assignments from KitchenAid, Vanguard Car Rental, the New York Stock Exchange and most media duties for NBC Universal...

Get the full story here.

Technorati Tags: Paul Silburn, Fallon, Advertising, Business Journal

With the goal of advancing the public relations profession and the professional, public relations executive Gail Liebl, APR, takes office as the 2006 president of the Minnesota chapter, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Liebl, senior communications manager at St. Paul Travelers in Saint Paul, Minn., brings more than a decade of public relations experience to Minnesota PRSA, one of the top 10 chapters in the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals.

“My top priorities are to increase member value and develop relevant learning opportunities for professionals at all career stages,” Liebl said. “I look forward to breaking new ground in Minnesota PRSA with the industry leaders serving on the board of directors.”

To accomplish these goals, Liebl and the 2006 Minnesota PRSA Board of Directors have developed four initiatives:

• Elevating Minnesota PRSA in the business community: Enhance Minnesota PRSA’s effort to serve as the leading voice for the industry regarding ethical and industry issues and act as an advocate for the profession.
  
  
• Expanding professional development and networking opportunities: Noted the most valued member benefit, create professional development opportunities that are held at convenient times during the day in both in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
  
  
• Increasing member communications: Work to improve communications vehicles, which will help “put a face” on Minnesota PRSA’s diverse membership.
  
  
• Enhancing branding and marketing for Accreditation: Because Accredited in Public Relations (APR) signifies a high level of professional experience and competence, focus on communicating the benefits of APR status to senior management, human resources professionals and the Minnesota PRSA membership.

Since joining PRSA in 1996, Liebl has been an active leader locally and nationally. She is the youngest president in the history of Minnesota PRSA, and the first former Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) national president to lead the chapter. She’s served on several Minnesota PRSA committees, is a member of the Counselor’s Academy, is a past chair of the Technology Section and co-founded .

Liebl’s professional career includes nine years as senior counselor for Morgan&Myers, an integrated communications firm in Minneapolis, serving 3M, Cargill and General Mills. She received her bachelor of science with a concentration in public relations from Minnesota State University – Moorhead in Moorhead, Minn.

An advocate of education, Liebl served on the PRSA Educational Affairs Task Force, contributed an essay to a communications textbook titled, “Today’s Public Relations,” and mentors many PRSSA students in the Midwest.

Tags: PRSA, Gail Liebl, Public Relations, Minnesota Chapter, Minnesota PRSA

Senior Counselor at Padilla Speer Beardsley Responsible for Canada, United States and Latin American Geographies for World's Largest PR Firm Network

Padilla Speer Beardsley, an independent public relations consulting firm with offices in Minneapolis and New York, announced that Matt Kucharski, senior vice president, has been elected chair of the Americas Region of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, the world's largest network of independently owned public relations counseling firms.

Padilla Speer Beardsley co-founded the Worldcom Public Relations Group in 1985 as a means to provide transnational public relations services to companies without the overhead normally associated with communications holding companies. The organization has grown to include more than 100 partner offices in 133 cities on six continents. Worldcom Group members are best-of-breed independent firms in their markets, meet minimum size and expertise requirements, follow an established set of operating
protocols and regularly undergo rigorous management reviews.

"Worldcom Group is an organization with a dual purpose: to bring together the brightest minds and experiences to best serve our clients wherever in the world they operate, and to provide our partners with an unmatched resource for knowledge and professional growth," Kucharski said. "Worldcom Group's members help to make those goals a reality."

In addition to naming Kucharski as chair of the Americas Region, other
appointments include:

-Melissa Sturges; Chair-Elect; Sturges Word; Kansas City, Mo.

-Jon Bloom; Past Chair; ; Santa Clara, Calif.

Members at Large include:

-Alfredo Arvizu; Arvizu S.A. de C.V. Comunicación Corportiva; Mexico City, Mexico

-Bernard Gauthier; Delta Media; Ottawa, Ontario

-Bill Trumpfheller; Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, Inc.; San Diego, Calif.

-Brain Bloom; Liggett-Stashower Public Relations; Cleveland, Ohio

-Hal Dash; Cerrell Associates, Inc.; Los Angeles, Calif.

-Joe Snowden; McRae Communications; Atlanta, Ga.

-Laura Hall Knapp; Off Madison Ave; Tempe, Ariz.

-Lore McManus Solo; Strategic America; Des Moines, Iowa

-Mike Nikolich; Tech Image Ltd.; Chicago, Ill.

-Neil McGlone; Michael A. Burns & Associates; Dallas, Texas

Tags: Matt Kucharski, Worldcom Public Relation, Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing

Interactive Account Director

Olson a holistic advertising and marketing agcency is seeking a strategic and entrepreneurially oriented account director to join their interactive team.

The Interactive Account Director will:

• Establish, enhance and actively grow client relationships.
  
  
• Grow revenue within assigned accounts.
  
  
• Manage business success of interactive marketing campaigns.
  
  
• Participate in new business activity for department and agency.
  
  
• Provide active leadership among cross-functional teams and general agency.
  
  
• Manage account staff.
  
  
• Provide strategic and entrepreneurial leader.

Additional responsibilities:

1. Write proposals.

2. Supervise the creation of clear and concise creative briefs.

3. Manage development of account and campaign plans.

4. Create and deliver compelling presentations.

5. Be an industry expert -- obtain useful information, provide client with industry highlights, understand the range of existing and new solutions/strategies.

Requirements:

7+ years related experience at an interactive agency or similar; excellent written and verbal communication skills; excellent presentation skills; can-do spirit.

Visit Olson at www.oco.com.

Tags: Olson, Minneapolis, Jobs, Advertising, Marketing

Nominate an up-and-coming leader

The Business Journal is accepting nominations for the annual 40 Under Forty project, which recognizes the Twin Cities' top young leaders.

Over the years, this prestigious honor has gone to many of the area's most prominent professionals. Past honorees include Gov. Tim Pawlenty, state Sen. Mee Moua (DFL-St. Paul); Minnesota Twins President Dave St. Peter, Split Rock Partners Managing Director Michael Gorman and LaBreche Murray founder Beth LaBreche.

Business Journal editors will select 40 honorees based on their professional accomplishments, demonstrated leadership and community contributions. To be eligible, nominees must be under the age of 40 as of May 12, 2006. He or she must also work in the 11-county Twin Cities metro area, which includes Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties in Minnesota and Pierce and St. Croix counties in Wisconsin. (Note: This is a change; Wisconsin counties weren’t included last year)

The chosen honorees will be featured in the 40 Under Forty special publication, to be included in the May 12 issue of The Business Journal.

Nominations may be made online at twincities.bizjournals.com. Nominations are due Friday, Feb. 10.

To submit supporting nomination materials, or for more information, contact project editor Mark Reilly at , or .

The Weber Shandwick Web Relations Project Manager will help organize and manage the flow of multiple quick-turnaround Web projects. Candidate will be required to juggle numerous concurrent projects all with multiple deadlines and strict budgets.

Ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of experience and should have expert communication skills; position will be responsible for facilitating work flow between client and internal staff, in multiple offices.

Proven online marketing and traffic management experience for major consumer brands required. Candidate must have highly detailed organizational skills to keep all projects on track. Agency experience and some understanding of the public relations business are desirable. Understanding of Web technologies a plus.

Human Resources
Weber Shandwick
, Suite 400


Fax
Email:
No phone inquiries please.

Click here to see all "Weber Shandwick Worldwide" opportunities
Learn more about Weber Shandwick Worldwide

Tags: Weber Shandwick, Minneapolis, Jobs, PR, Web Relations

According to today's Business Journal online, Minneapolis agency Colle + McVoy is moving to downtown Minneapolis from Bloomington, the company announced Wednesday. From the Business Journal:

Colle+McVoy, based in Bloomington since 1994, has signed a lease with Swervo Development Corp. to relocate its offices and nearly 200 employees to the Wyman Building at 400 First Ave. N. in the Warehouse District. The firm and its public relations partner, Exponent, will occupy the top portion of the building.

"We've found the ideal space that not only reflects our personality, but will enhance our creative process and the way we approach our work," Colle+McVoy CEO and Chief Creative Officer John Jarvis said. "We no longer have to view the vibrant downtown scene from afar -- it will be right outside our doorstep."

Get the rest of the article here.

Tags: Advertising, Colle + McVoy, Minneapolis, Downtown, PR

The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick today announced a new hire in the corporate, community & public affairs group.

Angela Gassett joins Weber Shandwick as an assistant account executive. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Gassett worked as a research intern at and was a publicity intern for VEE Corporation. A Minnesota native, Gassett graduated from the University of St. Thomas where she double majored in public relations and psychology.

Tags: Minnesota, Weber Shandwick, Public Relations, Twin Cities, New Hire

OLSON is the next generation of brand builders. We like to say we build bonfires, meeting places where people can connect around a brand or mission. While companies of the past are still trying to create the next compelling message, we're creating communitites that enrich people's lives and bring long term, surpassing results for great companies. Do you have what it takes to build a bonfire with us?

Olson is a rapidly growing agency specializing in holistic advertising and marketing. We are seeking a strategic and entrepreneurially oriented account supervisor to join the account services team.


The Account Supervisor will:

• Establish and maintain client relationships.
• Recommend strategically sound and ROI-focused
• Collaborate with all disciplines within the agency.

Additional responsibilities:

1. Write estimates and proposals.

2. Prepare clear and concise creative briefs.

3. Prepare planning reports and results summaries.

4. Prepare profitability analyses.

5. Manage account executives and assistant account executives

6. Be an industry expert -- obtain useful information, provide client with industry highlights, understand the range of existing and new solutions/strategies.

5+ years agency experience; excellent written and verbal communication skills; excellent presentation skills; and passion!

Visit www.oco.com to learn about the OLSON community.

Click here to see all "Olson + Co., Inc" opportunities

Tags: Advertising, PR, Minnesota, Jobs

Looks like there will be big changes in 2006 for Minnesota PRSA! Under the leadership of new Minnesota PRSA President Gail Liebl, APR, our local chapter has already published the 2006 calendar of events, including new breakfast, lunch AND evening skill development and networking opportunities.

Other changes in the works include:

• Reduced cost programming and networking events.
• Events on both sides of the Mississippi River.
• An opportunity to get advice from senior practitioners through our new mentoring program.
• A new team is being formed to increase our presence in the business community and heighten the visibility of Minnesota PRSA.

To get a full picture of where Minnesota PRSA is headed, read Gail's letter to members here.

Also, if you are interested in the Minnesota PRSA survey results you can read those here.

According to Gail's letter a "new strategic plan will be posted on the web site (www.mnprsa.com) in February and a printed version will be sent to all members with the first issue of Minnesota PRSA Today. All of our committees are incorporating the plan into their activities for 2006."

Don't forget you can find all of these events and more at Minnesota Public Relations Blog Calendar here.

Tags: Advertising, PR, PRSA, Minnesota

If I could eliminate one thing from my professional life it would be my propensity for typos. I am constantly making mistakes in almost everything I do! Of course, one look at would prove that! One of my new years resolutions this year has to be to pause and reread all of my entries so that they aren't so littered with errors.

Then again, part of what makes a blog a blog is the ability to just roll with the punches and write, just to write, right?

Tags: Blogs, Typos, MNPR

Just when you thought you had nothing left to do, goes and plans another party. Join your colleagues on Thursday, February 2nd from 6-9pm at Babalú.

There will be a large selection of wines to taste, great appetizers, a cash bar, and plenty of networking. Register now by contacting Ad Fed at or www.adfed.org.

It's just one more way to look busy.
February 2nd, 2006
from 6-9pm


Babalú





$30 members
$45 non-members

Tags: Advertising, PR, AdFed

Happy Saturday! Just doing some routine maintenance today. I apologize if you have trouble accessing today, but it should be up and running tomorrow.

-Ryan
Technorati Profile

At the encouraging you to think about the definition of Public Relations and asking you to post some thoughts to the new wiki I had created.

Admittedly, I think I got a little ahead of myself and, as a result, may have lost many of you in the process.

So I am taking a step back and thinking about how we can make PR S.E.X.Y. That is what you want right? If and her taught us anything it is that public relations is for the moment. Of course, this is not the message we want to sink into the heads of PR practioners here in Minnesota! But what if we fight fire with fire and make public relations S.E.X.Y.

In other words, as a professional you need to be:

• Strategic and
• Ethical in the
• eXpression of
• Your messages

Spell it out now S.E.X.Y.

I don't know if this is the best definition or even the best acronym but if you can come up with something better, I promise to send you something from the Minnesota Public Relations store. So let's get S.E.X.Y.!

Won't you join me or is this just another bad idea?

Join IABC in honoring some of Minnesota's best business communicators at the IABC Minnesota Bronze Quill Awards Gala. The historic in Minneapolis will be the elegant backdrop for an evening of dining, networking and celebrating business communicators who produced outstanding work in 2005.

This year, Gala attendees will hear from special guest speaker Cyndy Brucato, the 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS anchor who also was press secretary for former Gov. Arne Carlson. Brucato's unique experience in Minnesota positions her as a leader in the community and as one of the area's most respected journalists. Her speech will explore: "Minnesota’s Best: From Politics to the Media."

WHEN Wednesday, January 25, 2006 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM WHERE Blaisdell Manor

FEE Table of 8 Registration Table Attendee Complimentary Table of 8 $700.00 Individual Registration Member $75.00 Guest $95.00 Student $35.00 Speaker Complimentary

RSVP Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Click here to register.

Award program recognizes Minnesota employers that enable employees to succeed at meeting family and personal responsibilities as well as business needs and goals

Leaders of Minnesota businesses that support work-life balance initiatives will gather at a luncheon awards ceremony honoring winners of Minnesota's first state-wide awards program spotlighting such efforts.

Bronze, Silver and Gold Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards will be conferred to leaders of 12 Minnesota businesses from four size categories. Other attending companies that applied for the award will receive Work-Life Advocate Awards for making substantial efforts to implement programs and practices that create flexible and supportive workplaces. Minnesota employers had the opportunity to apply for the 2005 Work-Life Champions Awards from July 20 - October 21, 2005. Applicants were evaluated on their: organizational culture and leadership; work practices and flexibility; health, wellness and benefits; help with personal and family
issues; and community involvement.

WHEN:
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
(Lunch served at 11:45 a.m. Keynote and award announcements begin at
12:15 p.m.)

WHERE:
Doubletree Park Place Hotel
1500 Park Place Blvd, St. Louis Park, MN

FEATURES:
The luncheon award ceremony includes:
A keynote address by Ronald Turner, Chairman, President and CEO of Ceridian Corporation, and long-time advocate of work-life policies and practices.

Photo and interview opportunities with senior level representatives from Minnesota Work-Life Champion award-winning companies. Work-life expert interview opportunities from delegates of the Minnesota Work-Life Champions Partnership. Photo opportunities with unique bronze Work-Life Champion Award sculpture designed by local artist Kenneth Borchardt.

NOTE:
Media is encouraged and welcome to attend the event. Event is free, but RSVP needed.

WHO:
The first annual Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards(TM) are sponsored and presented by The Minnesota Work-Life Champions Partnership, a group of local chambers of commerce, business and professional associations, foundations, and non-profit work-life advocacy organizations committed to making Minnesota's employers the strongest in the nation. The awards program was initiated by a grant from The McKnight Foundation and is managed and organized by the Center for Ethical Business Cultures in conjunction with Work and Family Connection, Inc. For more information, visit www.worklifechampions.org.

CONTACT:
David Rodbourne, Center for Ethical Business Cultures
or

Tracy Carlson, Padilla Speer Beardsley
or

In case you haven't seen it yet, another public relations agency has launched a blog. Padilla Speer Beardsley, technically launched back in , but has just begun to take shape over the last couple of months.

Some things I like about this blog:

1. It is clean - The layout is nice and the feel is warm and inviting.
2. It has a personal voice - because different people with in Padilla's office post to the site it has a more friendly appeal.
3. It gives short summaries of articles - Rather than laying the whole article on you, as my site does, PSB gives you the abbreviated version and allows you to dig deeper.

Some things I would change:

1. Not updated often - This may be because it is new but the site has only been update three times since December 12, 2005.
2. Doesn't always link - Part of the appeal to blogs is that they link to related info. Many of these articles offer few outside links.
3. Articles are too long - This point is related to number three above, but for most web log readers.

All things considered, I am excited to see how this site evolves. One of the tricky things about corporate blogging is keeping up with the hype and taking criticism. Best of luck PSB!

Merrill Corporation, a leading global provider of technology-enabled services for the legal, financial, real estate and other corporate markets, today announced the appointment of Craig Levinsohn to Executive Vice President of Marketing. Levinsohn will be responsible for the overall marketing functions for Merrill.

“Merrill has taken significant steps to broaden product offerings and meet the technology needs of its customers,” said Rick Atterbury, President and Chief Operating Officer, Merrill Corporation. “Craig’s depth of experience in marketing and technology will have a positive impact on our continued diversification and expansion plans.”

Levinsohn most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer of Paisley Consulting in Plymouth, Minn. Prior to Paisley Consulting, Levinsohn served as Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Alliances for HighJump Software, a 3M Company. During his tenure, HighJump became the fastest-growing company in the supply chain execution industry.

Levinsohn’s experience also includes business consulting, having worked with many major corporations and venture capital firms over the past two decades. As a consultant, Levinsohn focused his expertise on fast-growing businesses and the diversification of companies.

He received a B.S. in business administration from the Carlson School of Management and Economics at the University of Minnesota, and subsequently worked with professional sports franchises, including the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“Merrill is an outstanding organization with a reputation for adaptability and innovation,” said Levinsohn. “I’m looking forward to becoming a part of the talented executive management team and playing an integral role in the success of the company.”

Get news release here.

If you are as interested in the lastest media trends around the Twin Cities as I am, you may have heard that 100.3 FM is no longer Smooth Jazz KJZI, but is now Talk Radio KTLK.

According to a Star Tribune article on this topic, parent-company Clear Channel Communications is turning FM stations all over the nation into the talk radio format. From the Star Tribune:

"There are tens of thousands of listeners who never go to the AM dial," said Mick Anselmo, regional vice president of Clear Channel. "We want to be there early, mining a new generation."

Estimates vary, but the trade magazine Talkers projects that FM listenership is three to four times higher than AM's.

Clear Channel, the nation's largest media conglomerate, lost the self-appointed "King of all Media" Howard Stern at the " to Sirius Satellite Radio.

I guess it is time for me to get rid of my 8-track-tape-playing A.M. radio!

Are newsletters a thing of the past in your organization? Do you find your employees only use your Intranet to check the daily lunch specials?

Employee communications can and should be a critical element of a corporation's success, but in a world of constant messages and communications, your company's message can often get lost in the shuffle. Learn how the Intranet can play a vital role in communicating with your employees and other internal audiences with information more than just "Meatloaf Tuesday."

This lively and engaging session will go in-depth on the strategies and tactics used by Allina Hospitals and Clinics to make their Intranet utilized by more than 80 percent of Allina employees. Also, view demos of Allina's Intranet, learn how the Intranet communications team is structured and view the most visited sites on their Intranet.

Presenters:
Karen Gilseth, Marketing Communications Specialist-Web, Allina Hospitals and Clinics
Paula Maidl, Web Manager, Allina Hospitals and Clinics

About Karen and Paula

Karen S. Gilseth
Marketing Communications Specialist-Web
Karen has worked at Allina Hospitals & Clinics for 18 years. Her background is in communications, public relations and marketing. She has a bachelor's degree in IT Management. In her current position, Karen has been integrally involved in the Intranet/Internet redesign teams. She designs and manages processes to keep information current on the Allina Hospitals & Clinics Intranet site home page and the main Web site's newsroom on a daily basis. In addition, she builds and maintains the Allina.com news site as a resource for news reporters. Karen also writes, edits and manages the CEO Web pages and Allina Board of Directors Web pages and develops and implements communications strategies for the Intranet. A part of the strategy includes monitoring site traffic of the Intranet home page and utilizing the data to determine future content decisions.

Paula Maidl
Web Manager
Paula has worked in the healthcare industry for 20 years. The past eight years have been spent working for Allina Hospitals and Clinics, in the Web development area of the Information Services department. Her team develops and maintains Allina's internet, intranet and extranet sites, and develops internal Web-based applications. The sites have won several awards, including Modern Healthcare's Best Provider Website, eHealthcare's Gold Award for Best Intranet Site and Silver Award for Best Health/Healthcare Content, and WWW Health Award's Bronze Award for Health Promotion/Disease & Injury Prevention Information. Paula holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a Marketing emphasis and Computer Science minor.

Meeting Specifics

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Registration and Networking: 11:30 a.m. - noon
Lunch: Noon - 12:30 p.m.
Program: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Location:

DoubleTree Hotel Minneapolis Park Place
1500 Park Place Blvd

Cost:

PRSA Member $30
Nonmember $45
Student $15
(add $10 after the early registration deadline of January 16)

Registration:

or call the Minnesota PRSA office at .

Padilla Speer Beardsley, an independent public relations consulting firm with offices in Minneapolis and New York, announced today that Al Galgano has joined the firm as vice president of its corporate and investor relations practice.

Galgano's 25-year career spans several areas of corporate finance. His experience includes mergers and acquisitions, capital markets activities, budget and forecasting and accounting controls in addition to investor relations and strategic planning. He has a proven track record of success and expertise in several industries, including Internet and technology, enterprise software, financial services, healthcare and retail.

"The significant depth of our practices is attributable to our philosophy of hiring senior-level people who have specialized skills and industry experience that clients can benefit from immediately," said Lynn Casey, Padilla Speer Beardsley's chief executive officer. "Al is a great example of this in action."

Prior to joining Padilla Speer Beardsley, Galgano was vice president of investor relations and business development at Retek, Inc., where he helped spearhead the recent sale of the company to a large software developer. He also was a vice president at Digital River, where he was responsible for the company's investor relations and mergers and acquisitions programs. Financial experience also includes positions at AXA Financial Inc., Chemical Bank and Citibank in N.Y., Metris Companies and Norwest Corp. in Minn., First Nationwide Bank in Calif. and at American Savings and Loan in Utah.

Galgano received his bachelor's degree in political science from Fordham University and a master of business administration degree, with a concentration in financial management/information systems, from Pace University. He is the current president of the Twin Cities chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute.

Weber Shandwick’s Minneapolis Web Relations Team was notified by leading industry trade publication PRWeek Magazine that Blogwatcher: Applying PR Wisdom to Blog Monitoring has been named as a finalist for the category of PR Innovation of the Year. Weber Shandwick is also a finalist for Large PR Agency of the Year, an award it won in 2005.

“It’s validating to see our team’s co-existent knowledge of public relations, Web programming and graphic design be recognized with such a positive endorsement,” said David Krejci, Vice President of Weber Shandwick’s Web Relations group. “The top Web Relations request of our clients in 2005 may well have been ‘what do we do about the blogs?’ and we feel The BlogWatcher responded in a smart and PR-centric way to this request.”

The BlogWatcher employs Technorati’s powerful blog search engine to garner its results; but its unique strength lies in its ability to manage the multiple search keywords, easily weed out the less relevant posts and prepare instant reports via email for the client. These characteristics were developed as a result of understanding any given client has little time/resources to sort through hundreds of blog posts each day. The BlogWatcher enables clients to receive only the posts relevant to them and to receive that information in a clean and convenient format.

This nomination marks the third nomination in four years for the Minneapolis Web Relations team. Overall, Weber Shandwick’s Minneapolis office has been nominated for PR Innovation of the Year four times since 2002, including winning first place in 2003 for WeberWorks, Weber Shandwick’s proprietary account management system.

Weber Shandwick Web Relations, a nationally recognized Web Development team, is looking for a Web Developer/Designer to join its award-winning team.

Duties include creating dynamic Web sites and applications, Internet press kits, online newsletters and other interactive products. Candidate will work closely with experienced lead programmer using Cold Fusion, SQL, actionscript and html to write code from start to finish. Duties also include maintanance of existing sites and conception and development of additional online tools for our staff.

Ideal candidate should have 3+ years experience. Candidate must be a programmer first, with design skills a strong second. Expert skills in ColdFusion, HTML, Actionscript, SQL, Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator are required. Must have strong working knowledge of CSS, XML, javaScript, and Premiere. Candidate must be enthusiastic about learning and seeking out latest new technologies. An understanding of other languages (PHP, ASP, .NET, Flash Communications Server) considered valuable to help augment current language capabilities within existing team. An understanding of the Public Relations practice considered a tremendous asset as well.

In more than 82 offices across the globe, Weber Shandwick relies on a clear client focus, the finest talent in the industry, and a commitment to delivering outcomes – not just output – to produce memorable public relations programs with measurable results. Weber Shandwick has had a record year. We have received Industry Awards including being named PR Week’s Agency of the Year 2005, Holmes Report Agency of the Year, Advertising Age’s Highest Rated PR Firm, and PR Week UK International Consultancy of the Year 2005.

We work hard and have fun. If you are interested in joining our team, please apply online at www.webershandwick.com or send resume and cover letter to:

Human Resources
Weber Shandwick

Fax
Email:
No phone inquiries please.

Equal Opportunity Employer

You become the best by having the best people – Weber Shandwick has several paid internship opportunities for top candidates.

Successful candidates will provide support to team members on multiple accounts. Support includes fundamental PR tasks such as research, list development and program coordination. Undergraduate degree with focus on public relations desired. Internships are paid, full-time positions, and interns are given the chance to learn from the best and begin to develop the skills necessary to become a successful PR or public affairs practitioner.

In more than 82 offices across the globe, Weber Shandwick relies on a clear client focus, the finest talent in the industry, and a commitment to delivering outcomes – not just output – to produce memorable public relations programs with measurable results. Weber Shandwick has had a record year. We have received Industry Awards including being named PR Week’s Agency of the Year 2005, Holmes Report Agency of the Year, Advertising Age’s Highest Rated PR Firm, and PR Week UK International Consultancy of the Year 2005.

We work hard and have fun. If you are interested in joining our team, please apply online at www.webershandwick.com or send resume and cover letter to:

Human Resources
Weber Shandwick

Fax
Email:
No phone inquiries please.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Interactive Account Supervisor

Olson is a rapidly growing agency specializing in holistic advertising and marketing. We are seeking a strategic and entrepreneurially oriented account supervisor to join the interactive team.

The Interactive Account Supervisor will:

• Establish and maintain client relationships.
  
  
• Recommend strategically sound and ROI-focused solutions.
  
  
• Collaborate with traditional account, creative and interactive teams.

Additional responsibilities:

1. Write estimates and proposals.

2. Prepare clear and concise creative briefs.

3. Prepare planning reports and results summaries.

4. Prepare profitability analyses.

5. Manage account executives and assistant account executives

6. Be an industry expert -- obtain useful information, provide client with industry highlights, understand the range of existing and new solutions/strategies.

Requirements:

5+ years related experience at an interactive agency or similar; excellent written and verbal communication skills; excellent presentation skills; can-do spirit.

Apply at Monster.com by clicking here.

Colle+McVoy, Inc., announced Friday that Christine Fruechte, the agency's director of client services, has been named president for the creative firm. She assumes the post from John Jarvis who will continue to lead the agency as Colle+McVoy's chief executive officer and chief creative officer.

"Christine's proven leadership abilities and industry expertise make her an excellent candidate for this post," said Jarvis. "I'm excited to be partnering with her as we take Colle+McVoy to the next level." Fruechte joined Colle+McVoy in September 2004 as its director of client services and as a member of the agency's executive committee. According to Jarvis, she has quickly gained the respect of not only employees, but has become indispensable to clients across the board.

"Over the past year, Christine has proven she knows how to rally the talent and resources to accomplish amazing things for the agency, and we can expect to see a lot more of that in her new role as president."

Prior to joining Colle+McVoy, Fruechte was an executive vice president and partner at Kerker, Minneapolis, and has held several leadership positions within the advertising industry. She established and ran KidCom Worldwide, the youth marketing division of , Minneapolis, and served as the Director of Client Services at Milici Valenti Ng Pack, Honolulu.

Blois Olson and his lawsuit against Minnesota Democrats Exposed editor Michael Brodkorb. Olson wrote me last night to remind me that, at least to him, this is not about "revealing sources. This is about correcting false/defamatory postings." In a Olson wrote:

If anyone publishes things as “fact” anonymously, I would only hope they would make sure the information is true and hold themselves to the same or higher standards of a journalist. And if they aren’t willing to do that, the innocent deserve protection.

When advising clients, I would advise them to do as our firm has done: protect yourself, your reputation, and when it is false or defamatory and there is no willingness of the publisher to correct the inaccuracies, then pursue your legal rights.

This case may be groundbreaking in the fact that it will uncover whether bloggers should or will be held to the same standards as journalists. Seem reasonable? What do you think?

The Minnesota Council on Foundations has announced that charitable giving in Minnesota was up in 2003 (the most current year in which figures are available) after two consecutive years of declines.

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According to the Foundation, in 2003 individuals, foundations and corporations in Minnesota contributed more than $4.30 billion to nonprofits to address community needs.

Get a summary of the Foundations's report here.

Order the complete report here.

Read the Business Journal's article here.

The Star Tribune reported this morning that the mystery editor of Minnesota Democrats Exposed has been uncovered after public relations consultant , president of New School Communications, sued the blogger for defamation. So who's the blogger? Its Michael Brodkorb.

In his confession Brodkorb, a former Republican party activist, assured readers that "Minnesota Democrats Exposed will still be a blog dedicated to a truthful discussion on the activities, statements, and tactics of Minnesota Democrats."

According to the Associated Press, the whole incident played out like this: "Olson disputes a series of postings by Brodkorb last week about criticisms Olson made of the congressional campaign of fellow Democrat Coleen Rowley. Brodkorb wrote that an anonymous source told him that the Rowley campaign refused to hire New School Communications for consulting work, prompting Brodkorb to ask why Olson didn't disclose that when he criticized Rowley in several news stories."

What makes this even more interesting is that this lawsuit could lay the ground work for the blogging community as a whole, because Brodkorb is refusing to reveal his source. Taking the path that some brave reporters have taken in the past, Brodkorb says on , "I have and never will reveal my sources and this lawsuit will not change my commitment to protecting my sources identity. "

Well, it won't cause him to go to prison, but it may cost him $50,000 if he loses.

Get the AP story here.

The Business Journal and Adweek are reporting that Fallon will spin off its brand consulting unit sometime early this year. Here is an excerpt from the Business Journal's Nicole Garrison-Sprenger:

The five-year-old unit is led by managing director and chief strategy officer Bruce Tait and managing partner and chief operating officer Dodie Subler. The unit's contract with Fallon was up and both parties saw no reason to renew, according to a report in trade publication, AdWeek.

Get the complete Business Journal article here.

Get the AdWeek article here.

Minnesota-based Misukanis & Odden has been engaged by wireless Internet services provider, OneVoice Communications to market its new low-cost, high availability Internet service to Jamaican businesses, schools and end-users.

Misukanis & Odden will deploy a blend of public relations, search engine optimization and email marketing to launch OneVoice Communications as the premier wireless communications provider in Jamaica.

“Misukanis & Odden is extremely pleased to be representing OneVoice Communications,” said Susan Misukanis, CEO, Misukanis & Odden. “We look forward to helping OneVoice make Jamaica the world’s first completely wireless nation.”

Headed up by Minnesota entrepreneur, Todd Holcomb, OneVoice Communications is keen to keep the roots of the company in the U.S. OneVoice Communications will design and manufacture all of its equipment in Minnesota.

“We selected Misukanis & Odden as an agency-of-record because of the company’s proven capabilities to market technology services locally, nationally and globally,” said Todd Holcomb, CEO, OneVoice Communications.

For more information visit www.MisukanisOdden.com

This position was just posted today on mnprsa.com's Job Mart:

Public Relations Manager
General Mills

Description:
Great opportunity for a person with an undergraduate degree in Mass Communications, Journalism, Public Ralations or related field and 7+ years experience in corporate, media or agency setting. Lead planning and execution of all PR activities for a designated division or business unit, including developing and executing a wide range of PR strategies and tactics.

• Identify and monitor public issues and trends that are pertinent to assigned brands and categories, and recommend appropriate actions
  
  
• Evaluate impact of public relations programs and communicate the results to the appropriate brand groups
  
  
• Recommend and supervise outside resources, such as PR agencies
  
  
• Manage work of assigned staff and support development efforts
  
  
• Conduct idea sessions, budget reviews and media strategy planning
  
  
• Develop and execute strategic PR plans to promote company’s products to trade and consumer audiences
  
  
• Maintain budgetary control on projects by utilizing existing tracking systems
  
  
• Ensure all PR programs are successfully communicated and leveraged internally
  
  
• Provide crisis communications counsel, as needed.

Please visit our website at www.generalmills.com to view a full job description and to apply.

Salary Range: depending on experience

The coal miners supposed rescue in West Virginia is a product of living in a 24/7 news environment. Once again the rush/need to get the story out trumped gathering the data, doing some research and getting the proper sources.

What can we learn from this tragedy? When will the finger pointing stop and the responsibility fall on the reporters who didn't fact check?

For a play-by-play recount of the past 24-hours of media coverage click here.