• Mark Palony, marketing manager of SAP Solutions at SoftBrands
• Jared Roy, president of Risdall Integration Group
• Tom Pick, author of WebMarketCentral.com and marketing executive at KC Associates, LLC

Hazelden Foundation, the national non-profit organization which helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction through treatment and continuing care, publishing, research, education and advocacy, has chosen Maccabee Group as its new public relations agency.

The Maccabee Group will support all the Hazelden Foundation locations including Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois and New York.

Tunheim Partners is proud to announce that Minneapolis-based U.S. Energy Services has selected the agency to support its public relations efforts.

Tunheim Partners will provide strategic counsel and public relations support to supplement U.S. Energy Services’ marketing efforts. The agency also will generate and increase brand awareness for U.S. Energy Services and raise visibility of the company’s service offerings and executive leadership through national, trade and local media relations.

We know times are tough, which is why we're retooling the MWMC conference into an affordable workshop series throughout the spring and early summer. You'll have the opportunity to swap tips and tricks in highly interactive sessions with some of the brightest women on the Twin Cities'marketing and communications scene.

To make this happen, we need to hear from you. What topics would you like to see covered? What are the best days to get away from work? Are you a morning gal or an afternoon lady? With your help, we'll create a fantastic series and have a swinging spring and summer! Please fill out this quick survey in order to help us best provide MWMC members with more exciting opportunities!

This week marks the sixth anniversary of the Minnesota Public Relations Blog. So much has happened in just six years. Blogs have gone from the fringe to mainstream and with it so many other technologies...Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn...the list goes on.

With the state of the economy the way it is Web 2.0 is positioned for growth. The last six years have been a blast. There has been times where I felt like throwing in the towel, but I am happy to say that MNPR's traffic is going strong.

Thanks for your support and encouragement.

-Ryan

The print industry is laying off many employees, several small newspapers are closing their doors, and Internet journalism is on the rise. Journalists are now answering six W’s: who, what, why, when, where and Web.
With these dramatic changes taking place, will print remain a significant piece of the puzzle? Join us for breakfast on Friday, Feb. 27 along with guest speakers Dan Shorter, president of Star Tribune Digital, and Cory Powell, managing editor of presentation and innovation at the Star Tribune. They will answer our questions and provide us with some insight from their perspectives. The event takes place at The Grand Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.

Shorter is responsible for StarTribune.com, mobile services and all other digital businesses at the company. Since Shorter arrived at the Twin Cities nearly one year ago, the StarTribune.com team has doubled its traffic and digital revenue. Before joining the Star Tribune, Shorter was the general manager of PalmBeachPost.com. He was also a front page editor, executive business editor and new ventures manager in West Palm Beach. Shorter became the 2008 Newspaper Association of America Innovator of the Year.

Powell directs product development efforts in the Star Tribune newsroom and leads the visual and copy-editing staffs in shaping the presentation of the day’s news and features for print and video. He has been a driving force behind the Star Tribune’s video strategy and the 2009 launch of several online-only video programs. In 2006, Powell led the development and launch of Vita.mn, a weekly print companion to the Star Tribune’s entertainment Web site. In 2005, he led the Star Tribune’s award-winning print redesign, which relied on extensive readership research to guide its use of alternative story forms to reach out to casual readers. With nearly two decades of experience in the newspaper industry, Powell has been a designer, copy editor, copy desk chief and news editor. He passed up a career as a ski bum, a choice he second-guesses every winter.

Register online or call the Ad Fed office at .

I spoke to University of Minnesota students last night about public relations and some of the changes happening in our profession. It is my assumption that students are feeling anxious about finding a job, but maybe I am wrong. So let me ask you what you think.

1. What does the current Minnesota PR job market look like? 
2. Are new grads feeling the economic pinch as you are trying to find internships in PR? 
3. If you are on the agency side, what does the market look like?
4. Are you hiring recent grads, experienced professionals, mid-level people or no one at all?
5. What does the corporate market look like? 

or write your comment below.

For those looking for a job, here is an interesting article:

Carmichael Lynch Spong kicked off 2009 by gaining three new clients, all in the same month. The latest leading brands are Calphalon, Matador by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and Prestige Wine Group.

Calphalon has chosen Carmichael Lynch Spong as its agency of record. Carmichael Lynch Spong will help support the entire Calphalon product line, from professional cookware to the new kitchen electric products.

Matador is a new brand for teens by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. Carmichael Lynch Spong will assist in the launch of this new brand through a variety of media outreach and experiential initiatives.

Prestige Wine Group has requested the firm’s help in creating a media relations outreach plan to support two of its key products: the popular Argentinian line of Conquista wines and the new, Fair Trade Certified Fairhills line.

"Winning these clients all in the same month is quite a gift for us," says Douglas K. Spong, APR, president of Carmichael Lynch Spong. "We look forward to new partnerships with some of the industry’s most respected brands and can’t wait to produce best-in-category work for them."

Due to an overwhelming response from local PR students, Minnesota PRSA is seeking additional professional hosts for Pro-Am Day. The annual event, which matches students with PR professionals, will be held on Friday, February 20.  Additional information is available at: -->http://www.mnprsa.com/index2.cfm?page=ProAm_day.cfm&target=Events -->

Online registration is currently closed, but professionals can volunteer by emailing Stacy Housman at  before 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17.  Please indicate if you are willing to host a student, participate in speed networking or both. 

Thursday, February 26
6-8 p.m.

Trygs Restaurant, 3118 West Lake St, Minneapolis
Cost: $15 for Minnesota Women in Marketing and Communications members

Register Now

Everyone knows somebody! How do you harvest the richness of your network? What is the give and take reciprocity of connecting your professional friends? What does great collaboration look like? Dawne Brown White will offer information, energy and insight into the give and take of reaping the rewards of the network you have built over your 20+ year career.

About our speaker:
Dawne Brown White is founder of Molar Express, a innovative nonprofit that provides dental care to underserved children in Minnesota.

So I've been told the job market sucks! Maybe you are taking another look at your resume or your or profile and wondering what you could do to spice it up. If you are thinking about furthering your career by getting your , you should read this article on CNN online from CareerBuilder.com.

Here is an excerpt:

Sheri Rice Bentley, APR, a public relations specialist for Knupp & Watson Inc., says earning her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) enhanced her career tremendously. APR, the only certification that exists for public relations professionals, consists of presenting work to a jury of PR professionals, followed by a written exam.

For the full article click here.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The AdFed Mentorship Circle program is designed to allow members to individually interact with potential mentors by meeting them in an informal group setting called a Circle Group. These Mentorship Circle Events are held four times a year and offer networking, discussion and group mentorship based on areas of interest. The Mentorship Circle event does not specifically match a mentor and a mentee. However, these events are designed to allow a mentor and mentee to make a connection, and possibly develop a mentor/mentee relationship outside of AdFed. Participants can also choose to simply attend quarterly Circle Events where mentorship will happen via group discussions. The Mentorship Circle events are a great opportunity to learn from the best and the brightest in the industry, network with professionals and learn from your peers. Event Specifics : When: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Time: 5:30pm to 7:30pm Where: The Times/Jitters Bar and Café 201 E Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414 Cost: FREE for members and $15 for nonmembers Guest Mentors : Steve Wallace, Senior Director of Strategic Planning JWT/RMG Connect Guest Mentor: Interactive Joe Cecere, Vice President, Executive Creative Director Little and Company Guest Mentor: Creative Dan Domagala, President Russell Herder Guest Mentor: Account Management Alison Barrick, Business Partnerships & Negotiation Leader Target Guest Mentor: Marketing Martha Capps, CEO Capps Marketing Guest Mentor: Marketing Patty R Henderson, Digital Marketing Strategy and Operations Consultant Guest Mentor: Interactive Grant Barrick, Senior Product Manager Minute Clinic Guest Mentor: Marketing Jaye Peterson, Account Director Little and Company Guest Mentor: Account Management Aaron Keller, Managing Partner Capsule Guest Mentor: Account Management Steve Gill, Owner Ghost Public Relations Guest Mentor: Public Relations & Media

Register Online or call the Ad Fed office at .

Registration Deadline: 5:00 pm, Monday, February 9, 2009.