Famous Footwear’s national back-to-school ads debut this week featuring a time-slice filming technique new to the mid-tier shoe-retailer category. Developed by agency as part of the Make Today Famous campaign, the fast-paced ads capture teens in mid-air situations – garage-band jam, BMX tricks, break dancing, cheerleader jump splits -- with the most famous brands of shoes on their feet.

“Back-to-School is such a busy time for families, we wanted to depict the idea of stopping to absorb and enjoy the many great moments that make each day famous during this season,” said Will Smith, Famous Footwear’s senior vice president of marketing. “Campbell Mithun has been a terrific partner in understanding our vision and translating that through a technology that also gives viewers something exciting to watch.”

The ads aim to catch texters mid-action as well, with two of the campaign’s seven TV spots featuring a text-in offer for an additional 20 percent off the buy-one-get-one-half-off back-to-school sale. Consumers can also opt-in via text to receive future Famous Footwear offers.

Campaign Details

Campbell Mithun filmed the nine scenes of the back-to-school spots in three days, partnering with director Nez and a film crew that used a 20-camera rig and a Canon 5D camera for the shots. The flight of fast-paced Back-to-School ads includes general brand spots (:30, :15), text-for-coupon spots (:30, :15) and three buy-one-get-one-half-off spots (:30, two :15s).

“Everything – the choice of technique, cast and wardrobe – came together to create a spot that hopefully conveys the same inspiration consumers will get from the styles and brands they'll find at Famous Footwear,” said Robert Clifton, executive creative director at Campbell Mithun.

The national campaign runs on television for seven weeks and includes companion radio and print executions. Other production partners include: editor, JD Smyth / Final Cut; visual effects, The Mill; and original soundtrack, Nylon. Spark is the media agency.

Watch videos, see pictures and find out more by clicking here.

One year ago, PR Sarah Evans worked as Communications Director for a Chicago-based community college. During that time, she was abuzz on with the handle “” building relationships with thought leaders and celebrities most people would only dream of having in their Twitter stream. Within the same year, Evans became a guest writer for top social media blog Mashable and founded #journchat, a Twitter-based chat for public relations professionals and journalists that is now the buzz of CNN and Fox. In 2010, Evans made two big announcements – she was featured in Vanity Fair as one of “America’s Tweethearts”, and had started her own new media consultancy Sevans Strategy that apparently boasts a six-figure client roster, according to Entrepreneur’s “10 Hot Startups.”

This now 29-year old PR/Social Media/Twitter rock star is quite frankly the most remarkable brand case study to come out of social media. Can it be that social media has afforded us limitless opportunities comparable to Evans’ if we only work hard at engagement? PR Sarah Evans has done what we all aspire to do using social networks: branding ourselves as a reliable resource. Implicit in this aim is a focus on trust as well as availability. So much trust that you’re exchanging tweets and e-mails with social/PR celebs Gary Vaynerchuk and Peter Shankman. So much availability that when an earthquake hits Chicago at 4 a.m., you take to Twitter and your tweet catches the eye of New York Times reporter Jen Preston – resulting in opportunity after opportunity.

Intrigued by her many successes, I decided to reach out to PR Sarah Evans with some questions on how we, as PR and social media practitioners, can build our brands more effectively. And in PR Sarah Evans fashion, she came through. Here’s what she had to say:

What advice do you have for building a brand online?

With more than 43,773 tweets per minute, developing your brand so that it stands out online is a challenge. Envision a goal, and know what you want to accomplish – whether it’s building a business, establishing yourself as an expert, connecting with peers or meeting bloggers or journalists. Map out your execution and make sure you have the time to dedicate to this project, along with an exit plan. You’ll need to take the time to (1) monitor your brand on a regular basis, (2) manage updates and establish routine/habits to your social media accounts by reading, responding and sharing, (3) find ways to publicize your brand and (4) monitor your results.


What are the biggest misconceptions of social networking or as critics would like to say “social not-working”?

Creating a Facebook page or a Twitter account is not a business strategy. Social media tools can support an overall plan and objective, but they shouldn’t stand on their own.

Moreover, don’t start a Facebook page or a Twitter account and panic when people start posting on your wall or tweeting with you. Social media is SOCIAL, it’s about sharing information and creating meaningful relationships. Social media is not about advertising your brand by pumping out “key messaging.” Instead, have fun and interact with those around you -- treating your peers like human beings, not dollar signs.

Tell me more about the earthquake that resulted in some earth shattering new business opportunities.

I’ve met many milestone achievements using social media. One milestone made earlier this year started with a 4 a.m. earthquake that hit Chicago. A strange occurrence, rather than go back to sleep, I picked up my phone and tweeted about it. Others in the area began responding and sharing information. CNN iReport picked up on the chatter, followed by a phone call from Jen Preston at the New York Times at 5:04 a.m. Ten minutes later, the article went live on the front page of the NY Times website. An hour after that, my cell phone rang AGAIN, and this time it was CNN iReport associate producer Katie Hawkins-Gear, directing people to my iReport article, which was later mentioned on the front page of CNN.com, resulting in 6,240+ views. This led to five new (and viable) business inquiries in four hours.

What are your biggest pet peeves when people share content online?

My biggest pet peeve? People who aren’t genuine online. This can range from failure to provide full disclosure when tweeting about a client or writing a paid blog post to people claiming to be something they aren’t – a social media “pro” or “guru.”

What social networks, besides Twitter, are great channels for branding oneself?

With every day that passes, social media evolves and new tools emerge. Besides Twitter, other useful branding tools include Facebook fan pages, LinkedIn groups, tribes, blogs – the possibilities really are endless.

Indeed, the possibilities do seem endless for PR Sarah Evans. And who knows—if we follow suit, we may garner our own successes in social media.

is Supervisor of Social Media/PR for Gabriel deGrood Bendt (GdB). Apart from his work at GdB, he enjoys reading @prsarahevans' tweets and bringing his own ideas and content to the Twitter table.

Fast Horse has added two new client relationship managers to serve its expanding roster of business.

Before joining Fast Horse, Trevor Arnold created award-winning campaigns at Strategic America, Iowa ’s largest integrated marketing agency, for clients including Lennox Industries and Kum & Go convenience stores. Arnold is a graduate of Drake University.

joins Fast Horse from Risdall Marketing Group, where she specialized in engaging consumers through social media. A graduate of the University of Minnesota , Wuerffel was a member of the school’s nationally ranked student advertising competition team.

“Trevor and Cydney have demonstrated the breadth of talent that’s demanded in today’s multi-platform marketing environment,” said Jörg Pierach, president and creative director of Fast Horse. “They will be invaluable assets to our clients and staff as we continue to grow as an agency.”

Speaker: Sara Gavin, President,

A lot as it turns out. As employment longevity expands (polite way of saying ‘aging workforce’), we are confronted with managing a multi-generational workforce. Studies indicate that each generation brings a new set of values and attitudes to the workplace. These values and attitudes can either collide or complement one another, and that interaction will impact our bottom line.

In this open forum, Sara Gavin will facilitate a thought-provoking discussion about the challenges to leading in a multi-generational workforce. What can we learn from each other? How do stereotypes impact our relationships with different generations? How do we reward and recognize our employees? How can we lead in such a way that our work style differences do not impact morale? How do we manage generational differences with our clients? Part of the discussion will also focus on internships. What are our responsibilities/obligations to this new generation of PR practitioners? What are best practices? An assortment of refreshments will be provided.

Sara leads several of the agency’s largest accounts in the areas of positioning, brand and reputation management, crisis communications, grassroots and advocacy building, media relations, and social media. She is the executive leader for public relations for the U.S. Army recruiting communications agency, McCann Worldgroup. Public relations programming includes grassroots community campaigns, social media, strategic media relations and Army education initiatives.

In addition, Sara is a member of the 2010 Census Senior Advisory Council for the Integrated Communications Campaign. In her 25 years with the company, Sara has represented Northwest Airlines, CIGNA, CIBA Vision, Novartis, Medtronic, The Coca-Cola Company, Boston Scientific, Hazelden Foundation, The Minnesota Department of Health and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Sara’s office was named one of the Star Tribune’s Top Workplaces, and her office has made the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list for five straight years. She is the mother of four children – teen to young adult.


The Minnesota Pubic Relations Society of America Roundtables (formerly Fresh Thinking Fridays) are another opportunity to advance the professional by providing seasoned members a platform for discussing timely trends and issues facing the public relations profession. These breakfast sessions promote dialogue and discussion about topics most relevant to senior professionals.

Meet Bridget Aymar a University of Minnesota graduate. Bridget won a PRSA Student Classics Award for her work with Operation Black Book for the Uptown Art Fair.

1. Tell me about the jobs that you held while at the University of Minnesota.

In 2008, in the early stages of my professional career, I was lucky enough to land an internship with Uptown Association, the producers of the Uptown Art Fair. I dove right into the nitty gritty of event planning, by managing and executing the youth component of the art fair. I was responsible for Tomorrow’s Stars Seen Today, a youth art fair for artists ages 8-18. I also took the lead on a new event, Operation Black Book, which involved educating youth on how to create art in a graffiti style, legally.

I won a PRSA Student Classics award for my work with the event. When the summer came to a close, I got hired as a copy editor at the Minnesota Daily. I edited news content for grammar, spelling and AP style, I wrote headlines, and I laid out news pages. Although getting paid to read was just about the best job I could have asked for, I decided to spend my last summer as a student serving pizza and beer at Old Chicago in Uptown. After I graduated, I returned to Uptown Association for a short period of time to manage social media, write content for the website, and execute various events include the Uptown Art Fair jury process. I currently work as a freelance writer/editor at Horizontal Integration, a consulting and staffing firm in Minnetonka. I also continue to serve pizza and beer while I look for the right full-time position.


2. Which accomplishment in your professional career are you most proud of and why?

I was most proud of managing and executing the Uptown Art Fair jury process. Because the fair is a fine arts festival, each artist who applies must submit photos of their work and an artist statement which is judged by a team of art professors, museum curators and professional artists. Although more than 1,000 artists apply to the fair, only around 350 are selected to show their work.

I independently managed the event from beginning to end. I selected jurors, collaborated with the jury venue, studied up on the technology needed for the anonymous voting process and even set up the equipment used to project each artist’s images on a six-foot high screen. After three days of jurying, Uptown Association had selected the artists who were to show their work at the 2010 Uptown Art Fair. I was most proud of this accomplishment because the artists are the most important component of the fair, and I made a large contribution to selecting those artists.


3. How did your education from the University of Minnesota prepare you for a public relations career?

My classes and professors prepared me for the high expectations that I would have to meet in the professional world. I learned how to conduct market research, how to write everything from a basic news release to a feature story, the implications media law could have on my work and so much more. At the University of Minnesta, I produced videos for a real-life client, conducted public relations research, learned basic graphic design, and produced advertisements, speeches, scripts, and so much more. Beyond the tools I would need in a public relations career, I also learned how to land a job by attending resume and interviewing workshops, conducting informational interviews and maintaining a professional portfolio.

4. How is your job search going?

My job search has involved a lot of hard work. It’s true that they say finding a job is a full-time job in itself. I spend a lot of time staying in touch with those in my professional network, scanning online posts and keeping my resume up to date. Since I graduated, I have been freelancing, and performing the occasional task for Uptown Association. So far, I am still looking for that perfect position.

5. What would be the optimal employment opportunity for you?

As long as I can write, be creative, and work with others who like to do the same, I’ll be happy. I would love to work somewhere that values original ideas and isn’t afraid to consider the unconventional. I am a very committed person, so I would love to work somewhere where I can channel my enthusiasm into results. Although I’m still young, I plan to grow substantially throughout my career and meet new challenges.

6. What advice do you have for fellow job seekers?

Never overlook an opportunity to learn. Although the job search can seem tedious, discouraging and thankless, you can always learn from a given situation. Also, sometimes it’s about being in the right place at the right time. Almost every job I have ever landed, whether it was at Horizontal Integration or at Old Chicago, I got it because I knew the right person. So conduct informational interviews, talk to family and friends, keep in touch with professors and attend networking events  PRSA holds several events throughout the year. Also, talk about your job search to others. You never know when you’ll meet someone in a position to offer you an opportunity. If networking seems difficult, just remember, every professional was once in the same position you are now, and most are happy to impart their wisdom to help a student.

E-mail:
Facebook: Search Bridget Aymar
LinkedIn:

If you are interested in being featured as an up-and-comer please e-mail me at .

Badly behaving employees on YouTube videos. Broken guitars. Swine flu. Oil spills. The list of organizations impacted by crises that start or spread via social media is growing weekly. How should a company prepare itself for these situations?

The same way you prepare for a fire: with a live drill.

has developed FireBell, a software application that simulates the experience of social media engagement in multiple social media platforms, including , , blogs and .

FireBell enables users to mock tweet, post, view and respond to conversations using functional and fictional replicas of a company's -- and its critics' -- social media properties.

During this mock crisis drill we will put you through an abbreviated but highly realistic version of the full FireBell drill we create for clients, and you will have the opportunity to feel the heat firsthand.

Thursday, August 5th
Breakfast/registration: 7:45 a.m.
Crisis Drill: 8-9:30 a.m.

RSVP
Space is limited.
Please contact Leah Kondes
at 952/346-6115 or
.

ABOUT YOUR FACILITATOR
David Krejci     As team leader within Weber Shandwick's
">national digital practice group, senior vice president David Krejci directs a 20+ person team of social media strategists, designers/programmers for the Minneapolis office, servicing clients such as Microsoft, U.S. Census, U.S. Army, American College of Surgeons, the Internal Revenue Service, Honeywell and General Motors. David combines more than 11 years of "traditional" public relations experience with an expert knowledge of social media and Web development to integrate strategic digital components into communications campaigns.

LaBreche announced today the expansion of its public relations team with the addition of account assistant and intern Whitney Johnson.

Account assistant Hyedi Cribben joins LaBreche after working as an intern in the media and public relations department at the American Academy of Neurology, and also in the communications department at Minnesota Public Radio. She was recently awarded her Master of Arts degree from the Health Journalism and Communication graduate program at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Cribben’s client roster includes Bioenergy, MicroCare Medical, Meritas, Victaulic and 3M.

Intern Whitney Johnson previously worked as a marketing consultant at the Minnesota Daily and as an intern at StoryTeller Media and Communications. She recently earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in professional strategic communication with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in design from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Johnson’s client list includes law firm Faegre & Benson, the Wood Products Council, Victaulic, 3M and Ascent HealthCare Solutions.

McFarland Cahill Communications (MCC), a local boutique public relations firm, recently added the 2010 Uptown Art Fair to its list of clients.

MCC will be handling the public relations effort for the Uptown Art Fair, a nationally recognized art fair. It is the second most-attended event in Minnesota and hosts more than 360 professional artists showcasing art of all kinds including sculpture, paintings, jewelry, mixed media, ceramics and more.

“We are very excited to work with the highly creative team at the Uptown Association that produces the Uptown Art Fair and to help them raise visibility for this extremely popular event,” said Maureen Cahill, co-founder of McFarland Cahill Communications. “Uptown represents such a diverse and dynamic area of the Twin Cities and this year’s theme of Urban Experiences provides us with a great backdrop for a fun and inspired public relations campaign.”

The Uptown Art Fair is in its 47th year and will be held August 6 - 8. For more information, visit www.uptownartfair.com.

McFarland Cahill Communications also promotes a number of major events in the metro area including Taste of Minnesota, the ASID Showcase Home Tour, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s Taste event, and the Home & Garden Show.

We live in a world fueled by technology that was unimaginable just a generation ago. (Though I am still a little disappointed that we don’t have flying cars of many of the helpful time-saving tools from The Jetsons just yet.) We have the ability to be more connected to others all over the world. There is the opportunity to learn from different cultures, different regions, and from others with unique ideas.

The king of amateur cook-offs, Matt Timms, is bringing his gig to the Twin Cities. Following recent bacon showdowns in Brooklyn, Houston, and SXSW, Bacon Takedown Twin Cities will take place in O'Gara's in St. Paul on July 18 at 4pm.

Timms is looking to pit 20 local cooks and their best bacon recipes against one another. Each contestant gets 15 pounds of Hormel Black Label Bacon to work their magic with and then brings the completed dish to the event for judging. At the event, observers can sample the results, which means a feast including everything from bacon bloody Mary's to bacon ice cream to Molten Bacon Explosions, and more! Over $1500 in prizes from Anolon, Wusthof and Microplane.

$15 to come on down and try all the Hormel Bacon magic. A portion of the proceeds goes to Feeding America.

has been promoted to senior associate at Carmichael Lynch Spong. Lindman joined the firm in 2008 as an associate. In his new role, Lindman is responsible for handling day-to-day activities and providing excellence in execution for clients American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning, Jack Link’s and Rapala.

Prior to joining Carmichael Lynch Spong, Lindman was an account representative for Tunheim Partners, a communications firm in Bloomington, Minn. He also worked as an associate counselor for New School Communications, a St. Paul-based PR agency.

“Kip’s deep insight into his client’s target audiences and the creativity he adds to daily tasks is valued by his teams and clients,” says Douglas K. Spong, APR, president of Carmichael Lynch Spong. “He is very deserving of this recognition.”

Outside of work, Lindman is an active participant in the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) serving on the sponsorship committee.

Lindman earned his bachelor of science degree in mass communications at Saint Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn.

has joined as social media coordinator, expanding the agency’s digital and social media group. Fendrick joined Beehive PR as an intern in January, with an emphasis on social and digital media. She has a depth of experience employing online social media monitoring tools, analyzing clients’ social media presence and conducting blogger engagement and outreach.

Previously, Fendrick was a writing intern for Minnesota Business. She has also interned and worked with Clear Channel Corporation, 50 Entertainment and Bookie and Belle, LLC. Fendrick graduated from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She has a bachelor’s degree in public relations, with minors in cultural studies and comparative literature and in cinema and media culture.

To view the news release, visit Beehive’s Newsroom: http://www.beehivepr.biz/newsroom

Weber Shandwick announced yesterday the addition of two new employees in the digital communications practice.

joined the firm as digital strategy director, working on accounts in the consumer marketing industry. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Miller was a marketing manager at Target Corp. A Michigan native, Miller earned his bachelor's degree in social relations from Michigan State University, and is completing a master’s degree in strategic communications from the University of Minnesota.

joined the digital communications practice as a senior project manager and will focus on accounts in the government and corporate affairs sectors. Stutzman previously worked as an account manager at Modern Climate in Minneapolis. A native of St. Louis Park, Stutzman earned her bachelor's degree in marketing and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.

City of Edina - Communications Intern

Veterans Affairs Dept - Information Officer 1

Combining communication strategy and brand tactics into a comprehensive approach has been the preverbal Holy Grail for marketing departments of all kinds. So, what do you need to do to create a platform that unifies the marketing processes together into a well-oiled machine? Join us as we bring together four talented and seasoned professionals who will share their marketing alchemy on how they bring together media elements to create a successful integrated campaign. Learn how to not only understand social media as a whole, but also how to effectively harness its power to better manage the integrity of a brand. More important, our panelists will help you gain a better understanding of how best to incorporate the many elements of a communication plan, so you can define and measure success. The information they will discuss is geared to marketing professionals of all ranks. If your role is in planning, budgeting, facilitating, communicating, designing, or branding, you'll want to attend and ask questions.


when: Wednesday, July 21, 2010
7:30 am Registration and Continental Breakfast
8 am Presentation
9 am Networking


where: Metropolitan Ballroom
5418 Wayzata Boulevard
Golden Valley, MN 55416

cost: Pre-registration Fees Members = FREE Student Members = FREE Non-Members = $40 Walk-in Registration Fees Members = $40 Student Members = $40 Non-members = $45

Register online now.

One of the best networking events of the year is just around the corner. Be sure to sign up now!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

A joint venture between AdFed, MN AMA, AWM-MN, IABC, MDMA, MIMA, MNWIFT, MWMC and MN PRSA

Please join…

• AWM-MN: Alliance for Women in Media
• MN AMA: MN American Marketing Association
• IABC MN: International Association of Business Communicators
• MDMA: Midwest Direct Marketing Association
• MIMA: Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association
• MNWIFT: Minnesota Women in Film and Television
• MWMC: Minnesota Women in Marketing and Communications
• MN PRSA: MN Public Relations Society of America

…for the 5th Annual Alphabet Bash. Alphabet Bash is a “can’t miss” networking event celebrating Minnesota marketing and communications professionals. You’ll see old friends and meet new acquaintances as you explore business development opportunities within a fun and festive atmosphere.

Location
Epic Event Center

Minneapolis

Time
6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
* The pre-networking event starts at 4:30 p.m

Follow Alphabet Bash on or on .

Risdall Online Marketing Group (RMG) announced that has joined the agency as account executive. In this role, Bensman will serve as agency liaison to a diverse roster of client accounts.

“Blake’s social media savvy, hard-working spirit and appetite for adventure make him an excellent addition to our firm,” said Jennifer Risdall, CEO of Risdall Online Marketing Group. “We expect him to make valuable contributions to our team right away.”

Bensman has worked for ZizzoGroup Advertising and PR and OnMilwaukee.com in Milwaukee as well as Museu d’Histroia de la Ciutat in Barcelona, Spain. He has a bachelor’s degree in professional strategic communication from the University of Minnesota and studied at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona.

CONCEPT
Speaking of Home-St. Paul is a major public artwork and environmental design project for the St. Paul skyway system, the first large-scale temporary skyway public art project in the city’s history. Situated in the heart of the city, Speaking of Home will transform four St. Paul skyway bridges from utilitarian walkways to a grand-format public artwork, celebrating Twin Cities’ diversity and the importance of an affordable home for everyone. Inspired by the more than 120 languages spoken by children in the Twin Cities school system, the monumental project creates for St. Paul a sense and place of identity at the city’s nerve center. When completed, the project will form a “town square” connecting the streets surrounding the intersection of 6th and Minnesota. Speaking of Home, St. Paul is being developed in partnership with the City of St. Paul, Forecast Public Art; Family Housing Fund; CommonBond Communities, the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Advanced Study and Larsen Design. The projected exhibition schedule is April to December 2011.

Fifty-six Twin Cities’ residents will be invited to collaborate and share their family photographs from their country of origin and stories of coming to Minnesota. Fifty-six larger-than-life portrait photographs of Twin Cities’ residents—each approximately 10 by 12 feet—will be printed on sheer fabric and installed seamlessly in the window frames of four skyways. Each portrait will be accompanied by signage with the word for “home” in that person’s native language, accompanied by excerpts from interviews. The installation also features biographical and didactic panels explaining the project. It will include a website, and project brochures distributed to audiences.

GOALS

• Creating a sense of place and identity in St. Paul
• Stimulating cultural and economic vitality in downtown St. Paul
• Empowering New Americans and communities of color, promoting diversity and teaching tolerance
• Creating visibility for the Family Housing Fund and CommonBond Communities’ work while increasing public awareness how affordable housing strengthens our community.
• Creating the first of its kind public art project – focusing on design and innovation in the public realm
• Demonstrating new uses for the Twin Cities’ skyways and future public art programming
• Promoting the Twin Cities’ as design forward and embracing innovation

PARTNERS/SUPPORTERS
Speaking of Home-St. Paul is based on a successful one-bridge 2008 Minneapolis pilot project which won Americans for the Arts’ 2009 Best National Public Art Project, a 2009 International Merit Award of the Society for Environmental Graphic Design and the IFAI’s International Award of Excellence for use of fabric in design. Speaking of Home, St. Paul is initiated by a public art and environmental design collaborative, Public Interest Inc. led by photographer and environmental designer and 2010 Bush Foundation Fellow Nancy Ann Coyne in cooperation with Larsen Design.

Funders/In-Kind Supporters to date include: the City of St. Paul Cultural Star Grant, the Minnesota State Arts Board, Bush Foundation, McKnight Foundation, General Mills, the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Compas, Elmer L. & Eleanor H. Andersen Family Foundation, Portland Color, Larsen Design, CityLitesUSA-Skyway Advertising, , Archetype Signmakers, Albinson’s Reprographics, and Borman & Schulkers Law Firm. Additional funders are pending including 3M and Wells-Fargo Bank.

If you are interested in donated your public relations experience or your agency time please call or email project director, Nancy Ann Coyne to learn more about the opportunity. /

Risdall Marketing Group (RMG) recently promoted Ashley Bruce to strategist in its Strategic Consultation division.

“Since joining the agency a year ago, Ashley has made enormous contributions to client research and strategy development projects,” said Cindy Lord , president of Risdall Strategic Consultation. “Her pragmatic approach and amazing analytic skills have made her a valuable member of our team.”

Highlights of Bruce’s client work at RMG have included serving as: leader of Donatelle strategy development; co-developer of Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union strategy; and work on a naming project with the Brave New Workshop.

Skyya Communications is an award winning, full-service strategic marketing communications and public relations agency with deep experience serving the communications needs of emerging and well-established technology companies across the U.S. and around the globe. With headquarters in Minneapolis and a significant presence in New York City, Skyya has continued to experience impressive year-over-year agency growth – primarily through referrals and word-of-mouth advertising – in spite of a weak economy.

Skyya’s “in-house agency” model leverages the advantages of an in-house employee approach with the benefits of using an outside agency, and minimizes the disadvantages of both. With affordable rates, a highly talented staff of tech-savvy marketing veterans and a passion for success, Skyya’s value proposition appeals to technology-centric startups and Fortune 500 companies alike. Skyya’s breadth of industry experience spans B2B and B2C, offering our clients access to highly skilled talent across an array of disciplines, including PR and strategic communications, product management, strategic planning, social media and online marketing, channel development, and more.

The agency’s team delivers time-tested expertise in telecommunications, consumer products, mobile, new media, GPS, healthcare, green tech, and IT/software. Skyya is truly a one-stop shop, providing clients a proven track record of success and assistance in areas as diverse as raising capital, new product development strategy, and implementing powerful new sales models.

Skyya has been honored with a host of industry accolades for both internal and client-facing work, including the MarCom Gold Award for the agency’s website and collateral system, and was recently recognized with both a Hermes award and a Bulldog Reporter award in the consumer product launch category.

In addition to the SPOT Satellite Messenger and its parent company Globalstar, Skyya Communications’ current client roster includes iCentera, PAETEC, WorldGate, Speaklike, SIPPrint, ET Water Systems, Bluelounge, Magneat, and Mad Mobile.

To learn more about Skyya Communications or our clients, visit online at http://skyya.com or follow us on Twitter at .

Happy 4th of July. I hope you have a wonderful and safe weekend. Today I am thankful for the freedom we enjoy.

Risdall Marketing Group (RMG) energetically entered the summer, with the firm adding 11 new or expanded accounts in June.

• CocoLaPalm Resort – Expanded engagement to include social media and search engine optimization
• Donatelle – Expanded engagement to include ongoing search engine optimization
• Locator Technologies – Expanded engagement to include new product website development
• MakeMusic – Expanded engagement to include market segmentation research
• McArdle Business Advisors – Webinar production
• McKinley Group – Expanded search engine optimization project
• PureZone – Expanded engagement to include sponsored search
• Spanlink Communications – Website redesign and support
• Star Transportation – Website development and online marketing
• Twin Cities Originals – Expanded engagement to include event planning, public relations and social media for the upcoming Taste of the TCO event
• UniPunch Products – Marketing support, branding, website redesign

The Twin Cities Chapter of the American Red Cross is looking for volunteers for its Public Affairs On-Call Team. Volunteers serve as spokespersons to provide information about Red Cross disaster relief activities to the Twin Cities media.

Time commitment is one after hours (evening/weekend) on-call shift per month, either a weekend or two to four weekday nights per month; scheduling is flexible. Experience with or knowledge of the media relations process and good communications skills are required. Training is provided and there are also opportunities to volunteer for national disasters. For more information, contact Lynette Nyman, American Red Cross Twin Cities Area Chapter, Media and Government Relations Manager at and . Applicants are required to complete online registration at

For the second year, an online video contest called the "Fringey Awards" gives the public a sneak preview of various Minnesota Fringe Festival artists’ performances and enables those who visit www.fringeyawards.com to vote for their favorite three videos until August 4th. The contest, sponsored by VISI, Minnesota’s premier cloud computing, data center, and managed hosting provider, invites all performers from the Minnesota Fringe Festival 2010 to submit 60-second videos that best capture the essence of their different productions and that encourage attendance to the August 5 – August 15 performances.


The Fringey Awards video submissions can be excerpts from actual Fringe Festival performances or simply teasers. The trailers will be funny, dramatic, shocking and whimsical. They’ll be scripted, improvised or even stream-of-conscious. Many will feature live actors, original animation and music, and maybe even puppets.

"Fringey Awards offers Fringe artists a new, viral way to promote their performances through online video," said Gary Elfert, Director of Products and Marketing for VISI. "All Fringey video submissions will live on www.fringeyawards.com and YouTube, so contestants can send video links to their networks by email, Facebook, Twitter and other digital channels. VISI is bringing the power of technology and social media networking to the Minnesota Fringe Festival for the second year in a row."

The general public will be able to vote for their favorite videos from July 1st-August 4th. The top three videos with the most votes will each receive one year's worth of free Web site hosting ($240 retail value) from VISI. The grand prizewinner will receive $500 in cash along with a year of Web hosting service ($240 retail value) from VISI.

More information about the Fringey Awards can be found at www.fringeyawards.com, on Facebook and through .