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Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association (MIMA) - FALL SOCIAL NETWORKING
[MIMA HAPPY HOUR]
when: Wednesday, September 14, 2011
5:15 pm
where: Elsie's
.
Free Parking
Directions
cost: Pre-registration Fees
Members = FREE
Student Members = FREE
Non-Members = $20
Walk-in Registration Fees
Members = $20
Student Members = $20
Non-members = $20
*Please note: Pre-registration for closes 24 hours prior to the event, at which point walk-in registration fees will apply for members, student members and nonmembers
Register here.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Agency Profile: Karwoski & Courage
Founded in 1992, Karwoski & Courage is uniquely suited to provide a broad range of public relations and marketing communications services. As an independent operating company of Martin|Williams, Inc. (Omnicom), Karwoski & Courage can access the resources of a $300+ million marketing communications organization while providing a high level of service to clients as a midsize public relations firm. In their shared office space, Karwoski & Courage and Martin|Williams staff members are encouraged to collaborate across account teams and agency-wide disciplines. The agency considers this an important part of its culture, as well as an important differentiating factor from other agencies.
Karwoski & Courage has built considerable expertise in the oral health care arena with clients like 3M, Patterson Dental, GlaxoSmithKline, BiteTech, and A-dec. But oral health care is by no means the agency’s sole focus. Karwoski & Courage also has extensive healthcare experience with clients in vision care and drug delivery systems, and additional expertise with clients in agriculture, architecture and design, graphics, industrial design, food and hospitality, manufacturing, and industrial services.
The agency’s work encompasses research and account planning, media relations for consumer and business-to-business audiences, advertising and related marketing communications, event and cause marketing, social media strategy and execution, community relations, crisis and issues management and corporate/internal communications. With in-house research capabilities including MRI, Yankelovich, PRIZM and Claritas, Karwoski & Courage has the tools to guide strategic development of every aspect of its work.
Nationally recognized for its innovation, brand-building, and analytics Karwoski & Courage possesses a rare combination of strategic expertise, award-winning creative and flawless execution that delivers measurable and meaningful results.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Karwoski & Courage Public Relations recently added three new clients to its roster
The new business deepens the agency’s existing ties to the health care and agricultural industries, as well as its expertise with local professional services firms.
The agency’s work with A-dec, an Oregon-based dental equipment solutions company with distribution in more than 100 countries, will include media relations and overall strategic planning. Karwoski & Courage was
awarded the business based on its extensive experience in the dental industry. The agency has represented
3M ESPE Dental Products for 14 years and Patterson Dental for eight years, and also has past experience
with GlaxoSmithKline consumer dental products, including Sensodyne and Aquafresh toothpastes.
Karwoski & Courage is working in conjunction with in-house agency partner Martin|Williams Advertising to
service Kinze Manufacturing, a leading agricultural equipment manufacturer. Together, the public relations and
advertising teams will create a new integrated branding and selling effort encompassing brand and engagement strategies, social media, event marketing, advertising and public relations for the company, which employs 600 people and operates a 23-acre manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Williamsburg, Ia.
The agency’s project with Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon & Vogt centers around the law firm’s recent merger with
Rosene, Haugrud & Staab, Chartered. Karwoski & Courage is leading communications efforts highlighting
Felhaber’s strengthened concentration in multiemployer benefits expertise. The firm now boasts 17 top
practitioners in the field, and represents more than 60 jointly administered employee benefit trust funds.
Karwoski & Courage has also added two new Assistant Account Managers to its team, Vanessa DeBruijn and MaryEllen Columbus. DeBruijn, a 2008 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, brings previous experience from Lindsey, Stone & Briggs, a full-service advertising and public relations agency in Madison. DeBruijn was a two-time recipient of the Irwin Simms Scholarship at the University of Wisconsin, and also served as an intern at Madison Magazine and On Wisconsin Magazine.
Columbus graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2010. She has worked as a contributing writer at the
Grand Rapids Herald Review, and also brings experience from internships at Midwest Special Services, Inc.,
CentraCare Health System and Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Shandwick promotes Shields to SVP
Shields joined Weber Shandwick in 2006, bringing his extensive relationship building skills and public affairs acumen to his work with the firm’s defense industry and government clients. He led the team that created a grassroots community outreach program for the U.S. Army, helping to change how the organization engages and reaches community influencers and potential recruits. The program has been recognized as a finalist for PRWeek’s "Community Relations Campaign of the Year" award, and won an International Public Relations Association Golden World award. Shields has also been critical to new business development within the defense industry and Minnesota state government, as well as leading account teams and clients to successful outcomes.
“Denny is a thoughtful, considerate and dedicated leader who is genuinely interested in developing talent at all levels,” said Eric Pehle, executive vice president of Weber Shandwick’s Public Affairs practice.
Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Shields, a retired Army colonel, served as a military and government spokesman for more than 15 years. He provided communications counsel to senior elected and appointed government officials and, while serving with the Minnesota National Guard, built a community relations program that was used as a national model and was recognized with a regional Emmy award from the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Television Academy.
Shields’ community leadership has also been a great asset to Weber Shandwick’s Minneapolis office. He is member of the Twin Cities Communications Council and serves on the board of directors of STARBASE-Minnesota, a nonprofit corporation that delivers math and science education to public schools in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He is also a board member of the Minnesota Military Family Foundation, serves on the Marketing and Communications Committee of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association and is a member of the Twin Cities Dunkers breakfast club. Shields holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the University of Minnesota and completed graduate work in business administration at the University of St. Thomas.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
BMA-Minnesota Event Focuses on Engaging C-Level Executives
The talk will feature Steve Penn, Creative Director, Writer and Producer at P-E-N-N, a St. Paul based strategic planning and creative consultancy firm. By the end of the session, Penn hopes listeners will:
- Be inspired to approach B2B communications with a better perspective on what works and what doesn’t.
- Gain valuable insight on how to get and maintain interest from busy high-level executives.
- Walk away equipped with C-level messaging and offer ideas that can instantly have a greater impact on the effectiveness of your communications programs.
Penn will discuss the seven ways B2B is completely different from consumer direct marketing and why that knowledge is so important in crafting communications. “When you try to engage executives in the C-Suite, it is absolutely critical that you understand where they live in the organization, how they think, what they look for and what absolutely turns them off immediately,” says Penn. “Do it right and doors can open. Stumble and you may as well not bother."
The event will be held at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Golden Valley, Minn. Registration and breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., followed by the program from 8 to 9 a.m.
The cost is $30 for BMA members and $45 for non-members. Attendees can register online at www.bmaminnesota.org through Sept. 17. A limited number of walk-up registrations are available.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation chooses GdB
The Foundation is named after Abbey Taylor, the Edina, Minn., 6-year-old who died in 2008 as a result of injuries sustainedwhen she became entrapped by a pool drain.
“This is an issue that flies under the radar for most parents,” said Doug deGrood, creative director. Since 1999, 14 children have died as a result of improperly maintained pools, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Many more have been significantly hurt.
“GdB has a long history of cause-related advocacy,” said Tom Gabriel, agency CEO. Over the years, GdB has helped support more than 37 local organizations focused on community-driven initiatives such as cancer, children’s disabilities, hunger, homelessness and performing arts. Its current community roster includes Science Museum of Minnesota, MacPhailCenter for Music, and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. “I’m glad the agency can help on such an important cause,” Gabriel said.
“We’re grateful to have a partner like GdB to help us take our educational efforts to the next level,” said Katey Taylor, Abbey’s mother, and co-founder and president of Abbey’s Hope. “With their help we can better raise awareness on pool safety, and the injuries – and fatalities – caused by entrapment.”
Monday, August 15, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Add multimedida to news releases easily and affordably
Recent analysis from PR Newswire confirms what they have suspected for a while - press releases that include multimedia elements generate 77-percent more views than releases that contain only text.
PR Newswire offers reasons why their multimedia releases receive more views, but regardless of the platform, news releases that contains photo and video assets reach more people by the vary nature of the assets it contains.
Every asset is a piece of sharable content in and of itself.A product demonstration video embedded into a release from YouTube;
A slideshow of event photos from a Flickr library;An audio clip of a radio interview from iTunes;
Not only are these working double-time from a search perspective, but each asset also has a second “home” on the social web where it can be shared or favorited on other networks – increasing the shelf life of your message and the likelihood that they will be viewed.Additionally, the multimedia release itself contains social sharing features, and readers are more likely to actively share multimedia content than text-only content.
You may have ditched the .pdf attachments a while ago, but are you using multimedia to ensure all of your news releases are working to their fullest potential?A multimedia release does not have to be expensive or labor intensive to produce. A few years ago, our firm recognized that if we could package all of the material that an editor, reporter or blogger could possibly need in one place, we'd be making their job easier, and in turn, make it more likely that they'd act upon the information.
At that time, we put our proverbial eggs in a little basket called Pitch Engine and we haven’t looked back. We’ve been recommending and building their social media releases and newsrooms for our clients ever since.If your release doesn’t require wire distribution, solutions like Pitch Engine offer the features of a multimedia release at a fraction of the price (and then you can do your own, customized distribution to the key contacts on your media list).
But...multimedia assets cost a lot of money to produce, right?Not true. It’s not necessary to budget for high-end production of multimedia assets for your social media release or newsroom. In fact, many anecdotal reports indicate that video footage taken from an inexpensive digital camera is more likely to be viewed and acted upon than professionally produced videos.
Any of the following are suitable content to augment your release, and can be produced on a limited budget if you don’t already have them in your arsenal:- Images of company logo(s) and avatar
- Headshots of company leadership
- Video or audio clips of news interviews
- Photos or video of company events
- Facility tours
- Customer-submitted video testimonials
- Video or images produced by industry associations*
*That’s right…the nature of the social web is that things are shared. If your industry association or someone else has produced a great video that helps to tell your story, consider using it, but remember to give credit where credit is due.
Kary Delaria is a digital PR strategist and social media monitoring and measurement specialist for Kane Consulting, a mInneapolis-based social media firm that specializes in cross-channel integration. You can find her on Twitter, or reach her via email,
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Public Relations: It's a feeling you get.
Today, it’s easier than ever for companies to talk directly with the public. And, the public is expecting it. This is contrary to everything brands and media relations professionals have been practicing for decades, but really, it’s time to adjust or be left in your competitor’s dust.
Allow me to share a story…
A few weeks ago, I saw a post from on Google+ about a treadmill desk. I’ve been eyeing these things for a while now and after viewing the post, shared it with my network with one word, “want.” Moments later, from Target Commercial Interiors (who also helped me out once in the past with an event I was working on) responds in the comments with, “Would you like one to demo?”Long story short, a few weeks later, a huge Target truck was parked outside of my home office (that in itself was enough to melt this Minnesotan’s heart) and this Steelcase Walkstation was wheeled in and set up. And, you can guess what happened next. I was twitpic-ing and G+ing and Facebooking the heck out of the fact that I had the demo, and was suddenly walking 6-10 miles per day while working.
Here’s the thing…
I don’t blog about fitness, treadmills, workplace environments or the like.
I’m quite certain Kris didn’t check my Klout score before offering this demo.I don’t have 20,000 followers on any particular social network.
But, I do work in marketing and PR, am tightly connected to a community of other professionals who I talk with a lot, and in turn, share a lot in their networks. Kris saw an opportunity there.And, due to the relationship Kris and Target Commercial Interiors has built with me, I have wonderfully confident feeling about them and their product.
Of course, several of my followers became quite curious about this setup.And, I was more than excited to…
...take time for back and forth about what I thought of the product.
...tell them how wonderful their delivery guys were (especially on the hottest day of the year).
...share how awesome the company is to work with.
...send them a link for more information.
In fact, got wind of the conversation, too, and joined in. (Props for good listening!)Good (or bad) Public Relations can, and does, occur within any department. Now more than ever, it’s key to pay attention across silos and understand how others in the company are forging relationships with the public.
I have never purchased anything from this company, yet through this small effort, I’m pretty much a fan for life.With this effort, Kris put feeling (my feeling) ahead of sales and sat back to see what would happen, if anything. The company put faith in the long tail return and confidence in their brand persona, and let it shine. And, for this member of their public, and those members I reach with my stories about them, that's more powerful than any press release.
Kary Delaria is a digital PR strategist and social media monitoring and measurement specialist for Kane Consulting, a mInneapolis-based social media firm that specializes in cross-channel integration. You can find her on Twitter, or reach her via email,
Monday, August 08, 2011
Out Of Office: Taking vacation in today’s digitally connected world
Heading out of the office and leaving work behind has never been terribly easy, but as our work becomes more digitally interactive, especially on social networks, leaving it behind for a vacation is more cumbersome than simply setting your phone and email to “out of office.”
Today, it’s not possible to get an “out of office” from a tweet, Facebook post, or blog comment. At best, you’ll look as though you’re ignoring your community. At worse, your (or your client’s) reputation could be on the line while you’re sipping margaritas on the beach.
So, in the spirit of Ryan’s vacation from the MNPR Blog, I offer you the following considerations:Share access.
Vacation or not, no one person should be the keeper of all logins and passwords for your agency or client’s social properties. Keep a spreadsheet of all of the pertinent information, and make sure others in the office know where it is, and how to access it. (This should already be part of your crisis communications plan.)
We operate in a transparent world. If you’re planning to go on vacation, it’s not unheard of to say so. You don’t need to share pertinent details of your family trip, but a message on your agency accounts that tells people specifically when they can expect to hear from you, and just how "ooo" you are, can work pretty hard for you. Consider something like, “I'm on vacation through the end of the week and will be back on Monday. I am checking email and Twitter DMs daily, but not responding until my return. For immediate needs, please contact Julie in the office.”
Find a backup.
Whether or not you have the luxury of taking time off from your agency’s posts, your clients business are going to keep on running. To fill the void in either location, consider lining up some guest bloggers (like what I’m doing here on MNPR) or pre-writing some posts to go live while you’re gone. Assign a backup community manager to engage on your other properties (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) where you have an active community. (This might be a nice time to encourage more community-generated content, too, to lighten your load.)
You can head out of the office, but that won't stop people from talking about you or your clients online while you are away. You can not afford to take vacation from monitoring these conversations. Crises hit when we least expect them, and you don't want to be caught unaware. In his guest post on the Radian6 blog, offers advice for prioritizing mentions and assigning someone to respond in a timely manner. Again, you’re going to need to rely on your team (unless you plan to be tethered to your smartphone), but some realistic planning can go a long way to ensure that things are being covered while you’re away.
MNPR Community Challenge: Add to this list. What has worked for you and your team? How to you manage the “out of office” for online engagement?
Kary Delaria is a digital PR strategist and social media monitoring and measurement specialist for Kane Consulting, a mInneapolis-based social media firm that specializes in cross-channel integration. You can find her on Twitter, or reach her via email,
Friday, August 05, 2011
Take an eight-day trip to Belize with me
At first I was hesitant because I thought I may be starting a new job. But my wife really encouraged me to consider going. Because as she said "if not now, when?"
So here I am, 14-months into unemployment, and I have decided to travel to Belize for an 8-day adventure. I am going with a team of 10 guys and we'll be working to build relationships with the local men and encourage them in their roles as fathers, husbands and leaders in their community.
I leave early Friday morning and will be returning the evening of Friday, August 12. Although I'll be surrounded by alligator-infested waters and tropical beaches, I'll still be blogging! If you want to follow the progress of my trip, you can do so on our church blog: http://woodridgebelize.wordpress.com/
For those of you interested in posting jobs while I'm away, you can find or e-mail her here at
See you in a week!
Thursday, August 04, 2011
SHANDWICK PROMOTES JESSICA MIKE
She joined Weber Shandwick in 2008 and has since delivered exceptional results for her clients as an organized, focused project manager. Mike develops and executes trade show plans for events with tens of thousands of attendees, and writes and directs communication materials. In addition, her skills at preparing crisis management drills have made her an invaluable asset to clients and colleagues alike.
Prior to joining the agency, Mike worked at a local public relations firm on media relations and strategic planning initiatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in business administration from the University of St. Thomas.
Campbell Mithun names Lynn Franz director of strategic planning
“Lynn has been one of our strongest strategic leaders, instrumental in several recent new business wins, such as Frontier Communications and Mayo, and in guiding work for key clients like Syngenta, Frontier and Toro.” said , CEO of Campbell Mithun. “Not only is she a great partner and contributor to communications-planning process, she’s also a passionate advocate for our creative work.”
To fuel the agency’s Everything Talks communications philosophy, Franz grounds the strategic-planning process in deep listening to both consumers and brands. She pioneered the agency’s use of tools such as Semiotics to identify inherent yet subtle brand truths, uses online message testing and social-listening tools to tap real-time consumer sentiment, and also leverages resources such as Iconoculture and Brand Index to quantify insights.
“No one is better at taking data and turning it into the kind of motivating insight that drives creative imagination and communication effectiveness,” continued Wehrenberg. “Like only the best of brand planners, Lynn can access her right brain and left brain at will to find motivating, persuasive insights.”
Franz earned the national Jay Chiat Planning Award for her work on H&R Block in 2008. Prior to joining Campbell Mithun, she served as director of market research at Warner Bros.; she holds English Literature and graduate MBA degrees. Franz fills the vacancy left by former planning director Lance Saunders, who departed in October 2010 to become managing director of DDB Canada’s office in Vancouver.
Monday, August 01, 2011
CLS's Batliner Named One of PRWeek’s 40 Under 40
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| YouTube QR Code celebrates Batliner |
This acknowledgement is one of the highest honors a young, but successful PR practitioner can receive. PRWeek grants these awards annually to 40 professionals that have demonstrated outstanding leadership, contributed to the advancement of public relations as a profession and “have achieved tremendous feats before they turn 40.” PRWeek created the special reports in 2007 to celebrate those that help draw in new clients, provide excellent results for current clients and set a great example for those who wish to follow their path.
“Julie is one of the most talented, achievement-driven professionals I’ve had the pleasure of working with during my career,” says Douglas K. Spong, APR, founder of Carmichael Lynch Spong and president of parent agency Carmichael Lynch. “Few professionals hold the title of managing director at a mid to large PR firmbefore age 40. Julie’s Midas-touch success is evident in her quick rise within the Carmichael Lynch Spong ranks.”
View the CLS "Congratulations" video here -
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