has joined Kohnstamm Communications as the agency’s first Senior Vice President of Agency Operations and Strategic Insight. Zimprich brings more than 25 years of proven industry experience to the position, including the last 19 years with General Mills. During his tenure with the Golden Valley-based food giant, he helped launch more than 100 new products and created a number of nationally recognized marketing capabilities. He is probably best known in the PR industry as a thought leader and pioneer in social media and word of mouth marketing, having transformed the way General Mills brings new products to market.

PR Week broke the news of Zimprich’s departure from General Mills last summer as part of a sweeping corporate reorganization, noting that he had lead PR in the role of director of brand public relations there for the past seven years. At the time of his departure, Zimprich headed an extended team of nearly 20 PR professionals with an annual budget of approximately $15 million.

At Kohnstamm, Zimprich takes the helm of an agency – alongside founder Josh Kohnstamm – that is growing at a 24-percent annual rate. He will aid in Kohnstamm’s emergence as a national leader in brand-building for consumer products and professional services companies, as well as lead the team in new social media strategies. Already, the agency has earned a national reputation as Boutique Agency of the Year via The Holmes Report, while breaking new ground in the fast-growth social media consumer and B2B space.

Zimprich’s innovative work in word of mouth, influencer marketing, crisis communications, sponsorship development and media relations has generated extensive industry recognition. But it was his pioneering work in social media that truly helped position General Mills as one of the first major consumer products companies to embrace a strategic approach to social media marketing. Architected by Zimprich and his team, blog seeding and consumer-influencer networks allowed General Mills brands to effectively foster direct relationships with consumers and key influencers. He also developed and implemented enterprise-wide social media guidelines and training for General Mills employees, and established an effective crisis response platform for its brands.

Zimprich, 48, began his career as a newspaper reporter before holding positions with three different PR agencies, including Mona Meyer & McGrath (now Weber Shandwick). He joined General Mills in 1993. A native of Faribault, Minn., he earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and psychology from Saint Mary’s University and a master of arts degree in mass communications from Marquette University. In addition to volunteering with a number of local organizations, he is a frequent guest lecturer at area universities and has coached youth athletics for nearly 20 years.

has joined Prior Lake-based Bellmont Partners Public Relations as a senior account executive. Swenson brings more than six years of experience in media relations, event planning, promotions, social media and media buying to the growing full-service agency.

Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, an internationally recognized environmental education center based near Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, has partnered with Haberman to build awareness of Wolf Ridge, and increase enrollment in its programs through strong marketing strategies, memorable creative and integrated communications. “Wolf Ridge is a remarkable place for learning and inspiration. Our goal is to introduce more educators, families and young people to our environmental offerings— like our top-rated Wolf Ridge summer and winter camping programs,” said Pete Smerud, executive director, Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. “Haberman’s deep personal connections — to the environment in general and camps specifically — make our two organizations natural allies. And the agency’s smart, strategic thinking really sealed the deal.”

“Like many others, I have fond memories of visiting Wolf Ridge as a student, at its former location in Isabella. Wolf Ridge and Haberman’s missions are closely aligned — Haberman employees are also passionate advocates for the outdoors, education and families,” said Brian Wachtler, president, Haberman. “We look forward to helping the center shine a bright light on its environmental learning opportunities that build lifelong, irreplaceable skills and experiences.”

Founded in 1971, Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in environmental education. Wolf Ridge’s mission is to develop a citizenry that has the knowledge, skills, commitment and motivation to work together 
for a quality environment. Each year, Wolf Ridge serves nearly 20,000 people through its broad spectrum of environmental and outdoor learning programs for children, families, seniors and college students. Over the past 40 years, Wolf Ridge has engaged more 500,000 participants in its programs. For more, visit www.wolf-ridge.org.

The Twin Cities Business Peer Network and Metropolitan State University are proud to present a lively discussion with Rose McKinney, APR on Tuesday, October 30th from 6-8PM.

WHAT:          Risdall Marketing Group presents a special workshop led by Patrick Hanlon, author of the revolutionary book, Primal Branding. During the workshop, Hanlon will lay the blueprint for creating "zealots for your brand, your company and your future," and provide the tools to develop a stronger, brand-yearning customer base. Following the presentation, attendees will see first-hand how primal branding builds a loyal following by examining several Risdall Marketing Group case histories.

Three new clients -- Greenwald Wealth Management, the St. Louis Park, MN-based financial planning firm specializing in investment advice for physicians and dentists; Smart Insurance Company, a Cleveland, Ohio-based company providing innovative insurance products to the senior marketplace; and VBOX Inc., White Bear Lake, MN-based manufacturer of the first wearable oxygen concentrator for medical oxygen therapy -- have chosen Maccabee as their public relations and social media marketing agency.

prAna, an active living brand known for functional design and progressive style, has selected Haberman in a competitive review. Haberman will handle public relations, social media and event management as well as long-term marketing planning for prAna’s first Twin Cities location.

The new Minnesota store, slated to open in early November 2012 at 50^th and France in Edina, joins five other retail prAna locations — in Denver, Boulder, Santa Barbara, Portland and San Francisco. The brand is also sold at prAna.com and within 1,400 specialty retailers across the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia.

“Why Haberman? The team showed obvious PR finesse and solid community connections, yes. They came highly recommended and delivered a tight, well-presented proposal. But most importantly, the values of our two companies are in alignment,” said Scott Kerslake, CEO, prAna. “And that’s essential— to work with a company that lives prAna’s core values. We’ve already made a deep connection and look forward to the energy we’ll generate together.”

The Show 2012

November 14: The Challenge of Change: What Communicators Need to Know to Succeed
Half-Day Conference and Luncheon

Details:
Wednesday, Nov. 14 – 8:30 – 11:45 (conference) and 11:45 – 1 p.m. (luncheon)

Description:
Conference - Spend the morning exploring how change communication is used by leading global organizations to articulate, support and achieve business goals. Leading practitioners in change management and change communication will share strategic guidance on change communication planning as well as practical tips and case studies – including how to use social business tools to drive change.

Luncheon -  How do change management and change communication really intersect? During the lunch session, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how several Twin Cities companies have effectively changed their organizations. And, you’ll get ideas of resources to help you master change, including must-read books and organizations that provide methodologies and training.

Link with more information: http://mn.iabc.com/2012/09/19/november-14-the-challenge-of-change-what-communicators-need-to-know-to-succeed/

LaBreche is excited to announce it has added two new employees to its growing team. has joined the agency as senior manager of media relations, while has been added as a content specialist.

As senior manager of media relations, Sara Blood has been hired to lead the media relations team in the pitching and placement of news stories in key media outlets. Blood comes to LaBreche from Carmichael Lynch Spong, where she used her PR acumen and strategic thinking to garner client coverage in many top national outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Real Simple, Forbes, Fox Business and NBC’s TODAY. Before finding her passion for PR, Blood worked as a news reporter and photojournalist throughout Minnesota.

Content specialist Calline Cronin joins LaBreche after working as an intern at the Winona State University Writing Center. She recently earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a writing emphasis and a minor in mass communication from Winona State University. Cronin honed her writing skills as a reporter for the Winonan, and has had her poetry published by Satori, a student literary magazine. Cronin will provide content support for several of LaBreche’s key accounts, including Cornerstone Capital, Stryker, Capital Safety and Oak Grove Capital.

Both Blood and Cronin grew up in the Chicago area, making them life-long Cubs fans. Their rivalry with LaBreche’s Twins fans has already begun.

The Twin Cities PR scene has a new addition: Game Changer Communications (GCC).  Local pro and Minnesota PRSA Board member Jason Sprenger () recently founded the company, which offers full-service public relations and strategic communications counsel.  Although it serves a wide variety of businesses and industries, it has particular experience and aptitude in the technology and sports arenas.

"The communications landscape looks very different today than it did five or 10 years ago," Sprenger said. "In order to succeed, organizations not only need to understand those changes, but have the right combination of vision and focus to develop the right tactics and programs. Game Changer bridges these gaps and delivers holistic campaigns with solid strategy and great execution."
 
For more information on Game Changer Communications, email , check out the company’s or Tweet @GameChangerComm.  

Karwoski & Courage Public Relations has hired as an account manager.

South By Southwest (SXSW) Eco, a conference addressing the need for a concerted, cross-sector approach to solving challenges facing the economy, the environment and civil society, has chosen Fred Haberman, CEO and co-founder of Haberman, to speak at its second annual conference, Oct. 3-5, 2012, in Austin, Tex. Haberman’s speech, “A Secure Oasis in the Food Desert?” will be delivered Fri., Oct. 5 at 10:00 a.m., at the AT&T Conference Center.

“Food deserts — areas where healthy food is difficult to obtain — affect our entire community. Although this is one of the most critical issues facing America, a unified vision for fixing our food system has yet to emerge,” said Fred Haberman, CEO and co-founder, Haberman. “Together, we can leverage innovation and creativity to support food security, and I’m looking forward to starting the conversation with other passionate social entrepreneurs at SXSW Eco.” 

In addition to leading his Minneapolis marketing agency, Fred Haberman is a co-founder of Urban Organics, a St. Paul, Minn.-based aquaponics farm; a co-producer of PBS documentary “Food Forward;” and is launching efforts to tackle food insecurity in the United States. Haberman has also created and led movements including the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships and employer-sponsored gardens, an employee benefit trend featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and HR Executive magazine. 

SXSW Eco gathers on-the-ground innovators and executive level decision makers from the public and private sectors as well as thought leaders from academia to drive the conversation of sustainability beyond rhetoric and towards solutions. For more, visit SXSWEco.com.

It's a recipe for elevating talent.

• 1 Guy Kawasaki.
• 1 Jane McGonigal.
• 40 sessions with the sharpest minds in interactive.
• 1,000 of your closest friends in the industry.
• 250 companies that know how important interactive is.
• 2 drink tickets.
• 10th day of October at the Minneapolis Hilton.

Register now.