People just don’t let their Subarus go. Why would they? Subarus continue to stand the test of time. They have mastered durability, now if only they could teach patience.  shot by noted director/cinematographer Lance Acord (Where The Wild Things Are,) continues to highlight how a dependable car and a lot of patience can go a long way.

It is with great joy that I am able to announce the birth of our third child, Lydia Ann May. She was born on Friday morning at 3:14AM! To say I am excited is an understatement. She is just perfect!

, received the Donald G. Padilla Distinguished Practitioner Award at this year's Minnesota PRSA Classics Awards. He also is the external relation lead for the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Red Cross.

1. What role has PRSA had in your career?

As I mentioned in my acceptance speech at the Classics Awards, I came to public relations the old-fashioned way – via the media. While going to college, I also worked as a reporter and editor at the New Ulm Daily Journal and KNUJ-AM. When I was drafted into the U.S. Army, my prior newspaper experience gave me a civilian acquired skill as an information specialist/combat correspondent (71Q20). I served as a writer and editor for the 4^th Infantry Division’s newspaper, “The Ivy Leaf,” in Vietnam.
PRSA has served as an invaluable resource for professional knowledge, networking with senior practitioners.

2. What are some of the key lessons that you have learned in your career?

First, always act ethically. It is always easy to succumb to “group think” and overlook the ethical dimensions of any given action or decision. Second, think strategically. While it is always important to execute effectively on a tactical level, and be able to use up-to-date technology and techniques, it is even more important to make sure that what public relations accomplishes is aligned with management’s goals and the organization’s strategic direction. Third, always strive for quality and excellence. Meet and exceed the needs of your customers, both inside and outside the organization. Fourth, read and study widely. Study a wide variety of media sources, and maintain intellectual curiosity. Gain a broad understanding of arts and culture to stimulate creativity. Finally, become a thoughtful, intense student of your company and your industry. Develop an intimate knowledge of what factors contribute to your company’s profitability, and what trends are driving your industry. 

3. How did you get involved in the Twin Cities chapter of American Red Cross? What would you like readers to know about the organization?

In 2002, I decided to focus my volunteerism more narrowly. Because of my longtime friendship with David Therkelsen, APR, Fellow PRSA, who was serving at that time as the president of the Saint Paul Area Red Cross, I became affiliated with the Twin Cities Red Cross Public Affairs on-call team.
The Red Cross has a large staff of communicators who are backed up with volunteers.

4. What advice would you give to new public relations practitioners?

First, – it is an invaluable networking and development opportunity, and become active in the organization. Seek , when you become eligible. It is a great experience and an important credential to achieve. Attend professional development opportunities by PRSA at the local, district and national levels.

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-- / Skogrand PR Solutions, LLC

If you are well-versed in social media then you have likely heard of Tinder. Tinder is a dating tool that allows users to browse a wide selection of potential mates and reject or accept them by a simple swipe of the finger. Welcome to 2013.

Tinder allows users to connect with singles in their area. The app is well designed Businessweek writes:

Like the monster in Alien, Tinder may be a perfectly evolved organism, a predator for your attention built on the DNA of its social networking predecessors. The faces you see on Tinder seem real because they’re tied to Facebook accounts, the gold standard of authenticity. Tinder takes the gay app Grindr’s location function, which pinpoints eager men down to the foot, and tames it for a female audience, rounding distance to the nearest mile. You can chat with Tinder matches, but you can’t send photos or video, so the app avoids Chatroulette’s fate of being overrun by aspiring Anthony Weiners.

Regardless of your willingness to hookup with someone Tinder allows the no-strings-attached opportunity to try and meet someone new. What is truly unique about Tinder is that it is designed for specifically smartphones. Using smartphones the app can detect your location and connect you with someone near by.

For a happily married man with almost three kids, their is not much utility in Tinder for me, but it is an interesting concept.

GO Veggie!, a 30-year innovator and leader in alternative cheese products, has selected Haberman, Minneapolis, to handle its corporate and product public relations after a competitive review.

From our first meeting, we felt a strong synergy between our two companies,” said Fred Haberman, co-founder and CEO, Haberman. “Haberman is excited about the enormous opportunity to educate consumers about the healthier cheese free choices GO Veggie! offers in a compelling way.”

Weber Shandwick announced it has named Cathy Calhoun to the new global role of Chief Client Officer and as president, North America, effective immediately.

Minneapolis ad agency has named industry veteran as director of account leadership and growth. In hiring Budniewski, the agency affirms its commitment to invest in talent to cultivate high-performance teams and to pursue aggressive growth.  Budniewski assumed his post on September 9, just two months into the tenure of new CEO Rob Buchner.

"width="72">The future of the PC took an interesting turn Tuesday when Microsoft announced its purchase of Nokia. It may be a bit of a desperate move by Microsoft.

The overwhelming sense is that a dying company has just bought a dying company.

...you can adopt a much more pessimistic school of thought: Microsoft and Nokia may have simply thrown a rope to one another, cried “Save me!” and jumped off a cliff in unison.

What do you think? As this infographic shows, mobile marketing is growing but is Microsoft dying?

Two of the country’s leading PR and communications agencies, Padilla Speer Beardsley and CRT/tanaka, announced today that Padilla’s acquisition of CRT/tanaka is complete. The agency, which has changed its name to PadillaCRT, is now one of the top 10 independent public relations and communications firms in the country. Padilla unveiled its intent to acquire CRT/tanaka in late July. The company has nearly 200 employee-owners in Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

, an internationally recognized online marketing agency, has hired as associate creative director. Kaylor, based in the company’s Duluth office, will help support both aimClear locations, including the Twin Cities office located in the Lowertown neighborhood of St. Paul.