Maccabee PR and IABC-Minnesota To Host “Can Your Brand Change the World: A Conversation with Mark Addicks” Event on February 11

In conjunction with IABC-Minnesota, Maccabee Public Relations will host legendary marketer Mark Addicks, the former Chief Marketing Officer of General Mills, on February 11, 2016 from 5:00 to 7:00pm CST. The event, taking place at Minneapolis Events Center, 212 2nd St SE, in Minneapolis. will be moderated by Maccabee PR agency president Paul Maccabee.

The one-on-one conversation will be inspired by acclaimed initiatives from the world’s largest consumer brands embracing equal rights and empowerment, such as Dove “Campaign For Real Beauty,” Under Armour “I Will What I Want” with model Giselle Bundchen, the Ad Council “Love Has No Labels,” Always’ “Like A Girl,” Esurance’s “Equal Dreams” and the Betty Crocker “The Families Project” and Cheerios’ interracial family TV spot “Gracie.”

Public relations professionals and marketers interested in registering or learning more about the event can do so at http://www.iabcmn.com/events/event_details.asp?id=704061&group - and are encouraged to join the #IABCMNBrand event hashtag.

About Mark Addicks:

During his 26 years in marketing at General Mills, Addicks led the company’s advertising, promotion, brand public relations, design, packaging, digital media, licensing and multicultural initiatives. As SVP and CMO, he built such iconic food brands as Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Yoplait and Pillsbury, and created equity platforms including Box Tops for Education. Addicks was named one of America’s top 100 marketers by Advertising Age and honored with a Cojones Award for transforming global traditional marketing for the digital age. At the time of his retirement 2015, Addicks was one of the longest tenured CMOs in the food industry.

Pineapple RM Promotes Cassie Roman to Account Executive

Pineapple RM is pleased to announce it has promoted Cassie Roman to account executive.

“Cassie works hard to deliver results that matter for our clients,” says Rose McKinney, APR, Fellow PRSA, founder and CEO of Pineapple RM, Inc. “Her ability to politely, but persistently, secure opportunities has contributed to their success – as well as Pineapple’s.”

Roman joined Pineapple in June 2014 as an account coordinator before being promoted in January to assistant account executive. In the last year, she has grown into the role of account executive by supporting social media strategies and consistently delivering media relations opportunities for Pineapple clients, Medifast Centers, The Steve Rummler Hope Foundation, Swedish Crown Bakery, Uponor and Versique Search & Consulting.

Roman has helped to identify and secure significant speaking opportunities on behalf of Uponor North America CEO, Bill Gray; regularly blogs about industry trends on behalf of PRM clients; and contributes to the agency’s monthly e-newsletter, Tidbits.

Prior to joining Pineapple, Roman facilitated fundraising and media relations for OneVillage Partners, a nonprofit focused on rural development in Sierra Leone.

Her previous experience also includes assisting with communications needs on behalf of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Scholarship America, the Minnesota Zoo, the Home and Garden Show, the Twin Cities Auto Show, Universal Studios and the Guthrie Theater’s 50^th Anniversary season.

Roman is a member of the Minnesota chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, where she serves on the Communications Committee. Roman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications from the University of Minnesota.

Online Libel & Slander Explained

Understanding the laws regarding Internet defamation, libel and slander is crucial, whether you are the victim of such negative publicity or being accused of it. To be classified as libel, an article, posting or comment needs to meet the following criteria:

1. The foremost factor in determining libel is whether it can be proven that the statement composed of false information. Facts differ from opinion in that a fact can be proven either true or false. An opinion is generally not an actionable case of defamation.

2. If the statement is false, it must be demonstrated that it is harmful to your reputation. Many false statements are posted throughout the Internet. To be considered libel, you will need to demonstrate that the false claim brought harm to you or your company’s reputation.

3. In order to be classified as libel, it must also be demonstrated that the statement has been researched adequately enough to prove its falsehood. Often, plaintiff take the approach of proving that the false statement was posted with the full knowledge that it contained false information.

4. If the subject of the false statement happens to be a public official or celebrity, the plaintiff will need to prove that the statement was made with malicious intent. “Malice”, from a legal standpoint, is when the originator of the statement was motivated by harming the individual and disregarding the truth.

People are often confused by the differences in defamation, libel and slander. Frequently court systems handle Internet defamation in a manner similar to that of normal defamation.

However, there are differences when false statements are posted online:

Defamation: This is a catch-all term for both libel and slander. It refers to false statements made with the intention of harming a person or company.

Libel: In regard to the Internet, libel refers to defamation written on a web site. This could be in the form of text on a web page, blog post, review or comment.

Slander: Online, slander occurs when audio or video files contain spoken defamation.

Job - Lola Red - Public Relations Intern

Lola Red - Public Relations Intern

PadillaCRT Named AoR for Cognate Nutritionals

Cognate Nutritionals and its brain boosting coconut oil beverage, Fuel For Thought®, have teamed up with PadillaCRT. As agency of record, PadillaCRT is providing strategic public relations and marketing, including new product package design, media and influencer outreach planning and crisis preparedness training.

"We are excited to take Fuel For Thought to the next level in this competitive industry with the support of PadillaCRT," said Cecilia Calhoun, director of marketing at Cognate Nutritionals. "Because of the agency's impressive history of creating campaigns for beverage and nutrition clients, PadillaCRT was a natural fit for our company and our health-centric mission."

"To work with such an innovative company as Cognate Nutritionals is a thrill," said Lynn Casey, PadillaCRT CEO. "With our passion for the beverage and nutrition industry and our proven track record with consumer-based clients, we believe the partnership with Fuel For Thought will be a great one."

Would you donate a $1?

I haven't talked much about my health condition over the past few years, because quite frankly it is embarrassing. In April of 2014 I was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis. Since then I have had a bevy of doctors appointments, MRIs and hospital stays.

I have been very blessed to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family that have carried the load for me (and my family) in almost every case. But now I feel the need to do more and I need your help. I know I get and average of about 400 visitors to this site every day. I also know that I have nearly 11,000 twitter followers. That is a boat load of people and you all can make a difference in my life.

In 2016, I will turn 40 years old, my wife will too and I will celebrate 15 years of marriage all in the space of a month. I do not want my medical bills to interfere with my ability to celebrate these milestones with my wife. This is where I need your help. If even half of my 11,000 twitter followers gave me $1 via PayPal that would add up to real money really fast.

If the 400+ people that visit this site everyday donated $10 that would be $4,000 in no time.

I am looking for a miracle. Can you help?

Humbly yours,
- Ryan

Here is how you can help.

You can go to PayPal now and make a donation. Even if it is just $1 it will be appreciated.

If you are uncomfortable using PayPal, you can write a check and mail it to:

2235 Stinson Blvd
Minneapolis, MN 55418

P.S. I will report the total at the end of the year. Thanks.

TopRank® Marketing Expands Digital Marketing Footprint with New Clients, Staff and Offices in Minneapolis

TopRank® Marketing, an integrated digital marketing agency, has achieved a number of business milestones including the addition of new clients and top marketing talent, newly promoted executives and a move to a larger, custom-designed office in Minneapolis.

Founded in 2001, TopRank Marketing has achieved international recognition for delivering intelligent marketing strategies and programs for mid-market to Fortune 500 brands. With a dedication to smart, creative and results focused marketing programs, 2015 has been a successful year for the agency resulting in the addition of new clients, renewals, an influx of talent and a growing leadership team.

TopRank Marketing Welcomes Banking & Telecom Brands to Their Client Roster

TopRank Marketing’s reputation for delivering industry leading digital marketing services and achieving results has recently attracted multiple new clients including a leading fraud protection firm and banking services company with engagements focused on online advertising services and analytics. Additionally, a well-known IT and telecom company recently engaged the agency for content marketing services.

“I find TopRank Marketing to consistently outperform every partner we have in expertise, execution and advice.”

– Adam Price, Dell

TopRank Marketing Boosts SEO, Content and Management Talent

Kevin Cotch expands TopRank Marketing’s search engine optimization (SEO) team as a SEO Analyst. Cotch was previously at a large educational brand as a SEO specialist. The SEO team also added Julia Ramos as a SEO Copywriter. Ramos comes to the agency from a well-known scientific technology company where she was a SEO project lead.

Knute Sands brings a wealth of content marketing knowledge and experience to the TopRank Marketing team and has joined the agency as an Account Manager.

Joining the Content Marketing team is Caitlin Burgess as Content Marketing Lead. Burgess is a former journalist and digital marketing specialist.

“Joining the team at TopRank Marketing was the best career choice I’ve ever made,” said Director of Agency Marketing, Ashley Zeckman. “The level of talent and creativity contained within these four walls is incredibly inspiring for me as a marketer. The bar is constantly being raised which means there’s always some new and exciting way to innovate.”

Executive Promotions

Jolina Pettice has been promoted from Director of Operations to the company’s Vice President. With 10 years of experience at TopRank Marketing, Pettice has performed a number of essential duties including managing Fortune 500 search, content and social media marketing programs for companies ranging from Dell to LinkedIn.

Alexis Hall moves from Senior Account Manager to Director of Client Accounts where she leads the account management team. Hall began her career at TopRank Marketing as an Account Coordinator and she recently celebrated 5 years at the agency and oversees client programs for companies like McKesson, BondUS and Strongview.

From the Shores of Lake Minnetonka to Minneapolis - TopRank Marketing’s New Office Location

After 9 years at its current location, TopRank Marketing is making the move to 55 West Financial Center, 10405 6th Ave. N., Suite 250, Minneapolis, MN 55441. The new office location allows for a more open floor plan, substantially greater meeting space, room for nearly doubling staff and proximity to the city of Minneapolis. 

“My co-founder Susan Misukanis and I are proud of the success our team has accomplished with an amazing roster of clients,” said TopRank Marketing CEO, Lee Odden. “The addition of new talent, recognizing our new leadership and a new office space all set the stage for an exciting new chapter of growth for our company in 2016 and beyond.”

While TopRank Marketing has already doubled its staff since 2013, they are always on the hunt for talented digital marketers. Open positions can be found on the career page of the website.

Creative Shop Carols for a Cause

Minneapolis creative shop Gabriel deGrood Bendt (GdB) is making an earnest attempt at caroling for a good cause. In the spirit of Always Thinking^®, the agency produced “Wassailing for Dollars” to benefit the United Way’s “Stop the Learning Loss” campaign, which helps disadvantaged students do better in school. Viewers are given a choice of watching three caroling videos. The longer they watch, the more money goes to the United Way. 

”We originally planned to carol on a street corner and have people pay us to stop singing,” said Tom Gabriel, CEO of GdB. “But now we’ve created an online version, and are making the donations ourselves… assuming our viewers can put up with the joyful noise.”

To reach the max per view donation of $2.00, viewers simply have to make it through the full four-minute video. It may be harder than you think, see for yourself at gdbagency.com/holiday.

Job - Ameriprise - Communications Specialist

Ameriprise - Communications Specialist

5 Tips For Using Cloud Technology in PR

With the increasing popularity of cloud-based computing as a business solution, developing cloud public relations (PR) best practices is becoming more important. A strategic cloud PR campaign will set your business apart in the market. Customers often understand the benefits of cloud technology but need help developing a cloud-based strategy that best helps them reach their goals.

There are many solutions to improve cloud PR initiatives. Many feel that providers could help themselves by focusing on customized, end-user needs rather than simply promoting cloud-based solutions in general. However you look at it though, the best cloud PR programs usually contain the following approaches:

Combine your initiatives. Successful cloud PR campaigns integrate search engine optimization, social media presence, content marketing and public relations to ensure that your message is fully saturated in the marketplace. Increasing your visibility will only enhance the investment you make into cloud PR.

Pay attention to cloud developments. Pay attention to popular trends among cloud users. Because of its fluid nature, people are constantly changing and improving their engagement with cloud-based technology. Understanding how to leverage trends successfully will increase your cloud PR.

Work With Analysts. "Cloud technology is only valuable for a business if all of their data is successfully translated when they make the switch," said Adam Claude, spokesperson for OAC Technology: Cloud Solutions. "Building relationships with established tech analysts who can endorse your product will increase customer confidence and enhance your cloud PR campaign."

Pay attention to the competition. Paying attention to the successful techniques of your peers will only enhance your own product delivery. Replicating smart, proven strategies will help you decrease any competitive advantage by similar companies and help you rise as a market leader. Studying your peers will help you learn both from their mistakes and from their success, allowing you to integrate their experience into your product, making it more effective.

Utilize external professionals. Because every technology business is now marketing their cloud-based capabilities, working with third party experts that will back your claims with sound technical specs will only enhance your PR campaign.

The faster you are able to implement these strategies at your own firm, the better off your business will be. The accessibility of cloud-based computing means that the marketplace is becoming crowded with providers, many of whom are offering similar services. If you are able to leverage these cloud PR best practices in your own company, it will help you gain the visibility and reputation you need to rise above others in your field that may be similarly marketed.

Job - ABDO, Educational Publishing - Marketing Manager

ABDO, Educational Publishing - Marketing Manager

8 Tips for Marketing to Older Generations

As the children of the baby boom age, seniors are now controlling more than 70 percent of disposable income in the United States. Knowing how to reach this senior demographic is crucial for today's business. Using strategies that appeal to individuals older than 55 requires rethinking your delivery model. For example, members of this population segment prefer direct mail.

Here are eight additional senior marketing tactics:

#1 Remove Risks

Senior citizens want a brand they can trust. Offering reassurance such as a free-trial period, lifetime warranties or money-back guarantees will go a long way in reaching this group.

#2 Choose Language Carefully

Insulting your client is one of the fastest ways to lose business and it certainly holds true here. Senior citizens are often insulted by the term "senior citizen". Even using the word "senior" in your marketing can have a negative impact.

#3 Work to Build a Relationship

This demographic values a personal relationship with a brand and tends to take time getting to know the product and company before buying. With this being the case, personalized mailers are an excellent way to connect with this group.

#4 Be Direct

Members of this age group have a great deal of experience, and they've seen a lot. This means that they have heard many advertising pitches in their lifetime. Most of them just want a message that is straight to the point and one that doesn't focus on technical jargon.

#5 Stratify the Group

It is a mistake to place all of the members in this group into one demographic. However, if you examine the demographics more closely, you will see that three distinct groups exist.

Oldre is referring to the following:

1. Those still working (46-57) and actually at the peak of their earnings.
2. Those who are preparing to make the transition from work to retirement (55-65).
3. Those who are now entering retirement (66 and beyond).

#6 Do not Rely Solely on Price

Simply offering the lowest market price won't be enough to win interest from this group. Just like younger consumers, senior buyers are just as likely to try new brands or even switch entirely.

#7 Keep it Simple

This group really appreciates direct communication. Creating complicated sales promotions is a fast way to lose their interest. Be straightforward and offer simple promotions.

#8 Personal Service is Best

As we mentioned before, senior consumers take time to get to know a company and want a personal relationship with their service providers. Instead of relying on a web-based platform for customer service, offering an easily accessible, live phone operator will be greatly appreciated and foster the kind of relationships that guarantees future sales.

Job - Karwoski & Courage - Account Manager

Karwoski & Courage - Account Manager

Job - Wowza, Inc.- Digital Marketing Intern

Wowza, Inc.- Digital Marketing Intern

Job - Pentair - Marketing Communications Manager

Pentair - Marketing Communications Manager

A Summary of the FTC’s Marketing Guidelines

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has created laws that govern a variety of advertising categories. These guidelines were developed to ensure that advertisements remain truthful and evidence-based, not unfair or deceptive. 

“Additional rules may apply to certain products based on special circumstances,” said criminal defense lawyer, William Mauzy. “FTC guidelines also apply to variety of marketing styles. Whether your advertising campaign is being deployed online or by telephone, you will need to familiarize yourself with the specific FTC rules governing your marketing platform.” 

Some of these circumstances are listed below:

Endorsements

If your marketing strategy relies on any endorsements, make sure that they comply with the Guide Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. The FTC has created this document to regulate the use of endorsements in the U.S.

Made in the USA

Is that fact that your product is manufactured in the United States part of your marketing push? While it is a popular statement, especially in the wake of so many jobs being outsourced, the FTC highly regulates the use of this status. Consult the FTC’s “Made in USA” policy to make sure your that manufacturing meets the requirements to use this tagline.

Children

Products marketed directly to children – or products that are marketed to parents for use with their children – are subject to strict enforcement of advertising truth standards. The FTC has special rules for foods and beverages marketed to children and about maintaining children's privacy online.

Online Marketing and Advertisements

"The Internet is the fastest growing platform for marketing campaigns and advertisements. It is important to remember that all of the same FTC guidelines apply to online marketing and advertisements, especially as it relates to children’s privacy. The Children’s Online Privacy Act has been created to guarantee protection and should be consulted before taking your campaign online," said John Gustad, a social security lawyer in Spokane, WA.

Telemarketing

Over time, telemarketing has become a highly regulated industry. In an effort to combat fraudulent products and services and reduce harassing phone calls, the FTC created the National Do Not Call Registry. If you plan on starting a telemarketing campaign, even if it is being run by an automated system, make sure that you are highly familiarized with the nuances of this Act. A business could face severe penalties for violating it.

Environmental Marketing

The idea of “sustainable” or “green” products has become popular in recent years, but if you make these statements about your product, you must provide actual scientific evidence to verify your claims. The FTC has created the Green Guide to help clarify the requirements to claim environmentally status about your product or services.

Job - 2nd Wind Exercise Equipment - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

2nd Wind Exercise Equipment - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Job - One Simple Plan - Internship

One Simple Plan - Internship

Job - Koch Industries - Communication and Community Relations Specialist - 038272

Koch Industries - Communication and Community Relations Specialist - 038272

Technology: a PR Practitioner's Friend or Foe?

In relation to public relations (PR), is technology a friend or foe? It depends on whether you understand how to use it to your advantage. When it comes to PR, it can make or break your strategy.

Technology has greatly influenced how data is collected, making it easier for PR firms to compile and manage all of the data they need. However, mining that data for valuable consumption is crucial. There is no lack of products that help collect the data and "pluck" it for relevancy. You can collect as much or as little as you need. 

Social media was born as a result of the layman's interest in technology, and not to mention college students' social lives. Social media is easier to use than ever and is one of the cheapest and easiest online tools available for PR practitioners. There is no more convenient publicity than free publicity. The numerous social media platforms available today make it easier than ever to reach a broad audience. Keep in mind that social media is no longer targeted for millennials. The number of middle-aged Facebook users has surpassed the number of millennial users.

Tip #1: understand how to use social media influencers. Get to know those people out in cyberspace whom you might never meet, but can help you launch a campaign. Sometimes you can create your own influencers because they already are product clients. Many PR companies have launched enormously successful campaigns by using them to promote their service or product. There's an art to this, however, just like any relationship-building tactic. 

Tip #2: If you do not understand search engine optimization (SEO), get familiar with it. As someone in working in PR, just knowing the basics of SEO can result in tremendous returns by driving more traffic to your brand's website. Learn and understand which keywords are important to your business and learn how to use them in all of your online content. 

Today, we all essentially live and breath technology. It touches every aspect of our lives whether we want it to or not; and whether we realize it or not. It provides a tool to help you anticipate, avoid or deal with any crises. Have a technology plan for your PR business or your project and utilize it. Be certain that each person involved knows their function with regard to how you will take advantage of technology. Then simply own it and make it work for you.

Job - V-TEK - Marketing Coordinator

V-TEK - Marketing Coordinator

Gage hires two and promotes four.

Gage, a Minneapolis-based marketing agency, announced today it has hired Dan Hellerich as tech lead and Lauren Johnson as engagement manager. Hellerich and Johnson will both join the Microsoft ExpertZone team. The agency also promoted Sam Zastrow to senior project manager, Lois Eickhoff to accountant I, and Russell Colliton and Karl Henkelmann to tech leads.

 

Prior to joining Gage, Hellerich was a development team director at the Integer Group in Des Moines, Iowa. Hellerich earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Augsburg College.

 

Johnson served as a digital marketing coordinator at FindLaw, a division of Thomson Reuters, before joining Gage. She earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing management from the University of St. Thomas.

 

Zastrow joined Gage in 2014 as an engagement manager. She is a graduate of the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas, and she is currently enrolled in the M.B.A. program at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

 

Eickhoff joined Gage in 1997 as an accounting assistant. She received her Associate of Arts in accounting from Anoka-Ramsey Community College.

 

Colliton joined Gage in 2011 as a senior developer. He received his bachelor’s degree in technical theatre from Macalester College.

 

Henkelmann joined Gage in 2012 as a senior developer. He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

“Our hiring of Dan and Lauren reflects our deepening bench of talent and our commitment to do great work that thrills clients,” said Tom Belle, Gage president and CEO. “And Sam, Lois, Russell and Karl have contributed significantly to work that elevates our clients and Gage.”

Job - Colon Cancer Coalition - Intern – Marketing & Communications

Colon Cancer Coalition - Intern – Marketing & Communications

Job - Toro - Associate Marketing Manager

Toro - Associate Marketing Manager

8 Ways to Determine Your Public Relations ROI

Business growth and public relations strategies have long been tied together, but as often as business executives rely on pubic relations (PR), they often lack a means of gauging their return on a PR investment.

Because PR is more difficult to measure with traditional tools and metrics, a different approach and shift in perspective is needed. In order to determine a return on investment (ROI), any business manager should adopt a broad view of the PR impact on their company.

The lack of solid ROI measurements for PR initiatives is unfortunate, as a well planned PR strategy can have a tremendous positive impact on the success of a business. To begin measuring PR, business managers need to determine the facets of their business that are succeeding and how these facets are connected to their PR initiatives.

Because of its nature, PR will never produce the succinct, clean results that occur when measuring other business factors. However, attempting to determine the connection between a PR strategy and positive growth factors in your business allows business managers to make smarter PR investments. By focusing on certain key aspects, PR ROI can be quantified.

Inbound Leads. Successful PR communicates your company's strengths and expertise to the right target audience. By strategically placing marketing pieces in trade publications, your company will experience a growth of inbound leads.

One measurable component in this "PR push" is your website. Measuring your traffic is a way to track the results of your PR initiative. Create a schedule for checking web traffic each month. When you have a baseline established for the number of visitors to your site, you can track a PR campaign's success by checking the number of visitors just after a large outreach effort. If the number of visitors has increased significantly, the PR campaign is working successfully.

Social media is another tool for tracking PR success. Similar to the number of website visits, you can begin to measure the number of shares or "likes" that your posts are receiving. If numbers increase greatly just after a PR initiative, it is most likely a successful campaign.

Conversion of Credible Prospects. PR success can be tracked by analyzing the type of sales calls experienced in the wake of a large campaign. A successful PR initiative makes a potential customer feel confident in your company's abilities. Referencing a recent media campaign can help convert sales calls into sales appointments.

If your contacts after a PR campaign are higher in the sales funnel and they are asking higher level questions, the campaign is running successfully. Higher level requests will provide an opportunity to demonstrate your company's understanding and abilities. You will develop stronger relationships with your contacts.

Length of Your Sales Cycle. Successful PR initiatives will shorten a sales cycle, ideally by 10 percent or more. A shorter sales cycle will enable you to use resources more efficiently, increasing the number of leads for your sales team.

A well-executed PR campaign should lead to increased trust in your brand. It should also associate the name of your company with certain industry keywords. This way, instead of generic searches for "app company New York", interested potential clients will search your specific company name. They will already associate your company with your products and service.

Measuring the sales cycle allows you to track whether this important facet of PR is operating well. Because a consumer is doing less research before contacting your company, your sales cycle should be growing shorter.

Recruitment. PR success means that instead of looking for qualified candidates to work in your company, the best qualified individuals are contacting you. If you see an increase in your recruitment, your PR efforts are most likely paying off.

Contacts by Investors. Potential investors do not like ‘unknown’ companies. PR should be helping introduce your company name, service, and trustworthiness to potential investors. If you are not being contacted by investors after a PR campaign, it may not be as successful as it could be.

Crisis Management. In the event of a crisis, a PR firm may be the only thing standing between your company and disaster. By measure your market share during a crisis, you can quantifiably measure PR success. A good PR strategy will limit any losses during a crisis period.

Relationships with Shareholders. PR campaigns are tied to the value of your stock. The more shareholders understand your mission and business strengths, the better your relationship will be with them. If your stockholder relationships improve after a PR campaign, you are receiving a positive ROI.

Competitive Visibility. It is challenging to determine a quantifiable value in market visibility. However, if you imagine how your bottom line would change if your competitor's PR was more successful than yours, you can somewhat measure the competitive value of your own PR initiatives. 

Tracking these factors will not produce a cut-and-dry measurement the same way budgeting tracking does, but paying attention to the correlations between all of them will help you understand whether your PR strategies are working for your company.

Motivating Employees With Internal PR Initiatives

Regardless of the industry, successful companies share four main areas in common: 

1. Quality management

2. Quality products or services

3. Quality customer service

4. Quality employees

It can be challenging to maintain a balance in all of these areas, especially when it comes to employee interaction with customers. 

What are ways to keep employees motivated to provide the best possible service at all times?

The consequences of disgruntled employees can be dire. Customers can generally tell right away as these employees tend to take their job-related frustration out on customers. Examples of this behavior include being deliberately unhelpful, rude or not returning customer calls.

Employees who are satisfied and motivated in their work will be able to pass their positive experience on to your customers. They will take pride in providing quality service and will take ownership of their stake in the company. They will strive to help it become a successful business.

Tech companies often provide examples of positive employee motivation. For example, Google supplies numerous benefits to its employees, including free snacks, areas to socialize, high salaries, and solid benefits. Happy employees are key to providing quality service.

The challenge to most companies is that providing these benefits costs money; often money that is not readily available. 

What are ways that the average company can still maintain high employee morale?

Ensuring that your perspective is focused towards making employees feel valuable is a start. Public relations shouldn't apply solely to customers. Creating internal PR programs can be a great way to keep employees feeling valued and productive.

There are obvious incentives, like high salaries, offering bonuses or competitive benefits. However, at the end of the day, what matters most to employees is feeling like their work matters. It is important to reward employees and make them feel appreciated for providing good service.

Some companies have found offering rewards that apply to a team rather than an individual create better results. In this way, no one is being singled as out as 'better' than everyone else, and a spirit of camaraderie can be inspired. Employees will benefit by working together, rather than against one another.

One of the easiest and most cost effective programs an employer can institute is simply scheduling time for a director or manager to sit down with their workers individually and express their gratitude for good service. Simply acknowledging that their work is appreciated and valued will go a long way in motivating employees to continue providing quality work. It will inspire them to put in the extra effort to ensure customer satisfaction.

Job - Colon Cancer Coalition - Intern – Social Media

Colon Cancer Coalition - Intern – Social Media

Job - MARCOMM Inc. - Social Media Project Manager

MARCOMM Inc. - Social Media Project Manager

Job - Xcel Energy - Communications Consultant (Social Media) Job

Xcel Energy - Communications Consultant (Social Media) Job

The Role of Social, Word of Mouth, and PR in 2016

With seemingly limitless energy, Business Wire's Serena Ehrlich gave attendees at a recent breakfast meeting the lowdown on the newest trends in social media and public relations. The event was co-sponsored by Minnesota PRSA.

Ehrlich, director of social and evolving media at Business Wire, right away shared the importance of public relations.

"PR is the number one tactic moving prospects through sales funnels," she said. Ehrlich noted that the number of touch points in the sales funnel has increased from seven in 1994 to more than 20 today. 

Given that 93 percent of online experiences begin with search, Ehrlich shared the good news that "Google loves news releases." She said that Google News places source news from press releases next to coverage, and that news is featured on mobile devices within Google.

Business Wire's Serena Ehrlich shares the latest social media updates.

Here are some of the other insights that Ehrlich shared about each social network.

LinkedIn

• If five to 10 people share an article at the same time, an algorithm is tripped that increases visibility of the article.

Twitter

• If you have urgent news to share, include "breaking" in the tweet.
• Twitter rolled out secret share groups earlier this year, allowing users to send group direct messages.
• Remember to share your company or client's media coverage on Twitter.

Facebook

• Facebook is trying to compete with YouTube, and probably will be creating a standalone page of videos.
• The world's biggest social network already is testing live streaming.

Instagram

• A fun way to involve company employees is to encourage them to post photos from their office with the popular hashtag #viewfrommyoffice.

Pinterest

• "Social networks are aspirational networks," said Ehrlich. "They show what people want to be."
• Pinterest is the most aspirational social network.
• Pins on Pinterest get 70 percent click-through rates; users want the pins to connect through to a website instead of just an image.
• When users pin something, the pin goes to the front page of the Pinterest feed again.

YouTube and Vine

• Ehrlich recommended that PR professionals create a news channel for their companies.

Ehrlich also touched on how media has changed. She mentioned that reporters are now measured on how popular their stories are based on social shares and views on their media outlet's website.

Ehrlich said that reporters are relying on news releases for accurate information and need elements for their stories that they can readily use, such as photos and videos. To make information easy for reporters to copy, she said that online corporate newsrooms should have documents in Microsoft Word instead of PDF.

With 2016 upon us, public relations professionals need to keep up to date with social media changes. While Ehrlich's energy can't be bottled, her popular Twitter account can be one way to stay in the know.

-- Brant Skogrand, APR, MBC / Skogrand PR Solutions, LLC 

Job - DecoPac, Inc - Associate Marketing Manager, Social Media

DecoPac, Inc - Associate Marketing Manager, Social Media