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A Preview: Learn the Business Case for Good CSR
Guest blog by my colleague, Jason Spenger, previewing an extraordinary panel of CAPRSA members at this year's spring conference.
By: Jason Sprenger, APR President- Game Changer Communications
More and more organizations are making a concerted effort to incorporate social responsibility into their corporate culture, and these good deeds are being richly rewarded. Studies have shown that consumers have very high expectations that the companies they do business with will be a good corporate citizen. And 42% of professionals surveyed recently reported that an organization’s participation in charitable activities is at least somewhat of a factor in their decision to work there. Remarkably enough, good CSR isn’t just a coincidence!
In Key West, we’ll have a panel to talk about the business case for accepting the mantle of social responsibility with grace and enthusiasm. Abbie Fink, vice president and general manager of HMA Public Relations, will moderate a panel of PR and CSR heavyweights:
· Aaron Blank, president and CEO at The Fearey Group in Seattle
· Nancy Page, executive vice president at Buchanan Public Relations in Ardmore, PA
· Esther Buchsbaum, chef de la direction and managing partner at Energi PR in Toronto and Montreal
By the end of the session, among other things, you’ll be able to:
· Formulate a CSR program that directly reflects your firm’s culture
· Describe your agency’s commitment to CSR
· Explain to clients and prospects that CSR is about doing what's right simply because it is the right thing to do, and not just because it’s good for business
· Devise strategies for taking the high road in difficult and divisive situations
This session will be Monday, May 5 at 3:30 p.m. Join us there!
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Jason J. Sprenger, APR
President
Game Changer Communications, LLC
Email: jsprenger@gamechangercommunications.com
Mobile: 612-327-1886
Website: www.gamechangercommunications.com
The Truth About Mergers and Acquisitions - with Chuck Tanowitz
In a world full of inauthentic networking, overly practiced elevator speeches, and colleagues rattling off talking points, the candidness with which members of PRSA's Counselors Academy speak about business ownership/management is quite refreshing.
Chuck Tanowitz, Vice President HB Agency, took an hour out of his day last week to candidly discuss his upcoming CAPRSA Spring Conference presentation "Taking the Leap: Growth Through M&A. The Why's, When's, How's, and What's". Any interview that starts with a friendly "on the record/off the record" clarification generally provides some wonderfully juicy tidbits of information, and this one did not disappoint.
In short: If you have ever thought about growth and/or exit strategies for your small to mid-sized agency, then you do not want miss this. (If you haven't, then stop reading right here and register for the conference immediately.)
In more detail: Every agency owner faces the question: do we grow on our own or join with another group? The decision is different for everyone, but this is the story of how two Boston agencies (Fresh Ground and HB Agency) became one. How they met, the pitfalls they faced and how they're growing. The opportunity had major positives and negatives for both.
Great press releases and videos were created during there merger, but there is definitely more to the story. On Monday, May 5th you can hear what Chuck has learned in the months before and after the merger.
- Moving from idea to reality- the benchmarks for when the time is right
- Starting the right conversations and establishing trust
- Opening your books with another agency
- The weight of responsibility to employees
- The delicate task of merging office cultures
- Getting existing clients on-board with changes
- Impacts of transitioning from owner to employee- personal, professional, & emotional
- Having time to refocus on public relations and let go of business operations
Chuck credits his CAPRSA colleagues for motivating him to honestly present what he's learned throughout this process, and for giving him important #KEYS for leading a thriving, healthy organization over the past few years.
Mr. Chuck Tanowitz
Vice President, HB Agency
Newton, MA
ctanowitz@hbagency.com
(617) 575-9643
Twitter Handle: ctanowitz
Chuck Tanowitz is vice president of PR and editorial services with HB Agency, an integrated marketing agency based in Newton, Mass. He co-founded Fresh Ground, Inc., a PR and social media shop that was acquired by HB in September 2013.
Building a Personal Brand Quickly & Inexpensive
I focus on helping clients capitalize on what makes them unusual or exceptional - beyond their competitors. Extraordinary - this sums up my philosophy behind effective marketing and communications. And so began my personal branding exercise - a path to show just how simple making yourself extraordinary can be.
All I needed was a little moxie, 3 weeks, and $275.
Last month Charlotte Observer Editor Rick Thames spoke at Packard Place (a hub for area start-ups) about the importance of being extraordinary when trying to attract media attention.
Rick Thames, Editor Charlotte Observer. Photo from www.charlotteobserver.com.
I help clients capitalize on what makes them unusual or exceptional, finding the things that pushes them beyond their competitors. Extraordinary - this sums up my philosophy on effective marketing and communications.
Boom! Hello, case study. And so began my personal branding exercise - a path to show just how simple it can be to make yourself extraordinary.
All I needed was a little moxie, 3 weeks and $275 to stand out and be memorable.
Three Initial Steps
The first extraordinary thing people usually notice about me is my name. Start with the basics.
1.) Went to zazzle and ordered over-sized, brightly colored business cards featuring feathers. ($43, including rush shipping)
2.) Built a simple website on sqaurespace ($192/year) using feather imagery from my own photo library and purchased a few from photo.com ($27) to ensure I had the proper rights to the images. A few dollars for a photo is absolutely worth not having to worry. Please inform yourselves about legalities.
3.) Purchased 2 envelopes of inexpensive, colorful craft feathers. ($8)
Giving it a go.
My first testing ground for the new brand was at last week's Public Relations Society of America Counselor's Academy conference in Austin, TX. PRSA Counselor's Academy comprises many of the top public relations agency owners and executives in the country. I was a newbie, and didn't know a single attendee. Getting them to remember me was going to be no small feat.
In Sunday's pre-conference photography class, I made sure to incorporate some of the craft feathers into my "10 Images in 10 Minutes" assignments. Throughout the conference I posted additional images to the group Facebook page to keep my brand top of mind.
A brand is more than a logo or catchphrase. It's how people feel about you. I needed to build awareness and foster familiarity.
Knowing feathers alone wouldn't be enough, I decided to tap into that moxie. I wore a colorful dress in a print that resembled layers of feathers. (One that was already in the closet, so don't add that to my tab.) In our group songwriting competition, I did not shy away from a leadership role despite my intimidation. (I taught public school for 7 years - I am programmed to organize chaos.)
"We've Got the Power" written and performed by the S*** Kickers with considerable help from Brandon Hill www.bandingpeopletogether.com
In retrospect, I came on too strongly. One group member later jovially called me "Hurricane Forest". <blush> Perhaps a little overcompensation for my nervousness. Lesson learned. But mission accomplished. People knew who I was on Day 1. Our group song won the competition, and I made sure I was front and center.
The Results, So Far
Image edited by Paul M. Bowers.
1.) Paul Bowers, elite photographer, edited and posted one of my feather images on Monday.
2.) Gini Deitrich, founder of Arment Dietrich and lead blogger at Spin Sucks, included two of my photographs in a post "Four Tips to Take Photos for your Content" on Tuesday. (Over 87 comments on her informative article to date.)
After the presentation with Eric Morgenstern. So flattered!
3.) Eric Morgenstern, founder and CEO of Morningstar Communications, showcased my business card and "Be Extraordinary" tag line in his Tuesday morning presentation about attraction marketing and effective networking skills. He pointed me out to the entire room!
4.) Engrained in the brain! Dozens of attendees later greeted me just to see if I'd reply to their salutations with "Extraordinarily well, thank you." My name and tagline were sticking.
5.) Social Media traction. Check out a screenshots from one of the Facebook interactions. Even after the close of the conference, my BRAND was still on the brain. To note, Dana Hughens was the Conference Chair and this was her post.
Return on Investment
Getting to know this group of people was a life changing and inspiring experience. One with immeasurable value. Becoming a small part of the conference culture was incredibly flattering - and a mini-case study on the effectiveness of low cost personal branding and how quickly it can gain traction in a targeted market. Not a bad return for under $300.