R/P Good Gossip

Martha Vetter named finalist for Stevie Award

2011-11-07T08:42:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to our exceptional leader, Martha Vetter, for being named a finalist for a Stevie Award for Women in Business in the Lifetime Achievement category! The Stevie Awards were created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and business women worldwide. And, who better than Martha to represent today’s business women. Of course, we know she’s great, but here are a few things that make her stand out from the crowd.

Since co-founding R/P in 1993, she has strategically developed the agency from just three employees to a successful enterprise of more than 35 professionals, most of whom are women. During the past 17 years, more than 75 women have started their careers or worked at R/P.

Martha’s leadership has enabled R/P to offer strategic, reality-based counsel to its clients, and has taught a core of professional men and women that making the right recommendations for the right reasons is always valuable to the client and company.

Martha and her team have applied strategy-based marketing planning and implementation to an entire industry with the establishment of Transcend Hospice Marketing Group, a division of the agency. Transcend, now the leading hospice marketing organization in the country, is focused exclusively on improving hospices’ ability to communicate with their communities and educate people about end-of-life care options.

Martha’s personal belief is that, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Reflecting her generous spirit, she founded Chicks for Charity in 2006, a local grassroots philanthropic organization intended to harness the power of women to make a difference for under-resourced charities in Toledo-area communities. In nearly six years, it has grown to 1,800 member “Chicks” of all ages and backgrounds who have collectively raised more than $360,000 for local organizations.

The Stevie Award winners will be announced at a reception in New York City on Friday, November 11. Good luck, Martha! We’ve got your back.

My Experiences as “The Intern”

2011-07-13T11:39:00.002-04:00

By Kate Ryan, PR Intern

Agency experience is a must have for every beginning PR practitioner. After being at R/P only a short time, I have come to the conclusion that agency experience is an important component to understanding a variety of aspects of PR. Never in a million years did I think I would have to educate myself on the healthcare industry or understand the ins and outs of building products. Working in an agency requires you to become familiar with an array of industries while working with a wide variety of clients.

R/P is a great environment for the enthusiast. Agency work requires a lot of energy as well as optimism. Anything could happen with a client at any given point in the day. You walk into work in the morning to work on a media list for one client and could end the day implementing a social media plan for another. This aspect of the job sure keeps you on your toes!

Agencies are an excellent way to apply your PR knowledge to a wide variety of industries. I am looking forward to learning more and continuing to gain valuable insights from my internship here at R/P!

Crafting a Great Local Story

2011-05-23T11:06:00.004-04:00

R/P team members Jackie Zureich, Kelley Yoder and Laura Waltz successfully lend PR support to Chicks for Charity and its philanthropy, the International Boxing Club. Just recently, Jackie crafted a great story for the local media, connecting the dots between emotional appeal and engaging personalities with facts that make a compelling case for community support of the organization's educational, vocational and leadership programs. Watch 13ABC's story, "Toledo Club Gives Teen a Fighting Chance," featuring R/P CEO and Chicks for Charity founder Martha Vetter.

What Makes a Good R/P Day

2011-04-07T10:19:00.004-04:00

By Martha Vetter, CEO

Today we made a difference, but didn’t make a dime. The beauty of our business is not that we “are” the solution, but that we can “find” the solution. As PR professionals, we communicate messages to those who are best suited to hear – and react – to them.

Just over a year ago, 16-year-old Bri lost her leg in a tragic train accident that claimed the life of her best friend, Cody. Her family had been on the financial edge prior to the accident, and things had only gotten worse. Now, Bri was confined to a wheelchair because her family was unable to connect to the resources that would help her get some of her independence back.

In no way are we qualified to get Bri a leg. However, we do know healthcare and we do know how to develop and “pitch” key messages. In true PR fashion, we felt compelled to drive positive results through communication. So, since the beginning of the year, our team and many others have spent hours and hours trying to connect the dots between healthcare providers, experts in prosthetic devices, school systems, business people and wonderful philanthropists ... all in an effort to help Bri get back on her feet. (In this case, both literally and figuratively.)

Give PR professionals a puzzle that’s a tangled mess and they will find a way to solve it. Usually it’s for paying clients with business problems; but sometimes, we get to help those truly in need and the payment is watching a young girl taking her first steps on a new leg. It’s knowing she is one step closer to regaining the part of her life where she can again play basketball and march in the band at Friday night football games.

Today was a good R/P day.

Number Crunching

2011-03-31T14:34:00.002-04:00

So here we are, at the end of March – and the first quarter is over. Now it begins in earnest. I’m talking about the regular “adjustment” of housing starts forecasts…where every month, we see a revised – downward – assessment from economists backing off their bold predictions for the year. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want that job. But the number-crunching hasn’t been adding up because the market’s just not behaving as we expect it to.

700,000 starts? I suppose it didn’t really sound that unreasonably optimistic late last year. Because all the numbers say we are heading for a housing shortage. The demographics and household formations all point to the need for housing (but not necessarily “new” houses). Interest rates are still hovering near record lows. Inventory of new homes varies by market, of course, but is still dropping - now just over 76,000 completed new homes are available nationwide (but many markets have plenty of “used” houses for sale). Prices are depressed, and may continue their decline, according to Case-Schiller. Fortune Magazine proclaims, “It’s time to buy again.”

So why aren’t Americans building – or even buying? Because even if they can, they aren’t sure they should. There are too many unknowns. They don’t know if they’ll have a job two or three years from now. If they get a new job, where will it be located? Will they be able to sell their house if they need to move? Will it be worth even as much as they paid for it? What if they get stuck?

Sales of new homes hit an all-time low in February. Personally, I think we’ll be lucky if we build as many new homes this year as we did last year. My prediction is it might take an entire generation – including a re-invention of the fundamentals of our economy, the future of jobs and where they’ll be located – before building a new home becomes part of the fulfillment of a dream for the next generation of homeowners, and new home construction once again begins to track with household formation.

Now, there’s talk of re-instituting the 20% minimum down payment and reducing or eliminating the home mortgage interest deduction. Who knows what impact that will have? In the meantime, developers and investors have found something to do with all that cash they’ve been accumulating: according to the National Association of Realtors, a third of existing-home sales in February were made to cash buyers. And that’s not counting foreclosure auctions.

My guess is, those investors will be renting out those properties for quite a while before selling them, giving all those new households a low-commitment option for “housing” in major markets. And who knows what the impact on “the numbers” will be.

I'm sure all this will be fascinating to economics students of the future. In the meantime, those of us who make our living in this industry are faced with the challenges the numbers present. We have some thoughts and will be sharing them soon - but let us know what you think. What are the implications for builders and remodelers? For building products manufacturers? How is your business responding?

Owning vs. Renting - has the equation changed?

2011-03-01T21:01:00.000-05:00

For the past couple of years, we've repeatedly heard that all the demographic data point to the need for millions of new homes in the coming decades. In my mind, there’s a whole lot of psychology to be reckoned with when it comes to those “positive demographic indicators” – read: people – out there actually making a decision whether to build or remodel a home.

Many prognosticators seem to think the return to new home construction is all tied to the return of jobs. I’d agree having a job and feeling pretty good about the security of that job makes a big difference in people’s willingness to spend. But I believe some fundamental rules governing the equation of home ownership have changed. For several generations, the story has stayed the same:
- 20-somethings get a job, get married, buy a starter home;
- 30-somethings have kids, maybe change jobs;
- 40- and 50-somethings buy a move-up home, maybe even a second home, make home improvements;
- 60-somethings retire, empty their nests, maybe buy a retirement home….

But with Gen X and Gen Y delaying marriage, having fewer kids, frequently changing jobs (and potentially, hometowns) and – importantly – not knowing/trusting that housing is a good long-term investment, the belief system that drove the “owning is superior to renting” paradigm may have fundamentally shifted.

So even when the jobs “return” or are created, the equation of owning a home – with a 30-year mortgage – that you might get stuck with – might not quite add up for the younger generations. They’ll still need a place to live, but we may see a real shift to a bigger share of multi-family housing in the future. Hey, we’re going to have to do something with all those McMansions – maybe they’ll all get converted to duplexes!

What do you think?

Ignoring the pundits of Wall Street

2011-01-18T17:44:00.000-05:00

The pundits of Wall Street and Washington have done a great job of scaring many businesses to a stand still. Personally, I’m pretty sure the longer we stand still the longer it will take to get going again. You know it's that old theory, an object in motion stays in motion while an object at rest stays at rest. But for those of us confident in our products, services and teams, we need to keep moving forward, keep innovating, keep producing. There always will be demand for good and ethical businesses at the top of their game.

Thinking positive is an option. We don’t have to follow the countless companies, big and small, hunkered down and keeping profits stowed away in bank accounts. We can choose to grow by investing in the future.

At RP, we are putting our money where our heart is…we are investing in our team and our clients. In early 2011, we’ll complete an addition to our building that will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients. We choose to believe in ourselves not the pundits. Positive thinking is important, especially when you're willing to take action to support it. The success of the American economy is depending on it.

Two days, two views.

2011-01-14T13:40:00.002-05:00

I have to admit, sometimes experience can get in the way. Or maybe it's expectations that get in the way. My two days exploring the International Builders' Show and talking with attendees and exhibitors reminded me that the same experience can be viewed through very different eyes. Long-time exhibitors in spacious booths were concerned about the light traffic. Yes, it was the first day of the show, and yes, the weather across the country was not cooperating, but wow. This was not the Builders' Show they remembered, with crowded aisles and long lines for registration, coffee and giveaways.

But a few conversations with first-time exhibitors made me look at the show through their eyes: they see an opportunity to engage with thousands of builders (how many are they really going to be able to talk with, anyway?), "break in" to the "main" (only) exhibit hall, and they are excited and pleased and optimistic. They're looking forward to following up with all those leads.

The second day of the show, traffic picked up quite a bit, and it'll be interesting to see what the final numbers are. I'm not sure the show will ever be as big as it once was, but I think that's OK. Maybe we all just need to look at it differently.

2011 Builders' Show

2011-01-10T17:52:00.001-05:00

I'm heading to the International Builders' Show in Orlando tomorrow, and am so curious to see how it goes, and what the tone is. Twenty years ago, it was a "can't miss" event for building products manufacturers. I remember hearing the speculation that some manufacturers had spent more than a million dollars on their booth for this grandaddy of trade shows. Anyone who was anyone exhibited at IBS. At one point, attendance at the show was estimated at more than 100,000.

But recently, a number of big players have decided to sit out a year or two (or more). Some of them attend the show, schedule meetings with customers and the media, but don't invest the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars just to share some floor space with thousands of other manufacturers. On the other hand, it appears that some smaller, new companies are seeing this as the perfect time to "break in" to IBS and get noticed in a less crowded field. Their attitude seems to be, "who cares if attendance is 'down' to 50,000 or so? That's still a lot of builders!"

Is the same thing happening with trade shows in other industries? Let us know your thoughts!

It's not always about the technology in healthcare

2010-11-22T10:09:00.003-05:00

I have been fortunate to not have spent a lot of time in a hospital as a patient or even as a visitor. But, if I were asked to help envision my local hospital’s future, I would want it to include the best technology available. Isn’t that what most people want in their local hospital? Or do we expect more? It turns out, we DO want more as was discovered when two communities were asked to express their concerns and wishes during visioning sessions in Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley.

To help develop their next five-year strategic plan, Sacred Heart Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital both invited the community to visioning sessions to gain input on what the people would like to see in their future hospital and hospital system. Surprisingly, their communities wanted more than just the best technology. Throughout the discussions, one common theme became obvious; residents wanted their future healthcare system to take a holistic approach and treat mind, body and spirit.

Patients want the comfort of touch while they are in the hospital. They want physicians to speak with them rather than at them and use vocabulary that is understandable. Community members also said that physicians, nurses and other healthcare personnel need to look their patients in the eye and connect with them.

So keep in mind that no matter your industry – healthcare, retail, building products – sometimes your best ideas come from those who use your services and products – your customers.

Tipping our hat to hospice professionals

2010-11-12T13:39:00.004-05:00

Hospice. It certainly isn’t a word that comes up in conversation every day, but perhaps it should. All too often, people put off conversations about their wishes regarding end-of-life care until a devastating illness puts a time limit on their life.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Month is observed in November. This year’s theme for the observance is Seasons of Caring. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) put it best, saying “Hospice professionals and volunteers work in concert with the rhythms of the seasons, helping people recall, retell, reflect, remember and celebrate all the seasons of their lives.”

At R/P Marketing Public Relations, we operate a division dedicated solely to marketing hospice organizations. Transcend Hospice Marketing Group helps hospice organizations across the country differentiate their services from competitors, find their “voice” to tell the story of who they are and what they do and educate local communities about the benefits of hospice care. Promoting hospice is different than promoting other services – even other services encompassed in healthcare. Hospice care is a very sensitive subject for patients and families.

We pride ourselves on creating a seamless blend of marketing science and art. Our approach is based solidly on research of a specific service area – guiding strategies with data and providing a baseline with which to measure success. This science is combined with the art of developing a distinctive, memorable and consistent brand to help make a hospice organization the preferred choice for quality end-of-life care in its community.

During this Season of Caring, we tip our hat to hospice professionals who give tirelessly to provide support, care and compassion to people as they experience the end of life with dignity.

Congrats to Martha and R/P for Recent Honors!

2010-03-08T14:58:00.005-05:00

February 25, 2010 was a big night for R/P Marketing Public Relations. Our very own CEO/founder Martha Vetter was honored with a Silver Medal Award at the Advertising Club of Toledo’s 2010 ADDY Awards ceremony. In addition, some of R/P’s top work was recognized with ADDY Awards. Read on for more details of our winnings:

R/P CEO Martha Vetter Honored with Ad Club’s Top Award

Agency’s leading campaigns also recognized at local ADDYs

The Advertising Club of Toledo (ACT) has selected Martha Vetter, CEO of R/P Marketing Public Relations, for the American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal Award, presented at the recent 2010 ADDY® Awards.

The Silver Medal Award recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to advertising and have been active in furthering the industry’s standards, creative excellence and responsibility in areas of social concern. As a founder of R/P, one of Northwest Ohio’s most successful and respected marketing public relations agencies, Vetter was a natural choice for this prestigious honor.

With more than 25 years in the field, Vetter has a wealth of experience in crafting marketing public relations campaigns that work. A graduate of Bowling Green State University, she started her career in public relations at a hospital in her hometown of Akron, Ohio, and then ventured to Toledo, Ohio, gaining experience in the agency world prior to founding R/P in 1993. Today, the 30-person agency serves a variety of local, regional and national clients with specialized expertise in health care, building products and the arts.

In addition to R/P, Vetter also founded a charitable organization – Chicks for Charity – to inspire women and girls to fulfill their philanthropic potential through donations of time, talent and money. Since its origin in 2006, more than 1,500 “Chicks” have raised nearly $175,000 to help under-the-radar, non-profit organizations in the Toledo area.

“Having worked with Martha, I know she is an inspiration to many, as she enriches our community by continuing to give,” says Sue Hague-Rogers, Advertising Club of Toledo board member. “Martha is a leader in the advertising/marketing and philanthropic worlds, and the Silver Medal Award recognition is well deserved.”

The agency’s work also was recognized at the 2010 ADDY Awards ceremony. R/P won four awards, including a Gold ADDY Award in the Local TV Campaign category for its Guardian Angel Hospice 30-second spots. With the Gold status, the spots will automatically advance to the second-tier, district level of the ADDY Awards competition.

This entry was comprised of three television spots promoting hospice services of Guardian Angel Hospice in Kokomo, Ind. The work was developed by R/P’s Transcend Hospice Marketing Group division which is dedicated exclusively to promoting hospice organizations.

R/P also received a Silver ADDY Award in the Mixed Media, Local Consumer category for its Mercy Knows Me By Heart campaign. This campaign included television and radio spots, outdoor and newspaper advertisements promoting awareness of women’s heart care for Mercy, a seven-hospital system throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. This campaign also will move on to the next level of the ADDY Awards competition.

Other winnings include two Bronze ADDY Awards, one in the Public Service Campaign category for a series of Donate Life Ohio posters promoting the need for organ and tissue donor registrants. The other Bronze was received in the Stationary Package category for identity materials for Urban Flower of Rossford, Ohio, complete with letterhead, business cards and note cards.

“We’re proud that a variety of work for our clients and our company’s founder all were recognized at the ADDY Awards this year,” says Stan Massey, R/P partner and executive vice president, and Silver Medal Award recipient in 2002. “The honors are related by the fact that they show R/P’s commitment from the top down to seek excellence for our clients, our community and our industry.”

Pre-Show Mailer Wins Award!

2009-12-23T14:42:00.004-05:00

R/P is the happy winner of another award for 2009. This time the Vinyl Siding Institute, Inc. (VSI) team is recognized with a Silver Award from the Association TRENDS 2009 All-Media Contest! The award was given for VSI’s pre-show mailer for the International Builders’ Show (IBS). While highlighting VSI’s key messages, it promoted an exciting sweepstakes to win a Smart Car lease, helping “drive” traffic to VSI’s booth.The pre-show mailer was one of more than 425 entries in the contest. Nice job VSI team! Come February, R/P and VSI will be honored for this award at the 31st Annual Salute to Association Excellence event in Washington, D.C.

What a great way to end the year!

An Award-Winning Week

2009-11-06T11:22:00.003-05:00

Double the good news… R/P received not one, but two awards this week! We’re excited about our recent recognition in the marketing and PR industry!

R/P won a Gold MarCom Award for its American Red Cross “Out for Blood” poster. Nice job American Red Cross team! This competition is sponsored by the Association of Marketing & Communication Professionals.

R/P also won big at the PR News Non-Profit PR Awards. We won the best Advocacy Campaign & Lobby Efforts (over $50K budget) for the Second Chance Trust Fund and Donate Life Ohio "Do It Now!" campaign. Congratulations team DLO!

We are proud of all our award-winning work… now that’s what you call a great R/P week!

R/P Delivers "Brighter Days" with Rebranding Campaign for Mercy

2009-10-19T17:18:00.013-04:00

After months of planning and hard work, R/P has launched a new campaign for Mercy Health Partners to create one unified brand identity based on the system's standards and spirit. Revealing this new master brand is our first step in educating consumers about the seven-hospital system’s new look, and moving forward, we’re excited to use this brand strategy as the core for upcoming Mercy campaigns.

The word is getting out – there’s been print and billboard advertisements and television and radio spots, plus BULLDOG REPORTER'S DAILY 'DOG recently covered the campaign announcement:

R/P Marketing Public Relations Delivers

“Brighter Days” with Rebranding Campaign for Mercy

Healthcare marketing and PR agency launches

new brand identity for multi-hospital system client

R/P Marketing Public Relations recently launched a new campaign for Mercy Health Partners, creating one unified brand identity based on the system’s standard of excellence and compassionate spirit. Mercy operates seven hospitals throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.

As part of the campaign, titled One Standard. One Spirit. One Name., R/P worked with Mercy to create a master brand strategy transferring brand equity from individual hospitals and service lines to an overall system brand, bringing all operations under one name. All marketing now leads with the Mercy master brand, such as St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center is now Mercy St. Vincent.

To support this identity transition, R/P developed a new logo and Brighter Days theme song. R/P also created print and billboard advertisements, as well as television and radio spots.

“This major shift in brand strategy is a huge undertaking for the system,” says Holly Goldstein, who leads the Mercy account for R/P as executive vice president of client services. “Months of strategic planning were involved, including internal operational changes to ensure that patient experience was standardized throughout the system. Although the campaign and its tactics are simple, we invested a great deal of time and effort to make sure our message was just right. Mercy executives did their part to ensure the promise for quality care is met throughout all operations.”

The message Mercy is delivering with its new master brand is familiarity, where patients can find the same level of comfort and high-quality care no matter which hospital they may be at in the Mercy system. Hospitals include Mercy St. Vincent, Mercy St. Anne, Mercy St. Charles, Mercy Children’s and the rural facilities of Mercy Tiffin, Mercy Willard and Mercy Hospital of Defiance.

“Our goal is for this one name to represent one standard of excellence and one compassionate spirit,” Goldstein adds. “In particular, our Brighter Days theme song is resonating wonderfully both internally and with the community for identifying the new Mercy brand. It’s a powerful and emotional tool to help Mercy stand out, a tactic that is not currently being used for healthcare in this market.”

This campaign is the first step in educating consumers about Mercy’s new look. Moving forward, R/P and Mercy will continue working together to build the business under this master brand, using it as the core for upcoming campaigns to promote various service lines.

Healthcare marketing and public relations is one of R/P’s areas of specialization, having provided counsel and creative services to more than 30 healthcare clients. The agency works with and has worked for nationally recognized health systems, major tertiary care medical centers, medical schools, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, health plans, physician networks and national healthcare suppliers.

R/P Once Again Selected to Lead Donate Life Ohio Campaign

2009-08-18T17:34:00.010-04:00

The R/P team is excited to continue working with the Second Chance Trust Fund on the Donate Life Ohio campaign. As we have been involved with this great cause for several years now, we have developed a personal and professional commitment to growing Ohio’s organ and tissue donor registry. We’re excited to roll out this year’s campaign with fresh ideas and strategies. News of our involvement in the campaign is spreading… PR WEEK and BULLDOG REPORTER'S DAILY'DOG recently covered the following announcement:

R/P Marketing Public Relations Once Again

Selected to Lead Donate Life Ohio Campaign

For the third year, the Toledo-based agency will help grow
Ohio’s organ and tissue donor registry

Second Chance Trust Fund has awarded R/P Marketing Public Relations the Donate Life Ohio (DLO) campaign for the 2009-2010 year. R/P will continue its relationship with Ohio’s organ and tissue procurement organizations (OPOs) to create new and effective ways to get more Ohioans to join the state’s organ and tissue donor registry.

For the past two years, R/P has led the marketing public relations efforts for this ongoing campaign, funded by Second Chance Trust Fund. DLO’s initial goal was to gain 800,000 new donor registrations by 2011. Having already helped add more than half a million new names to the registry, R/P and DLO are on pace to not only meet, but exceed this goal.

“R/P is passionate about this project and excited to continue working with Donate Life Ohio,” says Martha Vetter, president of R/P. “The need for organ and tissue donation increases daily, and the more registered donors we can help get, the more lives that will be saved. We are honored to partner with such a great cause.”

Prior donor registry growth can be attributed to the Do it Now College Challenge and the Donate. Save 8. Do it Now! corporate campaign created by R/P. This year the agency will continue building on these past successes with a fresh campaign that will create buzz about the program and drive people to register.

R/P has conducted ongoing research to discern the best opportunities for growing the Ohio donor registry, including the evaluation of trends in population. Various marketing efforts will be applied, and ongoing public relations will maintain efforts to build awareness, change perceptions and ultimately motivate people to register and become advocates of organ and tissue donation.

Becoming a registered organ and tissue donor

2009-07-17T13:20:00.000-04:00

It is truly amazing how many people do not understand the process of becoming an organ and tissue donor. And I will admit that I probably was one of them until I became a part of the DLO team at R/P. Two years ago, we began developing a campaign to increase new organ and tissue donations across the state.

While not a registered donor at the time, I began to learn the facts, but was still hesitant about becoming a donor. Why? I have no idea. I knew doctors would work just as hard to save my life and that my family could have an open-casket funeral. Truly, I believe I just did not want to think about what becoming a registered organ donor meant – death.

Well, I am proud to say that earlier this year, while sitting in my office at work with a colleague, I decided to go online to the Ohio BMV site and register to become a donor. I encourage others to learn the facts and become a registered organ and tissue donor. One organ donor can help save the lives of up to eight people and enhance the lives of 50 more through tissue.

Don't Whine about Swine Coverage

2009-06-10T14:15:00.003-04:00

It’s popular to criticize the media for inaccurate reporting or sensationalism. Those of us who have been members of the media or are eager news junkies are among the critics. But I think the media and the U.S. government deserves credit for their handling of the H1N1 flu story.

Sure we were bombarded 24 hours a day for an entire weekend when the story first broke about a child’s death due to what was then being called the “swine flu.” And those that didn’t run out to buy extra bars of soap or hand sanitizer probably weren’t watching or listening. It even surprised me when President Barack Obama gave official advice on hand washing.

But the amount of information that is available to the public by the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization is astounding. Those of us in communications know that regularly updating websites and blogs, issuing news releases and holding regular news conferences is a time intensive process. But those efforts enable the public in a matter of seconds, 24 hours a day to get the latest information. You can even sign up to get e-mail notification when new reports are issued.

A few of my favorite sites on H1N1 include the following: www.pandemicflu.gov, www.who.int, www.cdc.gov/swineflu and on twitter: swineflubrk or swinfluticker.

There’s a lot of misinformation spreading about the flu pandemic and R/P played a part in trying to get accurate and timely information released about a non-profit organization near and dear to our hearts. Spring Point Project, whose mission is to provide pig islet cells for human transplantation to cure diabetes, was concerned that news of the so called “swine flu” might negatively impact their good cause. Spring Point raises healthy pigs and partners with the University of Minnesota in this important research, which is nearing FDA clinical trials. A blog post and a news release on their website at the inception of the media coverage helped to communicate the facts to donors, residents and others who support the project. http://www.springpointproject.org/media/

It’s good to know that the government and media are geared up to handle a major health crisis. It may be fashionable to bash the government or media, but in this case let’s be thankful that in a free and open society we have information at our fingertips which can save lives or at least keep us informed.

Exploratorium science museum turns to R/P!

2009-04-09T17:24:00.001-04:00

R/P is proud to have begun working with the world-renowned Exploratorium in San Francisco. Founded in 1969, the Exploratorium has been a pioneer among “hands-on” science centers, leading the way in developing exhibits that enable visitors to direct their own museum experience. R/P is working with the Exploratorium’s Exhibit Services group to help market their innovative products and services to museums around the world.

Behind the Scenes of R/P's "Best in Show" ADDY win

2009-03-17T09:37:00.005-04:00

When Dan, Laura and I (along with some help from Sarah, Cindy, Angie and others) began brainstorming the R/P Christmas gift for 2008 we were eager to share our thoughts with the group, but we weren’t sure if our ideas were going to be as big a hit as they were in our heads. You know how it goes when you’re brainstorming...you’re brilliant, of course, and nothing can get in your way. But this time we were sure we had something. A Holiday Survival Guide. A “How To” for ANY holiday situation. And it would be in the form of individual cards – because I was determined to use a screw post for just one project...sometime in my life.

Not everyone understood our self-proclaimed brilliance, but after a few mock-ups and some of the scenarios written, they were on board. Sadly, the screw post didn’t make it into the final version, but what we ended up with was an R/P Holiday Survival Kit, complete with a DVD copy of “A Christmas Story” which served as our inspiration. Being a favorite project from the year, it was entered into our local ADDYs. It was a nice piece and got wonderful feedback from our clients during the holidays. To our surprise, it also got wonderful feedback from the judges.

Our little R/P Holiday Survival Kit won a GOLD award and BEST OF SHOW at the 2009 awards and will be traveling to Louisville, KY for the district awards at the end of the month. I guess it really was a good idea...screw post or not.

Newest R/Per and more!

2009-03-06T10:31:00.008-05:00

Meet the newest R/Per! Joel Hochanadel offers a wealth of public relations expertise, much of it gleaned from managing a highly visible and challenging client – the U.S. government. You can learn about his many accomplishments here, or get the real scoop on his personality at R/Pers uncut.

If you haven’t browsed R/Pers uncut yet, we highly recommend it. It’s a revealing look at what really makes each one of us tick. Like the fact Jenny our accountant would love to build tiki huts in Aruba, or that our newest account executive Nicole Fraker is quite the adrenaline junkie.

Speaking of thrill rides, R/P recently created a campaign that featured Harley Davidson riders. Themed “Out for Blood,” the campaign promoted a summer-long blood drive that included a chance to win a Harley. The campaign was recently honored with a Davey Award, an international creative award. See the poster here.