After launching our www.buzzfunnel.me site just three days ago, it’s buzzing! We have already had over 100 videos posted to the site, featuring a variety of content showcasing Indianapolis and the Super Bowl XLVI festivities.

In case you haven’t checked out the site yet, here’s a taste of what’s “buzzing” on buzzfunnel:

• A Colt’s Super Fan does his best Village People impersonation
• Visitors from Russia predict the Giants to win
• Our own Bill Lovejoy does his best Heisman pose
• A Patriot’s fan shares his video from the AFC championship game
• The light show on Monument Circle pumps up the crowd

Come back to www.buzzfunnel.me throughout the week as we share more of the buzz. And in the meantime, share your videos for all to see. While you’re out and about in the city, capture some footage of the excitement and upload them to YouTube or Vimeo and tag with “buzzfunnel.” We’d love to feature you on the site!

Running, jumping, crawling. Incredible feats of athleticism. It’s just another day in the office for Borshoff employees. Actually, it’s a day out of the office competing for bragging rights in Indianapolis’ corporate community.

For the third straight year, Borshoff employees competed in the Indiana Sports Corp’s Corporate Challenge on Saturday, September 24. Everyone from the four principal owners to the newest employee was part of the fun and festivities.

As we went head to head against our clients, vendors and community partners, our competitive nature shone through. An estimated 5,000 participants from 118 businesses competed in the 2011 Corporate Challenge. Saturday’s events included a 5-mile run, 5K run, ½ mile run, 5K fitness walk, team medley relay, basketball shoot-out, corn hole, football accuracy throw, Frisbee toss, golf chipping challenge, tug-of-war, obstacle course, and a parallel parking challenge.

In addition to the track and field events, Borshoff employees showed compassion for the community by participating in the charity portion of the competition during the weeks leading up to the Corporate Challenge main events. Our team earned points based on donations to local charities including Gleaners Food Bank, the Indiana Sports Corporation’s Geared for Health: Sports Equipment for Kids program and the Indiana Blood Center. We earned additional points by hand knitting scarves for “Super Scarves,” an initiative launched by the Super Bowl Host Committee.

An event like this is not only about competition, but it’s also about bringing our team together and building a stronger sense of community. Preliminary results are in, and we’re not sure we place in the standings, but we know that we had fun getting there.

We’re already strategizing for next year. See you in 2012!

If you visit my Facebook site, you’d see that one of my philosophies I try to embody and instill in my children is to “Learn as if you live forever and live as if you’ll die tomorrow.” This oft-quoted adage was especially poignant for me last week as I witnessed a celebratory event unfold before me.

On the beautiful Friday afternoon of August 19, some of my Borshoff colleagues and I had the privilege to assist in planning and staging the commencement ceremonies for WGU Indiana, one of our integrated marketing clients. (You’ve probably seen their GoFurther billboards and watched/heard the commercials – thanks Gov. Daniels!)

WGU Indiana was established last year as Indiana’s 8^th state university, a non-profit, online, competency-based university to expand access to higher education for Indiana residents.

For me and most of my friends and family members who chose to go to college, we did so right after high school. Yet, for more than 730,000 Hoosiers, life got in the way of their educational journey and although they started down this “traditional” path, their pursuit to a college degree was interrupted for some reason. But, the dream of a degree never died.

Along comes WGU Indiana – where the average student is 36 years old and works full-time. WGU Indiana has come up with a model that allows technology to do the teaching and folks can finish what they started; to realize their dreams. This is what we celebrated on Friday in the Statehouse at the commencement.

As each graduate-candidate arrived, so did their moms and dads, their children and coworkers – all to witness the moment of dreams fulfilled. They learned that attaining a degree was hard work, but remarkably rewarding. That advancing in their careers meant proving themselves academically.  And that their mothers and fathers, sons and daughters were proud of them for improving their lives – forever.

Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL) partnered with Borshoff to raise awareness of the company’s Live Energy Smart initiative, which includes various programs designed to help IPL’s residential, commercial and industrial customers reduce their energy use, and in turn save money. Our campaign gently poked fun at the extreme and even slightly nutty things people could do to save energy and provided a simple and easy alternative – enrolling in IPL’s Live Energy Smart programs. An integrated campaign featuring radio, TV, print and transit advertisements launched in the summer of 2011.

Check out the campaign ads:

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http://www.borshoff.biz/clients/ipl/IPL_LES Bright Ideas_HEI.MP3

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Indianapolis, like most cities across the country, has its share of “cool” community gems. These are the cultural activities that attract visitors, entertain and teach us, make our communities more vibrant places to live and simply give us reasons to have fun.

One such gem was the setting last Thursday evening, as Borshoff staffers and their families met at the Indianapolis Zoo for our annual summer outing.

Beyond strolls through the tiger forest, exploring the bat den, and glimpses of sea lions, polar bears, ostriches and warthogs, some of us came across some toe-tapping, finger-snapping music, part of the zoo’s summertime series, “Animals & All that Jazz.”

It was great to see the mix of parents and children, couples and jazz enthusiasts listening to great music, enjoying themselves and smiling, despite the sweltering temperatures.

Sitting there bopping my head to the beat made me think about the array of activities Indianapolis offers year round. There are many that my family and I probably would enjoy just as much, but as local residents, we don’t make nearly as much time for as we should.

A quick (and non-scientific) poll of several co-workers the day after the outing yielded a shared vow to take more time to experience all our city has to offer. There are events at Conseco and the Fairgrounds. There are movies and concerts at White River State Park. And it’s been a while since we visited any of the many, wonderful local museums. I know the next time I’m looking for a cool and fun activity to do with my family, I’m going to first seek out those things that are right in my backyard. What about you?

As early as seventh grade, I knew I would work in communications. I’d spend time in middle and high school working as a writer or editor on the yearbook, newspaper and radio staffs, and I gladly gave up portions of my summer to learn as much as I could. Often that meant attending summer immersion programs on college campuses or in rare cases, working side-by-side with a professional who shared my enthusiasm for writing.

So when the Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists (IABJ) asked Borshoff to participate in a recent multimedia workshop by providing an “internship” for two high school seniors – and leaders here said yes – I was excited.

It’s common for Borshoff to hire college students as interns. These students usually are upperclassmen or recent college grads. Opening the doors to high school students in this way is a new endeavor.

But what’s not new is the value we place on learning. And what better way to prepare the next generation of communicators than to provide opportunities for them to be immersed in the real world of work, where they can build knowledge.

The two days our “interns” spent with us, we made sure they attended meetings, conducted research, participated in brainstorming sessions and got a taste of what it’s like to write on tight deadlines.

I don’t know whether Ridley Morgan, an aspiring music producer/journalist who attends Cathedral High School, or Carmel High School’s Jordan “JJ” Newton who wants to be a sports agent or TV sports broadcaster, will ever work in PR.

What I do know is that they have additional information about this field to help guide their decisions down the road.

I’m grateful for the time I had during my youth to learn from working professionals, and I’m glad to work for a company that believes in paying it forward.

When given the chance to attend Lacy Leadership Association’s Opportunity Indianapolis, we have to admit, we thought it would be a couple days spent on a bus traveling around the city learning the height and year of construction for every building and monument. We were wrong. The opportunity for us native Hoosiers, was not to learn more trivia about our great city (though we did take in our fair share of fun facts as we traveled by bus across Indianapolis). It was to expose us to the deep potential found within Indianapolis and the efforts of civic and business leaders helping to unlock that potential and define the future of the city.

It’s easy to take these efforts for granted as we go about our busy lives. Most of us are aware of the need for a public transit system and education reform because these are big expensive issues that make headlines. But we wonder what we can do to change it. And have you thought about what makes our city beautiful or who feeds the many families in need? What about how our cultural opportunities stack up to those of other cities, or bring valuable tourism dollars into our local economy? Do you ever drive by abandoned homes and buildings and think, “when is that going to be taken care of?” Most of us are quick to comment on what needs to be done. But who is going to make it happen?

It was amazing and humbling to hear about the contributions of past and current leaders to help improve the city and keep it at or above its current caliber. To hear about what they have accomplished and still aspire to accomplish. Men and women who, like us, love Indianapolis, regardless of whether they were raised here or not, thinking about today and 30 years from now, figuring out what is best for the community.

This experience was a call to be a part of the city we take for granted and to get involved in the many great things happening every day making Indianapolis one of the best cities in the country. If you love Indianapolis, you need to embrace the good, the bad and the potential — and take ownership. Find what you are passionate about and pour yourself into it. As our presenter Scott Miller of Develop Indy said, “It’s a tough life to go through if you aren’t passionate about something.”

Here at Borshoff we are very fortunate to work with many talented and interesting clients. One of them is Meg Irsay, who just released her newest book of poetry, Words Collected on the Road to Silence: Into the Fire. In her second published collection of poetry, Meg takes readers on a journey through 92 pages of thought-provoking words and beautiful images of her dance.

Meg is an avid student and teacher of the relationship between body and spirit. She is founder of One Body Inc., which consists of One Body Books Publishing and her Broad Ripple studio where she coaches individuals and small groups in building effective practices for health and well-being. You can read and hear samples of Meg’s poetry on her website or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

Twenty-six thousand. That’s the average number of steps that brave Borshoffers participating in the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on May 7 will take.

I’ve never been a competitive runner, or any type of competitive athlete for that matter. And I’m not daring enough to attempt the 13.1-mile trek that many of my colleagues will embark on this Saturday in Indianapolis. 

Nevertheless, the fitness enthusiast inside me can’t help but marvel at the health benefits that come with completing a mini. The average person burns anywhere from 1,600 to 2,100 calories running a half marathon, all depending on speed and body weight. With one pound equaling 3,500 calories, running a half marathon could leave you a half pound lighter!

As the driver of our agency’s wellness initiative, I’ll cheer on my colleagues as they round the 13-mile course proudly wearing their company-provided pedometers. As a team of seven, they’ll rack up thousands of steps – around 182,000! As for me? Maybe next year…

P.S. Thanks to Livestrong.com and the Mayo Clinic for the encouraging stats.

As the VP of Collegiate Relations for the Indy AMA, I created the Indy American Marketing Association’s Marketing 360 event after working with and learning from students at various colleges around central Indiana. Students expressed great interest in going behind the scenes to learn about the day-to-day activities of marketing professionals. It’s important for students to get an idea of what working in their desired field is really like, and I wanted to show them that the opportunities in marketing are exciting, diverse and versatile.

On April 15, I led 15 college students around downtown Indianapolis for the 2011 Spring Marketing 360 event — the third Marketing 360 event..Students from IUPUI, IUPUC, Ball State and Indiana Wesleyan came together to learn more about the marketing industry through a series of 90-minute visits including company tours, presentations and time for Q&A.

Throughout this jam-packed day, we visited:

• Keep Indianapolis Beautiful – a nonprofit organization with a mission to unite people to build community and transform public spaces through aesthetic and environmental improvement
• Hirons and Company – a full-service advertising and public relations agency
• Compendium - an innovative company that utilizes a software to make it easy for marketers to publish social content to blogs, landing pages, Facebook, and Twitter — all with the purpose of acquiring new customers
• Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association – an organization dedicated to the success and development of the city of Indianapolis.  By promoting the city on several levels, the ICVA works to gain Indianapolis recognition, tourism, and media coverage.

At each stop we sat down face to face and learned about each company from key members of the marketing, public relations, creative, sales and customer service teams.  The insights and advice were invaluable.

Quick tips for students to take away:

1. Intern – Make every effort to gain relevant and meaningful experience.
2. Be a generalist – Learn the about the whole marketing wheel; don’t pigeonhole yourself.
3. Volunteer – Get involved on your campus and in your community.
4. Learn – Lead, study abroad and take advantage of other opportunities for personal growth.
5. Connect – Meet with professionals and build your network.
6. Inform – Read, reflect and share; mentor and guide others.

To learn more about the Indy AMA’s collegiate programs, visit indyama.com or email collegiate@indyama.com.

Earlier this month, our agency had the privilege of promoting the Indianapolis “red carpet” premiere of the IMAX documentary Born to Be Wild 3D.  My daughter and I took in the movie over the weekend at the Indiana State Museum, and we both left with a greater appreciation for the work done by two strong and determined female conservationists – celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne M. Sheldrick and world-renowned primatologist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas.

Dr. Galdikas – a nominee for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation – exemplifies what a truly special group of conservationists they are…a group that includes more than a dozen women, many of whom go about their work as guardians of the earth’s endangered animals without fanfare.

Dr. Galdikas says in the film that she traveled to Borneo to study animals; she didn’t anticipate making friends. But, the orphaned orangutans worked their way into her heart, and over time, through her devotion and constant attention, Dr. Galdikas nurtured dozens of baby orangutans back to a normal life in the wild. How fitting it is that women were the ones who led the way, nurturing nature.

Happy Earth Day! How are you celebrating?

Check out “A Billion Acts of Green®,” a project attempting to generate a billion green efforts before Rio’s Earth Summit in 2012. With the world population nearing seven billion people, that’s only one green effort for every seven people. If we each do our part, we can reach a billion green acts and then some.

My personal contributions include walking more and driving less. When driving is necessary, I’m finding ways to make my already fuel-efficient Prius even more efficient. I’ve already increased my average miles per gallon to 46.6 mpg. I’m also doing more reusing and recycling at home. And, as Borshoff’s “green queen,” I’m making sure that our company continues to find new ways to green the office as well.

If you’d like to celebrate with a crowd, check out the Earth Day Indiana festival on Saturday, April 23. Taking place at White River State Park, this annual event includes green activities and education for the whole family, food, music and lots of fun.

However you decide to participate, now is a wonderful – and beautiful – time to celebrate Mother Earth and all she has to offer.

Working full time while being a part-time student certainly has its benefits. Last Thursday, the Master’s program I’m enrolled in conducted its third annual PR Lifelines in Health Care conference at its campus center in downtown Indianapolis.

PR Lifelines in Health Care is presented by the Indiana University School of Journalism Master of Arts in Public Relations program at IUPUI. The conference is designed to provide PR professionals, in the health care and life science industries of central Indiana, with some of the latest communications tools, information and strategies that can be a “lifeline” to new ideas and innovative programs involving health care. I had the opportunity to attend not only as a graduate student studying PR health care but also as a representative of Borshoff.

The day-long event was divided into two break-out sessions with three different health care speakers to choose from per session. Guest speakers included representatives from GlaxoSmithKline, Jasper County Hospital, Edelman Health Chicago, IU Health and Franciscan St. Francis Health.

There were many important takeaways from the conference. What stood out most was a discussion on “health engagement” – the more health critical and personal the issue is, the more engaged people want to be – and the following strategic imperatives:

• Be in a continuous  conversation;
• Inform, don’t control;
• Say—then do as you say;
• Tap multiple voices, multiple channels, multiple times;
• Make it personal; and
• Be health-engaging: entertaining, inspiring and emotive; not just educational.

I plan to use these tips, and other important advances from the conference, with my own health care clients.

Tomorrow night marks the fifth anniversary of the “tower crisis,” when straight line winds in excess of 80 mph ripped through downtown Indianapolis, tearing off outer walls of the upper stories of One Indiana Square.

The building’s owners called us the next morning, and we immediately mobilized a team of crisis communication pros to drive a comprehensive communications effort.

We provided regular updates to some 40 businesses that were displaced from the City’s third largest skyscraper. We also served as the key media spokesperson, interfaced with the mayor’s office and public safety officials, and managed myriad logistics when 1,000 employees couldn’t work in their offices for a minimum of three weeks. (Some tenants couldn’t return for months.)

We learned a lot from that crisis. A few highlights:

1.    Hungry for information. During the first 24 hours, much of our communication was one-on-one with tenants. We found they were glad to take our calls any time – even at 11 at night.

2.    There are no blueprints. Deconstructing a badly damaged building presents a set of challenges very different from erecting a new one.

3.    Take good care of your crisis team. We brought in healthy meals and secured hotel rooms so our employees would not have to drive home in the wee hours after several nights of four hours of sleep.

4.    Take good care of your other employees. When a number of employees are suddenly diverted from their regular work, other employees must jump in to pick up their load. Value and appreciate the heavy lifting these pros are taking on as well.

5.    Consider the broader impact. Due to the dangers of falling debris – including a protruding, tangled steel beam – streets surrounding the tower were closed off. Several small businesses in the vicinity felt the impact of the street closures. We were sure to patronize affected restaurants when buying our lunches and dinners.

6.    Missing your zzzzzzz’s. Until you’ve experienced it yourself, you don’t really understand sleep deprivation. We could feel what it was doing to us, and took extra care to think through our strategies and check our work for accuracy. Working as a team was essential.

7.    The best and the worst in people. Stress affects different people differently. Some tenants cursed us out due to their high frustration levels because of very limited access to their offices. Some sent us flowers, and others sent us warm notes in appreciation for our hard work.

When I bought out my first partner at the end of 1986, two years after we started the firm, I was exhausted and panic-stricken, so I sought advice from my mentor here in Indianapolis.  He asked, “Who is the preeminent professional in your business?”  I told him immediately, “Chet Burger.”  He advised, “Call him up and see if he’ll meet with you to talk about growing and managing a firm.”  I bought a ticket to New York City for March 17, thinking that I’d go to the parade if I couldn’t schedule the meeting with him.  Then I called his firm and asked to speak to him.  He took my call!  I said that I had planned a trip to New York and wondered if he would be willing to meet with me on the 17th.  He agreed.

The hour that he spent with me changed my life, personally and professionally.  He spent most of the meeting (55 minutes, to be exact) asking me about myself, my firm and my community.  At the end of the meeting, he spoke briefly about his firm’s services, personnel, etc.  He walked me back to the lobby, took my hand and said, “This is how you do business, Myra.  You ask the right questions and you listen to your client.  It’s about them, not you.  If you do talk about yourself and the firm, make it short.  Keep the conversation’s focus on the client, not you.”  Wise counsel from a most generous man.  I will forever be indebted to Chet for meeting with me that day, a day I will never forget.

Chester Burger passed away March 22, 2011, at the age of 90.