#Wisconsin born, Northern #IN raised, #Indy resident, #Eastcoast enthusiast. I absolutely love eating here every year: http://www.auntcarriesri.com/

Spent 4 yrs @uindy. Participated on @UIndyCPB #speechteam @UIndyTopDog @UIndyPRSSA and @UIndyMinute. BS in Communication, minor in Poli Sci.

My interest in govt communication led me to intern @Indianasos #FF to #teamoutreach @melanie_woods @burtonjeremy and of course @ToddRokita

I am a huge @Packers fan. I might live tweet during a game #GoPackers, #Win or even #Superbowl2012. Definitely a #Cheesehead4life

Eager to connect with other #PR pros. Now transitioning to membership in @prsahoosier. Find me, @timcoxey, & I’ll send you my #twitbizcard.

Looking forward to learning & growing professionally with #Borshoff. Excited to work on many #publicaffairs projects with a skilled #team.

Whether you work in public relations, advertising or marketing, it’s important to understand and keep up with current developments in the field. One of these ongoing evolutions is digital marketing. At Borshoff, we understand digital marketing is about meeting customers where they are most—the Internet. Whether on their smart phone at the grocery store, reading the news on their iPad, or viewing the latest sports replays online—let’s face it—our world has gone digital.

As more and more companies invest in digital marketing, it’s crucial to understand the lingo. Are you up-to-speed on the most common words and software? Check out our digital marketing terms glossary and tell me, what’s missing?

Ni hao. (That’s “hello” in Chinese.) Our IPREX network of independent PR firms is growing, and we’re excited to welcome our newest partner in Asia Pacific – Newell PR.

With headquarters in Hong Kong and offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Newell’s roots are in technology, with clients including Adobe, CSR, Polycom, Yahoo! and Cisco. Today the firm has grown to embrace a wide range of business-to-business work in a broad spectrum of industries, from consumer to insurance and education.

Twice nominated for PR Week Asia’s “Consultancy of the Year” and three-time winner of the coveted “Technology Campaign of the Year,” Newell will add full PR and marketing expertise across the breadth of China to IPREX’s already extensive global reach.

I recently returned from the annual IPREX meeting in Washington, D.C., where I enjoyed the collegiality of our partners from around the world and picked up plenty of good information along the way. IPREX is an international network of independent public relations and communications agencies, so meetings always offer great discussions about creative ideas on how to run our companies.

During the D.C. meeting, we also heard from several presenters ranging from a Reuters deputy bureau chief to a social media pro to a political columnist. Below are some interesting data points and insights.

David All, chief creative officer, David All Group:

“Never let an intern run Twitter.” You want to put a senior person on it: one who understands the strategy, can deliver the right messages and will watch grammar.

George  Vrandenburg, chairman, Alzheimer’s Action PAC; William Rebeck, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience, Georgetown University; Michael Hodin, Ph.D., executive director, The Global Coalition on Aging:

Alzheimer’s disease is bigger than HIV/AIDS. We don’t need to find a cure for it; we need to delay its onset. Half of the 85+ population has Alzheimer’s . This has huge economic and quality of life implications as our population ages.

Kristin Roberts, Washington news editor and deputy bureau chief, Reuters:

Journalists are nasty, cranky and don’t want to talk to you. Reporters spend their time trying to build relationships [to get sources]; you [PR people] should do that too.

On Reuters: If we’re not exclusive, we have to be distinctive.  This means being smarter, doing critical analysis, being more sophisticated.

The Honorable Joao Vale de Almeida, European Union ambassador to the United States:

Common values are the real foundation of the relationship between the European Union and the United States. The economy drives the relationship.

Ron Brownstein, editorial director and columnist, National Journal Group:

Today 80 percent of seniors in the United States are white, while 47 percent of Americans under 18 are non-white. They are the two fastest growing groups, and this has significant implications for our society.

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.

Mark Suster, an expert I follow on Twitter, recently posted a blog about how startups can best use PR firms, which got my attention because I’m passionate about both PR and startup companies. Most of his advice was spot on, especially from the entrepreneur’s perspective. Relationships are the hinge on which all things work. Not only is it necessary to develop relationships with journalists whom you hope will cover your new venture, but also develop relationships with the person promoting your company on your behalf, whether that person is in-house or an extension of your team.

Along with building relationships with the media comes preparation for interacting with them:

• Do you understand their beat? Do they typically cover startups, or do they prefer a more established business, something that has been tried and tested?
• Are you ready for them to investigate your company? Is your website current? Do you look like you’re operating on a shoestring, or have you put some thought behind your website, making it easy for journalists to do their job?
• And once the media is ready to talk about you, have you done the necessary preparation so your executives are on message and can answer tough questions?

While Mark Suster leans toward in-house PR help, he recommends going with a small local firm if outside help is needed. Our agency has found our size to be our strength. We’re small enough to be flexible and responsive to our client’s needs, yet large enough to have a deep bench of talent from which to pull creative ideas and solutions.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend IPREX’s Global Leadership Conference. IPREX is an international association of independent communications agencies. Essentially, it means that Borshoff, and our clients, have access to a network of more than 65 independent agencies, in 30 countries, with 90 offices around the world.

This year’s conference focused on the idea of “PR 20:20—Envisioning and becoming agencies of the future.” Together, with other account managers from around the country (and London!) I brainstormed about ways that our agency can continue to adapt and evolve as the world around us evolves.

The conference was extremely insightful – a coaching session from Dr. Michael Woodward (“Dr. Woody”), a creativity presentation from a local designer and professor, and a panel of local arts organizations and PR guru topped off the education opportunities.

In addition to some great knowledge, the opportunity to network (outside during January, no less–the joys of a conference in Miami!) with other professionals who do the same thing as me in many different markets, was priceless.

The conference left me feeling positive about the road ahead, and the course that agencies like Borshoff will take to continue to grow and remain successful in the future. As worldwide IPREX president Kathy Tunheim mentioned in a recent International Public Relations Association article, “the world is going ‘glocal,’ a term that means balancing the needs for both global and local perspectives, expertise and resources.” As part of a local agency with international reach, I am confident in the direction we’re headed.

2010 marked my first year as a full-time professional at Borshoff. I learned something new every day, developed my communications and business skills, and discovered personal and professional strengths—as well as areas of improvement.

With a year under my belt and 2011 upon us, I know exactly what my 5 PR resolutions are for the new year:

1. Meet my professional network. As an active Twitter user, I wish I could put names and faces together more frequently. On occasion, like at Hoosier PRSA luncheons or social media breakfasts, I see someone’s nametag and put two and two together. The relationship grows once you have both online and face-to-face interactions. This year, I plan to be more intentional about meeting my growing professional network in person and further developing these important relationships.
2. Speak up. Although I’m a young professional among many accomplished veterans, I plan to be more proactive in sharing my thoughts, concerns and ideas. It’s important for my colleagues and clients to know I’m thinking proactively and outside the box. And who knows? Perhaps my idea may be one that others have never considered.
3. Get involved. Borshoff is big on community involvement, and it’s important to me too. Whether I decide to join a not-for-profit board or committee, volunteer or attend events, I want to be active in my community.
4. Become an expert.  It’s vital to be excellent at a lot of things in our field: writing, proofreading, project and time management, and problem solving. In 2011, I resolve to dig into something I know little about or don’t know how to do. I might just master the flip cam or learn a software program that I can teach my coworkers.
5. Find balance. As many full-time employees have already discovered, often the workday goes well beyond 5 p.m. While it’s essential to keep promises and maintain responsibilities, it’s also important to do something for me outside of work — whether it’s exercising, trying a new Starbucks drink or taking a 20-minute power nap (outside of office hours, of course). When you take care of yourself, you’ll be better able to serve  your clients.

If I accomplish these 5 resolutions, I know that 2011 will be just as great as 2010. Now you know my goals for the new year, what are yours?

An interesting article was posted to the Bulldog Reporter site yesterday about the growing influence of social media and need for PR practitioners to keep up. Three take-aways pulled directly from the article:

1. The use of social media at public relations and public affairs firms has jumped 12%-15% in the past year. Currently, the total percentage of work devoted by firms to social media as opposed to traditional media is 30% overall, and next year, the percentage will increase to an average of 42%. In a year or two, the percentage will be over 50%.
2. PR practitioners — and firms in particular — must get increasingly up to speed to know what the online dynamic is all about and how to use it. They will need new skills, because mastering this space is a lot more than just setting up a Facebook account — PR people need to know how to create online advocacy programs that address issues, marketing support initiatives that help to push products, surveys that keep customers and others involved in what their clients do. Most important, they have to understand the of the need to create a strategic plan, not just throw stuff up helter-skelter like it is being done now by many firms.
3. Some people are interpreting our prediction of the dominance of social media as an outright replacement of traditional media — that won’t necessarily happen, but social media will become the primary focus of PR efforts in the next few years, overtaking traditional media as the dominant focus.

I thought I had filled out my last timesheet. I thought the days of three client events happening simultaneously were in my past. I saw greener pastures with dancing bears, giggling children and double rainbows.

Let me explain. I began my career in an agency setting. Even before I graduated from Indiana University, I was working full time in the world of client acquisition and service. And don’t get me wrong—I loved it.

But after awhile, I felt the need to explore other avenues.

So when my wife and I moved to Cincinnati for her job, I decided that was the time to make a change. I met an amazingly talented and energetic woman who would eventually become my boss and introduce me to the truly fascinating world of museums.

After a wonderful stint at Cincinnati Museum Center, we moved back to Indiana where I signed on for a temporary gig at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Both organizations are remarkable and I highly recommend a visit to either, regardless of your age.

It was during my time with The Children’s Museum that I met a team of public relations professionals from Borshoff. Borshoff has worked with the museum for several years and we brought them in to help generate national media coverage for an upcoming benefit performance by Sir Elton John.

(No, I did not actually meet Sir Elton. We were in the same room a couple of times and had one gloriously awkward moment where I thought about forcing a handshake but regrettably decided against it. I did, however, see most of his performance that night from the wings of the stage—an experience I will never forget.)

Borshoff was great throughout the entire project. They had creative ideas, responded quickly when needed and helped us get awesome coverage for the event.

As I pondered my next career move, I thought long and hard about potential positions, but my mind kept coming back to Borshoff.

And then it hit me. I never stopped loving the fast-paced world of agency life. I love meeting the tight deadlines and having eight events in the same week. I especially love learning new things every day about my clients and their industries. That’s who I am.

So with a renewed realization of my passion for this highly energized industry, I am now so proud to be part of the Borshoff family. The experience and brainpower surrounding me is mindboggling, and I’m having a blast beginning my new journey.

So I guess in the end my greener pastures have arrived. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a double rainbow to film…

On Friday, the Borshoff hallways were buzzing with more voices than usual when we welcomed 15 college students who were participating in the first American Marketing Association (AMA) Marketing 360 event to our agency. The students are marketing, public relations and communications majors from schools across Indiana, including Ball State, Indiana Wesleyan, the University of Indianapolis and more.

How do you keep 15 college kids engaged for more than an hour? In our case, after giving them an office tour, five Borshoff staff members told the students a little about our widely different careers and what makes them challenging, interesting and fun. And since we were a diverse bunch (including our founder Myra Borshoff Cook and others who represent account management, events, public relations and art direction), we had a blast telling the students different stories about why we love what we do.

It was a big day for those students. After leaving Borshoff, they went to Printing Partners, The Children’s Museum and Exact Target to meet with employees at those companies, so the students really did get a diverse, 360-degree perspective of different companies and how their marketing and communications teams work.

We enjoyed the students’ visit, and apparently they had a good time, too. Many commented that Borshoff was “their favorite stop” of the day. And who knows? Maybe we had a future account associate or art director in the bunch!

During March, people with disabilities, families, schools and others will celebrate Disability Awareness Month statewide with community events, school assemblies, classroom curriculum and other activities.

Led by the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, this year’s Disability Awareness Month features the theme “Free Your Mind.” The campaign inspires Hoosiers to embrace the differences of adults and children with disabilities – a group that represents nearly 20 percent of Indiana’s population.

Each year, Borshoff works with the Council to develop a unique theme for Disability Awareness Month and produces campaign materials. This year’s materials feature people of different ages and ethnicities – with and without disabilities – lying on the grass and gazing at the sky with optimism and enthusiasm. The text reminds us that by embracing people’s differences, we open ourselves to a world of new possibilities. When we free our minds and see the potential inside everyone, we’ll expand our horizons – and our circle of friends.

I was elated when I learned that the Indianapolis Cultural Trail will receive a $20.5 million TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant from the federal Department of Transportation. This means the Trail, which will be an eight-and-a-half-mile urban bike and pedestrian path connecting various downtown cultural venues, can now be completed in the next two years.

It is thrilling to know the full dream will become reality, thanks to the government recognizing a project that is truly transforming the city. It’s the Year of the TIGER in Indy!

As a graphic designer at an advertising and PR agency, I’m charged with finding creative ways to send information on behalf of our clients. While it’s becoming increasingly rare to send direct mail, it still happens. The problem with direct mail is it’s often as well received as a telemarketing call – except instead of being hung up on it gets thrown away.

And that’s the challenge: make the mailer so interesting that the recipient’s gut reaction isn’t “trash, trash, bill, trash” but something more like “trash, trash, bill, oooooooh.” There’s a lot to consider before getting creative on a mailed piece: Can it be any shape? How small or large can it get? How much postage does this bad boy need?

To help us answer these questions (and to have a little productive fun in the office), we set up an experiment: find objects around the office we didn’t think would make it through the mail, slap some postage on them, and drop them in the mailbox. No envelopes. No containers. No packaging. Au naturel, if you will.

We began with sending a CD. Then, we sent a Kleenex, a business card, a dollar bill, a drum head and finished up our experiment with a fully inflated Jerry French doll from the French Paper Company. I won’t lie; I was very surprised to find almost every item successfully arrived at its destination, especially Jerry.The one item that didn’t make it through, sadly, was a big yellow highlighter.

Frankly, we were surprised that so many items did. Even the Kleenex made it through without any damage. Now it hangs, with the rest of the successfully mailed pieces, on the wall above my desk.

As market researchers, we learned how few limits there are on what can be mailed. With enough postage, it’s just about anything! So kudos to the post office. They even put some items in “we care” plastic bags or envelopes to protect them, and complied with our highlighted request to not deflate Jerry.

Some people have MBA after their name, others CPA or LEED. For me and my profession, it’s APR. In October 2009, I became one of only 5,000 public relations professionals who hold the APR mark, which stands for Accreditation in Public Relations.

Although Borshoff doesn’t require it, our agency places a high value on professional accreditation and advanced degrees. All four of our principals and several of the account staff have earned Accreditation or an advanced degree (or both). In fact, Borshoff has more accredited professionals than any other agency or company in Indiana.

Plus, I knew it would be a benefit not just to me and my employer, but to my clients as well. The Public Relations Society of America lists these advantages of hiring an APR:

• We are bound by strict ethical guidelines.
• We are senior-level strategists who have demonstrated skills and abilities necessary in today’s public relations executive or manager.
• We have successfully completed a challenging review and examination process.
• We are required to maintain our Accreditation through professional development and education.
• We have committed to enhancing the profession.
• We have demonstrated the desire to succeed.

About the time I wrapped up the APR process, a blog post on Journalistics (which would be on my blogroll if I had one) took up the question of whether you need APR. The writer polled the audience via Twitter, and the majority felt APR was worth the time. Overall, out of 249 responses, 67 percent think the APR is worth it, while only 26 percent don’t.

I’m with the majority. The preparation for APR alone was worth it, as it sharpened my skills and boosted my confidence. But the three letters after my name – priceless!