By Ashley Moyer,

The similarities are uncanny.

Since the countdown to the Super Bowl began for us Steelers fans, I’ve continued to read and hear about the great Steeler Nation and the type of fans it includes. Then yesterday I was sitting in our agency business review meeting, and I heard these words: intelligence, dedication, loyalty, reputation, teamwork. And it dawned on me… like it or not Browns fans, we have a lot in common with the people who make up the Steeler Nation right here at Fahlgren Mortine.

We make intelligent decisions that benefit our clients. We’re not perfect and we do make mistakes, but we always try to be smart and think outside the box.

We’re dedicated to our profession, the agency AND our personal life. When we’re working, we work hard. But it’s also common to hear a sarcastic comment or a very loud laugh. And when we have a dentist appointment, a parent-teacher conference or a sick baby we go, no questions asked.

Our clients can depend on us. We’re available when they need us. We strive to create work that exceeds their standards. We understand what it takes to succeed in a client service based business.

Our reputation is strong. We’re known locally and regionally. We’re ranked #80 on the PRWEEK list. We’ve earned national honors. But we don’t talk about that. We talk about what we can do today to help our clients succeed. I think it’s those types of people, the kind who work here, that help our reputation become stronger every day.

We work together, period. You’ll always find a door (or a cubbie) open for a chat. That starts at the top and works its way down. And just like the Steeler Nation we enjoy winning, and we have a lot fun along the way. (Note Neil’s post, Office Pranks to Boost Morale)

So in honor of the type of fans that make up Steeler Nation, it’s time to start waving your terrible towels! Come on, even President Obama is rooting for them.

Who are you rooting for in Super Bowl XLIII?

[Photo Credit: Super Bowl XLII - Time Magazine]

By Dennis Brown, Vice President

Perhaps Gates & Co. should take a cue from the Yankees.

Every once in a while I hear a member of the national sports media argue that Major League Baseball needs a
dominant franchise in New York to maintain the health of the game.

What they’re saying essentially is that the team I’ve spent my life rooting for - the Cleveland Indians — exists to provide a mirror in which the glory of the Yankees can be reflected. Of course, those statements just make me hate the Yankees even more, which only proves those guys right.

The more passion I bring to the sport, the healthier it is.

Maybe that’s why I was so unsettled by Microsoft’s recent news of disappointing results and its first-ever company-wide layoff. I couldn’t help thinking we need a strong Microsoft right now, that a healthy Microsoft is good for industry.

That’s surprising because I spent a good part of my career rooting against Microsoft. They were too big; too ruthless. Like the Yankees, if they set their sights on something they usually got it. They were successful not because they were smarter than everybody else, but because they had the deepest pockets. And yet, like the Yankees, their success sometimes created the perception that they were smarter than everybody else.

Of course, neither Microsoft nor the Yankees have been exactly dominant in recent years. Two years ago, my own Cleveland Indians knocked the Yankees out of the American League playoffs in the first round and last year the Yankees failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time in 13 years.

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By Hartley Mikus, Account Executive

Socializing online isn’t all fun and games.

As a junior PR professional, I am constantly amazed by all of the knowledge and expertise floating around
me each day at the office. Some colleagues have been professionals in the field for 10, 20 or even 30 years and seem to know everything there is to know about strategic communications, plan development, client service and agency life.

This wealth of knowledge is extremely inspiring and allows me to set large professional goals and dream big. I feel I am learning new and valuable information every single day, and that I’m privileged to be surrounded by such experts. But at times it feels as though I am drowning in a deep pool of intelligence, and painfully aware of my “greenness.”

My solution to this ever-present problem has been social media. I can boldly say social media has saved my life - well maybe not my life, but at least my confidence as a young professional. The rise of social media is still fairly new and is continually developing, which means pros who have been in the business 20+ years, have only been interacting with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and so many other social networking sites for just a short time, just like me.

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By Julie Russo, Vice President

I’m not afraid of detailed discussions about the impact of IT or telecommunications technologies on today’s dynamic, connected and increasingly mobile culture - or, in reverse, the impact of those trends on the demand for technology infrastructure.

But that wasn’t always the case.

Once, while incorporating client feedback into a white paper, I was so frustrated I actually cried. I’m not an engineer, after all, or a math major.

I started my career at a technology public relations firm, but when I joined Fahlgren Mortine five years ago, I was awed by the level of detail my team members easily commanded.

Fast forward to today.

I’m still not an engineer or a math major and neither are my PR teammates, but I’ve leaned to blend in among them. After working with a highly technical client for five years, I’ve learned not only about their business, but what it takes to create effective public relations initiatives for a high-tech, business-to-business client.

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By Aaron Brown, Associate Vice President

The details.

I’m wondering this morning what Barack Obama’s speechwriting team is thinking a few hours before he delivers the inaugaral address as the 44th President of the United States. 

Are they reworking paragraphs based on last-minute feedback from the President-Elect? Are they bantering among one another on the context of a specific word? Are they worried about the enormity of the expectations surrounding this speech?

As Americans, we should all have an interest in today’s address. As public relations professionals, we have a responsibility to study and analyze the speech against the principles of effective speechwriting and communication.

While many of us may never collaborate on an address to be delivered by a U.S. President, most of us will work alongside chief executives reporting to key stakeholders, influencers or customers in what are perceived as “big speeches.”

Big is a relative term; however, the small details in constructing a speech remain the same. Here are some of them:

• Clearly State Your Point of View: It’s important to set the tone for your speech up front. Know what you want the audience to remember about your talk and don’t divert from that key message. After the speech is written and rehearsed with confidants, ask them what they heard. If they don’t respond with the key point you intended, then you need keep editing. Check out a behind-the-scenes look at how the Obama team kept editing today’s speech.
  

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By Ray Hancart, Associate Vice President

As consumers we all belong to loyalty programs.

Most of us do it for the value of discounts on groceries or for helpful information like how to plan a great birthday party. However, for marketers, the value is in the data and how it allows us to more effectively
market to consumers in a personal, yet not intrusive, manner.

Consumer loyalty programs have been a big discussion point with current/potential clients over the last 6-9 months - mainly, does it make sense to do one or not? The answer always focuses on value. What kind of value can you provide a consumer? Can they get that elsewhere? What’s the value in it for you as Brand X?

If the “value equation” makes sense for both parties then a loyalty program can be a great part of an integrated marketing mix and a “win-win” proposition for both consumers and brands.

Going hand in hand with value is the long-term strategy for marketing to this loyal base of consumers. This isn’t a one-time outreach. Before opening the dialogue floodgates there needs to be a plan for turning these everyday consumers, who have shown an interest in your product or service, into brand ambassadors. Given the overwhelming number of platforms consumers now have to voice their opinions to the masses, having a loyal army of brand ambassadors can provide a return on investment double and triple the size of your actual marketing budget.

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By Paul Vetter, Vice President

I’m a big fan of New Year’s resolutions, though like most people, mine are usually bruised and/or broken by the time Groundhog Day rolls around. 

This year, I’m thinking bigger than the usual pledges to shed a few pounds, spend a little less money and shower more attention on the wife, kids, pets and neighbors.

This year, I’m going jargon-free.  No cliches whatsoever.  I won’t be “hitting the ground running” or finding out “where the rubber meets the road.” My kids and colleagues will have to do without my incisive sports analogies.

Why?  I think that in today’s communication-saturated world, freshness and clarity win.  When communication lapses into jargon or cliche, it’s usually a sign we’re muddling through the same old stuff or don’t really know what we’re talking about.  “Lost in the weeds,” if you will.  “Stuck in a rut,” if you prefer. (See, this isn’t easy!)

Fortunately, there are plenty of resources out there to help.  Dave Fleet offers a list of 10 Most Irritating PR Phrases with “at the end of the day” at #1.  Shel Holtz’s Twitter poll includes an industry-wide sampling of the most common corporate cliches (a “soup to nuts” listing, so to speak).

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By Carol Merry, Vice President

Recently I talked with a long-time client about what trust means.

His company has done an outstanding job of building and defending their brand - as proven by their customers’ loyalty during this economic downturn.

Gaining and keeping customer trust is not easy. The Forrester Research paper on interactive marketing reveals the deplorable levels of trust that consumers have in corporate blogs because so many of them are “marketing” instead of providing help.  

Helping may be the new selling. Marketing is moving from “here’s why you should buy our product” to “here’s how we can help you.” Note that it’s not just our product that can help you - it’s the maker/seller that can help. That’s what consumer expect. But they want you to show them, not just tell them, how you can help - you must prove it. 

There was a stop along the way called “here are the benefits to you for buying our product.” It was a kind of mid-way point between two “why” and “how” approaches. But clearly marketers must evolve to being seen as helpers/facilitators/enablers.

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By Bryan Haviland, Executive Vice President

At a recent IPREX meeting, I heard a presentation from Tom Fiedler, the new Dean of the Boston University School of Communication, who addressed the group and its questions about how to best connect with people in the age of instant Internet communication. My takeaways from the presentation included:

1. The Internet as the Florence of our time.

   Just as the worlds of art, politics and news were altered dramatically in places like Florence during that period we call the Renaissance, Fiedler observes no one knew at the time they were experiencing the Renaissance. Such could very well be the case with the Internet. In less than two decades, the World Wide Web medium has changed the way we express ourselves, do business, and engage one another.

2. A “cocooning effect” has surrounded consumers with their own self-selected content sources.

   Fiedler used the cocooning term to describe how people surround themselves only with those information sources in which they find interest or trust. And there are so many news sources to choose from. One observation he made was that his students get more of their political affairs knowledge from Stephen Colbert or The Daily Show than from traditional news media such as NPR or the mainstream networks. My conclusion is that the burden of finding “truth” has shifted from the traditional media (can you say Walter Cronkite?) to consumers themselves. Consumers can now review content from a variety of perspectives (if they choose) before drawing their own conclusions about an issue or topic. And with access to today’s technology, it’s certainly easier for them to do that now than ever before.

3. It’s only taken a few years for the word “texting” to become a verb.

   The prolific rise of social networking has an immense potential for shaping how we think. Since people receive information instantly and in a variety of forms over the web and through networking sites, Fiedler pointed out Boston University no longer isolates its communications majors within the old disciplinary silos of Journalism, Radio/TV, or Public Relations. Instead, BU students are schooled in all so that new media skills can be applied to their chosen discipline.

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By Melissa Dykstra, Vice President

It’s finally official.

We’ve been feeling it for some time, but now we know we have been in a recession for an entire year. During these economic times, priorities are altered and tough decisions are made. With that in mind, let’s examine the five things we all need to keep in mind when it comes to employee communications.

1. Communicate openly.

   Building trust with your employees is something you do everyday as a part of your communications plan. Now is the time to really capitalize on that work by continuing to communicate truthfully. According to research conducted by the IABC Research Foundation, trust is an economic imperative for business resilience.

2. Educate.

   Help employees understand how your company and your industry is doing. Our clients often use space on their intranets and in their company newsletters to report to their employees about competitor and industry news in general. It not only helps employees see the big picture, it also builds understanding and support for the moves your company makes.

3. Engage in conversation.

   Keep the channels of communication open and allow for two-way feedback. Employees need to feel they have the ability to ask questions; and get responses.

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