By Jenny Fuerst, Director, Corporate Communications

I think we have to admit that we were a little surprised by all the responses to our recent blog post on grammar pet peeves, which even got coverage in Ragan’s PR Daily. The page views, comments and shared links have inspired us to develop a series dedicated to good grammar. You ask; we deliver.

With 140-character limits, text messaging, and all the other instant forms of communication these days, it’s still as important as ever to be grammatically correct, no matter which style you follow. As PR pros, we’re trained as journalists and mostly write for journalists, so we generally follow the AP Stylebook. But, Fahlgren Mortine is part of a full-service communications agency, and as such we often work with advertising copywriters. We understand creative writing and know there are times to take creative liberties. In addition to news releases and story proposals, we’ve also written marketing collateral, speeches, white papers, Web copy, community reports, and even ad copy.

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By Aaron Brown, Associate Vice President

Grammar rules.

I really can’t believe I’m blogging about grammar. I vividly remember sitting in my precision language course at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. I was afraid of grammar. The professor told us, “One day, you’ll be listening to the radio or watching the news and you’ll become frustrated with the bad grammar used.” Seriously? I was used to spelling grammar as grammer. 

But it happened to me. In the nearly 10 years since graduation, I’ve been the annoying guy correcting my friends’ grammar. I find solace knowing that my clients expect it from me. They want their communications to be grammatically correct. Now, if we could just get the lion’s share of the media to feel the same way. 

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By Aaron Brown, Associate Vice President

Spokespeople: it’s time for a tune-up.

There’s no question your business has changed in the past year. You’re probably looking forward to launching that new product or service that had been shelved because of tightened budgets. You’ve got things to say about your business. You want customers, analysts, media, bloggers and maybe even competitors to know how you’re better – and different. 

So before you run to the mountain top to tell the world your story, please know what you’re going to say when you get there. While a seemingly tedious exercise, a thorough messaging and media training update is an important investment. Consider it an update to your corporate and personal global positioning systems. Here are some elements of the update process:

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By Jenny Fuerst, Director, Corporate Communications

Neil Mortine and Kathy Cupper Obert

Fahlgren, Edward Howard to Join Public Relations Businesses

Alignment Forms Independent Powerhouse:

Largest Firm in Ohio and Top 30 Nationally 

The acquisition, which joins the capabilities of Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations and Edward Howard, is expected to close during the first quarter of 2010 although integration and coordinated new business and marketing efforts will begin immediately.

Check out more details of today’s exciting announcement in the news release.

By Kelly Malone, Account Supervisor

Five Social Media Resolutions Brand Managers Should Keep

Statistics show that only 46 percent of people who make resolutions are able to keep them six months into the New Year. Well, fellow marketing and PR folks, I challenge you to commit to the following resolutions to help your brand blossom in 2010. C’mon, there are only five.

1. I will not dilute my social media presence.
Many SM gurus are telling us to branch out and try the dozens of new social networks. I certainly agree with that if you’re experimenting on your own, but don’t subject your brand to it before you know what you’re signing up for. Be strategic about where your brand lives. Start with a strong hub – maybe that’s your blog – where most of your content originates. Then focus on pushing your content to your spokes – Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Choose your main social networking sites and stick to them. Enhance your presence and build a strong community on those platforms.

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By Hartley Mikus, Account Executive

Tips for building a strong corporate reputation and maintaining it

In high school we thought our reputation meant the world. Everyone tried his or her hardest to protect an image. We were painstakingly set on who we wanted to be and would do anything to defend it. We monitored the conversations going on around us like hawks, always careful to analyze every shred of gossip to see what people were saying about us. And though that time in everyone’s life is difficult, I think we, as professionals, could actually stand to learn a lot from teenagers and their deep commitments to their reps.

I’m not saying we completely revert back to our teenage days of name-calling and pettiness, but I do think that if we take a hybrid sample of our teenage spirit and professional knowledge, it can really start to work in our favor and benefit our clients. In fact, measuring a corporate reputation is increasingly the focus of several professional studies.

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By Marsha Hall, Senior Counselor

Common cures for the boring blog.

It’s hard to admit that your copy is boring. But, if I am honest, I have to confess that the last post I wrote for the FMPR blog about H1N1 influenza was just that — BORING. 

Sure I made the points I needed to make, and I broke up the copy so it was easier to read. But as I look back, I realize the copy was far too formal; it was impersonal and lacked passion. 

Diagnosing the problem

I was able to diagnose the problem after attending a professional conference on social media led by Steve Crescenzo. If you have the opportunity to attend one of Crescenzo’s seminars, I highly recommend it. 

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By Marsha Hall, Senior Counselor

Planning ahead can minimize the impact of  H1N1 on your business. 

With President Obama declaring H1N1 a national emergency, many businesses are preparing for the possibility of a pandemic and thinking about how they will respond. Effective communications will be primary to reducing the impact of an H1N1 outbreak and ensuring business continuity. 

Below are steps businesses may want to consider. 

Appoint a wellness coordinator.
An office manager or staff member in human resources, communications or public relations is ideal for this position. The individual should become familiar with seasonal flu absenteeism rates and recognize when a significant increase in absenteeism occurs. The coordinator will work with local and state health officials and communicate updates to managers and employees.

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By Kelly Malone, Account Supervisor

Building brand ambassadors through social media

Have you ever worked with independent businesses as a key part of your sales channel? During my recent tenure in the real estate industry, I found social media to be a beacon for our independent agents to carry our brand messages in a unified and consistent manner. Social media was new, inexpensive and an alternative to agents plastering their faces on billboards, park benches and grocery carts.

In order for our social media strategy to be successful, we knew education was important so that the sales channel could become brand champions in a manner that aligned with the brand personality defined at the corporate level.

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By Mark Berry, Senior Account Specialist

Creativity and structure … can’t we all just get along?

I love good writing. Whether it’s a classic novel, a memorable newspaper column, a great episode of television or that rarest of creations — a compelling news release — a well-turned phrase makes me smile.

The best writers elevate the task beyond communication, but even the masters of the written word employ basic principles, structures and tools. Which is why, when my wife the English teacher tells me, “we don’t teach grammar; we just teach writing,” I can’t help but question the meaning of life and my place in the universe. (On the other hand, this makes a little more sense.)

Which brings me to my friend and colleague, Marsha Hall, and her recent blog post discussing, among other things, the demise of the inverted pyramid. According to Marsha, PR guru Ann Wylie has “relegated the inverted pyramid to the same historic corner as gas guzzling automobiles and video tapes.”  

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