Deputy Chris Dewey, injured during the line of duty, is rallying thousands of Facebook fans.

This morning, there are more than 65,800 fans on the Facebook page, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for Chris Dewey. The purpose of the group is to show support for Dewey, in hope that the popular television show will choose Chris Dewey’s nomination from its pool of deserving families and build a properly-equipped home for this Minnesota law officer who suffered a serious injury in the line of duty.

When I joined the group on Sunday, March 7th, more than 22,000 fans had already shown their support, and the site was only days old.  Many of us have also logged on to another networking site, Caring Bridge, this past year to read the journal updates from his wife, Emily. It was a Caring Bridge post by Emily asking for advice that started the push – through Facebook – for the ABC network to choose this worthy family for a makeover build.

Flint has been part of several Extreme Makeover Projects, including the 2005 North Dakota Build for the Bliven family in Minot. Three million visits to the builder’s website were logged during the week of the build. We achieved that level of engagement and support through public relations efforts with radio, television and print media across North Dakota.  Imagine if we would have had the depth of engagement tools that social media adds to the traditional public relations tactics of news advisories and press releases we used in 2005.

Social media is now part of the traditional media story.  The Forum’s front page, above the fold, top story yesterday was entitled “Community rallies behind Deweys” and was all about the social media effort. Through the “friend to friend” connections possible with Facebook, fans have demonstrated support, posted notes of encouragement, and emailed the ABC network asking for them to choose Chris Dewey’s family for a makeover build. Though only days old, the group boasted 22,000 fans when I joined on a Sunday night, 35,000 the following Tuesday, and just passed 65,80o this morning.

The group added 15 more fans in the time it took to post this blog.

Check out the fans on the page for Chris Dewey. You’ll find grandmas, members of law enforcement, Midwesterners, teens. It demonstrates the potential of social media to strengthen our connections, reach out to a community with shared interests or values, and create or sustain relationships.

I’m a believer, and a fan. Are you?

The beautiful showcase kitchen at Meredith Corporation

Last week, we were thrilled to be invited to the fabulous showcase kitchen at Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, IA.

The Meredith National Media Group features 23 subscription magazines – including Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Ladies’ Home Journal, MORE, Parents, Fitness, and American Baby – and approximately 150 special interest publications. Why were we there? To put a WoodMaster pellet grill to the test. The event included a presentation and demo of the grill, with lunch prepared on the grill for 25 editors and Meredith employees.

WoodMaster Pellet Grill performs masterfully

Meredith Chef, Steve, checks out the new WoodMaster pellet grill

Chuck Gagner, President of Northwest Manufacturing, an extremely intelligent and humble guy, introduced and demoed the grill. As he spoke, the magnificent aroma of cherry-wood grill pellets filled the air. A welcome and unusual smell on such a cold day. Des Moines was incredibly cold while we were there (and this is no exaggeration from a North Dakota girl), but the grill performed beautifully out on the patio.

Before we knew it, delicious bratwurst (specially made for the event by B&E Meats in Crookston, MN), were hot off the grill, along with shrimp skewers (yum), hamburger sliders and chicken breasts.

The chef at Meredith couldn’t get over how easy the grill was to use and how well it performed. He was very impressed by the number of brats on the grill at one time with no flare ups. Actually, he was impressed by the overall performance of the grill so we brought him out to do a little endorsement to the editors.

How did it taste? In a word, fantastic. Juicy, flavorful, and kissed with a gentle flavor of real cherry-wood smoke. The grill did us proud. Check out the WoodMaster pellet grills for yourself. With real hardwood flavor; easy, fast cooking; a three-year warranty and performance that stands up to a frigid February day in Des Moines, you can’t go wrong. They are going fast, so get your order in early.

Interest in WoodMaster Flex Fuel heats up

To get the most out of our Meredith visit, we also scheduled some additional meetings with editors about the latest and greatest furnace options from WoodMaster. We had a great time talking with Meredith editors about the new flex-fuel heating technology from WoodMaster. Living the Country Life posted an article about the WoodMaster Flex Fuel Furnace before the night ended!

SunButter takes the stage

Last but not least, we had an editorial session introducing one of our new clients, SunButter. SunButter is a spread made from roasted sunflower seeds – a tasty, allergy-free alternative to peanut butter. Although the product has been around for more than 10 years, it was new to most everyone in the group at Meredith Corporation. We will be working with some Meredith publications on different options for recipes and recipe contests, as well as providing information appealing to the growing number of peanut-allergy suffers.

If you haven’t tried SunButter yet, look for it on the peanut butter shelf or natural foods section of your grocery store, or order SunButter online. It is so good!

A big thank you goes out to the Meredith folks who made our visit so pleasant and worthwhile. They are an extraordinary company with a remarkable story. And to our clients, Chuck Gagner, Todd Strem and Kelsey Gagner, who remind us everyday why we love our jobs.

I’ve been there, about to present our communication audit findings to the client team and truly understanding how an IRS auditor must feel. But unlike the dreaded IRS audit, a communications audit is better compared to a complete physical at a doctor’s office where routine health indicators are reviewed and tested to determine “how you’re doing” or where improvement is needed. That may make you cringe as well. But the opportunity to take the time to examine how well you are communicating with key audiences is an investment in your organization’s future, and just like an annual physical, it is a smart investment.

What is a communications audit?
A communications audit is a method of research, where we focus on the process of communications. We look at the exchange of information between you and your audience (think internal or external, customers or members, potential customers, those who influence your audience, volunteers, employees and more) and examine how well you are achieving your communications goals in reaching each critical audience. We define the audit scope based on the audit objectives; some have included interviews with key audiences or review of media coverage, others focus solely on advertising and communications materials.

The hardest part is getting started
Actually, the most painful part of the audit is the process of pulling together representative samples and lists of all audience touch points, both internal and external. Once you strip away the different silos, department ownership or rationalization that can surround communication and advertising, and review all your communication collectively, you’ll discover consistency or inconsistency, strengths and weaknesses, gaps and opportunities.

This process also helps you analyze how effectively you’re telling “your story” and most importantly, can serve as both a benchmark and a roadmap for your future. Just yesterday, I read a client’s 2010 communication plan that was developed from our 2009 audit findings.

What about your company or organization? Do you cringe at the thought, or are you ready for a communications audit?

Public relations (PR for short) is a familiar phrase. When most people think of PR, they think it means sending a press release to the media. This blog is about setting the record straight.

Sure, PR involves writing news releases and pitching stories to media. It also involves planning press conferences that are newsworthy enough for media to show up and report on. But there’s a whole lot more to it.

I like the textbook definition from Cutlip & Center’s Effective Public Relations.

“Public relations is the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.”

Whereas marketing is about selling and focused on potential customers, public relations is about developing mutually beneficial relationships with all of the audiences your organization depends on to be successful. Sure, customers are one of these audiences, but others include your employees, legislators, regulators, and the list goes on.

Developing a public relations plan is a great place to start. It allows you to get on paper your overall goals for public relations, your key audiences, objectives for those audiences (which should be measurable, time specific and attainable), the strategies for achieving those objectives, and then the tactics you’ll need to implement.

A well-done PR plan that’s properly implemented can bring incredible results to your business. If you’ve successfully implemented a PR plan, we’d love to hear about it! If you want to learn more about public relations planning, please contact me.

When Kevin Holubar took his dog out to do his business on Christmas Eve, he could never have predicted what happened next. Nor could he have predicted the whirlwind, worldwide story that would ensue.

The short story about Kevin’s dog is this: Ham, the bulldog, took off on Christmas Eve and was lost for 11 days in Duluth. It was an 11-day stretch that was one of the coldest on record. He miraculously showed up on a good Samaritan’s porch, who had heard all about Ham on the news, and returned him to his owner.

In my role as the sales and promotions coordinator for UMD Athletics, I am always looking for ways to promote the athletic department and help the community. Well folks, this was one of those opportunities. There was intense media buzz, locally, nationally and worldwide, about this dog that had survived. Since Ham happened to be a bulldog, I knew this was an opportunity to do a promotion with the UMD Bulldogs.

I called Kevin, who lives in the Twin Cities (he was visiting family in Duluth for Christmas), and asked if he’d be interested in Ham being the honorary mascot for an upcoming men’s hockey game. He immediately said “Yes.” Kevin appreciated all the support and attention the Duluth area had given his dog and thought this would be a great way to say “thanks.” Wanting him to be properly outfitted, I called Duluth-based dogbooties.com and asked if they’d be willing to make Ham a jersey. Again, a resounding “Yes.”

The stage was set and Ham and his owner made their way to Duluth despite some snowy weather on Saturday, January 23. After both hockey teams were introduced, it was time for Ham to shine. He was introduced to the crowd and as he walked out to drop the ceremonial puck the crowd went wild! From the frozen ditches of Duluth to center ice at a men’s hockey game, Ham had truly been on an incredible journey.

Ham’s honorary Bulldog status garnered more attention for the team, got the fans engaged, and gave Kevin a chance to thank the community.

I encourage you to look for ways that your business can capitalize on public relations opportunities. If you already have, we’d love to hear your story.

Think it’s impossible to get a reporter’s attention? Think again. As newsrooms are increasingly overworked and understaffed, public relations professionals, businesses and organizations may actually have more opportunities to successfully pitch their stories. At the same time, getting the attention of very busy journalists requires that you do your homework, take a strategic approach and work hard to give them good stories. There is more to it than simply sending out a news release and crossing your fingers (although we do still cross our fingers!).

From flack to friend

photo by jgodfrey13 on Flickr

In this day and age of so much information—much of it unsourced—reliability is a major concern. Far from being the stereotypical flack of bygone days—the one who showed up with a story idea and bottle of liquor—PR professionals are increasingly viewed by time-pressured reporters and editors as valuable resources who can help them do their jobs.

According to a recent survey, most journalists turn to public relations professionals for assistance in their primary research. Editors and reporters surveyed said they depend on PR professionals for “interviews and access to sources and experts” (44%), “answers to questions and targeted information” (23%), and “perspective, information in context, and background information” (17%). Clearly, PR professionals have an increasingly valuable role to play when it comes to getting media attention and maintaining media relations.

Think before you pitch

The principles of good media relations haven’t changed: build relationships and connect with the right reporter on the right topic with the right information. Don’t waste their time—hone your message before making contact. Do your homework to ensure:

• the topic is relevant (of interest to the reporters you have selected)
• the story idea is sound (demonstrate why their readers/listeners/viewers would want to know this information)
• the background information you provide them is useful and accurate (anything that helps them write the story and makes their jobs easier)

Use all the tools to make it easy for busy reporters

The avenues to communicate with reporters increase every year. Just think—not too far in the past we sent all our news releases via a fax machine. Now, it’s best to send your news via email, the delivery mode preferred by most reporters. If they’re interested, they’ll want to find out more and they’ll use the Internet to do it. A new survey revealed “89% said they turn to blogs for story research, 65% to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and 52% to microblogging sites (think Twitter), and 61% use Wikipedia.”

This means you need to go one step further before sending your initial news release via email, making sure you post the news in your company’s online newsroom, send it through a wire service and post it on other sites that allow free postings (www.i-newswire.com). This tiered approach will give you multiple connection points with the journalist. Then follow up to find out if they got your information and if there is anything more you can do to help.

Listen to them, they’ll listen to you

Bottom line: find the people who fit the pitch, determine how that reporter wants to get information, then make it easy for them to get what they need. Everything from the content to the delivery to the follow-up should be customized to that reporter. Build relationships with reporters. Be a part of their world, be where they are and know what they read. Don’t expect them to want to listen to you if you aren’t listening to them.

The United States Speedskating team is searching for a sponsor. Several sponsors have come on board leading up to the Olympic Games this February – including Steven Colbert from Comedy Central’s Colbert Report. After the team’s major sponsor, Dutch Bank DSB, went bankrupt in the fall, Colbert stepped in and drew plenty of attention to their needs. But his support ends in March.

What the organization needs now is a new long-term, program-sustaining sponsor that will fuel their organization for the next four years.

We’re working with US Speedskating, employing social media to increase opportunities for fans to connect with and contribute to the sport. But we keep coming back to the need for a sustaining, gold level sponsor.

We advise companies on sponsorship opportunities and help develop sponsorship programs and corporate giving programs. The best – and most long-term – scenarios result when the mission, values and reputation of a sponsor align with those of the organization it suppports. Possibilities for US Speedskating include companies with the hallmarks of strength, endurance and dedication. Companies with services focused on performance and values might also be a great fit.

With more than seventy clubs and a growing fan base of all ages , the sport enjoys a geographical reach across the United States. This February, the US Olympic Speedskating team is on track to continue their record of leading the winter Olympic medal count. (US Speedskating has earned 35% of all medals received by the United States during the past five winter games.)

And my favorite aspect of this sport is that it doesn’t discriminate. You’ll find men and women of all ages contribute to the sport.

Who do you think would be an ideal sponsor for the incredible US Speedskating team? Who could benefit from the level of attention already gained by Stephen Colbert’s involvement?

Photo: usspeedskating.org

US Speedskating Logo

With only a few weeks before the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, HatlingFlint has been chosen by the US Speedskating team to implement a social media campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to build a following of fans and encourage fundraising for the sport leading up to and through the Olympic games.

The US Speedskating team is a source of national pride, being the team that has won the most Olympic Gold Medals for Team USA. Some of the legendary Olympic Gold Medalists of the sport include Eric Heiden, Bonnie Blair, Dan Jansen, and Derek Parra. The 2010 Olympic team will once again include medalists Apollo Ohno, Shani Davis, Chad Hedrick, plus Olympic Medal hopefuls Katherine Reutter, Trevor Marsicano, and more.

When the news that Dutch bank DSB, the US Speedskating team’s major sponsor went bankrupt in the fall leaving them without sufficient funds going into the Olympics, Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central’s Colbert Report took up the cause. Within the first few weeks, he has raised over $250,000 for the team. The social media campaign that HatlingFlint is implementing will encourage individuals to lend support to the team with both their heart and finances.

You can follow the US Speedskating team by becoming a fan on Facebook, following them on Twitter, watching them on YouTube and the Colbert Report on Comedy Central.

Go Team USA!

Chad Hedrick

Heather Richardson

Recently I had the opportunity to meet a beautiful, dynamic woman with an impressive resume. Shelly Gompf is a senior vice president at Ulteig in Fargo. She’s also the newly-crowned Mrs. North Dakota International.  Our conversation reminded me of one of my favorite integrated brand advertising and public relations campaigns—the Dove© Campaign for Real Beauty.

Dove first launched the campaign in 2004 as it expanded its product offerings. Using women of all shapes, sizes and ethnic backgrounds the campaign confronted our cultural perception of beauty head-on and worked for positive change. It still does so today.

The Dove campaign came up because Shelly’s platform as Mrs. North Dakota revolves around building self-esteem in girls and women. She is a trained facilitator of self esteem workshops through one of Dove’s partners, Girls Inc.. Dove’s efforts map perfectly to its mission to make more women feel beautiful every day by widening stereotypical views of beauty, by provoking discussion and encouraging debate.

This campaign has definitely created discussion and debate. And you’ll find it integrated into every aspect of their communications—ads, websites, print, social and more. The Dove website links directly to bloggers on girls’ self-esteem, videos, many of which have gone viral. (I’ve been forwarded the link to the video Evolution multiple times since this video reached more than 3 million views on YouTube in 2006.) Customers are encouraged to be part of the effort on multiple levels, from entering UPC codes to increase the Dove self-esteem fund to becoming a fan on Facebook.

You’ll hear our PR team talk about developing and adopting community relations programs and initiatives that make your brand relevant to your customers and important audiences. The really good programs are those that are genuine, enduring and map back to your mission. This one is a beautiful example.

Can you think of others that are equally as integrated, effective and impactful?

Several weeks ago, Media Productions and WestmorelandFlint helped maurices, a national fashion retailer with corporate headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota and 700+ stores in 43 states, launch Rescues & Runways. Rescues and Runways is a national campaign that paired fashion and fundraising to help animal shelters and the homeless pets they serve. It was the first in a series of similar events to be staged at maurices stores nationwide. The Duluth event not only helped needy animals find new homes, but it also treated eager onlookers to animals strutting their stuff down the runway, each escorted by a well-dressed model.

The event was staged in the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth, in front of the maurices’ store. The venue offered a unique set of challenges for the Media Productions team. A 20’ x 20’ skylight was located directly above the best location in the mall to produce the event. The team climbed to the roof and covered the skylight with heavy gauge black plastic to block out the sunlight and allow for creative and colorful lighting on the style show stage. Sound also required creative attention to overcome the echo-prone environment of a shopping mall.

Media Productions designed and assembled all production elements needed for the show including staging, scenery, audio, lighting, and even pipe & drape to build dressing rooms for the models.

WestmorelandFlint helped coordinate promotional aspects of the event to garner an abundance of regional and national media coverage. Additionally, Flint Interactive built the website that promoted the event and is being used nationwide as the other 700+ maurices stores hold their events.

The results of the first event were outstanding. Nearly 50 cats and dogs who were being cared for by Animal Allies found new homes as a result of the event. Donations for local animal shelters poured in for a full month following the event—brought in by people in exchange for a 20 percent-off coupon to maurices. The event and campaign raised awareness and increased volunteerism for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the local shelter. And as a result, maurices became synonymous with a great cause.

To see videos, please click here. For more photos of the event, click here.