Worldcom PR Group's New e-Book Offers Local Market Perspective From Around the Globe
Posted by Matt Kucharski on April 26, 2012 at 9:50 AMThe Worldcom PR Group recently published a new e-book, composed of 21 contributed articles from 20 partner agencies. The e-book, "PR in 2012: Emerging tactics and trends from around the globe," provides valuable perspective and direction for your marketing strategy. This free publication combines the collective savvy of leading PR agencies in business-to-business, consumer, crisis management, health care, public affairs and travel tourism.
View this short video for more about what you'll uncover in this book:
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The Benefits of the JOBS Act
Posted by Marian Briggs on April 9, 2012 at 12:08 PMMuch has been written recently about the passage of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. I think the most interesting piece appeared in the April 7 Wall Street Journal; it's based on an interview journalist James Freeman had with Kate Mitchell, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist. Mitchell headed the task force that made the recommendations for the law that President Obama ultimately signed. Read the article here.
As an investor relations practitioner for 25-plus years at Padilla, a firm that has specialized in services to newly public companies, we have seen the IPO aspect of our practice dwindle over the past decade. You can argue the pros and cons of Sarbanes-Oxley, but it's hard to say that its implementation and ongoing compliance costs haven't been a huge deterrent to emerging companies, who would have strongly considered going public prior to SarBox's passage.
So, call it self-serving, but we're excited at the prospect of seeing more companies choose the IPO route versus being snapped up by a larger player in their space. We're a 115-person firm. Think about this for a minute: If IPOs gain traction once again, Padilla can potentially add some staff over the next couple of years. Multiply that by all the other advisors public companies demand -- legal, accounting and investment banking firms, to name a few -- and we're looking at real job growth through this law. And that's without the employees the companies themselves would need to hire as their growth continues. The trickle down benefits to our economy are obvious.
But what was most compelling for me in the Wall Street Journal article is this observation by Freeman on Kate Mitchell: "She explains why it's critical that the next Steve Jobs is encouraged to go public instead of selling to a larger firm. Picture Cupertino (California) without Apple. Picture Seattle without Microsoft." Here in Minnesota we could add, "Picture Minneapolis without Medtronic." We look forward to picturing many others going forward.
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Facebook is knocking down your wall. Are you ready?
Posted by Curtis Smith on March 29, 2012 at 8:58 AMIf you haven't visited your company's Facebook page in a while, you might want to do so, like, right now.
That's because the elements you've long been familiar with - the profile picture in the top-left corner, the wall, the ability to create your own landing page - are all being thrown by the wayside on March 31.
Yes, March 31. As in, this weekend.
In their stead will be the new timeline format, which you may already have seen pop up all over Facebook. If not, here's what it looks like:
Dramatically different, right? Instead of the profile picture, you have the much more dramatic page-topping "cover photo." Instead of tabs, you now have clickable boxes. And say hello to the new wall: the interactive timeline. In addition to these aesthetic updates, there are a number of changes that will change how people interact with both your personal and your business' pages.
If you're getting nervous looking at just how different this is, don't worry. Here are some basic training videos* directly from Facebook that'll get you up to speed in no time:
The Basics of Timeline
Customizing Your Personal Timeline
Customizing Your Page
* Not a fan of videos? This interactive course is helpful, too: http://www.learnfacebookpages.com.
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Minnesota Keystone Program
Posted by Curtis Smith on January 3, 2012 at 5:04 PMThe following keynote address by Lynn Casey, Padilla CEO, was presented at the Minnesota Keystone Luncheon, Dec. 14th, in Minneapolis.
The state of Minnesota has a good track record of exports. Exporting the Keystone notion is one we can all take credit for.
In fact, it's fair to say that there's a good amount of Keystone Envy beyond our borders. Several of us here today participate in something called the InterCity Leadership Visit. This is a program sponsored jointly by the Greater Minneapolis and St. Paul Chambers that brings about 100 people to a different city each year to explore best practices in transportation, education, housing and other critical functions to enable our cities to be the best they can be. I can't recall a visit when someone from one of those cities - most recently Portland - hasn't commented on our reputation for corporate philanthropy and volunteerism.
That notion extends outside the country as well. My company is part of a network of communications firms in 100 cities around the world. When Padilla distributes our annual community contributions report, we're sure to get a few wistful comments from one or more of our offices South of the Border, or in Europe or the Asia Pacific region.
So what is it about this community and this state that compels our businesses to be above-average givers? Are we so much wealthier than businesses in other states? Not really. Were we born with some sort of special Generosity Gene? Is there something in the water? Not likely.
In 2007, Joe Nocera tried to find out. Joe is a business columnist for The New York Times. He had heard so much about the spirit of corporate philanthropy in Minneapolis-St. Paul that he wanted to find out first-hand what it was all about. His story appeared on December 22 of that year. And reading it will make you smile. The headline of the piece is "Emerald City of Giving Does Exist." That title refers to a statement made by John D. Rockefeller III. He was in town speaking to Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce members shortly after the Five Percent Club - the forerunner to Minnesota Keystone - was established. Mr. Rockefeller said that he had heard so much about - and I quote -- the public spirit of your business community and about your remarkable Five Percent Club that I feel a bit like Dorothy in the Land of Oz. I had to come to the Emerald City myself to see if it really exists.
We may not be the Emerald City - although I feel like we've collectively beaten back our fair share of flying monkeys over the years. But we do have two things going for us: Number One, we have the power of a good idea. And Number Two: We have made the commitment to keep that idea alive through good times and bad.
Our early business leaders knew that creating jobs was businesses' greatest contribution to their community. That's still true today. But those leaders also realized that not everyone would be able to succeed in the world of work. And that the right thing to do - to give a hand up - was also the smart thing to do. It was a way to strengthen the communities in which they did business. That good idea that was formalized as the 5 Percent Club in the mid-'70s and - as I mentioned -- later became Minnesota Keystone.
So how is it that we're still celebrating that good idea more than three decades later? That's the commitment part of the equation. And here we must recognize the Greater Minneapolis Chamber for championing Minnesota Keystone's growth; the Minnesota Chamber for sponsoring a sister program in Greater Minnesota; the volunteer committee that keeps the Keystone fire burning; AND all of YOU who continue your company's commitment today.
I know that you are as proud as I am that Minnesota is a leader in corporate volunteerism and philanthropy. We're going to need that level of commitment and then some in the years ahead. Our state demographer and our state economist paint a fact-based picture of a population that has the potential to outlive our quality of life. And a former state finance commissioner put a finer point on it at a recent gathering of non-profits and foundations: Minnesota is on track to grow older with less wage-earning potential. We could see slower economic growth; more unemployment; reduced federal, state and local spending; more children in poverty and greater income disparity.
There's good news: There are lots of smart people trying to figure out how to reverse these trends. But this much is clear: We are going to have to dig even deeper to maintain our commitment to community and our quality of life.
We're also going to need to give smarter. To make certain that the time and the money we spend make the greatest positive impact.
This isn't brand-new thinking, but it's really caught on in the last decade. In the very early days of our country's industrialization, business leaders often talked about giving back to their communities as a repayment of sorts for extracting their wealth from the land. That thinking has evolved over time as our corporations have come to understand that they create more wealth than they extract. What's more, these companies are demanding that the dollars they do put back into the community are invested wisely. Businesses are not simply giving back any more - they are investing in the future and expecting measureable impact.
Many organizations in the room today have corporate foundations and staff who screen requests for donations. They not only look for requests that fit their giving guidelines and areas of interest. They also look for non-profit organizations and programs that will steward their gifts toward the best result.
Other businesses are taking the lead of our largest givers. Some of us have formed giving committees that vet requests for contributions to make sure each dollar is invested wisely. For many of us, that investigation step is also why we continue to make the United Way one of our highest corporate and individual giving priorities -- especially when it comes to funding human services. The United Way has its finger on the pulse of basic needs in our community. You can think about giving to the United Way almost like investing in a mutual fund or having a trusted financial advisor. Those of us without the time and talent to thoroughly investigate individual companies' stocks rely on these experts to choose on our behalf. So it goes with the human services experts at the United Way.
That expertise becomes even more valuable during difficult financial times. The strong United Ways around the country - and ours is among the strongest, by the way -- hold agencies accountable for outcomes. They help the most promising new social service models get traction, and they help financially troubled non-profits merge their best programs with others for the good of the community. It's not the stuff of headlines or sparkling copy points. But it is the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. And it's needed now more than ever.
I count the generosity of Minnesota's business community among our blessings. That generous spirit was accelerated by a good idea - that's Minnesota Keystone. And an unwavering commitment to that idea -- that's all of you. So when you leave today, be sure to take the list of members with you. It's in your program. Thank those members by buying their products and services. And think about that companies you know who should be on this list. Encourage them to join the Keystone movement. Chances are they are already volunteering and giving at a level that would qualify them for membership. They just need to be asked.
Even an idea that's as good as investing time, talent and treasure in our communities is only as good as the commitment to keep it going. Thank you for your commitment to Minnesota Keystone. I'll look forward to celebrating with you again next year.
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Live On Turfgrass - The Facts About Turf's Benefits
Posted by David Schad on December 16, 2011 at 10:28 AMI always get a real sense of pride when looking at my freshly cut lawn, and I love the feel of grass between my bare toes. Other than that I hadn't given grass much thought. In fact, turfgrass is often overlooked by most of us, but it's very important. It's one of the most widespread, beneficial and economical plants in the country.
To tell turf's story, BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals partnered with Padilla to develop Live On Turfgrass, an animated video that shares how turfgrass--in parks, lawns, golf courses, recreational sport fields and green spaces--benefits everyone.
The video, launched in early November, is already a hit among members of the turf industry but is gaining interest from many non-industry folks ... like me.
Watch, share and repost this short video about how turfgrass benefits you and let us know what you think.
