Calling all Southern Cooks!
HM&P launched a delicious campaign this week on behalf of client House-Autry. As part of their upcoming 200th anniversary, HM&P is working with House-Autry to obtain recipes for inclusion in a cookbook (which of course have a House-Autry product as an ingredient). Submitters of the best recipes will be featured in the cookbook and receive some House-Autry product to further hone their culinary skills.
Think you’re one of the greats, or know someone who is? Visit the contest page to learn more and submit your recipe!
Adweek: The Ad Agency Bloodline
For all the advertising nerds out there (and if you’re reading our blog, I bet that means you!), Adweek published an article on what they’ve dubbed “the mother of all advertising infographics.”
Take a spin through advertising history, and while HM&P doesn’t show up on the timeline, we were part of The Interpublic Group in the early 2000s.
Click the image to view it larger. It may open in a reduced size in your browser, but you should be able to click to expand it.
HM&P Honored at NCPRSA InSpire Awards
Howard, Merrell & Partners brought home two recognitions from last week’s NCPRSA InSpire Awards banquet. We received an honorable mention (awarded to entries who scored in the top percentile) in Social Media for the NutriDense Silage Web Moo.0 Contest. We also received an honorable mention in Marketing (Consumer Products or Services, Business-to-Business) for the Precise Holistic Complete Launch.
There was some great work represented, so we were in good company!
And while this event was PR specific, you can see from the case studies that these campaigns certainly weren’t! Congrats to all involved.
HM&P Wins in Advertising, Media Relations at Best of NAMA
Howard, Merrell & Partners picked up four awards at last week’s Carolinas/Virginia Best of NAMA (National Agri-Marketing Association). In the Advertising category, HM&P was honored for its work with BASF Plant Science’s NutriDense brand. The NutriDense Silage “Profits” print ad won a Chapter Merit, and an aisle banner created for World Dairy Expo won a Regional Merit and Chapter First.
In the Public Relations category, HM&P was recognized for its work with Butterball, LLC during the 2009 Fresh Season. Both the 2009 Fresh Season PR Campaign and the White House Bird Press Conference received Regional Merit and Chapter Merits.
An exciting night for the agency, for sure!
Now That’s Horse Power
Starting this week, life gets a whole lot busier for horse-crazy volunteers across the Triangle, myself included. Feb. 7 kicks off the spring semester at Helping Horse Therapeutic Riding Program, which has been providing riding lessons to individuals with disabilities for over 20 years. With 10 lessons a week, Helping Horse averages over 1,000 hours of riding instruction a year.
Why therapeutic riding? Therapeutic horseback riding (also known as hippotherapy) has proven physical, mental and psychological benefits for individuals with disabilities. It is a good outlet for exercise, providing a unique opportunity to build core strength. Additionally, learning to control a powerful horse is an enormous confidence builder. More »
Media Relations: Is it OK to say No?
There’s an interesting conversation currently happening on Ragan.com, a communications industry focused news site:
An agency turned down a media opportunity on behalf of a client, and now that media outlet is seeking to understand why. This also begs a greater question: when is it acceptable for a company to reject a media opportunity, or does that always mean “no comment?”
From being on the PR side, I know there are a million reasons to turn down a media interview, and frequently there’s nothing more to it than a client’s hectic travel schedule. However, being unavailable can make a reporter’s antennae fly up, as evidenced by this article.
Check it out and be sure to read the comments. It’s a good debate (and kudos to the agency in question for being part of it).
65th Anniversary: Donna Mercer on the Evolution of the HM&P Media Department
As part of our 65th anniversary celebration, we’re spending time with long- tenured employees to learn more about Howard Merrell & Partners then and now. This week, I had the opportunity to sit down with COO and SVP of Media Assets, Donna Mercer, who has been with HM&P for more than 20 years, to learn how HM&P’s media department has evolved over the years.
“It has been an amazing 20+ years at HM&P. The agency has evolved from a small regional shop to one that has successfully launched multimedia campaigns all over the world. The Web has not only changed the media landscape, but the way we work, the speed at which we work, and the basic premise of how marketing communications is constructed. I am especially proud to see media’s seat at the table evolve from a support function to a creative function, the implementation of PMI project management in our shop, and the banning of siloed-thinking.
I am honored to call HM&P staffers my colleagues. They are both student and teacher – restless to learn and eager to continue their stewardship of the craft.”
65th Anniversary: Denise Lingenfelser on Changing Technology, HM&P Culture
As part of our 65th anniversary celebration, we’re spending time with long-tenured employees to learn more about Howard Merrell & Partners then and now. This week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Denise Lingenfelser, who has been with HM&P for 27 years, to learn more about how technology has changed her job and HM&P’s culture.
Imagine doing your job one way for years, then having to completely relearn it with little direction. That’s what happened to Denise. She currently works as a digital art production manager, but when she began her career, there was nothing “digital” about it!
“There were no computers when I started in the industry,” Denise said. “It would take weeks to do just my part on an ad or brochure.” More »
Scenes from the SPCA K9-3K
This past weekend, my husband, faithful mutt and I participated in the K9-3K, a fundraiser for the Wake County SPCA. Something like 1,500 dogs and 3,200 people were on hand in Moore Square to raise money and awareness for homeless pets. In a word, insanity, but for a good cause — the event raised over $214,000!
Social Media Featured at NAMA Program
Farmers with smart phones? Tweeting cows? Agriculture often gets a bad rep for being slow to adapt, but today’s farmers are quickly embracing social media, and ag communicators should as well.
This topic was addressed at the most recent CV-NAMA program, held March 23 at Bogart’s in downtown Raleigh. Approximately 25 people showed up to listen to a panel of their peers discuss the whys and hows of social media. The panel was moderated by yours truly and consisted of our own Karlie Justus; Jen Nixon, public information officer for the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and the N.C. State Fair; and Dave Smith, N.C. Farm Bureau public relations director.
Some key takeaways from the evening:
- Social media should complement, not necessarily replace, traditional public relations and advertising tactics.
- Social media is an excellent way to build relationships with key stakeholders, such as the media.
- Information can go viral in an instant, and response time is key — if you use social media as a customer service tool, be prepared to respond to requests and questions quickly.
- A great way to get started is to dabble for personal use — set up your own Facebook or Twitter account, and see how it makes sense for you to use it.
Thanks to both panelists and attendees for a great conversation!
