HM&P Promotes Ellen Wayland to Media Director
Strategic advertising and branding agency Howard, Merrell & Partners today announces the promotion of Ellen Wayland to media director.
A seasoned media veteran, Wayland has coordinated strategic and impactful campaigns at Howard, Merrell & Partners for more than 25 years. In her new role, Wayland will provide leadership to the media team and oversee all the activities of the department. The department handles the planning, buying and reconciliation of all media – online, print, broadcast and non-traditional – for the agency’s clients.
“Ellen is a true asset to our clients and very deserving of this promotion,” said Jim Cobb, president and chief executive officer at Howard, Merrell & Partners. “Her broad media experience and years of service at this agency make her uniquely qualified to lead the media department.”
Wayland’s experience spans a variety of client categories such as franchises, business-to-business, consumer goods and services, entertainment, and agriculture. During her time at Howard, Merrell & Partners, she has worked with many clients, including BASF Plant Science, BB&T Bank, Doctors Vision Center, MacGregor Golf, Palm Aire and SAS Institute.
Welcome Samantha and Courtney
A warm welcome to the PR and Social Media department’s newest Account Coordinators — Samantha Stanyon and Courtney Williams.
In their new roles, these Peace College alumna will be helping with media and blogger relations, event management, tradeshow coordination, press materials and blog writing, and social media efforts.
Sam is not a newcomer to the agency; she interned with us in the Fall of 2011. While in college, Sam was a new business development intern at Nextaff and did some event planning work on campus. Bright, determined and resourceful, Sam graduated with a BA in Communications Studies and a concentration in PR.
A May 2011 graduate with a Communications degree, Courtney completed five internships while in college. She interned at Largemouth Communications, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Walt Disney World, Burning Oak Studios, and Rick Rountree Communications. Courtney comes to us with some great media relations and writing experience, and an eagerness to learn more about what the agency has to offer.
We are glad to have them on board!
HM&P Wins 4 Best of NAMA Awards on Behalf of Butterball, LLC
This Tuesday, Howard, Merrell & Partners were presented four awards at the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Carolina/Virginia “Best of NAMA” ceremony, for effective agricultural communications through community, internal and public relations campaigns.
The team at HM&P won the following awards on behalf of the client, Butterball, LLC:
- Chapter First and Regional First – 2011 “Turkey Tales” bilingual internal newsletter, which works to communicate corporate news and information, while also boosting workplace morale among Butterball’s nearly 4,000 associates.
- Chapter First and Regional Merit – 2010 “Celebrate Agriculture” public relations campaign, through which Butterball partnered with Weekly Reader to demonstrate how responsible agricultural practices lead to healthy animals and safe, high-quality food for consumers. Targeting consumer classrooms and agricultural-based communities in Butterball’s production facility locations, communication efforts reached an audience of more than 173 million.
- Chapter and Regional Merit – 2010 press release announcing the company’s charitable donation of 330,000 pounds of turkey products, communicating Butterball’s commitment to fighting hunger by providing wholesome turkey products to those in need.
- Chapter Merit – 2010 Millionth Bird events held at Butterball’s two Arkansas whole-bird processing facilities in celebration of the millionth fresh bird produced during the 2010 holiday season.
The National Agri-Marketing Association’s annual “Best of NAMA” awards recognizes the best work in agricultural communications, both regionally as well as on a national level. NAMA is the nation’s largest association for professionals in marketing and agribusiness, and we are honored to have been included among such a strong group of those in the industry.
Entry-Level Position Open
We’re searching for an Account Coordinator to provide public relations and social media support to multiple clients. The ideal candidate is an energetic individual, an independent worker, and a team player with strong organizational skills.
Must have the ability to multi-task. Exceptional communications skills required. Knowledge of AP style a must. Basic computer proficiency necessary.
This entry-level position involves writing, media relations, market research and event planning. The individual will work in a team environment to conduct PR and social media activities for specific clients.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree. At least one internship in the marketing/communications/PR field.
Send resumes to: sstyons@merrellgroup.com
Join the PR and Social Media Department!
We are searching for a Public Relations and Social Media Account Executive to provide support to national and regional accounts. The AE will be responsible for helping to manage day-to-day public relations activities and social media efforts, as well as collaborate with other departments to execute fully integrated communications campaigns.
Strong writing skills required — i.e. press releases, newsletter articles, press kit materials, bylined articles and blog posts. Experience executing social media programs for companies/organizations a must. Attention to detail and knowledge of AP style is required.
Must have previous experience in national media relations, crisis communications and corporate branding campaigns. Should be able to effectively multi-task, work in team environment, and communicate with clients, team members and vendors. Knowledge and experience with trade shows and event management is preferred. Candidate should be a creative thinker, independent worker and team player with strong organizational skills.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree, at least four years relevant PR/Social Media experience (post graduation)
Send resumes to: sstyons@merrellgroup.com
Bruce Fletcher Hall
On January 7, 2012, Bruce Hall, Ph.D. died at Duke University Hospital after a long, courageous battle with cancer. He was 64.
Bruce was a partner at Howard, Merrell & Partners. Since 1996, he led the market research and consumer insights practice at the agency and was respected worldwide as a thought leader in the market research industry. In recent years at the agency, he pioneered new theories of the role of emotion in decision making, particularly in regards to purchase behavior and response to advertising.
A gifted individual with an eclectic range of consumer research and psychological interests, Bruce challenged conventional thinking with new insights on how unconscious emotional responses to advertising drives purchase behavior.
He published many articles on marketing, marketing research and economics. His world-renowned expertise in the field of emotional engagement of brands went far beyond conventional understanding and into the psyche of a brand. In 2001, Bruce pioneered the theory of the true role emotion plays in consumer decisions, and the Journal of Advertising Research published a piece, “A New Approach To Measuring Advertising Effectiveness,” about it.
Around 2004, Bruce was part of a blue ribbon panel in an Advertising Research Foundation project named “Measuring Emotional Response to Advertising.” This ongoing research develops conduits and methods by which marketers worldwide can better measure consumer insights to create better advertising.
“Bruce was known among his co-workers for his laser wit and extraordinary intellectual bandwidth,” said Jim Cobb, president and CEO of Howard, Merrell & Partners and a close personal friend of Hall. “His passion for uncovering real consumer insights is a material loss to the research industry. We will miss him, and are enormously grateful that his breakthrough work is a permanent part of the DNA of our company.”
His 30-year career spanned Ivy League teaching of economics and statistics to senior positions in corporate market and consumer research. Bruce’s professional experience included a wide variety of industries, from banking and finance to packaged goods, travel and tourism. He conducted market and consumer insights research for such magnet brands as MasterCard, the U.S. Army, Fujitsu, Butterball, Cordura, Sam Adams, BASF, BB&T, MacGregor and SAS.
Prior to joining the agency, Bruce was with the Amoco Oil Company as the manager of trends and futures and spent eight years as a research executive at Quaker Oats Company. From 1983-1986, he was a Fellow of the Institute for Current World Affairs. Prior to that, he spent seven years as an assistant professor of consumer economics at Cornell University. His research interests included advertising, the application of biometric methods to marketing, and innovation and new products.
Bruce studied food and agriculture in East Europe, food retailing in New York State, farming in California and consumer behavior in every part of the United States. Hall achieved a global reputation as a student and interpreter of how consumers make decisions.
Earning a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, Bruce received his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Antioch College.
5 Simple Guidelines for Better Workforce Integration
As an integrated firm, Howard, Merrell & Partners offers clients a one-stop shop for their marketing and business consulting needs. Sure, we offer public relations, social media, advertising, interactive, media planning, research, analytics, direct response, and strategic consulting all under one roof. But this doesn’t guarantee an integrated offering. Likewise, funneling all services through one account manager doesn’t ensure that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Rather, value in integration comes when the parts are working together toward a common goal. I’ve listed five guidelines that might just help you achieve greater integration: More »
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Key Takeaways from my Semester Internship with HM&P
As the fall semester quickly comes to a close, I find myself one step closer to my college graduation. I frequently reminisce on my experiences as an undergraduate public relations student at UNC-Chapel Hill during my daydreams, amazed by the fact that less than six months of coursework separates me from my diploma. However, I also remember the leaps and bounds I’ve taken to prepare myself for life outside the lecture hall. Integrating academics, extra-curricular activities, and internships within my undergraduate career, I feel more and more prepared for graduate life with each opportunity I encounter and embrace.
When Is A Project “Good Enough?”
HM&P Creative Director, Billy Barnes, sits down with local photographer and creative blogger, Charles Gupton, to discuss his take on the creative process. Specifically knowing when it’s time to put the pencils down. Read the post here >
