350 people have signed up for the DC Ad Club's Advertising Week

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:39:00 GMT

Approximately 350 people have signed up for the DC Ad Club's Advertising Week 2008, which begins Sept 15.

Remembering Those Serving Our Country

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

With the Fourth of July pending, it’s an appropriate occasion to note that Williams Whittle Associates has released a new spot for the USO. The new PSAs are part of an on-going campaign to keep the USO’s message in front of millions of Americans.

AROUND TOWN
- The 59th Annual Show and Gala for the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington was held earlier this month at the National Press Club.


Mark Dionne of Fleishman Hillard accepts the award for Best of Show	Burkey Belser was awarded the ADCMW Life Member Award for his service to the Club

Print Winners included: Archetype Press, Bates Creative Group LLC, Chemi Montes Design, Corcoran Gallery of Art, David Evans Images, Design Army, El Jefe Design, Freer + Sackler Galleries, fuszion, Government Executive Magazine, Grafik Marketing Communications, Ltd., Green Rhino Design, Hirshorn Zuckerman Design Group, J Kozak Creative Company, John Malinoski, Kathryn Shagas Design, Kristin Searing Design, Kwikpoint, Lam Design Group, Levine & Associates, m-Art, National Geographic, National Geographic Books, Particle, Poccu, Research & Design, Ltd., Science/AAAS, Shub, Dirksen, Yates & McAllister, Inc., Terrapin Studios, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Time Inc. Content Solutions, Tony Fletcher Design, LLC, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Unfolding Terrain, United States Postal Service, University of Maryland


ADCMW President Jen Fults presents the Design Partnership Award to Josh Cancel of Boss Staffing	Door prize winner Mimi In of Bates Creative Group is congratulated by John Foster of Fuszion

Web and Interactive Winners included: Hirshorn Zuckerman Design Group, Design Army, Poccuo, Fleishman-Hillard.

Best of Show went to Fleishman-Hillard for their Web/Interactive work.

Go to our "Around Town" section on our Home page for more photos from the event. Click on any photo to go to Capitol Communicator photo archive. ADCMW Gala photos by: Christopher Reese www.re-volve.com

- Soon after the Baltimore Business Journal reported that Maryland Public Television recommended a D.C., agency for its three-year ad contract, the Advertising Association of Baltimore protested the decision. In a letter to MPT President Robert J. Schuman, AAB President James B. Astrachan wrote that relying on McAndrew Co. to provide advertising services would "deprive Baltimore and Maryland agencies of the revenue and goodwill associated with the rendition of these services." But Jim McAndrew, vice president and creative director, said his firm is incorporated in Maryland. In addition, the woman-owned agency is a state-certified minority business enterprise that had a Maryland office from 1989 until 2004.

In November, said the BBJ, AAB protested the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association's consideration of out-of-state agencies to handle PR. And the decision by University of Maryland University College to recommend a NY firm for its ad contract is currently being challenged by Eisner Communications Inc.

- The Foundation for the National Archives (Washington, DC) named SmithGifford to brand The National Archives Experience. The agency also opened a satellite office in Richmond.

- JODER Communications adds PowerHealth Solutions to its roster of clients. PowerHealth Solutions is a worldwide provider of business intelligence and decision support software to the healthcare community. JODER will be developing and implementing strategic marketing communications initiatives geared at heightening awareness of PowerHealth Solutions in North America. The company, which is headquartered in Australia, also has operations in the US and the UK.

- MGH has been selected by Roseda Beef, a high-end beef producer headquartered in Monkton, Md., to manage PR, interactive and word-of-mouth campaigns.

- TGD Communications is designing a series of pieces promoting the Chief of Engineers Design and Environmental Awards, which recognize the design excellence of projects accomplished by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers teammates working in partnership with the private sector design and construction community.

- Alicia Clark, who served the Bush Administration as deputy director in the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives, the think tank created by Karl Rove to accomplish the president’s political goals, has taken a job at APCO Worldwide. Most recently, Clark was chief of staff for North Carolina Republican Senator Richard Burr. At APCO, she will be VP and senior advisor.

- Merritt Group promoted three; John Conrad to VP, Thea Roberti to VP/Research and Jayson Schkloven to VP/Strategic Services.

- Qorvis Communications adds Tom Reynolds as a director. He most recently served as the national press secretary for presidential candidate and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.

- White+Partners adds Nicol Pomeroy and Graham Stinchcomb as partners, and promotes Missy Lieber to full partner. Both Nicol and Graham come to White+Partners from tmp.worldwide.

- Jason Smith has been named an equity partner at Widmeyer Communications. He joined the firm in 1996 as an account manager and now leads the firm’s education practice. And, Jim Luetkemeyer joins Widmeyer as an Assistant VP to serve in the firm’s public affairs practice. Previously, Luetkemeyer served as communications director and legislative assistant for Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK).

- Erin Wendel joined the American Pharmacists Association as manager of external communications. She comes from the American Podiatric Medical Association.

- Veteran Washington communication executive, lawyer, and lobbyist, Colburn Aker, is joining StevensGouldPincus, a merger and management firm to the communication industry. Aker is managing partner of The Aker Partners, which he started in 1983, and continues to operate in its 25th year.

- Crosby Marketing Communications adds Joe Fino as director of marketing technology. He comes from Planit in Baltimore, where he served as director of interactive services.

- Tom Osborne joins Viget Labs as design director. He comes to Viget after four years at AOL, where he helped the AIM Product Design Team in their messaging and social media efforts.

- Samuel A. Simon, chairman of Amplify Public Affairs was recognized by Hofstra University with the inaugural Frank Bowe Award. Until Bowe’s death last year, Simon and Bowe worked together for more than 20 years fostering greater access to technology by people with disabilities.

- Larry Parnell, a partner in the consulting firm of Beacon Advisors, has been appointed the first full-time director of the master's degree in Strategic Public Relations at The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.

- Exemplar Strategic Communications has been hired as AOR by American Reading Company, a Pennsylvania-based reading curriculum company. Exemplar will lead public affairs, partnership development, and marketing strategy for the company’s P-16 literacy programs. Exemplar also adds the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Perfection Learning.

- Promotional branding agency Mac Mannes, Inc. has relocated to Bethesda. After 34 years on MacArthur Blvd. the firm has moved to 6400 Goldsboro Rd. in Bethesda. History buffs will remember this was once Earle Palmer Brown’s headquarters.

Worth Noting

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

- Robb Deigh, member of the DC chapters of PRSA and IABC, and principal of RDC Communication/PR, penned a PR book called "How Come No One Knows About Us?" and promoted it at BookExpo America in Los Angeles.

- The Washington Independent Writers Board of Directors has approved a name change to American Independent Writers. The 33-year-old communicator’s organization will expand its focus from a DC-only area organization to a broader national one. The new name is effective July 1.

- GovMark Council, a not-for-profit forum that facilitates education and networking for senior-level marketing executives who serve the government Information Technology and Telecommunications market will report the findings of its “Fed Marketing 2.0: Evolve” study during a free Webinar on Tuesday, July 1 at 2:00 p.m. ET. To register, visit: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/463338139.

- Environics Communications, a North American PR firm with offices in Canada and the U.S. – including DC - has achieved carbon neutral status. Since first committing to become carbon neutral in January 2008, Environics worked with the Pembina Institute (www.pembina.org) and followed a strict protocol to plan and execute its climate change strategy. The firm met the target earlier this month and plans to continue to reduce its carbon footprint each year.

- International crisis management expert Len Biegel penned “Never Say Never: The Complete Executive Guide to Crisis Management” , declaring that it’s time for corporate America’s crisis managers to act like a profession. He writes that crisis managers – like CFOs or compliance officers – must work together across industries to develop best practices that boards of directors can use to evaluate the readiness of their executives and companies to survive various types of disasters. He launched the book at the Princeton Club of New York.

- “Why School Communication Matters, Strategies from PR Professionals” by Kitty Porterfield and Meg Carnes will be coming out next month. The book is described as is an easy-to-use, boots-on-the-ground reference for superintendents, principals, and other school leaders and reframes real-life communication issues and provides practical and effective solutions in an easy-to-use, boots-on-the-ground reference for superintendents, principals, and other school leaders.

- Carolyn Sawyer has released a book highlighting 10 traits of million-dollar companies. "Forget the Glass Slipper, Build your own Castle: 10 Traits of a Million Dollar Business” is this one-time, prime-time anchorwoman’s account from the frontlines of taking a business vision to the reality of millions in annual revenues. Sawyer signed off the tube to launch her own company in 1996. Today, the Tom Sawyer Company employs upwards of 30 strategists in two locations - its original office in South Carolina and a second office in Washington, D.C.

- Oxley Consulting is working with Villanova University’s Marketing and Public Policy School to produce a set of videos set for release on YouTube in July. The videos will focus on the power of political advocacy and will offer “inside baseball” tips to CEO’s and trade association fly-in participants in order to better prepare them for effective advocacy on Capitol Hill. In August, they will go live with a Web site that details the lobbying process and essentially bringing the same lobbying skill sets to millions of Americans.

- The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association in partnership with Witeck-Combs Communications created OutNewsWire, a web-based news distribution service dedicated to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. OutNewsWire was launched to serve all news organizations and media professionals interested in receiving information, announcements and event updates of interest to LGBT audiences. OutNewsWire may be accessed online 24/7 and 365 days a year at www.outnewswire.com (or alternatively at www.nlgja.org/outnewswire/)

- Arnold DC has been awarded a gold ADDY Award in the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) worldwide ADDY competition. Their winning piece, “25th Anniversary - A Conversation Piece,” completed for USA TODAY, also won Best of Show at the DC ADDY Awards in March.

- In addition to ADDY wins in DC for work done in partnership with August Lang & Husak (Client: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - :30 TV) and with the DC Ad Club (Client: The One Holiday Party - Website), Mertz Alliance [mighty creative] has also been recognized with a Gold ADDY and overall Best-of-Show at the ADDY Awards in West Lafayette, IN (Client: MVP Sports Media Training ? Print Campaign).

- Pappas Group was honored with The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences’ “Webby” award for Best IT Hardware/Software Website of 2008.

- And, finally, according to Matthew Lesko, “America’s #1 Free Money Infomercial Guy,” Ed McMahon now is eligible for free government foreclosure help. Lesko is offering McMahon “a secret from one pitch man to another. And it’s not about how to get a big check from American Family Sweepstakes to save foreclosure on your home. It’s about how to get yourself out of this mess without paying all those expensive lawyers and financial consultants that are hanging around you. Go to www.hud.gov and look for the free housing counseling services. There are over 100 offices in California alone, and they are there to help you get out of this mess by restructuring your mortgage or dealing with your leaders, or showing you other programs that can help. These experts are not there to sell you something, like us who pitch on TV, they are paid by the government just to help you. There are new laws being passed every day to help people like you. And it doesn’t matter if you’re still making millions on those Johnny Carson DVD’s. There are no income requirements on this program. These counselor are just people getting paid by government money waiting for you to call so they can help.. SO CALL NOW.. OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY…."

Tips of the Trade

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

The Capitol Communicator, earlier this month, hosted a seminar on public service announcements at Interface Media Group. One of the presenters was John Quinn of WJLA-TV who offered attendees a tip sheet called “The Top Seven Concepts that Make Good PSAs.” If you would like a copy of John’s tip sheet, please e-mail phil.rabin@capitolcommunicator.com.

Trends in the News

Wed, 21 May 2008 13:52:00 GMT

The media is providing significant coverage of what’s happening in the ever-changing, challenging world faced by communicators. Working with Fleishman-Hillard’s DC office, we have identified some media reports worth sharing:

Marketer of the Year

Fri, 09 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

At the M Awards gala, hosted by the American Marketing Association’s DC chapter, Williams Whittle and Imre Communications tied for top honors as Marketer of the Year – indicating that their entries received the highest scores from all the entries submitted in this year’s M awards competition. Williams Whittle won for a campaign for the USO, while Imre won for a campaign for the American Institute for Architects.

Julia Roderique and Martha Wilcox
Wiliams Whittle
Photo Credit: Robert Merhaut Photography

Cathy Austin
Partner, Emre Communications
Photo Credit: Robert Merhaut Photography

Catherine Meloy, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater Washington, was honored as this year's recipient of the chapter’s Hall of Fame award. Previously, Meloy had a successful 20-year career in the radio industry. And, Tom Egly, director of marketing and business development at TGD Communications, was named Member of the Year. AMA-DC, with more than 1,000 members, is the third largest chapter in the American Marketing Association. For a full list of winners, visit www.mawards.org.

Catherine Meloy
President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater Washington
Photo Credit: Robert Merhaut Photography

Tom Egly
Director of Marketing and Business Development,TGD Communications
Photo Credit: Robert Merhaut Photography

Employment Outlook

Thu, 08 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

If the local communications community is in a recession, it would be news to the experts we contacted. That’s the finding of our unofficial and unscientific survey we conducted this month. That’s not to suggest these are boom times, in fact we heard that companies are being cautious in hiring, but we heard that business has been firm for much of the local communications community. Perhaps, as one person suggested, since the Washington, DC, area has a relatively small retail base, we’ve been spared significant setbacks. In fact, said one expert, those communicators with skills in new media and with health and “green” expertise still are in demand. Regarding people being more cautious, we did hear that some projects are taking longer as clients are taking longer to launch new initiatives.

Behind the Scenes

Wed, 07 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

WTOP radio, for years, the ratings radio powerhouse here in DC, helps set the news agenda in the Nation’s Capitol. The Capitol Communicator toured the station to provide you with a behind-the-scenes video – including the basics of getting your story on the air.
If you want to get a behind-the-scenes look at how public service announcements can generate millions of dollars in free airtime, the Capitol Communicator is hosting a PSA seminar at noon, June 4, at Interface Media Group, Featuring John Quinn from WJLA-TV and experts from Interface Media Group and West Glen Communications, this seminar will discuss production, distribution and tips for getting your message on the air. Following the session, attendees can tour Interface’s facility and get a behind-the-scenes look at how videos are produced. To sign up for this free seminar, send an e-mail to prabin@westglen.com. Space is limited, so sign up now. Interface Media Group is at 1233 20th Street, NW.
If Washingtonians know nothing else about Al Neuharth (which is unlikely, since he’s the guy who founded DC-area-based USA Today), they may know this: He throws a really good party, reports Carol Clurman Duning, Senior Editor at USA Weekend Magazine. She was lucky enough to score an invite to the glittery opening bash of the glittery new Newseum, operated by Neuharth’s Freedom Forum, and provided us the following report:
“Despite the Wolfgang Puck food that was set up throughout the place (lobster!), the live music, the famous names, the stunning modern surroundings and, oh, yes the great exhibits, the real scene-stealers of the night were the “party-vators” — three glass elevators that each contained a glow-in-the-dark bar and bartender.
“The place was jammed with boldface names from print and TV. Spotted among the hundreds who showed up at the black-tie event: Neuharth, in his signature white suite greeting people at the door and catching a call on his cellphone, Ben Bradley, patiently passing along drink to someone waiting at the other end of the bar; Wolf Blitzer chatting with the competition, Tim Russert; John Seigenthaler, founder of the Freedom Forum’s First Amendment Center, posing in front of plaque that bears his name; Bob Novak and two newspaper publishers, New York Times’ Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. and the Washington Posts’ Katharine Weymouth. Talk about pack journalism!”

Trends in the News

Tue, 06 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

May 2008 - Trends in the News

Issue II | May 2008 | Printer Friendly

The media is providing significant coverage of what’s happening in the ever-changing, challenging world faced by communicators. Working with Fleishman-Hillard’s DC office, we have identified some media reports worth sharing:

Speakers at a major advertising conference urged executives to stop wallowing in self-pity and meet the challenges of new media head-on, reports the New York Times. The remarks, delivered at the leadership conference of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, underscored the need for the industry to change the way it does business, recalibrate itself and respond aggressively to profound shifts in media, consumer behavior and technology that are remaking the advertising landscape. "We should just stop talking about what was," said Tom Carroll, the "Four A's" chairman. "You're not sure what's ahead of you but you have to keep driving." Lee Clow, TBWA's Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, said, "Stop whining." Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, told the audience that digital media will "create new opportunities for advertisers and new opportunities for information, which will come in the form of developing new forms of stortytelling, adding, "The scale of this is underappreciated."

Proctor & Gamble, a longtime leader in TV advertising and sponsorships, has been shifting its marketing focus to the Internet, reports Promo Magazine, producing its own online video programs and launching niche Web sites that obliquely plug the company’s products. Last year P&G launched is own online soap opera, "Crescent Heights," that included product placements of Tide in its three-minute Webisode segments. Capessa.com, a topic-driven Web site aimed at women, and Petside.com, for animal lovers, are aimed at niche audiences.

Corporate blogging has hit the mainstream, reports Financial Week. Coca-Cola, Marriott and Kodak are among the companies appointing "Chief Bloggers" to help tell their story and engage consumers. Today more than 11% of Fortune 500 companies have corporate blogs, and the number is increasing.

The handbag designer Coach came under fire, reports AdWeek, after funding a university project featuring "Heidi Cee," a fake online personality, designed to generate word of mouth about the brand. Students in a Hunter College PR course created "Cee," a purported female student who used a series of fabricated online and blog postings to enlist help finding her lost Coach purse. More than 15,000 online users accessed "Cee's" text and video postings in which she detailed research regarding criminal activity, child labor and terrorism associated with counterfeit goods before the class went public that Cee wasn't real.
To stay abreast of developments that impact communicators, check out our home page daily for updates provided by BurrellesLuce.

In The spotlight

Mon, 05 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

May 2008 - In The spotlight
Issue II | May 2008 | Printer Friendly

Eleanor Clift, contributing editor at Newsweek, regular panelist on "The McLaughlin Group" and author, was honored with the Matrix Award by the Washington, DC chapter of the Association for Women in Communications during its 2008 Matrix Awards Luncheon at the National Press Club.

Rochelle T. Gray, president of TGD Communications, has been named “Woman of the Year” in design, advertising and marketing by the National Association of Professional and Executive Women.

Gloria Rodriguez, founder, president, and CEO of comunicad, has been selected to receive IABC/Washington’s 2008 Pinnacle Award. The award recognizes a senior-level business communicator who has a consistent record of achieving exceptional results and exemplifies the highest standards of professional excellence and ethics.

Matt Smith of SmithGifford was given the 2007 Pillar of the Community Award by the Falls Church City Chamber of Commerce at its annual dinner event.

Nine DC-area agencies that won ADDYs and Citations of Excellence at the Ad Club of Metropolitan Washington’s 2008 ADDY® Awards went on to garner additional awards at the next level of ADDY competition. Congrats to Adworks, Arnold, GMMB, Design Army, Hirshorn Zuckerman Design Group, Lam Design Group, LM&O Advertising, Rosenthal Partners, and SmithGifford.

The ADDY® Awards competition is a three-tiered national competition conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation. It is the advertising industry's largest and most representative competition for creative excellence.

And, finally, a tip of the hat to Rick Pagliaroli, senior colorist at Interface Media Group, who read a flyer that more children in this country die from cancer than from any other disease, and decided to show his support for childhood cancer research by shaving his head and encouraging donations which, so far, has raised more than $600.00.