Digital Marketing Strategy, PR and Messaging
What will 2016 hold for you? Will you have a chance to be authentic? Or will you keep the same old business practice and just manage in the Year of Fear 2016?
I have a bunch of marketing predictions, and they are based on the following factors. [Read more…]
There are too many stories of friends, family and neighbors with dementia getting scammed by a crook who wants their money or valuables. It saddens me immensely. That’s why I immediately sat down to write after reading this Wall Street Journal article, ‘Dementia-Friendly’ Cities.
Turns out that Paynesville, Minn., a town of 2,400 friendlies, is ‘dementia friendly’ and they nurture dementia.
That means the folks who live, work, sleep and eat in this small Midwestern community are nurturing their elders and being kind to a aging disease no one wants, everyone fears, and for which there’s no cure.
I applaud and admire the elders of Paynesville who created this nurturing dementia mentality.
The article states, “The number of Americans 65 and older with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, is projected to rise 40 percent over the next 10 years, to 7.1 million from 5.1 million, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, a national nonprofit group.”
Apparently, the movement to nurture dementia is taking off in Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Arizona, and West Virginia, to name a few. There is a national pilot program called Dementia Friendly America modeled on the work in Paynesville and Minnesota’s 36 dementia-friendly communities that is turnkey for other locations to help those 65+ manage this age-intensifying condition.
Cross-disciplinary organizations often collaborate to put such programs in place. In Paynesville, there are volunteers who help with caregiving, buying the groceries, with yard work, and more. Foundations and healthcare companies also help implement the community-wide programming so that people with dementia and their loved ones can receive some comfort on their path.
The public relations aspect of this national program provides great opportunity for collaborative community relations with the goal of helping humanity. It’s heart marketing at its finest, and you all know by now I have a podcast called, The Heart Of Marketing.
Before the disruption in technology began to turn entire sectors on their heads, we did grassroots public relations. We built relationships in communities with influencers and leaders. We listened to the community to understand problems they wanted solved. We heard from businesses about their resources they wanted to put into play in the communities. We approached foundations and non-profits to see what role they wanted to be accountable for. We set out to change mindset and cultural shift.
Plans were drawn up. Everyone got marching orders. Action happened, and goals were reached with good-old community relations and relationship building. This was all before the time of social media; it was called traditional public relations.
For a national program like this, more people can be reached. There are more ways to engage families of people with dementia and to nurture dementia with technology.
I’m so happy the Wall Street Journal covered this PR story. It’s a good thing when we get to read news of collaboration and the principles of heart marketing that I tout on my podcast with John Gregory Olson. When your role is oriented to caring for a community, you need to constantly adapt with the needs of the people.
Claire Freier
A summer intern is a keen idea out of the gate, and your business needs to be completely certain the newest hire is not relegated to fetching coffee and filing papers. College students hired on as an intern can be actively involved in a business and contribute a productivity boost. If you start an internship with that foundation and concept, it’s a win-win.
What’s critical for mutual benefit is a well-designed and structured position. An internship based on real experience and tangible projects helps the intern learn and grow. Over time, the intern should be able to positively affect deliverables and results. Ultimately, a student gets experience in a field, and the company benefits from a low- cost and fresh-minded employee.
So, how specifically does a company benefit from hiring a summer intern?
[Read more…]
When you hear the words, Message Mapping, what comes to mind? In my experience with executives about positioning to external audiences, messaging and the map oriented to a suite of approved messages, is not at the forefront of strategic thinking.
In my new infographic right here, I provide “40 Reasons Why You Need Message Mapping.” See if any resonate, and then perhaps you’ll share on your blog and social channels! [Read more…]
A man I’ve had the pleasure of meeting IRL a few times goes by name of Shane Rhyne, and he’s a former public relations executive who has gone comedy.
Shane tells me and us about his transition (yes, gents, he is having a mid-life crisis) from PR to comedy which to him is not exactly a flying leap. If you listen to the whole kit ‘n caboodle, you’ll hear a classic joke from Shane and it cracks me up because I laugh at everyone’s jokes.
Shane also shares about overcoming fears about the monsters that are no longer scary, what it’s like to move in with mom and dad, and how he makes it through his new daily grind. [Read more…]
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