Where Do You Get Your News?

by Meredith McKee, Vollmer Dallas

I recently attended a BusinessWire breakfast where they shared some of the new stuff they are up to.  They also shared a study from The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project that was very interesting.

As we all know, news is available everywhere – and people today aren’t particular about where they get their news.  According to Pew “the overwhelming majority of Americans (92 percent) use multiple platforms to get news on a typical day, including national TV, local TV, the internet, local newspapers, radio and national newspapers.  Some 46 percent of Americans say they get news from four to six media platforms on a typical day.”

This wasn’t that surprising to me, or you I’m sure.  But it did get me thinking.  Where do I get my news?  I watch the morning news at the gym, and as I’m getting ready I scan any news alerts that have come in on my cell phone.  I listen to the radio on my way into work.   I scan the local newspapers online and sometimes even the print editions on certain days (yes, I still read the actual paper).  And throughout the day you can find me checking various RSS feeds and news updates online of the national news sources and my favorite blogs. 

I’m not even going to attempt to try and figure out the actual sources.  Pew reports that most people use between two and five online news sources and 65 percent report they do not have a single favorite website for news.  However, 21 percent do rely on just one site for their news and information.  I’m not sure how that is possible – these are the people I want to meet.  Either you must be so focused, or you found the most perfect news website ever. 

Even our relationship to news is changing.  With 33 percent of cell phone users accessing news on their phones, you can be downloading the latest breaking news story on the go.  28 percent of Internet users have customized home pages to include news from sources or on topics of interest to them.  And with social media being all the rage, 37 percent of Internet users actually have contributed to the creation of news, commented on it, or shared it via their social media outlets.

More information on the study can be found here – definitely worth the read.

Now I’d like to ask you a question.  Where are you getting your news every day?  Please respond in the comments below. 

Always Keep Them Laughing--And Never Let ‘Em See You Sweat!

by Judy Haveson, Vollmer New York City

I really enjoy comedy clubs and watching good stand-up comedians draw in their audiences with their wit and humor through perfectly timed jokes. I also love making others laugh, but I had never seen myself as a stand-up comedian --that is, until I attended a workshop for PR professionals at a comedy club in New York City. The purpose was to help us understand how we could apply stand-up comedy’s tools and concepts to business presentations, new business pitches and daily work.

Everyone in attendance had the same thought: We’ll go to a comedy club, hear a speech on best practices, tips and advice, possibly enjoy a stand-up routine from the speaker, have a light dinner and do some networking. While all of that was definitely on the agenda, the one thing missing was that each of us had to perform a 1-2 minute stand-up routine.

As you can imagine, this was no laughing matter for anyone in the room. We heard a lot of people saying out loud, “We’re in PR; we’re not funny!” What in the world could a bunch of PR people come up with to say that was funny, much less for 1-2 minutes?

Still, the results were shockingly funny.

For reasons unknown to me -- and certainly not because I muttered some sarcasm under my breath about needing a drink that was overheard by the speaker -- I was chosen to go first. The speaker told us that we should think about something that irritated us or a real-life experience others could relate to.

Fortunately for me, I was an early first-time mom at the time and had a world of material in the form of parenthood. I proceeded to get up in front of a room full of my peers, none of whom I knew, and performed a stand-up routine on something that really irritated me -- unsolicited parental advice from total strangers.

I guess I picked a good topic, one that others could relate to, because everyone was laughing. The more they laughed, the more I shared. Of course, I’ll never know if they were laughing with me or at me.The speaker said I appeared as if I had done this before because I didn’t seem nervous and had total control of the room. I told him I had never done this before, and I thought I was going to be sick. Read:I wasn’t going to quit my day job!

There are four basic comedy styles:

Observational comedy – looking at anything and commenting on it. This can be directly related to your persona on stage: ridiculous, silly or interesting.

 Anecdotal humor – storytelling. Not a long story with a laugh at the end, but laughs throughout; usually a true story.

Put-down humor – insult comedy. You have to know your audience and the person you’re insulting -- and the person you’re insulting should know you’re going to do it.

 Gimmicks – using props or outside items to support your act.

Stand-up comedy has many basic concepts and tools that can apply to business activities.Unbeknownst to me, I had used several during my debut, including:

·         Nerves – Use your nerves as energy, and the audience will be able to see your excitement and passion. Nerves cause you to use powers you didn’t think you had and give you the ability to ad lib.

·         Timing – Don’t go too fast or you’ll be over their head, and they’ll miss the point entirely.

·         Holding – Listen to your audience and understand what they’re responding to, so you don’t cut them off.

·         Joyous communications – The practice of sharing gives pleasure, and the audience reacting tells the speaker they get it; rapport is a secret weapon.

·         Emotional fullness – That’s feeling something while you’re speaking. Emotions are attached to everything you say.

·         Set-ups and punch lines – Set-ups are essential information for the audience to understand.Punch lines should be quick and to the point -- a surprise or change in attitude.

·         Truth – Don’t ever set anything up with, “This is a true story…” because the audience assumes you’re telling the truth.

While it might appear that anything goes in stand-up comedy, these concepts and tools actually help most comedians to be funny. It might surprise you to know that many of these same concepts and tools hold true for business settings, too. Of course, there’s   a danger in thinking pure stand-up comedy can be translated to business, especially since not everyone is funny. The point is to identify your comedic style, think about how to apply it to any given situation, and use the rules of engagement to help you be more comfortable in different business settings.

Laughter is one of the greatest releases of tension, and comedy lets people know you’re real and human. Always keep them laughing -- and never let them see you sweat!

Take a New Look at Vollmerpr.com!

by Jimmy Egeland, Vollmer Dallas

We take websites for granted.

It’s true.  Most of us get so much information from the web that it is ingrained in our daily rituals.  Wake up, brush your teeth, get online.  Whether it’s news, sports, entertainment or anywhere in between, websites bring us the information we need right when we need it.  What did people do twenty years ago—read the newspaper?

If I ever find myself in a situation where the server is down or my computer is on the fritz, I feel powerless.  It may only be for a couple minutes, but during that time I feel like a piece of me is missing.  Chances are a few of you feel the same way.  I’m talking to you, Facebook fanatics.

Realizing the importance of the web and wanting to add some life to the Vollmer brand, we are pleased to debut our newly designed website at http://www.vollmerpr.com/.  A team of many has spent more time than we’d like to admit creating, writing, designing and testing our new online presence with updated features and a fresh look.

Focusing on our new branding, our new site reflects the new Vollmer look.  We started from ground zero on the redesign; no stone was left unturned.  We updated information and capabilities, created a portal for our various social networking sites, refreshed our case studies and added crisp new photography with—get this—actual Vollmer employees!  And before you ask, our models are currently booked indefinitely.  Sorry.

The beauty of the new site is that we really are reflecting what Vollmer is all about: passion and expertise in action.  We are a lucky group of people who actually have fun at work and, fortunately for our clients, we produce great results while we’re at it.  We wanted to reflect that life and energy in our site for those who don’t know us yet, but would like to take a peek into our day-to-day.

So whether you are a long-time Vollmer contact or a newbie who just found us today, we invite you to take a look and let us know what you think.  Check us out and feel free to send along some kudos.

We promise we won’t take it for granted.

Embracing Change: From Client to Vollmervillian

by Ariana Montelongo, Vollmer Public Relations Houston Senior Account Executive

"Change is as inexorable as time, yet nothing meets with more resistance." Benjamin Disraeli

If one thing has been constant in my life, it’s change. I can always count on it to strike and it never fails to surprise me. As much as I can count on change to happen I can count on it to teach me a lesson.  I’ve come to understand that change, with all its unpredictability and certainty, is like the crazy uncle you avoid like the plague at family gatherings. But when you face him and you’ve been around him for a while you realize he’s not that bad and that he means well, so you learn to embrace him.

***Listen to the podcast version***

Embracing change isn’t always easy but there’s always a valuable lesson to learn from it. I began to embrace change at a young age. I was only six when my family and I moved from the Rio Grande Valley to the east coast and I dealt with culture shock and having to learn English (as with most RGV residents, Spanish was my first language). Then there was the time during my seventh grade year when I attended four different schools in three different states because my dad kept getting relocated for work. There was also the time I lost 150 pounds – though this was a change I highly anticipated, it was none the less a difficult one. But my most recent change came last November when I left the corporate world and went from being the client to being the agency. Here are a few things I’ve learned during my transition as a new Vollmervillian:

• I will always strive to provide my clients the same quality and professionalism that I received as a client.
• I have a fountain of resources in each one of my fellow VPR teammates. Whether I have a question about social media or film production, I know that an expert is only a phone call away.
• My passion multiplies each time I get to work with a new client or a new project. Currently I’m passionate about making every Houstonian count in the 2010 Census, ensuring that credit card consumers know how the new Credit Card Act will affect their spending habits,  promoting the world’s largest car parade, the Art Car Parade, held right here in my hometown of Houston and more.
• I embrace the fast pace of agency life because it challenges me to become more efficient and I appreciate that there’s never a dull moment.  
• Time sheets have been difficult to embrace, but I have hopes that soon we’ll become best buds.

The cool thing about change is that it doesn’t discriminate; it’s sort of an equal opportunity employer. No one is immune to change and I hope we never find its cure because I’d be lost without it; it has always been a faithful companion. Change has given me the opportunity to grow in spirit, mind, and body (or in my case it’s helped me shrink some of my body).  And while I know that change is inevitable, I’m ready to face it because I know that I have the support of my family – both the one at home and at work.

As I reflect on the changes that have happened throughout the last few months that I’ve been at Vollmer, one thing stands out clear in my mind: The most natural transition for me has been to put my Passion and Expertise in Action. It comes so naturally to live out the Vollmer creed.

Vollmer Video Series: Branding in this Economy

Vollmer Public Relations Dallas GM Denisha Stevens talks about the importance of branding in the current economy.

Vollmer Video Series: Pitching the National Media

Vollmer NYC GM Judy Haveson talks about successfully pitching the national media.

Vollmer Public Relations Shines at PRSA Excalibur Awards

Gold Excalibur for Issues Management:
Halls Bayou Federal Feasibility Study Public Involvement Plan
Tricia Bentley and Helen Vollmer

Gold Excalibur for News Release:
Beer Can House Opening
Katie Bulter, Lori Martin, Helen Vollmer and Allen Caudle

Silver Excalibur for Non-profit PR Campaign:
DePelchin Children’s Center Teen Pregnancy Prevention – Baby Think It Over
Tricia Bently

Silver Excalibur for Education Campaign or Outreach:
H-GAC My Solution Is…
Carolyn Mayo, Lori Martin, Katie Butler, and India Chumney-Hancock

Silver Excalibur for e-newsletter/e-zine:
East Harris County Manufacturers Association Newsletter
Kiska Workman and Mauren Kunz

Silver Excalibur for Op-ed:
Universal American: Access to Care for Seniors a Response to HR 6331
India Chumney-Hancock

PRSA Excalibur Awards

Vollmer President Carolyn Mayo Named President of IPREX The Americas

Vollmer Public Relations, one of the leading independent public relations and marketing communication firms in the country, today announced that Vollmer President Carolyn Mayo, APR, has been elected President of IPREX The Americas. The elections took place at the Annual Meeting in New York City, May 14-16. IPREX is the worldwide corporation of independent public relations firms.

Mayo was elected from among the 43 independent partner firms throughout North and South America. In this role, she joins the IPREX global leadership team.

“Since Vollmer joined in 1987, IPREX has brought great reach and depth of expertise to our firm and our clients,” said Mayo. “As President of IPREX The Americas, I hope to be able to give back to this partnership as much as we have gained.”

As a shareholder and president of Vollmer, Carolyn Mayo brings strategic leadership to clients and staff while overseeing account service throughout the firm. With expertise in branding and multi-channel communications, Carolyn also provides leadership to clients during times of transition and change, where speaking with one voice to all stakeholders is critical to success. With more than 25 years of experience, she has facilitated and led workshops, branding sessions, communications and stakeholder community audits and strategic planning initiatives for a wide range of clients.

About Vollmer Public Relations
Founded in 1981, Vollmer Public Relations is one of the leading independent public relations and marketing communication firms in the country. Based in Houston, with offices in Dallas, Austin and New York City, Vollmer puts passion and expertise into action to deliver results-driven strategies and tactics that positively impact its clients’ business objectives. Vollmer services include: positioning, messaging and branding; media and influencer outreach; issues and crisis counsel; and finance and investor relations. The firm has defined practice areas in training, creative and digital services, education, travel and hospitality, hospitals and healthcare, energy and petrochemical, international, public advocacy, consumer, business to business, and technology, as well as the arts and non-profits. For more information, go to www.vollmerpr.com.

About IPREX
IPREX (www.iprex.com) is one of the world’s major corporations of independent public relations firms. Founded in 1983, its 62 partners have 84 offices in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, with annual revenues of $117 million. Its 1,100 professionals provide a comprehensive range of services for some of the world’s most successful companies.

March 2009 Vollocity

The March 2009 issue of Vollocity is now available online at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs094/1102149892691/archive/1102452568284.html.

All Hail HARO

Peter Shankman was in Houston recently for a speaking engagement. He dropped by the VOLLMER office to get the afternoon HARO out. He went on to his NASA tour after this!