Blog

We have heard A LOT about the Millennials over the past few years, but what about the generation that follows, one that has been referred to as Generation Z. For these kids, aged two to 19, the internet has been ubiquitous and more fully formed than it was for the Millennials who came before. Smartphones and other types of technology provide a constant connection to people and information, changing the patterns of our lives, the way we accomplish tasks and how we use our brains. How will that shape the generation born in the digital age?

A DIY approach to life Previous generations may have been somewhat skeptical about the content found online, but for Generation Z the internet is their primary source of quality information.... read more

We are in the midst of doing crisis communications for our sixth Cheyenne Frontier Days, so it seems like a good time to repost this slightly revised blog article from a few years ago. It seems especially relevant now given our current toxic political climate. Last week I had breakfast at the Radisson in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The waitress suggested the breakfast buffet. I asked what was in the breakfast buffet. She said “Well, we’ve got ham, bacon, sausage…’’ “Hmm, I don’t eat those,” I said suspiciously.  “She said, “Well, we have fruit, cereal, eggs…” So I ordered the breakfast buffet. The truth is, we all have to make adjustments sometimes. When things don’t go your way, when a client doesn’t agree with everything you recommend,... read more

It’s no secret that efficiency and organization are crucial to the everyday success of Denver public relations professionals. Public Relations is a fast paced industry. We are expected to think on our feet and meet tight deadlines, all while monitoring media trends and staying prepared for a potential crisis. Add to that the everyday need to balance managing client accounts, attending meetings and developing media pitches. And when everything's said and done, let’s not forget taking time to enjoy our beautiful Colorado outdoors. That’s why finding tools to help us manage our time and improve our productivity is so important. Luckily, there’s an App for that. Not just one, but hundreds.

With our laptops, tablets, and smartphones at the ready, technology can help us... read more

You don’t have to be a Denver public relations pro to know that cyber security is keeping healthcare executives up at night.  Just ask the IT security experts who spoke at a recent Prime Health cyber security conference in Denver.  All agreed that the threat to healthcare organizations from data breeches, ransom ware and lawsuits is very real.  So why doesn’t everyone have a crisis communications plan? Why do so many healthcare organizations keep their heads buried in the sand?

According to the Prime Health panelists, ransom ware is a major threat.  Identity theft is a big reason for healthcare hacking because electronic medical records can be easily monetized.  We don’t monitor Medicare numbers like we do credit reports so selling Medicare numbers is... read more

We’ll always have a soft spot for traditional public relations tactics—working our media contacts to get stories placed in prominent papers or score that perfect quote from a client’s expert spokesperson. But these days, every organization should at least consider how to incorporate brand journalism into its communications efforts. Brand journalism has many definitions and many names. In essence, any organization consistently publishing and promoting content to engage its audience is practicing brand journalism. You are researching, reporting, collecting, writing, editing, and disseminating news for broad audiences, but the focus is on your industry and company.

In general, brand journalism isn’t aiming to sell your product or service directly. Its goal is to build stories and other informational content that highlights value from a... read more

How often do you find yourself absentmindedly scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? Better yet, as you scroll do you notice how many posts you pass until you find the one, possibly two, which genuinely capture your attention? These days, social media offers a multitude of posts varying in information and importance to our lives. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information the average attention span is 8 seconds. That’s one second less than a goldfish. While this may seem like old news, as companies, organizations, and individuals who are trying to capture our audience's attention, this statistic impacts the ways in which we approach telling the story of our brand or our clients brand.

We are all courageous storytellers. Stories capture the public's imagination.... read more

According to the Colorado Department of Labor, the state is enjoying record employment. Colorado’s unemployment rate now stands at 3 percent, the lowest it’s been in 15 years. Anyone who wants a job in Colorado can probably find one, which is a big reason that Millennials are flocking to Denver, where they now make up about 15 percent of the population. A few years ago, employees were looking for ways to get noticed among the hundreds of resumes submitted for each job opening. Now employers have to compete for those workers by boosting salaries and benefits. So how does a Denver PR firm, or any Denver employer, get an edge on the competition? What does it take to create an attractive workplace? Are benefits and... read more

It’s our favorite time of year when we start seeing predictions and trends for 2016. Here are some of the PR and digital marketing trends we think are most exciting. The Podcast Renaissance Remember back in the early 2000s when podcasts first came on the scene, and then, well, not much happened with them. In 2016, podcasts are making a comeback. According to Edison, approximately 46 million Americans listen to podcasts monthly, and the average listener listens to six a week. Large brands like GE and Netflix have recently launched their own podcast productions, and people are actually listening!

How you can take advantage: Start slow, and create a monthly podcast on a topic relevant to your audience. Download Hubspot’s ebook How to Create a... read more

It's easy to get swept up on the holidays and busy wrapping up 2015 activities without giving much thought to next year's PR and marketing strategy. But now is the time to set some goals for the coming year. Here are four strategies for setting effective goals. 1) Align goals with business objectives. The mistake most organizations make when dreaming up public relations and marketing goals is not aligning them with specific business objectives. Sure, it would be great to increase your social media audience or get covered by the local paper, but how will that serve your company's larger goal to increase sales by 20 percent?

2) Understand the function of each channel. Every activity has its purpose. Earned media can raise brand awareness... read more

As marketing and public relations professionals, we rely on demographic information to make strategic decisions. But, for many reasons, consumers aren’t behaving like they once did. POST-DEMOGRAPHIC CONSUMERISM: People—of all ages and in all markets—are constructing their own identities more freely than ever. As a result, consumption patterns are no longer solely defined by “traditional” demographic segments such as age, gender, location, income, family status and more. Several factors are fueling the trend: The availability of information that makes it easier for consumers to discover and avail themselves of new products and services New (non-material) status symbols How social influence has changed the way people interact with brands This means the assumptions we once made based on demographics like age, education, gender and income, are no longer universally... read more