Can You Take a Hint? 7 Ways to Ensure Your PR Pitch Doesn’t Fall Flat

Woman with ring light at her computer

While our hit rate for PR coverage is strong, we can always learn and improve. That’s why I was excited to join Peter Shankman’s webinar with reporter James Ford and former journalists/producers & PR pros now Cindi Avila & Mike Avila for a refresher on some dos and don’ts for…

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Crisis Communication: Do You Have a Plan?

crisis-communication-do-you-have-a-plan

Your business probably has a disaster recovery plan in place for your IT network—in the event of a power outage or natural disaster there is a documented process for preserving your data and getting your team up and running fast. But what if something else dramatic and unexpected happens to…

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The Art (and Formula) for Thank You Notes

The-Art-and-Formula-for-Thank-You-Notes

Recently I received a thank you note from a high school graduate which I couldn’t help but share on social media. It seems my network quickly grasped the problem at hand…see the picture for yourself. While I’m thrilled this individual knew enough to send a thank you note (sadly, many…

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How Social Media Has Changed Public Relations: 27 Tips to Build Reporter Relationships and Raise Brand Awareness

Last week I had the honor of serving as the public relations and marketing agency voice on a panel discussion titled: How Social Media Has Changed Public Relations. The event, hosted by Social Media Breakfast Dallas, included two fabulous local journalists Dom Difurio of The Dallas Morning News and Eline…

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A Fresh Take on Award Ceremonies: How to Engage Attendees Throughout

Recently, I penned a blog on insights from 24 Women in Technology winners. I attended the annual Dallas Business Journal event to support a friend and client, Dr. Patricia Connolly of SMC Squared. (Read about her here…she is a rock star.) In today’s blog, I’ll share my event execution takeaways…

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Stories Worth Sharing: The Making of a Video Testimonial

In a recent blog, our video whiz-in-residence Chris Kelley shared some guidelines on harnessing the power of video. Today we’ll take a look at one of the most common and effective ways we help clients leverage video: testimonials. You can talk about your company and its strengths all day, but…

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Harnessing the Power of Professional Video

At MPD Ventures, we help you get your story told. We accomplish this through traditional media outlets—newspapers, magazines, and local news stations, through social media, and through other proven and optimized marketing strategies. And we help you tell your stories through multiple media formats—including highly influential and polished professional video….

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Awards Season is Here: Are You in the Running?

While we love to watch entertainers get decked out and vie for coveted honors like a Golden Globe, Grammy or Oscar, helping our clients win business awards is much more fun for us. If you’ve never considered awards as part of your brand awareness and marketing strategy, this is the…

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Transforming a Tepid Boilerplate

Unfortunately a boilerplate becomes an afterthought for many organizations. Too often a boilerplate is regarded as just a basic company description that gets tacked onto the end of a news release, stuck into the introduction of a proposal, or sent along when you’re sponsoring an event. But consider who is reading…

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What Do The City of Terrell and Sir Winston Churchill Have in Common?

Most know the U.S. joined WWII a few years after it began. But did you know that earlier we participated through the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, a means for the U.S. to provide military aid to foreign nations during the war? The United Kingdom recognized they would need to train…

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