Congratulations to Baker Boyer Bank for having so much to celebrate: Best of the Best 2014 (Walla Walla Union Bulletin): Best Bank & Best Financial Advisor 2014 Top 200 Community Banks (American Banker Magazine): Ranked for 8 years running. 100 Best Companies to Work For 2014 (Seattle Business Magazine): Ranked 10 years running. See how [...]
I am in a wonderful phase of my personal life and career.  As I was reflecting on what I think will be exciting growth in 2013, I decided it was a great time to talk about my transition and what it means for VHPR. I’ve spent over 40 years as a newspaper reporter, university writer/editor, [...]
Brand Journalism is the process of going directly to your critical audiences, taking on the role of a journalist or reporter in telling about your company, your values and why you are a good business partner. Since we are talking about stories, ask yourself: what makes a good story? Think about the last time you [...]
Seattle's Jeff Bezos recently graced the cover of Fast Company magazine (King Bezos) and was also featured in the New York Times (August 17) after announcing he was purchasing the Washington Post. Living in Seattle, I am reminded daily of the impact Amazon is having on the  area, from multiple construction projects in South Lake [...]
These are great reminders for anyone hoping to engage key audiences using social media. kevin.lexblog.com/2013/03/26/your-social-media-contributions-must-include-these-attributes/
I am beginning to think I am making the case unnecessarily complicated for why organizations need to get involved now in digital and social media. Two items I read recently made a compelling case that greater participation in social and digital media is critical for organizations to survive and also made it clear this charge [...]
While the long awaited turnaround in the U.S. economy is well underway, there are still areas of concern and employment is not expected to grow as quickly as many people have hoped. Those were some of my takeaways from remarks by Vladimir Bejan of the Albers School and Stan Humphries, chief economist at Zillow. Bejan [...]
I still believe the New Year is a great time for making some resolutions. Yes, they have a bad name because most people, including me, don't do too well at keeping them. Despite that, I offer three that will pay big dividends. All three can be completed by the end of first quarter to give [...]
Welcome to "Brand Journalism." While I didn't invent the term (wish I had), I think explaining it will go a long way in helping leaders in small- and mid-sized companies rethink communication and embrace the greater use of social media. Like many business communicators I have sometimes gotten excited about the potential for new communication [...]
Seven Big Thought Reminders for Communicators From PSAMA Marketing Mix The 2012 PSAMA Marketing Mix Conference in Seattle on March 20 was a home run for communicators. It was a great opportunity to step back and think globally about issues like engagement, social media, and user based communication. My goal is to write in detail [...]
  
  