Posts Tagged ‘Flint Communications’

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Copywriter by day, punk rocker by night

By Angie Laxdal, September 23, 2011

Phil Hunt is one creative dude. He spends his days in the office writing copy and thinking outside the box. Though he loves his job, Phil’s job is to express things for other people. That’s why, after hours, Phil tunes into his punk rock side.

“If you’re a creative person, I think you need to find your own outlets—even if you’re just bashing out silly songs and hollering,” Phil explains.

He discovered punk rock as a 12-year-old skateboarder. “The skating has subsided with age, but I still have an insatiable appetite for music.” Attracted to the seeming ease of punk rock (a genre of music where sheer gall counts at least as much as actual talent), Phil and friends started playing music in garages and quonsets about 19 years ago.

Phil, second from left, chills with his band, Les Dirty Frenchmen.

Phil, second from left, chills with his band, Les Dirty Frenchmen.

He’s had “little to no break in the action” since. Phil has played in four real bands that played local and regional stages—and a couple of one-off, fake bands. He’s only toured widely with Trans Ams, a group he played with in college. “None of the groups were very popular, but we’ve had some good reviews.” You can listen to Phil’s current band, Les Dirty Frenchmen, on Myspace or find them on Facebook.

Phil concludes, “It’s like writing or drawing or anything else. It’s just fun to sit around and pound out the little ideas in your head.”

Get to know a Flintster: Q + A with Phil

What’s your dream job?
It’s a copywriter cliché, but I’d like to write something substantial one day, like a novel or a screenplay—even if it’s not my day job. I have a bunch of half-baked manuscripts on several hard drives.

Which job would you not want to have?
Anything that requires using a telephone for more than a few minutes each day.

What was your first job?
I bagged and carried groceries at the Farmer’s Store in Hallock, Minn.

What did it teach you?
Put cans on the bottom. Place bread on top. Bananas should be protected from the elements in a paper bag. Dry ice is fun and also dangerous. If it’s not busy, straighten shelves.

What is one thing you’d be willing to practice for an hour a day?
Drawing. I used to draw all the time but only recently got back into it. I’m rusty but it’s relaxing.

What’s the best advice you ever got?
I’ve always liked this line from David Eggers a lot. I think it’s good advice.

“I like new things, projects, plans, getting people together and doing something, trying something, even when it’s corny or stupid. I am not good at saying no. And I do not get along with people who say no. When you die, and it really could be this afternoon, under the same bus wheels I’ll stick my head if need be, you will not be happy about having said no.”

What sound do you love?
1979 by Teengenerate

What scent do you love?
For some reason both my wife and I love how K-Mart stores smell.

Got a question for Phil? Leave it in the comments.

Posted in Flint Communications, Flint Direct, Flint Group, Flint Interactive, HatlingFlint, SimmonsFlint, WestmorelandFlint | Comments

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Creating awareness for a cause: Big Bikes & Little Tykes

By Jesse Myers, September 20, 2011

When the cause pulls at our heartstrings, doing pro bono work is both rewarding and meaningful. We help because we want to make a difference in our little corner of the world.

One such client: Nokomis Child Care Center in Fargo. This past spring, we helped with the planning, public relations and design of their Big Bikes & Little Tykes motorcycle run and party fundraising event.

The target audience? Motorcycle riders between ages 35-60. The key message? Have fun while supporting a good cause and raising funds to help children that are in financial and emotional trouble.

Big Bikes & Little Tykes

For the launch of their event, our public relations team, two designers and two account managers helped by:

  • Designing a new logo
  • Providing design and copy for various billboards, ads, save-the-dates, invites, posters, banners, news releases, newsletters and more
  • Setting up and managing their Facebook page

BBLT Digital Billboard

The first-ever event took place May 28, 2011, and was a huge success. The motorcycle ride and after-party raised over $19,000 for children in need who qualify to attend Nokomis Child Care Center. We’re also happy to report that Big Bikes & Little Tykes will host its second annual event in June of 2012, with a new goal of raising $40,000 for the kids.

Event director Caileen Heuertz explains, “There are people who want things to happen, there are people who watch things happen and there are people who make things happen. Big Bikes & Little Tykes made things happen for these kids.”

Posted in Flint Communications, Flint Direct, Flint Group, Flint Interactive, HatlingFlint, SimmonsFlint, WestmorelandFlint | Comments

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Through the eyes of a Flint public relations intern

By Kathryn Berg, September 16, 2011
Flint public relations intern Kathryn Berg

Intern Kathryn and project coordinator Christy share a laugh.

This is a guest post written by Kathryn Berg, a summer 2011 public relations intern at Flint Communications.

Home from Georgetown for summer break, I nervously arrived at Flint for my first-day orientation. My experience that day hinted that an internship at Flint was something special. Touring the office, I didn’t feel like an intern at all. People didn’t ask me to get coffee for them—they asked me to get coffee with them. We all knew I’d be going back to school at summer’s end, but everyone still made me feel like a true Flintster, from my very first day onwards.

I had no idea what went on in the PR world, but figured that didn’t matter because I would only be doing “grunt work” anyway. I was wrong. My mentor, Melissa, set me to work on day one promoting Special Olympics, and my assignments became progressively more involved as the weeks continued and I learned more.

What I’ve learned

As it turns out, my basic knowledge of PR mixed with Melissa’s astute guidance was enough for me to grow, learn and succeed. Today, I can confidently draw up a mean spreadsheet, pitch a story to an editor, build smart media lists and track down just about anything on the internet. My biggest achievement as a shy girl: I can now talk to just about anyone on the phone without my hands shaking!

This internship has taught me countless lessons about public relations, and I am sincerely grateful to have learned more about the field with which I’ve become so enamored. There are so many different aspects to what goes on at Flint that I was eager to go to work every day to find out what new thing I would discover about PR. (Never in my life have I woken up before 7 a.m. and been pleased about it, until this summer!)

As much as I’ve learned about Flint and public relations, I’ve learned so much more about myself. This summer has pushed me to become more confident, more outgoing and more self-assured. I’m no longer worried about what to do when I graduate this spring, which is a seriously exciting development! I stumbled into a field that I really love, and I (almost) can’t wait until I graduate and can dive back in.

If I could change anything about this internship, I can honestly say that I would have wanted to spend more time here. Public relations is all about relationships, and building strong relationships takes time—much more time than a summer internship offers. But, with the time I did have, I was able to get my feet wet and learn the basics.

Posted in Flint Communications, Flint Direct, Flint Group, Flint Interactive, HatlingFlint, SimmonsFlint, WestmorelandFlint | Comments

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Facebook for small business: West Acres design contest succeeds, thanks to social media

By Sarah Olsgaard, September 13, 2011

Tip: Without a fabulously engaged Facebook page already in place, this successful campaign would never have been possible.

In July 2010, West Acres mall created a Facebook page. Less than a year later, a call for entries in a design contest proved that the time and energy used to build an engaged group of fans through awareness advertising, contests, and good, frequent content truly paid off.

To celebrate Earth Day, West Acres invited all designers with a passion for green fashion to participate in the first ever Design Green, Win Green Contest. The rules were to design any fashion item using only recycled materials. The most creative and fashionable concepts would win prizes, including a $1,000 grand prize Mall Card and up to $300 Mall Cards for runners-up.

Beyond sharing the contest and event details on Facebook, West Acres emailed local colleges to invite students, targeting those interested in fashion and design. They also used in-mall promotional signage.

Runway-worthy media attention

West Acres Passion for Green Fashion Contest

Nearly two dozen talented designers participated, and the entries were displayed in the mall during Earth Week. After the judging panel selected the top five designers, West Acres invited them to a special awards ceremony, where they were honored and awarded their prizes. The event also drew impressive local media attention, including offline print and broadcast coverage.

Watch a recap of the contest:

Blurring the lines

This contest never would have been as successful without an active, engaged Facebook page already in place. Creating a small business Facebook page the week before wouldn’t have done the trick. Good Facebook pages take time and energy, fresh thinking and conversation building. West Acres accomplished this over an eight-month timeframe, and continues to build connections with customers on Facebook.

The direct ROI of social media can sometimes be hard to prove, but the West Acres design contest is a perfect example of how nontraditional marketing tactics can blur into traditional results. By fashionably using social media, West Acres Shopping Center was able to spread awareness on an extremely low budget.

How have you colored outside the traditional lines in your marketing tactics? Have you ever seen online tactics garner offline results?

Posted in Flint Communications, Flint Direct, Flint Group, Flint Interactive, HatlingFlint, SimmonsFlint, WestmorelandFlint | Comments

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Entrepreneurs – Compete Today for National Acclaim and over $1MM in training and startup services

By Dave Roby, May 13, 2011
Cleantech Open Banner

Are you an Entrepreneur? Compete for national acclaim and over $1 million in training and startup services

North Central Newsletter, May 2011
In This Issue
Alumni Update
Sponsor Corner
CTO & Partner Events
Volunteers Welcome
About Us
Important Links

Thank You Sponsors!
Featured Sponsor of the Month
PSB new image
Cleantech Open Success Stories make News Across the County



Wells Fargo Increases Committment

Hurry!  Deadline for the 2011 Program is May 24!

For more info, join Today’s, May 12th, Applicant Webinar HERE

Since it’s original 2006 launch in Silicon Valley, The Cleantech Open has supported over 460 cleantech companies and helped Alumni raise over $300 million in external capital.

In 2010, the organization launched its first program in Middle America and continued this success by helping all North Central finalist companies secure funding within 6 months of graduating from the program.

Now, with less than two weeks until the 2011 application deadline, Cleantech Open North Central is in the final push to find it’s next entrepreneur success stories.

If you are a cleantech innovator, please sign up today to enter the program and compete on this unique national platform for over $1 million in training, cash and start-up services. If you know someone you think might be interested in participating, please share this information with them today. Here are the general categories we are accepting applicants for:

· Air, Water and Waste

· Energy Efficiency

· Renewables

· Smart Power, Green Grid, Storage

· Transportation

· Green Building

If you would like more information or assistance in preparing your initial submission, please RSVP and join us today, May 12th for the Application webinar at:

http://www.cleantechopen.com/app.cgi/events/400/view

The 2011 Application deadline is May 24th, so get started today at:

http://www.cleantechopen.com/app.cgi/content/competition/business/index

Also, we are excited to announce a new benefit for 2011 Applicants, the potential access to Autodesk’s Design Suite Ultimate 2012! Here is the scoop:

**The Cleantech Open, in collaboration with Autodesk, is pleased to present an exclusive offer for Cleantech Open Semi-Finalists. The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program will provide a full commercial software license of the new Autodesk® Product Design Suite Ultimate 2012 at no cost (up to $10,000 value) to all semi-finalists who attend either the East or West Coast Academies. Autodesk staff will also be on-hand to provide free, onsite training during the Academies.

In terms of benefits for all participants, each company will receive written feedback from expert judges, exposure to investors, and complementary access to attend and exhibit at the year-end North Central Awards Gala and Trade Expo on October 6th.

For those that advance to the Semi-finals, there is a broader list of benefits including a personalized media plan, participation in Cleantech Open’s reknown bootcamp Academies in Silicon Valley and/or Boston, and complementary access to the Alumni program which includes a 3-part investor series that puts you in front of top VC, Angel and corporate investors from around the country. For more information, download this flier and glance at page 2: 2011 Applicant Recruitment Flyer.

We look forward to helping you crystallize your business strategies, drive innovation, acquire early stage investment, create jobs, and learn a more sustainable way of doing business. Join the Cleantech Revolution today!

Sincerely,

Justin Kaster

Regional Director, North Central Cleantech Open

Cleantech Investment Banking, Cherry Tree, LLC

Alumni Update – A Word from Xolve
xolve
Following the 2010 National Cleantech Open Finals, Xolve closed a $2 million Series ‘A’ round just before Christmas.  The funding included two strategic investors in the chemical and energy storage segments and three institutional funds.

Xolve’s technology is based on a discovery in the material sciences that allows the Company to make nano particles soluble for the first time.  The insolubility and tendency to aggregate that has been characteristic of these particles has impeded their use in practical applications by destroying their potentially super properties, properties that derive from surface area.  Clumping and insolubility also make these particles expensive to produce and difficult to apply. Xolve’s technology returns surface area to nanoparticles and with that surface area the super performance characteristics these materials have been expected to possess.  Also, by being able to place these materials in true solutions for the first time, Xolve can apply them in liquid phase at standard temperatures and pressures (as opposed to plasma temperatures and high vacuum).  Through these processes Xolve is hoping to reset the unfavorable price/performance equation that has retarded the wide adoption of nano materials.

With investor funding, the company is now hiring and performing proof-of-concept work in the areas of composites, coatings (especially transparent conductive coatings), and energy storage.

Just prior to the National Cleantech Open finals in November 2010, the Nobel Prize for physics was awarded to the discoverers of graphene, one of the nano materials that Xolve is working with.  The company added to its Nobel connections by hiring Dan Colbert, Ph.D. to head business development.  Dr. Colbert was one of the founders with Richard Smalley of the world’s first carbon nanotube company.  Richard Smalley won the Nobel for the discovery of carbon nanotubes.  The company has hired five other scientists since January.

In the composite area, Xolve is doing work to demonstrate the weight reduction and strength increase resulting from mixing the company’s graphene formulation into polypropylene composite.  This work is being done in conjunction with one of the automotive manufacturers and is still in process.

In energy storage, Xolve’s lithium ion battery formulation has been shown to have a 40% increase in energy density over the standard formulation.  In coatings, the company has been able to coat substrates with a wide range of metal oxides at standard temperature and pressure. Xolve is working on achieving coatings of these materials through low temperature, standard pressure applications of the materials while still maintaining excellent conductivity and other desired attributes. Success in attaining this goal will have significant implications in architectural glass, solar cells, solar panels and lighting.

By the end of 2011, Xolve hopes to have secured initial partnerships in its target market segments and to have determined with specificity how it will participate in the value chain of these industrial segments. The Xolve web site is currently being revamped, but feel free to contact John Biondi, President, CEO, at Biondi@xolve.com.
Sponsor Corner Features Padilla Speer Beardsley

Padilla

Every organization needs effective communications to achieve its business goals. This is especially true for new or complex products and services – such as emerging and clean technologies and sustainability. It’s important to understand what motivates people vital to your success, and then create conversations using the right messages and the right channels to compel your audiences to take action in your favor.

For many companies, clean technology solutions and initiatives have become core business drivers. With an increasing focus on the health of the planet, the future sources of energy, and the economic and social needs of local communities, consumers and business customers are looking at companies to deliver cutting-edge solutions that address these issues.

Padilla Speer Beardsley is an integrated communications firm that helps organizations build and protect brands and reputations. We’re grounded in the art and science of corporate communications, investor relations and marketing communications, and we’ve expanded to provide clients with a full suite of creative and interactive strategies for maximum impact.

We are proud to be a founding sponsor of the Cleantech Open North Central. Learn more about Padilla at: www.psbpr.com.

Mark Your Calendars!

The Cleantech Open North Central Region continues to add events and update our calendar. It includes our events plus relevant events from our valued partner organizations that may be of interest to our Cleantech Open members. Below is a list of key events for the next two months.

The past two months have been incredibly successful and would not have been possible without the support of our many partners and sponsor organizations. The long list of partners and sponsors that helped put on recent events includes: TiE MN, Great Plains Institute, UMN IREE, The Collaborative, South Dakota Office of Commercialization, South Dakota Governors Giant Vision Contest, IDED (Iowa), DMACC, Iowa Central Community College, MHTA, Mojo, Faegre & Benson, Enerjyn, Iowa State University Extension-Community & Economic Development, Entrepreneurial Development Center, Iowa Western Community College, Lee County Economic Development, UNI’s NABL, TechWorks, Hellman, Iowa Lakes Corridor and Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, Innovate ND, BioBusiness Alliance of MN, NDSU Research Technology Park, UND Center for Innovation, Marketplace for Ideas, Minnesota Angel Network, Wisconsin Entrepreneur Network, WI Department of Commerce, WARF, University of Minnesota (School of Business, Technological Leadership Institute, Entrepreneur Center), MNSU, IRETI, SMIF, MN DEED, MN SBDC, Red River Valley Research Corridor, the Minnesota Cup, SBIR/STTR (WI, MN, SD), AMEC, Minnesota Chapter of USGBC, City of Minneapolis, and City of Saint Paul.

For reference, here is a sample set of presentations from one of these recent events put on with the support of UMN IREE: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ione/iree/2011/04/watch-north-central-clean-tech-open-briefing.html.

North Central Cleantech Open Events

Thursday May 12, 2011

TODAY! – Cleantech Open Application Webinar 3:50 PM to 5:30 PM CDT

Have your company, but not sure how to navigate the application process? The Cleantech Open will be conducting an application webinar for the 2011 program accessible anywhere nationwide. For more information and to register visit: http://www.cleantechopen.com/app.cgi/events/400/view

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Tuesday, May 24

DEADLINE – All 2011 Cleantech Open Program Applications Are Due!

Submit your applications on line until 11:59 p.m. For information, guidelines, resources, and help visit: http://www.cleantechopen.com/app.cgi/content/competition/business/how_to_enter

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Wednesday June 15, 2011

North Central 2011 Program Semifinalists Are Announced!

North Central Partner Events

Tuesday, May 18

Wisconsin Innovation Network Meeting, Appleton, WI

Learn how entrepreneurs and companies can work with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and access its portfolios of technologies available for licensing. For more information and to register visit: http://www.ocr.wisc.edu/calendar/?ID=39641

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Tuesday, May 24

“Energy for Defense: Business Opportunities in Energy Technology”, Minneapolis, MN

Learn more about numerous business opportunities surrounding energy technologies from the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Prime Contractors and other successful companies. For more information and to register visit: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e3nm3swv7ad73b5a&llr=ixdu6ubab

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Wednesday, May 25

Wisconsin Cleantech Network Forum, Madison WI

This is an opportunity for Cleantech entrepreneurs and professionals to network with one another, discuss challenges and the resources they need to succeed. For more information and to register visit: http://www.ocr.wisc.edu/calendar/?ID=36578

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Wednesday, May 25

Green Roofs Workshop, St. Paul, MN

Attendees to this Minnesota Chapter of USGBC event will review the Design Strategy, Vegetation Selection, and the Installation implementation through an Integrated Design and Delivery process between three (3) different companies. For more information and to register visit: http://www.usgbcmn.org/event-detail/?id=342

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Thursday – Friday, June 2-3

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Action Summit, Grand Forks, ND

Leading experts, industry leaders, and federal policy makers speak on a range of topics including use of remotely piloted systems within the national airspace, FAA test sites and restricted airspace, and UAS training, simulation and intelligence. For more information and to register visit: http://economicdevelopmentnews.areavoices.com/2011/04/11/uas-action-summit-june-2-3-in-gf-registration-now-open/

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Tuesday – Wednesday, June 7-8

2011 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, Milwaukee, WI

The Entrepreneurs’ Conference is one of the Midwest’s premier networking and hands-on events for entrepreneurs. Business leaders, investors and others make connections as they learn how to crack into today’s emerging markets. For more information and to register visit: http://www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com/events/ent_conf/

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Sunday – Tuesday, June 19 – 21

Cleantech 2011 Workshop & Action Summit, Grand Forks, ND

The Red River Valley Research Corridor and the Sunrise Education and Research Program will sponsor a unique combination of events designed to foster and promote energy-related research and development centers. For more information and to register visit: http://www.theresearchcorridor.com/sunrise/program.html

We Continue to Recruit Professional and Student Volunteers

The lifeblood of the Cleantech Open is the fantastic, highly qualified professional and student volunteers that drive the program, train and advise our companies and bring a general passion to support cleantech entrepreneurs in the quest to succeed.

Volunteer benefits include an opportunity to meet and network with top companies, industry experts, representatives from top corporations, and other professionals in the clean technology and entrepreneurial industries.  For anyone interested in learning more about these opportunities and to use your special skills to work for a great mission, there are a few basic ways to volunteer in the Cleantech Open, including:

  • Program Committee Member: join one of our 15 different committees responsible for developing programs and strategies for the year-long regional and national program
  • Mentors: work with participating companies to provide advice on improving their business plan investor pitch, sustainable business practices, and helping them establish the right connections.

We also actively develop sponsorship relationships and partnerships with corporate, public sector and NGO organizations throughout the year. To find out more about these opportunities, please email us at nc_partners@cleantechopen.com.

Click the links below for additional information:

About Us

Cleantech Open is a catalyst for cleantech innovation across 6 categories: Air, Water, Waste, Energy Efficiency, Green Building, Renewable Energy, Smart Power and Storage, and Transportation. With presence in over 25 states in 2011, we are the world’s largest small business incubator and competition for clean and green startups and a network of networks in the world of clean tech.

Past successes include: Xolve (WI), Earth Clean (MN), Silicon Solar Solutions (AK), New Water (MN), Adura Technologies (CA),  BioVantage Resources (CO), Cool Earth Solar (CA), EcoFactor (CA), Puralytic (OR), OnChip Power (MA) and GreenVolts (CA).

The Red River Valley Research Corridor Coordinating Center
is run by Praxis Strategy Group – a Flint Group sister company www.praxissg.com

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You are invited to attend the Cleantech Open Business Competition Briefing – April 21

By Dave Roby, April 7, 2011

CTO is the world’s largest cleantech business competition and entrepreneur incubator created to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas.  It offers entrepreneurs MBA quality training, CEO mentors, seminars and clinics, investors pitch and feedback, and more. CTO has:

  • Helped to raise $300 M for 100 firms since 2006
  • All 4 North Central CTO Finalists in 2010 have received funding
  • CTO funding amounts range from $100,000 to $30 Million
  • 80% of participants remain economically viable today
  • More than 2,000 new clean technology jobs have been created.

Focus areas:

  • Renewable Energy
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Green Building
  • Air, Water & Waste
  • Transportation
  • Smart Power

Visit:www.cleantechopen.com

Calling All Entrepreneurs – Innovators – Economic Catalysts to a

Cleantech Open Briefing
April 21, Grand Forks, ND

Cleantech Open in the North Central Region is in search of entrepreneur applicants for this year’s competition, company mentors, judges, and partners.   Attend our briefing luncheon in Grand Forks on April 21 to find out more about CTO and how to participate.

The North Central Region Cleantech Open Competition in conjunction with the Red River Valley Research Corridor, Innovate ND, NDSU Research & Technology Park, Marketplace of Ideas & the UND Center for Innovation.

- APPLY, NETWORK & CREATE NEW COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS -

When: Thursday, April 21, 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
Where: UND Center for Innovation, Grand Forks, ND
Phone: For information, call Dave Roby at 701-499-2111
Cost: Free, lunch included
Email: dave@theresearchcorridor.com
Directions: Directions to the Center for Innovation
Registration: Registration

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Praxis Announces ~ Praxis Africa

By Dave Roby, November 6, 2010

Praxis Africa Logo

Praxis Africa
Praxis Africa is an agricultural enterprise development & rural community development enterprise headquartered in Accra, Ghana. Praxis Africa works with leaders and entrepreneurs in business, communities and government to develop and implement action-oriented development initiatives and business ventures.

Our approach focuses on understanding the assets and strengths of a business or community – then helping to build the relationships and networks necessary to get things done.

• Working with farmers to identify and reach markets for their products.
• Working with traditional leaders and government agencies to achieve local sustainable development.
• Working to source equipment, machinery, expertise and capital to improve productivity and profitability.
• Working with farmers and agri-business to tell their story.

Praxis Africa is allied with Praxis Strategy Group and AdFarm in the United States and Canada. The two companies share ownership and have a long relationship of working together on agricultural and rural-focused development and strategic planning initiatives.

Praxis Strategy Group is a partner with the Flint Group

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Praxis Strategy Group Initiative focuses on “living wage jobs” for Central Oregon

By Dave Roby, May 28, 2010

The non-profit group Deschutes Economic Alliance held a conference Monday at the Oxford Hotel in Bend. They introduced an initiative to develop a county wide plan attracting living wage jobs to Central Oregon. They’ve hired a company, Praxis Strategy Group to help research what needs to be done to create more jobs here.

Delore

Dr. Delore Zimmerman

President of Praxis, Delore Zimmerman said, “We are working with the Deschutes Economic Alliance in identifying some very focused areas where we can concentrate on how to make a difference here in the local economy.”

Praxis helps brings jobs to communities and regions by utilizing BEST PRACTICES and coordinating collaboration between business, government and universities.  Based in Grand Forks, ND, Praxis has offices in Fargo, ND, Los Angeles, CA and Praxis Africa in Accra, Ghana. A local group of business people are funding the study.

Praxis Strategy Group is a partner with the Flint Group

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Joel Kotkin ~ an interview with Charlie Rose

By Dave Roby, May 19, 2010

Acclaimed interviewer and broadcast journalist Charlie Rose engages America’s best thinkers, writers, politicians, athletes, entertainers, business leaders, scientists and other newsmakers in one-on-one interviews and roundtable discussions.

Mr. Joel Kotkin

joel-kotkin - 65 percentAn internationally-recognized authority on global, economic, political and social trends, Joel Kotkin is the author of a new book, THE NEXT HUNDRED MILLION: America in 2050, published in February by The Penguin Press. The book explores how the nation will evolve in the next four decades. It has received rave reviews from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Globe and Mail, and National Public Radio.

Mr. Kotkin is Distinguished Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange, California and an Adjunct Fellow with the Legatum Institute based in London, UK. A highly respected speaker and futurist, he consults for many leading economic development organizations, private companies, regions and cities. Joel is also a Senior Fellow with the Center for an Urban Future in New York City; and a Senior Consultant with the Praxis Strategy Group in Fargo, North Dakota.

The Charlie Rose Interview

Praxis Strategy Group is a partner with the Flint Group of Companies

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Your Creative Team: Proper Care and Feeding

By Phil Hunt, May 11, 2010
Photo by D Sharon Pruitt on Flickr

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt on Flickr

Recently I started reading The Art of Writing Advertising: Conversations with Masters of the Craft. It brings to light one of the universal truths of advertising: everything depends on the big idea. Today, with such a fragmented media environment, those ideas matter more than ever. A sharp, strong, well-executed idea will cut through the noise and stay with you.

The first chapter of the book is an interview with William Bernbach, one of the founders of DDB. He makes many striking statements in just 14-pages, but this quote stays with me:

“We think we will never know as much about a product as a client. After all, he sleeps and breathes his product. He’s built it. He’s lived with it most of his life. We couldn’t possibly know as much about it as he does. By the same token, we firmly believe that he can’t know as much about advertising. Because we live and breathe that all day long.”

Here’s the tough part. To do good work, you’ve got to bind that client and agency knowledge together. Here’s something else from Bernbach:

“Your cleverness, your provocativeness and imagination and inventiveness must stem from knowledge of the product… And you must be as simple, and as swift, and as penetrating as possible. And it must stem from knowledge. And you must relate that knowledge to the consumer’s needs.”

Clients and agencies need each other. One must play off the other’s strength. That’s easy to understand. However, it’s hard to achieve this synthesis of knowledge and imagination, because there is no formula for achieving it.

But like any good copywriter, I’ve got some ideas.

At the risk of reducing creative professionals to a tankful of sea monkeys, here are some ways to feed them. These tips aren’t magic, but I think they’re helpful:

Figure out “the thing.”

One of my favorite things to do is listen to clients and wait for “the thing.”  Sometimes it’s a carefully crafted mission statement. Sometimes it’s an off-hand comment. Either way, it’s always something simple and unique. It sums up perfectly what  the business cares about and what its customers care about. When I hear it, my brain says, “That’s the thing!” Then I write it down, and our creative team can try to do something awesome with it.

You could also call this the differentiator. Figuring out what it is can be hard. Here are some places to start:

  • Define why you do what you do. This won’t only help your marketing. It could give your company a new outlook and sense of purpose. Write down your beliefs, motivations and desires. Why do your employees come to work every day? Hint: it’s not just to build great products or deliver great service.
  • Bring the creative team into your place of business. This is where you’re comfortable. If you feel like the expert you are, you will inevitably say something brilliant. Believe me. I’ve seen it happen.
  • Ask your creative team to take a stab at it. As outsiders, they might have an easier time seeing what’s really different or appealing about your company. It’s not a perfect process, but the observations they make could surprise you (in a good way).

Tell them everything your products and services do… and I mean everything.

You’ve tackled the big, inspiring question of why!  Now, how about a bit about the product?  “It saves time and money” is good, but not good enough. Maybe your product is so easy to use that it makes you feel smarter than you really are. Does it give you an excuse to avoid doing something unpleasant? Perhaps it makes a noise that sounds like the guitar riff from Purple Haze. Maybe it just looks cool.

These  facts could build a great campaign, and they say a lot about who you are. Get it all down on paper – and hand it to your account executive, pronto.

Give them everything you’ve done before… and I mean everything.

Your website, old brochures, even user manuals can give creatives a sense of what you can do for a customer. But be careful. If your materials are hard to understand, outdated, incomplete or just plain wrong, your team will need some extra guidance.

Put your product in their hands.

Pictures and brochures are fine, but nothing compares to holding that thing in your hands, feeling it, smelling it, pushing the buttons, reading the instructions, hearing it and seeing what it can do. A client of ours, Bobcat, gives its communications vendors opportunities to operate its equipment. Besides being one of the highlights of the year (who doesn’t love playing in the dirt with a skid-steer loader?), it’s an inspiring experience. I learn a lot from trying things out on my own. Not only that, I generate a lot of ideas for when I return to my desk.

Set a comfortable deadline.

Bringing a creative idea to life can be ugly. Good ideas rise from false starts; dead ends; awkward, silent brainstorming sessions; gallons of coffee; and possibly some whining. It’s important to have enough time to get all that in!

It’s possible to send ideas in 24 hours, but it could still take a week to find the right idea. Creative ideas come out of nowhere, and usually after the subconscious mind has had a while to chew on it. If you’re like me, it might not happen until you start mowing the lawn.

“Comfortable” means you should be happy with the timing as well. Still, if you have the luxury of time, consider the difficulty of the task, and its impact on your brand, before setting the deadline.

That’s all for now. What types of activities and information feed your creative brain?

Posted in Flint Communications, Flint Group, WestmorelandFlint | Comments

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