Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Announces 2013 $100,000 Grant Recipient: Tindley Collegiate Academy – Girls Middle School

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sharon Smith, APR

317-506-7982 / ssmith@maverickpublicrelations.com

Facebook | Twitter @IMPACT100INDY | www.impact100indy.org

 

Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis Announces 2013 $100,000 Grant Recipient: Tindley Collegiate Academy – Girls Middle School

 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 12, 2013) – Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis awarded $100,000 to Tindley Collegiate Academy Girls School at their annual dinner held June 11 at Courses Restaurant, Ivy Tech Community College.

This year’s $100,000 grant will fund the GET STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) lab that provides middle-school girls with experiences that will inspire them toward careers in math and science. Opening in the Fall of 2013, TindleyCollegeAcademy will be Indiana’s first all-girls middle school. It will serve primarily an African American population in the Meadows – one of the most challenged neighborhoods in the city.

Tindley Collegiate Academy Girls School was named the 2013 Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis $100,000 grant winner on Tuesday. Pictured, left to right, are Dr. Dina Stephens, Chief Academic Officer, Marcus C. Robinson, CEO, and Kelli B. Marshall, Principal.

“Impact 100 is honored to support the GET STEM lab,” said Karen Kennelly, president of Impact 100. “It’s clear that our membership saw the value of providing a lab that inspires the next generation of female engineers and scientists by encouraging them to succeed in college – and in life.”

Founded in 2006, Impact 100 has granted $1.3 million to local non-profit organizations. The selection process began in January, 2013 with 53 grant applicants submitting letters of intent. Five Focus Area Committees then vetted one finalist in each focus area. TindelyCollegiateAcademy, a finalist in the Education Focus Area, was one of five organizations to make a formal presentation to the Impact 100 membership during the annual dinner. The other finalists included, RuthLillyEducationCenter: HOPE for Teens (Health & Wellness Focus Area); Reach for Youth: Teen Court (Family Focus Area); People for Urban Progress (Environment Focus Area) and The Oaks Academy: Fine Art Studio at Brookside (Arts & Culture Focus Area). The four remaining finalists each received unrestricted grants in the amount $5,250.

 

About Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis: Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis is a charitable women’s giving circle dedicated to awarding high impact grants to nonprofits in the community in the areas of arts & culture, education, environment, family, and health & wellness.  Annually, a minimum of 100 members each donate $1,000 to collectively make extraordinary gifts, $100,000 at a time, helping fund the growth of one local nonprofit each year. One hundred percent of member donations are returned to the community in the form of grants. In June, Impact 100 members each cast one vote to determine the nonprofit grant recipients for that year. An IRS-recognized 501(C)(3) charitable organization, Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis seeks to fund critical needs, new ventures, and innovative ways to solve social problems and to create a more civil and respectful climate in the community. Please join us in pooling our resources and experiencing The Power of Women Giving as One. Facebook | Twitter @IMPACT100INDY | www.impact100indy.org

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Indiana’s Business Women Connect launches in Indianapolis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sharon Smith, APR, for Business Women Connect

Maverick Public Relations

317.506.7982 / ssmith@maverickpublicrelations.com

@BusinessWomenCo | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Pinterest

Indiana’s Business Women Connect launches in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June, 2013) – Seventy percent of all new businesses in the U.S. are being created by women. With that stunning statistic in mind, Business Women Connect (BWC), an Indianapolis based organization that provides resources, education and connections that help women grow their business, has launched in Indianapolis, Ind. Founded and created in 2001 by Linda Rendleman, Business Women Connect has developed as an award-winning global networking site with online workshops, podcasts, webinars, featuring educational and networking meet-up events, led by BWC President, Shelly Aristizabal.

BWC Tele-Interviews which are both live and archived, are opportunities to listen in and actively participate in interviews with guests from across the globe to discuss issues and solutions on a variety of topics. This interactive learning opportunity is the cornerstone to the mission of Business Women Connect. Registration for the latest events can be accessed at www.BusinessWomenConnect.com.

BWC-Indianapolis Schedule of Events:

BWC – Indy Connect to Success – Be Branded

When: June 13, 14 & 15

Where: Eddie Merlot’s

3545 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240

BWC Talk Radio with Host Amanda Fellows

When: Every Tuesday & Thursday, 12:00 – 12:30pm

(all shows are recorded)

How: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/businesswomenconnect.com

BWC Virtual Success LIVE Google+ Hangout

When: Every Thursday, 2:00 – 2:30pm

(all hangouts are recorded and will be uploaded to site)

How: http://www.BusinessWomenConnect.com

“Let’s face it, when you are an entrepreneur, business owner or self-employed, you are the CEO, CFO, COO, CMO of You, Inc.,” said Shelly. “BWC helps women take some of the guess work out of establishing and building their own business through relationship-building and education.”

A recently published author of her first book, This Is Your Year, Shelly’s passion for women entrepreneurs is palpable.  “Female entrepreneurs can differ from men, they typically go into business to positively impact their family, the community or even to make the world a better place.”

Business Women Connect has been recognized by the Indianapolis Business Journal the past seven consecutive years as the Largest Women’s Organization in the state of Indiana. The organization has created momentum in Indiana by helping hundreds of women grow and improve their businesses. BWC’s newly launched website at offers an innovative Membership/Referral platform. For more information on the services and programs available visit www.BusinessWomenConnect.com, email Shelly@BusinessWomenConnect.com  or call 239-777-3807.

What the World Needs Now: More Human. Kind.

By: Lauren Guidotti, Marketing and Events Manager at NUVO

Recently, there was a story in the local news about a middle school girl who committed suicide by hanging herself outside of the school on the bleachers. Without opening the article, I immediately assumed bullying was involved. Once I read the article, I saw the school district had stated, “There has been speculation about a connection to bullying, but at this early point in the investigation, there has been no indication of such a connection.”

After following up to see what had come from the case of the 14-year-old girl, I found an article confirming that bullying was absolutely involved. A friend of the young girl told the local TV station, “She was bullied and she didn’t deserve what she got. She didn’t deserve to have to go through that pain. The fact that she had to commit suicide to feel release…” And when I scrolled down to read comments, people were blaming the teachers, people the school, and others were saying the students who bullied her should be punished. But, once again, no one was talking about the learned behavior we get from our surroundings. No one wants to be held accountable.

A while back I found an interesting article from the Huffington Post. The article talked about how the media is “fat-shaming” Kim Kardashian during her pregnancy. I was thrilled to see someone tackling this subject, because I think about it all the time.

We spend time talking and developing anti-bullying campaigns. New laws and school rules are being passed trying to punish those who bully. But does anyone ever stop and look at how we as a society behave? Or how the media treats people?

We are surrounded by bullying. We now live in a digital age where we can publicly shame anyone and hide anonymously behind the curtain of the Internet. We do it with celebrities. We do it with politicians. We do it with media personalities. It’s in music lyrics. It’s everywhere.

Why aren’t we having the conversation about civility – how we speak to and about one another? Whether it be in person, on social media, in the comment section of a news article, etc. Why aren’t we thinking about how our words can impact someone? Go through a devastating article and see how many people start being negative and “bullying” either the person in the story, or the news station providing the coverage. It happens all the time.

What happened to the saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all” or “Treat people the way you wanted to be treated? Most of us were taught these mantras growing up. If bullying is to end, then we, as a society, must change.

The most important things you can do is stop bullying on the spot is to immediately intervene, stay calm, and model respectful behavior. Resources to learn more about prevention and awareness of risk factors and warning signs can be found at stopbullying.gov

http://www.stopbullying.gov/respond/be-more-than-a-bystander

To mediate reputable reporting, the Ethical Journalism Network is an excellent news media resource to help journalists and media manage messages and standards in the online age when stories are often rushed for publication and inevitable criticism.

Ethical Journalism Network:

http://www.ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/

How Slow is Your Food?

Written by: Chelsea Marburger

Events/Promotions Intern at Indianapolis City Market

Indianapolis City Market @IndyCM

We all know what fast food is but what about “slow food”? The slow food movement started back in the 80s when people realized that not only were people eating poorly, but interest in what we were putting into our bodies, where it was coming from, and how it was being prepared was at an all-time low. The slow food movement has gained major publicity in the U.S. due to a large increase in farmers markets, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), and pick-your-own operations. Fundamental to the slow food movement is the concept of “eco-gastronomy – a strong recognition of the relationship between plate and planet.”

The number of farmers markets has increased dramatically in the past 5-10 years; the 2006 count was 4,385 whereas the count in 2012 was 7,864. Farmers markets are a benefit to all those involved. The Original Farmers’ Market at City Market is in its 16^th season of providing fresh, locally- grown produce to downtown communities that wouldn’t have it otherwise. Farmers markets also allow farmers and producers to sell directly to their consumers which establishes better pricing systems for customers and higher sales for producers. Over the past couple of years, there has also been an increased effort by the USDA to push farmers markets to accept different types of government-funded programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to encourage healthy eating habits and to change purchasing patterns of low-income individuals.

The popularity of CSAs has also spiked in recent years. CSAs live up to their name by creating a relationship between consumers and their locally-grown goods. Buyers interested in being part of a CSA purchase a subscription to a particular garden or farm and experience the successes and the pitfalls of farming in that they are provided only what the farm is able to produce. CSAs will typically specialize in a specific type of product as well. Indianapolis-based Big City Farms specializes in heirloom produce whereas near south side’s South Circle Farm produces vegetables, herbs, berries, and plants.

The “slow food” movement is gaining steam every season and every harvest. Families concerned with the health of their children, people recovering from illness, and just every day people wanting to stay fit and healthy are shopping locally to support their bodies and their local economies. In addition, the slow food movement provides for “clean” farming techniques, fair producer wages and a return to communal and convivial relationships to food and each other. For more information on the slow food movement, farmers markets, CSAs, and the organizations mentioned, please visit their websites listed below.

Indianapolis City Market @IndyCM: www.indycm.com

Big City Farm: www.bigcityfarmsindy.com

South Circle Farm: www.southcirclefarm.com

Three Best Practices for Content Marketing

These days, one of the most common strategies for building relationships and engagement with customers is content marketing. Content marketing establishes your company as a thought leader, gets customers involved (especially if they are sharing your content across their social media networks), and keeps you top of mind.

It’s no wonder that, according to the Custom Content Council, 55% of business-to-consumer (B2C) and 54% of business-to-business (B2B) brands plan to increase their content marketing budgets in 2013.

Content marketing involves the use of high-value articles, blogs, infographics, and other informational materials to establish you as a thought leader and “go to” source in your vertical market. Newsletters, postcards, email, and social media are all important channels for distributing content.

If you are going to invest in content marketing, there are three best practices to keep in mind:

1. Know your audience.
Content marketing isn’t about filling mailboxes with promotions focusing on your company’s needs and priorities. It’s about providing your readers with information that is important and interesting to them. Start by creating a basic profile of your target audience and knowing what makes them tick. If possible, segment your mailings so you can target the content by interests or other demographics.

2. Track where the recipient is along the buying cycle.
The typical buying cycle involves five stages: identifying a need, determining potential solutions, evaluating the available options, negotiating the purchase, and making the buy. If you know where the person is in the buying cycle, you can provide information appropriate for what they may be thinking about or need at the time they receive the communication. This isn’t about hitting them with overt marketing pitches, but providing valuable, appropriate information to help them move forward to the next stage.

3. Develop an editorial calendar.
Be purposeful about your content strategy. Don’t leave it to chance. Develop a plan for what you want to include in your blogs, social media, and mailings, and execute your plan strategically. Develop appropriate material in advance and release it on a timeline that provides the right content at the right time.

Need help with content marketing? Talk to us about helping you develop valuable, multi-touch, multi-channel solutions to help you engage your customers and stay top-of-mind.

New Year, New Postal Rates

Direct mail is a powerful medium. A personalized mailer connected with a PURL speaks directly to your customer and drives strong response rates. Even with the new postal rates and regulations effective in January 2013, direct mail remains a flexible and inexpensive way to physically place your message in your customers’ hands.

Mailer for Stonycreek Farm Nursery & Landscaping (front)

Mailer for Stonycreek Farm Nursery & Landscaping (back)

Key changes may affect your direct mail campaigns.

• The single-piece postcard rate, which already increased by 3¢ in January 2012, will increase by an additional penny to 33¢.
• Automation discounts will be limited to letters, flats, postcards, Business Reply Mail and Permit Reply Mail with the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb). The new barcode holds all routing, sorting and additional services in one place, freeing up valuable space on your envelope for your marketing message. Automated address correction will ensure that your material reaches the right recipient at the right time, improving response rates and increasing revenue.
• Self-mailers are subject to new requirements for size, paper weight, folding and tabbing. Failure to comply will result in a significant postage increase.

There are several steps you can take to control the impact of the postal changes.

• Merge and purge your mailing lists to ensure clean data. Target customers who will buy.
• Review your existing stock of printed materials for compliance with new regulations before your next mailing to avoid any surprises when you receive your postage bill.
• Reduce the size and/or weight of your direct mail package. For example, instead of mailing an 8 x 11″ piece at the “flats” rate, fold the piece to 5½ x 8½” to qualify for the lower letter rate.
• Creatively embrace the changes. Develop a multi-touch strategy by using the tracking function in the new IMb to trigger email blasts. Modify and test different formats that comply with the new regulations.
• Review the calendar of promotional events at www.usps.com to learn how you can save on postage throughout 2013 by integrating mail with mobile and emerging technologies.

If you have questions about how the new rates and regulations will impact your business, call or email us today. We can help you design your mail piece, choose the correct paper stock, and prepare your mailing to meet the revised standards and secure the lowest postage rates available.

Click here to view a comprehensive list of the new USPS rates. Additionally, click here for a PDF guide for the new folded self-mailer regulations.

Five reasons why you still need traditional media in your PR mix

With the rise of social media, many “experts” have predicted the demise of traditional media, whether for information dissemination, advertising, marketing or PR. In fact, one of our clients recently commented, “I am not so sure I need access to a traditional reporter anymore!” While we encourage clients to include social media in their PR strategy, we would not advise anybody to drop traditional media. It may seem that traditional media is losing its usefulness. Many newspapers and magazines have folded up. More and more people are turning to social networks first to get the news. And popular bloggers are reaching incredible numbers of people. All this is true. However, we still need traditional media for PR. Here are five reasons why:

1. Traditional media are instantly recognizable.

Chances are, the average person can recognize your city’s newspaper rather than the most popular blog in your area. Traditional media have been around longer than social media, and many have built recognizable and credible brands.

2. Traditional media give you instant status.

Because traditional media are recognizable and often seen as credible, getting exposure through them gives you instant status and credibility as well. On the other hand, being interviewed on a blog or web TV may not have the same effect.

3. Traditional media still reach vast audiences.

As long as a traditional media outlet is still publishing or airing, chances are, it continues to reach a large enough audience to keep it viable. This is why many online stories take off only after traditional media talk about them.

4. Social media feed on traditional media.

Bloggers often write about what’s going on in traditional media, whether it’s a new TV ad or a story that ran recently in the news. If you land an interview in traditional media, you’re likely to catch the attention of social media as well. Furthermore, appearing in traditional media gives you something to post about in your own blog and in social networks.

5. Traditional media have huge social media presence.

Traditional media outlets often also have an Internet presence, such as blogs and social networking profiles. Those with websites usually get more traffic than even the most popular blogs.

So if you were ready to ditch traditional media for social media — don’t! You still need traditional media to reach an audience and establish your credibility. The most important thing is to target those media outlets that YOUR target market is consuming, whether it’s a digital medium or a non-digital one. Chances are, you’ll do best to have a mix of both.

Social media tool to watch – Pinterest

We’ve all heard about social media trends that will gain traction and the giants that won’t budge in 2012. So, we wanted to weigh in and give MavFans our opinion. Here is a fast-growing platform that seems to have taken hold: Pinterest.

Is “Pin It” the new “like?” No one knows for sure, but one thing we do know – Pinterest has exploded into the social media scene. According to a recent Women in PR blog post, nearly 3.3 million users have opted in during a relatively short period of time, and the visual social discovery network consists of 70% female users that are highly engaged. It looks like Pinterest is here to stay. With that amount of traffic, you would possibly be doing your business an injustice by not at least exploring the site, and you’ll be missing out yourself. Who doesn’t want to jump into a world of gorgeous pictures, home décor ideas, DIY tips and style trends? We heard many people declare themselves addicted and devoted to their beloved boards, but how do businesses fit in?

It’s all about brand building. And, there are quite a few ways to leverage your brand on Pinterest. Two of the most viable tips we’ve heard include using a daily theme for your pins and strategically following heavy hitters. Daily themed pins often lead to repeat visitors, so come up with a catchy theme for your images and watch the pinners start flooding in. Following the heavy hitters means targeting those who have already established themselves on Pinterest. Similar to Twitter, your aim is to encourage the heavy hitters to follow you back, because along with them, usually comes their large fan base.

According to PR Daily, four types of businesses that would likely benefit from exposure on Pinterest are small businesses, marketing agencies, journalists and media, and corporate branding companies. These businesses should think creatively and pin pictures of their work, breaking news, new trends or innovative ideas.

Whole Foods is an excellent example of a business taking advantage of the visual boards on Pinterest. The grocer chain is a Mecca of healthy living and has created boards that reflect its holistic image. The company doesn’t use the tool solely to promote food items; rather you’ll find boards dedicated to gorgeous gardens with fresh vegetables, images of recycling and even green kitchens. Whole Foods is a great company to look to when making the jump to Pinterest.

Gap is another company utilizing this social media tool. The corporate giant uses unique boards to pique interest from its customers, rather than just posting products. For example, Gap’s ‘wintry’ board features a collection of pictures of snow and icicles, intermingled with pictures of its signature puffer jackets. Without using traditional advertising techniques, the user pictures himself/herself in a winter wonderland outfitted in Gap clothing. Brilliant!

As you can see, Pinterest is not about being overly ‘sales-y’; it’s about creating a lifestyle that promotes your product. With that in mind, the sky is the limit – so get pinning!

Are you active on Pinterest? If so, please provide your Pinterest URL below and share your favorite use for boards!

Productivity Do’s and Don’ts for Social Media PR

We are delighted to once again have Robby Slaughter, Founder of founder of Slaughter Development, a productivity consulting firm, as our guest blogger. Robby, the floor is yours!

Every small business is either constantly working to build its public image or suffering from a lack of PR management. The greatest challenge is often just finding the time to keep a campaign moving. Even worse, in today’s fast-paced world of social media, it may seem nearly impossible to stay productive.  How do you keep on top of social media PR while still getting everything else done?

Most importantly, do build a social media PR strategy and follow it closely. If your plan is one Facebook status update per day, and one Twitter conversation with a journalist each week, create a chart and give yourself gold stars as you make progress. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, but with a definition of everyday success it is possible to move forward.

Don’t overschedule messages. It’s okay to have some of your social media messages set up on a timer so that they go out without you having to be online at the same time. However, if you’re not around to answer the reply, you look like a phony.

Do share what you have accomplished. A key aspect of growing your buzz is showing off your latest projects, even if they are not yet complete. People love to taste the soup while it’s still on the stove, so don’t be afraid to give out links to your fans, friends and followers.

Don’t share if you have nothing to show. The most annoying PR message is a hollow promise. If you’re hoping to launch something but can’t let the audience peek behind the curtain, it’s best not to say anything at all. Doing so is a waste of effort and highly unproductive.

Do share the same content at different times and with different audiences using different text. In fact, write several versions of your announcements all at once, and then schedule them for distribution. This helps to broaden your reach while making it less likely that you will annoy someone by sending  them the same message, word-for-word.

Don’t blindly auto-broadcast to different mediums. Modern technology makes it possible to duplicate a status update from Twitter to LinkedIn to Facebook and beyond. Although this seems like a timesaver, a set-it-and-forget-it approach can backfire. Think carefully about each message before a broadcast to ensure it makes sense on every network before a broadcast. If the tone doesn’t work everywhere, customize before distribution!

Do allocate time to research new tools. Twitter is great, but once you learn about Hootsuite, Tweetdeck and SocialOomph you’ll never go to www.twitter.com again. Mark time down in your calendar to research new software on a regular basis, with the understanding that you might not find anything worth using.

Don’t jump on every new network. You can’t keep up with every fad, and your job is to use tools that have lasting value.  You can’t be productive if you don’t learn to master what you already have.

Do read industry blogs. You’re not the only person in the world trying to leverage social media for public relations without spending 90 hours a week doing so. Learn from others by reading and connecting.

Don’t try to do everything yourself. Ask for help. Draw upon your fans and customers. Hire a public relations firm to assist you in developing and executing a productive social media PR strategy.

You can become more efficient and more effective in using Internet technologies to manage PR. Use this list of what to do and what not to do as a guide.

What are some of your favorite do’s and don’ts for social media PR? We’d love to hear from you!

 

Contest Winner: Best & Worst PR Moves of 2010

It’s the time of year when we tend to reflect on the year that is nearly past and, where the media is concerned, this usually includes a lot of “best of” and “worst of” lists. We thought it would be fun to get your take on these lists, so we asked for your opinions on the best and worst PR moves of 2010. We had a lot of great entries, and we appreciate everyone who sent in their thoughts and comments. Congratulations to Garrett Doan, our first annual Maverick PR Holiday Contest winner.

Garrett says, and we agree, that the Worst PR Move of 2010 was: Lebron James. “Lebron chose a classless way to leave the City of Cleveland after being the hometown hero/son,” Garrett told us. To make matters worse, Lebron failed miserably at his attempt to put a positive spin on his NBA relocation with a ridiculous ESPN show called “The Decision”. Garrett concluded it was simply a circus.

Reputation management is an important component in public relations. But does a brand, such as that of Lebron James, ever get to a point where it is beyond repair once a reputation has been so badly tarnished? Lebron spent an awful lot of time and energy trying to spin his image back to the positive column but as blogger Sarah Wurley recently said, “When conventional wisdom dictates that once you’ve been painted with one brush, it’s really rather difficult to give yourself a fresh coat in a different color.”

It was the big, greasy, sloppy elephant in the room. Take the case of BP after their oil spill disaster in the gulf. Mark Boice, who came in a close second with his entry, reminded us that BP seemingly chose to ignore their oil spill and did not initiate any PR moves in the early days after the spill. It was only after it became a global nightmare did they take responsibility and showed their efforts to clean up the disaster and their reputation. BP was ultimately able to cap off the oil leak but what about the bleeding of their own public image? We’d argue that, moving forward, BP should stop worrying about salvaging their public image. That ship has already sailed.  If they genuinely use their communications with the public to help ease people’s lives and solve problems, eventually, they may find that ship returning to port.

Garrett’s choice for Best PR Move of 2010 is actually a tie between the iPad and the Royal Engagement. While it’s a no-brainer that the iPad product launch was good PR, we submit that it should have been good PR. It’s Apple, after all.

The Royal Engagement is indeed a winner. “The world is falling in love again with the Royal Family with the public announcement of Prince William’s engagement to commoner Kate Middleton,” noted Garrett. “It will be the most watched wedding worldwide since William’s parents, Charles and Diana.”

One element that is so fantastic about this PR move is that the Royal Family, known for being stodgy, distant and out-of-touch, actually embraces social media. The engagement was announced by the Queen (ok, well, by someone on the Queen’s staff) on Twitter, and they even have a Facebook page! They have embraced social media and have used it to win over a whole new generation of adoring fans … proving once again that fairy tales do come true.

Using social media as part of your public relations strategy can multiply the ways a brand can communicate with a wider audience. How will you use social media in your public relations efforts in 2011?