We've Moved!

Verve in Bloom has moved to Wordpress.

From now on, you'll find us at:
http://verveinbloom.wordpress.com

How to Reach Bloggers with Your Story

There are more than 70 million blogs around the world and more are being created every second. Blogs are the new kid on the media relations block – So how do they fit in?

Bloggers are extremely influential in the niche they focus on and their reach is worldwide. More and more, companies are relying on bloggers as a cornerstone of their media relations strategy. For example, CBS recently invited several influential mom bloggers to a bloggers-only press conference to release the new start time of The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Rohit Bhargava, of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, has put together a list of seven tips to help incorporate bloggers into media relations strategies:

1. Before you pitch them, read their blog; don’t pitch a story about pet care to a blogger who writes about technology.

2. Track backs and comments are signs of how visible a blogger is – does your pitch help increase either?

3. Bloggers are experts in their niche.

4. Bloggers are writing what they are interested in and are not bound to write about what you may deem newsworthy.

5. Giving them free-stuff is okay; just don’t expect to control what they write about it.

6. Know who else is talking about you – bloggers network and often communicate with each other.

7. Traditional media relations still apply; bloggers want timely, accurate, and interesting material.



- from Devon Ashbridge, Verve Northwest Summer Intern

Summertime & the Livin' is Eas(ier)

Apologies all around for being a bit slow with the posts so far this month. I think with the rise in temperatures comes an stymied ability to multi-task effectively. And for some reason, that meant In Bloom fell off a bit.

Part of our summertime activities include revamping the Verve Web site. As such, I've been thinking about design and content and navigation and how to maximize our use of cyber real estate.

I will bring more discussion about how we make these decisions and maybe even some sneak peeks as we move through the process. If you have any ideas, speak up!

Making Decisions About Web 2.0 Tools

Solidariti, a blog by Priscilla Brice-Weller and based in Australia, has a terrific post called "Does Effort = Effect." Priscilla has developed a very simple (even I'm not afraid of it) formula for determining which social media applications make the most sense for an organization to participate in.

The "effort" score is made up of the amount of time required to develop the took, the amount of money needed to get going and to maintain and the amount of "in-house geekiness" (technical know-how) required. Rate each on a scale of 1 to 5, resulting in a total max score of 15.

Effect score is much more subjective. Think about the potential effect of each tool for your organization and rank it on a 1 to 5 scale.

The result, a graph that gives you four quadrants:
Yellow: Must Haves (low effort, big effect)
Green: Should Haves (greater effort, big effect - probably worth the time/money investment)
White: Can Have (if you don't spend much time, the effect could be worth it)
Blue: Stay Away! (too much effort, too little effect)


This graph was created for ANTaR, but you can easily do the same for your organization.

A couple of definitions:
Demographic refers to Web sites that appeal to a core demographic and allow nonprofits to participate by having their own page and connecting with potential volunteers, donors, etc.

I have no idea what Bespoke it (up in the corner) and I'm not sure what Priscilla means by maps. Maybe she'll come by and leave a comment...

Great tool! I plan to use it in the near future. I'll try to post the results.

Toe-In-The-Water Strategy for Social Media

Social media means marketing departments, public relations people and CEOs have to let go. They have to let go of control. They have to let the conversation develop and dialogue take place.

And that. is. hard.

If your organization is not ready to open itself up to the world, but wants to dip its toe in the social media water, a couple of things will get your started.


Start monitoring conversation about your organization, key people, trends and issues. The two primary places for monitoring are Technorati and Google Blog Search.

Both services allow you to subscribe via RSS to a feed. I highly recommend Bloglines to manage your feeds. Lots of people would be just as adamant about Google Reader. The benefit to a feed reader is that you can view all your searches and commonly read blogs in one place, keeping your "favorites" folder more manageable.

Start an internal blog. You can define what "internal" means. In a pure sense it would mean internal to your organization. But you can also have an "internal" blog for members only or for your staff and board of directors.

Most blogging platforms allow you to let in or keep out who you want. Wordpress is quickly becoming the Internet standard and has lots of great options for privacy. The Intranet Journal offers this how-to on creating an Intranet via Wordpress.

The clear benefit to an internal blog is that there's still a great deal of control, but you can test systems for posting, monitoring and responding with relative security. You can also foster a blog-friendly culture that will be more open to creating an external blog when the time is right.

CIO Magazine has seven reasons to create an internal blog here.

Understanding blogging culture and social media is an important part of getting started. You'll find some great tips here at Marketing Profs (one of my favorite resources!). And Kami Huyse at Communication Overtones has two excellent posts to which I refer frequently on corporate blogging - here and here.

Need more toe-in-the-water strategies? Media Orchard offers a few additional tips here.

Take your time and be deliberate. It may be an instant medium, but when you're participating on behalf of your organization, it's important to have all your systems, policies and strategies in place before you dive in.

- Kelli


"Toes" via Flickr by Crawford 721.

It Was a Great Workshop!

Thanks to the participants at our first-ever social media workshop this morning: Verve in Bloom.

I'd love to hear what you thought!

In the meantime, here are some links to today's resources:

View the presentations here. (slideshare.net)
Find more resources here. (del.icio.us)

Best Web Tools We're Using Right Now

Thank you, Web 2.0! We've found some terrific free and low priced resources to make working virtually around here work better.

Huddle: A file-sharing, to-do list making, message-leaving, approval-asking collaboration tool. My favorite part is that you can ask someone on your team for approval. If that person edits your document, you can track the edits, as well as ensure that you get the approval (from your supervisor or even a client) that you need. You can give it a whirl for 30 days to see if it works before you sign on for a small per-month charge.



Highrise: Share contact info, track when/where/how an individual was last contacted and if/when/how a follow up should occur. Really ideal for PR folks - the best contact sharing system I found. Those folks over at 37 signals are smart.


Finally, Good Widgets is a super simple and very cool photo widget. Choose from eight different styles and you can upload photos from flickr or webshots or photobucket automatically.

For more great Web 2.0 tools, check out Go2Web2.0.

A Writer's Coach: Learning How to be a Good Writer

Last week I had the privilege of hearing Jack Hart speak at a local PRSA luncheon about his latest book, “A Writer’s Coach.”

Jack Hart, managing editor at The Oregonian, has served as the newspaper’s writing coach and staff development director. His book is the culmination of more than 40 years in the industry working shoulder-to-shoulder with award-winning journalists.

The book is a step-by-step approach to the writing process and what good writers to do produce good writing. Here’s a quick rundown of the six steps of Hart’s writing process:

Step #1: Develop the idea. Understand the difference between a topic and an idea.

Step #2: Plan your reporting and organize your material. What you do before sitting at the computer directly impacts your writing. In other words: It’s obvious when a story is lacking research.

Step #3: Revisit your initial idea to discern a focus. Develop a simple theme statement (Subject-Predicate-Object) that encompasses what you want to say.

Step #4: Develop the story’s structure to convey a message. Take one manageable step at a time, line by line.

Step #5: Draft. Any problem you encounter while writing can be traced to the step before. For example, if you run into research roadblocks, your idea is probably weak.

Step #6: Polish and edit. Editing should be a collaborative effort between the writer and the editor. Read your story to anyone who’ll listen and work together to create seamless copy.

These steps transcend all communication industries from PR, to advertising, to broadcast journalism.

One more writing tip from Hart: “Get right to the main point.”

- Michelle Pera

Creativity Has Its Place

Working with a marketing, PR and design firm should be fun. Your communication team should bring lots of expertise and plenty of fresh ideas. But creativity has its place. Creativity must be part of an overall campaign with your long-term interests at heart.

Making a splash with a bit of media coverage is great. But publicity is only one tactic and often focuses on short-term gains. Media relations should be one tool in the toolkit of your firm.

Having a beautiful brochure is terrific. But a good firm will ask good questions and work to understand your target audience to determine if it's the best method to reach your objectives. Creating a brochure for the sake of having one is a couple of thousand dollars ill-spent.

The key is to balance short-term "splashes" with long-term results. Give your communication team enough time (and enough budget) to do both and the results will be measurable.

- Kelli

Be a Resource: Five Tips for Establishing Expertise

Regardless of your industry or your profit-making status, establishing yourself as an expert brings customers to your door, the media to your phone and visitors to your Web site. But how do you establish expertise?

Be a resource! Read on for five no nonsense ways to stand up and be counted.

1. Provide good content.
Have an up-to-date Web site with content that give people a reason to visit now and then. Articles, opinion pieces, tips, links should all be considered. And keep it fresh. Regularly changing content keeps them coming back for more.

If you manage a doggie day care, include tips about dog care and training, articles on preparing your dog for boarding or fun ideas for doggy birthdays. Or even what doggie moms and dads should look for when choosing day care.

Or maybe you're a massage therapist. Incorporating content on simple stretches you can do at your desk or even extolling the virtues of therapy for people of all ages. When I was pregnant, I sought out resources about pre-natal massage. Had I come across a massage therapist's Web site with relevant content, I'd have been on the phone immediately. As it was, I searched for days before finding a therapist I was comfortable with.

2. Network.
Participating in local organizations like the chamber of commerce or a business leads group is a way to network with other small business owners in your community. Look for a women in business group or even a local Rotary club if you're not sure where to go. Also consider joining industry groups to get fresh ideas from like-minded folks and share resources.

3. Write.
Contribute letters to the editor or opinion-editorials to your local paper. Write newsletter articles for the above-mentioned networking groups. Or start your own newsletter! Collect the email addresses of customers, vendors, industry professionals and colleagues (we call these your stakeholders), you can easily send out a monthly or quarterly email newsletter with tips, articles and opinion pieces.

And, if you haven't guessed already, you can use this material on your Web site and submit them for publication elsewhere. One piece can be repurposed many times, giving you more bang for your buck.

4. Speak.
When you participate in community groups, volunteer for worthy causes and generally get to know people inside and outside your industry, you'll find opportunities to speak are abundant. This, of course, means that you have to overcome your fear of public speaking. With Web resources a'plenty, you can gather advice to help. And practice makes perfect. The more you speak, the more comfortable you are behind the lectern.

5. Tell People.
Finally, just let those in your sphere of influence know that you're interested in writing, speaking and contributing as an expert in your industry. You know what they say, you can't make the sale if you don't ask.

Need a plan? or a writer? or just some advice? Just ask.

- Kelli

Because You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression

The visual identity of your company defines your essence. It is the first thing your client absorbs and the image that stays with them. A consistent visual image must reflect personality, values, and ambitions to accurately represent your company. A strong visual identity is fundamental, here’s why:

A strong visual identity highlights and reinforces your company mission. An aesthetic image integrated with key messages will attract clients and keep them focused on the company message behind the image.

Your visual identity sets you apart from your competition. It makes your company different from all others and should reflect your unique qualities and marketing strategies to make the right impression on your audience.

A great example is the FedEx logo, in a world of browns and yellows, FedEx adds a bit of playfulness. And when you're "in the know," the logo and the company are even more memorable. Notice anything?



A strong visual image makes your company memorable and recognizable. As your signature, it gives you a presence and allows your company to literally ‘make its mark’ in today’s competitive market.

Back in the day Swatch watches were "the" thing to have. Even though the logo hasn't changed since its heyday in the late 80s/early 90s, the Swiss design behind the Swatch logo makes the design timeless. Gen X'ers will always have a special connection with Swatch and I'd say the logo is a big part of that.



A visual image must be a consistent brand for company materials. It serves as a reference and signature on all marketing materials including business cards, websites, newsletters, e-mails, advertisements and letters. A consistent visual image strengthens and unites your key message throughout all mediums.

The market place is constantly in flux and visual identity must adapt. Changes in your company message must lead to changes in your visual image in order for your company to stay modern and unified to strengthen the bonds with your audience.

You can chronicle the history of a company like Pepsi through its logos.

And today, the soft drink has a new millennium look:


What do you think? What companies or organizations have a good (or bad) visual identity?

- Amy Miller

Here Comes the Real World!

I woke up four years ago thrilled for my first day of college. Then, rudely enough, I woke up this morning and realized my graduation ceremony is precisely 24 days too soon. Though I technically graduated early after winter term, much like my friends, I continue to feel the pressure of the 9 to 5 “real” world barreling down.

I am just one of many lucky graduates who have been granted a revolving door to our parents’ houses. And I intend to use it. Moving home may not seem like the real world, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Living in real-life limbo these past few months has had its impact on me. I find that my phone conversations with my parents revolve around finances: “wait mom, do I have to pay my own car insurance? Aren’t you still paying my cell phone bill? Please?”

My schedule is lax at best. I am staring at a summer internship that begins at 8:30 a.m. sharp every morning, yet I usually sleep in until 10 a.m. Trust me, in a few more weeks I will start setting my alarm to get into the early-bird routine. And I won’t stay up ALL night, just most of it.

Perhaps the most profound impact living in limbo has had on me is it has taught me to network. Like so many other grads, I was determined to have a job lined up for after graduation. In a fury, I scheduled informational interviews, wrote dreaded cover letters, put together a portfolio and printed mass quantities of resumes.

Fortunately, my hard work yielded results. I met talented professionals, got a feel for the PR market in Portland and I can confidently go into the “real” world with a 9 to 5 at a respected company. So yes, my mom may still be cooking me dinner, but it’s the baby steps that count, right? - Marisa

Marisa Olson has been our PR intern at Verve since March and we've loved having her around. She's done some stellar work, including coordinating reviews of a new product with regional home and garden publications and contributing to a monthly enewsletter. We will miss her, but know she's off to do great work with Waggener Edstrom in Portland, Ore. - Kelli

I Love the Smell of Commerce in the Morning

I love bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation. I love it so much that I can’t stop telling anyone who will listen about the makeup’s silky, feather-light, and yet complete, coverage. The makeup will revolutionize your morning routine forever and I’ve recently turned a handful of friends into believers.

According to the smart folks over at the Church of the Customer Blog, I am a customer evangelist—someone who is so thrilled about their experience with a product or service that they wholeheartedly support the company.

In Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force, bloggers and authors Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba outline the value of building strong customer relationships along with six basic elements of creating customer evangelists.

Creating advocates takes more than just a good product (although, that’s a good place to start). It takes brand loyalty, open dialogue, addressing customer feedback and improving product quality.

A front-page story in a prominent newspaper or product endorsement by an afternoon talk show diva might prompt me to put on my consumerism hat and head to the mall, but in the end, I still trust a good friend with a stellar word of mouth recommendation.

We might not be friends (yet), but bareMinerals is great. You should try it.

- Michelle

(nod to Mallrats for the title)

A Team of Two (Give or Take)

One solo PR pro + one talented designer = one outstanding boutique communications agency.

When Amy and I decided to work together on a more "regular" basis (and not regular as in we remembered to take our fiber...), we figured we needed a cool name. That's the foundation of any good business, right?

What did we have to offer that other boutique agencies didn't? We were young (21 and 27 at the time). We had lots of enthusiasm. We were fun to work with.

Thanks to thesaurus.com, we found Verve.


If you're trying to find a name for your business, you can't have Verve, it's taken! But here are some synonyms:


So that was five years ago. In that time we've worked with a huge variety of organizations in nearly every imaginable industry. Well, that may be an exaggeration. But we've done a lot of cool stuff.

Right now we're joined by Michelle Pera, account executive and Marisa Olson, intern extraordinaire.

We just wanted to give a little introduction. But this blog isn't going to be a "yay, Verve!" blog (most of the time), but a way for use to share our experiences, some insights and tips. We've also got some fun stuff to talk about. So stay tuned!