Relevant Corporate Volunteerism Means Stronger Employees and Leaders

Posted on April 16, 2012 by

Many companies have corporate volunteerism programs and encourage their associates to become active citizens within the communities they serve. We often find that these types of programs vary from company to company and don’t always connect to the overall company mission, but they should. Corporate volunteerism is actually another opportunity to connect your company’s corporate social responsibility strategy to your overall business goals.

In his recent post on the Co-Exist blog, Jean Case discusses the importance of creating strategic and reliable volunteer programs so companies can ladder up to their overall business goals and engage their employees in a meaningful way.  Case cited a 2011 IBM survey, which found that “88% of Corporate Service Corps participants reported that they had improved their leadership skills through their pro bono work.” Continue reading →

Posted in reliability | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Guest Post: The Power of Relationships by Steve Strauss

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

Guest Blogger: Steve Strauss

I spend my days thinking, writing, and talking about small business. How do you start a successful one? What do you need to do to maintain it? How do you grow it? I write about this every week in my column for USA TODAY, and more extensively in my book, The Small Business Bible. (Which, by the way, just came out in a completely updated 3rd edition a couple weeks ago and I am proud to say that Emanate’s CEO Kim Sample was kind enough to share some very valuable PR tips in it for my readers.)

The issue of how to successfully grow a business is something I hear about from readers quite often: How do they do it? When I see a business that has successfully weathered the inevitable storms and has gone on to create a viable and valuable business, there are all sorts of reasons why, but a main one is the power of relationships. Continue reading →

Posted in recommendation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Predictive Analytics in PR

Posted on April 9, 2012 by

Numbers. Algorithms. Statistics. Most of us PR right-brainers, or creative-types, narrowly  eeked our way through calculus and physics. We are good with language and words, so surely, while wandering down a professional path in the field of communications, one might never expect to rub shoulders with statisticians, or psychologists.

In a recent article in The New York Times, entitled “How Companies Learn Your Secrets,” author Charles Duhigg candidly explains some of the modern day market research methods that companies invest in in order to successfully hone in and geo-target potential and existing customers. In his controversial article, which serves as a prelude to his new book, “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business,” Duhigg uses Target’s statistician, Andrew Pole, as a model as he delves into the theory of predictive analytics, or behavioral consumer research. Continue reading →

Posted in insights | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Sustainable (Compoundable) Social Impact

Posted on April 4, 2012 by

Last week, I invested in helping rural women succeed in South Africa. I did not make a cash donation, or extend a loan to be returned. I invested in a specific cause, and now underserved women in South Africa are a part of my portfolio… alongside any stocks, bonds, cash, real estate, etc.

This is called impact investing – the money I put in has the potential to become a permanent part of my financials, and grow beyond my initial investment. I may ‘get my money back’ in the foreseeable future (with interest), but then can reinvest the original amount (plus the interest), enabling my investment to compound, and the businesses and/or individuals I am investing in, to grow. Continue reading →

Posted in reliability | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Emanate and Topaz Partners Join Forces

Posted on April 2, 2012 by

techHere at Emanate, we have exciting news to share. Topaz Partners, a leading Massachusetts-based technology communications firm, has joined Emanate.

As they become part of the Emanation, they bring with them a deep expertise in the technology industry, strong chops in media and analyst relations, social and digital media, content creation, and a shared philosophy in finding the shortest path to client success. Plus, they’re wicked smaaaht.

This is huge for Emanate, for our people, and for our clients. We’re excited for the work that we will do together for our clients.

And the New York/Boston sports rivalries are already starting.

Read more here.

 

Posted in Emanate In the News, Tech Gems | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Small Business, Big Impact

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

It’s important for businesses both big and small to focus on integrating CSR initiatives into their company platforms, but many small businesses don’t make it a priority. It often appears to be too big of an undertaking for small businesses, as they don’t have the dedicated departments or resources that bigger companies employ to execute their CSR campaigns. The focus of a small business is usually staying in business.  With the proven results that supporting strategic social good can positively impact a businesses’ bottom line, it’s clear that small businesses are missing out.

Man shows off his new prosthetic hand. Photo credit: Odyssey Teams

But small businesses don’t need to look far to develop successful socially responsible campaigns. Nor do they have to be huge undertakings. As with any CSR platform, it needs to reflect the DNA of the company. Continue reading →

Posted in reliability | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Reliable News in a Social World

Posted on March 27, 2012 by

How often do we disconnect ourselves from technology? How can we actually disconnect ourselves from technology? For me, it took a two-week trip to Israel to nearly separate myself from a computer, the Internet and my iPhone.

In this fast-paced world, constant connection to everyone and everything (via Friends, Followers, or the news) seems to trump privacy and separation from outside sources. I was excited to take a break and detach myself. Continue reading →

Posted in recommendation, reliability | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment