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Can There be Trust in Government?

2012-02-02T16:44:00.012-05:00

Recently, Hayslett Group's Michelle Fry was asked to contribute a feature article on government and communications in Atlanta for the IABC/Atlanta magazine, empart.

Government touches us all. And right now it is the cold hand of insecurity that is changing and shaping communications messages to a variety of audiences.

Or so I thought.

Yes, the economy struggles, and the future of our healthcare is unknown.

Taxes change, credit disappears and budgets are cut. Environmental preservation and energy growth rise in conflict. I could go on and on. Every day, government decisions affect messages within our organizations, in the marketplace and around the dinner table.

What about government insiders? How are communications professionals in governmental organizations working within an environment that appears so fraught with gloom and doom? As part of our industry spotlight series, empart magazine sat down with three government communicators to get some perspective. What they shared was both surprising and inspiring.

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Turning the Tide – Transparency and Good Stewardship

Before the recession hit, the number of individuals who said they trusted the government, "always" or "most of the time", was in the low-to-mid 30's. Slightly more than a decade ago, trust was in the high 30's and occasionally over 40 percent. As of September 2011, it’s 15 percent, according to a poll by CNN.

With this as a backdrop, it was exciting to hear from three well-respected federal and local agencies – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) and Fulton County. Their organizations are not only committed to increasing confidence and trust in government, but are also succeeding.

With the economy as it is, and government spending at the top of everyone’s list, it is only logical that the first place to focus on building trust is to increase transparency and communicate acts of good stewardship.

For example, CDC has felt the effects of the economy and experienced budget reductions in the past few years. In response, the agency has streamlined efforts to run as tight a ship as possible. This included a restructuring of the communications office in 2010. CDC recognizes the value of communicating and developing valuable programs, but has also made an effort to stay lean. “We are trying to do what we can to have a secure nation from a health perspective,” says Barbara Reynolds, acting director, Division of News and Electronic Media, Office of the Associate Director for Communication, CDC. “All of our communications depend upon trust and credibility with our audiences. While it is never a good time to cut back on work being done to protect the nation, the CDC is always working to be as accountable as possible with taxpayer dollars. We are committed to work with less to do more.”

IABC member Ericka Davis, who serves as Fulton County’s director of communications, told us that Fulton’s efforts at accountability go far beyond traditional transparency initiatives. “I think citizens are always watching government to see if their tax dollars are being spent wisely, and that we’re being good stewards,” says Davis. “Most criticism and distrust comes from a lack of knowledge and understanding of the process.”

So this year, Fulton County educated and engaged the public with a series of Citizen Sense Budget Sessions. Citizens were given “money,” a list of county programs and services and guidance as to which services were mandated by law. Participants were then asked to share how they would spend the available funds. They were even given the opportunity to raise taxes. “Every single citizen who attended came away saying: 1) We have a really tough job making the determination of what to fund, 2) They had a better understanding of how the process worked and 3) They appreciated the opportunity. It was awesome!”

At the state level, Nicole Linton, IABC member and public relations manager with the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) Public Affairs Division, works hard to communicate positive financial news. As a result, more than $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), GEFA expanded its water, sewer, energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Instead of working in an atmosphere of budget cuts, Linton was tasked with communicating financial boon and new opportunity. With the expansion and addition of programs in the agency’s communications programming, Linton found herself taking traditional PR and marketing strategies to a new level, adding and expanding tactics to meet her audiences’ voracious appetite for “good news.”

Communicators Committed - Innovation and Outreach

In today’s challenging economic and budgetary climate, government communicators are faced with a public starved for information, clarity and assistance. Reynolds, Linton and Davis have risen to the occasion with ideas, innovations, humor and help. Most importantly, they are making themselves increasingly available to citizens, organizations and businesses.

At the CDC, Reynolds noted that government communications is experiencing a lot of change. No longer is there a set news cycle; information is moving at the speed of light and through a plethora of channels. In response, the CDC has become a leader around the use of social media in a government context. For example, after the White House, the CDC has the most Twitter interaction of all government offices with 1.3 million followers.

“Lots of people are paying attention. It’s interesting, and we are developing a real sense of how these channels should be used effectively. Everything we do here [in social media] is an effort to be trusted and credible. We strive for an authentic relationship with the public.”

That authentic relationship has allowed the CDC to use humor and creativity to draw attention to one initiative – emergency preparedness. A member at the CDC wrote a blog entry on how to prepare for a zombie apocalypse. (Yes – you read that correctly.) You can imagine the cult following, reposts, comments and resulting media coverage this created – all which drew attention to the message at hand. The post was followed up by a free, downloadable, zombie comic book on preparedness.

Fulton County’s online interactivity has expanded in droves. Recent efforts include: Fulton Focus, an e-newsletter; Fulton Features, a monthly e-version overview of media coverage; Ask F.R.A.N. (Fulton County’s Research Access Network), an electronic research repository; and live Twitter chats on tax assessments, foreclosures and the budget. The county also has expanded its Facebook presence, and even hosted a live town hall meeting on the budget where citizens could watch on TV, online and call, email, tweet or post questions in real time. “We’ve been working hard to find ways to communicate to our citizens and stakeholders,” says Davis.

Perhaps the county’s biggest success is its new-and-improved website. Due to citizen feedback and a C- rating from online government watch dog, The Sunshine Review, Fulton County has spent the last two years creating a website that meets audience needs. Simple navigation, better organization and a new transparency section, “Eye on Fulton,” has resulted in an updated A+ rating and positive feedback from citizens.

A Light in the Dark – Resources for Troubled Times

Fulton’s website was deemed A+ because citizens could turn to Fulton County and find what they wanted and what they needed. Davis says, “As citizens find themselves facing their own economic challenges, the need for government becomes more pronounced, not less so. For example, something as simple as going to a bookstore and buying books now becomes a luxury, and you will see more citizens using our libraries to check out books or use computers. Citizens who work in places without health insurance turn to public health facilities for care. Interest in our services definitely increases.”

Communicating the availability of services and making them easy to access has become critical in recent years, and has spotlighted government organizations as they serve as valuable resources for citizens and organizations who need help.

For example, GEFA’s programs, such as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program and Georgia’s Clean Energy Property Rebate Program, make it possible for community developments to save money, and increase community value as they are developed in environmentally and cost-efficient ways. The expansion of programs, such as the Weatherization Assistance Program, has made it possible for thousands of low-income residents to improve their homes’ energy efficiency– saving money and improving the overall effect on Georgia’s environment. All of these programs increased GEFA communications efforts, from announcing funding to communicating information and updates on individual projects.

At the CDC, the agency has a straightforward policy as a resource: nothing they produce is copyrighted, and it is available to all. The CDC Learning Connection (www.cdc.gov/learning) exists as a forum for those looking for tools in their own world. CDC partners with state and local health agencies, and budgets at all levels are being decimated. To fill the gaps, the CDC tries to share communications expertise and research, in addition to developing and offering products like PR tool kits, templates, advertising, etc., which can be tailored for a community.

“The CDC is committed to sharing knowledge and making ourselves available 24/7. We are a mere phone call or email away," says Reynolds.

Read the full issue of empart online.

HG wins IABC Silver Flame for Physician Recruitment Mailer

2011-11-01T13:38:00.004-04:00

Four Corners Primary Care Center, Inc., a Federally Qualified Health Center located in Norcross, GA provides non-emergency, affordable and accessible healthcare for families. After learning about the center’s desire to grow their single-physician practice, Hayslett Group worked with the program director to create a marketing plan to recruit a new full-time physician to the facility. A central piece of that plan included the creation of direct mail pieces for each target (Family Practice and Internal Medicine), which Hayslett Group developed and produced. The challenge was to position the opening as a unique opportunity without disclosing salary details, and to make it attractive to physicians in a highly competitive metro market.

Audiences: Family Practice and Internal Medicine physicians in Metro Atlanta (2,250)

Implementation: Hayslett Group interviewed the interim CEO of the facility and worked with the county director of public relations and health promotions to develop a marketing piece for physician recruitment. Several conversations with leadership unearthed the special benefits that this government funded clinic offered (govt. holidays, tuition reimbursement, set hours, no paperwork). Hayslett Group wrote and designed the piece and coordinated production and distribution of the piece.

Evaluation: Within four weeks of distribution, the facility received inquiries regarding the position, totaling 10 candidates over an approx. 12 week time span.

For more on the IABC Golden Flames, visit http://atlanta.iabc.com/awards/.

Big Expo, Big Connections

2011-09-20T13:58:00.001-04:00

Hayslett Group’s Dori Mendel and Jessica Hayslett tackled the networking scene at this year’s 2011 Gwinnett Big Expo Event at the Gwinnett Center. The August 18^th expo, which showcased a large number of Gwinnett and Metro Atlanta based companies and organizations, was bustling with energy and excitement. Set to “Refresh, Refocus and Reenergize” the masses, Mendel and Hayslett spent the day sharing client stories and keeping attendees cool with HG water bottles. Overall, Hayslett Group marked another successful year of making connections and learning about the dynamic businesses of Gwinnett. Leads from the expo event serve as a reminder of the power of branding and marketing, and that it’s always good to engage in professional community events.

New Client: Carlock Copeland & Stair (CCS)

2011-09-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

Carlock Copeland & Stair (CCS), a law firm of nearly 80 attorneys, works with private companies and insurers throughout the Southeast on civil litigation issues. The firm specializes in commercial, health care, trucking and transportation, and construction litigation as well as general liability. Hayslett Group will be working with CCS to redesign the firm's publication and collateral materials.

For more information, visit www.carlockcopeland.com

New Client: Georgia Association of REALTORS

2011-08-22T14:14:00.001-04:00

Over the years, the Georgia Association of REALTORS (GAR) has worked with Hayslett Group on a number of projects including a public affairs campaign featuring eminent domain rights and annual media training sessions for GAR leadership. This year, GAR turned to Hayslett Group again for help in developing and producing a membership benefits video.

For more information on the Georgia Association of REALTORS, visit www.garealtor.com.

A Decade of Devotion

2011-08-08T15:19:00.000-04:00

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Hayslett Group associate Ann Collins. Ann’s combination of corporate and community experience, from BellSouth to real estate and after school arts programming, helped land Ann at Hayslett Group in a tale of “being in the right place at the right time.”

Ten years ago, Ann stood on her employer’s loading dock sorting through furniture that the newly bankrupt company was selling. It was at that moment that Ann came across Kackie Gilbert, who inquired about the furniture and situation. After sharing the story of the company and leading Kackie to the office to view the remaining furniture, the two got to talking. It turned out Kackie was the vice president of a local public relations firm, Hayslett Sorrell, and they were looking for a receptionist. That introduction led to an interview with Charlie and Judy Hayslett and onto a career at Hayslett Group. A true story of fate.

Over the past decade, Ann has been an instrumental member of Hayslett Group and has assisted with a number of outreach projects, proving time and time again to be an indispensible part of our firm family. As we look to the next decade of success at Hayslett Group, we look forward to the continued involvement and dedication of our employees, like Ann, of whom we’re thankful to have in the right place at the right time.

Introducing Katie Weiser, MPH, as a Partner Up! for Public Health Intern

2011-07-06T15:47:00.007-04:00

On behalf of Hayslett Group and the Partner Up! for Public Health campaign, we would like to take a moment to recognize Katie Weiser, MPH, as a summer intern for the Partner Up! for Public Health campaign.

Partner Up! for Public Health, funded by Healthcare Georgia Foundation, is a statewide advocacy campaign designed to advance public health in Georgia.

We met Katie at the Georgia Public Health Association's 82nd Annual Meeting & Conference in April. She is a recent Masters of Public Health (MPH) graduate from the University of Georgia and we are thrilled to have her on board to help us advance public health in Georgia.

In addition to day-to-day responsibilities related to the campaign, Katie has specifically been tasked with locating and engaging academic and student communities in Georgia.

Most recently, Katie launched a Partner Up! Student Internship Program that is housed as a Student Portal on our campaign website. This initiative is designed to connect knowledgeable public health students with meaningful internships. Organizations are encouraged to post available internship opportunities and/or capstone project opportunities directly on the site.

A Video Contest is another way Katie is looking to engage student and academic communities. The Video Contest, scheduled to launch in the fall, will mirror the "This is Public Health" national campaign and will hopefully engage students at all nine public health schools across the state.

She is also working directly on several items with Michelle Putnam, MPH, executive director for HealthSTAT and Amanda Ptashkin, J.D., outreach and advocacy director for Georgians for a Healthy Future.

Learn more about the Partner Up! for Public Health campaign by visiting our website and to view our Student Portal that features available internships across the state, click here.

For additional questions or comments, contact us directly partnerup@togetherwecandobetter.com.

Hayslett Group Launches Facebook Page

2011-06-21T08:28:00.001-04:00

Check us out on Facebook, and if you're feeling friendly...like us!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hayslett-Group/186572411394030

The No-No Deck

2011-06-13T10:47:00.000-04:00

Creative Director Michelle Fry spent last Thursday evening on the No-No Deck at Roswell’s North of NOLA restaurant for a steamy evening of networking with members of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber hosts several networking opportunities for members and non-members each month, and most are hosted by a Chamber member. Michelle had a great time meeting other local business folk, sippin’ a Purple Haze and nibbling on deep fried jalapenos!

New Client: The Georgia Association of Community Service Boards

2011-06-08T10:39:00.000-04:00

Since 1994, the Georgia Association of Community Service Boards (GACSB) has lead the development and operation of cost effective, high quality, mental health, developmental disability and addictive disease services in Georgia. With 27 member organizations providing community based care across the state, the GACSB is dedicated to its mission of promoting the exchange of information, representing its members on legislative and administrative matters, and campaigning for the highest quality of life for consumers of mental health, developmental disability and addictive disease services. Hayslett Group will work with the GACSB and its members on media relations, social media and other communications strategy development in an effort to increase GACSB and CSB brand awareness statewide.

To learn more, please visit http://www.gacsb.org/.

Yes, and…

2011-05-19T09:44:00.001-04:00

Hayslett Group’s Katie Little and Michelle Fry attended a Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce luncheon this past Wednesday at Ippolito's on Holcomb Bridge Road. The topic of the luncheon was intriguing, “Improving Your Business with Improv,” and the garlic butter rolls were delicious. As a marketing and PR firm, folks often perceive us as “more creative” than other types of business entities and industries. We certainly exercise our creative muscles daily, but so do most people -- regardless of whether they are software developers, CEOs of hospitals, administrative professionals or any other profession you can imagine out there. Being “creative” means developing and exploring ideas and options in regards to problem-solving. That problem could be how to introduce a new product, how to motivate your employees, how to reduce costs in shipping, etc. You get the idea. Basically, we are all creative, and we all need ways to keep our creative muscles nurtured, healthy and strong.

Improvisation, or “to invent, compose, or perform with little or no preparation”, may seem a little artsy for a lot of companies, but I think some of the basic principles of improv can easily be incorporated in our workplace attitudes, even if we don’t go so far as to stand in a circle and shout out ideas. The following are just a few concepts or “commandments of improv” that were shared with us, and I think they are great concepts to keep near our hearts when we are problem-solving at work:

Trust

Trust your co-workers, boss, whomever you are discussing your problem with. Believe that they are interested in solving the problem too, and that they are interested in your ideas.

Agree on Stage: Don’t Argue

When brainstorming, or thinking through problems, saying “No, that won’t work.” immediately kills any creative juices. Negative comments make individuals feel uncomfortable – that their ideas are “not right”, thereby causing them to clam up and not share. There is plenty of time later to sort out the best ideas and approaches. This is where the “Yes, and…” comes into play as a segue to other ideas.

Listen

In improv, if you are not listening to your fellow actors, it just doesn’t work. You can’t build ideas off each other if you are not listening.

Mistakes Are Good

Know that out of 10 ideas, nine might not be so hot. Who cares? Mistakes come from trying to come up with great ideas. If you don’t try -- no ideas.

Make the Other Person Look Good

This ties into listening. Listen to others and their ideas. Recognize something good in their ideas, and compliment them about it. Build off it. This fosters trust, engagement and confidence, not just in your brainstorming session, but in the workplace in general.

While the presentation was brief, we had a refreshing glimpse of how we could rekindle the creative fires (and interpersonal relationships) at the office. I hope you can use some of these ideas yourself. If you want to learn more about improv for business, the speakers, or the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, check out:

Blank Stage Productions, www.blankstageproductions.com

Speaker and Author of “Improv to Improve Your Business,” Vanessa Lowry, LinkedIn, www.connect4leverage.wordpress.com

Speaker and Author of “Improv to Improve Your Business, ”Jim Hogan, LinkedIn

Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, www.gnfcc.com

"Cheers for Communities" Fundraiser

2011-05-05T09:45:00.000-04:00

On April 14, ten local women came together to raise funds and awareness for Communities in Schools of Atlanta, Inc (CIS). The event organizer, Hayslett Group’s Dori Mendel, selected the organization for its positive and local impact on Atlanta Public Schools and Dekalb county students.

The fundraiser event, held at a local Sandy Springs bar, Three Sheets Atlanta, featured a number of silent auction items and raffle tickets ranging from a signed CSI NY Script to private cooking lessons and custom jewelry. Overall, the event pulled in $1,000 in donations for CIS of Atlanta. The money raised will go directly to the organization and assist with special programs such as CIS attendance rewards.

“We all use our networking in everyday life for business pursuits, so I thought, why not leverage our collective connections for a greater cause,” said Mendel. “The turnout and donations from the event exceeded my expectations and underscored the generous and powerful nature of networking.”

CIS of Atlanta was established in 1972, and over the last three decades, it has helped thousands of young people earn high school diplomas and go on to become productive members of their communities. Currently, CIS of Atlanta supports 62 schools in Atlanta and DeKalb County, including 20 elementary schools, 19 middle schools, 22 high schools and one nontraditional school. In Georgia, there are 48 local CIS organizations, serving students in 52 counties and 59 school systems. To find out more about CIS in Georgia, go to www.cisga.org.

Gov. Deal Addresses GPHA Conference

2011-04-26T13:35:00.013-04:00

Governor Deal recently addressed the Georgia Public Health Association on April 13, 2011, at its 82nd Annual Meeting & Conference. More than 400 public health advocates attended the conference held at the Crowne Plaza off of Powers Ferry Road.

Gov. Deal's speech came right after the recent General Assembly's passage of House Bill 214, which would establish a standalone Department of Public Health.

The Governor praised the work of GPHA and their efforts in protecting the health of Georgia's citizens. In addition, he shed light on one of Georgia's most pressing public health issues - childhood obesity.

Dr. Fitzgerald, Georgia's new Director of Public Health, also addressed the more than 400 attendees. Dr. Fitzgerald was appointed by Gov. Deal in February 2011 to run the state's Division of Public Health, currently part of the Department of Community Health.

Media coverage appeared the very next day in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia Health News, the Augusta Chronicle, and CBS Atlanta.

In addition to helping with conference planning and implementation, Hayslett Group's Partner Up! for Public Health campaign played an integral role in the three-day event. Campaign representatives hosted an exhibitor booth, inviting public health officials, advocates, students and others to view campaign press materials and ask questions about the campaign. Visitors were invited to explore the campaign's County-by-County Health Data and Rankings Report, sign up to receive news updates about the campaign and sign an e-petition stating they would support additional funding for public health.

Campaign spokesperson and Hayslett Group CEO, Charlie Hayslett, addressed the Board of Health Training Institute on the first day and presented a Workshop Presentation that focused on Rebuilding Public Health in Georgia.

For more on the Partner Up! for Public Health campaign, visit www.togetherwecandobetter.com.

Partner Up! for Public Health is a statewide advocacy campaign funded by Healthcare Georgia Foundation and designed to advance public health in Georgia. The campaign was launched in October 2009 as part of a multifaceted effort to rebuild a public health system that has been decimated by budget cuts in recent years.

Online Benchmarking Challenges

2011-04-19T11:33:00.004-04:00

Online interaction -- and how we measure its effectiveness -- seems to change daily! It can be frustrating to maintain online awareness and activity reports that can't accurately span six months when the very measurements (and the tools themselves) built into newer online tools like Youtube, Twitter and Facebook are constantly in development. While online communication STILL has a huge advantage to other traditional mediums when it comes to measured communications, I just wish the world was a little less BETA, and we could count on how things worked. That said, I suppose it is the challenges we meet each day that make life interesting. Read on to explore the implications of Facebook's Fan-to-Like transition and how it can mean much more than a simple number/name shift.

Thundertech's The Facebook "Like" button: what does it mean for brands?

Heads up to Government or Healthcare IT

2011-04-15T08:58:00.002-04:00

It's rare that communications case studies focus on a government entity or healthcare IT, but for those of us working in these industries...our day has come! Come join us as we WILL be in attendance to talk with others who do what we do and experience similar challenges as we try to communicate to our audiences. IABC's breakfast event next week features:

Justine Holcomb of the State Personnel Administration addresses a massive engagement project recently completed with employees and agencies across the state.

and

Margie Driscoll of McKesson Provider Technologies shares insights into how McKesson builds relationships with diverse business targets and c-suite level executives.

Here's a bit more on the event and how you can attend...

You know your targets, here's how you really engage them...

Drop the kids off early and skip morning traffic altogether. Join us for breakfast to learn real tactics for finding and captivating your audiences today. IABC Atlanta is bringing you case studies and experiences that work - whether you're reaching out to diverse businesses, employee groups, sponsors or the public. On Tuesday, April 26, 2011, meet with IABC Atlanta for breakfast and re-energize yourself with excellent ideas to empower your audiences. Where are your audiences and how can you motivate them? What gets them to respond and stay tuned? Our speakers will share their initiatives, challenges, solutions and results to help you make the most of your outreach. Register now.

Brains Agree: The Case for Website Usability Guidelines

2011-04-12T07:37:00.005-04:00

I admit I am a minimalist when it comes to website design. This works to the benefit of the majority of our clients. Because the messages, issues and actions related to many of our clients' communications goals are extremely complex, I design extremely simple websites. The idea being that my clients need their visitors to concentrate on the task, information or action at hand, and not be swayed by anything that may distract them from their purpose. For example, I have designed sites that:

educate visitors on the importance of establishing a statewide trauma care network, and the need to encourage legislators to support funding for it;
explain the necessity of supporting Open Heart Services Certificate-of-Need application within a community and its connection to top-of-the-line care for individuals and their families; and
engage citizens in a multi-year environmental transportation study that includes input, research and reports from hundreds of sources.

While my strategy is to declutter and focus so visitors can begin to grasp the complexity of the content at hand, this strategy works just as well when you want a visitor to focus on a key message, new product line or service highlight. The idea being: if elements in your site are not working for whatever the goal of the page is -- they are working against it. Here's an article I recently read that helps explain how our brains work and how website design works (or doesn't) in relation to our brains' natural function.

From Web Marketing Today, Brains Agree: The Case for Website Usability Guidelines, Todd Follansbee, WebMarketingResources.net - Apr 12, 2011

Significant Percentage of Bills and Resolutions Never Pass

2011-04-11T09:57:00.002-04:00

Going into the last three days of the GA 2011 legislative session, the House has introduced 638 bills and 809 resolutions. The Senate has also introduced another 277 bills and 544 resolutions. This is a combined total of 2,268 legislative measures.

To date, Governor Deal has signed only 8 pieces of legislation, with HOPE, lobbyist registration and the Supplemental Appropriations being the most notable. Of the 638 House bills, only 83 have passed both bodies. Of the 277 Senate bills, only 27 bills have passed both bodies. Over the final days of the legislative session, usually 50-100 additional bills will pass. If this activity level continues, less than 1 out of every 6 bills introduced will ever become law.

Care of: Regional Business Coalition of Metropolitan Atlanta (RBC)

The Regional Business Coalition of Metropolitan Atlanta (RBC) is an organization of over a dozen local Chambers of Commerce throughout the metro Atlanta region. RBC member chambers represent over 15,000 member companies who employ over 2 million metro Atlanta residents. The RBC's primary goal is to represent the interests of RBC Chamber members on regional public policy issues impacting our transportation, water and air quality and to advocate for solutions that improve metro Atlanta's quality of life and economic vitality.

Top 5 SoMe Mistakes Small Businesses Make

2011-04-08T08:04:00.004-04:00

Seems like clients are either desperate to use social media or horrified by the thought. We believe in using social media where appropriate and effective vs. jumping on the bandwagon. It needs to be the right tool for the right job, and you have to know how to use the tool, and commit to using it -- otherwise it is worthless. For example, if you buy an electric toothbrush, but (a) don't charge it, or (b) put it in your vanity drawer and don't use it -- it is a wasted investment. SoMe is the same way. If you choose to introduce a SoMe tool to augment your communications program, make sure you don't fall prey to these common pitfalls. While the article referenced is specific to Facebook, the rules can apply to most SoMe applications.

1. Broadcasting
2. Not Investing Adequate Time
3. Being Boring or Predictable
4. Failing to Learn About Application Mechanics and Tools
5. Violating the Application's Terms

Check out the full article @ http://mashable.com/2011/04/02/5-facebook-marketing-mistakes-small-businesses-make/

Using Our Powers for Good!

2011-03-22T09:32:00.003-04:00

Luckily for us, here at Hayslett Group we get to work on a large number of projects that make a difference in people's lives. Whether it's helping communicate important health care services to a community, educating citizens about the state of public services, or connecting individuals with the right people to achieve organizational goals, we often get to feel good at the end of the day in regards to what we've done. This recent article, pitched on behalf of our client, McCarthy Building Companies, is one of those happy stories we are always excited to share. It reminds us of how big companies can and do care about their communities and individuals.

With help from company, Lilburn resident gets ‘man cave’, Gwinnett Daily Post

LILBURN — Drew Leathers is a charming 23-year-old. He is funny, intelligent and engaging.

And he’s been living since age 10 with a condition called schwannamatosis, a rare form of neurofibromatosis, which has rendered him wheelchair-bound. Of the many changes this disease has brought into this young man’s life, independence and navigating his living space have been the two most imposing. But now all of that has changed.

After hearing Leathers’ story through the friend of a friend at McCarthy Building Companies’ Southeast team, company leaders decided to do whatever they could to help Leathers’ situation. Through a program called Heart Hats, McCarthy assembled a team of volunteers consisting of professional subcontractors as well as company employees. The team set to work changing the young man’s life, and the life of his family, for the better.

Read the whole article:

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/community/headlines/With_help_from_company_Lilburn_resident_gets_man_cave_116941173.html

Three Cheers for Three Promotions!

2011-03-09T08:54:00.002-05:00

Congrats to our recently promoted staffers! They deserve it!

Russ Williams, who marks six years at Hayslett Group and manages clients such as the Georgia Department of Transportation and Gwinnett Medical Center, was promoted from Vice President to Senior Vice President and will be assuming expanded firm management responsibilities.

Katie Little Blevins, who has been with the firm for three years and leads much of the firm's social media work, was promoted from Account Executive to Senior Account Executive; and

Dori Mendel, who recently marked her second anniversary with Hayslett Group and plays a key role in its media relations work, was also promoted from Account Executive to Senior Account Executive.

When asked what they felt was the most satisfying accomplishment they achieved during their time at HG, our team members said:

"Winning a PRSA Georgia Phoenix Award for a McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. feature in College Planning & Management’s July 2010 issue." - Dori Mendel

"I would say working on the Georgia Statewide Trauma Campaign was the most satisfying. It was so exciting to drive a campaign that brought together business people, healthcare folks and citizens statewide – all in an effort to make the lives of all of our citizens better. I was allowed the opportunity to meet and work with people from everywhere, share their stories and energize their actions…and I guess I am pretty happy that my media relations efforts scored pretty high too!!! (500 news clips/49 newspapers/19 television stations/102 radio stations and affiliates) " - Katie Little Blevins

“Assisting Gwinnett Medical Center in achieving approval from the state to create their open heart program is one of my most gratifying achievements. We helped build a groundswell of public support that is bringing a vital lifesaving service to a community in need.” - Russ Williams

Post Expo Excitement

2011-03-07T11:31:00.006-05:00

Business people–and aspiring entrepreneurs–showed up in droves to the 2011 Business Expo, presented March 4 by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.

The six cities of North Fulton–Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park and Sandy Springs–were the title sponsors, along with Progress Partners.

Hayslett Group's Charlie Hayslett, Katie Little Blevins and Michelle Clark Fry attended and presented our services at a booth. We made great contacts, had some fantastic local food and engaged in spirited and enthusiastic conversation regarding the state of North Fulton. A great time was had by all!

Don't believe us? Check out the Roswell Patch's shot of Director of Creative Services, Michelle Clark Fry, as she gesticulates excitedly, explaining our services to a fellow Chamber member and Expo attendee. For more photos from the event, visit Roswell Patch.

Heart-ly working….

2011-02-24T15:32:00.002-05:00

Hayslett Group Senior Account Managers Dori Mendel and Katie Blevins test out the photo booth at the most recent Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) community event. Hayslett Group works with GMC to plan and communicate a series of community health events presented by Gwinnettt Medical Center and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. The event pictured marks a year of successful events with attendance swelling to over 225 participants! In 2010, Hayslett Group and GMC received a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Certificate of Excellence for the program series. Here’s to continued success in 2011!

PRSA Georgia Real World Conference Video

2011-02-24T14:48:00.004-05:00

Check out the video from this inspiring event for young communications professionals! Thanks to Dori Mendel for her hard work on the Conference and her commitment to guiding and growing the future of PR!

Visit Hayslett Group at the 2011 North Fulton Business Expo

2011-02-08T13:22:00.002-05:00

Sponsored by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, the 2011 North Fulton Business Expo is a full day of extraordinary business opportunities. This event features over 85 of North Atlanta’s leading companies in the Exhibit Hall and University Seminars that are focused on putting your business on the path to success! Come visit Hayslett Group and other businesses on March 4th!

For more information, go to: www.gnfccexpo.com

Hayslett Group supports PRSA Georgia Real World Conference

2011-01-19T16:06:00.001-05:00

Hayslett Group is serving as a in-kind sponsor for PRSA Georgia’s Real World student conference on Feb. 18, 2011. In addition to donating name tags for conference participants, Hayslett Group is represented through Senior Account Executive Dori Mendel. Serving as this year’s Student Outreach Team Lead, Dori is responsible for coordinating student outreach, communications and conference registration. Hayslett Group is proud to support this program for the second year in a row and wishes all the PRSA Georgia supported schools and other attending universities success at Real World 2011.

Losing Control of the Public Health Brand

2010-12-07T14:33:00.001-05:00

"Losing Control of the Public Health Brand: Cost & Consequences"
Charles Hayslett, Atlanta Hospital News and Healthcare Report

For more than a year, our firm has been managing an advocacy campaign aimed at rebuilding Georgia’s Public Health System. Called Partner Up! for Public Health, the campaign is funded by Healthcare Georgia Foundation, a philanthropic organization whose leaders had concluded that the state’s public health system was falling into a state of crisis.

The readers of this publication will understand that crisis better than most. Over the past decade, as the state’s population grew 20 percent, its public health budget fell from a high of $171.8 million in FY2003 to $148.4 in FY2010 (and these cuts began well before the economic downturn). Today, we spend about four cents per capita per day on public health – less than one-fourth of what Alabama’s spends – and we’re pretty much getting what we pay for.

Read more...

IABC Golden Flames Announces HG wins!!!

2010-10-04T09:13:00.003-04:00

We know we are up for Bronze, Silver or Gold for these projects!!! Wish us luck!

AWARD TITLE: Partner Up! For Public Health logo

AWARD RECIPIENT(S): Healthcare Georgia Foundation / Hayslett Group

AWARD TITLE: revive285 Alternatives video

AWARD RECIPIENT(S): ARCADIS/GDOT/GRTA / Hayslett Group

AWARD TITLE: Open Heart Campaign

AWARD RECIPIENT(S): Southern Regional Health System / Hayslett Group

2010 Public Relations Society of America Phoenix Finalists!

2010-09-29T12:26:00.003-04:00

Yay! We have won either first (Phoenix) or second (Certificate of Excellence) for the following projects:

Gwinnett Medical Center and Hayslett Group - The Heart Truth: An In-Depth Investigation (Event)

Healthcare Georgia Foundation and Hayslett Group - Partner Up! for Public Health Leadership Academies (Event Series)

ARCADIS/GDOT/GRTA/Hayslett Group - revive285 Alternatives video (YouTube video)

Arnall Golden Gregory and Hayslett Group - Interbasin Transfers: Whiskey is for drinking; Water is for fighting (Article)

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. and Hayslett Group - Safety 101: A Contractor's Perspective (Article)

https://www.prsageorgia.org/awards/phoenix-awards.cfm

HG goes BIG with Gwinnett Chamber Expo

2010-08-31T14:00:00.005-04:00

Network, network, network. This age-old concept of basic face-to-face communication is resonating more than ever with businesses and organizations in terms of procuring new business leads and keeping active businesses afloat. After almost 16 years, Hayslett Group remains a believer in building lasting relationships through networking, exemplified by our participation in Gwinnett Chamber’s BIG Expo event, sponsored by our client, Gwinnett Medical Center. The event drew in a diverse mix of businesses and organizations, offering a range of services and goods. With approximately 7,000 attendees, from both the neighboring job fair and expo participants, Hayslett Group had the opportunity to scope out some of Gwinnett’s business offerings, showcase a number of our successful client campaigns, and build relationships with fellow Chamber members.

Events like the Expo, half networking event-half trade show, serve as a platform for businesses to share and discuss their achievements while also learning about current markets’ needs. They also create a relaxed setting in which to connect with individuals you may not come across on a daily basis (We met someone whose husband works for one of our clients- small world). At the close of the expo, with sore throats and tired legs, we emerged with a good number of businesses interested in our services, a few new friends and a newly energized spirit about how Hayslett Group can serve the Gwinnett market. This expo provided an exercise in what it takes to: remain marketable and relevant to a local community, engage potential clients, and reaffirm the value of the most basic tactic for making any business a success – networking.

Measuring Success in Social Media

2010-08-05T13:20:00.003-04:00

Came upon this article as I was reading the CW Bulletin, a publication from the International Association of Business Communicators. With new media campaigns in full force, and everyone touting the value of how many friends or followers they have, I am happy to see someone else notice that it is quality not quantity that measures social media success. I also love the straightforward responses to this.

Measuring Success in Social Media: An interview with Katie Paine

Katie Paine is CEO and founder of Katie Paine and Partners, a marketing and PR measurement consultancy, and the author of the book Measuring Public Relationships. In an interview with Executive Editor Natasha Nicholson for the CW Radio podcast, she talked about how social media have changed marketing and PR, and offered tips on how communicators can measure their social media efforts.

NN: In your article for the November-December 2009 CW, you mention three mental earthquakes, or changes, that are taking place in marketing and PR because of social media. Could you explain more about what those are?

KP: Well, the first one is probably the one that everybody is probably most aware of, which is the redefinition of timeliness. I use the example of when there was a dust-up with the leading blogger Robert Scoble and Facebook. At the time Facebook was our client, and I was following it pretty carefully. A couple of hours after I started following it, Shel Israel, another very prominent blogger, said, “It’s been three hours, where’s Facebook?” And it suddenly occurred to me that three hours is a lifetime in social media. So our whole notion of what it is to be timely has to change.

The other thing is that our whole definition of success has to change because for too long communication was really focused on gaining eyeballs. That it’s somehow communication’s role to reach media or some other interim thing that eventually reached the customer. It was all about if I reach this, I can reach this many potential eyeballs.

We have to redefine our measure of success. Because it used to be that big numbers were better. So a million “eyeballs” in The New York Times or a million “eyeballs” per month on nytimes.com doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is how many people actually do something. So it’s not how many eyeballs but what the people who own those eyeballs are actually doing with the stuff you are sending. Are they clicking? Are they engaging, responding or retweeting? Are they signing up? Are they giving you an e-mail address? Are they actually interacting with your brand? That’s what matters. And it’s going to be very small numbers.

I use the example that in the olden days, Walmart would have counted success by reaching 11 million people or 11 million moms. Now they credit 11 moms who got a whole bunch of people to get engaged with their product. They literally said, “one of the reasons we made our profit numbers in quarter one of this year [2009] was because of those 11 moms.” Eleven. Not 11 million, but just 11. That’s all it took, because those moms became engaged with the brand, passed on the information and literally contributed to sales.

NN: How do you think communicators are reacting to these changes? Do you think they are in tune and able to be nimble?

KP: I actually think that this is going to be one of those big times where you see people being nimble and getting a huge jump on the competition. As with any company or organization in down times or times of a recession, those companies that continue to invest in marketing, continue to invest in communication, tend to leapfrog the competition, if the competition is retrenching and retreating and cutting their communication budget. Really what’s happening now—never mind the recession—is a great opportunity.

Probably about 40 percent of people out there are really embracing social media and getting into it, understanding it and really learning how to take advantage of this whole new crazy social media world. And then there’s the other side of the coin, which is, “I can’t deal with it, it’s too scary; the lawyers won’t let me, it can’t be measured”—excuses, excuses, excuses. And those people doing that aren’t going to be around for very long.

NN: It’s that last question about measurement that keeps coming up probably from that last 60 percent—the question of, “Well, how do you measure it?” If a company is doing well, how can you point to its social media presence as part of that success?

KP: It’s not very complicated. It’s the same kind of measurement we’ve had all along. There are three basic tools you use.

One is content analysis. So you analyze what is being said about you, you analyze the conversation and you find out: Are they positioning you the way you want to be positioned? Are they communicating your key messages? Are they communicating the thoughts of your thought leaders? Are they getting your brand premises, your brand promises, characteristics and attributes? Are those things being talked about?

Or are they talking about the competition? Are they basically bashing you? There are lots of different ways to hurt your brand in social media. And what you want to know is: Are they? So there’s basic content analysis. We’ve been doing it on traditional media for decades now, and yes it’s a little more complicated now because there’s a little bit more variety. It’s not like five different article types or 27 different types of conversations. It’s not as easy to say simply that there’s a reporter and a publication because there’s now actually a blogger, the blog itself and commenters. So now it’s a little more complicated, but basically [it’s] the same principle—you develop a set of parameters you want to track, and you track them, and you have people coding them. That is all one way of saying yes, my share of favorable positioning is 20 percent better than it was at last year this time. That’s success.

The second method that we’ve had all along is surveys. Granted, the surveys are now being done electronically, but if you want to know whether you are improving your relationships with your customers, or improving your reputation, or the awareness of your product, or your brand preference or any of those things, you can still do that. You can basically do a study, institute some social media stuff and do another study and see whether things have changed. That’s the same way we’ve been measuring awareness, preference, reputation and relationships for decades.

The big difference, and this is probably the biggest difference between old measurement and new measurement, is now we have very sophisticated web analytics. Whether you pay for something like Omniture or you use Google Analytics, you have far more sophisticated things. So when Southwest does something on its blog, it goes into its tracking system, which goes into its CRM system, which says yes in fact that blog is responsible for X number of ticket sales. If you don’t have a system like that, you can still look at your Google Analytics and say, “Yes, in fact my traffic is up 20 percent since I did XYZ on Twitter. From my Facebook page, I am getting 37 percent more downloads of my white papers.” Google Analytics, web analytics is not a new thing. It hasn’t been used very broadly in communication, but it is the third leg of the measurement toolkit that you have to measure your results. It’s not really hard at all. I think a lot of this “can’t be measured” stuff is just a bad excuse.

Reprinted from IABC’s CW Bulletin: http://www.iabc.com/cwb/archive/2010/0810/Paine.htm

IABC July 2010 Member Spotlight

2010-07-22T08:16:00.003-04:00

(Reprinted from the original e-newsletter)

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

-excerpt from poem “IF” by Rudyard Kipling,1899

This poem written over 100 years ago is one of the most popular in history, particularly among British. Rudyard Kipling’s reflections of stoicism links ethics to logic to maintain positive and even keeled emotions. In communications, we are often challenged with ethical decisions as we have seen during the recent oil spill in the Gulf. Expert communication practitioners have to rely on clear and unbiased thinking to tackle complex issues of today. It is even more challenging to maintain a superior skill set when an industry has undergone radical transitions. Lucrative audiences moving from traditional venues to online has forever changed the way target groups are reached. Read how one IABC/Atlanta member has survived the changing landscape in his career over the years, adjusting his skills and attitude along the way. He went from rejecting industry awards to embracing them and evolving from the comforts of traditional media to employing new media and social media tools.

Name: Charles Hayslett
Title: CEO
Company: Hayslett Group

When did you join IABC/Atlanta: Active in 1980

“Why I Joined IABC”
My first recollection of being involved with IABC goes back to 1980. I had left the old Atlanta Journal to join Cohn & Wolfe, which was then the largest PR firm in Atlanta. One of my clients was Georgia-Pacific, which was moving its headquarters from Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta. My primary client contact at GP was a fellow named Bill Lovett. Bill was heavily involved in IABC and pulled me into it. Some years later I managed the employee communications organization at BellSouth, and members of my staff and I were involved with IABC during that period as well. When we hung out our firm’s shingle in 1994, a great deal of our early work was internal and organizational communications, and we were involved with IABC pretty much from day one.

I joined IABC for all the usual reasons, networking, an opportunity to get to know colleagues in the business, access to educational opportunities and resources. The truth is, I feel a little funny being interviewed for this because I’ve never been as visible a member as I could be. That said, I value the organization, and we’ve been happy to support it over the years. I can say without hesitation that we’ve gotten good value from our involvement. We’ve developed a number of long-term business relationships with other IABC members, and I know it’s guided the professional development of a number of our team members.

“My Volunteer Roles”
Probably the hardest thing IABC ever made me do was put on a tux and let them take my picture for a Golden Flames promotion. I also served as a guinea pig for one of the first podcasts IABC ever did. I have no idea if anybody heard it, but I did it! I’ve also made presentations to the UGA student chapter and on crisis communication for a monthly programming luncheon. Probably the most important thing I’ve done is encourage firm members to be active in IABC. Over the years we’ve had a good number of folks who have been very active with the Atlanta chapter in various ways, including serving as board members and even a couple of presidents – Johanna Blood and Thad Slaton. Overall, Hayslett Group has supported IABC/Atlanta for over a decade with sponsorships, services and members who want to make a difference.

“My IABC Experience”
I’ve already alluded to some of the benefits – networking opportunities, professional development, business relationships with other members. One benefit beyond that is I think our involvement in IABC has helped raise our firm’s profile within the communications industry in Atlanta. It has absolutely contributed positively to the development of our brand among our colleagues and peers in the business. That’s one important benefit. Another has to do with the awards process. To tell you the truth, I used to be one of those people who looked down their nose at industry awards. I wasn’t sure they were worth the investment of time and energy. But I’ve done a complete 180 on that. I can tell you from experience that prospective clients gain a certain confidence from knowing that you’ve been recognized by your peers for the top media relations program or Web site or speech or whatever in a given year. I’m very proud of the fact that in over 15 years in business we’ve won more than 100 awards, including about 50 from IABC. We display them proudly throughout our offices, and they’re among the first things clients and prospects see when they come through the doors.

And finally, what could be more beneficial than an organization that has helped groom, educate, engage and excite my staff members? IABC has provided them with opportunities to try and master new skills, practice management and leadership techniques, and work on projects they might not have had access to in our daily work at HG. IABC/Atlanta has helped make them stronger employees and confident individuals.

“The IABC & Industry Future Outlook”
I think it’s difficult to overstate the importance of the whole bubbling stewpot of new media and social media. I think people who know me will tell you that I’ve always been out on the bleeding edge when it comes to using evolving technology in our business. When we opened for business in 1994, we were determined to make top-end computing and communications technologies a strategic advantage for us, and we did. I think that commitment to understanding and using state-of-the-art technology, whether hardware or software or web-based, has been a part of our culture all along.

But I’ll have to confess that with the rise of Facebook and Twitter and other social media, I had a bit of an old guy moment. I wasn’t sure I got it. I had to make myself join Facebook so that I could learn my way into it and understand how it worked and why it was important. I’ve done that on Facebook and Twitter and with some other sites, but this whole field is evolving so rapidly that it’s very difficult to keep up and know what’s important and what’s not. As a firm, I think we’ve done a good job of institutionalizing that knowledge, particularly with our younger staff members, but it’s pretty clear that that whole field holds huge opportunities and challenges for our industry. I think IABC has played a great role over the past few years in separating the wheat from the chaff and helping its members understand and focus on the right tools within this emerging area of communications.

Creating Your Social Media Playbook: A Pre-Season Training Camp

2009-09-08T15:53:00.003-04:00

Speaker: Kaye Sweetser, Ph.D., APR, University of Georgia, Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication

Hayslett Group attended a terrific seminar on social media hosted by PRSA Georgia last week. The speaker was Kaye Sweetser, Ph.D., APR, professor at UGA’s Grady College. (The youngest HG team member had a class or two with Dr. Sweetser while attending UGA. Her classes were tough, but great experience for the real PR world.)

This seminar was particularly interesting because it focused on social media tactics as opposed to social media strategy. The talk was full of concrete advice on entering and engaging different types of social media communities. At the top of the list, as we all know, is to treat your friends and followers as “real life” friends and to maintain two-way communication. According to Dr. Sweetser, a few ways to do that are:

• Include comments and content from others on your FB wall.
• Keep tweets to approximately 60 characters to encourage RTs.
• Say “please” when asking for an RT and thank those that do.
• Turn off Twitter’s auto DM functionality.
• Encourage two-way communication by asking your audience questions. Asking them to share fun memories is one way to engage your friends and followers.

For more from Dr. Sweetser, check out her blog at www.kayesweetser.com. To view Dr. Sweetser’s PowerPoint presentation from the seminar, visit ppt.bit.ly/UGASM.

From Side Dish to Center of the Plate - The Evolution of McDonald’s Social Media

2009-03-02T14:38:00.005-05:00

On January 20, Dori Moss, account executive for Hayslett Group, attended the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) luncheon, “From Side Dish to Center of the Plate - The Evolution of McDonald’s Social Media.” The session was led by Heather Oldani, director of U.S. communications for McDonald’s Corporation. Although McDonald’s has iconic power with its golden arches and mascot Ronald, they are always striving to increase brand power and customer loyalty. The company has recently shifted from mainstream to multi-stream outreach, in terms of accessing customers and increasing market penetration. Blogs, chat rooms, podcasts, Facebook, message boards, Twitter – all these social media outlets have played a role in creating a successful marketing campaign for McDonald’s Corporation.

The company set out to tackle the social media world beginning with their February 2007 YouTube video that featured a new honey mustard snack wrap. In addition to releasing a consistent message, McDonald’s focused on building a consistent team throughout the collaboration of the following departments: communication, media, creative and insights. One campaign, highlighting chicken products, centered around their Web site, www.whatcamefirst.com. Creative aspects of the site, like a section that asked for chicken dance submissions and a free sample day, generated great results: 45,000 dance-off submissions, 150,000 unique visitors, 1,500 blog posts and seven million free sandwiches. Another campaign implemented MySpace to revitalize the Big Mac brand and its infamous chant. By combining on- and offline communication vehicles - radio, Web site and print - they were able to maximize awareness and measure ROI with more than 1,000 submissions to their online Big Mac chant-off challenge.

To help stir interest in the company, McDonald’s explored another campaign route that granted customers a backstage pass to the fast food industry. For this effort, they looked to ambassadors to help promote their brand. Two groups stood out as a good fit - moms and employees. McDonald’s identified six mothers to receive a behind-the-scenes look at McDonald’s, including trips to suppliers and exclusive looks at food preparation and selection. The result was the creation of www.mcdonaldsmom.com. To date, the site has had 83,000 unique visitors and is 15,000 members strong. With the employee ambassador group, the approach was virtual involvement behind-the-scenes versus actual tours. A corporate intranet with opportunities to blog, download information and receive prizes for participation was created for North American employees that resulted in 14,000 regular online users. More than 60 percent of all McDonald’s employees have now opted in for e-mails and texts regarding McDonald’s, revealing their connection to and interest in the corporation. Empowering and communicating with employees makes for happy, engaged staff, and who could be better to serve as ambassadors than the people who work there?

Final Thoughts

A few tips regarding social media penetration:

· use a strategic approach;
· employ a fun and informal tone with messaging;
· be transparent in all communications;
· leverage online and traditional tactics together - not simply one or the other; and
· create alignment in your company in order to execute a sound plan.

The result could be expanded market penetration and increased brand awareness. Ronald has come a long way baby!

Grady College honors Hayslett CEO and other Grady Fellows

2008-12-02T15:06:00.002-05:00

Last week, Judy Hayslett accompanied her husband, Charlie Hayslett, Hayslett Group’s CEO, to The Classic Center in Athens, Ga. for an event honoring the inaugural class of The Grady Fellowship. As mentioned in our July blog posting, Charlie was one of 63 Grady alumni and other prominent communications professionals to receive this honor.

“Grady College did such a great job with this event,” said Judy. “It was inspiring to be surrounded by old friends who are now communications leaders in Georgia and across the country.”

Grady College alumnae Deborah Norville, host of CBS Inside Edition and Deborah Roberts, ABC News correspondent, co-hosted the event and presented the Fellows to 400 attendees. Last week’s event also marks the College’s kickoff for its Centennial Campaign for Grady: 1915 – 2015, Democracy’s Next Generation.

Charles Hayslett Named to UGA Grady Board of Trust and The Grady Fellowship

2008-07-25T10:24:00.001-04:00

ATLANTA, July 2008 - The University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication has named Charles Hayslett, CEO of Hayslett Group, one of 58 alumni and other prominent communication professionals to its inaugural class of The Grady Fellowship.

The Grady Fellowship recognizes and honors those "whose lives and careers have contributed measurably to the national reputation the college enjoys," said Grady College Dean E. Culpepper Clark. The new recognition was created by the Grady Board of Trust, the college's advisory board.

Hayslett has also been named to the Board of Trust of the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. He holds an ABJ degree from the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.

Hayslett has also been named to the Board of Trust of the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. He holds an ABJ degree from the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.

CSR – The Emerging Role of Corporate Social Responsibility

2008-07-11T15:20:00.003-04:00

What does corporate social responsibility (CSR) mean in today’s businesses? What does it mean to consider the interests of society by taking responsibility? What are the goals, challenges and benefits of implementing CSR? Account Executives Kari Hilyer and Katie Little heard three panel members’ insights to all of these questions and more at the PRSA Monthly Luncheon. Held at Maggiano’s Buckhead, Hilyer and Little went to gain a better understanding of what businesses are doing today to promote social responsibility and how to integrate these responsibilities into core competencies.

Panel members included Jami Buck-Swan, senior manager of Corporate Responsibility for Cox Enterprises, Caroline Counihan, community affairs manager for The Home Depot Foundation, and Lisa Britt, senior director of Corporate Communications and Corporate Responsibility for TBS, Inc. Bari Love, PRSA Advocacy Committee co-chair, moderated the dialogue.

Before CSR goals and strategies are put into action, a business – according to Buck-Swan – must first look at itself and its employees. A company must decide what issues are most relevant to the services it provides to society, and what it could, realistically, give back to the community.

For example, Cox’s biggest focus with CSR is the environment, by aiming to reduce its company-wide carbon footprint by 20 percent over the next decade. Their national program, Cox Conserves, was launched in effort to save 172,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to building affordable homes that are energy and water efficient for working families. TBS, Inc. focuses their efforts on education, art and the environment. They strive to initiate programs that make the world a better place.

As for measuring CSR achievements in relation to company goals, Counihan says tangible results are easier to evaluate than, for example the fulfillment in the families The Home Depot Foundation was able to help. Britt’s point-of-success with TBS is determined by a company-wide survey, which indicated high levels of involvement and project satisfaction. Buck-Swan noted that using employee statistics is a good way to gauge the effectiveness of a CSR program. After all, the employees have to support what it is the company is trying to give back. They are the ones who will make it work.

All three panelists saw eye-to-eye on educating and involving employees in regards to a company’s CSR initiatives prior to public release. Employees are unofficial daily ambassadors for their companies. It is vital that they are not only in the loop on CSR goals and strategies, but are also personally involved in implementation.

Just like every other aspect of business, the economy is affecting CSR programs. To preserve the quality and effectiveness of a program, Britt advises maximizing and leveraging all resources, not just financial ones. You have to find ways to do more with less. Counihan admits it can be difficult to pull together resources, but you have to stay committed and find a way to maintain your support.

Little said she walked away with a better idea of how companies can benefit from implementing CSR programs. “I think it’s great that companies - large and small – are taking responsibility and stepping up to help make communities and the society at large a better place.”

Communicating in a Crisis

2008-06-25T11:44:00.001-04:00

Hayslett Group CEO Charles Hayslett was recently asked by Assisted Living Executive Magazine to offer tips on communicating effectively internally and externally with audiences in a crisis. This particular issue focused on natural disaster related crisis. Hayslett, with recent experience in responding and working though this with Sumter Regional Hospital (Destroyed by a tornado in Spring 2008) had personal and appropriate insight.

For more information on Assisted Living Executive go to http://www.alfa.org/i4a/pages/Index.cfm?pageID=4052.

Media, Emerging Trends & Strategic Approaches to Integrating Viral/WOM/BT

2008-06-19T15:29:00.002-04:00

Wanting to learn more about how to bring clients into the digital age, Account Executive Katie Little attended a panel discussion on emerging media trends. The American Marketing Association Signature Event focused on all the strategic and interactive on-demand approaches available today.

This event, on Tuesday, June 17, and was held at Steel – Atlanta, an upscale Indo-Chine restaurant located in Midtown. Panelists included David Rollo, director of digital media at 22squared, Olivia McKinsey, president of McKinsey Media, and Chris Tuff, media trendspotter for Moxie Interactive. Moderator Glen Caruso, director of advertising sales at TACODA, Inc., led the discussion.

Caruso opened the discussion by asking how to begin sifting through all these emerging media trends. “It’s like throwing a penny into a fountain, you might hit something or maybe not – that’s the beauty of the Internet,” explained McKinsey.

McKinsey told the audience that you must educate your clients along the way, get them to see the vision and how you will achieve it when introducing them to these new hip-hop marketing techniques such as Twitter or Viral Marketing. It’s much more than simply gaining client approval. In the end, clients will feel smarter, like they were a part of the process.

Is there any rule of thumb for traditional v. digital media? According to Rollo, “there is no ‘x’ and you’ll get ‘y’” in this process. He said that if you aren’t testing your approaches, then you’re not being forward thinking.

For McKinsey’s clients, research verifies gut feelings. That way, she can either confirm or disprove something. Tuff sees many people not utilizing these free tools online, for example http://www.google.com/analytics/, to measure their brands. According to him, that either means 1.) You aren’t listening to your brand or 2.) You aren’t responding.

“You can either be in control or sit back,” said Rollo. There are so many ways to find out what people out there are saying. It is no longer Bill Cosby telling people that pudding pops are good. Instead, it may be a mom as a pudding pop spokesperson. In return, who would moms trust more, Bill Cosby or other moms?

As for how to make the most of all these emerging trends for a strategic 360 campaign, Tuff says to find target audiences with similar needs, wants and interests. Facebook has many smaller, more targeted audiences, giving more opportunities to interact. Tuff encourages people to find out what is being said, look at what these markets are doing on a daily level and engage. Either leverage already existing communities or create your own. “As a marketer, you have to be able to tap into these target audiences,” said Rollo.

Wherever you may be in the user adoption process, Rollo says to start small. Tuff agrees, saying you have to be able to push innovation. New things can be intimidating, but it’s all about taking risks.

Little’s biggest take-a-way from this event was the laid back atmosphere of the AMA event in which people came together to learn how these trends can affect our lives, and clients. Even if we aren’t immediate adopters of all the up-and-coming media trends out there, we should at least be aware of all the available options so we can offer the best possible solutions for our marketing or public relations campaigns.

Healthcare Georgia Foundation 2008 Connections Conference

2008-04-30T14:21:00.001-04:00

Senior Counsel Tom Wall and Creative Director Michelle Clark recently attended Healthcare Georgia Foundation’s “Connections 2008 – Strengthening the Health of Georgia through the Nonprofit Community” Conference, April 17 in Atlanta.

The conference brought together Healthcare Georgia Foundation grantees who work to advance the health of all Georgians and to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities. It was a day to participate in health care, nonprofit and related educational sessions as well as a good networking opportunity for organizations that might have natural alliances or partnerships.

Highlights from the day:

Keynote address
Dr. David Satcher, of Morehouse School of Medicine and the Satcher Health Leadership Institute addressed Health Disparities.

Emerging Health Policy Issues
A morning panel that discussed state health budget and taxes, childhood obesity and access to affordable health care.

Presented by Greg Dent – Community Health Works, Alan Essig – Georgia Budget and Policy Institute and Rodney Lyn – PLAY, Institute of Public Health, GSU

Trauma Care in Georgia: In Pursuit of a Statewide Trauma System
A morning session that focused on the failure of the 2008 legislature to pass, for the third year in a row, desperately needed funding for a statewide trauma system.

*Note: Hayslett Group has a keen interest in this particular issue as our firm has been involved with the development and support of the statewide trauma system for several years, working with the GDHR, Georgia Hospital Association and Healthcare Georgia Foundation to bring this issue to light and closure.

Presented by Dr. Art Kellerman – Emory University School of Medicine and Wayne Reece – Reece & Associates

Lunch Program
Paul Connolly of TCC Group discussed the natural lifecycle of nonprofit organizations and how to manage and facilitate the transitions between those cycles.

Business Planning
A general session on business planning and the power of the strategic plan as it relates to nonprofits.

Presented by Teri Theisen – Theisen Consulting

How to Tell Your Story: Communications Training Session
A general session on communications essentials and how to use them to further an organization’s goals.

Presented by Shana Keith and Jana Thomas – Porter Novelli

Closing Program
Unnatural Causes: Is Inequity Making Us Sick?
A panel discussion around the unnatural causes of health care inequity, particularly the descending level of health at each rung of the socioeconomic ladder.

Panel participants included Kim Anderson – Boardwalk Consulting, Dwayne Crawford – 100 Black Men of America and Natalie Hernandez – National Council of La Raza, Atlanta

Building Community Relationships Teleseminar

2008-04-03T11:48:00.001-04:00

Overcome Opposition, Gain Community Consent

On Thursday, March 27, Michelle Clark, director of creative services, and Account Managers Kari Hilyer and Katie Little participated in a teleseminar presented by James E. Lukaszewski. Lukaszewski, chairman and president of The Lukaszewski Group Inc. are management consultants in communications.

The PRSA-sponsored teleseminar highlighted ways to gain and maintain public consent through direct communication tactics.

According to Lukaszewski, you MUST first gain trust from the community, which in turn, will lead to gaining community consent. People don’t like surprises or the feeling of being misled. The following are Lukaszewski’s five elements of trust:
1.Advance information.
2.Bring the community into the decision-making process
3.Communicate face-to-face.
4.Demonstrate that community ideas have impact.
5.Speak in community-level language.

Although these elements of trust are essential and will help you gain community consent, there are many variances of truth out there. Truth is based more on an individual’s perception rather than facts and data. While you may be presenting “terrific” supporting data, you may not be able to convince everybody of your good intentions. Lukaszewski believes you have to convince 51 percent of those who matter so focus your efforts on those audiences.

Additionally, Lukaszewski says to practice showing empathy, being apologetic, even for the small things, and being transparent.

When trying to build community trust and consent, Lukaszewski recommends anticipating conflicts and being ready to take the blame and work through it with your critics.

But in the end, he says, you deserve what the community is willing to give you.

Ethics and New Media

2008-04-02T11:24:00.011-04:00

How the Blogosphere is Impacting Journalism and Business

The Atlanta Press Club hosted a panel discussion on March 27 at the Commerce Club Thursday evening to converse about the ethical standards of blogging and how it just may be redefining journalism. Panel members consisted of Lea Donosky, interactivity manager at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jeremy C. Garlington, managing partner at Point of View, LLC, Dr. Gregory C. Lisby, professor at Georgia State University, and David Rubinger, VP of corporate communications at Equifax Inc. Dr. John C. Knapp, professor and director for the Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility, moderated the discussion between panel members and attendees.

Dialogue centered around three general questions--which in turn, led to even more unanswered questions. The first question, how new media is redefining journalism and where it is headed in the future, allowed panel members to state their position on the blogosphere.

Before the Web, it wasn’t important to nail down ‘who was a journalist’ and it shouldn’t be now, said Donosky. Garlington admitted to having a real problem with the word ‘blogger,’ although he does feel that blogs address a real need, a “deeper knowledge and understanding of confusing topics.” Lisby commented about needing to recognize the 1st Amendment, which could be a means of ending this public debate. He feels it is personally difficult to try and define a journalist, because that would limit the 1st Amendment. Rubinger talked about the beginnings of his career at the Atlanta Business Chronicle, where he and others weren't considered credible because they weren’t a daily publication. It took a few breaking stories to gain respect. This reflects how Rubinger feels today about bloggers. They don’t need to be ignored, they do great work and are a part of the process.

As for how blogging has changed the business relationships with the media, panel members all agreed that businesses have adapted quite well to blogs and the increased degree of responsibility of working with them--or at least in a world where they exist. As for Rubinger, blogs have very much changed communication mechanisms at Equifax. Businesses want to be able to control everything said about them and blogs are the 180-degree opposite. Lisby agreed, saying it is the advantage of the Web that shifts from one-way communication to two-way.

Panel members were asked how to establish trust in the blogging environment, or how to know when a blogger's information they are presenting is indeed, true. Donosky said it may not be possible. We may have to give up that thought, and find other outlets of truth, such as social networks. Garlington compared gaining audience trust as easy as labeling something with a tag. Rubinger said trust has to be set by the community itself, not by government standards. “Truth telling creates trust and trust creates community, which creates journalism,” said Lisby.

This exchange of ideas regarding the blogosphere brought forth many similar and differing opinions. Although no one was able to nail down any concrete conclusions on the ethical standards for blogging, there were enough viewpoints put out there to conclude that the blogosphere undeniably has an impact on journalism and business.

IABC Luncheon on Communicating in a Decentralized World

2008-03-28T10:13:00.003-04:00

Hayslett Group recently attended an IABC/Atlanta Be Heard Luncheon on the topic of “Communicating in a Decentralized World: What are the effects of teleworking, global business and multi-location businesses?”

The speakers - Andrea Proser, Director of Leadership Communications at Cox Communications; Greg Guthrie, International Communications Manager at the American Cancer Society; Patrick Foarde, Vice President Group Manager at Ketchum; and moderator Jim Zook, a principal in Mercer's Communication practice - shared tips, insights and creative approaches for communicating effectively with audiences spanning different geographies, languages, and incentive structures.

While Hayslett Group operates predominately within the state of Georgia, we gleaned insights from the discussion that can also be applied to smaller scale communications. Director of Creative Services, Michelle Clark, makes the following observations post-luncheon:

Your invisible personality
Often, groups comprised of multiple players at multiple sites never, or rarely, meet in person. Since you can’t express your personality through face-to-face interactions, your work quality and responsiveness become your personality. Team members will form their trust in you through these qualities alone, and it is necessary to shine brightly through both.

The same is true of support team members working at an agency. Frequently, account managers are the only ones with face-to-face interaction with a client, but other members of the team must still work with the client. It’s important for “behind the scenes” team members to keep in mind their invisible personality because the “behind the scenes” work impacts the trust each client has in his or her agency.

Technology – a love/hate relationship
Technology can be a blessing, for example, when you are trying to hold a collaborative meeting with attendees in three different locations. Webcasts, live conferencing and feeds make sharing information so much easier. At the same time, communicators often feel pressured to use every single new gadget to its utmost capabilities as soon as it is available, resulting in tech overload. We often spend more time “responding” to our tech inputs, then to actually doing our jobs. Uggh. How to fix it?

Two great examples of this (and HUGE pet peeves of mine) are:

Email overload
Email overload happens when everyone in every department wants to share all of their news – with everyone else.

One new solution is to establish corporate email guidelines that help people think twice before typing 20 addresses into the CC: field. Another idea is to utilize the “Monday Morning Company News” email...all organizations, regardless of size, can do this and keep abreast of news and announcements with less email. This one email is sent once a week by a designated person who has compiled news from everyone else in the company.

The wing ding web site
The wing ding web site is really supercool. It has graphics, flash, interactive whatzits and whazooz, video, and is visually very stimulating. However, viewers can get easily distracted by all this and have a difficult time finding needed information. Or worse, the darn thing takes forever to load and the visitor leaves. Technology should be tailored for the audience and its technological capabilities. Greg Guthrie of the American Cancer Society, noted that his organization consciously chose to develop a simple, easy-to-use Web site that would be easily accessible to visitors with varying levels of Internet savviness and locally available technology in different parts of the world.

Technology is wonderful. We just have to regard it as we would any other communications tool and consider how best it can best be used to get our messages to our target audience.

Tailoring the message
It seems like this should be old hat. This is what we do for a living after all, but as the panelists discussed how they tailored messages to different cultures and languages on a global scale, it occurred to me that the same also applies at home. The main idea is to create a broad message and then tailor the delivery of that core message to your varying constituents.

At Hayslett Group, we don’t have to communicate the same message to shareholders in Holland and shareholders in Saudi Arabia, but we do have to communicate messages to physicians and patients, legislators and the public, blue collar and white, English speaking, Spanish speaking and the list goes on, all in our own state.

I admit when I first committed to attending this luncheon I wasn’t sure if I could take anything away from a “global” themed communications panel, but in retrospect that was silly. The world is so much smaller now; global communications can apply to a single city.

PRSA Luncheon on M&M Brand Equity: “INNER M” PR Campaign

2008-02-25T10:15:00.002-05:00

In January 2007, the M&M Brand launched the “Inner M” campaign with a 50-foot Lady Liberty “Inner M” floating down the New York Harbor. This event, along with an ad on American Idol, kicked off the official “Inner M” advertising and public relations campaign.

From a nation-wide survey taken before the campaign kick-off, Mars found out that 99.1 percent of American’s were already aware of the M&M brand. The M&M brand is even as well known as Mickey Mouse and Santa Claus.

The focus of the campaign was not so much in re-branding the M&M but reviving publicity and advertising efforts that built on the target demographics already-existing knowledge and feel-good attitude towards the brand, but increased their interaction with M&M.

Mars had to find a way to make a connection with the M&M and ‘fun.’ Planet M was created for people to invent their very own M&M character. Available at http://www.becomeanmm.com/, Planet M provides body types, eyes, arms and accessories to encourage Americans to liberate their ‘fun’ side.

“Inner M” branding efforts greatly surpassed their initial goal of reaching 60 million media outlets across the U.S. They successfully made more than 100 million impressions in the top 25 markets with 100 percent of articles delivered carrying the “Inner M” key messages.

Aside from the media publicity, the Planet M web site surpassed 3 million visitors in the first month alone, three times the monthly average. Consumers were online an average of 11 minutes creating their “Inner M” character. Sales also increased compared to January 2006.

According to post-survey results, “the campaign did drive home messages of ‘fun,” said Kopkowski.

Today, due to all the event buzz, knowledge and awareness of the campaign, “Inner M” continues to live on. Mars is always looking for ways to resonate beyond just PR and Advertising.

“As long as we see new avenues for it, we’ll keep going,” said Kopkowski.

IABC/Atlanta "Be Heard" Luncheon with Charles Hayslett

2008-02-06T09:59:00.001-05:00

Feb 26 - "Be Heard" Professional Series
The Atlanta Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)

Networking and registration begins at 11:15 a.m. and meetings adjourn at 1 p.m. Lunch is included.

The February meeting will be held at:

Maggiano's Little Italy - Perimeter

4400 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., Atlanta, GA 30346

Listen to a podcast interview of Charlie Hayslett previewing the event.

Register Now >

Weathering the Storm: The Role of the Communicator when Disaster Strikes
On March 1, 2007, one of the most powerful tornados in Georgia history scored a direct hit on Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus, Georgia. In a matter of minutes, the only hospital in Sumter County was essentially destroyed (insurers would later declare it a total loss). On the following Sunday morning, Sumter Regional CEO David H. Seagraves called Charlie Hayslett at home and said: "I've got to have some help."

In the wake of the storm, the communications challenges were overwhelming. Media were swarming all over the place. Patients didn't know where to go for medical services. Local physicians -- always hard to recruit to rural areas -- were watching their practices evaporate. The hospital's employees were worried about their jobs. And local leaders were worried about what the loss of the community's only hospital would mean for the local economy.

Hayslett, CEO of the independent Atlanta-based communications agency Hayslett Group LLC, pulled a team into the firm's office that Sunday afternoon and had a counselor on the ground in Americus Monday morning. Since then, Hayslett and his team have helped manage Sumter Regional's communications through what can perhaps best be described as a slow-motion crisis that continues to this day. Says Seagraves: "The Hayslett team has been invaluable in our tornado recovery efforts. Without their help, we simply would not have been able to effectively respond in a timely manner to the communication and information needs of our many stakeholders."

Valuable lessons on role of communications in crisis stabilization and recoveryAt the IABC/Atlanta February luncheon, Hayslett will talk about his firm's involvement in tornado ravaged Sumter Regional Hospital's recovery effort. If you are involved in media relations, employee communications, community relations, or corporate affairs, you won't want to miss this chance to see how a tornado threw them all together and made communications more important than ever for a small rural hospital.

About the Speaker

Charlie Hayslett is chief executive officer of Hayslett Group. He oversees communications planning for many Hayslett Group clients, and has been integrally involved in the firm's work for the Georgia Department of Transportation's 511 travel information service, Work Zone Safety and LUV the HOV campaigns, the Metro Chamber of Commerce Clean Water campaign, the Georgia Research Alliance, the Georgia DHR's Statewide Trauma Awareness campaign and the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, among many others.

Before setting out on his own in 1994, his communications management experience included tours of duty with Cohn & Wolfe, Citizens and Southern National Bank (now Bank of America), BellSouth Corporation (now AT&T) and Fleishman-Hillard. Prior to entering public relations, Charlie worked for more than a decade as a newspaper journalist, covering government and politics for The Atlanta Journal in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He has more than 25 years of communications experience. Charlie is a member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the International Association of Business Communicators and the Public Relations Society of America. He is a past member of the board of the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the Grady College

Register Now >

Volunteer of the Month

2008-02-06T09:51:00.001-05:00

Hayslett Group's Director of Creative Services, Michelle Clark, has been named Volunteer of the Month by Cochran Mill Nature Center.

The Center, located in South Fulton, has been a passion of Ms. Clark's for four years now. She both volunteers at the center and provides pro-bono communications services through Hayslett Group. Hayslett Group's CFO, Denise Grove, is also active at the center, serving on the board as vice president and providing pro-bono accounting services.

Congratulations Michelle!

Newsmaker Luncheon featuring House Speaker Glenn Richardson

2008-02-01T17:23:00.000-05:00

Hayslett Group attended an Atlanta Press Club luncheon on January 24, featuring Glenn Richardson, Speaker of the House. Here’s a quick summary of his main points:

Richardson opened by expressing a need to “get things done”. Aware of the problems at hand, he acknowledged the tough decisions to come in 2008.

He introduced education as the state’s most important topic. Today, 51 percent of high schools are unsuccessful in graduating -- more than 40 percent of Georgia residents. Only 20 percent of those graduating high school will go on to graduate from college. Richardson discussed a proposed BRIDGE program to offer alternatives to students.

Richardson briefly touched on Georgia’s water problem and announced a proposal for reservoirs in local communities and the deepening of Lakes Lanier and Allatoona.

During discussion on the state of Grady Hospital, Richardson informed the audience that Grady can create a not-for-profit board or expect the state to do so for the hospital. He emphasized that Grady has funding if they are willing to make changes and help themselves. According to Richardson, there have not been enough steps made yet.

Another statewide concern is implementation of a trauma care network. The problem isn’t wanting a trauma network, but the willingness to pay for one. According to a statewide survey, 29 percent of Georgians would support a $200 increase in fines for speeders. On the other hand, 32 percent of voters marked, “I won’t support any fees.” Richardson briefly discussed his effort to add ten dollars for every car registered in Georgia. He feels the increase is relevant because many trauma cases involve auto travel.

His talk ended on the lack of transportation improvements. Accountability is key to ensuring promises made are backed by actual funding. According to Richardson, the General Assembly has studied the transportation problem and is ready to make recommendations and move in the direction of solving this issue. This topic should be on the 2008 ballot now; the state can’t wait three more years.

Richardson concluded by agreeing to accomplish getting these difficult issues to the floor, even during the election year, because he has the “passion and belief that a leader is supposed to lead on issues.”

MMM Holiday Meal Memories

2008-01-07T11:06:00.000-05:00

A little fun insight into the hearts and tummies of Hayslett Group. The holidays went fast and furious, and as we enter a new year, we look back and determine what was our favorite holiday meal, and who made it!

"Dressing made by my husband's Aunt Evelyn. It’s absolute heaven."
Kari Hilyer

"Chilled Avocado Soup, a recipe from HG staffer Michelle Clark, was about the only new thing I tried in 2007, and I loved it. Good taste, texture and light."
Ann Collins

"Pecan Pie by me!"
Judy Hayslett

"Fresh kielbasa from Peter’s Butcher Shop in Garfield Hts., Ohio served with four varieties of Sophie’s Pierogis (sauerkraut, cabbage, potato and sweet cheese) on Christmas Eve."
Tom Wall

"Creme Brulee French Toast made by me."
(Note: other HG staffers have made Mr. William's special french toast, and it is a dee-light.)
Russ Williams

"I am going to have to go with my aunt's seven layered salad. I ate three helpings!"
Katie Little

"My mom's cheesy potatoes. I ate nothing but them for three days after Christmas."
Michelle Clark

Green with Envy

2007-11-29T09:39:00.000-05:00

Vice president Jackie Parker comments on a recent IABC/Atlanta luncheon featuring communications folks from Cox Enterprises discussing the company’s internal and external marketing of its ‘green’ initiatives.

“The company, which is the parent company for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cox Cable, Manheim, and AutoTrader.com, rolled out an aggressive green program that includes a hodgepodge of tactics from installing waterless urinals at some of its office buildings to recycling toner cartridges. They even have a website, www.coxconserves.com, with more details about the initiative.

During the presentation, I kept thinking that it would be an awesome program for one of my clients to consider – starting with an internal education campaign about how its employees can become better environmental stewards. To launch its program, Cox had an event with Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. My client has a lot of offices throughout the country and could probably look at coordinating similar event(s) in its markets, which would help with visibility and relationship building with local community leaders.”

Hayslett Group has a “green” thumb of its own by participating in an office paper and aluminum recycling program.

Rising with the Phoenix

2007-11-09T12:35:00.000-05:00

On November 8, Hayslett Group was honored five times at the annual Phoenix Awards gala for the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Soceity of America (PRSA). Hayslett Group received the highest honor, the Phoenix, in three categories and also received two Certificates of Excellence.

Phoenix Awards
Public Affairs for Save Georgia Healthcare Campaign
Issues Management for Save Georgia Healthcare Campaign
Integrated Communications for Save Georgia Healthcare Campaign

Certificate of Excellence
Brochures for the Georgia Department of Human Resources' Trauma Awareness Campaign
Web site for Save Georgia Healthcare Campaign

Congratulations to everyone who made this possible.

Help Sumter Regional Hospital Win a Free MRI

2007-10-29T08:33:00.000-04:00

Sumter Regional Hospital, a small hospital located in Americus, Ga. and a Hayslett Group friend and client, was destroyed by a tornado on March 1st. The hospital serves a 10-county area; one of the most depressed regions in Georgia. Seimens is currently offering a free MRI in an online contest, and SRH wants to win this machine for its community.

To vote, just click on www.winanmri.com, view the SRH video and vote. You can vote once a day until Dec 31, both at home and at work. Please spread the word and thanks for your support!

So far, our online awareness campaign has resulted in 18,000 votes in one weekend!

Note: Hospital employees created the video on their own, with no professional help from Hayslett Group.

CDC Director Speaks at ATL Press Club

2007-10-26T09:41:00.000-04:00

Hayslett Group staff members attended a recent Atlanta Press Club meeting featuring CDC Director Julie Gerberding. The Director first addressed recent reports of White House censorship of her testimony to Congress earlier in the week, stating the practice is common and the overall message of her testimony was not altered or changed as a result of editing. She instead encouraged the media to focus on the content of her speech - how climate change is likely to impact public health. Dr. Gerberding also discussed her vision for the

U.S.

healthcare system; where prevention, education and an “upstream” approach play a greater role. She encouragespressing politicians to be as educated and outspoken on their views of public health policy as they are on education, the war, and other hot button issues. Americans to be more concerned about the role we all play in public health outcomes – including pressing politicians to be as educated and outspoken on their views of public health policy as they are on education, the war, and other hot button issues.

Volunteer Fun in South Fulton

2007-10-25T11:30:00.000-04:00

Hayslett Group staffers, Kari Hilyer and Michelle Clark, volunteered this past weekend at Cochran Mill Nature Center ’s annual Halloween Festival. The festival drew over 400 visitors. Children and families from South Fulton enjoyed Halloween-inspired activities such as a haunted house, hayrides, arts and crafts, and a costume contest. Children were also able to visit with animals cared for by the Center. Kari oversaw the competitive world of coloring and Michelle painted happy little faces.

"The Office" Brings Blogging to Life

2007-10-17T17:21:00.000-04:00

Account Executive Kari Hilyer shares an insightful piece on social media and how to use it. ‘Office’ blog: ‘That’s what she said.’, written by Meredith Hobbs and published in the October 15, 2007 edition of Fulton County Daily Report, illustrates an interesting example of finding a niche and creating a blog topic entertaining enough for folks to read on a regular basis.

HG on Fire at 2007 Golden Flames

2007-10-12T13:57:00.000-04:00

On October 12, the Atlanta chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) announced winners of the 2007 Golden Flame Awards . The winners were formally acknowledged at the 2007 Golden Flame Awards Gala at the Academy of Medicine in Midtown.

The Golden Flame Awards program is an annual event hosted by IABC/Atlanta to recognize professional communicators in Georgia. The awards are given in several categories, including writing, illustration, design, photography, social media expertise and public relations strategy.

Hayslett Group won:
A Golden Flame for case studies written for the Georgia Department of Human Resources Trauma Awareness campaign
A Silver Flame for event planning and collateral design for IABC/Atlanta's 2006 Golden Flame Awards, "Secrets of the Golden Flame"
A Bronze Flame for brochures developed for Georgia Department of Human Resources Trauma Awareness.

Congratulations to our team and our clients!!

Ensuring Healthcare Marketing ROI

2007-10-09T14:01:00.000-04:00

Vice President Jackie Parker shares this interesting interview on Healthcare Marketing ROI:

Gienna Shaw, for HealthLeaders News, Oct 08, 2007
Lynne Cunningham, a coach with the healthcare performance improvement firm the Studer Group, discusses some of the ways that marketers can measure return on investment, even in the face of significant challenges. (Listen to the interview now.) Cunningham will be a panelist on the upcoming HealthLeaders Media Webcast ROI Challenges: Prove results on hard-to-measure hospital marketing efforts.

Congratulations to GDOT's 511!

2007-10-01T17:09:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, the Georgia Department of Transportation selected Hayslett Group to serve as marketing communications consultant for the state’s new 511 consumer travel information service. Hayslett Group, in conjunction with partner agency McRae, developed and implemented a comprehensive plan targeting travelers statewide.

So far, Georgia 511 has met with great success. In the first month of service (August 15-September 15), the system received 128,867 calls and averaged 4,296 calls each day. Those numbers exceeded even GDOT’s own expectations for the system.

The first month of service also generated more than 80 print and online articles, 35 television segments and multiple radio pieces. Coverage extended beyond Georgia to Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and even California! The launch was so successful, that on October 1, 200, the Intelligent Transportation Society of Georgia announced that it had named Georgia DOT’s 511 as “ITS Outstanding Achievement of the Year!”

We just want to congratulate everyone who worked so hard on this project! We hope it continues to be just a successful throughout the year.

Attending the 2007 HOW conference

2007-09-26T16:04:00.000-04:00

Take 3,500 graphic designers. Add 50 inspiring speakers. Place in design-savvy Atlanta and stir.

That's the recipe for the 2007 HOW Design Conference which Hayslett Group director of creative services, Michelle Clark, recently attended. Thousands of creative professionals descended upon Atlanta for nearly four days of sessions, networking and, yes, fun. Below, Michelle shares her insights and highlights from the conference.

The event opened with a proclamation by the Atlanta City Council that June 8—15 was officially declared "Atlanta Design Week" — in recognition not only of the HOW Conference but of an entire week's worth of activities organized by AIGA/Atlanta. The conference was packed with intensive workshops on a wide array of creative and technology topics. Highlights include:

Ballsy: Ways to Score Extreme Business Success: Karen Salmansohn, best-selling author and ad-biz veteran, shared how to be “ballsier” —and motivated attendees with "psyche-chology" techniques to maintain the passion to pursue career goals.

Says Michelle: It is always good to step back and examine how you can help yourself and your teammates become more “ballsy!”

A Number of People: Sometimes it feels like you're solving the same design or communication problem over and over. Speaker Chip Kidd, with a 20-year career at publishing house Alfred A. Knopf, has designed more than 800 book jackets—that's almost one a week! Even more astounding is the diversity of imagery and type treatments within that mammoth collection.

Says Michelle: The lesson here was originality, no matter how narrow the discipline. Definitely refreshing.

Collaboration: Keeping Multifaceted Projects Cohesive: Design principles of consistency are vital on large corporate teams. Shelley Armstrong, art director of the in-house design group for Microsoft's Xbox, "Every detail is important and every consumer touch point is an opportunity to reinforce the brand and the design." But making a product such as Xbox 360 or Zune look like it was designed by one hand—working across functional groups such as marketing, retail, hardware, software, usability, packaging and more—means taking collaboration to the next level.

Says Michelle: We do a lot of integrated communications at Hayslett Group, and I found this presentation inspiring and amazing. The amount of strategy, communication and quite frankly patience involved with working in a collaborative group that is not only made up of multiple people, but multiple offices around the world, was breathtaking and helps keep our day-to-day struggles in perspective.

The last bit of advice I will share is from the closing session speaker, Sheila Campbell, former vice president of ad agency Earle Palmer Brown and founder and president of Wild Blue Yonder consulting firm, whom urged—demanded, even—that designers take time to recharge their creative batteries by turning off the BlackBerry and leaving the office at 6 p.m….at least once in a while.

Good advice for all of us.

For more on the HOW conference, visit http://www.howconference.com/.

For more on HOW Magazine, visit http://www.howdesign.com/.

Some text excerpted from HOW editor Bryn Mooth's recap of event as well as from formal HOW descriptions of sessions.

Sumter Regional Hospital Needs Help

2007-03-02T17:01:00.000-05:00

I am posting this on behalf of our client, Sumter Regional Hospital. We sent them our hope and prayers.

Sumter Regional Hospital damaged by last night's tornado

Sumter Regional Hospital received considerable damage last night after a tornado touched down in Americus, Georgia. The storm blew out windows as high winds bombarded the hospital's infrastructure and turned cars over in the parking lot. The hospital's Outpatient Diagnostic Center, the HealthPlex at Sumter Regional, also took in extensive damage and will be unoperational for the forseeable future.

"The most important thing is that we evacuated everyone last night and all our patients were moved to Phoebe and other area hospitals,"said Marcus Johnson, SRH Director of Marketing & PR. "The staff and other volunteers did a fantastic job in the face of a horrific storm, and we appreciate all their hard work."

Johnson said that while the hospital is currently not operational, anyone that needs medical attention can go to 1st Baptist Church located at 221 South Lee Street. The phone number is (229) 924-8999. The church will serve as the ER/Triage area for the forseeable future, and if anyone needs additional attention they will be moved to another facility.

Johnson also stated that all SRH Oncology patients that usually ride the bus to Phoebe are asked to meet at the Magnolia Manor Chapel to catch the bus all next week (Monday through Friday). The bus will leave at both 8 am and 1pm, and they will also bring the patients back. For more info, please call Phoebe's Oncology Department at (229) 312-1000.

Also, the local Red Cross is also headquarted at 1st Baptist Church. Red Cross Director Leisa Cross said they are accepting donations of all kinds, including monetary, and for more information you can call (229) 924-4035 or their home office at 924-2026.

If you have a family member or friend that is missing, you can contact the Americus Public Safety Building at (229) 924-3213.

"This is going to test our resolve as well as the entire community as a number of businesses have been leveled and some people have lost everything they have," said Johnson. "However, we will do everything we can to continue serving the healthcare needs of our community, and we will keep everyone informed on the subsequent renovation of Sumter Regional Hospital. It is going to take some work, but SRH means too much to this community to just let it go without a fight. We appreciate everyone's prayers and donations, and just continue to keep everyone who suffered a loss yesterday in your prayers."

Johnson said that all SRH employees should check the hospital website at www.sumterregional.org for updates as well as contact their immediate supervisor.

"Our Administration is working on a contingency plan as we speak, and hopefully we will get more information out in the near future," said Johnson. "All nursing and medical personnel should check at 1st Baptist to see if they are needed, and all office personnel needs to check with their immediate supervisor for further instructions."

HG wins three PRSA awards!

2006-11-29T09:28:00.000-05:00

Hayslett Group won three awards in the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) annual competition. The local chapter of the organization announced winners at an awards ceremony held earlier this month.

We won three PRSA Phoenix Certificate of Excellence awards, one for the development of a 40th anniversary high school reunion Web site for Briarcliff High School, a second for production of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals’ annual report, and a third for a feature article written for Oz Magazine.

Hayslett Group also recently was honored by the International Association of Business Communicators for work on the aforementioned projects.

HG wins 6 IABC Flames!

2006-10-27T13:55:00.000-04:00

Hayslett Group won two of IABC’s highest honors, the Gold Flame. The first was for speechwriting for testimony for the State Commission on the Efficacy of Georgia’s Certificate-of–Need Program, prepared for the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals. The second was awarded for campaign logo design for the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ statewide trauma public awareness program.

Two Silver Flame awards were presented. The first was presented in the feature writing category for Oz Magazine’s story in the Creative Index 2005. The second was awarded in the video/electronic category for Hayslett Group’s development of a 40th anniversary high school reunion website site for Briarcliff High School. The website was co-developed with Capitol Impact, an Atlanta-based provider of web-based applications for trade associations, non-profit organizations, corporations and government agencies.

Hayslett Group also took home two Bronze Flame awards. The first honored the agency for production of “An Army of Angels: The 2006 GACH Year in Review,” an annual report developed for the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals. The second came for a contributed article in the feature writing category also written on behalf of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals.

Hayslett Group was a major sponsor of the event, held at Halo Lounge in Atlanta, and designed all of the supporting collateral material and presentations.

Over the last decade, the firm has won more than 90 local, regional and national awards.

HG writes for B2B Marketing Trends

2006-06-22T16:42:00.000-04:00

Jacqueline K. Parker, Hayslett Group Vice President, was recently invited to write an article for the online communications forum, B2B Marketing Trends. The following is an excerpt from her article:

Businesses across the country know well the challenges of today’s economic climate. Its state emphasizes the ongoing necessity for companies to stave off competition and uncover additional ways to gain traction and visibility. During economic downturns, companies in virtually all industries look for ways to reduce expenses, including tightening marketing and public relations spending. A dramatic change in economic conditions may precipitate the need to more carefully examine overall marketing programs and revamp them completely...

To read the entire article go to B2B Marketing Trends online.

HG Gets a GAMMA Award!

2006-05-24T15:30:00.000-04:00

Last summer, Hayslett Group staff writers wrote the article, "Out of the Box: Creativity Drives Public Relations" for the 2005 July/August Creative Index issue of Oz Magazine, The Journal of Creative Disciplines.

It was just announced that "Out of the Box" won a Magazine Association of the Southeast (MAGS) Silver GAMMA Award for best BtoB Feature Writing! Congrats to everyone who worked so hard on the article!

We invite you to read the online version of the article, or the text version of the article.

New Client Update: AlphaResults

2006-05-11T14:18:00.000-04:00

AlphaResults, a local company which helps businesses recoup funds by maximizing little known tax credits, recently selected Hayslett Group as its strategic communications firm. Hayslett Group will work with AlphaResults to refine its branding and execute ongoing communications strategies.

For more on AlphaResults, go to www.alpharesults.com.

Hayslett Group Makes Memories

2006-04-28T11:08:00.000-04:00

Hayslett Group recently worked with Capitol Impact, LLC on a website project for Briarcliff High School's Class of 1966 4oth reunion.

Using photographs from the 1966 yearbook and technology from today, we created a functional and memorable site, www.briarcliff66.com. The site makes it easy to get in touch and keep in touch with old friends, as well as making the organization of an event like this easy as 1,2, 3. Check it out!

New Client Update: Crossroads 400

2006-04-17T16:08:00.000-04:00

Hayslett Group has been retained by the Crossroads 400 Group to manage public relations activities surrounding its proposed development and construction of a comprehensive overhaul of GA 400. The project is a Public Private Initiative, bringing together a consortium of highly qualified private-sector firms that are able to finance, design and build a transportation solution in a fraction of the time possible through traditional state-run programs. The project, anticipated to deliver a completed solution in 2015, will likely incorporate a mix of traditional general purpose lanes, HOV lanes and managed lanes that operate on congestion-based tolling. The goal is development of not only more capacity for this growing region, but a variety of transportation options that will provide greater accessibility while decreasing travel times.

New Client Update: GDHR Trauma Campaign

2006-04-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

Hayslett Group has won a contract to develop a turnkey, statewide trauma system Public Awareness and Marketing Campaign. The contract is with the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services Trauma/Emergency Preparedness (OEMST/EP).

Hayslett Group will identify issues related to development of a statewide trauma system, design a marketing plan, produce original campaign materials and develop a toolkit for staff and partners to use in implementing the campaign.

The goal of the marketing campaign is to raise awareness and educate the public about how an integrated trauma system can prevent injuries and improve outcomes of critically injured patients in Georgia.

New Client Update: ARCADIS/GDOT

2006-04-06T10:26:00.000-04:00

ARCADIS, a global infrastructure analysis and engineering firm, has chosen Hayslett Group to provide communications support for a program for the Georgia Department of Transportation to provide a comprehensive review of one of Georgia's busiest roadways, the northern section of Interstate 285. The goal of the project, anticipated at lasting approximately five years, is to lay the groundwork for the creation of transportation solutions to address the long-term needs of this vital transportation corridor.

For more information on ARCADIS,go to www.arcadis-us.com.

For more information on the Georgia Department of Transportation, go to www.dot.state.ga.us.

Meet Tom Wall

2006-04-03T11:29:00.000-04:00

For over a decade, Tom has often worked with Hayslett Group as Senior Counsel. His career spans nearly 30 years as a public relations professional, corporate communicator and journalist. He has produced speeches, presentations, website content, white papers and other materials for a client list including DeKalb Medical Center, the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, Delta Air Lines, AFC Enterprises, and Phoebe Putney Health System. He served as the editor of Health Management Technology, a monthly 35,000-circulation magazine, and editor of the newsletter Subacute Care Management. Wall's experience includes 10 years with IBM Corporation and 12 years as a reporter and editor for The Cincinnati Post. He has a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Marquette University.

Hayslett Group Joins IABC Atlanta Sponsors

2006-03-29T11:47:00.000-05:00

Hayslett Group has agreed to fill the role of design sponsor for the Atlanta Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Our firm will design the association’s quarterly publication, empart, the annual Golden Flame materials and provide communications support as needed. Keep an eye out for our work throughout the year!

To learn more about IABC, visit www.iabcatlanta.com.

Special Healthcare Lunch & Learn

2006-02-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

Measuring and Demonstrating Marketing ROI
in a Healthcare Setting
March 24, 2006, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Hayslett Group would like to cordially invite you to join our office and health care contacts to "Lunch & Learn." We will provide the complimentary nourishment for mind & body. So, come on out to our Atlanta office and nibble on lunch while we share a HealthLeaders Media Webcast with you. This is a great way to end the busy work week and sneak in a mini-study course! All at no cost to you or your organization. We look forward to seeing you there!

Seating is limited, please RSVP to this Lunch & Learn to reserve your spot.

For details on this event, read on...

Marketing professionals in the healthcare industry face unique challenges when it comes to preserving budgets, promoting the organization, and justifying the costs of marketing campaigns.

Meet these challenges head-on with an effective method for measuring the success of your efforts and proving that marketing is not just a cost, but a valuable revenue stream as well.

Please join HealthLeaders Media for the live webcast: "Measuring and Demonstrating Marketing ROI in a Healthcare Setting." Sponsored by the monthly newsletter Healthcare Marketing Advisor, this 90-minute program will demonstrate how a solid planning approach and measurement tools can be used to demonstrate ROI of healthcare marketing efforts across a balanced scorecard.

Watch and listen as marketing experts from San Diego, California's Sharp HealthCare, with facilitation by a coach from Studer Group, discuss their strategies for success, analyze real-life case studies, and address the following objectives:
· How to gain leadership confidence with marketing measurement tools
· How to build and use a relational database to measure marketing effectiveness
· How to market smarter by having detailed information on your target audiences
· How to enhance internal relationships with employees to gain confidence of the community
· How to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns

During this program, you'll learn how to set goals for internal, customer, and community marketing that are consistent with your organization's vision; as well as how to measure progress toward, and achievement of, these goals in a way that demonstrates the return on investment (ROI) for marketing efforts.

Who should attend this webcast?
· Senior healthcare executives in hospitals and medical groups: CEO, CFO, VP/Director/Manager of Marketing

· Healthcare professionals involved in: Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations

Program Agenda:

1. Why measuring ROI is vital to leadership confidence in healthcare marketing
2. Strategies for obtaining key stakeholder buy-in to improve acceptance of measurement protocol 3. The value of building a relational database
4. Effective Customer Relationship Marketing
5. Marketing at the bedside-the experience as the differentiator
6. Using internal communication tools to promote the quality of your organization
7. Report card metrics-employee, patient, and physician satisfaction; employee turnover; net revenue; community donations, etc.
8. Measuring awareness and perception & market share
9. Live Q&A

Remember, space is limited, so please RSVP to this Lunch & Learn to reserve your spot.

HG Designs for Create Magazine

2006-02-08T15:39:00.000-05:00

Hayslett Group's Manager of Production and Marketing, Michelle Clark, was recently invited to design a feature article for Create Magazine, a national publication that provides creative professionals with an insider's perspective on the people, news, trends and events that influence the local advertising and creative production industries.

The article designed by Ms. Clark, "A City With All The Right Moves: Atlanta's Motion Graphics Industry," can be viewed in issues of Create Magazine on stands now, or you can catch a peek of the article online.

To learn more about Create Magazine, visit www.createmagazine.com.

New Client Update: Adtech Global Solutions

2006-01-18T14:57:00.000-05:00

Hayslett Group and What's Up Interactive Redesign
Adtech Global Solutions' Interactive Communications

Hayslett Group and What's Up Interactive have partnered to help Adtech Global Solutions (AGS) redesign their website and various interactive marketing tools in line with a refocused and comprehensive branding effort.

AGS is a single source for integrated computer solution needs for ISV’s, OEMs, resellers and end users. AGS covers everything from initial system engineering and manufacturing to complete system configuration, certification, onsite implementation, professional services and support . With offices worldwide, including London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, AGS is headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga.

For more information on Adtech Global Solutions, go to www.adtechglobal.com.

For more information on What's Up Interactive, go to www.whatsup.com.

HG Welcomes Courtney Roberts!

2006-01-17T14:43:00.000-05:00

Hayslett Group recently welcomed intern Courtney Roberts to to the HG family. She will be working with our staff for the next six months.

Courtney has previously worked for MediaFirst PR. While there she did a little bit of everything. Her many functions included writing press releases and backgrounders and researching clients and media outlets. She also worked at Bridgers, P.C. for five years.

Courtney is a senior at Oglethorpe University and will soon be graduating with a degree in communications.

Happy New Year & Winter Lunch & Learn

2006-01-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

Happy 2006 to everyone. We look forward to a prosperous new year and hope for the same for all of our clients and friends. Perhaps we will see you at our winter Lunch & Learn!

Top 3 Rules-Based Marketing
Strategies Guaranteed to Drive Results
February 15, 2006
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Hayslett Group would like to cordially invite you to join our office and contacts to "Lunch & Learn." We will provide the complimentary nourishment for mind & body. So, come on out to our office and nibble on lunch while we share an AMA sponsered webcast with you. This is a great way to break up the busy work week and sneak in a mini-study course! All at no cost to you or your company. We look forward to seeing you there!

Space is limited so please RSVP to reserve your spot.

If you would like to be notified of future free lunch & learn events, please email Michelle Clark.

Holiday Memories

2005-12-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

Not to get too corny, but Hayslett Group staff members take a moment to reflect on favorite holiday moments and memories...What's yours?

"As adults we've all learned by now (hopefully!) that giving is better than receiving, but never was the "giving" as delightful as when my daughter was three years old. Anything related to Christmas is met with oohs and ahs from a three year old. There are no opinions on the latest toy fads, no whines over the wrong doll collection and no written lists of unattainable gifts.... just pure elation over anything that blinks, twinkles or has a shiny nose.

Twenty years later, I still remember that 30 minutes of sheer joy and pleasure as I strolled up and down the aisles of the discount store, laughing out loud as I pulled beautiful, but inexpensive shiny new toys and cuddly, furry, lovable things into my cart. And all these gifts were squealed over and hugged on Christmas morning, but mind you, this only lasts for one year!" -Judy Hayslett

"About 15 years ago, my parents decided they couldn’t keep up with all the nieces and nephews likes and dislikes, so they started giving everyone money. (Mind you they are all in their 30’s now!) But they didn’t just hand out a check, a bill or a card. Every year, they hid the money in our house, and the cousins had to find it. For example, one year, my parents folded the bills origami style into everyone’s initials and hung them on the tree like ornaments. Another year they carefully cracked open walnuts, gutted them, put the bills inside the walnuts, glued them back together, and then filled a bowl with the “nuts” and put them out on a side table. My absolute favorite ever though, was the year they got a box of piroulines cookies, those long skinny, delicate cookies filled with chocolate…my father got out his tiniest drill bit ever and gently drilled out the chocolate from the cookies, rolled a bill up as tiny as possible, stuffed it in the cookie, and the “resealed” the cookie on the ends with the gutted chocolate. Of course, these cookies then made their debut on the dessert table….Every year it is so much fun to have everyone “wonder and search” for them, and laugh and remember the crazy and amazingly creative things my parents have come up with in the past. They are pretty cool for parents." -Michelle Clark

"Flocking and decorating the tree was a big deal in the Parker house. We didn't have rigid restrictions as to the date we put our tree up, but there were no Charlie Brown Christmas trees allowed. I guess the fake snow on the tree was meant to complement the real snow on the outside. We usually had plenty by Christmas because I grew up in Illinois." - Jackie Parker

"I remember going downtown to Rich's with my mama all dressed up in my new RED Christmas dress to ride the Pink Pig and see Santa... Rich's had Santa's reindeer so you could see them as you waited to see Santa. All of this was on the top floor of Rich's and you could see the BIG tree right outside. The Pink Pig rode OVER the Rich's TOY Department! Very exciting at age 4! I asked Santa for a little piano and to my surprise Christmas morning....I had a toy black grand piano just my size that I dearly LOVED. I expect my sister didn't love it as much since I 'banged' on it ....no formal lessons yet!" - Denise Grove

"The first Christmas we took our grandchildren, Drew 4 and Emily 3, to a tree farm to cut down a Christmas tree turned out to be a lesson in reasoning with children.

I explained to the kids that we were looking for a tree that was just the right size for us. As we walked around I asked the kids if they liked this tree or that tree. Drew liked all the really big trees, but Emily didn't like any of the trees until she saw a little 'Charlie Brown' type tree. She wrapped her arms around the tree and hugged it saying this was the perfect tree!

Drew looked at the tree and said that it was too little to be a Christmas tree; we needed one as tall as a house. Emily kept hugging the tree. I told her that the tree she selected was just a baby tree, and that it would make the mommy tree sad for us to cut it down until it was big enough to make a wonderful Christmas tree. Emily said okay and gave the tree one last hug. We finally selected another tree that Drew deemed big enough and Emily okayed. However, when Grandfather proceeded to cut the tree down, Emily started crying and yelling, "Stop!" She said we could not cut the tree because it was a mommy tree, and it would make the baby tree really sad. Drew looked around at all of the trees and said that all the big trees were mommy trees...We couldn't cut any of them.

As we walked back to the car, treeless, I asked Drew and Emily if they would like to buy a tree that was already cut or use an artificial tree. Drew said that we could buy a tree that had already been cut because they were orphans and would like to be with a family for Christmas. Emily agreed so off we went to the 'orphan' tree lot."

-Ann Collins

Firms Team Up on Eminent Domain

2005-12-06T11:42:00.000-05:00

The Georgia Association of REALTORS® has hired the team of Bigelow Advertising and Hayslett Group Strategic Communications to launch a statewide campaign to push for eminent domain legislation. The REALTOR’s campaign seeks to re-establish private property rights for Georgians following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. New London.

The team has created a multi-faceted campaign that incorporates traditional advertising, media relations, public affairs work and grassroots involvement.

“The Georgia Association of REALTORS is very appreciative of the work this team has delivered,” said Bob Hamilton, GAR’s chief executive officer. “Bigelow and Hayslett Group have developed a comprehensive campaign that gets to the heart of the issue on eminent domain and should serve us well as we move toward being a part of the solution during the next General Assembly.”

Bigelow Advertising designed a look and feel that is carried throughout the campaign’s specially designed website, yard signage, bumper stickers and collateral. The agency also developed a radio campaign that will run in markets across the state.

Hayslett Group officially launched the campaign with a press conference held at the Georgia state capitol in October. A broad media relations effort will extend the reach of the story throughout the length of the campaign, which is expected to run through the next Georgia General Assembly.

Together, the two agencies developed the structure and content for the campaign’s website, www.protectGAprivateproperty.com. The site serves as a hub for the mobilization of a concerted grassroots campaign. With the Association’s 36,000 members across the state, the website operates as a repository for vital information on the issue and provides tools by which citizens can deliver e-mail messages to their legislators requesting support for enacting legislation to curb eminent domain abuse.

“We are very pleased to be working with the Georgia Association of REALTORS,” said Tom Bigelow, president of Bigelow Advertising. “This campaign allows us to develop a quality creative effort that also works toward resolving a very real concern; that being the need to create legislation designed to curb eminent domain abuse.”

Charlie Hayslett, president of Hayslett Group added, “Our firm prides itself on our ability to help groups such as the Georgian Association of REALTORS shape policy for the betterment of the public. The work we are able to do on this campaign should help restore the concept of private property rights for Georgians.”

For the Love of it: HG Pro-Bono work

2005-11-29T10:50:00.000-05:00

A local publication for the communications industry, Oz Magazine, recently highlighted several Atlanta agencies and firms for their pro-bono work in an article entitled "Let the Good Works Roll" by Zachary Keebaugh. Hayslett Group was profiled for the piece for our work with Cochran Mill Nature Center in South Fulton. You can read the entire article at Oz' s website, or the short Hayslett excerpt.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays from All of us here at Hayslett Group! Don't eat too much turkey!

New Client Update

2005-11-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

Hayslett Group will aid in research and strategic communications planning for Memorial Hospital & Manor, a non-profit community hospital located in Bainbridge, Georgia.

For more information on Memorial Hospital & Manor, go to www.mh-m.org.

And the Phoenix Goes to...

2005-11-04T11:31:00.000-05:00

Last night was the lovely Public Relations society of America Phoenix Awards celebration. The dessert was delicious and the conversation delightful. Hayslett Group was honored to receive a Phoenix Award for a speech we wrote for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and two certificates of excellence for an Op-Ed we wrote for the Hyde Family farm several months ago and for our integrated communications campaign for Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus, Georgia. In particular, just the fact that our small, rural hospital client was in the running with the National Dairy Association is wonderful! Nothing beats doing quality work with quality clients!

In October, we were honored by the International Association of Business Communicators with a Gold Flame Award for the same speech as above, and two Bronze Flames for a logo we designed for Cochran Mill Nature Center and for our HealthPlex at Sumter Regional Event campaign.

Thanks to all of our clients and staff members for their creativity and hard work! And Congratulations to all the other firms and business that won for their fine work.

Online Marketing Tip

2005-11-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

This is short and sweet.

A couple of years ago I realized I didn't know enough about interent and online marketing. I wasn't sure how to maximize the potential of our website, how to track its effectiveness, and how to improve upon it. After all, why have it if it does nothing for you? This was kinda scary, attempting to keep up with all the changing technologies out there, but I figure I better know something and keep pace. I stumbled on to this website, Dr. Ralph Wilson's Web Marketing Today, which is very large and filled with all kinds of information. Almost too much, overwhelming for me, so I just stick to the e-newsletter I get from them every once in a while. I really appreciate and enjoy the little tips. I can't become an expert in this stuff overnight, but little by little I can use the tips and follow up on some of the things that really sound helpful.

And it has worked...I have tracked our web stats over the past two years. The changes to content, increase in our online presence, and increase in traffic leads have resulted in an increase not only in visitors, but quality visitors who are seriously interested in our services. The amount of visitors who have spent over 10 minutes at our site has risen remarkably! Not to mention we have tracked our business leads and have seen a rise and direct link to web referred clients..the ultimate "web conversion."

Enjoy. If you want to ask us about some of the specifics we have done to make our web site a more viable marketing tool, feel free to leave a comment or email us!

Boring! Boring! Boring!

2005-10-31T13:06:00.000-05:00

I am thoroughly impressed by how boring a lot of communications professionals' publications are. Half the stuff I get in the mail I can't even read it is so visually uninteresting. I wonder why the very publications that are put out to attract people who communicate for a living are not designed to effectively do so.

Not all of them are boring. Most graphic design and advertising stuff: print, Communication Arts and local pubs like Oz Magazine and Create are fairly interesting to interact with. They are engaging. However, PR and marketing pubs...blech. The majority of them are just not visually interesting, much less stimulating. Why?

I want to learn about the latest trends and tips and studies in PR and Marketing. I want to file away articles and keep back issues on my shelves for years...but I am bored before I even pick them up...half the time publications get left on my desk for months before I finally forget my book at the house and desperately need something to read on the train ride home.

While this seems like a rant, and I suppose it is, I actually was first inspired to write this because of a particularly good, fun, direct mail industry publication I have been getting for the past year or so. It is called Deliver, and it is put out by the USPS for goodness sake, who does a better job of catching my eye, and quite honestly the secretary's eye, than associations devoted to "catching one's eye." After all, the secretary sorts through the mail and makes the first cuts as to what ends up in our mailboxes. I am sure many other company's have the same thing happening in their offices.

Another publication that has pleasantly surprised me in the past year is IABC Atlanta's most recent format for their newsletter, empart. It is interesting and different. A huge improvement on the original. I delight it it's charming size and use of two colors.

In closing, I thank all publications who have dared to make me excited, and I ask all publishers in a general plea on behalf of readers of all kinds: Don't be afraid to make it interesting.

And of course...Happy Halloween!

Yay!

2005-10-05T10:26:00.000-04:00

We don't know exactly what level of awards we won yet, but we just heard today that we won something from PRSA for the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta "Hope & Will" speech, a Hyde Farm Op-Ed and the Sumter Regional Hospital "Community Minded...Just Like You" campaign, and from IABC we won something for the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta "Hope & Will" speech,

the HealthPlex at Sumter Regional Grand Opening campaign and pro-bono client, Cochran Mill Nature Center's, "Nature + Nurture" Volunteer Logo.

Yay! We will let you know what level of award when we do!

And PR for all…

2005-10-03T17:17:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago I read an article about a new franchise called PR Store in Inc. Magazine. I read a less positive article about the same franchise a little bit later. This stirred up in me the concept of communications tools being available to all. PR Store’s concept is that everyone, not just the guys who can afford to spend tons on money on it, should utilize the tools of Public Relations in their everyday business plans, and be able to do so at a reasonable price. Too often PR is seen as a luxury method of reaching and shaping audiences’ perceptions, and it is rarely thought of as a standard or cost effective method for small and many medium sized companies.

I believe in the PR Store philosophy. The counterpoint to this sunny idealism is that when you start taking a business service that is considered an “art form,” such as: public relations, marketing, copywriting, advertising and graphic design, and begin to sell it as a bargain basement product, minus the (costly) creative process and the planning involved in high quality business services, you are stripping the service of its value. It is somehow “cheapening,” lowering the art form and diluting the talent pool.

I can see how this might tug at one’s heart. Especially when a communications professional has spent years developing their personal skills, making contacts and honing their practical skills. This sort of commoditizing of art forms happens all the time, and with it comes, yep, mediocre versions of the original form of art.

I say so what. There is a version appropriate for everyone. And God Bless America that for every business need there is a product/service scrambling to fill that need, no matter what the price or market. Yes it stinks that the “art” of what you or I might do for a living is now being be done for a lot cheaper by folks with possibly a lot less experience and skill, but if it means the possibility of extending and extolling the virtues of communications services to more businesses in more markets, I say yay, let there be marketing, copywriting, advertising, graphic design and PR for all…

What do you think?

Fall "Lunch & Learn"

2005-09-30T15:36:00.000-04:00

Upcoming Seminar
October 26, 2005, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Public Relations Impact On The Bottom Line

Hayslett Group would like to cordially invite you to join our office and contacts to "Lunch & Learn." We will provide the complimentary nourishment for mind & body. So, come on out to our office and nibble on lunch while we share a PRSA sponsered webcast with you. This is a great way to break up the busy work week and sneak in a mini-study course! All at no cost to you or your company. We look forward to seeing you there!

We are sorry, but there are no longer any seats available for this event.

For more details on this event, visit this issue of our newsletter, Communique, online.

Hurricane Katrina and You

2005-09-12T10:54:00.000-04:00

Every time I catch the news or manage to read stories in the AJC or NYT these days, I'm constantly struck by how massive the relief effort following Hurricane Katrina seems to be. There are so many different ways to help!

HG joined in on the efforts to help, and donated school supplies for children affected by the storm through Atlanta's All The Hits Q100, Kathy Cox, Superindent of Schools/State of Georgia, UPS and the Salvation Army. The radio station's goal is to provide backpacks filled with school supplies for the over 5000 children that have relocated to Atlanta because of Katrina. We hope that our efforts in providing these backpacks will help a child feel welcomed to Georgia and more like the other students.

I'm curious, though, as to what the readers of our BloHG and their companies have done, with regard to the ongoing relief efforts. I'm also interested in finding out whether or not your company publicized any of its relief activities. Finally, do you think corporations should publicize their good works via press releases, or do you think it's more noble to quietly contribute?

Extraordinary Examples of Caring

2005-08-31T14:07:00.000-04:00

So, we don't want to toot our own horn, but...well, we will.

Recently, Hayslett Group won an Overall LACP Bronze Vision award for the first ever Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals (GACH) Annual Report, Extraordinary Examples of Caring. Of course we are honored, but what was more of an honor, was the act of creating the publication.

Involving the GACH member hospitals in the development of the publication gave us the opportunity to hear and share the heart-lifting stories from various community hospitals around Georgia. We are not saying this just because GACH is our client. The hospitals we featured in the publication truly gave their all in helping us tell their stories, and quite honestly, give their all every day in their communities.

While the client made this project fulfilling, I have to mention that I found the atmosphere at Hayslett Group surrounding the project very exciting also. While Hayslett Group has produced many wonderful publications over the years, and has won over 80 awards for their endeavors, this would be the first annual report Hayslett Group planned, wrote, art directed, designed and produced all in- house. The only outside vendor was our printer. As a team, Hayslett Group worked on the project utilizing every staff member's unique and complementary talents to produce an award-winning, and heart-rending annual report.

It's one of those things I think we could do a better job of telling our clients about....we do it all.

And we do it well.

Too often we get pigeon-holed as a PR firm, but our everyday operations, and our name "Hayslett Group, Strategic Communications," says it all. We are communicators, not just pr practitioners. We are strategists, designers, speechwriters, media reps, marketers, copywriters, producers, fighters, dreamers and believers...okay that got a little hokey, but you get the picture.

Oh yeah, we also happen to love what we do.

Do you? Tell us about it.

Atlanta Traffic

2005-08-24T12:55:00.000-04:00

I was thinking the other day, as I sat on Roswell Road (going nowhere fast), how many times I've had to be on time for an important meeting, only to be thwarted by the uncooperative and always-present Atlanta traffic...it's hard to rememeber a time when I didn't rely on my cell phone to call a client or boss, to let them know I might be a few minutes late, thanks to an unexpected lane closure/wreck/thunderstorm on Ga. 400/I-285/I-85/I-75/I-20/elsewhere. I figured this might be a fun thread to ask BloHGers to share their stories about how they managed to make an important meeting PRIOR to the days of Cingular, Sprint PCS and Nextel...tell how your creativity came into play as you tried to get from Point A to Point B!

Meanwhile, I'll sit here and wait...much the same way I do in my car, on a daily basis.... :)

Leap of Faith

2005-08-24T12:03:00.000-04:00

Every so often... Wonderful, successful, insightful, inspiring, progressive and innovative ideas and work get all the way through the myriad of levels of client approvals, and pleasantly astonish both a client and the client's industry peers. Examples of this kind of work? Industry professional organizations' competitions showcase extraordinary work and so do industry publications. They are great sources for inspiration and hope that the latest, greatest idea you or your team has had may in fact make it to the other side of the chasm of approvals and land on safe ground. A lot of times, it requires the "leap of faith."

Communicating in new ways, using new tools and ideas, can be overwhelming, confusing and quite honestly, scary for clients used to doing things one way. Change as we all know is not necessarily an easy or fun thing. But some companies are embracing the challenges of being progressive and are pushing forward to establish themselves as new and innovative communicators in industries that are traditionally very conservative.

For example, in the highly educated, specialized worlds of semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, customers and stakeholders were just not getting the message. The challenge? Very often to just make what so many "regular" people consider "boring and complex" stuff actually interesting, exciting and appealing. Many companies feel that they may lose the mystique of their complex industry or are lowering themselves to pander to the crowds, but quite frankly, the companies that strive to listen to, adapt for and reach out to their customers and stakeholders (on their terms) are pleasing and engaging the very people that make a company successfull.

Here are a few examples of exciting communications from conservative companies recently showcased in the magazine, STEP INSIDE DESIGN. The first being a recruiting brochure for Xoma, a biopharmaceutical company hoping to attract energetic and upbeat potential employees. Their website is beautiful also.

This next example is of the annual report for The Semiconductor Industry Association. This annual report was physically smaller than 8.5 x 11, and employed silver inks and bold type treatments...not exactly traditional or conservative...it was instead, engaging and exciting.

Finally, The Baltimore Museum of Industry's quarterly "Nuts & Bolts" newsletter was revamped to hopefully generate a buzz around a museum most Baltimore residents were unaware even existed. The result was very dramatic oversized publication.

Guerilla Communications

2005-08-16T13:16:00.000-04:00

With all the stress that is involved in a communications professional's life and work, I on occasion seek refreshing examples of communication in action. I have always been fond of guerilla artists...Artists who take their messages to the street and share random stuff everywhere and anywhere.

For example, in our own Little Five Points here in Atlanta, and actually in other neighborhoods also, you may have noticed "Stop" signs that are stickered or written on to read "Stop berating your self" "Stop acting like your mother" etc. or perhaps you have seen the "Obey" Andre the Giant stickers & posters around...one artist started putting these up years ago, now there is worldwide involvement, a website and a successfull business based on it! Not to mention "Obey" was on the Simpsons a couple of weeks ago. Check out Obey the Giant if it intrigues you.

In any case, today I found a wonderful, happy communications effort, that cheered me up. I share with you the "You are Beautiful" campaign...which has also spread across the U.S. All done willingly and for free by random folks. All communicating effectively a lovely little thought to a whole lot of people who could use it.

Hmm...now I want to join in...

All the Glitters is not Sold

2005-08-11T11:21:00.000-04:00

Now I love technology. It is an integral part of every single one of my days. I spend huge amounts of time struggling to keep up with new software, techniques and trends. In particular, trends that are web related.

Our firm has been very proactive about learning and finding out more about RSS, blogs, online media rooms, etc. and how they can help or hinder our clients' communications efforts. Lately though, I have been getting annoyed by all the glitter in technology. What I mean is, all the new animation, effects, super-cool sounds and fancy pants gadgets and gizmos that are soooo distracting if used in a careless manner. These things were developed to help illustrate a message...they are instead becoming the message. I see it all the time. Super cool flash intros on websites (which always have "click to skip intro" buttons on them, which everyone clicks, so I wonder why they make these, and why companies pay for them, in the first place), hi-tech presentations, e-newsletters that flash and blink and move around...I can't concentrate on what I am trying to read when all this stuff is going on around me.

If I am trying to reach my audience with a specific message for them, which is competing with about a jillion other messages to get into a modern day person's media burned out mind, why on earth would I think that adding more "Stuff" to the message will make it clearer?

Not to mention while we think everyone in the world is as up to speed with all the new technology...let's think about it, alot of folks don't even have DSL. Tons still don't have computers!

Yes technology is cool. Yes it all has its place, and when used carefully to highlight our messages, can be very effective. I rant on this over and over again...I apologize for that, but for several years now I have been constantly amazed by all the websites I see that have all the glitter and no message, or a message from 5 years ago because no one has updated it. Or you can't find what you are looking for or navigate the site because it is poorly designed....or the type is so small you have to squint! If you would like to read some website tips that do not include me ranting, check out this article that ran in our newsletter recently.

Okay I am done ranting...I guess you can tell that with me, I prefer clean, simple, user-friendly communications. If it glitters, I am not neccessarily sold.

Its the little things that count

2005-07-29T09:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was blown away by a very often recommended and more often than not unused business practice. The personal touch. The handwritten note. Just a month ago at an American Marketing Association meeting, the handwritten note's virtues were extolled. Here is a wonderful example of it in action.

I live in Atlanta and on Wednesday, bought flowers from a tiny local florist in Brooklyn Hts., Ohio for a local family, I had never used them long distance before. I grew up with the florist in the neighborhood, and I know that they in fact work out of their basement. On Thursday, I received in the mail from this tiny florist in an Ohio suburb a handwritten note thanking me for my business, my receipt, a promotional magnet and a "menu" of services. I couldn't believe it. I can't remember the last time a service or product I have spent considerably more money on than the flowers has ever done this. And it impressed me. With that kind of personal attention, it is no wonder they have been in business for over 15 years.

On occasion I would use online flower services for my various long-distance flower needs in Ohio, but no more! I will stick with the little business that showed me they cared...or at least has a really good idea about what communications can do for them!