The Wonderwall

B2B Social Savvy: Five Points

2012-01-16T09:30:00.001-05:00

The Twitter Fountain at PodCamp Western Mass. 2011

Having a presence on the major social media networks is becoming a necessity for alltypes of businesses in all industries. Some industries, including restaurant and hospitality outfits, tourist destinations, and nonprofit organizations, have been front-runners in the social race. These subsets use social networking and mediaoften and to great effect, treating it as a large piece of the marketing puzzle, and have had business-to-business success as well as consumer-level success as a result. Essentially, those who are gleaning the most benefit from social media and networking have grasped that social B2B is a hot tap of best practices, good leads, and industry information, and that leads to new frontiers at all levels.

Those industries are great models to follow. But even if the return on one's investment of time, effort, and funds is still a blurry target for you and your business,it’s important to at least dip a toe in the shallow end of the social pool.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. Pages on facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, are consistently at the top of a search list when searching for a company name and as such increase the company’s online presence,name recognition, and SEO efficacy.

2. From a sales perspective, sales representatives with LinkedIn pages, Facebookprofiles, or Twitter streams offer more ways for people to connect with them,be they prospects, vendors, or colleagues. These networks also work with oneanother: Facebook, Linkedinand Twitter accounts can be easily linked together to share information or easily promote news, photos, videos, and more with the click of abutton.

3. The networks can be used to connect with both the media and the public withouthaving to create two separate campaigns or streams of communication. That meansthe media can find and promote your news as easily as you can hob-nob withindustry insiders.

4. When it comes to trade shows, social media can be used to publicize yourbooth and any special events your company is holding, while at the same time monitoringwho’s been invited and who plans to stop by. Creating an ‘event’ on Facebook isthe best example of this – invite your industry ‘friends’ to yourbooth or event, and in turn they can invite others as well. This adds to yournetwork and also takes some of the impetus off of you when trying to getqualified folks to look at your products. It's an outlet for fun things, too -– product giveaways powered by contests, trivia, or games encourage content creation by participants and interaction with the brand.

Twitter is often used as a ‘navigation tool’ at trade shows, too. Organizerswill choose a special keyword (hashtag) that attendees and vendors can use, andthis sets those messages apart and makes them searchable. Examples: “Flooringdemo in 20 minutes at Booth 222 - #IWF”, or “They’re giving away free ice creamat the Suddekor table! #IWF”. Plus, if a vendor Tweets ‘10% off sale for our followers’ orsomething similar, it’s likely to be more effective than a static sign, becausethe people following you already want to hear what you have to say. It’s moretargeted.

5. Social media also makes PR more dynamic. You can maintain your press kits andpaper releases, but at the same time, have that information available via anonline newsroom. Beyond just the text, online press releases can also includephotos, links, contact info., and videos – and we already know, the tradepublications love getting all the information we can send them.

Jaclyn Stevenson is the director of Public Relations and Social Media for Winstanley Partners. She recently caught a flying hibachi shrimp in her mouth to great cheers.

Success in Giving... Let Us Count the 12 Ways

2012-01-09T17:09:00.004-05:00

“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make adifference.” –Tom Brokaw

We at Winstanley Partners, like our friends and neighbors around the world, face this challenge head-on. Our 12 Ways of Giving series, posted over the holidays, detailed just a few of the causes that anyone can champion, fromtheater support to relaying for life, to serving coffee, coaching, and teaching.

So, one more time, with feeling -- here is a wrap-up of our 12 Ways Series and some of the community and world organizations we work with. What do you do to give back in your off time? Tell us in the comments.

Culture Clatch

Jeanne Zanetti, Director of Interactive Services for Winstanley Partners, serves aspresident of the Board of Directors at Berkshire Lyric in Pittsfield, Mass. Thenon-profit organization supports a wide range of music education programsthroughout Berkshire County, offer scholarship and musical opportunities, andis dedicated to helping people of all ages to learn and hone their choral andmusical talents. Jeanne assists with the group’s annual Young Musician’sScholarship Program, the Choral Scholars program, the Berkshire Lyric’s CollegeChoral Fest, and the summer Choral Camp. And is if that’s not enough, she singsas a member of the Berkshire Lyric Chorus.

The creative and performing arts across the Berkshires ofMassachusetts is a passion of Winstanley’s Vice President and Creative Director, Ralph Frisina. As a member of the board ofdirectors of the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, he dedicates time to helpingdevelop the region’s cultural scene, namely via his work with the Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG). BTG is a performing arts powerhouse formed by the pairingof The Colonial and the Stockbridge, Mass.-based Berkshire Theatre Festival—itscore philosophies (that bring creative and educational performances and eventsto the greater Berkshires region) are more than supported by Ralph, who assistswhenever he can. His contributions include helping with the development of anew BTG brand identity and creative campaign to increase donor-ship.

The new-found free time of Winstanley’s Chief Operating Officer, Ron Thompson, has been filled.Learning recently of a now 5-year old Christian music radio station—The Q 99.7, a non-profit based in Feeding Hills, Mass.—he wanted to getinvolved. Last month, Ron began volunteering some time at the Underground Café,a part of The Q 99.7, bringing together his love of the station’s music andthat of some local, eager young musicians. Sometimes he helps with the soundequipment, sometimes with the café’s security and hospitality…sometimes hehelps serve coffee. If it means making a positive difference in the lives ofyoungsters, Ron is more than willing to assist, regardless of the duty.

Nate Winstanley, founder of Winstanley Partners, and his family not only support the historic,155-year old Lenox Library, they encourage others to help as well. Upon therecent passing of Nate’s father, Nathan Winstanley Jr., Ph.D., the family optedto urge friends and other family members to offer support to the library in hismemory—much of the organization’s budget comes from donations and fund-raisingevents. Nate’s dad, also known as Win, 91, took full advantage of the LenoxLibrary over the years, supporting all it has to offer, from community servicesto resources and programs.

We Teach, We Learn

Gene Hyatt, Winstanley Project Engineer, took a vacation last year. Did he jet away to a warmisland, or relax at home? No. Instead, he tied on his hiking boots, packed abag, and accompanied his son’s class to the local area Nature’s Classroom, oneof several such camps scattered across New England. Offering a 24-hourexperiential learning environment, young campers spend five days with activitiessuch as environmental field studies, special interest classes, hiking, and folkdancing. An exhausting vacation, he admits, but one that was even morerewarding.

For nearly 10 years, the winter months have been especially busyfor Winstanley’s Vice President of Account Services Mike Coakley. Armed with a whistle and clipboard, hevolunteers with the Lenox (Mass.) Youth Basketball Association (LYBA), teachingskill, technique, and sportsmanship for players in grades 5 through 8. Inaddition, he helps with the group’s fundraisers and other events. I guess youcould say Mike is an all-around team player.

Travel has proven to round out the life of Jaclyn Stevenson, Director of Public Relations and Social Media for Winstanley Partners. The communicationsmaven studied abroad with the non-profit AFS organization. From Belgium andFrance to England and more, she has learned about other cultures, other views,and has gained new experiences that are lifelong partners. In learning aboutdifferences in culture, Jaclyn has found similarities, and works to supportsuch in her daily life. Along with invaluable experiences, AFS also offersscholarships and other programs. For Jaclyn, involvement in the organizationyields lifelong rewards.

Children are our Future

Sometimes the simplest gestures can mean the world to achild… and to Gigi Yablonsky, Educational Content Producer for Winstanley Partners, as well. Each year,she brightens the Christmas season for children through contributions to thelocal Sponsor-A-Child Christmas Program—this year, she and her husband Jackchose to supplement the gift cache at the Berkshire Community Action Council Giving Treeat Berkshire Gas, targeting specifically a 12-year old girl wholoves crafts and arts, from the Berkshire Community. For Gigi, this is one ofthe most enjoyable parts of the holiday season.

Winstanley Partners Interactive Project Manager Holly Terry and her husband Jim, Captain withthe Town of Lenox volunteer firefighters, list assisting the local FireDepartment’s efforts among their regular priorities. Holly donates to thedepartment her web designing and interactive marketing talents, and alsoassists with its community relations and fundraising events. And if that wasn’tenough, Holly stands in as one of Santa’s helpers for the LFD’s holiday party.

Fine Furry Friends
For Winstanley Partners Account Executive Leslie Ceder, and her husband Doug Durante, making apositive different in someone’s life has been as easy as cuddling and hairbrushing—for kitties of all ages and sizes. The animal-whispering duovolunteers at the Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter in Pittsfield, Mass. Doug, inparticular, spends time there every week feeding the cats, cleaning cages, andoffering some simple “tlc” for the furry friends. Easy enough, they agree, butit carries with it an enormous impact.

To Our Health...
Epitomizing the idea of helping a cause in any way possibleis Winstanley Partners Project Manager Carrol Patin. He has seen several friends at the peak of stress, as they simplycare for their children who are autistic. Carrol assists with graphics work forvarious activities hosted by the Autism Society of America’s Lafayette, La.(his hometown) chapter. And this volunteering of just a little of his time hasmade a world of difference for them.

Walking around a high school track has been morethan just exercise for Justine Murphy, Public Relations and Communications Specialist for Winstanley Partners. Forthe past several years, she has dedicated time to fight a fight that so manycannot—the opponent is cancer. Some months fundraising leads Justine to theannual American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event. She joins family membersand friends each spring at the event in Union County, NC. Her fight doesn’t endthere, however. Justine also chopped off 10 inches of her hair to donate to theLocks of Love charity, assisting brave, young children through their battlewith what she describes as “an infuriating disease.”

12 Ways of Giving, Day 12 -- The World is Our Classroom

2011-12-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

The 1994 USA to Belgium AFS group. Winstanley Partners Director of PR Jaclyn Stevenson (at age 15) sits first on the left.

In a world that's more connected every day, travel still serves as one of the most inspirational, educational, and life-affirming parts of a life well-led. New cultures give us new ways of looking at things, and new experiences remind us that each day is what we make it.

That's why I so fervently support study abroad programs for children, teenagers, and adults alike -- specifically those offered by AFS, a nonprofit organization my family has had ties to for decades. AFS sent me to Belgium to study French in 1994, but I also have a 'cousin' from Uganda who lived with relatives for a year and returned to live in the U.S. as the dictator Idi Amin rose to power. One of my best friends while I was in middle school was Joko, an Indonesian student who stayed with another set of relatives for a year. He kept me company at family parties, taught me about Ramadan, and supported my interest in writing poetry.

While travel may not seem like a pressing need in these tough economic times, the lessons study abroad taught me are deeply ingrained parts of my personality and outlook on life. I believe, for instance, that we are all neighbors. I believe that there's something beautiful around every street corner on every block on the map. I believe that in our differences, we find similarities, and for all of these reasons, we must respect and love the world we've been given.

AFS and other groups like it offer countless ways to give back. Contributions can be made for scholarships, so any student with wanderlust can pursue a travel opportunity. Students from other countries can be hosted in one's home for a week, a month, a summer, or a full year. Volunteers can help with phone drives, mailing campaigns, and the organization of beginning-of-stay and end-of-stay orientations. AFS alumni like me can speak to students who are interested in traveling, interview applicants, and meet with families to talk about the AFS experience. Many communities have their own grassroots fundraising efforts in place to help send local students abroad; as a teenager, I sold balloons at a weekly outdoor band concert on Cape Cod every summer. It's one of my favorite memories.

Study abroad has long been something reserved for the privileged, but AFS and other programs make the chance to learn from the world at large a reality for anyone. The world may seem smaller these days as we are increasingly able to communicate with anyone anywhere at a moment's notice, but there is plenty to see, and this planet belongs to all of us.

-- Jaclyn Stevenson, Director of Public Relations and Social Media

12 Ways of Giving, Day 11 -- Through a Child's Eyes

2011-12-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

A child’s diagnosis of autism can be devastating for afamily in many ways. Winstanley Partners Project Manager Carrol Patin has seenthe high level of stress experienced by friends who are parents of autisticchildren.

“I saw how difficult caring for an autistic child was forthem. Everyday life could be a struggle for them at times,” Carrol said. “Icould see how emotionally demanding it was for them.”

Carrol took an opportunity to volunteer his time helping asmall chapter of the Autism Society of America in his hometown of Lafayette,La. Just the small gesture of providing graphics work for various chapteractivities made a big difference for the chapter and the families it supports.

Caring for a child with autism presents many challenges.Local chapters provide parents with much needed support, encouragement, andinformation. To learn more about the Autism Society of America, visit http://www.autism-society.org

12 Ways of Giving, Day 10 –- All the World’s a Stage

2011-12-21T09:30:00.010-05:00

When not leading the art department at WP, Vice President and Creative Director Ralph Frisina dedicates his time to helping develop the region’s cultural scene —namely, through his work with the Berkshire Theatre Group.

The Colonial Theatre, constructed in 1903, has long been a staple in the cultural world, hosting a variety of music, theatrical, and arts events. Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, established in 1928, is one of the oldest professional regional theatres in the country. Together, the pair forms a performing arts powerhouse known as the Berkshire Theatre Group. The group shares core philosophies that have been the backbone of the Berkshire arts scene for years, and together, brings creative and educational performances and events to the greater Berkshires region.

Ralph, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Colonial Theatre, believes in the creative and performing arts, and often spends time helping with the organizations’ missions and work. Ralph and the staff at WP are in the early stages of helping BTG develop a new brand identity and an initial look at a creative campaign to increase donor-ship.

“Arts and culture are two strong economic drivers in the Berkshires, and that’s been the case for decades,” he said. “However, times are changing, and audiences are looking for new, diverse, exciting experiences in theater, music, and other performing arts. This is a time when being a part of a dynamic arts organization like BTG means that I can be a part of creating real change on stage, and offer some amazing performances to our community.”

12 Ways of Giving, Day 9 -- Do You Hear What I Hear?

2011-12-20T09:30:00.004-05:00

Crowds fill The Underground Cafe in Feeding Hills, Mass. every Friday night to hear new musicians test their skills. Now, WP COO Ron Thompson can be seen hauling an amp or slinging coffee to patrons as one of The Underground's newest volunteers.

Ron Thompson’s children have flown away from the nest and onto college, leaving him and his wife with some new-found time to fill.

Recently, the Winstanley Partners Chief Operating Officer learned of a fairly newChristian music radio station, The Q 99.7, established in 2006 and based inFeeding Hills, Mass. It's broadcast mainly in the metro Springfield, Mass. andnorthern Connecticut areas including towns like Enfield (Conn.), Agawam, andWestfield.

“I really enjoy the music,” Ron said. And after learningmore about the small, non-profit, independent station, “I wanted to help makesure it can stay on the air; that it succeeds.”

So, thinking about his new-found free time, he decidedrecently that volunteering with 'The Q' made perfect sense. He loves music. He’sChristian. He’s got the time to dedicate.
And in the spirit of the season, Ron beganvolunteering some time at the Underground Café, a part of The Q 99.7, just this month.

EveryFriday night, the café features local musicians and bands that are eager to getout to the public their name and sound. Teams of volunteers run much of theevening, helping with the sound equipment for musicians, security, and hospitality, including serving coffee and other goodies to patrons from the Q Coffee Bar.

“I have the time to dedicate now,” Ron said, “So I’m helpingout this great organization.”

Learn more about The Q 99.7 at www.wlcq.com/and www.facebook.com/theq997; Forinformation about the Underground Café, visit wlcq.com/underground.php or www.facebook.com/theundergroundcafe.

12 Ways of Giving, Day 8 -- Get Fired Up about Volunteerism

2011-12-19T09:30:00.012-05:00

Holly Terry (second from right, kneeling) helps Santa out at the Lenox Fire Department.

Establishedin 1909 following a fire on Easter Sunday that destroyed a large part ofdowntown Lenox, the LFD has a long-standing tradition of providingall-encompassing service to the Town of Lenox and its residents. That’s whysupporting the department is a priority for Winstanley Partners InteractiveProject Manager Holly Terry and her husband, volunteer firefighter Captain JimTerry.

Hollyuses her talents to volunteer for the Lenox Fire Department in a ways that areboth inventive and important. An accomplished web designer with a flair forinteractive marketing projects, websites, and Flash animation, Holly donatedher time and designed the LFD’s website. She also assists with the department’scommunity relations efforts and event planning, helping to organize and spreadthe word about the LFD’s recent centennial celebration, firefighter’s ball, andfirefighter’s parade. She’s also one of Santa’s helpers, giving out presents tochildren at a department-hosted holiday party.

“There are so many different ways to helpout, and there are plenty of things to be done,” she said, noting that inaddition to monetary contributions that support the LFD’s operations, donationsof historical memorabilia, photos, ephemera, and, above all, time are alwaysgreatly appreciated. For more information, visit www.lenoxfire.com.

12 Ways of Giving, Day 7 –- When in doubt, Branch Out

2011-12-18T09:30:00.017-05:00

Greylock Federal Credit Union sponsored a BCAC Giving Tree last year. Here, Greylock President/CEO Marilyn Sperling and Marketing Promotions and Partnerships Manager Victoria May pose with the many gifts collected from local residents. Photo from Greylock.org.

Making a child’s Christmas wish come true is one of theseason’s greatest gifts, according to Gigi Yablonsky, educational contentproducer for Winstanley Partners.

Nothing makes her holiday more memorable, she says, than choosingan ornament from a ‘wish tree’ – one that is decorated by a wide variety ofnonprofit assistance organizations with the gift wishes of disadvantagedchildren – and setting out to find the perfect present.

Wish trees, or giving trees, can often be found in post offices, libraries, and businesses in communities everywhere. Gigi and her husband Jack like to try to find a different tree each year, and this Christmas, chose an ornament representing a 12-year-old girl interested in craft and art supplies from a Berkshire Community Action Council Giving Tree at Berkshire Gas. Last year, BCAC’s Sponsor-a-Child Christmas program supplied 3,600 low-income children with Christmas gifts.

“For me, this is the most enjoyable part of Christmas,” she said. “I am alwaysfaced with the dilemma of buying gifts for people who don’t need anything… thisis a totally different kind of giving experience. I had a wonderful time buyingclothes and craft supplies. I threw in candy, books, and jewelry. I loveto get the name and particulars of a specific child – age, sizes, interests,special requests – and then put together a Christmas for that child.”

12 Ways of Giving, Day 6 -- Put Me In, Coach!

2011-12-17T09:30:00.007-05:00

The Lenox Youth Basketball Association's 5th and 6th grade level team poses with their Great Barrington tournament trophy last year. Vice President Mike Coakley stands at right in the back row; his son Kevin kneels fifth from the left, front row.

Onmany a night and weekend through the winter months, Mike Coakley, vicepresident, account services at Winstanley Partners, trades in his iPad andsmart phone for a whistle and clipboard.

Avolunteer with the Lenox Youth Basketball Association (LYBA), Mike has beeninvolved with the organization for eight years, including as a board member.But it’s on the court where he’s most comfortable, coaching youth basketballteams in the ways of sportsmanship, technique, and skill. Mike says it’s truethat these lessons are their own reward, but a few scoreboard victories won’tsour the experience. He's already guided 5^th and 6^thgrade level players to victory in the league’s Great Barrington tournament, andthis year his new team is poised to repeat.

“I’mcurrently coaching the Boys’ 7th and 8th grade travel team that plays in theBerkshire County Boys Basketball League throughout the county,” he explained.“My father was a longtime high school basketball coach. He taught me thefundamentals of the game, how to play team basketball, and to always displaygood sportsmanship on the court. That’s what I try to teach my players, and we’reoff to a pretty good start so far with a 2 – 1 record.”

LYBAwas founded in 1987 in order to establish a self-sustaining program thatconsisted of an instructional league and a more competitive program made up oftravel teams that play throughout the county and beyond. What’smore, its reach extends beyond its own programs; in the past, the associationhas purchased new scoreboards for Lenox Memorial High School and the MorrisElementary School, and has sponsored promising players attending summerbasketball camps.

Coaching and board membership aren’t the only tasksLYBA supporters provide, either. Fundraising efforts continue throughout theyear, with community movie nights, an annualcraft fair, and a pancake breakfast in the center of town. Plus, there’s never adull moment during LYBA’s November to March season.

In short,it’s an organization that has provided a few hometown wins and is aiming formore.

12 Ways of Giving, Day 5 -- Get Lost

2011-12-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

A 2011 Nature's Classroom Field Group. WP Software Engineer Gene Hyatt's son, Evan, stands to the right of the instructor.

WP Software engineer Gene Hyatt took a week’s vacation last year in early spring. But he didn’t jet off to a relaxing island, head for the coast, or even finish leisurely household tasks at home. Instead, he chose to don his hiking boots and lead more than 50 children in an educational adventure through the mucky, muddy Northeast woods.

Gene served as a Nature’s Classroom parent, accompanying his son Evan’s class to one of several camps scattered across New England that host school-age children for five days, immersing them in the experiential learning activities day and night. It’s a formidable undertaking for students, teachers, and parents alike; a typical day begins with a meal at 8 a.m. sharp, and continues full speed with activities including field studies of the natural environment, special interest classes, and evening activities ranging from night hikes to folk dances.

In one jam-packed week, for instance, the class took a sensory walk in the woods, blindfolded to heighten their senses of hearing, smell, and touch. Math aficionados constructed a geo-dome and charted maps of the area; science buffs built terrariums and tested solar energy; musicians created woodland instruments, historians recreated Native American games, and writers composed poems inspired by the scenery.

Gene characterized the week as exhausting but rewarding. And even though Evan has graduated from the program and has moved on to 'bigger kid' endeavors, Gene is planning to serve as a Nature’s Classroom volunteer again in 2012.

“It’s definitely a commitment,” he says, “but there’s no better place to learn, whether you’re a kid or an adult.”

12 Ways of Giving, Day 4 –- Turn the Page

2011-12-15T09:30:00.005-05:00

Just downthe street from our offices stands an historic landmark – a building that was oncethe county’s courthouse and is one of nine buildings in Lenox, Mass. on theNational Register of Historic Places.

Since 1856, theimposing brick building has served as the Lenox Library – ahub of the community providing resources, programs, and services aimed atenhancing the quality of life of Berkshire residents and visitors.

Nathan ‘Win’Winstanley, Jr., Ph.D, 91, tookadvantage of everything the library had to offer during his residence in Lenox. That’s why his son, founder ofWinstanley Partners Nate Winstanley, decided to urge friends and family tosupport the library in memory of his father who passed away in September.

Much of the library’s budget is madepossible by donations, but like any community-based organization, the librarywelcomes supporters to volunteer. Help isneeded with all kinds of tasks, from preparing arts and crafts projects for theYouth Department to data entry and circulation assistance.

Membership in the Friends of the Lenox Library Association is another option. Its primary focus is to enhance and promote the Lenox Library’srole in the community by raising funds and sponsoring programs in line with the library’scultural, educational, and recreational role in the community.

For moreinformation or to get involved, contact the library at (413) 637-2630 or via their website: http://lenoxlib.org/about-the-library/contact-us/

12 Ways of Giving, Day 3 -- Relay an Important Message

2011-12-14T09:30:00.004-05:00

Justine's Relay for Life team 2011

Cancer: a maddening, infuriating disease that just won'tquit. And for that reason, never will I.

So many people are affected (directly and indirectly) bythis disease, and in increasing numbers. This is why for several years now, Ihave been volunteering by way of fund-raising for and participation in American Cancer Society events. Among them, the annual Relay for Life. My Relayteammates (made up of family members and friends) and I spend the months and weeksleading up to the overnight event shamelessly fundraising to assist in meetingnot only our team’s goal but to simply continue supporting the ACS and itstireless efforts. And we have fun doing it, too—we laugh, play the event’sgames, talk with fellow Relay-ers, and just enjoy quality time together.

Similarly, another organization has also benefitted from myhelp… earlier this year, I chopped 10 inches of hair from my head to donate toLocks of Love. This is such a simple act that carries with it an enormousimpact. All I needed to do was nothing (aside from my daily wash/condition/blow-dryroutine), and continue to let it grow. I mean, I'm able to grow (and grow, andgrow, and grow) my hair. So instead of watching the hair dresser sweep inchesand inches of my fallen locks off the floor and into the trash, I knew it wouldbe much nicer to know that a little girl somewhere, battling cancer, is happilysitting in front of her vanity mirror brushing her new hair.

Since my areas of expertise do not lie in medical research,but in writing, editing, communications, public relations, etc., this is my wayof “fighting the fight” on behalf of so many who cannot. Participating inthese, and so many other ACS-associated events, are some of the most rewarding,and so incredibly simple, ways one can spend time. So what are you waiting for?

- Justine Murphy, Communications Specialist

12 Ways of Giving, Day 2 -- Be Kind to your Four-legged Friends

2011-12-13T09:30:00.003-05:00

Doug Durante snuggles with one of the sheltered cats at the Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter. Photo by Leslie Ceder.

You’ve heardof Cesar, the Dog Whisperer. Well, here in the Berkshires of Massachusettswe’ve got a couple of cat whisperers: Winstanley Partners Account ExecutiveLeslie Ceder and her husband Doug.

The couplehas their hands in the care of kitties of all ages and sizes at the Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter. The not-for-profit shelter is managed by The Friends ofthe Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter Inc., located in Pittsfield, Mass., and servesas the city’s municipal shelter. Staff and its Board of Directors are dedicatedto providing food, shelter and veterinary care to animals in need, and tofinding loving homes for them as well. Sonsini Animal Shelter works to reunitestray animals in the area with their owners, too.

Doug, inparticular, has been volunteering at the shelter for about three years. He goesthere every Thursday morning to help with the cat feeding. He also cleans cagesand simply spends time with lonely kitties.

"These are easy enough tasks to doeach week, but they make such a huge impact on the lives of animals," he said.

12 Ways of Giving, Day 1 -- Sing Out, Sing Loud

2011-12-12T09:30:00.003-05:00

We’re singing, we’re helping animals, we’re relaying forlife. We here at Winstanley Partners believe that dedicating some of our own time to local, regional, or national charitable organizations is just as important as the work we do day to day.

Good example of this selflessness: Jeanne Zanetti. She’smore than just Winstanley’s Director of Interactive Services, she also servesas president of the Board of Directors at Berkshire Lyric, based in Pittsfield,Mass.

The non-profit Berkshire Lyric supports a wide range ofmusic education projects and programs throughout Berkshire County. Theorganization is dedicated to helping all generations of choral musicians learnand hone their talents. Berkshire Lyric provides scholarship opportunities aswell as tuition-free musical opportunities for children of all backgrounds.

Among programs that support and encourage local talent(namely those of youths)…

· The annual Young Musician’s Scholarship Program,which awards merit scholarships to talented young musicians in Berkshire Countyand surrounding areas who are between ages 13 and 21. The 10-year old programis funded by Berkshire Lyric, and provides students the opportunity to pursuetheir talents and love of music.

· The Choral Scholars program offers performanceand learning opportunities for select, outstanding high school singers(nominated by their school’s choral/music director). The students chosen notonly perform in Berkshire Lyric’s annual Masterworks concert, they also receivescholarships to further their vocal studies, they take part in professionalvocal workshops with other artists, and receive special coaching from BerkshireLyric’s Artistic Director Jack Brown, who studied at the Juilliard School andwith faculty from Yale University and the Union Theological Seminary. A Jack ofall (choral/vocal) trades, he also teaches and directs other music and vocalprograms throughout the region and continues to perform as soloist nationwide.

· Berkshire Lyric’s College Choral Fest bringstogether local college choirs to perform together a sampling of classic andcontemporary choral music. The program fosters collaboration and performanceskills, as well as a chance to showcase their talents.

· A summer Choral Camp, offered through BerkshireLyric’s Blafield Children’s Chorus, allows children ages 6 to 13 the chance tolearn the basics of singing, music theory, music history, and even conductingmusic with Jack.

With her assisting hand in these and other such programs,Jeanne’s work with Berkshire Lyric has proven invaluable, time and again. Andshe even sings as a member of the Berkshire Lyric Chorus, which, by the way, isthe longest running community chorus in the Berkshire County region ofMassachusetts. One of the group’s most popular events is its annual holidayconcert, which has been a regional tradition since 1963. Not too shabby.

Watch this space for eleven more ways our staff contributes to the world in all types of ways, big and small, and please let us know what organizations and charities you champion in the comments.

Happy Holidays, The Winstanley Team

A Perfect Pair: Fiori’s Wine Dinners bring together authentic Italian foods, wines, and a helping of knowledge

2011-10-28T12:06:00.001-04:00

Chef Alex Feldman and Matthew Feldman

Beautiful beaches, a sophisticated atmosphere, breathtaking landscapes, and fascinating historic sites make Sardegna one of the most celebrated regions of Italy. And if that isn’t enough, the island’s traditional cuisine is renowned worldwide.

The Sardegna region comes to Fiori Restaurant Wednesday, Nov. 9, as the Berkshire eatery continues its Wine Dinner series – a culinary journey through northern Italy. November’s event will feature Alfonso Gagliano of Sella & Mosca Winery, Sardegna’s foremost wine producer.

Fiori’s monthly Regional Wine Dinners feature regional dishes paired with the wines that best complement them. Each dinner includes a menu exclusive to the evening, offering foods and wines from a different region of Italy. Experts including winemakers, sommeliers, and others, offer guests an explanation of the dishes and the wines—why each complements the other, the historical significance of each, the regions of Italy from which they originated, and more.

The $65 prezzo fisso menu includes three dinner selections and a dessert, as well as wines originating from the month’s targeted region. There is also the option to upgrade wine selections for an additional
$20.
From the kitchens of Sardegna to Fiori Restaurant, this month’s dinner event features:
• Zuppa di arselle — baby clams simmered in white wine with garlic, parsley, and bruschetta; paired with La Cala Vermentino 2009.
• Melanzane alla Sarda — eggplant baked with tomato, bread crumbs, garlic, and basil; paired with Cannonau Riserva 2007.
• Stufatto di Capra — stewed goat shoulder, wild thyme, and pecorino potato puree; paired with Carignano Terrerare 2005.
• Seadas — deep fried ravioli with honey-sweetened goats milk ricotta; paired with Fiori’s housemade limoncello.

December’s Wine Dinner event will feature selections originating in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. In January, Fiori will feature an ‘evening in Cibreo,’ the internationally renowned restaurant in Florence where Chef Feldman learned Tuscan Cuisine.
For more information or to make reservations, visit www.fiorirestaurant.com or call (413) 528-0351.

Fiori restaurant was founded in 2011 by brothers Alexander and Matthew Feldman, and specializes in handcrafted and authentic Northern Italian cuisine, featuring house-made selections of bread, cheeses, pasta, and gelato, an International wine list, and inventive cocktails. Fiori is open year-round, offering seasonal dining choices to residents and visitors alike, always with a focus on bringing the tastes and traditions of Italy to each table.

Occupy Winstanley

2011-10-26T11:59:00.000-04:00

Two summers ago our PR department had the best research assistant ever. This fact is made more notable when it's revealed that said researcher is the boss-man's youngest son.

With that kind of connection, Thom Winstanley probably could have pushed the lunch-break boundaries. He could have given it a mere percentage of his all. He could have left early for 'personal business' a couple of times a week.*

But he didn't -- he plowed through a summer's worth of facts and figures at a break-neck pace. Now, Tommy is an adman in NYC, where he's proving further that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Be it in advertising or activism, those Winstanley boys always seem to have something to say.

Photo by Benjamin Sweet

* For the record, The Boss says this isn't true.

Fiori Makes Bloody Good-Looking Marys

2011-09-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

Fiori Makes Bloody Good-Looking Marys

Whip Your Email Into Summer Shape

2011-06-10T09:00:00.004-04:00

Even if you’ve got a smart phone, and can check yourmessages from the course, campsite, or kayak, you don’t want to ever have tospend too much time on this summer fun killer. It’s pretty much busy work, and a big time drain, but at the same timeit’s the key to being an effective communicator whether you’re in or out of theoffice this summer.

1. Organization is everything

If your email isn’t organized into client folders or markedwith labels you’re pretty much beat and can kiss your summer goodbye. Personally I think gmail is the best forthis. Any message from any client is atmy fingertips.

Gmail’s Priority Inbox add-on is mind blowing because overtime it analyzes your email habits, such as what you open, who you reply to, howmuch time you spend on the message, and so on. You can mark messages as priority--it learns from you. After a whileimportant messages float to the top of the list and are labeled for action andlower priority messages move to the bottom of the unread stack.

2. Don’t check your email first thing

Here's why.... When you get into your office, try and think of one thingyou can do before digging into your inbox. Sometimes I’ll straighten up for a few minutes, take some old coffeecups down to the kitchen, look at some papers on my desk for a project andthink for a bit, or write a blog post for my PR director.

Once you check the messages, your brain clicks into a verydifferent, and much less creative mode.

3. Unsubscribe from pointless email marketing
Email marketing messages (not talking about spam) that showup in your inbox create visual clutter and have the potential to bog youdown. Unsubscribe from the pointlessones. It only takes a sec and over aweek or so, your volume of the messages will decrease. The other option is to have them sent toanother email address so you can peruse the deals when you’ve got some freetime. The separate address is good, too, for online shopping so you can keep all the invoices and shipping receiptsseparate.

4. Mind your manners

Respond quickly when you’re out of the office because it shows you’reattentive regardless of the location from where you’re emailing. If you’re on your smart phone, keep it shortbut always be courteous with greetings and sign-offs. Always start with "hi" and the person’s namebecause it sets a nice tone; always sign-off with thanks, regards, or a little note.

Phil Cohen is aProject Manager with Winstanley Partners. He recently assumed the additional positionof Grill Master within the company.

Running Heroes

2011-06-08T16:56:00.004-04:00

“And each man stands with his face in thelight of his own drawn sword. Ready to do what a hero can.” –Elizabeth Barrett Browning

On Memorial Day we honor heroes whohave made sacrifices in the name of freedom. For us, our swords were ourrunning sneakers, and we laced up for the 2^nd annual Memorial DayMarathon over the holiday weekend to raise money for a great cause. A portionof the proceeds from the event benefits the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, formedin 2000 to support the men and women in the armed services and their families.

The weekend featured the MemorialDay Marathon and Half-Marathon, and the Berkshires 10K and 5K. I ran in the 5K,while my colleague and running ace Erin Papa participated in the full marathon.We started our respective races at the Tanglewood Music Center, in historicLenox, Mass., in the heart of the Berkshires.

We were filled with American spiritand pride before stepping off, with a military flyover, the National Anthemsung and the local Color Guard from the Lenox Veterans of Foreign Wars seeingus. We ran through patriotic streets that were lined with supporters andAmerican flags. The course was challenging, but offered great views of thelocal area.

We wrapped up back at Tanglewood. Ifinished the 5K in 39:46, while Erin finished the marathon in a solid 4:02:20,placing sixth overall among women. We’re proud to have been able toparticipate, and to honor our servicemen and women with such a fun event. Idon’t know about Erin, but I’m already planning for next year.

Erin (left) & Holly (right)

Holly Terry is the production manager interactive for Winstanley Partners, and Erin Papa is a graphic designer. Both have been training for more than a year andhave recorded better finish times as well as smaller waistlines.

Clients Are People, Too

2011-06-02T15:31:00.001-04:00

It’s nice when clients are people, too. Some are more than others. But many times we only get to see the business side of folks. However, there are those that tend to live their belief systems full-time, kind of like we tend to do at the agency. This is why we allow dogs into the building, as well as a certain level of entertaining mayhem whenever possible. For us, it’s about remaining creative and restraining some rather large personalities. After all, we are what we do to some extent and let’s face it – we’re at work a lot of the day. So it’s always nice to find clients who do the same thing and bring their passions into the work world.

Recently, Berkshire Money Management’s Allen Harris (President and Chief Investment Officer) came to us with a job that reflected both sides of his personality. While looking to gain exposure (which is why, of course, we’re involved) he also wanted to make some impact via radio for a good cause. Two good causes, actually. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

Berkshire Money Management Takes to the Airwaves

Remember those dogs in our office? He does the same at his with his three rescued basset hounds - Edith, Larry and Henry. Great names, no? He’s even built them a safe run on the property. Which points to the first cause these radio spots are about – the Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter, right here in Berkshire County.

So here’s this financial guy, one we work with pretty often (who lets us make some pretty creative work, to boot) who wants to make some radio spots about an animal shelter. Is it good for his business? Sure it is. But is it also true to his belief system. Yes, sir. And hopefully it will really get some people alerted to the shelter’s needs.

Overall, it just feels nice when it’s not all profit all day, all the time. Especially from a financial guy. So we made this spot on the fly and tried to keep costs as low as we could for him. And there’s more. Well, not more that I’m going to tell you about - yet. For that you’ll have to stay tuned… just like everybody else.

But I will tell you this much, it involves both the Sonsini Shelter and a second organization in the community that’s closer to his other big passion – success. All in all, a great project for both of us.

Annette Ragan is the associate creative director and lead copywriter for Winstanley Partners. She likes books.

Grace and Beauty: A Publicist's Look at Fine Art in Life and Work

2011-05-24T11:46:00.000-04:00

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

I completely agree with you, legendary French Artist and Sculptor Edgar Degas. And for Andrew DeVries, this translatesto his vision of grace and beauty in the human form.The Berkshires, Mass.-based sculptor and artist, who cites Degas as one of his biggest influences (the other is the art of dance), is an internationally acclaimed talent who is regularly adding to his collection. For instance, he’s preparing to unveil several new works in the next few months, including Apollo, a half-life-size depiction of a male dancer.

I would love to own any one of Andrew’s sculptures; I’m not picky. Several of his pieces, such as Seagull, bring me back to my childhood when I took ballet and tap dancing classes. His sculptures epitomize the dancer I always strived to be.

By many art collectors and enthusiasts, Andrew’s vision and work have been compared to that of Degas, and with good reason. According to Andrew recently, “Degas and I share the same love of dance, on stage and off. We both admire the strength, determination, dedication, and at its height, the pure beauty of the dancers themselves.”

His newest exhibition, to be held on May 13 at his gallery in Lenox, Mass.— DeVries, Dance, Degas —is a perfect example of the talents and similarities Andrew and Degas share. It pays proper homage to what has served as his inspiration for several decades. The pieces to be displayed are original bronze sculptures and drawings by Andrew that depict contemporary dance and movement, and these will be accompanied by photographs and commentary on works ranging from ancient Greece to the days of Degas to today. Andrew says the exhibition will “give thosefamiliar with dance a greater insight of the symbiotic relationship the visualarts share with it.”

He hopes that those not as familiar with dance will gainenlightenment and greater appreciation for it. As a former public relations specialist with a world-renowned, critically acclaimed ballet company, I have come to appreciate and admire dancers and the art of dance. Now, viewing and learning more about Andrew’s work has further enhanced that appreciation and admiration. In fact, his work inspired a mini photo series of sorts with me and my good friend. Last year, Andrew was the featured, exclusive artist in the 2010 Lenox Sculpture Walk. His sculptures couldbe seen throughout this historic town that sits in the heart of the Berkshires, long renowned as an epicenter of arts and culture.

The DeVries, Dance, Degas exhibition, which kicks off the 2011 season, is not the only event up Andrew’s sleeve. He has many more events planned for this year, among them, a Memorial Day reception on May 28, the unveiling of some of his newest works in early June, and more. One that I’m particularly looking forwardto will take place on Saturday and Sunday, August 13 and 14 at Andrew’s privatestudio in Middlefield, Mass., also in the Berkshires. The sculptor will openhis River Studio to the public, offering a look into his artistic process.Andrew is a one-man show, doing everything from sketching his ideas on paper tocasting them in bronze. The August event will feature a demonstration of thelost wax bronze casting process, from mold-making to the pouring of moltenbronze (done at a staggering 2,000 degrees). Click here to watch a short video ofthis process that was featured in a WGBY (the western Mass. PBSaffiliate) show called “Making it Here,” originally broadcast in April 2006.

You can also learn more about theprocess by visiting Andrew’s website.Andrew DeVries brings the grace and beauty of dance and the human form to life. He is an interesting, talented artist and sculptor with an interesting story and process to share. And I, for one, am grateful for the opportunity to experience it.

Justine Murphy is a Public Relations Specialist with Winstanley Partners. She posed with several Andrew DeVries sculptures last year in Lenox, and looks forward to many more freeze frames.

Social Newspapers - This Ain't Yo Mama's Newsprint.

2011-04-26T00:34:00.006-04:00

Tweet This!

These days, the word 'social' seems to precede everything. Socialmarketing. Social networking. Social Buying. Social Ice Cream Socials.

Oneof the new social buzz-terms of late, adding to the mix, is the socialnewspaper, but this is one new phenomenon on which I see some legs.

The simple gist of social newspapers like those propagated by paper.li:They allow you to read the content your Twitter followers and FBfriends post in a more traditional format, laid out like a newspaper onyour desktop or smartphone's screen. I've been experimenting with thesocial newspaper model for a few months now, and while the medium isstill evolving and I have plenty to learn, there are definite benefitsand opportunities for growth. Here are a few I've mused on lately:

1. Social newspapers give you a keen look atthe people you follow/friend, and how their messages reflect on you,your brand, or that of your company or employer. Since the top links ona social newspaper are calculated by frequency of the posts andreposts, and since spammers post updates constantly, it's easy to seethe unwanted and unneeded content that may have sneaked throughpreviously. Later, some more human decisions will need to be made;while I love the health-related tweets of some of the people I followthrough my personal account, for instance, they aren't all necessarily relevant tothe message my agency wants to convey, so I've stopped following thesepeople via the agency Twitter account, but kept them close via my ownaccount. Sometimes, there may be political, social, or moral differences that by no means stop a conversation, but again, may not gel with a company's overall mission or philosopy. These instances can be managed by using a pre-determined list in Twitter orFB as a feed to a social paper, rather than an entire follow list. But at any rate,it's important to remember the social component here - these are notthe views of the XYZ Daily, but rather the views of the XYZ Daily'scontributors. The only issue is this idea is going to take time to sinkin with the masses.

Tip: As always,the social realm evolves through competition as well as collaboration,as developers constantly evaluate how new social tools work, what theirloopholes are, and how to infiltrate them for good or evil. If you'reconcerned about the relevance of your social paper content, make sureyou take a peek at Get Glue, a new social networking tool, and how itmight dilute the strength of your messages.

2.Social newspapers combine the power of social networking andmedia-sharing with that of the e-mail newsletter model, which is stillvery relevant, and becoming more robust with social integration. Dailyor weekly editions of social papers are delivered at the time of therecipient's choice, creating a customized sense of normalcy that's akin to grabbing your copy of the New York Times from your front porch each morning. I get the Winstanley Partners Daily, my agency's social paper, at 9:30 am each day, timed after I've had(at least) one cup of coffee. Plus, again - I'm not reading or checkingup on content that I've created and disseminated myself. Rather, I'mgetting a look at the news of the day from people whom I've already designated ashelpful to me through my social relationships.

3. Socialnewspapers give a one-stop view of not just articles and blog posts ofnote, but also video and photos. It's a robust mix that is undoubtedlysocial - it allows us to view the news we want to see in the way wewant to see it at any given moment in time. Plus, it doesn't suck tosee a photo you uploaded directly next to another uploaded by Arianna Huffington.

4.Social papers have their finger on the flavah ... we, as in one andall, are the editors and publishers. That said, the primary topics inthe major sections of arts, technology, education, business, and health-- which appear in each edition of every paper.li social newspaper --are filled with content supplied by the zeitgeist. It's not whatsomeone wants us to read, but rather what we are already reading.Further, the popular hashtags (Twitter-searchable keywords) sharedamong those contributors appear as additional sections with eachaddition. For my agency's paper, this translates into a lot of#socialmedia #marketing and #PR hashtags, but these are trumped whenappropriate; i.e. #tsunami, #willandkate, or #breastcancerawareness, asthe users dictate.

There are still some questions to beanswered about social newspapers. For one, there is a translation barat the top of each edition, but it translates little more than thestatic messages and headlines, not the entire paper. Will this servicebe tweaked or will it relay on the existing juggernauts (Googletranslate) to help? Also, I hope there will soon be a way to create apaper that includes content culled from both Twitter or Facebook, notjust one or the other. As of yet, I don't see this option.

Finally,while I refer to social newspapers generally here, they can almostsynonymously be referred to as Paper.li papers. Will another contenderarise to challenge the throne?

So, Tweeps and Friends - what are your thoughts? Leave 'em in the comments.

Jaclyn Stevenson is the Director of Public Relations and New Media for Winstanley Partners. She used to take roller skating lessons on Cape Cod.

Guest Post: Content-Creation Kickstarters by Katy Tafoya

2011-04-25T11:55:00.007-04:00

The Thinker

One of the things my clients often complain about is not only finding the time to create new content, but more importantly, finding something to write about.

The thing is, YOU are the expert in your business. You know everything there is to know about your products, your services and your market. And if you don't believe me, consider this: you know more than your clients know and that, my friend, qualifies you as an expert in their eyes.

So as an expert, you have plenty to write about.I suggest finding a little quiet time and start with the basics and create a master list about what you know you know, deep down. I find that creating a list of at least 25 topics will get you through half the year at one article a week.

Here's a list of 20 questions or ideas to get you started creating content today:
1. Where does your passion lie?
2. Why did you decide to do what you do or to become the person you are?
3. What search terms do people use to find you?
4. What questions to people ask you when they hear what you do?
5. What can you teach others HOW to do in a step-by-step tutorial?
6. What does your ideal client NEED to know about your topic of expertise?
7. What challenges do you (and/or your clients) face on a regular basis?
8. What does the general public need to know about your services or your products?
9. Who inspires you and why?
10. What's a current or typical problem that your industry or market might be facing right now?
11. Who can you interview as an expert (or an influencer) in your industry or market?
12. What Top 3, Top 5 or Top 10 tips can you share with your readers?
13. What mistake have you made in your business and what have you learned from it?
14. What is a day in your business like?
15. Who would you like to meet and why? And while you're at it, why not ask if you can interview them?
16. What are you favorite books or must-read books for your market or niche?
17. Find a motivational or educational video or quote and share it with your audience.
18. Find a great free resource or compile a list of free resources that you think your target audience would benefit from.
19. Compile a Facebook or Twitter list of influencers and experts to share with your target market (Billboard Magazine just did this and name my husband one of the 140 "best music biz characters" on Twitter!!)
20. How does a current event (or gossip, or a big movie, or a best selling book) relate to your business (you'll find quite a few "What I Learned From Charlie Sheen" or "How My Business is Like/Not Like Charlie Sheen" kind of articles out there these days).
21. What makes your business, your services or even YOU special or different than others?

Katy Tafoya is teacher and a coach who finds joy in helping women claim their passion and expertise. She guides solopreneurs to make their lives and their businesses juicier, more fulfilling and more successful. She also leads the Val Gal quarterly networking dinners which are always open to the public and in the greater San Fernando Valley. If you're ready to identify, claim and leverage your expertise and live your passion you can sign up for a a F.R.E.E. subscription to her weekly ezine at SuccessForSolpreneurs.com.WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?See Katy's blog at SuccessforSolopreneurs.com/blog

Northern Italy or South Berkshire County. . . ?

2011-04-13T15:55:00.024-04:00

I’ve never had the chance to visit Italy, but if itsambiance, food and drinks are anything like what I experienced at Fiori restaurant recently, I will quickly add it to my list of travel plans.

I, along with a few colleagues, had the chance to dine at thenew eatery that opened recently at 47 Railroad Street in Great Barrington,Mass., in the heart of the Berkshires. Fiori specializes in Northern Italiancuisine (including house-made pastas, cheeses and desserts), and touts anextensive wine list and growing, unique cocktail and beer menu.

As soon as we walked through the door, we felt comfortablein the relaxed atmosphere. We felt welcomed by every staff member, fromowners Alex and Matthew Feldman to the establishment’s manager/host Charlie to ourserver. She was sweet, friendly and despite the newness of Fiori, she wasextremely knowledgeable about every item on the menu. We enjoyed timely,attentive service, and felt elite despite the fully occupied dining room andbar area.

We started with the house white wine, recommended by Matthew,an experienced sommelier (or wine steward). He was attentive to guests,spending time at every table in the restaurant and offering his suggestionswhile also encouraging feedback. Executive Chef Alex also made an appearancelater in the evening, talking with guests and modestly accepting well-deservedpraise.

Along with fresh, warm, house-made bread, accompanied by ahouse-made ricotta, we tried various foods from the evolving menu.

We started with appetizers…

Two of us opted to share the Antipasto Misto For Two. Let metell you, every piece of food on that platter was amazing. As I am a dedicatedcheese lover, I especially enjoyed the variety of cheeses. My friend with whomI shared the appetizer was fond of the array of olive choices. The salumi andother house specialties were certainly nothing to scoff at either. Another ofus tried (and raved about) the Mixed Greens salad, which included local organicgreens topped with red wine vinaigrette and crispy shallots, while the fourthperson in our party enjoyed the Orzo in Brodo – a soup of pearl barley andvegetables.

On to the main course…

My fellow Antipasto sharer and I each decided to try theTajarin – a large dish of hand-cut pasta, baby zucchini, rosemary, tomato andparmigiano.
My dish was sans tomato, a request our aforementioned servergraciously abided, after ensuring us we would not be disappointed with ourchoice. With or without tomato, though, this entrée was fantastic. It featuredjust the right amount of flavor and spices without overwhelming the palate. Oneof the others who dined with us chose to try the Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese.This consisted of sheets of nettle pasta, grass-fed beef and local pork ragout,crema and parmigiano, and according to her, it was great.

Our fourth dinerordered and thoroughly enjoyed the Bistecca.
This was wood-grilled hangar steak withpancetta-caramelized onion mash and Chianti-veal sugo. Offered as analternative to that, a bed of arugula with lemon and salsa verde could alsoaccompany the steak.

Ending on a sweet note…

Continuing to enjoy our house white wine, we rounded out ourFiori experience with dessert. Myself and another in our party delightfullyenjoyed the Chocolate Torta cake, while the others offered a glowing review ofthe house-made Caramel Gelato.

Overall, our time at Fiori restaurant was unlike many othersI’ve experienced. Whether you’re looking for a comfortable place to kick backand enjoy a unique wine or cocktail, or one of numerous beer choices, or ifyou’d like to enjoy a lovely, distinctive meal, Fiori in Great Barrington,Mass. is your destination.

Justine Murphy is a Public Relations Specialist with Winstanley Partners. She can recite the Wizard of Oz script in its entirety.

Social Media Tastes Great

2011-02-17T09:55:00.001-05:00

In decades passed, when a new eatery opened its doors, its owners would often spend an allotted amount of funds on a pithy welcome ad in a local newspaper. Perhaps a special dish would be offered, or jovial entertainment promised.

Today, the practice of welcoming who will eventually be a restaurant's best customers, the people living in the area, has not changed in spirit. But the delivery method is vastly different, and restaurateurs around the world are scrambling to understand the new rules. As we know, many print publications — newspapers in particular — are heading toward extinction in this age of constantly evolving technology. They’re slowly pulling print advertising down with it. Cue social media.

Facebook is an excellent way to spread the word about restaurants, cafes, delis and the like. With more than 400 million active users spending over 500 billion minutes (yes, I said 500 billion) per month on the site, becoming part of this social networking world is not only prudent, but increasingly crucial for success.An establishment’s menu, meal specials, background and history, photos and things that make your place unique can be available to thousands, if not millions, of people, while remaining accessible and relevant to the local crowd. Features like “Events” essentially advertise, for free, all types of happenings, from birthday parties to class reunions, community events to holiday parties. Users interact with more than 160 million events, pages and groups; more than 25 billion pieces of content — website links, blog posts, notes, events, etc. — are shared and utilized each month.

And, don’t forget about Twitter. A little more than half of all active Twitter users already follow eateries and other similar businesses, and frequently exchange information about their services. Adding to the mix are 'place-based' services such as Foursquare and Yelp, both of which allow users to “check in” to various places typically using their mobile phone, and post tips and reviews of those places. These fast-evolving tools can be daunting, particularly for those who have long benefitted from traditional advertising media. However, it's important to remember that they are simply new ways to communicate, and in many cases, the information we are sharing is no different than that shared around a water cooler, a boardroom table, or over cocktails and tapas.

-jac and justine

Justine Murphy is a freelance communications specialist with Winstanley Partners. She's seen Boyz II Men live five times.

Jaclyn Stevenson isthe Public Relations director for Winstanley Partners; she can reciteall of the helping verbs in under three seconds.

The Daily Launches for iPad

2011-02-02T19:22:00.006-05:00

The press release just dropped, and it's big news about the news industry. And, it has nothing to do with paper, television sets, radio waves, or even your laptop.

It's just been announced today that Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of News Corporation, announced the launch of The Daily for iPad. According to The Daily's online newsroom, it's 'a first-of-its-kind daily national news publication built exclusively as an application for tablet computing.'

"It provides readers the engaging experience of a magazine combined with the immediacy of the web and the need-to-know content of a newspaper, all while elevating user experience beyond the printed word," reads the release.

The Daily will be subscription-based, and delivered to tablets for $.99 cents a week, or $39.99 a year. While The Daily will live on the iPad, its newsroom states further that web-friendly versions of most of The Daily’s articles and features can be easily shared via Facebook, Twitter and email.

The Daily's premiere advertisers are weighty; HBO, Macy’s, Paramount, Pepsi Max, Range Rover, Verizon, and Virgin Atlantic Airways have all signed on. What's more, it seems The Daily will preserve the traditional reporting model for a national publication: bureaus in New York and Los Angeles, with stringers across the country.Some of the other cool factors include 360-degree photos that can be viewed by swiping, the option to save articles to read later, and the ability to audio-comment.

Thoughts?

2010 WP Cookie Swap

2010-12-16T15:34:00.000-05:00

If this song doesn't get stuck in your head, I don't know one that will. Enjoy.

Breaking News: PodCamp WesternMass 3 Date Set

2010-12-14T14:59:00.000-05:00

Good morning, Campers! We at Winstanley Partners have an inside scoop for you - the increasingly popular, always awesome PodCamp WesternMass (#PCWM) will return on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Westfield State University.

Watch this space for registration information in the coming months, as well as our facebook page and Twitter stream.

Don't know what to expect? Here are some scenes from last year's PCWM that will give you a fever for the flavor.

Buy in the Berkshires Week is in Full-swing!

2010-12-09T11:31:00.001-05:00

Launched by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, Buy in the Berkshires Week began on Dec. 4 and there's still time to enjoy the many discounts and specials available.

Discounts are being offered by more than 40 businesses to shoppers who choose to buy locally during Buy in the Berkshires Week - a full list is available here.At WP, we're offering a one-month, full-access free trial of our Main Street MAIL email marketing system. If you read Berkshire Daily or the Berkshire Chamber's eNewsLine, you've already gotten a taste of what MSM can do; the trial includes training, tech support, and strategic advice personalized for your organization, so you can see if MSM is a good fit. Visit mainstreetmail.com to sign up, and if you do, feel free to let your Tweeps and Facebook friends know. There's a link you can copy and past below, to save time, or use your own words ;).

I just signed up to try out MainStreetMail email marketing for one month free as part of Buy in the #Berkshires! http://www.mainstreetmail.com/

Dog Day Afternoon

2010-12-06T16:48:00.004-05:00

Song: Wild Packs of Family Dogs by Modest Mouse

Campus Confidential: Lessons Learned from Guest Lecturing

2010-11-05T17:03:00.001-04:00

Yes, it's true that Don Draper would likely disagree that the employed masses have anything to learn from a bunch of college students - those oversleepin', Ramen-eatin', laundry-totin' scoundrels. But checking in with the next decade's - or, for that matter, the next year's - crop of professionals can offer some insight into what they know, what they don't know, and what they'll bring to the table once their mortar boards have been tossed.

Our intrepid Chief Operating Officer Ron Thompson took on this mission last month, and came back to WP with plenty of field notes. The skinny: Today's student wants to do well and to learn how to be better. They are interested in finding ways to work well with members of other generations, and perhaps most importantly, they will tolerate opening ice-breaker jokes from ad agency COOs. Read on.

Location:
University of Hartford campus, West Hartford, Conn.

The Mission:
Dazzle a class of co-eds taking a level 400 Communications course titled Media Operations and Management.

The Tactics:
• I told them the professor and I met in prison (insert laugh here).
• After providing them with my CV listing all the companies I've worked for and jobs I've held (broadcasting, film and video production, educational technology development, software development, and advertising), I also shared with them brochures from the agency.
• I explained the history of how the agency was once two firms, how they came to be, and how they function now.

The Findings:
• ...turns out that most of the class were communications majors with minors in journalism - out of the 12 students only one was a graduate student - all of them were upper classmen, and interested in several topics, including:

- the perils of off shoring (way more management overhead than anyone expects)
- the blurring of PR and Social Media
- the value of web-based advertising (price, reach, and measurement)
- the marketing budget and how it gets hammered during difficult economic times
- the change in the ad agency revenue model - much less dependent on media commissions

• Largely though, their interests seemed to focus around a few things:

1. what employers are looking for these days in employees - which makes sense given the current high unemployment rate and their nearness to entering the job market;

2. different management styles - also managing different types of personalities;

3. the difference between working for big companies versus small.

The Final Ron-alysis:
Regarding #1
Personally, I most often look for people who are problem solvers. Yes, they have to have the basic skills and knowledge to do the job, but they also need to prove to me that they are going to be an employee who can work indepedently to solve problems. If they bring me a problem each day but also bring a couple of potential solutions to the conversation, they at much more valuable to our company. Thinkers are gold.

Regarding #2
I learned early in my career that finding a management style and philosophy and sticking to it was important. Finding a balance between too soft and too hard is also key. But even more importantly, when you find a style that works - stick to it. Don’t make your employees guess everyday how you are going to operate or react. Also - never forget the human side of management - we all want to do a good job and be recognized for it. Conversely, don't become so soft that people walk on you. When you have lost the respect of your employees you become ineffective. Managing different types of people is very important; take note of how personality types like to communicate and what motivates them. There are some general categories that employees can be grouped into but always remember that they are all individuals. So, while most sales people are social creatures and often respond well to positive feedback, and many programmers don't like to engage directly with others if they can avoid it, it's worth noting some programmers also like words of encouragement and some sales people will be thrilled if you throw a Snickers bar on their desk instead of patting them on the back and telling them they are great.

Regarding #3
Working for a large company when you are young is a great thing. There will always be many more opportunities for advancement and also excellent chances of trying many different things. During my early years in educational publishing I was very lucky to work in an area of great growth and opportunity. However, bigger companies are very often lacking soul, and as you get older you will realize that you are often seen as a number or just another cog in the wheel. If you truly like people, (especially managing people in particular) smaller firms are much more intimate and often more flexible when it comes to the uniqueness of individuals. What small firms cannot always provide in the way of opportunity, they often make up for in loyalty and appreciation.

Ron Thompson is the Chief Operating Officer for Winstanley Partners. He'd like more cowbell.

Go Forth and Like.

2010-11-02T14:54:00.001-04:00

Introducing the new Rennie & Rose facebook page, a social extension of the website we launched for this clothing and homegoods company last month.

Blogging the New Guy

2010-08-31T10:31:00.002-04:00

For those of you not in the same neck of the woods as we -- did you know there was a Florida, Massachusetts? How about Orange? There's also Wales, Holland, and a traprock ridge called the Sleeping Giant, but these are all beside the point. I'm here instead to introduce our latest recruit, Brandon, who filled the web programmer position earlier this month at Winstanley Partners, and who's from Peru.

Massachusetts.

Cool-hometown-name notwithstanding, Brandon will be responsible for web design and programming for Winstanley Partners clients as well as developing new projects. Previously, he worked in web development for Pixel Graphics Design Studio in Pittsfield, Mass., and prior to that, as a .NET programmer with Berkshire LifeInsurance Co., also in Pittsfield. He holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. To the best of my knowledge, he cannot play the pan flute.


	~ Jaclyn

Summer Doins' in the Berks!

2010-07-13T16:16:00.001-04:00

Looking for a few fun, engaging, fulfulling, or just filling things to do in the Berkshires in the next couple of weeks? Check out a few of our clients and the events they're planning... and please feel free to leave your own event in the comments section. Cheers!

Boys’ and Girls’ Club Chili and Chowder Fest, JULY 24

Live Jazz featuring Oz Noy, James Genus, Leni Stern, and more, JULY 30

Swami Chidanand Saraswati on U.S. Tour, visits Lenox, JULY 30

Press Release of the Week: The Influencer Project

2010-06-26T17:14:00.005-04:00

LENOX,Mass./Worldwide -- Influence and impact are the themes of the day foronline media and marketing company ThoughtLead’s first-ever InfluencerProject virtual conference, which will bring the ideas of 60 leadingWeb, social media, and new media minds together in one hour.

The conference, sponsored by Hubspot and additional partnersMarketingProfs, Rackspace, and Read Write Web, will convene via webcastand phone on Tuesday, July 6 at 6 p.m., and focus on web tactics thatentrepreneurs, businesses, and nonprofits can employ to ensure thattheir message and brand stand out in the complex and competitive worldof online media.

Sam Rosen, ThoughtLead’s CEO, said theInfluencer Project is designed for both entrepreneurs and leaders offor- and non-profit businesses hoping to find new ways to spreadmessages, find new audiences, and have a bigger impact online.

“The 60 speakers are a collection of established and up-and-comingonline leaders who have already mastered the tools of influence toexcel in their fields… and even create new fields,” said Rosen. “Today,understanding these critical tactics and strategies is a necessaryskill. Any company simply must create an online presence to remaincompetitive.”
Read the rest of the release here

Seen Around Town: The Art of Andrew DeVries

2010-06-19T14:40:00.001-04:00

In the last few weeks or so, there have been sculptures popping up all around the center of our homebase in Lenox, Mass.

Lenox often tries to showcase art in the parks and on the lawns of local businesses each summer, and this year's feature – sculptures created by sculptor Andrew DeVries – are part of the 10th annual Lenox Art Walk. DeVries has 25 bronze sculptures placed along the art walk route and each piece centers on the human form.

Many of them are of dancers caught in some of the most graceful of poses, such as 'Pleiades:'

I enjoyed photographing these sculptures and you can see all of them here. If you want to see these in person, they will be on display in Lenox until November, 2010.

Gene Hyatt is the senior programmer for Winstanley Partners and the Foursquare Mayor of the Olde Heritage Tavern.

Digging into the Twitter Toolkit: Twitter’s New Business Services Go Beta

2010-05-14T15:30:00.009-04:00

How could the Twitter Business Center benefit businesses? At this point there is only speculation, as the “business-centric” service has just entered its beta-testing phase. A handful of Twitter accounts—businesses and companies—have been invited to try out the service and offer feedback. Dubbed the Twitter Toolkit, features will be expanded gradually, and offered to more accounts as this testing phase continues.

A little more than half of active Twitter users already follow companies, brands and businesses, and frequently exchange information about products and business services; Twitter is already more of a broadcast channel than many realize; nearly two-thirds of active Tweeps use mobile devices to access this and other social networking sites regularly throughout the day.

Some question the added benefits, wondering if the seemingly minimal changes are worth the effort of implementation. However, if proven successful, the Business Center could potentially morph Twitter into an even more powerful business resource, and open it up to expanded global possibilities.

Among the possible changes…

The proposed service would allow business Twitter accounts to accept direct messages (DMs), even from those they don’t follow. This could be especially valuable for businesses that use Twitter as a customer service platform—private customer issues and feedback could be handled quicker and often easier.

Promotion and advertising via Promoted Tweets is another new platform currently being tested by another handful of business and company accounts. This simply means that Tweets by these accounts would reach a wider group of fellow Twitter users. Businesses would pay for advertising, which would be placed in the regular stream. This makes sense. It would, in fact, widen the targeted audience—it will allow ads to be visible to fellow users, regardless of the medium.

While the Promoted Tweets are essentially paid advertising, it’s currently unclear if the Twitter Business Center and Toolkit will be a free service. And if businesses are charged for use, will it be worth the money? Only time and current testing will tell.

Justine Murphyis a communications specialist with Winstanley Partners. She just finished herfirst 5K road race in 36:36.

Bandages & Ben Franklin's Black Eye Highlight a Marketing Campaign with Bite

2010-03-26T15:07:00.001-04:00

It started with a handful of dead Presidents popping up in newspaper ads: Jackson, Washington, and Lincoln, nursing injuries sustained to them following the 2009 economic crash and making observations like ‘You look thinner. Have you lost money?’

Soon after, the $100 bill’s Ben Franklin was seen on everything from billboards to plastic cups across western New England and New York, sporting a nasty shiner. The result was a lot of buzz for Berkshire Money Management’s new marketing campaign that added innovation to injury and subsequently earned five separate nods from the American Advertising Federation during their regional ADDY competition.

NonProfit Spotlight: Recreation, Responsibility, and World-class Ice Dancers. It's what the Boys' and Girls' Club is all about.

2010-03-16T15:08:00.036-04:00

The Berkshires are home to several well-heeled community resources and destinations rich in culture and history. Some, like the Boys' and Girls' Club of Pittsfield, are so ingrained in the community that few can imagine a Berkshire County without them. And yet there is so much going on within those tall, brick walls on Melville Street that I can't imagine anyone knows how busy it truly is.

As the sun starts to warm up the air and spring approaches, the Boys' and Girls' Club is catching its breath after a typically busy winter. One of the last winter activities hosted at the club was just this past weekend, when members of the Pittsfield Figure Skating Club took to the ice of the third-floor ice rink for their final show of the season. It was a perfect example of the kind of exciting, community-oriented events that happen on any given weekend, but would not even exist without the Boys' and Girls' Club's resources.

First, let's go back to the rink itself. It's the home ice for not just PFSC, but also the Berkshire Bruins, and hosts Learn-to-Skate programs and public skating in the winter months. This is a unique community resource unto itself that skaters of all types can use for a nominal fee, but the fact that it's on the third floor is the ultimate cool factor.

I wonder if Cathy and Chris Reed, Japan's 2008 National Champion Ice Dancers, thought the same thing when they stopped in to perform two numbers at the PFSC Ice Show, along with scores of new skaters, preteens developing their skills, teenagers performing championship-level routines, and adults gliding along as part of a new fitness-based hobby. Regardless of their feelings about the club, though, The Reeds are world-class artists and athletes who offered a thrilling show and an intriguing cultural activity for any resident of or visitor to the Berkshires; one that was on par with any evening at the theater, night out for dinner and drinks, or tour of an historic site.

Comparing their talents with those of the Berkshires' own skaters was another thrill; indeed, it's easy to imagine that one of the performers that took to the ice last weekend could one day skate for audiences from around the world.

The Boys' and Girls' Club. It's not just for kids ... it's for everyone.

Jaclyn Stevenson is the Public Relations director for Winstanley Partners; she can recite all of the helping verbs in under three seconds. The Boys' and Girls' Club retains public relations services from Winstanley Partners.

PodCamp WesternMass – The Sequel!

2010-01-15T16:14:00.009-05:00

PodCamp WesternMass 2009

Back by popular demand less than a year after its debut, PodCamp WesternMass will return on Feb. 6, hosted at Westfield State College, and Winstanley Partners is a proud sponsor.

A PodCamp is one example of an ‘unconference,’ at which participants choose the topics they’d like to discuss. Podcamps aim to promote education, innovation, and collaboration between new media enthusiasts and professionals of all types, including bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, social networkers, as well as the people who read, watch, and listen to them.

Morriss Partee, owner of EverythingCU.com in Holyoke and co-coordinator of the event, said PodCamp has resonated well within the Western Mass. community because the region has a very active new- and social-media faction.

“We have a thriving community here of some truly amazing people,” he said. “This is a chance for Western Mass. bloggers, business people, artists, and academics to get together and make connections, and for everyone to learn how social media can enhance their business, cause, or organization.”

There is no agenda at an unconference, and the list of potential topics is virtually endless. However, sessions often include a ‘social media 101’ and an overview of current and emerging new media tools.

On Saturday, Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., members of the Western Mass. community are invited to gather at the Horace Mann Center on the WSC campus. Attendees are encouraged to bring laptops, power strips, and cameras, and can come and go as their schedules allow. The cost of the program is $20, which includes a box lunch and morning refreshments, or $5 for students. Participants may register on the day of the event or pre-register via EventBrite ; attendance is limited to the first 100 people to register.

Still don't know what to expect? Read on ...

What bloggers, vloggers, and the media are saying about PCWM

About PodCamp WesternMass

PodCamp WesternMass is a community-based ‘unconference’ modeled after a popular meeting concept in new media. The first PodCamp was held in September 2006 in Boston, and the trend is now spreading across the world due to the spreading preponderance of social media. *

Forrester Research of Cambridge, Mass. predicts that spending on interactive technologies will grow to $61 billion by 2012, and that social media (podcasting, blogging, and services such as Twitter, flickr, Facebook, etc.) will drive emerging channels to $10.6 billion.

PodCamp WesternMass is designed for anyone interested in the online world to share ideas, hear from industry experts, and participate in discussions. New media marketing experts predict that businesses can thrive if they embrace social media and conversational marketing methodologies. To learn more or to register, visit the PodCamp WesternMass wiki, or keep track of PodCamp Western Mass. Tweets on Twitter by searching for the keyword (hashtag) #PCWM

PodCamp WesternMass is spearheaded by Morriss Partee, owner of EverythingCU.com, an online resource for credit union marketing professionals, and Jaclyn Stevenson, freelance writer, Public Relations Director with Winstanley Partners in Lenox, Mass., and founder of the online network Thirty-something Bloggers.

Grab your PodCamp badges here and post them on your blog, Web site or social network:

* Oh, and there's an after party too, of course, at the Tavern in downtown Westfield! Cheers

From the Prez: Dear Client...

2009-11-05T14:43:00.004-05:00

This is for that potential client out there I’ve been exchanging e-mails with over the past few weeks.

Dear Potential Client,

I think the reason we have yet to work together is that you might not be sure what we can offer. We’re at our best when we are engaged in helping determine the marketing strategy – which, to us, is different from straight advertising.

I believe your team thinks of us as a potential marketing partner, but what they ask for is advertising. We see advertising as a sub-set of marketing. It’s the manifestation of ideas about who you are, what products you offer, and what value you create for your consumers.

To us, marketing is the discipline of developing what appeals to consumers based upon desires, needs and perceptions. It’s almost always a dead-heat competitive environment where everyone is selling the same product or service, and trying to differentiate those 'me-too' offerings based solely upon brand positioning.

On the other hand, the marketing process – a collaboration between the agency and the client – takes the best of what's around, explores the possibility of what could be, and creates new options. In our experience, what separates the leaders from the followers in any competitive environment is innovation: new products, services, and better packaging, for example, based on better alignment with the core consumer’s needs.

In fact, I can’t think of any successful marketer in any segment that has built and maintained long-term growth without innovation, product development and real value-creating strategies.

That marketing function where the consumer knowledge is turned into the company’s brand is the primary goal of marketing. And if your agency, with their uniquely objective view of you, your services, and your customers aren’t represented in the strategic discussion about marketing, then you’re not really maximizing the possibilities. By excluding the agency from the discussion, all you might end up with is advertising based on the internal view: what you think your customers want based on how you see your business.

So, as your industry continues to suffer the indignity of no-growth and little consumer excitement, I repeat my mantra….with good marketing, there’s still opportunity for share shift, growth, and brand value – you just have to be willing to sit down and really question old assumptions and challenge yourself to come up with new ways to compete.

Our job is to be a catalyst for that discussion. To represent the external consumer view and use that as a perspective to generate informed, often challenging discussions. To find ways to break through the noise of the marketplace.

For the record, I remain convinced that you’re the best-positioned company in your segment to take the lead. That said, the offer to meet for coffee still stands.

Best,

Nate

Nate Winstanley founded Winstanley Partners in 1986 as a full-service marketing, advertising, design, and public relations agency. He's a former communications manager for GE and a Peace Corps veteran; he brings his lunch to work every day in a metal Yellow Submarine lunchbox.

New Restaurant Makes its Debut at Taste of the Berkshires Thursday, Nov. 5

2009-11-04T16:48:00.002-05:00

per • i • gee – The point in the orbit of an object nearest to the body being orbited.

Localized, irresistible, sensational.

Perigee Restaurant, located at 1575 Pleasant Street, South Lee in the former home of the Sweet Basil Grille, will introduce itself as a new culinary destination in the region at the Taste of the Berkshires on Thursday, Nov. 5.

Owner Dawn LaRochelle, who has also owned and operated Apogee Catering since 2007, says the Taste of the Berkshires, which will be held at the Masonic Temple in Pittsfield from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., is the perfect venue to announce the new restaurant’s opening as well as its unique culinary concept, which pairs locally sourced New England ingredients with cosmopolitan recipes.

“Our Berkshire Cuisine concept is one that is big, bold, and global on one hand, and homegrown, focused, and local on the other,” she says, adding that offering something for every taste was a major aspect of the menu’s development. “Berkshire Cuisine mirrors the distinctive personality of the Berkshires and its residents. We have dishes that are exotic, such as pan-seared diver scallops prepared with ginger cream and edamame succotash, and we also have ‘meat and potatoes’ and comfort food such as Balsamic Rib Eye with Red Bliss Mashed Potatoes, and game offerings, like grilled venison. Everything is pulled together by using local goods whenever possible and by using time-tested, New England-based cooking methods.”

In tandem with Perigee’s executive chef Michael Morelli, LaRochelle plans to serve two dishes at Taste of the Berkshires that exemplify the restaurant’s ‘Berkshire Cuisine’ concept: a cheese tortellini with smoked chicken, artichokes, sun-dried tomato parmesan cream sauce, and wild mushrooms from the Delftree Farm in Williamstown, and a New England pumpkin-ginger mousse in marbled Belgian chocolate cups. LaRochelle adds that the dishes also highlight Morelli’s expertise as both a head chef and a pastry and dessert chef.

Tickets to Taste of the Berkshires, sponsored by the Junior League of Berkshire County, are $40 per person in advance or $45 at the door, and can be purchased by calling 413.443.5151. Perigee will open its doors to the public on Monday, Nov. 9, and a Grand Opening Celebration benefiting the Pittsfield High School Culinary Arts Program will be held after the Thanksgiving holiday. For more information, visit Perigee’s Web site at perigee-restaurant.com.

About Perigee & Apogee

Culinary artist Dawn LaRochelle launched Apogee catering in the Berkshires in 2007, and followed the success of her business by opening Perigee restaurant in 2009. With LaRochelle and Perigee’s executive chef Michael Morelli at the helm, both businesses are pioneering the Berkshire Cuisine concept – offering unexpected dishes prepared with local ingredients whenever possible – from a newly renovated, historic brick building in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

Pictured Above: Perigee Restaurant and Catering owner Dawn LaRochelle and Executive Chef Michael Morelli in front of their newly renovated building on Pleasant Street, Lee, Mass.

Belly Up to the BARCamp

2009-10-27T17:08:00.002-04:00

Winstanley Partners is one of the sponsors of Berkshire Creative Economy's BAR Camp taking place Wednesday, October 28 at the Berkshire Museum from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

This is a free networking event, and anyone who would like to attend may RSVP here.

What is a BarCamp?

A BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment; an open, participatory event, whose content is provided by participants via discussions, demos and interaction with participants. The first BarCamp was held in Palo Alto, California, from August 19-21, 2005, in the offices of Socialtext. It was organized in less than one week, from concept to event, with 200 attendees. Since then, BarCamps have been held in over 350 cities around the world, in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Australasia and Asia.

The first BarCamps focused on early-stage web applications, and related open source technologies, social protocols, and open data formats. The format has also been used for a variety of other topics, including public transit, health care, and political organizing. The name “BarCamp is a playful allusion to the event’s origins, with reference to the hacker slang term fubar.

Elaine Morel is the marketing product manager for Winstanley Partners. She rocks on bass.

Case Study: I’m also a client

2009-10-27T09:45:00.004-04:00

After living 38 years as a perfectly normal person, I decided to run for city council four years ago.

As a Web geek, I was intrigued by Howard Dean’s use of the Internet to completely transform the political fundraising landscape in 2004. The Internet did more for the cause of campaign finance reform than our legislature could accomplish. I thought there was an equally exciting opportunity to rethink political representation and constituent services using the online tools that I was developing in my day job.

The old model of government is this: You campaign, you are elected, and then you disappear somewhere, to do the work of the people. Ideally, you make decisions based upon the values you espoused during the campaign, then you emerge two to four years later to reconnect with voters.

But, what if you never disconnected? What if you maintained an ongoing dialogue with constituents? This is the experiment I conducted four years ago, and the word on street is that it was a success. My weekly email newsletter reaches nearly 20% of registered voters in my district. People are informed and engaged like never before. And, the happy side-effect of this is that I, too am more informed than my predecessors could ever be, because unlike a print newsletter, people can easily reply to me – and they do – to add information, suggest solutions they have seen elsewhere, or just set me straight on something.

I call this my email cabinet and I don’t know how anyone can do this job without one.

If you happen to live in the Ward 4 section of Pittsfield I invite to you to join the discussion at: ward4ward4.com

Mike Ward is Director of Interactive Services for Winstanley Partners; he's related to Gregory Peck.

A Note from the COO: The Knowledge Fairy, A Tale of Fathers, Sons, and Social Media

2009-10-15T12:19:00.015-04:00

When my son Mike turned 13, a magical thing happened at my house. The Knowledge Fairy arrived under the cover of darkness and sucked all of the knowledge from my head and placed it in my son’s.

Suddenly, Mike was an expert on everything and I knew nothing. Heck, even his friends seemed to know more than I did. How did I fall from grace so quickly?

Now that Mike is in college and about to turn 20, he’s starting to come around to the idea that his old man isn’t an idiot. Now, he realizes that my many years of existence have given me a certain amount of life experience, and therefore, some knowledge. I can still be a fool in his eyes, but more frequently than before, he’s asking for my opinion and advice.

It’s a nice change.

Still, I love to tell the story of the Knowledge Fairy in Mike’s presence – especially when company is around. Let’s face it, embarrassing our teenagers is about the only recourse some of us have these days. Plus, I must give the Knowledge Fairy some credit. If it weren’t for my son’s change in opinion of me at 13, and his subsequent desire to do everything on his own, I might never have discovered social media.

You see, about the same time he handed me a dunce cap, Mike started to turn more inward, and spend much more time online. First it was AOL’s instant messenger, then he became fully consumed by MySpace, and later Facebook.

As any good parent would, I started to hover, trying to get a look at what was so fascinating. That didn’t work out very well, as he would constantly try to shoo me away and ‘minimize’ what he was working on so I wouldn’t know his personal business. Naturally, this only made me more curious.

So what’s a dad to do? This is what I did: I jumped in with both feet and set up my own accounts to find out what all the fuss was about. At first, I didn’t really get it and I certainly didn’t see the value immediately. After all, we adults are so often linear in our thinking. Many of us also have trouble seeing immediate benefit when there isn’t a balance sheet or income statement to back it up.

I can’t tell you how much fun it was when one of Mike’s buddies friended me online and told him about it. The look on his face –“You have a MySpace account?” – was priceless. It was like I had discovered his secret tree house where clueless adults were not allowed.

It took me a while, but eventually I had my social media a-ha! moment. I realized that modern communication had entered the age of social media. I recognized its fluid nature and how it could impact many aspects of our lives. I was blown away by the growing blog movement and its amazing impact on traditional journalism. I was startled by the way online groups were impacting brands – positively and negatively – with brand managers and marketers left to wonder how to engage and tap into the movement.

I also noticed how fast things were happening. According to the social media research and commentary Web site socialnomics.net, radio took approximately 38 years from its introduction as a new medium to attract 50 million users. Television fared better, taking 13 years to reach the

same goal. The Internet reached 50 million public users in four years.

If we take an even closer look at the media world we live in, which includes social networking and increasingly robust mobile technology, the pace is even swifter. Facebook reached 100 million users in less than nine months, and iPhone apps buried that benchmark, hitting the one billion mark in the same amount of time.

What’s more, the statistics of who is using what also lend considerable sway to the social media argument. The ‘kids –’ people like Mike and his buddies – may view social media as an ingrained part of their lives and communication styles, but the fastest growing segment on Facebook currently is 55-65 year-old females. Eighty-percent of all employers report that they use LinkedIn as a primary employee-search tool, and Twitter is expected to have 25 million active users by the end of this year.

From a marketing and public relations standpoint, these numbers alone prove that social media cannot be ignored, but its impact on news delivery is compelling, as well. In January, Janis Krums, a passenger on one of the ferries that rushed to help US Airways Flight 1549 after it ditched in the Hudson River, took a picture of the downed plane as passengers were still evacuating, and posted it to Twitter before any other media arrived at the scene. What some consider to be Twitter’s tipping point followed in June, when allegations of fraud in the Iranian presidential election prompted its government to block the dissemination of news. Protesters used Twitter as a rallying tool and as a method of communication with the outside world, effectively passing messages around the globe in seconds.

While I still sometimes feel like I’m a late bloomer when it comes to social media, I’m so glad I jumped in when I did, to see some of this happen. I’m sure the medium will continue to make history – quickly – and it’s been nice getting reacquainted with the Knowledge Fairy and her bag of tricks, too. I wonder if she’s on Facebook …

Ron Thompson is the Chief Operating Officer at Winstanley Partners.His favorite quote: "Cross-country skiing is great if you live in a small country." —Steven Wright

From the PR Department: Boiling it down to brass tacks, and other mixed metaphors

2009-09-29T09:42:00.019-04:00

Taking notes at PodCamp WesternMass 2009

As the worlds of public relations and marketing continue to evolve, many of us in the biz have been charged with explaining to clients and colleagues the effects social and new media are having on the industry.

This task alone proves to be a challenge - discussions about new media can range from how social networking and sharing portals can advance a company's confidence level among consumers to what the heck a 'Tweep' is.

But the fast-moving changes in the advertising and publicity arenas also highlight another hurdle: all of this new knowledge makes it easy for us to gloss over the true definitions of marketing and public relations themselves, in favor of explanations of more current trends and buzzwords.

So, let's reel it back in for a moment. As social media is changing how the public digests information, it of course changes many of the functions of PR, as well. However, the mission remains the same - to create awareness and work with the media in all its forms to generate buzz and positive, objective press about a client.

The standard definition of public relations helps to frame the topic; as laid out by Wikipedia, PR is ‘the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics.’ To put this static description into more relevant terms, PR helps an organization or individual gain exposure among new and existing audiences by placing topics of interest and news items that do not require direct payment in relevant outlets and publications.

In today’s tough economic times, ‘free press’ is more important than ever. Advertising dollars in media are in rapid decline, and traditional media is shrinking. Plus, PR can be tailored to work within traditional, nontraditional, and burgeoning outlets; it pairs well with new publicity tactics including social media, search engine optimization (SEO), blogging, podcasting, and other Web-based tools.

Further, because PR creates exposure through third-party outlets, it offers an added legitimacy to marketing campaigns by offering context and information.

According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the essential functions of PR include research, planning, communications, dialogue, and evaluation. These broad-brushed categories can be broken down even further to any number of substrates, including writing press releases, identifying appropriate outlets for potential publication of news, developing relationships with the media, managing language and streamlining the look and tone of all press materials, planning events and press conferences, creating a strong, relevant online presence, and recording results and returns, among many other tasks.

In short - the job is the same, but the toolbox is larger than ever before, and still being stocked with new, developing tactics on a daily - if not hourly - basis, through the advent of social-media-based PR and marketing.

Hey, I warned you about the metaphors.

In other news:
Vote for this blog in the Fuel Lines Social Media for Ad Agencies blog contest!

Follow us on Twitter

Jaclyn Stevenson is the director of public relations for Winstanley Partners. She just had her first fried Oreo.

Technology, Tenacity, and Opportunity: The BBQ Visionary Breakfast Wrap-up

2009-08-25T09:46:00.018-04:00

Anyone who's set foot in the Berkshires this summer knows that it has been a soggy season, to say the least. Rain? Must be a day ending in Y.

The weather did nothing to curb attendance at our most recent event at Winstanley Partners, though, nor did the early morning hour. Perhaps this prolonged monsoon in which we've found ourselves had us ready to shake our water-logged brains awake.

Last week, the agency played host to Berkshire Business Quarterly and its recurring 'Visionary Breakfast' series. It's an event-based extension of the publication, featuring speakers highlighted in recent issues. The mag profiled Nate Winstanley, our president and founder, in the third-quarter issue, and later asked if he'd present to the business community.

The crew from BBQ arrived at the Winstanley offices bright and early on a Wednesday morning, armed with coffee, crisp new issues of the magazine, and a lengthy RSVP list.

"We even had to turn people away," said Jen, one of my contacts at BBQ, as she scanned her clipboard and organized a pile of sticky nametags.

Indeed, not long after Jen made the remark, guests started streaming through the front door, stopping in the parlor for muffins, bagels, and coffee provided by Kate Baldwin Catering and migrating into the conference room.

After opening remarks from BBQ publisher Michael Zivyak, our fearless leader started his presentation - Tenacity, Technology and Opportunity: Rising to the Challenge of the New Economy - breaking down some of the fundamentals and emerging concepts in marketing and new media.

Michael Zivyak, publisher of Berkshire Business Quarterly

The result was a wide-ranging talk, open to questions and discussion, which covered time-tested marketing strategies and tactics as well as new opportunities in mobile technology, social media, and other arenas. Berkshire businesses like Michael Wainwright Designs, the Berkshire Opportunity Fund, and Guido's Fresh Marketplace were also incorporated, as examples of businesses using best practices.

Nate Winstanley, president and founder of Winstanley Partners

The take-away:
It's gut-check time. Ask yourself: What business are you really in? Then, rethink the equation. Break down barriers, and explore new options.

Recommended Read:
Marketing Myopia by Theodore Levitt is a Harvard Business Resource Classic and is available from Harvardbusiness.org. It was published in 1960.

Email us if you're interested in having Nate or another member of the Winstanley Partners team speak at your company or event.

A Balanced Breakfast

2009-08-04T15:25:00.005-04:00

It's breakfast time. Are you starving for some brain food?

Nate Winstanley, president and founder of Winstanley Partners, will discuss the agency’s successes and plans for the future during a breakfast workshop on Thursday, August 13 at 7:30 a.m., at Winstanley on Main Street in historic Lenox.

The event comes on the heels of the 3rd Quarter issue of BBQ: Berkshire Business Quarterly, in which an article on the agency is featured.

Tickets are $25. Seating is limited. Advance reservations required.

For more information, call Berkshire Living at 413.443.8200 or e-mail jenkain@berkshireliving.com

Thou Shalt Not Miss the Picnic...

2009-07-31T11:51:00.000-04:00

Our neighbors at St. Ann’s 2009 Lawn Party will welcome the community to its grounds again this year on August 1 and 2, when the parish holds it annual picnic.

The recently renovated St. Ann’s Parish is centrally located in the heart of downtown Lenox. Events will be held from 9 a.m. to dusk on Saturday, and include a live auction from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., a cash raffle, lunch, music, games, and a spaghetti dinner beginning at 5 p.m. Activities will continue from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, with a pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. and bake- and tag sales that span both days.

A raffle drawing will also take place on Sunday, with prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000 in cash.

Volunteers are still needed for a variety of tasks before and throughout the event; to volunteer, contact Fr. C.J. Waitekus at 413.637.0157 or Dan Schilling at 413.637.9979. To donate a baked good to the two-day bake sale, contact Sandy Morley at 413.637.2904.

For more information, visit www.stannlenox.org

Scenes from SPARK!

2009-07-07T12:12:00.010-04:00

Our hats are off to Berkshire Creative for a smashing SPARK! networking event at Chesterwood, the former studio and home of sculptor Daniel Chester French, last week. The conversations alone were enough, but just one small part of a well-organized event.

We talked about marketing, media, public relations, and the power of collaboration with dozens of like-minded folks. But we didn't just talk shop. We talked about wine, hummus, and overflowing cheese platters. We talked ballet, poetry, jazz, and playwriting. There was a discussion about synesthesia in there somewhere. We strolled the grounds and viewed the exhibits, and made new friends.

The temperamental New England weather didn't dampen our spirits, and a stalwart Abe Lincoln -- perhaps French's most notable subject -- kept close watch over the tent as we chatted, mingled, and perused.

Below are some of our favorite glimpses from the evening ... hopefully it's enough of a taste to whet your appetite for the next event.

The gorgeous, innovative creations of Chiossone & Co., eco-sustainable wood products and decorations. The possibilities are endless, and include ornaments, toys, home decor, wall moldings, and even wedding invitations.

Each featured business at the event, of which Winstanley Partners was one, provided a small free gift for attendees. The chotchkes included little art spoons from Berkshire Art Kitchen, handmade ornaments from the Berkshire Ballet, and hot magenta decals from the Williams College Museum of Art.

Words, pictures, 3D things to touch and feel... we were sure to highlight all of our strengths.

Daniel Chester French created the Lincoln Memorial sculpture as well as the Minute Man in Concord, Mass. This similar statue of Abe looks serenely over the Chesterwood grounds.

Our Piece de Resistance! In response to Berkshire Creative's call for featured businesses to bring a small give-away to the event, our crack creative team devised the Creativitea tea bags. Tea Guys of Hatfield, Mass. supplied the herbal tea, and we created the packaging, complete with all the 'T' words that make us tick: Talent, twists, turns, and Twittering among them.

Become a Friend of Berkshire Creative here.

A Civil Rights display at Chesterwood the holds true today.

See more photos here.

And Now... a Spark Plug.

2009-06-04T10:10:00.008-04:00

Berkshire Creative, a nonprofit organization based in Pittsfield, Mass., is a movement with a mission: to stimulate new job growth and economic opportunity in the region by sparking innovative collaborations between artists, designers, cultural institutions, and businesses.

One of BC's newest endeavors, SPARK!, was designed to serve as a signature networking event for the creative economy of the Berkshires. The next SPARK! event will be held on June 30 at Chesterwood - the country home, studio, and gardens of Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), America’s foremost monument sculptor (his most recognizable works are the the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and 'The Minute Man' in Concord, Mass.).

Winstanley Partners will be one of six featured creative businesses at SPARK!, and we're uber-excited to be part of this fresh, innovative event. Visitors will be able to mix and mingle with other creative professionals and collect all sorts of fun giveaways at each table - think Halloween for adults. We're working on our free item right now - not to spoil the surprise, I'll just say that as far as chotchkes go, we've got this one in the bag.

It's Gonna Be All Right

2009-05-19T11:33:00.019-04:00

"You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan" - The Beatles, Revolution

We are indeed in the midst of a digital revolution, particularly in the publishing industry. Around the world, print publications ranging from newspapers to magazines to trade journals are retiring their print components in favor of online channels, of which there are many.

The reasons why are financial as well as social, not to mention practical. According to Australian Web guru Michael Bloch, some early adopters of digital publishing heralded this new era and the drivers behind it. PC Magazine (owned by Ziff Davis Media), for instance, had been around in print format for 27 years before it retired its glossy pages, but its online permutation welcomes more than seven million unique visitors each month. That’s 10 times the circulation of the print magazine.

Just last month, this digital switch hit close to home in the public relations world, when PRWeek delivered its last print edition. The publication will now be a subscriber-only online edition containing most of PRWeek's popular features, as well as videos and blogs. A monthly print publication will still be printed (launching next month), and the subscriber package offers considerable bang for the buck: access to the weekly online edition, a daily e-newsletter, the monthly print publication, all PRWeekus.com content, and the annual PRWeek contact directory.

It's also easier to contribute to the ever-important pass-along rate through digital means. As a greater number of publications either make the move to an entire or partial online presence, tools to share articles, photos, or even entire issues are popping up everywhere. Share boxes with links to all of the popular social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn make sending news to several people at once a one-click affair, and e-mailing an item to just one or a few people is equally simple. In addition, these boxes also often include easy ways to post links to online bookmarking sites such as Digg and Technorati. These sites increase the visibility of an article, attract more readers, and add a layer of credibility.

These tools can be used on privately-managed sites, such as the Christian Science Monitor - the first major print publication to retire its paper pages. But, smaller outfits can also participate without costly Web-builds. Take digital magazine publishing portals like issuu.com and yudu.com, which provide hosting space and dynamic interfaces for digital magazines that allow for simple desktop page-turning, zoom functions, downloads, and the creation of online digital libraries, or 'racks.'

Mags that are phasing out their print offerings, such as the regional wedding publication Wedding Sourcebook, can easily upload PDFs to their accounts and attract new readers as they help long-time followers transition. But new ventures, like the funk & fashion tome Dujour, can also start from scratch, launching on the Web and still offering print 'collector's' editions on a pay-to-print basis.

The burgeoning results are dynamic, interactive tomes that are search-friendly, eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sharp. With all the doom and gloom surrounding the publishing industry today, it's a nice reminder that journalism has a future, and the future is here.

Jaclyn Stevenson is the Director of Public Relations for Winstanley Partners; she can't cook Indian food.

10 Cool New Mobile Gadgets

2009-04-29T13:25:00.002-04:00

Winstanley Partners' cool gadget, the Luxus ProScope, was featured on PCWorld.com today. Thanks to writer Dan Tynan!

10 Cool New Mobile Gadgets

Posted using ShareThis

TOTUS Operandi

2009-04-28T10:50:00.009-04:00

Seal courtesy of Mike Moody.

There probably couldn't be a better time to be promoting teleprompter software. When ever before in history has teleprompting received as much air-time as the President of the United States himself?

Indeed, the first 100 days of Obama's presidency have been peppered with mentions of teleprompter malfunctions, teleprompter dependency, and, most recently, verbal beefs between man and machine. Jimmy Orr, a writer with the Christian Science Monitor, has a particularly fabulous account of Obama's teleprompter woes in the April 27 online issue. Orr doesn't neglect the content of the actual speech (given this week at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting), but he does make note of Obama's apparent argument with his teleprompter screen, and even helps coin a new buzzterm for the equipment - TOTUS (the Teleprompter of the United States).

As it seems, the TOTUS hasn't gone unnoticed by fans of consumer electronics and audio-visual equipment, nor the more casual consumer. While we work on getting the word out about our own teleprompting product here at Winstanley, we're not going for the hard sell or the long stretch, trying to connect stories of the ObamaPrompter to our own. But people are definitely making the connection for us. Comments left on social media release portals and in emails range from 'sounds like the Prez could use this!' to 'is this the same thing the President is using?'

The lesson: PR pros don't necessarily need to hit the public over the head with potential links between a product or service and an event in the media. But paying attention to little newsbites helps create context, and in turn, a base at which new conversations can start.

Jaclyn Stevenson is the director of public relations for Winstanley Partners.She recently took a ski lesson with a ski teacher named George Bailey.

One Tweet World

2009-04-23T12:07:00.013-04:00

Twitter. When it comes to creating a snapshot of this online zeitgeist, Sprint perhaps put it best recently, in their new ad dubbed 'What's Happening.'

"233,000 people just Twittered on Twitter," the announcer reports. "26-percent of you viewing this have no idea what that means."

Indeed, Twitter is a still-evolving phenomenon that has some staunch followers -- CNN, Ashton Kutcher, and Oprah Winfrey among them -- as well as some naysayers. But, most people out of the Twitter loop are merely stymied by this new, micro-blogging craze. The basic idea is to relay, or Tweet, what you're doing in 140 characters or less. From a business and marketing stand-point, it's a robust outlet for asking questions (and getting answers), promoting new work, and creating an overall dialogue within the Twittersphere.

The underlying theory behind Twitter is that we're all more interesting than we think, and Tweeting something as simple as the new recipe you tried for dinner last night could lead to someone clicking over to your company's Web site. From there, the rest is gravy.

Essentially, It's all about seeking out, forging, and building relationships. Twitter opens one's world to thousands, if not millions, of people they would otherwise never know, and speeds up word-of-mouth, 'tell two friends' advertising. As such, social media sites like Twitter can be powerful business tools that are also personally enriching.

It's best to research 'Twittequette' before diving in, though - for a great primer on Twitter for business, check out Michael Gasses' Fuel Lines blog.

Jaclyn Stevensonis the director of public relations for Winstanley Partners. She was ina band in the nineties that once had a song appear on Mtv - for 10whole seconds.

ADDYtude Adjustments

2009-04-21T11:29:00.007-04:00

The Magnificent ADDYs, promotional poster by Winstanley Partners

We've taken to calling them the Big Ten.

Winstanley Partners (the sister companies of Winstanley Associates and Lenox Softworks) recently took home multiple awards from the American Advertising Federation (AAF), in this year's regional-level ADDY competition. Four of those wins were gold, and will be forwarded automatically to the national ADDY competition in June.

The Peeve

This year, every submission from Winstanley Partners received a nod from the AAF; the entries ranged from Web sites to print brochures, identity packages, and mixed-media campaigns. In total, the agency walked away with four gold, four silver, and two bronze awards.

The wins follow an equally impressive run during the 2008 ADDY awards for Winstanley Partners; last year, the agency took home the most gold awards of any entrant, and went on to win a silver ADDY at the national level for a self-promotional mailer titled ‘Winstanley Nothing.’

This year, gold awards were presented for a Web site developed for Directed Financial Goals Advisors (dfgadvisors.com) of Ridgewood, N.J.; the Southworth ‘PaperRocks’ online campaign, created for Southworth Paper of Agawam, Mass.; a print campaign for Smith & Wesson revolvers of Springfield, Mass., and the Winstanley Pet Peeve, an interactive self-promotional piece.

Smith & Wesson 'instant messaging' poster

In addition, the agency won four silver awards for a mixed-media campaign developed for Agilix of Orem, Utah; ADDY promotional materials created for the 2008 regional awards in Western Mass.; a Smith & Wesson poster titled ‘History Repeats,’ and another interactive self-promotional mailer titled ‘Winstanley Economic Stimulus Spray.’ A third self-promotional mailer, ‘Winstanley Whacky Pax,’ won a bronze ADDY award, as did the design of a trade publication advertisement for Suddekor, headquartered in Agawam, Mass.

Suddekor - 'multi-dimensional thinking' print ad

The AAF, a not-for-profit industry association, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It’s the country’s leading trade association for the advertising industry, and conducts the ADDY® Awards through its 200 member advertising clubs and 15 districts, receiving more than 60,000 entries annually.

Smells Like Entrepreneurial Spirit -Winstanley Partners Introduces Economic Stimulus Spray to the Masses

2009-02-05T16:20:00.005-05:00

With all the talk about recession, bailouts, and the credit crisis, people everywhere are wishing there was some sort of quick fix.

Always willing to lend a hand, Winstanley Partners has answered the call with its latest promotional item, the Economic Stimulus Spray.

While the product itself may not do much for the economy, Winstanley has hit upon a unique way to spread its message, as well as lighten the mood a bit in offices across the country.

The 2009 Economic Stimulus Spray arrives shrink-wrapped and emblazoned with promises such as ‘makes everyone feel better – for a few seconds’ and ‘smells like hope.’

In addition, the packaging directs recipients to a companion Web site, economyspray.com, where just by typing in a URL, virtually any site can be ‘stimulated.’ The interface allows the user to create a storm of floating dollar bills, add a top hat to an existing photo, or give a blog’s masthead a little bit of bling, just to name a few tricks that are part of a larger ‘Economic Stimulus Toolbox.’

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. But give it a try anyway.

NOTCOT? Not Bad.

2009-01-28T15:13:00.007-05:00

Winstanley Associates was recently featured on NOTCOT, a design network of Web sites reaching more than four million page views each month.

NOTCOT Inc includes NOTCOT.com, NOTCOT.org, NotCouture.com, and Liqurious.com -- essentially, it's a visual filtration of ideas, aesthetics, and amusements, according to founder Jean Aw. NOTCOT's sites have become daily sources of inspiration for Creatives everywhere, showcasing the latest in international design trends.

The network gave a nod to Winstanley's 2008 holiday cards, which proposed a number of new household products to keep the elves and other holiday pests away.

Update: The Winstanley Nothing, Elf Trap, and Economic Stimulus Spray were featured on NOTCOT.com the end of January!

Winstanley Professionals Speak at WNEC Media Conference

2009-01-22T14:02:00.004-05:00

It's a valuable event for business owners, marketing managers, and media professionals alike -- the annual WNEC Media Conference, held at Western New England College each January, welcomes hundreds of people to learn more about public relations, marketing and advertising, new media, and how we can all best get our messages out to the masses.

This year, Winstanley Associates' president, Nate Winstanley, gave a talk on branding, and how this specialty fits into the overall marketing picture.

Additionally, Winstanley's PR Specialist, Jaclyn Stevenson, served on a media relations panel, along with a selection of editors and writers.

For more information on branding, PR, or possible future speaking engagements, visit Winstanley.com .

Beware of Bureaucradons and Bully Mammoths

2009-01-13T13:40:00.003-05:00

An idea of prehistoric proportions has earned Winstanley Associates some national acclaim.

A consumer campaign created by the advertising agency, dubbed ‘Evolved’ and developed for Springfield, Mass.-based Hampden Bank, played on the idea of ‘out-of-town corporate dinosaurs’ adversely affecting local prosperity, and was recently chosen as one of the best national advertising campaigns in the financial services sector by the American Banker’s Assoc.

Creatures such as the ‘VelociMerger,’ ‘Bureaucradon,’ and ‘Bully Mammoth’ were devised to illustrate this idea, which was then delivered to the local marketplace through a number of media channels, including television, radio, billboards, bus graphics, and a number of print advertisements. The project also garnered three gold regional ADDY awards from the American Advertising Federation (AAF) earlier this year.

Hampden Bank and Winstanley Associates were recognized as runner-up in the national competition, in the ‘brand campaign’ category.

The ABA’s Financial Marketing Awards honor the best bank advertising and marketing campaigns from across the U.S. Established in 1972, the ABA Financial Marketing Awards give recognition to both bank marketing professionals and their agencies, for creative excellence based on bank asset size.

A panel of financial services marketers and advertising professionals from around the country judged each entry, based on execution of the communications strategy, message and positioning, and the campaign's overall results.

Online Public Relations Includes Blogs

2008-03-26T15:38:00.003-04:00

Winstanley was represented at an Internet Marketing Workshop that the local Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau put on this week. We did a presentation on online public relations, including blogs such as this, social networks like Facebook and MySpace, posting videos on YouTube and putting postings up on Wikipedia.

It was an interesting mix of people from small business owners to bed and breakfast owners, to restaurant managers. And, I believe it was educational for all - besides the online PR workshop, there were others that focused on email marketing, SEO, Google analytics, and online advertising.

During the online PR workshop, we also discussed ebooks or white papers, and attendees were promised the ebook from the presentation given. Enjoy!

What are you doing with your extra day?

2008-02-29T16:10:00.002-05:00

Well, it's leap day. February is hanging around an extra 24 hours and someone who's been on Earth 84 years is telling his friends he's finally old enough to drink.

The earth orbits the sun every 365.242 days. What are doing today to celebrate?

We rounded up all the leap day facts and figures -- including a recipe for a Leap Year cocktail. This one was created at London's Savoy Hotel for a Leap Day party in 1928:
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce
fresh lemon juice
1 lemon twist for garnish

Also -- did you know the odds of being born on leap day is 1 in 1461, which means that in a world of 6,653,591,021 people (U.S. Census Bureau), there are about 4,554,135 leap day babies? And back in stricter times, leap day was apparently the one day women could propose marriage without being scoffed at?

And lastly, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums would like us all to know that 2008, a "leap" year, is also the Year of the Frog. (Get it?) It's all part of an effort to promote amphibian conservation. So if you see a frog today, kiss it.

Parts of this posting were taken from a Seattle newspaper blog.

Super Bowl Post Game Advertising Report

2008-02-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

Here in New England, most of us are still getting over the Patriots loss in the Super Bowl -- but there is always next year!

Of course, people are still talking about and analyzing the commercials.

In one of the odder but potentially most revealing looks at Super Bowl ads to date, start-up "neuromedia" research firm Sands Research strapped caps with electrodes wirelessly linked to electroencephalography machines on the noggins of about 20 test subjects in El Paso, Texas. While the research by no means can gauge purchase intent, it's at least a measure of engagement with a commercial that closely ties it to recall.

Sands found that subjects' brain activity soared for Coke's "It's Mine" ad featuring Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons from Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore., and Bud Light's "Ability to Fly" ad from DDB Worldwide, Chicago.

But the fewest synapses fired for the Office of National Drug Control Policy's ad from DraftFCB, New York, that showed a pusher's lecture outside a pharmacy on the dangers of mom and dad's prescription drugs.

Click here for the entire Ad Age article.

From the desk of our Marketing Director:

2007-11-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

This year Ad:tech New York was buzzing as it did during pre-dotcom burst years. For those who never attended Ad:tech, it is the event that covers the digital transformation of all media and the traditional business of marketing communications. At the show for me the biggest challenge was to select which workshop to attend and which vendor booth to visit. It was a true representation of how multitasking consumers and marketers are these days. There were simply an overwhelming number of exhibitors and interesting discussions to follow but not enough time to absorb it all. The exhibit hall was full of search engines, ad networks, mobile search and advertising companies, social media optimization and online relationship management tools. It looked like everyone sharpened their tools and even the most familiar names in the digital marketing space were upgrading their services and tools. To me this was an indication that digital marketing space is truly booming.

It was no surprise that the focus was on consumer engagement. To internet or not to internet is no longer an issue in the forefront of the discussions. The Co-CEO of Ogilvy, Carla Hendra mentioned during the panel discussion, "we hire fresh new talent right out of the best art schools and universities. They join the creative team with absolutely no preconceived ideas about how print should integrate with internet or mobile. Their thinking is simply seamless when it comes to thinking which touch-point to integrate into a communication campaign and achieve optimum degree of consumer engagement."

This concept strongly resonated with me as I was walking the crowded exhibit hall buzzing with discussions on new and innovative techniques to reach and engage consumers out there. As Nate Winstanley, our President states, "we are just skilled story tellers." The medium is not our real focus but rather we concentrate on telling a compelling story. As I was visiting exhibitor booths, workshop and panel discussions, I kept asking myself "how is this software, technology or medium going to help us better tell a compelling brand story?" That was just the acid test I applied as I was navigating through an overwhelming sea of new technology.

I am sure we are going to hear more about Ad:tech discussions as clients and internet companies start publishing their predictions for 08. It will be interesting to follow the discussion. We’ll monitor them and put it on our blog. Give us feedback if any of these points resonate with you.

Go Behind the Scenes of the new Spalding Commercial

2007-11-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

Creatives here at Winstanley teamed with Spalding to come up with the concept and produce the latest Spalding commercial, which was shot at LP Field in Nashville, home of the Tennessee Titans.

The 30 second commercial began airing this week. It features two professional athletes introducing the new Spalding NEVER FLAT football.

Check out the behind the scenes action.

Some behind the scenes tidbits:

The opening shot was the last shot taken during the shoot – it took place at 4am.

The case that holds the prestigious NEVER FLAT football was handmade in the UK with the Spalding and NEVERFLAT logos etched in by hand especially for this commercial.

Trick photography: during the final shot where it appears that the lights are coming on to show off the new NEVER FLAT football, the scene is actually played in reverse. Because it’s nearly impossible to nail the timing of the stadium lights coming on, the scene was shot with the lights turning off and then played in reverse.

Let's Go To the Circus!

2007-09-25T10:34:00.001-04:00

A large group of us from Winstanley Associates headed to the “circus” for the Colt Insurance Chamber of Commerce night. Colt loved the creative from the circus themed ad campaign that we did for them so much that they extended the theme to be the sole focus of the Chamber night.

As you can see from the attached pictures, there was a clown making animal balloons. There was face painting, circus themed games, popcorn, and cotton candy too.

A good time was had by all!

Phew -- What a Month!

2007-09-13T11:54:00.000-04:00

Well, those in the ad agency business who say that summer is the "down time" are crazy.

We had a very busy month of August here at Winstanley. The Public Relations department was hired to help with the welcoming event for the new owners of GE Plastics, SABIC. It was such an honor to be a part of the event, which involved several CEOs, Chairman of the Boards, and other VIPs from GE and SABIC. There was an impressive turnout of regional business people to welcome the new company to the area, overall the event was a great success and quite a project.

Also keeping us busy this month: photo shoots in Vancouver, new business pitches, a new ad campaign for a regional bank, and television commercial production on a new product roll out from another client. Stay tuned for more on that commercial shoot involving two professional athletes, including behind the scenes footage.

Conserving Energy with "Blackle"

2007-08-06T11:02:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about Blackle? It's the latest green trend, a black screen version of Google, and word about it is spreading so fast, we may all soon be "Blackling".

How is Blackle saving energy?

Blackle saves energy because the screen is predominantly black. "Image displayed is primarily a function of the user's color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen." Roberson et al, 2002

In January 2007 a blog post titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year proposed the theory that a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the popularity of the search engine. Since then there has been skepticism about the significance of the energy savings that can be achieved and the cost in terms of readability of black web pages.

Blackle is going for it and so far, it seems to be catching on.

Springfield, Massachusetts loses contest

2007-07-13T16:51:00.000-04:00

The rumor is that the creators of the Simpsons got their inspiration from Springfield, Massachusetts. However, that is NOT where the new Simpsons movie will premiere. Why? Because the city lost a contest put on by USA Today. Springfield, Vermont is the big winner.

After viewing the tape, we thought they were well deserving of the victory.

You can get the low down and view the tapes submitted from the cities of Springfield all across the country on the contest website.

Be careful, the video really does make you crave donuts!

Crowds Get Into the Gaming Thing

2007-06-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

Check this out...Crowd gaming -- it's the latest solution to pre-movie boredom, turning movie audiences into human joysticks.

MSNBC came up with the in-cinema game to break MSNBC.com's brick wall of news.

You can read all about it in Ad Age and there's even a video demo of it on You Tube.

Cool.

The party is in Cannes this week!

2007-06-22T16:19:00.000-04:00

The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival (IAF) is generally regarded as the most prestigious international advertising festival. It's going on this week in the city of Cannes, France, with this year marking the 54th occasion the festival has been held. Although the festival also features seminars, workshops and social events for people in the advertising industry, the primary purpose of the festival is to present the Lion awards for the advertisements and advertising campaigns adjudged the best of the year. Although the award ceremony is held in France, the company that conducts the festival is British.

You can try to keep up with all of the winners, action and parties at Ad Week's special new blog for the 2007 Festival in Cannes. It’s called LeFreaque. They’ve gathered a great group of guest bloggers from the industry — both jury members and general delegates — to keep daily logs of their experiences: the judging, the parties and everything in between.

Try to keep up... you'll be exhausted!

Pass the Hat For Great Brand Exposure

2007-06-08T10:30:00.001-04:00

Now here's an idea to spread the word about your brand... pass out hundreds of hats with your name on it during a sporting event that's televised. Doesn't sound too wild and crazy, but it's working really well for Mr. Price.

Who's Mr. Price you ask?

It's a South African retail chain that operates more than 700 fashion and housewares outlets throughout Africa, known by its red Mr. Price hats that were distributed freely to large crowds at large sports events throughout Africa. This has often achieved a higher level of brand exposure than that of the paying advertisers. The strategy is a good demonstration of why marketers should try to own an icon that works in the real world.

Those red Mr. Price hats are now known globally, not bad, not bad at all.

For more on this story, check out this week's Ad Age BRANDFlash.

You'll Get Nothing and Like It

2007-06-01T10:34:00.000-04:00

That's the subject of a direct mail piece that we at Winstanley Associates are sending out this week to prospective clients. Yes, it's a bit out there, but so are we, so we really think it's fitting!

Here are some highlights:

Nothing included
Nothing will make you happy
There's nothing like it
Nothing to fear
Nothing bad
Nothing good
Nothing better
Nothing worse
There's nothing on the back to do

And then the message:
When you have something to say, we're experts at getting your message to the right people. From unavoidable direct mail (aren't you holding a package of nothing?!) to electronic solutions, web films, custom software, online games, television ads and everything from traditional media through unique solutions and placements, there's nothing we can't do. Nothing left to say.

We're expecting nothing from this whole thing, of course! We'll keep you posted.

Turn off the boob tube and turn on the internet, could you do it for a week?

2007-05-24T09:50:00.000-04:00

Could you go without TV for a week and find all that you wanted to watch on the internet?

One Ad Age reporter is putting himself to the test during a weeklong series and it's not as easy as it might seem to get your TV fix the new-media way, even with most of the networks video streaming their main programs.

As you might imagine, sprawling out on the couch with a soda (or beer) and chips watching the internet just doesn't have the same effect as that 32"+ TV screen with the surround sound.

And, "channel surfing" on the internet? Nope, doesn't quite give you the same thrill.

Matthew Creamer tried it, as you'll see, he's on Day 3 and boredom is setting in.

Ad Age -- TV Deprivation Day 3: The Couch Calls

Advergaming Story on CBS

2007-05-16T09:41:00.000-04:00

As I watched the advergaming story on the CBS Evening News last night, I thought about how timely our post earlier this week was, discussing advergaming and the release of a new game by Left Brain Games.

Great minds think alike, so the saying goes.

CBS News Story -- Play It Again: Advergaming

Playing Games At Work

2007-05-14T15:33:00.000-04:00

Often people are sneaky at work and try to catch a game of online solitaire or poker in the afternoons. Well here, we were recently ASKED to play games at work.

We, along with sister company Lenox Softworks recently helped with the launch of Virus Alert 3D. The creative minds behind the game are the folks at Left Brain Games, who get to play (and develop) games all day long every day -- that's how they make their living.

Anyway, this particular game involves "Weird Al" Yankovic -- yes, he's still around -- and his fight against pesky computer viruses. It's actually pretty cool and we were happy to be involved in the testing and launching of the whole thing.

It also gave us a look into the world of gaming and a better chance to realize how and why companies from Skittles to Nestle Crunch are incorporating games into their everyday marketing plans. The official word for this would be advergaming.

Check out these other examples.

Now, onto the next game/project.

It's all about the Spiders!

2007-05-04T16:52:00.000-04:00

When it comes to Search Engine Optimization or SEO, specifically the organic variety, it is all about the spiders. Spiders are the ones who decide, yes almost human-like, if they will "crawl" into your website and how high you will post on the search engines like google, yahoo, etc.

In fact, we just learned this week during a seminar on SEO that those same spiders can reject your site if you are trying to cheat the system (for example some bad key word etiquette is to hide keywords in white type on a white background or to jam your meta tags with keywords or to create what's called a link farm). In fact, the spiders will go as far as blacklisting some sites that go too far. It is still so unbelievable that a computer generated "creature" can have the power to blacklist a website.

Even more unbelievable is the fact that a lot of companies are unaware of these spiders and the many SEO tools that are available out there. During this seminar, we were given homework that we think would be good homework for anyone wanting to explore the SEO world. Set up an account at Google AdWords just starting with basic keywords and go from there. Thank you to Dan Green and Silvana Gravini for that information.

There are plenty of other resources out there too. Our sister company Lenox Softworks (check out their fancy new website!) is also a great resource to learn more about the difference between SEO and Search Engine Marketing or SEM.

Happy searching -- just don't get caught by one of those ugly spiders!

What is your generational identity?

2007-04-26T13:53:00.000-04:00

Do you know what generation you are from? You may be surprised to learn that you are not a Boomer, but a Silent, or maybe you're a second wave Boomer, not a Generation X.

During a very educational seminar this week by generational consultant Chuck Underwood, we learned that there are five generations of note. And, don't you dare call 0-25 year olds Generation Y or Echo Boomers, they are the Millennials.

The point of the seminar from a business point-of-view was that there are a lot of ways to target your potential customers, based on generational research. You may not even realize that your Boomer clientele could multiply if only you changed your messaging to focus directly on them. The same goes for the other generations, depending on what you're marketing.

It was a three hour presentation, so there is no good way to summarize it in a paragraph or two.

You can check out the PowerPoint version of the presentation or check out Chuck himself and The Generational Imperative, the company that he founded based on the generational consulting idea.

It's all in the presentation!

2007-04-17T15:13:00.000-04:00

There is a presentation on You Tube these days that has really gotten the attention of the advertising agency world. It's all about finding your identity. We see these kinds of presentations all the time at advertising club luncheons or chamber events, but the reason the presentation has made such an impact is because of the way it was presented. There is no time to get bored or drift off because the style of the presentation, as you'll see, keeps you involved during the entire 15 minutes of it.

Click here to check it out.

The presenter is Dick Hardt, Founder & CEO, Sxip Identity.

I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of copy cat presentations using this style in the near future across the world, thanks to good 'ole You Tube.

We Won, We Won!

2007-03-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

Winstanley Associates got some great news last night at the ADDY Awards. Not only did we pick up Best of Show, but we also got three golds, two silvers, and a bronze.

The agency’s gold, silver and Best of Show awards have been submitted to the national AAF awards competition, which will be held in June in Louisville, Ken.

Best of Show was awarded for our Jiminy Peak Campaign, titled “Zeke.” The mixed media promotion features videos of Zeke, a hapless moppet in ski attire and gear who can’t seem to follow the rules for skiing safely and thus meets with predictable calamity.

We also won a gold ADDY award for the Lenox Library “Attracts All Kinds” campaign; a gold for the Colt Insurance “Life is a Circus” campaign; and a gold for Smith & Wesson’s “Blows Away the Birds” campaign.

A silver ADDY was awarded for the Smith & Wesson “Elite Series” Catalog, and a bronze was awarded for the Smith & Wesson “1,000 Series” Catalog.

The ADDY competition, sponsored by the Ad Club of Western Mass., represented the first time area advertising agencies and marketing firms could participate in the national American Advertising Federation competition.

Time Flies When You're Going Crazy!

2007-03-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

Yes, it has been nearly two months since we've posted anything on this blog. The good news for us is that means that we're really, really, busy! We just finished working on a wonderful public relations project with GE Plastics and Habitat for Humanity, two of the most well known brands in the world. The project was a lot of work, but in the end, it was amazing to work with Habitat staff and volunteers and see how they make it all come together and look so easy in the process. Other projects going on at the agency include a potential rebranding campaign, the creation of a style guide, working with an online music lesson company who is using us to help get the word out about their company and abilities, and among other things, two brand new clients who have several advertising needs. Needless to say, we are keeping busy.

But in the midst of it all -- the blog will go on.

Are you ready for some football -- Commercials??!!

2007-02-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Everybody's gearing up for Superbowl Sunday, especially for the commercials that will be played during the Superbowl.

Advertisers are keeping pretty mum about this year's commercials, will that help them or hurt them?

Here are some pre-game thoughts:

AdAge

Superbowl Commercial Sneak Preview

Advertising Superbowl Page

He Shoots, He Scores!

2007-01-10T09:34:00.000-05:00

Kudos to Gino Bono, the winner of the NFL's promotion that gave fans the opportunity to determine one of the league's 30-second spots that will run next month in Super Bowl XLI. He works at Garrand, an advertising agency in Portland, Maine.

It's a great story and a great pitch and great buzz for Garrand. Makes you think, gee, why didn't we think of that one!

Resolutions for 2007

2007-01-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

A quick office poll here found these resolutions for the New Year:

"Learn a new language"
"Stop swearing so much in front of the kids"
"Look forward to the empty house"
"Get a new job" :)
"Stop the self destructing L.O.E. disease" (Lack of Exercise)
"To go out to lunch everyday and have someone else pay for it"
"Hug people more often"
"I can't share that with you"
"Change nothing, because I am perfect as I am"
"Stop talking, start doing and dance and sing a hell of a lot more"
"Eat more bones -- woof!" (From Lala -- the office dog)

How long will they last???? We'll keep you posted.

Happy Holidays from your friends at Winstanley

2006-12-22T10:32:00.000-05:00

Here's a look at the best and worst advertising from 2006, according to the Wall Street Journal:

Some of the best

Geico's Caveman Series
CareerBuilder.com's Monk E-mail Campaign
Apple Computer's Mac vs PC Series

Some of the worst

Head On (Apply Directly to the Forehead)
Outback Steakhouse's offbeat Australian-sounding man Series
Daimler Chrysler's Dr. Z Campaign

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

Freshly baked ads are toast

2006-12-06T14:49:00.000-05:00

City orders that cookie-scented strips in bus shelters be removed
From the San Francisco Chronicle
Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO -- City officials in San Francisco have ordered the immediate removal of cookie-scented strips from bus shelters -- one day after they went in as part of a marketing campaign to promote milk.

The demand was made to CBS Outdoor, the company that holds the advertising contract for the city's bus shelters, late Monday night.

The company was asked by the Municipal Transportation Agency, which runs the city's public transit system and has jurisdiction over the bus shelters, to remove the scented strips today, said Steve Shinn, a vice president of the company.

The move came amid public concern over potential allergic reactions to scented products.

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

Winstanley's Albany Business Xpo Adventure

2006-11-15T18:22:00.000-05:00

We ventured across the border to Albany for the 2006 Business Xpo today and encouraged people to check out the Winstanley Blog, so we felt that it's only appropriate to blog about the event during the event!

The traffic flow and somewhat small crowd was not as expected, but again, we'd never been before so we weren't sure what to expect.

There were a wide range of companies represented at the Xpo. From banks to cosmetic companies to web developers to business consultants, there was a bit of everything.

The Winstanley gang made the rounds at the neighboring booths collecting pens (Citizens Bank gets the award for the best pen!) and other collectibles. The most memorable collectible was a little hand santizer spray bottle with the company's name on it (kudos to Jardine Lloyd Thompson Benefits, Inc www.jltservices.com).

So any of you Business Xpo attendees reading this, please feel free to cast your votes on the collectibles and we'd love your feedback about the Xpo and recommedations about other Albany area events that we should attend.

From the copywriter's messy desk

2006-11-07T10:21:00.000-05:00

Yes, I had to work late. Yes, I got up two hours early. But there is
something so addictive about praise and actually enjoying writing sometimes.
Rarely, unfortunately, in this business of bottom line movement. But having
a client so ready to accept the idea of letting me go and make some copy
beautiful. Getting into a new product from scratch and digging out the
mechanics, ferreting the truth behind the actual drive to own something.
Studying something new. Delving into it's foreign world and grabbing the
mind of some targeted demographic unfamiliar (or simply not reached in a few
years)...I forget sometimes in this world of common emergency ads and faulty
strategies or information-shy demands, that this is truly something I enjoy
doing when it's done correctly. All it takes is a smarter than average
client on the other end to just trust and let go a little bit. To actually
provide me with information and direction instead of the execution we're
expert at forging. Of course, having a product that you believe in, can feel
strongly about backing is a bonus as well. What a gift it is to have a truly
appealing object from design onward. Pride I guess. Sometimes a company
makes something because it purely supports an image of quality and
craftsmanship. I suppose it's like working in a cabinet installation shop
and getting to carve a unique, custom installation for a change. But back to
the standard cabinets I go. Which is fine too. But there's a warm spot in me
today for this client. Sell well my friends. I've done my part, today. Heck,
now I want one. That's copy.

My Brand DNA

2006-11-03T16:30:00.000-05:00

I try to read a business book every month. One of the books that made a lasting impression on me was "The Brand Called You" written by David McNally and Karl D. Speak. After I read that book I began to question my purchasing choices, likes, dislikes but also started paying attention to what motivates me. One of the things that stood out was the joy I get out of finding hidden treasures for common products...one of them is this superb chocolate vendor I just discovered called Vosges Chocolates in NY. Check it out!
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/category/truffle_collections

What Would Winstanley Associates Smell Like?

2006-10-31T10:43:00.000-05:00

I don't think I want to know, so we will not be exploring the Scent Technology for our own purposes (not yet anyway). It is a cool, kind of funky concept though. Check out the article from Advertising Age that discusses leading consumers by the nose and how major package-goods marketers including Mars, PepsiCo, Kraft and Procter & Gamble hope scents will help them get attention among fragmented audiences.

Diving into the Blog world

2006-10-27T11:01:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Winstanley Associates blog!

After going back and forth and back and forth about starting a blog for the agency, we've decided to dive head first into the blogosphere, so here goes.

We thought the most appropriate first posting would be Wikipedia's definition of blog:

A blog is a website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order.

Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Most blogs are primarily textual although some focus on photographs (photoblog) videos (vlog), or audio (podcasting), and are part of a wider network of social media.

The term "blog" is a contraction of "Web log." "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.