1. Explain your role here at PerkettPR?

I am the Digital Production Director for PerkettPR where I am responsible for driving the strategy, direction and execution of digital marketing content and programs for our clients and our organization.

2. What is your biggest accomplishment and how did you get there?

I’ve been awarded medals for my service in the military and I’ve received numerous awards for my work throughout my career, but my biggest achievement will always be taking the challenge that lays in front of me. Like the age-old sentiment goes, “…it’s the journey, not the destination,” it’s having an experience that brings me the biggest sense of accomplishment.

3. What motivates you each day?

I am motivated by the opportunity to create. When I see the potential to create something I get super excited, maybe even overzealous some times.

4. Please list your top tech gadgets – which ones do you have or want to have and why?

My iPhone and MacBook are definite must-have tools. But my geek credentials would be revoked if I didn’t mention my love for Arduino. While it may not be in my productivity toolbox, it’s the coolest DIY gadget ever.

5. Do you have any secret hobbies or ambitions?

I have many interests but mostly I enjoy making things; I draw, paint, sculpt, build, solder, weld, animate, film, record, edit, program, grow, cook, brew, eat, drink, and muse. Oh, and I’ve been making my own sausage for over 20 years.

6. If you travel anywhere, what places would you visit first?

In general, I seek out the flavor of the city; the food , music, and art/culture.  New Orleans is my kind of town; some of the best food, music, atmosphere and people you could ever ask for. There’s a rhythm about New Orleans that I’ve never experienced anywhere else.

7. What TV or movie character do you relate to most and why?

I am a sucker for good antihero characters like Tyler Durden (Fight Club), Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver), or Walter White (AMC’s Breaking Bad).  It’s not that I relate to any specific character traits as much as I find the moral complexity of antiheroes very interesting.

8. What is the favorite part of your job?

I love editing video. I’ve always been drawn to motion and enjoy people watching; I get to tell a story, animate things and play with sounds, but it’s more than that. Sometimes editing is like putting together a puzzle and suddenly everything comes together and creates something magical in a way that only video can do.

9. What defines success for you?

Catching an idea and executing it… good or bad, that’s success for me.  So-called failure is just an opportunity to pursue another idea.

• Big brands and customer engagement – from customer service to product development, what are today’s expectations? Who’s doing it right?
• Is PR Dead? What is social media’s impact on the industry, and how can it compliment traditional PR/marketing strategies?
• Managing your inbox – with the arrival of Google’s Priority Inbox, will e-newsletters and email blasts still make an impact?
• Marketing Tip of the Week – tune in to hear it!

You can watch the full episode via the player below if you missed it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! If so, give Hubspot a 5-star rating on iTunes, won’t you? If you have additional questions or comments for Christine, please share them in the blog comments below.

After the initial hoopla on Twitter about the list and congratulating the women we know personally, Christine asked on Twitter, “so what does it all mean.” I’ve thought about this before when lists like this come out – do they really mean anything, and if so, what? Does the general public really care who is influential on Twitter? Are these people really influential or do they merely appear to be, to those of us who are really ingrained in social media?

After thinking about it for awhile, I’ve come up with what this particular list it means to me – I would love to hear your thoughts on what it means to you or to the rest of the world.

1. PR professionals – from “flaks” to influencers – when I started in PR, those in my profession were completely behind the scenes – like the Wizard of Oz sitting behind the curtain pulling the strings. We are in the business of making our clients stars, so naturally, we don’t make the story about us, nor should we. However, along the way, we learn a lot – about our clients, their business, the market and how it changes. We have to learn about new technologies, trends, products, and publications, giving us more than a layman’s knowledge of many different industries. The rise of social media, however, has given us a voice and has allowed us to highlight our expertise and the value we can offer to others without being overly promotional. Certainly, our clients are still the stars – we still devote 95% of our time to them, but a handful of smart PR folks are now also seen as experts who have influence in the industry. And you know what – our public influence is being asked about more and more by prospects, and evaluated by clients – if we are selling the ability to influence audiences and teach our clients how to become more influential in their industries, it makes sense that we should be have our own strong industry credibility.

 

2. Journalists and PR professionals can play nicely together – Take a look at those on this list and the other “Twitter influencer” lists that are posted regularly. They now contain reporters, bloggers and PR professionals (among others) – and because of their involvement in social media, a lot of them know and respect each other more than ever. For every blog post that fuels the journalists vs. PR “flacks” debate, there are hundreds of social media interactions every day between the media and PR that help bridge the gap and help the two get to know each other better and more personally. When you can see each other as people/friends and not the enemy, it is easier for everyone to do their job. Watching Christine joke with several of the other “top influencer” bloggers and journalists on Twitter after this list came out really drove this home for me.

 

3. PR professionals are trail blazers – at least in the tech industry. Many years ago, Christine told our staff that we needed to “figure out what these blogs are all about” then a few years later that we needed to start figuring out what social networking was all about – Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Whrrl, etc. – so that we could evaluate how it should be used in our business and for our clients – and if it should be. Christine always takes the reins for our company to ensure we try out and experiment with new technologies for ourselves before we try them for clients. Often people think that it’s only the “techies or the journalists” that are first adopters of technology, but many smart PR companies are the first to appear on new social sites and are among the first with the new gadget or toy because we pay attention and have close relationships with those influencers shaping the market. If we’re doing our job right, we realize value and ROI before the public does – thanks to being privy to many start ups and innovative new advances by existing companies, working early with the reporters and influencers who evaluate them and their products, and paying attention to where the tech industry is headed. Also, because we’re responsible for counseling our clients on how what works, what doesn’t and where they should pay attention. In fact, we’re often involved in product direction and development discussions because we have a pulse on where the industry is headed.

Our discussion about this list on Twitter prompted Hubspot to offer to sponsor a meetup for the top 100 women on this list – PerkettPR is considering organizing this event, but we want it to be more than a Tweet-up – we would like it to offer value to attendees and to maybe even benefit a charity. Would you attend an event that offered insight from the Top 100 women influencers on Twitter? If so, what would you like to get out of it? Tell us here and help us create a fantastic event!

Along those lines, you might have read this post from our own Account Supervisor, Heather Fraelick, about how she spends her hours – spreading the word about sun safety and skin cancer. Today, Ladies’ Home Journal featured Heather’s story in The Skin Cancer Guide – a three-part series – providing a “dermatologist-approved detection guide that just might save your life.”

Heather’s bravery and willingness to share her story to help others are just a few of the may reasons we’re proud to have her on our team.

Each MVP is clear an example of the many top-notch, talented individuals we have at PerkettPR, and sharing the announcement here is a way for you to get to know them a little better. So without further ado, here is PerkettPR’s MVP for April 2010:

Johanna Cappello

What is your role at PerkettPR?
I am an Operation Assistant—I assistant the Account and Executive teams with research, coverage reports, or managing speaking/awards databases. Also I help with the PR for PerkettPR and more recently have spearheaded a few client driven design projects.

How long have you been with the company?
Over 2 years.

What do you like best about your job?
The variety—each day is different. The work is always fresh, and I love being part of such a motivating, inspiring team—who are continuously pushing me to work harder.

Who inspires you?
Boma (my grandmother) and my Mom—independent, passionate, resilient women.

How do you inspire others?
I am an eternal optimist— and in moments of adversity have used my ambition, my motivation, of course, my optimism to rise above.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?
Writing. Cooking. And beach-ing.

What did you want to be when you were little?
Singer on Broadway

How do you stay motivated?
I surround myself with positive, honest, and inspirational people. Also, I love reading and considerate myself a lifelong student. Learning more (and more) is continuously fueling my motivation.

What’s your favorite quote?
“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way and not starting.” (Budda)

How did you go above and beyond to win this month’s MVP?
I worked diligently on a client project involving designing numerous materials, coordinating estimates, and delivery for a client product launch at a conference.

Editor’s note: Johanna is being modest here. In every company, there are people who stick to their To Do list and then there are employees who proactively go above and beyond. Johanna has some talents that she isn’t required to apply in her every day job. However, when she saw a need for these talents, she proactively stepped up and stepped in – surprising us all by unveiling additional strengths that we weren’t aware of, and working above and beyond what she’s required to do in her current position. Not only did she provide some new ideas and content, but she showed managers her ability to grow in a way we hadn’t thought of before in regards to her future here at PPR. Today, she’s MVP, but she also carved out a new path for her career here – one that will benefit our clients from both the PR and content creation and design perspective – and benefit her by allowing her to do what she loves. Johanna is a great example of how stepping up and stepping in can benefit both your employer and you!

Connect with Johanna on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

PerkettPR employees receive 40 paid hours of community service time a year, in addition to our regular paid time off. 40 paid hours to get out of the office and use our talents, passion and energy to support an initiative that’s important to us! I love it.

Most of us already spend personal time doing volunteer work but when we have busy jobs, families, professional development commitments, etc., it can be hard to find the extra time to contribute where and when we want to. I’m excited to have this opportunity to supplement the work I’m already doing and I hope you’ll be interested in hearing about what we’re all doing with our #CommunityService time here and on Twitter.

We have found that giving back to our communities makes us better people and provides a sense of accomplishment that is different from what we achieve at the office. How do you strike a balance? Where do you find time to give back? Who supports you?

How I’m Spending My Time

As a two-time Melanoma survivor the work of the Melanoma Foundation of New England is close to my heart. The programs they support, like the monthly support group I attend, are vital to cancer patients in the region. For the last three years I have volunteered my time and energy to help raise money for the foundation and awareness for our cause.

Since January, we have gathered 5,000 signatures from high school students across New England, for the Your Skin Is In program, who have pledged NOT to tan before their prom. I will personally be out speaking at high schools and colleges – sharing my own struggle with Melanoma and encouraging young adults to think about beauty and health as one in the same. Last week I spoke to 50+ female athletes at Wheaton College, my alma mater. As a collegiate lacrosse player, I wanted to convey the life altering events that happen when you go from being an athlete to a patient, facing months of recovering from surgeries where you’ve had tumors and lymph nodes removed. Melanoma is the most common cancer among women aged 25-32. I want these young women to hear my story and see the face of skin cancer – mine and theirs.

People who use tanning beds once a month, before the age of 35, increase their melanoma risk by 75%. This additional 40 hours of paid community service time means that I can speak to more students, educate more young people, and save more lives. I take this advocacy work seriously and I’m proud to say my employer supports me in my mission.

Here is a video the foundation just released – it’s a powerful teaching tool about how indoor tanning causes skin cancer. Won’t you watch it and consider sharing the facts with those you care about?

Tanning Is Out: Your Skin Is In:

Client details are below. More fun facts – including what we’re doing and where we’ll be in 2010 – are in the accompanying video or the full press release.

Some of our new clients include:

HealthLeap – (New York, New York) – Bridging the communication gap between doctors and patients to improve care, compliance and practice profitability through free, web-based appointment software.

Northeastern University College of Business Administration– (Boston, Mass.) – Established in 1922, the College of Business Administration provides its students – undergraduate, graduate, and executive – with the education, tools, and experience necessary to launch and accelerate successful business careers.

Norwell Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice – (Norwell, Mass.) – Founded in 1920 and the only independent nonprofit home health care agency serving Boston’s South Shore.

Proliphix – (Westford, Mass.) – The leading provider of Internet-managed energy control systems.

St. Louis Children’s Hospital – (St. Louis, Mo.) – Founded in 1879, St. Louis Children’s Hospital is one of the premier children’s hospitals in the United States serving children around the world.

VersionOne– (Atlanta, Ga.) – VersionOne is recognized by Agile practitioners as the leader in Agile project management tools.  By simplifying the process of planning and tracking Agile software projects, they help development teams consistently deliver software faster.

Thanks for all of your continued support. (PS We’re actively recruiting – especially in Mass. and Calif.)

Some of the PerkettPR crew at December’s holiday party

Because of you, our amazing community, we’ve been voted a finalist in the list for “Best Tech PR” from TechCrunch’s “The Crunchie’s Awards.” Thank you for voting us to the finalist list! Now, our friends, family, clients, prospects and partners can vote once per day until January 6 to help us win this prestigious award. Think of it as the tech industry’s own Oscars! Winners are announced during the Crunchies award ceremony in San Francisco on the 8th of January 2010. For more information, visit the Crunchies homepage.

If you’ve seen or experienced our work and been impressed, we would love your vote/s. Please click here to vote for us for “Best Tech PR” - you can click next to our name, no registration required, and be done in less than a minute. You’ll see lot of other exciting categories to vote on as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog, vote for us and for being such a fantastic community. We wouldn’t be here without you! Happy New Year!

When I started PerkettPR over a decade ago, I knew I wanted to do something different. My goal was to build a new kind of PR firm that focused on superior client service through senior-level talent. I didn’t think much about my IT innovation in building a virtual  infrastructure – I just wanted to offer an excellent and productive work environment for employees throughout the nation. And I wanted to ensure that, just like their office counterparts, they had everything they needed to be successful in their day to day work.

I’ve always been driven to go beyond the norm and it’s no different for me in business. Just as everyone else is learning something, I want to be moving on to the next big thing. It’s that kind of initiative that led me to build not only an innovative PR agency – but an innovative business. When we started our agency in 1998, virtual workers were still viewed with a skeptical eye, green was just a Crayola color (#21) and SaaS (known as “on-demand” at the time) was something only a few companies (including our clients) were aware of. So it was an honor to have the last decade of our work at PerkettPR – encompassing all three of those elements – turned into an independent report from Forrester Research Inc.

You can download the entire case study (registration or login required), learn how Forrester can assist in developing virtual and remote workers, and learn how PerkettPR leverages a “golden image” standard – including remote support technologies, robust storage capabilities, collaboration tools, and being proactive about green IT initiatives.

As a virtual organization, we have worked very hard to establish a specific culture (one that is clear to both our geographically-diverse employees, and to our clients who know that good teams matter in PR) – as well as a technically-savvy organization that constantly discovers and implements the best new technologies to keep our workforce productive. Thanks very much to Forrester analysts Chris Silva and Doug Washburn for taking a closer look. I hope readers will find the study helpful and informative.

B&T’s Best is “an annual tribute to the companies that readers have determined to be, simply, the best at what they do. This is a subjective, not objective, reader poll. It does not measure who writes the most business or has the most revenue. What it does measure is the loyalty and satisfaction readers have with vendors.”

We can’t think of a better honor than to be recognized for doing great work and delivering client satisfaction. Thank you so much to those of you who voted, to our clients for choosing to work with us, to our partners for supporting us and to our staff of exceptional employees who work every day to deliver superior client service and results across tech, healthcare, financial and consumer industries. I am grateful and very, very proud.

Are you a PR 2.0 expert with proven experience in both traditional programs and new media? PerkettPR is recruiting!

PerkettPR is seeking Account Strategists who can demonstrate the proven ability to run traditional PR programs such as media relations, customer/partner programs, speaking engagements, events initiatives and grassroots campaigns, as well as new media and digital production: social media campaigns, video, podcasts, etc.

Specifically, you must:

• have a minimum of five years related experience
• demonstrate results or case studies in PR and new media as well as client service
• be comfortable – experience preferred – working from a home office
• have experience in technology but demonstrate a willingness to work in industries such as healthcare, fashion, travel, entertainment. If you have specific experience to bring to the table, please highlight it
• have an entrepreneurial spirit
• show us why you are a standout – what will you teach us?
• do your homework – communicate your understanding of who we are, our culture and how we are unique in the industry

Ideally, you will:

• have a sense of humor – for fun and for sanity!
• be in or near Boston, NYC, San Francisco or Detroit
• not lead with “why I want to work from home”
• have PR agency experience or client service experience
• be creative in how and where you apply/show us your work
• understand the bigger picture and give us an idea of how you will not only help deliver the best client service but help our organization grow and innovate

BIG HINT: if you follow @PerkettPR on Twitter and DM us that you have sent a resume, it will be more noticeable…

Submit your details to careers(at)perkettpr(dot)com and in the subject line, please indicate the position (Account Strategist) and location, (Boston, NY, Detroit or San Francisco). Visit our website for more details. Thanks for reading.

Are you up for discovering new paths to success for clients?  Do you see value in digital communications and social media for marketing and PR? We want to hear from you! We recognize that the newest generation of employees entering the workforce are more naturally inclined to have this skill set in place. Therefore, for the first time in over a decade of business, PerkettPR is looking for interns that are capable of opening our eyes to new possibilities, executing on important communications strategies and excited to learn just how a PR firm helps companies and brands effectively communicate with key audiences.

Think you’ve got what it takes to intern at a virtual agency? Enter our contest for the chance to work with a nationwide, senior-level team in either Boston, Detroit or San Francisco.

Here are the official application guidelines:

• The paid internship program will be awarded to up to three accomplished students or graduates with studies in public relations, communications, business, video production, English, journalism or marketing
• Length of internship will be determined with individual contacts
• We’re looking – ideally – for one intern in (or near) each city: Boston, Detroit, San Francisco
• Submissions must be sent via video message (Facebook* or Seesmic**), blog post (yours with a link to ours), Twitter pitch campaign, or on our Facebook page. Or, better yet, something you create – show us  something we have never seen before. The submission is open to your creative interpretation – just don’t send us a paper resume. Show us your work digitally.
• Must have excellent writing and research skills.
• Must have a fully functional home “office” and be willing to meet and work remotely with co-workers at least once a week
• Interns will work with PerkettPR’s PR and Social Media teams to study, create and implement social media, digital content and PR programs and services. They may also have exposure to and contact with clients, partners and journalists.
• Submissions or links may also be emailed to: IWantToIntern[at]perkettpr.com.
• Finalists will be asked for full resumes.
  

Applications will be accepted through June 26. A handful of finalists that will then be interviewed for the position in late June/early July.

Here’s what we’re looking for you to answer in your submission:

1.  Who are you, what do you do and where are you?
2.  What is social media?
3.  How does it play a role in PR? How can they both benefit businesses?
4.  What great examples of PR and social media integration have you seen? What makes it great?
5.  Where is the future of corporate/brand communications heading?
6.  List three words people would use to describe you.
7.  Why do you want to work for PerkettPR?
8.  What will you bring to our agency that no other candidate will?
9.  What is your favorite tech gadget or site and why?
10. Who is one person in business that you admire?

*  Video submissions to our Facebook page can be left on our wall after you become a “fan.”

** Video submissions can also be left right here as a reply on this post via the Seesmic widget that is accessible below the comments area. A free Seesmic account is required.

That being said, so many of the brands that we speak with have no idea where to begin. They still aren’t convinced or sure of the value of “social media” and they want to approach it with kid gloves. They are worried about time, resources, control and execution. And we understand why – we’ve been there! We’ve also helped a lot of companies come from that place and embrace the opportunities of becoming a “social company.” And we love doing it because as you can see, we’re heavily involved in social media ourselves. We believe in it, we appreciate and understand it, and we continually see value and results from it.

Social Media U

To share our enthusiasm, we’re pleased to announce a new program designed to help companies in any industry understand and embrace social media for business. Our “Social Media U” offering was born out of the interest and feedback we’ve received for speaking on social media for business and social media for communicators. Sharing our best practices, experience and insights, Social Media U will help any executive make sense of the noise and clarify just what types of social strategies can work for your business. While articles like BusinessWeek’s are helpful, many executives need more than a DIY guide. And as the CEO of Forrester Research, George Colony, recently wrote, “You can’t understand Twitter, Facebook, or blogging by reading an article in a magazine or a report from your CMO. Sure, they can tell you what they are, but you won’t be able to truly understand how they could change your business unless you actually use them.”

That’s where we can help.

Quick facts about PerkettPR’s Social Media U:

• Social Media U is an affordable, intensive half or full day workshop
• While we prefer to meet face-to-face, we can (and have successfully done so) execute the workshop via web conference
• We offer three levels of engagement to choose from – based on your knowledge level and needs
• We’ll teach you what social media is and how to engage and embrace it for your business
• Appropriate for any business that wants to understand social media, the potential value to their business, how to get started and how to maintain effective social strategies

What you’ll learn:

• From the C-Suite to the front desk – why social media strategies involve everyone at your company
• Why Facebook isn’t just for keeping up with friends and family, LinkedIn is so much more than a rolodex and how Twitter benefits your brand
• How to effectively  monitor and respond in social media communities such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Yahoo! Answers and more
• Which blogs matter to you and how to participate in the blogosphere even if you don’t have your own
• How to easily create content for your blog, website and customer communications
• Effective and realistic strategies for engaging customers, prospects and partners: from blog posts to video, Twitter to microsites
• How to trust the community and build positive relationships for your company

Why we’re qualified

• We’ve been integrating social media into PR campaigns for years now and have been recognized as one of a handful of PR firms leading the charge (many call it PR 2.0)
• As senior PR professionals, we understand communications and the larger picture of how it must all come back to your company’s business goals – read here about why we think this matters
• We’re heavily involved in social media for our own business
• We’ve trained clients in many industries and of many sizes – from SMBs to public companies; fashion to technology – on effective social media strategies
• We’ve presented strategies at numerous conferences for thousands of executives

For more information please email SMU[at]perkettpr.com – or call me personally: 781.834.5852.

PerkettPR - Christine Major, Lisa Dilg, Stephanie Trussell, Michele Campbell and Christine Perkett - with Gary Vaynerchuk of Winelibrary TV

I’d also like to thank our firm’s employees – both past and present. The people who come to work for us are what make this company the respected and successful entity that it’s become. Our staff is an eclectic and strong mix of accomplished individuals. At work, they amaze me every day with the creative ideas they come up with for clients and the value that they deliver as a result. Outside of work, their tenacity – in achieving both personal goals and overcoming life’s obstacles – continually inspires me. I feel very fortunate to have met them all.

Christine Perkett, Claire Spina-Russell, Stephanie Trussell and Mariana Pinner at The New Marketing Summit, October 2008

We’ve had comedians, jewelry designers and marathon runners on staff. Multiple cancer survivors, musicians who sing in bands and hard working moms and dads. A deejay, die cast car collector and world traveler. Together, they’ve all helped our clients make their mark on the world. Individually, they’ve left an imprint of one sort or another on our company and on me.

Christine Perkett, Christine Major and Johanna Cappello at The American Business Awards, June 2008, NYC

As we move into another New Year, the world remains nervous around our economic outlook and relationships are more important than ever. I am confident that PerkettPR will continue to grow and prosper with the support of the tech and business community, loyal clients and whip-smart staff. If you are reading this blog you are to thank as well. We appreciate your insights, involvement and feedback.

May 2009 bring prosperity and successes we’ve all yet to imagine. Happy New Year!

Heather Mosley and Jeff Glasson - Boston TweetUp

Greg Wind, Heather Mosley and Crystal Macaulay at Seesmic's 1st Anniversary Party, San Francisco, September 2008