ColoradoPols.com offers a reminder to political campaigns that social media has changed the dynamics of what coverage can look like. In this instance, a positive endorsement story for Congressional candidate Joe Miklosi quickly turns ugly when The Denver Post’s Kurtis Lee focuses on how the campaign staff overestimated the number of people who might attend the announcement.
When done well, stunt marketing can be a beautiful thing. The team at Sprocket Communications took advantage of last week’s “Park(ing) Day” to make a statement and get some media coverage while doing it.
Among those hiring this week are Communications Strategy Group, GBSM, VOCO Creative, Datalogix, Habitat for Humanity, Baptie & Company, History Colorado, Jackson Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, MWH Global, North Suburban Medical Center, STARZ, The American Independent News Network, Veterans Green Jobs, Colorado State University’s College of Business (Fort Collins) and Delta Memorial Hospital (Delta).
A newly formed Denver-based holding company has announced it is purchasing Westword parent company Village Voice Media. Most of the coverage of the deal is benign, but Reuters offers a behind-the-scenes perspective that the move was made from a position of weakness due to advertiser boycotts.
The deal for Village Voice Media does not include backpage.com, a controversial property “which critics say facilitates sex trafficking through its ‘adult’ classified section.” A boycott organized by activists has led more than a dozen companies – including American Airlines, Best Buy, AT&T, Ikea, H&M, IHOP, Macy’s and Pfizer – to stop advertising in VVM properties, including Westword. It is thought the new holding company, legally separated from backpage.com, could regain those advertising dollars.
Here’s hoping the plan works. Westword has been an important part of Denver media for 35 years, and hopefully this deal will help it continue to play that role for decades to come.
Traction Communications’ Kirsten Hamling, the founder of what turned out to be the fraudulent charity Fired Up For Kids, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft this morning for stealing money raised for the burn unit at The Children’s Hospital. CBS4 has the details.
Come see some of Denver’s biggest names in politics and media, onstage in the Denver Press Club’s annual Gridiron Show – a hilarious night of political and cultural satire and songs.
Denver Press Club’s 2012 Gridiron Show
7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12
L2 Arts and Culture Center
1477 Columbine Street, Denver, CO 80206
Tickets: $20
Former CBS4 anchor Molly Hughes has joined executive coaching firm Colman & Company as a media/presentation coach.
Among those hiring this week are BeadforLife, Communications Strategy Group (internship), Denver International Airport, Denver Public Schools, Four Winds Interactive, Global Greengrants Fund, Meritage Homes, Neiman Marcus Stores, Rides to Thrive, Rocky Mountain Institute, The Colorado Statesman, The Medical Center of Aurora, The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Focus on the Family (Colorado Springs), The Colorado Springs Gazette and The Durango Herald.
Visit Estes Park has hired Brooke Burnham as Director of Public Relations and Social Media. Burnham will develop and implement strategies in public relations and social media that will help Visit Estes Park serve its mission of attracting visitors to the Estes Park Local Marketing District. Burnham previously was with the Waterloo (Iowa) Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A higher-than-expected number of local nonprofits has signed up for PRSA Colorado’s “PR Boost” event, and PRSA Colorado is looking for a few more volunteers for this Thursday morning. If you have at least five years of PR experience and want to work one-on-one with nonprofits in need of your PR expertise, please email Quinn Kelsey (qkelsey@linhartpr.com) or Andy Peters (apeters@linhartpr.com) right away.
This is a great event and it is my favorite PRSA Colorado event of the year. Breakfast will be catered by Jason’s Deli, and I’ll pay for your parking at the Larimer Square garage if you email Quinn or Andy to RSVP by the end of the day on Wednesday.
PRSA Colorado ‘PR Boost’
7:30 – 11 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 13
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
1445 Market Street, 5th Floor
Denver, CO 80202
Questions? Contact Quinn Kelsey
Among those hiring this week are Arapahoe County Government, Atkins Nutritionals, Banner Media Group, EchoStar, ITT Educational Services, Ludvik Electric, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, PROJECT C.U.R.E., The Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News & Guide and Western Resource Advocates (internship).
SE2 has added Megan Cranston as a project manager and Rachel Schiller as an associate. Cranston previously worked as an integrated producer at a Denver-based production company, and Schiller most recently worked as the director of communications and development at a local charter school. The new hires bring SE2 to a total of 15 full-time employees, a continuation of the 15-year-old firm’s steady growth.
Last week, it was the Republican National Convention. This week, the New York Times captures the words and phrases that are being used most this week by speakers at the DNC in Charlotte.
Key Link PR has been named the PR agency of record for PZ1 and added the Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival in Vail, Colorado, as a client. PZ1 is a group of former Olympic Ski and Snowboard athletes who provide instructional experience through private sessions, performance clinics, custom experiences and race camps, across the nation. And the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival is a three day event featuring educational seminars, two Brewmasters dinners, a Commercial Tasting, and a homebrew competition, all hosted by some of the most famous personalities in the craft beer industry.
Orapin Marketing + Public Relations has added The Ballet Physique to its client roster. The Ballet Physique is an independent and locally-owned barre fitness studio in downtown Littleton. OMPR will consult on and execute PR and marketing activities for the studio’s first workout DVD collection, due out at the end of the year.
Denver Public Relations Blog 