Friday, February 26, 2010

Huffington Post's Changing the Face of Research and Science: A Nonprofit Biotech Incubator


The Hepatitis B Foundation and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, headquartered in Buckingham, Pa., were recently featured on the Huffington Post for their global outreach and unique business model. We are so proud of the work they do on a daily basis and to call them colleagues and friends. We want to share their story with you - click here to read the Huffington Post article.

Friday, February 19, 2010

How did Tiger Woods Do?

My friend and colleague, Karen Friedman, shared her thoughts about Tiger Wood's media appearance today. Karen is a fantastic communication coach. An award-winning television news anchor and reporter who has interviewed thousands of people, Karen now teaches others how to make the most out of every media interview, appearance and presentation.  Tiger would have done a much better job had he had Karen on his team. Here's what she had to say and I couldn't agree more.
_____________________

Tiger's public apology is being blasted. Critics say he apologized for too much too late. They say he appeared defensive when he told the media to leave his family alone. And then there was his wife Elin. Well, actually she wasn't there, another strike against him. But let's look at this differently. The mistakes were already made and that can't be erased so let's talk about how he came across.


Real Deal?

Was he genuine or phony? For someone who didn't want to talk, he did talk and went further than many expected and certainly further than most public apologies. To my surprise, he came across as heartfelt. He looked like a guy who fell down a well and was desperately trying to claw his way back. To his credit, he vehemently defended his wife and also to his credit he blasted the media for bothering his family and implored them to leave his kids alone. Good for you Tiger. I am a former card carrying journalist and am embarrassed to admit the number of families I've been forced to chase in search of ratings.

Keep Religion Out of It

True, Tiger is a megastar who brought this on himself so whether he offered a public apology or didn't, the story was not going to go away. When the time comes for him to return to golf, it will surface yet again. What could he have done differently? If I had advised him, I would have told him to drop the Buddhist upbringing stuff. He said he strayed away from it which might have contributed to his behavior. Who am I to doubt him, but that part didn't sound very authentic. He also went on way too long. Then there was the controlled prompter like read which was almost okay until the camera broke and he could only be photographed from the side which made the event look a little too staged and robbed us of seeing his eyes and expressions so we could decide if they matched his carefully crafted words.

Missed the Mark

In classic crisis communications, Tiger did all the right things. He profusely and sincerely apologized, took responsibility for his behavior and promised to work on his problems even though that was something he should have done months ago. But I'll tell you what was missing. Candor. Tiger should have made a short statement and then immediately taken questions which he should have answered as bluntly as possible. Instead of asking people to believe in him again, this would have shown people why they should believe. Like the saying, actions speak louder than words.

Karen Friedman, Pres. Karen Friedman Enterprises, Inc.
Web: http://www.karenfriedman.com/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karenfriedmanenterprises
Facebook: http://profile.to/karenfriedman/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/karenfriedmane

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Nielsen Study Shows What We Already Know- People Spend Too Much Time on Facebook

Posted by Katie Noonan

A recent study conducted by Nielsen found that in January of 2010 people spent more than seven hours on Facebook. In fact, according to Ben Parr of Mashable, the amount of time people spent on Facebook in January is more than the amount of time they spent on Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, YouTube and Wikipedia combined.

Anyone who checks their Facebook newsfeed (or is friends with that person who updates you on their every move in Farmville) knows that people spend an outrageous amount of time on the site. Depending on factors like age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and the like, the amount of time an individual spends will vary, but the findings from the study can’t come as a shock to many. In fact, I would have guessed that an individual spends as much as seven hours on Facebook a week rather than a month.

From a PR standpoint, the study shows that if you want to reach people where they are spending the majority of their Internet-browsing time, Facebook is your best bet. Whether it’s through advertisements or setting up a fan page for your business, Facebook can be an inexpensive and easy way to connect to your target audiences. There you’ll be able to grab their attention through a status update in their newsfeeds, an ad on the sidebar of their profile page, etc. The opportunities are limited only by your creativity and understanding of social media.

Just this week our client Bencardino Excavating started their own Facebook page and though it is still in the early stages, the company is already using it to share photos, videos and company news. This shows that any business can leverage Facebook to grow its business and reach its target audience.

As an aside, if you were struck like I was by the seeming lack of productivity these findings indicate, our friend and colleague Neen James has some great tips on how to use Facebook productively. We urge you to check them out!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

GlaxoSmithKline Seeks Greater Philadelphia and Camden Healthcare Nonprofits - Spread the Word!

(Nonprofits Providing Access to Healthcare to Receive Up to $400,000 in Awards – Application Deadline March 29, 2010)

We could use some help in spreading the word about this great funding opportunity for Philadelphia region healthcare nonprofits. There are so many deserving nonprofits out there looking for funding to keep their doors open to the community - please help us share this news with the nonprofits that you support!

The GlaxoSmithKline 14th Annual IMPACT Awards target community-based nonprofits that provide access to healthcare for the underserved. Up to ten organizations in the Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Philadelphia and the City of Camden, New Jersey, will be awarded $40,000 each. The awards are bestowed upon winning organizations for success and achievements in their current, overall work, not just for new or specific initiatives. Applications will be accepted through March 29, 2010, 4:00 p.m. EDT.

Every year the GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards acknowledge, highlight and reward nonprofit organizations that have a significant impact on their communities and are accomplished, proactive and effective in their work. GlaxoSmithKline’s IMPACT Awards represent and support Innovation, Management, Partnership, Achievement, Community focus and Targeting needs within community-based healthcare organizations. Nonprofits that exemplify the IMPACT Awards criteria continue to provide quality, accessible healthcare to their communities despite their financial and resource limitations. Winners in previous years include organizations that provide medical and dental care for the underserved, access to care for the chronically ill, services for children with genetic disorders and comprehensive treatment for women with addiction.

To qualify for a GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT award, applicants must provide access to healthcare services (primary mission); have annual total operating expenses between $160,000 and $3 million, as documented in the organization’s most recent fiscal year financial statement; and have been in existence as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for at least five years. A panel of local and national healthcare delivery experts and GlaxoSmithKline representatives will determine the winners based on a strong demonstration of ongoing success in providing access to healthcare; commitment to serving people in need; facilitation of healthcare delivery, substantive partnerships; policy development; and a solid record of achievement, management and leadership.

The GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards will be presented at an awards ceremony in Philadelphia in late 2010. For more details and to apply, please visit the GlaxoSmithKline site at http://www.gsk-us.com/ and select “Our work with communities,” then click “Health programs,” then click “Awards,” and finally click “Philadelphia region” or call GlaxoSmithKline Community Partnerships at 215-751-5171.

N.J. Law Firm Expands to Toms River Location

Furia Rubel client and New Jersey law firm Fein, Such, Kahn & Shepard, P.C. recently announced that it opened a Toms River, N.J., office to serve its many clients in Ocean County. Congrats to the Fein Such team for this accomplishment!

Staffed with three attorneys, the office will focus on estate planning, elder law and real estate matters, while offering full-service law firm resources, including representation in business law, creditors’ rights, litigation, tax, trusts and related concerns. Fein, Such, Kahn & Shepard is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., Morris County, and has grown from 130 employees to more than 250.

“We are proud of our strong reputation in northern and central New Jersey, and look forward to providing more convenience for our clients closer to the Toms River office,” said Fein, Such, Kahn & Shepard Shareholder Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss, Esq. “Clients taking advantage of our Ocean County law firm location will enjoy outstanding service and representation, backed by the resources of a full-service law firm.”

The centrally located 1,250-square-foot office is situated at 833 Route 37 West and offers easily-accessible parking and building access for clients. To learn more about the firm and its locations, visit www.feinsuch.com.

Friday, February 12, 2010

To Network Effectively, Move Beyond the Basics Says Molly Peckman

Molly Peckman, director of associate development at Dechert in Philadelphia, and a frequent writer and lecturer on law firm life and professional development, really understands what it takes for lawyers to stand out in a crowd and to be successful. In today's Legal Intelligencer / Pa Law Weekly, she writes, "To Network Effectively, Move Beyond the Basics."

I first met Molly when we served on the Philadelphia Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Executive Committee - back in the early 90s. Okay, yes, I was considered a young lawyer back then. And as "young lawyers" we were very active in bar and civic community activities. We worked a gazillion hours a day, Molly at a big law firm and I as a judicial law clerk handling death penalty PCRA. We didn't have text messaging, we didn't have Facebook, we didn't have LinkedIn, and we didn't have marketing budgets (I don't think law firm CMOs really existed yet). But we knew that in order to be successful, we had to network - so network we did.

I still remember meeting Lisa Scottoline for the first time. She had just hit the New York Times Best Sellers' List and was a Philadelphia lawyer. So the YLD, under Molly's leadership, honored Lisa at our annual luncheon. Our luncheon was a sell out and we still socialize with many of the YLD members that we broke bread with then. In fact, Scott Cooper who was also on the YLD Executive Committee, is now the Chancellor or the Philadelphia Bar Association.

So I was honored to see that Molly quoted me in her article today. It says:

"Local lawyer-turned-public-relations-guru Gina Furia Rubel is a master networker who knows tons about introductions. In addition to running her own PR and marketing company, she presents, blogs, Tweets, sends newsletters, is active in the leadership of several organizations and is about as "linked in" as a person could be in this town.

Rubel, the author of 'Every Day Public Relations for Lawyers,' suggests different introductions for 'different purposes, audiences and venues. Your introduction to prospective referring attorneys is going to be drastically different from your introduction to prospective clients in a particular practice area.' Rubel explains why saying 'I'm a lawyer' as an introduction is not ideal, and instead suggests you treat an introduction as a closing argument. She counsels, 'Don't just wing it. Practice!'"

Thanks, Molly, for the kind words and for quoting my book. It is a pleasure to continue to network effectively together.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Furia Rubel Client Sitings with Celebrities


Mark S. Carrow, CPA, Philadelphia managing partner of Citrin Cooperman, an accounting, tax and consulting firm, participated in the 51st Bob Hope Classic January 18-24, 2010, at La Quinta Country Club, Nicklaus Private at PGA West and Arnold Palmer Private at PGA WEST and SilverRock Resort. Carrow donated $9,000 to the event which will be donated to various charities. A tradition since 1960, the organization donated more than $1.5 million to charities at the 51st Classic and has contributed nearly $49 million to charity over the years. Pictured from left to right in the foursome are Bruce Jenner, Bo VanPelt, Bo Jackson and Mark Carrow. Carrow resides in West Chester, Pa. and is a graduate of Widener University where he received an M.S. in Tax and Walsh University where he received a B.S. in Accounting.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Exciting Events in the Philadelphia Area Next Week

For those of you in the Philadelphia area, here are some exciting upcoming events to add to your day planners and Outlook calendars:

  • The Justinian Society of Philadelphia will honor Scott F. Cooper, Esq., 2010 Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, on Tuesday, February 10, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at The Union League of Philadelphia. For more information, go to www.justinian.org.
  • On February 11, 2010, the Philadelphia Bar Association, Bar-News Media Committee, chaired by Gina F. Rubel will host “How and When to Share Your Opinion with the Press – Submitting to Editorial Pages.” Panelists include; Bernie Dagenais, Editor of the Philadelphia Business Journal; Hank Grezlak, Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher of The Legal Intelligencer; Lisa Hostein, Executive Editor of the Jewish Exponent; and Irv Randolph, Managing Editor of the Philadelphia Tribune. The program will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 1101 Market Street, 11th Floor in Philadelphia. For more information, go to www.philadelphiabar.org.

Subscribe to our newsletter (by visiting http://www.furiarubel.com) to hear about great Philadelphia-area networking events via E-mail.

Monday, February 01, 2010

Furia Rubel Ushers in 2010 on a Positive Note!

Furia Rubel starts 2010 off with a bang and welcomes several new clients. We thought we would share some gloating with you today...

Furia Rubel will provide strategic marketing and/or public relations services to the Philadelphia office of the New York-based accounting firm Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP, Berger Harris, the Law Offices of Willig, Williams and Davidson, and The Dispute Resolution Institute. The Furia Rubel team is also pleased to announce that it will continue to serve as the PR partner to the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center.

“It is exciting to start 2010 in such a positive way,” said Gina F. Rubel, President and CEO of Furia Rubel Communications, Inc. “We saw a dramatic shift in new business opportunities from October through December 2009 in comparison to the first three quarters of the year. It is great to see companies investing in their public relations and marketing efforts.” She said, “We are excited to welcome our new and returning clients. We look forward to providing strategic communications, media relations, and social media programs as well as our expanding Web site, branding and organic search engine optimization offerings in partnership with HG Marketing Group.”

Furia Rubel will serve as agency of record for the Philadelphia office of Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP (www.citrincooperman.com). Founded in 1979, Citrin Cooperman is a mid-sized tax, accounting and business consulting firm that specializes in audit, review and compilation engagements. Over the past two years, the large New York-based accounting firm has developed a strong presence in the Philadelphia market with the recent addition of Mark Carrow, CPA, as their new managing partner.

The Delaware law firm of Berger Harris (www.bergerharris.com) has retained Furia Rubel in partnership with HG Marketing Group to execute a Web site development and launch campaign. Berger Harris attorneys handle business, real estate and employment litigation and transactions.

The Law Offices of Willig, Williams & Davidson (www.wwdlaw.com) is a Philadelphia law firm that concentrates in representing labor unions, employee benefit funds and individual working people. The firm has retained Furia Rubel to provide ongoing media relations and marketing support in partnership with HG Marketing Group. The law firm recently launched a new Web site at www.wwdlaw.com.

The Dispute Resolution Institute (DRI) (www.disputeresolutioninstitute.com), owned and operated by Harris Bock, Esq., provides parties with the opportunity to resolve their disputes in a timely, private and cost effective manner. Furia Rubel was engaged in partnership with HG Marketing Group, to communicate the addition of Retired Judge Richard B. Klein to the organization. Klein will serve as an arbitrator, fact finder, mediator or special master.

Furia Rubel will also continue to work with the Hepatitis B Foundation (www.hepb.org) and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (www.pabiotechbc.org). The firm will handle the organizations’ ongoing media relations regarding a number of major initiatives including the 2010 expansion of the Center which is slated for completion in April 2010.