And the Winner Is…

By Karen Preston-Loeb

Entering your company into awards competitions is an important aspect of your company’s marketing plan. Awards programs administered by reputable third parties bestow recognition on your company and help position your executives as leaders in their fields – all of which helps validate your business to existing customers and can help attract new customers.

While the daily grind can push entering awards contests to the back burner, making the effort to complete awards applications boosts the chance that your business brings home a shiny new trophy. Multiple entries can raise your chances of winning, as long as the entries are smart and well thought out. Undeniably, awards entries are time-consuming and can seem costly at potentially hundreds of dollars per entrance, but the benefits generally outweigh the labor involved in completing the application or nomination.

Benefits of award submissions

• Increase name recognition: Whether you win or not, if you are among your competitors in appropriate awards categories, your name gets out there as a credible member of the industry.
• Retain and acquire employees: Gaining accolades boosts employee morale and entices potential future talent.
• Generate great public relations: If you win a particular award, a press release can be distributed to generate free publicity for your company. Don’t forget to post it to your company’s website to drive traffic and further spread the news. 
• Gain customers: The free publicity generated can lead to new customers and more business—especially if you win.
• Improve industry positioning: Once you’ve won an award, your company’s marketing language should incorporate such descriptors as “award-winning,” which again acts as validation when seeking new business or retaining existing customers.

Awards submissions sometimes may be greeted with an inter-office groan, as they can be perceived as “extra” work that is outside of daily tasks. Though they can be time-consuming, awards entries can be tackled more easily when your company has an awards submission plan.

Tips to make your contest-entering process less daunting:

• Plan your award strategy by researching the types of awards your company would be suited to enter.
• Once determined, make a list of due dates, submission requirements and entry fees for each award.
• For annual awards, keep a calendar of due dates and set reminders as submission dates are approaching for the following year.
• Throughout the year, maintain a folder of projects that would be appropriate to enter into awards competitions. By saving PDFs of media coverage, marketing collateral, reports, data and other supporting materials, the amount of work needed to track down the items needed for entry requirements at submission time will be substantially lessened.
• Evaluate the impact of your initiatives once the awards have been announced to determine future award submissions.

When your company does win, take advantage of the PR opportunities to announce your achievement. In addition to distributing a press release to local media and posting it to your website, share the news in email newsletters, congratulate your company on social media platforms, and display your trophy or certificate with pride in the office for co-workers and visitors to view.

The awards-submission process may seem daunting but the payoff is worth the investment of time and effort. And remember – you can’t win it if you are not in it.

Remembering Judge Anthony J. DeFino, a Great Philadelphia Jurist

Gina Furia Rubel & The Honorable Anthony J. DeFino, Beccaria Award 2008

The passing of The Honorable Anthony J. DeFino last night is a terrible tragedy.  The news reported that the Judge’s home on the 2500 block of 20th Street in South Philadelphia caught fire. The Judge did not make it out alive.

Today, the Philadelphia legal community mourns along with his wife Rose, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. My heart and prayers go out to all of them.

Judge DeFino was known to so many people in so many different ways. He was a devoted family man and a zealous jurist. He was a community man and a proud Italian-American.

He was the founder of the Order of Brotherly Love, a past president of the Frank Palumbo Lodge of the Order Sons of Italy in America, and he was an Ex Officio member of the Board of Governors of The Justinian Society of Philadelphia.

I never tried a case in front of his honor, but I did have the pleasure to serve with him on the board of The Justinian Society. Every meeting was brighter and lighter when he was in the room. His smile was contagious.

One fond memory is from 2008. I was the Justinian Chancellor and we honored Judge DeFino with the Cesare Beccaria Award, the highest award given by the Justinian Society in partnership with the Criminal Justice Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

The Beccaria Award is given to an individual who promotes the cause of justice and the advancement of legal education, and who exemplifies the ideals of Cesare Beccaria, an Italian scholar whose writings would help lay the foundation for the modern legal system.

On that day, I quoted the late Honorable Lisa A. Richette, who said, “…it is clear that a voice like Beccaria’s is divinely inspired, and in turn, throughout the centuries, continues to uplift us to a vision of justice luminous with both humanity and discipline. Beccaria’s vision is a lasting memorial to the potential majesty of the law and to the beauty of the human spirit.”

And it was in the spirit of justice that we presented the Beccaria Award to our friend and longtime member, Judge Anthony DeFino, a man with a distinguished career in the field of criminal law.

La morte non ci porta via completamente la persona amata, rimane sempre il suo ricordo che ci incita a continuare. Coraggio. (Death doesn't take away completely a loved person whose memory lasts and induce us to go on with courage.)

May God rest his soul.

Photo credit: Mike Mountain.

Congrats News from The PR Lawyer

Posted by Leah Ludwig

The PR Lawyer has some congratulations news to share on behalf of a few colleagues and clients - a little congrats shout out, if you will.

Attorneys Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss and Steven A. Loeb of the New Jersey law firm Fein, Such, Kahn & Shepard, P.C. have been selected as 2010 New Jersey Super Lawyers® Rising Stars. The result of a rigorous, multiphase selection process, the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list recognizes outstanding up-and-coming attorneys statewide. After evaluation on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, no more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in the state are selected.

At its annual awards ceremony held on March 10, 2010, at the Ceremonial Courtroom in City Hall, Philadelphia legal services organization Philadelphia VIP (Volunteers for the Indigent) honored Philadelphia personal injury law firm Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock & Dodig with its “Chancellor’s Award.” In addition to receiving the Chancellor’s Award, Feldman Shepherd is pleased to announce that Law Firm Administrator Gilbert J. Marquez was honored with the VIPeoples Choice Award for his outstanding support and services to the staff of VIP. Marquez is a long-time supporter of pro bono legal services, having chaired VIP’s Communications Committee, served on its Executive Committee and served two terms on the organization’s Board of Directors.

Also, Philadelphia union-side labor law firm Willig, Williams & Davidson was honored with the Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Award at the annual Philadelphia VIP Awards Ceremony. The award recognizes the extraordinary time and effort Willig, Williams & Davidson attorneys have dedicated to VIP, a legal services organization that serves more than 1,500 low-income Philadelphians each year.

Again, well done to these clients, colleagues and friends!

Awards, Designations & Rankings for Lawyer Marketing

Awards, Designations and Rankings for Legal Public Relations (PR) by Gina Rubel - http://htxt.it/vNWG

Gina Rubel Named Philadelphia Business Journal Woman of Distinction

Gina Rubel, Furia Rubel’s President/CEO, has been selected as one of the 2008 Women of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal. She will be recognized at an annual awards reception on December 1, 2008, at the Sheraton City Center.

To register for this event, click here.

Join the Philadelphia Business Journal and National Association of Women Business Owners in celebrating the 2008 Women of Distinction on December 1, 2008. According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, “this year's award recipients are 25 of the region's most dynamic women who are making headlines in their professional field and in their community.”

The event gathers over 700 of the region's newsmakers for excellent networking and an inspiring awards ceremony. Winners will also be profiled in a special section of the Business Journal's November 28 issue.

The 25 winners for 2008 include:

Terri Albertson, Grant Thornton, LLP

Donna Allie, Team Clean, Inc.

Diana Bald, Univision 65

Jean Canfield, PNC Bank

Tracy Carter-Dougherty, Lockheed Martin Corporation

Anne Ewers, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Ellen Fisher, Women's Yellow Pages of Greater Philadelphia

M. Louise Fitzpatrick, Villanova University

Gina F. Rubel, Furia Rubel Communications, Inc.

Susan Jacobson, Tierney Communications

Anne Klein, Grubb & Ellis Company

Susan Lutz, ETSEC, Inc.

Bernadette Mangan, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children

Suzanne Mayes, Cozen O'Connor

Lizann McGowan, CB Richard Ellis, Inc.

Patricia Owens, Decision Strategies International

Kathleen Shay, Duane Morris, LLP

Charlotte Sibley, Shire Pharmaceuticals

Angie Simmons, QVC

Pernille Spiers-Lopez, IKEA

Rosemary Turner, UPS

Tina Waters, Comcast

Melissa Weiler-Gerber, Women’s Way

Jan Weinstock, Gift of Life Donor Program

Binney Wietlisbach, The Haverford Trust Company

The Women of Distinction program is presented by: Wachovia and Sponsored by: AETNA, Ernst & Young, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University. Premium Seating at Comcast-Spectacor and NAWBO.

Contact Jennifer Wolf at the Philadelphia Business Journal for more information at 215-238-5106.

Awards Programs- Tips from Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers - Part 2

Here are a few more tips on implementing awards programs to build your business. Please see some of our tips and tactics below.

Creating Awards for Your Target Audiences

• The premise of an awards program is to celebrate those companies and indi­viduals who exemplify the characteristics that resonate with your firm’s culture. Awards programs should also have meaning and be created because your firm has something to say.

Here are some things you should be thinking about when you are creating an award:

• Are we trying to reach a particular niche industry or market segment?
• Are there any prominent figureheads in our industry or firm for whom the award should be named?
• Is there a unique innovation, program or methodology that has helped people, the community or target industry that can be acknowledged?

For more important tips on awards programs, read Chapter 7 in Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers. Excerpt from Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers, Copyright 2007. Furia Rubel Communications, Inc. To purchase the book, click here.

Awards Programs- Tips from Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers - Part 1

Awards programs are excellent public relations tools to enable you to recognize and be recognized. There are many ways to implement awards programs to build your business. Please see some of our tips and tactics below.

• Apply for awards for which you qualify
• Create awards for your target audiences.
• You should also check national trade publications and the American Bar Association for additional awards opportunities. Apply for awards that recognize community service, pro bono work, Web sites, firm marketing and public relations, diversity, and anything else for which your firm or its attorneys stand out. Be sure to set aside a budget line each year for awards applications, as they can become quite expensive.

Awards vs. Directories Tip:

• Awards are not the same as directories, Web sites and organizations that rank attorneys and law firms. A partial list of such publications includes:
  • American Lawyer AMLaw 200
  • Best Lawyers in America
  • Chambers Global

For more important tips on awards programs, read Chapter 7 in Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers. Excerpt from Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers, Copyright 2007. Furia Rubel Communications, Inc. To purchase the book, click here.

Best 50 Women in Business - PA

On Monday, May 19th, I had the distinct pleasure to spend time with some of Pennsylvania's most amazing women at Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business 2008. We had a fantastic reception at the Governor's mansion where Judge Midge Rendell shared some words and insights.

Governor Edward G. Rendell congratulated this year's Best 50 Women in Business stating that the "varied accomplishments reflect of the state's economic growth and diversity." He said, "[These women demonstrate] how varied and talented the commonwealth's professional landscape has become."

Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll also congratulated each recipient with a formal recognition. (Pictured L to R: Lt. Governor Baker Knoll, Gina Rubel, C. Scott Rubel.)













(Photo by Bonnie Squires. L to R: Gina Rubel, Donna Teitelman and Kimberle Levin)















Gina Rubel and Bonnie Squires.

Furia Rubel Wins Awards for Public Relations Service

The results of a first-of-its-kind Top Corporate Givers in Greater Philadelphia list were debuted on April 30, 2008 which included Furia Rubel among the top 60. I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am because this is a true testiment to the core values of every member of the Furia Rubel Team.

We received awards for ranking number one for In-Kind Donations Per Employee and number two among the region’s small companies for Community Impact and Top Volunteer Hours.

The Philadelphia Business Journal hosted the inaugural Partners in Corporate Philanthropy Summit designed to give credit to the region’s companies that give back to the community. As the owner of Furia Rubel, I am thankful for our core team - each member of whom has truly given back.

At the summit we heard an inspiring keynote by Joe Banner, President and COO of the Philadelphia Eagles and Co-chair of the Philadelphia City Year Board. Banner invited a local City Year man on stage who share his awe-inspiring story of being a drug dealer turned community activist, volunteer and college student. There wasn't a dry eye in the place.

Then, a CEO panel discussion was moderated by Andrew Swinney, President of the Philadelphia Foundation. The panelists included Pamela Browner-Crawley, Senior VP & Director of Public Affairs, Citizens Bank; Chuck Pennoni, Chairman, Pennoni Associates Inc.; Jim Rudolph, CEO, Rita's Water Ice; Rosemary Turner, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Metro Philadelphia District, United Parcel Service (UPS).

Additional sponsors of the event included The Philadelphia Foundation, Community Foundation of South Jersey, Citizens Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, FOX 29, KYW, PECO, Comcast, Deloitte, Sovereign Bank and US Airways; and in association with: Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, Delaware Valley Grant Makers, Greater Philadelphia Cares, The Nonprofit Center La Salle University, and United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.