Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013
It’s been forever since I’ve posted – I’ve been so busy with so many exciting clients; what a great problem to have! A few highlights since I last posted:
- In June, I started working with Time Warner Cable, and it’s been a whirlwind ever since! I’ve helped them manage a sponsorship for the Plaza Art Fair, a huge patrons party benefiting the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, several events in support of the company’s Connect a Million Minds initiative, an exciting Twitter contest and more!
- In August, I started working with my talented sister, Melina Bland. Together, we worked with Crossroads to promote Lee National Denim Day, and we began working with Travois, the leading housing and economic development financing firm in Indian Country, on social media.
- Each month, I’ve continued writing for 435 South magazine.
- AND Melina and I partnered with our Mom, Mea Childers, on Edit, a blog and boutique!
When I say busy, I mean it! 2013 is already off to a great start. I hope yours is too!
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
Check out my latest article in 435 South, Women in Film. Such a fun article to write!
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
Many of you know I’ve been working with Barkley quite a bit over the last year – first with Krispy Kreme and now with ITC and also their new PR firm, Crossroads. Below is the news release I sent out about the launch of Crossroads, and here’s all the media who covered the launch those first few days:
Barkley Tackles Ever-Changing Communications Landscape with New Business –
Crossroads, a REAL Communications Company
Public relations pro Mike Swenson to lead the new company based in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Monday, May 7, 2012 – Since Barkley opened its public relations division nearly a quarter century ago, the communications world has drastically changed. Today, we all live in glass houses with technology more pervasive than ever. Brands constantly find themselves at a crossroads, deciding why, what, when and how to communicate.
Fortunately, as a successful leader in public relations and cause marketing, Barkley has been a key player in this changing landscape and is now poised to tackle the communications climate with a new business unit – Crossroads, a REAL communications company.
Crossroads was created to help brands identify why they exist in order to live their authentic story and connect to like-minded customers, developing real relationships that allow brands to communicate honestly in good and bad times.
Mike Swenson, who started Barkley Public Relations in 1987, will be President of Crossroads. The company begins with a staff of 13 partners and several clients, including Lee Jeans, ITC, Sonic Drive-In, March of Dimes and Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure.
“Smart brands understand the best approach is to develop real relationships with their audiences that allow the brand to communicate and celebrate successes and in times of trouble, be not only forgiven, but supported,” says Swenson. “This relationship is built on and sustained by the public’s understanding of an organization’s purpose beyond what they sell. It is built on an organization’s demonstrated character and actions over time.”
Crossroads plans to blaze new trails in how brands communicate by offering purpose-driven strategic counsel, traditional and social media relations, crisis management, internal communications and successful, award-winning cause branding expertise.
“Some brands believe they can control the flow of information about their organizations and keep issues under wraps, while some are choosing to open their doors completely and allow the outside world to influence and guide every action taken,” says Swenson. “Neither approach is perfect, but the reality is organizations cannot hide or simply deliver canned messages, nor should they turn over their brand and reputation to the whims of the marketplace. The most effective approach lies in between, and a REAL communications company is just what businesses need to help lead them down the right path.”
Like the brands they counsel, Crossroads partners are also giving back to the community. Each partner has been challenged with selecting a charity to support individually, while the team bands together to tackle larger charitable projects.
Barkley will continue as a full-service, integrated marketing agency. Crossroads will take a more focused and streamlined approach to helping brands mold, shape and protect their reputations.
Learn more about Crossroads at www.crossroads.us.
About Barkley:
Barkley is one of the largest employee-owned agencies of its kind. Founded in 1964, it offers marketing communications services including advertising, public relations, cause branding, sponsorships and events, relationship marketing, social media, design, media planning and buying, motion graphics, research and interactive marketing. Barkley has offices in Kansas City and Pittsburgh and field offices across the nation. More info: www.barkleyus.com and www.barkleyREI.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
KARA COWIE / CROSSROADS
(816) 813-2350 / kcowie@crossroads.us
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
A new client of mine has been enjoying some serious media success! The Kansas City Community Center, a nonprofit helping people rebuild their lives through alcohol and drug treatment, has been featured on three of the four main news channels in Kansas City and one in Springfield, MO - all in the last three months! Check it out:
May 11, 2012: A Kansas City Community Center client and staff members were interviewed for a special feature on methamphetamine addiction by Fox 4. The special, Meth in the Metro: A Sobering and Somber Look in the Mirror,” aired on the evening news and raised much-needed awareness of meth use, as well as KCCC services. Click here to watch two segments of the series.
April 30, 2012: Tyler, a Kansas City Community Center client, was featured in a news story April 30 on KMBC Channel 9, “Group Takes Aim At Youth Drug Use: Recovering Teen Addict Shares Experience.” Read an article and watch the interview here.
April 28, 2012: Kansas City Community Center drug counselor Randall Skillman was interviewed for a KCTV 5 news story on PCP, “Police combat rise in PCP.” Read the story here or watch the video here.
April 1, 2012: A KSMU news story, “A Mother of Four, Addicted to Meth, Enters Missouri’s Drug Courts,” interviews a woman helped by the Greene County Drug Court program, which is operated by the Kansas City Community Center. Read the article here.
March 5, 2012: Gail Dean, a drug counselor at the Kansas City Community Center, was featured in a KCTV 5 news story: ”Heroin overdose deaths in Missouri are rising.” Click here for the news story from KCTV 5 reporter Dave Jordan.
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012
It’s been a while since I’ve written for a publication other than Parenting Children with Special Needs, but for the last two months, my bylines have been appearing in 435 South magazine! Check out the latest article, Unpack Your Summer , featuring 51 things to do across KC in the summer. This was fun to write and will be on our fridge as an activities checklist for our family – and Mark and me as a couple too!
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
Pretty exciting news - a wonderful organization I wrote about in 2004 for the Kansas City Star’s front page is now a client! The Mission Project enables capable adults with developmental or cognitive disabilities to live independently and safely in community with minimal support. Currently, 15 participants in their 20s and 30s take part in the Mission Project, living, working and interacting with the community in Mission, Kan.
I’m helping The Mission Project promote their program and events, including their ever-popular Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby Gala coming up May 7, as well as their annual golf tournament June 27. More to come soon from those two events, but in the meantime, here’s a photo from The Mission Project’s patron’s party I attended April 1.
Fred Zang, Charlie Greenwood and me at The Mission Project's patron's party April 1
Thursday, November 11th, 2010
I just finished writing a total of six brochures promoting Bollé eyewear – sunglasses specifically designed for golf, tennis, marine, cycling, cycling/running, etc. It’s pretty amazing how much you learn as a writer. Before this project, I was lucky to know the difference between polarized and non-polarized sunglasses and recently dropped more than $100 on a pair of sunglasses for their designer name alone. It was a Mother’s Day gift, but still … I never knew how much technology goes into creating quality athletic eyewear. Now I do – and you should too! Check out Bollé here.
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
I just finished writing the copy and managing the website creation for Eagle Pride Automotive’s new website. This was an exciting project – not only am I personally connected (my dad is the owner), but it was great to see a company that has been around since 2001 finally, finally launch a website!! We worked with the amazing designers over at Voltage Creative to create this beauitful new site, and my dad (and I) couldn’t be more pleased. Thanks guys! Check out Eagle Pride’s site, and if you’re in the Springfield area, check out their top-of-the-line service too. Tell Bob his daughter sent you!
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
Wow, we have had an amazing two weeks of media coverage for Parenting Children with Special Needs – an article in the Kansas City Star, interview on NBC Action News and KCTV-5 and now, tomorrow, an interview with Fox 4! Stephanie, the publisher, has been the focus of most of these interviews, as her personal experiences are what inspired her to start the magazine, while I’ve been the one behind the scenes, writing the news release, pitching it to media contacts … basically doing what I do. Tomorrow, though, I may be interviewed on camera too - eek! I have always been the one conducting the interviews, putting together the stories, editing all the information to create a compelling story. It’s not that I hate the spotlight; at times, it can be fun, but it’s not where I shine. At all. Regardless, this is an exciting time for the magazine, and I’m so happy to be a part of it. I just finalized all the content for the September/October issue, and now it’s all in the hands of our art director. We have a launch party this weekend and then the next issue comes out September 15, while we’re already halfway into Issue No. 3! Ah, media!
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
I never thought I’d end up writing fundraising appeals, but it’s a lot of what I do for my clients in the health care/nonprofit sector. And even though it isn’t something I ever dreamed of doing, I actually really love it now. The biggest reason: I care about these causes too. It’s not hard to ask someone for money when you’re willing to give money yourself, and all of my clients do such incredible work – truly saving lives – that I don’t have to “try” to write with conviction; it just comes naturally. I just finished a capital campaign case for support for one of my clients (no names as the campaign is in the silent phase),. This client’s fundraising team is about to begin meeting with major donors, and I can’t wait to hear the responses and, hopefully, pledges that start coming in! Fingers crossed and best wishes – your mission and your plan to fulfill that mission are so critical to so many. I’m cheering for you!
