I know how it is. You start out caressing every syllable as you craft each sentence or stanza or bullet point. But after a while you just don’t pay as much attention. Pretty soon, writing starts to feel like a chore. The thrill is gone.

It’s time to get your groove back. First of all, step away from the business books. I know you’re still trying to finish The Challenger Sale, but trust me, you don’t have to. Try any or all of these ways to fall in love with language all over again:

• Pick up some fiction and remind yourself what it’s like to read words that were never meant to fit on a PowerPoint slide. The novel I hope to read soon is Nicholas Christopher’s Tiger Rag. But any fiction will help you get your mojo back. Go to a bookstore and pick up a mystery. Agatha Christie is still in print for a bunch of reasons, including the simple fact that she could craft a story like nobody’s business. If mystery isn’t your thing, download a romance. 50 shades of whatever? Sure. Then read some Jane Austen from the library and compare and contrast just for your own amusement.
• Do you prefer non-fiction? The biography Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff is as engaging as good fiction, and it will inspire you to lead more than any motivational tome.
• Read your kids a book that will actually keep you awake with its humor and wit, like the Chet Gecko series by Bruce Hale. The first one is called The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse.
• Read some poetry. Intimidated by poetry? Try some Ogden Nash or Dorothy Parker for a verse and a chuckle.
• And there’s always Shakespeare. It all goes back to him. Try just one sonnet. Break it down line by line, like you would some mysterious directive from corporate headquarters, or your mother. Unlike those, the sonnet will enrich your mind and heart for days.

By the way, if you recite Shakespeare to your sweetheart, you are guaranteed a very happy Valentine’s Day.

- Tina Karelson, President, Risdall Creative

Years ago when I was an account supervisor at Campbell Mithun, I had a great boss who was mentoring me to take over one of the agency’s largest accounts, International Dairy Queen. His name was Joe. He was a straight shooter, managed his clients with aplomb and loved teaching young account people to become great account managers. I adored the man.

It was a great honor to become the lead account supervisor because IDQ had been a client of the CM’s for more than 35 years. There was rich history with the account – we were known for shooting beautiful television commercials and adding exceptional post-production effects.  I wanted to make sure everything went smoothly on my watch.

IDQ would annually host a three-day meeting for its Dairy Queen franchisees. At the time, there were more than 5,000 DQ stores operating in the US and Canada. Sandwiched between franchisee meetings and new product updates (hot eats and cold treats) was “the agency presentation.” This was CM’s time to shine. It was our turn to unveil new creative, recommend limited-time promotions and sell preliminary media plans for more than 100 TV markets. It was a big deal.

As the new account supervisor, I was bit nervous about the presentation. Joe provided excellent coaching, identifying potential franchisees who liked to stir things up. I presented to the franchise leadership group in the morning against a backdrop of new chocolate-flavored Blizzards. The audience loved the new work and appreciated our marketing ideas to promote various products. The media plan received a tepid response.

Joe wanted a recap when I returned to the agency that afternoon. After my briefing, he suggested I write a letter to the chairman of the leadership group. In reviewing my draft, he took me to task on how I used the word, “anxious.”

As in, “I am anxious to hear what you and the other franchisees think of our TV media plan.”

Joe gently chastised me for using the wrong adjective. He told me that anxious should be used only when its subject is worried or uneasy about the anticipated event. Anxious is related to the word anxiety; it traditionally means “worried, uneasy.” It’s often used, though, where eager or keen would be more appropriate. Given the fact the franchisees loved the creative and product promotions, did I really want to convey uneasiness about our media plan? No, I did not.

A quick edit with “eager” repaired my sentence. The franchisees approved the media plan (they just needed more time to review), and nearly 20 years later, I never have to think twice about using the proper adjective.

– Tom Wilson, President, Risdall Marketing Group

Sadly, responding to and managing mass casualties situations is a topic of growing importance in American life.

The number of shooting incidents is increasing. Children in every school in America, as well as their teachers and administrators, practice and prepare for these events a number of times each year. Businesses are increasingly preparing for these types of incidents. This is becoming a crucial area of study and knowledge in crisis communications.

I serve on a task force at ASIS International, a global association of security practitioners in developing standards for response to violent incidents involving employees and other scenarios. My focus is always on managing the victims and survivors.

I saw this presentation in person at a MN ASIS monthly meeting in Minneapolis and was truly startled by its helpfulness and clarity. Dr. Grant Duwe, the author of this unique study, is a very calm, reassuring and impressive presenter. Give him a call.

– James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA 

MINNESOTA PUBLIC RELATIONS SOCIETY OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP FOR 2013

MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 16, 2013) – The Minnesota chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) announces its new leadership for 2013. Minnesota PRSA is the ninth largest chapter of PRSA, the world’s leading organization for public relations professionals.

“More organizations today understand that their actions are scrutinized by an informed, sophisticated and well-connected public. They know they need strategic communications to build and protect their reputations,” said Tracy Carlson, APR, Minnesota PRSA president. “As one of the nation’s most active PRSA chapters, we have a strong 2013 leadership team who will focus on promoting our profession and equipping members to be strong, confident communications counselors.”

Minnesota PRSA is comprised of more than 350 professionals from agency, corporate, non-profit, government and freelance sectors. The chapter’s leadership consists of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors as follows:

2013 Minnesota PRSA Executive Committee

• President – Tracy Carlson, APR, Director, Media Relations, Padilla Speer Beardsley
• Vice President – Anna Lewicki Long, APR, Communications Director, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
• Treasurer – Joel Swanson, APR, President, Risdall Public Relations
• Secretary – Jason Sprenger, APR, President, Game Changer Communications
• Ethics Officer – Dr. Michael Porter, APR, Director, Master of Business Communication Program, University of Saint Thomas
• Immediate Past President – Brant Skogrand, APR, Chief Communications Officer, Skogrand PR Solutions, LLC

2013 Minnesota PRSA Board of Directors

• Susan Beatty, APR, Public Relations and Social Media Manager, Bremer Financial Services
• Susan Buckles, APR, Public Relations Specialist, Northwest Area Foundation
• Heather Cmiel, APR, Account Director, Weber Shandwick
• Theresa Skillrud, APR, Communications Consultant, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
• Angela M. Babb, APR, Director, American Academy of Neurology
• Eva Keiser, APR, Principal, the plural i

A comprehensive leadership roster can be found on the Minnesota PRSA website (http://www.mnprsa.com/about/board-of-directors/).

About Minnesota PRSA

Chartered in 1949, Minnesota PRSA is the ninth largest chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 112 chapters nationwide, including 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on specific industries and practice areas. Minnesota PRSA is comprised of more than 350 professionals from agency, corporate, non-profit, government and freelance sectors. (http://www.mnprsa.com/)

Online marketing and public relations divisions continue to grow with addition of Danielle Norgren and Maggie Peterson 

NEW BRIGHTON, MINN. (Jan. 9, 2013) – Risdall Marketing Group (Risdall) announces the addition to two new hires, online marketing specialist Danielle Norgren and public relations account coordinator Maggie Peterson.

“Adding Danielle and Maggie to the Risdall team boosts the abilities of our online marketing and public relations divisions, which work closely together,” said John Risdall, vice chairman and CEO. “We are constantly evolving to meet and exceed clients’ expectations in digital and traditional marketing.”

Norgren

As an online marketing specialist for Risdall, Norgren specializes in developing strategies for online tools such as social media, search engines and blogs. By using keyword and search engine optimization tactics, Norgren helps clients reach their targeted audiences online. She joined Risdall as an intern in June, and was hired after her graduation in 2012 from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management with a bachelor of science in business, with a major in marketing and a minor in finance.

Peterson

Peterson joins Risdall Public Relations as an account coordinator. She came to Risdall as an intern in September 2012, and works with the PR team to implement research and media relations efforts, as well as craft news releases. Her background as a newspapers and magazine editor lends itself to tell clients’ stories from a news-oriented perspective. Peterson graduated from Central Michigan University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Spanish.

About Risdall Marketing Group

Driven by its profound understanding of the digital space, Risdall Marketing Group creates and establishes brands with an integrated and entrepreneurial approach. Now in its 40^th year of business, Risdall is a full-service agency organized in 15 specialized divisions, including the 2^nd largest web/online marketing agency in Minnesota, the 7^th largest ad agency and the 6^th largest PR firm. As a whole, Risdall ranks as the 23^rd largest independent agency in the U.S. It won two Health Care Clio Awards in 2010 and regularly ranks as one of the most awarded digital marketing agencies in the world by the Web Marketing Association. The agency was founded in 1972 by John Risdall, now the longest tenured agency head in the Twin Cities. Visit www.risdall.com.

Read Risdall Public Relations Crisis Guru Jim Lukaszewski’s most recent article, “Give Peace a Chance” in IESE Insight, found on page five: INSIGHT_CASE.

This article is also available in Spanish at http://protectedpdf.iese.edu/descargas/ART-2267-357489.pdf.

Read an excerpt straight from RPR’s in-house Crisis Guru, Jim Lukaszewski’s latest newsletter;

Managing the Victim Dimension of Large-Scale Disasters

In his book, “The Wisdom of Psychopaths,” Kevin Dutton lists the top 10 MOST psychopathic professions, and many of them are the client contacts and partners in our PR and marketing world:

1)      CEO

2)      Lawyer

3)      Media (Radio/TV)

4)      Salesperson

5)      Surgeon

6)      Journalist

7)      Police Officer

8)      Clergyperson

9)      Chef

10)   Civil Servant

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as some of the most successful people have psychopathic tendencies that allow them to survive and thrive – accepting risks, taking action, dealing with failure and rejection, staying focused, being personable and charming, and more. Add writing to the list, and it could be a list of traits on one of our job descriptions!

To learn if you’re a psychopath and learn more lessons of success from those traits, visit the author’s website at www.wisdomofpsychopaths.com.

- Joel Swanson, President, Risdall Public Relations

Agency posts positive third quarter growth in its 40^th year

NEW BRIGHTON, MINN. (Nov. 12, 2012) – Risdall Marketing Group (Risdall) added nearly a dozen new accounts in the third quarter, further diversifying its client base in its 40^th year in business. Among the 11 new clients are Eemax, the nation’s leading manufacturer and distributor of electric tankless water heaters, Conservation Beyond Borders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to biodiversity and landscape conservation, and Venture Academy, Minnesota’s first digital blended learning school for grades 6-12, opening in 2013.

“At Risdall, we pride ourselves on offering clients integrated solutions. Our public relations team, in particular, saw a busy third quarter, and their success was bolstered by support from our 14 other divisions,” said John Risdall, Risdall vice chairman and CEO. “Our clients gain recognition from their audiences through Risdall’s innovative approach and expertise in the digital field.”

Risdall’s new and expanded accounts include:

• Codex Corporation – Public relations
• Conservation Beyond Borders – Web design and development, and public relations
• Crown College - Social media, SEO and PPC services
• Eemax - Product launch, positioning and public relations
• PRA Location Services – Web development and public relations
• Venture Academy – Public relations

About Risdall Marketing Group

Driven by its profound understanding of the digital space, Risdall Marketing Group creates and establishes brands with an integrated and entrepreneurial approach. Now in its 40^th year of business, Risdall is a full-service agency organized in 15 specialized divisions, including the largest web/online marketing agency in Minnesota, the 7^th largest ad agency and the 6^th largest PR firm. As a whole, Risdall ranks as the 23^rd largest independent agency in the U.S. It won two Health Care Clio Awards in 2010 and regularly ranks as one of the most awarded digital marketing agencies in the world by the Web Marketing Association. The agency was founded in 1972 by John Risdall, now the longest tenured agency head in the Twin Cities. Visit www.risdall.com.

I have been invited by a local radio station to talk about marketing communications in the business world. The radio audience is comprised of small- to medium-sized business owners and presents a neat opportunity to share RMG’s expertise and  promote the unique capabilities of each of our 15 divisions. On the personal side, it’s fun to address issues that have surfaced in my 30 year career.

One of  the topics I plan to cover is blogging. How do you keep it current, relevant and fresh?

Social media is an important element in your company’s media mix. If you want to make an impact on your customers and significant stakeholders, you must be diligent about updating your blog.  Keeping your blog fresh is not always a priority. Emergencies flare up. Routine business issues take over. Before you know it, you haven’t updated your blog in several weeks.

Search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) provide visitors with up-to-date content; blogs provide this. Plus they are less formal than static web content and the conversational tone is similar to the way people query search engines.

By keeping your blog current, you’ll never run out of useful tips, insights and relevant information to share with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn fans.

A blog is like a garden. It needs care when planting, a little fertilizer to promote growth and frequent watering to harvest a spectacular dialogue. Here are some helpful tips for nurturing your blog.

1. Keep your blogs brief – no more than 400 words.
2. Feature customers or solution providers in your blog.
3. Take the time to follow and read other blogs. Take a different angle on a topic that’s already been written.
4. Set a goal for yourself – try to blog at least once a week.
5. Bring in a Guest Blogger. As you can see from our agency blog, we have several people posting each month.
6. Create an editorial calendar. It makes the process of writing easier because you do all the planning in advance.

These are pretty simple tips. Following them will produce a highly effective social media yield. You just need to be diligent about tending to your garden.

- Tom Wilson, President, Risdall Marketing Group