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New Geography Named to Planetizen’s Best of 2010 List

By Dave Roby, March 19, 2010

A public policy news and information website published by Praxis Strategy Group of Grand Forks, N.D., has been named as a top site for 2010.

It was inevitable that certain voices that reject the current belief system of urban planning – people like Wendell Cox, Joel Kotkin, and Michael Lind – would band together.

Grand Forks, ND (Vocus/PRWEB ) March 16, 2010 — A public policy news and information website published by Praxis Strategy Group of Grand Forks, N.D., has been named as a top site for 2010.

Planetizen, recognized as one of the world’s most popular urban planning websites, included newgeography.com on its 2010 list of the best planning, design and development websites for 2010. The sites named to the annual list are said to represent some of the top online resources for those interested in planning, design and development.

Websites are nominated by Planetizen readers and staff and judged against a common set of criteria including content, design and usability.

In citing NewGeography.com, judges commended its fair and balanced content, even though it sometimes goes against the grain of popular thinking among planners: “It was inevitable that certain voices that reject the current belief system of urban planning – people like Wendell Cox, Joel Kotkin, and Michael Lind – would band together. What wasn’t inevitable is that their collaboration would be readable, fair, and dare we say, balanced. With a bent towards the libertarian, Kotkin and crew cover urban issues, housing, politics and the suburbs with a hefty dose of demographics and GIS maps.”

Launched in 2008, NewGeography.com includes analysis and commentary on economic development, demographics, economics, politics and other public policy issues. It features writing and research from authors across the U.S., Europe, China and New Zealand and publishes an annual “Best Cities for Job Growth” in partnership with Forbes.com.

NewGeography.com is published by Praxis Strategy Group, a growth strategy company that works on economic, workforce development and regional prosperity initiatives for clients across the United States.

Planetizen is a public-interest information exchange for the urban planning, design and development community featuring urban planning news, commentary, interview, event coverage, gook reviews, announcements, jobs, consultant listings, training and more.

Contact: RaeAnn McLean
Phone: 701.237.4850

Praxis Strategy Group is a partner with the Flint Group

Posted in AadlandFlint, Flint Communications, Flint Direct, Flint Group, HatlingFlint, SimmonsFlint, WestmorelandFlint | Comments

Tags: AadlandFlint, delore zimmerman, Economic Development, Flint Communications, Flint Group, Flint Interactive, HatlingFlint, joel kotkin, Media Productions, NewGeography, Praxis Strategy Group, SimmonsFlint, WestmorelandFlint

Do you believe in the power of social media? 65,000+ Chris Dewey fans do.

By Chris Hagen, March 17, 2010

Deputy Chris Dewey, injured during the line of duty, is rallying thousands of Facebook fans.

This morning, there are more than 65,800 fans on the Facebook page, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for Chris Dewey. The purpose of the group is to show support for Dewey, in hope that the popular television show will choose Chris Dewey’s nomination from its pool of deserving families and build a properly-equipped home for this Minnesota law officer who suffered a serious injury in the line of duty.

When I joined the group on Sunday, March 7th, more than 22,000 fans had already shown their support, and the site was only days old. Many of us have also logged on to another networking site, Caring Bridge, this past year to read the journal updates from his wife, Emily. It was a Caring Bridge post by Emily asking for advice that started the push – through Facebook – for the ABC network to choose this worthy family for a makeover build.

Flint has been part of several Extreme Makeover Projects, including the 2005 North Dakota Build for the Bliven family in Minot. Three million visits to the builder’s website were logged during the week of the build. We achieved that level of engagement and support through public relations efforts with radio, television and print media across North Dakota. Imagine if we would have had the depth of engagement tools that social media adds to the traditional public relations tactics of news advisories and press releases we used in 2005.

Social media is now part of the traditional media story. The Forum’s front page, above the fold, top story yesterday was entitled “Community rallies behind Deweys” and was all about the social media effort. Through the “friend to friend” connections possible with Facebook, fans have demonstrated support, posted notes of encouragement, and emailed the ABC network asking for them to choose Chris Dewey’s family for a makeover build. Though only days old, the group boasted 22,000 fans when I joined on a Sunday night, 35,000 the following Tuesday, and just passed 65,80o this morning.

The group added 15 more fans in the time it took to post this blog.

Check out the fans on the page for Chris Dewey. You’ll find grandmas, members of law enforcement, Midwesterners, teens. It demonstrates the potential of social media to strengthen our connections, reach out to a community with shared interests or values, and create or sustain relationships.

I’m a believer, and a fan. Are you?

Posted in Flint Communications, Flint Group | Comments

Tags: Facebook, Flint Communications, Flint Group, Public Relations, Social Media

Praxis Strategy Group President to speak at the Annual School of Public Affairs Leadership Conference

By Dave Roby, March 8, 2010

Dr. Delore Zimmerman

The Center for the Study of Government and the Individual will be co-sponsoring the Annual School of Public Affairs Leadership Conference at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs on Thursday, April 8, 2010. The Center will be bringing in David Osborne and Delore Zimmerman.

David Osborne is the author of the best seller “Reinventing Government” and co-author of “The Price of Government: Getting the Results We Need in an Age of Permanent Fiscal Crisis.” He also served as senior advisor to Vice President Gore.

Delore Zimmerman, Ph.D., President of Praxis Strategy Group, is a strategy consultant with twenty-five years of domestic and international experience working with local and regional economic development groups, businesses and universities. He is the publisher of http://www.newgeography.com/, a website devoted to analyzing and discussing the places where we live and work. As a researcher he has been awarded eight Small Business Innovation Research awards to develop leading-edge practices and tools for use by development professionals and community leaders to work more effectively with entrepreneurs and to build competitive, innovation based economies in the global, networked economy.

The conference will be held on Thursday, April 8, 2010, 8:00am to 5:00pm.

To reserve a spot in the conference, please contact Jane Muller, jmuller@uccs.edu or 719.255.4093.

Praxis Strategy Group is a partner with the Flint Group

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Tags: Annual School of Public Affairs Leadership Conference, David Osborne, delore zimmerman, Economic Development, Flint Communications, Flint Group, newgeography.com, Praxis Strategy Group, Reinventing Government, The Price of Government, University of Colorado

A big day in Des Moines with WoodMaster, SunButter.

By Jodi Duncan, March 4, 2010

The beautiful showcase kitchen at Meredith Corporation

Last week, we were thrilled to be invited to the fabulous showcase kitchen at Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, IA.

The Meredith National Media Group features 23 subscription magazines – including Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Ladies’ Home Journal, MORE, Parents, Fitness, and American Baby – and approximately 150 special interest publications. Why were we there? To put a WoodMaster pellet grill to the test. The event included a presentation and demo of the grill, with lunch prepared on the grill for 25 editors and Meredith employees.

WoodMaster Pellet Grill performs masterfully

Meredith Chef, Steve, checks out the new WoodMaster pellet grill

Chuck Gagner, President of Northwest Manufacturing, an extremely intelligent and humble guy, introduced and demoed the grill. As he spoke, the magnificent aroma of cherry-wood grill pellets filled the air. A welcome and unusual smell on such a cold day. Des Moines was incredibly cold while we were there (and this is no exaggeration from a North Dakota girl), but the grill performed beautifully out on the patio.

Before we knew it, delicious bratwurst (specially made for the event by B&E Meats in Crookston, MN), were hot off the grill, along with shrimp skewers (yum), hamburger sliders and chicken breasts.

The chef at Meredith couldn’t get over how easy the grill was to use and how well it performed. He was very impressed by the number of brats on the grill at one time with no flare ups. Actually, he was impressed by the overall performance of the grill so we brought him out to do a little endorsement to the editors.

How did it taste? In a word, fantastic. Juicy, flavorful, and kissed with a gentle flavor of real cherry-wood smoke. The grill did us proud. Check out the WoodMaster pellet grills for yourself. With real hardwood flavor; easy, fast cooking; a three-year warranty and performance that stands up to a frigid February day in Des Moines, you can’t go wrong. They are going fast, so get your order in early.

Interest in WoodMaster Flex Fuel heats up

To get the most out of our Meredith visit, we also scheduled some additional meetings with editors about the latest and greatest furnace options from WoodMaster. We had a great time talking with Meredith editors about the new flex-fuel heating technology from WoodMaster. Living the Country Life posted an article about the WoodMaster Flex Fuel Furnace before the night ended!

SunButter takes the stage

Last but not least, we had an editorial session introducing one of our new clients, SunButter. SunButter is a spread made from roasted sunflower seeds – a tasty, allergy-free alternative to peanut butter. Although the product has been around for more than 10 years, it was new to most everyone in the group at Meredith Corporation. We will be working with some Meredith publications on different options for recipes and recipe contests, as well as providing information appealing to the growing number of peanut-allergy suffers.

If you haven’t tried SunButter yet, look for it on the peanut butter shelf or natural foods section of your grocery store, or order SunButter online. It is so good!

A big thank you goes out to the Meredith folks who made our visit so pleasant and worthwhile. They are an extraordinary company with a remarkable story. And to our clients, Chuck Gagner, Todd Strem and Kelsey Gagner, who remind us everyday why we love our jobs.

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Tags: Clients, Flint Communications, Flint Group, Marketing, Public Relations

Tips on public relations: pitching to journalists

By RaeAnn McLean, February 8, 2010

Think it’s impossible to get a reporter’s attention? Think again. As newsrooms are increasingly overworked and understaffed, public relations professionals, businesses and organizations may actually have more opportunities to successfully pitch their stories. At the same time, getting the attention of very busy journalists requires that you do your homework, take a strategic approach and work hard to give them good stories. There is more to it than simply sending out a news release and crossing your fingers (although we do still cross our fingers!).

From flack to friend

photo by jgodfrey13 on Flickr

In this day and age of so much information—much of it unsourced—reliability is a major concern. Far from being the stereotypical flack of bygone days—the one who showed up with a story idea and bottle of liquor—PR professionals are increasingly viewed by time-pressured reporters and editors as valuable resources who can help them do their jobs.

According to a recent survey, most journalists turn to public relations professionals for assistance in their primary research. Editors and reporters surveyed said they depend on PR professionals for “interviews and access to sources and experts” (44%), “answers to questions and targeted information” (23%), and “perspective, information in context, and background information” (17%). Clearly, PR professionals have an increasingly valuable role to play when it comes to getting media attention and maintaining media relations.

Think before you pitch

The principles of good media relations haven’t changed: build relationships and connect with the right reporter on the right topic with the right information. Don’t waste their time—hone your message before making contact. Do your homework to ensure:

the topic is relevant (of interest to the reporters you have selected)
the story idea is sound (demonstrate why their readers/listeners/viewers would want to know this information)
the background information you provide them is useful and accurate (anything that helps them write the story and makes their jobs easier)

Use all the tools to make it easy for busy reporters

The avenues to communicate with reporters increase every year. Just think—not too far in the past we sent all our news releases via a fax machine. Now, it’s best to send your news via email, the delivery mode preferred by most reporters. If they’re interested, they’ll want to find out more and they’ll use the Internet to do it. A new survey revealed “89% said they turn to blogs for story research, 65% to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and 52% to microblogging sites (think Twitter), and 61% use Wikipedia.”

This means you need to go one step further before sending your initial news release via email, making sure you post the news in your company’s online newsroom, send it through a wire service and post it on other sites that allow free postings (www.i-newswire.com). This tiered approach will give you multiple connection points with the journalist. Then follow up to find out if they got your information and if there is anything more you can do to help.

Listen to them, they’ll listen to you

Bottom line: find the people who fit the pitch, determine how that reporter wants to get information, then make it easy for them to get what they need. Everything from the content to the delivery to the follow-up should be customized to that reporter. Build relationships with reporters. Be a part of their world, be where they are and know what they read. Don’t expect them to want to listen to you if you aren’t listening to them.

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Tags: Business, Communications Strategy, Flint Communications, Public Relations

How Y94 listeners used Facebook to bring Conan O’Brien to Fargo (almost)

By Libby Issendorf, January 25, 2010

Millions tuned in Friday to watch Conan O’Brien’s last episode of “The Tonight Show.” A few fans here in Fargo, ND were watching for more than just his final monologue. Earlier this month, local Top 40 radio station Y-94 offered Conan a morning show sidekick gig to solve his post-Tonight Show employment problem. They sent the press release to local media and hoped it would get picked up in the Forum and local TV stations. Imagine their surprise when Conan discussed the job offer on the air:

Conan invited viewers to vote on his next move on The Tonight Show blog, and Y-94 activated their fans to campaign on their behalf. I want to highlight what happened over the course of the next week as a great example of how a movement can spread organically through social media. I asked The Morning Playhouse co-host Zero a few questions about what happened next, and how the Fargo-Moorhead community jumped into action.

Flint: You posted a job offer to Conan on your website. How did he find out about it?
Zero: We assume he Googled himself, or someone from his show Googled “Conan O’Brien job offers” since they knew he wanted to do that bit. The next day we started getting phone calls saying, “You were on The Tonight Show, did you see it?” Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that he would mention it on the air.

F: The next thing I saw was the Facebook group, Conan O’Brien to Y94 and Fargo!!! Go Vote. Did you make that on behalf of the station, or was that organic?
Z: That was an NDSU student who has no affiliation to the station. He was a listener who made the group and sent us a bunch of emails that first night to tell us about it. It was really fun to watch that group grow before our eyes. It went up to over 5,000 members in just a few days. [ed. note: currently the group has over 7,900 members]

F: What other social media content did you create, or did you see fans create?
Z: There were a few smaller Facebook groups, but the first one was by far the biggest one. We posted a few YouTube videos and we also saw some Fargo high school kids had made their own video, which we posted on our Morning Show Facebook page.

F: Why do you think the listening community got so passionate about this cause?
Z: When Conan mentioned it on the show, he didn’t just say “become a morning show sidekick on Y-94,” he said “become a morning show sidekick on Y-94 in Fargo, North Dakota.” It struck a chord with people in Fargo because it’s not too often that Fargo gets a national shout-out. Especially for something positive. Usually it’s when we’re flooded. Also, Y-94, Conan O’Brien, and Facebook all have a younger audience, so it was kind of the perfect storm. It made sense that it would spread over Facebook.

F: Did you win the voting on the blog?
Z: We did win, we ended up with 44% of the votes.

F: I thought the “adult film” option was going to win, to be honest.
Z: Yeah, it is hard to beat that!

F: Did Conan mention Y-94 in his last episode of The Tonight Show?
Z: No, he didn’t. But we’re still hoping something else might come out of it. We’ve made a lot of phone calls so we’re not giving up yet…

Zero is right on when he says that this is an example of a “perfect storm” for social media. Conan O’Brien fans across the country have been creating Team Coco Facebook groups; Conan-related graphics have been created, remixed, re-tweeted, and posted on blogs. When Fargo was mentioned on the air, the cause became especially relevant to Y-94 listeners. Add that enthusiasm to a specific action that people can take, such as voting, and you have all the ingredients for a successful Facebook campaign.

What other Facebook movements have you seen that developed organically?

Special thanks to Zero of Y94 for making this post possible.

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Tags: Facebook, Flint Communications, Social Media

Red River Valley Research Corridor ~ Life Sciences Action Summit ~ February 19, 2010 Fargo, ND

By Dave Roby, January 20, 2010

Co-hosted by U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan and the Red River Valley Research Corridor. Fargo, ND, February 19, 2009

This year’s summit will focus on developing and strengthening the Red River Valley’s burgeoning life sciences industry. Presenters including entrepreneurs, financiers, researchers, and scientists from the region and around the nation will discuss and explore actions the region can and is taking to foster strong, sustainable growth in the life sciences sector.

More about the Life Sciences Action Summit

River Valley Research Corridor Action Summits

The Red River Valley Research Corridor and U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan work in cooperation with leading economic, science and technology-based organizations in North Dakota and the Great Plains region to organize action summits.

Action summits are high-impact conferences that have a razor-like focus on specific research and technology development opportunities in the region. The summits are intended to:

Facilitate learning, networking and collaboration in the region.
Connect with key partners in business and government from outside the region in a highly focused and purposeful manner.
Showcase science and technology-based capabilities and initiatives in the Corridor.
Engage key players inside and outside the region to put a focus on what do we do now and in the future to make the Red River Valley Corridor an epicenter of research, development and/or production in this particular science and technology field.

Previous Research Corridor action summits have focused on hydrogen energy, venture capital, radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies, polymers and coatings, life sciences, animal identification systems and unmanned aircraft systems.

The Red River Valley Research Corridor is an independent non-profit corporation committed to catalyzing and promoting science, technology and engineering initiatives that create new opportunities in the region

Red River Valley Research Corridor Coordinating Center

Dr. Delore Zimmerman, President & CEO of Praxis Strategy Group in Grand Forks, Fargo & Los Angeles, California was named to serve as the Coordinator. Delore has over twenty years experience working with companies in technology and information industries, universities and local development groups. Since its founding Praxis has been awarded 8 Small Business Innovation Research Awards.

Praxis Strategy Group is a partner with the Flint Group.

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Tags: Action Summit, Byron Dorgan, delore zimmerman, Dr Michael Kurilla, Flint Communications, Flint Group, Flint Interactive, G. Steven Burrill, Gregory A. Poland M.D., HatlingFlint, joel kotkin, Media Productions, Praxis Strategy Group, prime contact, Red River Valley Research Corridor, Research Corridor, SimmonsFlint, WestmorelandFlint

Coming SOON – Joel Kotkin’s book THE NEXT HUNDRED MILLION: America in 2050

By Dave Roby, January 18, 2010

THE NEXT HUNDRED MILLION: America in 2050
By Joel Kotkin

Release date: February 4, 2010. Published by The Penguin Press

Read more about The Next Hundred Million

In stark contrast to the rest of the world’s advanced nations, the United States is growing at a record rate and, according to census projections, will be home to four hundred million Americans by 2050. This projected rise in population is the strongest indicator of our long-term economic strength, Joel Kotkin believes, and will make us more diverse and more competitive than any nation on earth.

Drawing on prodigious research, firsthand reportage, and historical analysis, The Next Hundred Million reveals how this unprecedented growth will take physical shape and change the face of America. The majority of additional hundred million Americans will find their homes in suburbia, though the suburbs of tomorrow will not resemble the Levittowns of the 1950s or the sprawling exurbs of the late twentieth century. The suburbs of the twenty-first century will be less reliant on major cities for jobs and other amenities and, as a result, more energy efficient. Suburbs will also be the melting pots of the future as more and more immigrants opt for dispersed living over crowded inner cities and the majority in the United States becomes nonwhite by 2050.

The Next Hundred Million provides a vivid snapshot of America in 2050 by focusing not on power brokers, policy disputes, or abstract trends, but rather on the evolution of the more intimate units of American society—families, towns, neighborhoods, industries. It is upon the success or failure of these communities, Kotkin argues, that the American future rests.

Visit Amazon…
Visit Barnes & Noble.com…

Joel Kotkin is executive editor of NewGeography.com and is a presidential fellow in urban futures at Chapman University. He is author of The City: A Global History and is finishing a book on the American future.

Joel serves as a Senior Consultant with Praxis Strategy Group a partner with the Flint Group

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Tags: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Chapman University, delore zimmerman, Flint Communications, Flint Group, Forbes.com, Joe Kotkin, newgeography.com, Penguin Press, Praxis Strategy Group, Red River Valley Research Corridor, The Next Hundred Million

Show me the video

By Maureen Olsen, January 14, 2010

Recently, I heard about a new restaurant in Fargo, so I asked a few friends about it. It seemed like the word hadn’t yet spread around:

“Haven’t tried it yet.”
“Haven’t heard of it.”
“Oh, is that the new one south of town?”

No real luck.

Next, I searched for the restaurant on Google, and I found a TV commercial on YouTube.

“Great,” I’m thinking. “A chance to get a feel for the place.”

photo by schmilblick on Flickr

I learned a little bit from the 30-second commercial. The place had a ton of pool tables, and some pretty-good looking pizza.

But I still wanted more.

What if I don’t play pool? Can I sit down and have a meal with my family? Is the ambiance refined and quiet, or more social and fun? How about a word from the kitchen or the wait staff?

Is your commercial enough for online users? Is that what they are looking for?

A TV spot is supposed to generate awareness, and sometimes a specific action. But on the web – especially searching on YouTube – your audience is already engaged and interested. Online video gives you a platform to tell them more.

Coined the “lean forward” medium, online video gives you access to an interested user, and a chance to talk to them one-on-one. Don’t miss out on that opportunity.

Here are a few tips to make the most of your online video:

Your communications strategy is key. Online video should support your business goals and communicate your key messages.
Use relevant content. Give your users what they’re looking for. Do they want to be entertained and get a feel for your brand? Or do they need more information about your product before they buy?
Be Sincere. Keep it real. For example, use testimonials from the real users of the product or service—not models or actors.
Decide what production value you need. Don’t spend any more money than necessary on production. A Flip camera works great for simple blog interviews. For anything more than that, consider working with a professional to produce your original content.
Keep it Short. Online videos should meet your user’s time constraints. Usually nothing longer than 1-2 minutes. Make every second interesting.

Here’s to your engaging online videos in 2010.

Posted in Flint Communications, Flint Group, Flint Interactive | Comments

Tags: Flint Communications, Media Productions, online video, Social Media, YouTube