There was a time in middle school when I went to my dad’s dental office for Bring Your Child to Work Day. Not only did I learn about the art of filling cavities and crafting dentures, but I also realized that the most rewarding part of his job is building patient relationships. That day gave me a better understanding of why he loves going into work every single day.

Fast forward 10 years and the tables turned.

Last week, Hunter Public Relations hosted its first-ever Bring Your Parents to Work Day. Over time, we've found that many of our parents and extended family members have little to no idea about the life of a PR professional. As a result, Hunter PR conducted a survey to see what the staff's family members thought PR executives typically handle. Overall, our survey concluded that 45% of family members believe the job involves creating a print ad or TV commercial, and 85% of people wish they had a better understanding of what PR professionals do for a living.

We organized a jam-packed schedule of activities for our 70+ attendees, with PR 101 courses including brainstorming, media training and social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs). We also offered our family members hands-on electives to introduce them to Hunter PR’s client roster, which included wine tasting, whisky tasting featuring our clients Bushmills and Johnnie Walker, recipe development featuring Campbell's cooking soups, and a gift-wrapping demo featuring Scotch tape and Scotch gift-wrapping supplies. The gift-wrapping course even included a special appearance by 2008 Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper, Alton Dulaney.

We would like to thank all of the family members for attending and making the event a huge success. The day’s activities were informative, inspiring, engaging, and most importantly, fun!

A few words parting words from the parents:

“I learned about the elements of the brainstorming process. I can see why my daughter is always so excited when she talks to me about her job.”

- Jill Fishgold (Nancy’s mom)

“I learned a lot about PR today – especially social media!”

- Karen Bitting (Kaitlin’s mom)

“Today I learned how a company’s culture of fun and professionalism can drive excellence in the PR business. Hunters rock!”

- Bob Palestine (Danny’s dad)

Tracy Hom with her parents, Joe and Emily Hom

This is my first blog post because I am IT challenged.  I am 40% of the accounting department at Hunter Public Relations – the other 60% of which is covered by Sergio Ljubicic who knows a lot more than I do about accounting.  Among other things, I am responsible for keeping the Accounts Payable in order, and that means organizing and paying invoices that come in from vendors who provide services and products used by the account teams and their clients in the course of realizing the production of events, contests and various other PR-type goings–on which are created by the fantastically inventive folks at Hunter PR.

When I first started working at Hunter PR in 1997, things were quite a bit simpler, mainly because there were about 20 employees compared to the 70+ of today.  Sergio and I even used to input the invoices by hand!  As the company started growing, we joined the computer age.  Some things still are done the old fashioned way though, and it seems to work pretty well.

Barbara 

It's about time- the SNOWPOCALYPSE of 2010 is behind New York City and hopefully we can look forward to bright sunny days on the horizon. This past winter has been brutal, but thanks to New York City Clothing Bank, hundreds of individuals across the five boroughs of NYC have been clothed with new, never-worn clothing. Since February, Hunter Public Relations has been fundraising for the New York City Clothing Bank via Facebook- for every fan that Hunter PR gets on Facebook through March 31, we are donating $1 to this worthy organization.

To continue raising funds, our staffers hit the pavement last Friday to give away 800 spring flowers throughout Manhattan. Attached to the flowers were tags describing our Facebook fundraising efforts, with a special announcement of a double donation ($2) for every new fan through March 31. From Madison Avenue to Union Square, Herald Square and Grand Central Station, Hunter PR staffers handed out flowers to celebrate the first day of spring and continue to raise awareness for the New York City Clothing Bank.

Please take this time to become a Hunter PR Facebook fan and help us help others. Our Facebook page provides insights into the ever-changing world of PR & social media, our company culture as well as job opportunities. We thank you for your continued support of NYC Clothing Bank, and hopefully together we can really make a difference.

Best,

Danny

Today, Hunter PR reaches “legal age” as the agency turns 21.  With all the great wine  and spirits brands we represent, it’s easy for us to toast the occasion.  We could even honor our heritage by serving Bloody Marys, using a splash of Tabasco pepper sauce, which was our first client when we opened the doors on March 1, 1989 and remains one of our most cherished clients today.  Of course, the Bloody Marys wouldn’t be as massive as the Millennium Mary we created on Jan. 1, 2000 in New Orleans.

Maybe we should celebrate by serving everyone a slice of America’s Grandest Flag Cake, similar to the ones we made on Flag Day in 1995, 1996 and 1997 in front of national landmarks.

Some additional memorable moments from our first 21 years:

- Annually kicking off the holiday season by staging the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest, sponsored by 3M

- Getting Jell-O declared the official snack of Utah

- Making America’s beaches “barefoot-friendly” via beach clean-up parties for Gallo’s Barefoot Wine

- Carving iconic American images out of cheese for Cheez-It crackers

- Curating a “curiously strong” art collection for Altoids

- Celebrating Johnnie Walker Black Label’s 100th Anniversary with a national web cast demonstrating the subtle craft of blending the world’s number premium blended Scotch whisky

- Rolling the dice and participating as members of the game design team for a Monopoly edition based on U.S. cities and landmarks

Of course, we wouldn’t have made it 21 days as an agency if it wasn’t for the more than 200 employees who have called Hunter PR home at some point in their career.  And as we embark on our ‘adult years’, we’re grateful to our current staff of 68 members who continue to make Hunter PR such a great place to work!

Mark

I wouldn’t consider myself an avid football fan; quite frankly I have never been to a professional football game in my life.  But when I was invited to attend the Super Bowl, by one of Hunter PR’s clients, Diageo, to help with events they were sponsoring, I couldn’t resist.   Needless to say, I received many bribes of shoes in exchange for my ticket, but I politely passed. 

So I packed two big bags filled with an absurd amount clothing and shoe options and I was off.  I landed in Miami and made my way through the sea of black, blue and green (yes, they were still there) jerseys to my hotel. 

I met my client to begin our evening at the Eden Roc hotel, where the jerseys disappeared and I was transported into a room of tube tops, blue blazers, button downs and ripped jeans.  The lights went down and I heard “sippin on gin and juice.”  I was about five feet away from Snoop Dogg performing, and although I haven’t listened to Snoop since 1994, it was a great start to my Super Bowl experience.

Celebrity sighting – Jessica Alba – in the ladies room.

The next day was spent organizing items for that evening’s event and enjoying a leisurely lunch at outside. Hundreds of people were walking up and down Ocean Drive, screaming “who dat” to each other and I was confused.  I asked my friend what that meant.  She laughed and told me that maybe I should have taken the shoes!

Celebrity sighting – Chris Rock – getting into a black SUV. 

On Saturday night Ciroc Vodka sponsored the Wyclef party at the Edun Roc.  Wyclef rocked out on stage and performed for three hours, with a surprise appearance by LL Cool J, singing “Mama Said Knock You Out,” another great throw back to the mid-90s.  Even though we were enjoying Wyclef from our table, which was about 20 feet away, we wanted to go backstage.  So we did – and just in time for a solid rendition of “Redemption Song,” one of my personal favorite Bob Marley tunes.  But I prefer to watch the performance, so I left my friend backstage and went back to our table, where I finally remembered that I had my camera and snapped this shot.

Celebrity Sighting – Nick Lachey – sipping Jose Cuervo Platino.

Finally game day had arrived and I was ecstatic.  My first football game and it was the Super Bowl…does it get better than that?  We left the hotel around 1pm and attended a pre-party where I saw something that still makes me laugh.  This man super-glued a mini Saints helmet to his head.  That is dedication. 

 We arrived at the stadium and walked through a maze to finally find where we were going.  Steve Winwood was playing as we arrived and there were people of all ages smiling and cheering and eating and drinking and spending time with their friends.

Celebrity Sighting – Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr – walking in three feet behind me.

I met my friend, who works in the sports industry for a quick bite (chicken tenders), but we had to leave him when he went to his seats in the 400 section and we had to head down to section 106…literally 20 rows behind the field. 

 But I did try to look for my friend…

By the second quarter, I found myself jumping out of my seat and cheering along with the rest of the crowd.  The energy in the stadium, the amazing game, the weather in Miami was all perfection.  But, there was one thing that was missing.  And it was something that I was looking forward to….

Where was Kim Kardashian?

Stacey

It’s been a rough winter across the country.  Temperatures in New York City have been extremely cold recently.  With snow blowing in my face as I walk to and from the subway, I’m just happy to have plenty of warm clothes!  Sadly, not all New Yorkers are as fortunate.

Thankfully, there is an organization in New York City that provides new, never-worn clothing to New Yorkers in need.  It’s called the New York City Clothing Bank and our agency has been helping them by providing pro bono PR services for the past few years.  With recent reports that charitable donations are on the decline, we decided to take our partnership to the next level and host a virtual fundraiser.

We need your help, but it’s free and easy!

From now through March 31^st, Hunter PR will donate $1 to NYC Clothing Bank for every person that becomes a fan of our Facebook page (up to $5,000).  We want to harness the power of social media to spread the word about the great work done by the NYC Clothing Bank – and meet some new friends/fans along the way. 

In addition to distributing warm-weather apparel to the needy, NYC Clothing Bank also provides disaster relief.  It is now responding to the recent crisis in Haiti by donating winter clothing to Haitian refugees who are being relocated to NYC.

Our timeline is short, but our motivation is high!  We need your support throughout our campaign – please, become a fan, and tell your friends and family too!

On behalf of Hunter PR and the NYC Clothing Bank, many thanks!

Danny Palestine

No, not an evolution throughout the centuries. I’m talking about the evolution of Halloween costumes through the different stages of life.  It seems like Halloween means a little something different to everyone depending on what age you are…

Babies
Clearly you have no say in your costume. Parents will basically dress you in whatever will look cutest when they show off photos to friends. Like this poor little stinker…
 

Kids
This is when Halloween dressing starts to get a little competitive because you want to have the coolest or scariest costume in school that day. It’s also when you discover the gloriousness that is Trick or Treating. 

Teens
Teenagers usually have a falling out with Halloween.  You are too cool to wear a costume, unless of course someone’s parents are out of town in which case there may be an exception.

College kids
Halloween makes a comeback, in a very ridiculous, often shall we say risqué way. And there’s always the celebrity costume trend of the year: 2007 was the year of Amy Winehouse and 2008 was all about sexy Sarah Palin. I’m going to take a wild guess that this year will be a toss-up between Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson.

Adults
Although costumes may not be the wildest, they are definitely the most unique. Plus, you can finally splurge!  I personally am a big fan of the Kate Gosselin wig…

Here at Hunter PR, we’re having a little celebration of our own, complete with a costume contest, treats, and a pizza party. Feels like I’m back to being a kid again…

Last night, I attended a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) seminar with a panel of notable food bloggers that included editors from AOL Food, The Nibble, The Food Section and Apartment Therapy. One of the hot discussion topics was whether or not the abundance of food blogs caused Gourmet Magazine to fold.  The general consensus was that it was strictly a business decision based on lost advertising revenue, falling readership and the cost of paper. In my opinion, falling magazine readership could be a result of the wide variety of high-end “foodie” content, including recipes, now available for free online.

The panel of bloggers also gave their view on the current at-home cooking trends, which included:

- Quality, healthy eating

- Celebrity Chefs

- Gluten-free cooking

- Using bacon in unique recipes (Example: Chocolate Chip cookies with Bacon)

- Slow cookers and slow cooked recipes

- DIY Ingredients (Example: Salad Dressing)

- Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes

A question was raised over how the recent FTC Disclosure Policy would affect food bloggers.  All of the bloggers talked about adding a tagline to their blogs with a disclaimer about where many products came from.  While these bloggers do receive and review products from marketers, they also write about products that they find at their local grocery stores. One blogger, for example, said that she goes to the store to buy the products that she’s writing about, to ensure that her readers will be able to purchase them.

The panel also discussed how unfair they thought it was that the new FTC Disclosure Policy does not extend to newspapers. The bloggers claimed that their traditional media counterparts often receive free products, just like they do, yet they are not regulated.

Overall, the seminar provided useful insight into the world of a food blogger. As social media continues to gain momentum, it is important that we adapt our traditional public relations methods when communicating to social media content providers. Just like journalists working at traditional media outlets, bloggers are media content providers. Thus, PR should lead the way in establishing meaningful relationships with bloggers, as well as those providing content on Twitter, Facebook and other social media vehicles.

Megan

It’s hard to overstate how social media is transforming the PR business. In 2008, Twitter was barely on the radar screen. Less than a year later, Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres now have more Twitter followers than the entire populations of Ireland, Norway and Panama! Since my wife is a nurse, I had always associated SMR with “Standard Metabolic Rate.” Now when I hear this acronym, I immediately think “Social Media Release.”

It ain’t easy keepin’ up with the “social media Joneses.” Becoming an expert in social media means staying on top of social networks, blogs, viral video, SEO, RSS, digital apps, online communities, measurement & monitoring, legal & ethical considerations — the list goes on and on…New issues crop up every day. Social media is simultaneously overwhelming and exhilarating, depending on the day (and sometimes the hour!).

As social media continues to evolve, I believe there’s at least one constant. When it comes to leveraging the enormous power of social media, PR is the marketing function best equipped to take the lead. Why? Well for starters, PR practitioners are trained in the principles of dialogue (two-or many-way communication), rather than monologue (one-way communication). And PR is all about the “soft sell,” and so is social media. For more reasons why PR should assume the pole position in the social media marketing mix, check out the op-ed I recently wrote in Bulldog Reporter’s Daily Dog.

Happy friending, tweeting and posting to all!

Jason