If the characteristics of all social media tools were combined into the characteristics of a human – constantly changing, hard to navigate, frustrating, always on the go – then I would NEVER want to date that person. It seems like everyday there is a new social media tool or a new interface that we need to relearn and become “masters” of.

When I started at Hunter Public Relations early this summer, I was very excited to learn that I would be a part of the LinkedIn Task Force, a social media tool that I feel has been relatively consistent since its start. Social Media Task Forces are very important at Hunter PR as they allow people with similar social media interests in the office to work together and share their knowledge. I recently participated in a webinar titled “Effectively Leveraging LinkedIn – How to Use LinkedIn as a Powerful PR Tool” with PR News. The webinar featured three speakers who discussed being digital leaders in your organization, how to engage communities on your personal and professional LinkedIn pages, and the best ways to be seen and stay connected.

I never knew how important personal profile optimization was on LinkedIn. For example, the headline on my personal LinkedIn profile says that I am a Junior Account Executive at Hunter PR. However, people are searching for specifics, and if I include words like “public relations,” “consumer,” or “food” in the headline then my profile would be more likely to show up in searches and therefore drive more people to click on “Hunter PR” from my page.

I think it’s very important to stay on top of social media trends because (like that person you’d never want to date) they really are changing every day!

-Lisa

I appreciate a good prank every now and then… as long as the appreciation is done from a spectator seat faaaaaar away from the action [read: no one come near me with whoopee cushions, silly string, or whatever newfangled items kids these days are using].

In celebration of the time-honored holiday known as April Fools’ Day, let’s revisit some of my favorite hoaxes perpetuated by now-legendary prankster, Google (which I may or may not fell for):

1.  Gmail Paper: Who says you have to sacrifice physical copies in this digital revolution? Request a hard copy of any email and have it delivered to your door. Of course, this isn’t cheap, so the costs are offset by advertisements displayed on the back of your prints… just like your supermarket receipts.

2. Google Romance: It only makes sense that the world’s most-renowned search engine would help you find your one-and-only with its Soulmate Search service. Then Contextual Date pays for date night, as long as you and your honey don’t mind sponsored ads. It’s like Match.com partnered with… well, Google.

3. Gmail Custom Time: Calling all liars, this is the solution for you! By utilizing an e-flux capacitor, Gmail lets you send email to the past, showing up in your recipient’s inbox in the proper chronological order. Caveat: you can send only 10 pre-dated emails per year before messing with the fabric of time.

After years in the hoax biz, it’s expected that Google will announce something on April 1 and we probably won’t even fall for it anymore. Despite being jaded, here’s hoping they come up another doozy to make us forget the date (and recover from last year’s Topeka non-funny joke). 

In the meantime, please watch out for saran wrap, tripwire, and coworkers who have read this article!

- Kelly

In 1989 at age 62 I started a new business! Thinking about it now, it seems so crazy, but after leaving Ogilvy & Mather I was unsatisfied and not ready to retire.  Moreover, I wanted to prove to myself that I could realize the kind of PR agency I envisioned.  With two people willing to take the risk with me, Hunter MacKenzie Cooper was born in my apartment on East 38^th Street. 

 That first year was a scramble – euphoric when McIlhenny Company decided to move its business to us, frantic in locating decent affordable space, funny when trucking in used furniture from the United Wrecking Co., triumphant when we lured Grace (then Thompson, age 20 something) to join us.

 For our first assignment from Kraft we staged a formal Washington Dinner Party for 140 food writers at the Willard Hotel.  George and Barbara Bush look-alikes greeted everyone, satirist Mark Russell performed, and Miracle Whip appeared in every course, including dessert.  It was a blast, a total success.  That event plus our work for Tabasco sauce provided the credentials to build the business.  And the clients started coming our way - Dannon, Pillsbury, Nabisco, Planters/LifeSavers, Haagen-Dazs and several more in just the first few years. The company grew and changed, evolving into what it is today.

I’m so very proud of the success you have achieved while maintaining a culture that nurtures and fulfills.  It’s way beyond what I could possibly imagine those many years ago.  I’m truly honored that my name is still on the door.  Congratulations …and may the next 22 years be even more fantastic!

Last week, a handful of staff members were able to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI). During this tour we were delighted to learn about GHRI’s various departments, testing processes and research staff (scientists, engineers and nutritionists, oh my!).

Below I’ve compiled a ‘Top 5’ list of a few things that blew our PR minds:

1. The GHRI was founded in 1900 (that’s before the FDA) and has been committed to informing consumers and improving the lives of readers through education and product evaluation ever since.

2. They have a super-futuristic climate control sealed room that can produce freezing temperatures (ideal for winter coat testing) or can create hot and humid weather (to test anti-frizz hair products).

3. More than 11 U.S. Presidents have dined in Good Housekeeping’s dining room, which is a complete replica of the 100 year old room that was in the first GH office.

4. Good Housekeeping guarantees the quality of each product that bears the Seal – They’ll even reimburse consumers that are unhappy with their products.

5. And the kicker: When scrambling to remove a stain, regular water works JUST as well as seltzer water (oldwives tales be damned)!

Obviously, there are about 1,000 more interesting tidbits from our trip to the storied GHRI Headquarters that I wasn’t able to include (especially for a girl who recently conducted lab-like research of her own before buying a blender). Luckily, Good Housekeeping has posted everything you should know about the GHRI on their web site (which just so happens to also have a wealth of information on every product imaginable).

Jenna

After months of hard work, I have the honor – as one of the digital designers on this project – to introduce you to, Hunter Public Relations’ new iPhone app: TWEET HUNTER!

(Trumpets) Dun, dururun, dun, dun, duuuuuuuuun!

You’re probably thinking, “Why all the fan fare?” Well, here at Hunter PR, we’re pretty big on creativity, and are always brainstorming new PR concepts and ideas for our clients. For years, we’ve wondered how can we share some of our brainstorming techniques with the rest of the world. Enter Tweet Hunter.

Tweet Hunter “hunts” tweets in order to reveal what people are saying about any word you enter into the app.  For example, if you type in “BBQ” into the Tweet Hunter app, roughly 30 words will be shown to relate to “BBQ” such as “sauce,” “Sunday,” “grill,” and “party.”  These results are ranked by frequency of use in conjunction with “BBQ” so you can easily see what people are talking about most on the topic.

Since so much of our brainstorming process centers on word association, Tweet Hunter can be a useful, on the go tool for sparking ideas and getting the conversation started.

If you want to download our app, it’s available for FREE via this link: on iTunes.  We hope you’ll find it as useful and helpful as we do.

Enjoy!

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