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We’ve done it again! The entire team at PTE is excited to share we brought home some gold from the Local Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Image Awards today!
Susan, Annette, Samantha and Alex after winning the Award of Distinction
Alex Fernandez and Samantha Scott, APR received an Award of Distinction for their social media efforts on behalf of Cruise Naples. Work included creation of a social media campaign involving a custom-designed blog, Facebook page, Twitter account, Flickr, YouTube and video series, Foursquare and many other online communication efforts. All efforts exceeded campaign goals and showed marked growth in traffic to Cruise Naples’ accounts and website.
The Florida Public Relations Association is a statewide organization designed to promote professional and ethical public relations through professional development and community involvement. For more information about the local chapter, please visit www.fpraswfl.org.
By: Samantha Scott, APR
Having been on a number of non-profit boards and helped many others with public relations, I understand there is a need for information in this industry about 1) what public relations is and 2) how non-profits can use it.
As part of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association, I prepared a presentation outlining these two points. It includes some tips on what YOU can do if you work for a non-profit and some tips for using the resources available to you.
I’m including this presentation for your review. Just click the link to download it. Check it out and see what might apply to your situation. If you have questions, please feel free to leave your comments below!
By: Annette Venditti, Communications Ally
I must confess that I am a product of the 90s, a time in my early career when networking and communication of the services my employer offered took the traditional path of print advertising and brochures, direct mail, local/national trade shows, etc. These forms of communicating your brand/business still exist and, but more often they are used in balance with modern forms of networking and sharing information about you and your business.
Today, we have a more interesting challenge as the World Wide Web has offered us massively popular channels to connect with friends, other businesses as well as current and potential clients. I will, however, tell you that some of the same rules apply – especially when we speak of the human or personal connection. Here are some guidelines I have learned to follow in today’s world, which have helped me build relationships and make the long-term connections I was looking to gain.
Make the Connection
Seek out local networking groups and organizations where a diverse collection of businesses attend on a regular basis. 
Make the time to attend these events on a regular basis as this is your opportunity to listen to others about their business and their personal experiences. These events will give you the chance to share your own story and the passion that drives you towards your own business goals. Also keep in mind who else will be attendance so you can be sure to reach your target audience (i.e. If you want medium to large business decision makers, going to a business card exchange may not be right.)
TIP: Set the standard in your networking process and offer newly made connections information and, if you can, do something for them like introducing them to someone who may be interested in their product or services. This trust- building activity will afford you positive results as I have not met anyone yet who did not appreciate some friendly guidance and professional help and had them NOT remember me for it.
Be “Professionally” Social
Use social connections intelligently and professionally. Facebook and LinkedIn are great ways to connect with other related businesses from which you can benchmark or that you can connect with, as well as to multiple individuals from all over the world who have the same interests and “likes” (Hint: These are your potential clients!). Facebook allows you to set-up a business page vs. a personal page making your company brand more trust worthy and believable. Share information on these social channels that is both informative and educational on a consistent basis and you will see your connections come to life.
Get Involved and Give Back
Are you actively taking advantage of the philanthropic side of your business? Give back any way you or your company can afford, get connected with local non-profits that make sense to you and to your business message while helping those who need it most. Community involvement is a perfect way to create goodwill opportunities and to show your community what you, personally and professionally, stand for. This will serve your public relations efforts well too.
The Bottom Line
Do your homework, get out there and make an effort to create new connections. It’s not often that new relationships are made by someone coming to your front door. You have to make the effort – on your behalf and your company’s. Good luck!
The Internet marketing and social media world continues to change rapidly. In fact, communications in general is ever-evolving. That’s why it’s so important for us to continue our education. Part of that is participating in trade organizations like FPRA, going to seminars like Social Fresh, and also formal education.
Today, we’d like to announce some very special news of this genre… Alex Fernandez, Social Media Strategist at PTE has earned is Internet Marketing Masters degree!
We’ve always thought pretty highly of him, but now Alex is well versed in the advanced academic studies of Internet marketing, search engine optimization, e-commerce, and the psychology of the online consumer. His studies included key areas such as online brand development and consumer behavior / analysis, website usability testing, social and mobile marketing, website conversion optimization, search engine marketing strategy, Internet public relations and more.
“I wanted to obtain a competitive edge in my niche area of social media marketing,” Alex commented, “and the most ‘current’ education possible, considering that the online environment is ever-changing, coupled with my work at Pushing the Envelope, I’ve gained that.”
Alex helps clients communicate effectively through social media and other online platforms by developing fully integrated marketing strategies that enhance a brand’s presence. He has led both regional and national internet marketing campaigns in several industries, including travel, tourism, healthcare, hospitality, education, technology, and more.
If you’d like to pick his brain or learn about how we might be able to help your Internet marketing or social media efforts, contact Alex at alex(at)getpushing.com or (239) 221-2858. He likes high fives, pats on the backs and plus 1s on Google too!
By: Samantha Scott, APR
Thankfulness and giving abound this time of year, and not to be cliche, but I wanted to take a moment and say thanks for all the support we received for our CAN IT! Putting Hunger In Its Place This Thanksgiving campaign. You are amazing. You who donated, who solicited your friends and colleagues, who took time and money from your personal supply to help others.
Today, I had the pleasure of going to Community Cooperative Ministries’ (CCMI) Soup Kitchen and dropping off 504 items! We surpassed our goal! Individuals and businesses supported us. Our team – Alex Fernandez, Annette Venditti, Christina Bockisch and Sarah Reaves – all pitched in. In fact, we had an internal competition going on who could get the most. Alex was crowned the king with 175 items!
Some of our donors that I’d like to thank include:
- Staff at Specialists in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery (Dr. Sweet)
- Sub & Pub in downtown Fort Myers
- Salon Adrian at Gulf Coast Town Center
- The Riverside Club
- The Auditor General’s office (our neighbors)
- The many friends, family members and colleagues who donated
It just amazes me how giving people can be – if they want to be and try to be. We saw the good in humanity. It was such a rush of joy to see the faces of the volunteers at CCMI when we pulled up and starting unloading items. I can’t, personally, wait to do it again next year!
Thank you.
By Sarah Reaves, PR Intern at Pushing the Envelope, Inc.
I am as eccentric and high-energy as they come. I have a habit of looking overwhelmed on the outside (I talk too fast, trip over things, drop things, and even turn red when I’m nervous) but on the inside I have a great sense of what’s going on. I am so eager to please that sometimes my enthusiasm hinders rather than helps. Here are a few mistakes that we all (or at least, I) make when landing our first big internship.
The first day is, to put it simply, not easy: new wake-up time, unfamiliar route the office and the inevitable anxiety that seems to sneak up on you. Here are a few mistakes I’ve made in the past that can be easily overturned.
Mistake #1: TOO Much Coffee
Overloading on the caffeine to make up for one’s lack of sleep is overcompensating at its finest. Sleeping in is one of college student’s most priceless perks but it must be let go if you want to succeed in the internship real world. Guzzling mass amount of java only left me jittery, anxious and sweaty (August + Florida + hot coffee = sweat). Rather than coming off as a composed and focused intern I seemed frazzled and overwhelmed. When it comes to that 6am wake-up call, start with ONE cup and sip slowly. The caffeine will hit you before you know it and you will avoid looking like a hot mess.
Mistake #2: Skipping Breakfast OR Not Packing Lunch
I am as guilty as they come when it comes to skipping breakfast–the mornings are hectic! Adjusting to the early mornings is hard enough but you will be kicking yourself when you’re in the middle of a meeting and your stomach growls are the main topic of conversation.
Save yourself the discomfort and plan ahead. Pack your lunch the night before so you can grab it and go. I’ve also learned to always have a granola bar or some sort of snack in my purse for an impromptu breakfast on the drive to my internship. It seems simple but preparing my food the night before has saved me time and helped keep me focused on long days at the office.
Mistake #3: Slacking on Staying up to date – The PR world is ever-revolving
Joining PR associations like the FPRA is a great way to stay in touch with the PR world. Attending conferences, receiving newsletters, etc will keep you in the loop and the networking opportunities are endless. Put yourself out there and make your name known in the PR world. You will learn a lot by reaching out to your PR peers and colleagues. Being an intern gives you the advantage to ask questions and allows you to find your place in the PR world. Every ounce of experience is helpful and organizations like the FPRA are a great way to get started.
Brush up on the latest versions of vital writing guides like the 2011 AP Stylebook. Writing is essential in PR so when you write your first news release or feature release be sure to have the latest version of the AP Stylebook an arm reach away. PR writing rules are always changing and being added (i.e. social media section in the 2011 AP Stylebook). You don’t need to memorize the book from start to finish but at lease show some type of initiative. It will benefit you in the long run and save your co-workers time when they are editing your work.
Side note: I’ve also learned that having a thesaurus nearby (I use the FREE dictionary app on my iphone) is always a plus. You want to stand out in your news releases. Avoid cliché wording at all costs. Search for new words if you can’t come up with anything off the top of your head. Expanding one’s vocabulary is never a bad thing.
I’m looking forward to seeing this internship through and learning a lot. I hope these tips help you make your internship the best experience possible too!
Thought we’d share our official news… We teased you a while back, but now we really have moved and we really are up and operating in our new location! Here’s the formal press release with all the details.
Chocolate, coffee, plants, snacks – all make good office warming presents. 
Or, just grace us with your presence and stop by sometime. Then maybe we’ll share our chocolate, coffee and snacks with you. Plants don’t share very well though.
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FORT MYERS, Fla. February 11, 2011 Pushing the Envelope, Inc. has relocated to 12557 New Brittany Boulevard, Suite 4 in Fort Myers. The mixed marketing communications firm officially moved to the new location in World Plaza I this month and will retain the same phone, fax and other contact information.
“We are excited to be in a more central Southwest Florida location,” commented Samantha Scott, Grand Poobah or Owner of the firm. “This is more conducive to servicing our local clients and offers a convenient home base for our staff.”
Pushing the Envelope was formerly located in Bonita Springs. The new offices afford space for their growing staff, while offering additional meeting space.
About Pushing the Envelope, Inc.
Pushing the Envelope, Inc. is an award winning mixed marketing communications firm offering comprehensive public relations, social media strategy, marketing and advertising services. Based in Southwest Florida, the firm services clients both regionally and nationally. For more information, please call (239) 221-2858, visit http://www.GetPushing.com or email Info(at)GetPushing.com. Additionally, they can be contacted on Facebook and Twitter.
It’s official, all the pushy folks at PTE are headed north! Not too far though… we signed a lease today on our new office in Fort Myers. Stay tuned for more pics and details.
PTE World Headquarters!
We’ll be sure to throw in a wish list for our “office warming” too. Just in case.
Recently we had the opportunity to attend the The Blue Chip Awards Luncheon. A wonderful afternoon filled with successful small business people, great food and inspirational stories, the highlight was key speaker, Nikki Stone.
An Olympic gold medalist, Nikki overcame much adversity and physical challenges throughout her career and stressed the importance of setting career goals in her keynote speech. Stone discussed the significance of her goals as the direct result for her success. She explained how she would write down all her goals and keep them close to her – literally in her pocket at all times (on advice from none other than Muhammad Ali!). This helped her stay motivated when those moments of giving up rolled in.
So why is it so important to set career goals? For every individual it is different because we all have different destinations in which we wish to reach. No matter what our definition of success might be, we all strive for our own version of it. By both physically and mentally defining our goals we are mobilizing our energy towards one single aim. Having a clear and concise strategy and focus will allow us all to better be able to accomplish any objective.
This can and should be applied to our work goals as well. Having a defined set of actionable items makes reaching success easier. With goals and a strategy, one can create a series of steps to reach them. Be sure to consider this when working on your marketing and communication goals.
Who are you trying to reach? What’s your end goal? How can you quantify it and measure your success as you go?
“Success is how high you bounce after you hit rock bottom.” -Gen George Patton from Nikki Stone’s speech
Officially announced last week, Samantha Scott, Owner of Pushing the Envelope, was named one of Gulfshore Business’ “40 Under 40″! We couldn’t be more excited for our young leader (still in her 20s!).
Based on their professional achievements and community involvement, Gulfshore Business 40 Under 40 winners are considered tomorrow’s leaders and “difference makers” in the community. Many of whom are fellow Florida Gulf Coast University alum.
The 40 Under 40 selection is held annually. Nominations are accepted from around the Southwest Florida region with selections announced in their September issue. For more information visit http://www.GulfshoreBusiness.com
Congrats, again, to ALL the honorees this year. May we all work together for the betterment of our community and fellow community members. Hope to see everyone at the celebration on September 16th!
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