12.13.21
Buzzwords come and go and no one likes jargon, so we tend to use plain English whenever possible. But for those times when nothing but the popular marketing phrase will do, here’s how we define them.
Blog
Only in Des Moines During a National Election
03.04.16
It’s political season and Greg Heid, Library Director, Des Moines (IA) Public Library recounts his primary experience to The Ivy Group.
Children as Library Donors
04.14.14
Do you encourage children to donate to the library? Is it productive, ethical and strategic to do so?
Going for the Award: To Apply or Not to Apply?
02.28.14
How do you decide which awards to “go for”? A thoughtful submission requires time on top of your established workload. The next time your boss passes an opportunity your way, ask yourself these essential questions before spending hours—yes, hours—filling out that application.
Apostrophes Ain’t Got No Respect
10.08.13
Forget mangled contractions. Put aside rules that pertain to arcane usages. Let’s keep the conversation simple, as in possessives. The rules for apostrophes as possessives are simple.
An apostrophe points to an owner, whether single or plural. Think of an apostrophe as an arrow literally pointing to the owner.
PR Resolutions to Keep in 2013
01.30.13
From the “better late than never” department, below are some public relations twists on traditional resolutions for 2013.
Why Wasn’t I Quoted?
11.08.12
Reporters often interview more people than they can include, especially for in-depth stories. Nevertheless, someone was quoted. How can you increase your odds next time of being that someone?
What’s Your Story?
07.25.12
Here are five easy tips for getting your organization some “earned” media.
Why PR? Start by Asking “What,” “Who” and “How”
05.17.12
Here are some questions businesses can ask themselves to determine if there is an advantage to investing in a PR professional.
Community Involvement Is Not A “Trivial Pursuit”
04.20.12
Last week, three of us from The Ivy Group participated in a local trivia competition and fundraiser, Wordplay, to benefit Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville.
Six Things That Make a Brand’s Story Newsworthy
03.14.12
Recognizing what others find newsworthy is the first step to better PR that can positively affect your business’s goals, reputation, credibility, brand identity and bottom line. To gauge how “newsworthy” your story is, ask yourself these questions.
Must-Remembers When Talking to a Reporter
02.06.12
Whether you’re following up on that newsworthy press release for which you just hit “Send” or doing a bit of damage control for your company, follow these six tips when speaking to a reporter.
The Lost Art of Proofreading
01.13.12
In this instant age, we think we don’t have time to proofread. Or, we say, “That’s why they created spell check.” But sending e-mails and documents with typographical errors and poor grammar says that you don’t care. You don’t care enough to re-read what you’ve written, or run spell check, or double check how to spell someone’s name. And if you don’t care about your interpersonal communication, you’re saying you don’t care about the person with whom you’re communicating. It’s personal.
Punctuation kills, thrills
10.19.11
Regardless of where you come down on the Great Serial Comma Debate, the thing to remember is this: when writing for a media audience (news releases), use AP style.