Bylined Article
Read how a byline put CiRBA on the road to thought leadership.

Product Launch
Learn how a creative mailer for Maui Beverages led to a successful media relations campaign.

Awareness Campaign
Discover how a well- researched campaign proved to be a hit for TAC Worldwide's difficult recruiting task.

Thought Leadership
See how PAN and Cyber- Ark worked together to create a detailed strategy to educate their target market about privileged password management.

Business Press
Read about how PAN secured an extensive feature in Smart Business for Gevity.

The Social Media Release Are you informed?
by Jason Ouellette, Senior Account Manager

We recently had our representative from Business Wire come in to talk about news releases, more specifically, social news releases. What are social news releases? Do we really need to be using them? After all, information is information, and press releases get the point across, right?

Wrong.

Social Media Releases offer you tools that are user- friendly, and allow your news release to obtain significant placement and search results that an average news release is unable to achieve. Social Media has taken over - and we all need to start utilizing the necessary tools to strengthen our placement within search results. Images, links and keywords are some of the key ingredients for a successful news release.

Business Wire has created a Social Media Release that we now utilize at PAN. Each release we publish going forward, will be a Social Media Release or 'optimized' - no exceptions. Our employees are getting their feet wet, and realizing that the template is very easy to use, and the ROI for our clients is phenominal. There are a handful of new tools and resources that can help improve your company's visibility with the Social Media Release that Business Wire has created. A few of them are:

Include your company logo. Visuals always stands out!

XHTML Format - bold, underline, italics, symbols, sub heads, bullet points, anchor text, hyperlinks, social networking tags and foreign language characters. This service allows your press release to be interactive, easy-to-read and importantly, influences SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Key Words - Insert top key words and embedded links to improve SEO at the top of your press release. This is important because search engines and readers see this information first. When you conduct a search, headlines, subheadlines and lead paragraphs are usually the only content that appear in the search engine results, RSS feeds, etc.

Include Multimedia - You can now use multimedia in your press releases. A picture says a thousand words. If a company is launching a complex product, isn't a visual a hands down option vs. all the explanation involved? Not to mention the fact that you'll receive 2.5 x more clicks.

Consider posting your release to Business Wire's highly optimized EON (Enhanced Online News) site. With this feature, your press release never expires and is highly optimized. However, this is not for everyone. Business Wire suggests you use EON for long-term information releases. Examples include direct-to-consumer outreach, studies or surveys, new product announcements, advertising/marketing campaigns, feature stories and Web 2.0 outreach announcements.

As far as costs are concerned, inserting your logo and keywords/embedding links are all FREE services. If you decide to use multimedia (e.g. photos, graphs, etc.) and/or post to the EON, there are numerous factors (circuit, type of organization, etc.) that affect pricing, so for the most accurate fee information, it's best to contact Business Wire directly for a pre- release quote.

We hope that you're as excited as we are about this great new tool. As I mentioned, we have implemented using the Social Media Release at PAN and we've already seen strong results. Not only do the releases look great, but they're getting fantastic placement and results. This is without a doubt a must for all of our clients. It's no longer 'just' a press release.

If you'd like some advice, or have any questions, please email me. I'd love to hear from you.

Working with PAN:

Michael Istvanko
Vice President of Marketing

Michael Istvanko, who has over a decade of experience in sales and marketing, is the vice president of marketing at Summit Mortgage, a Boston- based, privately-held mortgage banking firm providing financing to the public and real estate investors alike.

What are the PR challenges in the ever changing and highly scrutinized mortgage industry?
The press is very focused on the negative news surrounding sub-prime mortgages, the increase in foreclosures and the malaise in the real estate industry. Sensationalism is certainly more interesting than balanced coverage so as an industry we are always fighting that uphill battle. What is depicted as a national problem is more accurately confined to pockets in specific regions. It is a constant challenge to provide a more accurate and fair voice amidst all the shouting.

What are some creative counsel/ideas that the PAN team has provided to you?
Our first 90 days with PAN surpassed all of our expectations. PAN succeeded in placing Summit on the forefront of a variety of breaking news announcements including two placements in The Boston Globe, and a two-minute report on New England Cable News. We also received coverage in the Boston Herald, The Lawrence Eagle- Tribune, the MetroWest Daily News, Banker & Tradesman, and the Worcester Business Journal. Print was rounded out with a five-minute WBIX drive-time radio interview with our President and Founder Rick Fedele. Within that short period of time PAN solidified us as a thought leader in the mortgage arena.

Building on that base PAN continues to push the envelope and identifies new ways for us to build on our position. Not that long ago they arranged for us to participate in a Boston.com online chat session talking about real estate and the spring market. This was great, creative follow-up to press we had received the prior day in the Boston Globe.

As we launch our Reverse Mortgage Division, PAN is exploring a potential partnership with a center for retirement research at a nationally renowned university.

How has PAN overcome these challenges?
Their initial counsel was to position us as a thought leader so that people knew they could trust us from the start. Additionally they raised us above the fray in a category that has been widely commoditized. The combination has enabled us to achieve a much greater return on our investment than a traditional TV, radio or print campaign ever would. This was especially important given the huge media budgets that our competitors have.

What do you find most appealing about working with the PAN team?
Being a mid-sized company like we are, PAN is very nimble and able to respond to our needs quickly and efficiently. Because of this flexibility they are truly an extension of our team. From Phil and Mark to everyone at the agency they are extremely accessible, professional and a pleasure to work with.

Honesty is a value. This firm has it. But, the bottom line, it's a relentless business. Despite all the things I like, I stay with this firm because they deliver results. (Message Team: Keep Striving!)

Congratulations to Tim Munroe who was promoted to Director of Business Development, Michael Sullivan who was promoted to Senior Associate, Dan Thompson who was promoted to Associate and Gary Torpey who was promoted to Director of Finance. We appreciate their hard work and dedication!

Join us in welcoming the following new PAN team members:
Lauren Borgaro, HR Manager
Sarah Buchine, Junior Associate
Shannon Costello, Associate
Susan Forshner, Associate
Holly Johnson, Associate
Kathy LaRoque, Account Manager
Stacy Pelletier, Associate
Caroline Sommer, Receptionist and Administrative Assistant
Anya Woods, Junior Associate

Since our last newsletter, we've announced new clients in our technology and professional services portfolios. PAN also announced that in anticipation of this growth, it has hired 10 employees since the beginning of the year. Click here to read the press announcement.

Life at PAN: Our Employees Make Us Shine

In this issue, we introduce you to Shannon Costello & Shannon Palmer. Both Shannons are Associates at PAN who do great work and achieve stellar results!

Shannon Costello attended Marist College where she majored in communications (with a concentration in PR), and minored in political science. Shannon Palmer was a communications major, and a PR and advertising minor at the University of Tampa.

What do you like best about PR?

Shannon C: I really enjoy so many aspects of PR, and the fact that there are so many components makes it that much more exciting. I love the passion you develop for your clients in wanting to tell their story and finding new ways to tell it. I love when a journalist responds in a positive way and wants to help share that story. I also enjoy the relationship building side of PR, on both the client and media side, and bringing them both together. There can also be a great deal of satisfaction in this industry - and there is nothing better than knowing you did a good job for your client.

Shannon P: There is something truly incredible about working with the CEOs and executives of companies that are leaders in their industry and that can serve as this wealth of knowledge not only on their product or service but on the market as a whole. Discussing the business implications of the outreach we (as PR professionals) do and connecting them or their product with influential journalists is such an incredible feeling. Being a part of these trends and discussions with such great minds, whether it is technology or high fashion, client or journalist, never ceases to amaze me.

What is a typical day like for you at PAN?

Shannon C: I've been spending time becoming familiar with my clients, their products and services, and of course the media outlets most important to each of them. Every day I'm reaching out to key contacts at these publications to build relationships, explore and pitch opportunities. I've also been spending time with various team members for brainstorms and discussions, allowing me to feel more confident every day in pitching and corresponding with the media on behalf of my clients.

Shannon P: One of my favorite aspects of my job is that every day is different! However, if I were to describe the basic day, each day for me begins with some quality time with the dailies such as the Boston Globe, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today, followed by a skim through my RSS reader which has over 60 feeds of various publications and blogs that I track for my clients. Once I've caught up on the news and have marked some articles for follow-up pitches or useful info, I usually have a team touch base for one of my clients to catch up on outreach progress, upcoming announcements, and to brainstorm any creative pitch angles we have. The majority of my remaining time is spent reaching out to the media for my clients around announcements, events, projects, trends, tour appointments, and ed-cal listings. Weekly client calls and conversations with team members usually keep us moving throughout the day as well. To wind down at the end of the day, I break into my creative writing side and blog about some interesting article or event that I came across that day before catching up with my teammates and checking out.

What do you do for fun outside of work?

Shannon C: I'm always up for an adventure and looking to try something new. Being new to Boston, I've been spending a lot of my time exploring the city, particularly taking note of all the restaurants I want to try. I'm getting back into running and biking, which has been a great way to learn my way around town. I love being outdoors, especially at the beach - it's my favorite place to be on the weekends!

Shannon P: I'm a big book worm and usual have at least two books going at the same time, but I'm also passionate about food and wine and love cooking for family and friends. Probably as a balance to these two hobbies I am also a very active person and happily spend a good chunk of my free time doing some kind of exercise like jogging, kayaking, swimming, hiking, or walking around town. Spending time with family and friends, indulging my artistic side with some painting or museums, relaxing at or near the beach, and trying to enjoy ever drop of summer weather New England has to offer also top my list of fun things to do.

What was your last 'technology' purchase?

Shannon C: My latest purchase was a new digital camera (very boring), but it has actually been great to have documenting this exciting time in my life.

Shannon P: I bought the Cingular/AT&T BlackJack.

What do you like most about working at PAN?

Shannon C: From the moment I got here, I was impressed with everyone's energy in welcoming me to the PAN team. That energy extends to client service and to the team morale. No matter whom I've turned to for questions or advice during my first weeks here, each person took that moment to talk with me without hesitation. There is a true sense of team at PAN, everyone is always willing to share some piece of information they've learned to benefit the group. It's a great place to be everyday when you know everyone wants to see and help each other succeed.

Shannon P: I love the open team- focused atmosphere and variety that PAN has to offer, which are two things I have found to be especially unique compared to any other place I've ever worked. It makes for such a positive learning environment when you don't have to hesitate to ask someone a question no matter that person's level or role. Each person here is a resource and completely open to brainstorming ideas and sharing experience and contacts with you, making it easier to try new things and grow professionally. I've made some great friends here as an added bonus!

Bell Ringer Awards

PAN walked away with eight awards at the 2007 Publicity Club of New England Bell Ringer Awards Ceremony in Boston on June 11, 2007.

PAN won two Bell Ringer Awards in the following categories:

Best Product/Service Publicity: High-tech BtoB Campaign - Cyber-Ark

Best Feature/Placement Online - Eleksen

PAN was awarded with six merits in the following categories:

Best Product/Service Publicity: Consumer Campaign - Maui Beverages

Best Product/Service Launch: Consumer Campaign - Uniross

Best Feature/Placement Online - NorthStar Moving Company

Best Print Feature: Regional Business Pub - Chordiant

Best Print Feature: Regional Business Pub - Genalytics

Best Television News Placement: National - iCache

Click here to read the press announcement.

PAN's Spring Outing to the Boston Red Sox game took place on May 11, 2007. The Red Sox took on the Baltimore Orioles. PAN employees enjoyed watching the game and relaxing with fellow colleagues. Great fun was had by all!



To see more pictures from the memorable outing, click here!

Congratulations to Account Manager Carrie Callahan (formerly Schuller) and Senior Associate Alexis Gordon (formerly Dingfelder) who were married on May 13, 2007 and June 2, 2007, respectively.



We're excited to announce that Account Manager Erica Burns and her husband welcomed their son, Jonathan "Jack" Dennis on May 5, 2007!

PAN was included in a USA Today story about companies who help their employees save on gas costs. PAN has a gas reimbursement benefit, which many of our employees take advantage of. Click here to read the article!