INK PUBLIC RELATIONS

In the U.S. we’re in the eye of the clean energy revolution – it seems you can’t turn on the television, read a magazine or listen to Obama speak without some mention of our clean energy future in the U.S.  Everyone is getting involved.  I just read that Hummer is producing a new H3 hybrid which was shown at the U.S. Capitol last week.  Working in the clean energy PR space, we are very much attuned to the industry since we’re continually reading up on the latest trends, but it’s no secret that young and old are joining the clean tech movement.  This Newsweek article says it so well:

“You might not expect the under-30 crowd to queue up for a cap-and-trade hearing on Capitol Hill. But there they were, all last week, many wearing green shirts with environmental slogans, waiting patiently for hours to get seats for a public meeting on the American Clean Energy and Security Act. At times, fully one quarter of the room appeared to be in their 20s.”

It’s true that a younger generation of people have been energized by Obama’s campaign and as someone that’s part of that generation – it’s exciting.  Although I think everyone recognizes that this is a huge issue and change isn’t going to happen overnight, there really are small things that each of us can do every day to help do our individual part.  I recently picked up a book with some tips on living a greener lifestyle and was amazed at the little things we can all do to help.  One of my new favorites – organize your refrigerator so that you know where everything is and can use less energy when you’re opening and closing the door.  Doesn’t it seem so easy?

The little things are so simple, but I certainly recognize that a lot of this clean energy fight will not be easy.  This was clear as INK traveled to Chicago for Windpower 2009 this month with our renewable energy client and saw firsthand many of the big and small players trying to make a difference in the wind industry.  We even got a glimpse of the man himself – T.Boone Pickens.  The show this year had more attendees than 2007 and 2008 combined, reaffirming that this issue is not one that’s going away any time soon.

The following week, Blair and I headed out to Rochester, NY, for media training for the same renewable energy client.  As we flew in over the quaint little houses and perfectly lined streets, the question was asked: Would you want a wind farm in your backyard if you lived here?  The answer is yes.  Although we’ve seen that there is often a NIMBY attitude in some of the smaller communities, these wind turbines are majestic and a symbol of empowerment.  They are helping the U.S. live a clean energy future and improve our energy security.  So if asked if I would want one of these wind farms in my backyard – I’d say go right ahead.

That is my “green” rant and I’m excited to continue working in this industry and watching the changes and progression over time.  Are you?

When you’re growing up, it’s inevitable that a parent or teacher will repeat a witty idiom to you and expect that you know exactly what it means.  Or even better yet, expect that you’ll be able to apply it right then and there to your current life.  Some that stick out in my mind more than others that were always being said as a kid include: money doesn’t grow on trees (no kidding, leaves do!) and don’t put all your eggs in one basket (are we having an Easter egg hunt?) and bigger is not always better (this seemed to be a favorite said by parents of the shorter kids in class).  But as we get older, it’s crazy how much these idioms really apply to our real lives.   As we’re coupon clipping for ourselves or trying to balance out car payments, mortgage payments and social engagements, we really start to realize that money doesn’t grow on trees (although how great if it did).  Some more than others are starting to realize that they really shouldn’t have put all their eggs in one basket, especially with the current economic situation.  And that brings me to my last point of bigger is not always better which believe it or not, can refer to much more than the smallest kid in class.

I’ve been lucky enough to fall into INK after college and avoided having to ever tell a first job horror story.  There are so many reasons for this, but one of the main reasons is that INK is a boutique agency – five women (six for a short time with our one great intern) who bring real meaning to the idiom that bigger is not necessarily better.

Everyone at INK takes pride in their jobs and tries to understand our clients almost as well as the clients know themselves.  I’ve always valued my relationships in my life and a smaller team enables us to do this at work, too – each one of us is fully involved in our accounts and builds strong relationships with the clients themselves as well as the analysts and media with which we are helping to write their story.

It also makes for a very enjoyable work environment (and I’m not just talking about the Pottery Barn décor) with the sense of work/life balance; it’s refreshing to know that part of a daily routine can be glancing through top stories in the New York Times, catching CNN Headline News over coffee, checking out Ed Baig’s most recent tech column and still be following US Weekly’s RSS feed or a quick read through the home page of People.com for a celebrity update.  Or that the same INK ladies who know almost every detail of Obama’s clean energy speech in order to better understand how a clean tech client fits into the stimulus package, can still make time to update the rest of us on what drama ensued on the Celebrity Apprentice or describe how their brackets aren’t doing too well in any of the three NCAA March Madness pools they’ve entered this year.

Newshounds

Not only can we still read our favorite blogs, be die hard sports fans and obsess over LC’s latest fling on the Hills, but we can actually apply them to our jobs (okay, maybe not so much The Hills).  This is one of my favorite parts about PR – you’re encouraged to be a newshound.  It’s actually beneficial to us to pick up all those magazines that come through the door each day and spend a few minutes flipping through  the pages.  You never know when you’ll discover a new gadget column which is screaming for the latest Bluetooth device or see a great story about consumers and brand identity in Fast Company which becomes the inspiration for a new pitch campaign.  And you can even find out that a particular journalist moved to a new publication and also started a blog and his updates can now be followed on Twitter.  More importantly, you don’t only have to read blogs or magazines that are completely relevant to a particular client or industry because you may find inspiration in the oddest of places.

One of my favorite examples of this was a few years ago when our director of social media and UT alum Blair Poloskey led the way for INK to run with sponsorship between the University of Texas and the Bluetooth SIG to demonstrate Bluetooth technology to fans at home football games during the season.  INK was able to see a bigger overall trend here with more sports teams using technology to reach their fans and secured a story in the Sports Business Journal – a different type of publication from the wireless or tech pubs with which we had become most familiar.

So as a client, friend or colleague, maybe INK has brought meaning to the idiom bigger isn’t always better for you, too?