Pascale Communications is excited to unveil our refreshed and redesigned website very soon! Just a short time ago, we enlisted the help of the fantastic web design and development team at MESH Design and Development to help give PC’s site a facelift – and we've made leaps and bounds in making PC’s site look more like home.
This week we’d like to formally welcome the newest member of the PC team, Rosemary Valenta!
From her home in Manhattan, Rosemary will support PC’s clients alongside our existing network of virtual employees and contractors. Rosemary’s diverse experience boasts trade and consumer clients across varied disciplines. Her work with PC will focus on new and creative tactics, from social media to innovative pitching and new business.
Members of Pascale Communications had the pleasure of meeting Rosemary in person last week; We had a fantastic time discussing her rich experience and exciting client history as well as her husband and two young children back in NYC.
We are glad to gain yet another savvy PR pro to our team – Welcome, Rosemary!
Chris from PC has been busy at work recently on a fun and exciting project with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh – promoting the Museum's annual Burgh Blast, happening this Friday, May 7th.
This one-of-a-kind gala – Burgh Blast – invites Pittsburghers to celebrate and reunite with their playful side throughout the museums incredible exhibits and space, while enjoying food, drink, and entertainment in the company of several Pittsburgh icons.
Prompted by the Museum's PITTSBURGH: Yinz Play! Exhibit—featuring activities including Bridge Repair, Fireworks and Pittsburghese Illustrated Word Play—the Burgh Blast will celebrate all things Pittsburgh and is a reflection of the city’s energy.
In preparation of this event, PC worked to promote the event in the local media, including print and broadcast. PC facilitated Burgh Blast coverage in WHIRL Magazine, Pittsburgh Magazine, Pop City and recent mentions on WDVE’s Morning Show and blog. Below, Bill Schlageter, marketing director at the Children’s Museum, and Matt Meade, one of the events co-chairs, discuss the Burgh Blast on KDKA’s Pittsburgh Today Live (Watch KDKA).
The PC team is eager for Friday’s event, and looking forward to more great coverage to come! For more information on the Burgh Blast and ticket information visit http://pittsburghkids.org/tickets
This week Georgette Pascale, PC’s president and CEO was honored with a Diamond Award from the Pittsburgh Business Times, in an annual event recognizing the regions outstanding business leaders.
Georgette was highlighted for her dedication to flexibility and ingenuity in her management, drive to maximize potential in employees, as well as her continuing mentor and volunteer efforts in the community. Nominated by her staff, and supported by letters from colleagues, Georgette accepted the award by thanking her husband, virtual staff, and Pittsburgh – a city she claims to adore after years in New York City, and despite her newfound admiration for "yinzers."
Among the twelve award recipients were presidents of large, small, and non-profit businesses from the Pittsburgh area, including friend of PC, Pam Schanwald; Recognized for her longtime dedication to the Children’s Home and Lemieux Family Center, for which Georgette serves as a board member and event co-chair.
A full profile of Georgette, and the other Diamond Award winners will appear in the print version of this month’s Pittsburgh Business Times – Subscribers can also see Chris and Allison from the PC team celebrating with Georgette in the After Hours coverage of the Wednesday event!
Congratulations, Georgette!
Members of the PC team recently attended the ninth annual Shake Your Booties event hosted by the Children’s Home & Lemieux Family Center. Simply put, the event was fantastic! Georgette Pascale (pictured),who is a board member also served as a co-chair for the event, and did a remarkable job.
"I am so honored that Rob Lepre (pictured) agreed to co-chair this phenomenal event with me – everything turned out great! The funds raised to help the children make all the planning worthwhile. I am so happy to have been apart of it!"
To the music of NYC jazz vocalist Allan Harris and Pittsburgh's own Etta Cox, Pittsburgh paid tribute to Elizabeth Hobbs and Elin Roddey, two long time board members of The Children’s Home.
Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed amazing food by Hyde Park, and enjoyed the beautiful riverside views on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. For more photos and information about the Children’s Home & Lemieux Family Center visit their website. Thanks to all for a fabulous evening!
Georgette Pascale talks to Lou Corsaro about the current healthcare PR environment in the Pittsburgh Business Times "Five Minutes With" column, read the article here!
For many, the stress of business communication concludes when we hit “send.” We sit back, sip our coffee, with one less burdensome task for the day: Mission accomplished, right?
Absolutely wrong! While a strong, tailored message sets the tone for a successful new business appeal, or PR pitch, a positive response is typically the result of several follow up correspondence that establish a professional rapport.
At PC, the key to building awareness around our clients, products, and our own reputation is a series of relationships with editors, physicians and partners, thriving on dialogue and responsibility to drive success. To convey a sense of attentiveness that reassures clients and empowers potential new business partners, dedicate more time to follow up.
Making a new business proposal? Politely check in on a regular basis to ensure potential clients get a sense of your thorough and organized manner. Be specific with any questions, and comprehensive in any responses – after all, a genuine inquiry often yields an equally sincere response. Use your actions to draw parallels between the tenacity you employ to gain their business, and the energy with which you promote their product.
Have clients already? Use consistent follow up tactics to reinforce your staff’s efficiency, rendering the client confident and secure in your care. Don’t leave your clients researching unanswered questions on the internet, or worse, asking your competitors. Establish (and live up to) an image of each employee as an efficient and reliable expert for your brand.
Finally, no client or editor wants to feel like a “task” or target of a mass email. Take the time to develop strong, distinct, lines of communication; follow up messages allow for the “small talk” after the “handshake.” Personable, genuine, and well-researched follow up will result in anything but an empty inbox.
To conclude our fabulous week of anniversary celebration, we share with you the sentiments of our amazing network of dynamic clients, partners, and editors. In just a few minutes, we’ve assembled opinions of the most outstanding individuals we work with - Those who inspire us with their vitality and intelligence.
Thanks to everyone for a great week!
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We asked our staff, over their morning coffee, to answer a simple by important question – Why does PC work for them. Their responses below are unique and flattering! Thanks to all for your help!
“Lifestyle flexibility for my continuing career and my husband’s retirement; perfect winters in Florida, summers in NW Pennsylvania.” - Deb
“Virtual is convenient for my lifestyle and I've surrounded myself with a diverse groups of colleagues who are all champions of my mission!” - Georgette
“The virtual office cuts out any office drama or politics, plus GP inspires daily with her work ethic, organizational skills, tenacity, creativity, leadership skills” - Devon
“Its taught me 1,001 things about dealing with people - Not only clients, but how to best project myself through any medium, or in person.” - Chris
“I feel I'm a part of something that matters; to my boss, to the clients, to the editors we work with - it drives me to do my best each day” - Erin
“Our team is interested in the clients and companies that we work with. We strive to understand both technology and product, the media’s need, which proves successful by leaps and bound” - Allison
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The challenges facing companies were increasingly ubiquitous in 2009, as market skepticism prompted constricting budgets nationally and globally. In these trying economic conditions, our team took the opportunity to think creatively on our clients behalf - to best optimize plans, with attention payed to their pocketbooks.
Two of PC’s tireless and enthusiastic account managers, Deb and Allison, describe five projects and ideas that demonstrate the innovative solutions that addressed the client’s needs in 2009 – Our success this year is manifest in our ability to remain adaptable and strategic under confining parameters to help deliver a great final product.
AMO Media Day convenes industry on home turf
With the downturn in the nation’s economy in 2009, PC recommended to AMO that we take Media Day to the publications in order to minimize travel costs for attendees. Media Day 2009 would be held on the east coast, where the majority of publications are located. The attendance in Philadelphia was record-breaking – Participant attendance doubled typical numbers! After this largely PC-organized event, we welcomed the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our media colleagues and contacts! Additionally, AMO’s data and technology updates presented that day were covered extensively in the ophthalmic trade press.
Rapid planning of Clarity media event proves positive results
Clarity was interested in getting back on the publications radars, providing them knowledge of their product, the RetCam, without crossing the lines of their current FDA regulations, which limited what they were able to say as a company. With just three short weeks to plan (generally, we plan over three months), PC was able to organize an event at the annual AAO meeting, attended by all ophthalmic editors and publishers.
Further, our innovative approach, using a more descriptive and educational discussion around the product rather than a process of comparison, was welcomed by participants, who reported some events as too strongly promotional. Our wide-ranging experience and intuition allowed us to achieve phenomenal results, eliciting positive feedback and followup interest to-date.
When virtual doesn’t work - Keep it personal.
PC is a virtual agency—currently, all employees are located on the East coast, in Pennsylvania, New York and Florida. With that said, many of our clients are based in California. While many clients respond well to phone conferences and virtual communication, others respond better to intermittent in-person contact. PC flew to California to meet in-person with a client in 2009, both to launch their PR Plan, and to present their 2010 plan after a successful relationship had bloomed that year.
Throughout 2010, we will be meeting many clients in person when possible, to provide the same personality and security that a traditional business structure suggests, while truly exercising the possibilities of our virtual workplace.
Byline Writing / Pitching - Changed way we do this, KOL submitted, etc
At the beginning of 2009, many editors were faced with the task of cutting articles, unable to outsource articles to writers, and were tied to strict editorial calendars. As a result, PC worked with the publications—we changed our pitching style, assisted in the submission of more MD bylines (coordinated by our team to ensure timely placement) and, in general, increased coverage across the board for clients. Editors began turning to PC for quick turnarounds on articles, with sometimes even less than a week to get from start to finish—and we’ve done it, and will continue to provide the same outstanding services. That’s the PC way!
Be Proactive, Efficient, and Honest
To assuage and economic angst, from both clients and editors, we've streamlined our workflow in 2009 - by increasing the transparency around our daily tasks, allowing the client to most efficiently spend his dollar.
In rough times, prospective clients are examining every cent under a high-powered microscope, determining where to best put their dollars. Generally, it’s not easily convinced to put it into PR. Not only has PC been able to prove their worth through their services, but we’ve also altered the way we work with our clients—by providing measureable proof of activity through monthly detailed project reports, regular updates on progress, and cutting through the fat to get to the meat of what is important to each client.
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While she promised she could generate dozens, we asked our President and CEO, Georgette Pascale, to share just five lessons she has picked up as a young business owner. Here are her tips - one for every year - on success as an entrepreneur:
1) You have to act on your vision and dedicate yourself to the follow-through.
Its simple, and describes all the “hard work” you’ll ever encounter; I am very fortunate, but I wouldn’t say lucky - You will have to work to make your dream happen.
2) Healthy relationships are the key to building a productive business and a thriving personal life.
Take the initiative to create opportunities, build relationships, and then maintain them - Truly rich friendships and client relationships are based on reliability, and a conscious effort to dedicate attention to one another.
3) A great support system is invaluable
From my industry contacts, to my husband, to my lawyer, nanny, and bookkeeper! On top of that, the right staff makes the company; I’m happy to have a great one. Achieving success means having someone on board that believes in your goals for the company (hello, Erin Caffrey!).
4) Business is business; Personal is personal
5) Put your name in the company’s.
With that kind of pressure, you will take the responsibility of being more flexible, nimble, focused, and excited about owning your business.
“Owning a business is, at its basics, pretty simple,” describes Pascale, “be grateful to your friends, return every phone call, smile politely under criticism, on and on... - Rely on the lessons that got you by on the schoolyard, and get you through every day, and whatever you’re trying to accomplish will follow.”
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A witness to Pascale Communications' growth over the years, we asked one of our longstanding and most loyal employees, and Executive Director, Erin Caffrey, for input on what makes our team and technique so successful.
Managing Virtually
In five years, I’ve learned a lot about management. While some things, like client services are the same both in an agency or working virtually (be responsive and and put the client’s needs first), there are aspects of a virtual office that are truly unique.
Bottom line: It takes a self-driven, organized and focused person to make a successful arrangement. When managed successful the result is a nimble, effective team!
There is a delicate balance between bringing on new, eager talent and experienced veterans. We have a healthy mix of both that educes a intergenerational collaborative environment.
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January 2010 marks the fifth anniversary of Pascale Communications, LLC and we are proud to embrace the new year, and this momentous occasion with a growing list of over twenty clients with their flourishing team – declaring this week “Why PC Week,” a week devoted to celebrating and recognizing a spectacular five years.
President and CEO, Georgette Pascale is grateful for her good fortune in clients and staff since her beginnings in New York, “Five years is a big deal, especially in this current economic environment, I owe reaching this milestone to our nimble virtual structure, long-standing healthcare industry relationships, and creative PR tactics. Not only have we survived these five years, but we’ve thrived, growing both our employee and client base.”
PC had a great year in 2009! We’re excited to take on 2010 relying on our loyal and dynamic clients and capitalizing on the new subspecialties added, client meetings, and awards that have set such a positive and productive tone in the past year. Congratulation go to Georgette for being recognized in the PharmaVoice100 list of inspiring individuals in the life sciences in the past year.
This week is our dedicated “Why PC Week,” where we will be featuring all types of media here on our blog and across our social media, based on word from our clients and staff, on why PC is truly unique in the healthcare PR landscape.
View the press release here
This Friday, Keep a look out for a special video! And tell don’t forget to comment!
We love hearing from you - Tell us, how would you celebrate five years?
