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Five Blount Business Leaders Selected by Greater Knoxville Business Journal as “40 Under 40” Honorees

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Maryville, Tenn. — The Greater Knoxville Business Journal recently announced its list of “40 under 40” honorees, including five individuals with companies based in Blount County, including:

  • Eric Barton, Chairman, Relyant 
  • Bryan Daniels, President and CEO, Blount Chamber Partnership
  • Tom Gallaher, President and CEO, Gallaher & Associates
  • David Schwall, Vice President of Marketing, Clayton Homes
  • Mary Beth West, APR, Principal, Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC

The magazine selected 40 total recipients from the Greater Knoxville area among nearly 250 applicants who were nominated by peers. 

All honorees are under 40 years of age and, according to the publication, have “climbed corporate, professional and academic ladders or struck out on their own . . . pursued their passion for helping others (and) earned the respect of their peers.”

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A Rhetoric Dial-Down How-To

Monday, January 10th, 2011

By Mary Beth West, APR

The shooting in Tucson of this past weekend involving Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 19 other victims has shocked the nation and immediately thrown the national dialogue into self-analysis.  What caused this?

As more facts come to light over what may have motivated alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner, the past 48 hours of media analysis have centered heavily on today’s mainstay political rhetoric as the culprit du jour, driving an unbalanced person to extreme behavior.  Or, some say, maybe the guy was just plain crazy. 

Whatever prompted this violence, it has turned the national conversation – for a little while anyway – to the topic of how different political views are communicated and related on the national stage. 

There have been widespread calls for more respectful discourse.  But what does that mean, exactly?  What kinds of better practices must political campaigns and their media platforms put into practice – and what better practices should the American people start expecting to see – if this call for respect and civility is to happen? 

I have observed in the past election year that passionate debate is the right of every American citizen and American institution, perhaps from a Southern school of thought akin to “get out of the kitchen if you can’t take the heat.”  To me, real debate is a big part of what makes this country great.      

The problem for so many Americans – and practically everyone with a visible media soapbox, it seems – is that there are no universally accepted tactical ground rules for debate anymore.  Anything goes.  And not only is that “anything” accepted, in so many instances, it’s celebrated.  The worse the behavior, the better the ratings.

Regarding how people of varying viewpoints express their opinions, there are several tell-tale communications tactics that almost always slide down the slope of unnecessary antagonism. 

So if we want more respectful discourse – if we want to get serious about it – we might start demanding better behavior on these points:

*Responsible use of symbols.  Since the dawn of intelligent humankind, there have been few elements more powerful in human communication than graphic symbols.  Flags, mascots, logos, icons . . . they all have the power to emote in milliseconds tremendous passions and emotions with the flash of a simple visual piece.  

Responsible use of symbols and metaphorical references should be foremost in the mindset of any campaign or entity that wishes to achieve credibility.  Part of being responsible means acknowledging, understanding and respecting how certain symbols can hold dual or multiple meanings, depending on the life experiences and contexts of the receiving audiences, as well as the power to motivate some people toward both intended and unintended action.

In my view, political campaigns and figures, and of course any individual, organization or entity, should have the full right to use whatever symbols or choice of words they want to express themselves.  There have been calls in the media for certain campaigns not to be “allowed” to use certain imagery, particularly those involving weaponry.  That kind of talk is, however, almost as disturbing to me as seeing the crosshairs on the political map and whatnot.  We don’t need to be policing the language.  People and entities should be able to say whatever they want, however misguided it might be.  After all, how else might the public better see and discern how misguided some people are?  

*Acknowledgement of good intent and intelligence by an opponent.  Such an unpleasant underlying subtext to many debates, particularly on cable television, is, “my intentions are good and pure, and this other person just wants to rob you blind.”  Rarely does there exist any point in the conversation where either side acknowledges, “We both want a good and fair outcome on this issue – but we have very different approaches toward what the outcome should be or how to achieve it.”

Sadly, most campaigns and political leaders fail to understand the power of extending an olive branch . . . that doing so can demonstrate a maturity that the American public absolutely thirsts for in leadership and that also can result in a disarming effect that allows a far more cogent conversation to happen.

Just as disappointing, media moderators are often egregiously inept at shepherding a debate toward any kind of thoughtful analysis, inclusive of both points of agreement and disagreement.  To wit, some of them take great delight in stoking contentions to no productive end whatsoever, and then look beseechingly into the camera over the course of this past weekend, asking “Can’t we all just get along?”  They, too, should be pointed out for the unhelpful roles they play.

*Calling out the premeditated Catch-22s.   In Washington, it’s the growth industry: one side of a debate setting up the other side for a no-win situation, particularly one that causes (and is intended to cause) deep and very public harm, and often in a manner that is either unwarranted, unfair or both.  These types of scenarios play themselves out in countless ways, with a wide range of ethical questions and breaches involved. 

My personal favorite is always the righteous indignation of one congressman against another for voting against XYZ bill, when Congressman 1 knows full well that Congressman 2 didn’t vote for it because of all the unacceptable, unacknowledged line items cram-packed into the legislation.  Just one in a sea of examples . . . but it’s that kind of stuff that poisons trust and trustworthiness.  And where there is no trust, there can be no meaningful civility.   

Changes in our media culture would be welcomed, and the Tucson tragedy is one event with power to enact it, at least at a small level.  It’s my hope that a groundswell of people who want change in public discourse, and who know what specific types of change need to happen, will speak up and influence those with the greatest capacity to achieve it.

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How to Develop a Serious Mindset about Finances in the New Year

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Alcoa, Tenn. – LeConte Wealth Management provides simple and useful tips anyone can use to get more serious about finances in the fast-approaching new year.  

“If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging,” said Kevin Painter, co-founder and managing partner at LeConte Wealth Management.  “Folks need to realize that they can make a change in their financial lives, but they first must change their behavior; the first step in the process is to keep a positive attitude about making changes in the new year.”

LeConte Wealth Management recommends the following steps to create a new financial life in the new year:

  • Analyze your current situation.  Are you spending more than you are earning?  Have you clearly defined your saving, investing and retirement goals?
  • Push away from the table.  The next step to creating a new financial life is to change your current habits.  Do not go back for that second helping of eggnog for example. 
  • You must have a financial vision and plan, then stick to it.  “Vision without execution is hallucination.”  Many people attribute this quote to Thomas Edison, but it is not confirmed where or when he said it.  Either way, this quote is great motivation to keep your New Year’s resolution to live a better life financially. 

In addition to changing habits, getting serious about finances also includes assessing risk.  LeConte points out that there are many types of risks that investors face.  Most focus on the risk of losing money.  Many often overlook interest rate risk, the risk of inflation or higher prices, the risk of not being able to sell a home when they need to or the risk of not having enough money to educate a child or retire when the time comes. 

“During the holiday season, it’s far easier to overindulge at a holiday party than to get up for a morning jog; excuses are much easier to make than appointment with your Stairmaster as old habits die hard,”  said Hoy Grimm, co-founder and managing partner at LeConte Wealth Management.  “If you’ve been financially irresponsible, it’s far simpler to continue to abuse the credit card rather than save your pennies for a purchase down the road.”

For more information about LeConte Wealth Management and access to a variety of free online financial tools and calculators, visit http://www.lecontewealth.com/.

 

ABOUT LECONTE WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC:
Established in 2007 and located at 269 Cusick Road, Alcoa, Tenn., 37701, LeConte Wealth Management, LLC (http://www.lecontewealth.com/) and can be reached at (865) 379 2800, helps clients develop a plan to accumulate and preserve their wealth in pursuit of their unique financial goals.  With more than 30 years of cumulative experience, the firm’s team provides asset management, retirement planning, estate planning, risk management and business planning. Securities and Advisory Services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser.

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Tips to Get the Most out of Charitable Giving this Holiday Season from LeConte Wealth Management

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Alcoa, Tenn. – LeConte Wealth Management recommends a “charitable checklist” added to year-end tax plans for those who plan to make charitable donations this holiday season.

“It is perhaps a bitter irony of economic downturns that charities can fall on hard times when their missions are most important,” said Andy Oakes, financial planner at LeConte Wealth Management.  “Unfortunately, it appears that charitable donations are projected to be down this year.”

LeConte Wealth Management suggests donors who are motivated and financially able to be charitable this year, should add a “charitable checklist” to the year-end tax plan to make sure that the charitable donation does the most good for the charity and for the donor’s taxes.  These tips for a charitable checklist include:

  • Know your charity.  Make sure that the causes you support are accountable in how they pursue their mission.  You might ask what percentage of donations goes toward administrative expenses.  Any rate beyond 20 percent may indicate a lack of fiscal discipline.  Verify their status as a “qualified” charitable organization, which can be denoted by a 501(c)3 designation.  This can make a difference in how much you can ultimately deduct for tax purposes.
  • Be a “deliberate” donor.  Maximizing tax benefits takes careful consideration in how and what you donate.  For example, rather than simply writing a substantial check, you could donate highly appreciated stock, which might be deductible at the fair market value of the investment and avoid capital gains taxation.  Some arrangements like a charitable remainder trust allow you to benefit from an income stream generated by an asset that will ultimately go to charity.  As with other financial planning considerations, charitable donations should be approached holistically in order to ensure that they properly coordinate with your overall financial picture and optimize any applicable tax benefits.
  • Put your accountant on your Christmas card list.  Most of us do not think of our tax advisers until March or April, but by then, it can be too late to meaningfully take advantage of tax saving strategies.  Before the end of the year, ask your accountant to help you construct a projection of your tax liabilities along with some advice about year-end planning to reduce taxes, increase deductions, etc.  You also should verify how your charitable donations will be treated for tax purposes to determine 1) how much is deductible, 2) what documentation of the gift the IRS will require, and 3) from where the gift should come within your financial resources.

“At a time of year that promotes reflection on the blessings we have and charity for those who have not, be sure that your gifts don’t leave you owing more than you should to your least favorite charity, the IRS,” said Oakes.

For more information, including free financial tools and calculators, visit http://www.lecontewealth.com/.

ABOUT LECONTE WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC:
Established in 2007 and located at 269 Cusick Road, Alcoa, Tenn., 37701, LeConte Wealth Management, LLC helps clients develop a plan to accumulate and preserve their wealth in pursuit of their unique financial goals.  With more than 30 years of cumulative experience, the firm’s team provides asset management, retirement planning, estate planning, risk management and business planning. Securities and Advisory Services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser.

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Mary Beth West Honored With 2010 David Ferguson Award

Monday, October 25th, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 19, 2010) — Mary Beth West, APR, principal, Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC., was selected as the recipient of the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) 2010 David Ferguson Award, which was presented at the PRSA Educators Academy reception held during the PRSA 2010 International Conference in Washington, D.C. The David Ferguson Award recognizes outstanding contributions to public relations education by a practitioner.

“Public relations generates success for businesses and organizations throughout our society, and PRSA’s Educators Academy contributes to the profession’s greatest potential by driving academic research, professional standards and the qualifications of future professionals,” said West in accepting the award. “It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by these educators whose work I value and respect.”   

West’s 16-year career in public relations includes a range of posts in the agency, corporate and banking sectors. For seven years, she has managed a public relations consulting firm in Maryville, Tenn.

“The Ferguson Award gives us an opportunity to again honor David Ferguson who truly believed in and supported public relations education,” said PRSA Educators Academy Chair Terri Lynn Johnson, ABC, APR. “We honor him by honoring another PRSA member, Mary Beth West, who also thinks as he did. West has been an outstanding contributor to PRSA and to public relations education. She was nominated by Betsy Plank, who described her as ‘one of the best.’”

West’s involvement with PRSA and its student organization, PRSSA, has extended over two decades. She served as national public relations director for PRSSA while a student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UT), where she was honored as the public relations student of the year in 1994, and received the UT Chancellor’s Citation for Leadership and Service. 

Her early Chapter leadership roles in PRSA included serving as educational liaison to several Tennessee-based PRSSA Chapters. She went on to serve in board leadership positions with the Nashville and Volunteer Chapters of PRSA and, later, served on the national board of PRSA, and led the Society’s National Advocacy Advisory Board. 

West worked again with PRSSA as national professional adviser this past decade, during which time she co-founded, alongside Gail Liebl, APR, the PRSA New Professionals Group, now one of the largest Professional Interest Sections in the Society, and helps transition PRSSA students to PRSA associate membership and active career involvement. 

On a local level, West serves on the UT College of Communication & Information board of visitors. Her firm has sponsored more than $25,000 in local and national scholarships and academic program support, student attendance to PRSSA National Conferences and more than a dozen paid internships for PRSSA students. A career-long member of the Champions for PRSSA and a contributor to the Betsy Plank Endowment, West was the founding donor of the Travis Parman Public Relations Scholarship and the Dwayne Summar Essay Contest at the University of Tennessee, in honor of two close friends and mentors in the profession who are alumni of UT.

About the Educators Academy
In 1978, college and university public relations educators, both full and part time, and practitioners who share with educators a commitment to improving the quality of teaching and scholarly research in the field, were invited to be members of the Educators Academy. Established that same year, the Educators Academy was developed to reach those college and university public relations educators and practitioners to further the advancement of teaching public relations in higher education.

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
With more than 31,000 members, PRSA is the largest organization of public relations professionals and students. PRSA is comprised of 111 local Chapters organized into 10 geographic Districts; 16 Professional Interest Sections that focus on issues, trends and research relevant to specialized practice areas, such as technology, health care, financial communications, entertainment and sports, and travel tourism; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which has more than 300 Chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. PRSA is headquartered in New York.

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Social Media a Vital Tool in Crisis Planning

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Interactive Springboard Provides Solutions to Integrate Social Media in Crisis Preparedness and Communications Plans

Knoxville, Tenn. — According to a recent survey of Tennessee professional communicators, 77 percent say it is “very true” that social media is an integral part of crisis communications planning, but those same professionals say a large gap exists between social media’s importance and how well their own organizations are using it for crisis communications.

Interactive Springboard – a joint venture between Tennessee-based Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC and Blue Media Boutique, LLC – conducted the study of social media attitudes and utilization by Tennessee members of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), with research provided by Bryant Research.

The survey reflected wide gaps between the important role professional communicators think social media plays in a variety of ways and how well organizations are actually using social media – from product testing to employee training and comment monitoring. 

However, no greater gap existed in importance versus actual usage than of social media in crisis communications.  Crisis communications plans are critical for companies and organizations to have in place to manage emergencies such as natural disasters, facility or site-based accidents, product failures or recalls, and sabotage and terrorist attacks, to name just some of the situations that can arise.

“We found survey respondents indicated a high degree of general uncertainty about many aspects of social media – how to use it in relation to traditional media, how to measure ROI, and whether government regulations are a consideration, for example,” said Mary Beth West, a public relations agency consultant. 

“But among all the hot issues in how to apply social media effectively, crisis communications proved to be the biggest stand-out,” West said.  “In short, Tennessee communicators know social media in crisis planning is very important, but they may not have all the experience, tools or resources at hand to apply it effectively.”

Interactive Springboard recommends three steps organizations should take to apply social media in their crisis planning:  research, integrate and update.

The research step involves taking an assessment of all the ways social media can provide faster, more effective lines of communication in a crisis scenario – from alerting team members internally about steps needed to contain a crisis to broadcasting updates to outside audiences like media or community members about necessary safety precautions. 

“You have to involve all members of your management team – from the CEO to marketing and communications, technology, human resources and operations,” said Tori Rose of interactive firm Blue Media Boutique, LLC.  “Gathering the team’s collective input and understanding about social media’s potential role is a major part of the research process, just as it’s important to understand key audiences, their concerns in the crisis and how social media can help them.”

The next step – integration – involves applying social media tools throughout every logical piece of the crisis response plan and making sure the full potential of social media is used both to contain the crisis itself and to keep all impacted audiences informed to safeguard lives and property. 

For example, developing an action plan to engage a Twitter feed to broadcast situational updates can be a key part of keeping employees and family members, communities and media reporters in-the-know and to prevent the spread of rumor and false reports.  Accurate, timely information flow is also a critical factor in preserving as much of the organization’s reputational equity as possible during the crisis and in its aftermath.

The third step – update – is an essential, ongoing process of making sure that the organization keeps the most up-to-date communications technology involved as part of its crisis plan, particularly as social media tools and applications continue to evolve so quickly.

“We recommend organizations revisit their crisis plan at least every six months for the express purpose of making sure the selected social media tools and applications for its plan are still as relevant as possible,” Rose said. 

“This review process also helps keep the other pieces of the plan – general procedures and action steps, chain of command and all of the who’s-doing-what – fresh and top-of-mind,” West said.  “The last thing you want in a crisis situation is a plan that nobody has really even looked at in several years.”

The public can access a free downloadable white paper on the Interactive Springboard study of Tennessee communicators at http://www.interactivespringboard.com/. 

About the Survey Methodology
This census survey of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) members from across the state of Tennessee was conducted online from June 16 to Aug. 6, 2010.  Members from the following chapters participated in the study:  Nashville, Knoxville/Volunteer, Chattanooga/Lookout, Memphis and the Tri-Cities.  In addition to the core questions highlighted in this release, each chapter had the option of appending proprietary questions of specific interest to the local membership.  The survey achieved an overall response rate of 24 percent and provides unique insight into the opinions of those whose day-to-day responsibilities include managing all manner of media, including social media.

About Interactive Springboard
Interactive Springboard is a joint venture between women-owned firms Blue Media Boutique, LLC and Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC, providing an integrated, research-based approach to social media, supporting client communications and business objectives.  http://www.interactivespringboard.com/

About Blue Media Boutique, LLC
Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Blue Media Boutique provides creative, technology and marketing services, including design, development, animation, video, illustration, branding, print, e-commerce, database, CMS, search optimization, copywriting, promotions, events and campaigns. http://www.bluemediaboutique.com/

About Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC
Based in Maryville, Tenn., Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC advances clients’ communications, relationships and reputations to meet business and organizational objectives.  The firm’s services include research strategy, integrated marketing communications campaigns; media, community and employee relations programs; interactive media strategy and program management; crisis preparedness; and special events.  http://www.marybethwest.com/

About Bryant Research
Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Bryant Research managed the Interactive Springboard study.  The company provides custom, proprietary research to clients across a number of industries. Bryant Research has produced award-winning market research counsel, employing a custom blend of quantitative and qualitative methods to inform clients’ marketing communications programs and to facilitate the best business decisions.  http://www.bryant-research.com/

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Tips to Help Homeowners Ensure a Healthy Post-Winter Lawn

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

Maryville, Tenn. — The leaves are turning and the breeze is in the air; fall officially has arrived in East Tennessee, which is the ideal time to winterize a lawn to ensure it remains healthy.   

According to Clint Allison, Rainscapes president, many homeowners overlook the importance of winterizing their lawns.

“Homeowners often do not realize that by not prepping and winterizing their lawns they are allowing weeds to germinate and get a head start on the next season,” he said.   

Allison offers the following tips to help homeowners winterize their lawns during a one-day, do-it- yourself project:

  • Overseed during the fall season, so new seedlings have a chance to grow and mature before the heat of summer.
  • Start treatments of pre-emergent herbicides before crabgrass and other broad leaf weeds start to grow.
  • For warm season turfs (Bermuda, Zoyisa, etc.), fall is a good time to kill unwanted intruder grasses and weeds.
  • Mulch trees and shrubs in the fall to help prevent cold weather damage.
  • Winter is a good time to prune most trees and shrubs.

Homeowners who have sprinkler systems also should be reminded to winterize their system.  Sprinkler systems should be shut down before freezing water has a chance to cause harm. According to Allison, winterizing a sprinkler system is normally less than $100, which is significantly cheaper than replacing damaged equipment from bursting pipes that have not been winterized. 

For more information on tips for a better lawn and Rainscapes’ services, please visit www.rainscapes.com.

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Survey: Tennessee Communicators Agree on Social Media Importance for Employee Culture and Training

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Free white paper download from Interactive Springboard

Knoxville, Tenn. — Interactive Springboard – a joint venture between Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC and Blue Media Boutique, LLC – released data this week from a survey of Tennessee communications professionals about social media.

According to survey results, social media has solidified its place as an important communications tool for Tennessee businesses and organizations.  However, at the same time, significant gaps exist between social media’s potential and how well Tennessee companies actually are utilizing it to achieve results now – including in the areas of employee training and building a strong internal culture.

The survey showed that the vast majority of Tennessee communications professionals (83 percent) believe social media is here to stay, and 90 percent of respondents agree that social media is an important part of any communications plan, with 57 percent expressing a very strong level of agreement. 

In addition, 79 percent said it is changing how organizations communicate with their employees – with 35 percent expressing strongest agreement.

The survey data also produced a “gap analysis” measuring the difference between what respondents said social media’s importance is toward accomplishing specific results and, in comparison, how well the respondents’ own organizations are using social media to achieve those results themselves.

The gap analysis reflected a negative gap score for every item queried – meaning that Tennessee communications professionals reported that their own organizations are underutilizing or underperforming with social media compared to the importance of using social media for particular needs. 

For example, respondents were asked to rank their opinion on a scale of 1 to 7, “How important is using social media for building a strong internal culture?” with 1 meaning “not at all important” and 7 meaning “very important.”

“Respondents rated social media’s importance for employee culture a 5.1 on the 1 to 7 scale – meaning it’s relatively important,” said Rebecca Bryant of Bryant Research, LLC, which managed the study’s implementation.  “But, when we asked them, ‘How well is your organization using social media for building a strong internal culture?’ with 1 meaning “not well at all” and 7 meaning “very well,” their ratings averaged 3.3.”

“The difference between these two rounded metrics – 5.1 and then 3.3 – resulted in a negative 1.9 gap between the two scores when the decimals were rounded off – clearly showing there is significant room for improvement for organizations statewide to use social media well for a strong internal culture,” Bryant said.

According to the survey’s gap scores on other query points, significant performance gaps also exist for incorporating social media into employee training initiatives, as well as crisis communications.

“Across the board, this study reflects that a significant portion of Tennessee’s professional communicators believe social media holds employee-related potential for their organizations, but there can be hurdles to be overcome with the actual mechanics of managing it,” said Mary Beth West of public relations firm Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC.

West said it is important for a variety of leaders in an organization – from the human resources department to the communications, legal and marketing departments – to work in partnership to develop social media strategies and tools for the benefit of employee relations.

“CEO buy-in as well as support from managers throughout the organization is also necessary,” she said. 

“While many companies view social media simply as a conduit for customer-building, there are many other applications of social media to be explored, like employee team-building and relationship management,” said Tori Rose of Blue Media Boutique. 

Rose said that a variety of companies such as IBM, Best Buy, PepsiCo and ING are already utilizing social media – or social media-like functionality on their own proprietary Intranets or private communications platforms – to engage employees in supporting the culture and objectives of the company.

“It’s critical to be authentic,” said Rose.  “That means companies can’t take a paternalistic approach and simply push their own communications out to the masses, with an assumption that it’s embraced and accepted.  You have to listen, encourage two-way dialogue, and be transparent with your employee base.  The resulting appreciation and trust from employees can pay big dividends to how the organization performs long-term.”

 

About the Survey Methodology

This census survey of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) members from across the state of Tennessee was conducted online from June 16 to Aug. 6, 2010.  Members from the following chapters participated in the study:  Nashville, Knoxville/Volunteer, Chattanooga/Lookout, Memphis and the Tri-Cities.  In addition to the core questions highlighted in this release, each chapter had the option of appending proprietary questions of specific interest to the local membership.  The survey achieved an overall response rate of 24 percent and provides unique insight into the opinions of those whose day-to-day responsibilities include managing all manner of media, including social media.

About Interactive Springboard

Interactive Springboard is a joint venture between women-owned firms Blue Media Boutique, LLC and Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC, providing an integrated, research-based approach to social media, supporting client communications and business objectives.  www.interactivespringboard.com

About Blue Media Boutique, LLC

Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Blue Media Boutique provides creative, technology and marketing services, including design, development, animation, video, illustration, branding, print, e-commerce, database, CMS, search optimization, copywriting, promotions, events and campaigns. www.bluemediaboutique.com

About Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC

Based in Maryville, Tenn., Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC advances clients’ communications, relationships and reputations to meet business and organizational objectives.  The firm’s services include research strategy, integrated marketing communications campaigns; media, community and employee relations programs; interactive media strategy and program management; crisis preparedness; and special events.  www.marybethwest.com

About Bryant Research, LLC

Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Bryant Research provides custom, proprietary research to clients across a number of industries. Bryant Research has produced award-winning market research counsel, employing a custom blend of quantitative and qualitative methods to inform clients’ marketing communications programs and to facilitate the best business decisions.  www.bryant-research.com

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Survey: Tennessee Communicators Agree on Social Media’s Importance, But Significant Gaps Exist between Potential and Current Benefits

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Interactive Sprinboard Survey White Paper

Knoxville, Tenn. — According to a new survey of communications professionals from across Tennessee, social media has solidified its place as an important communications tool for businesses and organizations – but at the same time, significant gaps exist between social media’s potential and how well Tennessee businesses and organizations actually are utilizing it to achieve results now.

Interactive Springboard – a joint venture between Tennessee-based Blue Media Boutique, LLC, and Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC – collaborated with Bryant Research this summer to field a survey of Tennessee communications professionals to quantify social media’s perceived relevance and benefits to companies and other organizations in the state.

The survey results show that the vast majority of Tennessee communicators (83 percent) believe social media is here to stay, and 90 percent of respondents agree that social media is an important part of any communications plan, with 57 percent expressing a very strong level of agreement. 

In addition, 96 percent said social media is changing how organizations communicate with their customers, and 79 percent said it is changing how organizations communicate with their employees. 

The vast majority of respondents – also 96 percent – characterized social media as an integral part of crisis communications planning.

In contrast to this high level of general agreement about social media’s relevance to organizational communications, however, 68 percent of respondents expressed that “it’s hard to know what combination of social media and traditional media to use,” and 66 percent expressed difficulty measuring social media results.  Fifty-two percent either agreed with or were unsure about how social media can contribute to the bottom line.       

“The uncertainty factor about social media is pretty global and should not be perceived as just a ‘Tennessee thing,’” said Tori Rose of interactive firm Blue Media Boutique.  “For example, a study released in August 2010 of IBM Business Partners – a sophisticated group technology-wise – reported that ‘three-quarters say they are uncertain how to apply (social media) as an effective sales tool’.” 

“Whether a company is large or small or based in Germany or Germantown, integrating social media effectively demands a well-researched, planned and executed approach – which means you need to know your audiences’ needs, then sustain a real strategy and action plan,” Rose said.  “We’ve observed that for most organizations, getting their arms around that process is the toughest part of the nut to crack.”

The survey data also produced a “gap analysis” measuring the difference between what respondents said social media’s importance is toward accomplishing specific results and, in comparison, how well the respondents’ own organizations are using social media to achieve those results themselves.

The gap analysis reflected a negative gap score for every item queried – meaning that Tennessee communications professionals reported that their own organizations are underutilizing or underperforming with social media compared to the importance of using social media for particular needs. 

For example, respondents were asked to rank their opinion on a scale of 1 to 7, “How important is using social media for crisis communications?” with 1 meaning “not at all important” and 7 meaning “very important.”

“Respondents rated social media’s importance for crisis communications a 6.2 on the 1 to 7 scale – meaning it’s quite important,” said Rebecca Bryant of Bryant Research, which managed the study’s implementation.  “But, when we asked them, ‘How well is your organization using social media for crisis communications?’ with 1 meaning “not well at all” and 7 meaning “very well,” their ratings averaged 4.1.”

“The difference between these two rounded metrics – 6.2 and then 4.1 – resulted in a negative 2.2 gap between the two scores when rounded off – clearly showing there is a lot of room for improvement for Tennessee organizations to use social media effectively in crisis communications,” Bryant said.

According to the survey’s gap scores on other query points, significant performance gaps also exist for incorporating social media into employee training initiatives, using social media to test new product ideas and using social media as a tool for building a strong internal culture.

“Across the board, this study reflects that a significant portion of Tennessee’s professional communicators believe social media holds strong potential for their organizations, but there are hurdles to be overcome with the actual mechanics of managing it,” said Mary Beth West of public relations firm Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC.

“While many companies view social media simply as a conduit for customer-building, there are many other applications of social media to be explored, such as crisis planning, employee team-building and product research, to name some,” West said.  “We urge organizations to take a holistic approach and consider the many unconventional ways that social media can help them build relationships with many more audiences than just their own customers.”

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About the Survey Methodology

This census survey of PRSA members from across the state of Tennessee was conducted online from June 16 to Aug. 6, 2010.  Members from the following chapters participated in the study:  Nashville, Knoxville/Volunteer, Chattanooga/Lookout, Memphis and the Tri-Cities.  In addition to the core questions highlighted in this release, each chapter had the option of appending proprietary questions of specific interest to the local membership.  The survey achieved an overall response rate of 24 percent and provides unique insight into the opinions of those whose day-to-day responsibilities include managing all manner of media, including social media.

About Interactive Springboard

Interactive Springboard is a joint venture between women-owned firms Blue Media Boutique and Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC, providing an integrated, research-based approach to social media that supports client marketing communications and business objectives. 

About Blue Media Boutique, LLC

Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Blue Media Boutique provides creative, technology and marketing services, including design, development, animation, video, illustration, branding, print, e-commerce, database, CMS, search optimization, copywriting, promotions, events and campaigns. www.bluemediaboutique.com

About Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC

Based in Maryville, Tenn., Mary Beth West Consulting, LLC advances clients’ communications, relationships and reputations to meet business and organizational objectives.  The firm’s services include research strategy, integrated marketing communications campaigns; media, community and employee relations programs; interactive media strategy and program management; crisis preparedness; and special events.  www.marybethwest.com

About Bryant Research

Based in Knoxville, Tenn., Bryant Research provides custom, proprietary research to clients across a number of industries. Bryant Research has produced award-winning market research counsel, employing a custom blend of quantitative and qualitative methods to inform clients’ marketing communications programs and to facilitate the best business decisions.  www.bryant-research.com

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Rainscapes® Acquires Duck Irrigation to Create Largest Irrigation Contractor in Greater Knoxville Area

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Maryville, Tenn.— Maryville-based Rainscapes® recently acquired Knoxville-based Duck Irrigation to create the largest irrigation contractor in the Greater Knoxville area with a customer base of more than 4,000. As part of the acquisition, Duck Irrigation has been consolidated under the Rainscapes’ organization, which will honor all prior servicing agreements. 

“Rainscapes is delighted to unite with Duck Irrigation, which will allow us even more resources and professional expertise to help customers with any irrigation installation or servicing project,” said Rainscapes President Clint Allison. 

The only national Irrigation Association Certified Contractor in East Tennessee, Rainscapes offers diverse residential and commercial irrigation products and services, including system installations, seasonal irrigation maintenance and landscape lighting and design.

As water conservation is an integral part of the irrigation industry, Rainscapes’ Clint Allison is proud to be designated an Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense® Partner. Rainscapes is the only irrigation company headquartered in East Tennessee that has a staff member with the WaterSense® Partner designation. 

“Rainscapes differentiates itself from other irrigation providers with a focus on credentialed services and professionalism,” said Allison. “For example, when someone calls Rainscapes during business hours, a representative will not only answer the call, but also schedule appointments; we take great pride in honoring our scheduled appointment times.”

A Rain Bird select contractor, Rainscapes’ portfolio of work includes the University of Tennessee at Knoxville football practice field, baseball field, soccer field and aquatic center; Stokely Athletic Center; Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame; Ruby Tuesday’s Corporate Headquarters; Blackberry Farms; Tennessee National Entrance and Lee University.

East Tennessee native Clint Allison founded Rainscapes in 1996. He received his Bachelor’s degree in agricultural-ornamental horticulture and landscape design from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.       

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