Fall 2009 Newsletter: A Fresh Face for Five Years

This October, we are celebrating five successful years of growth in delivering customized communications with renowned results. To that end, we are thrilled to unveil the firm’s new name: Van Eperen & Company!

This exciting five-year milestone, occurring in the midst of the online revolution, presented the perfect time to evolve the firm’s brand name from Van Eperen Public Relations (VE PR) to Van Eperen and Company (VE & Co.), which better articulates our company’s broader services with both, traditional and new marketing communications. To communicate our new brand, we have launched an entirely new website, wwww.veandco.com. I hope you will take a moment to visit the new site and tell us what you think.

Also, please note our team will now be using new e-mail addresses with a change to the domain of veandco.com. We will still receive e-mail through our former domain of vepublicrelations.com addresses, but we ask that you update your contacts to ensure future communications.

- Laura Van Eperen

VE & Co. Launches Social Media Presence With New Brand

There are lots of ways to connect with VE & Co. to get the latest news from our growing team, keep up on industry buzz, and find interesting content worth reading. We invite you to connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and get LinkedIn with some of our team members: Laura, Jennifer and Allie.  

Marketing Tip: Make Your Holiday Party Sizzle with Wii Games

Looking for a creative, inexpensive way to spice up your corporate holiday party? Try adding Wii, like these screens set-up at Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, Va. Westfields annually hosts high-quality holiday events that feature the latest creative ways to ensure your employees have a memorable experience at your seasonal celebration. This event also featured a pool table, photo booths, award-winning culinary creations, and much more

 

MHCC and VE & Co. Honored With Industry Award for Marketing Business-to-Business Campaign

The Maryland Health Care Commission and VE & Co. teamed up in 2008 to encourage small businesses to offer health insurance to their employees through a campaign called the Health Insurance Partnership. VE & Co., together with our design partner, developed a brand identity for the campaign and helped connect health insurance companies with small businesses throughout the state through a robust communications strategy. As a result, hundreds of people were able to take advantage of a new state subsidy for health insurance and cover the uninsured in Maryland. For our efforts, MHCC and VE & Co. received a Certificate of Excellence Award from the Public Relations Society of America National Capital Chapter in September.

VE & Co. Invited to Speak About Social Media with Montgomery County Leaders

Social media is a growing tool for key Montgomery County leaders in the corporate, government and nonprofit sectors. VE & Co.’s Laura and Allie shared their expertise in a Leadership Montgomery Seminar on Sept. 30 called To Tweet or Not to Tweet: Get Off the Sidelines & Get Into the Social Media Game. For a copy of the presentation, contact Laura at laurav@veandco.com.

Client Success: Sparking Interest in Health Careers and Telehealth Technology 

In an effort to expose Baltimore students to careers in the health field, VE & Co. assisted the nation’s leading health provider in promoting a national campaign showcasing the latest telehealth technology in a traveling, demonstration mobile clinic. More than 400 elementary, middle and high school students experienced the technology, which expands access to health care by connecting patients and physicians through videoconferencing when in-person visits are not possible.

Check out the Baltimore Sun's and WBAL-TV’s coverage of the event.

Client Success: Gifts for Grads Promotion

Graduation season is an opportune time for the Mid-Atlantic’s largest purveyor of stringed instruments, who teamed up with VE & Co. to create a marketing campaign around choosing stringed instruments and accessories as the ideal Gifts for Grads. Through creative messaging and design, VE & Co., with design 25 graphics, reached out to key audiences with e-blasts, social media, targeted advertising, and media outreach to generate the most successful graduation season to date for the stringed instrument company.

Staff Notes:

VE & Co. Welcomes Local Advocate As New VP

VE & Co. is proud to welcome storied community and healthcare advocate Reverend Mansfield “Kasey” Kaseman as the firm’s Vice President of Strategy and Development. Kaseman has 40+ years of experience founding and administering nonprofit organizations and strategically aligning sectors of the community to serve the interests of all people. His commitment to working on behalf of others began alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s as he fought for civil rights and his experience includes several respected local organizations such as Community Ministries of Rockville, the Rockville Senior Center, Manna Food Center, Habitat for Humanity in Montgomery County, and the Human Services Commission of Rockville.

Later in 2009, a highly anticipated community healthcare clinic is expected to open up in Kaseman’s name in Rockville.

Former AU Eagle Joins VE & Co. Team 

Also a new addition to VE & Co., American University grad Tess Alberts brings an eclectic background of communications experience as the firm's new account coordinator. While majoring in public communications and with a marketing minor, the driven Buffalo, NY native took on Web marketing, talent relations, public relations and promotions internships at well-known companies such as SIRIUS Satellite Radio. Alberts will use her media savvy and diverse past experience to support client work in media relations and marketing at VE & Co.

Next Up: Women In Defense Embrace Social Media

Through her position as Programs Directorof the Capital Chapter of Women in Defense (WID-DC), Laura Van Eperen is educating defense leaders on the growing usage of social media with a panel discussion on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 a.m. at Marriott Crystal City at Reagan National Airport. Participants will learn how to optimize online networking tools to professionally communicate messages in the presentation enitled "Social Media (Web 2.0) Usage to Enhance Defense Communications." Anyone interested should RSVP to laurav@veandco.com by Monday, Oct. 5. Cost for WID members is $25, non-members $35. Continental breakfast will be provided.

 

The Last Word: “Without promotion something terrible happens... Nothing!”- P.T. Barnium