Award-Winning Editor Becomes Renowned JDRF Advocate
Writer and advocate Moira McCarthy is today’s Monday Maine Maven. Moira was an award-winning newspaper editor and investigative crime reporter before she reached her goal of working as a top ski writer.
Moira was east editor for Snow Country Magazine and is currently a contributing editor at SKI Magazine, SKI AREA Management Magazine and is the weekly winter sports columnist for the Boston Herald.
She has published five books on everything from golf to skiing, to raising a child with diabetes to raising teen girls (the last would star Linda Blair, were it a screenplay).
Moira was president of the Massachusetts American Cancer Society and president of her children’s school PTO (where she raised 100 times more than any other president had in one year).
When Moira’s youngest daughter, Lauren, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, she turned all of her donation time to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and its mission for a cure.
Moira has served on almost every committee of JDRF’s International Board, was “ChairMom” of their International Children’s Congress, president of the New England chapter and was named JDRF International Volunteer of the year.
Moira is an avid tennis player and holds a number of club championships and is a tepid golfer who holds some really cute golf hats. She lives in Plymouth, Mass. with her husband, Sean. Moira’s daughter Leigh, 25, is a teacher. Lauren, now 20, is thriving as a student at George Mason University majoring in – what else? — political communications.
Moira considers herself part Maniac because she’d skied with Paul Schipper and has made jello shots from a Maine cookbook.
CMO for Hire Shares Social Media Philosophy
Our Maine Maven today is Jennifer Beever, founder of New Incite Marketing Consulting and chief marketing officer for hire.
Jennifer has a background in B2B sales and marketing for software, technology and manufacturing companies.
Jennifer’s unique ability to analyze business situations and apply practical marketing programs gets results for her clients. Her experience in marketing technology products and services provides her with a special talent in translating the technical into stories that sell for her clients.
In 2009, Jennifer received the Inbound Marketing Certified Professional with Honors Distinction certification, which recognizes proficiency in Inbound Marketing principles and best practices, including blogging, social media, lead conversion, lead nurturing, and closed-loop analysis. Only 15% of IMCPs receive Honors Distinction.
Jennifer Beever spent fourteen years in marketing management, product management, and sales in the software industry prior to founding New Incite.
She put herself through Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School MBA program by attending night classes while maintaining her status as a top sales rep in the software industry.
Jennifer worked with many B2B companies and organizations, including: IBM, Computer Associates, System Software Associates, Marcam, Informix, ORACLE, Nissin Foods and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) IRC.
Originally from the great state of Maine, Jennifer is an avid skier, reader, and enjoys tennis and golf. She tutored children in the LA Times Reading-by-9 program (now The Wonder of Reading) for several years and has volunteered for and contributed to Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys and the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank.
Former VP of Communications Excels in PR
Our Maine Maven today is NMC Account Executive Greg Glynn! Greg coordinates strategic planning for clients, including branding, marketing, as well as media and public relations, and writes copy for e-newsletters, press releases and develops multimedia content for NMC clients, including videos and podcasts.
Greg also works with other account executives and account supervisors to plan media events and press conferences. Greg is known for his strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Prior to joining NMC, Greg worked as the vice president of communications for the American Hockey League’s Portland Pirates, a minor league hockey team in Portland, Maine.
Greg graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a minor in marketing.
1.) Greg, you used to be the VP of communications for the Portland Pirates. Are there any parallels between your position there and what you do as an account executive at NMC? Are there any striking differences?
Everyday I see parallels between the two positions, especially when it comes to media relations.
During my six years that I spent in the Portland market, I developed so many great relationships with different reporters and public relations people that I still keep in touch with today.
From Business to the Theater, Social Media is a Win
NMC Business Manager Juli Settlemire is today’s Monday Maine Maven!
Juli joined the NMC team in 2009. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the Augusta office, financial and billing operations for the agency, along with project estimation for client marketing plans.
A native Mainer, Juli graduated with high honors from the University of Maine at Orono with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts.
1.) Juli, you previously worked in healthcare, and now you are working as the business manager at NMC.
How does social media impact your work at NMC, and how do you feel about its evolution since you left the healthcare field?
I’ve been with NMC since 2009, so I’ve been a witness to the evolution of social media.
Back in 2009, only young people were on Facebook and business pages didn’t exist. I remember thinking how cutting-edge Nancy was to have a Twitter account!
One of the first “rules” I learned at NMC was to go where your audience is and become a part of the conversation – a part of the community.
Because of HIPAA privacy concerns, the medical profession continues to carefully ease into social media. Many doctors and hospitals still only see liabilities when they think of using Facebook pages, company blogs and tweets without focusing on creating a presence where their audience goes for information.
Although I certainly understand their trepidation, I feel as though they and their patients are really missing out.
NMC Prepares to Lace Up & March to Upcoming Social Media Boot Camp
NMC prepares to march to the Senator Inn & Spa where we will host our Social Media Boot Camp on April 4.
Today’s Fab Foto is in celebration of NMC’s upcoming Social Media Boot Camp being held on Wednesday, April 4.
Registration for both the beginner and advanced sessions will close today, so be sure to sign up now if you’d like to join us! Visit http://bootcamp.marshallpr.com/ to learn more.
As we prepare to march up to the Senator Inn & Spa where we will host the sessions, we want to remind you we will be kicking off each Boot Camp with a giveaway — a pair of these handsome L.L. Bean boots.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Maine Adventure Resort President Develops Effective Social Media Strategies
Today’s Maine Maven is Northern Outdoors President Russell Walters. Northern Outdoors is one of Maine’s year-round outdoor adventure resorts, offering whitewater rafting, hiking, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, leadership retreats, and more at its base in Western Maine.
Born in England and now living in Kingfield, Russell is a leader in the outdoor industry, a former board member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, a member of the Maine Tourism Commission, and co-founder of AdventureRes, a reservations and management solution for Adventure Travel operators.
In his spare time, Russell enjoys hiking, skiing, snowmobiling and rafting with his two sons and wife, Sheryll.
1.) Russell, you have always been eager to try new marketing techniques and tools.
What do you feel has been the biggest change in marketing over the course of your career?
Two things stand out as the biggest changes in marketing that I have experienced: 1) User-generated content, and 2) exponentially greater distribution of marketing messages/promotions at a 1-to-1 level.
With the advent of social media, we have found our guests are doing a great deal of “marketing” for us, by way of their user-generated content talking about their experiences of their Maine vacation with Northern Outdoors. They do this on multiple channels, in their own words, which become powerful, focused, relevant marketing messaging for us.
Our job is to then focus on delivering the highest quality vacation experiences that make a guest want to share it with their friends!
The resultant distribution of marketing outreach and promotions is at a scale, depth, and relevancy unparalleled by anything I’ve experienced during my career, thanks to online distribution channels. This means that our marketing works so much more efficiently and travels so much further than anything we could have afforded to do pre-internet (for example, TV, radio, or print advertising/PR).
How to Write a 3-Paragraph Media Pitch
Through Facebook, I have started following “PR in Your Pajamas” which is helpful in reminding me of PR basics, but also an intriguing concept….wouldn’t you prefer to do PR in your pajamas rather than in your panty hose? (Sorry, guys, please substitute whatever item of clothing you would like to substitute for pajamas. I personally despise panty hose, but I digress.)
Elena Verlee, a passionate publicist with two decades of brand building experience, is the founder of a successful PR agency called Cross Border Communications that works with high-growth and technology companies to promote them in the US, Canada and the UK.
Elena’s blog and do-it yourself website “PR in Your Pajamas” helps micro entrepreneurs and small businesses who can’t afford a publicist to get heard, get known, and get talked about so they can change the world.
You can read more about Elena and her PR expertise here.
Elena’s post yesterday was particularly interesting to me, since I feel that media pitching is fast becoming a lost art.
If you ask any journalist, they will tell you that a succinct, timely and relevant pitch is preferable over a long and detailed press release any day… at least to suggest a story idea.
Once the reporter has committed to writing a story, they will want more facts, but if you are trying to get their interest, and determine if a story would be a good fit with their publication or broadcast outlet, a good pitch is the way to go.
Thanks, Elena Verlee, for bringing us relevant content on best practices in PR through your Facebook posts, your website and even your book, “PR for Newbies.”
Interactive Marketing Manager is a Measurement Expert
Today’s Maine Maven is NMC Interactive Marketing Manager Matthew Rideout. In his position, Matt develops and executes strategies involving two way communication between businesses and their target markets.
Through the use of social media, surveys, websites, focus groups, and events, a business can interact with its target market in order to learn from and strengthen the relationship it has with customers and donors. Matt is an expert in facilitating this interaction and using the data received to grow profitable relationships.
Prior to working at NMC, Matt worked at a direct response marketing firm where he connected infomercial ads to social media.
Additionally, Matt is fully versed in e-commerce and has even designed and licensed a custom e-commerce platform to minimize direct response customer abandonment, as well as conform to the strict requirements set by the FTC for the direct response industry.
You can read more about Matt’s PR insight at his personal blog ProfessionallySocial.com.
1.) Matt, you have been focusing on consumer behavior, market research, Web development and social media. How do all of these things converge for you in any given day?
It all comes down to finding consumers’ motivations and isolating what makes them make a decision through old fashion market research.
Let’s take the decision to book a particular style of vacation on the Maine Coast. On the surface, I usually receive a list of logical responses for motivators such as, “It was affordable,” “A friend recommended it to me,” “We love the owners of the establishment,” etc.
These are the logical reasons people come up with for why they do things, but there are a lot of affordable vacation options, friends might have several recommendations, and there are a lot of really nice and friendly resort / cruise owners (a few happen to be our clients). So what is it that really makes the decision?
Maine Native Explores Evolving Social Media Landscape Personally and Professionally
NMC is happy to feature our own Account Coordinator Whitney Moreau as today’s Maine Maven. Whitney has been working at NMC since April 2011.
She is responsible for the administration of integrated strategic marketing and communications campaigns for clients, including strategic planning, copywriting, press release distribution, web copywriting and the execution of social media strategies.
Whitney graduated from Thomas College with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management and a Master in Business Administration.
1.) Whitney, you grew up in the era of social media. At what age did you start to use social media?
I remember hearing about Facebook my freshman year of college when I was eighteen. Since I was born and raised an Oakland, Maine but studying at Endicott College in Massachusetts, I began using the social media platform to network with other out-of-state classmates. This is really when I started adapting social media and becoming engaged.
If someone had told me in 2005 where we’d be with Facebook or other social media websites today, I probably would have been skeptical.
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Travel and Explore Internationally, Cook and Eat Locally
Our Maine Maven today is Kathy Bechtel, culinary director of Italiaoutdoors, local chef, and TV show host.
After a career as a telecommunications engineer, Kathy retired and enrolled in culinary school. She graduated at the top of her class in 2004. Since then, she has worn many cooking hats, including leading cooking classes, catering, and as a personal chef.
Early in 2010, Vernon McClure approached Kathy about joining efforts to offer unique active culinary and wine tours in Italy. Kathy pairs a passion for sharing the amazing foods and wines in regions of Italy with her position at Italiaoutdoors.
Kathy complements Vernon’s expertise in recreational programming with an equally strong food and wine program. Their goal is to introduce guests to the incredible diversity of the regional cuisines and local wines they experience first hand each visit to Italy.
Kathy currently divides her time in the US between Newburyport, MA and Sugarloaf, ME. She works full-time as a ski instructor during the winters at Sugarloaf, and enjoys hiking, biking, and golfing in the warmer months. When not in the kitchen, outside is where you’ll find Kathy.
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