Insights: The Buzz Around the c21 Office

New Clients: Men Stopping Violence and HD Supply

New clients alert! c21 has recently been retained by two new clients. With Men Stopping Violence (MSV), a social change organization dedicated to engaging men and youth to prevent violence against women, c21's goal is to create national awareness of MSV's educational programs and position it as the premier training institute in the country.

c21 also began working with HD Supply, a leading wholesale distribution company with approximately 900 locations in North America. As their corporate communications partner, c21 is working with internal communications teams in Atlanta and Orlando to create compelling corporate communication programs for HD Supply's vast employee base. In the initial phase, c21 developed an effective and easy to understand guide to the company's annual benefits enrollment program, which will be distributed to 28,000 employees nationwide. The new guide will help create a uniform branded message to all employees and communicate complex benefits information in a way that is easily understood by HD Supply's associates.

c21's Social Media Expertise Featured in IABC Article

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), a global professional network of over 15,500 business communications professionals, released their fall edition of Empart which included perspectives from Sharon Goldmacher, president of c21. In the article, Sharon discussed the importance of finding new ways to be innovative and appealing despite the current economic situation. Click here to view article.

c21 Voted Best Places to Work

c21 was awarded the ninth spot in the small business category at the Atlanta Business Chronicle's annual Best Places to Work event, held September 25, 2009 at the Georgia Aquarium. Almost 500 companies were nominated this year, with 25 winners honored in the small and medium sized company categories and 10 large company winners. Across all three award sectors, c21 was the highest ranking marketing public relations and interactive firm.

The award was based upon a quantitative employee survey of human resources values, including team effectiveness, goal alignment, trust of management and coworkers, and more. This is the second time c21 has been recognized by the Chronicle as a Best Place to Work, having received the award in 2007.

Finalists for Client Advisor Awards

c21 is a finalist for The Client Advisor Award in the Leading Small Professional Services Firm category. The Client Advisor Awards set the standard for best practice behavior and results in the relationships between professional services firms and their clients. c21's client, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, is also one of three nominated for the Mid-Sized Client Organization of 2009. c21 will be attending the 2009 Client Advisor Awards ceremony on December 1, 2009 to find out who will join the Client Advisor winner's circle.

c21 Celebrates Successes at the 25th Anniversary Phoenix Awards

The Order of the Phoenix was established in 1986 by the Georgia Chapter to recognize and honor distinguished public relations professionals for their career achievements, for significant contributions in the field of public relations and for exemplary community service.

This year, c21 was awarded a Phoenix Award in the category "Word of Mouth Marketing" for its work on the "Cheesiest Photo Contest" for the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association and Domino's Pizza.

Additionally, c21 received Certificates of Excellence in the following categories:

• Web sites – External: c21 and Cool Dog Interactive for "Southeast Dairy Association Website Moo-ves Visitors"
• Social Media: c21 and The Avenue for "c21 and The Avenue Ring In The 2008 Holiday With 'Affordable Luxuries'"
• Newsletters – Digital: c21 for "Lorenc + Yoo Drives Sales Through Experiential Storytelling E-News"
• Integrated communications 2009: c21 and Atlanta Botanical Garden for "Monumental Program Reaps Monumental Rewards for Atlanta Botanical Garden"

c21's Featured Speakers for the NCRA's 2009 Annual Conference

Sharon Goldmacher and Marlena Reed were invited to speak on social media marketing for B-to-B uses at the National Credit Reporting Association's 2009 Annual Conference on Kiawah Island, S.C., November 11-13. "This was a wonderful group to address! While the members' experience and comfort-level with social media ran the gamut from none to somewhat experienced, they were excited to learn how social media can positively impact their businesses," said Marlena.

If you'd like to see the presentation, we've posted it on slideshare. If you're interested in having c21's subject matter experts speak at your event, contact us by clicking here.

Ruth Mitcham Walks the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer!

c21 account manager Ruth Mitcham participated in the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer on October 3 and 4, walking a total of 30 miles along with her mother and boyfriend (whose mother is a seven-year breast cancer survivor). The walk has raised $6.6 million over the past six years and awarded 107 grants to local breast cancer organizations in the Atlanta area. This year, the 2-Day Walk awarded a record $1 million to local breast cancer organizations providing diagnosis, education, support and research to thousands of Atlanta area women affected by the disease. Way to go, Ruth!