Russian delegates from the Community Connections Program (CCP) visited the Vandiver Group this afternoon to learn about public relations and communications practices for non-profits. CCP is managed by the Bureau of Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. Agency for Information Development (USAID) and is run locally by the World Affairs Council of St. Louis.
The Community [...]

By Donna M. Vandiver
In twenty-first century marketing, there is a new rulebook. Rule Number One: Your best marketers are always your satisfied customers. In conversations with friends, family, peers, people they interact with online, and even those who follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and the myriad of other social media sites, your customers [...]

TVG was recently named Best PR Firm in St. Louis by St. Louis Small Business Monthly readers. The publication released their annual Best In Business issue last week, which features TVG and other winners. TVG competed against 24 other PR firms and received the most votes from readers to win the top spot.
 ”At TVG, client [...]

For those of you who haven’t met any of the TVG crew in person, not only are we constantly connected via social media, but many of us like to take the occasional trip to the mall. So, we were intrigued when we heard about Ann Taylor Loft’s recent social media snafu.
If you’ll [...]

In December, the FTC released revised Guidelines Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. I think it’s important to address specifically the FTC’s requirement that companies and endorsers disclose material connections. That’s why I will be writing a series of blog posts about best and worst practices and the impact the regulations may [...]

In November I attended the 2009 Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Summit in Las Vegas.  As a member of WOMMA, it has been interesting to watch the Association grow and transform as the social media era has taken hold of communications.  WOMMA conferences provide some great face-to-face collaboration and bring together an interesting mix [...]

Since humans began communicating, people have shared tips and testimonials through word of mouth (WOM). Social media including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc., have increased the potential and impact of word of mouth. Companies and organizations have recognized this and increasingly utilize and mobilize advocates in providing WOM endorsements and testimonials.
Now, the FTC [...]

Last month I attended the World-of-Mouth Marketing Association’s conference, WOMM-U. I joined other marketing and communications enthusiasts to collaborate on social media and hear about some great campaigns from Disney, Texas Instruments, WalMart and many more. We also heard from YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and other key social media platforms. Overall, it was [...]

Businesses continually strive to develop awareness of their products, services and key messages. Whether through door-to-door sales, cold calls, e-mail messages or personal meetings, business development aims to increase awareness and establish relationships.
In the current economy, networking and personal interactions may be more important to business development than ever before. Strong employee networks can help [...]

YouTube can be a procrastinator’s heaven. But it can also be informative, entertaining and thought provoking. Here are three videos I recently viewed on YouTube that I wanted to share.
Start your week off on YouTube to learn about past marketing campaigns, start a conversation in your office or just get your [...]