We’re frequently asked, “What should my business do, from a PR perspective?”

Most of the  time, they’re not asking for a full consultation, but are asking, “What do the successful companies know?”

For months, the PilmerPR team has been working behind-the-scenes to compile the most useful information together, and in terms for the layman. The result is “PR 101: The Basics.”

Beginning this month, PilmerPR will host the webinars to introduce basic public relations strategies to entrepreneurs, CXOs and emerging company owners, within an hour.

This is not just a sales presentation. You will come away seeing your business from a PR perspective, which may inspire you to rethink current practices.

Topics include the following:

• Social Media - Money Maker or Energy Leak
• Press Releases - Not Just for Reporters Anymore
• Online Media Revolution - A Conceptual and Monetary Shift
• Measurement - Turning PR into Money
• Watering Holes - Finding Prospects in 2010
• Avoiding Potholes - Common Errors of Entrepreneurs
• What’s News? - Making News Newsworthy
• And More!

“PR 101: The Basics” is only $149. For this first webinar, if you sign up for the PilmerPR newsletter, we will give you a code to attend for just $49.

Sign up for the PilmerPR Newsletter:

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There are so many new green technologies under development that it’s hard to keep track. Here’s one more. What if I told you there was a cleantech auto transmission under development that will yield 30% greater MPG, even in big-rig trucks? Gas, diesel, electric, CNG–doesn’t matter. What if I further told you that Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, and Subaru were all looking at it. More to come…

Did you know that in the U.S. we consume 176 billion gallons of motor fuel per year? (source: USDOT) If 1% of our vehicles increased their MPG by 30%, that would save 528 million gallons of fuel the first year.

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More more info: jpilmer@pilmerpr.com

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PilmerPR was honored by its peers in Utah for its outstanding media relations, Wednesday.

The Golden Spike Awards committee recognized PilmerPR in the Publicity and Media Relations category for its work promoting the ElectraTherm Green Machine. As part of the campaign, PilmerPR garnered 38 news articles, a syndicated radio interview, interviews on FOX Business News, The 700 Club, and multiple local television stations, and an online podcast. We also helped catch the attention of Popular Science Magazine, which awarded the ElectraTherm Green Machine in its “Best of What’s New” issue. In one year, the campaign reached more than 304 million people, and achieved publicity that would cost around $570,000 if gained through advertising.

PilmerPR founder John Pilmer was also recognized as one of the top five PR pro’s in the state for his accomplishments and ethics.

According to the committee, all Golden Spike entries are judged by fellow PR professionals, following a stringent set of criteria that ensure only the best in the industry are recognized.

These awards represent our commitment to provide best-in-class results for our clients. They can depend on our staff’s media relations skills to bring new top-tier investors and customers to their door.

We are pleased that our results are not only recognized by our clients, but also other PR professionals. We look forward to the years ahead.

Read the full press release here.

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Alan Ashton & Lt. Gov Gary Herbert address UVEF

Fox News: UVEF Top 25 Under 5

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Today, Lt Gov Gary Herbert keynoted a terrific awards program by the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF). 160 attendees. 25 top companies under five years of age were honored. Representing $80 million in combined 2008 revenue, the winners created 840 jobs last year. ZAGG, Imagination Learning, and OrangeSoda came in 1, 2, & 3.  Emcee, Rick White, co-founder of rising startup Fusion-io kept the event light with ample humor and insights into the healthy state of entrepreneurism in Utah.

According to soon to be Governor Herbert, 50% of jobs in Utah come from small business.  The Wall Street Journal reported this past month that more than half of the Fortune 500 in 2009 launched in recessions or bear markets. Speakers at the event credited Utah’s relatively resilient economy is due to great startup companies like those honored today.

The Daily Herald honored Alan Ashton, founder of WordPerfect, with a special “Founding Fathers” award for his quarter century of contributing to Utah business and the community.

Media for the event:

YouTube highlights video

Business Wire coverage

Daily Herald coverage

Daily Herald special section on Utah entrepreneurs

Deseret News coverage

Utah Pulse coverage

Wasatch Digital IQ coverage

Fox TV News coverage

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Tomorrow, UVEF will announce it’s 2009 “Top 25 Under Five” award winners in the company of Utah’s Lt Gov Gary Herbert*, Fusion-io CMO Rick White, and a who’s who of business leaders and VC types. They will honor the great entrepreneurs of our day. This year’s winners produced $80M in 2008 revenue and created 840 jobs. With Utah’s nationally leading business climate, entrepreneurs will likely have far more to do with economic recovery than Washington’s stimulus packages.

In June, Wall Street Journal cited a study revealing that more than half of the 2009 Fortune 500 launched their companies during a recession or bear market. My experience serving on a number of boards for startups, business incubators, and mentoring organizations shows me that recessions push would be entrepreneurs to take the bold step into the unknown. We are the beneficiaries of such risk tolerant, brave leadership.

*soon to be Governor Herbert, once Jon Huntsman is approved as US Ambassador to China by the U.S. Senate

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Serving the public relations needs of America’s startup companies is fulfilling work. So, I was especially interesting in attending today’s UVEF event for entrepreneurs.

A large crowd filled the Novell facility for today’s UVEF luncheon. They heard from  Brock Blake, CEO at Funding Universe who addressed his company’s recent survey of 60 Utah angel investors. Utah Angels was the largest group in the sample, but several groups were represented. Here are some key findings.

While recent months have seen about a 50% drop in angel funding activity, Brock is convinced things are “picking back up” in Q2 of this year.  The average Utah angel takes a 14% ownership position with total ownership for all angels per funding round is 34%. Brock counsels entrepreneurs to accept less than 45% angel ownership when seeking funding. He says angel investors do not usually seek to take controlling interest in a company. They want influence, but want others to manage the business day to day.

Angel investment most commonly takes the form of preferred stock (65%), but can be common stock (16%) or other intruments such as stock warrants. Angels take a board member postion 47% of the time or take an advisory board postion 11% of the time.

In Utah, the most active industry sectors using angel investment are Internet/Web (including SaaS) - 55%; Live Sciences - 18%; and Consumer Products - 11%.

85% of angel funding rounds are less than $1 million or less.

Do these numbers match your experience?

For new startup public relations tips see PilmerPR Small Business PR

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Yesterday, master communicator Rick White drove straight from the airport to make a date with UVEF and giving back to entrepreneurs just like him. Well, not just like him. Fusion-io, co-founded by White, is rising faster than a meteor streaking across the sky. Just check out their online press room for the evidence of more than savvy public relations. The reason being is they are providing the fastest data storage technology on the planet and everyone from Michael Dell and Steve Wozniak are in on the game.

However, in his presentation Rick spoke about Fusion-io only in his Q&A. On this day he shared insight into how he thinks as an entrepreneur. He counseled marketers to distill their messages down to the “syrupy goodness” ala iPod - “1000 songs in my pocket.” Most of his time was spent counseling entrepreneurs to stop living their fears and to live their dreams instead. Rick spoke about how to change one’s reality by changing one’s perception.

Here’s a YouTube video of Rick summarizing his recipe for the “brocolli principle” and other cool insights for entrepreneurs.

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OREM, Utah–(BUSINESS WIRE)–US Synthetic Corporation, a Dover Company (NYSE: DOV) and the leading provider of polycrystalline diamond cutters (PDCs) for oil and gas exploration, announced today availability of the industry’s first commercially viable radial bearing line based on synthetic diamond technology. Coming out of field trials with major manufacturers, this groundbreaking technology from the US Synthetic Bearings division has garnered the 2009 Spotlight on New Technology Award from the Offshore Technology Conference, and was also recognized by the 2009 Utah Innovations Awards, presented by Stoel Rives LLP and the Utah Technology Council…more

YouTube video about these new diamond bearings. www.youtube.com/ussynthetic 

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There is an upside to everything. Although it may be hard to believe, there is actually a very visible upside to the current economy. This upside is innovation. During tough economic times the entrepreneurial spirit thrives, and innovation accelerates as the stock market decelerates. Just within the last year there have been impressive and ground breaking innovations ranging from outdoor equipment, solar power and super powered servers… Read more at Utah Business Blog

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I love great Guerrilla PR. With some existing brand recognition like Steve Wozniak has, Dancing with the Stars  builds public relations momentum in a huge way. I’m excited for how “Woz” wizardry will build his next tech company, Fusion-io (www.fusionio.com).  Not a bad dancer… What do you think?

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