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Two of The Reis Group’s Senior Leaders Talk about Life at the Agency

Written by Staff on . Posted in Firm Culture.

The Reis Group recently announced the promotion of two of its senior leaders, Lauren Musiol and Tamara Moore, to Senior Vice Presidents. Together they bring a combined 26 years of experience working on the team.

In the Q&A below, Lauren and Tamara answer five questions about their careers, team, and what they need to be their best.

Q: What interests you most about Health care PR?

Lauren: Health and health care are such an important part of everyone’s lives. Getting to work on issues and topics that directly impact people’s health and wellbeing makes my job interesting and rewarding.

Tamara: I totally agree! I am also fascinated by the issues we get to work on. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a boring day in the office between promoting scientific studies to following the latest policy debate – there is so much depth and diversity to what we do that keeps the work interesting.

Q: Millennials aren’t known for their job loyalty, especially in industries like PR. What has made you stay with Sharon for the past 13 years?

Tamara: We have pretty low turnover, so this type of longevity is a part of our culture. I often hear from friends and colleagues outside of TRG how strange they think it is that I’ve worked with the same team for more than a decade, but Sharon and Lauren have been two of my closest colleagues in this time, so it hasn’t felt strange that we’ve stuck together.

Lauren: Our team really is a close-knit group. Also, as a boss and a mentor, Sharon encourages us to continuously grow and evolve. This constant support provides opportunities to challenge ourselves and one another to stay on top of growing trends in the industry while mastering the tried and true skills that are necessary to be a successful PR professional.

Q: You manage some of TRG’s major clients, such as Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and Nemours Children’s Health System. How do you successfully manage and deliver success with so many competing priorities?

Lauren: The key for me is organization and being able to determine what needs to be done now while looking ahead at the bigger picture. A big part of being able to do that is being part of a strong team that supports each other to ensure we are delivering the best service and most innovative ideas to our clients.

Tamara: Lauren is an absolute organizational goddess! Personally, I have about five to-do lists scattered across scrap paper. In all honesty, though, there is a certain focus and drive to overcome challenges and deliver success. We also have an amazing team that comes together to balance each other’s work loads and complement one another’s expertise.

Q: What makes you the best version of yourself? Or What are your passions?

Tamara: I am the best version of myself when I’m able to achieve my version of balance. This includes quality time with my family, working through deliverables for clients and feeling that sense of accomplishment, as well as taking care of myself by staying active and sleeping well. There is also a healthy amount of coffee that goes into this equation.

Lauren: I am very passionate about being active, so getting outside for a run or going to a class at the gym helps keep me calm and grounded, as well as helps me manage the stress of such a fast-paced industry.

Q: What advice do you live by?

Lauren: My motto is “wherever you are, be all there.” Too often we are focused on the next thing – whether that be checking the next item off our to-do list or answering that next email. It’s really important to fully engaged and bring your full attention to what you’re doing, whether it’s writing a high-level strategy memo or meeting with your team.

Tamara: I love that! For years, this Albert Einstein quote has stuck with me, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” In so much of what we do we are simplifying and translating, but without a deep understanding of the issues there is no way we’d be successful.

Growth Spurt. Excitement at Age 3

Written by Sharon Reis on . Posted in Firm Culture.

When we started our adventure three years ago, we felt the thrill of the new: a new name, new logo, new offices, new furniture, new benefits, new opportunities. And even new coffee shops and fresh new lunch options in our spiffy new Dupont Circle home.

As we celebrate our third anniversary today, we are filled with a surge of energy, a sense of momentum, and great excitement about how far we have come and how much further we want to go, together. Kind of like a growth spurt of an excited 3-year old.

We recently were honored to be named one of the best new agencies of the year by PRSA’s National Capital Chapter, and PR News recognized The Reis Group as one of the best places to work. In fact, in our three years in business, we have won 9 industry awards, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Our clients are leaders in advancing some of the country’s most pressing health and social causes. Many are focusing on new ventures in exploring health, well-being, complementary medicine, and the social determinants of health. Science promotion is more exciting than ever, as we move closer to finding a way to prevent devastating diseases ranging from childhood cancers to Alzheimer’s. Other clients are researching the hidden drivers of health care costs and educating the public. We continue to be in awe of our client partners who are incredibly smart, talented, and committed to making the world a better place.

As we enter our fourth year, we are growing in our personal lives, too. Tamara Moore, vice president, just this week gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Our colleague Kathleen Petty, account supervisor, is expecting her first child later this year. And my own baby just graduated from high school and is heading off this fall to college!

To our current clients, partners, and friends, we are grateful for you. You are the heart and soul of our success. We deeply value your support.

To my amazing colleagues, I am honored to be with you on this continuing adventure.

Thank you.

Sharon

The Bicycle Connection: Focus on the Top

Written by Beth Casteel on . Posted in Positioning Issues and Brands.

I ride my bike to work as often as the weather, my schedule and daylight will allow. After Daylight Savings Time this spring, I found my first opportunity since Thanksgiving to ride the 10 miles from my home in Virginia to The Reis Group’s office in Washington’s Dupont Circle. The ride home is particularly challenging. It includes some intensely difficult climbs, especially two consecutive hills known by local commuters as “The Twin Sisters.” In the years I’ve been riding in this area, The Sisters have been my big test. On some of my worst days, joggers have passed me by as I shifted to my lowest gear and labored toward the top. On my very worst days, I stop at the first lamppost halfway up the first and hardest of The Sisters and trudge my bike up the hill.

Heading home on my first bike commute this spring, as I approached that first hill, I couldn’t take my eyes off a huge puddle near the bottom. If no bikes were coming the other way, I could go around the puddle to the left where the water was lowest. Or I could ride right through it, and certainly spray water and mud up my back and all over the newly cleaned bike. When I reached the puddle, I made it through just fine at a spot where the water was low, but then I immediately had to stop, without the momentum or strength to go any further. I got off the bike and pushed it up the hill. Got back on at the top, and completed my ride feeling dejected.

It hadn’t been that long since I had been bike commuting at least two or three days a week. In the fall, I had even felt great on a week-long bike ride across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Over the winter, I had lost a few pounds and done yoga and mountain climbers in my living room to keep up my core strength and endurance. Now, on my first ride of the spring, I couldn’t even make it to the lamppost. I felt even more tired the rest of the way home. I calculated that if I rode at least twice a week through April, maybe I could get back on my game by the end of April or early May.

A week after that first discouraging commute, my schedule, weather and daylight cooperated again, and I got another chance. As I approached The Twin Sisters, there was still water on the trail. I decided this time not to focus on the water or getting past it. I decided not to worry about the darn lamppost either. My focus was fixed squarely on the top of the first Sister. This time, I made it. No problem. And then the second hill: No problem!

The rest of my trip home, feeling elated and strong, I thought about how this experience reminded me that staying focused on the primary objective—making the top of the hill without getting distracted by tactics—is critical in our communications work. Communications planning must begin with a clear vision of our goals that we remain focused on through any project. It’s easy to get wrapped up and diverted by the details, focusing first on the particulars of the press releases, social media and other tactics that are critical to our work. But to reach our primary objectives and remain energized and focused, we have to keep our eyes on the big picture communications strategy: What are our client’s goals? Who is their audience? What is important to them? Where do we want to end up?

Whatever we encounter along the way, we must always bring our energy and our focus back to the top of the hill.

Sharon Reis

Interview with Sharon Reis, Bulldog Reporter

Written by Staff on . Posted in Firm Culture.

The Reis Group was a Silver Award winner in the “Best New Agency” category in Bulldog’s 2018 Stars of PR Awards. This interview also appeared in Agility PR Solutions. 

Sharon Reis, Principal, The Reis GroupLength of PR career (so far): 25 years

Your most memorable campaign: Launching the first ever Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Number of 2 a.m. calls from a client this month: None!

Best thing about working at your agency: The culture of support, respect, and building on each other’s strengths.

Last time you didn’t do any work all weekend: I can’t remember! Is that even possible in this industry?

Most misunderstood thing about PR: It is not about being a people person.

Most interesting thing about your job: The issues we work on are truly meaningful and the leaders and scientists are mind-blowing smart.

Number of meetings you were in last week: Hmmm. Do I really want to share that number? Let’s say more than 20, including both internal and external meetings.

Your nightmare client in 3 words:  Disrespectful, lazy, uncaring

Rate your math skills from 1-10: 8

Best advice to a PR student: Work hard and give it your all. You get out of it what you put into it, so always aim for more than 100 percent.

What do you read daily? All the news I can get on my phone. My favorite news source is 60 minutes. I learn so much from their stories.

Sharon Reis, Principal, The Reis GroupFavorite way to de-stress: Meditation. It is truly a game-changer and takes practice and patience.

The moment you realized PR is more fun than you thought it would be: The day we opened The Reis Group, I realized that PR can be a lot of fun with the right team around you.

Worst PR crisis in the news this year so far: The college admissions cheating scandal

Favorite non-work hobby: I am surprising myself with this answer, but I love cooking healthy, gourmet meals for my family on the weekend and prepping meals for the first part of the week. American’s Test Kitchen is my go-to source for delicious and fancy recipes.

Cocktail of choice: Cosmopolitan with Ketel One vodka and Cointreau. I’ve been drinking it for years. When I find something I like, I tend to stick with it.

Childhood “dream job”: Marine biologist or a baseball announcer

Your next big adventure: A safari

Your ideal Saturday: Working out, spending the day with my daughters and having a nice dinner with my husband and friends.

What will 2019 look like for health care PR?

Written by Sharon Reis on . Posted in Firm Culture.

In looking toward the year ahead, there are many ways—known and unknown—that the public relations world will be changing and evolving. As health care PR professionals, it’s vital to the success of our clients that we find new ways to overcome challenges and stay on top of the important trends in our field. Here are few that have caught my attention recently:

  • Smart technology is emerging as a hot PR tool for 2019. Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant are changing the way many people are working—even some surgeons in the operating room! —and these devices have great potential to effect how communications experts reach our target audiences. It’s definitely an area of great excitement for the coming year.
  • Earned media and a well-written news release are alive and well. I remember two years ago one of my esteemed colleagues in the industry said to me: “You still do earned media?” implying it was long since dead and fully replaced by digital. Fact is, the news media’s power continues to grow, and news releases remain essential for communicating complex scientific or policy information in a thorough yet concise way.
  • More boards are valuing what PR can do for their organization’s national profile. More and more CEOs and their leadership teams are being encouraged, if not mandated, to raise their industry profile and demonstrate expertise in their field. PR’s role in building thought-leadership has never been stronger.

While there is much to be excited about, a few challenges remain to be overcome for health care PR agencies.

  • The RFP process is problematic and time-consuming. Our industry needs to figure out a better way to use our time and yet still produce high-quality proposals for potential clients to review and make thoughtful decisions.
  • Hiring continues to be tough. More and more, we are interviewing potential team members who seem to be able to do only one thing for clients. For younger applicants, that tends to be digital, while more seasoned professionals have an expertise in writing. We are doing our entire industry a disservice by not teaching and growing the next generation to have mastery in all aspects of strategic communications. Knowing how to use all the tools in your health care PR toolbox is critical for success, especially if you work for a PR or communications agency.
  • The ability to manage your time is more essential than ever before. Harvard Business Review just published an entire issue on time management. A couple articles: “Make time for the work that matters” and “Are you spending your time the right way?” were particularly insightful because they remind us that, while we might not be in control of our day, we are in charge of how we run through our to-do lists. The issue is must-read for every agency person who likes New Year’s resolutions and strives to be more efficient and effective.

I am particularly excited about the prospects for 2019. PR is thriving and its value is growing. We’ll find new ways to deal with old challenges, and we’ll inevitably be faced with new challenges that will demand more hard work and creativity, which can mean growth opportunities for both people and organizations. Buckle up for an unpredictable ride!

A Day in the Life of Sharon Reis

Written by Staff on . Posted in Firm Culture.

Sharon Reis, our fearless leader, was recently featured on The Native Society. Take a glimpse into a day in her life, fueled in part by copious amounts of coffee!

6:00 AM

I begin almost every day with sweating. I am either finishing up a 5 a.m. workout class, running through my neighborhood, or lifting weights at the gym. One secret to my routine is that I’ve pursued fitness with one of my closest friends for more than a decade–and I know she’ll be waiting for me at the end of my driveway, so I have to get out of bed or face her wrath!

10:00 AM

By now, my day is at full speed and usually jam-packed. I could be on client calls, mentoring my colleagues, meeting with our director of operations on running the business, or heading to the airport to fly to a client meeting in another state.

12:00 PM – Favorite Power Lunch spot/meal?

I have two favorite spots and they are across the street from each other: The Tabard Inn and Iron Gate. They are Dupont Circle institutions, and I often feel like I am magically transported to a European café when I am eating at either one.

7:00 PM

I am home with my family, getting dinner together with my husband, driving my daughters to sports or school activities, or discussing their homework.

11:00 PM

I am asleep! I love mornings, so I go to bed around 10 p.m. and get up before the sun rises.

What drink do you need to get through the day and at the end (and how many)?

Coffee is my drink of choice. I love it and don’t ever want to live without it. In February, I decided to start drinking it black and adjusted to it pretty quickly, and thought I actually liked it. However, when I took vacation in August, I absentmindedly put cream in my coffee on the first day away and realized just how much I loved it, missed it, and needed it back in my life! Cream really does make coffee taste better. My favorite cup is from my local coffee shop called Greenberry’s.

Most used App/Favorite Instagram Account?

I am a very loyal person, so when something works, I tend to stick with it, and that explains my app of choice – Words with Friends. I play it only with my sisters and their husbands, and I view it as a way to keep us connected. (I don’t win all the time, but I usually do, which, I confess, makes it extra fun.)

What should everyone try at least once?

Saying ‘yes’ to something you are resisting or fearing. Getting out of your comfort zone is always hard, but I find the more I resist an activity or a person, the worse it gets. So, say yes to something or someone you have been avoiding. You just might be surprised by what happens.

Where do you enjoy getting lost?

I enjoy getting lost in meditation. I discovered the practice more than five years ago and it changed my life. It provides clarity on life’s challenges and calms the mind. When I am practicing regularly, I find meditation wholeheartedly facilitates better decision-making and stirs creativity. However, the more stressed or busy I am, the harder it is to meditate. And, since no one has ever referred to me as relaxed and easy-going, it is a constant struggle, but well worth the effort.

What Can PR Pros Expect in 2018?

Written by Sharon Reis on . Posted in Firm Culture.

To learn more about how the changing national political environment is affecting workloads and to understand how communications experts are preparing for 2018, The Reis Group surveyed members of the Public Relations Society of America, and we are eager to share what we found.

2017 emerged as the year when communications professionals were asked to do more, sometimes a lot more. Just over one-third of PR professionals reported an increased workload and approximately one in 10 said their workload is in a constant state of change because of the political environment. No one said their workload has decreased.

Many were asked to provide ROI projections to justify the investment of time and resources by leadership and subject-matter experts. These findings lead us to believe that our jobs are becoming more challenging, and not necessarily more appreciated–unless we can justify our value.

The current environment is affecting how PR people expect to spend their time in 2018. The top three growth areas are predicted to be social media, messaging, and issues management, followed by thought-leadership, consumer education, and research.

Time spent on earned media, advocacy, and branding is expected to decline in the coming year. This is surprising and brings into question whether the growing competition for share of voice in the media and among policymakers is partly to blame. It’s becoming increasingly challenging to stand out in the roller-coaster perpetual-news cycle.

PR people are worried about the economy, and for varying reasons. One exec alluded to the surging economy driving up demand for communications services. Others voiced concerns about a possible looming recession and the reduction of federal monies that fund health care campaigns and their communications budgets.

Many of these changes are to be expected, so being asked to do more with fewer resources isn’t a new challenge for our field. However, what we are tasked to do on a day-to-day basis is changing, and PR pros need to be ready for this.

If 2017 was a year of increased workload, then 2018 will be the year of figuring out how to stay “present” on a range of communications channels and document the impact you are having for the organization. If you can’t measure it, you probably shouldn’t do it.

Some content for this blog was adapted from an article published in October 2017 edition of O’Dwyer’s.

Advocacy & Communications on a Budget

Written by Stephanie Wight on . Posted in Increasing Awareness.

Associations large and small grapple with a wide variety of advocacy issues. The Advocacy Leaders Network hosts a series of workshops targeted toward public affairs and government relations professionals to facilitate discussions around various strategies, trends, and case studies important to the field.

A recent workshop, “Advocacy on the Cheap: Changing the World on Any Budget”, aimed to share strategies that could help attendees develop successful campaigns without breaking the bank.

Here are some of the key takeaways that I found most useful for PR pros:

1. Advocacy and communications teams should collaborate on their efforts

This may sound obvious, but several attendees voiced frustration about the communications/marketing team at their organization not always including the advocacy team in conversations or plans surrounding public-facing campaigns. Teaming up on efforts like a national health observance month can be more cost-effective because materials can be re-purposed or cross-promoted to help each team meet their goals.

2. Capitalize on opportunities by repurposing content

It’s important when budgets are tight to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to creating content or leveraging in-person opportunities. For example, if you are interviewing a spokesperson or thought leader around a certain issue for blog content, consider how you could easily turn the interview into a Facebook Live video, or develop bite-sized clips or quotes to cross-promote on social media. Additionally, if you are attending an event, like an annual conference, make sure you are capitalizing on in-person opportunities – through photos, personal stories and listserv contacts for future use.

3. Utilize free or freemium tools for cheap bells and whistles

A great aspect of this workshop was the collective sharing of a variety of tools and tricks that attendees are using to develop materials, graphics and animations for free or almost-free. Tools like thinglink and piktochart help display content in an engaging way, while storify helps curate content to tell a story around a specific hashtag or topic. We also heard great feedback about Lynda.com, an online educational site that offers tutorials for getting started with things like Google Analytics or WordPress, which may be tough or time-consuming to figure out on your own.

4. Find your most engaged audience and help them help you

One of the speakers at the event shared how a moderated listserv he runs serves as an important and simple tool in his advocacy work. The listerv, a basic, text-only email chain, keeps engaged advocates up-to-date on what’s happening on The Hill. Often, the members answer each other’s questions and motivate each other before the team even has a chance to craft a response. In this way, the advocates, or engaged members, are doing the work themselves. This example provides a reminder for PR folks—what tools or community channels can you offer your audience that will encourage them to rally together, facilitate change or take action?

Whether it’s through better collaboration or smarter tools, get to know the right strategies and tactics in order to reach your audience and drive change on a small budget.

Marking Our One-Year Anniversary

Written by Sharon Reis on . Posted in Firm Culture.

I am both thrilled and humbled as The Reis Group marks its one-year anniversary of charting a new course in pursuit of the highest level of communications expertise in health, health care, science, and social issues. The energy of our team, our new office, our clients and their issues, our partners and their support, have made the past 12 months invigorating and incredibly successful. And our momentum is growing. We’ve added several new clients, we’re expanding our capabilities, and building our strengths.

And people are noticing. The Reis Group was just named a finalist for Best New Agency of the Year in North America for 2017 by The Holmes Report. I was recognized as one of the top Women of the Year by Washington Women in Public Relations. My colleague Tamara Moore received the honor of PR Professional of the Year from PR Daily, and our campaigns have received accolades in the PR industry.

It’s always a little scary leaving one company for another. Yet this new adventure has inspired and motivated me and our team. We are creating a culture of respect and recognition, combined with flexibility and fun. We are on the right path and feeling optimistic about the future.

We value and appreciate all your support. Thank you for joining us on this journey.

 

New Challenges for Health Care PR in 2017

Written by Sharon Reis on . Posted in Firm Culture.

2016 was a year of unprecedented change for our industry, with high-stakes battles over the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid, culminating in a watershed presidential election. And, if the first few weeks of 2017 are any predictor, health care communications is heading into another turbulent, exciting, and pivotal period.

To keep up with the relentless pace of change, public relations agencies are facing multiple challenges, all providing us opportunities to grow, evolve, and strengthen PR’s value to clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.

Here are my top five trends for public relations strategists to focus on in the new year:

Demonstrating that PR is helping to achieve business goals will be more important than ever.

Beyond the numbers of impressions and engagements, what are we really getting for our PR dollars? How do we clearly show that we are having an impact?

Client demand for thought leadership will continue to grow.

More and more, CEOs are being tasked by their Boards with developing a national reputation and becoming positioned as industry thought leaders. The PR team will spend more time in this area securing national media interviews, speaking engagements, and identifying editorial opportunities.

Digital amplification will be a crucial core component of every health care PR campaign.

It boosts the impact of PR strategies and demonstrates results with engagement and reach.

The ROI of branded content will be held under a microscope.

We know the potential reach is there, but does it substantially drive engagement and spur action? Or is it just an attempted substitute for a lack of results with earned media?

The RFP process will be more scrutinized.

Clients are concerned with getting the maximum amount of value from their tightened PR budgets. The current cattle call for proposals and presentations often doesn’t result in a win for clients.

So, more than ever, we will all be tested to prove our worth, and we’ll have to make sure that we are ready for just about anything…