Tech PR Girl

Life as a tech PR girl is never boring. There is never a one size fits all approach when it comes to helping B2B technology companies reach their target audiences around the globe. Get the behind-the-scenes scoop on where B2B tech meets B2B talk, and see what it's like to walk a day in our [well-heeled] shoes. Check out our Caffeine Cam for the BUZZ on our clients, the industry and more!

[crprteam-blog]

Crossroads PR will be at NCTA's State of Technology conference

Crossroads Public Relations will be attending the NCTA State of Technology conference Thursday, April 25. The Crossroads team is ready for the day-long discussion about the continuing growth technology in North Carolina. 

The State of Technology will feature more than 15 participating companies from within North Carolina ranging from computer giant IBM to the Carolina Hurricanes. According to the NCTA’s website, the State of Technology conference “brings together leaders from across sectors and functions to discuss how technology is helping businesses and organizations thrive.”

“The State of Technology event helps us stay abreast of what's happening in North Carolina’s technology sector,” said Kristi Lee John, principal and co-founder, Crossroads Public Relations. “As an agency specifically focused on B2B technology in the Southeast, we are pleased to be a sponsor of this event.”

We hope to see you there! Check out our press release for more details. 

[crprteam-blog]

Extra! Extra! - Crossroads PR Clients in the News - March 2013 Issue

Have you seen Crossroads PR clients in the news lately? Here’s the scoop on their announcements in March.

Amino Vital

Amino Vital continued to grow its team of athletes and experts.  The company rolled out a welcome mat for new Team Amino Vital athletes Andrea Hutchins, Megan Jendrick, Derek Smith and Jane Burns, Liz Melendez and Anne Rizza.

 Andrea is a USAT licensed elite triathlete from St. Joseph, Michigan.  In 2009, after 9 years of on-again, off-again bouts with running, she decided it was time to compete in her first 70.3 half Ironman! 

Megan Jendrick is a 3x Olympic swimming medalist! She has earned two Olympic gold medals and one Olympic silver medal during her career (2000 Sydney, 2008 Beijing). She is also a 14-time member of the US National swim team and has set 27 American and world records.

Derek Smith has participated in long-distance events since he was 13 years old. Although he is based out of New Jersey, he travels across the US to compete in triathlons, biking and running events to raise money for local families and communities in need.

Jane Burns, Liz Melendez and Anne Rizza are riding in the Police Unity Tour Chapter IV May 10-12. The Police Unity Tour brings awareness of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

Additionally, Amino Vital announced they have become more social by introducing their Instagram, Pinterest and a blog! Followers will get access to special contests, deals and behind the scenes info. We are posting new content everyday, so be sure to check them out regularly. 

You can check them out here:

Instagram – www.instagram.com/teamaminovital

Pinterest – www.pinterest.com/aminovital

Blog – www.amino-vitalblog.com

Clinipace

Clinipace had a webcast entitled One-Stop Shopping for Clinical Trial Management: The Value Proposition of a dCRO Paradigm on March 12. It provided invaluable insight into the benefits of a technology-amplified approach to clinical trial management. 

Clinipace’s Nikolas Burlew, Vice President of Quality Systems, presented an interactive webcast that examined changes to laws governing the import of clinical trial supplies into the US and best practices for overcoming hurdles on the 27th.  

Syncfusion, Inc.

Syncfusion announced the release of Essential Studio 2013 Volume 1, which enables truly high-performance charting on all XAML platforms and includes a complete set of controls for Windows 8 tablet-style applications.

Essential Studio is a comprehensive suite of 433 high performance controls across 8 platforms. It recently received a Top 50 Product Award in the ComponentSource Bestselling Product Awards 2012-2013. ComponentSource is the world's largest marketplace and community for reusable software components for all platforms. Syncfusion was also awarded a Top 25 Bestselling Publisher Award.

Additionally, Daniel Jebaraj, vice president of Syncfusion, shared his viewpoint on hybrid mobile apps with ASP.NET MVC on InfoQ. Daniel stated hybrid applications are a very promising solution worth looking into for any line-of-business mobile application.

[crprteam-blog]

Crossroads PR is looking to add team members!

We are interested in meeting with a couple of different PR professionals….folks with lots of PR experience (we like to take the best of the best and then mold the rest!) and folks with limited PR experience (did we mention we like to mold?).

Who are we?

Crossroads Public Relations was started in 2003 to serve the needs of B2B technology companies, both large and small.  We leverage the right mix of public relations, social media and business experience to help clients expand their regional, national and global footprints and reach their target audiences. Crossroads is structured specifically to complement clients with proactive planning, collaborative execution and accountable results.  For more information look at our Website: www.crossroadspr.com

What are we looking for from our Account Executives? The account executive role is the beginning of the transition from mostly doing to thinking, doing and leading.  Our account executives are expected to have moved beyond proficiency to some level of real mastery of the skills gained as an account coordinator, and to have begun developing individual areas of specialism and/or strength, such as outstanding writing, powerhouse media relations, expert knowledge of key business sectors or client service excellence.

What we are looking for from Account Coordinators? The account coordinator role is the beginning of a long career in PR.  At least, we want you to be thinking in that direction.  You need to be extremely motivated and eager to learn.  You must be able to take direction from your seniors as well as be able to manage up to your leaders.  You must be able to take a back seat as well as be comfortable driving.  We prefer that you have had at least one relevant internship and even better if you have worked in an agency environment. 

Some basics we expect from everyone Here are a few of the many basics we expect from all employees: Clients view you as adding value to their business, not just executing. For example, there is a degree of consideration in all written communications. Attention to detail. For example, documents that are to be sent to a client (whether email, word, pdf, ppt or any other format) are formatted correctly and contain no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. Deadlines are not missed - period. Consistency. All work is carried out to a consistently high standard. Responsibility. You take responsibility for your own actions and those of your team. You take feedback on board and act on it.

Detailed competencies We have them and we’ll send them to you but, before asking for them, it’s worth remembering who we are. We provide full-service PR and social media solutions for our clients. That means advising and implementing campaigns that incorporate full service PR, social, digital, video and SEO as needed. You must be able to show us that you excel in at least one of these areas (as an AE) or have a strong interest (as an AC) in learning.

After reviewing these descriptions as well as our Website, you feel that you would be a great fit for our team, please forward your resume to [email protected].

[crprteam-blog]

Extra! Extra! - Crossroads PR Clients in the News - February 2013 Issue

Have you seen Crossroads PR clients in the news lately? Here’s the scoop on their announcements in February.

Centice

Centice announced enhancements to its narcotics identification system, the Mobile Field Lab-3000 (MFL-3000). The most cost-effective solution of its kind on the market, the MFL-3000 enables narcotic squads and drug task forces to quickly and easily perform drug identification in the field without destroying evidence. Simply place and cover the unknown material (solid, liquid or powder) on the portable device and Centice’s patented Raman Spectroscopy technology rapidly scans it and creates a unique spectral fingerprint of the substance.

Additionally, Wayne Horvath joined as vice president of sales. His 15 years of sales management experience is in the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) security sector.

Clinipace

Clinipace CEO Jeff Williams presented "Clinical Strategies"  at  the CED Life Science Conference 2013 on  Wednesday, February 27th.

Earlier in the month, Clinipace was ranked No. 36  last month in Top 50 on FORBES’ “America’s Most Promising Companies” List, a list of 100 privately held, high-growth companies with bright futures. This prestigious list is based on growth (both in sales and hiring), quality of management team and investors, margins, market size and key partnerships. 

[crprteam-blog]

Tips for SEVC Presenters: Button-up your pitch, do your research and think beyond the dollar signs

Most of the presenters at SEVC are already on the path to success. Last year's presenters had an average annual revenue of $5.9 million and $6.7 million in raised capital. But, that doesn’t change the facts -- the stakes are high and it’s not enough to just think you’re the next big thing.

Are you really ready to be exposed to the region’s top venture capitalists and private equity investors? What problem(s) does your company solve? How do you know someone isn’t already “copying” you? Do you have evidence of traction in your industry or customers? What does your team look like? Whether you are presenting at SEVC or simply attending, you need to be ready to answer tough questions from potential investors. 

As entrepreneurs serving entrepreneurs, we have several years of experience helping young companies secure funding, watching those companies mature after receiving funding, and working with investors to understand what it is they look for.  One of the best pieces of advice we have heard from investors, is not to waste a lot of time writing a formal business plan, and to keep your outreach to investors short and sweet.

Here are some other tips for SEVC presenters and attendees: 

Have your elevator pitch buttoned up - Start with strong key messages. Be prepared to talk about the problems you are solving, your target market, your unique competitive differentiators, market size, revenue/business model, financial projections, progress so far (including technology developments, customers, etc.) and how you plan to scale.

Be realistic – Have at least a basic understanding of your company’s valuation and how money you actually need to build that value/build your business. 

Do your homework - Which venture capitalists are relevant and would be interested in your potential investment? Do you have any mutual contacts that you can leverage? Don’t waste your time (or their's) if there is no relevance or synergy. 

Think about what you want/need from an investor, other than just money – Are you looking for hands on support, connections or relevant market experience? VC funding is much more than money. 

Be professional – Be the person they can believe in and want to invest in. Make sure you dress appropriately, speak articulately, demonstrate expertise and confidence, and share your passion. 

Now that you have an idea of what you should do, take some time to consider what you should steer clear from.  Just for fun, check out this video on how not to pitch a VC for some tips.  Hint – you might want to pass on wearing flashy gold jewelry and a red tracksuit at SEVC. Even Missy Elliot would disapprove.  

Good luck!

[crprteam-blog]

Extra! Extra! - Crossroads PR Clients in the News - January 2013 Issue

Have you seen Crossroads PR clients in the news lately? Here’s the scoop on their announcements in January. 

Clinipace

Clinipace announced significant innovations to its proprietary TEMPO eClinical platform.  This most recent release of TEMPO also marks the first time the platform has been offered on a Shared Component Framework (SCF), which allows the company's clients to manage multiple trials supported by TEMPO. Additionally, Clinipace is introducing the concept of Configurable Modules, which are a set of predefined workflows, forms, and reports bundled together as a unit on the same platform within one database.  

FORBES named Clinipace One of America’s Most Promising Companies, ranking the company #36 in a list of 100 most promising companies. The publication hits newsstands on February 13.  In the interim, the online story can be found at http://www.forbes.com/companies/clinipace/.

Square 1 Bank

Square 1 Bank made two announcements in January. The company provided a $5 million debt facility to new, San Jose-based client, Kovio, Inc., whose investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, DAG Ventures, and Tyco, among others.  Proceeds of the credit facility will be used to support the company’s growth.

Halcyon Healthcare, a company formed to deliver the next generation of home health and hospice care solutions, also received a credit facility from Square 1 Bank to support the company’s organic growth, and provide working capital to fund future acquisitions.

Syncfusion

Syncfusion, Inc. announced it achieved continued customer growth and product innovation throughout 2012.  Licenses grew by over 55 percent (when compared to 2011) and Syncfusion’s customer retention rate remained at over 80 percent.   Additionally, three new products were released to meet the changing needs of Windows developers: Orubase, a cross platform mobile application development tool, WinRT Suite, an expansive XAML toolkit and Metro Studio, a free suite of more than 1,700 vector-based Microsoft Design Language icons.

[crprteam-blog]

The Crossroads PR team had a great time Wednesday night at Startup and Play in Downtown Raleigh! Not only did we get to talk to entrepreneurs about their new ventures and technologies - we got to share with them our passion for entrepreneurs by introducing them to Techpreneur Spotlight. If you haven't already heard about it, Techpreneur Spotlight is a website that Crossroads PR created as a free resource to tech entrepreneurs. We were lucky enough to get a table for Techpreneur Spotlight at Startup & Play, so we could show and tell people all about it.

  Our surprise to attendees was a giveaway for a basket of 12 North Carolina Beers. We got many entrants, but Nick Pironio, Photographer, was our lucky winner chosen in the drawing.

Some highlights from the night included Michele and Joseph getting some video interviews from local entrepreneurs to feature on the Crossroads’ Caffeine Cam (coming soon!) and being introduced to Stealz, an app that allows you to earn instant rewards at local businesses.

Overall, it was entertaining and educating time, and we’re looking forward to representing Techpreneur Spotlight more at these types of entrepreneurial events!

[crprteam-blog]

Congratulations to Clinipace - #36 on FORBES’ Most Promising Companies List!

We would like to congratulate one of our clients, Clinipace Worldwide! Clinipace is No. 36 on Forbes’ list of America’s Most Promising Companies. Clinipace has already been considered one of the fastest growing companies, it has now earned additional recognition by making FORBES’ list, which ranks “the most promising privately held up-and-comers that have compelling business models, strong management teams, notable customers, strategic partners and precious investment capital.”

As a global full-service digital CRO, Clinipace Worldwide has pioneered an innovative service model to transform drug and medical device development that serves the unique needs of emerging, venture-backed and mid-tier life sciences firms.  With specific expertise developing and executing regulatory strategies, clinical development, and post-approval research, the company has managed over 600 global contract research and regulatory projects.  

Clinipace has closed four global acquisitions over the past three years. Most recently, Clinipace acquired Paragon Biomedical, expanding its therapeutic expertise, site management capabilities, and clinical operations.  In addition, the company extended its global footprint with the addition of offices in Irvine, California, High Wycombe, United Kingdom, and Trivandrum, India.  Clinipace now employs over 450 individuals globally. 

We have worked with Clinipace for four years, and are very proud to join them in this milestone. 

[crprteam-blog]

Venture Outlook for 2013

Okay Techpreneurs, pay attention!  We attended an incredible session this morning, hosted by Southern Capitol Ventures on the Venture Outlook for 2013.  The lineup was a who’s who in the VC world and we compiled a top list of things worth repeating below.  Enjoy!

According to Scott Kupor, Partner and COO at Andreessen Horowitz:

-       Venture Capital market is healthy; it's a great time to be an entrepreneur

-       Difference in RTP and Silicon Valley is that there is a pool of recyclable engineers and executives in Silicon Valley that go from startup to startup. While there is a large pool of engineers in the RTP area, they seem to land at a SAS, IBM or Cisco and never leave.  Also, it's a difficult place to attract senior executive talent because of the lack of opportunity.  Its easier for an executive to move to Silicon Valley because they know if one startup fails there will be another one down the street.

According to Brian Carney, Principal at Harbert Venture Partners:

-       RTP has great infrastructure in place to support entrepreneurs and it's a great place to start a company. 

When asked by moderator, Mike Doernberg, CEO of ReverbNation, what value did investors add to their portfolio companies, here is what stood out:

-       According to Kupor, his firm has worked hard to turn technical founders into strong CEOs

-       According to Grayson, NEA adds value by accelerating the company’s growth through  connections to potential partners, customers and employees.

Doernberg also asked the question, ‘what are you interested in?’ and here are some responses:

-       Brian Carney/Harbert Venture Partners: Healthcare IT

-       Dayna Grayson/NEA: Locally-focused technologies

-       Don Rainey/Grotech: Digital Identity and Local technologies

-       Scott Kupor/Andreessen: Enterprise software, especially as it relates to storage/networking 

Other advice:

-       Grayson encourages entrepreneurs to be persistent when reaching out to the firm

-       Kupor says to do your homework and make sure that not only is the firm a fit for your company and make sure that you are targeting the right person.

-       Entrepreneurs need to obsess about customers even more than the product

-       If an entrepreneur thinks raising money is the point of his/her business, they are missing the point of the business.

-       The best way to get to know VCs is when you don’t need money

-       Be persistent when reaching out, but make sure your story is relevant/compelling 

[crprteam-blog]

LinkedIn 101 for Technology Entrepreneurs

In our experience, when compared to other social media platforms, LinkedIn is one of the top social media referring traffic sources. In fact, 45% of B2B companies have gained a customer using LinkedIn (B2B Social Media Guide).

How can you become an active member on LinkedIn? Create a polished and personally branded profile, join LinkedIn groups and share your thought leadership. We recommend keeping the content flowing by sharing industry articles, resources on your website, blog posts and more.

Download our new how-to guide, LinkedIn 101: Personal and Company Pages, for tips to help you get started.

  While you’re at it, check out our other social media how-to guides on Twitter and blogging.

Twitter 101 - Learn who tweets, Twitter lingo, how to build your list of followers, tips for customized tweets and tools for measurement and analytics.

Blogging 101 - Learn why B2B companies should have a blog, guidelines to follow and tips for blog customization.

Not sure what to do on Facebook or YouTube? Don’t fret – we have more 101 guides in the hopper that will be brought to you soon!

[crprteam-blog]

Crossroads PR has updated its case studies!

If you're going to talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk. We encourage our clients to share their customer success stories.  This time, it’s our turn. 

Since launching Crossroads PR in 2003, we’ve customized PR strategies in support of each client's unique story and corporate objectives. Recently, we started “Operation Revamp Case Studies” to provide better snapshots of how we enabled our past and current clients to achieve their goals.

But, it’s not enough to just tell your story. Sometimes it’s about how well you portray it. We realized it’s easy to get lost in a bunch of boring text so this time around we are providing a more visual experience with downloadable one-pagers.  

So, why are case studies important? Case studies shed some light on the types of customers you serve, let people know the benefits of your products or services, and most important of all – attract new business.

Without further ado, here are some of our shiny, newly updated case studies:

 6fusion - We educated the marketplace on 6fusion’s unique cloud metering algorithm.

 Accipiter - Crossroads PR helped establish Accipiter as innovative new media market leader, contributing to a $30.3M acquisition by Atlas/Microsoft.

 Ajinomoto Amino Acid Technologies- Crossroads PR introduced a veteran pharma to the power of integrated marketing, public relations, and social media.

 Amino Vital – We elevated Amino Vital as the go-to resource to learn about amino acids and reframed the company and its products to generate sales.

  Clinipace - Crossroads PR defined a new category, digital CRO, and drove sales for Clinipace.

FM:Systems - Crossroads PR established FM:Systems as the go-to resource for BIM + FM through social media, global PR initiatives and a significant number of speaking placements.

 Inlet - Crossroads PR established Inlet Technologies as “de facto” provider of ABR and iPhone encoding technology. Our efforts contributed to its $95M acquisition by Cisco. 

 StepLeader - We established StepLeader as a role model for delivering mobile marketing solutions and asserted thought leadership. 

 Valencell - Crossroads PR created B2B buzz for its licensable mobile fitness and health technology.

Stay tuned as we continue to update  the remainder our case studies. In the meantime, do you have a story to tell? How have you improved your customer’s bottom line? Shoot us an email at [email protected] for more information on how we can help you update or start case studies from scratch. 

[crprteam-blog]

Employee Spotlight: Christie Montague

Christie is a recent NCSU grad, excited to learn and grow in the PR field and to put her passion for social media, blogging, graphic design and research to good use at Crossroads PR. When she’s not in the office you can find her playing with her miniature dachshund, Ella, watching re-runs of The O.C, spending time outside soaking up the sunshine and painting. Stop by the Crossroads office for a visit to see two of her commissioned pieces.

Q: How did you get into the PR industry?

At marketing internship, I did some work with PR and was immediately drawn to it. My internship here at Crossroads PR confirmed that this industry was where I wanted to be, which led me to work full time here after graduation. 

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

Not necessarily advice, but my favorite quote that I like to keep in the back of my mind at all times is, “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” – Winnie the Pooh.

Q: What daily tools could you not live without?

Adobe Illustrator – this is where I put my love for design to work creating infographics for clients and the agency. Hootsuite – this makes managing multiple Twitter accounts so. much. easier. 

Q: If you could do PR for one celebrity who would it be?

Taylor Swift! I’ve been obsessed with her since her first album and think she is an all around awesome person, even if the gossip magazines disagree. Runner up is Ed Sheeran and the fact that they're going on tour together this year is the highlight of my life. 

Q: Whats your caffeine of choice?

Starbucks coffee or a fountain Coke. 

1. My chevron Erin Condren Life Planner (best agendas ever!), because I can never have enough chevron or organization in my life.

2. A cartoon version of my dachshund, Ella, along with dachshund frame, cup and mug. I give the crazy cat ladies a run for their money.

3. Inspiration quotes because they make me happy!

[crprteam-blog]

Extra! Extra! - Crossroads PR Clients in the News - December 2012 Issue

Have you seen Crossroads PR clients in the news lately? Here’s the scoop on their announcements in December. 

Clinipace

Clinipace Worldwide announced Ran Frenkel, RPh, Vice President, International Business Development, will take on additional responsibility as the Managing Director, EMEA.  Country managers in the region will report directly to Frenkel in his new role. 

Frenkel joined the Clinipace Worldwide team in May 2011 through the company’s acquisition of Swiss-based PFC Pharma Focus (PFC).  He has served the company for over seven years, helping to establish the Israel office, and is now poised to lead EMEA operations from the European headquarters in Zurich.

Syncfusion

Syncfusion, Inc. released Orubase, a cross-platform mobile application development tool that enables .NET developers to easily build hybrid mobile applications. Orubase includes native wrapper frameworks for the iOS, Android, and Windows Phone platforms. As a result, .NET developers can leverage their existing web development skills to produce powerful, 100-percent native mobile applications that work on a broad range of devices. The announcement received coverage in InfoQ.

Square 1 Bank

Square 1 Bank shared funding news. The bank announced it has provided a credit facility to RTP-based Heat Biologics, Inc., a clinical-stage immunotherapy company.  Proceeds of the credit facility will be used to support ongoing clinical trials and company growth.

Square 1 Bank also announced it has provided $1.75MM in debt financing to BioSurplus, Inc., a provider of equipment management solutions and pre-owned scientific instruments to the life sciences industry.

[crprteam-blog]

Welcome new team member, Joseph Havey!

Crossroads PR welcomes new team member, intern, Joseph Havey to our growing team! Joseph is a student at N.C. State University working on a Communications degree and is also a columnist for the university newspaper, The Technician. He brings social media and entrepreneurial experience to Crossroads from his work as an intern with Triangle Entrepreneurship Week.

As an intern, Joseph will provide support for social media accounts for Crossroads PR and Techpreneur Spotlight and will also assist in day-to-day activities for our expanding roster of clients. 

We are excited to have Joseph on board and look forward to seeing what he can bring to the agency and our clients. Welcome!

[crprteam-blog]

Employee Spotlight: Molly Thompson

Molly leads the agency’s Biotech and Healthcare Practice, managing the PR efforts of global pharma technology and services companies. Strategizing, planning, counseling, executing, and measuring success are all part of a day’s work for Molly. She recently spearheaded the development of a unique methodology to define and measure the success of an organization’s PR program. When she’s not working with each client team to ensure PR objectives are directly aligned to the organization’s goals, you’ll find her knee deep on any given social media platform, monitoring, developing content, and generally chatting up anyone and everyone interested in her clients’ messaging.

Q: How did you get into the PR industry?

My background is in technical writing, and that's how I originally met Crossroads founders Shawn and Kristi. We all worked at the same technology start-up years ago.  I built a very strong foundation early in my career with regards to writing, editing, and user interface design.  The processes we were required to validate and verify our documentation and interface design were so stringent, I had no choice but to develop an intense eye for a quality product and attention to detail.  These qualities were quite easy to translate into the world of PR when I initially made the transition.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

Treat every output as if it's an end product the client will see.

Q: What daily tools could you not live without?

My handy-dandy, old fashioned calculator (love that old thing…my colleagues know it's proposal or contract time when I whip that thing out to do some figuring!); Hootsuite (we manage social media platforms for many of our clients and there's no better way to keep an eye on multiple platforms in one quick glance); my handy-dandy, old fashioned paper calendar (I have one for every client that tracks action items, hours, and upcoming assignments - can't go anywhere without it!); my handy–dandy, old fashioned Blackberry (notice a trend here?  OK, I'm going to upgrade in 2013 to an iPhone, I promise, but for now, I can't live without my Blackberry!); 

Q: If you could do PR for one celebrity who would it be?

Martha Stewart.  And anyone that knows won't be surprised.  First of all, think of all the tips and tricks you could learn!  The arts and crafts, the cooking, the gardening….heaven.  And I think she just might appreciate my penchant for handy-dandy, old fashioned things, calculators and calendars included.

Q: Whats your caffeine of choice?

I'm partial to a coffee with cream.  And I won't turn down a fountain Coke with good old-fashioned ice pellets.

1. Molly's sons, Cooper and Cameron

2. One of her trusty calendars

3. The Blackberry

Stay tuned for next month's employee spotlight on Christie Montague.

[crprteam-blog]

(Photo source: marcmontoro)

We had a great time yesterday at NCTA’s Emerging Tech + Trends breakfast. The topic of this panel was “Building Your Company’s Brand Through Technology. Our own, Kristi Lee-John, Co-founder and Principal of Crossroads PR represented us well on the panel. Along with her were marketing professionals from Bandwidth, Centro and Northeastern University. They engaged in insightful discussion about how technology is effecting the way marketers find and reach their target audience.

One key takeaway from the discussion was how companies, even without any news, can leverage their expertise by consistently putting out fresh content through social media and blogs. This will help establish them as a credible, expert in their industry, which is becoming more important to buyers than their product or service offering.

Thanks for putting on a great panel, NCTA! 

[crprteam-blog]

Extra! Extra! - Crossroads PR Clients in the News - November 2012 Issue

Have you seen Crossroads PR clients in the news lately? Here’s the scoop on their announcements in November

Amino Vital

Amino Vital geared up for the holiday season with several promotions. The company announced consumers can purchase its sports towel as a standalone item. The highly coveted towel is often seen during televised PGA tournaments being used by caddies and hanging on players’ bags.

The company’s Holiday Promotion launched on November 26th. Until December 10th, Athletes can stock-up on their favorite Amino Vital® product containers at a 15% discount, just in time for the holidays (excludes the Focus Zone Starter Kit). As an additional bonus, all product container orders will also ship with a free Amino Vital® water bottle.

Amino Vital also had the opportunity to be featured in November's KLUTCHclub men and women boxes, introducing Amino Vital® Endurance to wellness and fitness enthusiasts. KLUTCHclub delivers high-quality health, wellness, and fitness products and samples direct to consumers each month on a subscription basis. As an additional bonus, Amino Vital treated KLUTCHclub members to an exclusive promotion. Members will receive 20% off Endurance for first time orders with free shipping on orders over $45.

Clinipace

Clinipace attended in year's Triangle Business Journal’s 2012 Fast 50 Awards dinner, which showcased the fastest-growing private companies in the Raleigh-Durham area. This is the third year in a row Clinipace Worldwide has been included in the list and they came in at #18.

Their biggest success over the last 12 months has been the acquisition of Paragon Biomedical, Inc. The merger significantly expanded our therapeutic expertise, site management capabilities, and clinical operations.  In addition, the company extended its global footprint with the addition of offices in Irvine, California, High Wycombe, United Kingdom, and Trivandrum, India. 

StepLeader

During Hurricane Sandy and election night coverage, StepLeader had record-breaking mobile page views. The superstorm nearly doubled mobile page views on mobile apps and websites compared to average daily usage as users connected to their trusted local news source via mobile devices. November 6 now ranks as the fourth highest day in terms of page views for StepLeader, following three days last week that were dominated by round-the-clock coverage of Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. Their partners’ mobile page views this Election Day were up by more than 349 percent compared to 2010, which exemplifies tremendous growth in mobile traffic. 

Square 1 Bank

Square 1 Financial, Inc. announced that Dr. Seth Rudnick has joined the Board of Directors of both Square 1 Financial, Inc. and Square 1 Bank. Dr. Rudnick has an extensive background in the venture capital industry, as well as over 30 years of comprehensive experience in the biotechnology, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.