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This new column is just one initiative of LaBreche and MinnesotaBusiness' unique collaboration to launch a multi-dimensional, educational and community-building program around the topic of reputation. The program will also include an annual event that gathers leaders and experts on the topic of building, managing and protecting reputations. The kick-off event is scheduled for February 3, 2010 and will feature Chris Brogan, New York Times bestselling author of Trust Agents and often referred to as "The Mayor of Twitter." Stay tuned to www.labreche.com in the coming weeks for additional details on this upcoming event.

You can download a PDF of the October column here.

Additional information on the SAE's roles and expectations can be found here.

Minneapolis – September 9, 2009 – The Healthcare and Wellness Alliance and the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication will initiate a Healthcare Communications Series with their first event, “The Future of Healthcare Communications: Connecting With Patients and Physicians.” The series will feature interactive presentations on various topics pertaining to the emerging trends in healthcare communications. Details about the first event are below:

WHAT: "The Future of Healthcare Communications: Connecting With Patients and Physicians." Experts in healthcare communications will present actionable data and case studies. Presentations on direct-to-consumer advertising focusing on pharmaceuticals and direct-to-physician advertising focusing on medical devices will culminate in a physician’s perspective on these two areas, as well as a panel discussion. Speakers include Jisu Huh, Ph.D., Christopher A. Foley, M.D., and Patrick Kullmann, MBA.

WHEN: Thursday, September 24, 2009. 7-10am.

WHERE: McNamara Alumni Center, Ski-U-Mah Room. 200 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455.

DETAILS: Cost is $25, which includes breakfast. Seating is limited. For more information about the speakers or to register, please visit www.labreche.com/alliance/HCSeries1.html or contact Laura Boyd at lboyd@labreche.com or 612-338-0901.

About the Healthcare and Wellness Alliance

The Healthcare and Wellness Alliance, combining the expertise of LaBreche and CG3 Consulting, integrates best-in-class brand development, public relations, design and interactive capabilities with the strength of proven healthcare marketing, market development, sales and general healthcare and wellness expertise. This alliance focuses on the segments of healthcare and wellness both inside and outside the United States with specialization in medical devices, pharmaceutical, biotech and provider and insurer clients.

About the University of Minnesota School of Journalism & Mass Communication

The School of Journalism & Mass Communication, located in one of the nation's top media markets and a part of the University's College of Liberal Arts, prepares students for careers in a changing media environment, connects them with community professionals and provides hands-on field experiences.

LaBreche provided pro-bono design work for the final report. Click here to read the full report.

Stories about the report ran in the Star Tribune and Twin Cities Business.

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WisBusiness.com - March 30, 2009

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Minnesota Public Relations Blog - March 30, 2009

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Minneapolis - March 26, 2009 - Minneapolis-based, brand communications company LaBreche and Edina-based, healthcare consulting firm CG3 Consulting, LLC, have created a unique Healthcare and Wellness Alliance designed for medical device, pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare providers and insurance companies. The alliance will combine best-in-class brand development, public relations, interactive services and design with real world experience in healthcare general business, marketing, market development and sales leadership capabilities.

"Our new alliance is an exciting new chapter for LaBreche's healthcare and wellness practice and for CG3 Consulting," said Laura Boyd, president of LaBreche and Patrick Kullmann, president of CG3 Consulting. "The distinctive blend of traditional upstream and downstream marketing and communications capabilities that will be provided by this new alliance is unlike any other service available. Healthcare clients of both companies now have the opportunity to engage the best communications services, tools and marketing, market development and sales services at any time during the product or service development, launch and life cycle process."

The Healthcare and Wellness Alliance combines LaBreche's extensive experience of 20 years delivering results in communications and public relations for companies in the healthcare industry to include Coloplast, Invibio and EntroMedics as well as other companies that include 3M, Wausau Paper and Capital Safety, along with Kullmann's  25 years in senior marketing, market development, sales and general business leadership positions serving nine different medical specialties with Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Baxter, Johnson & Johnson and many other emerging medical device companies.

The alliance provides marketing and communications support services through the five phases of commercialization of a healthcare product and/or service:

• Product and service concept phase
• Research and development phase
• Regulatory and clinical phases
• Launch Phase
• All Life cycle phases

"The comprehensive services of the Healthcare and Wellness Alliance provide unsurpassed value to our clients from beginning to end," said Kullmann.  "LaBreche and CG3 believe it is vital to become engaged at the front end of the product or service development process in order to develop a mutual understanding, a common objective and a clear strategy to ensure overall success and cost savings for our clients in these uncertain economic times."

Boyd adds, "We are excited to begin implementing this process with our current clients and look forward to applying our knowledge to help other companies achieve great results."

Information about the LaBreche and CG3 Consulting Healthcare and Wellness Alliance is available online via video and text. Please direct all questions about the alliance to Laura Boyd, LaBreche, at 612.392.7615 or Patrick Kullmann, CG3 Consulting, at 952-921-5851.

About LaBreche

LaBreche is an independently owned brand communications company that builds, manages and protects brands of category leaders in the B2B sector.  Founded in 1990, LaBreche has evolved from a public relations-focused firm to a leading brand communications company with brand development, public relations, interactive and design services.  Based in Minneapolis, our portfolio spans markets on a local, national and global level. For more information, visit www.labreche.com.

About CG3 Consulting LLC

CG3 (Creating Growth) Consulting LLC is a full-service commercial growth consulting practice that focuses on the key drivers for growth in the healthcare, scientific and technology industries. The firm provides consulting on general business, marketing, sales and market development to drive growth in client companies.  Based in Edina, MN, our portfolio serves markets in the Midwest , national and global levels.  For more information, visit www.CG3Consulting.com.

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Molly Ryan comments on LaBreche's My Class Project(or) campaign for 3M Projection Systems Division, suggesting tips for marketing directly to teachers.

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Beth LaBreche comments on the LaBreche's marketing stimulus package in an article detailing a new promotional "theme" among Twin Cities companies.

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“We believe so much in the companies in our community,” said Beth LaBreche, CEO of the firm. “It’s agonizing to see some of them hesitating and putting their marketing plans on hold when you know they could be taking advantage of the lull to really get their messages out there. We think our new package gives companies a powerful argument for investing in their brands in 2009 – it’s our way of co-investing with businesses that are tentatively moving into the New Year.”

LaBreche is giving $25,000 of hourly time free-of-charge to new clients who sign in the first half of the year. Clients must be willing to commit to a minimum of $100,000 in marketing spend with the firm – thus they are getting the first 25 percent of work on the house. LaBreche’s services include brand communications strategy, positioning, messaging, public relations, graphic design, interactive, and social media strategy and execution.

This stimulus package is a way that a company on the fence about a new marketing or communications initiative can get a professional assessment on the positioning of its brand as well as recommendations on the best tactics to drive bottom-line results. The package is also for companies looking to switch agency partners but lacking time or money to educate and immerse a new partner.

“The Twin Cities is home to many great, powerful brands. It’s important that smart, strategic brand initiatives continue during the downturn to show the market that these brands will not go quiet because they remain relevant and strong. LaBreche is here to support the local business community in getting those messages out to consumers,” Beth LaBreche explained.

For more information about LaBreche’s marketing stimulus package, please call Laura Boyd at 612-338-0901. The promotion is good through the end of May 2009. A detailed description of LaBreche’s experience, capabilities and examples of the firm’s work are online at www.LaBreche.com.

Star Tribune - March 2, 2009

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Executive Read Book Review – Bob Huff reviews “A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future”

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Russia struggling to maintain its ‘island of stability’ status
– Anastasia Taratina, Mikhailov & Partners

Compared to the other G8 members and a majority of the developed countries currently on the brink of bankruptcies, Russia’s future economic prospects are rather bright, with the GDP growth expected to clock 7.3% in 2008 and 5.7% in 2009, according to the Finance Ministry’s data.  Besides, the three-year budget with surpluses for 2009-11 adopted by the State Duma at the peak of the crisis in November is supposed to buttress the government’s belief in its efforts not only to weather the financial storms unscathed, but also to emerge from the global crunch in a new status as one of the key players in the post-crisis global economy.  “Russia has all the resources to achieve all these ambitious goals,” State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov said.  As an example, Gryzlov and other officials have cited the Stabilization Fund, which current holds over 3.5trln.rubs, as capable of ensuring a problems-free life for Russia for many years to come.  “Even if we have to spend about 500bln.rubs annually from this fund, it will last at least seven years,” Finance Minister Alexei Kudrim said.  “In other words, this fund gives Russia 7-20 years of problems-free existence, depending on the real economic growth rates and how the government balances its budgets over this period.”

However, the IMF and WB’s forecasts for Russia for 2008-09 are not so optimistic.  Thus, according to IMF, Russia’s GDP will only grow by 7% in 2008 and then fall to 5.5% in 2009, while WB put the real per-capita GDP in Russia at 6.5% in 2008 and 3.5% in 2009.  Inflation, the bane of the Russian economy for the past decades, will also remain untamed in 2008-09, with the IMF giving the worst prognosis: 14% in 2008, and not less than 12% in 2009.  Indeed, Russia has so far not suffered as much as other G8 members and several other countries, whose aggregated losses from the crisis are now being measured in trillions of dollars, and still rising.  However, despite the relative soundness of its economy, Russia has so far also failed to remain the ‘promised island of stability’ that could provide the local and international investors a safer haven to wait out the raging financial storms.  And, according to local and international experts, it is unlikely that Russia, given the unprecedented scale of the current the crisis, will now be able to remain completely immune to the increasing volatilities on the global markets.

Russia’s economic performance eclipsed by crisis

According to experts, Russia, just like the rest of the world, is entering an era of expensive finances that will be characterized by rising costs of credits, increasingly difficult access to funding on the capital markets and falling prices on raw materials and energy.  “For Russia, the latter factor will impact most negatively on the oil companies in particular and the federal budget in general,” said Alexei Vyazovsky, the PR-director of Kalita-Finance, a key player on the local and international forex markets.  “Lower oil and gas prices will lead to a drastic decrease in government’s balance of payment, while the ruble will continue to smoothly devalue against the other currencies on the background of increasing capital flight from the country.”

Against this bleak background, the largely ‘success story’ of the Russian economy – which has become the ‘poster phenomenon’ for the emerging countries for its rapid rise from its severe financial debacle of 1998 and ‘the envy of other G8 members’ for its robust year-on-year growth over the past decade, when other key economies were on downward growth trajectories – has now been obliterated by the current crisis.  Now, under direct threats are all the key economic sectors of the local economy, where forced stoppages of production and mass layoffs are imminent.  These negative trends will surely impact negatively on different aspects of societal life.

It, therefore, was not surprising, when, speaking at the State Council in Izhevsk in November, President Dmitry Medvedev noted the hugs size of the forced expenditures that the government had so far incurred due to the crisis, promising that more financial resources, if and when needed, will be routed to protect the economy from the increasing negative impacts from the global economic mess.  Indeed, in reality, more signs are indicating that Russia is being drawn deeper into the global crisis, a trend evident in the over 5trln.rubs (about $185bln) that the government has already pumped into the stabilization of the financial sector and recapitalization of the domestic stock market, both of which have lost between 50-75% of their pre-crisis values.  Indeed, the government’s bailout reduced the country’s forex reserves, the world’s third largest, by $97.6bln going into propping up the ruble’s value against other major currencies.  According to Central Bank Chairman Sergei Ignatiev, the volume of the forex reserves on November 1 totaled $484.6bln, and this means a drastic reduction from the record level of $597.5bln on August 8, just before the crisis took a more radical negative turn.

Being closely tied to the global economy, mainly through the ‘energy umbilical cord,’ and also recklessly exposed to all the volatilities on the international capital markets through the overzealousness of Russian private companies that took cheap foreign loans with both hands from global financial institutions, the Russian economy could not help falling a victim to the financial meltdown in the world’s largest economies.  Such is the price for being a part of the global economic family, the negative results of globalization, when ‘exogenic’ negative market factors – in this case, the U.S. sublime crisis and its poor market regulations, which had ignited the current ‘financial tsunamis’ were not limited to its national boundaries – but spilled easily across borders, bringing down other national economies and transnational financial institutions.

According to the Russian Economic Ministry, the drop in the GDP growth forecast for 2008, from 7.8% to 7.3% in the best case scenario, is due to the general downward economic dynamics in both internal and external demand as well as the drastic reductions in industrial outputs in key sectors of the local and foreign economies.  The negative consequences of the raging global crisis on the Russian economy are, indeed, colossal.  Thus, according to the WB’s Report on the Russian Economy, which was released in November, the aggregated loss in the market value of the Russian stock market between May 19 and November 7 totaled $1trln, or about 85% of the nation’s GDP in 2007.  Broken down, about $300bln of this sum came from the losses of the richest Russians, mainly from the drastic falls in the values of their stock stakes, while at rest, about $700bln, were lost by large state-owned energy corporations and individual citizens, mainly from the middle-class, who have also lost some of their equities due to the plunges on the stock markets  “These losses are enormous, and, consequently, will impact negatively on the rate of consumption, especially given the additional problems caused by stiffening the loan conditions and increasing difficulties in gaining accesses to cheap financial resources,” the WB said.

Another negative aspect of the crisis is volume of capital flight from the country that has now assumed threatening proportions.  Indeed, faced by acute credit crunch at home, most international investors and companies operating in Russia were forced to retract their multimillion investments from Russia and the domestic stock market.  Similarly, Russian companies that were ‘necks deep’ in foreign debts were also forced to reroute some of their finances to repay debts, especially those called prematurely by their cash-starved creditors.  Indeed, the situation with foreign corporate loans was so critical that Russian government had to disburse over 500bln.rubs to help the worst-hit companies to meet their foreign debt obligations and stave off defaults and their consequent negative impacts for such worsened in the summer, or an average weekly exit rate of $3-7bln.  Talking about the future of the Russian economy, Sergei Borisov, president of OPORA Rossli, the business organization that protects the interests of SMEs, noted that all depends on the behaviors of the government and businesses during the crisis and the measures taken to develop the economy further.  “This, first of all, envisages the provision of support for businesses,” he said.  “The integration of the SMEs into key industries and innovations is one of the key factors that will help diversify the economy and boost its competitiveness.”

Crisis impacting negatively on the social sphere

Though the Russian government has repeatedly said that all previously approved social programs will be executed, measures seen as PR-moves against social unrest, some people in certain social strata are, however, already experiencing problems arising from the crisis-borne difficulties in the economy and the society as a whole.  As already noted, several companies plan to stop production and lay off thousands of workers.  If that is not bad enough, some business associations notably, the RSPP, whose member companies employ the largest number of workers in the country, have proposed to revoke the job-termination packages guaranty in the Labor Code, which requires employers to pay two month’s wages to employees sacked against their consents.

Another negative fallout from the crisis is the exponential increase in wage delays.  For instance, the volume of wage arrears stood at just 2.1% of the gross salary fund in September, but rose over 16 times to peg at 33.4% in October.  In other words, the wage arrears increased by 1.01bln.rubs to 4.02bln.rubs as on November 1, according to Rosstat.  The November and December data are also expected to maintain this negative dynamics.  All these factors, along with the rising inflation, mean a drastic reduction in people’s purchasing power and disposable incomes, and hence their overall social status.  It, therefore, goes without saying that the poverty index in Russia is sure to rise in the coming years.

Both government and private business representatives have conceded that the coming new year will be unprecedentedly tough for both the national economy and companies.  “The year 2009 will be a big trial for companies and economy,” Harro van Graafeiland, CEO of TNT Express Russia, said.  “Crisis is, of course, a serious shock for a stable economic system, and overcoming it is also one of the most difficult tasks for any CEO,” he noted.  “However, the CEOs that are able to execute the best and most effective anti-crisis strategies will overcome the crisis with huge competitive advantages.

Political Results

Politically, the year 2008 was exceptionally good for Russia, and for several reasons.  First of all, the nation saw the first change of president on May 7, when Dmitry Medvedev voted landslide in the March election, replaced Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.  Though some experts, especially Western governments and analysts, have called the whole process ‘a managed democracy’ and the power transfer itself ‘a political show orchestrated by the Kremlim,’ the larger global community has, however, accepted the results of the transition in the Kremlin as a specific manifestation of the Russia’s interpretation of contemporary democracy.  The differences in views notwithstanding, the May inauguration of Medvedev as the third president of post-Communist Russia was the first official democratic power transfer in the history of this great nation.  The transfer of powers from Yeltsin to Putin in 1999, for obvious reasons, could not be called “democratic.”

Another historic milestone was the appointment of Putin the nation’s prime minister, a move, which, given the special ‘biochemistry’ between the new president and the prime minister, and the high-public approval ratings of the latter in the society, offers Russia the most stable political leadership in centuries.  There other pluses from this political tandem: first of all, for the first time, a former Russian leader was not publicly humiliated and/or relegated to the sidelines of political and societal life.  Secondly, the Russian premiership has not only ceased to be just a nominal figurehead, rubberstamping all decisions from the Kremlin, but has become a real and effective constitutional institution, capable of having its own voice and vision on key policies and other issues of national and global importance.

This new political tandem readily paid off during the Georgia’s U.S.-backed aggression against South Ossetia in summer, when the Russian top leadership exhibited unprecedented unity in repelling the Georgians from the breakaway republic through a brief, but resolute military operation, and then going ahead to recognize the battered republic and Abkhazia as sovereign states.  Similarly, the two leaders also acted (and still acting) as a unified front against the U.S. and NATO-led international attempts to force Russia to back off from defending its lawful interests from the Caucasian Region with its increasing geopolitical significance.

Indeed, the results of the five-day Caucasian war re-catapulted Russia back to the global geopolitical and military arena.  Undeniably, the fact that the EU, which had reacted bizarrely to the Georgia crisis by halting the talks on a new Cooperation Pact with Russia, has now agreed to come back to the negotiation tables without any precondition, and that NATO members are also backing off from their ‘no-business-as-usual-with-Moscow policy after the Georgia affair’ to engaging with the Kremlin on a number of continental and international issues, all mean resounding diplomatic and military victories for Russia on the geopolitical arena.  Any unbiased observer will agree that for an absolutely bad year, such far-reaching geopolitical achievements are spectacular indeed.

Austria: Economic Forecast 2009

– Sabine Pöhacker, Geschäftsführung(Communications – Agent for PR, Events & Marketing)

For the very first time since 1955 Austria’s economy will probably not grow in the next two years – this alerting statement was said by Stefan Bruckbauer, the leading economist of Bank Austria, Austria’s leading bank.  The financial crisis will inevitably bring about a higher national deficit and government debt.  Thus Austria with a population of 7.5 million people will get closer to or even exceed the Maastricht criteria’s 3% limit of the GDP.  The unemployment ranks will rise by 45,000 until 2010.  That’s the official, already narrowed forecase exercise of the Oesterreichische National Bank.

Serious and difficult time

Other experts await a worse development as the economic downswing has quickened in the past weeks and days.  With multi-billion euro expenses for economic growth packages, tax-reform package, pro-family tax package and the package to secure the banks, a national deficit of 3.4% is to be expected.  Anyhow, the year after next Austria will, like most other countries in the European Union, fail to comply with the Maastricht criteria.  It will be a “serious and difficult” time for the economy, as the National Bank Governor Ewald Nowotny stated.  Nonetheless comparisons with the Great Depression of the 1930s are “extremely overdrawn” (at that time the Austrian GDP decreased by one quarter).  If the packages to stabilize the economy work out, the GDP could advance by 0.5%.

Linked to Germany and Eastern Europe

Austria’s most important economic partners Germany and Italy are going to face dramatic difficulties which strongly affect Austria’s export economy.  Eastern Europe, where Austria has had very good business dealings, will probably stay in the growth rankings but has the “highest downward risks” for the Austrian growth outlook.  Bankers expect the peak of the crisis in the next first half-year, after that the economy will turn upward relatively quick.

Negative expectations of the advertising industry

The expectations of the industry for 2009 are negative, according to a Focus poll: clients and agencies reckon with decreases of 1.2% and 4.7 % respectively.  Only six media types are being estimated with higher spending: Internet(plus 13.6%), direct mailings(plus 10%), ambient media via waiting room tv(plus 6.5%) and minimal growth for newspaper supplements, cultural sponsoring as well as free and local newspapers.  Agencies are more optimistic but only for the Internet and digital-signage media with an increase of more than 30 percent.  “Expectations of minus 5.2 percent are at rock bottom of the past five years but no media type is in serious difficulties” says Mag. Josef Leitner, CEO Focus.