At the College of Saint Rose, for two days of class, Tom discussed brand positioning and the key to effective advertising with students. Highlighting the most iconic and powerful ads in history, students were able to see how certain brands have shaped the world we live in today. On the third day of lecturing at the College of Saint Rose, it was time to dispel the myths about the field of public relations. Students learned about the rise of social media and the impact it’s had on today’s newsroom.

Gramercy Communications’ lecturing series came to a close with the last class taught at Schenectady County Community College with students in a web publishing class. Students learned about the evolution of social media and the impact its made on recent campaigns.

Click here to read the full article.

Gramercy Communications Media Training Boot Camp

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Matt Cannon earned his bachelors degree from Northeastern University and has nearly a decade of experience in multiple aspects of the communications industry. Prior to coming to Gramercy Communications in October, Matt was employed as a Coordinator for the New York State Assembly, where he produced relevant communications products for multiple Assembly Members. Cannon began his career working in sports broadcasting in Boston, where he worked with major TV networks ESPN and NESN doing freelance production of major sporting events including the Boston Marathon, World Series, Monday Night Football, NBA and NHL playoffs.

Matt is currently serving as the Communications Co-Chair for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Capital Region Chapter.

Mike Bohne has been with Gramercy Communications since July 2011, where he started in the company’s paid internship program. A graduate of Utica College of Syracuse University, Mike managed the broadcast, media relations and marketing of Utica radio station, WPNR 90.7FM, as a student. He has also volunteered his time assisting with media relations for the Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany.

Mike is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and was previously an active member of the PRSSA Student Chapter at Utica.

]]> http://www.gramercycommunications.com/general/matt-cannon-mike-bohne-join-firm/feed/ 0 http://www.gramercycommunications.com/general/tom-nardacci-inducted-into-boys-girls-clubs-of-southern-rensselaer-county-hall-of-fame/ http://www.gramercycommunications.com/general/tom-nardacci-inducted-into-boys-girls-clubs-of-southern-rensselaer-county-hall-of-fame/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:43:20 +0000 admin http://www.gramercycommunications.com/?p=593 Gramercy Communications Principal & Founder Tom Nardacci was inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Rensselaer County’s Hall of Fame. This year’s celebration was for the Inaugural Class. Tom spent countless summers as a youth at the Boys Club’s Camp Adventure and every weeknight as a teen in the Club’s gym. When he went off to college, Tom was awarded the Gordon Noel Memorial Scholarship by the Clubs. Tom has remained an active volunteer for youth organizations. He has served as a Board Member at the Rensselaer Clubs, and served as a Board Member and Treasurer of the Albany Boys & Girls Clubs, helping to guide the organization through challenging times. He chaired the Albany Club’s first-ever annual appeal, and helped them raise over $100,000.

Gramercy Communications had the rewarding experience of helping the Rensselaer Boys & Girls Club in December. Faced with serious financial pressures, the Boys & Girls Club needed to raise $100,000 in a few weeks or risk closing its doors. With outreach from Gramercy Communications many local media outlets including the Times Union helped tell the Club’s inspirational story and raise awareness of the situation. The local community responded immediately, and the generous support amazingly helped the the Club’s reach their goal.

“Gramercy Communications: The series of polls conducted on the mayor’s race by the guys from Gramercy were dead on straight through. They first predicted Mantello would crush Campana by some 20 points, then it found she was beating Rosamalia by 7 when he first got in and then found the race was neck-and-neck. The final poll, released the Sunday before Election, had her down by 10.9 points. Everyone kind of questioned that one, but like the others it was dead on.”

During his remarks, Tom brought our two fall interns, Mike and Nolan, up with him for recognition. Over the past five years, Gramercy Communications has invested more than $100,000 in our internship program. We have helped students from a wide variety of colleges and universities gather invaluable hands-on public relations experience.

Below is a short video from the PRSA Capital Region Empire Awards event:

Modern Mix Marketing created and posted this video of Tom’s presentation.

by Mike Bohne (Fall 2011 Intern)

I was born with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP); a genetic eye condition that leads to incurable blindness. I was diagnosed at an early age, have been legally blind since before my teen years and have learned to cope with this condition my entire life.  The level of degeneration of eyesight varies for every person and RP can cause severe night blindness.

This past May, I graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and then began working as a part-time intern at Gramercy Communications in July.  Every morning when I leave for Gramercy before the sun comes up, I open the door and can barely see a foot in front of me as I cautiously walk to the bus stop.  This is one of the many obstacles I deal with daily.

My first day was challenging and I knew I had to find a way to adapt to the new situations ahead of me, or else fitting in at Gramercy would be impossible.  Ask yourself, how do you work in the fast paced office environment of a public relations firm when you’re legally blind and can’t see well enough to read the newspaper or even online media? Most Capital Region media does not offer accessibility options for visually impaired individuals on their websites, a stunning fact considering that a majority of people in the world get their news online.

I did not expect a PR firm to slow down just for me; a PR firm does not slow down for anyone.  Dealing with daily tasks such as writing a press release, scanning the news for articles related to our clients and even meeting new clients are a current challenge for me to overcome.  Communicating with clients can be difficult with a visual impairment such as mine, as non-verbal communication is very important to a conversation.

When reading the news or writing a press release, I adapt to the situation by using handheld magnification devices and computer software designed for people with visual impairments.  My visual impairment can make normal tasks more time consuming, but it only encourages me to work harder and faster.  I do not see my disability as a weakness, rather as a source of motivation to push myself and to be persistent.  I don’t let Retinitis Pigmentosa get in the way of my goals in life or affect my quality of work.

I have had great experiences at Gramercy in my short time here.  I have learned that Gramercy Communications and I share several qualities, the most important is that we both are committed to working harder.  With RP – I have to. At Gramercy Communications, it’s a commitment to our clients that drives us.

The full Gramercy Communications team recently attended the Public Relations Society of America Capital Region Chapter 2011 Empire Awards, where we left as winners and Tom was awarded Public Relations Practitioner of The Year.  Tom explained that everyone at Gramercy played a role in its success, and took the time in his speech to recognize me and my writing skills.  Even as a new member of the team I was able to find my place at Gramercy, it’s nice to be appreciated.

I was looking for a job when I graduated college, but I found something more – an opportunity.  I am enjoying my time here and look forward to the future.  The field of Public Relations is always changing and I am eager to never stop learning. I look forward to my next challenge.