As Barnhart’s new account executive Luu brings six years of experience to the firm and will service various Barnhart clients including: Wyoming Suicide Prevention, History Colorado and Wyoming Tourism. He most recently served as a Senior Accounts Manager at Moxie Sozo in Boulder, working with clients such as the Aspen Music Festival, Bonzini, CatEye Electronics, PROBAR and Colorado Ski Country USA. He also has extensive graphic design knowledge having taught visual communication at Arizona State University, and as the founder and head designer at Luu Fu Creative.

A gradate of Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., Luu lives in Boulder, Colo.

13 Communication Tips to Help Survive Thanksgiving

I usually blog about business communication tips but since most of us won’t be working on Thanksgiving, we’ll have to communicate with relatives and/or friends. It may be easier to go to work!

Here are 13 quick communication tips to help make your day festive and enjoyable.

Bookmark this post, as it will come in handy for the entire holiday season!

1. Forget previous holidays, discussions, disagreements, and conversations. Go in with a clean slate and an open mind that you will have a fabulous and relaxing day.
2. Have a drink. I didn’t say get drunk, because things could turn ugly. One drink can help you relax and take the edge off.
3. Remember, not every comment or statement requires an answer. Silence and a smile can be very powerful. In other words, bite your tongue.
4. Use the phrase, ”Isn’t that interesting?” If Uncle Grouch starts in at the table with off-color remarks, recite these three magical words. ”Isn’t that interesting?” neutralizes virtually every situation. This phrase leads to a verbal dead-end. Then smile politely.
5. Mingle with the kids. This can bring levity to the day.
6. Take a walk. Invite someone special, or the entire group, to take a walk around the corner. The dynamics will shift, the conversations will lighten up, and the fresh air will be rejuvenating.
7. Keep a few friendly and neutral small-talk starters or stories in mind. Be ready to drop one in if things get awkward or tense.
8. Pass on being a “topper.” If Uncle Fred is bragging about his week in Florida, let him have his moment. Don’t chime in that you just returned from a free month in Bermuda because you were the No. 1 sales rep.
9. Be nice. Gossip often rules at family gatherings. Steer clear of pettiness. Don’t say anything behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t say to their face.
10. Avoid touchy subjects. There’s a lot of angst out there with unemployment, money, and everyday life. You don’t know everything that goes on in other homes, marriages, or relationships. Focus on positive topics and stay away from turning your feast into a “pity party.”
11. Cite three good qualities of someone who is with you that you dislike. Think of these qualities before you join the crowd so you can get rid of “old baggage.” Plan to relax and have a good day!
12. Offer to help. Some of the best conversations I’ve had with family and friends have taken place while we’re clearing dishes, taking out the garbage, or loading the dishwasher.
13. Communicate your gratitude. Regardless of how happy or unhappy you were during your visit, tell your host that you appreciate their efforts and invitation.

“We’re pleased to officially welcome Phil, Adam and Lynda to the team to help us meet growing client demands,” said Bill Schumacher, President and CEO of Barnhart. “Their collective talent and experience supports our mission to be the most vital marketing partner for our clients and to create great work that works.”

Account Director Phil Metz also serves as Barnhart’s Director of Digital Services with more than 10 years of experience creating and managing innovative marketing campaigns in the real estate, resort, hospitality and marine industries. He recently returned to Denver after spending six and a half years in Tampa, Fla. as Vice President and Interactive Department Manager at United Landmark Associates.

Adam Nelson is an award-winning art director who also returned to his native home of Colorado after spending six years at GSD&M in Austin, Texas; David and Goliath in El Segundo, Calif.; and Abend and Moore in Atlanta, Ga. His credits include work for AARP, Ace Hardware, Horseshoe Casino, Kia Motors, Mammoth Mountain and Zales, among others.

Lynda Pfaff brings more than 25 years of experience in marketing and media to Barnhart, having most recently led marketing efforts for Papa Murphy’s central region, spanning 360 stores across 23 markets. Prior to Papa Murphy’s, she held media director positions at Modern Media, Inline Media and Kelley/Dexter Advertising & Marketing. Over the years, she has been responsible for media planning for ski resorts, homebuilders, restaurants, banks and HMOs, among many more agency accounts.

It is my second major, history, that launched me into the world of public relations. I applied for an internship at History Colorado last summer in their PR department, thinking I could mesh my two majors into one.

I haven’t looked back.

After several months there I was introduced to Barnhart, and accepted as an intern. Here I have been assigned to work with (yes, you guessed it) History Colorado! With a newly built museum scheduled to open in Spring 2012, and as a place close to my heart, I am excited to promote the story to local and national news outlets, and even more excited to learn about the process.

Barnhart has taught me a lot of new skills; I have a very different perspective to bring to the table, but also a lot to learn about the public relations world. One instance is the QR Code trend happening in PR and marketing right now. QR codes allow businesses to send consumers directly to a URL, potentially increasing sales, increasing awareness of a product, or even offering special promotions.

And those are just the basic ideas. Can you imagine what a little creativity could do for such a new idea?

And I think it is my history major that makes me look around at the office with glee. Barhnart’s office is located in an old bank building. The space is open, artsy, and has charms only old banks could offer including beautiful railing on the second floor, spacious view to the area below, and a bank vault.

Great work atmosphere, great people and a great learning experience- this is Barnhart to me.

-Ashley Lauwereins

My co-worker walked in this morning talking about her new workout regimen, and I about my re-focused eating habits. Everyone probably has personal goals that sometimes need to be dusted off and renewed. But what about professional goals? I’m officially declaring mine here, in public view on the Barnhart blog, to put that extra kick in me to remain accountable.

1. For each goal, make a plan with measureable objectives. Everything I do during my workday should help me achieve at least one of the agency’s or my clients’ goals. If it doesn’t, then it’s a waste of time. A crucial aspect of a plan is ensuring that you know when you’ve found success, or when you need to adjust your tactics. This requires measureable objectives.

2. Make time for things that should be a priority. It’s all too easy to let things slip to the backburner because other important tasks need to be completed. No one (be it a potential client, co-worker, current client) will be impressed with so-so.

3. Share awesome. This is especially true for social media marketing, but is applicable to just about any and all messaging.

Now let’s see how I can walk the walk, too.

Note: I also attribute this inspiration to attending Explore & Engage with Jason Falls and Brian Solis last week. I highly recommend these two influencers and future Social:IRL events.

This seems like a silly question to me: someone who has spent the last four years studying communication on both small and large scales. But it has come to my attention the majority of my generation perceives PR as an easy gig mostly associated with socializing, schmoozing and handling club openings. I can probably thank multiple pop culture references for this warped image (at least for the majority of the PR industry).

My most influential professor instilled in us eager pupils her take on PR as a business management function. Her boiled-down definition describes what most goals and strategies of PR seek to achieve. When it comes down to it, good PR reaches both members of the media and general public alike in an effort to make a connection and better the company.

As I navigate through the PR industry, I find it is an ever-evolving field that is anything but stagnant from one year to the next. A PR pro must possess traditional tricks of the trade as well as constantly sharpening his or her new media tools in order to keep up and get ahead. I guess I have my work cut out for me!

A recent study published by USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism has proclaimed public relations pros the winners of the online social media fight when it comes to budgetary appropriations. (Pause for all the marketing specialists to gasp in horror and outrage.)

Agency budgeting for social media is ever increasing as its popularity and vitality continues to boom. Sure, marketing and public relations professionals alike do warrant some of the control over social media, but it’s all in response to the general public. We must keep up with the ebb and flow of the social media world, and ensure we are providing our clients, and by extension the public, what they want.

So as much as I would like to gloat as a PR person that we are the top dogs, I’m afraid it isn’t so. Just for kicks, though, the study did conclude these findings:

“When asked to define, in percentile terms, how much budgetary control PR/Communications exerted over digital/social media in their organizations, 25.4 percent of corporate participants said that PR/Communication has 81 to 100 percent of budgetary control. Only half as many – 12.6 percent – said that Marketing had that much control.”

Where there’s action, there’s money. And he who controls the action gets all the money. So naturally, the online tug-o-war for social media control will likely continue to be a battlefield. Until then, it looks like dinner’s on us PR people.

Where do you stand on this ever-changing topic? Who, in your eyes, should or does control social media? PR or marketing folks?

“Hummus Catches On in America (as Long as It’s Flavored)”

“Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill inks first franchise deal”

“Fast Food Goes Upscale”

“Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill is expanding to the East Coast”