Client Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Brings Record Breaking Crowds

Race for the Cure Attracts Nearly 19,000 Participants in Miami

The Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® today reported that 18,990 individuals, including more than 900 breast cancer survivors, participated in the 2009 Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®. This is the largest participation in the event’s history.

Despite the current downturn in the economy, the number of participants at this year’s event also made it the largest 5K Run/Walk in Miami-Dade County in 2009. This marks another outstanding year since the first Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Race for the Cure® in 1996.

Some of the major local sponsors of this year’s Race for the Cure® included Publix/Kellogg’s, Macy’s, South Florida Ford Dealers, Chevron, CBS4/MY33, The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald, Momsmiami.com, Univision, and Clear Channel.

In keeping with Komen guidelines, 75 percent of the net proceeds raised stay in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties to support education, screening and treatment in underserved communities. The remaining 25 percent is pooled with money raised by other Komen affiliates for national research grants.

“The support we have received from the South Florida community will allow us to continue to expand our ongoing educational outreach and screening programs in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale and Florida Keys,” said Bobbi Meyers, executive director for Susan G. Komen Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate. “We are expecting to exceed the $1.2 million raised last year. This money will bring us one step closer to our vision of a world without breast cancer.”

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is dedicated to saving lives and ending breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Since its inception in 1996, the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Race For the Cure® and the Affiliate has raised more than $9 million and has reached hundreds of thousands of women and men through educational outreach. For more information, visit http://www.komenmiaftl.org/.

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Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate is a client of Thorp & Company

Messages for Recession & Recovery

During this economic downturn, we’ve worked closely with our clients to help them get their messaging right. An article posted on the Daily Dog by Frank Zeccola called, “Words that Resonate in Recession and Recovery: PR Messaging Expert Reveals Phrases and Hot Buttons that Move Publics Now,” featuring Michael Maslansky, CEO of Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research, addresses this notion. Maslansky explains that there are opportunities to use the right kind of corporate messaging to lead your company out of the recession and into recovery. He stresses that it’s not just about what you say and how you say it. You must also consider how the audience will hear your message and interpret it. You need to put yourself in their position and ask yourself: Is this really the message my audience wants to hear? And will they receive it the way they want to receive it?

Six key areas to focus on moving forward:

• Inspiration vs. aspiration. During the recession, focus on stories of everyday people and what they can achieve.

• Responsibility vs. opportunity. In recovery, the language will shift from responsibility to opportunity. Where are the opportunities? How can we think about upward mobility?

• Stability vs. growth. Today, the language of stability is very important. Emphasize your company's stability and stable results in investment. People start looking for more growth in better economic times.

• Control vs. spontaneity. In a recession, it's about smart choices and control. For example, if a company is pitching a product or issue, they have to offer tools that give you control over finances and expenses. However, recovery is more about spontaneity and the fun choices that make you feel good.

• Jobs vs. careers. Right now, people are worried about whether they will have a job tomorrow. In recovery, they have a career, which is rewarding in ways a job never is.

Fundamentally, what this means is that it is important to strategically craft your corporate messages in order for them to be received in the way you want. Your messages should be relevant to your audience’s point of view. This will not only strengthen your communications platform; it will also allow your messages to be easily understood and remembered. The key messages will be meaningful to the audience which will facilitate a strong and loyal relationship.

Client Susan G. Komen for the Cure Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate to Host Fundraisers – Want to help the fight against breast cancer?

On September 15, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate and Massage Envy will host “Massage for the Cure,” a one-day event to raise funds for breast cancer education, screening and treatment while also providing people with the health benefits of massage therapy.

Massage Envy clinics will offer $35, one-hour therapeutic massage sessions, and donate $10 per massage to the local Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Affiliate.

Interested participants can schedule their massage from 9a.m – 10p.m., Tuesday, September 15 at all participating Massage Envy in Miami-Dade and Broward counties by calling 866-933-3689 or visiting www.massageenvy.com

If a massage is just not for you, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate will also partner with the Florida Marlins as they play a double header with the Philadelphia Phillies to benefit the fight against breast cancer.

The game starts at 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22.Tickets for this game start at $23 and are valid for both games. A portion of proceeds from each ticket purchased will benefit the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please visit www.komenmiamftl.org and click on events.

Support the fight against breast cancer by enjoying one of these events.

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Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate is a client of Thorp & Company

Client Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade & UM Volunteers Provide Home Repairs to Coconut Grove Family

On Saturday, August 29, Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade, and more than 25 student volunteers from the University of Miami, and volunteers from the Community Improvement Organization Inc. worked together to provide home repairs for a needy disabled family in Coconut Grove.

Tyrone Borden, a retired employee from the City of Coral Gables, is currently on kidney dialysis. His wife, Patricia, retired after suffering from a heart attack and diabetes and is also on dialysis. The couple’s daughter also lives in the residence and suffers from a kidney disease.

Due to their disability, the Bordens have been unable to keep up with maintenance on their home. They were facing fines from the city for not being compliant with code enforcement due to chipped paint on their home and also needed a new toilet and handicap bars so they are able to maneuver around their bathroom.

The volunteers spent several hours repainting the entire exterior of the home, installing handicap bars, landscaping and making other minor home repairs.

Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade chapter is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that preserves homeownership and revitalizes neighborhoods by providing free of charge rehabilitation services to the elderly, veterans, disabled and low income homeowners. The organization is part of a network of more than 204 affiliates and is the nation’s leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize communities. For more information, visit www.rebuildingtogethermiami.org.


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Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade is a client of Thorp & Company

Social Media Becoming a Necessity for Major Companies

A recent article published in The Wall Street Journal about major companies using Twitter demonstrates how prevalent social media is becoming in the PR realm – and it continues to grow. Social media is being incorporated into essential business practices and is also being used in all aspects of public relations; from media relations and branding to crisis communications. It’s becoming a necessity.

Companies like Coca-Cola are hiring social media experts to monitor and help manage corporate image on social sites. This trend is not only about building and maintaining relationships with target publics but also with potential and current clients.

However, social media can be both detrimental and beneficial to companies – they must monitor closely and respond accordingly.

Please follow the link below to read article on The Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124925830240300343.html

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Thorp and Company

Client Tripp Scott Discusses Florida’s Future with Senator Jeff Atwater

Webcasts have emerged as an effective way to communicate messages to a target audience, and smart companies are using web casts internally and externally to help accomplish their communications goals.

Internally, they can help to create a sense of pride among employees, keep employees engaged, boost morale and cross-sell information with other departments and services.

Externally, they can help to get you in front of a target audience, build your brand, demonstrate knowledge and build trust.

Here's a great example from one of our clients. Tripp Scott uses webcasts to communicate with their clients and prospects, demonstrating their commitment to stay ahead of the curve by engaging the leading players involved in key issues.

This one features Sen. Jeff Atwater. Click the link to watch.

http://www.trippscott.com/CM/Videos/Jeff-Atwater.wmv

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Thorp & Company

Client Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Miami/Fort Lauderdale Affiliate to Host Fundraising Event

California Pizza Kitchen to Benefit the Fight Against Breast Cancer

California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) at Mircale Mile, Pembroke Pines and Ft. Lauderdale locations is hosting a fundraiser to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate on Tuesday, July 28. Customers can bring in a printable flyer that can be found on the Komen website so that 20 percent of their check will be donated to the Komen Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate.

Anyone who is interested in participating in the event can go to www.komensmiaftl.org and click on events to download the CPK flyer.

Participants can download the flyer and present it to restaurant servers before they pay their check.

For questions or concerns about the event, contact the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

Participating CPK are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Coral Gables location:
300 Miracle Mile
Coral Gables, Fla. 33134

Pembroke Lakes Mall location:
11401 Pines Blvd
Pembroke Pines, Fla. 33026

Ft. Lauderdale location:
2301 N. Federal Hwy
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 33305

Susan G. Komen For the Cure® is dedicated to saving lives and ending breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Since its inception in 1996, the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Race For the Cure® and the Affiliate has raised more than $8 million and has reached hundreds of thousands of women and men through educational outreach. For more information, visit www.komenmiaftl.org.
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Susan G. Komen Miami/Ft. Lauderdale is a client of Thorp & Company