Castle Updated Masthead
The Castle Group NewsFebruary 2011
Let those creative juices flow...

Friends,

 

As communicators, it's our job to be creative every day. Taking a creative approach to a client brainstorm, media outreach, social media strategy, event program or even a budget--there are thousands of opportunities to unleash our creative juices every day.

 

A passion for creativity is one of the many things that binds our PR and events & incentives teams together. But there is creativity...and then there is CREATIVITY. Truly out-of-the-box, no-holds barred, "no idea is a bad idea," "you don't need anyone's approval" creativity. The kind of creativity that you might remember applying way back when, in arts and crafts. In fact, it is arts and crafts.

 

See, we have a tradition at Castle called "The Thing." Every year, a week or so in advance of our holiday party, everyone receives the same raw materials to make a craft--some"THING." In the past our "Things" have been snow globes, piggy banks, slingback chairs, fuse beads...the list goes on. This year, the "Thing" was a gingerbread man kit--8 gingerbread men, icing ingredients and candy pieces.

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Why do we do this? It started as a teambuilding activity more than a decade ago, when we broke the firm into small teams, supplied a boatload of random crafts tools (feathers, balloons, popsicle sticks, poster board, etc.) and created an internal Thanksgiving Day parade (each team built a "float") to kick off a Castle Thanksgiving feast. People really got into it, and we realized that we all needed an outlet to be wildly creative, unrelated to business goals, Associated Press style or budget parameters. So we made it an annual centerpiece of our holiday party, with a different "Thing" supplied every year.

 

The competition is fierce. And we really upped the ante last year when our creative services partner MK3 joined us. With their expertise in multimedia, the "Thing" has taken on a new dimension. It's amazing to see so many people go in so many different directions using the same materials. We're blown away every year.

 

This year we thought, "People really need to see some of this amazing creativity."

 

So here you go...with apologies to Pixar, James Franco, Julian Assange (does he deserve an apology?), the Celtics starting five, Candyland, Waldo, "Dexter" and the girl in the opening scene of "Jaws."


View our photos on flickr

 

And checkout The Thing video by Braden and Jonathan from MK3.

Thing video intro

The "Thing" Video

Note: Some gingerbread men WERE harmed in the making of the "Thing." 

 

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sandy         wendy                      
Sandy Lish                 Wendy Spivak               
Principal/Co-founder  Principal/Co-founder           


View our profile on LinkedIn Join Castle's "Friend's & Family Network"

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Visit our blog Enjoy Castle's blog


 

 
Achievement in Entrepreneurship

 
Sandy Lish
Co-Founder and Principal
The Castle Group

On Thursday, January 27, 2011, with more than 850 people in attendance, Castle co-founder Sandy Lish was honored by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce with a Pinnacle Award for Achievement in Entrepreneurship. The Pinnacle Award honors business and professional women who have demonstrated excellence in entrepreneurship, management and lifetime achievement.

At Castle, we are extremely proud of Sandy for receiving this prestigious award. For more than fifteen years, Sandy has been a leader and a cornerstone to Castle's success. The ideals that she brings to winning this award are the very same values she brings to the company every day. Sandy works diligently on behalf of our clients and our employees, bringing to them the same intrinsic intelligence, talent, enthusiasm and drive that she brings to all of her personal and professional relationships.

Sandy embraces change and greatly influences keeping Castle at the forefront of all up-to-the minute new media, technology and best practices, while fostering an environment where people thrive. This results in our clients always receiving the best possible programs that deliver smart, creative and high-impact results.

We congratulate her on her success!


Causes we care about...

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Making Babies Your Business

Every baby deserves a chance to start life healthy, but unfortunately some babies still fight significant odds.

 

Please consider joining more than 20,000 companies big and small who walk in March for Babies each year. From senior management to individual team members, everyone in your organization can feel good about helping babies be born healthy. Participating as a company team creates a special camaraderie and fosters workplace teambuilding.

 

When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies.

 

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March of Dimes makes it easy to set up or support a walk team. If you're interested in walking or setting up a corporate team, go to www.marchforbabies.org.

 

Five things to do in a down economy
 
By David Landis, Landis Communications
Public Relations Global Network
  1. Get your story out. The media still wants news...but in troubled times, you'll get more ink if you find an angle that references topics that are currently top of mind.
  2. Be fastidious. Success is in the details...don't forget to dot every i and cross every t. It could mean the difference between success and failure when competition is fierce.
  3. Know your market. Now is still the time to innovate, by building on what you know.
  4. Don't forget the golden rule. Help others, it'll bring you more rewards than you can imagine.
  5. Don't let up. Market as diligently in a down economy as you do in a boom time.

Landis is a member of PRGN, our invitation only international network of mid-sized communications firms.

 

Offers & Opportunities

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A Special Offer from the BBJ for Friends of Castle
The Boston Business Journal would like to thank our partners with a special offer for 2011. For anyone who subscribes to the BBJ and mentions The Castle Group, we will:

1. Reserve a copy of the 2011 Book of Lists* in your name
2. Discount the price of a 1-year subscription to $80 ($40 off the regular 1-year rate)

*There are limited numbers of copies of the Book of Lists this year so you must respond by February 14, 2011 to reserve your copy.

In order to take advantage of this deal you must forward a copy of this email to sryan@bizjournals.com. If you have any questions regarding this offer, please email Sean Ryan or call (617) 316-3207.


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PBLN in Search of Director of Policy and Program
The Progressive Business Leaders Network is building a team of business leaders and top notch staff that can drive change and have impact in the advancement of creating a more sustainable economy and promoting socially and environmentally responsible economic growth.

PBLN is currently in search of candidates for a unique growth opportunity, the Director of Policy and Program. Please refer any candidates directly to info@pbln.org. Click here for full job description and contact information.
Client News

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Welcome Holcim
Castle is thrilled to welcome new client Holcim (US), one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of cement and mineral components in the United States.

We are working with the company's U.S. headquarters to share its news, as well as its environmental and sustainability practices, to a broader audience.

For more information about Holcim, go to ww.holcim.com.
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Salem Five Talks Money
Salem Five has launched a new program to encourage families to talk and learn about financial issues together.

The Salem Five Talks Money program features information, educational resources and conversation starters via the bank's social networks on Facebook and Twitter (feel free to follow along) coupled with live training sessions geared toward older teens at Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCAs.
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Resolution-Friendly Menu
Friendly's customers starting the new year with a resolution to choose better-for-you foods can turn to Friendly's new menu, available until February 27, 2011.
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Featuring under-555-calorie meals for $7.99 or less, the menu includes diverse and delicious choices, from a Caprese grilled chicken sandwich with salad to entrée salads to stir frys. The dessert option of a Strawberry Non-Fat Frozen Yogurt Sundae is a guilt-free end to any meal and only 250 calories.

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Boston Rising appoints

Imari K. Paris Jeffries

Boston Rising, a new philanthropy focused 100 percent on breaking intergenerational poverty in Boston, has appointed Imari K. Paris Jeffries as its first Partner for Community Co-Investment.

Paris Jeffries, who previously served as executive director for Friends of the Children - Boston, will focus on developing, executing and evaluating Boston Rising's grant making strategy with families and community organizations in Grove Hall and, eventually, other parts of Boston.


He will also set Boston Rising's rigorous measurement standards and drive the organization's multi-year programmatic investments with a focus on accountability and outcomes.

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Say "Cheese"
Cheeseboy: Grilled Grilled Cheese to Go has renamed its first location at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Conn. to reflect the company's new brand identity. Since opening in Milford, Michael Inwald, founder and president, has rebranded the company with an entirely new look and feel, and established its headquarters in Boston, while opening a second location at South Station in October 2010.

The name Cheeseboy came from a nickname given to Inwald by friends and family. The company is focused on bringing its "Grilled Cheese Experience" to people everywhere, offering
customers delicious, classic grilled cheese sandwiches made with fresh, high-quality ingredients, including specially made breads and premium cheeses.
 
The new look has been well received by Connecticut customers - see what one local blogger has to say
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Pega Annual Sales Kickoff
Pegasystems recently held their Annual Sales Kickoff meeting at the Westin Waterfront in Boston with Castle's event team as the liaison between Pegasystems and their sponsoring partners, managing meeting logistics for this 560-person, four day meeting.

Pegasystems, the leader in business process management and a leading provider of CRM solutions, helps organizations enhance customer loyalty, generate new business, and improve productivity. Their patented Build for Change® technology speeds the delivery of critical business solutions by directly capturing business objectives and eliminating manual programming.

Pegasystems enables clients to quickly adapt to changing business conditions in order to outperform the competition.
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Jewish Charitable Organizations Agree to Merger

Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Boston recently announced that it is expanding its ability to serve the community through a merger with Jewish Family Service of the North Shore, effective January 31, 2011.
 

JFS is a non-profit social service agency that has been serving the entire North Shore - from Lynn to Cape Ann - for more than 100 years.

 

Read the full story in the Boston Business Journal.

Around Town

Advancing Women
Join the BBJ for its Advancing Women Breakfast being held on Thursday, March 24, 2011 from 7:00 to 10:00 am at the Westin Boston Waterfront.

The program's focus will be on developing strategies for women's success in the workplace and overcoming professional obstacles. The morning will include a keynote by Susan Windham-Bannister, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and a panel discussion titled, "Leading in the Age of Adversity."

For more information or to register, click here.