The Walton Group Inc

2012-01-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

Crisis Management: Be prepared to be prepared

By Michael Rudd

Everyone has had at least one experience in their life that was so unexpected, so different from anything that had happened to them up to that point in their lives, they just didn’t know what to do. A lot of times, these experiences end up being great stories to share during dinner parties or group gatherings. For instance, I was living in Korea, and had just left a restaurant from lunch with a few friends. We were walking down the street to the bus stop (public transportation is great in Korea), when a man on a moped jumps the curb and parks his scooter right on the sidewalk, blocking our path. It wasn’t unusual for us, as Americans, to receive more attention than the normal pedestrian, but whenever it was this much attention, there were usually ill feelings involved. So, as this “scooterist” hopped off his bike and opened the storage compartment under the seat, my flight or fight instinct started revving up. But, instead, this man pulled out five Slammer Stuffed Animals (the ones that say different phrases when you throw or hit them against the wall), and gave them to us. He hopped back on his bike, yelled, “Enjoy!” and was off. There were three important questions that needed answering, besides the obvious, “What the….” What is the proper protocol, who else needs to know, and what is the best way to tell others; all of these important questions need an answer when something unexpected comes up.

But what if the unexpected isn’t something as mild as receiving free talking stuffed animals? What if the man had jumped the curb because he didn’t like American’s and a physical altercation ensued? How would I answer those three questions while trying to defend myself and those around me, both from an assaulter and the people who would see the fight and assume I had started it? A recent, actual event that illustrates the importance of being prepared for unexpected hard trials is the sexual harassment accusations and scandal at Penn State University. No one at Penn State imagined that they would receive this much national attention for something so unseemly and damning. That much attention for success in academics or athletics would be something that they all hoped and wished for, but they never even imagined that something so heinous could take place on their campus. And they weren’t prepared. Mar Brownstein, President of The Brownstein Group and a columnist with AdAge Daily, commented, “Administrators had to scramble to hire a PR firm to handle crisis communication. I mean, c'mon folks. This is Reputation Management 101. No plan in place? No PR agency on standby? The result was that no one was in charge of Penn State's message.”

And Penn State had plenty of time to get a message in place, to answer those three questions. They knew about the accusations and controversy long before the national media caught wind of it. But because no one was managing their message, they stumbled and scraped their way through the media storm, firing Iconic football Coach Joe Paterno and University President Graham Spanier along the way to have some time of public display that “something” was being done. Penn state seems to have realized their errors and is conducting better PR to help their tainted image. Brownstein explains the importance of doing this before an issue arises this way; “Managing a crisis effectively does not make the guilty innocent. It doesn't make the victims less sad. It just allows the public to receive well-thought-out messages, in a timely manner, via credible channels. People can then absorb the news in an intelligent, rational context. And good people don't get swept up in a wave of emotions.”

Crisis management won’t make the Penn State story seem like talking stuffed animals, but it can help to keep you from banging your head against awall.

Social Media is Amazing, but How Do I Use It?

2011-10-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

By Benjamin Tateoka

Social media is amazing, but navigating through all the different social media web sites can be very difficult. I was lucky to get my foot in the social media door when it first came out. In high school I dabbled on Myspace.com and later on during my freshman year of college, I created my facebook.com profile. Since then, the creator of facebook.com, Mark Zuckerburg has become a billionaire and almost every day a new social media site emerges. Social media is amazing, but how do you use it effectively?

I found three articles, recently posted on twitter, giving advice to social media beginners. I felt that these people were experts in using social media, because they got me to read their material just by using the many facets of social media.

Edward Marlon gave four tips for beginners on Weblogbetter.com.

Try and offer live events on Facbook; ie. chat sessions, seminars, and webinars.
Start small; just because there are hundreds of social media sites, don’t create profiles on all of them. Thoroughly maintain a few with well placed, up-to-date profiles.
Don’t annoy any of your followers enough said.
Research what your customers are saying; know what your customers are saying and act accordingly.

Social media helps costumers look up information about organizations, but can also provide organizations free information about the consumer. Companies can look at what people are saying about their organization and monitor tweets, status updates, etc. This is a great function, and it can also be used to check up on their employee and prospective employees.

An article by Kevin Allen in PRDaily.com reported that a Reppler survey conducted a study on 300 hiring professionals and concluded that 91 percent of companies use social networking sites to screen prospective employees. In the same study, 70 percent of the hiring managers surveyed said that they have rejected a candidate because of what they saw about them on a social networking site.

So if you are a perspective employee reading this blog, make a note to yourself to delete those party pictures. Your social media presence can affect your job search.

Another list for you newcomers to social media comes from Robert M. Caruso from Bundlepost.wordpress.com

1) Don’t Pitch (too much) - Provide your followers, or those who “like” your page, with valuable or interesting information. Slip in just a few posts about you and your business and you will get far better results!

2) Don’t Ask – If your relationship with a person is only because you are “friends” online, don’t ask them to retweet or post something on facebook, unless you have done the work to build a relationship. Don’t send invites to people you haven’t engages with for a long time.

3) DO Help Others – Whenever possible, help your fans and followers with what they do. Look for opportunities to share things they write that your audience would find valuable.

4) Build Relationships – Learn about your fans and followers through engaging in conversations. Ask about them and what they do. Don’t be afraid to be silly and joke around. Do the things you do in real life that build connections and closeness.

Hopefully you will avoid social media disaster and build better relationships with your online audience. Take it from the experts, social media is amazing, and if you do it right, you will reap the benefits.

"Halloween and All Hallow's Eve," presented by UVU's Interfaith Student Association

2011-10-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

All members of UVU’s Interfaith Student Association, all guests, faculty, staff and members of our community are invited to attend our next meeting Monday, October 10, 5:30 p.m., in the Liberal Arts Building room 112, a conversation about two upcoming holidays – “Halloween and All Hallow’s Eve.”

This discussion will feature Father Peter Van Hook, of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, and Zarey Hansen, a UVU student and Pagan/Mythologist.

Monday’s meeting will not be a debate or Halloween VS. All Hallow’s Eve,” Chaplain Linda P. Walton said. “We will discuss historic celebrations of both events and how they have changed over the years.”

The event will provide for a question and answer opportunity, and “treats” will be available. For more information, please contact Chaplain Walton at linda@thewaltongroupinc.com or 801.362.0330.

When Reality Hits You Hard

2011-09-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Watch this funny news cast about a seeming mundane accident.

Power Lines Fall on Crashed Vehicle, Driver Trapped: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

A Community of Heroes.

2011-09-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

By Benjamin Tateoka

Ordinary citizens became extraordinary heroes when our country needed them most.

September 11, 2001 changed our country’s future and made an impact in all of our lives. After the towers fell, Dr. Richard Heaps of Provo, Utah, flew to New York City to offer his services as a volunteer psychologist. He gave comfort to those in need and put his life in harm’s way.

His example of selfless service was honored Sunday Sept. 11, 2011, during Provo city’s commemoration of the 10^th anniversary of the terrorist attack in New York City. The Red Cross and The Boy Scouts of America presented him with the Best of Our Community, Sept.11 Volunteer Service Award.

Keynote speaker Matt Holland, President of Utah Valley University spoke to a crowd of 250 at the Seventh-day Adventist church in Provo. His tone was upbeat and he suggested that a little laughter should be allowed. His remarks were geared towards how we should resolve to live better lives every day as we remember our fellow Americans who perished as result of the terrorist attacks.

“When anyone dies, we know the names of those who perish, and today we stop to remember their departure from this world,” Holland said.

“Nineteen individuals hijacked planes and dealt us a tragic blow, but they did not win,” he said. “The way we travel has been changed, but this is still a land of freedom and America still stands, even though we may stand a little more nervous.”

The heroics of brave individuals have been captured in books and movies, insuring that we will never forget their actions

“They were just doing their jobs, just like our police, fire, and EMT who are common citizens protecting human life,” he said.

Every passenger on United Airlines flight 93 was a common citizen. They did not know they were destined to be heroes. They did not know their nation was under attack, but before they acted they did something very American; they took a vote.

“There was a difference in what was happening in back of the plan, than what was happening at the front,” he said. “People with weaknesses, who were determined to produce human respect, changed the outcome of Sept. 11.”

“Like true believers of the New Testament, we should remember Sept. 11 and try to live every day a little more generous, showing more kindness and friendship towards other,” he said.

Crisis Managment

2011-08-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

By: Benjamin Tateoka

How can the 13^th most powerful person in the world fall from grace? According to 2010 Forbes’ Most powerful people list, Rupert Murdoch was the number 13^th on that list. What made the 117^th wealthiest person fall? It came down to ethics.

He inherited his family’s newspapers business at the age of 21. From there, he acquired and started other publication in his native Australia. He then expanded News Corp into the U.K., U.S.A., and Asian markets. In 1986 he created the Fox Broadcasting Company. In the 2000’s he purchased The Wall Street Journal.

He also has investments in Satellite television, the film industry, the Internet and book publishing industry.

After his company was accused of intruding into people’s privacy by illegally tapping into person phone accounts, Murdock called upon Edelman PR to help navigate through this crisis.

Part of what Public Relations firms do is to manage the crisis. Agencies handle the organizations crisis by working with the media and the organization to solve the problem. Transparency is important.

Edelman PR should take a Defensive Response Strategy. They should give the public what they want. Make concessions with the public. Have Murdock step down and change some of his organizations policies when collecting information.

Rupert Murdock needs to distance himself from the editor of the magazine who approved the illegal wiretaps. He needs to investigate his company and fire some CEO’s and make sure that they are being ethical. He should seek to punish the condemned and take them to court. The public need to know that it was not Murdock’s decision to do it and that the editor acted alone.

He does not need to admit that he is guilty because the courts have not made a verdict yet. He is still innocent until proven guilty. Show some remorse for your actions and then apologize.

Take Responsibility and fix the problem and then determine blame later. Be accessible! Web sites seek constant updates. News media will go elsewhere for the story. Depending on the intensity of the crisis including situation with ongoing threats to human safety the organizations top leadership should meet frequently with reporters through news conferences. Websites should include video or transcripts of its news conferences as well as the news releases and other available background material.

Whether your company is publically traded or is a small family business, whenever you have a crisis look for a PR professional that can help you focus your energy and maintain your positive image.

Get to Know Us (part 4)

2011-08-03T11:03:00.001-07:00

Benjamin Kenji Saito Tateoka was born and raised in a small rural farming community in southern Idaho. He grew up helping his father on the sugar beet farm. From the age of five he picked up a hoe and started working in the sugar beet fields. At the age of twelve, he gave up his promising career in major little league baseball to start working on the farm full time. Working under the hot Idaho sun taught him the value of hard work and an education.

He played high school football all four years and received his varsity letter his freshman year. He participated in student government, FCCLA, BPA, speech and debate. The year before his junior and senior year, Benjamin opted out of mandatory team football camp to pursue another interest of his; ballroom dancing. He spent a week at BYU-Idaho and learned the basics of cha-cha, samba, rumba, triple-step, waltz and the foxtrot. The girl to guy ratio was in his favor and it was an added plus that he was a varsity football starter.

Benjamin’s senior year was his best year. As student body president, he noticed a void of school spirit at sporting events. He went to local business and received $200 in donation to start Valley high schools first pep club. The Black and Blue Crew was a hit. With the generous donations from local businesses, membership was free and the Blue Crew shirts were cheap making the Blue Crew the biggest school club. To this day, the Black and Blue Crew carry the same shirt design on their t-shirts.

Six years later, Benjamin still loves football and is involved in the community. He is studying public relations and is an avid BYU Cougar fan and has season tickets to see all of their home games. He has served in various positions on the executive board of BYU's Annual Giving Fund, Choose to Give, and is actively involved in BYU's Multicultural Student Services. He loves his family and loves having a good time with friends.

Get to Know Us (part 3)

2011-07-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Raelle Cunningham

Raelle is a born country girl and wanna be cowgirl. She grew up in Texas and Wyoming loving the outdoors. She learned how to ride horses when she was 13 and worked as a guide for a trail riding tour in Cody, Wyoming. Raelle owns six pairs of cowboy boots, including a pair of hot pink dress boots.

Raelle was a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 2006-December 2007. She learned how to speak Thai and to love Southeast Asia. She is always striving to learn how to make new Thai dishes and keep connected with the culture.

Raelle was married in 2008 to a Provo native and has a beautiful little boy. Her and her family love camping, rock climbing, scuba diving and anything else you can do outside.

She graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Journalism and Communication. She has two major career goals. The first is to work for a university or professional sports team as their media relations/community relations director and the second is to work in politics. She believes in getting involved in the community and being informed to be able to make rational and knowledgeable decisions about our future in America.

The last random fact about Raelle is that she is an advocate for the second amendment. She is licensed to carry a firearm for personal protection and believes all women should properly learn how to use, load, and safely clean a firearm.

Get to Know Us (part 2)

2011-07-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

Mike grew up in Lehi, Utah and graduated high school in 2002. Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in public relations from Utah Valley University in 2011.

He is a sports enthusiast and enjoys any sporting event, especially football and basketball. Mike has wasted many hours of his life competitively playing fantasy basketball. He’s great at drafting guys who get injured for the entire season. He likes the outdoors and constantly finds himself fishing and hunting. Earlier this year, Mike restored a 1934 Mosin Nagant Russian Rifle with a hex receiver.

Mike enjoys reading and his favorite genre is Steampunk. He recently finished The Bookman and The Court of the Air. His favorite book is, The Gates, by John Connolly. To him, there’s no better or more relaxing way to end the day than taking a hot bath while reading.

Mike started standup comedy this year trying to follow the footsteps of his late brother Clint. He loves bringing smiles to people faces and making light of things.

Some random facts about Mike that many do not know are: He’s caught a penguin, he used to play in a rock band called, Running to Daylight, he beat the high school state champion of chess in a game of chess, he’s seen a UFO flying over Provo.

Get to Know Us (part 1)

2011-07-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

I thought it would good to let our audience get to know the people of The Walton Group Inc. The first person in our organization is Linda P. Walton, president/owner. Next we have Raelle Cunningham, account consultant, Benjamin Tateoka, intern and Mike McKell, intern. We will write a series of post about the different people in the office. We will start with Linda.

Linda P. Walton

Linda is an animal lover and avid charity supporter. She is on numerous charity boards and is always giving of her time. I remember one time Linda had sent me an email and asked me to be a witness for a wedding that had come up short notice. And by short notice I mean the same day she sent the email. She is so accommodating of other people and never thinks about herself first.

Linda is full of surprises; in one week she had rescued a stray kitten from a dumpster and two baby ducks. The kitten lived in the office for a week before Raelle took it home. The ducks were only in the office for a day luckily our neighbor (who had previously raised ducks) took them off our hands.

Linda is married to her high school sweet heart, Brad E. Walton, and has one adopted son and hundreds of “adopted” family members from her church and throughout the community. She also is the grandmother of three beautiful granddaughters.

Linda is a chaplain and teacher at Utah Valley University. She teaches the Wolverine PR class and instructs students on how to work in a real life agency.

Linda attended Utah State University and graduated with her degree in journalism. She worked as a journalist before she decided to open her own firm in Provo.

Linda’s family is of Italian decent and moved to Utah from California in 1962. Linda was raised in Orem and has remained in the valley ever since. She currently resides in Highland, Utah.

If you want to see Linda’s professional profile you can check it out on our website www.TheWaltonGroupInc.com.

Mass Advertising in a Small Community

2011-06-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

The principle goal for any business is to make a profit. Whether the business is publicly traded corporation or a small family business, their goal is the same. How businesses achieve their goals, varies on their long-term strategic planning.

Advertising is a means to end for making a profit. It’s common sense for a business to advertise. Businesses know that if consumers can recognize their brand and products, the consumer will be more likely to purchase their product and even become a repeat costumer.

Some businesses think that if they put their advertisement everywhere, thousands of consumers will see it and sales will increase because of the abundance of advertisements. If you have hundreds of thousands of dollars in your advertising budget feel free to advertise everywhere. If you are a small business with a small budget and don’t have that kind of money, sit down and plan ahead.

There are many different communications channels that can be used to communicate with consumers. People still watch TV, listen to the radio and pick up a local newspaper. Would those people use your product? Are you trying to reach the business commuter who spends hours in their car listening to the radio or are you trying to reach a stay at home mother with three children.

Selecting who your business will communicate with takes a little time but offers great rewards. In the book “A Matrix Approach to Public Relations and Marketing,” professor of communications at Brigham Young University, Dr. Laurie J. Wilson and assistant dean at BYU’s Marriott School of Management, Dr. Joseph D. Ogden, give their insight into selecting a “Key Public” in order to communicate with them

First, who are they? This is referring to their demographics. Does your business want to reach parents, college-aged students or small business owners? If you want to select all of those that is great, but you can’t put them all together and
advertise to all of them at once.

The “key public” you decided to communicate with has its own self-interest. What does this public want to gain from your product? What will motivate your public to buy your product?

The next step is to identify who will influence your public. The media influences people as well as family members and friends. By identifying who influences your public you can tailor a specific message to them.

The last step in strategically planning who you will communicate with, is analysis your current relationship with your public. For example; are you well known for customer service or the best bargain? Do you have a good reputation or does it improvement?

There are many different ways to communicate with your consumers. There are thousands of communication channels available but you have to know where you will get the most “bang for your buck.” A little foresight will go a long way in achieving your goals.

Event Planning

2011-06-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

By: Raelle Cunningham

The Walton Group Inc. collaborated with the city of Provo to host a kickoff event for Frontier airlines “Provo to Denver Inaugural Flight”. The event was great and went so smoothly and got me thinking we need to share a “how to” host a successful PR event.

So many students going into PR think planning event is fun and easy but they obviously have not done it very often. An event takes so many hours of planning and preparation and something always seem to go wrong. There is never the “Perfect” event.

TO-DO LIST

The first thing to do when planning an event is to make a to-do list for the event and refer to it often. Use an Excel spreadsheet to keep a detailed list of everything being done and make sure everyone involved keeps it updated. You do not want to waste time having multiple people doing the same task because they did not know it was handled.

Appoint one person to be in charge and to follow up. When multiple people think they are in charge it makes planning the event difficult.

For example on the Provo Flight event we were working with the city of Provo and there was a lot of uncertainty on who was doing what task. Lists were coming and going; details were getting jumbled. In the end everything was great and Provo City was wonderful to work with.

Make one list with specific duties for each person working on the project and have them report back to the “team lead.”
Example checklist:

Basic info

• Who
• What
• When
• Where

Needs

• Table and chairs
• Name tags
• Food
• Security
• Volunteers
• Audio Visual

Publicity

• Advertising
• Fliers
• Speakers Bureau

Guests

Emergency Plan

COMMUNICATION

Keep the communication lines open. Make sure directions are clear and do not be afraid to ask if you do not understand or forget. Communication is so important.

PURPOSE

The event you are planning needs to have a purpose. If there is no clear reason for the event it will not be successful. Holding a press conference for the opening of a new business is not always the best solution. Instead host a charity basketball game or blood drive.

Ask yourself
• Why would people want to come?
• How does this event benefit the community?
• What makes it news worthy?

Tip of the Day: Video Thank you Messages

2011-06-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

Tip of the Day: Video Thank you Messages

2011-06-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

WANTED: QR Code

2011-06-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

The East always seems to be technologically ahead of the Ol’ West. While thinking we are up-to-date, sometimes we are behind by years, and every so often, we even get behind by a decade or so. It is almost impossible to comprehend how we can get so far behind in technological advancements, but when it comes to a special and ingenious tool designed specifically to help every business imaginable, sadly we are. Although recently, we Westerners have been catching on – you do not want to be the one who has not.

In 1994 Denso-Wave, a subsidiary of the brilliant and impeccable Japanese auto-maker Toyota (even when they screw up they seem to handle it perfectly), created a two-dimensional quick response barcode known as a QR code. Awesome! Now, you might ask, how can a barcode be “awesome” unless you are a scan-gun wielding checker at the local super-market hoping to set a new speed record? Well, partners, let me tell you.

Out here in the Ol’ West everyone seems to be carrying a modern day Colt Single Action Army Pistol also known as the “peacemaker”, except our peacemakers are smartphones. Smartphone owners are a vast demographic ranging from men, women, old, young, rich and poor. With our peacemaker at our sides, we are all anxiously awaiting for the moment to draw and use the internet, take pictures, read emails, text message, make a phone call, use an application, and shoot a QR code.

QR codes are popping up everywhere and can be a used in a ridiculous amount of ways to successfully market and promote businesses, services, products and campaigns. You may have seen them in magazines, print ads, on business cards, in-store displays, websites, and schools. So if you are seeing them, you need to start using them.

There are many websites that are easy to use to make QR codes that can simply be inserted with your contact information such as your email address, phone number, company website, or anything else you want someone to know. You can also use a QR code to have someone like your company’s facebook page. It is so nice to scan a code and get someone’s contact information directly into my phone without having to manually input their information. Do yourself a favor, as well as your clients, and put one on your business card.

Remember, there is no limit to how much or how often you can use a QR code. Download a QR code scanner off of the app market and start shooting. It is not a bad idea to place a few of your own targets up for others to shoot as well.

For more information on how to use a QR code see video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1o5JDwp2k

The Five “P’s” for Small Businesses Using Social Media

2011-05-10T08:21:00.001-07:00

It is 2011 and many small business owners seem to be catching on. Social media is an efficient way to get valuable information to targeted publics, various clients, co-workers, the casual internet surfer, and to other small business owners. It is old news that creating and maintaining company social media accounts is a must and extremely advantageous. However, many small businesses that launch social media accounts are left questioning how exactly they should run and manage them. Below, is a list of simple things to think about before updating your social media account to keep your followers coming back to your page and feeds.

1. Point: Before posting, always ask yourself, “What is the point of this?” Often, social media users get into a routine and post material, information, or links that have no real purpose. People are following your social media for a reason. Target in on all of the reasons they could be following you and or your business and post accordingly. By doing so, your social media will have both a point and a purpose for your followers.

2. Plan: Have a plan for your social media. Schedule specific days and times you want to update your social media. Although social media tends to move along fast with current trends, it is appropriate to have your plans mapped out weekly, monthly and even quarterly. This does not mean that updating social media pages cannot be sporadic, but it will simply help keep you organized and consistent. You can plan out possible topics, subjects, links, and information educating your followers about your company or service, and even questions. Remember to not post too often or not enough.

3. Promotion: Never lose sight of what your company is promoting or you will lose followers, and more importantly, you will lose money. Whether you are promoting yourself, your product, your image, your service, or your value - always do it. If you want your social media to flourish then you need to promote why you have it and why people should be following you.

4. Properly maintain: Properly maintain your social media pages. This means update them on a consistent basis and monitor your followers, comments and questions. There are many tools available that will help you monitor your social media including, Social Mention and Facebook Insights. By monitoring your social media, you will better understand your social media and how each different social media platform should be used. For example, maybe followers on twitter engage in conversation more than followers on facebook. Why would this be important to know? The more you know and understand each social media platform, the more strategic and efficient you can be with every new feed and update.

5. Pictures: Always and consistently post pictures of your company, your employees, your facility, your services, your brand, and your logo. Many people are visual learners and are visually entertained. People use social media to browse pictures to see what is going on as supposed to read about what is going on. Posting pictures can help motivate your followers and engage them in conversation. It is also a good opportunity to brand your logo with the use of social media pictures. You want people to instantly know that your logo represents your company, product and service. Familiarize them with your logo on your social media.

National Day of Prayer

2011-05-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Religion Briefs: Provo church hosts interfaith National Day of Prayer observance

Cody Clark Daily Herald Daily Herald | Posted: Saturday, April 30, 2011 2:00 am

Churchgoers of various faiths from across the country will seek to unite their wills on May 5 when the United States observes its annual National Day of Prayer, a tradition formally established by President Harry S. Truman in 1952.

The largest local observance, the annual Utah Valley National Day of Prayer service, will be held at Provo Community United Church of Christ at 715 N. University Ave. in downtown Provo.

The service will begin at 7 p.m. and features a keynote speaker, musical performances, and prayers and scripture reading by representatives of various local faith groups. A number of Christian churches will participate (including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), and there also will be participation from representatives of Judaism, Islam and American Indian faith traditions.

The keynote speaker at the service will be Judge David Sam, a senior U.S. district court judge in the District of Utah appointed by Ronald Reagan. Sam, a graduate of both Brigham Young University and the University of Utah College of Law, was an Air Force captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corp before entering private practice in Duchesne, Utah.

Musical performers scheduled to participate include the One Voice Children’s Choir, pianist Bob Bailey and harpist Hailey Felberg.

The 2011 Utah Valley National Day of Prayer is sponsored by Utah Valley Ministerial Association and Utah Valley University Interfaith Student Association. UVU chaplain Linda Walton is chairman of the event.

The service is free and open to the public.

A Student’s Perspective on Being a Summer Intern

2011-05-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Tateoka

May 5, 2011

For a college student, summer is the time to relax poolside and go on road trips with friends, not sitting in an office writing press releases and updating media contact list. At The Walton Group Inc., this is the reality of intern Benjamin Tateoka, a senior studying Public Relations at Brigham Young University.

“I Love being an intern, I like to think of myself as not just an intern, I feel like I am an employee who has been given a lot of responsibility,” said Tateoka. “Since I started here a week ago, I have already been able to apply what I have learned in the classroom to real life clients.”

Being an intern offers students real life work experience in their chosen field. Students do not have to go to Washington D.C. or New York City to gain first-hand PR experience. Students can stay in Provo and still have the same experiences.

Many students do not know about the hidden gems located near and around their campuses. One of these gems is The Walton Group Inc. For 25 years, the Walton Group has hired many PR interns and has given them experience working in a full-service PR and Advertising Agency.

“Working for the Walton Group has been educational,” said Tateoka, “Working with small to medium size local businesses offers some unique challenges but those challenges are preparing me for my future career in Public Relations.”

Utah Valley University Chamber University

2011-04-27T10:05:00.001-07:00

Utah Valley Chamber University

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

04/27/11

1-1-1

For additional information Raelle Cunningham, 801-812-0125

(PROVO, Utah)- The Walton Group Inc. is hosting the Utah Valley Chamber University, May 19, on “How to Choose the Right Advertising.”

The event begins at 9:30 a.m. at Zion’s Bank on 462 West 800 North, Orem, and will feature a panel of advertising professionals discussing different advertising options. Linda P. Walton, president of The Walton Group, will serve as the panel moderator. Panelists will include: Egon Bolt, advertising representative for Media One, Andy Pew, online advertising representative for Media One, Sarah Ehrmantraut, advertising representative for the Daily Herald, Dana Robinson, Mr. Media, and Jeff Sheets, professor of advertising at BYU.

Questions addressed include:

· When is the best time to advertise?

· What are strengths and weakness of your type of advertising?

· What type of business is best served by your type of advertising?

Panel discussion concludes at 11 a.m. The event is free of charge. Refreshments will be served.

The Walton Group Inc. is a full-service public relations and advertising agency based in Utah County. It began in 1985 as a PR consulting firm, but in 1987 diversified into a full-service agency. Since its establishment, The Walton Group has provided small businesses, medium-sized businesses

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and non-profit organizations with solutions to their communication needs; thus, cultivating relationships with many corporations and organizations throughout Utah.

For questions about the event, contact Raelle Cunningham at 801-812-0125 or Raelle@thewaltongroupinc.com. For more information, visit www.thewaltongroupinc.com.

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New Interns

2011-04-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

The Walton Group has brought on two new interns for the summer. Benjamin Tateoka of Brigham Young University and Mike McKell of Utah Valley University will be joining our communications team. They will receive real world experience managing accounts and planning events for clients.

WELCOME TO THE WALTON GROUP INC.!!!

Roots of Business

2011-04-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

With a failing economy businesses are left with a tough decision to either cut people or cut budgets/departments. Marketing departments are often the first thing to go, but in this economy, is that a decision your business can actually can one afford to make?

Public relations and marketing are all about building relationships with others and holding to a very strict code of ethics not just advertising and spending money. People in the PR business believe in advocating for the people they represent, being honest and true at all times, and showing loyalty and fairness. Public relations is about how people interact with their clients and how to keep them coming back. There are many simple ideas a business can implement that are cost efficient.

“Returning back to the old fashioned way of business is the best way to instill faith in a company,” Ron Clark, director of public affairs and guest relations at Brigham Young University said, “Letting clients know you appreciate their business goes a long way and is as simple as handwriting a letter or calling someone instead of sending an email.”

The world has become so technologically advanced that people forget to stop and take a minute. People are so busy texting and e-mailing on their phones, the states had to make a law banning the use of cell phones in the car. How distracted do we have to become before we realize we have completely alienated ourselves from society?
After all, time is money. Many people do not realize time spent getting to know your client is money. Founder and chairman of Ferrazzi Greenlight, strategic relationship management, Keith Ferrazzi, says, “It’s all about the people.” Imagine getting an e-mail telling you a family member has died instead of them calling you on the phone to give you the bad news.

Linda P. Walton, president of the Walton Group Inc., told a story of an experience she had with customer service. She was looking for an article of clothing in a specific size but the store location did not have the item in stock. A salesperson told her to come back in a few hours and they would have what she needed.

Unbeknownst to Linda at the time, that same associate drove 45 minutes to their next location and back just so Linda could have the item she needed. Linda’s shopping experience turned in to a perfect example of customer service and how business is done the old fashioned way. From then on, Linda decided she would do all of her holiday shopping at this store, because they valued her as a customer. This example of customer service shows how business is done the old fashioned way and why doing so keeps your customer base solid.

People appreciate someone taking time to help them solve a problem or listen. Business used to be this way. Business used to care about customer service but now it is about getting customers in and out. Look at fast food chains for instance, they are made to get people in and out as quick as possible but for many companies this is not the case. When I go into a bank where I have an account I want the employees to know me, greet me as I walk in and make me feel as though my business is appreciated.

“Organizations that are seeking to change or promote their image and increase customer loyalty should consider incorporating public relations into their strategic planning efforts,” said Linda P. Walton, “Doing so will change the view of a company in the public eye and bring it to a level people can understand and appreciate.”
How can a company increase its public relations with little to no money? Get out into the community and help those who are or used to be clients. . Join with the American Red Cross to hold a blood drive or help the Food and Care Coalition collect clothes and food for those in need. This economy has been hard on everyone and people who used to have financial stability may no longer be able to afford what a business has to offer. A business that lets people know it still cares about the little guy will go far in a fallen economy. People are loyal to those they trust, and if the community trusts a business the business will be successful.

“Public relations is a strategic problem-solving process that involves market research, planning and communication to identify and strengthen weaknesses of individual organizations,” according to The Walton Group Inc Web site.
Respect between companies and fair competition is also a great way to increase public awareness. When businesses help each other out, even though they are competition, it improves the image of the company in the eye of the public.

“When a business can refer me to a competitor because they do not have what I am looking for I know they are a company I will do business with later down the road,” said Greg Greer, President of Quality Asphalt Paving Inc.