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The Cascade Effect

The news stories we're working on, the expert knowledge on marketing/PR and what matters to businesses today

Jennifer Fortney Cascade PR

Feb 3, 2020
3 min

The Best PR Goes Beyond the Headline

Starting off a new year, new decade and celebrating 19 years in business seems like a lot of excitement. After launching in January 2001, here we are in the blink of an eye it's 2020 and so many campaigns, projects and more to reflect on. I have seen a lot change in my industry, in media, in storytelling and how we do it using new technologies. To last this long, you must be flexible and constantly adapting to the new way consumers prefer and want to receive messages and enga

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What is PR and What it Isn't: 4 Myths & Facts of Public Relations

Jennifer Fortney Cascade PR

May 31, 2018
1 min

What is PR and What it Isn't: 4 Myths & Facts of Public Relations

Many entrepreneurs say they need PR help but are not quite sure of the difference between public relations, marketing and advertising. To do it right, you have to understand what it is first. Here are the four myths of public relations. While, today, this concept of influencers appears to be more individuals with YouTube channels than journalists and media, the concept of individuals vs traditional PR works the same. The difference is that most online “influencers” want to be

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Con Artists “Catfishing” Startups. An Epidemic?

Jennifer Fortney Cascade PR

Mar 31, 2018
5 min

Con Artists “Catfishing” Startups. An Epidemic?

This is a topic that has been on mind for several years and I haven’t been 100% on whether I should, or how I would, address it. Finally, inspired by the article in Entrepreneur “It’s Time to Talk About Startup Scam Artists” it’s clear that the problem is widespread and really hurting people. I have dealt with a similar issue in the marketing world, and especially public relations, for years. People may really have the best intentions but going about it all wrong, while othe

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Why Media are Sending Your Press Release to the Trash Bin

Cascade Communications

Mar 14, 2018
3 min

Why Media are Sending Your Press Release to the Trash Bin

I see it all of the time. A press release that reads like more of an informational brochure than an actual compelling news story; a boring corporate-type release that never quite says why the announcement is important. And, companies pay thousands to their PR agencies to push it out and hundreds of dollars to post said release on wire services just because “that’s the way it’s always been done”. In truth, few media will see it. This kind of press release is everywhere and it

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Don't Fall for The PR Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Cascade Communications

Mar 12, 2018
3 min

Don't Fall for The PR Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Thanks to the world of the Internet almost anyone can paint the picture of whom they would like to be, but really aren't. A flashy website full of catchy key phrases coupled with impressive experience. Sadly, we continue to hear stories about "PR pros" who have taken advantage of businesses, in a variety of ways, but mostly making a lot of promises they knew they couldn't fulfill just to get the client to sign a tight, inflexible contract that would, results or no, assure tho

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Why Everyone Needs to Find the Entrepreneur Inside

Cascade Communications

Mar 10, 2018
4 min

Why Everyone Needs to Find the Entrepreneur Inside

While individuals continue to try and find a good, full-time career, it’s no surprise that many are turning to temporary work to tie them over. Over the last few years the number of temporary workers has increased, and is only expected to grow in 2014, thanks to ongoing development of new technologies allowing just about everyone to work remotely. Many believe, and statistics show, that a majority of people will be working remotely, as freelance or contract by 2020. For a maj

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Why Your PR Strategy May be “Crying Wolf”

Jennifer Fortney

Mar 8, 2018
3 min

Why Your PR Strategy May be “Crying Wolf”

(As originally written for and published on NBCChicago.com's Inc. Well) Most companies understand the power of a press release as a tool in their PR campaign toolbox to deliver news and information to media. The problem is most don’t understand how to use a press release effectively, especially today. We hear it all the time, “we’d like you to send out at least one press release per month as part of the strategy.” That’s great and happy to do it, but is there enough news to

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Cascade Communications Joins Clutch’s Coverage of Leading PR Firms in Chicago

Jennifer Fortney

Mar 6, 2018
2 min

Cascade Communications Joins Clutch’s Coverage of Leading PR Firms in Chicago

Working on behalf of business owners, entrepreneurs, and startup founders everywhere, Cascade Communications has a passion for brand stories, news and marketing. We’re a distinctive public relations and marketing communications agency, building a brand around your story using our client-centric, outcome-driven program – Communicate. Engage. Participate. Since 2001, Cascade has worked with Fortune 1000s, multinationals, mid-market companies and become a leading public relation

12 views

Cascade Communications

Mar 2, 2018
2 min

Why PR Works For Small Business

I am often asked the question "why should we go with PR?" The answers are quite simple: 1. Public relations is a more affordable alternative for small businesses - vs. an aggressive advertising or direct mail campaign 2. PR is the process in which media provide endorsements for your business 3. Media endorsements create credibility in the minds of consumers/customers 3. You can actually see the return on your PR investment - some of my clients see immediate sales and growth w

12 views

Media Interviews: Where Patience Meets Savvy

Cascade Communications

Feb 28, 2018
4 min

Media Interviews: Where Patience Meets Savvy

There’s nothing worse than being interviewed by a journalist only to forget who you’re speaking to and that everything you say is “on the record”, unless you say otherwise, and then seeing a quote or story that completely took what you said out of context. These kinds of snafus by political figures, celebrities and some business people quickly become fodder for “The Daily Show” and late night comics. Although most media don’t seek out the opportunity to “turn your words aroun

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How to Rank High in Search: The Best Secrets for DIY SEO

Fred Brewer/Jennifer Fortney

Feb 28, 2018
4 min

How to Rank High in Search: The Best Secrets for DIY SEO

Every business is concerned with SEO. Any why shouldn’t they be? Where you rank on search engines can determine how well your business succeeds. Large companies can’t help but invest a lot of money into SEO because they can’t afford to let their competitors get an edge. However, there are a lot of small companies that don’t have this luxury and need to maximize their marketing dollar. This blog post will give you the best approach for increasing your search visibility. Many

12 views

Cascade Communications

Feb 26, 2018
3 min

Be an Expert, Drive Media Interest

Public relations has many arms and legs beyond just a press release and pitching a story. There are a variety of strategies that fuel opportunities for ongoing, long-term public relations. The most important is expert positioning. Do you ever wonder how certain people become regular contributors on morning news? Do you see someone in your industry giving tips and advice in the media and think "I can totally do that, in fact, I have new thoughts and ideas to shares." Becoming

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Cascade Communications

Feb 23, 2018
4 min

12 Tips for DIY PR

The DIY craze has been around for years. Thanks to the cable television, the Internet and the whole "information at your finger tips" you can learn to do most anything from changing your oil to renovating your bathroom. Personally, I love it. Taking on a task normally I would pay for feels like so much of a personal accomplishment, however, my cobbler and plumber will always get my business. In recent years, the DIY movement has become even more prevalent due to the economy.

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Cascade Communications

Feb 21, 2018
3 min

What is Your Brand? Why it Can Make, Break Your Business

Starting a business can seem like a daunting task with applications and business plans, but if you don't know or understand what your brand is, you might as well throw all of that in the trash. Consumer perception is 9/10ths of the rule always, not sometimes but always, and how you present yourself to potential clients from the moment you open your doors can determine your success as a business owner. Over the years I've encountered many small businesses, entrepreneurs and ev

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Jennifer Fortney

Feb 19, 2018
2 min

DIY PR - Tips for Starting Out

Small business owners ask me this same thing almost on a regular basis - "I can't afford to hire a professional to manage public relations for me. What can I do on my own to market my business?" My first response is always that you haven't met a PR/marketing professional who focuses on small businesses and even smaller budgets. When it comes to marketing small businesses you must think outside of the box. Yes, that term has been used ad nauseum since the 1980’s, but it's tr

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Get Your Press Release Seen By Targeting Your Audience

Cascade Communications

Feb 16, 2018
3 min

Get Your Press Release Seen By Targeting Your Audience

When you're a small business owner you wear every hat from accounts receivable and manager to new business/sales and marketing. It can be a daunting task to look at that laundry list everyday. What you need to do is determine the most efficient route to accomplish it all and grow your business. Determining how to generate public relations for your business can be narrowed down to three things - what is your story, why is it meaningful to people and who is your audience. Knowi

7 views

Cascade Communications

Feb 12, 2018
4 min

10 Tips for Pitching Media on Twitter

Thanks to Twitter and Facebook, getting in front of an interacting with media has become easier than before, the problem is this: Is the person running the Twitter account actually a journalist who will do something with your pitch? Probably not. That's why I've come up with some tips for Twitter, specifically: 1. Follow the journalist, not the just publication or outlet: Most journalists have their own social media accounts giving you a better shot at getting your message

42 views

Is PR Right For Your Small Business or Startup?

Cascade Communications

Feb 9, 2018
2 min

Is PR Right For Your Small Business or Startup?

(As originally posted to NBCChicago.com's Inc Well) Sometimes I feel like a doctor. It never fails that whenever someone asks what I do and they hear “public relations” they suddenly say “I want to be on TV”. “Really? What’s your story?” They give me a quizzical look. “What is the story you have to tell?” Now, blank stare. Everyone wants to be on TV or see their name in ink or on a blog, but the truth is that public relations isn’t the best marketing avenue for every busi

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Integrated Marketing- Why it's Important

Cascade Communications

Feb 6, 2018
3 min

Integrated Marketing- Why it's Important

Integrated Marketing: IM is creating a marketing plan that includes a variety of Marketing Mix elements in combination with one another to create awareness and build brand. Simply put this means not putting your eggs all in one basket, but strive to combine your advertising with, say, direct mail and personal selling; diversifying your advertising, engaging both nontraditional media and traditional media; and create opportunities for PR that can be followed up with an incenti

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Cascade Communications

Feb 2, 2018
2 min

How Does PR Help Your Business?

The practice of public relations seems to be an intangible to many. Why? Because unlike advertising where you pay someone to develop and place an end product (tangible), PR is not such a sure thing. Practitioners, like myself, focus on writing press materials for your business (every business needs a press kit), generating strong story ideas and pitching to media. However, I can't predict if media are going to be 100% interested or even if they'll run the story right now. PR

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