news
Barbara Puffer, MA, ABC Joins Training Network
Eric Bergman, ABC, APR, creator of AtEaseWithTheMedia.com, is pleased to announce that a well-known consultant has joined the network to provide online and in-person media training services. For more nearly 40 years, Barbara Puffer, ABC, has been helping organizations tell their story effectively. She has worked with the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, and earned more than 100 awards and accolades for her work. She has direct experience as an elected official, continues to consult under her name Puffer Public Relations and has taught undergrad and graduate college communications courses for nearly a decade. "Joining Eric and AtEaseWithTheMedia.com is an excellent opportunity to use my experience to widen and deepen the services I already provide to my clients," she says.
Barbara will work with clients to design media training that best blends in-person exercises with the online program available at AtEaseWithTheMedia.com. In theory, Barbara can design a different package for each client.
"Because the program uses online training as its base, the lesson plan is adaptable," Barbara explains. "Not only can I fit it to the client's needs, it enables me to apply decades of insight. The result is a complete package that provides sound advice to clients." AtEaseWithTheMedia.com is an online training program that consists of 10 core A-V modules, varying in length from four to 13 minutes. Once they create a username and password, spokespeople view the modules and answer a five-question quiz at the end of each. Those who score 45/50 earn a Certificate of Completion for the program.
In-person training supplements and enhances the online learning experience.
For info on training services, contact:
Barbara Puffer, MA, ABC
http://www.ateasewiththemedia.com/biography.php
203-494-2765 (U.S.)
For info on AtEaseWithTheMedia.com, contact:
Eric Bergman, ABC, APR 416-410-3273 (Canada)
University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
Barbara Puffer MA, ABC, Associate Professor, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Communications Studies, was nominated for the third time for the prestigious annual Stanley J. Drazek Teaching Excellence and UMUC Teaching Recognition Awards.
The awards honor outstanding faculty in the United States, Asia, and Europe who have been nominated by their students. The other faculty recognition award — the UMUC Teaching Recognition Award — is also currently given to other exceptional faculty in the United States by the School of Undergraduate Studies (SUS) and the Graduate School of Management and Technology (GSMT).
Nominees demonstrate an ability to: “help students meet and exceed course objectives; encourage students to see new professional possibilities for themselves; and inspire students to apply course skills, concepts, or models to their work or community.”
client highlights
FACES OF SARAH
Sharing an IABC Silver Quill Award of Excellence for the marketing campaign, "Faces of SARAH," are the happy faces of Joe, Jon and Larry. That’s Jon holding the Silver Quill on the set right after taping of a cable show for the National Employment Disability Awareness Month. SARAH INC. Executive Director Pat Bourne is on the left in the back.
New marketing materials for SARAH Inc., called The Faces of Sarah, have won an International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Heritage Region Silver Quill Award of Excellence for Special Publications. The creative work was done 
by Puffer Public Relations Strategies. The materials can be viewed as downloadable pdfs at www.sarah-inc.org.
The Heritage Region of IABC is the largest in North America, serving 17 U.S. states plus Washington , D.C. The region covers Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.
Susan G. Komen CT Race for the Cure ®
Puffer PR was contracted as the communications director for the Susan G. Komen CT Race for the Cure for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Races.
- The 2007 effort won an Award of Excellence Silver Quill from the International Association of Business Communicators Heritage Region for special event communications.
- The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Series is the largest 5K fitness runs/walks in the world boasting more than 1.5 million participants a year.
- Raising substantial funds for research and local programs, the Komen Race celebrates breast cancer survivors and empowers women to take charge of their breast health.
This assignment involved creating and implementing an integrated special event communications program that relied heavily on media relations and pushing internal communication through sponsor and grantee organizations. We developed a schedule of thematic messages that were pushed through all media with the same timing. For example, “It’s Easy to Form a Team,” was one message and became the subject of an e-blast, a news release, media pitching, and notices to past teams and current sponsors. 
Our crisp, clear messages were always critical and our unique story-telling approach proved successful throughout. We developed relevant content for targeted and segmented audiences. For example, we were able to place a testimonial story involving a survivor in a Spanish language newspaper, Registro and able to facilitate the production of a half-hour television show in Spanish, with a grantee and two survivors. The show aired locally and on Telemundo. We were able to produce three survivor testimonials with the local NBC affiliate television station and after use on the evening news, they were posted as streaming video on the station's Web site. We were able to place numerous stories within sponsor organizational publications, such as Yale-New Haven Hospital, UPS, AT&T and Pratt & Whitney, that greatly increased their teams’ size and fundraising success. Among other efforts, we negotiated, secured and otherwise managed multiple media sponsorships; and handled spokesperson responsibilities, non-traditional and web placements; art direction and more.
While results represent a a team effort, the Race continues to grow in numbers, but more importantly, money raised. In 2008, the money raised topped $625,000. Komen has poured nearly $18 million into the state of Connecticut for research and programs over its 15 years of operation.