All Posts By

Marijean

Marijean Oldham (Jaggers), a social media specialist and public relations professional, is president and CEO of Jaggers Communications LLC, a strategic communications firm based in Charlottesville, Va.

Jul 19
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Why Science-Based Business is our Priority

By Communications

One thing the Jaggers Communications team universally agrees on is doing our work to make the world a better place. Our professional experiences have given us history with companies working toward cures for conditions like diabetes and heart disease, cancer and mental illness. It’s exciting to learn about advancements being made that help people, whether it’s by making our world cleaner and more energy-efficient or a safer, generally healthier environment. We’re not scientists, but science is interesting to us, and our backgrounds in communications supporting companies based on science puts us in a good position to assist in developing and telling the stories that help that work grow and be sustainable.

We have been energized by conversations with start-up companies just learning to articulate what it is that they do to a wider audience. It’s fun and fascinating to walk them through the steps that result in the company’s brand position, key messages and overall communications strategy.

The results of these efforts are rewarded, as in when we got an email from a client after getting a pretty nice write-up offer from a major trade publication, “Wow,” the client said, “this PR stuff really works.”

Moments like that put a big smile on my face, and more importantly, our clients’.

Jul 18
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Walking the Walk: The Challenge of Marketing Your Own Marketing Business

By Marketing

The Jaggers Communications team had lots of heated discussion over lunch yesterday. At the heart of it was our decline in “walking the walk” — we’re not blogging enough or strategically marketing the company enough; we’re not engaging at the level we expect our clients to engage; we’re not focusing enough on business development while still maintaining focus on client needs.

It was a tough conversation. And I’ll admit it, I felt a little defensive.

When our clients tell us how hard it is to find the time to keep up with social media, to stick with the plan, to keep producing content in a way that is compelling to their audiences, believe me when I say, “I get it.” It is the challenge of doing business in a digital world. We’re empathetic but at the same time, I don’t accept excuses on my company’s behalf any more than I do clients’.

I accept the challenge of setting a better example through my own firm’s marketing and social strategy efforts. I welcome it, in fact. The best business development case study I’ve had to tell so far is that of my own business; it’s time to take it to the next level.

Jul 16
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The Five Best Books that have Influenced my Business

By Communications, Social Media

I like to read. That is a huge understatement. Most of what I read is fiction and news; online content and paper. I own a Kindle and it is used every single day. I don’t often like nonfiction works; I’m not a consumer of self-help books or books that teach. When I happen to follow up on a recommendation for one of these, read it and go so far as to incorporate what I’ve learned into my business or personal life, it’s pretty much a WHOA NELLY! moment.

Here are the ONLY five books that have had a significant impact on how I do business, have influenced me to HAVE my own business and that guide me in one way or another on a daily basis.

  1. The Power of Slow.  That’s right. Slow. In world where everything moves at incredible speed, we, as human beings bound by the limits of time, are more efficient, more present and more effective when we pause, reflect and plan.
  2. The Gift of a Year. A couple of years ago a very good friend gifted me with this book. I’m not being overly dramatic when I say that it changed my life and led to the decision to start Jaggers Communications.
  3. Naked Conversations. My friend Shel Israel, one of the authors of this book, says its getting a little “long in the tooth,” but it is still an excellent resource for social media, the evolution of business and the way customer service and the demand for transparency have changed news, industry and nonprofits.
  4. The New Rules of Marketing and PR. If you’re not in PR or marketing but have even a peripheral relationship with the people who have this role, you owe to yourself to read this book. For anyone in PR and marketing, it’s required reading, as far as I’m concerned.
  5. Good to Great. Another oldie but goody — and one that’s held up over time. What I learned from the businesses profiled in this book have been lessons I keep in mind, on behalf of the clients we serve and the business I run.
I know there are thousands of others out there — leave your very best recommendation, if you have one. I’m ready for a newer book to add to the professional inspiration library. 

 

Jul 13
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Fostering Community Conversations in Education and with Media

By Communications, Media, Social Media

It was a really exciting week for the Jaggers Communications team. On Tuesday, we hosted area leaders in education communications in a roundtable discussion that was so inspiring and gratifying. We’re big fans of education and fostering good digital citizenship so it’s exciting to be part of the evolution of our community adopting social media from students to parents to faculty and administration.

Last night we held a tweetup — a public gathering of folks who know one another from social platforms (mainly Twitter) but have not necessarily met “in real life.”

The purpose of the tweetup was to introduce members of the Charlottesville media to those in the social media community and generate discussion about the intersection of social and traditional media. As members of the community who depend on news organizations and who often represent or help generate news ourselves, it’s important to foster healthy discussion about transparency, timeliness, and how evolving technology affects our ability to both consume and produce news.

Our panelists, from left to right included (that’s me, in the purple, moderating): Brian Wheeler from Charlottesville Tomorrow, our co-host for the event, Rick Sincere, columnist at Examiner.com, Graelyn Brashear, news reporter for C’ville Weekly, Amanda Williams, executive producer, NBC29, Travis Koshko, chief meteorologist, the Newsplex, Carter Johnson, anchor/reporter at the Newsplex and Nate Delesline of Work it, Cville, the Charlottesville Business Journal and Daily Progress.

We had such great feedback from both events this week and are excited about planning future conversations.

Jul 12
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Tweetup with the C’ville Media — Tonight! #Meetthecvillemedia

By Communications, Media, Social Media

Tonight at 5pm, we’ll be gathering at CitySpace http://charlottesvillearts.org/cityspace/ for a fun and informative Tweetup — a Tweetup with a purpose. For those of you playing the at home game, you know we tried to hold this even a month ago and there was a power outage that forced us to cancel it at the last minute. That makes me even MORE excited to be finally hosting tonight’s event. Here’s the skinny:

Meet the faces behind the Twitter handles at this free, casual event hosted by Charlottesville Tomorrow and Jaggers Communications!

Charlottesville Tomorrow  and Jaggers Communications are bringing people in our community together to inform and engage in this unique event. Tweet-up with members of the media and the local Twitter community. 5pm — 7pm Thursday, July 12 at CitySpace. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
We will be moderating a short panel discussion about the intersection of traditional media and social media; how news is delivered and travels in our community. Joining us for the discussion will be:
Join us for some fun discussion, interesting people and a little food and beverages. See you at 5pm! If you can’t make it, follow along virtually with #meetthecvillemedia on Twitter.