20th Anniversary Event
In September, we were honored to host clients, partners, family and friends at our 20th anniversary celebration inside and outside our office in the Charlestown Navy Yard. We were so proud to have had
Mayor Marty Walsh in attendance. To our great surprise, he declared September 22 "Castle Group Day" in Boston. The Mayor read his proclamation to the guests and shared brief remarks, then toured our newly renovated office. During the tour he stopped by the
Typewriter Rodeo table for an improvised poem about the City of Boston.
Representative Paul McMurtry
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Sit Down with Sandy: Behind the Scenes with Local Leaders
Recently, Castle's own Sandy Lish had an opportunity to sit down with the first female constitutional office holder in Massachusetts, former Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Murphy, to discuss her thoughts on the wage gap, women in business and politics, and the future of the next generation of women leaders.
To read Sandy's conversation with Evelyn Murphy, visit the Castle blog.
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Welcome Simon
The Castle Group is pleased to welcome intern Simon Zhou, who is a senior at Boston University majoring in communications. Simon is assisting our PR team with client development, media list building and writing.
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Look for our announcement of new global partners following our participation in the PRGN
annual fall conference this week in Lisbon. In addition to hearing remarks from Marta Moreno, press assistant at the US Embassy in Portugal, we'll be greeting our affiliates from six continents and voting on potential new members from around the world.
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The Future of Twitter
Social media giant Twitter put itself up for sale earlier this fall, but it doesn't appear as though there are many interested buyers. Both Google and SalesForce were rumored to be considering purchasing the popular social media network, but nothing has materialized to date.
Although Twitter has been an incredibly successful social media platform, the company has lagged behind in an area that is key for any interested buyer: profits. Since its founding in 2006, Twitter has never turned a profit. User revenue consistently lags behind both LinkedIn and Facebook
Lack of profit and user revenue, along with stalling user growth, means that Twitter will need more than a fresh coat of paint to attract serious buyers. For more insight on the current state of Twitter, head on over to BloombergView.
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Castle Welcomes New Clients
We're proud to have been engaged by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, the leading voice on public policy matters affecting independent colleges and universities in Massachusetts
, and Bunker Hill Community College
, the largest and most affordable community college in Massachusetts. We are also proud to be working with Eastern Real Estate
, one of New England's leading commercial real estate investment, development and asset management firms, and Gordon Brothers
, a 113-year-old, Boston-based advisory, restructuring and investment firm. In addition, our events team has been engaged by the following PR clients to produce events: LafargeHolcim, Salem Five, YW Boston
and UMass Boston
.
On the crisis communications front, we've been retained by a New England private college and a mid-Atlantic university to advise on communications strategy surrounding sensitive issues on campus. We have also been engaged by a Southeastern US-based accounting firm.
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Boosting Voter Education with the Mass. Citizens' Initiative Review
During this contentious campaign season, it has been a source of great pride for all of us at Castle to work on a nonpartisan, citizen-driven project that promotes voter education.
How does it work? A 20-member citizen panel was selected from respondents to a mailer that went to 10,000 randomly selected Massachusetts voters. An objective, scientific method ensured that the panel mirrored the
demographics
of the state's electorate.
The panel convened from August 25 to 28 to deliberate Question 4 (the regulation and taxation of marijuana). After hearing from campaigns for and against Question 4, as well as neutral experts, the panel drafted a Citizens' Statement. This statement is intended to help voters make an informed decision by providing them with the panel's key findings as well as the strongest reasons to support or oppose Question 4.
Having witnessed the proceeding's closing remarks, I can attest to what a positive and powerful experience it was for the panel. One voter said, "I feel like my voice was heard for the first time." Others remarked that this group of strangers were able to come together and focus on the common goal of producing the Citizens' Statement, something they wished elected officials were capable of doing.
To review the Citizens' Statement on Question 4 prior to voting, please visit
www.CIRmass2016.org
.
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Client News
Consumer
Boston Harbor Cruises
was featured in a recent episode of WCVB-TV's Chronicle. Host Anthony Everett spoke to the Nolan family about the 90-year-old business.
Financial/Professional Services
It's been a busy fall for Salem Five. In addition to announcing its pending acquisition
of Georgetown Bank (which will be its first physical location outside of Mass.), the bank also launched its "Let's Uncomplicate Money" branding campaign. Castle helped Salem Five engage commuters at the Government Center T station with a "Next Stop, Salem Five" event.
Gordon Brothers Group
recently announced a global repositioning that includes the re-branding of the parent and subsidiary brands to one: Gordon Brothers
. The announcement follows a series of strategic acquisitions in the retail, commercial and industrial sectors that have transformed the small family-owned business into the largest asset disposition and valuation firm in the world, with operations in North America, Asia, Europe and, most recently, South America. News of the repositioning, along with a brief interview with Gordon Brothers CEO Ken Frieze, appeared in The Boston Globe
,
as well as in various trade publications. Castle client Sametz Blackstone Associates
led the repositioning and rebranding efforts through re-imagined brand architecture, messaging, visual expression, and new print and digital collateral. The Boston-based brand strategy, design, and digital media firm, received praise for its efforts in The Boston Globe
.
Manufacturing
Celebrating its $96 million investment to maintain high-quality manufacturing and compliance with Federal environmental regulations, global cement manufacturer LafargeHolcim
hosted a ribbon cutting celebration to unveil its modernized plant in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Congratulations to YW Boston
President and CEO Sylvia Ferrell-Jones on receiving the Abigail Adams Award from the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus
. Sylvia continues to lead the charge for equal political, economic and social rights for women.
Higher Education
As part of its 25-year plan to expand the campus, UMass Boston
unveiled its newest building, University Hall. The 190,000-square-foot, four-story building provides nearly 2,000 seats in state-of-the-art general purpose classrooms, faculty and staff offices, a café, student lounge and study spaces, as well as specialized space for art, chemistry and performing arts.
Information Technology
For the fourth year, our Castle events team was on site with our Cambridge-based top five global CRM software client to produce its annual Healthcare Summit. Castle managed all aspects of the registration process, including building a registration website, providing attendee communications and concierge services, managing ongoing RSVP tracking and reporting, creating name badge design and staffing on-site registration. More than 300 customers, partners and employees attended the event at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel.
The Castle events team has just wrapped up a memorable incentive program on the French Island of St. Martin. The five-day program hosted 136 top-tier sales professionals, executives and sponsors from a global IT company at the beautiful Belmond La Samanna Resort and Spa in St. Martin. The program included networking, educational and celebratory experiences and sessions, all designed and managed by the Castle team. The client and sponsors alike praised the program as a once-in-a-lifetime reward experience that recognized their hard work in achieving corporate goals.
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Castle in the Community
Sandy Lish and Jamie Kelly presented the first of two half-day workshops on crisis communications and media relations to heads of schools, communications officers and other administrators from member institutions of the Association of Independent Schools in New England
. Building upon our firm's expertise and crisis communications work with independent schools, the workshop provided attendees with information and advice about strategic media relations and real-time crisis response. Attendees practiced what they learned through mock scenarios and group discussion. The next workshop will be on November 10
at Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Mass.
On November 17, Sandy is presenting on Crisis Communications, Media Relations and PR for Nonprofits and their Advisors to the Massachusetts Society of CPAs
Not-for-Profit Committee.
Sandy was invited to host the Gordon College CEO Colloquium on
November 30 featuring Jim Taiclet, chief executive officer of American Tower and moderator D. Michael Lindsay, president of Gordon College.
Sandy was the day's emcee as well as a panelist at the Center for Women & Enterprise's
2016 Women Business Leaders Conference (WBLC). The WBLC draws women starting or growing businesses, as well as corporate supplier diversity and purchasing.
From Left: Susan Loconto Penta, co-founder, managing partner, MIDIOR Consulting; Rhonda Kallman, founder & CEO, Boston Harbor Distillery; Chef Barbara Lynch, founder & CEO,
Barbara Lynch Gruppo; Susan Rittscher, president & CEO, CWE; and Sandy Lish; principal & co-Founder, The Castle Group
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The Castle Group 2016 Issue 05 | Celebrating 20 Years!
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