If you’re in Salamanca throughout the month of May, stop by the chamber of commerce! Mellon & Co. is the featured member for May, and will be on display in the chamber’s office. We will be promoting our IllustrateYourStory.com business builder web sites, along with our extensive tech services. Specials will be available for chamber members. Contact us at 716-372-5996 for more information.

We are happy to announce that Kim Trimboli, a past intern from Saint Bonaventure University, has been hired as a marketing assistant.

Kim fulfilled a portion of her graduation requirements by interning with us during her sophomore year. Throughout her tenure as an undergraduate student, Kim majored in Journalism & Mass Communication and studied at Oxford University. She participated in the American Advertising Federation’s national collegiate competition, and was on the national dean’s list, as well as St. Bonaventure’s dean’s list for six consecutive semesters.

Upon graduating, we hired Kim to assist the marketing department with research, writing, and other routine communication functions. In addition to this role, she is also working at the Cattaraugus County SPCA, where she has been active in gaining national attention in the Zoo Too competition to win a $1,000,000 shelter makeover. Next semester, Kim will enter Saint Bonaventure University’s master’s degree program in integrated marketing communications. Being the same program completed by the marketing principles, Heidi Ofinowicz and Kate Wolcott, it is an ideal fit for the company

We are excited to have Kim on board once again, and look forward to having yet another St. Bonaventure alumna on staff!

Top Ten Reasons:

• To clarify your goals and objectives: Think of your plan as your roadmap; you know where you want to go, but you need a route to get there. The plan is your route.

• To clarify the relationships between audiences, messages, channels, activities and materials: Going through the communications planning process will help you identify who you need to reach, tell them what you want them to know, and how you will reach them. You will find that each of your audiences has unique characteristics, needs, and motivations. Through planning, you will discover the most effective ways to communicate with them.

• To identify and implement a variety of communications activities: There are many different ways to spread your message. This will help you to settle on which activities you will engage in so that you aren’t continuously pulled in different directions.

• To clarify staff members’, stakeholders’ and others’ roles in the process: People need to know what they will be contributing to the organization and what they are responsible for. A plan will help manage people and their responsibilities.

• To develop creativity and camaraderie among your team: Involving many people in the planning process will bring in different perspectives and diversity of thought. Bring in staff, stakeholders, constituents, interns, and junior staff members.

• To help your staff members and stakeholders get on the “same page.”: A well articulated plan will help people get on the same page and articulate a consistent message.

• To include stakeholder input in the communications process: These people are important to your organization, and this will show them how much you do value their input.

• To ensure that you’re reaching out to your stakeholders and constituencies effectively: This is an extension of the previous point: when you go through the process and identify strategies to reach stakeholders from the start, you will communicate with them more effectively. This will also create a scenario in which they’re willing to give you honest feedback so that you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

• To allow everyone on your team to have a stake in your success: Getting involved in the process and integrating participants’ opinions brings a sense of ownership.

• To gauge your plan’s success and areas in need of strengthening: Organizations will often do a mid-course review to determine strengths, weaknesses, and obstacles and then create and implement new approaches. You can develop a unique, tailored evaluation strategy that will gather the information you need to improve your plan.

Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation