You can feel it coming … a fundamental sea state change in the space industry. The successful launch of Falcon-9 from Cape Canaveral last week made it all the more certain. As sure as the privately built and operated rocket blasted shock waves across the space coast marshland, a palpable ripple ran through a changing space industry.

At the same time, just a few miles up the coast, every milestone met in the preparation for launch of the Space Shuttle is being savored as an historic step in the final chapter of an epic adventure that has been the predominant focus of our industry for 30 years. Those dedicated space professionals know better than most that this process is less the beginning of the end than it is the end of the beginning.

You see, the Space Shuttle was never an objective in and of itself. It was always intended to be a means to something more … a space transportation system that would enable the evolution of our space exploration capabilities, allow us to build and operate a space station, and open an era of space exploration and discovery. Mission accomplished. The United States is the unrivaled leader in space operations in the world. No one else even comes close.

But, it is time to let go and move on … but to what, where and when?

Dozens of space businesses are contemplating that question with nothing less than their future on the line. For years, they have relied on the stability and security of a long-term program environment with a NASA acquisition process that ensured a steady stream of opportunity for those that knew how to play the game. The Vision for Space Exploration and its Constellation program pretty much cast the strategic business plans for an entire civil space industry. How quickly the tide turns. Today, some feel that the future of space exploration couldn’t be less clear. But, that’s not to say that it is less certain.

While the debate continues over what course and form space exploration will take over the coming years, there are some undeniable new currents in the space business that are gaining strength and momentum. There will be competition, but the government won’t necessarily subsidize the risk associated with that competition. The spoils will go to those willing to share a fair portion of that risk up front. The looming gap will be closed, and we will return to domestic launch vehicles carrying cargo and American astronauts to space. But, they’ll be purchased by the government, designed and built by industry.

The customer community is also changing. Entrepreneurs, commercial enterprise and private citizens are also driving demand for space access and experience. Innovation and inventiveness, both from a technical and a business standpoint, will drive enterprise and prosperity.

The question that space businesses should be contemplating (and many are) is, “How does my business align with these new trends, how are we perceived, and how well are we positioned to compete and win a role in this new competitive environment?”

The businesses that ride the first waves of change to success will not be waiting to see how the debate turns out. They will be seizing the opportunity to rebrand themselves for the future. They will focus on and strengthen the values, qualities and capabilities that they can uniquely contribute to the success of their customer in this new environment. They will be finding ways to better communicate their own vision for the future, letting their target customers know that they are on the move to be more responsive, more affordable and more relevant. They will be rallying their employees around a strong internal brand — that shared sense of purpose, values and beliefs that motivate pride, innovation and risk-taking.

If you’re thinking it’s best to just sit tight for now and see how things develop, that maybe it is just too soon to jump into these turbulent waters with a full-blown brand analysis and marketing strategy, give me a call and let’s talk. Those who wait too long for the seas to settle before taking control of their brand position in the new market may risk missing the opportunity to ride the momentum of the tide … or risk missing the boat entirely.

• Have something to say – Do you have solid news to communicate or are you trying to make something out of nothing?  People see through the latter.  Better to hold off and wait until you have something juicy that will serve your reader rather than bombarding them with fluff.

• Plan your writing – Let me repeat…PLAN YOUR WRITING.  Insert a brief bulleted outline at the top of the document that lists the points you want to cover and the order they should follow.  Then, start writing, referring to the outline as needed. Trust me, this simple action will keep your writing organized and on topic.  (For more details on this process, see my post from August 2009)

• Write for your audience – It’s not about you; it’s about your reader.  What do they want, need, care about and value?  THAT’s what your writing needs to address.  Put yourself in their shoes.  What do they gain by reading your brochure, press release or Web site?  Have you provided them with knowledge and insight that is going to make them seek you out for more information?  Have you given them a clear call to action to immediately follow?

• Be specific – Be descriptive in your writing.  Take the time to punch up a dull sentence (i.e., “The garden is filled with bright flowers.”) with something that really paints a picture for your reader (i.e., “The garden bloomed with peach roses, red tulips and giant sunflowers.”).  Also,   avoid lazy adjectives such as “very.”  They don’t add anything to your writing.

• Use active voice – Can’t stress this one enough.  Follow the traditional subject-verb-object structure for strong writing.  Example … The boy (subject) tossed (verb) the ball (object). People often fall prey to passive voice … The ball (object) was tossed (verb) by the boy (subject).

• Edit and edit some more – Seth Godin made a statement in a recent blog post that struck me…people like to be done!  Are you being repetitive or rambling in your piece?  If so, edit.  Just because you can write more doesn’t mean you should.  Cut to the chase, and your readers will thank you.

There are tons of additional writing tips, and I hope to share more in the future.  But, if you can follow these few rules, your writing will improve dramatically.  Good luck!

Brooke Crawford, Senior Editor at Griffin Communications Group

Alicia Marie Fruin, a business coach based in Austin, Texas and owner of PeopleBiz, Inc., defines corporate culture as “the personality of the organization … the assumptions, values, norms and tangible signs of organization members and their behaviors.”

It might be difficult to put into words, but you know corporate culture when you experience it.  When you walk into an office, you can tell within minutes if it’s a place where passion and creativity reign or where stress and angst hold court.  It’s a sense you get from the employees.  That’s corporate culture.

At Griffin Communications Group, we’ve worked hard over the years to establish a strong, positive internal culture.  To us, it’s about support, collaboration and creativity, while taking responsibility for efficiency and profitability and delivering results to our clients. 

So, how did we do it?  We first established our values as a service-based entity:

• To be the best, not the biggest
• To be on the leading edge of our industry
• To surround ourselves with a strong base of industry specific clients who value our work and services
• To provide honest, timely and valuable counsel and services to our clients (i.e., shoot straight, be direct)
• To inspire our employees and offer them a quality work environment to assure we maintain the best talent in the industry
• To be an excellent corporate citizen in our community and the industries we serve

Then, we outlined some guiding principles:

• Reciprocity
• Generosity — we give and don’t keep score
• People before profit
• Making a difference
• Integrity

Our staff is encouraged to reference these values and guiding principles at least once a month.  The effort has made a difference.   Employees often cite how much they like our work environment.  Clients see how our culture drives positive results for them.  It’s a win-win for everyone.

So, how does your corporate culture look right now?  Is there a need for a tune-up?  Heed my advice and invest the time to make your internal culture what you want it to be.  Remember, that this process takes time.  We began more than five years ago and are still fine-tuning.  It’s a long-haul effort, but one that will set you on the path for greater success. 

(And one last note – as you make your culture change, I encourage you to read the “Eight Steps For Leading Change” by Harvard Business School Professor John P. Kotter.  Follow his guidance, and making your internal change stick will be easier than you thought!)

Good luck!

Gwen Griffin, President & CEO

There’s only one instance where I think time flies faster than watching your baby grow, and that’s technology.  I hold my own when it comes to figuring things out, but I’m not an “early adopter” when it comes to technology.  My husband lovingly calls me the “techno wizard.”  I’m the one that didn’t think we needed a DVR at first, but now, it’s one of those “necessary conveniences.”

In my professional world, online marketing is a tough thing to keep up with.  Luckily at Griffin, my colleagues @heatherhungate and @julieflorida are our online marketing gurus and help keep the rest of us “techno wizards” up to speed.  There are so many new tools and “apps” that pop up each day, it can be overwhelming.  But, the key thing to remember is not to have a GMOOT (Get me one of those) strategy (heard Geoff Ramsey of eMarketer use this at a Houston Interactive Marketing Association luncheon last year). 

Before you spend time, energy and money trying to integrate the latest and greatest interactive marketing tool, you need to make sure it makes sense with your marketing strategy.  Is that tool the best way to reach your target audience?  For example, a mobile marketing campaign is not the best strategy for reaching senior citizens. 

Sure, many times these tools are inexpensive (often free) to use, but it’s the “sweat equity” that you have to put into them that can be costly. 

It’s certainly a good idea to have a presence with the basic, most popular social networking sites (facebook, LinkedIn, etc.).  But, if you’re an early adopter and pick your marketing tools based on how “cool” or “gee whiz” it is, you probably don’t have the most effective marketing strategy. 

Personally and professionally, the best way to keep your sanity is to have a plan or means of prioritizing.  Remember your goals and always evaluate if what you’re doing is getting you closer to attaining them.

Stacy Sarault

I’m encouraged by what setting a weekly, in-person tag-up with a client can accomplish.  By setting this as a recurring meeting, it doesn’t take an act of Congress to get on the client’s calendar.  Working out details over e-mail and phone can often take far longer than a quick in-person meeting to review the same info.  The volume of topics that can be covered, the in-depth conversation that occurs and the decisions that can be quickly made are far greater from these face-to-face meetings.  Plus, I find that we often end up discussing other topics that have a deep influence on the greater whole of the work we are trying to accomplish.

Beyond the weekly tag up, in-person meetings can have an enormous effect on output.  Take for instance, two occurrences just this week –

I attended an annual retreat for a client where we all gathered in person for strategic discussion.  This client hosts weekly telecons with reps all over the country.  While these phone meetings are worthwhile, the discussion, candor and decisions made during the retreat were remarkably greater than any resulting from one of our recent telecons.  Not to mention, I now have a face with a name for so many of those folks!

We are looking for interns at Griffin, so we were about to interview a gal that looked like a great candidate.  She is studying abroad in Spain, so an in-person interview was out of the question.  We knew we could catch her on the phone, but really wanted that face-to-face perspective.  Skype to the rescue!  With five minutes of computer prep to set up a web cam, we were able to interview her “in person.”  What a difference to be able to see her and interact than to have just talked over the phone.

And now, I’m prepped and ready to roll on to another one of my in-person weekly tag ups.  I’m about to head into a one-hour meeting with a quick agenda that will most likely close out some projects and open doors to new ones.

I encourage everyone to make face time a priority.  It’s too easy to rely on e-mail and phone these days.  Heck, I even have a text message and Facebook relationship with some clients!  Make time for the in-person meeting.  You’ll be glad you did.

– Deanna Wilke

This is where the concept of professional development comes into play.  Broadly, as Wikipedia explains it, professional development encompasses anything you do to gain skills and knowledge for both personal development and career advancement.

It’s the best of both worlds – the employee is bettering him or herself while the employer reaps the benefits as well.  For job seekers, it’s an all-important part of standing out from the competition in the current market.

There are all types of professional development opportunities out there.  These range from the formal – semester-long courses, advanced degree programs, conferences, etc. – to the informal – mentoring, coaching relationships, Webinars, staying current on industry reading, etc. 

Don’t be intimidated by all the opportunities.  Start small…Keep in mind that you can learn a lot from those around you on a daily basis, and it doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming.  Just yesterday, my colleague Julie gave a great presentation to the team with tips on online researching.  It took maybe 30 minutes out of everyone’s work day, but we all left with some extremely useful tools that we may have never come across on our own.

I recently decided to take a big step and launch a search to find an organization of some kind in which to become involved.  Since I’m a quiet person, I decided to start with Toastmasters International.  This was a very supportive and dedicated group.  After visiting a couple of meetings, and picking up a few public speaking tips, I decided it wasn’t what I had in mind.

I haven’t given up on my search, though.  Sometimes I find that knowing what I don’t want can help me figure out what I do.  I’m shifting my focus to an organization where I can do some of the same things, but for a cause I’m passionate about, instead of just public speaking.

So, my professional development journey continues.  And, in meantime, I’ve found an American Marketing Association seminar that I’m excited about attending next week.

I hope some of you will take the leap with me, and help yourself while helping a cause close to your heart.  And, if you’re already doing this, please feel free to share your suggestions and experiences. 

Here are a few places I’ve found helpful along the way:

• Public Relation Society of America’s Houston Chapter
• American Marketing Association’s Houston Chapter
• Toastmasters International – Just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it won’t be the right fit for you.

Finally, I’ll leave you with an inspirational quote from Henry Ford:

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”

 Good luck!

 Jaime Napoli, Account Executive

As GCG’s vice president of aerospace communications, Carr will oversee development of strategic communications initiatives for each of the agency’s aerospace clients. In addition, he will continue to grow the national reputation and client roster of GCG’s aerospace division.

“I have had the opportunity to work with Jeff for more than a decade, and hands down, he is one of the most articulate communicators I have ever met,” Griffin said. “This, coupled with his extensive knowledge of the aerospace industry and strategic communications, makes him the ideal choice to run our aerospace practice. It’s a tremendous win for our staff and I feel strongly that our clients will also greatly benefit from the knowledge and insight he has to offer.”

Carr most recently spent 13 years at United Space Alliance.  As director of communications and public relations reporting directly to the president and CEO, he managed the company’s reputation through strategic communications including media relations, community outreach, customer initiatives, government affairs, marketing communications and advertising. While at USA, he served as one of the founding members and the inaugural chairman of the Coalition for Space Exploration, a national collective of space industry businesses that work to promote understanding and support of human space exploration and to help the U.S. maintain its leadership in space.

“My entire career has been focused on helping to advance the cause of human space flight and exploration through communication and public outreach,” Carr said. “I am excited to be joining the Griffin team at a time when more and more businesses around the world are getting involved in this epic adventure. I am looking forward to lending my experience to a wider spectrum of interests in aerospace and to meeting the needs of our customers with high-impact, leading edge communications solutions.”

Other aerospace career highlights include serving as acting director of public affairs and as chief of the news and information branch at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. In 1993, he temporarily served as special assistant for communications to the NASA administrator, providing critical transition support and lending insight to key issues and activities for NASA during the early months of the Clinton Administration.  He has also served as a press liaison and information specialist for Flight Crew and Mission Operations, as well as a flight commentator in Mission Control for more than 40 Space Shuttle missions. With the experience of two major Shuttle tragedies, the loss of Challenger in 1986 and of Columbia in 2003, he is a seasoned expert in crisis communications.

Prior to joining NASA, he led a team of technical directors in the planning and operations of Space Shuttle mission coverage on NASA Television as vice president of mission operations for Media Services Corporation.

Here’s the scenario:

You’ve got this great product (or service) that you just know is the best thing since sliced bread. It’s just the thing that’s going to bring the customers running to your door. You’ve researched the market conditions, performed a SWOT analysis and checked out the competition. You’ve got a fancy new logo and messaging that’s just going to knock their socks off.  A family friend gave you a GREAT deal on producing a TV spot and your cousin who works at the local news station promised that if you buy spots with his station, he’ll guarantee a live interview on their morning show. You’re all set! Right?

WRONG.

You forgot to ask one extremely important question: “What is the best way to get this message to my audience?” If the answer was local TV commercials…well, you’re safe – and lucky. Unfortunately one of the easiest (yet most costly) mistakes to make in launching a marketing campaign is not utilizing the right means to reach your audience.

With so many options out there to choose from (newspaper, Facebook, Twitter, radio, TV, YouTube…the list goes on and on) you may end up asking yourself, “How do I mash this tweet?” It can seem like a daunting challenge to select the best media to get your message out there. But if you take a step back and work to understand and define your audience, things will fall into place much easier.

Personally, I’m a big fan of The History Channel, CNN, NPR, 30 Rock and entertainment tabloids (yes, I’m admitting it). But I understand that not everyone is just like me. And you should understand that your customer may not be just like you. Even if you just love fishing magazines, that doesn’t mean you should advertise there…unless of course you’re selling fishing rods. Developing a detailed customer profile will provide the foundation for selecting the best medium(s) to push out your campaign. Gather data on gender, income, location, profession – the more information the merrier. Use this information to build a profile of your target customer.

Once you have your customer profile USE IT! When evaluating options for marketing campaigns, I constantly ask myself “Is this something that the target audience actually watches/reads/etc.?” If the answer is yes, then it’s a viable option. If not, no matter how great of a deal it is, it’s just money down the drain.

Remember – if you launch a campaign and the customer never sees it…you didn’t make an impact.

Happy profiling! And for some great thoughts on how to get started in planning out your marketing campaign visit one of my colleague’s former posts: “Marketing plan basics: Plan your work. Work your plan.”

- Meghan

It dawned on me that my fanaticism is very much like that of an employee to a company.  In addition to corporate headquarters, companies may have several locations throughout the country and world, but they must engage every employee in every office.  Companies need employees to be fans.  How do you accomplish this?  Internal communication.

Internal communication is vital to a company’s success.  Every day, we work with clients on their internal communication habits.  Through open communication, companies inform employees with good news, bad news and day-to-day happenings to keep employees “in the know.”  Informed employees make for loyal employees.  It’s great when companies realize that direct, frequent communication makes for a better working experience for everyone.

This year is a good year for UK basketball.  We have good players and Coach Calipari is awesome.  But, a big part of that success is that Coach Cal engages the fans, welcomes comments, answers questions and gives away cool stuff through tools like Facebook and Twitter.  This is excellent internal communication!  (Now before you question whether UK fans are an internal audience, don’t go there.  There’s not a UK basketball fan who wouldn’t fight to the death to secure the fact that each of us is way beyond an external customer for the sport.  We bleed blue, ‘nuff said.)  The last couple of years, we lacked good communication—our old coach didn’t connect with the fans and fans became negative of the entire program.  Now that we have better communication, we more readily support and understand the team.  Winning helps, but even when we lost, the open, honest communication from Coach Cal lifted spirits and got Big Blue Nation through it.

It’s the same with employees.  Win or lose, good or bad, a tight-knit, informed group will make it through the tough times and relish the good times.  Without open communication via tools like employee newsletters, e-mail updates, employee Web portals, open forums, Facebook and Twitter, a company can’t expect employees to understand the company or, for that matter, support the company.  Plus, you can have all the right tools in place and a tight-lipped approach only causes distrust and resentment among your troops.

You need employee feedback.  You need to engage your workers.  That’s what we help companies do every day.  Before any company can even think about external communication (advertising, brochures, Web sites, media relations), it must fortify its internal communication.  A company is only as strong as its employees; without their support, understanding and loyalty, a company will cease to exist.

Let employees be your fans—hey, you really can do that with Facebook!  Go for it…and go Big Blue!

Deanna Wilke

Account Manager