We’re pleased to announce that our firm is growing again. In September, we will move our Albany offices into larger quarters in the historic Harmanus Bleecker Library building at the corner of Dove Street and Washington Avenue, not far from the Capitol.

Glens Falls will continue to be our home base, as it has been since the firm began in 1988, but our growing roster of Capital Region clients makes this the right time to expand our presence to the south.

We are grateful to the many loyal clients who entrust us with their strategic communications, media relations, marketing and issue advocacy work. They — and the terrific team of professionals here — have made this move possible.

The news release announcing our expansion can be found below.

Thank you for your friendship and continued support.

Mark

Mark Behan, President and Founder

Behan Communications Expanding In Capital Region

ALBANY, N.Y. — Behan Communications, Inc., the leading public relations, marketing and crisis communications firm in New York’s Capital Region, is expanding its staff with new office space in Albany’s historic Harmanus Bleecker Library Building.

“Our firm has served major Capital Region clients for more than 20 years, and our move to the Harmanus Bleecker building allows us to expand our staff to serve new clients and work more closely with our partners in many Capital Region businesses, law firms and lobbying firms,” said Mark L. Behan, president of Behan Communications.

“I congratulate Behan Communications on their expansion in the City of Albany, and look forward to their continued commitment to our economic vitality,” Albany Mayor Gerald D. Jennings said. “By investing in Albany, Behan Communications is signaling that New York’s Capital ‘All America’ City is, indeed, open for business.”

Behan Communications provides communications strategy and advice to senior management in major corporate and non-profit organizations in New York and New England. The firm’s services include media and community relations; public affairs and issue advocacy; crisis communications; and brand, corporate and institutional marketing.

Among Behan’s clients are GE, Finch Paper, CAP COM Federal Credit Union, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, ReEnergy Holdings, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and the New York State Catholic Conference.

The firm’s new Albany offices are at 19 Dove Street, at the intersection of Washington Avenue. Its previous locations were on Elk Street and on Broadway. The Albany office is led by Behan Communications Vice President Sarah Metzgar Boggess. The hiring of additional staff will be announced shortly.

F. Michael Tucker, president of the Center for Economic Growth, said: “We are excited to see local companies thriving and expanding in the Capital Region. Behan Communications’ continued growth is evidence of its well-known reputation. Its healthy client base is a positive barometer of our region’s economic vitality.”

Behan Communications is the Capital Region’s leading public relations firm by billings, according to 2010 data compiled by the Capital District Business Review. The firm has won more than 120 major national and regional awards for its work in the manufacturing, energy, health care, higher education, financial services and economic development sectors. Services include in-house production of videos and commercials for broadcast and the web, a broad spectrum of social media, and website design and development.

The firm was assisted in this transaction by CresaPartners of Albany, formerly Conley Associates.

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With a promise of (local) fame and (very little) fortune, 18-year-old Bobby Doepper of Argyle rolled out of bed before dawn on a recent day off from his summer job, and spent the better part of the next 19 hours running across the rolling hills of Washington County in 90-degree heat, proudly holding aloft … an ear of corn.

Bobby stars in Behan Communications’ latest TV commercial, bringing the time-honored tradition of ceremonial torch runs to the Washington County Fair.

We produced the commercial for our longtime client GE, a Grand Champion sponsor of the Fair. Fellow Behan VP Mik Bondy and I teamed up on the spot. Our goal was to capture with affection and admiration the tradition of youthful competition and community enthusiasm that has characterized the Fair for more than a century.

Production began at daybreak on a sticky July Friday with a visit to Albert Marns’ Kingsbury farm, where Bobby’s feet first hit the road. From there, we were on to downtown Greenwich (yes, we gave Bobby a ride) for several hours of hard work, new friendships and a great lunch at the Washington Square Deli. The afternoon found us at the farm of Harry Booth, where the former Easton supervisor, his wife, JoAnn, and grandchildren were gracious hosts and even better sports (One more time: Toss those hay bales, Harry!). Finally, as daylight turned to dusk, cast and crew gathered at the iconic sign at the Fairground gates for the arrival of Bobby’s “torch” and a wrap to a long, productive and enjoyable day.

In addition to the 60-second commercial above, we’re airing a 30-second version and produced an online trailer that was shared exclusively through social media networks. Both of the commercials were also debuted via social media. You can see the trailer and 30-second commercial at the bottom of this post.

Special thanks are due Mark St. Jacques and Ida Williams of the Fair for their help in recruiting our cast. Much appreciation also goes to photo director Mark McCarty and videographer Dow Haynor and the team from Golden Lamb Productions, whose collaboration and artistry helped bring our corny idea to life.

Our commercial begins airing on August 12. Look for it during your favorite programs, and we’ll see you at the Fair!

John Brodt

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Last week The Discovery Channel aired its long-running and much-celebrated Shark Week, and once again it took a big bite out of the television ratings with a whopping 3.3 million viewers for its kickoff, a record number of viewers for the program which began in 1987.

With its digitally integrated marketing strategy, the Discovery Channel has fully embraced the power of the Internet and the use of viral tactics to increase the hype and overall awareness of Shark Week.

Social mentions of Shark Week skyrocketed in July. In the past, celebrities have hosted the event, and this year, Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg took the reins as the first-ever “Chief Shark Officer.” Lady Gaga’s song “Show Me Your Teeth” was used in Shark Week promos.

In addition to celebrity involvement, the Discovery Channel implemented shark games, quizzes and applications. It has strategically placed a strong focus on user-generated content, or UGC. UGC consists of fan videos, photo sharing, live tweets and comments to reinforce interest in Shark Week by actively involving shark enthusiasts and viewers.

Shark Week marketers successfully created viral hubs across YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Shark Week’s YouTube “Splash Page,” starring Samberg, allows viewers to watch clips from this year’s shows, as well as highlights from the past.  Live streaming videos showcase shark interactions and daily feedings from aquariums across the United States.

Earlier in the summer, the Discovery Channel even ran a contest in which it requested 30-second video commercials from fans. The top 16 fan-promo videos vied against each other in a bracketed competition on Shark Week’s website. The top two ads are shown on the channel during Shark Week.  This “Splash Page,” though disguised as a content hub, actually is a very creatively placed advertisement.

The #SharkWeek hashtag has been trending on Twitter. With tweets consisting of @mentions, shark-related news updates and details regarding their campaign, this page has been crucial in spreading content and engaging viewers in a personal way.

Truly encouraging the user-generated content, however, is Shark Week’s Facebook page. The main purpose is to share photos through the Facebook app. This “Upload Your Photo” campaign, though an age-old marketing tactic, offers prizes for the most “jawesome” submitted photos.

Each of these marketing techniques illustrates the experience that the team has acquired from promoting this event for almost 25 years. Their viral and online marketing practices understand the Shark Week brand and how to advertise it.

Tori Raccuia

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You may have heard the news that 52 percent of Americans approved of God’s overall performance, which, as reported with no hint of sarcasm made God “more popular than all members of Congress.”

God fared much better than Rupert Murdoch, who had only a 12 percent favorable rating, which reveals one insight right away: These pollsters weren’t talking to Fox News viewers, who, it’s safe to guess, would give both parties much higher approval ratings.

I’m guessing none of the 48 percent who didn’t offer God a full vote of confidence has hit the lottery, survived a near-death experience, had a loved one overcome a debilitating condition or witnessed the sun rising over a mountain peak, but that’s another story. Our job is to help God win them over and raise that rating.

Here’s what we suggest: God issues a statement of regret — it’s been roughly 4,000 years since the Ten Commandments, after all; we ought to be hearing from Him anyhow — lamenting His mistakes and offering to step aside so someone more capable can take charge.

Oh, wait. Someone already thought of that. They called it “Bruce Almighty.”

Nevermind.

Here’s the bottom line: If you believe in God, chances are you’re not going to be quick to criticize His performance. And if you don’t believe in God, what is there to criticize?

Have we really reached the point where someone, anyone, must be blamed for everything that frightens, harms or disappoints us?

I suppose 48 percent of us think we have.

Bill Callen

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