The mix of marketing vehicles available to companies looking to tell their stories and sell their wares has never been more extensive: print, broadcast, online, mobile. This reminds us that it's not the channel in which a message is consumed but the message itself and the source of that message that earns a business credibility.

For writers, it’s inevitable; one moment, everything that flows from your mind to the keyboard is gold, the next you find yourself sitting staring idly at the monitor waiting for the words to manifest. It happens without warning, and it stops you in your tracks: writer’s-block.

At PReturn, we have a core belief that each time we reach out to the media with client news, we’re actually servicing two clients: our paying client and the reporter we’re pitching. It’s easy to get wrapped up with a client’s agenda (after all, they’re paying!), but forgetting about the reporters’ needs puts you in a bad position. By taking care of the reporters, your paying clients come out on top far more often.

When Martin Cooper made the first handheld mobile phone call 40 years ago he couldn’t have imagined the impact mobile devices would have on the world’s ability to connect in 2014. The same can be said for brands, which are now in the driver’s seat more than ever when it comes to their mobile visibility.

The world is a far different place in 2014 than it was even five years ago when it comes to consumer/brand relations, with consumers being more connected to their favorite brands than ever via social media.

Spring is on the horizon in the Chicagoland area, and with the arrival of budding flowers and salvation from the bitter cold comes new beginnings. Not wanting to buck that trend, we decided we could use a little more help around the office, and it comes in the form of our new assistant account executive, Rey Perez.

Late last Spring, PReturn got an upgrade, moving to new office space on the third floor of 832 W. Superior and, after more than ten months in our new digs, we’re finally settling in to Suite 303.

It’s been said time and time again: “personalized emails and letters garner higher response rates.” But in the recent cases of Office Max and Bank of America, that personal touch crossed the line … big time.

If they haven’t already, PR professionals should start planning 2014 strategies to help clients achieve desired results; at PReturn we’re doing the same.