WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (May 7, 2012) – Hanser & Associates, an Iowa-based national public relations firm, has received six international Communicator Award which honor creative excellence for communications.

The firm won awards for public relations, advertising and web site development for four clients:

• Calvin Community (awards for “It’s a Classic” TV commercial, postcards and calendar)
• Megabus.com (award for social media)
• Physicians Clinic of Iowa (award for Web site)
• City of Urbandale, Iowa (award for ShareGoodEnergy.org Web site)

The annual awards competition is sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts. Hanser & Associates is included in an elite group of winners among more than 6,000 entries from companies and their agencies of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards of its kind in the world. Other winners in 2012 include American Heart Association, CBS Television Network, Johns Hopkins HealthCare, Lockheed Martin, Newseum, Northwestern Mutual, Peabody Energy and UnitedHealthcare.

“We are honored to have our work recognized again among the world’s best, and we share this honor with our clients,” said Ronald Hanser, APR, president of Hanser & Associates.
Visit www.hanser.com for more information.
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PR Action: Since 2005, we have formulated and implemented an integrated PR/marketing plan which includes media relations, social media, word of mouth and advertising to position the service as a “first in North America.” The firm conducts news conferences and launch events in each new city as megabus.com expands service. We arrange for TV, radio, print and online news media across the country to do stories about passengers’ acceptance of megabus.com, benefits to travelers, and the first double-decker intercity buses in North America. Hanser & Associates also implements street team events in major cities and college campuses to drive word of mouth, and social media strategies including Facebook, Google+, Twitter and YouTube to build megabus.com’s online community.

Results: On-going news media coverage includes TV, radio, newspaper and online media in all markets, including The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Washington Post business sections. National media coverage has included Associated Press, BusinessWeek, CNBC, CNN, NBC Nightly News, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine and USA Today, and consumer travel media, including AARP The Magazine (world’s largest circulation magazine), National Geographic Traveler, Reader’s Digest , Everyday with Rachel Ray and TravelSmart. Megabus.com is the subject of thousands of news placements annually, with a media value (cost if space had been purchased as advertising) of nearly $100 million since 2006. News coverage, blog conversations and online social media visibility drives an average of more than 2 million visitors per month to the Web site. Company executives report “explosive” sales in markets following local news stories. Business results include serving more than 16 million passengers since 2006, North America revenues and profitability ahead of goals, and ticket sales increasing more than 40 percent in 2011, compared to 2010. Additionally, the Motorcoach Council began using the term “MegaBus movement” to describe the rapid growth of intercity express bus service; a BusinessWeek magazine feature story in 2011 credited the company with introducing a new way for Americans to travel, calling it the “Megabus Effect.”

The overflow crowds for the panel in Austin illustrated a renewed focus upon:

- How public relations firms are helping companies integrate social media into the overall PR and communication strategy

- The latest trends in corporate communications and, specifically technology communications, around reputation-oriented issues in the digital age, and the role of communications.

- How a company’s actions are as (or more) important than the words

- Best practices deploy a more sophisticated strategy built around listening to their constituents (rather than just starting by “talking” – as too many company do)

Watch this short video (shot and edited by WCG) and read this CPRF blog entry for more info on what was discussed at SXSW.

We invite your feedback on the discussion at SXSW and similar findings in our Social Media in Des Moines Survey released March 12.

Ronald Hanser, President, Hanser & Associates

In our third-annual survey, the number remains low at 45 percent, despite a six-point increase in strategy and a 14-point increase in measurement. Indeed, in a lot of ways, the numbers haven’t really shifted from the 2010 baseline.

But the presence of strategy still correlates to a lot of positives, including satisfaction.

1. Adoption is still growing. The number of organizations using social media is up 9 percentage points to 86 percent, though the number who started in the last 12 months is down 15 points from 2011.
2. Staffing is shifting. Lack of knowledgeable staff is the most cited reason not to participate (up 10 points from 2011), and fewer organizations say they have adequate staff to manage social media (-9 points). Organizations are spreading responsibility around. Fewer organizations say they have more than one employee dedicated full-time (-8 points), and more staff have part-time responsibilities.
3. Most now share videos. The rise in video (+18 points to 58 percent) makes it the third majority activity beyond micoblogging (63 percent) and the ubiquity of social networks (99 percent).
4. Measurement is up, but not outcomes. More than 60 percent say they’re measuring outcomes now (+14 points), but just 4 in 10 say the activity meets the expectations (+2 points).
5. Weaknesses persist. Lack of strategy and resources remains evident in this third-annual survey, though these metrics are flat over 2011.

You can view the PDF report today.

What do you see in this data? How does your organization compare?

Additional insights from the survey data will be published in the weeks ahead; get our news feed or opt-in below to stay tuned.

Finally, you can email Ryan directly if you’re seeking advice or other direct assistance with social media.

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Feb. 21, 2012) – Mobile, Ala.; and Montgomery, Ala., residents can now travel to New Orleans for as low as $1. Megabus.com, the widely popular city-to-city, express bus company, today announced the addition of New Orleans to the Atlanta – Montgomery – Mobile, route. Service to and from New Orleans begins on April 2. Customers can begin booking travel today at www.megabus.com.

Megabus.com will offer two daily departures to New Orleans. The New Orleans arrival/departure location is at Bienville Avenue between North Peters Street and North Front Boulevard, near the French Quarter.

Customers are encouraged to book early to secure $1 fares. Fares always start as low as $1 and get higher as the traveling date gets closer.

“Megabus.com has rapidly become the travel option of choice for millions of people and today we’re excited to expand our unique travel option to New Orleans,” said Dale Moser, president and COO of megabus.com.

Megabus.com, a subsidiary of Coach USA, launched in April 2006 and is one of the largest intercity express bus service providers in North America, transporting more than 15 million travelers. In addition to affordable fares, megabus.com offers customers state-of-the-art environmentally-friendly buses with free Wi-Fi, power outlets and restrooms.

Visit www.megabus.com for additional information about the service, schedules, arrival and departure times and fares.

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Feb. 21, 2012) – New Orleans residents can now travel to Atlanta, Mobile, Ala.; and Montgomery, Ala., for as low as $1. Megabus.com, the widely popular city-to-city, express bus company, today announced they will begin daily service to and from New Orleans on April 2. Customers can begin booking travel today at www.megabus.com.

Megabus.com will offer two daily departures (10 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.) from its bus stop location at Bienville Avenue between North Peters Street and North Front Boulevard, near the French Quarter.

Customers are encouraged to book early to secure $1 fares. Fares always start as low as $1 and get higher as the traveling date gets closer.

“Megabus.com has rapidly become the travel option of choice for millions of people and today we’re excited to bring our unique travel option to New Orleans,” said Dale Moser, president and COO of megabus.com. “As Americans continue to look for ways to stretch their income, we look forward to providing safe, convenient and affordable travel to New Orleans-area residents.”

Megabus.com, a subsidiary of Coach USA, launched in April 2006 and is one of the largest intercity express bus service providers in North America, transporting more than 15 million travelers. In addition to affordable fares, megabus.com offers customers state-of-the-art environmentally-friendly buses with free Wi-Fi, power outlets and restrooms.

Visit www.megabus.com for additional information about the service, schedules, arrival and departure times and fares.

NEW YORK (Feb. 21, 2012) – Megabus.com, the widely popular city-to-city, express bus company with fares from $1, today announced they will expand service from Atlanta to Athens and from Atlanta to New Orleans via the Mobile-Montgomery route.

Atlanta to Athens service will begin on Feb. 29. Atlanta to New Orleans service will begin on April 2. Customers can begin booking travel today at www.megabus.com.

Megabus.com will offer three daily departures to Athens and two daily departures to New Orleans.

Customers are encouraged to book early to secure $1 fares. Fares always start as low as $1 and get higher as the traveling date gets closer.

“Megabus.com has rapidly become the travel option of choice for millions of people and today we’re excited to expand our offerings,” said Dale Moser, president and COO of megabus.com. “As Americans continue to look for ways to stretch their income, we will continue to provide safe, convenient and affordable travel.”

Megabus.com will also begin to integrate double-decker buses on routes to and from Atlanta. The first cities to see the double-deckers will be Orlando, Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis.

The high demand for affordable travel in the region led to the upgrade to double-decker buses.

The 81-passenger, 13.1 feet high, double-decker buses offer free Wi-Fi, power outlets and seat belts, as well as a panoramic view, comfortable reclining seats, restroom and ADA accessibility.

Megabus.com’s double-decker buses are designed with the latest technology available, and provide significant environmental benefits. Each double-decker bus has the potential to remove 81 automobiles from the highway and is among the most energy and fuel efficient ways to travel. According to the University of Vermont’s Green Coach Certification program, the double-decker is 10 times more efficient than a 737 airplane and 25 times more efficient than a single-passenger car.

Megabus.com, a subsidiary of Coach USA, launched in April 2006 and is one of the largest intercity express bus service providers in North America, transporting more than 15 million travelers.

Visit www.megabus.com for additional information about the service, schedules, arrival and departure times and fares.

The high demand for affordable travel in the region led to the upgrade to double-decker buses.

“We are delighted with the high volume of ridership and demand for a value-added service like megabus.com,” said Dale Moser, president and COO of megabus.com. “The new double-deckers will give many more travelers the ability to travel to and from Atlanta.”

The 81-passenger, 13.1 feet high, double-decker buses offer free Wi-Fi, power outlets and seat belts, as well as a panoramic view, comfortable reclining seats, restroom and ADA accessibility.

Megabus.com’s double-decker buses are designed with the latest technology available, and provide significant environmental benefits. Each double-decker bus has the potential to remove 81 automobiles from the highway and is among the most energy and fuel efficient ways to travel. According to the University of Vermont’s Green Coach Certification program, the double-decker is 10 times more efficient than a 737 airplane and 25 times more efficient than a single-passenger car.

Megabus.com, a subsidiary of Coach USA, launched in April 2006 and is one of the largest intercity express bus service providers in North America, transporting more than 15 million travelers.

Visit www.megabus.com for additional information about the service, schedules, arrival and departure times and fares.

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Feb. 21, 2012) – University of Georgia students and Athens residents can now travel to Atlanta for as low as $1.  Megabus.com, the widely popular city-to-city, express bus company, today announced they will begin daily service between Athens and Atlanta on Feb. 29.  Customers can begin booking travel today at www.megabus.com.

Megabus.com will offer three daily departures to Atlanta Monday thru Saturday from its stop location at the County Transit Station; on Sundays, megabus.com will offer three daily departures to Atlanta from another stop on the University of Georgia campus.

Customers are encouraged to book early to secure $1 fares. Fares always start as low as $1 and get higher as the traveling date gets closer.

“Megabus.com has rapidly become the travel option of choice for millions of people and today we’re excited to bring our unique travel option to Athens,” said Dale Moser, president and COO of megabus.com. “As Americans continue to look for ways to stretch their income, we look forward to providing safe, convenient and affordable travel to Athens-area residents.”

Megabus.com, a subsidiary of Coach USA, launched in April 2006 and is one of the largest intercity express bus service providers in North America, transporting more than 15 million travelers.  In addition to affordable fares, megabus.com offers customers state-of-the-art environmentally-friendly buses with free Wi-Fi, power outlets and restrooms.

Visit www.megabus.com for additional information about the service, schedules, arrival and departure times and fares.