The Buzz on zcomm
When you build as much buzz for your clients as we do, you can't help but draw a little attention yourself. Some of our latest headlines:

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PRSA-NCC RECOGNIZES ZCOMM TEAM MEMBER

Bethesda, MD, December 10, 2007 – zcomm Manager Derek Berry participated as committee co-chair this past year in the PRSA-National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC) Diversity Committee. Berry worked with fellow committee members in making other public relations professionals aware of more diverse publics both in the PR industry and outside in other professions.

Berry assisted in coordinating a breakfast seminar in June held at the Capital Hilton in Washington which focused on reaching out to minority audiences with key messages, and also organized a ‘Futbol’ night in September at a DC United match at RFK Stadium.

For his work, Berry received a PRSA-NCC recognition clock for his service to the committee and the PRSA-NCC Board for 2007.

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ZCOMM CEO RISË BIRNBAUM MEANS BUSINESS
PR Agency Founder Wins Washington Business Journal’s 2007
“Women Who Mean Business” Award

Bethesda, MD (October 30, 2007) – Entrepreneur Risë Birnbaum is being honored as one of the Washington Business Journal’s 2007 “Women Who Mean Business.” Her company, Z Communications Co. (better known as zcomm), was recently recognized by the same publication as one of the top 15 public relations agencies by revenue in the D.C. Metro area.

zcomm has grown tremendously in the last year and increased revenue by more than 50% over 2006.  In order to maintain the level of client service for which it is known, Birnbaum has recently added five new executives to meet the increasing demands. 

“‘The Women Who Mean Business’ program honors women like Risë who are some of the most successful and influential women in the region,” says Alex Orfinger, publisher of the WJB. “The honorees represent women from every industry and profession who have had a significant impact on business in the D.C. Metropolitan area. Each honoree is also recognized for making tremendous community contributions. Finalists were nominated by their industry peers and selected by Washington Business Journal editors.”

This woman-owned small business is carving its own path in the industry; they were recently tapped as a Proctor & Gamble preferred vendor, and launched a series of edgy print and video ads that leverage national news to gain attention.

Birnbaum’s creative flair and business skills make her a charismatic CEO.  Leading her staff by example, she makes client service the agency number one priority.  Birnbaum draws on her experience as an ABC network correspondent to package a story that generated maximum placement for her clients.  Since founding zcomm in 1989, Birnbaum is continually on the cutting edge of new media, incorporating podcasting, webisodes, and Spanish language services into her company’s services. 

zcomm is a recipient of the prestigious PRSA Silver Anvil Award, Galaxy, Astrid and Apex awards. Birnbaum enjoys tournament tennis and screenwriting and won a Monterey Film Festival finalist award for one of her scripts. Birnbaum graduated from the University of Rochester and received her Masters in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University's School of Communications.

Other honorees include: Kathleen Matthews of Marriott International, Linda Zecher, of Microsoft Corporation, and Stacey Stewart of Fannie Mae. 

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ZCOMM LAUNCHES HUMOROUS AD CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE ITS UNIQUE STYLE OF CLIENT SERVICE 
Small PR Agency Takes a Wide Stance

Bethesda, MD, October 12, 2007–Starting Oct 1, 2007, zcomm launched a cheeky advertising campaign that leveraged some politically charged news.    

The initial ads that appeared in the Oct 1, 2007 PRWeek read:  “For a Small Agency, We’ve got a Wide Stance: Our messages touch millions of people and we’re not afraid to admit it.”  The ad turned heads within hours of its publication and became to topic of many PR blogs because it leveraged the news coverage around Senator Craig’s now infamous bathroom incident.   

Risë Birnbaum, CEO and founder of zcomm said the company has launched a humorous recruiting campaign which will include a short video in the style of “The Office” and will be debuting a corporate blog this month.

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CONNECTING GEN ‘Y’ TO THE ‘Z’
CEO Expands Staff With Four Fresh Faces

Bethesda, MD, September 30, 2007–CEO and Founder Risë Birnbaum proudly announces the addition of 4 new staff members to the zcomm team.

Paula Malozowski joins zcomm as a Senior Associate and will work on radio promotions as well as RNR and PSA. A 26-year-old Argentina native who earned both her BA and MA from American University, Malozowski brings her bilingual expertise in emergency communication through her work with the Department of Homeland Security, and has also worked for the National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA’s mitigation division.

Joining zcomm as Associates are Patrick Delaney, Jeffra Stafford and Taryn Nicholas.

Patrick Delaney joins us from Clear Channel Washington, DC. He will create, design and execute radio promotions and head the Media Research team. A 26-year-old native of Kansas City, Mo., Delaney earned his BA, Cum Laude, in Persuasive and Political Communication from George Mason University. Proficient in Spanish, Delaney brings 8 years of radio promotions experience, from previous work with Cumulus and CBS Radio in Kansas City.

Jeffra Stafford is the newest member of our Radio Services team. Stafford will also maintain the zcomm website and help with external marketing. A 23-year-old Maryland native who earned her BA in Communications and Studio Art from American University, Stafford brings non-profit experience from her work at A Wider Circle, helping impoverished areas in DC, and she assisted in the organization and execution of a focus group on AIDS awareness at Ogilvy PR Worldwide.

Taryn Nicholas will design and execute radio promotions, handle external PR, design advertisements, and work with our Media Relations team. A 22-year-old New Jersey native who earned her BA in Communication and Studio Art from the University of Maryland, Nicholas brings both publicity and graphic design experience through her work with the public relations department at MIRAMAX Films in New York and on the Maryland 2007 Solar Decathlon promotion team.

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ZCOMM EXPANDS STAFF AS BUSINESS GROWS
CEO Reports Record Profits in 2006

Bethesda, MD, January 19, 2007 – With increased revenue of over 30% for FY 2006, zcommunications (better known as zcomm) CEO and Founder Risë Birnbaum proudly announces the addition of a new staff member to her Marketing, PR and Promotions team:

Joan Carrese Sineni joins zcomm as the General Manager and will oversee day-to-day management of the agency as well as focus on new business development. A native Washingtonian, Joan has over twenty years experience in the public relations and event marketing field. She ran her own Washington, DC based PR agency, Carrese Productions for eleven years specializing in entertainment, consumer branding and hospitality industry marketing and promotion.

In addition, she was a PR Manager for five years at the Tysons Galleria, VA then Bal Harbour, FL Neiman Marcus stores. Most recently she served as a consultant for healthcare and social issues clients including AARP and the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University. Joan holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from the University of Maryland.

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zcomm KICKS OFF '07 WITH THREE NEW CLIENT CAMPAIGNS
Bethesda-based PR firm signs American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists, MedSculpt and American Veterinary Medical Association

Bethesda, MD, January 18, 2007 – Bethesda-based public relations, communications and marketing firm zcommunications (better known as zcomm) has been tapped by three organizations to launch large media relations campaigns for 2007.

zcomm will launch a year-long integrated media and marketing campaign for the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists, which involves the production of an educational video about the benefits of a career in the profession, TV and radio PSAs and media relations.

zcomm has also been hired to develop and execute an annual media relations campaign including radio promotions for MedSculpt, a Rockville, MD-based company that specializes exclusively in medical body sculpting or non-surgical fat removal. MedSculpt is creating a network of centers in the U.S., where specially trained physicians and nurses provide clients with this procedure, also known as Lipo-dissolve.

The American Veterinary Medical Association chose zcomm to produce and distribute a series of radio news releases (RNRs) and conduct several radio media tours (RMTs) on subjects ranging from pet disaster preparedness to the growing problem of pet obesity. zcomm will also distribute a series of radio PSAs highlighting the importance of veterinarians in areas such as food safety, biological research and homeland security.

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