Every High School Kid in our Area Should See This Video

Category: Blog

Every High School Kid in our Area Should See This Video

We knew the video that Joel Rubin and JPixx Video in Virginia Beach produced for the Southeast Maritime and Transportation Center (SMART) was good. But when Brad Mason of AMSEC, a national firm which provides technical services to the Navy and commercial maritime industry, told us that “every high school in our area should see” it, we knew we had hit the spot.

The approximately three-minute piece, which profiles four former apprentices who are now employed at local shipyards, was the latest in a series that Rubin Communications Group has produced. Most can be viewed at www.maritime-technology.org and several are now on the Department of Labor’s website as well. Called Make the Smart Choice, they tell high school students, career changers and veterans separating from the services why they should consider pursuing an educational path to job opportunities in the maritime trades and transportation logistics at the nation’s ports. (more…)

  • + Jessica
  • P 10/21/2016
  • t Blog

RCG’s 5 Dos, 5 Don’ts for Facebook Live

By Jessica Bensten and Jenn Hill

Social media is constantly evolving and providing new avenues to reach the masses — especially Facebook.

Have you noticed friends “going live” the last few months?

Facebook Live is one of the latest options on Facebook to create your own news by utilizing your smartphone or computer to broadcast directly onto your personal or company Facebook page.

Thinking of trying it out?

(more…)

How to Honor a Capital Campaign with the Right Signage

By Jessica Bensten

Beth Sholom Village is rooted in tradition.

Along the nursing home’s walls are large-scale black and white photographs honoring treasured past residents. Each day staff and visitors make their way past these smiling faces to assisted living, rehab or maybe the wellness center.

We know these walls well. (more…)

Top 5 Lessons from My RCG Internship

By Jenny Freebus

Senior, Ocean Lakes High School

With summer coming to an end, it’s time to wrap up the internship I was fortunate to land through Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

My time with Rubin Communications Group has been filled with memorable experiences and opportunities. Within the next week, I’ll be back at Ocean Lakes High School to start my senior year, and I know the skills I learned this summer will play a significant role in my work habits. Here’s a list of the top five skills I learned at RCG:

  1. Quick thinking is a must. Whether it’s brainstorming ideas at a staff meeting or searching for a quick fix in the field, thinking fast will serve you well. In the public relations world, everything tends to have a short turnaround time so there’s little time to waste.
  2. Maintaining a professional attitude is crucial when representing a business and talking to clients. It’s important to remain calm, cool and collected so as not to damage the reputation of the business you represent. A bad encounter now could jeopardize work in the future.
  3. Keep a positive mindset. When talking to current or potential clients, it’s essential to remain positive and practical because pleasing the client without setting their expectations to an unreasonable height is the biggest priority.
  4. The importance of research. Whether the task is to find background information on a potential client or local nonprofits in the area, doing research shows investment in your clients. It also helps you gain a better understanding of the work expected of you.
  5. Soft skills. The Hampton Roads community is large, but it’s also friendly. People are interested in how your day is going so having the skills to converse with clients and other professionals goes a long way. In the business community, it’s important to be personable because it opens the door for networking and forging new relationships with other business and community leaders.

Through the internship, I experienced the “real business world” for the first time and learned the difference between advertising and public relations. The PR world moves pretty fast, and the skills I gained will help me no matter what career I pursue.

I am grateful to everyone at Rubin Communications for their constant support and guidance.

A Client with a Conscience

The vast majority of our clients are good people who give back to the community.

But everyone, us included, can learn a lesson from Jim Lang, an environmental attorney with Pender & Coward in Virginia Beach.

Not only did Jim finally prevail on behalf of his own client, but he then rolled up his sleeves and convinced others to roll up theirs, to really fix the problem his advocacy solved. (more…)

Public Relations: Don’t Come to Town Without Us

Adding a location in a new market, even if it’s only across the state, can be challenging.

That’s why smart companies hire “boots on the ground,” whether it’s contractors, attorneys, landscapers or public relations consultants.

At RCG, we like to think we’re the best choice for communications services in Southeastern Virginia. We know the media, local government, caterers, florists, you name it. We also have outstanding relationships with non-profits that newcomers often like to assist during grand opening events. Heck, we even have the scissors for ribbon cuttings and creative ideas for firms that want something special beyond the usual “snip and grin.” Here’s a great example. (more…)

Saluting Supporters of the Silent Service

We do not often work with the military, but we had a rare opportunity recently to produce a video for the Virginia Beach-based Dolphin Scholarship Foundation.

For the past 55 years, the foundation has provided scholarship assistance to dependents of men, and now women, who serve on Navy submarines.

(more…)

  • + Jessica
  • P 06/14/2016
  • t Blog

A Quick Study: Public Relations and the Importance of Learning on the Fly

At Rubin Communications Group, our clients come in all shapes and sizes. We work with corporations and non-profits across a wide array of industries and topic areas. That means, when we bring on a new client, we need to be a quick study in the work they do and the world in which they operate.

(more…)

Give Local 757 Proves No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Not all the work we do or time we allot at Rubin Communications Group is compensated.

We adopt charities, serve on boards, offer free advice and make donations, often to events that are meaningful to our clients.

Give Local 757, an annual event coordinated by the three major community foundations in the region (Peninsula, Southeast and Hampton Roads) reach out to Joel Rubin. Not knowing exactly what he was getting into, he agreed to help with PR on a pro-bono basis, in exchange for our logo being placed on all promotion.   (more…)

Major Week of Public Relations Successes for the RCG Team

We only “pitch” what we consider viable stories to the news media and never complain if we fail to achieve “hits.”

But in late April, we were on a roll, thanks to our clients and a host of reporters and editors who agreed that our advisories warranted coverage. And in some cases, the placements were beyond our wildest imaginations. (more…)

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