Way to go, Sandra!
GHS Federal Credit Union's plastics design, developed by Riger Advertising, won an honorable mention in the CSCU 2010 Cameo Awards. CSCU is the nation's largest credit and debit card processing association exclusively for credit unions.

ESSA expands into the Lehigh Valley
Riger client ESSA Bank & Trust opened three new full-service offices inside Weis Markets locations in Allentown, Hanover Township, and Schnecksville. The bank also opened a 3,100-square foot full-service branch on Route 390 in Mountainhome, Pennsylvania in April (pictured).

Advertising in tough times
Should firms increase advertising during a recession (especially to women)? That was the topic of a recent presentation by Riger's Mark Bandurchin to the "Women in Business meeting of the Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce. Bandurchin reviewed recent studies that show advertising has long-tern benefits that exceed its cost and that recessions are particularly opportune
times to increase expenditures. Because of the huge influence they have on the purchase of all goods and services, advertisers also need to make reaching women a budget priority.

A special birthday for GHS Federal Credit Union
GHS celebrated their 70th Diamond Anniversary on Saturday, May 1st at their Front Street Branch with prize giveaways, special offers and more. Founded in 1940, GHS Federal Credit Union has assets totaling over $125 million and can serve anyone who lives, works, attends school or worships in Broome, Chenango, or Tioga Counties, New York.

In the Spirit of the Season
Riger staff found several ways to foster the Holiday Spirit, we hope bringing comfort to those less fortunate and as well as to those who are far from their families and homes at this time of year. Our employees contributed toiletry articles and personal convenience items to a large “care package” for members of the U.S. Armed Forces abroad, an initiative spearheaded by our client Rockwell-Collins. We also made donations on behalf of all of our clients to the Salvation Army, whose efforts at Holiday time are well known in virtually every community nationwide. What’s more, under the Yule Tree in our lobby, mystery Santas on the Riger staff put all manner of toys and clothing for youngsters benefiting from the Salvation Army’s “Angel Tree” program. To round things out, we coordinated our efforts with the Communications Association of the Southern Tier in that organization’s initiative to provide kitchen implements and food service accessories to the Rescue Mission, an agency working to shelter and feed the homeless.

Riger folks have been jabbering away on our new blog “Riger Jabber,” a place that offers tips, articles, and stories about the marketing communications industry in general, as well as our slice of it right here in Greater Binghamton, NY, and Northeast Pennsylvania.

To practice what we preach in social media advice to our clients, we’re using our blog to both inform and interact with our site-viewers on topics that interest them.

We’d love to hear your feedback on our posts, so feel free to comment and subscribe to our RSS feed for instant and automatic updates on new blog posts! Click here to visit our blog!

Back to the campus
Riger’s Jamie Knudsen (standing) joins Riger interns Evan Stark and Jennifer Good on the last day of their summer internships at the agency. Evan is a senior at Rochester Institute of Technology, while Jennifer is a senior at State University of New York at Buffalo.

Thanks for your involvement with us, Evan and Jennifer! And best of luck in your futures!

Jamie supervises the Riger internship program and can be reached at jknudsen@riger.com.

Way to go, Heather!!!
Riger’s Heather Preston was selected as Employee of the Month for July 2009 by the membership of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce.
She received her award certificate and related gifts at the Chamber offices, with family, Riger co-workers and Chamber staff on hand. Among the goodies going to the honoree were a $100 cash prize courtesy of Mang Insurance and an additional $50 in Rewards Plus Dollars courtesy of Mirabito Fuel Group and Quickway Food Stores. Here at Riger we have always known that Heather was an “all-league” player. Now the rest of the community knows it as well. Way to go, Heather!!! (That's her on left in photo above with Chamber's Amy Shaw.)

For more about Heather Preston, click here.

Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce Business
Card Exchange
Laurie Van Kuren and Rob Stiene recently attended
the Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce Business
Card Exchange at East Stroudsburg University's
new Science and Technology Center. The exchange
included a tour of the new observatory and planetarium.

Does Marketing Work?
Mark Bandurchin, Riger vice president, creative services, was invited to make a presentation to the Broome County Bar Association. Attorneys from throughout the area heard Mark answer the question: "Does Marketing Work?"

Three firsts!
Riger received three first place awards at the Communications Association of the Southern Tier's (CAST) 19th annual Genesis Awards. Taking first place honors were: UHS mammogram cards and poster in the Potpourri category, UHS cancer care multiple-media campaign, and CFCU Community Credit Union "Difference" radio advertising. Our CFCU "Difference" TV spot took a second place award. And we won third place for The Family Foundation School in newspaper advertising. The Genesis Awards recognize excellence in marketing communications in the Southern Tier. Judging criteria include creativity, execution and how well communications objectives were met. The event is sponsored by the Communications Association of the Southern Tier.

All aboard!
Riger people have routinely served on the boards and committees of local non-profit and community groups. Among the latest of note: …Steve Johnson is a Council Member of Christ the King Lutheran Church. …Sandra Ceplo Johnson was elected to be 1st Vice President in May for the Tri-Cities Business and Professional Women, 2009-2010 year. …Jamie Knudsen serves as the newsletter editor 2009-2010, for the Binghamton Sertoma Club. …Karen Frobel is serving her eighth term as Secretary for the Communications Association of the Southern Tier.

Jamie Knudsen's Twenty in Their 20s Award
Well, her colleagues already knew that Jamie Knudsen was a great performer in all kinds of venues. Now the whole community knows, as well. We were tickled that she was honored as one of twenty extraordinary "twenty-somethings" by the Southern Tier Opportunity Coalition.
Citation from Jamie Knudsen's Twenty in Their 20s award:
Jamie Knudsen gets the job done — and done well. A graduate of Binghamton University with a bachelor's degree in English earned in just three years, Knudsen "takes initiative, quickly grasps a situation, and what needs to be done, and follows up with sound planning, hard work, keen insights, creative ideas, and timely implementation" according to her supervisor.

Knudsen moved quickly from being a college intern to being a full-time employee upon graduation. She now works with clients to place media buys, provide public relations assistance and complete print/ web/video/audio production.

She volunteers time to her church, where she has served as Sunday school superintendent and teacher, helped with flood relief effort for her Conklin neighbors and performed in a theatre group that donates its earnings to needy community members.

Also involved in professional development, Knudsen has co-chaired the Genesis Committee for the Communications Association of the Southern Tier (CAST) for two years, leading a number of volunteers in planning a dinner to showcase work by the area's top marketing and communication professionals.
Pictured above: Riger's Jamie Knudsen, celebrates her designation as a Twenty-in-Their-20s honoree by Southern Tier Opportunity Coalition.

sanofi pasteur announces $1.5 million gift to TCMC
Riger provided PR services to support client sanofi pasteur in its announcement of a $1.5 million gift to The Commonwealth Medical College. A press conference and check presentation were held at Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg.

Agency founder recognized for special achievement
We all felt a surge of pride when we learned that Fred Riger, founder of our organization, was recognized posthumously for Special Achievement by the Southern Tier Broadcasters Association. A plaque in his memory resides in the Binghamton Media Hall of Fame, located at the Bundy Arts & Victorian Museum, 129 Main St., Binghamton. Enjoy this profile of Fred, and see why we all feel gratified to work alongside one another under the Riger “banner.”

"Let's Hear It!"
Riger's Jamie Knudsen plays the role of Rusty in a production of "Footloose" presented by the Conklin Presbyterian Theater Group. In this scene, the gang lays down a big production number, "Let's Hear It for the Boy." (Proceeds from the play went to help needy people in the community.)

Media Day Panelists
Mark Bandurchin and Patty Farro chaired the BLI (Broome Leadership Institute) Media Day at the new Press & Sun-Bulletin facility in Johnson City. The day included a review of media basics such as the strengths and weaknesses of local media, the importance of ratings, and the differences between PR and advertising as marketing communications tools. This was followed by a panel discussion, with the BLI class asking questions of Calvin Stovall, executive editor of the Press & Sun-Bulletin and Greg Catlin, news director of WBNG-TV. Patty handled media basics, while Mark moderated the panel and wrapped up the session. The BLI program is offered through the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce with the intent of developing future community leaders.

B.U. Panel Explores Community Life and Business Atmosphere
“Promoting Business and Quality of Community Life” was the theme of an afternoon seminar for students at Binghamton University’s Downtown Academic Center. Riger’s Pete Cronk sat on a panel of speakers including representatives from city, county, state, as well as the private sector. The event was presented by B.U.’s College of Community and Public Affairs.

Marketing Survival Gear for the Small Business Jungle
"Marketing Survival Gear for the Small Business Jungle" was the subject of a half-day seminar that Riger staff presented at the Holiday Inn in Oneonta, NY. The session provided proven tactics for survival, including tips on how your small business can better compete in a tough economy. Riger "faculty" included Jamie Knudsen and Pete Cronk.