Now, more than ever, organizations of all sizes need to remain visible in the marketplace. One of the most effective strategies to do that? Media relations. This January, two of Risdall McKinney’s clients dominated the front page of the Star Tribune business section with same-day stories on being hopeful and positive about what is to come in the current business climate.

Developments in biosciences and medical devices have long been economic strongholds on both coasts of the United States. However, Minneapolis-St. Paul has also held a competitive edge in these arenas, and, if the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota has a say, the entire state will make a move to remain a strategic player in the global marketplace.

In 2007, the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota launched its Destination 2025 program to outline Minnesota’s current position and provide forward-looking recommendations to ensure Minnesota’s position in the global life sciences market. Focusing on six specific markets – medical devices, biologics and biopharmaceuticals, animal health, food, renewable energy and renewable materials – Destination 2025 addresses the ways in which governmental, educational and private sector constituents could coordinate efforts to maintain, strengthen or develop entirely the state’s strongholds in each market.

The messages of Destination 2025 are important, not just to legislators, educators and business leaders, but also to the people in the state of Minnesota – those whose jobs and educational opportunities could be affected by any decisions influenced by the report’s findings. RMPR reached out to local media, encouraging them to attend BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota’s private launch event on Jan. 28, the VIP presentation and reception in anticipation of sharing the significance of the report.

RMPR provided Star Tribune reporter Thomas Lee with an exclusive preview of the report, as well as facilitated an on-site interview with BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota CEO Dale Wahlstrom. The Star Tribune article summarizing the implications of the Destination 2025 findings appeared the morning following the event as the headline story in the business section. Lee’s article successfully articulated the importance of investing in the future of biosciences in Minnesota and brought attention to the important role the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota plays in this process.

Preparing students for success in the 21st century includes a combination of forward-thinking teachers, inventive lesson plans and the daily use of classroom technologies such as computers, projectors, sound systems and interactive whiteboards. However, the 21st century classroom can only deliver on its promise when technology is an integrated part of the lesson plan rather than a distraction.

That’s where Calypso Systems comes in.

A relatively young company, Woodbury-based Calypso Systems provides a sophisticated, easy-to-use and cost-effective solution for coordinating the various classroom technology elements. After first proving its solution in a few school districts, Calypso Systems went about creating visibility for its solution (and ultimately sales) within the education and audiovisual industry as well as business influencer communities. The company paid particular attention to its home state, where key investors lived and where Calypso was in the process of negotiating and installing projects in a number of large school districts.

Recognizing the influence a profile by Star Tribune’s Dick Youngblood carries locally and nationally, RMPR worked with the small business columnist to profile Calypso Systems. The Youngblood profile framed Calypso as a fast-growing company with a cost-effective solution for school districts of all sizes and reiterated the company’s key message points of being affordable, easy-to-use and offering proven, advanced technology to schools. In terms of a Result that Matters, the article has become a key proof point that provides third-party credibility for the company’s positioning.