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Brand messaging is an important factor that is often overlooked when considering the elements that collectively work together to impact a company’s overall success.

This article was originally published in The Chicago Tribune. To view the original post, click here.By Community Contributor Ken FisherThose with friends or family who have served our country know that the worry, stress and pain does not always end once their loved one returns home. Many veterans return home to their loved ones with both visible and invisible wounds, ranging from an acute medical issue to a long-lasting condition.Out of the 18.8 million veterans currently living in the United States, nearly 5.9 million veterans receive treatment at a VA hospital, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Although these veterans are being treated for a variety of injuries and wounds in traditional medical facilities, taking part in fun activities like adaptive sports can play an equally crucial role in their recovery.Many experts agree that disabled veterans report better health, new friendships and an improved quality of life when participating in adaptive sports. Take medically retired senior airman Heather Carter, for example. A natural athlete and softball fanatic, Heather played competitively throughout high school and her time in the Air Force. It was during an Air Force softball game in 2010 that her life changed forever when an accident severely injured her left leg. Four years later, after 14 surgeries and the eventual amputation of her left leg, she still had a long road of recovery ahead.Adaptive sports gave Heather a sense of normalcy that had been missing since her injury. By getting active, Heather was able to push herself to new limits. She has since started hand-cycling competitively and plays on the National Wounded Warrior Softball Team as part of her adaptive sports therapy. Additionally, she is representing the Air Force in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games, competing in the cycling, field, and sitting volleyball.It’s athletes like Heather who inspire Fisher House Foundation to co-sponsor the Warrior Games and Invictus Games. Known for a network of comfort homes where families of wounded, injured or ill service members and veterans canstay at no cost while their loved one is receiving treatment, Fisher House is there to help during all stages of recovery. One of the most important parts of recovery is celebrating triumphs, so supporting adaptive sports events like Warrior Games and Invictus Games brings Fisher House Foundation full circle.Both the Invictus Games and Warrior Games are more than just sports events for competing athletes – they are a celebration for families who get to share in the fun and excitement. For some competitors, this is the first time their family is seeing them after their rehabilitation and seeing that there is life after injury. Having a family’s love and support, and knowing there’s a whole community rooting for them, makes all the difference to these brave men and women. It is an honor and privilege to see these athletes and their families thrive – together.

Nation’s Premier Business Awards Recognizes Internal Campaign that Honored the Agency’s 15^th AnniversaryBRG Communications, a full-service communications agency, was named the winner of a Silver Stevie® Award in the Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year – Internal Communications category in The 15^th Annual American Business Awards.“For BRG’s 15^th anniversary, I set out to create a campaign that would celebrate our client work, engage BRG employees and recognize local nonprofits,” said Jane Barwis, founder and president of BRG Communications. “This campaign brought together BRG employees and helped them connect with our local community. Cause for a Celebration was truly a memorable way to commemorate the agency’s past and set the tone for its future.”In honor of BRG Communications’ (BRG) 15th Anniversary, Cause for a Celebration, a three-month internal campaign, was developed for employees. Through the program, each employee identified a local nonprofit to compete for to receive a $15,000 donation from BRG. Cause for a Celebration engaged employees to earn points through Better Living activities, reinforcing BRG’s mission as well as creating a collaborative way for employees to be involved in BRG giving back to the community. The campaign received positive feedback from the American Business Award judges on its goals, engagement, business focus and results. One judge noted, “Brilliant internal communication concept leading to giving back to the community. The activity had a clear focus and healthy competition for a social cause.”More than 3,600 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories.Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2017 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.About BRG Communications
BRG Communications is a woman-owned, nationally recognized communications agency. Founded in 2001, the firm is built on flexibility, functionality and uncommon performance. BRG produces success for clients by forming creative strategies and solid execution plans that ignite the passion of target audiences and drive results. BRG supports corporations, nonprofit organizations and trade associations that focus on improving safety, health, wellness and overall social good. BRG helps clients deliver Communications for Better Living™. Learn more here: https://brgcommunications.com/.About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 60 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Is a campaign really help create positive changes in health habits? When we came across this keynote addressing behavior change strategies, it was great to see that we’ve been reading from the same book on driving healthy change when it comes to developing our client campaigns. Whether we’re encouraging audiences to consider switching to an osteopathic physician for a holistic approach to health, knowing the symptoms to identify a heart arrhythmia or making better decisions to live healthier every day, changes in behavior related to a person’s health come in many different forms.The key to behavior change is to “identify meaningful benefits to the person engaging in the behavior,” stated to Dr. Matthew Kreuter, PhD, MPH, from The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, during his keynote at the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Conference.Dr. Kreuter noted that each of the following elements plays a role in an effective change in behavior, “Promoting behavior change in ways that make it very personally relevant, using authentic stories from credible messengers that stimulate emotion, trying to identify meaningful benefits and meaningful consequences for the behaviors you’re trying to promote…”We use these tactics when collaborating with clients to build health campaigns that target audiences to create a positive change:1. Authentic Stories
For a campaign to be authentic, it needs to have a relatable story that makes sense for the organization and creates a connection with its audience.

This article was originally published in Curbed. To view the original post, click here.

This article was originally published in Fortune. To view the original post, click here.