Hellerman Baretz Communications Awarded Prestigious MarCom Gold Award on Behalf of Popular Legal Blog That's What She Said

Business Wire, Nov 30, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Hellerman Baretz Communications LLC (HBC), a leader in the design and implementation of strategic communications campaigns for professional service firms and their executive management teams, was awarded a Gold MarCom Award by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. HBC received the award on behalf of long-time client, labor and employment law firm Ford & Harrison LLP, for the implementation and media campaign for the firm's popular legal blog, That's What She Said.

Using NBC's popular sitcom The Office, Ford & Harrison analyzes difficult employment issues through humor at www.hrheroblogs.com. Each week attorney Julie Elgar posts an entry estimating how much the politically incorrect behavior of main character Michael Scott and his fictional company, Dunder Mifflin, would cost real-life companies to defend in employment lawsuits.

What began as a way for the firm to showcase its creativity has snowballed into a critically acclaimed unofficial extension of the show which receives more than 20,000 hits a month. That's What She Said has been featured in scores of media as a groundbreaking partnership of legal issues, humor, and pop culture in a variety of bell weather publications, including the following highlights: a case-study feature in PR Week, a mention in The Wall Street Journal where the blog was called, "clever," an appearance in the "Brilliant" quadrant of New York Magazine's "Approval Matrix," a feature in The New York Times with the headline, "Must Sue TV," and a front-page business section article in Julie's hometown paper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which was then reprinted in multiple Cox Enterprises newspapers.

"We are honored to receive this recognition," said John Hellerman, HBC's managing partner. "This achievement is a tribute not only to our own creativity, but also a testament to the creative vision of our client, Ford & Harrison, for which we're grateful."

MarCom Awards (www.marcomawards.com) is an international competition for marketing and communications professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of marketing and communications programs and print, visual, and audio materials. The awards evaluate work solely on its own merit, and the competition rewards companies and individuals with the highest standard for excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry.

Hellerman Baretz Communications (www.hellermanbaretz.com) designs and executes strategic communications campaigns that support the business growth objectives of the world's leading law firms, consulting firms, and financial services companies, and their executive management teams. Our programs include practice group positioning and executive visibility initiatives, client development programs, and initiatives to support lateral acquisitions, mergers, and other strategic moves.