Melissa Foster is learning how a leading PR firm promotes its clients through her internship with Dameron Communications. Chris Sloan photo
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Melissa Foster is developing public relations and social networking online strategies to advance the success of Dameron Communications clients.
Foster has increased her skills and writes press releases for agency clients. She also promotes events for the company on many different social networks including Facebook, Myspace, Eventful, Zvents, and Entertainment Lifestyles.
Foster has had the opportunity to interview and work with government officials, business leaders, community leaders and volunteers.
Foster has realized print media is where you begin and is the foundation of all public relations communications. Foster’s university professors in public relations taught print media is outdated because people use online sources to get their information.
“Earning coverage in a newspapers and magazines is the foundation of good public relations. Many radio, TV and websites draw their content from newspapers. The information in the press release is then used in slightly different forms to promote events through online media,” Foster said.
As an example, a major local newspaper distributes 190,000 newspapers daily with 630,000 readers per day. That’s 18.9 million readers a month, offering more media hits than any Inland Empire online media delivers.
A press release allows for all the information to be in one place, permitting fast distribution of materials through all social networks and other online channels.
Foster joined Southern California’s leading public relations and advertising agency, Dameron Communications to build a foundation in public relations and decide if this is the career for her.
Foster is mentored by Carl Dameron, agency director of Dameron Communications and has learned the most important thing is to gather information, research, write a good press release and tell the story across all media including print, online, TV and radio.
“I have learned how to communicate information and learned that the foundation of communications is the same as it was 20 years ago. We just have new ways of getting information out,” Foster said.
“I know I am greatly expanding my knowledge and skills to be competitive in the field of public relations,” Foster said. “This has been a great experience and a wonderful opportunity.”
Foster began her communications major with a concentration in public relations, April of 2009. Now as a senior at Cal State San Bernardino, she hopes to land a job at a prominent public relations firm before graduation in March 2011.
“My university education has taught me critical thinking skills, effective communication and crisis communication,” Foster said.
At Cal State San Bernardino, Foster joined Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). She learned more about public relations and how new trends in the field of communications could be applied in the business world.
Activities included listening to guest speakers in the field of public relations and establishing networking connections.
Dameron said, “It is a pleasure to have Melissa work with us. She has quickly learned to write a good press release that has earned media coverage, a difficult task for people with years of professional experience. Every one of her stories has run in several local daily and weekly publications. She is a hard working young professional who I believe will be very successful in this business.”
About Dameron Communications Since 1989 Dameron Communications has creatively met the needs of our diverse client base locally, regionally and nationally. It is an award-winning agency that creates integrated advertising and public relations solutions to increase clients’ sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of potentially controversial issues.Dameron Communications creates advertising for television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and billboards, web sites, mobile web applications, email and more. Public relations services include press releases, press conferences, media relations, television programs, web sites, opinion editorials, promotions, event creation and management, government relations and community relations. Dameron Communications has earned media coverage for clients from: ABC, CBS, NBC, CNBC, CBS MarketWatch; Fox News, CNN, CNNfn, Nightly Business Report; The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Dow Jones News Wire, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press and many more.For more information go to: http://www.DameronCommunications.com/ or call (909) 888-0017.
Cal Poly Pomona communications student Karen Wu is assisting Dameron Communications with event planning and other public relations activities. Photo by Chris Sloan
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.– Karen Wu, a Cal Poly Pomona communications student with an emphasis in public relations, recently joined Dameron Communications, southern California’s leading public relations and advertising company.
Wu has always had a passion for event planning and is determined to learn all that she can about the ins and outs of coordinating an event and executing it well.“When I think of event planning, it takes me back to memories of being involved with the Associated Student Body in high school. I always enjoyed coordinating events for sports rallies and working with people as a team.”
Karen’s passion for event planning developed in high school,“I became involved with many different groups on campus. I realized that I like working in team settings and love that I have a way to use my creativity.”
Whether it was playing volleyball or basketball on her high school team, or singing and dancing in her high school’s a capella choir, “I knew I had a sense of leadership and organizational skills.”
“I often took initiative to makes things happen. Working in public relations and focusing on event planning is a perfect match for my passion to work with people and be creative,” said Wu.
After completing her internship at Dameron Communications as a requirement of the communications major, she will be able to receive her diploma from Cal Poly Pomona.
“I am happy to have Karen experience her internship with us. She has the drive and determination to succeed in this business,” said Carl Dameron, founder and creative director at Dameron Communications.
About Dameron Communications
Since 1989 Dameron Communications has creatively met the needs of our diverse client base locally, regionally and nationally. It is an award-winning agency that creates integrated advertising and public relations solutions to increase clients’ sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of potentially controversial issues.
Dameron Communications creates advertising for television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and billboards, web sites, mobile web applications, email and more. Public relations services include press releases, press conferences, media relations, television programs, web sites, opinion editorials, promotions, event creation and management, government relations and community relations.
Dameron Communications has earned media coverage for clients from: ABC, CBS, NBC, CNBC, CBS MarketWatch; Fox News, CNN, CNNfn, Nightly Business Report; The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Dow Jones News Wire, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press and many more.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) “In tough economic times too many companies stop advertising their business, or they cut their marketing budget because its easier than cutting people,” says Carl M. Dameron, founder and Creative Director of Dameron Communications, (www.DameronCommunications.com) a Southern California public relations and advertising agency.
“The problem is when you stop asking for business you stop getting business. When sales fall because new customers aren’t coming in the door companies have to cut more expenses. They often reduce the marketing budget and then spiral into business failure. That puts more people out of work than if they had just found a new way to ask for more business.”
“We must never lose sight of the fact we are all products, and keep selling ourselves and our companies’ products,” says Dameron, adding, “However, a great campaign does not stop there. It takes hard work, knowledge and creativity to bridge the gap between the vision of success and actual profit.”
A new free brochure from Dameron Communications, Effective Advertising & Public Relations, outlines a step-by-step program to effectively reach a company’s target market, create a positive image of the business and entice their target market to use their products and services.
According to Dameron the solution to increasing business in a changing economy is to change your advertising strategy. “When people had lots of money from constant home refinancing, they bought lots of things they wanted but didn’t need,” he notes. “Now the re-fi money is gone. People also feel poorer because their home values are declining and their mortgage payments are up. Many consumers are recovering from the hangover of big spending. Buyers are redefining their purchases based on what they need, not just want.
Dameron says the solution is to change your approach. “Car dealers understand this. They increase advertising in slow times. They are often the first to notice a change in buyer attitudes and adjust their message to consumers.
“One strategy is to lower prices and offer zero down and low interest rates to increase traffic and sales. There are also other ways. Why? Because there are always buyers, if properly motivated to buy. As the Creative Director of Dameron Communications, my job is find the new way to motivate customers to buy,” he says.
Dameron offers more solutions to energize or create and implement an Effective Advertising & Public Relations strategy.
The program consists of four major components:
Research. The first step in an effective advertising campaign is research. A company must know how much they should invest in their marketing campaign, who the target market is, what media those consumers use and what they want!
Ad Development. The creativity of an ad campaign is spurred during ad development. Generally, the information obtained through research will be used to generate a campaign theme that will grab the target market’s attention and increase traffic.
Media Planning and Placement. Selective media placement ensures the target market knows about the company’s products and services. It is imperative that follow-up research is done to fine tune the media, to maximize budget effectiveness and capture the largest audience.
While a successful campaign fulfills all four components, a combination of effective planning and consistency is also required to be effective.
Additionally, Dameron’s guide gives information on developing effective Public Relations, Government Relations and Community Relations strategies.
Dameron goes one step further. “If your business needs help sorting out your media options or creating a new message, we will provide you a free one-hour consultation on your advertising, public relations, crisis communications, government relations and/or community relations issues,” says Dameron.
For a free copy of Effective Advertising & Public Relations e-mail your request to Info@DameronCommunications.com or call Carl Dameron at (909) 888-0321.
Since 1989 Dameron Communications has creatively met the needs of its clients locally, regionally and nationally. They are an award-winning communications agency that creates integrated marketing solutions to increase sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of potentially controversial issues. They use advertising, public relations, government relations and community relations to advance their clients’ objectives. The web site is www.DameronCommunications.com.
Public Relations Coordinator We are looking for a motivated, energetic and enthusiastic Public Relations Coordinator to work 20-40 hours each per week on high profile advertising and public relations projects. The agency offers an excellent learning environment and growth prospects for hard-working communications professionals.
Since 1989 Dameron communications has creatively meet the needs of our diverse clients locally, regionally and nationally. We create integrated marketing solutions that increase sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of a potentially controversial issues. We use our communications knowledge and experience to advance our clients’ objectives.
We are pleased to have a client list that features some of the best brands in: education, real estate development, construction, education, healthcare, government, non-profit organizations, entertainment and manufacturing. We have a work environment that fosters growth and opportunity.
Job Description: ➢ Provide support and execution of general and administrative duties including: calling, emailing, faxing, updating lists, clip files and books, mailings, data entry, copy editing, answering phones, etc. ➢ Assist in the tracking of earned media, press releases, press kit materials, fact sheets and advisories ➢ Maintain and update a variety of files and reports ➢ Maintain and produce support materials such as photos, press kits and b-roll ➢ Assist in coordinating and implementing press conferences, media and special events ➢ Assist in coordinating and arranging promotions ➢ Assist with media relations and client research ➢ Make media pitches and informational media calls ➢ Work a minimum of 20 hour per week ➢ other duties as assigned
Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, English, Marketing or related field. Previous agency experience is requested.
To apply Send your resume with a cover letter describing your career goals by e-mail with the words “Public Relations Coordinator ” in the subject line to Info@DameronCommuncations.com or by fax at (909) 888-2331. Please direct all inquires by e-mail or fax
We would like to plan your company Christmas party!We understand that budgets are tight and hours have been cut back this year.Therefore we will do all the planning, event booking, corresponding and budgeting to help you have a holiday celebration to remember.
We have experience in creating events of all sizes and hosting receptions for dignitaries and foreign ambassadors.You can choose from the finest venues in the Inland Empire for your holiday celebration.
We can create a unique Christmas party for your company with a plan basedon your budget.
The holidays are a special time of the year and your employees deserve a treat.Let us do the planning, while you take care of your business.
Please call me at (909) 888-0017 to discuss the details.
A member of JoHesh and Company models fashions from the stores participating in Soul Fusion, one of two fashion shows the organization sponsored in 2008. It’s putting on its 2009 show, Pure Fresh Love, 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Fox Center in Redlands.
(REDLANDS, Calif.) – JoHesh and Company will bring boutique fashions interspersed with music and drama when it presents its Pure Fresh Love fashion show at the Fox Event Center on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m.
The fashions in this show are mainly from Redlands fashion boutique Bezi, Beverly Hills fashion designer Cassie Betts and JoHesh and Company member Camille Simms, who is a fashion design student at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire.
Tickets are $15 and can be ordered online at www.JoHeshandCompany.com, by emailing joheshandcompany@gmail.com or at the door of the Fox Event Center, 123 Cajon Street, Redlands, 92373 shortly before the event.
This is JoHesh and Company’s third fashion show, as it also put two on in 2008. The organization’s mission is to provide people of all ages an opportunity to showcase talent, especially talent in fashion and other creative fields.
“If people of all ages want to show off their skills, talent and abilities in the fashion industry, this gives them a place to do that, whether they want to model, or work behind the scenes,” said JoHesh member Dhani Olive. “We also work with talented people who sing or play musical instruments. They will entertain between the scenes.”
Olive is one of many members putting her talents to work behind the scenes of the Pure Fresh Love fashion show. She will graduate from The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire the day before the fashion show with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Arts, and is helping with design and promotion of the show.
JoHesh and Company is a non-profit organization founded by Johanna Sharp and Mahesh Simms, who is the mother of Camille Simms and the aunt of Dhani Olive. She and Johanna Sharp are long-time friends from Rialto who wanted to create opportunities for the young people in their families to showcase their talents, and have since expanded the program to all who are interested.
Upland, CA — Residents of Upland, its surrounding cities and the Inland Empire, will soon find out what has theatre goers abuzz in Los Angeles. It’s the powerful new smash summer hit One Woman, Two Lives starring Kellita Smith of The Bernie Mac Show, King’s Ransom, and Three Can Play that Game. The play made its world debut July 17, 2009 at The Imagined Life Theater in Los Angeles and has since taken audiences and critics by storm.
After seeing a performance of “One Woman, Two Lives” Tommy and Gloria Morrow, publishers of the Inland Valley News Inc. in association with The Grove Theatre, were so moved by the piece that they reached out to playwright and novelist, Alretha Thomas and the rest as they say is history. One Woman, Two Lives opens at The Grove Theatre, on Friday, September 11, 2009 at 8pm. In honor of that memorable day, the producers have dedicated the opening performance to the men and women who protect our nation. Additionally, a contribution will be made to 426 Civil Affairs Battalion/315 Psychological Unit and Helping Hand for Veteran’s Inc., with a special reception, attended by the Mayor of Upland, John “JP” Pomierski, to immediately follow the performance. In One Woman Two Lives, Kellita Smith portrays Samantha Cooke, a conflicted woman torn between two worlds, is fighting to sustain and protect her family from a past that threatens to undermine her almost perfect present. Married to Jonathan, played by Keith Bossier (The Young and the Restless), a successful mega preacher, Samantha has been voted First Lady of the Year.
The accolade, however, causes the mother of three to doubt herself and her worthiness. In spite of receiving encouragement from her family and neighbors, Samantha can’t seem to shake the uneasiness that begins to envelop her. As the play takes on surprising and startling twists and turns, her doubts and worries unfortunately become warranted.
Three time NAACP Best Director Image Award recipient Denise Dowse elicits beautiful and memorable performances from this ensemble cast which also stars veteran and award winning actors Esther Scott (You Got Served, Dreamgirls, The Geena Davis Show, Billy Mayo (Desperate Housewives, The Traveler) Sammie Wayne and Sharon Munfus.
This limited run will continue throughout the month of September with performances on the 13th at 2 and 8pm, the 18th at 8pm, the 20th at 8pm, the 25th at 8pm, the 26th at 2pm and 8pm and the 27th at 2pm and 8pm at the Grove Theatre, 276 E. 9th Street, Upland, California 91786. Tickets are $35.00 and $33 for seniors. For tickets, group sales and more information regarding “One Woman, Two Lives” please call 909-920-4343 and or go to www.grovetheatre.com or www.Onewomantwolives.com .
This is a wonderful opportunity for your organization, Fraternity or Sorority, Girls Night
Since 1989 Dameron Communications has creatively met the needs of our diverse client base locally, regionally and nationally.
We are an award-winning agency that creates integrated advertising and public relations solutions to increase clients’ sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of potentially controversial issues.
Dameron Communications creates advertising for television, radio, newspaper, magazine, billboards, web sites, mobile web applications, email and more.
Public relations services include press releases, press conferences, media relations, television programs, web sites, opinion editorials, promotions, event creation and management, government relations and community relations.
Dameron Communications has earned media coverage for clients from: ABC, CBS, NBC, CNBC, CBS MarketWatch; Fox News, CNN, CNNfn, Nightly Business Report; The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Dow Jones News Wire, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press and many more.
For more information go to: http://www.DameronCommunications.com/ or call (909) 888-0017.
Dameron Communications serve a diverse client categories including: healthcare, real estate developers, heavy industry, educations, government, manufacturing, education k-12, colleges/universities, non-profit organizations, businesses and retail.
Dameron Communications creates campaigns that increase the sales and profits of their clients. The firm also has an excellent reputation of solving crisis communications issues.
Dameron Communications creates advertising for television, radio, newspaper, magazine, billboards, web sites, mobile web applications, email, brochures and more.
Public relations services include press releases, press conferences, media relations, television programs, crisis communications, opinion editorials, promotions, event creation and management, government relations and community relations.
Dameron has earned media coverage for clients from:
Wedding 5/20/07: Carl Dameron and his wife Malaika, along with children Shiane and Shaila, renewed their wedding vows in 2007 at Laguna Beach. They were married July 15, 2000.
Mom & Carl: Carl Dameron at age 2 with his mother, Barbara Dameron. His father died in 1965.
Carl Dameron and well-wishers at the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for Dameron Communications when it first opened a San Bernardino office in 1994. Dameron first established the agency in Riverside in 1989 after running a consulting firm for a year. Carl Dameron and his then-roommate, Henry Portelles, at their graduation from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 1985.
Carl M. Dameron has one key elected official in his family, Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter. He has developed relationships with many others, including Assembly Speaker Karen Bass.
An area of expertise that Carl Dameron has developed is arranging meetings between government officials and key constituents. When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was running for reelection in 2006, Dameron arranged meetings for clients in the Inland Empire, including this one with Toyin Dowodu, president of Guaranteed Investments.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Carl M. Dameron, founder and president of Dameron Communications, a leading advertising and public relations agency turned 50 years old July 7, 2009. He has been giving his time and talents to the Inland Empire for almost as long.
Dameron first came to the Inland Empire as a teenager, when his mother moved him and five siblings from East St. Louis, Illinois to the Rubidoux area of Riverside County.
He graduated from Rubidoux High School in 1977, where he worked on the school newspaper, was captain of the swim team, served in student government, and as part of the Drama Club, was involved in every play Rubidoux High School produced during those years. He also obtained certification as a licensed auto mechanic, welder and auto body painter in high school.
On Friday nights, when he wasn’t busy with school activities, he frequently accompanied his and his sister Kathleen, then a student at the University of Redlands, as she produced a jazz show for the university’s KUOR radio station.
He found both his high school newspaper work and the KU
OR radio station especially intriguing.
“I wrote several hard hitting articles for the school newspaper that pitted me head to head with the school principal, and some different cliques of the student body. I enjoyed journalism,” he said. “Working with my sister, I was at the radio station every Friday night. She taught me to operate some of the equipment and how to write in the logs. She also exposed me to jazz. I love radio.”
Dameron graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 1985. He started out double majoring in engineering and communications, two majors that have very few common course requirements.
While Dameron still values the technical expertise he obtained as an auto mechanic and an engineering major, as he studied journalism and built on the foundation that had been laid at the Rubidoux High School newspaper and University of Redlands radio station, communication became his passion.
“I thoroughly enjoyed public relations and advertising because I got to work in all communications fields and did not have to pick just one. I enjoyed communications so much that I dropped the engineering major and completed my degree with a Bachelor of Science in communications.”
After graduation, Dameron searched for a public relations job, but had not established the necessary contacts to find work in his field. He now recommends college students build these contacts while working as interns, and has offered such positions to many Cal Poly Pomona students, as well as students at other Inland Empire universities and colleges.
His first job was as an assistant manager in Kmart’s automotive department, which paid well but didn’t allow him to pursue his passion for communications. After six months he quit there and took a job selling advertising in Beaumont and Banning for radio stations KOLA and KGUD. He has worked in communications since then.
“I learned fast,” he said. “My sales manager was tough, he taught me how to sell and how to close a sale. I really took the job so that I could write and produce radio commercials. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
He also worked as an assistant account manager for Wadsworth and Associates, an advertising agency in Westminster, CA, editor of the Black Voice News newspaper, marketing director for KFROG and KOOJ radio stations, vice president of communications for real estate developer Dukes-Dukes & Associates and marketing director for automotive electronics retailer AutoSound.
After he was laid off from AutoSound, he again faced another frustrating job search. This ultimately led him to form his own advertising and public relations company, Dameron Communications, in 1989.
“In interviews with local agencies we would discuss their current clients and I would make suggestions for campaigns even writing commercials and outlining campaign strategies. I was horrified to hear and see the strategy I developed implemented and they wouldn’t hire me,” he said.
“I decided that if I were good enough to steal from but not good enough to hire I would start my own agency. I now have offices in San Bernardino and Newport Beach.”
The firms former and current clients include: The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, California Home Economics Education Foundation, California Department of Education, Argosy University/ Inland Empire, Argosy University/Orange County, Education Management Corporation, California Portland Cement Company, LaSalle Medical Associates, The African American Health Initiative, The African American Health Institute of San Bernardino County, The Inland Empire Diversity Career & Job Fair, Jose Gonzales for Supervisor, Bill Beatty for Moreno Valley City Council, County of San Bernardino, County of Riverside, City of Colton, City of San Bernardino, State of California, The Salvation Army, 909Models.com, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and Tri-County South Tobacco Free Coalition.
Dameron quickly became active in the community and as a member of the existing local Chambers of Commerce. However, as an African-American, he felt more could be done to promote ethnic businesses in the Inland Empire.
Thus, he was a founding member of the Inland Empire African-American Chamber of Commerce shortly after Dameron Communications opened for business. He’s worked with this chamber for 20 years to promote all African-American businesses in the Inland Empire, and this year does so as the organization’s president.
“My aggressive community outreach has left me in a position where I know many people in the business, non-profit, Asian, Hispanic, African-American, education, government and regulatory communities,” Dameron said. “This gives me the ability to be very successful in community relations for clients with difficult community problems including crisis management.”
Dameron and his staff of six face the same challenges as many small business owners, such as balancing the needs of multiple clients, recruiting and maintaining quality employees, and maintaining a healthy profit. Still, he is successful and look forward to staying in the public relations and advertising business for years to come.
“The rewards are great,” he said. “I feel a significant sense of accomplishment when I help a company survive a crisis situation, advance the cause of a non-profit origination or help a company sell more products.”
About Dameron Communications Since 1989 Dameron Communications has creatively met the needs of our diverse client base locally, regionally and nationally. It is an award-winning agency that creates integrated advertising and public relations solutions to increase clients’ sales and profits, win elections, inform the public or gain acceptance of potentially controversial issues.
Dameron Communications creates advertising for television, radio, newspaper, magazine, billboards, web sites, mobile web applications, email and more. Public relations services include press releases, press conferences, media relations, television programs, web sites, opinion editorials, promotions, event creation and management, government relations and community relations.
Dameron Communications has earned media coverage for clients from: ABC, CBS, NBC, CNBC, CBS MarketWatch; Fox News, CNN, CNNfn, Nightly Business Report; The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Dow Jones News Wire, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press and many more.
