The makers of LuciteLux™ acrylic recently hired Rose Communications to promote their Carry Me! handbag design competition and secure a NYC venue for displaying the winners in 2011. Invented 75 years ago, Lucite has long been recognized by designers for its durability and endless design possibilities. In the 1950s, Lucite was the go-to material for handbag and jewelry designers. And today, it’s making quite the resurgence in fashion, interior design and architecture circles. Just last week, we announced Alexis Bittar, the world-renowned jewelry designer famous for incorporating Lucite into his creations, joined the judges’ panel for its design competition.

As part of our assignment, we visited Deco Jewels, a store in Soho owned by one of the leading dealers of vintage Lucite handbags and jewelry, Janice Berkson, who also wrote a book on the subject. Of course, we had to purchase a few items from her collection. Research. That night, our client took us to dinner at the Museum of Arts and Design’s restaurant Robert. Not only is the food phenomenal, but much of the restaurant’s design is centered on Lucite furniture and fixtures. Needless to say, we’re enjoying the work.

Vintage Lucite handbags at Deco Jewels

But the design world is not the only place Lucite’s made a comeback. I represented the brand from 1995 to 2000 while working at Carton Donofrio Partners. It is always an honor to reconnect with former clients, particularly when many of the players haven’t changed, and re-immerse myself in work I truly enjoyed the first time around. Stay tuned for more developments on this exciting project.

HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY (April 1, 2010) – Rose Communications, an independent, strategic public relations firm, today announced it added Sabre (Stock Symbol: SBR) to its growing client roster. The agency will provide corporate communications counsel to the Tallahassee, Fl.-based printer company.

Rose Communications has a wealth of experience in assisting companies of all sizes through mergers and acquisitions. Its assignment will include community relations, seasonal office décor, PowerPoint best practice instruction, media outreach, employee sensitivity training and branded promotional items.

Sabre made the decision to hire its first agency of record on the heels of its December 2009 acquisition of the only surviving branch of Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pa.

“Transitioning from just selling paper to selling both paper and printers requires a truly concerted approach to communication, something Dunder Mifflin clearly wasn’t accustomed to prior to the acquisition,” said Rosemary Ostmann, president and CEO of Rose Communications. “We’ve had our sights set on the Scranton market for years and I am thrilled to finally establish our presence there.”

Among the areas Rose Communications will focus on is Sabre’s first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art diversity program, which is called, “Print in All Colors.” 

According to Sabre’s Web site, this unique, game-changing initiative “recruits, hires, trains, and promotes without regard to race, skin tone, gender, age, religion…or surgical history.” The recent passage of health care reform presents an opportunity for Sabre to serve as a national model for other companies across all sectors of business.

The woman-owned boutique firm will also manage Sabre’s relationship with spokesperson Christian Slater. In addition to closely overseeing his current appearances in the company’s employee training videos and commercials, Rose Communications will work tirelessly to book interviews with high profile media outlets throughout the Scranton area.

The selection of Rose Communications followed a lengthy request for proposal (RFP) process. “When I saw an RFP come in from an address on Monroe Street in Tallahassee, I knew instantly it was meant to be,” said Ostmann. “We’re on Monroe Street in Hoboken, New Jersey.”

“We’re both excited and nervous about hiring Rose Communications,” said a Sabre employee who refused to be identified for fear of losing her job in the accounting department. “I like the idea of systemizing our company’s communication policy, but I don’t yet understand what this means for the Party Planning Committee, which is doing just fine the way it is.”

About Rose Communications Inc.

Rose Communications Inc., a strategic public relations firm, helps clients uncover and share their stories with key audiences and decision makers. The agency gives clients a voice in the marketplace by engaging trusted industry influencers. From emerging entities to established global brands, the team has experience in consumer and business-to-business categories in a variety of industries, including home products and services, health care, education, financial services, publishing, media, and technology. Rose Communications: Fresh perspective. Authentic approach. Meaningful impact. (And a pretty good sense of humor.)

Rose Communications reached an important milestone earlier this month when we celebrated our five-year anniversary.

At the time of our launch, several people referenced the well-known statistic about new businesses: 40 percent of all companies fail within the first year and, of those that survive, 80 percent will fail within five years. It was always said among words of encouragement, of course, but it is a stark reminder of the challenges of entrepreneurship. From day one, our mantra was good work breeds good work. In other words, if we focused our energy on our clients’ successes, we could build a sustainable business.

I am thrilled and humbled that we’ve made it to this point. The truth is that statistic about surviving the first five years replayed often in my head in the early days. And we are fully aware that even bigger challenges lie ahead as we grow. But, if we stick to our mantra, I think the next five years — and beyond — will be as gratifying as the first. Thank you to the many people who have played and continue to play an active role in our success.