Bryan Specht is the president of Olson Engage, a public relations firm located in Chicago. In addition to his work at Olson Engage, Bryan Specht has spent time in board positions with numerous philanthropic organizations, including the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago and the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, a group committed to protecting children from physical abuse, sexual abuse, and other mistreatment. The Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (ChicagoCAC) hosts a number of fundraisers and special events over the course of the year, including the recurring Back to School Backpack Drive. Recent drives have collected approximately 600 new backpacks for local school children, each filled with various school supplies designed to prepare students for a successful year of learning. The annual drive, held in August before the start of the school year, also serves as a community gathering event, with more than 40 volunteers showing up to aid ChicagoCAC efforts in 2018. Local companies and agencies that supported the most recent Back to School Backpack Drive included Bluegrace Logistics, Austin Childcare Providers’ Network, Uber, and the Great American Insurance Company. To learn more about upcoming ChicagoCAC events or to make a contribution to the organization, please visit www.chicagocac.org.
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With 20 years of communications experience, Bryan Specht serves as the president of the PR firm Olson Engage. In addition to his career in consulting, Bryan Specht is a longtime children’s advocate who serves on the board of directors of Prevent Child Abuse America. Prevent Child Abuse America is preparing to host its 2016 National Conference for America’s Children, which will take place October 17-20 at the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati. The organization has held the annual event since 1973, and it provides a forum for family-support professionals and youth advocates to come together and share strategies for abuse prevention. Experts from a variety of fields will be on hand for the four-day event to deliver presentations and workshops focused on the latest programs and research related to children and family services. Although a wide audience of professionals will attend the conference, it is not necessarily an event for professionals only. Anyone interested in preventing child abuse and neglect is invited to attend and will find Conference activities engaging and informative. To register online or to learn more about the 2016 National Conference for America’s Children, visit www.preventchildabuse.org. Bryan Specht currently serves as the president of public relations agency Olson Engage. A Chicago-area resident, Bryan Specht is also an outspoken proponent of child abuse prevention. One of the charities he has supported is the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (ChicagoCAC). A nonprofit organization accredited by the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), ChicagoCAC has helped over 30,000 children since the center’s opening in 2001. Unlike other foundations, ChicagoCAC synthesizes the experience and skills of doctors, mental health experts, law enforcement officials, and child protection staff to effectively prevent and respond to child abuse throughout the city. Some of the organization’s services include therapy and counseling, crisis intervention, interviews, and arranged visits. ChicagoCAC is funded through a combination of private donations and government sources. In 2015, ChicagoCAC received approximately 60% of its income from the government and 40% from private sources, which include individual donors, fundraising events, and grants. For additional information on how to get involved with ChicagoCAC, visit www.ChicagoCAC.org Bryan Specht has worked for the last 15 years as a communications consulting professional at firms across Chicago, Illinois. As president of Olson Engage, Bryan Specht focuses much of his work in the field of brand building. Creating a distinctive brand for your business is not as simple as generating a catchy slogan or designing a logo. Company brands encompass a much wider scope of organization, customer experience, and more. Here a few basic tips to help you get started establishing a recognizable brand for your business: Align your services with consumer lifestyles It is crucial to analyze your desired customer base and determine what type of lifestyle they wish to achieve. This knowledge will uniquely position you to develop a brand that fulfills these desires, which will thus help you better connect with your consumers. Offer a good value You can deliver good value in many more ways than offering a better price than your competitors. Consider developing a brand known for other traits, such as excellent customer service or superior products. During this process, think about how the value of your products relates to competitors’ offerings and how you can set your own services apart from them. Engage with your consumers Modern technology provides countless avenues through which you can present your brand to your customers. Consider a multi-platform approach in which you maintain a company blog or run various social media accounts. Maintaining a consistent media-posting strategy, will more effectively build a brand that your consumers will easily recognize. The president of the PR firm Olson Engage, Bryan Specht draws on extensive experience in executive leadership for communication companies, such as Weber Shandwick and Dig Communications. Bryan Specht has actively led political campaigns and continues to serve on the national board of directors for Prevent Child Abuse America. To raise money for its cause, Prevent Child Abuse America has launched its Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. Those who visit the group’s website, www.preventchildabuse.org, will find a link to the pinwheel store, which offers items such as 12-inch-tall pinwheels made of recyclable materials, and sturdy reusable tote bags. The proceeds support the organization’s programs, such as Healthy Families America. In addition to supporting Pinwheels for Prevention by purchasing pinwheel products or making a direct donation, interested persons can create their own pinwheel displays to showcase the campaign and raise awareness of child abuse. The website includes links to instructions to make a pinwheel, along with a pinwheel coloring sheet. In 2012, Bryan Specht joined Olson Engage as president. He currently leads advertising and social media strategies for the firm’s corporate clientele, which includes GoPro, McDonald’s, and MillerCoors. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Bryan Specht enjoys watching professional football; his favorite team is the Washington Redskins. During the NFL free agency period, the Washington Redskins re-signed reserve quarterback Colt McCoy on a one-year extension contract. He played in five games in 2014, his first year with the franchise, and threw for 1,057 yards, with 91 completions, four touchdowns, and a passer rating of 96.4. Since the Cleveland Browns drafted McCoy out of Texas in 2010, he has had a total of 25 starts. McCoy’s return presumes that Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins will also remain with the organization. In a recent press meeting, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden stated that he plans to have Griffin start in the 2015 season, though McCoy will still have a chance to compete for the position. With expertise in communications and public relations, Bryan Specht has worked for a number of political campaigns and communications firms over the course of his career. Bryan Specht currently serves as the president of Olson Engage, a PR and brand marketing firm in Chicago.
In a recent press release, Olson Engage announced that its work was recognized at the Holmes Report’s In2 Innovation Summit in February when the company garnered three Insight & Innovation (In2) SABRE Awards. Olson Engage won an award in the “Best Use of Innovative Channels: Consumer” category for its work with partner firm, 360i, on the Oscar Mayer: Wake Up & Smell The Bacon campaign, which also became a finalist for the “Best in Show” award. For its solo work, Olson Engage won the “Meme” category for the Skittles Wins the Super Bowl campaign, and took home the award in the “Micromarketing” category for its Belize's Quick Wins initiative. The company’s three awards tied for second place as the most wins for one agency at the In2 Innovation Summit. Judged by corporate leaders and well-known agency executives, the In2 SABRE Awards are designed to celebrate innovation in branding and engagement, and honor the talented teams who shape the industry. The In2 Innovation Summit is hosted by the Holmes Report, a prominent publication in the PR field. 4/7/2015 0 Comments The Promised Land SocietyA public affairs professional with experience in the national government, Bryan Specht holds the position of president of Olson PR, a Chicago-based firm that focuses on building brands and brand communities. Earlier in his career, Bryan Specht served on the staff of the Clinton White House and on staffs of Senators Bill Bradley and Robert Toricelli and Congressman Ted Strickland. He holds an abiding interest in the prevention of child abuse and founded the Promised Land Society, which he serves as chairman of its board of directors.
A private humanitarian organization established by the Specht family, the Promised Land Society is dedicated to the concept that the United States should provide every child with the basic tools and resources needed to achieve his or her God-given potential. This includes such things as access to health care, mental health support, high-quality free education, and a clean environment, as well as programs to help prepare parents for child rearing and to encourage the development of communities of similarly-well-cared-for children within which to grow. The society believes that children who reach adulthood after they have been so reared and nourished will rely less on the traditional government-funded social safety net and will be more capable of standing on their own and contributing to society. 3/27/2015 0 Comments PLS's Three Pillars of EducationBryan Specht serves as President of Olson Engage and formerly served as COO for Dig Communications. He has held high-level positions in both government and the private sector. Bryan Specht’s concern for the well-being of children led him to found the Promised Land Society, of which he is chair of the board.
The Promised Land Society (PLS) leads initiatives based on the belief that providing for the complete health and wellness for each child in ultimately creates competitiveness and prosperity within the global economy. These core beliefs, that a healthy commerce benefits the world, and that the health of children is an absolutely critical point of focus for society, are linked very strongly to education. PLS emphasizes three fundamental values with regard to educational development. Competition within education is seen as positive, and a motivating factor to promote innovation and efficiency within schools. Faith, as long as it is taught inclusively, offers a foundation for children to comprehend the idea of charity, community, and civics. Finally, Early Learning is crucial, as a child’s youngest years define many aspects of brain development. For instance, reading to newborns, even though they cannot understand, has a stimulating effect on the brain and subsequent learning ability. 3/17/2015 0 Comments Three Ways to Prevent Child AbuseAn experienced communications executive and consultant, Bryan Specht currently serves on the Marketing Communications Committee of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA). Through the leadership of Bryan Specht and fellow committee members, PCAA works hard to eliminate child abuse and support the healthy development of children across the United States. Here are three ways to help prevent child abuse in your everyday life:
Be a friend to parents: Parenting is often a stressful endeavor. To alleviate some of that stress, ask parents about their children and encourage them to open up to you about their problems. Team up with neighbors: When it comes to supporting children and parents, a team effort is often effective. Consider starting a conversation with your neighbors about looking out for each other’s children. Volunteer: Another effective way of preventing child abuse is to spend time with local child care centers, parent support groups, and Healthy Families America locations. |
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