We see a problem all the time with small non-profits. They are doing amazing work, but they have no website, no social media, and no logo, and that stops them from getting the donations and support that they need to be successful. Here is a very simple example of the work that John Guilfoil Public […]
Experience: Bedford Police Launch Holiday Anti-Shoplifting Campaign
The town of Bedford, Mass. has a number of high-end retail stores in multiple shopping centers in town. One of the biggest issues during the holidays? Shoplifting. In order to curb the problem, JGPR worked with Bedford Police to create and launch Operation P.A.C.E. — Proactive Community Enforcement. We also conducted a media campaign around the […]
Experience: Catching a Bank Robber with Social Media
Police Departments are beginning to understand the value of social media not just as a public outreach method but as a true investigative tool. We saw that on August 11, 2014, when a man walked into a Bank of America branch in Bedford, Massachusetts, claimed to have a gun, and demanded money. The bank immediately […]
An app that detects potholes
Working with Boston’s Public Works Department and the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, we were able to generate positive media placement for an amazing new mobile phone app that automatically detects potholes in the roadway and reports the location back to the city. The app is called Street Bump. The app generated a lot […]
Our First Client: Arlington Bank Robbery and Officer-Involved Shooting
This is a case study in the importance of a detached, civilian public information officer. Even a well-organized department like Arlington, which has a Captain assigned to PIO duties, understands the need. What do you do when your PIO is also the OIC at a crime scene? He or she can’t just leave the scene […]
Experience: 2013 Boston Marathon
I hadn’t written these thoughts down until now. It’s not something I ever wanted to experience. A terrorist attack. But there I was, standing in front of The Tannery with my fiancee on April 15. A bomb went off to my right. Before I knew what had happened, a bomb went off to my left. We […]
Experience: HelmetHub vending machines installed in Boston
Improving the bicycling culture of Boston was a major priority for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, especially during his fifth term, when Boston launched the New Balance Hubway bike sharing system and announced a comprehensive plan which will add 75 miles of new bike lanes in five years. The plan hopes to grow Boston’s bike lane […]
Experience: A chair that charges your smartphone
Just because winter in Boston lasts forever doesn’t mean the sun goes away. In Boston, we wanted to give people something to make the cold, sunny, winter days more enjoyable. So we teamed with the MIT Media Lab to put solar-powered chairs that charge your smartphone, right on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The pair of […]
Experience: Urban Shield Boston
Around the nation, first responders are training to respond to disaster and terrorism. One of the most high-profile training operations you’ll see is Urban Shield. In Metropolitan Boston, Urban Shield means bringing 1,800 police officers, firefighters, medics, and even Coast Guardsmen together, along with transit authorities, hospitals, Boston Harbor, an abandoned movie theater, a college […]
Experience: “Pep” Conferences and Boston Sports
Boston sports fans are a very lucky breed. We’ve seen World Series trophies, the Stanley Cup, Superbowls, and a 17th green banner in the Garden, and that’s just in the past decade! Boston is also a world-famous running city — a fame that is growing every day as people are training for the 2014 Boston […]