Yes, there are few things more predictable than making predictions for the New Year – from economic forecasting to sports prognostications to fashion trends to celebrity “dead pool” games.  Cliché or not, they can be fun. But often they serve a serious purpose too.  In the public relations and public affairs worlds, we at Goff [...]

We are excited to announce that Elizabeth Emerson will join Goff Public as director of government relations and will lead Goff Public’s Minnesota lobbying practice. Widely regarded as a superstar at the Minnesota Capitol, Elizabeth is a well-connected, smart strategist.  She will complement our existing team, which is known for helping clients enhance their reputations and affect [...]

Congratulations to Goff Public’s Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Hellman on being named a 2012 “Top 25 Woman to Watch” by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.  According to the Business Journal, women are selected for their “professional achievements, leadership qualities, drive, and their potential to be in the spotlight for years to come.” Jennifer has been [...]

To commemorate Goff Public’s 45-year anniversary, today we are unveiling “Celebrating 45 Years of Communications Excellence,” a five-minute video that explores the fabric of our firm.  From explaining the services that we provide for clients to describing the recent changes within the public relations and public affairs sectors to capturing the people and personalities inside [...]

Last Friday I was part of the round table discussion on Minnesota Public Radio’s Daily Circuit.  One of the topics we discussed was KONY 2012, a viral video produced by Invisible Children – a movement that is trying to end the conflict in Uganda and stop the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The [...]

Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has proclaimed Wednesday, November 9, as Bob Goff Day in recognition and appreciation of Bob’s advances in the communications profession and his commitment to the city of Saint Paul. Forty-five years ago today Bob cofounded Coleman and Goff Advertising, now known as Goff Public, with business partner Nick Coleman, who [...]

I still remember seeing my first PowerPoint presentation.  It was in the mid-1990s, and it was the best presentation I had ever seen in my life.  My mind, which was accustomed to chalkboards and overhead projectors, was astounded by the visual stimuli.  The colors, images, and transitions made me gaze at the screen like a [...]

Minnesota consistently leads the nation in voter turnout rates in presidential, gubernatorial, and senatorial elections.  Yet election participation rates for municipal elections are often far less than the rates for statewide contests, even though these elected officials often have the most impact on our community and businesses at the local level. Mayors and city council [...]

From Egyptian hieroglyphics to modern-day tweets In recent years the public relations and public affairs professions have changed dramatically, from the rise of the Internet to the prominence of social media.  Despite the dizzying improvements in technology, however, human communications, organization and persuasion are still rooted in long-standing practices – indeed, shaped by unchanging human [...]

I have proudly been a self-proclaimed social media Luddite. After a misspent early career in politics which included a lot of rhetorical bomb throwing, I eventually learned the wisdom of keeping my mouth shut in public on most occasions.  This became a professional necessity when I moved into the public relations and public affairs consulting [...]