Robert Viola: Bringing Art to Our Science

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a good designer is priceless. Any PR professional knows that campaign success often depends on strong visuals to make the emotional connection. Ritz Communications projects come to life in vivid color with the work of Robert Viola and his team at Robert Viola Partners. Collaboration at…

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Ritz Communications: The Virtual Agency

In the Ritz anniversary story, the virtual agency is a character of its own. Now that remote work has become ubiquitous, it’s easy to forget how groundbreaking it was in 2003 to assemble a virtual team. “Elisabeth was ahead of her time,” says Joy Schmitt, a former client who is now a Ritz team member.…

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Bob Consalvo: Client Hall of Famer

The average agency-client relationship is about three years. Ritz Communications had the honor of working with Bob Consalvo for more than 15 years. “They weren’t just an agency, they were my team,” Bob says. “I relied on them as if they reported to me within the company. It was a deeper relationship—much more trusting and…

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Carrie Sessine: Ritz Alumni Spotlight

“How lucky I am to have something so special that makes saying goodbye so hard.” These words from the great sage Winnie-the-Pooh perfectly capture how we feel about former colleague Carrie Sessine. Carrie was a member of the Ritz Communications team for nearly a decade, beginning in 2003. Relationships are what Carrie remembers the most…

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Molly Watson: A Ritz Communications Original

There’s a joke among the Ritz community that if clients get out of line, Molly Watson will slap them. It originated years ago, when Molly accompanied a client who was presenting at the annual meeting for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. It was a swampy, mid-summer day in New Orleans, and as the client…

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Joyce Lofstrom: A Health IT Insider

Joyce Lofstrom was heading up the PR department for HIMSS when the Ritz team approached her with a memorable pitch. It was 2008, a few months before the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) was enacted to promote adoption and meaningful use of health information technology. With the health tech community…

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Joy Schmitt: From Treasured Client to Topnotch Consultant

“It was such a gift,” says Joy Schmitt of “inheriting” Ritz Communications when she started a new role at Schering-Plough, which is now part of Merck & Co. “Our partnership was so collaborative. It was the ideal relationship to have with an agency.” The feeling was mutual. The chemistry the Ritz team shared with Schmitt…

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20 years and counting … thank you for making it memorable

20 years and counting … thank you for making it memorable As a marketing communications agency, we’ve been privileged to publicize milestones for countless healthcare clients over the years. However, as Ritz Communications begins our 20th anniversary year, I admit I wasn’t entirely sure how best to celebrate a team of extraordinary professionals who have…

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