Derrick Parson is the Executive Director at The Exchange at Beverly Gray. Originally from Brooklyn, NY Derrick calls himself the “Buffalo Transplant” and “Serial Entrepreneur.” He talks about the exciting things taking place at The Exchange at Beverly Gray and various resources they provide to entrepreneurs within the community. Q: Can you give us an…  Read more

Why this is the year to create a crisis communications plan, or update the one you have “The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger—but recognize the opportunity.” -President John F. Kennedy Ready or…  Read more

The Martin Group dedicated September as Food & Beverage Month, which included educational plant-based lunches in all of our offices, a food drive, thought leadership content from our teams, and attendance at the following key events:  Cornell University’s “Scaling Your Innovative Food Startup: Lessons in Consumer Packaged Goods” webinar – Sept. 12  Niagara University Food…  Read more

Whether visiting a new restaurant, hotel, retailer, or healthcare provider, the first question to ask is: “How do others feel about this?” Word-of-mouth and referrals have always been the way healthcare providers, like doctors, dentists, and physical therapists, have grown their practices, and now, online reviews are gaining traction. The vast majority of patients are…  Read more

If you’re wondering if your brand should be investing in women’s sports, I have some bad news.  You’re asking the wrong question.  Instead of asking if you should invest in women’s sports, the question needs to be reframed:  How should we invest in women’s sports in a way that makes sense for our brand?  Compelling…  Read more

Public relations professionals and journalists depend on each other to do their jobs. But it’s not always the easiest relationship to manage. As a former TV producer and newsroom manager, I have dealt with my share of pesky PR people who simply don’t get it. Now that I’m on the other side, I can see…  Read more

Our team recently attended the “Scaling Your Innovative Food Startup: Trends and Lessons in Consumer Packaged Goods”, hosted by Cornell University, with six esteemed keynote speakers whose areas of expertise included product innovation, funding, manufacturing, and branding. The panel was extremely informative, especially for startups in the CPG category, but their insights really transcend any…  Read more

The food and beverage industry is essential, innovative, and exciting, but not everyone realizes the depth and diversity of job opportunities in this cutting-edge, growing industry. In WNY, we are surrounded by leaders in the field such as Rich Products, Wegmans, Tops Markets, Perry’s Ice Cream, Coca-Cola, and more. Many people are aware of these…  Read more

For the first time in 40 years, inflation has sharply risen and gained front-page news, leaving us all with so many unanswered questions. What does this mean for businesses? Consumers? Are we heading into a recession? Are we already in it?  The truth is, there isn’t a clear answer yet, so we’re here to help…  Read more