1982

A local hamburger restaurant wanted to change its name to Elegant Buns but its shopping center landlord objected, saying the name was obscene.  Extensive local and national media publicity helped the restaurant’s attorneys convince the landlord to allow the name change.  The media relish a good pun.

1983

Property Inspection Service was one of McNutt & Company’s earliest and longest clients (1983-1996). Originally called to write copy for a brochure, McNutt & Company recognized the intrinsic news value of this type of business and convinced owner Ben Vitcov to give publicity a try.  When one newpaper article generated more sales calls in a week than he normally had in a month, Ben became a believer.  When the company franchised, McNutt & Company was integral in creating and presenting the sales seminar and in supporting new franchisees with public relations and marketing strategy and materials.  Property Inspection Service had 14 franchises in California.  The business was sold in 1996.

1984

National InterCity Bank was launched with the help of McNutt & Company which handled all of the marketing communications activities of this independent business bank for three years -- advertising, annual reports, customer newsletters, direct mail packages, special events (including its grand opening attended by 750 business and community leaders), statement stuffers, focus groups, point of purchase displays, media publicity (300+ articles), and the “Run for the Money” 10K race. National InterCity Bank merged with Silicon Valley Bank in 1987.

1985

In the mid-1980s, McNutt & Company handled product and corporate publicity for several high tech companies, including media tours, press conferences and press materials for Comdex, PC World and other trade shows.  One memorable publicity program for Davong Systems, a leading manufacturer at the time of data storage peripherals, invited media to a New York press briefing to learn about the company’s new tape back-up product.  Announcements were printed on tennis balls to play off the promotional theme of “a perfect match.” About 50 high tech writers attended and wrote about Davong and its new product.

1986

A survey of business owners co-sponsored by the San Jose Business Journal and a well-attended seminar on groundwater pollution co-sponsored by the Peninsula Times Tribune were among the many public relations activities conducted by Touche Ross with the assistance of McNutt & Company.  M&C has worked with several regional and national accounting firms on public relations and practice development programs.

1987

A small nonprofit agency, San Jose Children’s Health Council, was facing a major crisis: 70% of its budget was about to be cut by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.  With limited funds and only a few weeks in which to react, the agency asked McNutt & Company to develop a comprehensive press kit that could serve multiple purposes – media coverage of the issue, a tool for advocacy with decision-makers, a catalyst for volunteer time and donations.  The agency’s budget was reinstated and even the Mercury News made a $1000 donation and told the organization to “keep up the good work.”  The press kit received first place in the annual Public Relations Society of America awards competition.

1988

When the first few redevelopment projects in downtown San Jose were completed, the City wanted to celebrate its achievement and entice residents to explore and enjoy the new downtown.  Destination Downtown San Jose was the result – 64 events during a 10-day period that drew 165,000 visitors to downtown San Jose.  McNutt & Company coordinated all of DDSJ -- event management, sponsorships, and the extensive media publicity that included special sections in four newspapers, prime time live coverage of downtown’s first fireworks display, hundreds of inches of print coverage and hours of broadcast time.

1989

The City of San Jose returned to McNutt & Company for a public relations campaign on the opening of the Convention Center.  Extensive regional media publicity helped to attract 1500 VIPs to a black tie preview event and 50,000 residents to a “Raise The Roof” weekend open house.  National publicity in trade and general business press made convention and meeting planners aware of San Jose’s Convention Center as a new, attractive venue.

1990

The 100^th graduate received a Certificate in Marketing Communications from San Jose State University.  Diane McNutt conceived the idea of this program and has served as its faculty advisor and a primary instructor since its beginning in 1985.  The program continued to thrive and expanded to include an additional certificate with an Internet Marketing emphasis and courses taught online as well as through the SJSU Professional Development Center and corporate in-house training programs.

1991

Should light rail in Santa Clara County be extended from downtown San Jose to Sunnyvale or Mountain View?  With only enough funds available to build the rail line to one of these communities, the two cities competed fiercely. McNutt & Company worked with City of Mountain View staff to rally community support and make the case that Mountain View would be the best choice.  The Board of Supervisors agreed.  McNutt & Company had previously worked with the City of Mountain View in 1989 on its Castro Street revitalization and curbside recycling.  Both programs won awards.

1992

Green Valley’s ongoing public education program about recycling and solid waste management was handled by McNutt & Company for 10 years, beginning in 1992.  Activities include quarterly newsletters for residents, special events, direct mail to customers, brochures and other collateral, media publicity, presentations, community relations, and proposal writing.

1993

EnterChange, Inc., a national outplacement firm, wanted to provide its clients with a new approach on how to find a job.  Diane McNutt used the analogy of launching a new product in the 225-page job search book she wrote for EnterChange.  Chapters included: Product Analysis (self-assessment); Market Research (learning about industries and companies); Marketing Tools (resumes and cover letters); Product Roll-Out (networking and obtaining interviews); Successful Sales (interviews and negotiating terms); Product Implementation (first steps on a new job).

1994

Through the years, McNutt & Company has worked with a wide variety of companies and organizations, but the range was particularly obvious in 1994 when public relations programs were underway concurrentlyfor Los Gatos Community Hospital, focused on its new Birth Center, and for Oak Hill Memorial Park, focused on its ability to handle multicultural funeral services.  Birth to death . . . and everything in-between.

1995

The plan for a new, large Kaiser Permanente health care center in Santa Clara was vehemently opposed by neighbors who resented the loss of one of the last orchards in the Valley and feared the impact of the new development on their quality of life and property values.  McNutt & Company worked with Kaiser Permanente staff and legal and land use consultants to respond to resident concerns and persuade them to support the proposal.  More than 200 residents eventually came to City Council meetings to show their support and the project was approved.

1996

Guadalupe Landfill was not the first company to face difficulties because the community did not understand how its business operates.  But when law suits claiming that the landfill’s composting activities were generating toxic aspergillus fungus fumes that affected their health, it quickly became clear that public education was needed.  McNutt & Company worked with a team of attorneys and technical experts to inform residents that there was no health danger.  More than 100 claimants were persuaded to withdraw their names from the law suit.  A community newsletter and a children’s coloring book created by McNutt & Company explaining how a landfill operates are still in use by Guadalupe Landfill.

1997

When 3Com wanted to enrich its intranet with more ideas and information on career development for employees, it turned to the Career Action Center who asked Diane McNutt to convert its Career Self Reliance philosophy into content for a compelling intranet site.  That was one of four intranet/Internet site projects handled by McNutt & Company this year as organizations realized the ways they could use the World Wide Web for public relations and marketing purposes.

1998

The proposed development of Santana Row on the site of the former Town & Country Village won approval by the San Jose City Council despite intense opposition by prominent downtown land owners and concerns about traffic congestion.  The San Jose Mercury News reported that Federal Realty Investment Trust was successful, in part, because of “a positive and aggressive public relations campaign” that helped them “shape their presentation to the community and gain access to decision-makers.”

1999

Voters were convinced to reject a proposal from Moreland School District that would have put two high schools from Campbell Union High School District under the control of the elementary district.  A grassroots group of parents and teachers asked McNutt & Company for help in developing convincing arguments and strategies to stop the campaign for “unification” by the Moreland district.  Measure A was expected to be approved by a significant majority, but the creative and tenacious campaign changed public opinion and Moreland’s proposal was defeated.

2000

Corporations are often discouraged by the media’s lack of interest in their involvement with community affairs.  A $1 million donation by Intel Corp.to The Tech Museum of Innovation three years ago, for example, received only a few inches of press coverage.  That’s why there was some surprise within Intel when its $1.25 million donation to the Intel Teacher Housing Fund captured national media attention including Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, and CNBC.  Arrangements for the press conference were rapidly changed in order to accommodate the eight TV crews and assorted print reporters who showed up in response to McNutt & Company’s invitation.

2001

There are thousands of cities throughout the United States, but only 10 are selected each year for the prestigious All-America City award.  In 2001, one of the winners was the City of Santa Clara.  McNutt &Company wrote the lengthy application that got Santa Clara to the semifinals and then helped the City and its 52-member delegation create a dynamic and memorable presentation that made Santa Clara stand out from the other 29 competitors.

2002

M&C’s most difficult and demanding client – Diane McNutt – took center stage in 2002 in a tight race for election to the Los Gatos Town Council.  Five candidates, including one incumbent, competed for three seats.  Traditionally, Council campaign materials in Los Gatos have been lackluster and amateurish.  Diane brought a new level of professionalism with a brochure that was described by one former mayor as “so good-looking you want to keep it on your coffee table” and praised by a former staff member to a U.S. senator as “the best campaign piece I’ve ever seen.”  After capturing endorsements by both the San Jose Mercury News and the Los Gatos Weekly Times, she was elected and gathered 16% more votes than the well-respected incumbent.

2003

A big library warrants a big celebration.  The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is not only huge, it is the first time in the U.S. that a major university and city have collaborated to build a library that is jointly owned and operated.  McNutt & Company, Inc. was selected to create a comprehensive communication plan for the opening of this major San Jose institution and to implement it.  M&C leveraged the opening budget with almost a half million dollars in partnerships, sponsorships and in-kind donations from media, local companies and organizations.  Opening activities included international attention for a new world record (longest continuous reading aloud), extensive media publicity, a black tie gala for 500, and a community celebration that drew 21,000 people to the library on Aug. 16.  One objective was to attract 700,000 to the new library during its first five months of operation.  Instead, the one millionth visitor passed through the doors just four months after opening.

2004

What if everyone in a community read the same book, at the same time, and talked about it?  That is the goal of Silicon Valley Reads, an annual program now coordinated by Diane McNutt.  The most recent book selected was Epitaph for a Peach by David Mas Masumoto.  Diane arranged for 34 events focused on the book and its themes and developed collaborations and partnerships with more than 50 community organizations, media outlets and corporations. 

2005

A major milestone event in the history of Santa Clara Valley was the long-awaited Grand Opening of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens.  Diane McNutt served as coordinator of the event – responsible for developing and implementing a strategic introduction of this regional asset to the public.   An estimated 50,000 people attended the event that featured 100+ free activities and six stages of entertainment spread throughout the 2.6 mile-long park in downtown San Jose.   Bill Del Biaggio, president of the Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens said, “I want to publicly thank our event coordinator, Diane McNutt, for her extraordinary efforts in translating our Board’s vision for this celebration into reality. Diane’s creativity amazed us all, and her attention to detail ensured that this very large event ran smoothly.” 

2006

2007

2008

2009

For millions of Americans, “ethical government” is an oxymoron. Public trust in government is most in jeopardy during elections when voters become even more cynical about what candidates and their supporters say, promise, and are willing to do in order to win.  In 2006, the City of Santa Clara committed to an innovative Vote Ethics Campaign to influence the way municipal campaigns are conducted and help voters evaluate the ethics of candidates. McNutt & Company, Inc. created a three-part direct mail campaign, utility bill inserts, and a four-page tabloid insert in the City newspaper.  The campaign won a national Award of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America in 2007, and the City received a Helen Putnam Award from the California League of Cities.

In May, The Health Trust was presented with a fabulous opportunity -- would it like to be the presenting sponsor of BODY WORLDS 2 & The Three Pound Gem at The Tech Museum of Innovation, an extraordinary exhibit of human anatomy opening in September?  The answer was yes, but only if the exhibit could be expanded to include community health promotion.  Diane McNutt was asked to be Project Manager, and in 100 days she had organized an extensive array of on-site health education activities and the launch of The Health Trust's new vision of Silicon Valley as the healthiest region in America. More than 275,000 visitors attended BODY WORLDS and most of them took advantage of at least one health education activity, some with potentially life-saving implications. For example, 6,000 became aware that they had high blood pressure as a result of The Health Trust's free screenings.

Some of the most important work in public relations cannot be talked about.  It is providing behind-the-scenes counsel and media training to leaders whose organizations are facing a crisis. McNutt & Company, Inc. has helped many clients prepare for and deal with potentially negative situations including sensitive personnel issues, announcements that are likely to upset the public, poor financial reports, and other events that could result in negative media coverage and/or unhappy clients, customers, investors or donors.  Diane McNutt has extensive experience in thinking through all possible scenarios with the management team and developing contingency plans for each. And that's about all that can be said about that.

When a major program begins in January, the hard work is done the year before and that is why Silicon Valley Reads 2010 is a milestone for 2009.  The selected book, In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, offered both challenges (author available for only one event) and opportunities for new creativity and partnerships.  This community reads program involves all 15 cities in Santa Clara County plus more than 60 high schools and colleges.  An unprecedented 89 free public programs were set up featuring 20 authors and experts.  More than 5,000 individuals attended at least one program, including the kick-off event where 1,500 lined up to snag one of the 800 seats in the theatre.  Silicon Valley Reads also became the first program in the U.S. to recommend companion books for all ages of children so that families could read together and discuss the common themes of the books.