An iPad 2 For You... And You... And You!

It was the biggest holiday surprise to hit SPM in our 28-year history when managing partners Patti Winegar and Larry Margolis gave the entire staff their own iPad2 right before our annual agency holiday party. Shouts of gratitude and exclamations of glee were heard down the hallways and even out on the sidewalk as The Tomato People unwrapped their holiday gifts.

It all started when Patti and Larry asked our staff the question that many companies ask, but few do much about: “What can we do to help your career and serve our clients best?”

With this gift, Patti and Larry were trying to engender some fresh ideas that would strengthen SPM's promise to clients that we will guide them to “What’s next in healthcare communications.”

There were many good ideas from the creative and account staff people, many of which have been implemented. The most unexpected idea came from Mike Case, SPM's very own IT director. “Give every employee an iPad,” Mike suggested. “If we want our people to be as tech savvy as our clients need us to be, we need to immerse them in the latest technology.”

Patti and Larry were intrigued by Mike's idea. “It was a big idea with a big price tag,” Larry said, “but the more Patti and I thought about it, the smarter it sounded.”

“We bought the iPads in November, from the Target store in Willowbrook,” Patti said. “The salesperson told us it was their biggest single sale of the year. Then we wrapped them and kept them at my house, out of the reach of my kids, until the Holiday party on December 15. Larry and I couldn’t wait to give them out and see everyone’s excitement.”

SPM's vice president and account director Beth Knight was delighted to receive her iPad2. “I had two reactions,” Beth said. “First, I was grateful for SPM’s generosity. Then I was delighted that I could accelerate my tech knowledge and savvy with my brand-new iPad. How better to do that than to use the latest and most amazing technology whenever and wherever I wanted?”