Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York

“Will that be a breakfast sandwich or a roll with your coffee?” These are the words that Starbucks has recently added to their vocabulary as a way to keep their premium coffee company afloat. For decades Starbucks has spent an enormous amount of time and energy building and developing its luxury brand image, which has become more of a lifestyle for many. However, as our economy continues to decline they are having to reconsider this position by rebranding themselves as an "affordable luxury." The now recession-friendly coffeehouse is promoting their new $4.00 cup of coffee by adding value meals to their menu to cater to the downward spin of this economy. This puts Starbucks in direct competion with fast food chains, which leads me to wonder, will they lose their position as a luxury lifestyle brand when the economy starts striking up again?

Due to the print media's feet being on shaky ground, publications are struggling to find fresh ways to target readers. As many readers go directly to free, online sources to get their news and entertainment, asking them to pay for the same thing, especially in these times, is becoming a challenge. For this reason, many publications have failed to stay afloat in recent months, which has lead some magazines and newspapers to close their doors or fully transfer to the Internet.

To combat this issue, Time Inc. has set forth a 10-week, five-issue, experiment that allows readers to customize their own magazine. The magazine, appropriately dubbed "mine," will be free, and the first 31,000 to sign up will receive it through the mail, while another 200,000 people will be able to read it online. It's a brilliant PR strategy and I'm curious to see the outcome. So, will readers be more intrigued by this new, customized magazine or is there no hope for print media?

Anyone that knows me on a personal level has always giggled at my little secret: My love for the 80’s heavy metal bands. As we in New York launch Rock of The Ages, our love for this decade of decadence in our lives comes back full throttle. After all, American Idol had 80’s night this week and 80’s neon has been selling well in most mass retail channels for quite some time. So we can now be guilt free for a little while about our love for White Snake, Poison and Cinderella.

  My Mother and I in the 80's.

On that note, do you think big hair is here to stay, at least through 2010? Will we see the curls getting more volume with mousse and hair having body with aerosol hair spray? Consumers today will be looking to get that uber glossy look by applying more mousse over toweled dry hair, like we did in our youth. As consumer spending declines one may argue that women will show their financial confidence in other ways versus labels and handbags, but instead with big hair, which is more affordable. In 1982 the unemployment rate rose above 10 percent while today we sit at 8.5%, but will this prompt the come back of the banana clip?

Brands like Rave, LA Looks, Vidal Sassoon and VO5 may be able to capitalize on this trend (and our fond memories) to bring their products back to the forefront and drive sales. They are affordable for everyone's wallets right now and are so aligned in our minds as successful 80s brands, that one may take preference in purchasing from them if the marketing is done right.

Let me know your thoughts-- are you planning on the frizz look of the mid-80’s, the luscious messy curls or are you going to say to heck with it and just spray and clip? Will we see the re-emergence of trusted 80s brands?

One would think that beauty companies would be shifting gears down and out when it comes to paying the salaries of the celebrity elite--but think again. According to Forbes, consumer brands like Lancôme and CoverGirl are beefing up their usage of Ellen Degeneres and Anne Hathaway knowing that their products and personalities together have staying power and effectively drive sales.

Though we won’t find new brands launching in 2009 we will see a revival of the retail classics, especially in the world of fragrances. True, one right now may not be able to afford that house in the Hamptons, but for just a few dollars you can identify with Common for Diesel’s Only The Brave.

I admit I am not a big fan of Amazon; the books take forever to arrive, the shipping fees are insane and the used books often smell like they have been stored in someone’s barn. In recent years we have watched countless independent book sellers close up shop not because of Barnes & Noble, oh no, but because of Amazon.com. As a former librarian page it's even more upsetting to watch book publishers use Amazon.com as a tool to determine what titles, genres and authors are selling the most. Have you ever wondered if the ranking system seems a little out of sku?

In recent days the conversation on Twitter (and among bloggers) started getting into a well deserved uproar over Amazon’s catalog misplacing the gay titles into their adult category which prompted Amazon's public relations' to respond. Is this clean up a matter of good PR or a response to full online transparency in the world of social media? It’s interesting to note that in the virtual world you can’t get away with "glitches" such as this because your audience will call you out on it immediately. I am happy that Amazon's PR responded so quickly hopefully averting what could have surmounted to a much bigger PR crisis. Will the news that it was potentially a hacker help recover their reputation?

However, my bigger question is why rank gay subjects as adult, why not label it regardless of sexual orientation? If Ellen Degeneres' biography is a biography then label it as such, not as adult or gay. Her TV show is a talk show, not an adult show, and the list of examples goes on. I personally will be sticking to the NY Times Best Sellers list to get a view of what moves in the book world. What do you think about Amazon's "glitch?"

Photo Credit: Just Jared

Since last August, in an effort to boost sales, Procter & Gamble have come up with a giveaway that has been so secret that no one has really known about it. On every deodorant stick lies the chance of winning a $15,000 diamond. By entering the product SKU from a Secret Flawless deodorant at www.secretdiamondgiveaway.com, a person can find out if they have won one of the ten $15K diamonds that have been hidden (fake ones to be traded for the real thing) or another prize such as a $500 Visa shopping spree or dinner at a 5-Star restaurant. However, it appears that the campaign hasn't really gotten much buzz until recently which leads me to ponder about this unique promotion--has it really been a viable PR campaign?

Wendy Lewis is an international insider to the world of anti-aging, skin care, beauty and cosmetic surgery. She is also the author of 10 consumer health and beauty books, including two editions of America’s Cosmetic Doctors & Dentists and her newest title, Plastic Makes Perfect; The Complete Cosmetic Beauty Guide. Her contributions to the beauty industry are vast, of which you can learn more on her website www.wlbeauty.com.

Pierce Mattie: In a recent article on Health News Digest you raved about Lumixyl. Would you say that it even works better than Tri-Luma? What do you see as the biggest difference between the two?

Wendy Lewis: Lumixyl is a newly launched peptide based skin brightening/lightening cream that will sell for around $120 US for 1 ounce pump. I love Tri-Luma, which is a prescription drug from Galderma that is modeled from Kligman's Formula and contatins 4% Hydroquinone, retinoid and a mild steroid. Lumixyl is a hydroquinone alternative, and the results of studies conducted at Stanford showed great results, and it is gentle for all skin types. Lumixyl is an OTC product sold through professional channels, whereas Triluma is an Rx and requires a prescription from an MD. I foresee that some dermatologists may put patients on a regimen that contains both of these formulations in some cases. 

Pierce Mattie: There are many aesthetic consultants in Manhattan, Palm Beach and Beverly Hills but no one who executes it as well as you. I have always said it’s your skill to really match up your clients with the right physician. What kind of research goes into your work?

Wendy Lewis: I am flattered Pierce, especially coming from someone who is a guru in the beauty biz. I take my "Knife Coach" brand very seriously and care about my clients and the recommendations I give them. I do a ton of research, attend conferences in the US and Europe, routinely interview and visit doctors in all specialties and read trade journals online so I am up to speed on all the latest developments. I have never altered from my original business model, which differs greatly from other me too "consultants" I have come across; my independence and impartiality is paramount, I treat all clients with total confidentiality, and I am not in anyone's pocket.

When I suggest a product or practitioner for a client, it comes from the heart and from my personal knowledge and expertise. I am doing more phone and webcam consultations today with private clients than face to face, both from an economical point and for convenience for the clients who are busy, active, and international. It's not perfect, but it's pretty close, and I have been at it now for over a dozen years.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Kim Banks, the owner of The Pet Set, a luxury card and stationary company featuring the beauty of dogs. As a dog owner myself to a beautiful Shitzu named Toby, I absolutely love the look of The Pet Set social stationary.

Pierce Mattie: How did you start The Pet Set?

Kim Banks: After considerable research of the stationery market and the multi-million dollar pet industry, I determined that there were no high-end greeting card and stationery products. The Pet Set was initially started by modeling our business strategy modestly on Tiffany's.

Pierce Mattie: Who are some of your biggest clients?

Kim Banks: Our clients are predominantly high-end stationery and pet boutiques across the U.S. and Canada, now also reaching the U.K.

Pierce Mattie: What are some of your most popular breeds?

Kim Banks: While the entire line is very popular, we advise 1st-time clients to begin stocking their stores with the retriever varieties, as they follow the AKC registration list.

Borghese's publicity and social media strategies have really caught my eye lately. As a big fan of their skin care products, I wanted to get the inside scoop from their communications and publicity team on what they have been up to and what products we can expect to see this fall.

Pierce Mattie: Borghese sure has caught on to the develops of social media. You have a Facebook fan page, a twitter profile and a flickr page. How has online communication been working for the Borghese team?

Borghese: The social media has been amazing for us. We are connecting with customers from all over the US. We recently launched our Community Page; our customers are sharing stories with each other on when they first discovered Borghese, their favorite Borghese product, etc.

Pierce Mattie: I actually get announcements when to head over to Lord & Taylor for facials, has Facebook announcements like this in the past helped fill the chairs at the department store?

Borghese: It certainly has helped in the past although social media has made it easier for us. Instead of sending out invitations (whether a bounce-back card or email which may be forgotten) to our events by city and state, we are now able to just list all our events and have our customers see it all at once when they log onto their pages with reminders, a list of who else is going, notifications to their friends, etc.

Pierce Mattie: Borghese is doing something quite special because you are remaining true to your loyalty of retail but actually helping the department stores to garner more consumer demand by stimulating customers with your social media strategies, what other ways have you been exciting the shopper?

Borghese: We try to connect with our customers in different ways; a good example is the shopping event, Shecky’s Girls Night Out. We alternate between having a physical presence at this shopping event and just a gift bag presence. With the physical presence, we get to speak one on one, not just with existing customers but new customers and customers who we may have lost. Our R&D is always working on developing new products which use the latest technologies. Also, we sometimes include an invitation back to our retailers for a complimentary facial or makeover in the event gift bags.

This week Inc. Magazine came to us with a specific question that we get asked often, “can you get your client’s on The Oprah Winfrey Show?”   This is one of those questions that most publicists are hesitant to answer.  Yes, we have secured clients on Oprah before but, is it a reality for every client?   We were asked several questions by Inc. Magazine on the Oprah process, one quote made it. Here is one that did not:

Any thoughts about what needs to be special about a product or company to make it Oprah-worthy?

Oprah has to authentically and organically like you, your brand and know who your consumer is, it should be in-line with who her viewers are and relate to her philanthropic work as well as be competitive enough to be unique in an overcrowded marketplace. If you don't watch her show then you will not able to properly gage if your brand is the right fit for her program.

Questions to ask yourself are:

1.) How do I see myself or my product fitting into the format of the show?
2.) Why would Oprah put me on her show?

3.) Is my story new, unique, different - not yet covered?

Questions I like to ask:

1.) If your brand lands a spot on her show are you capable of meeting the demands of those consumers?

2.) Is your brand able to stand on its own without ever getting onto the show? Meaning, if the show were never to happen for your company, would your business still thrive?

3.) Is your reasoning to go on the show to share your story to benefit the viewers of her program?

* if you can answer yes to all three, then you would be a good candidate for the program

Our quote that did make the article (that we stand by)

“A business that appears on Oprah should be one that is sustainable and ready to do mega volume. For a business, it can be a benchmark of a success and can almost guarantee millions of dollars in new revenue," Mattie advises. "However after that one hit has passed, they must have solid legs to keep the momentum ongoing. We hear time and time again, ‘If I can only get my products to Oprah, I can be a success’ or ‘I will have a hit on my hands if I can just get this on Oprah.’ We typically shy away from those types of clients and advise brands to never build that into their strategy because you are playing with luck, not real planning.”

For a list of the six Inc Magazine companies that made it on The Oprah Show (Pierce Mattie included) go to: 6 Companies That Got a Lift from Oprah. 

Good Luck!

Inc. Magazine has released their Inc. 5000 list and we are proud to say that Pierce Mattie PR has made the list for a second year in a row! Our press release details are below:

Pierce Mattie Public Relations, a lifestyle PR firm, has been named One of the Fastest Growing Companies in America by Inc. Magazine for a second year in a row. Established in 2001 by wellness lifestyle editor and expert Pierce Mattie, the firm debuted its innovative Media Oasis in 2006, an event space designed for the editors to experience brands first hand. Pierce Mattie PR remains committed to its primary goal of partnering with brands to increase consumer awareness and support their key business goals. Pierce Mattie PR excels at securing maximum media exposure through traditional channels as well as the evolving world of digital and online media.

By partnering with our clients to deliver consistent results, we have stayed true to who we are as a firm. Innovation, creativity, superior client service and results that drive our client’s businesses are the foundation of our agency. Our proven track record and ability to adapt quickly to an ever shifting landscape have secured Pierce Mattie PR’s position as a leader in the industry,” notes Pierce Mattie, founder and owner of the agency.

What the report revealed is:

• Jewelry chain stores are having the worst impact in this economy by over 13%
• Sales at independent high-end retailers were down slightly but not as steep
• Mid-range retailers were down 5.5 percent
• 2008, the diamond category (loose and set) remained the majority, with 49 percent of sales
• Timepieces saw growth, up from 3 percent of sales in 2007 to 6 percent in 2008
• Repair sales remain an important category, bringing in 10 percent of sales

How does this translate to Jewelry Public Relations and Marketing?

Phew! New York Fashion Week is finally over, what a rollercoaster! The high point of my week was watching new menswear designer Miguel Antoinne, unveil his new spring/summer 2009 collection. The show was held at the two-story loft Studio 450, with the beautiful Manhattan skyline as the backdrop. The fact it was raining was a great help too, since Miguel’s collection was inspired by imagery of thunder and lightning!

My week leading up to the show was taken over by RSVPs, seating plans and trips back and forth to the designers show room. Celebrity publicists and editors’ assistants insured that my inbox overflowed with questions and inquiries on the upcoming show. There is so much buzz on this new designer, who season after season, has added unexpected elements of surprise to his collections.

Up next? Market appointments in the designers showroom. I only hope I can accommodate all the editor requests that I know will follow!

The results are in! The team at Pierce Mattie Public Relations has compiled their annual "What’s Hot, What’s Not" list for 2010 pertaining to all things beauty, fashion, lifestyle and media. What’s in? The stiletto heel, Jeggings, Minx Nails, diesel fuel and the use of condoms have made a major come back over the pill. And what’s out? Skinny jeans, Starbucks, Hybrid Technology and Zoloft just to name a few.

What’s IN:

Fashion –

Annabel Tollman
UNIQLO
Velcro
Navaho Prints
Stiletto Heels
Tie Clips
The Boyfriend Jacket
Jeggings

Beauty –

Blushing Nails
Bouncy hair that is air dried
neuLash & Latisse
Fresh Cut Cedarwood
Injectables
Goth inspired makeup
Violet/Carnation Scents
Minx Nails
Invisalign
Push-up Bra

Accessories –

House of Harlow
Metal Statement Necklaces
Bib necklaces
Alexander Wang handbags

Lifestyle -

How To and DIY stories
Blog stories
Brewing your own coffee
Berlin
Diesel Fuel
Condoms
Farm Weddings
Vampires
Pilates
Your real figure
Wine
Life Coach

Media -

Oxygen
Open source
Helpareporter.com
Real Housewives Washington DC
iRex
Wendy Williams
Glee
Megan Fox
Alexandra Wentworth (comedian)
David Baldacci (novelist)
Roberta Gellis (romance)
Taylor Lautner
Katie Cassidy

What’s OUT:

With traditional print media going the way of the dinosaurs, advertisers have been forced to adapt accordingly. With magazine subscriptions and newspaper circulation numbers steadily declining, advertisers are turning to interactive digital channels to raise brand awareness and connect with consumers.

Within the fashion industry, social media has been the next great frontier with brands, particularly luxury brands, utilizing outlets like Twitter and Facebook as a way to connect with their customer base. Once adverse to online endeavors, fearing that Internet exposure would cheapen their storied reputation, luxury brands are now eagerly embracing the digital sphere...possibly because they no longer have a choice.

An industry veteran last week got in a huff over an invitation they had sent someone on LinkedIn who rejected the invite with “don’t know.” They were upset by this and couldn’t understand how their invitation to connect could be rejected by someone in their same industry. After all, if you are looking to build your online social network shouldn't you just accept everyone's invitation to connect?

Not exactly! This example got me thinking about Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks in regards to how people use them to create rolodexes that don’t really have any weight or metric value because they lack real authenticity. These are the people you haven’t really met, done business with or have any other real life connection with. Yet everyday we all have come into contact with these "list builders" and the trend only seems to keep growing.

The nosedive of the economy has made stories of brands going belly up and filing for bankruptcy as common as a can of hair spray in the bathroom of the cast members of The Jersey Shore. However, one thing that has changed brand restructure is the digital age that we find ourselves in, is in how the brand chooses to bounce back. Crabtree & Evelyn, an iconic 30-year beauty brand, is emerging from bankruptcy with a focus on ecommerce. Which, in my personal opinion, is a smart move, however there has to be more to it than ecommerce in and of itself.

It appears it is not only bloggers that are feeling the heat from the government in regards to their relationships with the brands they write about, but cosmetic dermatologists as well. Recently the FDA made an example of Dr. Leslie Baumann by sending her a warning when she was sourced for several beauty magazine articles regarding her positive praise of Dysport, the newly approved Botox competitor created by Medicis prior to such approval. The warning appears to have more to do with disclosure than anything else, which, mark my words, will be the buzzword of 2010 due in part to both the FTC and FDA.

We love to see a PR firm and client have a good laugh, especially in this new world where everyone seems to be taking everything too seriously. I always tell our team – we are pitching lipstick aren’t we, not strategizing for world peace! The coffee just about came out of my nose from laughing so hard this morning when I watched the video for AXE and read the latest pitch from Amy Nadler at Edelman w/ Heather Mitchell at Unilever.

For those of you PR pros who haven't yet seen the clip, take a look as it features Jaime Pressly playing a fictional tennis star, who is quoted in the release as saying; "I had a blast working with AXE on this video. The comedic undertones were hilarious and there were definitely a few laugh-out-loud moments on set, where I thought to myself …'only AXE.'"

To celebrate the launch of this new video and the updated Detailer, AXE held the AXECYB.com launch party, hosted by Khloe Kardashian Odom, at the Sky Lodge in Park City, UT during Sundance. Celebrities from film, television and music, including Malin Akerman, Adrien Brody, Wilmer Valderrama and Stephanie Pratt came out to the hottest party at Sundance to screen the AXE “Cleans Your Balls” video and enjoyed special performances by DJ Steve Aoki and DJ MomJeans (a.k.a. Danny Masterson).

But with a recall that is so far reaching into more than 60 countries, why would Toyoda wait so long to re-assure its consumers, retailers and shareholders that the automaker has the situation under control and re-assert that quality and consumer safety are its top priority? More importantly, how can Toyota recover from such highly publicized criticism and uncertainty over the safety of their vehicles?

But with a recall that is so far reaching into more than 60 countries, why would Toyoda wait so long to re-assure its consumers, retailers and shareholders that the automaker has the situation under control and re-assert that quality and consumer safety are its top priority? More importantly, how can Toyota recover from such highly publicized criticism and uncertainty over the safety of their vehicles?

But with a recall that is so far reaching into more than 60 countries, why would Toyoda wait so long to re-assure its consumers, retailers and shareholders that the automaker has the situation under control and re-assert that quality and consumer safety are its top priority? More importantly, how can Toyota recover from such highly publicized criticism and uncertainty over the safety of their vehicles?

But with a recall that is so far reaching into more than 60 countries, why would Toyoda wait so long to re-assure its consumers, retailers and shareholders that the automaker has the situation under control and re-assert that quality and consumer safety are its top priority? More importantly, how can Toyota recover from such highly publicized criticism and uncertainty over the safety of their vehicles?

But with a recall that is so far reaching into more than 60 countries, why would Toyoda wait so long to re-assure its consumers, retailers and shareholders that the automaker has the situation under control and re-assert that quality and consumer safety are its top priority? More importantly, how can Toyota recover from such highly publicized criticism and uncertainty over the safety of their vehicles?

But with a recall that is so far reaching into more than 60 countries, why would Toyoda wait so long to re-assure its consumers, retailers and shareholders that the automaker has the situation under control and re-assert that quality and consumer safety are its top priority? More importantly, how can Toyota recover from such highly publicized criticism and uncertainty over the safety of their vehicles?

But with a recall that is so far reaching into more than 60 countries, why would Toyoda wait so long to re-assure its consumers, retailers and shareholders that the automaker has the situation under control and re-assert that quality and consumer safety are its top priority? More importantly, how can Toyota recover from such highly publicized criticism and uncertainty over the safety of their vehicles?

But with a recall that is so far reaching into more than 60 countries, why would Toyoda wait so long to re-assure its consumers, retailers and shareholders that the automaker has the situation under control and re-assert that quality and consumer safety are its top priority? More importantly, how can Toyota recover from such highly publicized criticism and uncertainty over the safety of their vehicles?

I recall when Hyundai first entered the auto market here in the U.S. back in 1986. Both of my parents went out and purchased one due to its affordability (where are the days when you could buy a brand new car for $5K?) For years, Hyundai wasn't necessarily known for quality, not in the way Toyota has been branded at least, but the auto maker quickly became profitable making many in the automotive industry take notice and giving it staying power.

Previously, I would've only considered Kia to be their closest competitor (until they bought them out), yet with Toyota's recent PR Crisis over their massive recall and Hyundai ramping up production and an advertising blitz, Hyundai is beginning to emerge as real competition to the auto giant. Has Toyota's recall finally given Hyundai the opportunity to get an edge up on the brand? From a PR standpoint, my opinion is yes.

As mentioned in a previous post regarding Toyota's PR Crisis, Hyundai has begun the upwards climb of associating the idea of luxury with their brand. However, outright brand logo and trademark use have to be tread on lightly. For example, the newest State Farm commercial intentionally flubs Geico's "15 minutes can save your 15% or more" slogan by instead using the number 16 when they repeat the phrase.

Despite what you may have heard, the publishing industry is not dead. In fact, four new media groups are capitalizing on the industry, as their start-ups are profitable in this economy. Even more interesting is that these groups are all headed by four former CurtCo Media executives.

3 Digit Media, LLC is the only one of these groups to be headed by a woman. Carla Blanco launched 3 Digit Media in 2003 after the success of publishing “805 Living,” a Los Angeles lifestyle magazine and self-proclaimed “go-to guide for living the good life” in the area code. She co-founded the company with Lynne Andujar. While revenue has been down in the recession, the niche focusing of this group, which recently began publishing “805 Weddings,” will ultimately make it a stand-out in the economy.

Coram Publishing, headed by Arthur Coldwells, focuses on the advantages of print media, including capitalizing on advertisement revenue. “Ultimate Motorcycling” is the group’s primary source of revenue with over 50,000 readers. The former CurtCo magazine (“Robb Report Motorcycling”), it was acquired by Coldwells in 2008. The zine targets upscale motorcyclists, who are primarily baby-boomers. And on a positive note, Coldwells believes that after the recession magazines will see a huge boost. A promising statement for the journalist of the future.

Ever since the McCain-Palin ticket lost the Presidential election to Obama-Biden, Sarah Palin has branded herself as "rogue." It's an image that has stuck and one she has found great success in capitalizing on. And it appears as if Palin is going rogue again as the first politician with her eyes squarely focused on another Presidential bid in 2012 (if the world doesn't end, that is) to launch a reality television show. Sarah Palin's Alaska, a "travelogue" if you will, intends to give you a look at Alaska with Palin as host. The question here is, who will learn more about Alaska in this reality series? Palin or the rest of America?

She’s addicted to love. And she’s not afraid to admit it. Jennifer Love Hewitt’s new book “The Day I Shot Cupid: Hello, My Name Is Jennifer Love Hewitt and I'm a Love-aholic,” shares with the public what’s she’s learned from being a love addict. Her romantic affairs have been filling the tabloids since back in her “Party of Five” days, and now she’s using this book to help set the record straight on some of her love atrocities.

Filled with personal anecdotes, love insight, and JLH’s slang, the book is the cure-all for women who have a stack of self-help books lying next to their bed. JLH focuses on not depending on a man for happiness, whether that includes avoiding becoming a serial dater and using the three strike rule (rumored to have been created after her fling with John Mayer).

The number one reason companies have always deemed social media as the "wild wild west" is because they felt there is no semblance of order and a lack of control over their brand's image. Essentially, they can put the message out there, but relinquish a portion of control once it is in the hands of the end user. Nestle's recent social media PR crisis is one such example of how a brand's use of the space can quickly turn from fan adoration to an urgent case of reputation management. So what can a brand do to encourage discussion amongst true fans and those there to graffiti them with accusations?

While Nestle's first attempt to quell the fervor was to essentially demand good behavior on the fan page and establish rules for interaction, they did so under the assumption that clicking "become a fan" meant those 98,000+ people listed as fans were indeed true fans of their brand. Demands + Anti-brand = Defiance (as witnessed by folks using the Nestle logo in the manner Nestle told them not to.) In a sense, Nestle was trying to control what you cannot: human behavior.

So when you get bad press or called out for something publicly, how should it be handled before it gets out of control?

We just finished reviewing the Request for Proposal’s that came in from January 1^st to March 31^st. We do this every quarter to gage how business is trending. There was to say the least a lot more volume this past quarter than in the fourth quarter of last year. And they didn’t suck! Everyone must have read Tom Searcy’s book that came out last fall, right? We can only hope!

Here is what our report revealed:

• RFP’s were up by 35%
• Monthly retainer budgets for PR have increased by 20% from the previous quarter
• Retainer averages were around 10k to 15k a month
• Just over 20% that shopped us were just looking for “big ideas” where no agency was appointed after the proposal process. Good luck in doing those ideas in-house. (yes we mean that sarcastically)
• Almost everyone wanted to discuss social media and review programs that went above and beyond just a FaceBook page and blog strategy. The 2010 programs had to be tied into an ROI that would increase direct-to-consumer shopping online.

• The goal of sending out a message just to appease shareholders
• Big parties that are “just because” (thank God!) No more late nights.
• The craving for luxury, the “L” word is still a dirty one
• Schedule for annual ad buys in long leads
• Potential clients didn't ask to get on Oprah (since her show is closing) and the desire for exclusives with some of the persuasion publications also wasn't requested.

• Most teams are now flat
• Still willing to slash prices just to get the client in the door
• The big PR firms, the global ones - are still seeping over to where the niche players pitch
• Agencies are claiming to have areas of specialty in sectors that are new to them; celebrity seeding, social media, value and incentive communication and various media beats that are out of their stretch. Everyone is claiming to be a "social media" expert.  It may backfire!

Last week I watched a video interview of Richard Stacy, a social media consultant in London, on Cosmetics Design Europe. The headline that pulled me in was: "Small and medium-sized cosmetics players lead the way in social media." Before I even heard the interview, I nodded my head in agreement. It has been my experience over the years that smaller brands (regardless of niche) tend to be willing to try new things to expand their reach while larger brands have a tendency to "wait and see." Shoestring budgets often energize smaller brands to take creative approaches to marketing and publicity than a larger company would. Would you agree?

Here are some key points Stacy made regarding social media that I absolutely concur with:

The Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL) was established in March 1999 under the Provost Office at Columbia University. The mission of the Center is to enhance teaching and learning through the purposeful use of technology and new media. Pierce Mattie recently caught up with Marc Raymond, CCNMTL’s designer. Marc had left a comment on our blog a few weeks prior in regards to Nestle's Social Media PR Crisis.

Tell us a little bit more about Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL)

CCNMTL partners with Columbia University faculty to enhance teaching and learning through the purposeful use of new media. We support a wide range of efforts from basic course websites to advanced, custom-built projects. We are a group of more than 40 educational technologists, programmers, and designers who work with faculty at all schools and divisions of Columbia University, focusing on overlapping areas of innovation to support student inquiry and deepen understanding. Our 250+ projects include training environments, visualization and modeling tools, real-time data collection tools, data sharing programs, annotation and study tools, media archives simulations and multimedia study environments. We've also been the recipient of grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control, US Department of Education, Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as the Ford, JPMorgan Chase, Hewlett, and Toyota Foundations, among others!

At Pierce Mattie we are all about beauty, fashion and wellness! We were excited to learn about your work with Tobacco Cessation. What has the feedback been?

The Tobacco Cessation project has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both faculty and students at Columbia. For students studying to become dentists, understanding available tobacco cessation treatments and pharmacotherapies is extremely important to their practice. With the Tobacco Cessation's multimedia learning modules, students learn about the seven primary therapies for tobacco cessation and work through specific treatment scenarios. One of the most innovative components of this project is the 'virtual patient' activities in which students must conduct a patient assessment and recommend the best treatment plan for four fictitious patients. Learning activities such as this one seek to build students' skills and empower students to effectively encourage tobacco cessation in their future dental practice. Launched in 2009 by CCNMTL and David Albert, associate professor of clinical dentistry, the project continues to expand with new learning modules and may be offered to students in partnering universities in the future.

I can't help but think as SNL's popularity waxes and wanes, that the Facebook fans who petitioned Betty White as host, were onto something. All of the publicity and fan fare surrounding the 88-year old comedian's SNL debut this past Saturday was certainly not minimized in the NBC boardroom, I am sure. The petition and eventually White's actual hosting of SNL created so much buzz, it is the kind of viral PR that brands often dream of.

Forget Justin Bieber or any other "hot now" musical act or actor hosting SNL, forget recycling former hosts. What they need is to tap into the vein of the American people once again by way of iconic comedians and actors. The boost in ratings Betty White gave to SNL alone should be evidence enough that the current emotional state of the country looks to nostalgia as feel good medicine. And Ms. White delivered, with great success, her ability to make us laugh and stay tuned into SNL as she appeared in each skit throughout the night. SNL should thank White's petitioners because Saturday night was ratings gold.

I hear there is a new petition out there now for Carol Burnett, and SNL should pay close attention. Certainly that is another sketch comic I can get behind and would tune in to see. How about you? Will legendary actors and musicians hosting SNL give it the publicity it needs to be brought back to life?

*Photo Source: Carol Burnett for SNL fan page

Pierce Mattie PR client, Equmen, the underwear brand that created the Core Precision Undershirt, one of the first shapewear shirts developed specifically for men, and Precision Underwear, announced that they were traveling to Seattle for a big launch in Nordstrom. To support their launch, the spokespeople at Equmen wanted some local broadcast coverage while they were in the market. 

Now, we realize at times securing news segments can be difficult in this market where the people love everything coffee- and outdoor activity- related. How can we spin a store launch into something interesting enough that our phone will be ringing off the hook with news producers begging to book a segment with the brand’s spokesperson? 

First things first, we always start by building a strong media list that includes segment producers and guest contacts for appropriate shows. Next, we send out all of our media alerts via fax (yes we still use fax) and email and wait for the shows to contact our fashion dept. about booking a segment. We wish it was that easy, after a few days of no response and the client requesting a media update, we had to revert back to PR 101.

Smile and Dial J

So, we had to call every station in Seattle to nail down any producer who would listen to us pitch for more than 30 seconds. When a producer would tell us no, we then had to change our voice and call back 30 minutes later. We called every other day, until someone was willing to book our client. Persistence is key.

Mail and Prevail

For the stubborn producers who didn’t respond to our fax, email, or multiple phone messages, we decided to ship some of the products to the station to create some urgency in booking. 

Regroup and Research

If the response is not going as expected go to plan B. We reverted back to what a librarian taught us about researching and found every fashion, men’s interested blogger, writer, and radio talk show who published material in the last four weeks. Thank you ProQuest. This all combined with having authentic relationships that have spanned over the last decade with several segment producers in various parts of the country combined with the right contacts- made this happen. In all, the fashion team spent approximately 15 hours that week trying to secure segments. All of these tactics resulted in five minute segments on Q13 FOX News in the Morning, New Day North West (NBC) and a CBS radio segment on KIRO-FM.

Bottom line - have fun, don't stop pitching and most importantly win!!!

It seems that more and more products coming out of China are not only becoming synonymous with the words cheap, but also toxic. And so here we go again as recent reports about children's jewelry retailer Claire's and Miley Cyrus' Hannah Montana jewelry line for Walmart are being pulled from shelves due to being made with cadmium. Cadmium, as you might recall, is toxic to both bones and kidneys. As stated in the Pocono Record sometimes, "A low price comes at too high a cost."

So what PR strategies can Claire's and Walmart do to regain parent's trust when it comes to their jewelry products?

I like to think of social media as a chameleon. Over the last few years it has shown us how unique it can be yet still be adaptable to almost any situation we utilize it in. Print magazines are now found online in blog format, blogs are now used for SEO, microblogging for social sharing and customer service, live streaming to bring behind the scenes, local and non-local events directly to you and social networks to build relationships with customers. I'm talking social media from a business perspective, of course, and now more businesses are looking to incorporate the ability to sell direct to the consumer. Not just tweets from @DellOutlet with exclusive deals, I'm talking jumping onto Facebook and seeing more than "We just launched a new lipstick" on your favorite cosmetics brand's fan page. Instead you find actual storefronts set up making it easy to read about said newly launched lipstick and simply clicking a tab to purchase it...all without ever leaving the Facebook fan page.

Good customer service has always been the sure fire way to land the best publicity on earth. When economic times were good, many companies bypassed emphasis on this principle and strictly built value based on which publications featured their products. Certainly if they had a showcase of magazine hits here and broadcast hits there, that certainly was enough to make people buy (and repeat buy), enough to make people trust and enough to get people talking about their brand...right?

Maybe this was the way before, but in a want-it-now generation coupled with a troubled economy, there is a shift back to the "old school" principles of listening to what your customers want, then delivering. Or in other words, putting the customer first again. And honestly, I for one, love retro business standards. We could argue that the fervor around social media + business along with the demise of our economic stability created the perfect storm. 

Everything we encounter on a daily basis has been taken over by technology. Let’s face it: we are now living in a digital age. Using social media and networks, customers and consumers now communicate and interact with businesses via digital mediums. Given this truth, it is important for businesses to keep up or get left behind. The Network is Your Customer: Five Strategies to Thrive in a Digital Age is a new book by David Rogers that aims to assist businesses with customer networking.

David Rogers, digital strategist and executive director of the Center on Global Brand Leadership at Columbia Business School, serves as the perfect expert on this topic. In The Network is Your Customer, Rogers focuses on five trends when it comes to networking with customers:

• Accessing
• Engaging
• Customizing
• Connecting
• Collaborating

He explores all five of these topics and offers companies effective strategies that can essentially build sales and clientele. Roger’s book will guide and business owners and management step by step to ensure that a company reaches its maximum potential.

Any individual proficient in public relations is fully aware that in order to remain relevant in today’s society, it is essential that social media skills are mastered. The skills presented in The Network is Your Customer provide PR professionals with a strategy to build relationships with their clients and get the most out of social networking. If you work in public relations, I would advise you to make this book your new best friend.

Everything we encounter on a daily basis has been taken over by technology. Let’s face it: we are now living in a digital age. Using social media and networks, customers and consumers now communicate and interact with businesses via digital mediums. Given this truth, it is important for businesses to keep up or get left behind. The Network is Your Customer: Five Strategies to Thrive in a Digital Age is a new book by David Rogers that aims to assist businesses with customer networking.

David Rogers, digital strategist and executive director of the Center on Global Brand Leadership at Columbia Business School, serves as the perfect expert on this topic. In The Network is Your Customer, Rogers focuses on five trends when it comes to networking with customers:

• Accessing
• Engaging
• Customizing
• Connecting
• Collaborating

He explores all five of these topics and offers companies effective strategies that can essentially build sales and clientele. Roger’s book will guide and business owners and management step by step to ensure that a company reaches its maximum potential.

Any individual proficient in public relations is fully aware that in order to remain relevant in today’s society, it is essential that social media skills are mastered. The skills presented in The Network is Your Customer provide PR professionals with a strategy to build relationships with their clients and get the most out of social networking. If you work in public relations, I would advise you to make this book your new best friend.

In today’s competitive market, many companies hire public relations agencies as a way to promote and define their brand. Along the same line, in a time when the unemployment rate is 9%, you may be wondering what you can do to promote your skills and get yourself noticed by potential employers. Well, the answer has finally arrived and I can assure you that it is much less expensive than hiring your own personal publicist.

Be Your Own Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Hired and Rewarded at Work is a text by Jessica Kleiman and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper that will help you master the art of self-promotion. With over thirty years combined in the public relations industry, Kleiman and Cooper form the perfect duo in delivering the how-to’s on networking and developing relationships, standing out from the competition and marketing yourself in the workplace.

Kleisman and Cooper employ the techniques of public relations, such as pitching and strategy, to help you get ahead. This book is especially helpful to those in or pursuing a career in the public relations field. As one of the fastest growing fields, public relations is becoming increasingly competitive, especially for entry-level positions. Be Your Own Publicist is the perfect sidekick for the rising PR maven: build your PR skills while using them to build your personal brand.

Pierce Mattie PR Clientt: client Comfort Zone w/ their latest media covarege:  

Here we go again. With recent allegations of sexual harrassment by the Jet's players towards a female journalist, the media continues to re-emphasize the age old debate over a female reporters' place in the locker room. However, as the story begins to reveal itself, many are beginning to feel that they've just been duped by a PR stunt courtesy of Ines Sainz.

Accusations of "She was asking for it" and blame over her poor choice of attire would typically be shot down immediately with a how dare you whip of the tongue, but one can't help but look at her MySpace page and wonder, did she simply do it for the publicity? As one journalist wrote, where on that page is her professionalism as a journalist? Instead it boasts of a model in those posters that are bound to be found on my 17 year old cousin's wall.

But let me clearly state that whether Ines Sainz was harrassed or not, regardless of clothing and behavior, no woman deserves inappropriate and unwanted advances.

And no woman should exploit such to further her career either.

Do you think Ines Sainz exploited this situation? Or was she simply a reporter blowing the whistle on the frat boy mentality in the locker room?

Here we go again. With recent allegations of sexual harrassment by the Jet's players towards a female journalist, the media continues to re-emphasize the age old debate over a female reporters' place in the locker room. However, as the story begins to reveal itself, many are beginning to feel that they've just been duped by a PR stunt courtesy of Ines Sainz.

Accusations of "She was asking for it" and blame over her poor choice of attire would typically be shot down immediately with a how dare you whip of the tongue, but one can't help but look at her MySpace page and wonder, did she simply do it for the publicity? As one journalist wrote, where on that page is her professionalism as a journalist? Instead it boasts of a model in those posters that are bound to be found on my 17 year old cousin's wall.

But let me clearly state that whether Ines Sainz was harrassed or not, regardless of clothing and behavior, no woman deserves inappropriate and unwanted advances.

And no woman should exploit such to further her career either.

Do you think Ines Sainz exploited this situation? Or was she simply a reporter blowing the whistle on the frat boy mentality in the locker room?

It’s no secret that social media has become a huge part of our world today. It’s rare to find someone who isn’t using it in some capacity. Companies are learning that in order to reach their customers, they need to have this online presence. “Guerrilla Social Media Marketing” by Jay Conrad Levinson and Shane Gibson will provide you with all the advice and tips you need to successfully launch your social media campaign.

Guerrilla marketing through modern technology is "non-traditional" and most importantly, effective. This strategy is very flexible and allows you to connect and market on a consumer level. This book is referred to as “THE social media guerrilla's go-to guide” and it is a great tool to have. The book offers social media secrets, how to measure ROI, attack plans and more.

For PR students and veterans alike, Fraser Seitel is a household name. After working as senior VP of public affairs for Chase Manhattan Bank, Seitel broke off to form his own communications consultancy, Emerald Partners. Around the same time, he became senior counselor at Burson-Marsteller and was named one of the 100 Most Distinguished Public Relations Professionals of the 20th Century by PR Week magazine. In addition to writing for Odwyerpr.com and techcentralstation.com, he is a visiting professor at Florida International University’ s School of Journalism and an adjucunt at NYU.

With all of that going on, it’s hard to imagine that Seitel would have time for much else. Somehow, somewhere in between working at a major firm and teaching young PR professionals the ropes, he wrote a book. Not just any run-of-the-mill PR book, but The Practice of Public Relations, a text that has become a household name for most PR students across the country.

The text covers every corner of the PR world as best as possible, with topics ranging from Ethics to Crisis Management. Seitel uses honest, true-to-life examples that aim to impart real-world knowledge on students. The book also features contemporary interviews with PR professionals who dish their own experiences in management, media, and teaching.

A high-pressure situation can do one of two things to most people: it can make one hyperfocused and they go into overdrive, or it can make a person utterly fall to pieces. Paul Sullivan recognized this point of difference and wanted to delve deeper into why this is. His book Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t examines what top performers do under pressure, and how it makes them excel. Drawing upon research from diverse situations, Sullivan is able to expose the secrets of those who thrive under extreme pressure.

The book focuses on the concept of clutch versus choke. Simply put, a clutch person is an individual who has “the ability to do something that you can do under normal circumstances, under extreme pressure,” according to Sullivan. Somebody who chokes is not in touch with his or her ability to focus under pressure.

The book is broken down into three parts. The first examines why people are considered clutch, through their focus, previous discipline, and presence in the moment. It places emphasis on living life without a “Plan B” -- a fight-or-flight mentality that drives people to ensure that their first option not only won’t, but can’t fail. Naturally, Part II then focuses on why people choke. Sullivan attributes over thinking and overconfidence to why people often crumble under pressure. The book wraps up in a final section, How to Be Clutch.

Consumers today know technology. We blog, tweet and update our Facebook statuses as part of our daily routine. Many bloggers are reviewing products and Twitter users are tweeting about them. You can hope they’re saying only the best, but that’s not always the case as there are plenty of complaints and negative reviews everyday. Companies are finding it imperative to engage in this online communication and it’s necessary to maintain a positive branding image and a positive relationship with consumers.

I get emails, tweets and even mobile texts from some of my favorite brands every day- and it works. I spend the time reading about their new products, taking advantage of special offers or visiting their websites. “Branded!: How Retailers Engage Consumers with Social Media and Mobility” is an excellent read for businesses and PR professionals. Lori Schafer teaches companies that in order to reach your target audience, you need to think like them. Her book gives a clear review of social media and the use of mobile marketing and how every company will have a different personality when it comes to social marketing campaigns. Schafer also provides professionals with tools to analyze and measure performance and make intelligent and informed decisions on data.

Lisa Gansky is a self-described “impact junkie”, a woman who actively tries to break down traditional boundaries. Gansky’s aim is to help businesses evolve in conjunction with our social media-centered world. As a CEO of multiple internet companies and an advisor for several new businesses, Gansky has a solid background that allows her to credibly pass her knowledge on to others. Her new book, The Mesh, explains how business can create dynamic results and progressive partnerships through the use of social media and wireless networks.

The Mesh challenges the traditional business framework: Create product, sell, make money, repeat. Gansky explains that a different, contemporary model has been formed and is undoubtedly more effective. At its most base level, The Mesh is about the fundamental concept of sharing. We’ve been told since we were toddlers that sharing is good, but that knowledge tends to fall to the wayside when business ventures are concerned. Gansky brings us back to this idea of sharing, and directly links it with the Internet.

Let me be clear from the beginning, it's not wrong to partner with a blogger for a product giveaway, but if you are looking for it to convert into sales, then you are employing the wrong tactic. Furthermore, if you are simply working with *any* blogger just to get a hit for your client or brand, then you are contributing to the brand discounting mentality that has suddenly picked up speed due to the toxic mix of the economy, newer bloggers looking for freebies and the brands/PR firms who are happy to oblige just so they can say, "Look we're mentioned on X blog!"

How is that working out for you?

I'm writing this as both a blogger myself and as someone who works directly with brands for their social media strategies. To capture the attention of a blogger and gain coverage via a review or write up, takes a lot of relationship building, and for some, a little luck with just the right subject heading and catchy pitch. I'm finding that more and more brands are getting desperate to get mentioned on a blog or to simply have the ability to say, "Yeah we work with bloggers..." And due to this, they are bypassing promoting a great product and instead offer it up as a giveaway because in a sense, it benefits the blogger as well. However, this is a slippery slope and one that I think more brands need to take precaution with because in the end, it's not about how many, but about who you are working with.

Why should I actually buy your product if I can find it on *any* blog giving it away for free?

There's something to be said for exclusivity. Pick a handful of reputable bloggers and work with them if you want to engage your potential consumers with a giveaway to spark interest in your brand. But certainly do not, under any circumstances, just work with anyone willing to host your giveaway. First of all Facebook numbers don't tell the whole story. So what if a blogger touts that they have 20K fans? If all they ever do is host giveaways and promote it via Twitter, and you've all seen it -- "Help us get to 3K fans! We're giving away X product!" ...well it's completely logical to come to the conclusion that the fans and followers are only there for free stuff, certainly not for their content or even to consider purchasing from you. If they don't win your product, they move onto the next giveaway.

ARM yourself with knowledge: Ask, Research, Monitor.

Most consumers are holding onto their wallets pretty tightly these days and higher-end purchases have become a rarity (Tiffany & Co. being the exception of course.) At Pierce Mattie PR we are watching from our retail clients the re-emergence of layaway and how it's helping drive the purchase of bigger ticket items this holiday season. For a while layaway seemed to go by way of the dinosaur, but due to the recession, consumer demand has resuscitated it. Sears has brought it back for their appliances, Kmart has brought it back and in this digital age you can now find layaway sites online. Both Lay-Away.com and eLayaway.com offer affordable solutions for everything from camcorders to appliances to computers—and from retailers such as the Apple Store and eBags. Will layaway be the saving grace for our economy?

In the past, layaway was often associated with just budget-friendly department stores and mass retailers (like Walmart, who did away with their layaway program), but now more luxury retailers are beginning to offer it. Recently Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers in LA was noted as selling a $36,000 diamond ring via layaway. For most, this is a better option than putting items on credit for various reasons such as their credit being tapped out or avoiding that high monthly interest rate.

If you are a retailer, marketing layaway as an affordable option to purchase higher-end products may just help boost your sales fourth quarter. It may also help get first-time consumers through your door.

What are your thoughts on high-end stores offering layaway? Will it tarnish their brand image or will it eventually boost sales?

Photo Credit: Cole Haan Handbag from eLayaway.com

When you hear the term “hacking”, it’s likely your mind will automatically jump to computer coding, the stealing of information, etc. For Bill Jensen & Josh Klein, hacking has a completely different connotation.

Jensen & Klein’s Hacking Work: Breaking Stupid Rules for Smart Results isn’t your typical how-to book. True, it explores how to get what you need to succeed, but what sets Hacking Work apart from all the other success-driven books is that Jensen & Klein urge you to exploit loopholes. While it sounds borderline unethical, it’s not.

“Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevant” by David A. Aaker teaches companies to eliminate competition and dominate the market. It’s a great read for those looking to put their brands at the forefront of business.

This book gives case study samples on how top brands outshine their competitors and became leaders in their market, noting iPad, Whole Foods and Prius as examples. In order to make competitors irrelevant, Aaker educates readers on creating new categories or sub categories for a product. This way you are not just the top brand, but the only brand around for a specific market category. The three main points Aaker gets across are to treat a new category of product as if it were a brand when managing it, stay visible to consumers by producing what they want, and implement innovation at every level of the company.

When a celebrity dies, it is a sound heard across the world. When an ordinary person dies, it goes unheard. It is a sad but true fact in our celebrity obessed culture. That being the case, Digital Life Sacrifice is a cause marketing campaign involving celebrities like Lady Gaga, the Kardashian sisters and Alicia Keys who will cease communication on Twitter and Facebook starting this Wednesday--thus a digital death per say-- until the AIDS/HIV charity, Keep a Child Alive, raises $1 million.

While a lot of reaction to the campaign is that the celebrities could easily donate $1 million themselves (or hey Kim Kardashian could've just charged it to her Kardashian Kard, if that hadn't already gone defunct), the bottom line is that celebrity involvement often helps a charity with a wide reach, awareness of the issue they stand behind...and most of all: money.

Sure, it's a bit self absorbed for the celebrities to think their fans will rush to make donations in an effort to reach the $1 million mark to get them back tweeting again...especially when most of us are thinking about how to afford paying the bills AND holiday gifts this year. But this is the most philanthropic time of year after all, and if their silence means money raised for a good cause, then so be it.

Renee Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim’s professional backgrounds in advising and strategizing have given them a wealth of knowledge to draw from in writing their book, Blue Ocean Strategy. Both authors received the Nobel Colloquia Prize for Leadership on Business and Economic Thinking in 2008 for their innovative contributions to business strategy, and they share their knowledge with the public through the Blue Ocean Strategy Network.

Corporations today are riddled with rivalries that result in brutal competition for a profit pool that’s shrinking on a daily basis. The concept of a blue ocean is a metaphor for strategic business success. Red oceans are the current industries that fight over a crowded market and engage in cutthroat competition. Blue oceans, on the other hand, is representative of a market space that has yet to be explored deeply, but promises to produce demand, yield profits, and eliminate this idea of bloody competition.

Instead of engaging in red ocean fights that yield unsatisfactory results, business owners should instead strive to create this blue ocean which allows for a market space conducive to industry growth. Within the book, Mauborgne and Kim have laid out the tools for this idea to come to fruition, from basic framework principles to the 4 Hurdles to Execution.

Blue Ocean Strategy is more than just a book – it’s a revolution. The book is printed in over 40 languages and there are Blue Ocean Strategy Institutions in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the United States. At these strategy centers, members of the Blue Ocean Community conduct research and work to put this concept into practice. The online network also allows users to find BOS speakers, consultants, and in-house trainers for organization events.

It may sound simple, but the theory of "stick to what you're good at" seems to be the key to success in this economy. Lately, so many companies are trying to dip their toes into various niches outside of their own in an effort to make money and stop the financial bleeding that has been occurring. This has been especially true for print publications as subscribership has decreased just as dramatically as ad spending has. So how can publications sustain? Stick to what you know and don't try to pretend to be something that you're not. And that's just what SmartMoney magazine is going to.

As SmartMoney revamps for the digital age, one thing is certain, they are not going give the facade that they are a daily magazine. Sure, technology has made information that is an hour old seem like yesterday's news, but there is still that fundamental desire to read thorough articles about money management, retirement, stocks and one's overall finances. SmartMoney knows that after all of the money businesses, as well as, consumers have lost in the last few years, the last thing they want to do is make impulsive decisions simply based off of a piece of advice here or there. They want sound advice with well-thought out reasoning to back it. This is something a monthly magazine has the ability to do because they have one thing that dailies don't: time.

SmartMoney will also focus on fewer features, but continue to expand upon what they are already good at. This is a great way to further cement expertise rather than spread yourself thin for the sake of fluffing up the pages. And that's just it, people don't want fluff. They don't want filler. They want the facts they need to know in order to make sound financial decisions.

So will SmartMoney sink or swim? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Guidelines and rules for business are all well and good, but rarely do they result in the highest success. Realistically, the most successful entrepreneurs are those who have an intrinsic knack for business. They’re the people who just seem to get it, possessing a mentality that’s both enviable and hard to duplicate.

Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham are Inc. Magazine columnists are bringing this knack to those who might not be so street-savvy. In their book The Knack, the authors use real-life examples to illustrate how entrepreneurs with “the knack” have used their skills to solve problems within their businesses. If you aren’t as gifted or experienced in business as you’d like to be, take some cues from Brodsky and Burlingham.

One of the main points readers will take away from the book is the importance of understanding numbers. Tracking your businesses numbers in real time is the most accurate way of tracking your businesses success, or lack thereof. Either way, a thorough understanding of numbers is one of the most important steps business owners can take to guarantee their success.

Continuing with this theme of numbers, Brodsky and Burlingham outline how necessary it is to be completely on top of finances, from loans to liabilities. The authors also placed an emphasis on ethics, covering business relationship within the workplace and the respectful treatment of competitors.

Pink happens to be my favorite color and has been since my first Strawberry Shortcake doll. To me, it represents femininity and beauty. Others may now associate it with breast cancer initiatives while some now even associate it with the sexualization of young girls. In Peggy Orenstein's book, Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture, she discusses how from an early age girls are marketed to in a way that tells them "how a girl looks matters more than who she is." Some would argue this is true, especially those on the cusp of Gen X and Gen Y.

In recent years I've heard more people opposed to giving their daughters a Barbie because they feel she represents something unattainable rather than simply being a doll. (As a child this never even crossed my mind, I loved Barbie simply because she was cool.) In college I remember a Sociology class I took that focused on women and how the media depicts how our roles should be in society; the professor called it the "Upstairs Downstairs effect." One of the things we had to study were Disney films and list the commonalities among the princesses or lead females in each animated movie. The female, she argued, was relaying to girls at an early age that this is what society expects of them--be physically attractive, be flirty, seek perfection and know your role in a relationship. I definitely saw the pattern, which is what Cinderella Ate My Daughter is trying to point out; not merely Disney princesses, but how this is seeded through all aspects of childhood by the media and toy makers.

And if you think about it for a minute, how else do we tell child stars to make a successful transition from bubble gum to adult? They're told to sex it up. Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Miley Cyrus anyone? Our tabloids blast any star who shows even an ounce of cellulite. And who lands on the covers of magazine with positive PR spin? Only the super attractive. What does that tell our daughters?

You could say that Orenstein's book portrays pink washing as not only deceptive marketing when it comes to breast cancer, but gives it new meaning as the downfall of sexualization in our children. Have you read this book? What do you think?

In a market where business owners are constantly striving for more (especially at Pierce Mattie PR) – more revenue, more clients, more reach – the term “zilch” isn’t usually on the radar. The truth is, the notion of nada is one of the most beneficial practices affecting society and big business today. Nancy Lublin’s explores this concept in her book Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business.

At the age of 23, Nancy Lublin started her own not-for-profit armed with only $5,000. Dress for Success provides young women with interview suits, career development training, and provides a much-needed self-confidence boost in four countries. The NYU Law School graduate has received numerous awards for her leadership and philanthropy, and her activism continues even today, with her newest venture, DoSomething.org.

Her book aims to show how non-profits get amazing things done with…well, zilch. A lack of funding and initial support does not equate with little results, and Lublin wants to teach business owners how to grow their own countries using the mindset of not-for-profit organizations. Especially when faced with difficult economic times, this book is a must-have for executives looking to cut costs but still garner significant results.

"Born This Way," the first single and title track from Lady Gaga's hotly anticipated upcoming album, is the fastest selling single ever on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) worldwide, hitting #1 in all 23 countries and selling over one million tracks in just five days.

In addition to breaking the iTunes record this week Lady Gaga gave a spectacular performance of the song on Sunday's Grammy telecast, where she won her 3rd, 4th and 5th Grammys.

Lady Gaga's third full-length album, Born This Way (Streamline/Kon Live/Interscope), is scheduled for release on May 23rd.

Communications expert, John A. Daly, has a new book coming out that would be ideal for anyone who has every wanted to get their ideas off of the ground. And we at Pierce Mattie PR see this every day. The book, Advocacy: Championing Ideas and Influencing Others, is all about marketing ideas and making sure that others not only listen but take hold of what you are saying.

Daly is a renowned expert on communications. He's served on the Board of Directors of the International Customer Service Association as well as the International Communications Association. Not only that, he was the president of the National Communications Association back in 1998. Basically, this guy knows a thing or two about connecting with people. Currently, Daly teaches at the University of Texas at Austin in their College of Communication.

His book, which comes out this upcoming August, is a potential life changer for anyone who is aspiring to have their voice heard. Whether it be for anyone who wants to embark on a new idea and wants to know how to get it in motion or for someone who just wants their opinion to get considered in the pending office meeting.

Within the book, Daly lists a guide in which you can properly formulate your idea and opinion so that it can eventually become successful and have results. With today's economy being as underwhelming as it has been over the past few years, it's imperative that we have smart and successful business owners...and those who can stand out from the crowd to get their voices heard and make a difference. You can pre-order your copy now at amazon.com!

Thankfully at Pierce Mattie PR, we have private offices and don't use an open cubicle floorplan.

When the economy is less than stellar, it’s easy to rationalize staying in a job you hate. Bills, mortgages, and daily expenses are reason enough to make the daily pilgrimage to cubicle nation, right? Wrong. Despite being inundated with headlines about the dismal economic state, there’s more opportunity out there than one might think.

Pamela Slim is a self-employed trainer who has spent over a decade traveling and speaking to large corporations around the country. Her speaking events encouraged her to start a blog in hopes of inspiring entrepreneurship and a breakaway from dead-end jobs. Slim poured her experiences and advice into the blog, and she soon realized that a book would be the next logical step in spreading her message to the corporate prisoners of America.

Her book, Escape from Cubicle Nation, is filled with interviews with experts in entrepreneurship who discuss everything from finance to the importance of social networking. It’s a push in the right direction for those who are hesitant to take the next step in advancing their career and following their dreams. Slim takes a comprehensive look at leaving a desk job and provides a vast range of both emotional and economic considerations.

Kirk Douglas had a great time going off script with the Academy Awards audience Sunday night. For a legendary actor, and one who has had health difficulties as well as his son Michael Douglas, it was forgivable and entertaining, but should actors go with a script at these award shows or does winging it make it much more entertaining (i.e. Melissa Leo accidently dropping the F bomb)?

From personal experience (not winning an Academy Award of course) with public speaking, I know that having a list of talking points without an actual script is the best way to convey realism and a more engaging way in which to speak about your topic at hand. Following a script means you are more focused on memorization than feeding off the energy in the room and working with the audience. Which is why I was amused in the manner in which Kirk Douglas toyed with his audience. They were captive and he is still pretty sharp for 94!

I don't know about you, but I prefer awards shows where the presenters are more impromptu and the winners simply forget the speech and elicit raw emotion. There is something so very honest about it. 

What do you think, whether public speaking or actors at awards shows--follow the script or ditch it and play off the audience?

*Photo Source: Dallas Observer Blogs

Many PR professionals believe that no textbook can teach students the motivation and skills they need to succeed in the industry. From my experiences both in academia and the world of public relations, I tend to agree. However, while nothing can replace real-world experience, it is still necessary for students to grasp the basic framework, concept and terms that define PR.

In this case, Averill Gordon’s aptly titled book, Public Relations, is an excellent overview from which students can grow their knowledge. Gordon is a specialist in global PR and as a student lecturer at AUT University in New Zealand, she understands how to get inside students’ heads. Her book covers the basic principles of PR, allowing room for lecturers to expand on topics and use real-life examples to bolster the material.

Gordon first takes a look at the general PR framework, segueing into how to create the perfect PR campaign. She then goes on to discuss public relations in a broader context, including crisis management, social responsibility, and the ever-important realm on online media. It’s a broad theoretical approach to a complex industry, but Gordon does include an “application to industry” case study section, which provides examples of properly implemented PR campaigns.

‘ASAP’ is poison. Underdo the competition. Meetings are toxic. Fire the workoholics and emulate drug dealers. Pick a fight. Planning is guessing. Inspiration is perishable.

Not exactly the typical business model, right? These little acumens are the polar opposite of everything we’ve been told about business, and instinct tells us to stay clear of any such advice. It borders on the brink of insane – pick a fight? Emulate drug dealers? But it seems like authors Jason Fried and David Hansson might be on to something. Their newest book, REWORK, is meant to seem a little crazy. It’s challenging business owners to completely reassess and restrategize their brands for brilliantly simple success.

Fried and Hansson are the founders of 37Signals, a web-based app that streamlines collaboration and internal organization. The success born from their sharp minds and keen business sense prompted them to share their own personal strategies in REWORK. Though their counsel may at first be counter-intuitive, it’s a fresh approach to business, and the power of the content is on par with the initial shock value.

In the words of author Roy M. Spence, Jr., “When the ashes clear from this economic Armageddon, the only organizations left standing will be the ones standing for something.” His book, It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For, is a lesson in social responsibility that emphasizes the importance of Purpose. It guides organizations towards discovering their focus in order to bring sustainable growth during a time when growth can seem impossible.

Roy Spence is the CEO of GSD&M Idea City, a marketing company that has trademarked the Purpose-based Branding™ philosophy. Following this line of thought, Spence helps companies hone in on purpose and/or altruistic tendencies, and finds a way to integrate said purpose into a company’s leadership language.

This concept of purpose branding is the crux of Spence’s book. Aimed towards motivated professionals looking to set their businesses apart, It’s Not What You Sell will inspire readers to brainstorm as they push through the chapters. Enthusiasm is what drives the decision making process, and once professionals can focus on their core purpose, ideas and conversations will flow naturally. Spence forces readers to face reflective questions, questions that are not always easy to answer but are necessary to consider.

In the words of author Roy M. Spence, Jr., “When the ashes clear from this economic Armageddon, the only organizations left standing will be the ones standing for something.” His book, It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For, is a lesson in social responsibility that emphasizes the importance of Purpose. It guides organizations towards discovering their focus in order to bring sustainable growth during a time when growth can seem impossible.

Roy Spence is the CEO of GSD&M Idea City, a marketing company that has trademarked the Purpose-based Branding™ philosophy. Following this line of thought, Spence helps companies hone in on purpose and/or altruistic tendencies, and finds a way to integrate said purpose into a company’s leadership language.

This concept of purpose branding is the crux of Spence’s book. Aimed towards motivated professionals looking to set their businesses apart, It’s Not What You Sell will inspire readers to brainstorm as they push through the chapters. Enthusiasm is what drives the decision making process, and once professionals can focus on their core purpose, ideas and conversations will flow naturally. Spence forces readers to face reflective questions, questions that are not always easy to answer but are necessary to consider.

Pitching is to PR what strategy is to football: essential. But, like a good football team, a PR professional should revamp their strategy from time to time. While it’s key to still maintain close relationships with the press, it never hurts to try out a new method. Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff provides an innovative approach to switching up pitching style.

By definition, Klaff is not a PR professional, but as a Director of Capital Markets for a major investment bank, a solid pitching technique is what sets him apart from his peers. Klaff recognized a level constant repetition and mediocrity so engrained in the world of finance and set out to raise the bar – for himself and for others. Klaff’s personal pitching method has helped to raise over $400,000,000 over the past 13 years, and he decided it was time to share his knowledge with the general population.

A sound approach to pitching is more than an art, it’s a science. Klaff created a five-step blueprint that sets professionals up for success. Klaff applied the latest neuroeconomic theories to his method, creating a system based around how people’s brains generally react to pitches. His method includes properly positioning the frame, imposing high status, telling the big idea, create hot cognitions, and finally hooking the deal.

How to Attract and Retain Customers Worldwide

The power of social media is undeniable. It’s a driving force in almost every aspect of our society -- from fashion to technology, virtually every company is diving into the worlds of media and microblogging. This new territory can be hard to navigate, and many companies are enlisting the help of professionals to create social media plans to grow their business.

As you stumble through Twitter and other social networking sites, you’re bound to come across self-proclaimed “experts” and “social media gurus” offering advice on how to max out on your social media potential. Before you haphazardly enlist the help of an unknown twitter friend, take a look at The Power of Real Time Social Media Marketing by Beverly Macy and Teri Thompson.

Macy and Thompson don’t just claim to be social media experts, they have the credentials to prove it. The duo has combined their award-winning experience in marketing strategy with their knowledge of “real time” media to create a book that is both practical and sophisticated. The Power of RTM is a media model: it provides stories, strategies, and practices of companies who are utilizing real time social media the right way.

In honor of The Brenda Novak for the Cure of Diabetes CEO Pierce Mattie is auctioning off his famed rolodex of media contacts. Pierce will give you the best magazine editors, TV producers and websites to pitch your brand, book, product or company. Any industry welcome; beauty, fashion, jewelry, lifestyle, books, etc. (the auction item reads specific to fiction authors as that is the theme of the charity)

Contacts can be both national and regional. Pierce will not only give you their names, but also their email addresses, telephone numbers and mailing address.

Pierce will also critique your press kit, help create a PR calendar and role-play with your pitch.

To view this item click here.

NOTE: This does not guarantee any media placements. Pierce will not pitch the press for you but will help you do it yourself.

It is safe to say that technology has officially taken over this world. With the inventions of smart phones, iPads and 3D television, there is no stopping the ever-evolving digital world. With that being said, there is such a vast amount of information out there and at times it can be hard to handle the swarming results when you hit “search” on your favorite search engine. Alas, former chief information officer of Google has a book, Getting Organized in the Google Era: How to Get Stuff out of Your Head, Find it When You Need It and Get It Done Right ($16 on Amazon), that will be perfect for any forgetful, overwhelmed person who just wants a little organization in their life. (Timely with competitor search engine Bing's ads about search overload.)

What I found to set this organizational book apart from the rest is that authors, James Martin and Douglas Merrill really gave insightful details on how the mind actually works. Because of this, our minds are at times not able to process the heavy information that comes our way and we end up frustrated and unorganized! The book includes chapters dedicated to showing how to manipulate the technology that has become routine in our daily lives. With tips about how Google has now manifested amazing applications like Google Voice, Google Mail and everything else, this books enables the reader to learn how to manage and sort out what is most important in our lives.

Have you ever wished you could simply wiggle your nose and change the minds and opinions of others? Well, Guy Kawaski, former Apple evangelist has your solution, sans nose wiggling. The author/entrepreneur has returned with his 10th book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions, teaching business owners how to unlock the art of persuasion and influence all while maintaining a strong sense of ethics.

Kawaski tackles the issue of how to gain and maintain customers. Rather than simply persuading or “woo-ing” customers on a case-by-case situation, Kawaski gives you the tools to enchant them, creating a strong, long term bond between both parties. Consider the word itself, to be enchanted insinuates a passionate and “head over heels” relationship, therefore an “enchanted” customer is the best, fiercely loyal and at times forgiving. He also provides the tools to thrive in the digital age, actively and inactively using social media to enchant others in the viral world.

If you've ever been in the sales industry (or even PR when trying to bring on new clients,) one of your biggest obstacles may have been overcoming objections when it came to making the sale. Knowing that this occurs regularly in sale atmospheres, Mike Schultz and John Doerr mastered the issues that develop when it comes to sealing the deal. Their book, Rainmaking Conversations: Influence, Persuade and Sell in Any Situation, gives ample advice and facts about selling strategies that work.

Their effective acronym, RAIN, stands for rapport, aspirations and afflictions, impact and new realities. RAIN also happens to be the group that both Schultz and Doerr have developed. This strategy is aimed at perfecting your approach to selling and making sure you are equipped with resources that will generate a purchase. With a plethora of tips, research and field work, Rainmaking Coversations gives advice such as applying influence to your sales strategy, proper communication and how to overcome objections. Essentially, any upcoming business owner or anyone in sales should own a copy of this book.

Former reporter, editor and correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, Erik Calonius’ new book unveils the secrets of what makes business visionaries such as Steve Jobs and Richard Branson, tick. Ten Steps Ahead: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us highlights the shared attributes and draws on science, as well as emotional intelligence, to help us better understand how we too can see and make the future.

From his history in journalism, Calonius has interviewed many of the most innovative business people in the world today. Based on his personal engagements with these people, he intertwines and weaves together their stories to analyze and reveal how their “extraordinary powers” are developed and applied.

It’s in our nature to simplify and think small. We have been taught throughout our lives to not be greedy, but be grateful for what we have instead of constantly wanting more. It is understandable that from our conditioning people are naturally scared to ask for more, which can lead to missed opportunities.

According to the author of The Power of Thinking Big, in a study two advertisements were placed in the newspaper for a job with the exact same requirements except one’s salary was significantly higher than the other. What do you think happened? About ten times more people applied to the lower salary. Why should you belittle yourself, think BIG!

For many people the idea of being rich is a dream and will continue to remain one because they do not believe it is attainable. For those who have made substantial achievements in success and wealth, most owe it to themselves. The truly successful have a drive that surpasses the majority of the population and will do whatever it takes to reach their goals.

Available now on Amazon Kindle and Kindle reader apps, 'Media Makeover: Improving The News One Click at a Time' is the newest installment of TED Books.

Jim Daly, TED Books Editor says, “Alisa Miller, media and technology leader and CEO of Public Radio International, urges us to be aware and take control of the news if we want a more accurate picture of the world. After reading Media Makeover you will never consume or think about the news the same way again. Media Makeover is a must-read for anyone who wants to be better informed.”

Media Makeover is an entertaining and informative bird’s eye view of how “news” is made, what is missing from our news diets, why certain types of content are harder to come by, the implications for our society, and perhaps most importantly, what can be done about it. The book builds on Miller’s popular TEDTalk, “How News Shapes our World” and has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times and translated into 41 languages.

Miller says, “Whether its coverage of former Representative Anthony Weiner or the next sensational news story, it’s reassuring to see that reputable research tells us that the public got it right – we had much less interest in the Weiner story than the news media did.” Miller continues, “the American people intuitively know there is something amiss in the news agenda but have not quite been able to put their finger on the scope of the problem or what can be done about it.”

Power Performance: Multimedia Storytelling for Journalism and Public Relations by Tony Silvia just hit the bookshelves this year. The book offers insightful tips about the multimedia world. The main audiences targeted by this book are journalists and other professionals in the multimedia field. However, the chapters written in a story-telling format and the ones that incorporate profiles of famous journalists and public relations practitioners, are extremely interesting and draw in other industries, besides journalists, to read this book.

Tony Silvia’s background is actually what brought me to find this book and I discovered it was a great read! He is very well known in the multimedia world and has received recognition for his accomplishments within the field. He is currently a Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of South Florida. His roles as consumer reporter and news anchor have helped him gain a wide range of experience. The Broadcast Education Association praised his work in CNN’s science-technology features unit. He has also won three Emmy Awards and an Associated Press Award for best documentary.

The book is very easy to read and is structured in such a way that it can be useful even for people just starting work in media. His book starts by explaining to the readers what the expected role of the storyteller is. Then it goes on to talk about reporting, writing, and video storytelling for different sources. It is difficult for people to understand how stories should be presented in different ways depending on the source it's being presented from, and the author does a great job of clarifying that. Of course, no media job is complete without public relations, and he helps PR people understand what their job is in the media industry. I also really like that he did not just focus on what your job is and how to get it done, but has also focused on the ethics and responsibilities media jobs carry.

Power Performance: Multimedia Storytelling for Journalism and Public Relations by Tony Silvia just hit the bookshelves this year. The book offers insightful tips about the multimedia world. The main audiences targeted by this book are journalists and other professionals in the multimedia field. However, the chapters written in a story-telling format and the ones that incorporate profiles of famous journalists and public relations practitioners, are extremely interesting and draw in other industries, besides journalists, to read this book.

Tony Silvia’s background is actually what brought me to find this book and I discovered it was a great read! He is very well known in the multimedia world and has received recognition for his accomplishments within the field. He is currently a Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of South Florida. His roles as consumer reporter and news anchor have helped him gain a wide range of experience. The Broadcast Education Association praised his work in CNN’s science-technology features unit. He has also won three Emmy Awards and an Associated Press Award for best documentary.

The book is very easy to read and is structured in such a way that it can be useful even for people just starting work in media. His book starts by explaining to the readers what the expected role of the storyteller is. Then it goes on to talk about reporting, writing, and video storytelling for different sources. It is difficult for people to understand how stories should be presented in different ways depending on the source it's being presented from, and the author does a great job of clarifying that. Of course, no media job is complete without public relations, and he helps PR people understand what their job is in the media industry. I also really like that he did not just focus on what your job is and how to get it done, but has also focused on the ethics and responsibilities media jobs carry.

Power Performance: Multimedia Storytelling for Journalism and Public Relations by Tony Silvia just hit the bookshelves this year. The book offers insightful tips about the multimedia world. The main audiences targeted by this book are journalists and other professionals in the multimedia field. However, the chapters written in a story-telling format and the ones that incorporate profiles of famous journalists and public relations practitioners, are extremely interesting and draw in other industries, besides journalists, to read this book.

Tony Silvia’s background is actually what brought me to find this book and I discovered it was a great read! He is very well known in the multimedia world and has received recognition for his accomplishments within the field. He is currently a Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of South Florida. His roles as consumer reporter and news anchor have helped him gain a wide range of experience. The Broadcast Education Association praised his work in CNN’s science-technology features unit. He has also won three Emmy Awards and an Associated Press Award for best documentary.

The book is very easy to read and is structured in such a way that it can be useful even for people just starting work in media. His book starts by explaining to the readers what the expected role of the storyteller is. Then it goes on to talk about reporting, writing, and video storytelling for different sources. It is difficult for people to understand how stories should be presented in different ways depending on the source it's being presented from, and the author does a great job of clarifying that. Of course, no media job is complete without public relations, and he helps PR people understand what their job is in the media industry. I also really like that he did not just focus on what your job is and how to get it done, but has also focused on the ethics and responsibilities media jobs carry.

A book just for undergraduates that teaches all the steps and strategies of practicing public relations effectively: Strategic Public Relations: Audience-Focused Practice, is written by Barbara Diggs-Brown. Diggs-Brown has been in the public relations field for nearly thirty years and believes that the only way to effectively practice PR is to have the audience in mind from the start. Barbara goes over the different strategies used and which are most adequate depending on what you, the PR practitioner, is trying to convey to the audience.

The book includes actual public relation campaigns and the effectiveness they had, Strategic Public Relations also covers the importance of being an ethical practitioner in public relations, also giving real life examples and there outcomes.

Strategic Public Relations contains 20 chapters and will be ready for students to buy this August, but is also available to the public via Amazon.com.

Getting the life you have always wanted is now one step closer with the help of Harrison Monarth in his new book 360 Degrees of Influence: Get Everyone to Follow Your Lead on Your Way to the Top. This book features some of the latest human behavior research to help you develop your leadership and professional skills to enable you to quickly climb to the top in your career.

The author of this influential book, Harrison Monarth, is a very saught after public speaking coach, he has worked with some of the most powerful professionals on a regular basis. In his newest book Monarth also goes in-depth with selling tactics to your senior executives as well as selling your best personal brand.

Not yet released, you can pre-order 360 Degrees of Influence today and start reaching your full professional potential.

Getting the life you have always wanted is now one step closer with the help of Harrison Monarth in his new book 360 Degrees of Influence: Get Everyone to Follow Your Lead on Your Way to the Top. This book features some of the latest human behavior research to help you develop your leadership and professional skills to enable you to quickly climb to the top in your career.

The author of this influential book, Harrison Monarth, is a very saught after public speaking coach, he has worked with some of the most powerful professionals on a regular basis. In his newest book Monarth also goes in-depth with selling tactics to your senior executives as well as selling your best personal brand.

Not yet released, you can pre-order 360 Degrees of Influence today and start reaching your full professional potential.

As much as we may deny it, our career has a big role in our emotions, and although it may be the “status quo” to stay professional 100% of the time while working, this may be hurting us rather than helping. Vincent R. Waldron author of Communicating Emotion at Work digs into the relationships made at work and the risks we take in our everyday procedures and how communicating emotions with others at work will positively affect yourself and the company. Waldron explains effective communicative tactics, and how to handle work situations that are bound to happen such as properly managing privacy: what is too much, or too little, how to give criticism without coming off as nasty and mending broken relationships. Also included in the book is recent research of the current workforce.

Dr. Vincent R. Waldron is a professor of communications at Arizona State University and has published two other books in this genre. Waldron has been focusing on personal relationships and work relationships his whole career. Communicating Emotion at Work is a must read for any student or individual in management and the communications field.

As much as we may deny it, our career has a big role in our emotions, and although it may be the “status quo” to stay professional 100% of the time while working, this may be hurting us rather than helping. Vincent R. Waldron author of Communicating Emotion at Work digs into the relationships made at work and the risks we take in our everyday procedures and how communicating emotions with others at work will positively affect yourself and the company. Waldron explains effective communicative tactics, and how to handle work situations that are bound to happen such as properly managing privacy: what is too much, or too little, how to give criticism without coming off as nasty and mending broken relationships. Also included in the book is recent research of the current workforce.

Dr. Vincent R. Waldron is a professor of communications at Arizona State University and has published two other books in this genre. Waldron has been focusing on personal relationships and work relationships his whole career. Communicating Emotion at Work is a must read for any student or individual in management and the communications field.

It has been my goal for a while now to take my "behind the scenes" experience with social media and get in front of a camera to explain it to a broader audience. I've slowly made the transition from blogging to freelance writing to public speaking at trade shows (HBA and Cosmoprof), but today I had the opportunity to screen test for a new lifestyle segment that will be debuting in September for an NBC/CBS affiliate station. Having never been on set before, I sought out experts to help me be prepared so that I could walk in and make the best impression possible. Naturally, I spoke personally with Pierce Mattie, but I also sought out expert stylist and fellow blogger, Catherine Horgan to help me get ready for my big day.

Here's what I learned:

Last week Pierce Mattie and I got to talking about how social media has changed brand consumption and consumer expectations, noting that it has had both pros and cons. Pros being that it has made brands more accountable (if you mess up, expect it to become a trending topic on Twitter), more transparent (if you are lying, consumers will be quick to find out) and more pull and less push. Cons are that it has created a generation born of immediate gratification (God help you if you don't have someone immediately answering a fan's question on Facebook), high expectations, lacking brand loyalty and give new meaning to the term Generation "D"...no not digital; I'm talking about Generation Discount.

I like the personable aspect of social media and how it has transformed talking TO a computer (on the phone) into talking ON the computer. We seemed to have finally found the answer to "Press 1 for..." with "Hi @reallycoolbrand, I'm having a customer service issue, can you help?" and receive an answer much quicker than navigating a phone system to finally land in the right department after being transferred around 5 times. I like being acknowledged publicly by a brand as an important and valuable consumer. And I further like hearing about up and coming brands just by reading my friends status updates or tweets.

Yet there seems to be an entitlement factor in there. For example, there's the expectation that all brands should discount their product...and 20% is not enough anymore--heck that's not even considered a sale thanks to daily deal sites like Groupon...50% off is where it begins. And brands fall into the rut of always giving it away, holding contests and discounting because they are afraid if they don't, they will lose their new consumer-base of I'll never pay full price again shoppers. (Guess what? It's still about customer service once you get them in the door, that's what makes them come back! Really!) There's the expectation that brands need to be transparent 100% of the time..to which I say that there really should still be that barrier between a brand owned by its name vs. consumers thinking they own the brand. I'm fine with 80% transparency and call the other 20% the mystery that keeps me curious and wanting to learn more still about the brands I love.

So as a person who lives, eats and breathes social media, do I think it has ruined how consumers consume brands? I'm not entirely convinced. I definitely believe there are some definitive cons, but I think the transformation from corporate business into a connected, social business has been a benefit us all.

What do you think? Tweet us @PierceMattiePR.

Last week I mentioned Generation Discount in my post regarding how social media has changed brand consumption. And although, I'd like to think that the growth Generation D has prompted in the daily deal site over-saturation will eventually go away, our economic fears will continue to fuel growth and we'll see this segment of social shopping continue to grow. On the one hand, as someone with a large family (read between the lines: on a budget), I have been known to purchase from a daily deal site or take advantage of a major discount (RetailMeNot is a favorite.) On the other hand, as someone who helps brands not only expand their reach, but maintain what they've acquired, the constant expectation from consumers for discounts, giveaways and freebies begins to wear on the bottom line. So what can brands do to avoid becoming a discount brand in an effort to get products and services moving off the shelf in a recession?

1. If you do want the sales boost that daily deal sites can lend, remember it is on loan to you. What does that mean, you ask? If you don't deliver A+ customer service, consider that customer walking through your door, a one hit wonder. It's a no brainer that you should ALWAYS deliver the best customer service possible...even if you are only an e-tailer discounting product...make the shopping experience super painless (as shopping should be.) It you deliver something of value, consumers will realize, discount or not, it's worth a repeat purchase.

Last week I mentioned Generation Discount in my post regarding how social media has changed brand consumption. And although, I'd like to think that the growth Generation D has prompted in the daily deal site over-saturation will eventually go away, our economic fears will continue to fuel growth and we'll see this segment of social shopping continue to grow. On the one hand, as someone with a large family (read between the lines: on a budget), I have been known to purchase from a daily deal site or take advantage of a major discount (RetailMeNot is a favorite.) On the other hand, as someone who helps brands not only expand their reach, but maintain what they've acquired, the constant expectation from consumers for discounts, giveaways and freebies begins to wear on the bottom line. So what can brands do to avoid becoming a discount brand in an effort to get products and services moving off the shelf in a recession?

1. If you do want the sales boost that daily deal sites can lend, remember it is on loan to you. What does that mean, you ask? If you don't deliver A+ customer service, consider that customer walking through your door, a one hit wonder. It's a no brainer that you should ALWAYS deliver the best customer service possible...even if you are only an e-tailer discounting product...make the shopping experience super painless (as shopping should be.) It you deliver something of value, consumers will realize, discount or not, it's worth a repeat purchase.

Last week I mentioned Generation Discount in my post regarding how social media has changed brand consumption. And although, I'd like to think that the growth Generation D has prompted in the daily deal site over-saturation will eventually go away, our economic fears will continue to fuel growth and we'll see this segment of social shopping continue to grow. On the one hand, as someone with a large family (read between the lines: on a budget), I have been known to purchase from a daily deal site or take advantage of a major discount (RetailMeNot is a favorite.) On the other hand, as someone who helps brands not only expand their reach, but maintain what they've acquired, the constant expectation from consumers for discounts, giveaways and freebies begins to wear on the bottom line. So what can brands do to avoid becoming a discount brand in an effort to get products and services moving off the shelf in a recession?

1. If you do want the sales boost that daily deal sites can lend, remember it is on loan to you. What does that mean, you ask? If you don't deliver A+ customer service, consider that customer walking through your door, a one hit wonder. It's a no brainer that you should ALWAYS deliver the best customer service possible...even if you are only an e-tailer discounting product...make the shopping experience super painless (as shopping should be.) It you deliver something of value, consumers will realize, discount or not, it's worth a repeat purchase.

Last week I mentioned Generation Discount in my post regarding how social media has changed brand consumption. And although, I'd like to think that the growth Generation D has prompted in the daily deal site over-saturation will eventually go away, our economic fears will continue to fuel growth and we'll see this segment of social shopping continue to grow. On the one hand, as someone with a large family (read between the lines: on a budget), I have been known to purchase from a daily deal site or take advantage of a major discount (RetailMeNot is a favorite.) On the other hand, as someone who helps brands not only expand their reach, but maintain what they've acquired, the constant expectation from consumers for discounts, giveaways and freebies begins to wear on the bottom line. So what can brands do to avoid becoming a discount brand in an effort to get products and services moving off the shelf in a recession?

1. If you do want the sales boost that daily deal sites can lend, remember it is on loan to you. What does that mean, you ask? If you don't deliver A+ customer service, consider that customer walking through your door, a one hit wonder. It's a no brainer that you should ALWAYS deliver the best customer service possible...even if you are only an e-tailer discounting product...make the shopping experience super painless (as shopping should be.) It you deliver something of value, consumers will realize, discount or not, it's worth a repeat purchase.

Last week I mentioned Generation Discount in my post regarding how social media has changed brand consumption. And although, I'd like to think that the growth Generation D has prompted in the daily deal site over-saturation will eventually go away, our economic fears will continue to fuel growth and we'll see this segment of social shopping continue to grow. On the one hand, as someone with a large family (read between the lines: on a budget), I have been known to purchase from a daily deal site or take advantage of a major discount (RetailMeNot is a favorite.) On the other hand, as someone who helps brands not only expand their reach, but maintain what they've acquired, the constant expectation from consumers for discounts, giveaways and freebies begins to wear on the bottom line. So what can brands do to avoid becoming a discount brand in an effort to get products and services moving off the shelf in a recession?

1. If you do want the sales boost that daily deal sites can lend, remember it is on loan to you. What does that mean, you ask? If you don't deliver A+ customer service, consider that customer walking through your door, a one hit wonder. It's a no brainer that you should ALWAYS deliver the best customer service possible...even if you are only an e-tailer discounting product...make the shopping experience super painless (as shopping should be.) It you deliver something of value, consumers will realize, discount or not, it's worth a repeat purchase.

Last week I mentioned Generation Discount in my post regarding how social media has changed brand consumption. And although, I'd like to think that the growth Generation D has prompted in the daily deal site over-saturation will eventually go away, our economic fears will continue to fuel growth and we'll see this segment of social shopping continue to grow. On the one hand, as someone with a large family (read between the lines: on a budget), I have been known to purchase from a daily deal site or take advantage of a major discount (RetailMeNot is a favorite.) On the other hand, as someone who helps brands not only expand their reach, but maintain what they've acquired, the constant expectation from consumers for discounts, giveaways and freebies begins to wear on the bottom line. So what can brands do to avoid becoming a discount brand in an effort to get products and services moving off the shelf in a recession?

1. If you do want the sales boost that daily deal sites can lend, remember it is on loan to you. What does that mean, you ask? If you don't deliver A+ customer service, consider that customer walking through your door, a one hit wonder. It's a no brainer that you should ALWAYS deliver the best customer service possible...even if you are only an e-tailer discounting product...make the shopping experience super painless (as shopping should be.) It you deliver something of value, consumers will realize, discount or not, it's worth a repeat purchase.

Last week I mentioned Generation Discount in my post regarding how social media has changed brand consumption. And although, I'd like to think that the growth Generation D has prompted in the daily deal site over-saturation will eventually go away, our economic fears will continue to fuel growth and we'll see this segment of social shopping continue to grow. On the one hand, as someone with a large family (read between the lines: on a budget), I have been known to purchase from a daily deal site or take advantage of a major discount (RetailMeNot is a favorite.) On the other hand, as someone who helps brands not only expand their reach, but maintain what they've acquired, the constant expectation from consumers for discounts, giveaways and freebies begins to wear on the bottom line. So what can brands do to avoid becoming a discount brand in an effort to get products and services moving off the shelf in a recession?

1. If you do want the sales boost that daily deal sites can lend, remember it is on loan to you. What does that mean, you ask? If you don't deliver A+ customer service, consider that customer walking through your door, a one hit wonder. It's a no brainer that you should ALWAYS deliver the best customer service possible...even if you are only an e-tailer discounting product...make the shopping experience super painless (as shopping should be.) It you deliver something of value, consumers will realize, discount or not, it's worth a repeat purchase.

Last week I mentioned Generation Discount in my post regarding how social media has changed brand consumption. And although, I'd like to think that the growth Generation D has prompted in the daily deal site over-saturation will eventually go away, our economic fears will continue to fuel growth and we'll see this segment of social shopping continue to grow. On the one hand, as someone with a large family (read between the lines: on a budget), I have been known to purchase from a daily deal site or take advantage of a major discount (RetailMeNot is a favorite.) On the other hand, as someone who helps brands not only expand their reach, but maintain what they've acquired, the constant expectation from consumers for discounts, giveaways and freebies begins to wear on the bottom line. So what can brands do to avoid becoming a discount brand in an effort to get products and services moving off the shelf in a recession?

1. If you do want the sales boost that daily deal sites can lend, remember it is on loan to you. What does that mean, you ask? If you don't deliver A+ customer service, consider that customer walking through your door, a one hit wonder. It's a no brainer that you should ALWAYS deliver the best customer service possible...even if you are only an e-tailer discounting product...make the shopping experience super painless (as shopping should be.) It you deliver something of value, consumers will realize, discount or not, it's worth a repeat purchase.

I know. It's now the 3rd week that I've mentioned the daily deal niche. But this time I promise it's for a good reason. A socially good reason, that is. There is a newer daily deal site that not only gives shopper's incentive to purchase from their partners by offering up to 70% off retail, but 20% of that voucher you just purchased goes towards a charitable cause. The site I'm referring to is Social Goodies...call it guilt-free shopping if you will.

Social Goodies works with a variety of charities, but spotlights 3 at a time daily (and you can submit your favorite charity for consideration for a future deal as well.) When you purchase from a vendor on Social Goodies, you then get to choose which spotlighted charity that day that you want your 20% to go to. In a time when consumers are curtailing their donations to non-profits while searching for the deep discount, this is definitely one way to align your brand with some cause marketing without too much out of pocket on your part.

The other great thing about Social Goodies is that many of the brands they partner with are also into the act of social good as well, such as their recent daily deal collaboration with MoralEyes. MoralEyes is a fashion eyewear brand that donates reading glasses to a person in need when you make a purchase for a pair yourself (sort of like TOMS if you will.) What a great way to give back twice and save some money...maybe even use the money you save to make a donation to your local charity. Now I'd call that a charitable hat trick.

Take a peek at Social Goodies and tweet us your thoughts @PierceMattiePR.

As the editorial world gets smaller and smaller, it seems PR pitches are lending a bit of arrogance (and ignorance) when submitted to the online media world lately. I, unfortunately, have been on the receiving end of many of these half-witted pitches (and often tweet about my frustration over them.) I can only speak for myself, but I'm pretty sure my fellow bloggers would agree on these points when it comes to PR firms pitching what they call a "collaboration" or "partnership" on behalf of their client.

How NOT to pitch a collaboration/partnership with a blogger:

1. Never say it's a "win-win." Because most times the only person who will be winning (besides Charlie Sheen...sorry couldn't help it!) will be the client and not the blogger. Win-win is car salesman speak for--you're about to get screwed over and I will laugh all the way to the bank.

2. Don't underestimate our knowledge of SEO. Telling me "Linking to my client's website will be a great way to get traffic to your site!" only tells me you think my blog was just born yesterday. Chances are, if you are pitching me, then my blog ranks pretty high in the search engines. There's a reason for that Einstein.

3. Don't assume we don't know the difference between editorial and advertising. The subject often says, "We'd like to collaborate with you!" and the pitch subsequently follows with how many different ways you want me to mention your client: on my Facebook fan page, on Twitter and the best way to position your client in a blog post. Only to end with, "We look forward to a successful partnership with you!" For this, I usually reply back with my advertising rates. That's not a partnership, that's an advertisement--and it's not free.

4. Don't misunderstand collaborating as a one way street. If at any time in a pitch the words partnership and collaboration are used, then I want to not only hear what the benefit will be for your client, but what the benefit is for me. Both words infer teamwork which tells me we are both going to work together for our mutual benefit. If that's not what you are looking for (the part where you do legwork too) then please don't use either term. 

5. Don't assume that because you are an A-List Magazine or brand that I will froth at the mouth. I've been pitched by some of the best (and even my most favorite) beauty magazines asking to partner with me. Their idea is that I will re-publish one of their articles and in return, I will be in their good graces. The idea that they would re-publish one of my posts (because it is a partnership after all, right?) is met with, "Oh, haha, I'm sorry. We don't do that." Hmm, well neither do I. And then they are usually stunned that I declined to engage in such a partnership.

Hopefully amist some of the snark you understand where I am coming from. It is happening far too often, many times by interns just misunderstanding semantics. But in PR, semantics are everything. The way we position and angle things are important, not only for our client, but towards the online media we are hoping to engage in a relationship with in order to eventually strike up a real partnership. So the next time you are creating your PR pitch, remember what NOT to do...it may just be me you are pitching.

According to a recent press release by Newtek Business Services, they tallied a poll of approximately 2,200 respondents in regards to their use and sentiment of social media to find that nearly 60% of independent business owners utilized social media tools in order to attract new customers and communicate with existing ones.

The results were not necessarily surprising to me, as they still showed almost an even split when it came to using social media and its effectiveness overall. However, I'd be curious to know that of the 45% of brands who didn't find social media a significant means of sales growth (55% said they did), exactly the way in which they were using these tools to communicate with their customers. One, because so many brands are afraid to ask for the sale to begin with (so simple conversation that dances around without being direct goes nowhere) and two, because often brands go to the other extreme of always giving it away (which results in the question, what reason are you giving them to buy if you've become a freebie brand?)

Case in point, this past July while speaking at Cosmoprof North America I had a bath and body brand approach me to get my opinion regarding their social media tactics. They first were very proud to tell me that they had 17K fans on Facebook and when I asked how that was working out for them (because I had a feeling it wasn't), they told me that they had not generated a single sale from their fan base. I asked them to tell me about their content generation, in which they told me that every.single.day they held a contest and gave away product.

Well, then. There's your answer.

They had a captive audience, but they weren't understanding how to effectively use Facebook to communicate with them...so in order to retain them, they simply gave their product away. I will say this time and time again, please don't measure your success in utilizing social media simply based on how many followers or fans you have. Base it on the conversions you can create, the brand loyalists you empower to tweet/share/like and so on, and your overall retention. Because who cares if you have 17K fans and NOTHING happens? I'd much rather have 1K fans where 30% are making regular purchases, sharing links to product with a friend, and making recommendations on both the fan page and actual product page.

I'd like to hear what you think. If 60% of brands are using social media for business...just how many are actually effective? Tweet us @PierceMattiePR.

Last week when Ashton Kutcher tweeted an ignorant and uninformed (my perception) statement about Penn State's Joe Paterno, the twitterverse erupted in outrage. Subsequently Kutcher did what any normal, non-famous, human being (that's you and me) would do: he got scared and ran. In "taking a break from Twitter," he drew more media attention and I just could not get away from all of the press and broadcast segments that used this as NEWS (must've been a slow news day for sure.) My inital reaction was, who cares? But also understanding that Kutcher has been one celeb who understands the nuances of social media (sans this episode), I think it is a good learning experience for brands and how to handle a social media PR crisis.

The wrong way: Stating that you are handing over control of your Twitter/Facebook to your "people" when you make a mistake. To publicly state that you will no longer tweet on your own, but hand it over to your "team" for "management" of the "quality" of your feed is ludicrous, if not ridiculous.

The right way: If you feel that's the route you need to take, "Just Do It!" Don't put the public on notice that you are completely uninformed and therefore need someone to hand hold you. Just like when brands change PR firms and the handling of their social media, they certainly don't tweet, "Such and such PR firm is now handling all of our tweets!" It just happens...seamlessly.

The wrong way: Putting your head in the sand. If you make a mistake, you can't hide in plain sight as it'll only drum up more curiousity and negative publicity.

The right way: Admit the mistake, own it, don't dwell on it and move forward. 

Understand that people by nature are just as compassionate as they are judgemental. When you take responsibility for what set off the crisis in the first place, the general public is willing to forgive. In the right situation, making fun of yourself, like Kutcher did, can also help soften hearts as long as it is done right and with sincerity.   

What do you think? Tweet us @PierceMattiePR. 

I recall 9th grade and being told I needed to choose a language to learn. My mother advised me to learn Spanish stating that at some point in my future, it would be the second most widely used language, with only English topping it. In recent years with Latin American magazines seeing a surge and Spanish speaking networks going mainstream, it seems only natural that my mother's prediction was correct as Prisa, Spain's largest media group, has now joined AOL to publish a Spanish version of the Huffington Post. (Yet again proving that my mother is always right.)

While Prisa is said to be blanketed with debt, I believe this is a smart move and will help the media group come out from being in the red. The Spanish version of the HuffPo will incorporate both paid journalists and affiliate bloggers writing their articles.

What do you think about reading the Huffington Post in non-English languages? Will it help the online media site to grow even bigger than AOL even dreamed? Tweet us @PierceMattiePR. 

I'll be honest, it's not really news when someone joins Twitter. Even if you are Rupert Murdoch. Newsflash Mr. Murdoch: You could've avoided phone hacking by joining the social networking site years ago. Celebrities tend to overindulge here and there are no shortages of newsworthy tweets. And PS. They are all public, so it's all free game.

However, Murdoch may be using Twitter to draw up publicity or to give insight into the human side of the media mogul, rather than the ruthless businessman some consider him to be. While, Twitter has Murdoch's account verified, it certainly doesn't mean all the tweets are his own. And in the few short days his profile has been live, there has been some debate on that. If it is indeed Murdoch (and his wife, @Wendi_Deng, as well), this could be the PR-revamp he needs as 2011 saw the demise of News of the World, one of his most profittable newspapers.

What do you think? Will Murdoch being seen as a human being help play a part in some positive publicity? Or is this PR stunt doomed to fail? Tweet us @PierceMattiePR. 

Update: It appears Wendi's Twitter has now been unverified by Twitter and it is confirmed that it was a spoof. No word on if Murdoch's Twitter is real or not. 

The start of a new year usually marks the start of many new beginnings. Businesses get the chance to make a fresh start and have the big year they have been working so hard for. We all watch television, read magazines (OK, read blogs) and spend time online looking for this years latest fashion and food trends to keep up with our progressively changing world. The public relations market is no stranger to changing trends. In fact, it should always be ahead of the newest trends and ready to catch the incoming wave that will carry them to higher success.

Here are some PR trends to watch for and become a part of in 2012:

Metrics are the name of the game. ROI has always mattered in PR, and for a while there didn't seem to be any true way to measure the value of social media as part of a PR campaign. With everyone's obsession over infographics, numbers continue to show the effectiveness of our campaigns (just visually now.) However, one thing to note is that the metrics of social media are ever evolving (a Like today doesn't necessarily equate to the same thing that it did a year ago) so keeping up on web measurement is vital.

Social Media. The platform in and of itself is not a trend, but certainly the networks that arise and the transitions that the current networks go through are something to monitor and learn more about. PR has definitely incorporated knowing, understanding and utilizing social media in order to deliver the most effective campaigns for clients.

Proactive not reactive: In the past, firms could handle a PR crisis AS it arose and due to the turnaround time in print and broadcast media, this could buy us some time. Not so since the emergence of the power of social media. Crisis' are not just reserved for weekdays, 9-5 with holidays off...a PR crisis can happen at 2am on a Saturday night (PR has learned since the Motrin and Nestle debacle, right?) And it can't just be left to sit on a Facebook fan page for the entire weekend just awaiting for all parties to discuss on Monday at 9am. This means that from the get-go a plan needs to be set in place for how to handle everything from that disgruntled customer venting on Facebook to your competitor dissing you on Twitter.

Are there any other prominent trends you see for this year? Tweet us @PierceMattiePR.

You’re driving down the road, listening to your favorite songs and then boom! … someone demolishes your beautiful Chevy Volt. Two things go through you mind: First, your car is destroyed but that seems to be of little consequence right now because Oh no your car is on fire!

It wasn’t the spontaneous explosion that we are all imagining when we heard about the Chevy Volt's battery spontaneously exploding and catching fire after a crash. In fact, after the test it took three weeks for the battery pack to catch fire. Following more tests GM issued a “call back” (not recall--semantics) of 8,000 vehicles to give them “enhancements” to fix the problem. This could create a problem or and golden opportunity for GM depending on how the situation is handled. How can GM avoid a PR crisis?

Happy Winter Everyone!
 
Recharging yourself and understanding where your brand fits into your overall communications in 2012 will help you clearly envision your goals for the coming year.
 
Here are 5 tips to work towards making this year a success.

1. LEARN from your consumer. By using your social media vehicles to gather information about your consumer, you can fast track the evolution of your brand, keeping it current and top-of-mind.
 
2. PARTICIPATE in the conversation.  The communications mix has shifted from static to participatory.  By engaging with your consumers on all levels in an authentic and transparent manner, you seamlessly integrate your brand into their lifestyle.
 
3.  RETURN to your roots.  Take a look at your original mission and vision statements and see if you are on track.  Sometimes reinventing yourself is less important than taking your brand essence and framing it in a modern fresh way that resonates with consumers today.

 
4.  SHOWCASE your brand where your consumer can see it.  While traditional advertising previously was the mainstay of reaching your consumer, brands now need to be innovative to drive their message.  Using creative delivery systems such as product integration and viral guerrilla marketing can breathe new life into your brand and engage the consumer in new ways.
 
5.  REVIEW current chatter.  Instead of being a silo, stay aware of trends and inflection points so that your brand can adapt to the changing landscape.  By identifying emerging shifts, competitor positioning  and consumer variations, you can have your brand fluidly respond the market, while remaining true to its core. 

Be sure to stay updated with us at all times via our social media profiles:

You can follow us on Twitter: 

Become a fan on Facebook: 

Happy Winter Everyone!
 
Recharging yourself and understanding where your brand fits into your overall communications in 2012 will help you clearly envision your goals for the coming year.
 
Here are 5 tips to work towards making this year a success.

1. LEARN from your consumer. By using your social media vehicles to gather information about your consumer, you can fast track the evolution of your brand, keeping it current and top-of-mind.
 
2. PARTICIPATE in the conversation.  The communications mix has shifted from static to participatory.  By engaging with your consumers on all levels in an authentic and transparent manner, you seamlessly integrate your brand into their lifestyle.
 
3.  RETURN to your roots.  Take a look at your original mission and vision statements and see if you are on track.  Sometimes reinventing yourself is less important than taking your brand essence and framing it in a modern fresh way that resonates with consumers today.

 
4.  SHOWCASE your brand where your consumer can see it.  While traditional advertising previously was the mainstay of reaching your consumer, brands now need to be innovative to drive their message.  Using creative delivery systems such as product integration and viral guerrilla marketing can breathe new life into your brand and engage the consumer in new ways.
 
5.  REVIEW current chatter.  Instead of being a silo, stay aware of trends and inflection points so that your brand can adapt to the changing landscape.  By identifying emerging shifts, competitor positioning  and consumer variations, you can have your brand fluidly respond the market, while remaining true to its core. 

Be sure to stay updated with us at all times via our social media profiles:

You can follow us on Twitter: 

Become a fan on Facebook: 

Happy Winter Everyone!
 
Recharging yourself and understanding where your brand fits into your overall communications in 2012 will help you clearly envision your goals for the coming year.
 
Here are 5 tips to work towards making this year a success.

1. LEARN from your consumer. By using your social media vehicles to gather information about your consumer, you can fast track the evolution of your brand, keeping it current and top-of-mind.
 
2. PARTICIPATE in the conversation.  The communications mix has shifted from static to participatory.  By engaging with your consumers on all levels in an authentic and transparent manner, you seamlessly integrate your brand into their lifestyle.
 
3.  RETURN to your roots.  Take a look at your original mission and vision statements and see if you are on track.  Sometimes reinventing yourself is less important than taking your brand essence and framing it in a modern fresh way that resonates with consumers today.

 
4.  SHOWCASE your brand where your consumer can see it.  While traditional advertising previously was the mainstay of reaching your consumer, brands now need to be innovative to drive their message.  Using creative delivery systems such as product integration and viral guerrilla marketing can breathe new life into your brand and engage the consumer in new ways.
 
5.  REVIEW current chatter.  Instead of being a silo, stay aware of trends and inflection points so that your brand can adapt to the changing landscape.  By identifying emerging shifts, competitor positioning  and consumer variations, you can have your brand fluidly respond the market, while remaining true to its core. 

Be sure to stay updated with us at all times via our social media profiles:

You can follow us on Twitter: 

Become a fan on Facebook: 

Happy Winter Everyone!
 
Recharging yourself and understanding where your brand fits into your overall communications in 2012 will help you clearly envision your goals for the coming year.
 
Here are 5 tips to work towards making this year a success.

1. LEARN from your consumer. By using your social media vehicles to gather information about your consumer, you can fast track the evolution of your brand, keeping it current and top-of-mind.
 
2. PARTICIPATE in the conversation.  The communications mix has shifted from static to participatory.  By engaging with your consumers on all levels in an authentic and transparent manner, you seamlessly integrate your brand into their lifestyle.
 
3.  RETURN to your roots.  Take a look at your original mission and vision statements and see if you are on track.  Sometimes reinventing yourself is less important than taking your brand essence and framing it in a modern fresh way that resonates with consumers today.