Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York

When a company has set a goal and constructed a strategy around achieving that goal, if a new marketing effort does not help the company achieve that goal, don’t do it. I have experienced this too often in my public relations experience. Frequently businesses want to put out a release or do a promotion, and I ask, “Why? Will this achieve your goal? Will this sell more products, increase visibility, or achieve brand awareness?” Too often the answer is no and these marketing efforts are superfluous and the “why” is not communicated effectively.

Dear Beauty & Fashion Bloggers,

Pierce Mattie PR has worked hard over the last five years to develop unique expertise in beauty, fashion and jewelry communications. We have long recognized the importance and potential of new media, and in 2002 we were one of the first PR firms in our media beat category to launch a blog and begin blogging. We have the highest respect for bloggers and their work, and we treat bloggers with the same attention and respect we have for editors from top print publications.

Last night, Jackie Danicki posted on her blog, Jack & Hill, a piece about Pierce Mattie PR “spamming” other blogs. Please be assured that it is not the policy of Pierce Mattie PR to “spam” blogs (or spam anyone else, for that matter). However, although we were taken aback by Jackie’s ill-informed post, we want to acknowledge some recent missteps on our part that may have led to a misunderstanding about the matter.

A bit of history first. From 2002 to 2004, only two people at Pierce Mattie PR – Pierce and I – were permitted to post on the Pierce Mattie PR blog. By 2005, however, we took note of the increasing importance of blogging to the public relations industry and began encouraging all of our brand advocates to submit blog posts. This eventually turned into a requirement that each brand advocate submit at least one blog entry per week. The project has been unequivocally successful: brand advocates are pushed to think creatively and they take pride in their submissions, and our increased profile has been great for the firm and our clients. Although our firm’s policy requires blog entries to be approved before they are posted, we encourage our brand advocates to push the envelope with their posts and we give them a large degree of freedom and license.

Here is the first segment of the Fashion and Beauty Bloggers Event. Unfortunately we had to brake it up into a ten-pack, 10 min segments because of the YouTube file size requierments. If you want to automatically be notified when we post the rest of the segments just subscribe to our YouTube channel. In this segment you will find:

- Introduction to Host and guest speakers - How did the the fashion and beauty blog community of 180 industry blogs start? - Who are the bloggers in the community? - Treating bloggers with the same respect as journalists and editors and what bloggers should do to earn that respect when a blogger has no formal journalism training or experience working with publicists. - The basics, fact checking - RSS feeds make it hard to retract bad facts in posts - The value to a blogger working with a publicist

We invite you to join the discussion on the site and participate in educating bloggers and publicists on how to work together professionally, ethically and effectively in this "new" publishing platform. Get more information at on the Public Relations Roundtable website.

Other links: Flickr | Myspace | YouTube |

Interesting interview with Cathy Horyn of the New York Times. Cathy shares Julie Fredrickson's viewpoint on the need to take bloggers seriosly. Also discussed, Cathy's take on personally blogging and the "imaginary" conflict that some luxury brands feel when it comes to blogging about luxury. I'm sure if Billy Daily was still working at KCD he would have let Julie from Coutorure Media in to see the Mark Jacobs show at the Spring collections fashion week. Other sources for coverage are: New York Magazine, Fashion Week Live website, with coverage by Lauren Ezersky

We already use bacteria to inject under the skin to get rid of laff-lines. Why do we love these wrinkel creating viral videos so much? "Ugly" men get "hot chicks" when they have a good sense of humor. The message, subliminal or viral, does seem to go down easyer with humor as a chaser. Viral videos are everywhere. It’s hard to escape the swarm of links I get from friends, family and colleges. These free, interesting and sometimes amusing videos spread over the Internet in almost pandemic speed. I have to admit, I've been guilty of forwarding them on to others when the clip makes me giggle (like a school girl) or those I find clever enough. Not all videos are truly viral marketing. In fact, most clips are just creative expressions, which entertain. Obviosly where ever you have an audience and peer-to-peer networks your going to find marketers trying to relate and persuade and advertise.

Here are a few videos, can you spot which one is viral and which are just entertaining?

Treadmill Fitness Equiptment Viral Or Music Video?

Last night I was watching the classic “Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead” starring Christina Applegate and I realized she was the original Project Runway. Sue Ellen (Applegate) took staid and boring uniforms and turned them into high fashion taking a dying company and giving it new life. She had a rare moment in life where vision and opportunity allow for great achievement.

It got me thinking about innovation and how we see new businesses and new ideas and think, “Wow! That is innovative! Why didn’t I think of that?” We see businesses succeed every day because they tapped into a previously untapped market and have reaped the rewards. Whole Foods back in 1980 was just a natural food grocery in Austin, Texas looking to serve a niche market. Well that niche market grew and spread across the country and now Whole Foods has 187 stores nationwide.

Last week I was out for cocktails with a few other business owners in the service industry. One was a skin care manufacturer, the second was a clothing line designer and the third was the owner of a large fitness chain of health clubs.

We got into an in depth discussion about managing client relationships

We were discussing how to repair a client relationship where things have gone wrong, for example clients whose expectations are unrealistic, clients who are abusive towards the staff and those clients who for whatever reason have become dissatisfied with their service.

The Wall Street Journal had run an article on entrepreneurs a few years back where I was quoted by saying “My New Year’s resolution as a business owner is to only work with people, places and things I really care about and that respect my team, work and over-all business ethics.”

1. Choose clients carefully

4. Live Up To Your Own Standards. Give What You Expect, Set The Example.

If you have done all your work working with your clients and have defined what you can achieve and there are still insurmountable problems, then it is time to re-evaluate whether that client is appropriate to have.

About a month ago we had a client call the office and demand that I get on a conference call. The brand was new to the market, had very little distribution (only one salon in New York) and the consumer awareness was simply not there (she refused to do salon events with us). The owner had worked with two other PR firms before us (our biggest competitors) for about two years who both did not secure the regional and national glossy press that the client was looking for. We were given about 3 months to change her entire media platform and correct the damage that the other PR firms had done during the course of two years. Naturally I slipped off my dress shoes, undid my tie, sat back in my chair practiced my breathing exercises and then took her call.

Everyone wants to know what is going to be the "next" big thing. The idea that you will somehow be in the know before the guy sitting next to you is an incredibly tantalizing prospect. Fashion and beauty live for the thrill of the "next."

Of course, plenty of people claim to have their pulse on exactly what is happening in the here and now. Whole sites are dedicated to scoping out what is cool and happening. But in a world saturated by information it isn't surprising that it is nearly impossible for one individual person to keep up, no matter how good their taste.

One of the many intriguing realizations to come out of the Web 2.0 phenomenon is that we can harness the wisdom of many people such that we all derive benefit from our collective wisdom. Now us girls are certainly familiar with leveraging the wisdom of our girlfriends, mothers, and shopping buddies to make better style decisions so it should come as no surprise that we are equally willing to seek guidance from like minds no matter what their geographic origin.

Thus let me introduce you to ThisNext. Have a look at the ThisNext blog after you check out the site.

ThisNext is a shopcasting network where you can recommend, share and discover great products. ThisNext believes that better buying means better living. Great products can help us do, be and experience the things that make us happy. Our goal is to help people discover great and deeply gratifying products.

I have received fully six invitations to the Maja Ferme "Nymph" Fashion Show.

Normally I am pleased to have a publicist follow up on a subject. As a blogger and online fashion editor it helps to be reminded of new and interesting subjects as we new media types are often inundated with information making it quite possible that things slip through the cracks. In fact, more often than not publicists ignore the new media altogether.

But I admit I reached a certain point where I felt I had too much information on the Slovenian designer. I received email invitations, personal invitations, and invitations in the mail. Everyday it felt like I was being subtly reminded that I simply must RSVP to the "Nymph" showing. I have actually gotten to the point where I feel slightly guilty that I haven't followed up. Disregarding the fact that it said opportunity to buy clothing after the show in small type at the bottom of the invite as opposed to cocktail reception afterwards which is a sure way to turn off any editor, is it wise to so constantly assert your client to the press? When does it become too much?

I am sure there are many schools of thought on the issue and few publicists would argue that gaining maximum visibility for a client is a bad thing, but is there an ideal level of communication? In this particular case, Maja Ferme may have gotten her wish. I feel I simply must attend the event if her publicist made such an extreme effort to gain my attention. I only hope that there are cocktails afterward.

Strike Two for Edelman PR as Their Second Fake Wal-mart Blog is Revealed, via B.L. Ochman's What's Next blog

WallStrip, via Repliqa is a RocketBoom format web-show that profiles a different public company on the stock exchange every day .

Sofia Speaks The face (errrr cartoon illustration) of the Holy Mud Company rants about beauty, fashion, art, pop culture and...Politics!

Next Generation Insights (Young Adult Panel) The panel itself is informative, the technology (video tag) is cool too.

Get Out of Your Own Way at Work...
And Help Others Do the Same: Conquer Self-Defeating Behavior on the Job

A good book I would recommend to any manager in the PR industry. This follow-up to 1996's Get Out of Your Own Way diagnoses 40 business situations in which workers exhibit symptoms of self-defeating behavior, from "Not Being Able to Take No for an Answer" and "Being Competent but Out of Touch" to "Not Delegating" and "Assuming Others Understand You." Goulston's focus, however, is not on workplace effectiveness but on "earning self-esteem-and its twin sister, success." He devotes a chapter to each workplace issue: first, highlighting a case study that refers to a client from his consulting practice or, tangentially, to one of his hospital patients and, then, explaining how to remedy the behavior. In addition, each chapter is topped off with an aphoristic "Usable Insight" and a to-do list of "Action Steps." People are inclined to commit "hari-kari at work," Goulston says, because of "fearful aggression" and "fearful avoidance," two traits that he traces back to humans' "early-neural, unthinking, animal nature." While his insights are pedestrian-his advice can be boiled down to "be more self-aware"-the structure of the book makes it easy to cherry pick chapters that may apply to you.

Still warming up to Second Life? I am asked about it almost daily and wanted to get some basic info posted for those friends who read our blog consistently. Backstory is here. Follow the links.

New World Notes

From April 2003 to February 2006, I was a contract writer for Linden Lab, creators of Second Life, primarily hired by the company to cover SL as an embedded journalist in an emerging society-- its controversies, its personalities, its innovations and ambitions, along with larger themes of identity, social norms and organization, and cultural expression important to online worlds in general.

That contractual relationship has ended, but the story continues here. -Wagner James Au

Second Thoughts Do's and Dont's for Big Business.

"Every human being is interested in two kinds of worlds: the Primary, everyday world which he knows through his senses, and a Secondary world or worlds which he not only can create in his imagination, but which he cannot stop himself creating." W.H. Auden

Second Life Herald The Second Life Herald was founded on October 23, 2003, by philosophy professor Peter Ludlow. Its mission, as described the next day, was to observe, record and study "the legal, social, and economic implications" of life in the virtual world. Originally established as the Alphaville Herald and reporting for the most part on life on the Alphaville server of The Sims Online, the Herald soon branched out into coverage of other massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds -- helped along by the murder of Herald publisher Urizenus (Ludlow's avatar) after Electronic Arts got wind of the stories the newspaper was printing about the scams and cyber-prostitution that were taking place within its game, and the company's indifference to reports of real-world violence.

Todays photo is from Patrick Marella. It's both cravable and breathtaking, reminds of growing up in Oregon, (Coos Bay) our high school track team would meet at 5AM to get a run in before first bell. Oregonians are big on running, Steve Prefontaine was from Coos Bay and of course Nike Global headquarters is located in the neighboring town of Beverton. Everything looks better in twilight. Think about it, all the coffee commercials that you've seen, they bask in twilight. Paris gets more twilight then any US city and It has been said lovers prefer twilight to daylight. Twilight represents hope, or if your a New Yorker you may think of the nightclub. But, I digress. New York is beautiful this time of year, thanks Patrick, for capturing so well a "feeling" I'm fond of. You can see more of his work on Flickr or JPG - The magazine of brave new photography.

• Communication Arts: This year’s interactive design winners were selected by our distinguished jury from a group of entries including Web sites, Kiosks, CD-ROM projects and PDA's.

• Strategic Public Relations: PR Industry: Improve Your Writing -Kevin Dugan

• Salon.com: Fake News, Fake Reporter: Why was a partisan hack, using an alias and with no journalism background, given repeated access to daily White House press briefings? -By Eric Boehlert

• Online Media Daily: Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Puts Edelman Public Relations on probation for creating fake Blogs (flogs) for client Walmart

• Customer Listening Blog: WOMMA Ethical Blogger Contact Guidelines: 10 Principles

Do you seem to be losing customers lately? Is your customer base and sales simply not increasing? Consumers are telling you all of the time what they want, but are you paying attention? Do you genuinely listen to what they want? Or do you feel comfortable with the way things are?

Here are five things that consumers want from a business both online and offline:

Funny when I was in Las Vegas this week for the ISPA show the taxi driver that picked me up was complaining on how the town was blowing things up. Little did I realize that it was the famous Stardust. The home of my favorite cheesy movie; Showgirls! As most hotels turn into resorts and expand their spas like Caesars Palace did this month with their new spa tower, the old players cannot keep up.

The Stardust, the neon-wrapped casino with a mobbed-up past whose 1,065 rooms once set the standard for size on the Las Vegas Strip, witnessed its last roll of the dice Wednesday.

Wistful longtime employees and loyal gamblers gathered for a last farewell to the iconic 48-year-old institution, which is to be razed early next year to make way for Boyd Gaming Corp.'s planned $4 billion Echelon Place resort.

The Stardust opened July 2, 1958, as the world's largest hotel and catered to middle America with $6-a-night rooms and low-minimum stakes gambling.

But as bigger, classier casinos sprung up around it in the late 1980s and '90s and patrons began shelling out more for rooms, food and drinks, its luster began to fade.

"I'm really going to miss this place," said Jimmy Kunihiro, a 60-year-old Honolulu resident, as he took a last pass at the craps table. "It's a home away from home."

I often get asked where my phone skills come from -- as a publicist, I can pitch over the phone like no one's business (toot-toot, goes my horn). Little do some know that I spent my senior year of high school as a telemarketer selling timeshares on the beach over the phone. Yes, in less than two minutes, I would talk, pitch, book and invite you to come to a new condo complex on the Gulf of Mexico to meet with a realtor. Today those phone skills are used daily and I encourage our team to "get on the phone." Email over the years has replaced the pitch calls.

However, trends come and go and this season, the phone will re-establish itself to become "the new email." This holiday season, the next marketing call consumers receive may not be from a credit card company or a politician. A growing number of apparel chains are making personal-sounding phone calls to tout sales events or the arrival of new merchandise, according to Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at NPD Group Inc., a market research firm.

Automated calling services or store clerks who might otherwise be folding sweaters are dialing past customers - using phone numbers gleaned at the cash register - in an attempt to woo them back, he said. Some might even address the former customers by their first names to establish a kind of pseudo-familiarity. Cohen noted that the number of retailers vying for customers by phone has risen from about six to more than two dozen in the past year and a half. Chain stores such as Victoria's Secret, Limited Too and Lane Bryant started adopting the approach during the back-to-school period last year, he said.

Cohen said he expects a flurry of retailer calls after the holidays, when they will be trying to draw consumers into their stores to use gift certificates. "The bad news is the more stores that do this, the less effective this becomes" because customers may stop answering the phone or simply run out of money, Cohen said.

Although Blogging has been around for years, approaching Bloggers to review or pitch your products is fairly new and growing in momentum. If you are thinking of approaching a Blogger to review your products, there is a protocol that sometimes many companies do not invest their time to understand and follow.

As a beauty Blogger, I receive many emails on a weekly basis from companies and PR firms big and small to find out if I am interested in reviewing their products on my two beauty blogs. There are some that exude professionalism both in the way they approach me through their emails, through the way the package is sent and in their follow up. Then there are the mass emails, lack of PR materials with the product, presentation of the product and lack of follow up. The difference between the two potentially means your emails go in my trash folder.

Things you should not do when you approach a Blogger:

Send out a mass email, most notably saying “Dear Bloggers” or having no greeting at all. While some newer Bloggers may respond to this, many seasoned Bloggers won’t. It is the sign of a company simply harvesting your contact information and not taking the time to personally contact you, as they want you to personally review their product. It is a two way street.

Have the expectation that the Blogger will want to review your product simply because you offered it for free. Bloggers know their readers and most will only review products that are 1. Related to their blog and 2. Something that would be of interest to their readers.

Insincerely attempt to flatter them. So many companies do it and many times I receive the same email to each of my accounts for my blogs when the company doesn’t even realize they are sending it to the same person. Bloggers can read between the lines.

There is a little text book that was written for the PR firm managers that I often refer to from time to time to keep me on the straight and narrow. Well at least on the narrow. It’s called Managing a Public Relations Firm for Growth & Profit. The author A.C. Croft really is a genius with his delivery and instructions. You are able to apply everything to your PR firm that he teaches regardless of your size or media specialty.

One section of his book that I think is imperative this week can be found in Chapter 21 – New Year’s Resolutions. Here Mr. Croft gets frank and honest with what you as PR practitioners should set as your resolutions.

Since this year there seemed to be an unusual graying of the lines with the definition of PR I thought I would take it upon myself to give us all a refresher course in things to remember for 2007.

1. I will not lose my head when everyone around me has already lost theirs.
2. I resolve to take no more lip than totally necessary from clients.
3. I will cherish all freelance writers, photographers, artist and vendors.
4. I will take what I make and invest it into technology that can better my business.
5. I will pay attention to things that motivate my team and make them eager to come to work.
6. I will continue to train, inspire, and help grow my team and their activities while pushing them to go for the gold.
7. I will remember that there is life outside of Pierce Mattie PR (really?)
8. I will delegate responsibility and authority to my senior VP’s. (Watch out guys!)
9. I will encourage our publicists to not overwork themselves on their accounts and that clients are willing to pay for excellence but they are not willing to pay for perfection.
10. I will continue to listen and learn from my clients and provide good service that addresses their media needs and impacts their ROI.

PR professionals are laid off, change careers, rotate agencies and some individuals even start up their own shop around this time of year. The years end is a natural time for corporations to evaluate their talent pool and make appropriate changes. We've had a fantastic year of tremendous growth which has required constant tweaking of our staff to better serve our clients and provide our team with the best tools and resources available.

Of course, good people are in high demand. It’s always been my manner that if an employee doesn't love working with us, then I always feel like it's my responsibility to find out why and fix it! This was a year of change and growth for our firm; we've said goodbye to a senior staffer, switched up players on our different teams, beefed up our training and mentoring program, restructured reporting relationships in all three offices, promoted two directors to vice presidents and we added two new senior vice presidents to help lead the charge in 2007. It's been exciting to see the positive results in the last few months!

I hear stories all the time of an employee jumping ship and starting their own agency and stealing a few clients as they pick up the last paycheck. While it may be a common practice in our industry, this type of behavior does not display the level of professional ethics that are so vital in business. In fact, we're proud to help employees transition out of PR when they realize it's not for them any longer.

Here are some guidelines that every PR professional should understand:

1. PR firms own relationships both on behalf of the clients they represent and for the staff that they train and mentor.

2. PR firms should be compensated if those relationships are jeopardized or challenged.

3. Employees are accountable to their PR firm first and foremost rather than clients or the media.

4. It is always better to take the high road; business relationships are recycled everyday and you never know whose path you will cross again, so never burn bridges.

My golden rules for maintaining integrity as a PR professional are:

If you are going to a party or out on the town this weekend, of course you want to shine. To show how to add that sizzle to your outfit like the stars do, Dawn Yanek, editor-at-large at Life & Style Weekly magazine shared these tip with us.

Glittery drops:

• 14K white gold diamond earrings (2.02 carats), Endless Diamond Collection, $2,544 at Macy's, Zales and several independent jewelers nationwide.
• Bakers, $14, Bakers stores nationwide
• Express, $22.50, Express stores nationwide. For help finding an Express store, click here.
• Aqua, $28, Bloomingdales stores nationwide, or try Bloomingdales.com

The area in which I live is known to have character. Each house is different, or has historic presence, and stands out among other places nearby. There really is no “big business” in our area overcrowding every street corner and making their over domineering corporate-America presence known. This is a place that embraces entrepreneurs.

So when driving down a road I haven’t traveled in a while, I noticed something out of the ordinary; cookie cutter houses. A new development was being built and each house looked exactly the same. Their yards were the same, with the same tree in the same spot, and the grass all the same length. Nothing about these houses or this development had anything exceptional to them. They lacked character.

I decided to share what the topic was at "show and tell" time in our weekly management meetings in the New York Office. This weeks discussion was a review of Liz Wilson's Telling It Straight article. I will post the article here, then invite Pierce Mattie members to comment along with any comments you may have.

What quality do employees most want from business leaders?

A clear vision of the way ahead, perhaps? A charismatic leadership style? Political or business acumen?

Of course, we demand all those qualities in leaders. But a recent piece of research points to a different quality as being the top priority for many employees.

A survey of over 1,000 employees found that what they most want from their leaders is authenticity, honesty and clear communication. In other words, straight talk.

Many professional communicators already sense this and are counselling business leaders to adopt more open communication measures. But this message isn't always getting through. "Too much value is placed on charismatic leadership: Boards select leaders for their dazzle and the biggest plaudits are saved for those whose profile is often bigger than that of their organization," notes CHA, the consultancy that commissioned the research.

The straight talking survey identified four communication styles among business leaders:

Controlling
Understated
Charismatic
Considerate

Controlling Communicators don't really communicate at all. They are perceived as arrogant, cold and insincere. In the workplace environment, they are seen as strong on business acumen but failing to provide staff with enough information. Rupert Murdoch, boss of News Corporation, is cited as an example.

Lumalive light-emitting textiles create a magical lighting experience in anything made of fabric, from clothes and backpacks to soft furnishings and the upholstery of furniture.

Behind the outer fabric, you will find a layered system containing flexible arrays of colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs), only visible from the outside when the display panel is switched on. The system is modular and can be removed easily when you want to wash your garments or clean your soft furnishings.

Lumalive textiles bring inert objects to life by integrating flexible arrays of multi-colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) into fabrics without compromising the softness of the cloth. The integration of electronic lighting devices into textiles is groundbreaking. Clothing, towels, upholstery, and drapes might at first seem unlikely hosts for intelligent and interactive systems, yet they figure prominently in our lives and as such present a wide spectrum of opportunity.

In my personal Blogging, I’ve come across many brands without a publicist or PR firm representing them. Many cosmetic brands that contact me are well aware that I am a Blogger for Pierce Mattie PR and will sometimes ask me, “What does a public relations firm do?” The key thing I have found is that these brands do not fully understand what public relations can accomplish for them and more so, how to effectively communicate to the media and public about their brand from within their own company.

When you think about your brand, have you thought about all aspects of it? From the customer service representative to the sales persons, everyone employed by your company should all consider themselves on the same team. Not only because everyone’s paychecks are written by the same company, but also because together, your employees are the force behind your brand. No job title within the company is too small or nondescript to be left out. They are the eyes and ears (and heartbeat) of your brand, and how they view and feel about your products affects how others—your consumers—see it as well.

Every report that comes to my inbox each day continues to debate over the value of social media and Blogging and its effects on a brand’s value and reputation. Many question if big media, brands and PR firms yet understand the value and impact blogging has as an overall tool to facilitate communication with their target market (obviously we do). I have to wonder why it is taking so long for others to recognize this form of citizen journalism and taking advantage of its positive aspects to enhance a brand’s image.

There is no doubt that entering into the blogosphere is tricky from a PR and brand perspective and should be done with thought and caution, but nonetheless should be done. As we all know, many times we are met with skepticism and many times we approach blogging in the wrong way. There is one thing that links us with a common bond; respect. The Blogger wants respect, the PR firm expects respect and big media and brands demand respect.

Most industry professionals know that ad placement for publication in September beauty magazines, is the most crucial time for your brand to be seen. As online media continues to strengthen, now is a good time to come to understand how you can maximize your brand’s exposure through Blogging, viral marketing and digital magazines dually with ad campaigns in the leading print magazines. Print magazines and online media sell a relationship with its readers, as well as, an opportunity to reach them in a time of intense focus and receptivity.

Here are some Beauty PR tips that may help your brand stand out:

Understand your competition:
How you can understand your competition begins in their ad campaigns. What you can learn:

+ What magazines/blogs they are pitching their products to.
+ Which demographic they are going after and if it changes depending on the magazine/blog they advertise in.
+ Are they focusing on color, scent, packaging or trendiness?
+ What is their approach? Which key words are they using to get the readers attention?

Learning these key points helps you to decide how to better your current/future campaign with a product that may be along the same lines as your competitor or how to present the same type of product effectively in a different way.

Know The Trends:
Follow the editorial calendars of the books that you want your product or service to appear. The editorial calendars are often featured on magazine Web sites. These give advertisers, readers and writers a heads up regarding planned issue themes.

Even if your product wasn’t originally intended for a particular season or holiday, figure out how you can spin it to make it fit. Study your chosen publications, and determine the types of stories each of them seems to favor—then use them as starting points for your own ideas. Look for patterns, trends, and points of discussion. Pinpoint the best editor for your idea. If need be, call the magazine and ask which editor is best to contact, and how he or she prefers submissions (via e-mail or conventional mail).

Creating a relationship with beauty editors is also key and helps in knowing what beauty editors are looking for months ahead of time. It helps you to prepare your story line and potentially get your product before the eyes of your target audience.

Green Is Good:
One way a non-green brand can become part of the green trend is to donate to a green charity. Brands can do this by becoming a sponsor for a green event, such as Earth Day, or hold a promotion with a percentage of the proceeds going to a particular green charity. Don’t count yourself out simply because you are not organic.

Some campaigns to learn from:
+ Lancome & Carbonfund.org
+ Diesel & StopGlobalWarming.org
+ Bank of America & it's green initiative

Pro-age vs. Antiwrinkle:
If you have anti-wrinkle products, give them a makeover with new wording or new packaging. Breathe new life into them so that they lose the negative connotation that “anti” brings about. Use creativity in the words used on the products and in ad campaigns to promote a more positive feeling about aging when using your product.

Embrace The Concept of Blogging:
Stand out and begin a blog surrounding your brand. When Blogging remember to:

+ Come across as a source of information.
+ Be a problem solver.
+ Remember that Blogging is more about your customers needs than your own.
+ Build relationships with your readers.
+ Allow for interaction between your readers and your brand—keep your comments section open, but moderated to weed through the spam.
+ Be patient. Building readership and trust takes time. The average time for a blog to build a consistent loyal readership is 6 months.
+ Show your brand’s personality. No one wants to read a cold lifeless blog. They want warmth and a personal connection to the brand.

Mother’s Day is only a few short weeks away and happens to be, in my opinion, a day that all mothers look forward to for the pampering, the gifts and demonstrations of love by her family. With consumer spending for Mother’s Day gifts expected to be $15.73 billion, these last few weeks before the big day are a fantastic opportunity to get your brand noticed, especially online.

According to the National Retail Federation’s 2007 Mother’s Day Consumer Actions and Intentions survey, 20% of consumers are expected to do their Mother’s Day gift shopping online, which is a 3.1% increase from last year. Although the other 80% do their gift buying offline, many still use the internet to research and look for gift ideas. While Mother’s Day shopping and gift research typically begins at the beginning of April, far more consumers make their purchase much closer to the holiday, which occurs on May 13th this year.

By utilizing the internet to spread the word about your product(s) as great gift ideas for mom, your advertising costs will be much less versus commercial and print ads and more likely to spread the word faster due to viral marketing. A few ways to utilize the web to get your products before Mother’s Day gift searchers are:

Press Releases
Advertisements on targeted websites
Advertisements on targeted blogs
Promoting them to blog owners

Online press releases are great for search engine optimization and will quickly get you picked up by the likes of Google and Yahoo when consumers do an online search. Using keywords in the title of your press release is a key factor. Key phrases to use are “Mother’s Day gifts” and “Mother’s Day gift ideas.” Some online press release services are PR NewsWire, Send2Press and PRWeb Direct. You can also use these same press releases to email to blog owners, but make sure to include links to your products (if you have an online site) and pictures as well.

For this week's Five Things Friday I wanted to focus on blogging. I knew that the best person to turn to for advice was Brian Clark, the Blogger behind the very popular copywriting and online marketing blog: CopyBlogger. With 15,744 subscribers to his blog, and plenty more regular readers to his credit, when Brian talks--people listen. If you haven't heard of Brian Clark, I will have to wonder if you live under a rock (and then ask you to please come out from under it). Please be sure to check out CopyBlogger, where I am sure you will gain a wealth of information from all Brian has to offer.

With Brian's permission I am reposting his post: The 5 Immutable Laws of Persuasive Blogging.

Blogging is a great way to grow a business, promote a cause, or spread new ideas, because when you take an educational approach to marketing, you gain the attention and trust of people who might otherwise simply ignore old-fashioned advertising. Not only can those people become your customers or converts, they can also become your advocates.

While there’s as many ways to approach blogging as there are blogs, some things remain steadfast when it comes to gaining influence and prompting action. Here are the 5 bedrock elements that you might keep in mind when blogging to persuade:

1. The Law of Value

Your blog must provide value to the reader by addressing a problem, concern, desire, or need that the reader already has. Fresh, original content is critical.

2. The Law of Headlines and Hooks

Your post titles must stand out in a crowded, noisy blogosphere, and you must quickly communicate the value of reading further with your opening.

3. The Law of “How To”

People don’t want to know “what” you can do, they want to know “how” it’s done. If you think you’re giving away too much information, you’re on the right track.

4. The Law of the List

Love them or hate them, informational posts presented in list format are easily digestable, and allow for an efficient transfer of your value proposition to the reader.

5. The Law of the Story

Stories are the most persuasive blogging element of all, as they allow you to present a problem, the solution, and the results, all while the connotation of the story allows readers to sell themselves on what you have to offer.

When it comes to your brand, are you soley focused on the bottom line and how to bring in the customers and drive your sales? Or are you willing to set aside a portion of your profits and time to focus on the one thing that makes your company a success: your customers and what they need. Tom’s of Maine recognized a consumer issue related to their niche and have created a program to serve a public health need. Not only is this a great way to generate positive feelings about the Tom’s of Maine brand, but also a great PR generator, as well.

Tom’s of Maine has a dental program they established in 2004 called Dental Health For All. It’s a program aimed at helping those who are without dental insurance and seek dental care through clinics. Since 2004 they have granted clinics throughout the US more than $670,000, which has helped more than 15,000 children and adults gain access to dental care. With more than 120,000 people in the US without dental insurance, Tom’s of Maine stepped up and decided to contribute to a cause that is beneficial to both the brand and potential consumers. Since they are one of the top leading brands in natural personal care products, it only made sense for Tom’s of Maine to extend their relationship beyond just their customers, but onto others where dental care due to lack of insurance is an everyday struggle.

Due to Tom’s of Maine’s ability to look beyond sales figures and profits, they have been able to establish themselves as a leader in their industry. Being a leader doesn’t mean your company has the highest profits or best sales tactics, being a leader means being the one to think beyond yourself, step out of the box and contribute to the community not only in a way to help your niche, but to help those customers in an unselfish way. By providing grants each year to various dental clinics around the US, Tom’s of Maine establishes a relationship with dental professionals and the clients who utilize their services and isn’t that what public relations is all about; creating a relationship and positive image of your brand that has the potential to do more than marketing alone?

Tom’s of Maine has done it right, what are you doing to establish a positive relationship with your target market to create brand awareness and create that personal connection with consumers?

Many times when a news story breaks, Bloggers and online news sites scramble to bring targeted traffic to their site through their posts and purchasing keyword advertisements that will pop up when someone searches phrases on Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines. There are five things you can do to get a hold of targeted traffic, whether it be when a big news story breaks or anytime in between:

1. Use key phrases in your headline. Think like a person, but also think like a robot that searches the web for sites using those words. I like to use Overture’s Keyword Selector Tool, which allows me to type in specific words and then tells me how many times that word was used for a search the previous month.

2. Use keywords in the body of your article. Be specific and try to avoid general terms. For example, if you are writing about what the incident at Virginia Tech, don’t say “the gunman,” instead say, “Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech gunman.”

3. Use multimedia. On your website or in the body of your article, it is always beneficial to include video and audio media, as both have great viral potential. You can also publish the video you used to You Tube with it linking back to your story to generate traffic, but it also give others the ability to post your video to their own sites and help generate traffic for you.

4. Divide your content up into many specific topics with relevant links to other stories you have written. I use Word Press for one of my sites and utilize a plugin that automatically does this for me. If I am writing on a specific topic, it will automatically generate related posts at the end of my article. If the reader has landed on your site for that specific topic, they are more likely to click to other related stories you have written, therefore increasing page views and loyalty to your site as a trusted source of information. If you don’t have a plugin that can do this for you, it is easy to do manually simply by hot linking keywords in your article that link to those stories.

5. Provide the ability for the readers to subscribe to your site or bookmark it. For subscription, Bloggers should utilize a RSS feed service and websites can create an opt-in mailing list; this will generate built in traffic and loyal readership. Creating the ability to bookmark your site means those readers are more likely to return to your site when looking for information than to use the search engines and invest time into a search.

A corporate website is still one of the most important tools for companies to establish a voice, educate on brands, and promote campaigns. However, with too much information, they can frustrate and turn away potential consumers.

To help companies know whether or not their websites are user friendly, Eric Eggertson, from Common Sense PR, offers these five potential problems to avoid.

1. Identity Crisis

Product FAQ’s, point of sales, bios, message boards, blogs…these are all great functions for a website but that doesn’t mean it should have all of them. Eric stresses the importance of making sure marketing and communications see eye to eye when it comes to the site’s purpose. He also cautions against too many pull down menus and links.

2. Poor Writing

“Involve your top copywriters. It’s a place to let the spirit of your organization sing.”

It might be tempting to delegate the responsibility of writing the content to an intern or lower level executive, but someone with greater knowledge and experience will bring more credibility and depth to the text.

3. Uneven Flow

“A good website should feel like a good museum or even someone’s home, where there is a natural flow from one room to the next.”

This is a big one. Make sure it’s easy to navigate the pages of your website and that there is a feeling of order. Links that connect to pages with dead ends or pointless material could get you into trouble.

4. TMI

Don’t overwhelm web surfers with paragraph after paragraph of information, if they want to learn more about something they can dig for it somewhere else. Only incorporate the company’s key messages and make sure they’re written out clearly and concisely.

5. Confusing Structure

Users should be able to figure out how to get around your website without a tour guide. Too many flash images that take a long time to load or too many sections and sub sections are definitely things to stay away from.

For additional information, webpagesthatsuck.com offers their top 10 worst websites for 2006, including Tampax, Brown University, and Association of International Glaucoma Societies.

Honorable mentions include graphicartsexchange.com (a sex change for graphic art?) and saltinstitute.org.

* Photo Credit: geeksontime.com

Dr. Georg Kolb gave Brian Pittman of The Daily Dog a really great interview on what he foresees as the public relations trends we’ll be seeing come 2008. Most of these trends are emerging now while others are trends we began to see take shape last year and have picked up speed as the role of PR has evolved over the year.

PR Trends for 2008 (as forecasted by Dr. Georg Kolb):

+ Fragmentation in the media will require PR to be more focused
+ Publicists will have to do more relationship building than pushing pitches
+ Addressing everyone on distribution lists in the same way will be ineffective
+ Discovery of and involvement in more Web 2.0 will be key
+ Word of Mouth will continue its importance and should be nurtured and supported
+ Corporate values & corporate behavior will need to be cohesive and clear
+ The value of PR will become more measurable

The fragmentation in the media has really taken shape and become more distinguishable as blogs, social media and the mass amounts of television stations have grown exponentially. Things are no longer condensed in neat little areas of media; it’s spread out sometimes creating a lot of scrambling and confusion. Know which portions of these fragments are the most beneficial to your company and stick to those.

For many publicists it’s always about the pitch and pushing the story out there. Just from a Blogging standpoint, I am bombarded with pitches all day long. The publicists who actually invest time into building relationships instead of sending out a blast of emails hoping that they’ll stick somewhere, are the ones who remain the top on my list and receive the most consideration. As I write this, I can think of only 5 publicists out of about 100 I hear from daily who do this. Don’t focus on the “right now” that many publicists fall pitfall to, focus on the many benefits a relationship can bring you time and again in the bigger scope of things. You’ll have to do more follow ups and the more personalized emails will take up more of your time, but in the long run it will reap the greatest rewards.

With most of the year behind us, we can look back upon our successes and failures and learn what obstacles we were able to overcome and which ones we still struggle with. 2007 has proven to be a year of learning new things and gaining the knowledge to do PR in ways we never thought possible before.

Already preparing for the PR trends of 2008, here are 5 of the challenges that lie ahead for the public relations industry:

1. Learning to navigate a system of disjointed media.
2. Working directly with talent during a time when it seems everyone has a "middle man."
3. Relinquishing generic pitches for something more specific.
4. Becoming transparent in an industry that it not typically known for such.
5. Continued education and involvement in Web 2.0.

Have a challenge you want to add? Be sure to post it in the comments.

Each year public relations professionals and industry brands are carefully constructing pitches to describe a product to editors and the media in a way that will vividly illustrate the look and feel of it and immediately prompt a response in return. As with previous years, there are always key buzz words being used and Pierce Mattie Public Relations (www.piercemattie.com) has developed a list of the product descriptors best used to describe, pitch and sell your product in the lifestyle, beauty and fashion industries.

1. Consumers continue to lead stressful, busy lives; positioning your product as one that will provide peace and relaxation will continue to help it reach your desired target.
Buzz words being used: Renewal, refreshing, nourishing, invigorating, effortless, rejuvenating.

2. Products that appear backed by science are also still being sought out.
Buzz words being used to convey this: Revolutionary, propriety formula/blend, innovative, potent, patented, nutraceutical, botaniceutical.

3. While hype is often looked at with skepticism, consumers still seek a results-driven miracle product.
Buzz words being used: Dramatic, exponentially, spectacular, results within minutes/hours/days.

4. As our economy doesn’t show signs of springing back to life anytime soon, consumers are looking for a way to stretch their dollar.
Buzz words being used: Value, versatile, blend of function & fashion, functional.

5. There are also still many consumers that derive their sense of status from the high end products they purchase.
Buzz words being used for this demographic: Premium, luxury, chic, opulent, premiere, exclusive.

Fashion, beauty and luxury PR can be an indicator of economic conditions, "green" claims will need to be supported and other great insights from Pierce Mattie can be found in this week's Thought Leaders column on The Bulldog Reporter.

Many thanks to Brian Pittman for such great thought provoking interview questions!

PR has long misused and misunderstood pitching to Bloggers, most specifically, mommy bloggers. Yesterday I caught the segment of the Today Show featuring mom bloggers Mir, Kristen, Jill and a live interview with Heather B. Armstrong. After watching Hota Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford totally miss the boat with "air quotes," backhanded compliments and asking Heather, "Is it all moms who are on your blogosphere," it basically solidified for me, if the media doesn't "get" mommy bloggers, how can PR expect to understand how to reach out to them either? Well, being a mom myself, I decided to do something no one else has seemed to do before--I asked them.

Erin Kotecki Vest who writes Queen of Spain, Elizabeth Thielke writer of Busy Mom and Jenn Satterwhite who writes Mommy Needs Coffee all graciously took the time to answer my questions when it came to pitching mommy blogs. If you are thinking of pitching your products to mommy blogs, it's definitely best to hear the right and wrong way to do it and avoid your pitch hitting the spam folder.

Shannon: How do mom blogs differ from a tech blog, beauty blog, foodie blog (besides the obvious niche differences)? Is there a difference in who the audience is?

Erin: We're not selling anything and odds are we don't review products or services. Normally we are discussing our lives. It's much easier to connect with a site that is in the business of discussing an 'industry' or category.

Jenn: I think every blog is going to have an audience that finds interest in the main topic of the posts. I think with mom blogs there is more of an interest in community and stories. However, there is a lot of cross over. Not all of my readers are parents. And not all the blogs I read are mom blogs. I just think people gravitate to what interests them most. Whether it be a narrow group or a large array or interests. Mom blogs are not the big influencers when it comes to products because many are now talking about them. Similar to the playground of our day when our moms would share opinions. We just share them online.

Elizabeth: A "mom blog" can be defined many different ways, the common factor is that they are written by a female who is a parent, but the content can vary widely. Many are exclusively about parenting, while others a more of a reflection of life in general, comedy, tech stuff or other topics mixed in the conversation. The audience is the same in that they are people who are interested in the writer and the topic. But, they are perhaps different in that a mom blog's audience is often people who are having or have had the same types of life experiences as the writer, where that's not usually a factor in other niche blogs.

Shannon: Why do you feel that PR firms and various brands are pitching mommy blogs and placing more value on them than the average niche blog?

Erin: There are many reasons-most of which have to do with stats. Women control .83cents on every household dollar. Women are now the heaviest web users. Women are turning off the TV and putting down the magazine in favor of being online. Women are the best word of mouth advertisers in the world.

Jenn: Two reasons: First: Moms do the majority of the household spending and are the ones who are going to go out and purchase most of the things that we are being pitched. We are the ones who are making most of the house hold purchases. Secondly, many women/moms look to each other for advice and recommendations on products before they buy. I will definitely take the word of a mom blogger I trust over any pitch, advertisement or branding tactic that comes my way.

Elizabeth: Moms often make everyday purchasing decisions for wide variety of items and aren't limited to a niche. With growing children, they will be making kid related and household purchases consistently over a long period of time. Additionally, moms are perceived as people who will talk to their friends about products and the reach is extended.

Pierce Mattie PR recently submitted an article to the Bulldog Reporter, which has been published in their Barks & Bites column, below is a preview:

PR has long misused and misunderstood pitching to bloggers. While it has long been the status quo of PR to send blanket impersonal press release type pitches to media outlets, blogs and social media are reshaping the way we pitch. Unlike print publications, blogs do not have advertisers to answer to and their blog is, in essence, their brand. PR has to invest the time to peel back the layers and research who they are, what they talk about and who their audience is before sending a pitch—or take the chance of their pitch hitting the spam folder (or worse, appearing as a slam on their blog).

There is no doubt that the social media scene is not going away. In fact, it continues to grow and become more influential. While print publications still lead the way as a client's preferred method of securing coverage, blogs and social media outlets tend to offer instant results with measurable ROI. While the initial results of a blog writing about your client may be fleeting, eventually that write up gets indexed and lives online in the search engines. In print, once you've had your moment in the spotlight, the next month it turns to someone else and that mention is long forgotten by the consumer.

As advocates for our clients, it is in our best interest to come to understand and navigate this often slippery slope of the blogosphere where one minute you may hit a homerun and in the next, strike out. In the new world of Communication 2.0, if PR hopes to find any success in securing publicity for their client on the web, then they need to devote themselves to reshaping the way they cast their net.

To read the complete article please check out the Bulldog Reporter. To see the original post that the article was summarized from please check out PR Tips: How to Pitch Mommy Bloggers.

Being the social media junkie that I am, I couldn't help but want to add my 2 cents to a recent inquiry from Ragan Communications writer Chris Kent regarding Twitter and whether it was a mindless time waster or an effective tool. I think we all know what my answer to that is (see my interview with Zappos' CEO if you doubt me) and from the many journalists, editors, PR people and bloggers that I interact with daily on Twitter, I can safely say I am not alone.

While Twitter is still experiencing a lot of growing pains, it is the epitome of what the best of PR and social media looks like together: self branding, relationship building, in depth communication and interaction.

So check out what what others had to say in the Ragan article, I think you'll find it a great read.

As I near the 10-year mark in my career, I started thinking about how PR has changed since I began. It seems that with the advent and increased usage of email, less and less of us are picking up the phones and talking to reporters. I can almost hear my mentor’s shrill voice in my ear: “How can we be effective publicists with good media contacts if we don’t get on the phones?” I know many reporters and editors are now asking not to be contacted via the phone, but I think it’s because we’ve been breaking a few of their rules. 

When I started in PR, I worked at a small shop (read: boutique agency) for a man who still used a typewriter and owned one of the first Macs ever put into production (I am so serious). I didn’t even have an e-mail address because he didn’t understand why I needed it. This PR guru, who shall remain nameless (unless you know me personally – then you know exactly who I am talking about), taught me the art of pitching rather simply: he sat next to me with the phone on speaker until he was satisfied I could go at it alone. And honestly, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

In my left hand, I had an outline of what I wanted to convey to the reporter and in my right hand, a pencil (yes, I said a pencil) to track on my spreadsheet (so that’s why we had the one computer) the feedback I received from reporters as I delivered my pitch. He made a few calls that quickly demonstrated to me how to cold call a reporter, leave an effective message that would get a response, and deal with people who were nasty or hung up while he was mid-sentence. Then it was my turn. I had to make 150 calls for one client by noon – and it was already 10 a.m. – and I hadn’t started yet. Needless to say, I survived “pitching boot camp” and made all 150 calls by my noon deadline. I also survived every reporter (nice, nasty and in between) on that list – I went from a Nervous Nelly to a Knowledgeable Novice in two hours.

I get it. The hardest part is that first phone call – especially with someone sitting right next to you judging you, but YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE FIRST STEP! Reporters are people too and they need leads as much as we need placements. They may not always be nice, but just remember these simple rules and you too will be able to sharpen your pitching skills and develop lasting relationships with the media...

It is always exciting to sign a new client. Signing a new client is a fresh start, a clean slate, your chance to make this new company your own – to make it successful! With high expectations from clients, delivering the best results is always our plan. However, from wanting consumer to trade, newspaper to broadcast, events to desksides - the full picture can often become overwhelming. It is important when signing a client to be honest. Honesty, from the beginning, will only help in the future. Never over promise results! Over promising can often times lead to a road of apologies.

As publicists, we aim to please our clients. Often to appease them, we jump at every chance and every idea they may have to keep them happy. It is important, however, to keep in mind the plan of attack, what is best for the client and what actions will bring your client the best results. Absolutely take into consideration their ideas and work them into your overall plan. Remember the golden phrase, “We will evaluate that opportunity and let you know how that fits into the overall strategy.” Keep in mind we are only publicists, we can’t give every client the world, but if we stick to the plan with a clear focus on the strategy that will deliver the best results, we can sure try.

Recessionista: n. A person who dresses stylishly on a tight budget; according to wordspy.com. According to me? A catch phrase to encourage fashionistas to continue their infrugality regardless of the economy by choosing less expensive versions of their favorite luxaholic products and services. It's making light of a situation that isn't so favorable for the consumer driven industries of our nation, spinning it 360, and delivering a luring message to the masses—PR 101 ladies and gentlemen.

What has turned into a large scale "recession chic" PR movement has benefited a number of familiar brands. A host of discount brands kneel graciously at the feet of recession and position their products and services not only as the smart thing to do, but the posh one. Target leads the pack with already-in-place "design for all" strategies that flourish even more now. Huge designers like Botkier and Proenza Schouler have participated in the past with leaks of a possible Alexander McQueen and Target venture in the future. Now THAT'S recessionista.

Small businesses have taken this positioning tool under its wing as well. I just read that Fresco by Scotto, a posh New York eatery known for its very "upscale comfort food", has opened an "on the go" version in the heart of the financial district that offers sharp suited bankers gourmet lunch options for under $10. (Yes it seems even the bankers are looking for a great deal with the joint's opening day lunch crowd wrapping around the block). 

Some celebrities have even attempted to boost their own image by demonstrating, very publicly of course, recessionista ways. Kimora Lee Simmons, a die hard fashionista and luxaholic, proclaims her choice to travel commercially in place of her usual private jet-setting behavior to a gang of paparazzi as she waited in line at LAX in June. The 13 extra bags she brought along would rack up some serious extra charges so she may not be the beacon of saving money after all.

I’d love to hear your feedback on this growing positioning strategy. Where is the line that needs to be drawn between the educating of and the taking advantage of the consumer in these trying times we face? How long before consumers are no longer phased by the recessionista twist on ad campaigns and PR efforts?

Recessionista: n. A person who dresses stylishly on a tight budget; according to wordspy.com. According to me? A catch phrase to encourage fashionistas to continue their infrugality regardless of the economy by choosing less expensive versions of their favorite luxaholic products and services. It's making light of a situation that isn't so favorable for the consumer driven industries of our nation, spinning it 360, and delivering a luring message to the masses—PR 101 ladies and gentlemen.

What has turned into a large scale "recession chic" PR movement has benefited a number of familiar brands. A host of discount brands kneel graciously at the feet of recession and position their products and services not only as the smart thing to do, but the posh one. Target leads the pack with already-in-place "design for all" strategies that flourish even more now. Huge designers like Botkier and Proenza Schouler have participated in the past with leaks of a possible Alexander McQueen and Target venture in the future. Now THAT'S recessionista.

Small businesses have taken this positioning tool under its wing as well. I just read that Fresco by Scotto, a posh New York eatery known for its very "upscale comfort food", has opened an "on the go" version in the heart of the financial district that offers sharp suited bankers gourmet lunch options for under $10. (Yes it seems even the bankers are looking for a great deal with the joint's opening day lunch crowd wrapping around the block). 

Some celebrities have even attempted to boost their own image by demonstrating, very publicly of course, recessionista ways. Kimora Lee Simmons, a die hard fashionista and luxaholic, proclaims her choice to travel commercially in place of her usual private jet-setting behavior to a gang of paparazzi as she waited in line at LAX in June. The 13 extra bags she brought along would rack up some serious extra charges so she may not be the beacon of saving money after all.

I’d love to hear your feedback on this growing positioning strategy. Where is the line that needs to be drawn between the educating of and the taking advantage of the consumer in these trying times we face? How long before consumers are no longer phased by the recessionista twist on ad campaigns and PR efforts?

As I watched the news this morning about Lehman Brother's filing bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch being bought, gas prices rising and devastation costs due to Hurricane Ike and our stock market looking like it's about to hit the toilet--reading a story in Cosmetics Design Europe about India's upmarket growth in the beauty industry was a welcomed positive story. With so many foreign investors coming in and taking advantage of our down economy, why not turn the tables here and take advantage of the emerging trends overseas that can be a benefit to us here in the states?

Pierce Mattie PR loves the beauty industry and actually, if you are familiar with Pierce's bio, this is where our firm got its start in Beauty PR. So keeping up to date on emerging trends and forecasting future trends is something Pierce Mattie is well known for. In fact, at the beginning of August, Pierce was interviewed by Cosmetique News in Paris regarding Pakistan being an emerging market for men's grooming products. So I wasn't at all surprised when I read the story mentioned above from Cosmetics Design Europe reporting on India's upmarket growth potential in the personal care industry.

So how can beauty brands in the states take advantage of this potential?

Recently Pierce Mattie was interviewed by Incentive Magazine on ways our firm maintains employee morale and motivates our team to give 110% to each and every client on our roster. Our Publicist of the Year award was the main focus of the interview. Read on for insight from Pierce:

Start Spreading the News: Public Relations Agencies Are Using Incentives to High Inspire Performance and Innovative Thinking from their Publicists.
Incentive Magazine September 2008
By Alex Palmer

Pierce Mattie Public Relations, based in New York City, elevates MVP-style awards to an annual event. A company of about 30 employees, specializing in fashion, jewelry and other lifestyle products, Pierce Mattie PR honors its top publicists at the end of each year for such distinctions as Best Media Placement, Best Media Event, Most Original PR Campaign, Highest Placement Frequency and the Ultimate Platinum Service Award (for the person who has throughout the year gone above and beyond the call of duty; according to CEO Pierce Mattie).

The winners are awarded American Express gift cards, iPods and, of course, recognition for having had an outstanding performance, as judged by the executive team. Mattie points out that to many of the publicists, it's this recognition that can have the longest-lasting value.

Read the complete article on our Pierce Mattie Careers blog

What makes an off-price retailer so much fun to frequent? The mystery of “How did this <insert brand name here> White Linen Size 6 Dress end up here and in my lucky hands!”  Mystery no more ladies and gentlemen, I present to you three off-pricers who are mass communicating the way in which they acquire their inventory as way to improve their image.

Three major off-price retailers, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Burlington Coat Factory, have all approached brand communications with a similar goal: to educate the consumer on how the brand labels end up in their stores at lower prices than traditional retailers.  Through this approach they glamourize the process by showing well-dressed buyers the consumer might have previously only associated with a high-end retailer.

 TJ Maxx Website

Read the full post on our Fashion PR blog, The Fashion Rag

The media landscape has been changing since the emergence of social media as a highly influential platform. Everyone has a soapbox and everyone wants to be heard. Some voices are louder than others reaching further and riding that digital wave. Not every brand out there understands how to effectively become part of that conversation and if there is any one thing that people tell me when I talk to them about how social media is instrumental for businesses today, it's that there is so much fragmentation that it makes their eyes cross. They often wonder, where do I begin? Which social media tools are the most effective? Do I have to be on every single social media site out there for it to have any impact on my business?

It's no secret to those who know me that I spend a lot of time in the space of social media and it could be said that I am a bit of a Twitter-holic. This past weekend the dominating conversation topic on Twitter was about the commercial Motrin has had out targeting moms...and not just any mom, but the moms who are considered "baby wearers." While I understood the main idea of what Motrin was trying to express--holding a child for any duration of time can cause back pain (and I am a mother of 4, so I do understand this)--the wording that was used and the way it was conveyed set off a firestorm via Twitter (and posted to You Tube) and the blogosphere that landed the controversial Motrin ad in the New York Times this morning.

The bottom line? The folks at McNeil Consumer Healthcare were blindsided by said firestorm because their consumer brands are not actively engaged in social media and monitoring discussions, good or bad, about their brands. Had they been, certainly they could have quelled the wave of people outraged by the advertisement rather than allow 3 days to pass before they realized they had were in a PR crisis.

With the continued current of bad news hitting print publications everywhere, it is apparent now more than ever, that the tide is turning to online and social media as no longer the "alternative" to print, but the primary choice for obtaining news and information. Securing coverage in newspapers and magazines where the staff count is dwindling and editors and journalists are overwhelmed has made this already competitive task even more cut throat. So what's a brand do to that isn't yet well known or highly established? They embark on a very digitally savvy marketing campaign utilizing various aspects of social media to create their own success.

Bad news seems to be everywhere the last few months with financial houses going bankrupt, buy-outs, bail outs, the stock market's ups and downs and consumer confidence sinking. These economic woes are out of our hands and to avoid falling into the pitfall of despair; here are 5 tips to remain positive in an economic decline.

1. Avoid TV: Don’t watch the evening news! More often than not, now throughout the first quarter will be scare tactics 101. All of the reporting of economic woes is simply enough to paralyze most business owners. Replace your typical television time with something productive such as learning a new skill or mastering an old one that can be beneficial to your business.

2. Re-visit the Master Plan: Go back to your business plan! It’s easy to get segway into other channels, but stick to your core. Relive the experiences that made your company vital to begin with. Extrapolate on that foundation and go back to your principal focal point. It will not only re-energize you, but will breathe new life into your team.

3. Re-acquaint Yourself with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Something easily overlooked and often forgotten are the basic needs all human beings must have met in order to be productive. Remember to get the 8 hours of sleep, eat the major food groups and spend at least 5 hours a week in the gym. It’s not only essential for you physically, but mentally, as well.

The synergy of two parties working together can produce greater results than their individual parts. In this economy collaboration will be a driving force behind the success of many brands. It's always been commonplace for companies to team up with complementary companies, non-profits, sponsor a celebrity or join in on events to boost publicity and reach a wider audience.  But will a recession make this the year where brands realize its true potential?

Some recent and notable collaborations include Nike and iPod, Product Red and Eddie Bauer and Ford. When you collaborate, a whole new section of the market opens up and the possibilities for sales increase, which is always important, but seems to have further importance during a time when many brands seem to be closing up shop and consumer confidence continues to slump.

The opportunities to collaborate are everywhere. Target your demographic, find out about their interests and hobbies and use the channel to promote your brand and products. With collaborations, it is a cost effective way to save money in this economy because you are sharing the costs with a second party while dually reaching audiences where both brands are appealing.

Our forecast? Brand collaborations will see an all time high this year. What do you think?

With the current state of the economy, companies may be questioning the value of PR and how publicity can directly translate into increased sales. I understand this and all too often our industry sees clients cutting PR from their budgets when it is the one thing that is most important in an economic downturn. The economy has caused the priorities of public relations to begin a seismic shift and our main focus is no longer solely about consumer awareness, but now includes the added challenge of positively impacting the bottom line. For the industry to remain afloat here are some public relations strategies we implement here at Pierce Mattie PR that we've found to be successful:

Empowerment. We all feel it at some time or another and its driving force to aid in the creation of change. We saw it this past election, we saw it in Joel Comm's Tweet-a-Thon to raise money for Water is Life and we even recently saw it when 180 million Facebook users created a public relations crisis causing the top social network to revert back to their old TOS while it "re-evaluates" its newer version. We throw around the term "word of mouth" a little too easily, underestimating its true power. The power of the people. The power of their voice. The power of collaboration. It all has to begin somewhere with that one person who sparks that empowerment and passion in others. Are we miscalculating their strength?

Consumer engagement via crowdsourcing is the new black. Back when Mazda leveraged Facebook in 2007 to engage car enthusiasts to design their next concept car, it was fairly unique but without much fanfare only gaining 300 entries. However this past year when BMW held a "graffitti design contest" via Facebook, there were over 6000 entries merely seven days into it. What does this tell us? "If they design it, they will come." Consumers love to be engaged. They love to have their creativity utilized and they like to feel like they are a part of something. Is this something new? Not really. But social media has thrown it into the spotlight simply validating something we already knew.

Maybe you were on Twitter today and noticed that the Fail Whale kept making an appearance and wondered if this East Coast blizzard had anything to do with it. That is, until you realized that just about everyone in your Twitter stream was suddenly mentioning the rainbow candy brand, Skittles. A quick jump to Skittles.com and there you have it--Skittles decided to take a form of Twitter-branding by storm...and yes, coincidence that we get a huge storm today? I'd say perfect timing to get the maximum amount of exposure for this social media strategy. So is this tactic daring enough to be buzzworthy and what is the ultimate goal of this PR stunt?

Anyone else getting tired of the doom and gloom of the news lately? Recession, lay-offs, newspapers and magazines folding, bail-outs....and the companies (AIG *cough cough*) who spend the bail-out money on luxury items and raises? I know I sure am (and we've given you some tips on how to keep your spirits up despite it.)

So in the spirit of watching the transition from print to digital publications become more clearly evident for those who lived in denial for so long, I decided that to avoid having positive news about your newest products falling on deaf ears thus slipping through the cracks, that another blog post was in order regarding some of the pet peeves blogger's have when it comes to pitching them. I'm sure you've read the more serious Do's and Don'ts of pitching bloggers that I wrote and had published on the Bulldog Reporter's The Daily Dog or even my interview with several mommy bloggers on what works and what doesn't in pitching them? If you haven't, you should. So we polled blogger's on Twitter this morning to ask them what bothers them most when being sent PR pitches; here's what they said:

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.

A recent study showed that American consumers are 90% more apt to purchase from a company that mirrors their conscience in both the company's social responsibility and philanthropic efforts. Due to the economic downturn, however, companies are looking to cut costs from all non-essential areas. While it may seem like an easy line item to remove, several jewelry companies have continued to embrace philanthropy.

In Town & Country's June Issue, companies such as Montblanc, Roberto Coin and Joan Hornig were highlighted for their charitable work. They were just part of a group that ran the gamut from luxury to wallet-friendly designers.

For smaller companies, putting dollars towards good causes can be challenging...

Have you been procrastinating about grabbing a Twitter profile for your business? Not sure where to start or what to tweet about? Pierce Mattie recently wrote an article in GCI Magazine with some guidelines, as well as success stories, from those who are using Twitter to increase their online (and offline) visibility.

Twittering from the Bench and the Field...

"Social media sites, as exemplified by Twitter, have quickly become the 21st century’s version of word-of-mouth, quickly putting brands on the map and generating conversation around products and services. While jumping on the bandwagon may seem easy enough, there are definitely guidelines to follow to get the most out of connecting and networking for the sake of transparent communication, especially if it involves your latest cosmetic creation."

Read the article here:gcimagazine.com

Or the digital version here.

Come join the conversation on Twitter: @PierceMattiePR

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?

In 1988 I picked up a bottle at the Dior counter of Fahrenheit and was addicted at first whiff. It’s one of those scents that you either love or hate, no in between. Christian Dior fragrances are doing it right this year with their public relations and cosmetic marketing as they continue to reinforce their classic fragrances.

Fahrenheit can’t be compromised and Maurice Roger’s creation back in the day makes it a true staple in any man’s wardrobe for cologne. Fast-forward 21 years later to the present and Dior has created Absolute Fahrenheit to reach the new customer but also appeal to gents like me who have such fond memories. Its notes include Violet, Myrrh, Oud and Incense. 

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.

In the last week GlaxoSmithKline has had a PR crisis on their hands as the story broke that counterfeit alli, the over the counter weight loss drug, was being sold on eBay. While many times counterfeit anything is made to be similar to the real thing, there is one major difference with the counterfeit diet pill: it contains sibutramine. Sibutramine is something that is typically the ingredient in Dr. prescribed weight loss medications, therefore it can be dangerous to the health of those who unknowingly take it.

GSK has already begun to take steps to warn the public by the alert posted on their main website. They are working closely with eBay to deal with this issue and news outlets are beginning to spread the story.

Here are some PR suggestions to what other things they need to do during this time:

In the last week GlaxoSmithKline has had a PR crisis on their hands as the story broke that counterfeit alli, the over the counter weight loss drug, was being sold on eBay. While many times counterfeit anything is made to be similar to the real thing, there is one major difference with the counterfeit diet pill: it contains sibutramine. Sibutramine is something that is typically the ingredient in Dr. prescribed weight loss medications, therefore it can be dangerous to the health of those who unknowingly take it.

GSK has already begun to take steps to warn the public by the alert posted on their main website. They are working closely with eBay to deal with this issue and news outlets are beginning to spread the story.

Here are some PR suggestions to what other things they need to do during this time:

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?

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:

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. 

PR Job Applicants – Listen Up 

I love reading cover letters of candidates who apply to work at Pierce Mattie PR. I often use an applicant's cover letter as the big reveal without even looking at the resume. 

Why is a cover letter a big deal in PR?

For starters it tells us a lot about your personality. Are you casual or formal? Serious or flying by the seat of your pants? Educated or barely capable of knowing the alphabet? More importantly it reveals to us how you are going to approach a client, a member of the press and quite possibly conduct your pitch.

If your cover letters sucks – well then, your pitch will most likely also. Here is a query I received this morning. I have removed the contact information. The resume was actually pretty good.  

From: XXX
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 10:10 AM
To: Pierce Mattie
Subject: Employment IInquiry Hello!  

A friend of mine that works at Fashion PR mentioned that you were hiring! I thought I would take this opportunity to send you my resume.  I currently am a PR intern at RXXXXXX TXXXXX (and love it!), and am looking for a paying position in PR. I would love the opportunity to sit down with someone from your team for an informational meeting! 

Thanks so much for your time!

XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX 

What’s wrong with this cover letter?  

·         The subject heading: this candidate has spelled the word ‘inquiry’ incorrectly. Yikes

·         The address: ‘hello’ – why not… Dear Mr. Mattie or Dear Pierce Mattie PR or Attention HR Director

·         I’m not buying the ‘friend’ intro, are you? You should always reference the contact that shared the lead with the firm. It could help you get in the door faster.

·         Loose language; looking for a paying position. That is way too casual. 

·         The excessive use of the exclamation mark. You should never ever use an exclamation mark in writing a business letter or even an email. An exclamation mark is shouting at the reader. Unfortunately this candidate has five exclamation marks.  

Bottom Line:

This candidate revealed they...

·         can’t spell

·         didn’t take the time to address us properly

·         are not connected to our industry  

·         are too casual for us

·         likes to shout 

Our Reaction: Email Deleted

This year yet another industry is finding themselves tied into fashion, as consumers find ways to show extensions of themselves...and that is through home furnishings and decor. We've seen fashion trends tied into home accessories (The Company Store, Color Block), making home luxuries a hot trend right now.

When Target recently donated money to MN Forward, an organization that focuses on private-sector job creation and economic growth as part of political campaigns, it caused a world of controversy. While Target says they supported the Minnesota gubernatorial campaign of Republican state Rep. Tom Emmer through MN Foward due to his viewpoint on lowering corporate taxes; in the end it came down his stance on gay marriage that put Target in the awkward position of defending such a donation. Typically, companies don't (publicly) make direct campaign contributions or get involved in politics, but it appears Target's decision was in an effort to look at their bottom line without considering Rep. Emmer's other political agenda.

At first glance, looking at MNForward.org's website showcasing its Twitter stream, it doesn't appear to be helping Target much in trying to neutralize the situation. While some tweets say to support Target for back to school needs, others seem to debate that supporters are spending more money at Target vs. what they are losing from a boycott. With only around 256 followers, I wouldn't put much fear into those tweets, but I would however, suggest that Target ask MN Forward to not engage in any banter on Target's behalf. 

While Target may not have done their homework and researched this candidate's other political beliefs, they need to restate why they supported him in the first place, admit their mistake in overlooking his support to ban gay marriage and remind those protesting and boycotting that Target offers benefits to domestic partners and is also a sponsor of Gay Pride festivals.

I do think it was unwise on their part to get involved in any political campaign supporting one side over the other because in the end their customers aren't aligned with any one party, therefore no matter who you support, you will be alientating others as well. 

What do you think Target should do during this PR crisis?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jeff Ansell is a former news anchor, talk show host, and award-winning journalist who once specialized in hard-hitting investigative reports. After serving as VP of Hill and Knowlton PR firm, Ansell went on to start a consulting firm that creates media strategies for Fortune-500 companies. His practice offers crisis communication and media training to executives and spokespeople. Ansell has coached countless media professionals and has handled innumerable high-profile issues, including the Erin Brockovich case.

Ansell’s professional background in both journalism and consulting has allowed him to draw from years of experience. His book, When the Headline is You: An Insider’s Guide to Handling the Media, proves an invaluable resource for dealing with the unpredictable (and often chaotic) nature of media.

The book was created for professionals who are in constant contact with media, specifically for cases dealing with tough interviews and crisis management. Ansell uses recent global news events and highlights flaws in their media strategies as a tangible way to help readers understand what works and what doesn’t. The book takes a comprehensive look at how to handle difficult, hostile questions and demonstrates the importance of honesty in the media. Bad news is still newsworthy, and Ansell highlights the importance building trust with the media in releasing difficult information.

“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.

Measuring social impact is one of the most effective ways for businesses to create strategies that will promote corporate growth and yield high employee performance. Jason Saul is one of the top experts in social impact consulting, focusing on outcome-driven strategies and in-depth analysis of outcomes to help clients improve their management tactics and organizational value. His firm Mission Measurement has worked with high-profile clients like Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and McDonalds.

Through his work, Jason Saul found that the business market is changing: social innovation, rather than corporate social responsibility, is the secret to flourishing organizations. His book, Social Innovation, Inc.: 5 Strategies for Driving Business Growth through Social Change, invites readers to take charge of their businesses in a positive way to remain relevant in our ever-changing economic era.

Saul identifies 5 innovative techniques that will help companies to begin creating strategies for “The New Social Market”: Submarket Products and Services, Social Points of Entry, Pipeline Talent, Reverse Lobbying, and Emotive Customer Bonding. The book not only explains the importance of said strategies, but acts as a step-by-step model for success.

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.

Michael O’Malley, Ph.D., is a social psychologist and management consultant for some of the largest companies in the world. A passionate beekeeper since 2002, O’Malley encourages organizations to model their businesses after the highly successful behavior of bees.

“The Wisdom of Bees” is a valuable book teaching leaders to improve leadership, efficiency and growth. After years of beekeeping and observing their fascinating way of life, O’Malley realized how much we could learn from their actions. You will find 25 impressive insights that can be applied to better your organization today. Three major lessons include protecting the future, permitting individuality and promoting stability.

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?

The Behance Network is the world’s leader for creative professionals, allowing members to streamline their careers through organization, portfolio showcases, and industry-specific and networking websites. Essentially, the Network provides resources that empower creative professionals to push their ideas forward.

Thomas Edison was responsible for the quote, “Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.” The Behance Network has taken the famous concept and modernized it by creating The 99%, a daily web magazine where creative professionals share articles, tips, and videos that inspire and encourage productivity. The heart of the entire venture lies within the best-selling book, Making Ideas Happen.

The number 1 bestseller was written by Scott Belsky, CEO and founder of the Behance Network. With a BA from Cornell and MBA from Harvard, it’s no secret that Belsky is a power player, and he pours his keen business sense into the pages of the book.

He believes that great breakthroughs are a result of creative, productive teams, and Making Ideas Happen is a call to action for professionals. It encourages overcoming “reactionary workflow”, a rather passive work ethic that we have all been guilty of it at one time or another. Instead of pushing our meaningful ideas forward, we waste the workday tweeting, texting, or emailing about petty issues. Belsky promotes a proactive work ethic: one that engages community, pushes through plateaus, and gets things done.

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

We live in a competitive world. Why is it that some people forge ahead while others still struggle to make it? The answer simply lies in the supply and demand theory! What many businesses do not realize is in today’s world, customers have the power to make or break your business...via social media Today, the most important thing for success in any industry is to learn what people like and need, and to give them exactly that! Marketing and research is not just for starting up a business, but is also very important to make changes and ensure your place in your industry.

In Listen First!: Turning Social Media Conversations Into Business Advantage, Stephen Rappaport delivers advice backed up by research about how to use listening to give your business a competitive advantage.

This step-by-step guide for adopting a listening strategy in your business will help take it to another level. It starts out by telling you how to get organized to listen, then how to listen, understand what you have got, and finally what to do with what youve gotten from listening. This advice will help you gain a competitive advantage in many business areas including customer service, production, research and development, and advertising. If you already have an established business this method will help you understand what people think about your brand, whether that is what you had envisioned for the business, and whether you should make any changes to your brand to allow it to hold the image you want for it. Listening can also help you understand what people think about your competitors and whether they are a true threat to your business or not.

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.

The Business of Influence: Reframing Marketing and PR for the Digital Age by Philip Sheldrake just hit stores last month, but it is all everyone is talking about, especially at Pierce Mattie. The book has important information and tips for people in business, communications, Digital Media Relations, sales, Public Relations, as well as other industries to take their traditional strategies and apply them to today's digital media.

Now that we are living in a digital age, firms are not limited to a small consumer base. The job of the PR and Marketing sectors now is to use technology to help consumers understand the product and reach a mutual understanding. The book talks about how influence is very important for these sectors and how organizations must redesign the way they work to look at how they can use technology in all of its operations to have a two-way stream of influence. Just as it is very important to influence consumers to like what you are selling, it is also very important to ensure that you are producing something there is a demand for. Similarly, it is very important to ensure all your operations influence stakeholders, but it is just as important to ensure that stakeholders influence your operations.

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.

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.