I’m assuming by now that you know LeBron James is prepared to make an important announcement. Lucky for us, King James has saw fit to share the potentially universe-changing news with his loyal subjects tonight, live on ESPN. In what the network is calling, “The Decision,” the reigning two-time NBA MVP will finally put to rest years of speculation about his future. Where will he play? Who will he play with? It all ends tonight.

Several franchises have dismantled their rosters, essentially mortgaging their futures and ran the risk of forever alienating their fan bases for this very day. With absolutely no guarantees – just hope. Hope that a twenty-five year old James can do his best Moses impersonation and lead their clubs out of the basketball wilderness. Not only to championships, but a bounty of off the court benefits as well.

Members of the media have been willing participants in perpetuating the LeBronathon. Sports Illustrated has a site dedicated to the watch. Countless rumors have popped up on a daily basis. When it became known late Tuesday afternoon that James had finally created his long anticipated twitter account, reports stated that he gained upwards of 89,000 followers in a hour!

This, for lack of a better word has officially become a thing. A spectacle that would have made P.T. Barnum smile. I know folks who don’t care about sports in the least who have rearranged their plans to watch this announcement.

I must admit, I’m sad to see it all end. I never thought of myself as a big fan of reality TV, but I’m definitely going to watch tonight. Until recently, I wasn’t heavily involved with Twitter, but the during the last week I’ve been checking tweets every half hour. LeBron and his handlers have banked on the fact that there are a ton of people like me.

Who, not so secretly are eating all of this stuff up. We feign outrage with what he’s putting us through. We claim to be disgusted with his out-of-control ego, but actually I think we’re in love with it. This thing is no different than watching the finale of the Bachelor or American Idol. It’s an event, and we Americans love an event. No matter how vapid it may be.

More and more marketers are taking advantage of Foursquare, the location-based social networking game. Nationwide companies like Bravo and Starbucks have tapped into Foursquare’s marketing genius by offering users added incentives to engage with their brands.

What is Foursquare?
Foursquare is a smart phone app and website that works by letting the user tell the app where they are and sending that information to the user’s friends. All users need to do is “check-in” via SMS, mobile app or website. Using the Foursquare mobile app, users can automatically check-in and post shouts based on where they are and what they’re doing. Users can also find friends, search venues, earn badges, become the mayor of a venue and add friends.

Are any Milwaukee companies using Foursquare?
AJ Bombers
AJ Bombers has become a popular hang out for Milwaukee Foursquare users. On “Foursquare Day,” AJ Bombers partnered with Foursquare to develop special opportunities to pack the bar and restaurant with Foursquare users. The bar and restaurant attracted 231 people to their venue throughout the day, and experienced some of their longest wait times. You can read more about how AJ Bombers leveraged Foursquare here.

Stack’d Burger Bar
Stack’d Burger Bar entices customers with their Foursquare specials. Foursquare users can take advantage of happy hour all day, every day when they show their server they’ve checked-in. The mayor of Stack’d also receives a free burger!

Other Milwaukee businesses like the InterContinental Milwaukee Hotel and Molly Cool’s Seafood Tavern are using Foursquare to offer special discounts and deals to patrons.

How can I start using Foursquare to positively impact my business?
The first thing you should do is Google your company to see if you already have a Foursquare presence. For instance, the Harley-Davidson Museum would Google: foursquare.com/venue Harley-Davidson Museum. When you find your venue you will be able to see how many times people have checked-in, the number of people who have checked-in and who your mayor is. You may discover a Foursquare fan base you didn’t know about.

Once you know how and if people are using Foursquare to interact with your business, you can decide how integrating Foursquare into your current communications and/or social media plan will work best. Depending on your goals there are three main ways to interact with consumers on Foursquare.

1) Work with Foursquare to develop a special
Many restaurants and bars offer new mayors a free drink or meal when they check-in. Others encourage repeat visits by offering customers deals or specials every time they check-in.

2) Work with Foursquare to create a new badge
If your company has multiple locations, you may be able to develop a special badge. For instance, Starbucks worked with Foursquare to develop the “Barista” badge. Users earn the Barista badge by checking-in to five different Starbucks locations.

3) Create your own Foursquare account
When you create your own account on Foursquare you can become friends with your consumers, learn where they are checking-in most frequently, learn who is at your business at what time and let consumers know where you hang out. All of this allows for increased interaction between you and your consumers.

We all know “people like that.” You know, Harley-riding rebels or Nike-wearing heroes or Chevy-driving regular guys. There are so many different types of people in the world – or just in our circle of friends for that matter – and each of us is motivated by something specific. To satisfy that inner motivation, we all employ different strategies. In the same way, so do brands.

Not unlike each and every person on the planet, brands are motivated by one of four things: Stability, Independence, Mastery or Belonging.* Can you identify with one of these motivations personally? What about your company? It gets a little murky at this base level of brand construction. However, one of these four motivations is, indeed, what drives you and brands forward.

Let’s say you long for stability – you want or need to make everything OK. Well, there are a few different strategies that can satisfy you:

1. The Caregiver. Like a mama bear with her cubs, or a dedicated nurse by our bedside, this archetype creates stability through comfort. Think Johnson & Johnson, Campbell’s Soup or Bob Hope. A caregiver brand’s goal is to help others. Is it yours?
2. The Ruler. When things get dicey, do you feel compelled to “grab the reigns” and control the situation? If so, you may be a ruler. Companies like Microsoft, Cadillac and CitiBank express themselves as large and in charge.
3. The Creator. This archetype needs to create something of enduring value. This is the innovator, the entrepreneur or the writer. They make the world stable by giving form to a vision. Williams-Sonoma, Lego and Kinko’s are all creator brands.

But maybe you’re independent; maybe your brand represents paradise, deep understanding or free-spirited exploration. Try these archetypes on for size:

1. The Innocent. Somewhere in this world, there are spots that still hold the magic and romance of a perfect world. We find these spots at Disneyland, or while drinking a Coca-Cola, or watching a Tom Hanks film.
2. The Sage. From the Buddha to George Carlin to the New York Times, the Sage seeks to uncover the truth. These brands use quality intel to understand the world around them.
3. The Explorer. Some brands need to see things for themselves. They discover themselves through adventure and experiencing life first-hand. These brands include Starbucks, Jeep and Homer’s “The Odyssey.”

Say those six archetypes just don’t seem like you. There are six more to try on for size. If you are more about making a mark on the world before you go, these characters could appeal to you:

1. The Magician. Making dreams come true is the goal of this icon. Like a spa in a nice hotel, Harry Potter movies or MasterCard, this archetype transforms us into something better.
2. The Rebel. Want to make some noise in the world? Why not tear down the status quo and blaze a new trail like Harley-Davidson, MTV or Jack Daniels. If your brand is revolutionary, it just might live here.
3. The Hero. One of our most-loved icons seeks to help others and improve the world. If your customers identify themselves as good and moral, you could be in the same crowd as Nike, The Olympics or the Marines.

Then again, your inner motivation could be simply belonging with other people. Does your brand make connections on a personal level? Check these archetypes out:

1. The Lover. Godiva Chocolate, Victoria’s Secret and Sofia Loren all desire intimacy and sensual pleasure. These brands represent the promise of sexual appeal and indulgence. Is your corporation up for some?
2. The Jester. Let’s live in the moment with full enjoyment. Let’s have a great time and lighten up the world. If these are your thoughts, you may be like Pepsi, Ben and Jerry’s or Captain Morgan Rum.
3. The Regular Guy/Gal. Throw on your Wrangler Jeans, hop in your Chevy pick-up and let’s go to the union hall. These brands are down-to-earth, friendly and without pretense.

Each of these 12 iconic types of people and brands wrap up who we all are here on Earth. Where do you fall personally? Where does your company or organization fall?

B+L employs the use of archetypes as a part of brand personality analysis within our Brand ALIVE process. It’s a fabulous way to manifest your brand soul. The stages of brand/customer relationship become a concise blueprint when you understand and embrace the singular voice of one of these archetypes. At least that’s this Hero’s opinion.

* Much of this information can be attributed to a wonderful book called The Hero and the Outlaw, Building Extraordinary Brands through the Power of Archetypes by Margret Mark and Coral S. Pearson.

I’ve pretty much given up explaining my job to people at cocktail parties, weddings and bar mitzvahs.  However, every now and then I get drawn into a conversation that begs for a more detailed response than “I’m in marketing.”  Typically, the doctor/lawyer/cable installer I’m talking to has only the vaguest idea of what an agency PR guy actually does every day and it raises their eyebrows to learn that I spend a good chunk of my time trying to influence news media coverage. Occasionally, they’ll wink conspiratorially and ask how they can get on TV or in the newspaper like my clients do. At that point, of course, I hand them a business card …and the conversation usually shifts to sports or politics or the girl in the black dress.  But for those of you who really want to know, here are six simple tips for free. You don’t even have to buy me a drink.

1. Know the difference between an ad and a press release – Surprisingly, many people don’t. While there is neither the time nor space to fully cover this topic here, suffice it to say that releases should have a news angle to them…not a sales angle. Before you write it, ask yourself if your news is really, well, news.  If so, go ahead with the release, but try to write it in a journalistic voice, using inverted pyramid format. Keep it brief and to the point. Keep an AP Stylebook handy. And keep ad/brochure language out of it, as that will turn off reporters and editors. Also – here’s a tip inside of a tip – if your boss insists on including sales-y language, turn it into a quote. That way you’re presenting it as someone’s enthusiastic opinion, not a ham-handed attempt at an objective news statement.
2. Tie into a trend – By itself, your news may not rock an editor’s world. However, if it ties into a larger trend, you may be onto something.  Suggest your product or service as an example of how a national trend is playing out locally and you could get rewarded with lots of ink or airtime.
3. Tie into a current news peg – Huge new stories have an incredible ripple effect, spawning dozens of smaller, related stories.  If you can connect your news item to the bigger picture, you may be in luck. You can also anticipate news coverage based on seasons and holidays and plan accordingly.
4. Know the media outlet – A press release on a new industrial automation product probably isn’t going to be of interest to Time or Newsweek unless it plays into a larger story or trend. Sending it blindly to them is like hunting with your eyes closed – ineffective at best and potentially dangerous. However, the same release could be of great interest to a trade magazine covering industrial automation.  Always make sure you are familiar with the media outlets you are targeting…or don’t target them.  Waste their time once, and you’ll be junk-listed forever.
5. Know the journalist’s beat – An obvious corollary to #4.  Even if you are targeting the right media outlet, you may be going after the wrong reporter or editor.  In many cases, media outlets will readily identify reporter’s beats. But even if they do, take the time to research the reporter and read/watch his or her stories. Follow them on Twitter. Friend them on Facebook. Being able to reference a reporter’s recent work will not only show you have a clue, it will stroke their ego. Both are good things.
6. Respond quickly to media requests – If you’ve successfully piqued a reporter’s interest, don’t blow everything by taking all day to get back to them.  Reporters don’t care if you’re out of town, on vacation or chaperoning Little Sallie’s field trip…if you can’t get back to them within two hours or less, they’ll simply call someone else who can provide the same information.

Agency is Recognized for Work in Media Relations and Social Media

MILWAUKEE (May 27, 2010) – Boelter + Lincoln received two Awards of Excellence at the 2010 Southeast Wisconsin Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Paragon Awards. Of nearly 100 entries, only 20 received the “Award of Excellence” designation.

The first award came in the category of “Tactics: Media Relations” for the agency’s creation of the “Wisconsin Gangster Tour,” an online video, map and feature article about the gangster hideouts around the state, including locations used in the movie Public Enemies with Johnny Depp. Working on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, B+L’s media relations and web content campaign garnered coverage in newspapers across the country, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Dallas Morning News, as well as on AP, Yahoo, Google and MSN. The agency’s media outreach resulted in $5 million worth of exposure, with more than 100 news stories and over 24,000 visits to the department of tourism’s website. In addition, numerous gangster-related tourist sites reported a significant increase in visitors.

The agency won again in the category of “Tactics: Social Media, One-time special event” for launching Lakefront Brewery’s Wheat Monkey Ale. B+L employed a wide-ranging social media program to raise awareness for the Wheat Monkey Ale launch parties. Elements of the program included a Twitter and Facebook account operated by “the Wheat Monkey,” viral video, social media release, guerilla marketing, special tasting events and media relations. The campaign helped make Wheat Monkey Ale the brewery’s best-selling beer at all of Milwaukee’s 2009 summer festivals and the company’s second best-selling brand overall.

MILWAUKEE (May 21, 2010) – The Milwaukee Department of Public Works recently secured Boelter + Lincoln to provide strategic planning for its new Public Works Support for Business program. In addition to developing the program plan, the agency also developed tactical elements of the program, including a website, presentation and collateral materials and the “Milwaukee Construction Survival Handbook.”

“Street construction and other infrastructure improvements are critical to Milwaukee’s commercial districts in the long-term,” said Boelter + Lincoln President Jill Brzeski. “We feel privileged to be involved with a program that helps support them during the short-term construction period.”

Boelter + Lincoln executives researched similar initiatives in states and cities nationwide while developing the program, adopting and/or modifying several common best practices to meet the City of Milwaukee’s specific needs. The program was also based in part on a pilot program implemented by Milwaukee DPW during 2009.

The Department of Public Works has the greatest impact of any city department on daily life in Milwaukee. It is responsible for the design, maintenance, and operation of streets, sidewalks, alleys, bridges, sewers, water mains, underground conduit, telecommunications services, traffic signals, and street lighting for more than 95 square miles; 221 city buildings, a fleet of over 1,500 vehicles, 476 acres of boulevards and green space, and 200,000 street trees.

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photo provided by the Associated Press

Why? It’s not because NCAA players are better…they aren’t. It’s because NCAA games are unpredictable. Every year, the tournament features scores of shocking upsets and unknown players who become “names” overnight – if only for a week or two. The fact that those Cinderella teams and players might never be particularly famous in the long term doesn’t matter to the popularity of the event or its TV appeal. The event and the game are bigger than the stars.

The NBA, on the other hand, heavily promotes individual players, on the theory that people pay to see stars, not necessarily teams. Call it the Michael Jordan effect. This star-oriented approach goes beyond marketing; it has long been understood that referees give big name players preferential treatment. Thus, A-listers like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James consistently have great games, their teams consistently win and they become consistently big draws…or so the thinking goes. While the star system is certainly a tried-and-true formula, I think a lot of fans see it for what it is and are turned off – and are turning their TV sets off as well. To a cynic like me, it’s almost like watching professional wrestling. The NBA’s caste system is particularly annoying if you are a fan of a “no-star” team in a small market city. In effect, the stars have become bigger than the game.

My pipedream du jour would be for Commissioner David Stern to reprioritize the NBA’s approach and once again make the game bigger than the stars. Let surprising new up-and-comers (like the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brandon Jennings and John Salmons) get the same treatment as Kobe, LeBron, DWade and the other marquee names. If that leads to upsets, all the better. That’s exactly why the NCAA tournament became known as “March Madness.” The NBA, too, could be awesome, baby!

MILWAUKEE (Feb. 22, 2010) – Ministry Health Care has named Boelter + Lincoln its lead agency for marketing.

“Boelter + Lincoln is a great fit for us,” said Dennis Kepchar, Ministry Health Care’s vice president for marketing, public relations, and communications. “They have extensive experience marketing to our demographic targets and in our key markets and the creative approach they proposed was very much in sync with our patient-oriented positioning.”

Boelter + Lincoln will assist Ministry in a variety of communications disciplines, including advertising, public relations and social media. Consumers in central and northern Wisconsin will start to see the new print, broadcast and online advertisements in May.

Ministry Health Care is a mission-driven, integrated health care system of clinics and hospitals, primary and specialty care physicians, home care and related services across Wisconsin and into Minnesota. As a Catholic organization, its mission is to use its core values of presence, service, vision and justice to create a patient-centered experience. Additional information on Ministry Health Care can be found at http://ministryhealth.org.

Boelter + Lincoln is a full-service marketing communications firm with more than 30 years of award-winning experience.

MILWAUKEE (Jan. 29, 2010) – Boelter + Lincoln has been hired by Mueller Sports Medicine, Inc. to provide public relations, social media and Web/online marketing services.

“We’re very excited to work with Mueller Sports Medicine,” said Boelter + Lincoln President Jill Brzeski. “They are an industry leader with international distribution, great new products in the pipeline and a tremendous potential for growth.”

Founded in 1961 by Curt Mueller, Mueller Sports Medicine, Inc. is a family-owned and operated international sports medicine company offering a complete line of patented braces, supports, and tapes and taping supplies. The company continues to introduce new and innovative products around the world. Mueller Sports Medicine’s product lines include Quench®gum, SportCare® retail products, Mueller Green supports and braces and H1N1-fighting Whizzer® cleaner and disinfectant.

Boelter + Lincoln is a full-service marketing communications firm with more than 30 years of award-winning experience in the industry.

I work in advertising, and with the annual buzz about the Super Bowl, you’d think my main topic of conversation would have been Super Bowl advertisements. Instead I found myself thinking, as I do every year ‘round the Super Bowl, that Vince Lombardi was a back-stabbing traitor. Many of my friends have pointed out, rightly so, that when a man leaves his long-time team, he is to be immediately and permanently ostracized. Vince Lombardi was a shining example of this.

Now hold on Packers fans, I know what you are going to say, “Lombardi took a previously dismal Packers team and brought them years of success and glory and BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.” The simple fact of the matter is that Vince Lombardi decided to retire and … wait for it… come back to join a different NFL team! Do you believe this guy??!! Look, buddy, retirement means RETIREMENT. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in my mind: Legacy ruined. Way to go, Vince, you could have been a Packers legend respected by football fans the world over, but you had to disgrace your legacy by joining another organization. No wonder the name Lombardi is now synonymous with indecision and selfishness.

Now you’re probably thinking, “Come on, Garth. Packers fans are bigger than that. Time heals all wounds and eventually history will remember Vince Lombardi for his love of the game, passion for winning, and dedicated service to the Packers.” That’s all well and good, but look what happens when a guy like Reggie White (remember this joker?) retires and later comes back to play for the Carolina Panthers. Ouch! You can’t speak the name Reggie White within 50 miles of Green Bay without getting a cold, dirty stare. Serves you right, traitor.

Look, history repeats itself, Vince, and you should have learned your lesson from another legacy-destroying Judas: a guy by the name of Curly Lambeau. This guy firmly cemented his place in Packers infamy when he unceremoniously left Green Bay after a long and ugly dispute with the Packers front office. After taking off in a huff, the guy had the gall go on and coach TWO different NFL teams. Harsh! Now granted, Lambeau did refuse to ever return to Green Bay and wished to be permanently dissociated with the Packers, so it’s no surprise that his name is roughly equivalent to that of Beelzebub around these parts, but his shattered rep should have taught you something, Vince. Packers fans don’t forgive turncoats. Period.

So say what you want about Lombardi, I think history has already spoken. They don’t make statues for traitors, streets don’t get named after deserters, and stadiums don’t bear the names of those who betray their city. It’s too bad Lombardi never got the chance to bring the Redskins to Green Bay to get the resounding chorus of boos he deserved. If I were around back then, I’d be in the front row with my new t-shirt, reading, “We’ll never forget you, Vance.”

While there’s been a ton of debate about Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships resuming visits to Haiti, a bigger Haiti-related PR blunder might just have been made by the Glad brand of garbage bags. Two nights ago, while watching a network newscast filled with reports from the earthquake-ravaged island, I caught a spot for Glad’s ForceFlex garbage bags. The ad, which centers around two kids doing an Olympic-style judging of garbage bags, includes two shots of their parents throwing away totally uneaten plates of meatloaf and vegetables.

Perhaps in a different viewing environment, the spot would come off as cute, but viewed immediately after news footage of Haitians starving and fighting over food drops, it seemed shockingly crass. Even more amazingly, when I flipped the channel, the spot was running almost simultaneously on a different network newscast.

Given today’s harsh realities of rampant unemployment and near-empty food pantries, this creative concept seems questionable enough…but to be running a “roadblock” media buy during newscasts dominated by scenes of starvation? C’mon! How much more tone-deaf could Glad be? Sure, the Haiti crisis may have boosted news ratings that day, but shouldn’t the buyers have taken a little more nuanced view?

Admittedly, I’m a cheapskate who routinely eats leftovers. But I’m willing to bet I wasn’t the only one grossed out by that ad…and contemplating a possible switch from Glad to a less expensive brand of garbage bag. After all, the money saved could be used to send some meatloaf to Haiti.

By nature or by force, Shannon has developed wizard-like skills in the art of multi-tasking. She is a cook, a hiker and an avid reader. She is also the mother of two small children, making multi-tasking a mandatory if she is to enjoy any of the previously mentioned hobbies.

Did you know?

Shannon is currently 1-0 lifetime in fist-fights.
(She offers no further details on the subject)

Organization Profile
Boelter + Lincoln is a progressive marketing communications firm founded on a commitment to research, brand planning, strategy development, and creative excellence across all media. Strong in educational and bank marketing, a leader in the travel and tourism categories for the past 30+ years. Our work environment reflects the attributes of our clients – fun, entertaining and full of life. Visit www.boelterlincoln.com to learn more about who and what we are.

Job Overview
We have an opportunity in our interactive department for a creative, problem solving interactive intern. Candidate must have the ability to work on multiple projects and quickly learn new concepts and procedures. The position requires the candidate’s ability to work 25-30 hours a week. Length of internship is negotiable.

Job Description
The interactive intern will work on a variety of projects and assist in the following areas:

Creation of banner ads and rich media ads
Updating of websites (adding new content, creation of pages, etc.)
Creation of web pages
HTML emails

Job Qualifications
Minimum of a senior standing, with the following skills: XHTML/HTML, CSS, Adobe Flash, Actionscript 2.0/3.0. Adobe Creative Suite, (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop). Experience using Wordpress or other PHP driven CMS, is a major plus. The ideal candidate will have willingness to learn, is reliable and self-motivated.

Compensation & Benefits
This is a paid internship.

How To Apply
Please e-mail your resume and cover letter to: dagacki@boelterlincoln.com. The subject line should read “Interactive Internship”

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated”
– Mark Twain

Like Mark Twain, direct mail may have been written off a bit prematurely. In fact, given the growing pervasiveness of spam filters, direct mail is probably poised for a comeback. At the very least, it offers marketers a nice complement to e-mail direct marketing. In the right circumstances, it can yield spectacular results – as one of our clients experienced recently.

Several months ago, automotive lock manufacturer Strattec hired Boelter + Lincoln to help launch its new BOLT series of locks at the world’s largest automotive aftermarket trade show. In developing a plan with them, we quickly agreed that the primary goals of this effort were to drive potential retailers to the Strattec booth at the show and get product samples into their hands. Considering there were nearly 2,000 exhibitors sprawled through three huge halls at the show, this would be no mean feat.

Rather than reaching out to convention attendees via trade pub advertising or e-mail, we chose direct mail, for several reasons. First, we felt a three-dimensional direct mailer would convey the concept of the product (a lock that opens with the owner’s car/truck key) better than a two-dimensional e-mail. Secondly, we wanted to get something tangible into their hands to drive booth visits – in this case a “credit card” that offered a free sample lock. Third, we were able to purchase a very, highly qualified list of show attendees. Finally, we knew that direct mailers typically have far greater deliverability rates than mass e-mails do.

The results? Of the 1,400 show attendees we sent the mailer to, nearly 350 brought their card to the booth or went online to get the sample lock. That’s a 25 percent response rate, or nearly 10 times what’s typically considered successful. Better yet – to quote Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum – nothing draws a crowd like a crowd. The constant booth traffic generated by the mailer attracted other show attendees, and the overall leads generated at the show exceeded the client’s admittedly optimistic goal of 500 by more than 10 percent.

So when are the circumstances ripe for direct mail, versus e-mail? Here are a few general tips:

• Use direct mail when you need to tell a story about your
product or service.
Use e-mail if the message can be kept very short. (People typically have less patience with direct marketing e-mails than regular mailers.)

• Use direct mail for a smaller, more qualified list.
Use e-mail for a larger, less qualified list. (Perhaps the biggest strike against direct mail is its cost, so if you’re not so sure about the quality of your list, don’t go there. In this case we were able to qualify that recipients were not only show attendees but were also in purchasing-related positions.)

• Use direct mail if you want to put something in the recipient’s hands.
Sure you can e-mail coupons or certificates, but we knew that something more tangible – in this case, a pseudo credit card – was more likely to be put into a wallet and kept than a print out.

• Use direct mail if you have enough lead time.
Use e-mail if lead time is short. In Strattec’s case, we delivered the printed mailing pieces (about the size of a small paperback book) to the mail house just under a month prior to the show and the mailing went out two weeks prior.

• Use direct mail with an older, less techy audience.
Since more retirement age Americans are online than ever before, this argument is definitely losing some credence. But it still holds true in most cases.

We know that “social media” continues to be hot topic. There are hundreds of seminars and conferences dedicated to the subject. There are also hundreds of books detailing the need for businesses to understand how social media can (or more importantly will) impact them now and in the future.

If you read only one book on the subject, we highly recommend “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust” by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. Amazon.com recommends it, too. In fact, Trust Agents has been recently named to its “Best Books of 2009 – Top 10 Books: Business & Investing” list.

As you start reading this book, you will realize that Trust Agents isn’t written just for business owners. Anyone who has a role in marketing will discover information that is relevant to them. There are detailed “ACTION” steps in the book that will help you to establish your reputation, to build and share influence, and ultimately, to enhance your bottom line. And that’s what we all want, right?

If you have a blog, Facebook profile or Twitter account, you may be on your way to becoming a trust agent. Why not pick up a few extra tips along the way?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on Trust Agents. You can Follow us on Twitter or become a Fan on Facebook.

Love her or hate her, Sarah Palin attracts media attention. And it’s apparent from the attention she garnered around the November release of her book, “Going Rogue,” that she’s more polished and prepared for the media spotlight than she was when she was stumping for the McCain ticket.

And regardless of your feelings about the woman and her politics, you have to agree she’s a cautionary tale for the importance of media training. (Remember her horrifically embarrassing interview with Katie Couric? When she couldn’t even name a single newspaper she claimed to read? How she couldn’t manage to at least spit out “The New York Times” is beyond me.)

Far and away, the most important things to do before you face a camera or a microphone are to prepare… and then practice, practice, practice.

Here are B+L’s Top Five Tips for Avoiding Palin-Like Media Missteps:

1. Find out why you are being asked for an interview. (Make sure you’re the appropriate interview subject.) Get answers to at least these questions:
• Which specific topic(s) will be covered?
• What questions could be asked?
• Length of interview? Live or recorded?

2. Identify two or three key points you want to emphasize. Determine what it is you want to convey. View the interview as an opportunity to tell your story.
• Summarize each key point in a sentence or two and commit them to memory.
• Come up with an interesting short story or two to illustrate your message.
• Assume little or no knowledge by the interviewer.

3. Practice.
• Find a colleague who can play the role of reporter.
• Make sure you can give your answers in a way that is genuine and in your own “voice.”
• Ask your colleague to give you feedback. Better yet, videotape the mock interview so you can see where you need to improve.

4. During the interview, stay mindful of your body language. It can speak volumes.
• Smile, be pleasant even if it is a negative issue.
• Maintain good eye contact. Shifty eyes won’t serve you in the court of public opinion.
• Exude confidence but not arrogance; be sincere and enthusiastic.
• Whether standing or sitting, keep your weight centered and don’t fidget.

5. Stay in the game.
• Once you’ve given an adequate answer to a question, stop talking. Too often people dig their own holes.
• If you honestly can’t answer a question – for whatever reason – tell the reporter, “I’ll need to get back to you with that information.” Don’t try to fudge an answer on the spot. THEN MAKE SURE YOU DO GET BACK TO THEM.

Bottom line: A media interview is an opportunity to tell your story and to build a relationship with the media. Your handling of an interview can pay dividends or leave you at a deficit.

This morning, the NFL announced a ban on players striking a pose similar to the pirate on the Captain Morgan rum label. The issue came up Sunday after Brent Celek of the Philadelphia Eagles “Did a Captain” after catching a TD pass on a nationally televised game against the Cowboys. Despite Celek’s post-game denials, league officials smelled something fishy…and soon found out that a wider guerilla campaign had indeed been planned, which would have paid $10,000 to the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund for every time a player was caught on camera doing the pose. As predictable as the league’s ban was the mainstream media’s reporting of it – most of which took a chuckling, “too bad, nice try” attitude toward Captain Morgan.

But I’m beginning to think it’s the Captain who’s having the last laugh.

A quick Google search turned up coverage everywhere from AP and Yahoo to USA Today and virtually every major newspaper in the country – and that’s just on the first day! While the campaign certainly might have gained some steam and generated buzz if left to run its course, it’s highly doubtful the exposure would have been more than what Captain Morgan has already gotten due to the ban announcement. Plus, the brand’s financial exposure just became tremendously less – the $10,000 donations were slated to increase to $25,000 during playoff games and eventually to $100,000 during the Super Bowl. Now they’re not on the line for any of that. However, Captain Morgan will still get public acclaim for being willing to donate to such a worthy cause. As most (rum-drinking) football fans know, the NFL’s treatment of its retired players is nothing short of scandalous, and the Gridiron Greats charity was created to help raise money for those players. Who wouldn’t support that?

Clearly, this was a no-lose scenario for Captain Morgan. If the guerilla campaign had played out, they’d have gotten millions of dollars of brand-consistent exposure (NFL stars mimicking the muy macho Captain’s swashbuckling pose – perfect!) as well as great feel-good PR for financially supporting aging, and in many cases disabled, ex-NFL players. On the other hand, if the campaign got squashed (as they must have anticipated) they still got millions of dollars of brand-consistent exposure and feel-good PR props related to the Gridiron Greats charity – all without the potentially huge charitable contribution. It’s genius.

What do you think? Personally, I’m applauding. And while I much prefer Myers or Mount Gay, I think there’s a Captain ‘n Coke sailing toward me on tonight’s horizon…

I dig retro. I dig old posters, I dig old t-shirts and I really dig old stereo equipment. I am the guy with the wife who is understandably annoyed at her husband for coming home with old, impractical crap from thrift stores. I am the dude you puzzle at for walking into a record shop purchasing a music format that has been obsolete for 30 years.

But here’s what I’ve discovered. I’m not alone. Lots of people dig retro just like me. Well, maybe not just like me. I don’t expect the rest of the world to start going out and buying up expired Polaroid film (guilty), but retro does have relevance, especially in advertising. From the vintage home-movie treatment on a Coleman camping spot, to the 1960s icons on a Schlitz billboard, we see flashes of the past everywhere we look.

So, why retro? What is it about the past that activates consumers?

The answer, in short, is nostalgia. Nostalgia is more than simply a fondness for the past. It is a longing for an idealized past, filled with fond memories that are void of pain and unhappiness. The nostalgic part of each of us tries to capture some of this idealized past symbolically through material things – a record player, a classic car or a candy bar from our childhood. By using these things to trigger happy memories, we recapture our lost innocence.

What’s fascinating about nostalgia is that in many cases we can feel a longing for something we never experienced first-hand. Young Democrats speak of the Kennedy years with glowing fondness; sports fans cheer their team while wearing throwback jerseys and consumers shop restoration hardware for stuff that was in vogue long before many of them were born. Even in our personal experiences we often filter and romanticize childhood. Truman Capote, whose childhood was fraught with neglect, is famous for writing semi-autobiographical works loaded with wistful nostalgia.

There is safety in the past. We know what to expect and we have control over how we consume it. It does not ask us to predict or keep up. It comforts and reassures – a sentiment particularly relevant to a country dealing with multiple wars, an unstable economy and high unemployment.

So yes, I dig retro. And while the 24-hour news channel droning in the background reiterates the ills of my world, I’ll be here taking respite, blasting a little Zeppelin on vinyl.

With all apologies to Twitter, I firmly believe the best way to connect with a journalist is to meet ‘em in person. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done because most journalists are overworked, always on deadline and naturally reclusive, skeptical types (who often refer to us PR folks as working on the “dark side” of journalism).

To address this problem, many professional organizations routinely hold meet-the-media events. They are set-up like mini-trade shows, with the flacks standing in booths chatting (hopefully) with the hacks circulating throughout. While this format sounds good in theory, in practice its effectiveness varies wildly. As with tradeshows, it’s easy for certain booths to monopolize attention, while others languish (regardless of their mint bowls). The “A-List” journalists in attendance are usually there out of obligation, not interest, and are simply going through the motions – if they show at all. More common are freelancers and bloggers trolling for free schwag or junkets, as well as pay-for-play cable and syndicated show producers (the ultimate bottom-feeders on the journalism food chain).

Not all meet-the-media events are lame, though. I’ve attended several good ones, including the recent Holiday Lookbook event in Manhattan. As per usual, the paying customers – PR people like me – were delivered a wide selection of freelancers, Web site editors and bloggers of varying influence. But there were just enough national-level media to make the event interesting, and the theme – holiday gift ideas – helped all parties, hack and flack alike. Also, the products were classified into topical categories, the best of which (“green” products) fit one of my clients nicely.

So what’s the take-away here? First, I’d suggest closely analyzing how your product or client fits into the overall scheme of the event. It’s not always obvious. Since the New York event’s participants, media and overall vibe were very female-focused, participation by a padlock manufacturer and a line of sports braces would seem counterintuitive, right? In reality, the holiday gift ideas theme worked out well, even with the girly-est of media outlets. As one snooty fashionista editor said, “I personally have no interest in this stuff, but they make great suggestions for our readers to give their husbands and boyfriends.”

Suggestion two: have some fun! After getting only limited conversations in the New York show’s first hour, I began taking on and off my client’s various back and knee braces. Silly? Sure. But people started talking. Then I got the exhibitor next to me – a petite, pretty Asian woman displaying her boutique baby clothing line – to wear the knee brace for a while. That really started conversations. Finally, I chatted up several of the other green product reps and told them about my athletic braces made from recycled materials. We agreed to cross-promote each other, which pushed several more writers my way, all of whom had a specific interest in green products.

The bottom line? While I’m still skeptical of meet-the-media events, I’m starting to accept them as a necessary, albeit flawed tool. Just don’t think a bowl of mints will make them successful.

RANDOM NYC TRAVEL FOOTNOTES:

DINING: Had dinner at a great Italian joint on E. 20th Street, La Pizza Fresca. This narrow trattoria boasts a Tuscan-style brick oven and an inventive menu (including wild boar ragu and spaghetti with duck) but the real eye-opener is the wine list. Owner Brad Bonewell, a reformed ad exec, has a cellar bursting with everything from classic Italian Chiantis and French Bordeaux to cutting-edge California blends, Super Tuscans and other “new school” favorites. I got to try two drop-dead reds: Overture ‘07, a cab-based blend from in Napa and Flaccianello ’06, an intense Tuscan sangiovese.

HOTEL: I stayed at the Hudson Hotel, 356 W. 58th Street. While I was thrown off by its undercover exterior (no sign, no marquee) I loved the ultra-hip interior and my room was more than adequate. Best of all was the price – about $100 less than I was expecting to pay.

TRY EXPENSING THAT: Never before have I seen a beer that cost over $100 a bottle. That changed when I stopped in at L’Express on S. Park Ave., where a particularly rare Belgian Trappist Ale will set you back $110. (I opted for Diet Coke.)

We ran into Ben one day at a company cookout and after feeding him all the remaining brats he refused to leave us alone. He enjoys red meat, conceptual art, and reruns of T.J. Hooker. A hard worker with an eye for detail, Ben would be an asset to any company. Just don’t put him in charge of party decoration – don’t ask.

Factoid:
Ben has eaten three former B+L employees!

In our American dialogue lie words from every corner of the world – some Yiddish, some Italian, and many from our own popular culture. Some of these words get tossed in and become everyday lingo. Phrases like “What do you know?” and “It’s cool” or “Schmuck,” have become a regular part of how we speak. And some others have all the plastic charm of a one-hit wonder. I’m thinking “Chillaxin” and “Outside the box.”

Some of these words and phrases have to go.

When it comes to our “cutting edge” colloquial voice, phrases tend to have a short shelf life. This usually happens with words plucked from rap music or hot rod culture, for instance. Favorites like “Old school” or “Kickin’ it” arrive at our ears as street credible hotness – that is until you read it as your mom’s Facebook status.

Just like when the “latest fashions” from New York finally hit Kansas – you know they’re no longer fashionable. So, we’ve started a list. The following are words no longer held within our vocabulary portfolio. Also listed are some we’d like to bring back, as well as some we’d like to contribute as new and fresh:

Done with it
Old school
Outside the box
It is what it is
Kickin’ it
At the end of the day
Coolio
True Dat
Chillaxin’
That’s what she said
Keeping it real
Whasuuuup
Biatch
Farm out
Just sayin’
Honey-Do-List
Hubby
Dawg
Bling (Added 10/26/09)
Sick! (To describe something you like: “That Camaro Z-28 is sick!” – Added 10/26/09)
Livin’ the dream (Added 10/26/09)

Bring it back
Solid
Fierce
Keep on truckin’
Party hearty
Bully
Jive Turkey
Boss
Bitchin’
Dope
Numb Nuts
Bunk
Knucklehead
Jibba Jabba (Added 10/30/09)
Sucka (Added 10/30/09)

Something New
Ga-Dow! (Used as an expletive like Whoa! or Damn!)
Coffee nuts (A put down, as in, “Hey, Coffee Nuts, you dropped your Walkman®.)
Push (Something negative: “Going to Friday meetings at 4pm are a total push.”)
Pull (Something positive: “Hey, this egg sandwich was a pull. Yummy.”)
e-Cred (E-mail credibility based on what you forward as funny or important.)

We’d love to see your comments about our list and feel free to agree, disagree, and add your own.

I’m an easy-going guy – 98% of the time. I enjoy a good laugh, I let people merge into traffic. But then there’s the other 2%, when the smallest things drive me nuts. Like NFL pre-game shows or forwarded e-mails commanding you to follow asinine instructions. Things like this usually fall victim to one of my diatribes – I have a soapbox and I’m not afraid to use it. And one thing that really gets me riled up; that angers me more than any of the aforementioned is…Hardee’s. Yep, the middling fast food chain that’s too dumb to die.

I can go on about the ills of this greasy albatross. How everything they cook actually does taste like chicken or that each restaurant looks suspended in 1974. As troubling as funky fries and out-of-date décor can be, my biggest problem is that their brand is focused solely on stereotypes. They assume we’re all non-informed, sugar-water guzzling, calorie-consuming knuckleheads – whether they’re pushing a 1,400-calorie hamburger or serving fried bologna biscuits. Like anyone would purchase a fried bologna biscuit without a double-dog dare.

I’ll give them this for such prolific pandering though – they don’t try to hide it. If you look at one of their recent TV spots, this isn’t hard to figure out (sexual innuendo be damned). Hardee’s is blatantly selling sex. Just take a look at this video starring Padma Lakshmi, of Top Chef fame, enjoying something called a Western Bacon Thickburger.

CKE Restaurants Inc., parent company of Hardee’s Food Systems Inc. has also received some negative publicity about a campaign promoting their new “biscuit holes”. A chairman of their biggest franchisee made his dislike public prompting the following statement:

“CKE Restaurants, Inc., owner and franchisor of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants, adopts a creative approach to our advertising. It is intended to communicate the core message of our premium quality food to our target audience of young, hungry guys. We do not aim to exclude or offend any other group with our efforts, but merely to appeal and amuse a very specific audience. We understand that not everyone may view our advertising the same way and we respect all views. With respect to the referenced commercial for Biscuit Holes, the spot is only airing after 9 p.m. Our franchisees have the opportunity to provide input on which commercials will air in their respective markets and can choose not to air any that they might have a particular concern with. There are no present plans to drop the ads.”

It’s like they raided the Jay Leno Comedy Vault and found the “lowest common denominator playbook.” Don’t get me wrong – I’m the farthest thing from a prude. I’m a guy who giggles like a child whenever I see a chimp dressed in human clothing. It doesn’t take much to make me laugh…heck, I’m a young, hungry guy.

And though this bothers me unbelievably, the strategy seems to be a profitable one. CKE Restaurants Inc. reported a fourth-quarter profit at the beginning of this year… So maybe this knucklehead should just line up for some B-holes himself.

“Ghostblogging” is a red-hot topic in social media circles, with many experts railing indignantly against it. As someone who has been ghostwriting client speeches, soundbites and quotes for nearly two decades, I’ve followed this conversation with great interest…and, admittedly, some amusement.

The argument against ghostwriting revolves around authenticity and transparency. Blogs, it is felt, should reflect a personal voice and personal opinions, as opposed to company policy. Furthermore, blogs should be used to start a conversation, not broadcast in one direction. If you’re not willing to engage in that conversation, the argument goes, you shouldn’t be blogging.

While I mostly agree with these arguments, I do have some reservations. Obviously, it would be ideal for a company’s top-tier spokesperson to write their own blog with eloquence, insight and regularity, and, in the process, gain followers and position themselves as an industry thought-leader. Unfortunately, many chief executives have neither the time nor inclination for such an undertaking. So where does that leave us communications people, who are typically charged with establishing their client or boss as an industry thought-leader? Here are a couple of ways I’ve found to get them to commit to becoming an online voice for the organization:

1. Prepare a list of “hot topics” that are generating chatter within your industry (and perhaps are being blogged about by competitive company CEOs). Ask your chief executive to pick several and then make brief outlines of his/her thoughts on them, from which you can develop a draft blog post on their behalf. Those drafts would then be reviewed and tweaked by the executive, hopefully with the addition of the executive’s commonly used words or phrases (“voice”). This model parallels the procedure typically used for the drafting of speeches, statements, releases or any other form of communications.
2. Create an editorial calendar of topics, based on both buzz-worthiness and timing/seasonality specific to your industry. Here, once again, follow the outline-draft-redraft-finalize model.
3. Have the executive write rough drafts of a series of blog posts for you to edit. Once you’ve shortened and sharpened those drafts, they go back to the original author for final approval and one more look before posting.

Again, the crux of the argument here is the need for blogs to be written in the blogger’s authentic voice. While I agree that is absolutely vital, it isn’t unique to social media. If anything, it is even more crucial in speechwriting, since there the client not only has to be comfortable with their comments, he/she has to actually deliver them to an audience. That’s why good speech writers have always studied the mannerisms, vocal inflections and metaphors used by their clients…knowing that drafts which didn’t accurately incorporate those nuances would come back needing massive revisions. Whenever possible, I meet in person with the executive I’m writing for. Short of that, I watch video of them speaking.

Another suggested downfall of ghosting is that a top executive might be caught in an embarrassing position if asked about a blog he/she didn’t actually write or read. Although that “outing” scenario definitely would be a nightmare, I honestly can’t imagine it happening. In 20 years of doing PR work, I’ve never had a client who’d allow me to send out a comment attributable to them without having read and approved it first.

(NOTE: Twitter is a whole different can of worms…and one I won’t open here. Look for a pros/cons discussion of “ghost-tweeting” in the next B+L e-newsletter.)

The bottom line? In my opinion, the job of the corporate communicator remains essentially the same as it has in the past – to distill the essence of a company’s positions (and its CEO’s) and articulate them as clearly as possible. Whether that process requires simple topic research, light or heavy editing or even full-blown ghostwriting is determined on a case-by-case basis…but in no scenario should it be done in a vacuum, or without full knowledge and acknowledgement from above.

On the surface, being a creative person in advertising is an opportunity to show your true self. Writing or designing is inherently expressive and free of corporate norms otherwise reserved for people in suits. And this is largely the view of ad agencies as a whole – fun, energetic spirits brainstorming on modern furniture.

But the truth is a bit more “buttoned up” as they say.

The truth? We represent corporations, CEOs and the interest of stockholders. The work we do is on behalf of growing business for our clients. It’s not about us, or our personal agendas, it’s about women in Chicago with 2.5 kids and household incomes of $80K or more. But don’t get me wrong, expressing the wants and needs of others does hold an exceptional opportunity for creativity – it’s why I smile each day when I stroll into work.

Just don’t get confused, my job isn’t about creating art, it’s about problem solving. And though personal insights, opinions and favorite colors do influence the ads we create for others – we are acutely aware of who’s paying the bills, and most importantly, the integrity of the brands they stand behind.

But from time to time, as both an individual as well as an agency, you long to scream your own beliefs with your own voice – to fly the ubiquitous freaky flag.

And many agencies have fostered “inside projects” ranging from gallery night shows to allowing their creative staff use of company equipment for personal expression. It’s something B+L has done in the past from time to time. But lately, this topic has grown into a dialogue about giving back to the world – an opportunity to show off our capabilities through the free speech of employees, or outsiders for that matter.

And it’s no surprise – we’re really in the entertainment industry, right? It’s what we do best for the brands we represent, so why stop the show at the boardroom door? Why not add a little extra beauty to our media stream? One does make the other stronger after all.

I won’t say it’s the responsibility of agencies to give some love back to their communities (sans the sell message), but at B+L, we feel pretty strongly about it.

So don’t be shocked to see some non-client driven creativity kicked outta here. In fact, we’re tossing around some ideas to help facilitate the independent visions of some young artists as well. It’s our contribution to the collective gallery of the world. And we’d love to see this catch on – as art programs in schools decline, maybe more corporate capabilities can pick up the slack. We’ll keep you posted…not to mention, entertained.

Recently, while sitting at the breakfast table awaiting my morning traffic and weather, I once again was assaulted with the thirty seconds of brain-rattling claptrap you deem advertising. I listened. I watched. I have a small suggestion.

Maybe don’t do your own ads anymore.

While I realize that people (yourself included) get a real kick out of seeing your face on TV, and you do “call the shots around there,” your transparent thirst for regional quasi-celebrity is neither doing you, nor your dealership, any favors.

First, your general appearance is not in any way conducive to the television medium. Your dialect is coarse, your movement is clumsy, and your delivery is awkward and ill-paced. Let me also take this opportunity to inform you that I tend to keep my television audio at a reasonable level, so you needn’t shout at me as though I were trackside at a NASCAR race. It’s not that I don’t appreciate your very important message regarding 0% financing on all remaining ’09 models, I do. I would just appreciate it much more without being startled into a Cheerio-splattering recoil.

Second, though I’m certain I will one day be watching your child’s Daytime Emmy acceptance speech, your offspring should probably pass a few more classes at the Julliard School before hawking any more closeout minivans. Also, I’m pretty sure FDR passed laws against stuff like this back in the ‘30s.

Third, consider a minor investment in production quality. Yes, your animated “SALE” burst flying onscreen is very attention getting. No doubt the green wash of your dealership’s fluorescent lighting is true to life. However, allow me to make one suggestion – and I may be out of line with this: Think about hiring a director. Directors are all the rage. Seriously. They have these things called “crews,” “professional equipment” and “expertise,” that “make things not suck.”

But then again, maybe I should be careful about what I wish (or request). There is an ever so-small part of me that loves your crappy commercials. They add flavor to my life and represent the advertising equivalent of a crazy uncle. You never know what ol’ Uncle Jack is going to say, but you’re pretty sure it will be amusing, abrasive, and someone will likely walk out of the room offended. Were it not for your 30-second, jalopy-hustling symphonies, my office conversations might be roughly 70 percent less interesting, and I should thank you for that.

So, local car dealer, change or don’t change … your call. I now realize your significance in my life. And while your 15-minutes of fame could improve, the campy clutter you spit out only makes my commercials look better.

Yesterday, Disney announced that it was purchasing Marvel Comics for the sum of 4 billion dollars. As you might expect, news spread quickly throughout the traditional news outlets, as well as the Internet. At one point, a Google search simply stating Disney buys Marvel produced 1,600,000 million results with 1,270 related articles. So yeah, this is kind of a big deal. Possibly the world’s preeminent brand buying another one of the largest brands in the world. Two definite Teen Titans (sorry DC Comic Fans) are now the world’s most famous newlyweds.

The deal is an absolute no-brainer for both parties involved. Disney now possesses a library of more than 5,000 characters that includes Spider Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, etc. All with humongous, far-reaching, long-standing fan bases – in this decade alone — their film franchises that have grossed more than 3 billion dollars. {more}

Google has winnowed its way into my every day, morning noon and night.
And 1:30 am.

I didn’t realize just how much I rely on it until I wrote out the list of ways I use it, but that comprehensive list is below. My hope is that you will learn some new ways to Google better.

My realtor sends me an email
And it has MLS info, and low res pictures. But what does the rest of the neighborhood look like? How far is it from a major throughway? A quick copy and paste of the address and city into Google Maps (and then, Google Street View), and I am looking at not only my potential new home, but its neighborhood, and all of its possible inadequacies. And when want to go see that home, I plot my directions into Google Maps to get the route.

Is my blog getting any publicity?
Google Alerts lets me know. It also lets me know any and all places my name is online. (Get a Google Alert for your own name – you will probably be surprised.)

Google Page Rank of your Web site
How does my Web site measure up in Google’s importance algorithm? Your competitors? Installing the Google tool bar in your web browser allows you to view the number (from 1 to 10) that Google associates with your Web site. Google figures that number when a different Web site links to yours, effectively casting a vote for your site. This generalized number is a snapshot of how well my Web site can be found by people using Google, and how much Search Engine Optimization I need to do for my Web site.

Email and more
My Google Gmail is …email! But it also serves as my signup to much more that Google offers (Google Docs, Web Analytics, and more).

A place for my digital stuff
I have some Excel sheets on my work computer, Word docs on my home computer, and am waiting for a friend to send me another file. Google Docs (associated with my Gmail) means I can always access these files, wherever I am – particularly useful for a webguy with 30+ passwords to remember.

I see you looking at my Web site
Google Analytics – a webstats program, allows several statistics that some of the expensive programs have, for free. One of the coolest features of Google Analytics is that you can see the name of actual companies that visit your Web site. Want to see if that pitch was a hit? What specific companies took the time to act on your direct mail piece but didn’t actually contact you? Google Analytics can show you. Are you running a paid search campaign on Google? You can setup these words to associate them with specific web pages on your site (such as contact forms or product pages) to identify them as “conversions”. That is, did some one click on your ad and fill out a form or buy your product? If so, this ad was successful and converted this person into a customer.

Google in the Kitchen
I don’t cook much. When I do, I am horrible at converting ounces to cups and hogs heads to gallons. But a quick question on Google and I know just what I need.

3 ounces to cups
3 US fluid ounces = 0.375 US cups

Did I use the right word?
Use Google as your dictionary, for immediate results, from different sites (one may be more apropos than the other).

Define: apropos
Definitions of  apropos on the Web:

• seasonably: at an opportune time; “your letter arrived apropos”
• by the way: introducing a different topic; in point of fact; “incidentally, I won’t go to the party”
• of an appropriate or pertinent nature
  
• Alternative form of apropos
  

My oracle
My Google Home page (via my Gmail account) tells me things that other Web Portals would (Yahoo!, MSN, etc), but also allows me to have all of my RSS feeds in one place.

Almost Google (sites based on Google)

Mine is better than yours
Want to demonstrate in a fun way what product or term is better? Pick a Google Fight! Googlefight is a Web site that allows users to compare the number of search results returned by Google for two given queries. The results are displayed graphically in a mixed flash and JavaScript animation.

Google Fight for Google vs Yahoo!

Let me Google that for you
Has someone asked a question that would have been easily answerable via a quick web search. Show them via this site which will show them an animation of someone typing their question, followed with showing them the results via Google.

Let me Google that for you – Elvis’ birthday.

There are probably others I forgot. But from the ones above, you can see how different the web would be without, The Google.

Ever wonder why announcements from some companies always seem to grab news coverage, while others get overlooked?  Obviously, it could be related to the significance of their announcements, but chances are it may also have something to do with the way those announcements were made.

While Web 2.0 technology has given corporate communicators more tools than ever before, one “Old School” tactic – the press release – continues to be at the core of almost every media relations effort.  Surprisingly, many company press releases are ill-conceived, poorly written or both, rendering them ineffective… at best. At worst, bad press releases can potentially poison the well for future announcements.

So how should a press release be written?  Here are a few guidelines to keep you from shooting yourself in the foot.

Put the most important information first
You may only get a few sentences to make your point, so don’t waste time. Remember J-School?  (Or high school English Comp?) News stories are written in “inverted pyramid” format, with the most important information first and the least important details last. News releases should do the same.

Answer the “Who Cares?/Why Now?” question
Don’t just make your announcement – give it some context.  Why is it of interest to a media outlet’s audience? How does it fit into a larger trend?  Why should anyone outside of your company care? Context should also relate to dates and seasons…unless it is completely obvious, explain why your news is significant now (or will be in a specific future time period.)  For instance, does your story relate to a holiday?  A major upcoming event?  A season?  If so, call it out.  If not, try to find another angle.  If you can’t answer the “Who Cares?/Why Now?” questions it is better not to do the release at all.

AP Style
Releases should follow AP style guidelines, which go beyond inverted pyramid format and address punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations and the like.  This can be hard for writers used to advertising copy (which frequently ignores grammatical rules) but it will greatly improve your chances for media pick-up. By writing your news the way a media outlet would, you make it easier for that outlet to use your news.  In fact, with today’s short-staffed newsrooms, well-written AP style releases stand a better chance of getting picked than ever before – possibly even used verbatim.

Know your target
Sending irrelevant information to a journalist is a surefire way to get on his or her spam list.  Be sure to send releases and pitches only to media contacts that write about your topic!  Not sure who covers what?  Do a search for past stories.  You’ll quickly find out which writers should be on your target list.  Then, take it a step further and tailor your release specifically to them, or send it with personalized pitch note.

Lose the jargon
Every industry has its jargon. Unless your release is going to a trade publication, that jargon may be lost on the editor or reporter who receives it.  Though you can assume a certain level of understanding with some industry jargon, such as basic computer lingo, avoid using it as much as you can – it will only bog down your central point.

Keep it concise
Simply put: avoid using too many words. Releases should be kept to the point; the longer they are, the less likely they are to be read in their entirety.  Plus, background information can easily be linked to. Many journalists now prefer to be pitched on Twitter, which limits messages to 140 characters. That should tell you something.

Don’t send it as an attachment
Two words: spam filter. ‘Nuff said.

Subject lines are the new headlines
In the age of e-mail, subject lines are the new headlines.  If you don’t hook the journalist here, they’ll delete your release, unread. Your subject line should get the point across in six words or less. The headline can elaborate on that point, but not too much. Keep it under 10 words.  Use a subhead if you need it rather than an overly long headline.

Remember, the media provides the public with necessary and entertaining information — all of which is run through a filter designed to discard the irrelevant. Editors, reporters and program directors all get literally hundreds press releases and pitches daily, and covering every one is impossible.  Just reading them all is impossible.

On the flip side, journalists depend on receiving news from outside sources.  If you can break through the “Who Cares/Why Now?” filter and provide solid, insider knowledge of macro trends, breaking news, a cool event or “the next big thing,” you might become a trusted source they’ll turn to repeatedly.  If you waste their time with a poorly executed, poorly targeted release, they’ll blacklist you onto their junk mail – and probably won’t read anything from you again, even if it fits perfectly.  You’ve shot yourself in the foot.

So, write a good, smart, tight release – and keep all your toes intact.

You’ve listened to the talking heads and read the articles. Social media is here to stay and if you don’t jump in now you might get left behind. However, if you didn’t grow up IMing (that’s instant messaging) or creating MySpace profiles, the world of social media can seem quite daunting. Which brings us to the question, where do you begin? Before you grab the nearest 20-something and tell them to get on Twitter there are a few steps you should take first.

Step 1: Listen
It sounds simple enough, but many people rush into social media without taking the time to familiarize themselves with the space. If you and your company are new to social media the first thing you should do is monitor what’s being said about your company and industry.

One of the simplest ways to do this is by setting up Google Alerts. Google Alerts allow anyone with an e-mail address to receive an automated keyword search of recent news stories and blog posts. For example, if you work for Midwest Airlines you may want to set up Google Alerts for “Midwest Airlines” and “Milwaukee airlines.”

Other tools you can use to monitor social media include:

• Search.twitter.com – This search engine shows you what people are saying on Twitter in real time.
• Technorati.com – Use Technorati to do in depth blog searches and find out which blogs are the most influential in your field.
• Facebook – If anyone in your company has a Facebook profile they can easily search for people, pages, groups and events related to your company. A quick search for Midwest Airlines came up with three pages of information.

Step 2: Develop a plan
Once you’ve taken the time to monitor or listen to online conversations you are ready to develop a plan of action. (Note: This does not mean you can stop listening!) Throughout step one you have probably noticed that people are talking about your company and industry in more places than others. These are the communities you want to make sure you are a part of.

When developing your plan, identify your goal for engaging in social media. That is, what are you hoping to accomplish? Then, make sure it’s clear who is responsible for which tasks and what is expected of them. In many cases you will need to participate in your social network several times a day to make it successful.

Another helpful tip is it’s better to be involved in one social network and do it really well than be involved in several and execute them poorly. Don’t sign-up for more than you can handle! You can always add more social networks. Try starting with one or two.

Step 3: Join the community
Now that you’re actively listening and have developed a plan you are ready to join the online community. As you engage in conversations make sure you think before you post. As they say, Google is forever. If you are slightly uneasy about saying something online it’s probably best not to say it at all. Also, do not use your social networks for the sole purpose of pushing out marketing messages. If you engage in the hard sell people will quickly tune you out. Make sure you are providing value to your online community, whether it’s by sharing useful links, answering questions or providing a service.

Are you still hesitant? B+L can help you begin the listening and planning process.