Brand Central Station

(From Bulldog Reporter’s PR University)
When:   July 21, 2010
Time:  1-5pm EDT
Location:  Online
Cost:  $ 695 (early-bird discounts available)

Half-Day Webinar for Communicators at Food Manufacturers, Beverage Producers, Grocery Stores, Kitchen Suppliers, and Specialty Food Retailers.  Moderated by renowned social media expert, blogger, consultant and trainer, Sally Falkow, APR.

Use advanced social media marketing strategies to skyrocket visibility and sales— frontline practitioners reveal how to build loyalty, website traffic, press coverage, client satisfaction and sales

In just one-half day, you’ll cover:

• Best practices for using Twitter as a food and beverage marketing tool
• Key elements every food or beverage online newsroom must have to boost press coverage and Google search ranking
• Which social media promotions work best to boost trackable sales now?
• How to create communities of evangelists for your food or beverage
• How to track online conversations and mentions of your product—and how to respond when you don’t like what you hear
• How to create a cost-effective social media strategic plan “step-by-step”
• A bad review on food and beverage websites and blogs: What you can and should do about it
• Cultivating food and beverage bloggers and websites: What works and what doesn’t
• How to decide which social media are most valuable for your product . . . and which you can ignore
• What should your online messaging strategy be—and how can you communicate it in just 140 characters?
• To blog or not to blog: How to assess blogging costs vs. benefits
• How to build a large and loyal following on Facebook
• Most effective uses of online video—and what you need (and don’t need) to produce your own
• And many, many more tips, tricks, trends and inside approaches

Hear and confer with communicators from General Mills, Campbell Soup, and other food and beverage brands like yours, as well as other social media experts, who will share their “war stories” and valuable lessons learned.

Register Now (Early-Bird Discounts Available)

(from TheList Online’s Sales Intelligence Solutions Newsletter)
by Jen Luna

As marketers and sales people, we all know that companies now employ increasingly sophisticated means to avoid receiving “Spam”. And, since spam has come to dominate email on the Internet, it’s no wonder.

Internet historians believe that the first spam email was sent on May 1st, 1978, by a DEC marketing representative to every ARPANET address on the west coast of the United States. The general reaction was one of annoyance, and it hasn’t abated since. In 2001, only 5% of email on the Net was spam. By 2003 this figure had risen to 50%. Then, by 2004 it was 70%. By 2007, almost 90% of business email was characterized as “Spam”.

One line of defense is to buy your email marketing lists from providers who understand the nuances of spam blocking. One low-tech way that companies use to dodge your email is to frequently alter and/or use multiple syntaxes in email address construction. For example, Jamie.Bloomquist@thelistinc.com is an email syntax that suggests that everyone at The List Inc. has an email address consisting of Firstname.Lastname@thelistinc.com.

But that’s not always – or even often – the case. A study of several thousand major brands in The List Online database, determines that major brands frequently change, mix and multiply the syntaxes of their employee email address, in an effort to stay a few steps ahead of spammers.

For example, in a study by The List Online, it was determined that Proctor & Gamble uses 5 distinctly different email syntaxes. Coca Cola currently uses 7 different formats. Microsoft Corporation also uses 7 different syntaxes. General Motors uses three.  These syntaxes can also vary based on job functionality; for example brand managers will differ from marketing directors who will differ with CMO’s.

What does this mean to you? First, it means that deliverable email is getting increasingly difficult to count on as a marketing vehicle. CAN-SPAM Compliance has limited marketers’ options dramatically. Add to that the increasing proclivity for companies to utilize multiple syntaxes and formats and it means that accuracy in sourcing your email lists is essential.

With B2B opt-in email address lists going for $1 per record to as high as $7 per record, depending on the broker, it’s essential that you ask your list broker about multiple syntaxes and address construction formats. If they don’t know, chances are the email list is both filled with junk addresses and violates CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. You don’t want to spend that kind of money on a list that is both in violation of the Law, and, grossly inaccurate. Make sure you know how often your broker verifies email address lists both for syntax and CAN SPAM.

Visit the Sales Intelligence Solutions website

News headlines for June 18, 2010 from The Daily Dog and Incentive Weekly.  (Updated throughout the day.)

(From The Daily Dog)

For the First Time in Nearly a Quarter Century, American Automakers Best Import Brands in JD Powers Report on Initial Quality

(From Incentive Weekly)

How to Improve Consumer Packaged Goods Loyalty
MGM Mirage Changes Name, Relaunches Loyalty Program
Top 10 Ways to Recognize in Crisis and Recession

(from Content Marketing News)

When: June 30, 2010
Time:  1:00 pm EDT  (30 minutes)
Where:  Online
Cost:   Free

It can drive you crazy. You spend and spend and spend on PPC, without harvesting the results you demand for the investment you make. Let the wizard of PPC Soren Ryherd from Working Planet Marketing Group de-mystify the PPC ROI tracking process with some live examples from PPC campaigns and clients, including ideaLaunch.com.

Learn how to track the ROI from your PPC investment with new methodology, tools and tricks of the trade. Learn how content marketing becomes your best asset with PPC strategy in turning more browsers into believers, and believers into buyers.

Soren joins host Byron White, founder of ideaLaunch and LifeTips.com on this months Content Marketing Webinar series focused on tracking PPC return on investment.

This 30-Minute FREE Webinar will help you do the following:

• Win the War of PPC Words on the Web
• Think beyond conversion and into the sales funnel
• Profitably Drive PPC Strategy & Tactics

Free 101 Content Marketing Tips Book

Attend this webinar and we’ll send you a PDF version of Byron’s newly published book, 101 Content Marketing Tips. It’s a $9.99 value and is full of priceless information.

Register Now!

(from Localeze)
Using Localeze Premium Listings, Feature Allows Consumers to Tag Location Details in Tweets

VIENNA, Va. (June 15, 2010) – Localeze, the largest business listings identity management company for local search, today announced its partnership with Twitter for its new Twitter Places feature. Localeze will provide Twitter with 14 million local search business listings, which allow users to tag tweets with locations, helping to establish a consistent and robust online identity for local businesses.

Localeze provides the standardization of local search listings needed to create a consistent anchor identity for businesses, including name, address and phone number (NAP), on local search and social platforms, including Twitter. Localeze’s process of managing and enhancing listings allows businesses to directly take control of their online identity by providing a new level of access, governance and consistency.

“Local search business listings are one of the foundational pieces of context adding insight to social media interaction as they give users critical information about nearby places,” said Jeff Beard, president, Localeze. “For exploding social platforms like Twitter, it is essential to share where conversations are taking place so that consumers can fully engage with local businesses.”

To access Twitter Places, users need to enable Twitter’s “tweet with your location” feature and click “add your location.” Selecting the location populates a list of nearby Twitter Places offered by Localeze.

Localeze currently provides 14 million local search business listings, including nearly 600,000 verified and managed by local businesses to more than 90 local search platform and application partners.

About Localeze
Localeze is the largest business listings identity management provider for local search.  As a trusted partner, Localeze maintains direct, authorized relationships with local search platforms, national and regional brands, channel partners and local businesses. The company provides businesses essential tools to verify, manage and enhance the identity of their local listings across the Web. Through these relationships and access to authoritative local business information, Localeze is the largest provider of trusted, enhanced online local business listings in the local search industry. Localeze is a privately held company headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. For more information visit www.localeze.com.

Editor’s Note: I subscribe to Seena Sharp’s email newsletter, “SharpInsights” and find it a quick and interesting read.  This latest edition (#51) provided insights into how the business of coaching has changed.  I thought I’d share it with you here …

SharpInsights #51: Going Coach Has a Whole New Meaning

The title “coach” used to be reserved for guys like Knute Rockne, Yogi Berra, and John Wooden-leaders who knew that winning took hard work, motivation and perseverance. Now, Americans are hiring coaches to lead them to different kinds of victory.

Letting Miss Daisy drive herself: The number of drivers who are 70 or older is growing and will top 30 million by 2020. Driving coaches prep seniors for their written and road tests, and research the most senior-friendly DMV offices.

Thinking outside the box: Death coaches help clients evaluate their myriad options including home funerals, green burials and low-cost alternatives.

Working 9 to 5 to 9: Career coaches edit resumes, conduct practice interviews, and advise job-seekers about everything from recruiters to social media.

Rewinding the gold watch: Retirement coaches help adults plan for the next phase in their lives which often involves a second career or new venture.

Name an activity, and there’s likely a coach ready to help you succeed. (Mediation coaches? Ohm…yes!) Can you leverage your company’s expertise by offering web-based or phone coaching?

Want more SharpInsights? Visit the archives at http://www.sharpmarket.com/sharpinsights/index.html

Posted:  June, 15, 2010

Top Jobs:

• Analyst & Media Relations Manager for US Public Sector, HP
• Communications Manager, PENCIL, Inc.
• Public and Media Relations Manager, Americans for the Arts
• Manager, Corporate Communications, Warner Music Group
• Sr. Communications Specialist, Wolters Kluwer
• Director of Public Relations, Glenville State College
• Vice President Public Relations, Select Medical Corporation
• Senior Account Executive, Volume Public Relations
• Public Relations Director, Purdue Marion & Associates

Post your resume for free today and access the newest jobs available for PR professionals.

(from Ragan Communications)

When:  Thursday, June 24, 2010
Time:  3-4:15 pm EDT
Where:  Online
Cost:  $209

It’s a new decade in a new century … surely strategic communication must have evolved over the past several years? Yes—and no. While the explosion of social media—and the critical role it plays in reaching our audiences—has added new powers to our communication programs and campaigns, many of us still put far too much emphasis on tactics. Strategy is still you thinking in the biggest way possible about your business, and you don’t need a social media networking poll to tell you that.

Join Shonali Burke, Principal of Shonali Burke Consulting, as she gives an overview of why strategy is still important and how to demystify it. You’ll learn how to frame your communication strategy with the end-results in mind, and tie that strategy to your organization’s business objectives which is, after all, the reason our profession exists.

You will learn:

• The difference between strategy and tactics
• How social media should fit into your overall communication strategy
• How to connect your efforts to your organization’s KPIs
• How the 5W’s and H of public relations can help you frame your strategy
• Why good measurement is critical to the success of your communication program
• And more!

Register Now

This infographic appeared on Mashable this morning and I thought it was worth sharing.  Where do you fall?

Count me among the 11%.

(from Bill Stoller/The Publicity Insider)

June 15, 2010 -  The online press release has taken on much more significance than the old school 20th Century version. In the old days (say, 5 -10 years ago), PR agencies and in-house staff cranked out paper press releases and dutifully distributed them via regular mail to slightly overwhelmed, slightly interested reporters.

Man, have things changed – for the better!

Today, PR-educated publicity seekers (you), can not only get your fair share of the publicity-pie, you can now take your info directly to the public.

Reality: If you don’t know what you’re doing in writing and distributing your shiny new press release, you can waste a ton of time and effort.

Why reinvent the wheel?

Solution: Here’s a new, state-of-the-art, no-cost whitepaper:

“Writing Great Online News Releases: How to Release Your News Across the Web to Get the Best Results”.

The whitepaper includes the following essential topics:

• Before you write your release – a list of do’s and don’ts;
• Best practices for every element of your release: the headline, lead paragraph, body, boilerplate, contact info;
• How to optimize your online news release for web searches;
• A list of popular press release topics;
• A final checklist for formatting your release

Download it here.

(from Ragan Communications)

When:  Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Time:  3 – 4:15 pm EDT
Where: Online
Cost:   $99

Who makes the key decisions in a household? Women. They determine when their kids, aging parents or husband should see the doctor.

So how do you gain their attention? Social media. Studies show women are the dominant force in social networks like Facebook and Twitter. These networks present a prime opportunity to showcase your hospital’s services, events and patient care.

During this 60-minute webinar, you will learn how to:

• Formulate a social media strategy to reach women, including new moms
• Develop messages that speak to your target audience
• Publicize your hospital’s women-oriented events via social media
• Start a hospital Twitter feed geared to women
• Converse with mommy bloggers to understand their needs
• Integrate offline strategies to expand your social network for women
• Share data and studies with executive staff about this key demographic
• Find online communities for women, or start one at your hospital
• Generate ideas for engaging new and expectant mothers
• And more!

Your presenter, Corey Walker, will teach you how to tailor your social media message to this influential audience.

Register Now!

By: Andrew Eisner, Retrevo.com’s Director of Community and Content

Everyone is talking about the mobile Internet and how more and more consumers are browsing and using lots of apps anywhere they and their mobile phones happen to be. Are cell phone owners also becoming more comfortable buying things with their phones? If not, what would make them more likely to shop with their phones? This Retrevo Pulse Study looked at consumers and mobile commerce and found many willing shoppers ready to make purchases with their phones.

Consumers Are Warming to Mobile Commerce
In February of 2010, a Retrevo Pulse studyfound almost 10% of the respondents indicating they had purchased something with their cell phones. Four months later, with a different sample, that number had doubled to 20%. The bad news is that a little less than half the respondents have never purchased anything with their phone and have no plans to do so in the future. The better news is the 27% that haven’t bought anything yet but indicate they will in the future. That leaves about 20% who purchased something through their phone.

Apps Make Shopping Easier
Apps make everything so much easier and more fun, and that includes shopping. Retrevo found that nearly 42% of those who have shopped with their phones said they have used apps to make purchases. When we looked at gender and smartphone owners we weren’t surprised to see male mobile shoppers outnumbering females and iPhone owners leading the pack.

(more…)