Nokia announces wireless charging phone

This just might be the coolest thing I've heard about. Nokia is testing a cell phone that charges without wires by using energy in the air from radio, TV and other wireless signals. Check it out on Yahoo!...

tech.yahoo.com

-Michael Rogers

Air New Zealand Has Nothing To Hide

Caught this in the NYT. Air New Zealand did a fantastic job of making these videos viral and blending their brand messaging effectively. Sounds easy, but it's hard to do! Often videos are viral and entertaining but lack brand messaging, or are full of brand messaging and not all that viral or entertaining. Kudos to the Air New Zealand marketing team. Check them all out on YouTube. My only dismay is that they don't have these on their website home page!

-Michael Rogers

Beauty Brands SHOULD Work With Bloggers

Today I was sent an Internet post by Emrah Kovacoglu, Founder and CEO, Total Beauty Media that I’m compelled to comment on. In his post titled "Beauty Brands Should Not Be Working With Bloggers...” Mr. Kovacoglu suggests that beauty brands, PR firms such as ours, and ad agencies should not work with bloggers. I find his outlook extremely short sighted and self-indulgent. I also found it interesting the post didn't allow for comments. Not very open or savvy for a brand that according to their own website "encourages you to join in our active discussions."

See complete article at this link: http://www.totalbeautymedia.com/ceo_outlook?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=TBM%2BInsider%20June09&utm_campaign=TBM%2BInsider%20June09_CEOoutlook

The experience Michael Rogers PR has had with bloggers has been nothing but positive and beneficial to our client brands. I agree with Mr. Kovacoglu that some bloggers are better than others, that some hold themselves to more true journalistic integrity than others. But just like how a free market works, the cream quickly rises to the top, and we know which bloggers we prefer working with as they are the more professional and exhibit journalistic integrity.

Journalistic ethics is the core issue raised by Mr. Kovacoglu which I agree should be addressed. Traditional media have corporate policies for journalistic integrity that are not imposed on bloggers. Some bloggers do misrepresent and skew facts, but they are the exception, not the norm. Our interactions as a PR firm have allowed us to weed out better bloggers from bad ones, and we simply stop working with those who don’t have their readers interest at heart. It is the responsibility of the brand and agency to be smart and take care in choosing which bloggers to work with.

What I see Mr. Kovacoglu doing is promoting his network of Total Beauty Media, which I wish he would have done without slamming the community of bloggers who are ethical and credible but just don’t happen to be part of his network. His network has many other positive attributes to highlight without slamming a beauty blogging community with stereotypes. His not so subtle self-indulgent suggestion is that brands and agencies only go through his company and Total Beauty Media bloggers. The truth is that there are plenty of credible blogs out there not part of Total Beauty Media that beauty brands and agencies should work with and should not suffer from the poor behavior of other less credible bloggers.

Our suggestions for brands and agencies working with bloggers is to take the time to do research and not work with any and all bloggers. You don’t work with all traditional media outlets, some just aren’t appropriate for your brand, why would you do the same with blgos? The following tips should help:

1. How frequently does the blogger post? More frequently shows they are serious about their blog.
2. Check the readership of the blog. Google and other Internet tools have statistics on blogs that are publicly available.
3. What does the blogger say about reviewed products? Is it only their personal experience or expanded to include how others may or may not like a product. Some bloggers slam products that don’t happen work for them and ignore that the product would work better (or meant to work) for someone else.
4. Are there more negative reviews than positive reviews? Professional journalists tend to write more about products they endorse than those they don’t. If they do write a negative review, it then comes across as more valid.
5. Be prepared for a negative review. Sending your product for review by a bloggger opens your product and brand to criticism and less than stellar reviews. So be sure what you’re sending is a quality product.
6. Beware of bloggers that ask for tons of full size products. Respectable bloggers will only ask for product they intend to review and nothing more. Bloggers who ask for too much are often looking for freebies. Most bloggers are fine with a trial size sample. If the highly visited blog gives a great review, impacts your sales positively and loves your product for their personal use, a “thank you” gift of a full size product is satisfactory and appropriate.
7. Savvy readers know the difference between an advertisement and editorial. Readers know that a giveaway or prize is supplied by the brand. Credible blogs have a healthy balance between editorial and promotional giveaways and always are up front about .
8. Trust the public. Readers can easily sift through reviews that are slanted and biased. Those readers will quickly go elsewhere.
9. Be polite at all times. Worse than a negative product review is a poor comment on your brand or agency's professionalism.
   

-Michael Rogers

Push and Pull

When creating a smart and effective public relations campaign it's important to implement and "push and pull" media strategy.  You're probably asking what we mean by this.  Start by thinking about your customer.  PR is about promotion which will directly impact and increase sales through exposure.  Using a "push and pull" strategy in relating to the media, brands can maximize their PR efforts. 

 

The "push" is created by targeting trade magazines that are for professionals and are industry specific.  For example, a skin care brand seeks exposure through trade magazines such as WWD, Dayspa and Les Nouvelles Estethiques. Brand promotion and exposure to retailers, distributors and sales staff create awareness of your products and these industry professionals then "push" your products to consumers through their own sales initiatives.  Your outreach should educate this audience how to sell and promote your products through more in depth knowledge and education.

 

Now comes the "pull" of the media campaign.  Publicity and exposure in consumer oriented publications such as The New York Times, Allure, Elle, the Today Show, etc. cause consumers to seek out your product. They then go to stores and retailers asking for your products, creating a "pull" effect.  

 

In our media campaigns we have found this basic strategy to benefit our clients' sales and done effectively can grow brand recognition more quickly and effectively.  Find out more about the "push and pull" strategy by contacting us any time. 

Don't Get Caught Red-Mouthed: Use Wine Wipes!

My friends and I certainly enjoy a glass of red wine every now and then, but whenever we’re not in the comfort of our own homes, we usually settle for white instead, solely to avoid that dreaded purple mouth some wines can leave behind. Most red wine drinkers know, no matter how cautious you sip or how hard you scrub some reds are near impossible to remove from teeth.

Lucky for me (and the rest of the MRPR team), I get to work with Wine Wipes, an amazing product that removes wine (and other stains) in a single swipe.

The formula even includes glycerin and calcium to coat and protect teeth. Plus it contains orange blossom, a flavor naturally found in red wine, so it won’t interfere with the taste. Wine Wipes come in a 20-wipe compact, complete with a mirror and is small enough to toss in a bag or small clutch. Winos everywhere can now breathe a sigh of relief. Check them out at www.winewipes.com.

Cheers!

Thoughts on Earth Day...

Throughout the year there are countless special months and days that bring focus to various causes.  Such as today being Earth Day when we highlight eco-awareness with eco-friendly and “green” lifestyle choices and products.  This day raises thoughts in me as a publicist, marketer and citizen of planet Earth.  I fully appreciate the concept and firmly believe that everyday should be Earth Day, but like other holidays and awareness days and months, sometimes it seems like part of the Hallmark conspiracy.  You all know what I mean, it seems like many holidays in the US have become “Hallmark holidays” that are part of a conspiracy to get us all to buy cards and gifts and seemingly takes the focus from the meaning of the holiday toward vast consumerism.  

In the days leading up to Earth Day I have been barraged with e-mails about eco-friendly products with various brands touting how they recycle, use recycled materials, are good for the environment or do their part to have minimal impact on the Earth.   As a marketer I want to seize the opportunity to promote my clients efforts to be green, but as a citizen of planet Earth I wonder if we’ve completely succumbed to capitalistic and opportunistic marketing.  Earth Day, along with Breast Cancer Awareness Month and even Healthy Weight Awareness Month,  seem to have become excuses to market products and further contribute to our addiction to consumerism....which at the end of the day contradicts being eco-friendly.  

I’m not sure on the answer.  It seems we need to acknowledge there is a root promotional component to brands being green.  They wouldn’t be green unless there was consumer demand for it.  And true to the capitalist code of supply and demand, brands offer green products.  The question to be asked is if it’s purely promotional or if there is some firm belief in being green behind the brand and product.  The issue is a gray one and worth further debate and most definitely brief consideration at the check out counter.  

-Michael Rogers

Economic Slowdown Marketing Tips From Business Week

Today I received an newsletter from my good friend the amazingly talented Lloyd Princeton owner of Design Management Company which specializes in marketing and media relations for the interior design and home furnishings industry.  Lloyd caught an article in Business Week that I want to share with everyone.  

In this economic slowdown business owners aren't sure what to do whether their company has already been impacted or they think it will be impacted soon.  Here are five common mistakes companies often make when times get tough according to Business Week.

1. Be smart and thrifty, but don't panic.  This, too, shall pass.

2. Marketing is muscle, not fat. Be careful about cutting it.

3. Don't lose focus by chasing business you wouldn't normally want.

4. Don't discount.

5. Don't neglect the elephant in the room. (in other words, discuss the economic realities with employees and clients alike)

To read the full article in Business Week click here.

Happy Holidays from MRPR!

There's just something about being in New York City during the holidays. Albeit the snow, the storefronts, or the gorgeous Rockefeller Center tree, the spirit of the season is in full swing.


Wherever you may be celebrating this year, all of us at Michael Rogers Public Relations wish you and yours a very happy holiday season and best wishes for the New Year!

Overcoming a Creative Block: Tips and Tricks to get back your PR Mojo

Every now and then, I stumble onto a creative roadblock. It can happen to the best of us, but when it happens to me, nothing I say or do seems to get across my client's message in a creative manner. One of the most important aspects of PR is creative messaging, so what's a publicist to do when things get a little "vanilla"?

In my past experience with a stroke of vanilla, I've developed a few tips and tricks to quickly get past them and back to work! Check them out for yourself and let me know if they helped at all!

1. Take a walk. Nothing exacerbates a lack of creativity like sitting in front of your computer, willing yourself to keep the flow going. Leave your office, go for a quick walk, grab a coffee, or make a brief phone call to a friend- anything to get your mind off the problem so return to it with a fresh energy.
2. Can't seem to find the right words to describe a product or service? Head to a few of your favorite sites and see what the bloggers are talking about. Sometimes just 5 minutes is all you need to find the fire in yourself again.
   
3. Make magazines your new best friends. Flip through a couple sections to refresh the creative process and approach your own problem with an editorial perspective- how would you want to convey this product to readers on a national level? Ensuring that your own message will resemble that of a media outlet will only increase your chances of getting positive attention.

And there you have it. Forcing creativity will look false. It has to come naturally, so take the time to build it up and you'll amaze yourself with the results!

-Catherine Tucker

Brett's Quick Tips Go "Live!"

Brett Freedman, LA-based celebrity makeup artist and VANITYMARK cosmetics founder, has taken his famous beauty "Quick Tips" live! Every Tuesday, Brett will release a new video with visual tips on how to look and feel the very best. The very first video launched today, simply click the image below!