A blend of spices, sausage and vegetables, many family members have tried to duplicate Nana’s stuffing over the years. My mother and older brother have come very close to capturing the taste—but even following the written recipe my grandmother provided years ago hasn’t helped anyone to replicate it perfectly (no disrespect to Mom and “Uncle” David). I suppose that’s to be expected when my brother’s own handwritten notes indicate “Grandma doesn’t have exact measures.”

So, if today you have a relative or friend with a favorite dish you admire—perhaps a red sauce, fudge brownies or homemade bread—anything that is a signature selection, be sure to tell them how delicious it is and how much it means to you when they prepare it. While my grandmother was the recipient of many “culinary compliments,” I’d love to tell her one last time how much I enjoyed “Nana’s Stuffing.”

Nana’s Stuffing

• 1 loaf of bread (I like using white wholegrain like Sara Lee because it holds its structure better.)
• 1 diced medium to large onion
• 1 or 2 thinly sliced celery stalks
• 1 lb. sage breakfast sausage
• 2 teaspoons dried sage (optional)
• 2 – 3 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt

Put everything in a big bowl and start mixing it with your hands, breaking up the bread. Hands are the best way. It should be well mixed but still chunky—not a pasty slurry.

Moisten bread with water or chicken stock as you go if the mixture seems too dry. I usually use about 1 or 2 cups of chicken stock. Water is ok, but it brings nothing in the way of flavor.

Put it in a pan or and bake for about 1 hour at 350° F to cook the sausage. An internal temperature of 160° F is good. Then, just scale it all up or down as needed and enjoy.

That’s why at Dixon Schwabl, we worked with Rotary International and Rotary District 7120 to create this video:

What does Rotary do? It makes the world a better place. As a Rotarian, you are giving back to your community and the world. You’re meeting new people, learning from others, and advancing your career.

Interested in checking it out? Let me know!

Last week, however, I finally understood.

The game was addicting, it was fun, and it gave my Dad and I something to do while sitting in a waiting room for two hours. These addicting, enjoyable, time-wasting games are spreading fast and causing a whole new community to form within the Smartphone world. From Draw Something to Bejeweled Blitz, users are actively engaging in these activities and heightening the already high dependency on technology.

From a personal perspective, I can’t help but wonder if our society is going to turn into one in which people are incapable of sitting in silence, without feeling the need to waste the time playing yet another round of Scramble with Friends. However, from an advertising perspective, these games are genius and offer a platform to take advantage of.

Last year, AdAge reported that the game Angry Birds alone attracted users for 200 million minutes per day. The global information management company, SDL, also reported that there were 30 million downloads, 1 billion drawings, and 15,000+ social mentions in one day of Draw Something, and Temple Run was ranked as the number one iOS free app as of December 2011. These numbers show how engaged consumers are and prove the importance of advertising in the Smartphone realm.

There are multiple ways brands can get their foot into the door of Smartphone applications. One way is through the simple pop-up ads that appear during the downloading or switching of users during a game. These ads make users actively click out of them before going back to their game, forcing the consumers to see the advertisement whether they want to or not.

Another way a brand can partake in mobile game advertising is through the creation of its own application. AXE did this by launching the game Pogo Xtreme, a multilevel game that encompasses a signature move known as AXE Deodorant Bodyspray Double Pits to Chesty, which involves a spray under the arms and across the chest. The game also has various AXE affirmations between different levels of the game.

The drawback to a brand creating its own gaming application, however, is that the games can be costly to create and involve a high level of technological expertise. There’s also no guaranteed that a high volume of users will download the game, as the game itself will still need to be marketed.

In order to combat this drawback, many brands are setting out to establish integration between their product and an existing application. According to MobiAD News, Coca-Cola did this by signing a partnership with the LA-based mobile games publisher, GAMEVIL. This partnership had Coke ads dispersed throughout the virtual baseball stadium of the iPhone game Baseball Superstars, a game that has been downloaded by over 30 million players worldwide.

While there are many ways a brand can enter into the world of Smartphone advertising, the importance lies in the fact that they do enter it. Just as I can’t ignore the number of iPhones in use in the minutes before a class begins, marketers should not ignore the large advertising platform that games offer. They are consistently being developed, used and shared, creating a new culture where we spend countless hours as Fruit Ninjas and Angry Birds.

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Allison Sirica is an intern in the Account Services department. She is a Senior Communication major and Business Studies minor at SUNY Geneseo and will graduate in May 2012.

The correct approach is to rethink and reform your marketing efforts to allocate resources more efficiently. An example of this is using online tools to cost-effectively and tactically reach existing or prospective clients. Setting up creative, well-targeted email blasts is one way to reach a certain audience. Another interactive approach is to incorporate a blog on an existing website, or use an online survey to immediately gauge customer feedback about a certain product or service.

By using a variety of tools in the marketing arsenal, businesses can approach their budgets in a smart, organized and clear manner, applying the best marketing resources for the project. Public relations is another ideal way to build awareness, maximizing key messages in the process. Editorial essays, grassroots publicity efforts, and well-timed press or charitable events are PR tools that can be cost-effective and high impact at the same time.

Reaching a targeted audience with a focused approach can help businesses navigate short-term challenges without altering a marketing budget and causing long-term issues. Don’t let a tough economy dictate your marketing needs—customers could forget who you are and what you do if you aren’t using the right tools to reach them!

March 22, 2012 is World Water Day, an international day dedicated to focusing on the importance of fresh water. Each year, World Water Day highlights different aspects of fresh water; this year’s theme is Water and Food Security.

I myself am guilty of letting the shower run for a minute to warm up and leaving the water running while brushing my teeth. But never once did I think about how much water I was wasting. This particular event caught my eye because I live close to one of the few fresh bodies of water in North America.

As I looked deeper into the campaign for World Water Day, it made me realize that this not-so-distant water crisis is in the near future. In 2050, it’s projected that another two billion people will need to be fed on top of the seven billion today. So what does that mean for us? At this point in time, there is no answer to that question, but here are some ways for us to prevent that day from coming:

• When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing; fill one sink for washing and the other for rinsing.
• Shorten your shower by a minute or two and save up to 150 gallons per month.
• Designate one glass for drinking water or refill a water bottle to cut down on the number of glasses to wash (we do this at DS every day!).
• For cold drinks, keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap. This way, every drop goes into you and not the drain.
• Turn the water off when brushing your teeth and save 25 gallons a month.
• Grab a wrench and fix leaky faucets—it’s  simple  and can save up to 140 gallons of water a week!

When you save water, you save money on your utility bills, too! Saving water is easy for everyone to do. Share these conservation tips with your family, friends, coworkers and neighbors! Tell us how you’re saving water, and check out the different ways we’re participating here at Dixon Schwabl on our Twitter and Facebook pages!

Image courtesy of care2.com
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Bianca Alaimo is an intern in the Public Relations department. She is a junior at St. John Fisher College, majoring in Communication and Journalism with a minor in Marketing, and will graduate in April 2013.

Schwabl states that “concept is key” and that U of R and the group that performs in the video, the Midnight Ramblers, came up with a compelling way to recruit potential students in the school’s target market. With the positive buzz this video has generated, I bet U of R will get even more qualified, potential students from around the world. Kudos U of R!

How do you deliver bad news?  Here are three factors to consider:

• Most employees will initially be concerned about the impact of the news on their immediate future– be sure to address specifically what will or will not change with your team right away.
• Deliver clear and concise information, and stick to the facts.  Remember, in the absence of information, we all tend to create our own story based on what we know and our experiences, so be sure to tell as much as is appropriate to keep speculation at a minimum.
• Create two or three talking points that you plan to work into your messaging.  By creating a short list of items that you must cover in your discussion, you will be sure to have greater control over the meeting while maintaining a positive dialogue.

Bad news is part of any company and culture.  While we always hope for the best, it is important to be prepared to convey bad news.

Our methodology for this complex and absolutely error-free research is, as you would expect, proprietary knowledge, but suffice it to say that the question was posed to a significant demographic segment, and there was all sorts of analysis going on (quantitative and qualitative), and margins of error were increased to fit the Word document. And to ensure the accuracy of the survey, I manipulated the data to fit my preconceived notions of The Truth. The results—shocking, predictable and infallible—are presented for your edification.

First off, all of the participants were wrong. They were asked the simple, neutral and soft-ball question, What is the Best Party Anthem Ever? Despite the simplicity of the task, they all failed miserably. To wit:

• Karen S. is one of the smartest people I know, yet she stumbled on this “easy-A” question. Here’s the complete transcript of her response:

“Why it’s “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO– of course!  I started listening to this because it is constantly on the radio, and now I’m hooked!  Now when I have to apologize for something, I say “Sorry for party rockin’,” which doesn’t seem like a real apology at all!  Better yet, I am not even 100% sure what it all means! Plus, this band is an uncle and a nephew–DJs Redfoo and SkyBlu. How cool is that? And really, how can you be sorry for party rockin’? Ok, I’ll stop typing now….Seriously, this is a great party anthem.”

Yup. Time to check her coffee.

• Courtney, Katie R. and Jen L. are renowned PR experts, but they are not good at following directions. They sent in 7 songs, which is 133% more than we asked for, taking that whole “over-deliver” concept too far. They picked:

Shots – LMFAO
Let’s Get it Started – Black Eyed Peas
Tonight’s Gonna Be a Good Night – Black Eyed Peas
Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake
Hey Ya! – Outkast
Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani
Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey

• Stacy and Katie S. must have been on the same mental wavelength as the PR team, as they both cited Don’t Stop Believin’ as well. Unfortunately, they too were wrong.

• I am always amazed by Marshall’s numerous creative talents—artist, guitar master, rodeo clown—but since he selected ACDC’s You Shook Me All Night Long, I’ve begun to wonder.

• Ron’s our go-to guy in Research and his selection was Ottowan’s Hands Up. I think he needs to re-check his data. He’s still my go-to guy, but not for song selections.

• New England Patriots super-fan Susan C. chose Kool & The Gang’s Celebration as the best party anthem. It’s good, but like the Pats, it falls a tad short this year.

• When fellow copywriter and Laura Petrie look-a-like Dana D. rocks out old school, she cranks up the Kiss classic Rock & Roll All Nite, just like Chief Creative Officer Dion P. I work in the same small office as Dana, and Dion’s The Man in the Creative Department, but I must speak the truth and point out that they are both wrong.

• Finally, Julianna, Jon A. and Sara P. all claimed that the title should go to Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. Coincidentally, it’s one of Mike Schwabl’s favorite songs. Also coincidentally, they’re all wrong.

I’m beginning to realize that the problem may not be entirely the fault of the respondents. Perhaps I could have been a wee bit more precise by explaining that what I was actually looking for was MY Best Party Anthem. Naturally, if they had known that, they would have all submitted the correct answer: Longshot Kick De Bucket by The Specials.

Obviously.

Image courtesy of: jamnsoundsaz.com

One of my biggest “ah ha” moments came while completing a project at work. It suddenly hit me that much of the same advice that applies to personal relationships can benefit businesses too. Now I’m not saying CEOs should run out and grab the latest issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, but if you stop to ask yourself whether you’d want to date your company or one of the companies you currently give your business to, is the answer a yes?

If your answer isn’t a resounding yes, here are a few tips:

1. Talk less and listen more. Think about it, would you want to date someone who constantly shouted messages at you, especially ones that weren’t even relevant? Get to know your customers and offer them what they actually want or need. Listen to their feedback and respond in an appropriate and timely manner—a practice that’s more important than ever with the influence of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ and Pinterest, which drew 16.6% of Internet minutes spent in December 2011 according to comScore.

2. Be clear in your communications. Would you date someone who promised you something and didn’t deliver? Imagine being asked out to a fancy dinner on your first date and only going to fast food restaurants after that. When you make an offer, make sure your message is clear up front so your customers understand what they’re signing up for.

3. Be respectful. Nobody wants to date someone who answers the phone one day and not the next or worse, who only calls when they need something. Remind yourself that your customers’ time and money is just as valuable to them as it is to you.

4. Keep things fresh, but be consistent. Keeping the work you’re producing fresh will turn their heads, but consistently providing value and delivering superior customer service will keep them coming back.

Dating advice isn’t just for singles anymore. Applying these lessons can help you build solid relationships with your customers and keep them from secretly placing a personal ad asking your competition if they like piña coladas.

*Image courtesy of blog.tinyprints.com