InsidEPR

Just Passing By

2008-09-02T12:09:33-07:00

By Frank Bauch

I’ve had friends who say their social lives have slowed down after graduating from college and entering the working world.

Clearly they never had desks by the printer.

In our office, every time a document is printed, a fax is sent or received, or a copy needs to be made, everyone in the office flocks to the same place. The copy machine is the modern day water-cooler, and I’m holding the cups. What’s more, our Xerox Work Centre is on the path to the lunch room, so the traffic for lunches and breaks flows through here as well.

First thing in the morning, I’ll usually get a “hello” here and a “good morning” there, and after grabbing some morning coffee or a cup of tea, everyone heads to their desks to start the work day.

But it’s not long before the traffic starts flowing my way, and the social skills kick into gear.

“Hello”
“Oh, Hey”
“Wassuppp (followed by fist pound)”
“Hiii”

How many different ways can one come up with of addressing the passers-by? Possibly dozens, but even so I’m usually running thin by noon.

Working in the office interstate highway definitely opens many possibilities for awkwardness. Near the printer, you’ll get the occasional long print job that will have a colleague walking back and forth to the printer several times in just a few minutes. Ditto for using the microwave, which brings the mid-morning snack crowd. To be sure, it’s hard even for those of us hidden away in the corner office not to look up at the sound of passing footsteps, only to discover you’ve made direct eye contact with the person walking by. Engage PR has an open-door policy that creates a great office environment, but it also keeps you on your toes as you walk down the hallways.

Everyone has a different way of approaching the walk by my desk area. Sometimes I’ll get a joke, sometimes I’ll get asked about what I’m up to, and once I even had someone break into a jog and say, “Just getting some exercise!” But in the end, there’s really no rhyme or reason to how many times you can say “Hi” to someone in a day. I’m in a cool office with lots of fantastic people, so I never really get tired of it.

In the coming days, I’ll be making a move to a new desk. The place they call “Cube Land” will be my new home, and I’ll get to take on a new area with lots of office traffic: the desk closest to the front door! I guess I’ll need to brush up on different ways to say “Good Morning!”

Leveraging PR to Stay Competitive in a Down Market

2008-08-22T14:59:08-07:00

By Jeannette Bitz

Watching the Dow Jones decline makes me think about how companies manage their marketing and PR spending. Whether you call this a recession or a market re-adjustment, all the doom and gloom about the economy can make any executive who has to watch the bottom line anxious. In my first year as an Engage PR partner (yes, it’s my official anniversary this month), I’m certainly conscious of the money we bring in and the money we spend. I’m always looking at any means possible to spend less, without making an impact on the quality of our employees and the work we do for our clients.

A down economy can actually be a good opportunity to invest time and money in PR – not cut it. Here’s why:

Chances are your competitors hunker down and spend less during down times. But reporters still need good stories and content. Now is the time when smaller or mid-sized companies that usually have to work hard to vie for news coverage have a chance to drive or influence trends.
Your customers need to know who you are and that you are maintaining a viable business even during bad economic times.
Companies that invest in their brands during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and ROI at a lower cost than during good economic times.

What should companies do?

Avoid treating PR as an event. PR is a process. Focusing PR efforts on news events like product announcements usually yields few results, except for new companies debuting truly unique products. Companies are generally better off spending their resources on establishing thought leadership and driving trends in the blogosphere and technology media. (Link to Zeugma blog and news site).
Take advantage of the Internet and new media and social media tools to start a dialog with the media and create thought leadership in your company’s market or technology.
Don’t reduce or eliminate PR spending until an economic turnaround. Companies that do so will lose out to those that take advantage of the down economy.
If your company is still in development, and especially if you have a category-breaking solution, stay in stealth mode until your product is at least in beta and you have a customer willing to talk to the press. Come to market too soon, without any proof points to show how you’ll succeed, and you may not appear credible.

These tips will help you take advantage of a down market and better a position your company for success once the economy turns around.

Note: Congratulations and thank you to the entire Engage PR team; you’re the reason we were named one of the top technology communicators among small agencies. This honor is a testament to how hard you work to be effective resources for reporters and to your relationships with the media.

I have a confession to make

2008-08-13T16:18:00-07:00

By Allison Kuhn

I have to get it off my chest – I am addicted to the Beijing Olympic Games. Ever since the lucky numbers (08/08/08) rolled around, I have been hooked on the games, watching NBC constantly. Now this addiction is one that some 20-million-plus American viewers share with me. In fact, this Olympic Games is projected to beat all previous Olympics in pure numbers of home viewers.

According to The Wall Street Journal, “NBC attracted an average of 24.1 million viewers for Saturday night's [8/9] prime-time broadcast, the most for the first night of competition since the Atlanta Games in 1996....” So why are people tuning into these games?

I can only speculate why I am so hooked and have several reasons that come top of mind. 1) The summer games will not come around for another four years, and I don’t want to miss them. 2) I enjoy watching competitive sports. 3) Will Michael Phelps win another gold medal?

But the real answer is likely the fact that I can watch the games at any time - that they are always available. Like the 2006 Winter Games, these games are available via streaming live video in addition to regular television coverage. NBC is projected to provide about 3,600 hours of coverage across its broadcast and cable networks and its Web site. Of that coverage, 75 percent will be live feeds.

I mean come on…how could I miss these games? You really need to check them out.

For more on the Olympic viewership, view the 8/11 WSJ article. (Online membership is required).

Facebook: personal or professional?

2008-08-12T18:31:23-07:00

By Jill Primost

The amazing thing about writing a blog post on Facebook is that the chances are high that what you say about it one day could change if you wait, let’s say, two more weeks. The one constant but evolving discussion at the end of the day, however, is Facebook – personal or professional?

The college kid in me says “absolutely not” to professional. Think about the photo albums, the “activities,” and the groups that being in college breeds, and about whether or not these are things you would want anyone in your professional life to observe. If you went down the road of joining “Bong Rips Unite” - likely not.

The privacy controls solve a lot of those sticky issues since they allow the user to cut off access to certain items for certain people. While I admit this makes me more comfortable with the fact that the professional world can peek at my Facebook, it does still nag at me that I can’t keep what once was totally open, still open, without fear of any repercussion.

But what about the generation that is growing up on Facebook post-college?
This poses an interesting question to Facebook’s network, and given that this demographic exists, it now allows for what I would deem two different Facebook worlds. Both my parents’ generation and my college peers have limitless space to use Facebook for whatever purpose they choose.

For all of you recent college grads out there, like myself, who have companies or bosses that want to take advantage Facebook – to connect with clients, market their agency, or what have you – I’ll tell you that I now believe it’s possible to do so. There’s room for both generations. At this point in your career, you’ve likely outgrown the pictures of your friends passed out on fraternity steps, anyway.

Professional doesn’t mean “boring,” and it doesn’t mean anti-social. Use Facebook as a social network for your friends, and keep the content of your weekends to the few that you spend those days with anyway. As far as networking tools go, I still believe an option like LinkedIn is a much better professional and networking tool, and for my generation, it could very well be. But if Facebook works as a networking tool for the 40-plus crowd – then we surely shouldn’t stop them.

And let’s be honest, at 25 it’s probably time you revoke your membership in Bong Rips Unite, anyway.

From the Trade-Show Trenches

2008-08-04T12:52:34-07:00

By Neila Matheny

June is my favorite month. This year, I headed back to the telecom trade show I have grown to love, NXTcomm. Although the month leading up to the show can be crazy with scheduling meetings; booking travel; and writing, editing, and re-editing press releases, it all seems worth it in the end. Trade shows have a life of their own, and everyone has funny stories to share from NXTcomms, Globalcomms, and Supercomms gone by.

This year’s show offered a couple of things to ponder:

Las Vegas. Now, I grew up in Southern California and have a true affinity for Sin City. However, I learned a tough lesson during my first working trip to Vegas. There is a reason that people only go for the weekend. I spent five nights there and saw four a.m. too many times. So, as most people do, I turned to coffee to get me through the trek to the convention center. But when you are standing outside in 100-degree weather to get a cab, it does not help have a scorching hot cup of coffee in your hand. Advice: get iced coffee or get more sleep!
Booth babes and their giveaways. In the walk to my client’s booth, I passed many show-booth babes with their squishy cows, backpacks, water bottles, and canvas bags to give away. In theory, I really don’t mind the booth babes. But when I was constantly asked where our giveaways were and why I wasn’t in a floor-length sequined gown, it got a little old. Not every company needs the schwag or the girls to keep the booth busy. I think we did just fine without all of that.
Food options. As a resident of San Francisco, I find it’s easy to become a foodie. I personally love The Food Network and getting to try the multitudes of new eateries in the city by the bay. So when faced with a sad little food court with grumpy help, tasteless sandwiches, and an oddly compiled salad bar, I was missing home. Las Vegas is quickly becoming a food mecca. Is it too hard to ask for good food to spread to the convention center?

Bottom line, I missed Chicago and am looking forward to 2009 when the show heads back there.

Engage PR wins “Best Places to Work in the Bay Area” award… again

2008-07-30T18:29:08-07:00

By Chelsea Irwin

While the Engage PR softball team might be 0 for 175, when it comes to winning awards we’re doing great. Engage PR recently received a “Best Places to Work in the Bay Area” award for the fourth time in five years. If you’re wondering what happened that one year we didn’t win, they cancelled lunch time and forced us to wear uniforms. That’s a joke. We actually weren’t eligible one year.

So it’s no surprise that everyone wants to work at Engage PR. I can’t decide if this is the result of the amazing work schedule, the company culture, or just because we have so much fun? I’m leaning towards the work schedule (we get off at 2:00 p.m. on Fridays).

I also keep hearing that Engage PR offers a “something healthy” allowance to each employee. I haven’t actually done anything healthy in about 10 years so I’ll take their word for it. Some of the perks I do capitalize on include the commuter relief stipends, monthly “kudos” awards and a comprehensive benefits package that includes a 401k plan and medical, dental, and vision coverage.

The 401k plan is especially important for me because I plan on retiring in the next year, or at least before I hit 30. I’ll let you know how early retirement works out for me. If all else fails, I have a great job to fall back on.

Alpha Dog?

2008-07-30T10:57:07-07:00

By Molly Miller
After 10 dogless years, I am now the happy pet-parent of a Montana-mix puppy, a shorthaired bundle of energy named Taylor (nicknamed “the bug”) adopted from the Humane Society of Northwest Montana.

Since it had been some time since I trained a puppy (they guestimate Taylor to be 7-9 months old), I refreshed my skills by reading Cesar’s Way by Cesar Millan, the purported “dog whisperer” all my dog-owner friends had raved about. As soon as I got Taylor home, I began to put Millan’s methodology to work, establishing myself as the leader of her pack.

I walked her extensively that first afternoon, using the short-leash technique Millan espouses to familiarize her with the boundaries of our property and the surrounding neighborhood. After she was very tired, I brought her into the house and introduced her to my husband and her new home. At night I put her in a training cage in the garage, so that my husband and I could sleep and wake on our own terms, not hers. I have followed his prescription for regular exercise and discipline, followed by affection. I’ll have to say, it worked. She has bonded to us, is well behaved in most situations, and appears to be totally housebroken. She’s also a great companion and a joy to experience.

It occurs to me that Cesar’s methodology extends to other avenues in life, not just the ones where you walk your dog. Millan advocates the use of calm assertive energy to motivate your pet. That kind of energy is motivating to the human species as well. A calm attitude opens up the possibilities for positive, creative juices to flow. Calm assertion involves being clear, direct, and efficient in communicating those ideas into actions. So often in the PR world, we work under the pressure of high client expectations and tight deadlines. Finding the calm assertive energy inside us is a good approach for achieving success in those circumstances.

How much is your digital data worth to you?

2008-07-25T12:55:39-07:00

By Laine Branch

I was chatting away on my cell phone, engaged in gossip this past weekend, while transferring data from one flash disk to another. When, suddenly, everyone within earshot heard me bemoan a careless mistake; I had deleted a file before it had completed copying safely over to my new flash disk.

Panicked, I immediately contacted every tech geek I knew and asked if it were possible to recover deleted documents on a flash disk. I received the same frustrating response one after another; “I don’t think so.” At that moment, I realized how dependent we’ve become on our digital data, and how easily it could be lost. In my case, it took only one click of my finger.

Turns out, I’m not the only one making such careless mistakes. According to The Diffusion Group, human error is the second leading cause of digital data loss. And accidental deletions aren’t the only errors we make. One morning you could be gazing at the news online, half-awake and sipping coffee, when whoops, you spill it over your laptop. How about those moments when you’re rushing to an important meeting with your laptop, clumsily lose your grip, and watch it crash to the floor? Or perhaps you’re at the airport, tired of lugging bags, put your laptop bag down for one second, look away, and it disappears. Two thousand laptops are stolen daily.

Not only do we have to worry about being our own worst enemy, but also, as most of us know, technology has an uncanny knack of malfunctioning when you need it most. Forty-four percent of data losses are due to hardware malfunctions. This is alarming considering our tendency to stuff our hard drives with thousands of pictures, music, and video, to the point where we wonder if there’s enough hard-drive space and memory – next thing you know, the computer crashes.

Luckily for me, I do have one genius friend who was able to recover the deleted items on my flash disk. However, I promised to spare him from my future panic attacks. I went to Fry’s the next morning and purchased myself an IOMEGA USB 2.0 160GB drive. All my iTunes purchases (probably totaling close to a thousand dollars), recorded digital videos, movies, college papers, journals, Excel spreadsheets, and family photos are now backed up.

Working of the email grid

2008-07-23T15:58:05-07:00

By Gail Farrell

Email’s handy for doing all sorts of things that you just can’t do by phone or that don’t really require an immediate in-person or by-phone response. For example, you can transmit documents to others via attachments and use the calendar function for coordinating meetings and conference calls.

Of course, email has it’s frustrations as well. There are times when working off the email grid is the only way to go. A dialogue of multiple email messages can consume far too much time; a phone call is far more effective for true dialog. And when I need to interview people for a press release or an article, email just doesn’t hack it. Sometimes the interviewees want the questions emailed to them, but their replies all too often require an additional phone conversation. Believe me, it’s impossible to write a 1,500-word article when the answers to your 10 questions are two or three lines long. Of course you can email a follow-up set of questions, but the answers still might not be what you’re looking for.

Interviewing people on the phone or in person, however, is a completely different experience. When they’re speaking, people make much longer, more interesting, and more detailed replies—and it’s the details that really make a piece work. You’re more likely to get good anecdotes or stories that someone might never think to write down. You can ask follow-up questions or clarify something right away. Just listening to someone’s tone of voice clues you in to what he or she finds interesting, boring, exciting or whatever and thus helps guide an interview.

Then there’s that whole personal relationship thing. If you rely on email, do you really get to know the people with whom you’re communicating? When you get off the email grid and actually talk to people, you get a feel for what they’re like. I recently had to interview several people in Powell, Wyoming, and while the conversations were mostly business, I wound up thinking that Powell must be home to the nicest, friendliest people in the U.S. And getting to know people, even in a business context, is a heck of a lot more fun and interesting than sending emails back and forth.

Does College Prepare You for the Working World?

2008-07-03T13:25:13-07:00

By JoAnna Wang

I graduated this past May and just started here at Engage PR. I am slowly adjusting to working life, but from what I’ve experienced so far, it doesn’t take long before becoming acquainted with people, and your responsibilities seems natural and even second nature. Maybe not the hours, though the 9-5 grind is typical of work life (I relish the fact that I never had a class in college that started before 11 and almost every semester I got at least a 3-day weekend). It’s still a little mind-boggling to consider myself as an alumna, but I am definitely relieved to have a college degree under my belt. Now that I’m working, though, I find myself questioning what college has really done for me. Does it prepare you for the working world?

The most obvious answer to this question seems to be yes, it does, or why else would we pay thousands upon thousands of dollars for school books, tuition, and a college education?

Surprisingly however, most would agree that the majority of a typical college curriculum does not touch on many facets of working life. Though I cannot deny learning about astronomy and philosophers like Descartes and Voltaire is somewhat interesting (key word being somewhat), the majority of courses are not relevant in the working world, especially in PR. Often times, students realize they are interested in jobs outside their area of study and do not even pursue careers that are relevant to their majors. On top of this, the variety of class schedules on a daily basis makes adjusting to the 9-to-5 work schedule even more difficult. So how is college culture at all conducive to preparing for the working world?

I’ve found the most essential ways college has helped prepare me for working life come from things I’ve learned outside of the classroom. Sure, college enhanced my ability to meet deadlines, write coherently, and work in teams through group projects. But what college did the most was provide an environment in which I was able to learn how to master everyday responsibilities, such as getting groceries, being punctual, and paying the bills on my own. It gave me a sense of independence that translates into my work environment, where I don’t need to be micromanaged to finish my task, and finish it well. And to a certain degree, it makes the level of my work a higher quality because I am acquainted with the higher expectations associated with a college degree. College was a necessary transition where I was able to grow up while still being a kid, and boy, don’t we all need that time to get some of those childish kinks out of our systems before we’re ready to commit to the working life. You live, you learn, you grow.

So if the question is, is college worth it? The definite answer is YES.

Hands off!

2008-06-26T11:00:57-07:00

By Suzanne Panoplos

We’ve all experienced it – you’re driving on the highway and you get stuck behind someone driving 35 mph in a 65 mph zone – in the left lane no less. You do your best to control your road rage, but as you finally pass the person, you can’t resist the urge to look over and give them your angriest “What the heck are you doing?” face.

Unfortunately, this will only make you more frustrated, because the driver is just as oblivious to you as they are to actually driving the car. You see, the left-lane lurker is on a cell phone!

Beginning July 1, the State of California is taking its best shot at making sure you’re paying attention to the road and not your phone. Drivers over 18 will now be required to have a “hands-free” device – which includes Bluetooth devices, hands-free headsets, and the speakerphone feature on your cell phone. Drivers under 18 will not be permitted to use a cell phone in the car at all. Violation of this law will result in a $20 fine initially and $50 fine for repeat offenses. In addition, the violation will appear as a conviction on your driving record.

But does this really solve the problem? Let’s face it – most drivers do everything but drive in the car. In my fairly short morning commute, I’ve seen drivers texting, putting on make-up, and reading the newspaper. And let’s not forget one woman in a particularly gymnastic move – painting her toe nails.

Research suggests that it’s not a matter of keeping your hands on the wheel – more a question of keeping your mind on the road. In fact, one Carnegie Mellon study indicated that simply listening to a sentence, without having to respond or press any buttons, decreased concentration on driving by 37 percent. Other research supports the contention that the new California law would save lives. A study released in May by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) estimated that 300 fewer people would die each year in traffic accidents in California.

As the debate rages on as to whether hands-free measures will improve safety, the reality is that in California, it will shortly become the law. With 28 states considering laws limiting cell phone use by drivers, chances are no matter where you are in the U.S., you’ll have to adjust your cell phone habits.

So if you’re like me, you’ll be making a beeline for the nearest phone store on June 30, 2008 – 10 minutes before closing time. But in the interim, keep your mind on the road—and please, if you’re on your phone, stay out of the passing lane!

For more information on the new California cell phone laws, visit http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/index.htm

Green wristband …eat up!

2008-06-20T13:46:21-07:00

By Allison Kuhn
Last month, the EPR team attended an Oakland Athletics’ baseball game at the Oracle arena. Let me tell you – the tickets we got were GREAT! It wasn’t that the seats were perfectly placed behind home plate, but that we were in the All-You-Can-Eat section.

It’s true. The A’s have a ticket option with unlimited trips to the snack bar. Upon arrival at the third level, you are given a green wristband that entitles you to the “green light” for food.

However, there is one rule that you must follow: fans are only allowed four items per trip to the snack bar. That’s not to say one can’t make several trips.

In the end, the A’s didn’t end up getting the win, which was a bummer! Yet no one went home hungry. I even stashed some extra peanuts in my bag for later.

This was a great outing for the EPR team. I would recommend going to an A’s game, whether your are getting these tickets for your company or going with a group of friends. You can check it out at: http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/oak/ticketing/ayce_seats.jsp.

Tips for Telecommuting

2008-06-16T16:07:18-07:00

By Becky Frost

Whether on the road or working from a home office full time, telecommuters share some common traits. For starters, we have all at one time answered the phone in a towel…probably not, but it’s possible. Now that I have your attention, I’d like to share some tips that I’ve found helpful in my experience as a telecommuter.

People working away from the office need to posses the following traits:

• Strong organizational skills
• The ability to focus and limit distractions
• The ability to motivate and manage yourself (meaning you can pressure yourself to get projects done on time)

One piece of advice I received when I began telecommuting was “stay organized.” Organizational skills can help telecommuters avoid timewasters and maintain efficiency. I am a list person, which helps me identify and prioritize my tasks – keeping me on track to accomplish work goals. Using your online calendar to remind you of important meetings and allocate time for projects is also very useful.

Another good piece of advice that I follow when working from a hotel room while on a press tour or working from my home office is to maintain my work space as just that – work space.

When working while on tour, I immediately set up the desk portion of my hotel room as command central for work. This keeps things tidy while also enabling me to work without distractions. A dedicated home office enables the telecommuter to filter out household distractions while working and also provides the benefit of being able to close the door on the workday when it is over.

By creating and maintaining a work environment, telecommuters can feel like they are in the office, no matter the location.

So there you have it, a few things that work for me. Feel free to let me know some telecommuting tips that work for you.

You want me to “Ping” someone?

2008-06-06T15:33:46-07:00

By Chelsea Irwin

Have you ever been “pinged”? Has anyone ever asked you to “ping” someone?

The first time I heard this phrase I was a little uncomfortable. But the term “ping,” which turned out to be another word for “annoy someone again” and not a form of sexual harassment, was the first of many corporate terms I eventually worked into my everyday corporate vocabulary.

Corporate lingo and I have a love-hate relationship. Here are some favorites I wish had never caught on:

“Per”: I see this term more often than I would like. Per my request… per our previous conversation… per the guidelines. Are you a cat? When did this become an acceptable form of reference?
“Moving forward”: If you’ve ever received an e-mail that begins with the phrase “Moving forward,” it most likely means you made a mistake. Something like, “Moving forward, please do not provide completely useless information.” I’d like to coin the phrase “moving backward” as a hint to jump in your time machine and change the past.
“Currently in legal”: This is a phrase that has recently skyrocketed to the top of my list of phrases I dislike. Let me tell you, legal departments are busy these days – apparently to get write-off on PR documents you not only have to get approval from the client’s communications people, marketing people, and executives, but also from the legal department. I don’t think lawyers went to law school to review press releases (or more particularly, to edit their grammar and style), but hey, whatever helps you sleep at night.
“Let’s discuss this offline”: This is a polite way of ending a conversation that is clearly making other participants uncomfortable. Or a way of saying you just don’t have clearance to hear the top-secret plan about to be discussed (AKA, you’re not very important).
“Offload”: When someone tells you that they plan to “offload” activity on you, don’t consider this a reason to celebrate. It’s likely the task has been put off for as long as possible because nobody wants to do it, and now it is finally your responsibility…. Likely because you have “bandwidth.”

I don’t miss much about college - well that’s a lie - but talking like a normal human being is definitely something I miss. It’s no longer acceptable to say “The lawyers are up to their usual shenanigans again” or “You must be blind because I included that information below” or “Are you an idiot? Never do that again.”

If you have corporate lingo you’d like to add to this list – just ping me.

The Future Looks Backwards?

2008-06-06T15:02:22-07:00

By Gail Farrell

My father, who started out as a designer at Towle Silversmiths, was interested in the history of silver design and design in general. When I was a kid I loved to pore over several 19th century books he owned that illustrated the latest place settings and the most modern gadgets.

Times were different back then. Forget the five-piece place setting, with a few serving pieces thrown in. Silver had been discovered out West, and anyone who was anyone had 12-piece sterling place settings. You needed fish forks, lemon forks, pickle forks, coffee spoons and teaspoons, soup and sauce and punch ladles, tomato servers, sugar tongs, and so on ad infinitum. There were clever inventions galore—the automatic tipping bowler (no more bringing your hand to your hat to tip a passing lady, gents; pressing a bulb in your jacket pocket will trigger a hydraulic device under your hat that will tip it for you), the combination pen/compass/pointer/ruler/scale—you get the idea.

Smartphones are beginning to seem a bit like these 19th century goodies. We want something for everything, and we want them all in one thing. But do I really want a smart phone to replace my PC? No way! I already have tendonitis in my wrists from using a full-size keyboard; what would a teeny little smartphone keyboard do to my thumbs? Never mind the effect staring at a mini-screen would have on my eyes. Not that PC functionality isn’t useful in a smartphone, but the phone isn’t designed for heavy-duty, day-long use. And until a smartphone can give me the quality and functionality of my pricy digital camera, I know how I’ll take my pictures. Maybe I’m just a 20th century kind of woman, but I’m not sure I’m ready for the smartphone-as-everything.

Back to the Future?

2008-06-02T10:34:49-07:00

By Megan Atiyeh

I regularly attend events sponsored by the Churchill Club and most recently found myself at the 10th Annual Top Ten Tech Trends event in San Jose. If you’ve never attended this particular event, a panel of industry heavy-weights from the VC community predicts the top technology trends of the year and the rest of the panel—as well as the audience—vote on whether or not they agree with the predictions.

What followed was an interesting discussion and mix of ideas. However, I was very surprised that four of the panel’s ten predictions were related to the concept that the mobile phone and emerging “smartphones” will become akin to mainstream computers and replace the desktops or PCs of today.

Anyone who has a husband who covets his iPhone like a mistress—or is old enough to see how quickly mobile phones have evolved in a relatively short time-period—understands this is not a trend but an unstoppable shift in user behavior and expectations. In defense of the panelists who made these predictions, it’s clear that anywhere, anytime access to information and the desire for a high-quality mobile internet experience creates many opportunities for companies that can make this happen. And as one of the 97 percent of Americans who still own a simple feature-phone, I think it might be time for me to move into the 21st century and embrace this “new” trend.

I also have a prediction of my own. I predict that the person or company who figures out how to get attendees out of a parking garage—that has no cellular connectivity—in less than 90 minutes will be wildly successful and responsible for a trend that makes the world a better place.

What’s your prediction?

Kevin Hits a Homer!

2008-05-21T17:22:15-07:00

By Chelsea Irwin

Let me start by saying that Inside Pitch (Engage PR’s softball team) currently holds a record of 0 and 5. The record is not an accurate reflection of our superior skills when it comes to softball.

At last night’s game, the infamous Kevin Sugarman hit the ball so far it was declared an automatic homerun. That’s a big deal when you play on a field without a fence.

If I recall, the final score was 18 to 1. I’m feeling confident that we will finally win a game this season. Maybe next week Kevin will hit a homerun when some runners are on base.

Summer Heats Up

2008-05-20T15:47:33-07:00

By Jeannette Bitz

It’s that time of year….San Francisco Giant’s fans are preparing for a long and disappointing season, the days are lighter longer, and the weather is finally warming up. (In fact, we’re in the middle of our first heat wave here in the Bay Area.) Don’t get me wrong; winter in the Bay Area is not exactly harsh. In fact, it’s nice to get away on a long weekend for a ski trip to North Lake Tahoe. But I always look forward to the warm and relaxing days of summer.

While the weather is heating up, so are our client news’ announcements and PR activities. It seems this time of year, many clients push to get the last big news splash or announcement out before the start of summer. Our telecom clients want to generate coverage and capture media mindshare to help drive traffic to their booths at the June NXTcomm show. Some of our non-telecom clients are just anxious to make an announcement that will create mindshare and help sustain momentum through the long days of summer. At Engage PR, we’re excited to be gearing up for two company launches. One of those companies, Broadchoice, just launched this week. (Note: as of this post, the other client is still in stealth mode; stay tuned.)

We’re finding that these days clients get the most from their pre-summer PR push, whether it’s a company debut or a new product launch, by incorporating new media tools and social networking into their campaigns. This doesn’t mean that clients have a separate new-media strategy, but it does mean they’ll get the most mileage out of PR campaigns that incorporate new media.

Here are some simple ways to add new media to a PR program:

Integrate key words and phrases in press releases and use SEO to help ensure that releases rank high in Google searches; this can make a difference in how a client is positioned
Embed charts and diagrams in releases to better explain how a technology or feature works
Hot-link product names, technology names, company names, and other words to clients’ web sites
Provide links to white papers, data sheets, and other relevant material at the end of releases
Leverage relationships with analysts, reporters, and bloggers who have a strong readership and community following.

In an upcoming blog, I’ll discuss how clients can make the most of the long summer months.

Batter Up!

2008-05-13T09:24:00-07:00

By Allison Kuhn

Members of the Engage PR softball team, Inside Pitch, have dusted off their gloves and cleats and returned to the softball field. Each year, Engage PR participates in a local recreational adult league in Alameda. The 2008 season roster includes a good mix of new players with the returning vets from last season.

We’re now a few games into the season – and sadly without a win. But not too worry…we sure are having one heck of a good time. Not to mention the fact that we’ll always be the best dressed.

At every game, we take each inning in stride. And hope that we’ll hold the opposing team to under five runs (the maximum in an inning) with three solid outs. Needless to say, that doesn’t always happen. But when it does – boy, do we feel good!

So I’ll be sure to keep you posted on our progress. A win is coming soon. I have a good feeling about it.

GO INSIDE PITCH!

Something in the water?

2008-05-09T12:28:18-07:00

By Kristin Kiltz

With Mother's Day around the corner, I thought what a perfect time to share some good news here at Engage PR! We are very excited that we have two great colleagues expecting their first babies this summer. In a company with just over 20 employees, when two people are pregnant and due within 2 weeks of one another, you have to ask "Is there something in the water?" I'm very excited to have these two colleagues join the world of mommy hood. Right now, moms are the in the minority, so it will be nice to have some more company.

It got me thinking about working moms, their challenges and rewards, how working moms affect their organizations, and so on. Here are some interesting statistics about women in the workplace.

Companies with women in top jobs see 35 percent higher returns than those without women.
74 percent of female executives have a spouse who’s employed full time. 75 percent of male executives have a spouse who’s not employed.
26 million - The number of jobs that would become vacant overnight if all moms stopped working tomorrow.
$476 billion - The amount of money working mothers contribute, as a whole, to U.S. household incomes, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Best of luck to our mommies-to-be! We look forward to being a part of your new lives. I'll leave with a great and very true quote: "Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."