Mission Recognition

AN EPIC (PUBLIC) SHOWDOWN

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:45:00 +0000

One of the most anticipated days in recent sports memory is fast approaching. Next Monday, April 5, millions of viewers (those not watching baseball’s Opening Day or the NCAA championship game, anyway) will tune in at 2 p.m. to watch Tiger Woods’s first press conference in nearly five months.

Limited to strictly 180 reporters, it should be a tense confrontation between the golfer and the media, which was antagonized on Feb. 19 when Woods called a press conference to cover his apology but prohibited reporters from asking questions. This was a bad PR decision. If he was afraid of the questions, he could have posted a video or a statement on his website. Instead of dispensing with the questions early, he must dispense with them now because the PGA requires all golfers to do media in advance of a tournament -- making his infidelity even more of a distraction now that he is about to get back on the links.

Clearly, the writers will be ready. Will Tiger?

- Jonathan Pappas is an account supervisor at Solomon McCown and can be reached at jpappas@solomonmccown.com

What is the face of your company saying?

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:56:00 +0000

By now it should come as no surprise that the website is seen as the digital face of a company. An article that appeared in yesterday’s New York Times Sunday Magazine evaluates recent examples of how companies’ websites portray them in the face of a crisis. Just as companies can be bashed or praised for their handling of crisis situations in the media, they can also be critiqued for their messaging on their website during these times. The article cites recent examples and criticizes various companies such as Maclaren for their insincere apology after their November stroller recall and Tylenol for watering down their own recent recalls.

Many companies over the past few years have began addressing their problems head on via their website such as SeaWorld, which issued a statement last month after a killer whale killed a trainer at the Orlando resort, as a way to try to appear transparent. SeaWorld even explained on their site why their Twitter page fell silent during the crisis. Back in 2007, Mattel was praised for their handling of a recall of 19 million toys manufactured in China that were made with lead paint. The company quickly apologized, offered steps to mitigate the situation, and posted a video apology directly from their CEO on their website.

Bottom line the same rules apply for addressing a crisis on the website of your company that apply to any media statements that would be made during a crisis. Be transparent and apologetic. Try not to minimize the impact that the situation has had on others and if possible explain the actions that your company is taking to fix the situation.

-- Christine Comey is a senior account executive at Solomon McCown & Co. She can be reached at ccomey@solomonmccown.com or on Twitter @imcwissyc

Social Media Madness

noreply@blogger.com (saw1925) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:54:00 +0000

Shortly after noon, the second day of NCAA March Madness tipped off in Buffalo, N.Y. An estimated 58.3 million people were watching. From work.

According to a Bloomberg report, U.S. employers may lose as much as $1.8 billion in unproductive wages in this first week of play. However, employees devoting company time to “bracketology” may unknowingly receive a valuable lesson in the latest social media strategies being employed by web-savvy companies like Coca-Cola, MillerCoors, and Papa John’s.

For marketers, March isn’t about basketball, but rather a perfect opportunity to get target audiences to interact with their brands, as is detailed in a USA Today article published this week.

$1 million goes to the Applebee’s fan that picks the winner of all 63 games via Facebook and Twitter. Coke Zero’s “Department of Fannovation Brain Bracket” allows fans to vote online for the best idea to improve the tournament.

Social media forums solve a problem marketers have struggled with in the past; they can now interact with consumers daily by adding value to an experience they are already interested in.

So boot up that live stream. Just be sure to pay close attention to the innovative ways brands are capturing your attention.

---Emilee Ellison is a senior at Northeastern University and is currently a co-op student at Solomon McCown & Company. She can be reached at eellison@solomonmccown.com

A New View on Wikipedia

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:49:00 +0000

I remember my professors, upon mention of Wikipedia, immediately launching into a rant about how the online encyclopedia could not be trusted. Their strong stance against the website’s use was because any given article can be edited by absolutely anyone, anywhere. But isn’t a website that is curated by hundreds of people more reliable than an article which has only been exposed to a handful of people? Are not two minds greater than one? An article in the New York Times forces a fresh look at the issue.

When the 2008 terrorist attacks occurred in Mumbai, hundreds of Wikipedia users flocked to the site to update breaking news. By the end of the first day of the Wikipedia article’s life, it had been edited more than 360 times, by 70 different editors referring to 28 different sources. In a case such as this one, the website facilitated a space where hundreds of individuals around the world could share their viewpoint in not only English, but in a number of different languages.

This is not to say that one should base their thesis off of Wikipedia, but it is a helpful start in gaining information on a specific event or topic.

“Traditional media get bits of breaking news wrong all the time, but we accept that as part of the game,” the Times wrote to my surprise. “To vilify Wikipedia for the same errors sets unequal standards and besides, you'll likely never see the same level of transparency in traditional media about where it went wrong. With Wikipedia, it's all laid bare for the world to see.”

Alene Aftandilian is an account coordinator at Solomon McCown & Company. She can be reached at aaftandilian@solomonmccown.com

Facebook before Broadcast

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:42:00 +0000

On April 19th, PBS will premiere a new documentary “Earth Days” on their network at 9 PM. But, for the first time ever, it will screen the film eight days in advance on Facebook using a new “social screening application” created by Brand Networks of Boston. It will mark the first time a major broadcaster has introduced a full-length documentary on the site according to a NYT article out today. The filmmakers and PBS think it’s a way to engage new audiences and get feedback in a way that TV doesn’t normally allow.

Facebook users will be able to watch it together and interact with the filmmaker and the executive producer using a comment feature that can be made private or shared in a user’s timeline.

TV shows on the web are not new (see Hulu and others) but introducing a show before it appears on TV is something many networks I am sure will be watching.

-- Alison Thompson is an account supervisor at Solomon McCown and can be reached at athompson@solomonmccown.com

The New “Social Phone”

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:16:00 +0000

Now more than ever, brands are engaging in conversations that are taking place on social media sites – it is everywhere, and it moves fast. You want to hear the conversations around your industry and competitors. You want to know if your brand or client is mentioned and if customers, prospects, and community members are asking for your attention and your response, and you want to know in real-time.

It’s hard to keep up with all the social media sites: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc., but one company seems to have developed a solution. Radian6 recently revealed their “Engagement Console” calling it the “solution to scaling social media engagement inside your organization.”

The Engagement Console is a fluid desktop application that allows you to track and engage in conversations taking place on blogs, videos, forums, boards, Twitter, Flickr, Google Buzz, LinkedIn, Facebook, public discussion groups, and mainstream news sites. It also allows users to assign tasks within the platform, ultimately allowing businesses to harness their potential.
Radian6 has already begun serving big name clients including Comcast, MTV, Dell, UPS, GE and Microsoft. The company is currently helping over 10,000 brands track social media sites.
Time management is certainly an important element of success, and it seems that Radian6 may have found a great way to make our lives just a little bit easier.

--Kristina Coppola is an account coordinator at Solomon McCown. She can be reached at kcoppola@solomonmccown.com

To Text Or Not To Text?

noreply@blogger.com (saw1925) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:48:00 +0000

A Boston Globe article today says the chairman of the board of selectmen in Danvers sent a memo to his colleagues asking them to ban their own texting and other smart phone use during public meetings. The article states that the move may have been motivated when one selectman texted a letter from the board to the town manager and local media. Unless the letter was a private document, the same communication could have happened via twitter or text from someone in the audience.

If the chairman was motivated by the perception of courteousness, as he says he was, we agree that regardless of what messages government officials are reading on their phones, they are not sending the right message by texting and checking game scores under the table during a public meeting. Body language, afterall, speaks volumes.

But if the chairman was trying to prevent real-time communications about the proceedings, we think he is off base and unrealistic. Attendees tweet from public meetings all the time. It may be rude, but it’s their right.

Michaela Manley, Account Coordinator, Solomon McCown & Company

Oh, Tiger.

noreply@blogger.com (Hanah B) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:39:00 +0000

It seems the media can’t get enough of Tiger (Woods of course), and that the greater public – especially the tweetscape - couldn’t be more over it.

I love that online news sites really stepped it up today and did a live blog stream of his morning press conference (thank you Washington Post, among others) and pushed out their links through Twitter. Yet their tweets of news coverage were all interspersed with a healthy dose of other user comments like “enough” and “no one cares.”

In case you missed it, some of the highlight quotes were:
“I was wrong, I was foolish, and I don’t get to play by different rules.”
“I want to make a special apology to all the families that watch and support me.”
“I do plan to return to golf someday, but I don’t know when that day will be. I will not rule out that it will be this year.”
“My behavior needs to be more respectful of the game.”
“Your encouragement means the world to Elin and Me.”

All in all, he needed to make a public apology for the continued clean up of his image. As a PR professional, it was the right thing for him to do. As a woman, I’m glad Elin didn’t pull the “politician’s wife” move and stand by his side like nothing was wrong.

At the end of the day, I’m glad the speech is over so we can all go back to Olympic coverage and real news.

Hanah Smith is a Senior Account Executive at Solomon McCown & Company. She can be reached at hsmith@solomonmccown.com.

Who dat?

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:09:00 +0000

Tiger has changed. I never expected to write these words, but his 15 minute, brutally honest, humble apology changed my mind. I expected a perfunctory, superficial mea culpa -- the kind we have come to expect.

Tiger went deep, far deeper than I thought he would and it mattered.

Critics said this would be a controlled, manufactured appearance, easy and safe because he handpicked every person in the room. In fact, I think facing them all in front of a national TV audience was incredibly hard and took courage. You only need to see his mother in the front row, barely able to make eye contact with him until the hug at the end, to appreciate how raw this was for Tiger and his family.

From a crisis management perspective this was a hole-in-one. His PR counsel and managers created a controlled environment where Tiger would not be pressured to say more then he wanted to. Having friends and family in the room may have given him support but he also had to look them all in the eye in front of millions of us. That dynamic was really powerful. His statement was carefully, carefully worded but it was real and honest. He didn't take questions from the media, but he answered a lot of them head on. He set the record straight about allegations that Elin hit him and that he used performance enhancing drugs. (He did not address rumors of other drug use). He took on many of the things people have been saying about him including me. He admitted he felt he was entitled to do what he wanted to because he is Tiger Woods. Tiger used to say he never asked to be a role model. He just wanted to play golf. Today he acknowledged that he was a role model and that his behavior off the golf course does matter.

Humble has replaced arrogance. It took 85 days. From the crisis play book that is a long time to wait, but it was worth the wait.

In the way Tylenol became the gold standard for crisis response, Tiger's public apology has just raised the bar big time. I look forward to seeing him back on the course.

Ashley McCown is President of Solomon McCown & Co.

Microsoft Outlook going too far?

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:33:00 +0000

An article that appeared yesterday on Boston.com by Jessica Mintz discussed how Microsoft Corporation has decided to make a modification to Outlook, its desktop e-mail program. The “beta” test version of Outlook Social Connector was released yesterday. The add-on software includes a new pane to the main email screen, where one can view an email contact’s most recent social media activity. Such activities will include anything from Facebook status updates, to newly formed LinkedIn connections.

So what’s the problem with adding social media to Outlook? Privacy. With all the different social media networks out there, working professionals are constantly battling against the fine line drawn between their professional and social lives. As Microsoft Outlook remains one of the largest email programs used by businesses, the new pane may be more problematic then useful. Try for yourself. Go to www.microsoft.com to download and test the beta version of Outlook Social Connector.

Alene Aftandilian is an account coordinator at Solomon McCown & Company. She can be reached at aaftandilian@solomonmccown.com

How did the Letterman/Oprah/Leno ad stay a secret?

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:39:00 +0000

Last night’s Super Bowl XLIV brought in football fans and commercial enthusiasts alike to watch the Saints’ 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. One of the most talked about ads from last night is the Letterman/Oprah/Leno 15-second spot promoting Letterman’s show that amazingly remained a secret up until it was aired. Both the New York Times "Media Decoder" blog and USA Today ran articles today explaining how the ad came together seamlessly with no media leaks.

In short, both Leno and Oprah were flown to New York for a taping last Tuesday, with all production staff involved sworn to secrecy. The ad features all three sitting on a couch at a Super Bowl party, with Oprah sitting in between the two longest running rivals in late night. The result? An entertaining advertisement that gave viewers a good laugh (and continues to do so online) and is creating positive PR buzz for all involved. Apparently some secrets are still safe despite today’s fast-paced digital world, where in a matter of seconds information can be leaked anonymously online.

---Christine Comey is an account executive at Solomon McCown. She can be reached at ccomey@solomonmccown.com or on Twitter @imcwissyc

National Health Care Reform: It’s the Media’s fault

noreply@blogger.com (Christine) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:46:00 +0000

Stop the presses! A group of Florida journalism researchers concluded that coverage of health care reform has been…wait for it…wait for it… “void of any real policy information.”

The researchers, hailing from University of Florida, Florida State University and University of South Florida, continued with their trenchant analysis, finding:

The message from the media is that the bill is convoluted and complex
Most news accounts settled for “gossipy tales of the wooing of individual senators” and a “circus-like atmosphere of rumor and fear-mongering.”
And, generally, “the news media haven’t done a great job of covering the health care reform debates”

No doubt, it’s cliché and perhaps unfair to blame the media. NPR and the New York Times were the two exceptions found by the researchers to have provided substantive coverage. As for everyone else, the inherent complexity of health care combined with ever diminishing resources, the demands of the 24-hour new cycle and mile-a-minute tweeting, were seen as prohibitive challenges to fleshing out policy nuances in the press.

However, policymakers should not despair. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the more people learned about the specific of health care reform—rather than the political drama found in the headlines—the more they liked it. Guaranteed issuance (i.e. no denying health coverage due to preexisting conditions), Medicaid expansion and small business tax credits made voters more likely to support the bill. But the individual mandate and overall cost of reform were significant detractions.

Maybe we can move beyond ‘death panels’ (I wonder: vinyl or natural wood?) and corn husking to what really matters. If, and when, leaders in Washington decide to move forward, one thing is certain—the next challenge lies in communications.

---John S. Blair is an account supervisor at Solomon McCown. He can be reached at jsblair@solomonmccown.com

Social Networking…for dogs?

noreply@blogger.com (Alison) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:10:00 +0000

Woof. Yes, Facebook has “officially gone to the dogs.” An article that appeared today on Boston.com by Amy Lorentzen sheds light on a third-party application of Facebook known simply as “Dogbook.”

At Dogbook, canine owners can create Facebook profiles for their animals, find dog parks and products, and even tag their dogs in photos.

Geoffrey Roche, cofounder of Poolhouse Industries, which produces Dogbook and other pet pages believes the sites work because “people see their pets as more than just animals.”

Dogbook has nearly 800,000 active monthly users, followed by 175,000 on Catbook, 31,000 on Horsebook, 3,900 on Rodentbook, and nearly 1,900 on Fishbook. As a dog owner and lover, I can't see myself creating a page for my pet, but maybe 800,000 people are onto something.

-- Kristina Coppola is an account coordinator at Solomon McCown. She can be reached at kcoppola@solomonmccown.com

The iPad Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:56:00 +0000

With some circles framing the iPad as an extra-fancy e-reader, let’s consider what this means for magazines and newspapers.

With its big, pretty screen, internet connectivity (depending on which model you purchase) and app-based operating system, newspapers and magazines can use it as a platform for rich, customized content. And, since it lands somewhere between reader and laptop, they have the opportunity to charge what they want for it.

That could mean a second lease on life for many of the publications that have been giving away their content for free. The NY Times and others are already working on the best ways to leverage the device. But, in order for people to pay for content, publications will have to give consumers something they can't get elsewhere by playing to the device’s strengths: it’s as portable as an iPhone, connected as a laptop and has the potential to display content as beautifully as a magazine or even an HD movie.

If the device sells, there could be a big market for content that’s been customized for the iPad. Even if that content costs money.

-- Chris Amenta is a Marketing Assistant at Solomon McCown and he can be reached at camenta@solomonmccown.com

GM's Incentive Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:53:00 +0000

In terms of the Toyota recall mess, is GM acting too soon? GM has already established an incentive program for Toyota owners to trade in their current cars for a new or leased GM model. By responding in this way GM is not only creating a potential advertising war, but they are claiming their product to be recall-free. No car company can foresee a recall and if GM were to have one in the near future it would double their reputation's demise.

In the wake of Toyota’s troubles, other major car companies like Honda and Ford are relying on the quality of their products to help them prevail beyond the number one car company in the world. They are marketing their own good qualities rather than Toyota’s bad ones. We think that’s the right strategy.

-- Michaela Manley is an Account Coordinator at Solomon McCown and she can be reached at mmanley@solomonmccown.com

Acronym of the Day for Twitter Fans: SOTU

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:02:00 +0000

American Idol will be temporarily “Leno-ed” tonight when it airs at 8pm instead of its usual 9pm timeslot. The reason: the man idolized last November by many Americans will deliver his first State of the Union Address.

President Obama has had one heck of a year. While he has accomplished quite a bit (assembling an economic team to navigate the economic turmoil which started before his term, the compassionate handling of the Haiti relief effort, and making the tough but informed decision to commit more troops to Afghanistan) Obama has also faced a lot of challenges (Guantanamo, the Underwear Bomber, and the elephant in the room, health care).

Through it all, Obama has kept his cool and maintained a steady confidence even when his poll numbers are dropping. This week Obama told Diane Sawyer that, "I'd rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president."

Critics might say that the comment makes it seem like Obama is already admitting defeat. Others may say he is taking his own personal ambition out of the conversation and instead reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the policies it believes are in the best interest of the American people. It will be interesting to see if his tone tonight is one of defeat or accomplishment. If I had to bet my First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit on it, I’d say the latter.

So, during the President’s address listen for the faint echo of health care reform exiting stage left. And here are the buzz words to use in SOTU watching games with your fellow political junkie friends: jobs, new hires, jobs, small business, middle class, tax cuts, and… oh yeah, jobs.

--Francy Ronayne is an Account Supervisor at Solomon McCown and she can be reached at fronayne@solomonmccown.com

Massachusetts Special Election: The Aftermath

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:31:00 +0000

In the aftermath of Republican Scott Brown’s election as the next Senator from Massachusetts, political analysts and consultants on both sides of the aisle will pour over the results and dissect what went right (Scott Brown) and what went wrong (Martha Coakley). (I’m sure the Kennedy School is planning its forum on the campaign now.)

Here’s a place to start: The ads. There couldn’t be a more dramatic difference between the two. From Scott Brown’s clever Kennedy morph ad that used John F. Kennedy’s message – which Martha Coakley’s campaign scoffed at but never answered: “I knew John Kennedy and you are no John Kennedy…” – to his homey, man of the people use of the pick-up truck, and his on camera “hail fellow well met” attitude. His campaign keyed into the mood of the electorate: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.”

The Coakley campaign, by contrast, was unimaginative, never tried to soften her prosecutorial image, kept driving home the need to pass health care when that was exactly what was scaring the voters, and relied too heavily on negative ads. There are clearly lessons for all, particularly for President Barack Obama on how he and others in his administration should talk about health care.

The public has to understand what the cost of doing nothing will really be – which is, it will quickly eat up the entire federal budget – and Obama and others have to take the “fear factor” out of the equation. They’re clearly not there yet and the future of health reform hangs in the balance. Obama should use the State of Union to reset the table and once again get the electorate behind his agenda.

-- Michal Regunberg is a Vice President at Solomon McCown and she can be reached at mregunberg@solomonmccown.com

Social Media to the Rescue

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:56:00 +0000

Cell phone video brought us the first visual accounts of devastation from the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. After this week’s 7.0 earthquake, Twitter has quickly become a strategic tool in raising awareness around the need for aid in Haiti, as well as the aid itself.

According to a blog post by Microsoft’s Senior Director, Global Community Affairs Akhtar Badshah, “Technology is playing a key role in mobilizing support for the victims of the Haiti earthquake and also in coordinating relief efforts. PC World reports that Twitter, Facebook and Skype are all being utilized to get the word out around the world and tell the story of the tragedy that is unfolding locally.”

Many communication lines are still down in Haiti, largely referred to as the poorest country in western hemisphere, and victims have found that social media tools like Twitter are the only ways to communicate. In the early stages of the disaster, before rescue and broadcast crews were able to get into the country, networks including CNN broadcasted first-hand accounts of the tragedy they received through Twitter.

Social media tools are also doing their part in raising money. Organizations, including the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and Haitian-born rapper Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Haiti, are collecting donations via Twitter. Mother Nature Network reports that “social media, alone, helped raise more than $2 million in relief funding.”

In times of tragedy, social media help can bring out the best in us – raising awareness and much-needed relief funds.

-- Jane Munkelwitz is a Senior Account Executive at Solomon McCown and she can be reached at jmunkelwitz@solomonmccown.com

McGwire's Crisis Communications

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:56:00 +0000

On Monday, Mark McGwire confessed to the infraction that most of America had already pinned on him: He admitted to repeated use of steroids during his career and most notably during the 1998 season when he hit a record-setting 70 homeruns. Perhaps in confessing McGwire has merely delivered information that baseball fans and the general public already knows, but the way in which he delivered it is both new and noteworthy.

On Monday afternoon, he issued a statement to the AP and participated in a twenty minute phone interview. Later, he spoke to USA Today and did a live, on-camera interview with Bob Costas, during which he (seemingly candidly) answered questions about when the abuse started, the allegations in Jose Canseco’s book and how it feels to have finally revealed the truth of his career.

McGwire’s crisis communications strategy, which culminated in a teary, remorseful confession, is a stark contrast from the tight-lipped non-responses he gave during a Congressional hearing in 2005 regarding the same issue. It’s also very different from the withdrawn response Tiger Woods has had to the recent scandal involving his extramarital affairs. In this instance, McGwire (orchestrated by PR counsel) initiated the discussion, issued the statement and picked the reporters. Essentially, he went on the offensive and he communicated on his terms.

While it’s perhaps five or even ten years too late, and while it will likely keep him out of baseball’s Hall of Fame, McGwire’s approach yesterday was a technically sound example of how to effectively communicate during a crisis. He got all his messages across in clear and concise way. However, what comes next is most important.

There’s no doubt his confession, while seemingly unprompted, is tied to his return to MLB as a batting coach for the Cardinals. McGwire now needs to back up his words with actions. He’s been a role model to many and now that he’s looking to get involved in the game again, he needs to speak out to children, fans and other athletes about the dangers of steroid use not just once, but consistently. His legacy all but certainly doesn’t lie in the MLB Hall of Fame but he has the opportunity to establish one of even greater value if he commits himself to educating impressionable audiences about the dangers of the drug. Let’s hope he chooses to do so.

With the juice finally out of his bloodstream, its time for us to see what Mark McGwire is really made of.

-- Chris Amenta is a Marketing Assistant at Solomon McCown and he can be reached at camenta@solomonmccown.com

The new "Not-Courier" from Microsoft

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:43:00 +0000

If you’re one of the cool kids, then you’re likely spending your week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in what I can only imagine is warm and sunny Las Vegas. It’s snowing outside my office and with my decidedly un-smart phone clunked down atop my desk like a paperweight, I’m enviously following along with all the action.

The first big story stems from Steve Ballmer’s keynote address during which he announced and demonstrated the super-sleek, HP-designed Slate tablet computer. It’s beautiful, keyboardless, smart and web-ready and the tech community is more or less unimpressed. Why? Ballmer’s product might be spot on, but the way it’s been unveiled is problematic.

For starters, announcing a super-cool new tech product at a major tradeshow is a PR move that’s become the signature of another certain computer designer. Ballmer might as well have donned a black turtle neck. Not to mention, that same other computer designer is scheduled to announce an even more hotly anticipated tablet-style device later this month. Ballmer may have gotten there first, but only by a smidge. Now he’s run the risk of having his product trumped by Apple’s pending announcement before anyone’s even able to buy one.

The other, major reason this announcement went flat is because back in late September, Gizmodo leaked some photos and video of a concept for the very fancy Microsoft Courier, which makes the Slate look like a touch tone telephone. The masses lined up hoping for a first look at the Courier and were disappointed to meet the less flashy, but still very impressive Slate.

Microsoft has mishandled what might have been a great PR moment for their new line of technology. In flashy Las Vegas, at CES, the crowd expects a show and Ballmer failed to deliver. Perhaps the Courier isn’t fully ready, but the crowd wanted to see the prototype, anyway, and Microsoft should have made the effort to give it to them. By choosing to not unveil it, Microsoft made the Slate - a neat, sophisticated technology that unfortunately, isn’t anything terrifically new - their headliner. The announcement might have hit home had it been unveiled differently. Instead, it failed to excite the CES audience who isn’t buzzing about the Slate, but is instead talking about the new “not-Courier”. Later this month, when Apple announces its tablet computer, the Slate might already be old news.

-- Chris Amenta is a Marketing Assistant at Solomon McCown and he can be reached at camenta@solomonmccown.com

A tall tale

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:07:00 +0000

How do you create buzz about a building when it opens despite the fact that people have been writing about it for years?

The developer of the world’s tallest building, in Dubai, kept secret its official height until today and also renamed the tower Burj Khalifa after Abu Dhabi’s leader who bailed out the troubled project. Dubai is in the midst of a major financial crisis and has turned to Abu Dhabi for bailouts -- nearly $25 billion to date -- to help pay its debts. Many had questioned what Dubai would have to offer in exchange for the financial support, and now we know, along with the official height: 2,717 feet. The building beat out the world's previous record-holder, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, by about 33 feet. It’s more than 50 stories higher than Chicago’s Willis Tower, the tallest building in the U.S. Developers say they are confident in the safety of the tower, which is more than twice the height of New York's Empire State Building's roof.

Building at The Burj began in 2004 and during the busiest construction periods, some 12,000 workers labored at the tower each day. Much was written about it- and many guessed at how tall it would be. It was clever of the developers to keep the height a secret knowing it would give them more of a bang with the media in the end. Now, the developer says that its 90 percent sold (it’s a mix of residential units, offices and other spaces including a hotel by Giorgio Armani) but local real estate agents say apartments, which once were selling for more than $1,900 a square foot, can be had for less than half of that- a sign that even the biggest, and the tallest, are not immune to economic woes. Hopefully all of the press- and excessive fireworks- will help move those last condos.

-- Alison Thompson is an Account Supervisor at Solomon McCown and she can be reached at athompson@solomonmccown.com

‘Tis the Season for a Good Smile

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:13:00 +0000

Here are some sobering statistics: Americans consume billions of candy canes each holiday season and each person puts away an estimated 12 pounds of premium chocolates. In addition to that, Americans drank enough last year for every person to have had 7 bottles of liquor, 12 bottles of wine, and 230 cans of beer.

As we all recover from the holidays I want to share a few health tips with you that have been keeping me smiling this holiday season.

Here are some Healthy Teeth Tips that one of our clients -- DentaQuest -- recently posted:

1. If you drink wine, choose red over white. This may seem counterintuitive because of the staining power of red wine, but, turns out, white wine is more acidic and contains more sugar, making it more harmful for your teeth in the long run. If you choose to hard liquor, the opposite is true. Opt for lighter or clear liquids to avoid higher sugar content.

2. Regardless of the color of the wine or spirit, rinse your mouth with water before brushing your teeth. Brushing immediately after consuming wine or spirits, which are very acidic beverages, may actually damage your teeth.

3. Eat some cheese. (Here’s your excuse!) Cheese keeps the mouth less acidic and therefore healthier for teeth. Cheese also coats the teeth with calcium and prevents demineralization.

4. If you are choosing between a candy cane and a piece of chocolate, go with the chocolate. Sticky candies are less likely to wash out from between your teeth and therefore get more time in contact with your teeth. (This is also true for fruit cake.)

For more you can visit the Oral Health Matters blog. Hopefully with the myriad of holiday feasts that may not be friendly to your waistline, at least these tips will help you keep a nice smile.

Happy Holidays to you and yours from the team at Solomon McCown & Co.

-- Hanah Smith is an Account Executive at Solomon McCown and she can be reached at hsmith@solomonmccown.com

e-Reading vs. Paperback chic

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:08:00 +0000

No question: One of the hottest gifts this holiday season is the electronic reading device. Amazon.com’s Kindle, the Sony Reader and the Barnes & Noble Nook, top wish lists because of their paper-like displays and online access to e-books, newspapers and other electronic documents (such as PDFs). Whether these new must-have e-readers can compete with the printing press, or are destined to join the list of neat-but-unnecessary gadgets (to writ—the Segway), could be determined in an unlikely way—the sociability of reading.

The Columbia Journalism Review, which is incidentally now available to Kindle users, is asking its readership just that: How are e-readers changing your reading habits? With linkages to news updates, online commentary, Google searches, and social media—and the sum of human knowledge—at your finger tips, surely, tech-savvy readers, with their insatiable thirst for breaking news (and celebrity gossip, so we’ve been told), will throw out their paperbacks in droves.

But, not so fast: e-Readers have at least one major hurdle before usurping reading 1.0, according to Steve Portigal, founder of Portigal Consulting and the Reading Ahead project, which studies consumer reading habits. “There is a huge psychological chasm to cross before people buy them,” said Portigal, because, in part, e-readers do not yet replicate the social elements of reading. Whether it’s the joy of book collecting or impressing strangers with lofty literary works; printed books speak to an identity. While a well worn copy of Camus sends a message to your coffee-shop colleagues, the blank stare of the Kindle’s backside says, well, you’re busy.

As Amazon’s Kindle sells out and with Apple and Google waiting on deck with their own e-readers, only time will tell if this season’s hit is next year’s paperweight.

-- John Blair is an Account Supervisor at Solomon McCown and can be reached at jsblair@solomonmccown.com

Just Tweeting Is Not Enough

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:31:00 +0000

Okay, so you got your clients to recognize they should be tweeting. And now they are. That’s an important first step but only a first step. Do you and they know who is following them and why and whether their tweets are having the desired effect—like driving traffic to their website or engaging new customers or clients? It turns out there is an explosion of analytic tools associated with Twitter that can help dissect the Tweet Universe to better serve your clients. Here are just a few of them…and there are many more: There’s Twerpscan, Twittalyzer, Twazzup, and Tweetmeme. According to “Social Media Today,” these sights measure things like: a tweeter’s influence, their speed and volume of tweets, their frequency of retweeting others, and their clout – or how often their tweets are cited by others. Knowing this can help you develop an effective strategy to achieve a client’s social media goals.

-- Michal Regunberg is a Vice President at Solomon McCown. She can be reached at mregunberg@solomonmccown.com

The people who build America, they don’t really read. They read manuals!

noreply@blogger.com (Solomon McCown & Company) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:53:00 +0000

You hate manuals – like the hundred-page pamphlet that tells you how to put your IKEA coffee table together – but read the Smart Growth Manual, a new book by the authors of Suburban Nation, and you might just change your tune.

“Smart growth” addresses the “how” of growth management: how a municipality should plan for the future, how residential, commercial and retail can be combined to best suit the needs of modern planning, how communities can create functional neighborhoods that allow a range of housing options and a mix of land uses. Unfortunately, most of this “how” conversation is lost in the clunky and lengthy community permitting processes that exist today. The Smart Growth Manual provides a road-map of sorts to streamline the planning process and, say the authors, “explicitly aligns the urbanist movement with the green movement, [bringing] planning to a level of relevancy and urgency because of climate and financial crises.”

Development projects – such as the 340-unit Charlesview Residences plan recently approved by the Boston Redevelopment Authority – can take years to permit and approve. The authors of the Smart Growth Manual note that “American planning is exceedingly procedural, and it’s not unusual to take years to get a project done. Obama has added urgency to government.” And now we can add urgency to the smart growth movement.

-- Marika Beaton is an Account Supervisor at Solomon McCown. She can be reached at mbeaton@solomonmccown.com