Did you know:

• Each year over 4,000 children—or 11 a day—are diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor in the U.S.

• Over 70 percent of children diagnosed with a brain tumor are younger than 15.

• Brain tumors are the deadliest form of childhood cancer.  Some can have survival rates of less than 20 percent.

These are hard-hitting facts from the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation that many families are struggling with today.  Symptoms of brain tumors in a child often mimic those of common childhood illnesses, including headaches, nausea and vomiting, and so they may not always be diagnosed right away.

At Zenzi, we are happy to once again have supported such a great cause as EDY’s fundraising day for the fight against pediatric cancer.  Every year, EDY’s ice cream teams up with Stop & Shop and Giant Stores to help raise money for this important cause.

This year consumers were encouraged to stop into Stop & Shop and Giant food stores throughout the east coast (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and Delaware) on Saturday, April 28, 2012.  Those that donated a dollar got a free single-serve ice cream cup, and those that gave $3 also receive a limited edition Triple Winner keepsake.

Stop & Shop New England Division will donate 100% of proceeds raised to Stop & Shop Family Pediatric Brain Tumor Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. And EDY’S will donate $.05 for every single serve cup, shake, smoothie sold between April 13 – June 7, 2012.

Though the official count is not yet in, last year $186,000 was raised, and EDY’s is hoping to raise even more. The outcome looks hopeful, as shoppers and consumers flocked to local stores for a sweet treat to benefit kids in their fight against cancer.

We are excited at Zenzi to be a part of such a great event and to have made an impact–with articles on Boston.com, The Worcester Telegram & Gazette, The New Jersey Herald, WDSB Hartford, Cape Cod Online–to help to drive people there.

“You trust what you use, and you use what you trust,” said Elisa Camahort Page, Co-founder & COO, BlogHer.

The study found that while women look to a variety of social mediums—blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more—they are more likely to trust feedback on blogs over other social channels.  The study, in particular, finds that in a “trust test” most women chose a sponsored blog review as being a more trustworthy source than a Facebook conversation or celebrity endorsement.  The study also says that women indicate that they look to Facebook primarily “to stay up to date with friends and family” (87%) and “to have fun” (77%).  And they use Pinterest primarily to “have fun” (58%) and “to find out about new products” (39%).

Over 61 percent of active blog readers surveyed in the U.S. say they have made purchases based on a blog recommendation. According to BlogHer’s study, this is almost double the rate of Facebook’s and Twitter’s active users (at 33% and 31%).  The almost 60% of the women in the U.S. general population who actively use social media, report that they turn to online or to social media as part of their purchase process. 41 percent do not. When the study looked at women in the general population who read blogs daily, the numbers who turn online to drive their purchasing rises to over 80%.

The study confirms sentiments at Zenzi that blogs can be a great way to build brand and relationships and that it’s all about a series of touch points and authentically interacting with your customers on a variety of levels to build relationships.  Each “tool” in the social media and marketing arsenal has its own place and role in the relationship building process.  And marketers and communicators need to be looking to a variety of them to touch prospects in their buying decisions along the way.

Though, at Zenzi, we are seeing fewer brands focus on building out their blogs over other social channels, because of the shear amount of time it can take to do so, we would agree that this is a very important channel for marketers to consider in finding and using their company’s voice to communicate with audiences and build relationships.  According to these most recent findings, and our own experiences, brands should be looking to partner with established bloggers, as well as building out their own blog to build trust.  Check out Trilogy by Shea Homes’ blog for just one good example of a company doing just that: http://www.trilogylifeblog.com/  For more on how Zenzi is working with companies to foster blogger relations and testimonials and build their own blogs, see some of our case studies here.

• Get your brand in their hands— Who does not love the word “free”?  Or “food” for that matter? Put them together, and with the right publicity, you can have a double whammy.  Kashi is notorious for this tactic, offering viewers of their TV ads the opportunity to visit their web site to sign up for a free frozen dinner or other yummy products.  Starbucks offers free iTunes downloads with its “Pick of the Week”. Whether you are a food company, restaurant, or major tire brand, invite consumers, and/or bloggers and other members of the media, to try your products (even if it is just a small aspect of them) free for themselves.  Extend invitations for tastings, free samples and/or special events.

• Give back—a little philanthropy can go a long way.  Edy’s Scoop Day, for instance, is a great example of a food/consumer products company event that we love to get behind.  Every year the brand gains positive sentiment for donating proceeds from its ice cream to the Jimmy Fund and other causes to fight childhood cancer.  And it gets a lot of people talking about its ice cream, and latest flavors, on the radio at the same time…

• Toot your own horn—announce major milestones, 332 billion miles routed, in the case of this infographic from MapQuest, your new snack-sized confection that offers just the right amount of sweet without breaking consumers’ diets.  Welcome aboard your new chef, executive creativity officer, or celebrity ice cream taster.  Make it fun and memorable along the way.

• Give away just the right amount of the secret sauce—If you are promoting a restaurant chain, offer up seasonal recipes for food editors to consider for print that might also get you a nice little promo for your renowned “Valentines” fare. Give a sneak peek on what you do best; as Morton’s did brilliantly with their Million Dollar Hamburger Recipe.  Show them why you are better; give them a sneak peek on how your product is made.

• Go out on a limb to showcase something newsworthy and different—what do you excel at? Show the media, and the world, no one can do it better.  Victoria’s Secret goes out of its way annually to claim the female undergarments industry.  This past year it announced its “Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Treasure Bra“ made of 3,400 gems and aquamarines and weighing in at 142 carats, worth $2.5 Million.

• Put pen to paper—sustainable cooking, subbing out fat without sacrificing flavor, updates on the latest tax codes and what will be required of consumers, how moms can make the perfect first birthday cake—what are your specialties?  Show your expertise with an article from your expert on what makes you the best.

• Great deals—partner with others to highlight an exceptional deal, like Restaurant Week, buy one, get one and others.  What is the “peanut butter” to your “jelly”? How can you help consumers to get a great combined deal that will also generate excitement for your brand(s)?

• Offer up tips—The Butterball Hotline has helped to brand this consumer products company, and you can do the same for your restaurant by offering to serve as a resource on your area of specialty. Help otherwise hopeless aspiring chefs to frost a birthday cake that no one will ever forget, show how your ingredients can make them look like a Betty Crocker superstar or bake up the best after school snack ever.  Or offer tips on how people can throw the perfect party, using some of your ingredients.

• Show them you are a winner—Scope out “best of” awards; restaurant profiles, food reviews from national, local and regional publications.  And make sure you are part of them!

Looking for tips 10 and beyond on how you can generate excitement? For even more great ideas on how to get in front of the media, drop us a line: info@zenzi.com

Social Media Platforms

While traditional social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have held their own in PR and marketing, in 2012 we’re going to see a huge rise in Google+ usage and other social media platforms such as Pinterest. With the increasing popularity of these tools, companies can extend their reach and engage with their consumers more than ever before.

While Google+ was quickly adopted by techies, as Peter Pachal from Mashable states,

“Google+ has had favorable growth and many positive reviews, but it’s still relatively unknown among “real” people. And those that do know it have the distinct impression that it’s the social network for hard-core nerds. That’s something Google has to change if it wants people to use its service instead of competitors, and going mainstream has to be a primary goal in the New Year… and most of all it has to find its voice — its one-sentence description that doesn’t have the words “like Facebook” in it.”

So watch out in 2012 to see where the Google innovators take Google+, and how it’ll appeal to the masses, not just the “nerds.”

Pinterest on the other hand has proven to be a quick and easy way for companies to engage with their consumers, techies or not. Companies have become increasingly present on the Pinterest prowl and many have found that this platform is a quick and easy way to improve business. With Pinterest seeing a 4,000% increase in visits over a 6 month span, it’s no wonder why businesses are jumping on the bandwagon. Pinterest is an effortless way to collect your favorite images  (products, clothing, furniture, art, you name it, it’s on there!) and pin them onto inspiration boards. Just click your images, and you will be taken to the original site that pinned it and voilà, just like that a business can make a sale.

Reputation is Everything!

Maintaining a strong reputation online is going to be more important than ever this year.  With social media spreading like wildfire, it has never been easier for consumers to quickly voice their satisfactions or lack thereof. Instead of allowing negative feedback to impact your business, devote several hours a week to clear up any misunderstandings or complaints you may receive.  Keep those Facebook accounts clean by determining when and how you will deal with an issue. It’s the best policy to maintain responsibility and offer a resolution if one of your consumers is upset. Better yet, give that consumer a specific person and email to direct their concerns to. Not only will it help resolve their problem, but it also takes the conversation off social media. If you are proactively showing your followers that you are willing to fix the situation and doing it publicly, other followers will see that your company takes responsibility. Your responsiveness will NOT go unnoticed.

Specific Pitching

Let’s face it, people are not picking up their phones and they’re barely replying to email. So, as a PR professional, how are you going to stay ahead of the game when it comes to pitching?

A Few Rules of Thumb to Use in 2012

Take the time to build some meaningful relationships. Are you pitching mom bloggers or tech ninjas? Then you need to start following their blog, Twitter and Facebook and comment on their work! As we learned from BlogWorld 2011, bloggers respect and notice when you write meaningful comments and in turn will be more likely to recognize your name when you officially pitch them. Pitching editors and journalists? A little background research can go a long way. If you are writing a customized pitch, do your homework! Always mention a previous article in your pitch, it shows you took the time to read their work and therefore gives you more credibility.

With more and more agencies moving towards “niches,” it’s important that your media lists are continuously evolving and being updated. Starting from scratch with those bad boys? Start with the basics and go through all your media lists. Are they out of date? Are they relevant to what you’re pitching? If your company has moved away from representing clients from all walks of life, to specifically just food and beverage, then maybe it’s time to re-think having all those “other” lists.  If you don’t need them, throw them away.

Next, start building from the ground up. Even though it’s tedious to pull new media lists, you won’t be sorry if you take the time to do it right. You would be amazed at how far a few good media lists can take you. Lastly, once you’re ready to pitch those amazing bloggers, journalists and editors that you have cultivated relationships with, make sure you are using an attention-grabbing, quick and to the point, informative subject line (did you get all that?)

Follow Up? Yes Please.

Like we said, a phone call won’t cut it, so instead of wasting precious time. Get online! Using social media is a great way to connect with the people you’ve pitched. Second, don’t be afraid to send multiple emails. Oftentimes, journalists and editors are inundated with emails from people just like YOU (yeah, you). If you have done your research and you know your story is exactly what that writer covers, keep emailing them because they might’ve erased your original message. Don’t forget, nothing beats face-to-face interaction. Go beyond normal office hours (who are we kidding, we’re in PR) and take the time out of your schedule to attend events and meet the people you are pitching, this will make future pitching that much easier and fun!

It can happen to any company, you get into a situation over your head and need to react fast to fix a problem. Most of the time, we can detect potential issues and work to nip them in the bud before they explode, but what about the issues that we can’t plan for? A crisis communication plan is an important PR strategy to diffuse negative situations by showing a proactive attempt to alleviate a problem.

Why is it Important to React Quickly and Launch Your Crisis Communication Plan?

As crisis communication expert Gerald Baron says, “If you’re not quick, you’re not relevant” and he couldn’t be more right. Time is of essence when dealing with company crisis. For example, Sea World managed to promptly address the tragic incident where one of the park’s 12,000 lb. killer whales drowned a seasoned trainer.

What Worked?

Sea World did an excellent job of implementing a quick and effective crisis communication plan by releasing a company statement of what happened (although they changed the trainer’s cause of death later). In addition to the all-important statement, Sea World hit the social media platform running and addressed the situation on their blog and via Twitter. Sea World even suspended the @Shamu Twitter handle because of its controversial voice.

You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide!

Sea World did a great job of utilizing their President, Jim Atchison to address and ensure viewers and media that Sea World would not take the situation lightly, and would be conducting further investigation into the incident.

We’ve all seen it happen, (ahem… Tiger Woods). People and companies make poor PR moves to avoid a negative situation all together. Instead of taking responsibility, they hide to avoid public scrutiny, hoping the action will eventually be forgotten. Conversely, Sea World addressed the killer whale incident head on. In the grand scheme of things, Sea World’s responsive, hands-on approach saved their brand from a lifetime of negative publicity.

5 Steps to Crisis Communication

1. Create a crisis team:  It is critical that this team consists of the most senior-level executives, public relations professionals, corporate communication and marketing departments, etc. Furthermore, a crisis is NOT the time, I repeat NOT the time to receive media training. Anyone on this team must be previously trained in dealing with the media and ready to address the hardest-hitting questions publicly.
2. Monitor potential risks: CEO’s and top executives usually have a good idea of what kinds of risks their company might encounter, whether this stems from the state of the economy, to potential government regulation or even potential threats from competitors. Although these are mostly foreseen issues, there is always the chance that lower-level employees can encounter unique problems that your crisis communication teams needs to be aware of. Keep communication channels wide open, every employee offers valuable input. Think of potential risks as an ongoing project, if you continually monitor your risks, then you will always be in a good position to handle a problem if it arises.
3. Pre-planned processes and protocol: If a crisis occurs, it’s imperative to have processes and protocol in place for quick reference. Who is your chain of command? Do you have pre-approved information and protocol set up to address the media? Crisis can happen at any time, will you be ready to address issues and answer questions on behalf of your company?
4. Keep a close eye on social media: More than ever before, social media can be a blessing and a curse. In a time of crisis, companies need to consider the fact that traditional means of communication such as a press conference is not necessarily the most effective way to extend your message. Instead of sticking to traditional mediums, companies should think outside the box and remember that people get their information from a variety of sources these days such as, blogs, discussion forums, Facebook and Twitter to name a few….plan accordingly. Careful monitoring of company Facebook and Twitter accounts is key. Social media can be your quickest medium to media and consumers to address difficult questions, correct false assumptions and in general, be a voice of reason – since you know your company best.
5. Q&A, role-play:  Companies can easily identify potential risks and monitor them, but there’s more to that. Role-playing can offer tremendous insight into how to deal with a company crisis. After identifying potential risks (see question 2), come up with dialogue to address each of those problems. If you have a good idea of what could happen, then you should be able to establish some dialogue on that issue. Think of questions the media might ask and come up with answers…you won’t be sorry you did this!

Blogs, in particular, are growing in popularity, and can be a great resource—whether, as a parent you are looking for insightful behavioral wisdom, observations on the joys of raising kids or helping your family to eat better—if not a great escape to hear from other moms and dads facing similar challenges.

But just as your needs for information vary, so too do blogs, in the ways that they provide it. The following are just a few examples of the types of blogs out there:

• Writers from major newspapers or parenting pubs that have a blog. Increasingly publications are moving a portion, if not all of their content online, as well as making online-exclusive content available.  Take the Wall Street Journal’s “The Juggle” and The New York Times’ “The Motherlode”  from KJ Dell’Antonia’s, for instance.  More and more, reporters and writers are being asked by editors to generate blogs and other fresh content on the web.
• Moms who blog for the fun of it, or to make money, and have their own sites.  These blogs are also spouting up, but don’t underestimate them, because they don’t belong to huge publishing companies. Sites like DomesticBuzz, and MommaSaid for instance, can draw thousands of loyal visitors per month.
• Bloggers for major web sites—like Babycenter’s Momformation Blog, BlogHer, or others—that have a parenting or mommy channel.  Major women’s and men’s sites like these are packed with great info that address all of the facets of being a women or man (style, beauty, dating, careers, etc., in addition to parenting)

Why is important to know the nature and type of blog that you are contacting?

Blogs are personal.  In many cases, they are the writer’s “baby” so to speak. So blanket pitching and blasting out information—if ever appropriate, which it is not—will not be appreciated in most cases.

Bloggers at BlogWorld in LA this past November said repeatedly, that they prefer a softer, get-to-know-you first, dialogue with companies and PR professionals.

As with any communications with the media, understanding the contact’s needs should come first.  And, as with any reporter, it all comes down to how they can also benefit.  What can you or your organization offer the blogger?  Some, but not all bloggers, will appreciate:

• Free content that they can use to make their jobs easier – this can simultaneously offer a great opportunity to expand your company’s reach. In some cases you may even be able to syndicate your content to bloggers or other web sites to increase exposure. In general, content pitched to bloggers should not be promotional in nature.
• Partnerships—many, though not all, bloggers are looking for advertising or sponsorship partnerships to help them to keep their sites going. Some include information about advertising and sponsorships on their web sites. For many consumer companies, advertising or sponsoring key blogs can be a great way to grow your brand.
• Getting and trying your products – Product endorsement can be a great win for brands.  Knowing how to approach bloggers to stand out, from the hundreds of products a month some receive, however, can be key in landing them.  And we can never overemphasize the importance of knowing the blogger’s coverage area to prevent sending inappropriate or unwanted samples–frozen meat lovers pizzas sent to a vegetarian parenting blog, etc.  Some bloggers may have a policy to not endorse products, period.
• Access to experts – Companies can also frequently benefit from opportunities to serve as an expert resource for the blogger, on a topic on which executives are knowledgeable.  This can be a great way to position your company as an authority and possibly also get a link or two to your site or products.

In working with bloggers, it is important to first ask, what are my goals in working with them?  And how can I also best help them to make it an appealing partnership?

You can then hone in on the potential needs and goals of a select few, targeted bloggers that might be a good fit.

For more on interacting with mommy bloggers, please email us at info@zenzi.com

While I puzzled over the appearance of Pterodactyl eggs, a clue appeared that provided a much bigger perspective on an eye-opening grassroots marketing stunt.

Get a behind the scenes look at the Cardiff Kook Dinosaur attack in this video, or read all about it in the UT article.

A few articles this month, for instance, include:

Reporter Buck Wargo writes, “California-based homebuilder saw opportunity in the Great Recession using the down economy in Las Vegas as a chance to enter the market” in his article this month, “Shea Homes aims to make mark on housing with North Las Vegas properties” in the Las Vegas Sun.

Bob Koslow’s recent article, in the Daytona Beach News Journal, “State’s ‘green’ builders arrive: Newest trends in building technology to take center,“ quotes Jeff Gersh, Florida vice president for Shea Homes on green features available in Shea’s Florida active adult communities addressing growing demand.

“Blue skies, green homes: Energy Star-qualified active-adult builder attracts environmentally conscious homeowners,” writes Nathan Spicer in the San Francisco Chronicle this past weekend, in his article recognizing Trilogy at the Vineyards for its 100% Energy Star Qualification.

And the Las Vegas Review Journal included this recent article “Couples drawn to Shea’s active-adult lifestyle.”

Look for plenty more to come from this forward-thinking builder.

Only a few days ago, Congressman Weiner reportedly emailed Lee, ‘The key is to have a short, thought out statement that tackles the top line questions and then refer people back to it. ‘Have a couple of iterations of: “This is silly. Like so many others, I follow Rep. Weiner on Twitter. I don’t know him and have never met him. He briefly followed me and sent me a dm saying thank you for the follow.” That’s it,” according to the Daily Mail.

But reporter and the American public are not so easily deceived and Congressman Weiner did not benefit from his own advice.  Last week he repeatedly pooh pooh-ed the situation, telling the American public time and again, “I was hacked;” “Photos can be manipulated,” and asserting he could not take claim of the pictures as “his own”.

His actions are being called “stupid” on many levels.  First, for doing something as inappropriate and just plain dumb as sending incriminating photos over the Internet (where data can live forever, and doing it, arguably, during government time and with government resources).  And second for lying to the American public.  Now Mr. Weiner can be viewed by many not only as a hyper sexed cheater and sender of inappropriate messages, but also a liar.

Why do so many politicians cheat when they know, or at least should, that their lives are in the public eye?  Former President Clinton, Arnold Schwartzenger, John Edwards, it’s alleged even John F. Kennedy had an affair with Marilyn Monroe.  And why do so many lie about it?

While it is true that no one wants to admit something as embarrassing as a secret or tawdry affair with one, or many, the repercussions of not coming clean can often be worse, as Congressman Weiner may be finding out as he is being asked to step down today.  Reporters don’t like to be challenged and the American public is usually pretty good at seeing through a bad situation.  Both eventually make sure that the truth comes out anyway.  It’s best to not do it in the first place.  And always tell the truth

All jokes aside, smart phones have drastically changed anything and everything digital. They have made us more accessible, efficient and ultimately, more mobile in almost every social and personal endeavor. Here is my list of must have mobile apps:

1. Yelp – Yelp is my food and entertainment bible. If I’m ever in a new town or just can’t decide where to eat or what to do, Yelp is my best friend. Yelp’s and its users’ ratings have yet to do me wrong.
2. GasBuddy – Gas. Prices. Won’t. Stop. Climbing. Use this application to find the cheapest gas near you – where ever you are!
3. USA Today – All news outlets now have their own mobile app. I particularly like USA Today’s because of its easy-to-read-on-your-tiny-phone-screen format and sharing capabilities straight from the app itself.
4. Google Voice – You don’t need a smart phone for this app, but the Google Voice App makes managing voicemails a thousand times easier. My favorite feature – it transcribes your voicemails into text messages so you don’t have that annoying cassette symbol in the corner of your phone.
5. Foursquare/Facebook Places – Initially, I was annoyed when people would check in where ever they went. But I admit it, I’ve become one of those people. Restaurants and shops offer some pretty nifty giveaways and deals for people who check in – try it out. It’s also kind of satisfying to oust someone as Mayor..
6. Shazam – Don’t you hate it when you hear a song on the radio that you like and you want to know what song it is, but the radio hosts never says the name? Download Shazam, turn it on, hold it up to the speakers and Shazam will tell you the song name and artist in less than a minute.
7. Pandora – If you haven’t heard of Pandora yet, you’re missing out. They created the “Music Genome Project” that creates playlists for you based on a song or artist. Create as many playlists as you like and take this limitless music player on the go!
8. Drop Box – Drop Box is great not only on your computer, but now you can access your account mobile! I’ve ran into many instances where I needed to access personal as well as business files on the road. Drop box is THE cloud solution for file sharing and their mobile app is excellent for on the go business.
9. Evernote – Evernote enables you to “Remember Everything.” It allows you to take notes and jot down ideas, experiences, store pictures, anything. It connects your account through all the mobile devices in your life so you’ll never forget a thing – theoretically.