Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Forbes Top 25 Web Celebs...

Forbes compiled this year’s list by looking at a “Web Celeb” as a person famous primarily for creating or appearing in Internet-based content, and for being highly recognizable to a Web-based audience. From the candidate list of 200 Web celebrities each candidate was ranked in five areas:1. Web references as calculated by Google 2. traffic ranking of their home page as calculated by Alexa3. Technorati rank of their primary Web site or blog4. TV/radio mentions and press clips compiled from Factiva5. bonus points if ‘Web Celeb’ regularly published their own videoblog or podcast. For the full list, go to
http://www.boxofficepsychics.com/?p=864

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

"Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" - KYW 1060 Christmas

If you haven't heard it before, the KYW 1060 Newsradio reading by former Philadelphia anchor Vince Lee in his December 1976 recording of ''Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus,'' is just wonderful. I heard it tonight while my husband and I were driving home from my mother's house. It is so beautiful and truly captures the spirit of Christmas. Her'e the link to the KYW page http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/1375695.php and here's the link to the audiocast: http://www.kyw1060.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=1241068.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

New Blog Launch: Diabetes Pharmacist Blog

After months of hard work and anticipation, Focus Express Mail Pharmacy of Horsham, PA has announced the debut of their new educational and informational diabetes blog, the Diabetes Pharmacist Blog.

Focus Express Mail Pharmacy is an Internet-based pharmacy with a community agenda and practice that provides expert service, outstanding customer care and convenient home delivery of affordable prescription drugs and medical supplies to qualified patients with diabetes and chronic illnesses. Focus created the Diabetes Pharmacist Blog to provide persons with medical needs a sieve of information on medical breakthroughs, devices, as well as nutritional and health advice.

Follow this link to enjoy a plethora of information on diabetes and other related illnesses. For more information on Focus Express Mail Pharmacy, visit their website at http://www.focuspharmacy.com/.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Happy Holiday and New Year from Furia Rubel

At Furia Rubel, the holiday season is a time for giving back and showing appreciation and thanks to those who make a difference and impact in our lives; both personally and professionally.

On behalf of the entire Furia Rubel team, we wish you peace, joy and positive publicity in this New Year.

















Friday, December 14, 2007

Be Aware of Toy Recalls this Holiday Season - It May Save a Loved Ones Life

With the holidays literally upon us, finding that perfect gift for loved ones is an absolute must. But make sure you are getting your family and friends safe holiday gifts this season.

Stephanie Farr of the Philadelphia Daily News paints a perfect picture of why all holiday shoppers need to be aware of recalls of all sorts. The article titled Near-Fatal Attraction tells the story of young, Drexel Hill boy Benjamin Palmer (represented by attorneys at the Feldman Shepherd firm) who swallowed a piece of a Magnetix set and how the recalled toy almost cost the 2-year-old his life. The two swallowed magnets ripped through the boy’s colon and caused a massive septic infection in little Benjamin’s body.

This toy was at one time one of the top selling children’s toys and not all are aware of its harmful effects or its recall last year. According to Philadelphia Daily News article, “In March 2006, unbeknown to Palmer’s mother, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled the toy. Tiny magnets inside the plastic pieces were falling out and being swallowed by young children, which led to horrific consequences. ‘To date, there has been one death, one incident of a child inhaling the magnets through the nose and 27 intestinal injuries reported in connection with the toy,’ said Scott Wolfson, CPSC spokesman.”

With nieces, nephews, cousins and family to buy for this holiday season, I will most definitely be referencing The Consumer Product Safety Commission site before making any quick purchases.

See Philadelphia Daily News reporter Stephanie Farr’s, “Feds urge signing up for e-mail toy alerts” article for more details on toy recalls, The Consumer Product Safety Commission and safe practices handling recalls.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

In Memory of DeAnn White - A Special Recognition

Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” I can’t agree more – and one of those thoughtful, committed citizens was DeAnn White.

On December 6, 2007, I was honored by my peers in the public relations industry with the PRSA Philadelphia Chapter award named in DeAnn White's memory. I began my acceptance speech with the amazing words of Margaret Mead. I wish to share my thoughts of DeAnn as I am so blessed to have been touched by her story and memory.

My words were as follows:

The DeAnn White Achievement Award honors the memory of a Philadelphia journalist and PR professional whose life was cut short at age 25 in the tragic Pier 34 collapse. DeAnn was not only one of our peers, but she was a trailblazer for African-American women . . . a true role model. She was an advocate for education, children, her Baptist ministry, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society -- to name a few. Just the thought, let alone the reality, of being bestowed this honor humbles me.

And while I am delighted and honored to be the 2007 recipient of the DeAnn White Award, it is not about me – it is about others. It is about the people who work in public service. It is about the countless hours we all donate to our community. It is about remembering the legacy of DeAnn White. And it is about fostering the ideals of giving back in our community. I share this recognition with everyone in this room – as so many of you give back in so many ways. Since this award is only given once a year, I hold it in trust on behalf of our profession.
….

This honor is a true testament to how much local public relations professionals value philanthropy and volunteerism. This is an award in memory of a fallen hero, DeAnn White and of our industry’s shared commitment to giving back.

I will keep DeAnn's family and friends in my prayers as I know that love is a true gift from God and her family's loss is one that is incomprehensible.

Challenges of a CEO: Becoming Influential

As new communication channels open up and the communication habits of consumers change, it is getting harder to identify what medium is most effective when trying to communicate with your audience.

In the November 12, 2007 issue of PR Week, Erica Iacono reported that, “CEOs are facing more challenges than ever as they try to establish influence within their industries, communicate effectively with internal and external audiences, and maintain corporate reputation”…and I couldn’t agree more.

85.4% of CEO’s perceive an extreme importance to be known as an influencer in the industry. Here are some tactics CEOs across the country are implementing to maintain their influence among consumers:

-68.1% - offer online tools for customers to interact with each others products
-77.1% - utilize PR as a tool for development of their company’s overall strategy

To find out more information, check out the “True Test of Leadership” article here.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

IT Investments: Measuring Your Businesses ROI

I came across a live roundtable webcast, Get Better Results from Your IT Investments, featuring speakers Rob Whitley, Sr. Analyst for Forrester Research and Matt Gowarty, Sr. Product Manager with Fluke Networks along with moderator Sandra Gittlen, Technology Editor from NetworkWorld.

The panel offers some interesting information:

In a 2007 survey done by Forrester Research, Inc., it seems IT objectives are coinciding with those of the business world. Instead of focusing solely on security, IT trends show companies focusing on improving disaster recovery, consolidating multiple programs and upgrading applications to keep up with the changing business demands; all aspects that prove to provide headaches for many business leaders.

Measuring your ROI for your IT needs may not be as hard as you think.

According to the panelists, there are 3 aspects in which to keep an eye out for:

Optimization – Update your site regularly to ensure consistent web traffic
Control – Know your security applications and how to manage them
Visibility: Measure and monitor your activity to see the results you yield

To find out more information on what value can IT investments can bring to your organization, how to increase increase productivity among co-workers and associates, benefits of consolidating multiple IT applications and providing necessary IT security for your business, Register Here to see a free presentation.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Gina Rubel Receives Public Relations Society of America Achievement Award Award

We are proud to announce that Gina F. Rubel has been awarded the DeAnn White Achievement Award by the Public Relations Society of America for utilizing her public relations expertise in the fields of community service and volunteerism.

For more than two decades, Gina has devoted time to helping nonprofits tell their stories. She also encourages all staff to volunteer time during the workday and maintains three nonprofit pro bono accounts per year as a company policy. To her, giving selflessly is her definition of success.

Gina is often overheard saying, "If I were independently wealthy, I'd donate all my time to helping nonprofits raise awareness and money to make this world a better place." In short, that sums up not only why she is so deserving of this award, but that our staff is blessed to be her friend and colleague.

Cheers!

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Ode to J.K. Rowling

This is an ode to one of my favorite authors of all time J.K. Rowling, who has proven that one voice and one person can make a difference in this world:

Craig Wilson of USA Today reported on something truly amazing - how a fantasy game called Quidditch from the popular children’s series, Harry Potter has made its way into the lifestyle of American college students.

To read more about the Quidditch phenomenon and J.K. Rowling’s effect on American college students, click here.