Lights out in Vegas

Monday night, at 9:30 pm, all of the lights at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas went out for one minute. So, who was responsible for this monumental black out? No, it’s not George Clooney or Brad Pitt from Oceans 11.

Instead, Monday night’s black out was inspired by Absolut’s “Global Cooling” campaign. The campaign aims to “draw attention to the effects of global warming” and was initially launched in January. The campaign is supported by the AOR Public Relations Agency, Ketchum.

“Absolut is encouraging consumers and bar/nightclub owners to save energy,” Sarah Bessette, PR manager for Absolut Spirits. We found this “lights out” PR strategy rather bold and thought we would share. To read more about this PR campaign read Absolut puts out lights for environment from PR Week by Nicole Zerillo.

The Average American – Knowing Your Audience

Pitching news to the average American in an engaging way is a skill that all PR specialists have been perfecting for years. The underlying question that begs to be asked is; do we really know who the average American is? An article from the Los Angeles Times titled “In Search of the Average American” by Breanna Maloney explores this question and offers us a few new and entertaining statistics on the average American.

Did you know…

• The average American can name all Three Stooges but not all three branches of the federal government.
  
• The average American lives within three miles of a McDonalds
  
• The average American believes nature is sacred or spiritual but spends 95% of his time indoors.
  
• Sixty percent of Americans eat peanut butter at least once a week, and the average American eats three pounds of it a year.

These indiscriminate statistics, among others, were all compiled by author Kevin O’Keefe in his most recent book The Average American: The Extraordinary Search for the Nation’s Most Ordinary Citizen. For his research, O’Keefe criss-crossed the country for more than two years and knocked down “many of the myths about Americans.”

For example, “We have this image that the average American is lacking in smarts,” O’Keefe says, “but in this country, the average IQ scores have increased three points per decade since nationwide IQ testing began in the 1920s.” Additionally, he disproves the age old assumption of the average American as someone who lives on a farm in Middle America. “The last time that most Americans lived in rural areas was about 100 years ago. Most average Americans live in metropolitan areas,” says O’Keefe.

Kevin O’Keefe initially held high-profile jobs in the sports and entertainment industries, designing countless national marketing and public relations campaigns to reach the average American. More of O’Keefe’s notable research and findings are in the article, In search of the average American.

We found O’Keefe’s research on the average American interesting as it is so very important for all firms and businesses to target and intimately know their audiences.

PR Spamming- what not to do.

PR Week’s article titled PR Spamming Doesn’t Create Results by Melisa LaBancz-Bleasdale, in the May 2008 issue, reminds readers about the importance of increasing media coverage through targeted pitching. The article demonstrates that sending a mass media message, known as “spam”, is an ineffective way to reach your audience. “Spamming” is often defined as an e-mail or press release that gets distributed to whole media lists which are outdated or lack the knowledge about fundamental interests.

Most importantly, spamming rarely results in coverage of any kind, decreasing the chance to showcase your clients’ news. PR professionals who spam do not produce results or uphold their integrity. LaBancz-Bleasdale asks the readers to put themselves in our client’s shoes and decide, ‘Would the CEO of a Fortune 100 company send 300 indiscriminate invites for taquitos and martinis?’

Melisa also included additional tips in order for successful pitching, including:

• Personalize your pitches.
• Understand the company/product/issues you are pitching, because you only get one chance to capture the writer’s attention.
• Always follow through.
  

For further guidance and insight on how to avoid spamming and produce more front page results, read the full article PR Spamming Doesn’t Create Results.

Great Sales, Marketing and PR Tips on Donny Deutsch

My good friend, Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid and Beyond Booked Solid, appeared on CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch last night. The show was titled, “Ultimate Playbook: The New Art of Selling.” The program was full of great energy and very well done.

Here’s the lineup – and I must say – any and all of these guests would make great keynote speakers for law firm and corporate events! To view what all the guests had to say about the bottom line, click here.

Lisa Robertson - Host, QVC
Lisa Robertson has sold millions of dollars worth of merchandise as one of the all-star hosts of QVC with her own show, "PM Style."

Joe Maloof - Palms Casino, Sacramento Kings
Joe Maloof is the eldest son in a family business that owns everything from the Palms Casino in Las Vegas to the Sacramento Kings.. And his family built this empire by knowing the fundamentals of selling.

Donna Flagg - President, The Krysalis Group
Donna Flagg has spent more than 15 years in sales and trains people gain inner-confidence to sell themselves.

Kendra Scott - Founder, Kendra Scott Jewelry
Kendra Scott had no experience in sales until she put herself to the test and discovered a talent for selling millions with her jewelry line, Kendra Scott Jewelry

Michael Port - Author, The Contrarian Effect and Beyond Booked Solid
Michael Port has coached more than 20-thousand business owners in the art of selling and is the best-selling author of "The Contrarian Effect: Why it Pays to take Typical Sales Advice and do the Opposite."

Guy Kawasaki - Garage Technology Ventures
Guy Kawasaki is the managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, and the ultimate decision maker for new business owners trying to make the sale of a lifetime.

Dave Lakhani - Author, The Art of Getting What You Want
Dave Lakhani is a master of persuasion... His latest book is called "Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want."

Janine Driver - Body Language Expert
The woman who knows the code of body language better than anyone is Janine Driver, the human lie-detector who's spent more than a decade with the Department of Justice, and trained more than 30-thousand police officers in how to LISTEN... with their EYES.

Online Gaming Increases Brand Awareness

Online Gaming, the topic of PR Week’s May 12, 2008 Inside Information section was entirely foreign to me. The article eludes that PR professionals are using online gaming to achieve their dreams of “captivating consumers with brand messages for hours.”

According to Joe Kessler, partner at SS&K, “success is derived from consumer insight, between the nature of the game and the brand supporting it. It’s never a good idea to do a game just to do one.” The article also states that “online games can increase traffic to company Web sites, and draw attention to other content.”

One example of online gaming that struck me as useful was MSNBC.com’s NewsBreaker Challenge. The challenge was launched April 14 and ended May 9, 2008. MSNBC.com incorporated a “falling brick” game with featured headlines reporting on varying news from “Britney Spears to the 2008 Presidential election.” The individual players with the highest scores were eligible to win an Xbox 360. Furthermore, at the end of the contest, the media agency with the top average score won a one-day MSNBC.com homepage takeover for a national charity of its choice.

Games are typically separated from work, and therefore this approach to PR is refreshing. For more on companies that are using online games or to read “Online Gaming Increases Pitch Time, Brand Awareness” by Nicole Zerillo, click here.

Health Care Coverage in the Media

The Iraq War and the U.S. Economy are undisputedly two of the most prominent issues of 2008. Amidst all other issues in our society, health care ranks third according to ABC News Senior National Security Correspondent Jonathan Karl. Karl recently spoke at the PRSA Health Academy in Chicago and the PR Tactics periodical covered his research regarding PR practices surrounding health care coverage.

Besides the fact that, “people are clearly fed up with the system,” Karl noted that, “health care is by far the issue that people are most self-centered about. They want to know, ‘What’s going to serve my best interests?’” Nonetheless, PR professionals are challenged by the “dry, academic nature” and lack of “visual impact” health care proposals offer.

Therefore, Karl emphasizes the importance of getting away “from the abstract policy papers” and instead illustrating “a case study with real people, including how it actually affects somebody who’s got a health care issue.” Although Karl warns his audience that often reporters can make mistakes.

“Too many reporters don’t do their homework. Most reporters are generalists, so they often know nothing about a story subject until they cover it.” Therefore, Karl advises PR professionals to double check that the reporter understands the health care story before assembling a package for the reporter.

In the end, Karl reminds us to not get angry but instead be gentle with reporters to maintain a strong relationship. Karl’s speech offers valuable counsel to PR professionals on topics of dealing with the media and health care issues that we thought we would share.

The Believe in the Cure Cycling Tour Comes to Philly

John Ellis and Jamaal Warren, two 17-year-olds from Pensacola, Fla., have set out on a 1,100 mile journey riding their bicycles from Pensacola to Philadelphia to help raise awareness of hepatitis B. John was diagnosed with hepatitis B in 2006. Instead of being discouraged by this devastating medical diagnosis, John turned the news into an opportunity to raise awareness about the virus. With a passion for cycling and a desire to help raise funds to find a cure for the disease, John contacted the Hepatitis B Foundation with an idea to organize an East Coast bicycle ride, the Believe in the Cure Cycling Tour. Jamaal, John’s best friend and several family members are joining John on his trek to Philadelphia.

John and Jamaal’s journey began on June 2 at John’s high school in Pensacola and will end in Philadelphia on Monday, June 23 – John’s 18th birthday! On Monday morning, area cyclists and supporters are welcome to join John and Jamaal at the Philadelphia Marriott West in West Conshohocken at 8:30AM to cycle the last leg of the boys’ journey. They will ride 10 miles from Conshohocken to Kelly Drive where Foundation members, Philadelphia dignitaries, John and Jamaal’s family and friends and local supporters will welcome John and Jamaal to Philadelphia. Follow John and Jamaal as they ride up the Atlantic Coast by visiting the Believe in the Cure Cycling Tour blog or to learn about donating to John’s cause, visit www.hepb.org.

If you have any questions about joining John and Jamaal on the last leg of their journey, their journey and John’s story or would like to support the Foundation’s cause – please feel free to reach out to the Hepatitis B Foundation at 215-489-4900 or go to www.hepb.org.

PR Professionals benefit from having MBAs

In this week’s issue of PR Week under The Agency Business section, I stumbled upon an article exploring the benefits of PR pros having MBAs, especially in today’s struggling economy. “PR pros with MBAs are better positioned to make a compelling case for preserving the marketing budget during lean times.”

According to Lori Teranishi, who has earned her MBA and is the CEO of Van Prooyen Greenfield, C-Suite Executives see potential in business degree-holding professionals to be “able to advise on strategy from a business perspective” and to have important “quantitative skills.” For example, Lisa Novak, SVP at Ruder Finn West, recently earned an MBA by attending evening courses and says the most valuable skill she gained was “the ability to demonstrate to a CEO how a campaign will affect the bottom line and measure the ROI for PR Programs.”

Geoff Mordock, VP at Fleishman-Hillard, agrees that “since obtaining his MBA his counsel to clients has become more strategic” and takes “a more holistic approach.” He adds that he finds he’ll “interface with the CFO and general counsel more often than marketing.”

Finally, Kristen Osolind, CEO of Re: Invention Marketing, admits she, “gives preference to candidates with MBAs because of the analytical tools learned and networking connections from MBA programs.”

As a near-college graduate without intention to acquire a MBA, I found this report valuable and noteworthy. Click here to read the entire article.

PRSA Chair and CEO Jeffrey Julin Issues Video Response to CBS News Commentary

PRSA Chair & CEO Jeffrey Julin has issued a video response to CBS Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen's commentary challenging the integrity of the public relations profession. Julin refutes Cohen's irresponsible condemnations through positive affirmation of the industry, and reinforces the fundamental role of the PRSA Code of Ethics as a guide for public relations professionals. The video, which also has been posted on the PRSA YouTube channel, follows a written response to CBS submitted by Julin on behalf of PRSA and its Board of Directors.

comScore Acquires M:Metrics

For those of you who measure your marketing, It's important to know that comScore acquired M:Metrics today. Below is the full detail from today's press release....

_______________
comScore Acquires M:Metrics

Accelerates Expansion of comScore’s Mobile Solutions, Cross Media Measurement and Global Footprint

Reston, VA, May 28, 2008 -- comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today announced the acquisition of M:Metrics, Inc., the recognized leader in mobile measurement. The acquisition makes comScore the immediate leader in measuring the emerging and strategically important mobile Internet market and adds to comScore’s leading position in measuring PC-based Internet usage.

The transaction involves a cash payment of $44.3 million and the issuance of approximately 50,000 options to purchase shares of comScore common stock to certain M:Metrics unvested option holders.

M:Metrics offers three primary measurement products:
· MobiLensTM, a syndicated monthly online survey that captures overall mobile phone usage, including device information, data usage, media consumption and demographic characteristics of a representative sample of more than 40,000 mobile device users. MobiLens is available in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

· MeterDirectTM, the industry’s first on-device meter that passively measures the mobile Internet behavior and media consumption of more than 4,000 existing Smartphone panelists. The M:Metrics metering technology is compatible with more than 280 device models. MeterDirect is currently available in the U.S. and U.K.

· M:AdTM, the first competitive tracking service for mobile advertising that continuously monitors clickable display advertising from a broad representative set of mobile Web destinations to reveal leading advertisers across a variety of market segments. M:Ad is currently available in the U.S. and U.K.

Going forward, comScore will increase the size of the metered panel and will offer measurement of combined Internet usage across both PC and mobile-based online access platforms. The combination of the two companies is expected to result in substantial operating synergies, cost savings and enhanced revenue growth by building a larger customer base, combining two highly productive sales forces, and leveraging comScore’s global panel and scalable technology infrastructure.

“With the substantial growth of 3G devices and Internet friendly handsets, we believe we are now at an inflection point in Internet usage on mobile devices,” said Dr. Magid Abraham, comScore’s president and chief executive officer. “Our acquisition of M:Metrics makes comScore an immediate market leader in this space and positions comScore to deliver significant shareholder value as wireless carriers, telecom equipment providers, media companies, advertising agencies, online publishers, and marketers extend their reach into the mobile Internet world.”

“M:Metrics brings compelling products and an established, customer base of over 180 clients. Adding comScore’s capabilities and scale to this mix will significantly enhance the company’s future growth and performance,” continued Dr. Abraham. “We see compelling opportunities to increase the market penetration of M:Metrics’ products within comScore’s customer base of over 950 clients and to cross-sell comScore’s portfolio of products into the wireless industry, including the major carriers and device manufacturers. In addition, we plan to leverage comScore’s panel, technology infrastructure and sales force to expand the metered mobile panel and develop new offerings that can significantly increase the growth and profitability of M:Metrics’ business.”

In connection with the acquisition, the co-founders of M:Metrics, Will Hodgman, president and chief executive officer, and Seamus McAteer, chief product architect, will join comScore’s management team.

“comScore is the ideal partner for M:Metrics and clearly the right company to leverage and build upon M:Metrics’ leadership in mobile measurement. The combined company will provide our customers with a compelling portfolio of cross media online measurement and analytics.” said Will Hodgman, president and CEO of M:Metrics. “We are excited about joining comScore and leveraging its vast capabilities, blue chip customer base, and innovative technologies. By combining forces, I am confident we will be the pre-eminent Internet and mobile marketing intelligence provider in the world.”

The acquisition agreement was signed, and the acquisition was closed, today, May 28, 2008, having been approved by the comScore Board of Directors and M:Metrics stockholders. The transaction will be accounted for under purchase accounting rules.

comScore is expecting the M:Metrics business to be profitable on an Adjusted EBITDA basis by the end of the fourth quarter of 2008, and to be a significant positive contributor to Adjusted EBITDA in 2009. M:Metrics’ revenues are currently forecast to be approximately $11 million to $12 million for the full year 2008, and will contribute $6.5 to $7 million to comScore’s reported revenues for 2008 post-closing. The acquisition also enables comScore to lower its future tax payments by realizing a cash benefit of up to $7 million through the utilization of up to $20 million in M:Metrics net operating loss carry forward (NOLs).

Pro forma financials resulting from the M:Metrics acquisition will be reported in an amended 8-K that comScore expects to file in late July, when comScore also plans to announce its earnings for the second quarter of 2008.

M:Metrics, Inc. was represented by The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc., a New York City based investment bank that specializes in the media and information industries.

Conference Call comScore will host a conference call and simultaneous audio-only webcast on Thursday, May 29, at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time). The conference call can be accessed in two ways:
* By telephone at 719-325-4869, pass code 2461159
* Via a webcast at http://ir.comscore.com/events.cfm.

A replay of the webcast will be archived and available for playback beginning at noon that day, accessible from the same link.

About comScore comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given comScore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. comScore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its proprietary technology, comScore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behavior and attitudes. comScore analysts apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI. comScore services are used by over 950 clients, including global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, BBC, Carat, Cyworld, Deutsche Bank, France Telecom, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Financial Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestlé, Starcom, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Verizon, ViaMichelin, Merck and Expedia. For more information, please visit http://www.comscore.com/.

About M:Metrics
Founded in 2004, M:Metrics is the mobile media authority. As the only research firm to measure the audience for mobile media using on-device metering and the world’s largest monthly survey of mobile users, M:Metrics provides the most accurate metrics on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media measurement methodologies to the mobile market. M:Metrics’ monthly syndicated data service gives clients the critical insights and intelligence required to inform smart business strategies and the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of competitors and partners. M:Metrics services are used by more than 180 clients, including global leaders in the mobile, advertising, technology and consumer goods industries such as Verizon, Vodafone, Microsoft, RIM, FOX, CBS, BBC, BMW, Samsung, Palm, Qualcomm, Ericsson, O&M, and JWT. Prior to being acquired by comScore, M:Metrics was a private, venture-funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, with offices in San Francisco and London.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release includes a reference to (but does not use) a non-GAAP financial measure called "Adjusted EBITDA", which comScore defines as net income plus the (benefit) provision for income taxes, depreciation, amortization of intangible assets resulting from acquisitions, stock-based compensation, revaluation of preferred stock warrant liabilities, less interest income (expense), net. comScore believes that Adjusted EBITDA is an important indicator of the company’s operational strength and the performance of its business because it provides a link between profitability and operating cash flow. Adjusted EBITDA is also widely used by investors and analysts as a supplemental measure to evaluate the overall operating performance of companies in comScore’s industry. comScore’s management also uses Adjusted EBITDA extensively as a measure of operating performance because it does not include the impact of items not directly resulting from the company’s core operations. Moreover, comScore’s management uses the measure for planning purposes, to allocate resources and to evaluate the effectiveness of the company’s business strategies and management’s performance.
Whenever comScore uses Adjusted EBITDA, it provides a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most closely applicable GAAP financial measure. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

Cautionary Statement
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, without limitation, statements made with respect to: annualized 2008 revenue from the M:Metrics acquisition; the amount and availability of net operating losses to reduce future tax payments; anticipated synergies and other benefits resulting from the acquisition merger with M:Metrics and the timing thereof; and the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, including planned integration activities and the timing thereof; the positive contribution of the acquisition to comScore’s Adjusted EBITDA; comScore’s ability to grow its existing customer base and develop new products; the expected strength of comScore’s business and client demand for comScore’s products; the future quality of client relationships and resulting renewal rates; expectations of customer growth; expectations of international sales growth; assumptions regarding interest rates and effective tax rates; and forecasts of future financial performance, including related growth rates and components thereof, and assumptions related thereto.

The forward looking statements included in the Press Release relate to future events or our future financial conditions or performance, Words such as “forecast,” “expected,” “should,” "will," "are," "provide," "continue," "remain," "anticipates" or the negative thereof or variations thereon and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements inherently involve certain risks and uncertainties, although they are based on our current plans or assessments that are believed to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. Factors that may cause actual results, goals, targets or objectives to differ materially from those contemplated, projected, forecast, estimated, anticipated, planned or budgeted in such forward-looking statements include, among others, the following possibilities, in no particular order: the business of M:Metrics not being integrated successfully, or such integration taking longer or being more difficult, time-consuming or costly to accomplish than expected; the failure to realize revenue synergies and cost-savings from comScore's acquisition of M:Metrics or delay in realization thereof; difficulties and delays in the further development and marketing of M:Metrics products and technologies; final determinations under GAAP of acquisition related costs, equity-based compensation expense, purchase price allocations and the impact of the loss of deferred revenues on a going-forward basis; limitations under applicable tax laws on the sources of income with respect to which the NOLs are available for offset, the amounts of the NOLs available for use in any given year, the useable life of the NOLs, and any other limitation on the use of the NOLs; the early stage of the market for digital marketing intelligence and the rate of development of such market; comScore’s ability to manage its growth; the rate of development of the Internet advertising and eCommerce markets; comScore’s ability to effectively expand sales and marketing; comScore’s reliance on subscription-based revenues; comScore’s ability to retain existing large customers and obtain new large customers, including with respect to M:Metrics; continued growth of the Internet as a medium for commerce, content, advertising and communications; inability to sell additional products and attract new customers; dependence on growth of international operations; product obsolescence with technological developments; volatility of quarterly results and analyst expectations; comScore’s history of losses and the risk of future losses; and comScore’s limited operating history.

For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors, please refer to comScore’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2007 and from time to time other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available on the SEC’s Web site (http://www.sec.gov/).

Stockholders of comScore are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. comScore does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or new information after the date of this press release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact:Andrew LipsmanSenior AnalystcomScore, Inc. 312-775-6510press@comscore.com

Making Your Tip Sheets Valuable

Here are a few tips on making your tip sheets valuable. Please see some of our tips and tactics below.

Tip sheets don’t always need to be produced in lists of 10. It’s acceptable to have less or more, but when you exceed 19, think about breaking the list into two lists of 10. If you surpass 25, then move to the section in this chapter that addresses writing a book.

Tactics that will help add value to your tips sheet:

1. Make tips available on your Web site.
2. Include tips in your corporate leave-behind.
3. Send tips to customers and prospects via e-mail.
4. Include tips in your corporate newsletter.
5. Create a tips postcard that can be sent to prospective clients.
6. Leave a copy of the tips in your lobby.

For more important tips on using PR when creating effective tip sheets, read Chapter 4 in Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers. Excerpt from Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers, Copyright 2007. Furia Rubel Communications, Inc. To purchase the book, click here.

Furia Rubel Wins Awards for Public Relations Service

The results of a first-of-its-kind Top Corporate Givers in Greater Philadelphia list were debuted on April 30, 2008 which included Furia Rubel among the top 60. I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am because this is a true testiment to the core values of every member of the Furia Rubel Team.

We received awards for ranking number one for In-Kind Donations Per Employee and number two among the region’s small companies for Community Impact and Top Volunteer Hours.

The Philadelphia Business Journal hosted the inaugural Partners in Corporate Philanthropy Summit designed to give credit to the region’s companies that give back to the community. As the owner of Furia Rubel, I am thankful for our core team - each member of whom has truly given back.

At the summit we heard an inspiring keynote by Joe Banner, President and COO of the Philadelphia Eagles and Co-chair of the Philadelphia City Year Board. Banner invited a local City Year man on stage who share his awe-inspiring story of being a drug dealer turned community activist, volunteer and college student. There wasn't a dry eye in the place.

Then, a CEO panel discussion was moderated by Andrew Swinney, President of the Philadelphia Foundation. The panelists included Pamela Browner-Crawley, Senior VP & Director of Public Affairs, Citizens Bank; Chuck Pennoni, Chairman, Pennoni Associates Inc.; Jim Rudolph, CEO, Rita's Water Ice; Rosemary Turner, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Metro Philadelphia District, United Parcel Service (UPS).

Additional sponsors of the event included The Philadelphia Foundation, Community Foundation of South Jersey, Citizens Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, FOX 29, KYW, PECO, Comcast, Deloitte, Sovereign Bank and US Airways; and in association with: Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, Delaware Valley Grant Makers, Greater Philadelphia Cares, The Nonprofit Center La Salle University, and United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

When Community Awareness Efforts are Taken Out of Context

As a public relations firm, we have the opportunity to work with many types of organizations including nonprofits. Today, I was disheartened to read a blog post by Jeff Trexler. In his blog, uncivilsociety dot org, Trexler defames and pokes fun at the Hepatitis B Foundation’s grass roots effort to raise awareness in their hometown community at the monthly First Friday celebration in May. Ignorance is bliss until someone you know gets sick.

Trexler says that the Foundation “hijacked the city’s First Friday celebration of the arts to promote its own health care agenda.” This is far from the truth.

According to Bob Quon, First Friday Doylestown Chairman, “Local well established nonprofit organizations in our immediate region are invited to be showcased during First Friday. Every month features a different cause. The nonprofits have brought education, awareness and a voice to our community and the community has responded very well.” He said, “It is our way of giving back to the community.”

Just some of the nonprofit causes that have been highlighted at First Friday Doylestown include: Autism Awareness, ALS, Breast Cancer Awareness, CB Cares, Tabor Children’s House, Bucks County SPCA, Doylestown Fire Company, Central Bucks YMCA, National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) and Bucks Association for Retarded Citizens (BARC).

Joan Block, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Hepatitis B Foundation said, “The Hepatitis B Foundation truly appreciates the support it receives from the community. We are proud to be a resource for students, scientists, healthcare providers, and especially those families affected by serious liver disease.” She said, “We are honored to participate in First Friday Doylestown since May is National Hepatitis Awareness Month. We have the opportunity to give back to and educate people in our own back yard.”

Trexler also intimates that “he wouldn’t touch [the O’Liver mascot]” leaving one to assume that he fears getting sick. If this is correct, then little does he know.

Hepatitis B is the world's most common liver infection. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which attacks and injures the liver. It is transmitted through blood, unprotected sex, shared or re-used needles, and from an infected mother to her newborn baby during delivery. Hepatitis B is NOT contracted through casual touching.

In fact, worldwide, 2 billion people (1 out of 3 people) have been infected with hepatitis B. 400 million people have become chronically infected (which means they are unable to get rid of the virus). An estimated 1 million people die each year from hepatitis B and its complications. In the United States, over 12 million people have been infected (that’s 1 out of 20 people). Almost 100,000 new people are infected with hepatitis B each year. An estimated 5,000 Americans die each year from hepatitis B and its complications.

The Hepatitis B Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. Their commitment includes funding focused research, promoting disease awareness, supporting immunization and treatment initiatives, and serving as the primary source of information for patients and their families, the medical and scientific community, and the general public. There is a lot that still needs to be done to improve prevention, education, and access to medical care and treatment.

There are many facts about hepatitis B that Trexler may not be aware of. To learn more go to www.hepb.org.

To learn more about the great things First Friday Doylestown is doing, go to http://firstfridaydoylestown.com.

SBA Report About Women Business Owners

If your business targets women business owners in its marketing, advertising, public relations or business development efforts, then listen up. Business Development Advisors Darrene Hackler, Ellen Harpel and Heike Mayer issued a report for the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy this month that details information and statistics about women business owners..

According to the SBA, “the report, Human Capital and Women’s Business Ownership, shows that self- employed women differ on most human capital variables compared to wage and salary-earning women. Self-employed women have more education and increased their educational attainment at a faster rate compared to other working women. The percentage of self-employed women in managerial occupations consistently exceeded the rate for other working women, and self-employed women participated in different industries than other working women. Self-employed men and women differed little in education, experience and preparedness. Important differences remain when considering occupational and industry experience.

A full copy of this report is available at: http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs323tot.pdf

The research summary can be found at: http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs323.pdf

Information about this report can be obtained by calling Chad Moutray at (202) 205- 6533 or advocacy [at] sba.gov.

To sign up for Advocacy updates via RSS feed, visit http://feeds.feedburner.com/sba/rAIO.

How to Turn A Recession Into A Profit for Your Business

With so much talk about America going into a possible recession, we thought we would post an article on new businesses owners who found success and beat the odds in this tough economy. Rich Sloan’s Boost Sales by Filling ‘Screaming Needs’ article breaks it down by demonstrating that “Even in a down economy, customers will pay for products and services that save them time and money.”

To learn how Tom Sausen, a former chef whose food business, Bonewerks Culinarte, found success by selling gourmet sauces and fully-prepared entrees to professional chefs and howRyan Allis's iContact, an e-mail marketing service, are increasing their bottom line year by year... click here.

Extreme Hybrid Vehicle Hits Philly

Okay - so here's a great example of public relations at work. Tom Schmidt of the Philadelphia Daily News reports in his Extreme makeover: Hybrid SUV edition article that "a supervan rolled into Penn's Landing yesterday and unloaded two vehicles that their owners hope will revolutionize the auto and oil industries. Inside the van were two hybrid SUVs, called XH-150s, that their creator claims will outperform anything on the road so far."

Low and behold, the man in the van was no other than the organizer of the first Earth Day celebration in Philly in 1970, South Philadelphia Native, and past regional director of the Environmental Protection Agency -- Edward W. Furia. If the name sounds familiar, that's because my "Uncle Ed" is also an attorney. He and the rest of the team at AFS Trinity have much to be proud of!

Just think, in our home town of Philadelphia, we'll be celebrating the 28th Earth Day later this week. Hmmmm - see the PR connection?

According to AFS Trinity's website, "The XH-150 started a cross country tour on 4/8/08 to give Americans their first onroad look at what CNN and others suggested may be "the car of the future," as the XH-150 works its way to Earth Day on the Capitol Mall in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, April 20, 2008. Halfway through the cross country trip, the XH-150 was demonstrated for Austin Energy, a large municipal utility as well as for the leadership of Plug-in Partners, an Austin headquartered consortium of electric utilities and others supporting new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technologies. AFS Trinity is making the XH150 available for selected test drives in several communities from coast to coast."

Dealing with a PR Crisis - WSJ Outlines First 90 Days

Last week, Toddi Gunter, Special to The Wall Street Journal, wrote “Dealing With a PR Crisis Takes Planning and Truth” and hit the nail on the head!

In Gunter’s article, she outlines what a company should do in the first 90 days of a crisis.

-Remember, rumors are a crisis, too.
-Gather your crisis team.
-Identify the type of crisis.
-Determine who needs to know.
-Create a consistent message.
-Manage and monitor media flow.
-Reflect and move on.

However, too often corporations (and law firms alike) don’t take the proactive steps necessary to prepare a crisis communications plan. And as an attorney and publicist, I advocate that including corporate counsel in the crisis communications planning process is also an imperative part of that mix!

That said, if you’re considering crisis communications planning, I encourage you to register for Rich Klein’s upcoming seminar on April 16th: Crash Course on Crisis Communications for Law Firms.

Not having a crisis communications plan is like running a business without liability insurance. It’s better to invest in the coverage and never have to use it than not have it at all.

The Importance of Print Publications

Keith O’Brien of PRWeek recently wrote an article titled; Print journalism teaches us the importance of precision. In the article, O’Brien discusses the pros and real importance of print publications and what they still bring to the table in comparison to the Web. O’Brien spells it out as clear as day saying, “You can’t read Web sites in the subway (though you can read RSS feeds, and wireless connectivity is on the way); print publications are easier on the eyes; everyone wants something tangible to hold in his or her hands; and a spread provides a better opportunity to display a story’s expanse than a six page breaks online.”

He also outlines three tried and true reasons why we should all care about print which are listed below.

- The judgments of journalists and readers keep things in context. The print issue takes the news of the world into a substantive, concise solution. No print title can ever encompass all the news that’s fit to print, but it can constrain it.

- In each story, we have to reach the core elements in a shorter space. This benefits all, providing both writers and readers the challenge of constructing arguments in shorter spaces and times. The world still revolves around the elevator pitch, which is what a print story ensembles. I have never encountered a piece written above word count – including Op-Eds – that couldn’t do with a fat trimming.

- Deadlines help us all. I know very well that the “unofficial deadlines” of a Web property are frenetic and unforgiving. I know very well that a publication that wants relevancy online needs to publish as close to instantaneous as possible. But those online deadlines that never begin nor end don’t teach us much. Print deadlines are real. They control the situation. There’s no room to follow up – or amend – later that day. Print deadlines give us a structure by which to operate.

I found this article to be very interesting and hope as O’Brien does that print stays viable forever.

Muslims "Overtake" Catholics, Become Largest Religion

According to Allessandra Rizzo of the Associated Press in Vatican City, Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world's largest religion. See National Geographic report.

The article reports that "Catholics are holding steady at about 17.4 percent of the world population," while "Muslims are now at 19.2 percent."

I've included links to news from around the world today (below). I think it's time the Catholic Church invested in the services of a public relations firm . . . .

Today's news:

Minority Report: Mine's no longer bigger than yours - Islam ...Independent, UK - 7 hours ago By Jerome Taylor According to the Vatican, Islam has overtaken Catholicism as the world's largest single religious denomination for the first time. ...

Islam overtakes Catholicism as world's largest religionTimes Online, UK - 11 hours agoIslam has overtaken Roman Catholicism to become the world's largest single religious denomination, according to L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper. ...

Vatican says Muslims more numerous than CatholicsReuters UK, UK - 13 hours ago VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The number of Muslims has overtaken the number of Roman Catholics in the world, a Vatican official said on Sunday. ...

Religion's evolution tests toleranceToronto Star, Canada - 17 hours ago If the Vatican looked askance at this religious arriviste three kilometres from St. Peter's Basilica, it made no comment. That sumptuous mosque, opened in ...

Muslims outnumber Catholics, Vatican saysTelegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 18 hours ago By Megan Levy and agencies Muslims now make up 19.2 per cent of the world's population, outnumbering Catholics at 17.2 per cent, according to the Vatican's ...

Number of Muslims ahead of Catholics, says VaticanGuardian, UK - Mar 30, 2008The number of Muslims has overtaken that of Roman Catholics for the first time, the Vatican said yesterday. Muslims account for 19.2% of the world's ...

'Islam world's largest religion'The Press Association - Mar 30, 2008The Vatican acknowledged that Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world's largest religion. Vittorio Formenti, who compiles the Vatican's yearbook, ...

Muslims More Numerous Than CatholicsABC News - Mar 30, 2008AP By ALESSANDRA RIZZO AP Writer Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world's largest religion, the Vatican newspaper said Sunday. ...

Muslims now outnumber Catholics worldwide, making Islam the most ...Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NY - Mar 30, 2008According to official Vatican figures for 2006, Islam has more than 1.3 billion adherents, comprising 19.2 percent of the global population, ...

Vatican: Muslims outnumber CatholicsRadio Netherlands, Netherlands - Mar 30, 2008Vatican City - A report published by the Vatican says Muslims for the first time outnumber Catholics worldwide. According to the article published in the ...

Muslims outnumber Catholics: Vatican researchTimes of India, India - Mar 29, 2008VATICAN CITY: Muslims outnumber Catholics worldwide, according to the latest count by the Vatican published in its daily newspaper on Saturday. ...

Catholics Outnumbered by Muslims in the World for the First TimeCleveland Leader, OH - 2 hours ago According to the Vatican, for the first time ever, there are more Musliams than Roman Catholics in the world. Monsignor Vittorio Formenti compiled the ...

For the First Time, Muslims Outnumber CatholicsCitizenLink, CO - 4 hours ago The number of Muslims has overtaken the number of Roman Catholics in the world, a Vatican official said Sunday. Muslims make up 19.2 percent of the world's ...

Muslims worldwide outnumber CatholicsFunctionpix, UK - 7 hours ago Figures for 2006 disclose that Muslims comprise 19.2 per cent of the world’s population, and Catholics 17.4 per cent. "For the first time in history we’re ...

Islam Rivals Catholicism as World's Largest FaithAOL News Newsbloggers, VA - 7 hours ago By Justin Paulette The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, has reported that Muslims now outnumber Catholics. thus ranking Islam as the world's largest ...

Vatican: Muslims Have Outnumbered Catholics AHN - 8 hours ago Vatican City (AHN) - The official Vatican newspaper announced Sunday that for the first time, the number of Islam followers has surpassed that of Roman ...

Muslims now outnumber Catholics but Christians still leadBreaking News, Trinidad and Tobago - 8 hours ago Muslims now outnumber Catholics for the first time in history, the Vatican said in its newspaper L'Osservatore Romano this weekend. ...

Muslims now outnumber CatholicsCatholic World News - 11 hours ago Rome, Mar. 31, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The world's Catholics are now outnumbered by Muslims, according to the editor of the Vatican's statistical yearbook. ...

Vatican official: World has greater number of Muslims than CatholicsCatholic News Service - 11 hours ago By John Thavis VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A Vatican official said that, for the first time, the world's Muslim population is greater than the number of Catholics ...