The Power Of Social Media When Used For Good, Not Evil

Posted by Leah Ludwig

I often hear mixed reviews about the prominent role social media plays in our everyday lives – that these networks can be obtrusive, time-consuming, confusing, rapidly dynamic, etc. As a PR professional, it has been my duty to learn about, and wrap my head around, the latest social media networks and trends – especially how to best utilize them for our company, our clients and our business partners.

In a society of doom and gloom with constant news stories about economic downturn or catastrophic disasters on the tip of every news reporter’s tongue and in all the top headlines, it is rare to hear positive news stories about anything, let alone social media. Today, I want to prove some of those “Social Media Negative Nancys” wrong and highlight the good behind these tools and the highly informational age that we live in.

My colleague Amanda Walsh, who is one of our office social media gurus, shared these two social media successes with me last week. In a recent New York Times article, social media networks like Google+, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit all played a key role in helping a family locate their college-age son, who was traveling abroad and found himself lost in a Malaysian jungle. In a matter of just 24 hours, the family was able to track down their son, contact him and ensure that he was alright. This story proves how amazing social media networks are at gathering individuals from all across the globe in an effort to share information quickly, and to complete a common goal.

Another great example, that made it onto The Today Show recently, may apply more to our business readers and comes directly from social media entrepreneur, Peter Shankman. He recently posted on his blog the greatest customer service story ever told. In the blog post, Peter details a crazy, whirlwind day that he was having. It ended with one of many airline trips to return him to Newark. Before hopping on his flight, Peter (a steak connoisseur and #1 fan of Morton’s Steakhouse) decided to tweet, jokingly, to Morton’s Steakhouse, “hey @Mortons – can you meet me at the Newark airport with a porterhouse when I land in two hours? K, thanks.:)” Incredibly enough, when he landed and meandered to his driver, he found a Morton’s Steakhouse rep standing there dressed in a tuxedo with a take-out meal, compliments of the restaurant. Talk about customer service!! The word-of-mouth positive publicity and chatter that this successful customer service stunt landed may be immeasurable.

Like all things, there are positives and negatives associated with social media. The negatives often stem from sharing too much or blatantly inappropriate information. As we say here at Furia Rubel, if you wouldn’t shout it in the middle of Times Square, do NOT put it on social media.

How To Be Productive At Lunch (Yes, You Need To Eat!)

This is a guest blog post provided by international productivity expert Neen James


Many attorneys no longer have a leisurely ‘lunch hour’, it is more like a crammed ‘lunch 5 minutes’ sitting at our computers or pouring over a Blackberry. You will increase your productivity in the afternoon by at least 25% if you get out of the firm.  


Reach out – decide to use this time to catch up with a friend, invite a new client to lunch, or call a family member.


Get out – enjoy the weather, take your lunch to a park, or try a new café. Invest a few minutes outside so that you can remove yourself from your environment and then clear your head, it helps you get more done in the afternoon I promise.


Work out – many people claim they don’t have time to exercise but invest in yourself and your health by spending your lunch break taking a walk or try a new class at a gym close to your firm. Use the middle of the day to increase your energy and watch your afternoon energy sky rocket.


Clean out – if you decide to stay at the firm during your lunch break, decide to clean up your computer and sort your electronic files, delete old unnecessary emails, clear off your desk and wipe down all surfaces. Use this time to clean up and you will feel lighter and more organized for the rest of the day… and week!


Chill out – lunch breaks are designed in the middle of the day to enjoy a few moments to replenish your body and energy. Use this time to laugh with a colleague, sit in the sun and take in some vitamin D, experiment by trying a new food, breathe deeply, or take a walk. 


By applying these 5 strategies you will feel more in control and your personal productivity will skyrocket!


Neen James, MBA, is a productivity expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps attorneys rocket-charge their productivity and performance.  A dynamic speaker and author, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Subscribe to Neen’s free monthly E-zine at http://www.neenjames.com.


Photo courtesy of savvysugar.com

Scarlet Denial In Louboutin Trademark Case Against Yves Saint Laurent



Photo Courtesy of Kristopher Dukes

What a bummer for Christian Louboutin - they were denied a preliminary injunction to keep Yves Saint Laurent from marketing red-soled shoes. The court reasoned that color can sometimes be protectable as a trademark where the color identifies and distinguishes a particular brand and thus has acquired a seocondary meeing in the minds of cunsumers but NOT when that color is function nor when it hinders competition.


What is also interesting that this will directly affect the branding of Christian Louboutin shoes which in turn, has a will have a huge impact on their marketing, public relations and possibly pricing.


Here are some links to relevant articles:


-Bloomberg


-The Legal Intelligencer


No matter the final outcome, as this is only a denial of a preliminary injunction, I still want a pair of Christian Louboutins!

Philadelphia News Station Partners with Foursquare

Posted by Amanda Walsh

When I checked out Mashable.com yesterday morning, I could hardly believe the news! NBC 10 Philadelphia To Deliver Local News via Foursquare, an article written by Lauren Indvik, caught my eye. We frequently work with the media professionals at NBC 10 Philadelphia and love this new spin on local news coverage.

The station announced it will assign one reporter to use the NBC 10 Philadelphia Foursquare account to report on the lead story of the day. Down the road, the station hopes to expand the coverage with multiple events each day and eventually create accounts for individual reporters.

Indvik notes that viewers first need to follow the NBC 10 Foursquare account and later need to check-in at the location where the news is happening in order to follow the account updates. However, one interesting feature for NBC 10 Foursquare followers, who check into a Philadelphia location, is that they can see a list of past news stories that have been shared by NBC 10 in that specific area. For example, users can see if NBC 10 recently covered a story about a fire at the library a block away from where they are or if the station reported on a discount deal happening at the café next door.

Currently, the station has a variety of tips for locations throughout Philadelphia, including where President Obama enjoyed a water ice and recommendations for a good place to eat before a local sporting event.

So to our Philadelphia-area readers, be sure to follow the NBC 10 Foursquare page to stay up to date on local coverage, wherever you are!