With current economic downturns and fiscal crises on the minds of most working people, there are a few subtle steps you can take when times get really tight. In our society, it’s not a secret that goods and services once thought to be a luxury have become a current standard of our lifestyle. Can we survive living within a new means without sacrificing our happiness? We most certainly can, and can possibly even increase our happiness.
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Setting up a secure public machine for demonstration purposes can be tricky. This is information freely available; however, when I first began this task, it was very difficult to get a straight answer on the do’s and don’ts.

Please Note: This is only an effective way if you want to utilize a web-based presentation or application.

Around a year ago, a client of ours sent two brand spankin’ new 24” iMac’s and wanted to use them as secure browsers. So, we got to work on figuring out how to implement this sort of thing on the Mac platform. Our company before used to build .NET applications specific to an event and windows based machine; this process wasn’t the most streamlined, seeing as how a simple web app for data capture would work just as well. So after some searching, I found a method that would work out perfectly for this and it’s even cross platform compatible!

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Not only is etiquette a courtesy in business and personal life; it’s also a way to immediately create credibility in your brand, you.  So what exactly is good etiquette in the business world?

A few tips to consider:

• When someone enters a meeting room, stand and greet them
• When in a room of strangers, extend a warm handshake and introduce yourself, especially to those standing solo
• When dining, don’t chew with your mouth open
• Don’t chew gum during meetings
• Never put your bags on the conference room table; sit them next to your chair or on your chair and unload from there
• Always bring paper, writing utensil and your calendar to ANY meeting
• Always arrive a few minutes prior to a meeting - don’t make everyone wait on you
• Hold the door for others - male or female
• Clean up after yourself; don’t expect someone else to pick up your dirtied glass or trash
• Send a handwritten thank you note after meeting a new person and enclose your business card … not only good etiquette, but also good networking!

For more great tips, check out Emily Post.

As a public relations professional, it’s my job to call reporters and share my client’s story with the media. But for a moment, imagine the other end of the phone line … the reporter. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people just like me are calling, emailing and faxing; all of us working to get the reporter’s attention so they’ll write a story. How do you set yourself apart from the pack? Keep reading …

PR isn’t just about picking up the phone and calling a reporter. There is a ton of strategy involved in what we do. So before you pick up the phone or send out a “PR release,” listen to what I have to say

But STOP! Before we go any further, IT IS NOT CALLED A PR RELEASE. I repeat. It is not called a “PR Release.”  We send out news releases

Now, on to the good stuff

DO NOT MASS DISTRIBUTE. Don’t blast emails or faxes. Don’t do a generic pitch that blankets a ton of reporters.  It’s important that you do your homework and get to know each reporter you’re planning to pitch. There is nothing more embarrassing than sending a pitch to a reporter that doesn’t cover your topic. Example: my client is launching an exercise video. Over my dead body will I pitch the financial editor on this topic. UNLESS there is a financial angle

Further, mass distributing your news releases is just like spam. You know how annoyed you get when you receive those Australian lottery winner emails or the African prince that is looking for his soul mate. DON’T SPAM

Customize your outreach. Refer to previous coverage by that particular reporter. Open up with a brief remark that gets the conversation going … and personalize it.

It’s fine to follow up with a reporter, but please don’t call and ask if they’ve received your news release. Chances are their desk is just as cluttered as yours.  Instead, lead with “Am I calling at a good time” and give them a couple of juicy facts to gauge their interest. They may ask you to send them a release; don’t be offended. Just keep your mouth shut and send it again. Be respectful of their time and courteous with your follow up.

Most importantly, develop relationships with reporters so that you become a resource for them.  A few reporters I work with contact me needing sources for stories that don’t apply to any of my clients. I don’t mind helping them because I know that when I really need them, they’ll be there.

It’s no secret that today’s society has concern for the environment. Recycling, hybrid vehicles, buying locally grown produce. As citizens we’re all working to do our part. But what about corporate America? What about the companies that have maintained a focus on the environment for decades? How do we ALL work together to protect our planet?

I came across a great article last week in Ad Age, How Agencies Are Helping Their Clients Help The Environment. It really puts things in perspective … as individuals, it’s important to make wise decisions concerning the environment (recycling, buying locally-grown produce, etc.). As a corporation, it’s important to take a look at how we can eliminate waste during the manufacturing process, etc. But as a marketer what can we do? We can encourage our clients to create earth-friendly campaigns.

Example: Snackbox is working with a major consumer packaged good brand that has practiced earth-friendly production since the early 1900s. Before it was “cool” to be “green.”  We’re working with said company to create a public relations campaign that educates consumers about their practices in producing disposable tableware.  Most don’t automatically think paper plates = good for the environment. I’m sure demand for their product will increase once our campaign is complete, but more importantly, as consumers, we will know that we have choices. Choices that are actually good for the environment.

We’re also taking the environment into account in other practices: Doing away with paper press kits, emailing our invoices and presenting brand identity systems electronically rather than pasting to presentation boards.

Protecting the environment isn’t another fad. Let’s all do our part to protect and preserve.