By Dennis Brown, Vice President

How technology marketing has evolved in the past 10 years 

Ten years ago this month we were all living in fear of disaster. Not disaster in the form of a meteor hitting the earth or raging wildfires. No, this was a disaster created by a lack of foresight.   

Programmers at some point in the past had failed to account for the changing of the thousands digit in the clocks inside computers. Nobody was quite sure what would happen when these clocks tried to tick from 11:59:59 on December 31, 1999 to 12:00:00 on January 1, 2000. 

(My wife and I were in the process of adopting two children from Russia and had to frantically expedite all our paperwork to get over there in December because the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was planning to shut down for the month of January due to concerns that “Y2K” problems would paralyze the country.) 

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By Hartley Mikus, Account Executive

Tips for building a strong corporate reputation and maintaining it

In high school we thought our reputation meant the world. Everyone tried his or her hardest to protect an image. We were painstakingly set on who we wanted to be and would do anything to defend it. We monitored the conversations going on around us like hawks, always careful to analyze every shred of gossip to see what people were saying about us. And though that time in everyone’s life is difficult, I think we, as professionals, could actually stand to learn a lot from teenagers and their deep commitments to their reps.

I’m not saying we completely revert back to our teenage days of name-calling and pettiness, but I do think that if we take a hybrid sample of our teenage spirit and professional knowledge, it can really start to work in our favor and benefit our clients. In fact, measuring a corporate reputation is increasingly the focus of several professional studies.

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By Dennis Brown, Vice President

Top 10 personal technologies of this decade

PC Magazine just came out with their best of the decade list. Here are my own favorite personal technology products introduced this decade, in no particular order.

1. Apple iPod. If a fire started in my house and I had to choose between saving my iPod or the dog, I would grab the iPod.
2. Apple iTunes. It made the iPod possible and legitimized digital music.
3. Amazon Kindle. I haven’t sprung for one yet, but every once in a while I go out to Amazon just to ogle it. One more price cut and it’s mine. I expect it will do for my relationship with books what the iPod has done for my relationship with music. 
4. GPS. Having a GPS means never having to ask for directions. For a guy who gets lost easily, that’s big.
5. DVR. Now I watch TV on my schedule, not the networks’. And I can fast forward through those annoying Toyotathon commercials.
6. Guitar Hero/Rock Band. A video game that makes you feel like a rock star and exposes the kids to the music I grew up with. Clearly the best video game ever.
7. YouTube. It seems like everything shot on video over the last 30 years is out there. Unbelievable what you can find.
8. Apple iPhone. Another gadget I don’t yet own because of a contract with Sprint, but whether I get one or not, it will ultimately make my mobile phone experience better because of how high Apple raised the bar.
9. The thumb drive. No doubt this will soon be replaced by some smaller device with ten times the storage, but being able to put four gigs in your pocket and plug it into any computer’s USB is really handy.
10. Electronic bill paying. Fewer trips to the post office, fewer late fees and less time writing checks. All good things.  

Those are the 10 I came up with. What’s on your list?

photo credit: raneko

By Marsha Hall, Senior Counselor

Common cures for the boring blog.

It’s hard to admit that your copy is boring. But, if I am honest, I have to confess that the last post I wrote for the FMPR blog about H1N1 influenza was just that — BORING. 

Sure I made the points I needed to make, and I broke up the copy so it was easier to read. But as I look back, I realize the copy was far too formal; it was impersonal and lacked passion. 

Diagnosing the problem

I was able to diagnose the problem after attending a professional conference on social media led by Steve Crescenzo. If you have the opportunity to attend one of Crescenzo’s seminars, I highly recommend it. 

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By Karen Bailey, Senior Account Specialist

The future of paid content

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about paid news content. Google recently announced steps they’re taking on behalf of news organizations to limit free access to secure content, Rupert Murdoch has been very vocal about his views on subscription based content, and most recently, major magazine publishers announced an iTunes-like offering for magazines.
 
While I can commend some news organizations for their innovation, I do have reservations. Unless every news organization, magazine and Web site can join together in a single platform, which is unlikely, I fear the benefit of multiple perspectives may be lost.

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By Krista Sanford, Account Associate

Fahlgren Mortine is now accepting public relations internship applications.  

Are you a public relations student looking to experience agency life first-hand? We are accepting applications for the Fahlgren Mortine Founder’s Award.

Each year, the agency selects one college student as the recipient of the Founder’s Award Scholarship/Internship, a premier program for public relations students. This award provides a paid, full-time summer internship and a $1,500 scholarship. 

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By Dave Chlastosz, Account Executive

Social media best practices 

We all have heard this rumored success story at one point or another. It seems so simple: 

Step 1: A company creates branded accounts with all of the newest and most popular social media services. 

Step 2: The company populates their account with the latest information about their brand and all of the great products they have to offer. 

Step 3: The company goes viral and accumulates throngs of captivated followers, fans and subscribers. 

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By Dennis Brown, Vice President

How to create a trade media measurement system 

It’s never been more important - or more difficult - to measure the success of trade media relations programs. 

B2B marketers are adjusting on-the-fly to a media landscape where content (and presumably readers) is migrating from print to online and where the lines between professional and amateur journalism are no longer clear - or particularly relevant. 

As much as possible, they want to use metrics to drive decisions about how these changes affect their marketing spend. The more effectively we can help them do that in regard to trade media relations, the easier it is for them to justify continued investments in those programs. 

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