CBS’s 10Connect in Tampa filmed a segment on Oddpodz. Interns Sarah, Justin and Baptiste got walk on roles.

Check out the broadcast segment.

Trying to get publicity on your business can be a grueling effort. You are competing with every organization out there, the news professionals are many times extreme stress baskets and under huge deadlines, and then there’s the $2 million dollar question “what is really news worthy?”.

This past week I called one of the local news stations about doing a feature on Oddpodz. I reached the morning show producer, but unfortunately, she was putting out a fire and gave me about 15 seconds to tell her our story. At the end of my sprint pitch, she requested, why don’t you email me something. “Great” I replied, “it’s on its way”.

I sent her a brief, to -the-point note about our company and three angles that may light her fire. I knew her show was a mix of stay-at-home businesses and professionals on their way to work. I attempted to appeal to those audiences.

A couple days passed. No word from my contact at the station, should I call her, email her again or blow it off?

I rationalized, sure she’s busy, but they all need news and our company is newsworthy—so I picked up the phone and followed up.

Man, I’m glad I did. When I got her on the line, she recalled the company and me. She politely said, “I do remember seeing the information and I also remember accidentally throwing it out. Can you send it again?” Sure can.

I resent the info, waited another day and called her again. This time she was very attentive, had questions and said, “sounds like a perfect story for Monday’s morning news, we’ll send cameras today and can you be at the your office at 4:30 AM Monday for a live feed too?” Absolutely!

Quick PR lessons.

1) Timing is the magic in the news room.

There are slow news days, interviews cancel, breaking news can bump your piece off the schedule, but TV stations always need stories. Scoring a segment often is not just about the hard news factor of your pitch, but about filling the airways and lucky timing.

2) The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

My follow up calls got us booked. If your story is newsworthy, non-annoying and resilient follow up calls can definitely make a difference.

3) Don’t give up so easy.

If you get a big fat, “No we are not interested”, don’t take it personal and throw in the towel. Re slice that cheese, there are many, many ways to present a story. Ask yourself, would it fly if it were tied into something already in the news, like a current affair? what about if it were pitched as a round up story with 2-3 other examples? or what about connecting it to a holiday?

4) News is often like art, its value or market merit is often left up to the eyes and the schedule of the producer.

We’ve all seen stupid stories that sound like the biggest commercial ever, with no apparent news angle, and wonder “How did that get aired?” Someone was persistent.

Our story ran this morning and will again run at noon, plus with the Internet, it will be streamed later today and be around forever, got to love that.

(The following post is by Sarah Guinot, Oddpodz newest team member).

I was until this week, when I attended Social School in Tampa.

I just joined the Oddpodz team as an intern. I’m finishing my MBA at the University of Tampa and I am thrilled to be working with such an exciting, young social media company. To learn more about me and connect, my Oddpodz user name is sarenka. I’d love to hear from you.

Part of my contributions to the company will be helping the Oddpodz community members and attracting new ones through social media.

My first assignment, get in the social media grove fast.

Lucky for me, the Oddpodz offices are located in www.Walkerbrands.com, a super cool place to work. Not only is it a design-centric, creative environment, the office culture has also lots of means for collaboration and learning via our roommates, tools and events.

This week the office hosted Social School. It was lead by Nancy Walker, President of Walker Brands and a super savvy, branding and marketing pro, and Julia Gorzka, a social media enthusiast and consultant.

The event attracted a diverse group of business people, all like me, hungry to get on the social media train.

So what is this international phenomenon sweeping the media, business and people’s lives?

It’s the “world’s largest cocktail party where everybody is invited”, explained Julia.

Such a definition makes it clear that social media challenges the “old school” marketing thinking. As most of the audience, you might find social media intimidating. After all, there are so many social tools out there, where does one start? How do you find your markets in this new World? You heard about Twitter and might wonder who is this new animal. But have no fear. The good news is that it is completely possible to understand social media and, even better, to make great use of them in order to support your brand and its delivery- two essential components for business success.

Here are some of the highlights I took away from Social School.

1) The first step is to define your brand. A brand is not merely a logo or a catchy slogan anymore. It’s what customers think, feel and expect about you, which is earned at every touch points, every contact with your customers, from product and signage to employee training.

2) Then, once you have a coherent and strong brand essence, it’s time for delivery. You are now ready to hit the social media universe. What are your goals? Is it brand awareness? Discoverability? Finding new leads?

3) Remember that in the World’s largest cocktail party (social media), the communication style is very conversational, helpful and educational and definitely not about hard selling. If you’re focused on mere transactions, you will be quickly black listed and your efforts will be a waste.

As Julia explained, “It is not as much about advertising anymore anyway, when companies were pushing their messages. It is about giving your customers something to talk about”.

For more on how social media can help your business check back, we will be posting other gems gained from the class. If you are interested in attending a future social media class go to social school.

Also we’ve posted and reviewed some great FREE social media tools and resources in Oddpodz FREE Biz Findz.

Check out the great news feature on Oddpodz.

And man did it drive traffic. Plus the really cool thing was the NBC news network we were on in Tampa (TBO.com) also owns the Tampa Tribune and today they ran an ad on the second page of the paper promoting the Oddpodz spot with a photo and great plug.

So how did all this happen? I wrote a one page pitch letter and placed a call to one of the anchors, and bingo, she loved the idea and sent out a crew.

It’s not always this easy. But a small business should not forget about this opportunity to get exposure. Think about how your business can help viewers. Don’t think selling, that’s where buying ads comes in, think share wisdom, advise and educate.

Our angle was all the free biz findz, the idea engine and network. If you’d like to see some examples of news query letters go to docstoc and there are tons to look at from big and small companies. Just type in “news pitch letter” in the search. And don’t forget to check out the Free Biz Findz under PR tools for other no-cost ways to get publicity.

By Karen Post, The Branding Diva®

I was in Cancun Mexico earlier this month speaking at marketing meeting for a large consumer packaged goods company. I have not been to Mexico in over 15 years. And even though I had traveled to the country at least five times in my life, my memories were vague. Maybe it’s early memory loss setting in, maybe nothing was very remarkable.

It’s also funny how as you evolve in your life, as you have more experiences, your brand affinities and values change too. When I was in my twenties, carbonated beverages, sweet liquors, and snacks mattered. Suntan oils had clout and the hotel brand didn’t even register. Today for me, it’s about luxury brands, products that really perform and solve some challenge and brands that reflect who I am.

Wind of change.
Before arriving in Mexico, my brain was introduced to a potential, newly popular brand category, named by the national hurricane center, a tropical storm named Andrew. Fifteen years ago before 24/7 news weather occurrences did not earn such high-profile notoriety. Today as soon as the storm is named, they have branded, tracking meteorology teams, dedicated TV programming and depending on the storm’s impact, printed T-shirts. Fortunately for me and several hundred thousand other folks, this brand never fully developed, in fact, most have already forgotten its name.

Just thinking about a disaster like this while traveling out of the country made me a lot more aware of the brands near me, and how suddenly even a packaged good, like bottled water, or the hotel brand they provided an important security value and relationship to me.

As I made my journey this past week and encountered some brands, I’d like to share some observations and insight on global identity, awesome customer experiences and small things that can have huge impact on any size brand. I believe people keep scorecards of a brand’s communications, their delivery of benefits and the overall experience. Good stuff adds to the brand equity and stimulates loyalty. Disappointing stuff weakens the emotional connection and dilutes their value.

So who scored points with me this trip and who has work to do? I’ve grouped my thoughts and would love your comments on these brands and these subjects.

Delta Airlines.
I’d rather sell root canals than be in the airline business today. Even the media darling brands like Southwest and JetBlue have had their share of brand damage recently. However, if I were a betting branding person, I’d keep my money on both of those companies because they do get the simple, powerful formula and I am confident they will get past this turbulence.

Was Delta a chosen brand or a default purchase?
Chosen brand.
Even though I can’t say I’m having a love affair with Delta, I did consciously choose them over others. Why? Most direct route and The Crown Room. Hanging out in airports can be a doable, productive chunk of one’s day if there is a nice Crown Room. Electrical outlets, nice restrooms, complimentary drinks including adult beverages, and they can service your ticket, change flights etc. a lot faster than the mass service desks.

Branding humor.

As you may know Delta recently emerged from bankruptcy. As part of their new beginning, they have launched a rebranding campaign with the help of creative agency Shepardson, Stern & Kaminsky in New York. Part of the effort is a new visual mark/logo that will be applied to the airline’s planes along with other marketing communications.

According to Delta’s press release, the centerpiece of the new look is “a striking three-dimensional, red “Widget” icon flying across a blue background that reflects the company’s successful transformation into a highly differentiated, customer-focused airline.”

Jonberrydesign thinks Delta and its new “’do” threw the baby out with the bathwater and ended up with something bland and soulless.

I don’t disagree with Jon’s take on the mark, but, I believe the real plane wreck here is the company’s belief that they have successfully transformed into a highly differentiated, customer-focused airline. Are they referring to the same Delta that I know? Maybe my dictionary is old and they know a new meaning for “differentiated.” Last I looked, it meant “be different.”

OK they do have the Breeze Way that allows First Class and high ranking frequent flyers the ability to board early through a special lane. That’s a little different for a small segment of their elite customers.

Details differentiate.
What about how the planes smell? A nice brand scent would be different. The plastic wear for drinks could be Delta blue or clear red as a memorable brand asset. Boarding gates with a few nap chairs or more sponsored areas with electrical outlets might be nice. What about something unexpected in the seat the seat pocket? Travel tips, destination trivia, or something that directed guests to the Web site for something of added value?

Oh, I did forget this, on my trip to Mexico the Delta staff had failed to bring any English immigration forms on to the plane, so the entire cabin enjoyed personalized line by line translation so we could complete our forms. Now that’s customer engagement, not sure about different.

Seriously, Delta. Walk the talk. If differentiated is what you promise us and your new mark symbolizes this, deliver it. That would be different.

Fiesta Americana Coral Beach, Cancun
Was Fiesta Americana a chosen brand or a default purchase?
Default brand.
My client hosted their conference here. It looked like my kind of place (5 diamond rating and luxury) from their Web communication, but the experience to me was nothing special.

They did not do a lot of things wrong, just not enough extraordinary. This waterfront property was spacious and lightly elegant. Marble adorned the floors, mammoth flower arrangements were the centerpiece of every important room and the staff was pleasant. From here the experience took over. If it had been great, the above would have had more value. But, since they lost points on brand execution the grandness of the environment and décor just faded into a very average place.

The food was fair. The walls were thin. Someone was always pounding on something. The room’s air conditioners were loud and either freezing or barely cooling. There was a huge population of screaming kids and nasty, black birds everywhere. I’m not sure what was worse. I think it was the birds, because they swarmed all the pools and the outdoor restaurants non-stop, like we were filming part 2 of Alfred Hitchcock’s famous flick; very creepy. Even though this brand hosts many English-speaking guests, there were many touch points that were not in English. Which brings me to the point, when your consumer can’t understand what you are saying, you’ve got a challenge.

The psychology of pricing.
When a brand starts disappointing me on the experience, other elements seem to be amplified—like nickel and dime pricing. I don’t get why hotels continue to take this approach instead of just increasing the room rate. This would enable customers to feel good and as if they are getting something for free, instead of the annoyance and even guilt that comes with paying for the fitness room, in-room coffee, and $20.00 a day Internet.

I had added a day after my speaking assignment to relax. I was not feeling like I was in the nirvana zone and knew I needed to find one of my trusted brands for some relief. There was a Ritz Carlton down the road; surely they could deliver on a five-diamond experience.

Ritz Carlton, Cancun
Was Ritz a chosen brand or a default purchase?
Chosen brand.
What a difference a trusted brand makes. From my first step onto the property, a well-spoken, welcoming brand ambassador greeted me. I explained I was not staying with them, but was interested in lunch. “No problem. We are happy to see you” said the staffer. “Would you like a tour of the property so you will know where everything is?”

Globally, The Ritz has done a great job at setting high expectations and consistently meeting them. Whatever country or city you are in, the piped-in classical music, lobby and room décor, art, food, service, and even scents are familiar and thoughtfully executed. At this Cancun property there was not one chirping, annoying black bird anywhere, and no screaming kids. I suppose the price tag at least keeps the kid population down. I had a fabulous lunch, the food was incredible and the service was over the top. The experience was great.

Delivering a total sensory brand experience, leaves lasting impression.
Global branding guru and author of Brand Sense, Martin Lindstrom claims most brands only tap into two of the human senses. Why is that, when full sensory stimulation and engagement significantly heightens the emotional connection between the brand and a consumer. Maybe because investing in these touch points makes it difficult to track ROI? Or operations leaders get too bogged down with bigger scale, non-detail activities?

The next part of my day in Cancun was the ultimate sensory experience, all in the Ritz Carlton brand fashion. While I was having lunch one of the staffers was telling me about a Mexican food cooking class they offered in this super cool, state-of-the-art culinary learning kitchen. She also asked me if I had ever had a massage on the beach at their spa? This was not a hard sell conversation, but a very casual, helpful chat with a very knowledgeable, hospitality pro. Both sounded intriguing, but since I had limited time and an over-abundance of stress, I opted for the spa treatment.

I’m sure this in-depth expertise on property-wide services is part of the staff comprehensive training. Many businesses fail to see the opportunity and don’t do enough in the area of knowledge transfer concerning different departments or business units within an organization to all employees. Two ideas here are to invite employees to experience these services and also consider conducting job swaps where individuals are placed in completely different positions and departments to learn first-hand about diverse areas of a company or property in this case.

Let the senses awaken.
My “seaside” massage was to start at 6pm. My personal concierge arranged everything, scheduling, selection of massage products, down to which therapist would be best for me. Once this was finalized, she prepared a passport-like document in a personalized envelope, all setting the tone for my ultimate experience. This is another important branding touch point; the packaging before a service is delivered. The service is not limited to luxury categories either, business services often miss an opportunity to add a higher perceived value by how they package documents like proposals, contracts, or offering options. This can take the form of a very interesting envelope, or box/container or even silver tray.

Per the instructions of the staffer, I arrived an hour early to enjoy the full range of spa features. I have had a lot of spa treatments in my life, so my “really impress me stage” is pretty high off the ground. I’m happy to report the Ritz hit a home run.

The environment was immaculate. This orderly detail communicates so much to your customer. It says you run a smooth, quality organization. After being greeted by the front staff, I was introduced to my personal valet. She was there every step of the way, ensuring I had everything I needed to be totally relaxed. First stop–my locker. It was filled with small branded amenities, a lush robe, and matching slippers. Next was the steam room. My valet guided me there and presented a chilled glass of cucumber water and iced towel for my eyes. The room was filled with intense steam and a potent aroma of infused eucalyptus oils. After 10 minutes the valet was back to escort me to the whirlpool located in an outside area. Along with warm towels, she presented a beautifully appointed tray of dried fruit, nuts, fresh mango juice and a loose tropical flower. The attention to every sense and thoughtful service took my stressed soul to another place.
The only off-the-brand track details I noticed were in the posted rules throughout the wet rooms. Absolutely no spitting or blowing nose in any of the spa areas. Hmm, can’t say I considered doing either of those. Maybe they printed the signs as duplicates from the men’s room.

From the whirlpool I was guided to the quiet room. Dimmed lights, candles flickering, and my valet brings me a heated, lavender-scented neck pillow. This just kept getting better. The important aspect of all of this is how the brand experience is extended far beyond the one point of the purchased service, in my case getting a massage. This thinking can apply to so many service businesses.

The sea massage begins. Situated about 200 feet from the hotel in a quiet area away from any noise other than the natural sea tide, the wind, and soon-to-be a mild thunderstorm. The white gauze, screened-in grass hut was open on two sides, allowing a strong breeze to add to my experience. The head cradle was scented with a cool mint scent. The sheets were finely woven Egyptian cotton. The treatment was unbelievable. A soft rain started about 15 minutes into the session, followed by thunder and stronger winds. It was like the ultimate Disney ride that extracted all my evil tension and stress. And there was my valet, ready to guide me back to the hotel. Finishing off the journey was a very high tech multi-point massage shower, complete with an assortment of Ritz brand hair and body products. An awesome end to a memorable brand experience. As I exit the spa, and pay my bill, the front staff, along with my personal valet, gift me with a token of their appreciation. The gift was a small fragrant necklace on a soft silk cable with a tiny clay bottle filled with one of their signature scents. What a nice way to be reminded of the brand even after I return home.

This brand experience was a complete 360 adventure. It neglected nothing and reinforced the essence of this global brand of luxury, quality, and supreme service.

4 takeaways to increase the strength of any brand experience.
Even non-luxury brands can gain from the Ritz’s all touch point approach.
1. Small details make a big difference.
2. Leverage all 5 senses.
3. Address the before, during, and after brand communication and experience.
4. Full-circle staff education and training on company-wide brand offering is key.

In summary, my trip was good. Familiar packaged good brands—from the Evian water to the Bayer aspirin—had a deeper connection to me in a foreign land. Easy communication enhanced all my experiences. Language gaps and things not in English added a frustrating element that I assigned to the brand owner as a shortcoming. Mexico is beautiful place, but there is nothing like America. And I’m glad to be home.

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.

NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Karen Post, CEO
Cell: 713-828-0691, Office: 912-898-0408

Oddpodz Launches Beta Site Powering Creative Professionals and Business
With a New Creative Idea EngineSM

Oddpodz is not another social network, career/job brokerage platform, or lowest-cost project bidding site. Oddpodz is introducing an online destination called the Idea EngineSM that connects buyers of creative services with trusted providers, and offers educational content and a platform for creative collaboration.

JULY 16, 2008, SAVANNAH, GA—Oddpodz released its new creative Idea EngineSM platform to a Beta community today. This new site represents a transformation from a pure online social network for creatives to a business-to-business property serving the $300 billion creative services marketplace.

Web 2.0 and user-generated content is dramatically changing the way creatives and creative service organizations market themselves, are accessed and evaluated, and procure new clients. Oddpodz is leveraging technology and online marketing to bring these creative buyers and sellers together in an educational, inspiring, and interactive environment called a creative Idea Engine. The Idea Engine brings collaboration, content, and connections to one place for creative professionals and business.

After making a very costly choice with one of their key creative service providers, Oddpodz realized that finding the right creative talent and resources in an efficient, comprehensive way was far too difficult and risky. Lack of know-how and experience in a vendor selection process and choosing a provider that is not a good fit for the project can severely and negatively impact a business’s future or a product’s market success. Through learning this costly lesson first-hand came the clear new strategy, purpose and offering for Oddpodz.

Currently, locating trusted creative resources online can be a grueling and unfruitful process. The majority of top search engine results can be irrelevant if a buyer does not know what type of service provider they need. Sponsored search results may be even less appropriate as they are generated from paid words and sponsors—not the best provider for the task at hand. Additionally, many super talented professionals and companies still don’t have strong Web presences, so creative buyers can’t truly evaluate their work or find specialty providers. Oddpodz would like to bridge the gap between buyers and sellers of creative services and help foster productive business relationships.

Oddpodz first launched in June of 2007 as a basic social network for creative people. Despite its course corrections, it has attracted thousands of members and ambassadors from around the world including entrepreneurs, creative and diverse industry professionals, students, and educators.

“We’ve learned a lot from the market and our journey. Creatives and those working with creative companies told us that just socializing online is not enough for busy, creative professionals. Conversations, collaboration, content, and connections to advance creative ideas, careers, and business interests are key to active online engagement,” explained Karen Post, CEO of Oddpodz. “We’ve regrouped and are confident we have something that was not being provided to the professional creative market. Creative services and industries are huge markets. This market includes everything from marketing and advertising to packaging, broadcast products, publishing, and new product design. While there are fragmented offerings to find creative resources, talent and content, most do not offer ways to validate the service provider, or screen for specialized expertise; nor do they provide complimentary content, tools, and features to further generate new creative ideas and creative work.

In January, Oddpodz engaged Wyndstorm Corporation, a Washington, DC-based social media technology and online marketing firm, to partner on the rebuild. “We’ve been very happy with their leadership and creative problem solving,” Post said. “The July Beta test is just the beginning of our creative Idea Engine. Our development is being launched in phased modules. Our vision is to be the Web’s most important destination for buying and selling of creative services. Our initial focus is on the Marketing/communications niche. That’s where the founders came from and we understand this space. Soon we will add a resources marketplace and content to cover a grander universe of creative sectors like film, fashion, and architecture.

Oddpodz, LLC was founded in January 2006 by entrepreneurs Karen Post and Jocelyn Ring. Karen is an international branding expert, consultant and speaker. She has been featured in a broad range of media outlets; including Bloomberg TV, CBS Early Show, The New York Times, The New York Post, NPR, Fast Company, and The Boston Globe, and her writing is published internationally, including a column for FastCompany.com. She is also the author of Brain Tattoos: Creating Unique Brands That Stick in Your Customers’ Minds (AMACOM). Jocelyn a former investment banker and brand strategy consultant.

NEWS RELEASE
Oddpodz.com
Contact: Karen Post, CEO
Cell: 713-828-0691, Office: 912-898-0408

By Karen Post The Branding Diva®, co-founder of Oddpodz.

Seems like there is no shortage of new expenses, rising costs, and life challenges as we all try to survive and be happy together on planet Earth.

Like you, I’m annoyed by the rising cost of everything, while our income seems to hold steady at the same amount. Gas keeps going up, airlines add luggage and beverage fees. What will be next? Oxygen mask rentals should the cabin pressure drop?

Ok, we can whine, or we can turn these current affair irritations into something that can make your brand look like a nice guy, building deeper relationship with your buyers.

Good examples of turning a negative into a positive promotional idea.
Kimpton Hotel Group, “They got your bag,” with the “We’ll pick up the tab and issue a room credit” promo. Just show them your luggage charge receipt and cover the fees. Valid as of this posting, until September 9, 2008.

UPS - As fuel costs started rising last year, this media savvy company issued a PR release and earned millions of dollars of nice-guy publicity points via news sources everywhere. The news angle was that UPS ships and transports daily for millions of people; they shared fuel economy tips that can give everyday Joes a little more bang for your fuel buck.

Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep®, - As fuel prices continued to rise, the Let’s Refuel America Program helped stabilize the cost of fuel with a simple solution; locking in the price of unleaded or diesel fuel at $2.99/gallon for three years. Program participants used a special card linked to their MasterCard or Visa credit card account. The card was used to purchase enough fuel at $2.99 per gallon to travel up to 12,000 miles per year in each of the next three years. To qualify, you had to purchase or lease an eligible Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep® vehicle from May 7 through July 7, 2008 and have a valid MasterCard or Visa credit card.

These issues are top of mind with consumers and the media. If you can craft a value proposition and still be sensitive to the real-life challenge at hand, a tie-in can be a win/win. Consider leveraging timely situations as PR angles, promotional incentives, or as an event where you give back to the community.

Have you seen any great marketing ideas where a brand turns a bad economic condition into a feel good promotional idea?

About the author: Karen Post, a.k.a. The Branding Diva® is an international authority on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurial matters. She is has been featured as a business expert in print publications; on TV, radio, and on Web channels. Karen authored the best-selling book Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands That Stick in your Customers’ Minds and she is co-founder and CEO of Oddpodz.com, an idea engine for creative professionals and business. Her work has benefited large and small organizations in the United States and around the world.

by Jocelyn

I was among the millions who watched Big Brown gallop to victory in the Kentucky Derby this weekend. My celebratory mood was quickly changed to shock, horror and sadness as I learned that second place finisher, Eight Belles, had suffered a life ending injury (sidebar: my heart really sank because as an almost-lifelong equestrian and horse owner, I have experienced first hand the tragic loss of a horse due to a freak accident. My heart goes out to all who were associated with Eight Belles).

If you’ve never had the opportunity to be face to face with these magnificent animals, it is hard for me to describe what it is like to be in their presence. Whether you are a horse lover or not, they are awe inspiring, frighteningly powerful and strong. And, sadly, incredibly fragile.

The tragedy that occurred on the track at Churchill Downs has resurrected the debate as to whether horse racing is inherently cruel, driven by greed or whether more safety measures can be adopted to avoid future tragedies. There are some highly charged emotions surrounding this issue. The industry is indeed facing a PR crisis, and will have some tough questions to answer.

In your own worklife, you may unfortunately find yourself facing a PR crisis. Our own Karen Post has some guidelines for how to manage through. She writes:

Bad publicity can devastate a company’s or industry’s public image. The entity should make every effort to handle potentially negative public relations situations with extreme care. When a crisis occurs, the media can be the first on the scene. There are four basic rules to remember:

1) Be accessible.
2) Be accurate.
3) Take responsibility for what you are accountable for - nothing more.
4) Inform personnel about what is going on and remind them of who is authorized to speak on behalf of the company and what their responsibilities are. Read the rest of this entry »

by Abram Sauer

Total number of credited cast members: 17
Total number with Thai names: 2
Total number of product placements for Axe Tsunami body spray: unknown

Did you know that August 9th is National Book Lovers Day? It’s true. In honor of that, I have to tell you about my new favorite book. I am trying to read it slowly, because I don’t want it to end. I carry it with me in my laptop bag for those moments when I am stuck in a traffic jam, or waiting for a meeting to start.

I was driving home two weeks ago and got stuck in one of our summer afternoon thunderstorms complete with dangerous lightning and hail which led to equally dangerous driving conditions. I popped into the bookstore and started wandering around the design, branding and architecture sections. This book is branding (differentiation) genius. It almost leaps off the shelf into your hands before you even have time to consider the others. It taps several of your senses - not just sight (which most books try to do), but also touch and sound. How great is the name? Inspirability. A made up, very memorable word. The cover is a grassy mossy green velvet with an embossed pattern. It had me at hello. “>Here’s the link.

Even more wonderful is what’s inside. The author “Pash” interviewed 40 top designers about what inspires them. The first question is standard for each interviewee, but then there are these wonderful, thought-stirring tangents. I have always been curious to know how other people’s minds tick, how they design, create and solve problems. Another fun feature of this book is that at the end of each formal interview is a Q&A sheet filled in by the designers. The forms are all filled out by hand (unusual to find these days, and handwriting in itself can inspire design) and have sketches, doodles and answers to questions the designers thought should have been asked.

If you don’t have a book to curl up with on this holiday, consider grabbing Inspirability and celebrating.