The Spin Within

The Memorial Day weekend is shaping up pretty well. I recently bought gas for $3.73 a gallon, compared to the $4 I’ve been paying. In fact, the national average price (at the time of this writing) is about $3.81, and depending on where you live, price decreases in recent weeks have ranged from 9 cents to 70 cents a gallon.

When was the last time consumers got a break on gas prices at Memorial Day? The answer is at least 17 years ago according to a Maryland publication that interviewed Lon Anderson, … Continue Reading

Check out the latest issue of News, Noise and Know-How featuring the latest social media innovations, our client MVP (Rabbi Laura Baum of Ourjewishcommunity.org) and a peak at my recent Ignite Cincinnati speech (it starts 27 minutes in) and upcoming ad for The BMW Store.

con•ven•ience food n. A food, typically a complete meal, that has been pre-prepared commercially and requires little preparation by the consumer.

When I was a kid, we had a small handful of convenience foods.  Eggo Waffles, Chicken Pot Pies, Swanson’s TV Dinners and Tony’s Individual Pizzas are those that stand out in my mind.

Now, as a mom, the options seem unlimited:  frozen meals of every variety;  gourmet pizzas; pudding-to-go; yogurt-to-go and everything in between.

I’m not embarrassed to admit that I’m a fan of convenience foods.  (Well, maybe a little embarrassed.)  I have never been a natural in the kitchen.  I don’t … Continue Reading

Sorry, but one of you has got to go

What a conundrum. Every single time I purchase a pair of shoes at DSW, I get $10 coupon.

That is at least how it seems. I ordered a pair online (free shipping if the order is more than $35), and I soon after was alerted that my DSW Rewards card was credited $10. But, the email warned, the credit was time-sensitive so I needed to use it soon. So I did, and within days arrived another email from DSW: We’re … Continue Reading

I’m always a fan of clever advertising and this one surely didn’t disappoint. You know, in these tough economic times, you have to do what you have to do to sell ad space. Beg, lie…torture.

Torture was the tactic that of a billboard company in the Netherlands, Interbest, decided to take. When they couldn’t fill a few of their billboards, they decided to fill it with a large man gradually stripping. Passersby slowly got a peek at the man with a little less clothing every day the ad space … Continue Reading

Celebrity public relations gaffes have given us fodder for blog posts in the past.  We’ve written about Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods and even Ina Garten.

I was planning to blog about Arnold Schwartzenegger this week but after watching Seth Meyers’ brilliant segment on the season finale of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, I decided that I really couldn’t say anything better than this.  Check it out:

At the onstage introduction of Twirlr, a new social-sharing platform, someone forgets to silence their cell phone. And then … this happens. (Song by Scott Brown and Anthony King; edit by Nathan Russell.)

(Improv Everywhere is a New York City-based prank collective that causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places.)

“Let me get this straight. You’re a somewhat high-ranking public affairs official in the federal government and you’re considering writing an email that threatens to decapitate your co-workers. No, no I don’t think it’s a good idea at all. No good ever comes of these decapitation emails. My counsel is: Don’t be that guy.”

Of course the conversation above never took place, unfortunately for Sean Smith,  formerly the assistant secretary for public affairs (essentially a PR person) at the U.S.  Homeland Security Department (DHS). Smith now serves as a case study for … Continue Reading

For those of you who have been impacted by the suffering economy and the floundering job market, this might just be your lucky week.

As you know, the world is going to end Saturday at 6:00pm.  Or so says Harold Camping, President of Family Radio, an evangelical non-profit.  And, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, believers of this prediction have quit their jobs in order to spread the word of the end of all time.

So, what does that mean for you?  Well, I guess it depends on whether or not … Continue Reading

Kroger delivers customized coupons through its loyalty program

Fun fact: Americans are just as likely to have bananas in their kitchen as a Kroger loyalty card in their wallets.

The $82 billion supermarket chain filed its annual proxy statement on May 13, and it includes several interesting figures regarding its loyalty card program. For instance: In markets where Kroger operates, nearly 85 percent of households hold a Kroger loyalty card and have shopped with the chain during the last year. About 85 percent of households also buy bananas.

Here are some … Continue Reading