The Spin Within

Honest, they were real when I bought them

Every year we spend billions of dollars trying to find a way to thank our mothers for labor pains and unconditional love, but it turns out our primary display of affection may be hurting the greatest mother of them all.

Talking about Mother Nature, of course. She provides the flowers we purchase for our own mothers every year. But the lion’s share of those roses, dahlias and irises, according to the radio program Freakonomics, were actually grown outside the … Continue Reading

On Tuesday, Facebook launched a new feature that allows users to share their organ donor status and to link to state databases where users in the U.S. can register online to officially become donors.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, said the idea was inspired by his girlfriend, who is studying to become a pediatrician, and the disasters that befell the world last year, including the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Facebook is partnering with Donate Life America, a national umbrella organization for local groups working to increase the number of registered organ, eye and tissue … Continue Reading

Well played Roger Steare, self-professed corporate philosopher.

The precise moment that I heard a radio announcer say women have a stronger moral compass than men, I knew some clever survey research had to be involved. I suspected, correctly,  that some type of quiz or self-evaluation test wouldn’t be far behind. In a previous blog entry (widely read), I called the survey and quiz combo the Public Relations 1-2 Punch.

The genius of Professor Steare, of the Cass Business School in London, is the add-on, the slicing and dicing of data along gender lines — a never fail, don’t over-think it PR tactic. … Continue Reading

In 1914 The White House Correspondents’ Association was created to ensure the press has regular access to the president and to reduce the costs news organizations incur covering the president on the road. Since 1924 the White House Correspondents Dinner (WHCD) has been an annual opportunity for the press and the White House to share an evening of roasting and entertaining.

Membership in WHCA is still limited to those on the editorial staff of a newspaper, magazine, wire service, radio, TV, cable TV or other broadcast organization or newsgathering organization that regularly reports on the White House. However, for whatever reason … Continue Reading

As I sat down to write this blog, I hopped online to see what was going on in the world that might be worth writing about this afternoon.

While I’m not sure this qualifies as worthy blogging, there was a story I couldn’t escape.  On the front page of almost every news site was a story about the couple who attended the Rangers-Yankees game on Wednesday, caught a ball and didn’t hand it over to the crying three-year-old they were sitting next to.  (Yes, friends.  I’m talking about sports.  Sort … Continue Reading

Anyone who regularly goes to the pharmacy knows that the sound of a ringing phone is as prevalent as the rattle of bottled pills. Now Kroger Co. is testing a program to eliminate the jangle of the bell, while hopefully increasing the jingle of the register.

The Cincinnati-based supermarket chain is partnering with a Hamilton, Ohio, company to create a call center that will handle prescription refills – calls that pharmacists now take. The companies are calling this facility a “knowledge processing center,” which indicates that Kroger hopes to gather … Continue Reading

My household did not appreciate this article in The Daily Beast. Similar to Journalism (#8 on the useless scale), I have a degree in Public Relations. My minor in college was English Literature (#7 on the useless scale), which was my husband’s major. Not only did he major in English in college, but he just received his master’s in it as well and will be pursuing English/Philosophy (#6 on the useless scale) for his Ph.D.

Ouch, we are truly a ‘useless’ couple, now aren’t we? At least … Continue Reading

A year after Facebook incorporated facial recognition into its platform to make tagging photos easier, most loyal users are now comfortable with the service and have laid to rest their privacy concerns. Maybe time is all it will take for consumers to get comfortable with facial detection being used in in-store marketing.

First an important distinction: facial recognition links your image to your actual identity. Facial detection categorizes faces by age and gender. Marketers are using the later (for now).

Some of it’s pretty clever…like Kraft’s use of the technology in … Continue Reading

Is blogging dead?  A recent survey conducted by the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth noted that the percentage of companies that maintain blogs fell to 37% in 2011, down from 50% in 2010. Only 23% of Fortune 500 companies maintained a corporate blog in 2011, flat from a year ago after rising for several years.

A USA Today article noted that many companies are forgoing blogging in favor of “easier” forms of social media such as Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter.  But does easier equate to more effective? It depends on your strategy.

I’m … Continue Reading

The 2012 Olympic Games are just less than 100 days away, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched a social media hub to connect athletes and fans online for the first time.

The Olympic Athletes’ Hub will link to the existing Facebook and Twitter feeds of participating Olympians, allowing fans to keep up-to-the-minute tabs on all their favorite athletes in one place – and for the athletes to interact with each other.  There’s even a way for fans to earn points with their participation, with badges and prizes and bragging rights as the ultimate Olympic fan.

The site is already … Continue Reading