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Greetings ...
It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and that we’re publishing the fourth issue of our newsletter.
This issue, we’re bringing you an exclusive Q&A with tennis superstar Kim Clijsters about her use of social media. Kim visited Cincinnati this month where she captured the championship of the 2010 Western & Southern Women’s Open, one of the top tournaments in professional tennis.
And speaking of little old Cincinnati, did you know that Ohio Governor Ted Strickland recently designated the Cincinnati Consumer Marketing Hub as an Ohio Hub of Innovation and Opportunity?
The hub will bring together the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, major Cincinnati–based businesses such as Procter & Gamble, Kroger Co. and Macy’s, regional universities, marketing professional associations (AMA, Ad Club, PRSA) and marketing services providers to strengthen and create job opportunities in Ohio’s consumer marketing industry. Project champion and venture capitalist, Rich Kiley, paid us a personal visit to discuss how JZMcBride and Associates could support the hub development efforts and get involved. Kiley very graciously referred to JZM as “another hidden gem in Cincinnati that the world needs to know more about.” We’re excited about the opportunity and plan to explore it further.
Until next time, |
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Jill Z McBride
President |
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Using Plain Speak
PR professionals have the tendency to write jargon–filled press releases. Often, these releases end up talking a lot, but in the end not saying much at all. And if there is anything that drives a reporter nuts, it is having to sift through paragraphs of jargon to try and pull out the important information. Here are some tips for communicating more effectively and dodging the reporter’s trash can:
- Avoid the use of niche industry terms and corporate vernacular. The layperson is much less familiar with this language than most realize.
- Steer clear from trite business phrases, like “next generation” and “best practices.”
- Focus on writing in a more efficient style, using meaningful terms in order to clearly communicate to the audience.
- Concentrate more on what you have to say than how you go about saying it. In the end, the point of sending out a release is to tell your story.
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Here are a few things that
have been keeping us busy:
- Developed a press release announcing the findings of a joint social media research project between COLLOQUY and the Direct Marketing Association.
- Secured keynote spots at international conferences in Shanghai and London.
- Developed blog trade between JZMcBride and Associates’ ‘The Spin Within’ and Bill Hanifin’s ‘Loyalty Truth.’
- Wrote and secured placement for Precima’s CPG and C–Suite bylines in eight publications, including PROMO and Retail Customer Experience.
- Wrote a bylined article about Epsilon’s research on new movers that generated publicity in several international publications.
- Confirmed speaking opportunities for LoyaltyOne at six “green” events taking place between September and November.
- Wrote a bylined article on loyalty marketing in the luxury sector and secured international placements in six publications.
- Secured a Q&A with COLLOQUY Partner Kelly Hlavinka on the value of loyalty marketing for a major feature in the August/September issue of Chief Marketer.
- Wrote scripts for the videos that will be used to announce the winners of the first COLLOQUY Loyalty Awards in Phoenix on September 16th.
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Steven Slater
Attempting to determine who made the biggest impressions since our last newsletter was nearly impossible. Initially, Lindsay Lohan and Mel Gibson topped the list. That is until the JetBlue Diva made his entrance, or infamous exit shall we say. Steven Slater instantly became a media darling as the face of a frustrated and unhappy workforce. Despite reports that he is not only a recovering alcoholic fallen off the wagon but also could have made up the whole struggle with an “unruly” passenger, it is rumored that Slater has been offered an opportunity to host a reality show where he will help people quit their jobs in outlandish ways. He has also reportedly hired an agent to handle the flood of other offers. All opinions of the diva himself aside, Slater’s actions put JetBlue’s commitment to ensuring the safety of its customers – and that all customers are shown respect by JetBlue employees – into question. JetBlue has said very little in regards to the situation but has coincidentally resurrected the All You Can Jet campaign for its TrueBlue members. Let’s just hope none of those unlimited flights include an emergency slide episode.
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Five Things You Don’t Know
(about someone you might know)
Kim Clijsters, the world’s fourth–best women’s tennis player, retired in 2007 but staged her comeback in 2009 at Cincinnati’s Western & Southern Women’s Open where she advanced to the finals. In August, Clijsters continued her Queen City success by winning the Western & Southern Women’s Open, defeating Maria Sharapova. The fan–friendly Clijsters, in a clip provided exclusively to “News, Noise, Know How” courtesy of the Western & Southern Women’s Open, offered insights into how elite professional athletes use Twitter to deepen relationships with fans.
(Transcript of Clijsters comments)
Q: How do you use Twitter and how has it changed your relationship with your fan base?
A: Obviously times have changed. In the past, I was probably more replying to fan mail by writing letters and postcards. So this saves me a lot of time. In a way it’s nice to interact with the fans like that. Obviously it’s not something that I’m thinking about every day, but it’s nice when you have an hour off and you’re just resting in your hotel room and you don’t have much to do. It’s very easy to just to answer a few questions and just interact with the fans a little bit. It’s fun, once in awhile there’s some funny comments on there. It’s just a way of socializing with your fans to get to know them and they get to know me a little different. It’s nice once in awhile when I’m out here on the court to see somebody who’s like, “Hey, you replied to my question.” I’m like, “Oh, nice.” And then you actually get to see them in person as well. So that’s nice.
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Bi–Monthly Publication
Vol. 1 Issue 4 |
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Laura Baum
Rabbi and Founder of OurJewishCommunity.org
Rabbi Laura A. Baum of Cincinnati’s Congregation Beth Adam and OurJewishCommunity.org was named to the Jewish Daily Forward’s list of the 50 most influential female rabbis in America. The Forward is a legendary name in American journalism and a revered institution in American Jewish life. Baum’s work as the founder of OurJewishCommunity.org and her outreach via social media were cited as the reason for her inclusion. Baum’s announcement was featured in a full–page story in the Cincinnati Enquirer and five other publications. Laura has also been nominated as a Jewish Community Hero. Vote for her here. Congratulations to Laura!
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I’m pleased to inform you that Sara Miller has been promoted to the newly created position of Senior Manager, Conferences and Events. Our work on conferences and events has grown to the point where Sara is now fully dedicated to identifying, pitching and managing the participation of our clients in 100+ events/year that showcase their thought leadership. Assisting Sara is our new event coordinator, Alexandra (Alex) Bailey who is with us a few days a week.
While we employ a “team” approach to our work at JZMcBride and Associates, I thought the following summary of key roles and responsibilities might be helpful if you’re wondering who to call or email:
Tim Sansbury,
VP: marketing/pr strategy, client services, media relations, press releases
Lisa Biank Fasig,
Director: marketing communication (white papers, bylined articles, bios, etc.), client services and press releases
Sara Miller,
Sr. Manager: conferences and events
Stefanie Davenport,
Manager: social media, bylined articles, content repurposing, media relations
Ray Kowatch,
Coordinator: social media, media tracking, press release distribution, general office administration
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MyFord Touch
One of the world’s oldest carmakers is developing some of the newest in four–wheeled, wireless technology. But will WiFi cars fly at a time when texting and driving (not to mention phoning and driving) is increasingly banned?
Looks like Ford might talk its way out of it. Its Sync technology, which converts its vehicles into wireless hot spots, is being paired with MyFord Touch, a user interface. In other words, it’s hands free. The latest generation of Sync uses technology that can recognize 10,000 voice commands. It will even read your text messages aloud, including emoticons. Long term, the goal is to make almost every function in the car voice–activated.
Ford is rolling out Sync across its fleet, and plans to have MyFord Touch installed in up to 80 percent of its vehicles by 2015. |
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