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I would have liked to put my headphones on and get inspired to write this post by my usual mix of Mariah meets Whitney Pandora station, but for all of yesterday we had no internet. That’s right, all of the Gen Y’ers were learning how to do PR the traditional way. We had no Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, YouTube, NYT.com and the many blogs we can’t live without were out there without us. Our Outlook emails were also not being received externally, so other than the phone, we were simply emailing with each other. As we kicked it old school here, we decided to come up with a top ten list of what to do if this happens to you.
10 tips on how to do your job from PR folks without internet:
- First and foremost, give your client an update. Then get creative on how you stay in touch with them – text, call, send a carrier pigeon or perhaps a fax.
- Hit the phones! Get those media lists out and get in touch with your editors live. Hear about their Hamptons share, the latest event they went to or what’s happening for them on the ‘World Wide Web.’
- We extroverts have no patience for this one – FINANCE. Just get it done since you can’t put it off by searching for your brand on Perez Hilton.
- Take your magazine monitoring (and your team) to a sunny spot nearby and flip, chat and dish about the latest trends in your industry
- Use your iPhone like you mean it. Check out your brand’s pages on Facebook and Twitter with your back-up social media secret sources.
- Pound the pavement – take that competitive field trip you’ve been dying to do but haven’t had the time to check out
- Want to be sure you’re keeping up to date with your contacts? Well, that stack of business cards on your desk isn’t going to help. Go digital and add your contacts to Outlook.
- Hold a brainstorm! Gather the creatives and put them in a room. Internet or no internet, you’ll leave with smart, fun ideas. We’re naturally social people, and if we haven’t been social online, we’re ready to in person.
- Read the newspaper. That’s right, in paper – spread it out on your desk and read it. When you find an article that applies to your business, take it to a colleague and tell them all about it since you are hyperlink-less!
- Dust your AP Stylebook off and remind yourself of the real reason we use accept versus except
At the end of the day, we had fun sparking a session of nostalgia by asking our colleagues for tips on how to survive the day without internet. What we all learned? Be resourceful, and don’t take it for granted!
When it comes to the hostess with most-est, only one woman comes to mind: Martha Stewart. Last night, Lisa and I attended a Martha Stewart Weddings soiree at the magazine empress’s Chelsea headquarters.
The theme of the evening was shimmering metallics. Upon checking our coats, we were handed a flashing ring and were told it was the only currency accepted at the two treat trucks available following the event. We were also greeted with a dust of shimmer powder – knowing immediately that we were in a magical place and wondered if every employee at Martha Stewart starts their day this way – perhaps it’s their version of a latte?
After walking through a curtain of twinkling, gold streamers, we were whisked away with every turn —from a glitter bar (to bedazzle our eyes), manicure station and make-your-own bouquet table, we didn’t know where to go first! Spotting a “Smile Booth” with a shimmering step-and-repeat, the order of events immediately made sense – bedazzle our eyes, add sparkle to our nails and check, ready for our close up. As we visited each station, there were handsome waiters passing mini hors devours—bite size grilled cheeses, BBQ sandwiches and thimbles of french fries—but the most darling of them all had to be the tiny Coke’s. Mini glass Coke bottles contained a sip and half (at most) of rum and Coke!
We took a break from the party and hopped on an office tour where we ogled at inspiration pin boards, THE test kitchen and who could forget the prop library—where instead of checking out Jane Austen novels you sign out vintage plates and ornate chairs – all used in the glossy pages of Martha magazines.
Returning to the fete, we enjoyed pumpkin gelato and a personalized calligraphy station until suddenly the crowds seemed to part and standing before us was the detail goddess herself, MARTHA STEWART. We muffled squeals of delight and resisted the urge to genuflect, as we’d officially spotted the woman who inspires us to add sparkle to everything in life.
For tips on how to host a shimmering event in the perfect metallic palette, make sure to pick up the fall issue of Martha Stewart Weddings.
With a confetti toss and a camera-ready smile,
Ashley and Lisa
I attended BlogHer on behalf of my team a few weeks ago thinking I was just going to learn more about the blogosphere. Well, I learned a lot about that but also took away a new appreciation for the growth of social media. I laughed to myself after walking in and within the first two minutes (before I’d even had a cup of coffee or checked in) I’d shaken hands with at least five bloggers thrilled to be in NYC celebrating their passion for blogging.
After finally getting checked in, I grabbed my breakfast and headed over to meet fellow MMC’ers who were at a table full of women, some wearing T-shirts that flaunted their blog’s masthead and others with babies strapped to their chest or back while handing out business cards. The conference kicked off with a quote from SugarMama saying “I personally would love to be the best mom I can be to my kids, but I don’t want to ever forget that my little girl dream was to be a writer.” I realized then that every person in the room was there fulfilling their own dream of writing and the blogosphere has opened a new door to help people reach that goal.
Over the course of the day, I attended several sessions which gave me a first-hand peek into issues bloggers face and gained tips on how to better interact with these busy folks. I also explored a field day of brand booths on-site, getting a photo with the Jimmy Dean sun after his new product announcement, traveling through the P&G Home Away from Home and also “testing” out the 2nd edition of Just Dance. It was a whirlwind but one of my favorite moments came at the end of the day when several bloggers had been chosen to read their posts from the year. It was like the Emmy’s for bloggers and was chilling to see what a community these folks have built. The very last blogger to read her post actually sang it to the tune of Wicked’s “Popular” while wearing a black sequined top and made me appreciate the sheer, genuine personalities I met throughout the day. Writing used to be known as a condensed, precise field and hearing true, unedited stories from blogger’s lives left me with an overwhelming need to…yes, update my RSS feed.
Our agency is often referenced for our well-known beauty clients, so when a fork comes in the house many of our employees look at it curiously while daydreaming of that scene from The Little Mermaid when Ariel immediately uses hers as a brush. While we also have a plethora of health and wellness, as well as food and wine clients under our belt, the newest MMC client – Oneida Ltd. – falls under our home and entertaining team expertise. Our MMC home team could not be more excited to add Oneida to our decorative wall of fame.
To give you a little background on our home team…let’s get you formally introduced! Cooking connoisseur, Corrie Wollet (center), keeps up with all the latest trends in the kitchen. You can often find her throwing together a last minute Valentine’s Day dinner party or fleeing off to purchase more cooking tools. Annette Evans (left) is a craft queen who loves everything from making jewelry to critiquing her sister’s handmade stationary products. Though she is a vegetarian at heart, she doesn’t mind slapping a steak on your plate if it means good entertainment. All about aesthetics, Ashley Bain (right) gets right down to the details when it comes to entertaining. After recently planning her Louisiana wedding, she’s mastered the art of choosing the perfect color palette and dreaming up ideas that will keep people talking for years.
These ladies are thrilled to take their personal passions and experience in the entertaining arena to serve Oneida’s needs. They kicked things off at the Oneida showroom last month and upon walking in, the team knew they had news to spread! The elegant table settings provided a first-hand look at all of the offerings from Oneida. It definitely taught them that this brand can be taken anywhere from hosting the in-laws to a backyard barbeque. Once they left the showroom, they placed an order for the latest and greatest products they saw.
As you can see above, the whole team gathered when the first product shipment arrived at MMC. The large boxes seen here are full of Oneida’s newest roll out, Chef’s Table. This chic, new line is designed to be chip resistant and creates a clean look for tables as it is made of all white porcelain. The team loves this product for entertaining because you can mix and match the different styles – creating a new look each time you use it.
Stay tuned as the beauty parlor at MMC expands it’s expertise in home entertaining with Oneida!
About two months ago, my family booked tickets to spend Thanksgiving in NYC. That meant I needed to bond with my inner domestic goddess, whip out my Anthropologie apron and get to planning the ultimate 2009 feast. Now that it’s all over, I can say it was not as hard as I thought it would be, but let’s rewind a bit.
For the past two months, I’ve studied every home care magazine that has crossed my desk, read each Dining Out section from The New York Times and discussed topics such as brining and bread cubes with my teammate and seasoned cook, Corrie.
Once I finalized my menu, I printed it out and read it through many, many times. After basically memorizing it, I rehearsed the seven dish prep with my right-hand man, Andrew, who listened to me talk about everything from place settings to the location of our turkey’s innards.
The week of Thanksgiving came and I was ready to perform. Wednesday afternoon, I baked my pies a maple pumpkin and chocolate graham cracker. Then I began the search for those innards I previously mentioned so the turkey could begin its 24-hour swim in the brine. After 30 minutes of peeking around the turkey’s cavity, I decided ours came without these.
On Thursday morning, I made sausage and apple stuffing, chili pepper sweet potato rounds and goat cheese salad. Noon rolled around and I received a text from The Crooks saying they had landed. Timing could not have been more perfect. They walked in the door and we were 15 minutes away from DONE.
We kicked off the meal by discussing what we were thankful for
My dad: celebrating in NYC
My mom: a normal life with no worries
My brother: his upcoming tour at Yankee stadium
Myself: we’d still be at the table
Lilly: more people to laugh with
And I think Andrew said it best when he said he was thankful that the turkey came out ok. Although Thanksgiving isn’t the same without those fall-infused sides, we all know that the turkey is the leading lady on this holiday.
P.S. We found the innards after eating on Thursday. Until next year
People that know me often hear me refer to “the special days in PR.” Well, my colleagues and I agreed that last Friday was one of those days following a tour of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.
Each month we “flip” through magazines when they hit our desks, looking for media coverage and the latest trends from our editor friends. We dare not “flip” through Good Housekeeping after attending this tour and learning about the depth of research that goes into each page of the magazine.
When we stepped off the elevator and onto the 29th floor at Hearst Tower, we felt as if we were part of the future, yet a bit of the past at the same time. Carolyn Forte, director of home appliances and cleaning products, jumped right into her role as tour guide, explaining the history of the magazine while noting the 100th anniversary of the Good Housekeeping seal.
Following her intro, we learned about the beauty lab where editors can have their wrinkles studied or their hair looked at under a magnifying machine all to test a product’s claims. We also got a first-hand look at the textiles lab where rain gear was displayed for a spring issue, the laundry lab where stains were setting and the food lab where Gingerbread houses were stashed from a Christmas shoot. One of the highlights of the tour included a stop by the nutrition lab where we were able to participate in a taste test for a new product launch.
Just when we thought we were looking into the future, we took a step back in time when we entered the Good Housekeeping dining room. The classic décor took us out of the millennium and back to a colonial era where pearls were a must in the kitchen (nod to Julia Child). This historic room has been the host to many first ladies, celebrities and other famous individuals.
After learning about the foundation of Good Housekeeping and the credibility of their reviews, we were all extra proud of our products that have been featured in this publication.
To learn more about what is going on at that Institute, check out their blog below:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-testing/from-the-lab-blog/
Yesterday was my first day back at the office after maternity leave with Miss Lilly, pictured above. Shortly after a colorful 4th of July firework show on the Hudson, Lilly decided she too needed to see the lights of New York City. She made her debut on July 5th and since then each day has been a new and wonderful experience.
Lilly and I have spent the past three months becoming the best of friends. We sang sweet country songs to remind her of her family back in Louisiana. We learned to cook her daddy’s favorite recipes. We played dress up in far too many pink tutus. We strolled Central Park and watched summer turn to fall. After three months of our fairytale friendship, I headed back to the world of public relations in Midtown while she settled in to her first day of daycare on the Upper East Side.
My first day back at work was much like the first day of school. I woke up a few minutes before my alarm went off, had my first non-maternity outfit laid out and couldn’t wait to catch up with all of my old friends. Of course I couldn’t drop Lilly off on her first day without shedding a few tears though I shortly realized that this was a new beginning for her as it was for me. Each year that she grows and starts her first day of school, she too will wake-up on her own, pick out her favorite outfit and run to the group of friends she makes over time. Embracing new changes in life are exciting and yesterday we embraced the same experience together.
When walking into MMC it felt as though I had never been gone. That familiar feeling of creative energy flowing when you step off the elevator onto the shag carpet and retro design of our reception area was definitely present. I could not help but pause for a moment and feel thankful for the team that has supported me in my absence and allowed me to spend those precious three months with Lilly. The entire crew of MMC has been a tremendous support to me and my new family.
With lots of encouragement from my friends, co-workers and family, the day went off without a hitch. As a new mother, I felt more in touch with our client’s target consumer and Lilly came home all smiles from daycare. We spent our evening having one of our favorite Louisiana meals, laughing with daddy and catching up on snuggles.
Every girl learns one phrase early in life and that is “rinse and repeat.” Our next challenge is to leave each day behind and repeat the next as we get into our new routine.
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