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.
Last weekend, nearly 2,500 Social Media enthusiasts and participants – mostly women, but not all! – gathered in New York for the annual BlogHer conference. When reflecting on my experience as an attendee, the first word that comes to mind is inspiration. After two days at the New York Hilton, I left inspired: inspired as a marketer, inspired as a content creator, inspired as a consumer, and most importantly, inspired as a woman with a voice and a platform for change.
The sessions were filled with hot topics, respectable debate, teaching moments, collaboration and thought-provoking questions. Everyone seemed eager to learn, network and share their stories.
Regardless of their background or motivations, all attendees had something in common: passion for Social Media. Talk of community online is common, but seeing it play out live through reunions, first-time meetings, education, common drivers, etc., was almost indescribable.
Something I had not expected to be so prevalent at the conference was activism. Both keynotes on Day 2 (The International Activist Blogger Scholarship Recipients and How to Use Your Voice, Your Platform, Your Power) as well as a track of sessions appropriately called “Change Agents” focused on speaking up and joining forces for positive change. Attendees were encouraged to ask themselves how they wanted to use their voice and reminded that “the Internet puts everyone at the same decibel… and that’s a huge advantage for women.”
It’s no secret that conferences like BlogHer are unique opportunities to connect with influencers. I for one was excited by seeing some of these relationships play out in the real world. Attendees seemed genuinely interested in learning about brands and welcomed – and were welcomed by – marketers with open arms.
Another key takeaway – and a point that we can’t stress enough: events like BlogHer prove time and again that influencers are not created equally. Each has his/her own voice, interests and is motivations. In PR, really knowing your audience and tailoring your key messages to meet their needs head-on has always been important – especially when engaging women. Today, empowered by Internet, that fact cannot be ignored.
For additional BlogHer coverage, check out:
July 16th proved to be not your “Typical Friday” in a Day In The Life of the Interns. And no, we’re not talking about the Enrique Iglesias concert out on the Plaza—this, my friends, was even BIGGER! As the crew of eager interns hailed cabs (for about approximately 30 minutes, thank you, Summer Fridays), we embarked on our first out-of-the office adventure together—we left as six, and we arrived as one.
The Fest, held annually by the Council of Public Relations Firms, began with PR Maven Gail Heimann, Vice Chair of Weber Shandwick. She imparted unto the approximately 150 Interns valuable advice and insight. She stirred our creativity early, as she began her presentation with the “5 Questions Interns Never Ask Her,” challenging us to add to her list. Following this discussion, we were presented with two separate panels, one of which starred our very own MMC superstar, Kate DiChristopher. Kate held her own with poise, as she offered advice as to how to turn an internship into a full-time career. Finally, to top off the discussion, Jessica Lee, Senior Employment Manager of APCO Worldwide presented all of the things not do to when applying for a job (you may want to take a quick peek at your Facebook profile picture right about…now!)
We want to thank the Council of Public Relations Firms for giving us the invaluable opportunity to be exposed to such esteemed PR professionals. We look forward to applying all of our gained knowledge in the future!
(submitted by Jaimie Scambio, Allyson Culligan, Marianna Castro MMC 2010 Interns)
I’ve always considered myself a Midwest girl. Born in Chicago, Raised in the Northshore suburb of Evanston then attended college in Wisconsin. In fact, when I decided to move to New York just over a year and a half ago many family and friends were pretty surprised I decided to venture to the big city on the East coast. With excitement, eagerness and just a little apprehension, I set off to establish myself in the world of beauty PR in the most exciting city in the world, always, knowing in the back of my head that I was still a Midwest girl at heart.
I’m not really sure when it first happened, but somehow along the way, New York began to become home. Sure, I still visited Chicago every few months and it is a strong part of who I am, but my life suddenly felt grounded in New York with my new MMC family. Referring to “going home” now meant my studio apartment downtown. I didn’t fully notice the change until I recently went to visit friends and family in Chicago and for the first time felt like a visitor. Although it was slightly upsetting to feel that I had let go of my past roots, I also felt comforted to realize that home is truly where the heart is and that I had established my own home, not confined to a zip code or where I went to school, but where my life is happening now and that feeling of excitement and eagerness for the future stirred again.
So…what does home mean to you?
Recently, COVERGIRL hosted an event with our makeup artist Molly R. Stern and key LA-based beauty bloggers that gave a behind-the-scenes look at how red carpet looks are created. Actress Rashida Jones partnered with COVERGIRL to be our celebrity “live demo” and worked with Molly to create the perfect red carpet beauty look in front of the 13 bloggers in attendance before Rashida left for her MTV Movie Awards parties later that evening. It was truly a great example of bringing online influencers together for an in-person experience.
I really enjoyed executing and being part of this new and unique event dynamic showcasing step-by-step makeup application with a celebrity in front of a live audience. One of the things I love about working with COVERGIRL is that we engage with makeup artists constantly and are able to elevate our brand through red carpet “get the looks,” artist relations and celebrity seeding. This event allowed us to take our red carpet pitches truly to the next level by engaging bloggers with customized and authentic content in an in-person setting, the media in attendance raved about it as well!
Rashida proved to be the perfect celebrity to anchor our event. Her chemistry with Molly was only made better by the fact that she was already a fan of so many COVERGIRL products, especially the Outlast Lipstain. It was great to hear her speak with Molly and the bloggers candidly and organically about her beauty routine, she was such a delight to work with. As you can see, Molly chose to create a colorful smoky eye utilizing COVERGIRL LiquiLineBlast, Smoky ShadowBlast and LashBlast Fusion for Rashida, she looked gorgeous and definitely red carpet ready!
Is your current relationship getting stale? – the one with your employer?
Hungry for a chance to be heard – to execute your big new ideas?
Feel like you’re doing more but getting less out of it…?
About Me:
Fun, bold, brash, creative, award-winning agency; love dogs. My peers call me “special” – Specialty Agency of the Year! Some think I’m fun – Consumer Agency of the Year.
About You:
Big idea, creative thinker with a strong POV; love dogs; less wall-flower – more total ham.
This won’t be your first relationship. You will have somewhere between 3 and 10 years of experience and have a passion for healthcare, patient marketing and women’s health. Size likely matters to you – so it’s good that I’m an a agency that’s more Goldilocks and less Goliath.
What I offer:
World class brands, creative energy and a dynamic atmosphere PLUS a terrace with a view of Manhattan to die for! I’ll help you grow and even give you extra time to celebrate the holidays and of course, my birthday.
Oh, and I almost forgot – apparently the other folks in this relationship also think I’m great – they voted me Top Places to Work in PR and Best Agency to Work for ………all in one year!
Want to know more, contact me at opportunities@mahercomm.com
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While friends and families across the nation celebrate the 4th of July, the holiday weekend has additional meaning for our MMC team. July 3rd marks the beginning of our agency’s 28th year of marketing to women. Building brand relationships remains our focus, but the way we inspire conversations with women continues to get more exciting.
In the ever-changing world of Social Media – a year can feel like a lifetime. Since my last MMC anniversary message, Social Media participation has soared with American women. The majority of adult woman in the U.S. are now connecting with each other through social sites to fulfill different needs. Check out Ethan Bloch’s post on June 25, 2010: (Flowtown, Ethan Bloch June 25, 2010). The possibilities for brand marketing to women in this network in the coming year are endless.
Remember that movie, “6 Degrees of Separation,” where people figure out how they’re connected? Social Media has eliminated five degrees. We can now have conversations in real time and connect in unlimited ways.
That reminds me, I think I’ll ask the Mayor of MMC , who happens to be Laurie Shulman right now, what she thinks of the new MMC Burger recipe that will be offered at 4Food when they open.
Together with our clients, MMC looks forward to another great year of taking marketing to women to new connection points.
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Two weeks ago, MMC hosted an NYC editor event for Arnold and Oroweat Breads to launch a new sliced bread, Health-full, and help reenergize Sandwich Thins. Food Network Chef Claire Robinson, host of “Five Ingredient Fix,” and Registered Dietitian Christine Palumbo hosted the Arnold and Oroweat Sandwich Slim Down, giving 22 editors, producers and social media influencers a taste of our products.
The Glass Houses raw space was transformed into a Nantucket cabana, complete with oversized white couches and chic beach accents, to reflect that this summer, you can still have your bread and eat it too. We added a test kitchen with stainless steel chefs’ tables to give media an area to actually work with the products. Christine spoke to the nutritional benefits of both Health-full and Sandwich Thins, highlighting current food and wellness trends that revealed the relevancy of each. Claire demonstrated the breads’ versatility through preparing two of her signature five ingredient recipes. She then led the editors in a Five Ingredient Fix Challenge, charging them to break into teams and create their own recipes for Sandwich Thins and Health-full, based on themes pulled out of a white sand bucket. Themes like Surf vs. Turf guided the editors and helped inspire their culinary creativity. Editors departed with picnic baskets full of products, sandwiches in branded to-go containers, and a custom bikini memento to remind them that bread and bikinis really can go together!
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This week MMC hosted our first event for Oneida.com! The theme, which focused around at-home entertaining tips, featured incredibly diverse and well designed table settings created by a premier NYC event designer, Angela Giannopoulos.
Angela, who has worked with celebrities and brands such as Donna Karan, Missoni and Estee Lauder, used Oneida.com dinnerware and flatware to build four different table themes; Classic Picnic Table Twist, Fanciful Formal, Asia to Cuba and World of Whimsy (pictured clockwise in above images).
Each of the tables represented a different design style and showcased Oneida products, which corresponded to these of-the-moment tabletop trends. Angela was present at the event to answer questions and describe her inspiration—her message—take chances when setting your table at home. When speaking about the Classic Picnic Table Twist she explained “not everything should be conventional with tabletop design. I encourage you to pick a bold pattern that is a little risky and surprise your guests with something other than traditional gingham or checkered picnic patterns.”
Another trend Angela highlighted during her discussion was the Asia to Cuba theme. This modern, minimal design has become popular in recent years and can be seen at restaurants such as Asia de Cuba in NYC or Philippe Starck’s Delano Hotel in Miami. Angela set this table with the new Chef’s Table collection from Oneida.com explaining that, “the warm white porcelain color and ability to mix and match the plate shapes is just what you need to complete this look at home.”
All in all it was a lovely evening of entertaining that left us all inspired. What inspires you to entertain?
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Last night was the first Cannes Lions award ceremony of 2010. It also marked the second year PR Lions were awarded.
Since arriving, I’ve anxiously anticipated this event and the chance to see great PR campaigns from agencies around the world. As I began sifting through the Lions short list in the morning, my excitement was tempered. I found myself asking the question many in the PR industry are now pondering: Why the low number of submissions by PR agencies?
The Cannes Lions committee noted that there was a 32% increase this year in PR entries. Yet many of the PR campaigns were submitted by non-PR agencies. Even more curious: the PR campaign that received the Grand Prix was actually submitted by an ad agency!
Check out my PRWeek blog post to hear more about the awards: http://www.prweekus.com/prweek-insider/section/1255/
Stay tuned for more insider info on Cannes Lions.
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