The Corporate Rockstar

Get the Boss Out of the Office w/ Eisen's new Speaking Engagement Bible

2011-04-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Would you like to secure more speaking engagements, and make the most of them when you get the ‘gig?’ Sure, you can hire us. We’re experts at all aspects of training, securing, managing and leveraging getting that boss out of the office and up on stage. But…

…if you want to try it yourself, don’t start without getting our 2011 Cincinnati Speaking Engagement Bible. Filled with up to date listings on who to contact when you want to speak, how to give powerful presentations, and best practices in leveraging those opportunities via social media to get the most bang for your boss.

Log on to www.TheEisenAgency.com and click on 2011 Speaking Engagement Bible to request yours today.

We’ll see you on stage.

2011 Eisen Agency Bragbook Now Available!!

2011-04-01T07:18:00.001-07:00

Announcing our 2011 Eisen Agency Guidebook

If you’re looking at hiring a firm, or reviewing current alternatives, our 2011 Guidebook shares a bit about our firm, as well as a very helpful guide with tips, do’s, don’ts, and even some salient questions to ask an agency owner before hiring them.

download and review for free here:

http://issuu.com/seangarza/docs/eisenagencybook

or give us a call or email and we’ll send you a hard copy with new car smell.

If anyone needs one, 2011 Media Guidebook Available

2011-03-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

fyi, the Cincinnati media guidebook is still available if anyone needs it (it's for Cincinnati media specifically). chock full of useful tips and strategies, though as well. if you'd like a copy, shoot me an email at Info@TheEisenAgency.com and we'll email you one absolutely FREE!

and of course, we can customize any media list for any client (for a fee, of course:). Happy Friday, and Dare to Be Extraordinary.

Time for Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Nominations

2011-02-28T07:18:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ernst & Young LLP seeks South Central Ohio & Kentucky’s (SCOK) outstanding entrepreneurs

Nominations open for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2011 Award as the program celebrates 25 years of inspiration

Cincinnati, OH 18 JANUARY 2010 – Ernst & Young LLP is calling for nominations for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2011 Awards, recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country. The deadline for Nominations is March 18, 2011, with the SCOK awards ceremony scheduled for June 30 at the Cincinnati Hyatt Regency.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards program will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. Over the past quarter-century, the program has honored the inspirational leadership of entrepreneurs such as Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, Michael Dell of Dell, Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, Fred Smith of FedEx, Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google, Richard Schulze of Best Buy, Wayne Huizenga of Huizenga Holdings (Blockbuster Video, Waste Management, Inc., and AutoNation), and many more.

“We’ve been extraordinarily proud to honor men and women who have had the inspiration to create innovative, market-leading companies that have truly changed the world over the 25-year history of our Entrepreneur Of The Year program,” said Bryan Pearce, Americas Director of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® program. “We believe entrepreneurs are the lifeblood and foundation of our economy. It’s very exciting to think about the impact that entrepreneurs and transformational CEOs will have on the way we live and work over the next 25 years as well.”

Award winners are selected by a panel of independent judges, including previous winners of the award, leading CEOs and private capital investors and other regional business leaders.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards in South Central Ohio & Kentucky
Last year, 9 entrepreneurs in 8 categories were selected as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award winners from more than 60 nominations.
“This program honors the outstanding entrepreneurs in our area,” said Alan Greenwell, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Program Director for SCOK. “These entrepreneurs make our community a better place by providing jobs, developing new products and services, and encouraging economic development. They deserve our support and recognition.”

Nationally, approximately 250 entrepreneurs from across the nation were selected as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2010 award winners from more than 1,500 nominations. Past award winners have included Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company, Arthur M. Blank of AMB Group, LLC (Home Depot, Atlanta Falcons), Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Inc., Ruth Fertel of Ruth's Chris, Maxine Clark of Build-a-Bear, Tom Adams of Rosetta Stone, Matt Szulik of Red Hat, and last year’s national winner, Howard Lutnick of BGC Partners and Cantor Fitzgerald.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year® program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June, leading up to the national awards in November. Venture-backed companies that win an Entrepreneur Of The Year® award regionally are also eligible for the special Venture Capital Award of Excellence on a national level. The overall national US winner then moves on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year title in Monaco in June. Entrepreneurs are nominated and evaluated by those in each region, including local business and community leaders.

All regional honorees are invited to the national Entrepreneur Of The Year® gala, hosted by Jay Leno, on November 12, 2011 in Palm Springs, California. The gala is the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. For more information on the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, please visit www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.

Awards Criteria

Awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Self-nominations are encouraged, and there is no fee. Nomination forms must be received by March 18, 2011.

Entrepreneurs eligible for consideration include not only company founders, but also leaders of multi-generation family businesses and transformational public and private company CEOs. Additionally, the nominee's company must be at least three years old.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards are nationally sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
In South Central Ohio & Kentucky local sponsors include Gold Sponsor Frost Brown Todd LLC, Media Sponsor The Business Courier/Columbus Business First/Louisville Business First and Silver Sponsor Thompson Hine LLP.

About Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year®

Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award makes a difference through the unique way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 135 cities in 50 countries.

social media good...frankenstein says.

2011-02-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2011/02/14/social-pro-files-every-employee-in-your-company-can-have-a-role-in-social-media/

Many companies are still overly wary of social networks when, instead, they could be leveraging their employees’ social engagement power.

According to a recent study, Facebook remains the most-blocked and most-filtered website by companies. The openDNS study said that 14% of companies blacklist Facebook — compared with the 1.2% of companies that blacklist certain pornography sites. Other social networking sites among the top five blacklisted sites include MySpace (10%), YouTube (8%) and Twitter (2%).

The same social network sites are also frequently filtered by companies: Facebook (23%), MySpace (13%), YouTube (12%), and Twitter (4%). Companies blacklist and block social network sites because they’re afraid of the effects these sites have on productivity and bandwidth.
However, blocking is a poor policy for most companies, according to Social Pro Josh Bernoff, senior vice president of idea development at Forrester Research and co-author of “Groundswell” and “Empowered.” He notes that blocking social network sites sends the wrong signals to the workforce and can prevent the company from leveraging one of its most valuable assets: Its employees.

“Every single organization has people in it who have creative ideas on how to reach out to customers in social channels. And every organization needs a plan for tapping into that creativity,” Bernoff said. “Obviously, if you’re the U.S. Army or a pharmaceutical company, you can’t just let people build whatever social applications they want — there are security rules. But in general, the organization that taps into this energy is going to be more competitive and more connected to customers than the one that doesn’t.”

American Family Insurance (the company we work for) is a social company in a regulated industry. We make social networks available to more than 8,000 employees. We also encourage and enable more than 2,000 of our agents to connect with customers on Facebook from their own fan pages. But making social networks widely available requires having the right social media policy, tools and training opportunities in place.

The role employees play in a company’s social media strategies varies. Every employee can play a “listening” role on social networks. While participating on social networks — on their own time — they can capture company-related conversations and product-relevant conversations they witness. Employees can also play an “amplifying” role by retweeting and sharing company-related information, activities and events.

A smaller group of employees working in marketing, customer service, and sales can be given larger roles. Bernoff characterizes these employees as HEROs, an acronym meaning Highly Empowered and Resourceful Operatives. These employees should be part of a multidisciplinary team that responds to social channels.

“In an age in which one of your unhappy customers can reach a million people with a single tweet (this happened to Maytag), you need to move in a very fast and nimble way to reach out. This requires embracing the HEROs in your organization,” Bernoff says. “The people who interact with customers in your organization are the ones most likely to have great ideas on how better to serve those customers — you don’t want to waste that. Embracing HEROs gets innovation coming from everywhere in the company.”

Image credit: Mark Anderson

Correction: The openDNS study found that 1.2% of companies block certain pornography sites. SmartBlog on Social Media regrets the error.

Professional Development Series

2011-02-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

today was installment one of our 2011 Professional Development Series, this particular event regarding sales and business development. i'm amazed at how many organizations have no sales or business development plan -- shocked actually, but -- i guess that's why my firm exists.

anyway, the next event is march 9 same time, same sandbox. this event is on Public Relations, details to come, but sign up online at www.TheEisenAgency.com/PDS

the cult is at the Business Makeover Summit

2010-11-18T03:56:00.000-08:00

in Newport, at the Syndicate. Winners of the $100,000 Business Makeover will be announced this morning and we're going to hear a great series of speeches by some top Cincinnati firms. Quite an exceptional morning!

join us...or get licked.

Young Adults NOT using Facebook/Twitter Like You May Think

2010-11-17T08:32:00.001-08:00

Young Adults Prefer Offline Marketing Offers

North American consumers in the 18-34 year-old demographic prefer to learn about marketing offers via postal mail and newspapers rather than online sources such as social media platforms, according to survey research from ICOM, a division of Epsilon Targeting.

In addition, the ICOM research shows that preferential attitudes about the trustworthiness of mail strengthened for consumer respondents in all age groups from 2008 to 2010.

The 2010 study of 2,569 U.S. households and 2,209 Canadian households focused on consumer preferences in regard to the ever-expanding array of communications channels for the delivery of marketing information, offers and promotions. Responses came from consumers ranging in age from 18 to 55 and above.

Some key results:

Young adults say they prefer direct mail and newspaper advertising over online marketing in every instance except travel.
The trust pendulum is swinging in the direction of postal mail for respondents in all age brackets.
Other key findings from ICOM’s survey about channel preferences include the following:

45% of U.S. men and 35% of Canadian men do not have any social media accounts; 36% of U.S. women and 31% of Canadian women do not have any social media accounts.
25% of respondents said they get more postal mail versus a year ago; 72% U.S. and 66% Canadian said they get more email versus a year ago.
Women are more likely than men to prefer addressed or unaddressed mail for many product categories, and men are more likely to prefer the Internet or email as a mode of receiving marketing information.
“Overall, our research confirms the proliferation of channel choices but shows that a unique combination or balance of favored channels needs to be identified, and that combination likely includes direct mail and other offline options, despite the notion by some that offline is no longer effective,” and that "marketers targeting coveted 18-34 year olds who are tempted to invest solely in social media could be missing a significant portion of their audience,” said ICOM's Vice President Warren Storey.

Sources: Response Magazine, Young Adults Might Prefer Offline Marketing, Research Suggests. August 25, 2010, and Epsilon news release, Young Adults Strongly Prefer Offline to Online Sources for Marketing Offers, Research Reveals, August 24, 2010. http://printinthemix.rit.edu/fastfacts/show/369

Business Makeover Summit

2010-11-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

You are all cordially invited to the Business Makeover Summit on Thursday, November 18th at the Newport Syndicate in Newport. Register online at www.100kBusinessMakeover.com. The event begins with registration at 7:30 followed by the event which runs from 8 -- 11. Any business seeking some inspiration, tools and practical knowledge to help streamline, align and grow their business should attend. the keynote speaker is Roto-Rooter president and Undercover Boss Rick Arquilla. Also speaking will be Rodger Roeser, Angie Strunk, Mary Hladio, Jack Kaser and Jeremy Frye.

Feelin' Naughty?

2010-10-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

For Release

Media Contact: Rodger Roeser
RRoeser@TheEisenAgency.com
859.291.4302
www.TheEisenAgency.com

twitter @ EisenHotNews
facebook @ The Eisen Agency

Cincinnati PR Firm Hosts Final Seminar of 2010
The Eisen Agency Asks if Your Business Has Been Naughty or Nice

Newport, KY – October 12, 2010 – The Eisen Agency’s Eisen University Series wraps up its season November 3rd with a seminar and workshop dedicated to improving the cause marketing and outreach programs of business. The seminar will also help non profit organizations improve how they go about developing sponsorship, donor and capital campaigns. The event is $25 and anyone interested may register at www.TheEisenAgency.com/eisenu.

The seminar, hosted by Eisen president Rodger Roeser, will have networking and registration at 11:45 and the event will run from noon though 1 p.m. at the Eisen Agency, 515 Monmouth Street in Newport. A light lunch will be provided.

Attendees will learn tips and strategies on finding and nurturing cause marketing programs that benefit the business and brand, employees and the community. The seminar will share how to best uncover what brand archetype a given organization is so it can then align with the right types of programs, then learn how to properly leverage the involvement and to get the most from “doing something wonderful.” Creative campaigns, programs and idea starters will also be shared.

Non profit organizations are also encouraged to attend, bring materials and share opportunities on how organizations and individuals can get involved, Roeser said.

SEO is the devil

2010-10-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Great article about SEO

http://www.b2cmarketinginsider.com/online-marketing/seo-are-you-missing-the-point-0712

i think far too many organizations heard about this term in a magazine and have succeeded in ruining their websites chasing SEO. so, although maybe your #2 instead of #4, when people go to your website -- it's barely English and looks awful. So, folks just leave and go somewhere else. a site is simply an extra salesman and should be treated that way. SEO is important, but it's one piece.

nice article.

pitching for the other team

2010-10-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

okay, okay. all pr firms hate other pr firms because we want their business and they want our business, right? no? the truth is there are some fine organizations out there that do some amazing things and great work for their clients. in fact, in my new white paper on hiring a firm, i even recommend (yes, recommend) "so called" competitors. the white paper is available at www.TheEisenAgency.com/whitepaper (creative, i know). but, i want to call out Vehr Communications in Cincinnati, Ohio. the photography on their website is really quite extraordinary and any firm in and around cincinnati looking to hire a stand up, professional PR firm (other than us, of course:->) should surely check them out. great content, nice use of social media and video, and again, the photography is just beautiful. kudos to Vehr Communications. Yes! there are stand up firms in Cincinnati not just out looking "for a buck" but there to genuinely help their clients.

Happy Anniversary to The Eisen Agency

2010-10-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

happy anniversary baby!!! Another year...just gets better with age.

Hey Businesses, how does $100,000 sound?

2010-09-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Rodger Roeser
The Eisen Agency
RRoeser@TheEisenAgency.com
859.291.4302

Twitter @ EisenHotNews

Top Cincinnati Businesses Join Forces to Offer $100,000 Business Makeover
Area Business Experts Set To Make Cincinnati Business More Profitable, Add Jobs

Cincinnati, OH – September 27, 2010 – Over the life of a business, only 39 percent become profitable, according to data published by the National Federation of Independent Businesses. And, according to new research from the Cincinnati marketing and business development experts at The Eisen Agency, the top two reasons are: too much time spent on non core competencies and failing to ask for help.

So, in a concerted effort to reverse that trend, which is exacerbated by current economic conditions, Five of Cincinnati’s top professional services organizations have teamed up to donate $100,000 in services to area businesses. The Eisen Agency is joined by Sheakley, Ember Carriers, Rippe & Kingston, and NextLevel. The program, dubbed the “$100,000 Business Makeover,” is open to all for profit businesses throughout the Tri-State region.

Anyone interested in a “business makeover” may access more information and apply online at www.100KBusinessMakeover.com. Three businesses will be selected, with one winning $50,000 in services, and two winning $25,000 in services.

The deadline to submit applications is October 22, and winners will be announced at the $100,000 Business Makeover Conference on November 18th. Eisen president and owner Rodger Roeser explains that the program is designed to help make Cincinnati businesses healthier, as “healthy companies add jobs, and more jobs are good for everyone.”

“We want to give Cincinnati businesses a competitive advantage. We want to give this economy a good swift kick in the butt, and we want to promote more healthy, successful businesses as that truly makes for a greater Cincinnati,” Roeser said. “In business, options can be your best friend because you don’t have to know everything or do everything yourself, you just need to know where to turn.”

Eisen will offer marketing communications services, NextLevel will provide business development consulting, sales training and support, Sheakley will provide human resources and benefits expertise, Rippe & Kingston will provide accounting, business and tax consulting services, and Ember Carriers will offer organizational and leadership development.

Ember Carriers CEO Mary Hladio states, “If you have poor leadership, negative employees and disjointed teams, it’s virtually impossible to be a profitable and successful organization. The number one harbinger of a successful company is happy employees. It is critical to the health of any organization to proactively care for, manage, ignite and cultivate the careers and expertise of leadership and employees alike.”

Rippe & Kingston marketing director Katie Springob explains that each organization brings complementary services to the table, and that while each can provide their services without the other, smart organizations understand that every component must be working harmoniously for the overall benefit of an organization.

“For example, while Eisen may bring significant marketing planning and execution the table, if you don’t have a prepared and motivated sales team to make the calls and close the deal, or if you have poor leadership and disengaged employees, it simply won’t work,” Springob said. “The main reason we have joined forces is because successful businesses understand that you must have all of the moving parts working together and on the same page. You remove any one of them, and you weaken the whole.”

After the winning businesses are chosen, they will be followed, similar to other ‘makeover” type shows, enabling any interested business or organizational leader to watch, follow along and apply the learning.

Sidebar: Top Reasons Cited for Business Failure:

1. No Business Plan. Most banks will want a well thought out business plan if you're looking at getting any financing. Having a thorough business plan is a great way to have everything as organized as possible and a great benefit for the entrepreneur to have realistic ideas of what to expect when it comes to running a business.

2. Poor Management. There are many areas in which one should be knowledgeable when it comes to running a business. Some of these areas are hiring and managing employees, purchasing and selling, finance etc. Lacking in business managements expertise can be a contributor to why businesses fail. If no steps are taken to become more knowledgeable in the areas applicable to the business, the business can seem unprofessional and poorly run.

3. Insufficient Operating Funds. The cost to set up a business is often underestimated. All areas of expenses for the business should be investigated to ensure that there are enough funds to sustain the business until a consistent cash flow is able to be generated.

4. Poor Location. Not giving enough consideration to location is another reason why businesses fail. Just as a great location can help a struggling business stay afloat, a well organized business can fail due to a bad location. Two important things to consider when choosing a location is where the target market and competitors are.

5. Expanding Too Quickly. Wanting to increase business growth as quickly as possible can send your business in the opposite direction if decisions are not well thought out. Expanding a business in a slow and steady manner is best.

6. Not Online. Today having a website is a must. The internet is a great tool to inform customers of the products/service that the business makes available to them.

7. Wrong Attitude. Some people go into business for themselves because the idea of having a lifestyle of being their own boss is appealing. Thinking they can do what they want when they want. Having more time with family and more free time can be great benefits to owning your own business. More so if it is operated from home. These benefits should not be the focus of a new business, this can be a factor to why businesses fail. These advantages come once the business is up and running smoothly. Success is sacrificed to some degree If adequate time is not invested into the business in the beginning. Anything worthwhile and long lasting takes consistent effort.

Advertising Jeers: US Bank

2010-09-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

just listening to the new US Bank radio spot (running in Cincinnati on AM550 WKRC) makes me cringe, not only as an advertising executive but also as a homeowner and business owner. I turn the channel everytime i hear the ad. Basically, they are encouraging responsible homeowners to go further into debt by taking out a home equity loan to of all things, pay for their daughter's wedding. Wow...

irresponsible advertising and really a stupid message from a bank that is clearly out of touch. Jeers US Bank to you and to your advertising agency.

PRogressive Insurance and perfect PR execution

2010-08-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

Kudos to the Progressive Insurance pr team/pr staff for the Xfactor Public Relations program. every business out there looking for "pr ie: they mean publicity" for their firm, watch progressive. Instead of saddling their pr team with "get us a story about progressive and insurance on the news" instead they smartly put together a prize that values 1) innovation and 2) cars -- both things progressive wants to be known for. Strong national publicity with opportunities for follow up, great visual opportunities. kudos to progressive insurance (from cleveland, i might add). way to be extraordinary.

New Online Video Platform Sheds Light on Facebook and Social Plugins

2010-06-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Media Contact:

Brad Okel

The Eisen Agency

Brad@TheEisenAgency.com

859.291.4302

New Online Video Platform Sheds Light on Facebook and Social Plugins
Epipheo helps people understand the latest social features powered by Facebook Platform

Seattle, WA – June 22, 2010 – Online video is nothing new these days, and instructional videos have been around since the advent of moving pictures. Yet, many of the giants in technology, digital and social media are turning to the medium to develop an entirely new breed of instructional and informative online video called the ‘epipheo’ – a term coined by the creators of Epipheo Studios, Ben Crawford, Jeremy Pryor, Jon Collins, and Stephen Mowry.

Recently Epipheo worked with Facebook to help educate people on the service’s latest features – social plugins. Social plugins, which include the Like button, and Recommendations and Activity Feed widgets, make it easy for people to share activity with friends regardless of which website they’re on.

Access the epipheo here: http://www.epipheostudios.com/portfolio/facebook

In the two minute Facebook video, titled "Understanding Social Plugins," Epipheo Studios combines simple graphics and easy to understand storytelling scripting to explain what social plugins are and how they work. “Our goal when developing an epipheo is to help people understand complex issues,” Crawford says. “This new Facebook epipheo is designed to help even non tech savvy consumers understand and appreciate the concept of social plugins simple terms.”

###

About Epipheo Studios

Epipheo Studios is a group storytellers and scriptwriters who attempt to change the way people think or understand specific companies, products, or services through online videos. These videos, known as Epipheos, are designed to create an Epiphany through video = Epiph - eo. For more information about Epipheo Studies visit www.epipheostudios.com.

Love Sandler Sales: Words of Wisdom from them Today

2010-03-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

The TACTIC: No money — no sale.

The STORY:

Tim could not believe his luck. While cold calling from the office, he lucked into a prospect that wanted to see him that afternoon. Tomorrow was too late — it had to be this afternoon, and if Tim had the right stuff, the order would be placed. And from the product description Tim gave, the prospect felt it was just what he had been looking for the past two months.

“Tim,” said the prospect waving for him to come right in and sit down. “Glad you could make it on such short notice.”

“Well,” said Tim, “you certainly sound like you know what you want, and I think I have it.”

“I think you do. Just to make sure, could you spend a few moments going over just how it would fit in? Would that be OK?” asked the prospect.

“No problem at all,” responded Tim, who proceeded to take the next fifteen minutes to explain in great detail just how his products and services would work. During this time, Tim could not believe just how enthused the prospect was becoming. Unbelievable luck, he thought, and I thought cold calling was a waste of time.

“So, in conclusion,” ended Tim, “if you place the order today, I know we can have everything in place within seven days.”

“That’s really terrific. But there is one important thing I need you to do.”

“What’s that?” asked Tim.

“Seven days is too long. I have to have this in place within four days or I just can’t give you the order. Can you do anything for me?”

“I guess we could.”

“Good. How much is it going to cost?”

Tim told the prospect.

“I don’t know what to say, Tim. You’re way out of the ballpark.”

The RESULT:

If Tim makes this sale, it will be after the prospect has beaten him down on the price. But Tim will probably let himself be beaten down since this prospect is so “hot.” Also, Tim has absolutely no idea why the prospect needs his products and services so badly. If, indeed, he does. Tim allowed himself to be carried away by the prospect’s outward enthusiasm to buy today. The prospect is in total control of Tim.

DISCUSSION:

Far too often salespeople go charging into a sales situation without having the slightest idea whether or not the prospect can afford the product or service. The assumption on the part of the salesperson seems to be, “Well, if the prospect is talking to me, he must have some idea what I charge so there is no point in bringing up the issue of price.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. The salesperson must never assume that the prospect knows what the investment will be. In fact, it is essential that you learn whether or not the prospect has a budget. If there is no budget, then there will be no sale.

APPROACH:

Bringing up the subject of money is not easy for many salespeople. However, if the subject is brought up, and you learn what, if any, budget there is, you are now in a position where you can decide to continue with the prospect or end it.

To find out what the budget is, just ask, “What is the range of your budget?” You do not have to learn the exact dollar amount beyond which the person just will not go. Just question until you get a budget range.

If you cannot get a range from the prospect, it is time to TAKE IT AWAY.

Once you know the budget range, and it turns out to be below anything you can possibly provide, you are in a position to end the relationship and move on to one where there is a sales opportunity.

If the budget range covers your product/service, you are now that much closer to having the prospect close.

THOUGHT:

Not everyone can afford what you sell. Find out if they can before you waste their time and yours.

my kind of happy accident...

2009-11-12T07:55:00.001-08:00

Tanker spills Candian Club on Ky. road
GEORGETOWN, Ky. -It was a "bottoms up" of a different variety.

http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20091112/NEWS0103/311110015

ANRs (from NewsUSA)

2009-11-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

Why are ANRs Useful Promotional Tools
Social media has become PR’s “next big thing” – you Twitter and friend on Facebook, blog and update RSS feeds. But focus too much on new technology, and you’ll limit your audience.

Say that you’re planning a nationwide campaign. You build a Web page. You create a Twitter account and Myspace and Facebook pages. And that’s great – you’ve made your product name or message available to everyone with iPhones, Blackberries, laptops, desktops and high-speed Internet. But you’ve also ignored a considerable portion of your potential audience – all of the Americans who still rely on traditional media for news, entertainment and buying information.

Seniors and rural Americans may not have Internet capabilities, much less the ability to follow Tweets. In fact, television advertising may not reach everyone in rural demographics – studies suggest that small town Americans do not use television as their primary source of new information. What will help you reach these markets?

Considering that there are thousands more stations on the airwaves than television channels, you might want to use Audio News Releases (ANRs) as part of your next campaign.

Packaged as finished news pieces in an audio format, ANRs provide a reliable way to reach demographics that have not yet embraced social media. Typically lasting 60 seconds and containing one or two sound bites, ANRs work best when your client’s message is simple and concise, and appealing to a local or small market audience. While ANRs can find large market placement, they are most readily used by smaller radio stations, where short-staffed radio news teams need ready-to-broadcast content.

NewsUSA provides the following guidelines for creating a successful ANR:

The ANR should present actual news. Failing that, it should look and sound as much like “real news” as possible. ANRs work best when they present a clear consumer benefit, or “news you can use.”

The ANR should subtly announce its sponsoring organization without sounding overtly promotional. News stations want the spot to sound like a news story, not an advertisement. Quoting someone from the company is a simple way to gain or use name recognition without sound commercial. Attributing tips or information to the sponsoring organization also works well.

- ANRs should be brief. News teams simply won’t air long spots – they save those for original content. While you may be used to 60-second radio spots, radio announcers want 30-seconds spots to fill small time spots. For this reason, NewsUSA writes two 30-second scripts. You still get a total of 60 seconds for your radio message, but in the format that best appeals to radio news stations.

The ANR should provide contact information, such as a Web address or phone number, where editors, reporters and listeners can find more information. No matter how appealing and relevant, a 30-second radio spot cannot convey all of the details – make sure that listeners have a way to learn more.

- Don’t be afraid to add a human element with a brief case study or quotation. If using a statement from an expert, choose someone who uses simple language appropriate for a lay audience. Read ANRs aloud – the language should flow smoothly and words should be easy to say.

How can you ensure that radio stations will play your ANRs? Studies suggest that few major-market stations air ANRs, no matter how newsworthy their content. But that doesn’t mean that ANRs can’t be effective marketing tools – the key is to create and release ANRs through companies that promises placement, such as NewsUSA.

With promised placement, you know that your ANR will get aired. But unlike a standard commercial radio spot, the ANR will air during a prime-time news segment and sound like news. In fact, NewsUSA writes most of its radio spots from print features that have been approved by clients, though we also offer radio spots unrelated to print features.

Creating ANRs will help your message find a public radio audience while also streamlining costs and leaving spokespeople available for more pressing media interviews. ANRs allow you to control the content that reaches the public. An on-air interview can go poorly – with an ANR, you know that your message will come through exactly as you want it heard.

PR Outlook May Not Be As Rosy As You Think…

2009-09-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

PR Outlook May Not Be As Rosy As You Think…
But The Opportunity to “Win” The Social/Digital Game Is Strong
By Mark Sneider, Owner/President, RSW/US
In a recent survey conducted via by RSW/US, a market-leading, PR and Ad agency new business lead generation firm, there appears to be a clear and present opportunity for PR firms to take ownership of the social/digital space. Download full survey results at www.rswus.com.
The survey, conducted among 338 Marketers, Ad agency and PR executives in August, also suggests that PR firms might have a somewhat inflated view of the long-term health of the PR industry. 73% of PR executives state that they are “somewhat”, “very” or “extremely” optimistic about the outlook for the PR industry – which of course, in and of itself, is great. Unfortunately, this compares to only 51% of Marketers feeling the same way about the PR industry. While this is by no means a doom and gloom scenario, it certainly suggests that PR executives need to not take anything for granted. Stay alert, stay ahead of the trends, and as we’ll note later, it’s important to know all you can about the ins and outs of the value of social/digital media, as it can provide a real competitive advantage for the industry as a whole. It’s not just enough to know about what’s available in the social/digital space and have the resources available outside your four walls to satisfy client needs, it’s very important to know how to most effectively measure, integrate, and activate programs so more people see them and act on them.
With only 39% of Marketers believing that they are actively being supported by their marketing services firm with social/digital information and programs, there is clearly an opportunity for PR firms to help Marketers improve the way they do business in these mediums. PR firms might carry a slight advantage over Ad agencies in providing these insights and sharing expertise, as more of them (66%) believe that they are actively supporting their clients (versus Ad agency execs, where only 55% believe they are doing a decent job of supporting their clients’ social/digital needs).
In addition to having what appears to be a slight jump on the experience and resource game, PR firms also appear to have a jump on the measurement game as well – which also can be used to a PR firm’s advantage. 60% of PR firms (as compared to only 49% of Ad agencies) state that they measure the return on social/digital media.
This survey also confirms that on the whole, Marketers do not feel like they are on the cutting edge of the goings-on, in the social/digital space. This also presents opportunities for PR firms to educate Marketers on the benefits of social/digital programs by drawing from the insights and the knowledge that PR firms can more effectively bring to the table – given what could be for some, a longer-standing use of these mediums. Only 46% of Marketers state that they either “somewhat” or “strongly agree” that they are on the cutting edge of digital/social technology, as compared to 78% of PR executives and 66% of Ad agency executives. Clearly this presents an opportunity for PR firms to step in and leverage their broad-based experience to help Marketers better navigate this relatively new frontier.
As we at RSW/US reach out to prospects on behalf of our PR clients and our Ad clients, we find that prospective clients not only face the challenge of not knowing how to best tap into resources related to social/digital marketing, but they also don’t fully understand how to best utilize the mediums in ways that effectively support their brand, leverage more traditional mediums, and target in a manner that makes the best use of the space. It’s what we like to call “Activating Social Media”. So in the end, what you need to do, as you do your own reach out to prospects, is not only let them know you have a thorough understanding of what’s out there, but also let them know you understand how to use these mediums in ways that are going to maximize their investment in the space.
So bottom line is, PR firms have a window open to help Marketers – and potentially own the social/digital space. Key is showcasing expertise, insights, and knowledge of what’s available to clients today and how to best utilize programs and measure programs to help them maximize their success. Do this…and indeed, the outlook for the PR industry is bright and rosy.

Mark Sneider is Owner/President of RSW/US.
RSW/US is a market-leading agency-client relationship expert that operates on two levels:
1) They offer a uniquely efficient method for marketers/clients to search for marketing agencies - regardless of size or scope of the assignment;
2) They operate as a virtual new business development, lead generation firm for agencies. They help them better position themselves, they help find qualified leads and set meetings, and they help when appropriate, to facilitate the close.

Fantastic Article by Vanessa Horwell of ThinkInk

2009-09-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

Beyond the Press Release
Think You Know PR? Think Again
by Vanessa Horwell,

The axiom that "the more things change, the more they remain the same" still holds truth. Today, like yesterday, visibility and credibility go a long way in forging meaningful relationships with customers, employees and media to produce real outcomes. The question is, what's so different about the way we're creating those relationships?

Earned media has never been more valuable; it's impossible to buy, after all. And while paid media's supporting role is very strong, companies are continuously looking for new ways to distribute authentic messages and engage others in what they do; corporate schtick has no place in that equation. But earned media is just that -- earned. As much as we'd like, we can't make people say great things about us unless they truly value and believe in what we do. So if PR is playing a greater role in achieving that missive, do we (and our clients) really get it?

PR is dead

Wrong. PR is more alive than ever; it's just morphed into something a lot bigger and at times, harder to define because the goalposts have moved so much. What is dead is the type of old-school PR that's practiced by those who believe a double-spaced template is the only way to communicate a company's story. Come on, people!

The press release is the axis of PR sins

Absolutely. I have said it before, and will keep saying it: The press release is a dinosaur. No one reads them. When was the last time you read a press release and reacted positively to it? See, journalists feel that pain, too. We can thank blithely ignorant PR people for that. It's okay -- I was one, too.

PR is about storytelling

Correct. A little creativity goes a very long way, but this isn't reinforced enough in PR school. No one wants to read a bunch of quotes from C-suiters. Whether it's PR through traditional channels or part of a social media campaign, journalists and consumers are looking for interesting stories -- something that adds knowledge and value to their existence, not details of a strategic partnership. Where's the story in that?

Journalists will love your story

Not always. But your mom will. One of the biggest struggles PR agencies face is saying no to clients' demands. We're on the front lines with media outlets daily, so we know that some stories should never see the light of day. Too often, clients confuse PR with marketing messages, not understanding the importance of creating a really great story that's devoid of nonsense such as "synergistic," "ROI," "realign" and "transcend."

PR takes care of itself

Wrong. One pitfall of companies is the mistaken assumption that PR takes care of itself. I liken a PR team to an engine that needs to be lubricated and filled with grade-A fuel regularly. A PR team cannot perform miracles without good substance. Companies that kick back and expect placements to come rolling in without input or extra effort are setting themselves up for dashed expectations, missed opportunities and a begrudging relationship, none of which are fun.

PR is about harnessing relationships

Bingo! PR is absolutely about relationships. It's about the agency-media relationship, and using those relationships to sell our clients. It's about the relationships that we're building on behalf of our clients. It's also about helping brands become stronger and creating awareness of who they are, as well as deflecting in times of crisis. It's about helping sales efforts and generating leads.

Really, the PR machine is a terrific multitasker. But as with any relationship, you have to nurture it, treat it with respect and help it grow. Anything less, and you may find yourself dumped.

So what have we learned?

PR can achieve many different things, but the game is changing quickly. As an industry, we need a firm grasp on what the marketplace demands, and our ability to deliver. We need to get tougher when it comes to expectations: We're being called upon to do a lot more with a lot less. It's time for us to gain more respect in what we do, by communicating exactly what it is that we do.

Do I make my staff Crazy? maybe sometimes...

2009-09-16T10:32:00.001-07:00

British PR man suffers breakdown due to boss

And you think your boss is nasty. Richard Saville-Smith, 48, a senior public relations executive in Scotland, told an employment tribunal in Edinburgh that management at EventScotland, the compay where he worked, had “put him in hospital”, blaming an increased workload, a lack of support, and their dismissive attitude to his expert advice, according to The Times Charlene Sweeney. (Sound familiar?) “He alleges he was unfairly discriminated against under disability legislation, and claims the strain caused him to suffer his first bipolar episode in 13 years,” Sweeney wrote.

yep, we're 18th in the country.

2009-09-15T08:21:00.001-07:00

not bad for some country bumpkin from outside of cleveland...

Cincinnati PR Firm Ranks 18th Among Nations Top Beauty & Fashion PR Firms
Eisen Marketing Group Only Firm in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana Selected

Cincinnati, OH — September 15, 2009 — Where do you find the top fashion and beauty public relations firms? New York. Chicago. Los Angeles….and Cincinnati

Eisen Marketing Group (EMG), the largest public relations firm in Greater Cincinnati, has been named the 18th ranked public relations firm in the United States in the Beauty & Fashion category, that according to the September 2009 Beauty & Fashion issue of O’Dwyer’s PR Report.

O’Dwyer’s is a national trade publication that compiles rankings based on a variety of criteria including work product, community relations, personnel and revenue. EMG is also ranked in the overall top 150 independent public relations firms in the country according to O’Dwyer’s.

“EMG is proud of its continued growth and proud to be recognized by our peers and by such a respected publication as O’Dwyers. This recognition is not only good for our firm and our clients, but also for our city and this region in proving that we are on par with firms in major markets,” EMG president and owner Rodger Roeser said. “EMG owes its success to our clients who have enabled us over the years to apply our craft and deliver growth to our clientele. That hard work and those efforts have led to the organic and sustained growth of this firm. I am proud of this achievement and hope that it is only the beginning of more great accomplishments to come.”

Eisen Marketing Group was the only independent public relations firm in the Cincinnati area to be included in with prestigious firms from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. The firm works with a number of health and beauty clients, including the creation and execution of multiple award winning programs with Tiaga Bioactives, Botaneco, Hydresia, Dr. Kranes and American Joe Apparel and many others.

About EMG

Eisen Marketing Group is the largest public relations firm in Greater Cincinnati, and works with clientele in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, restaurant, retail, government, commercial and professional services sectors. The award winning PR firm offers both traditional and nontraditional public relations services, including podcast development, viral, experiential and promotions. Privately owned, EMG has a proud record of community relations including its Operation Outreach Program and the EMG Scholarship Fund. More information can be accessed at www.BestCincinnatiPRFirm.com.

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OMG, it's been a month since i've posted

2009-08-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

okay, i'm a slacker. the goodship EMG is crazy busy right now. we are flying along with new client additions, new programs and in general, lots of exciting endeavors. That Marketing Show continues to do well, we've added audio clipping services and of course pushing our audio podcasting expertise, welcomed new clients in the form of Vennefron Signs, Jefferson Hall, Kenwood Towne Place (Cincinnati Subcontractors Alliance), the AVP, Hobson's, and are in the throws of a massive new consumer launch for US Pharma and their new MyClyns germ killing spray designed for the consumer market, the huge book program for Roto-Rooter... All of this growth has come organically -- reaching out, meeting with folks, doing good work and our name being passed along. Rarely do we respond to RFPs. In general, i find them kind of insulting and a bit lazy on the part of the potential client. I believe in my career i have responded to less than 10 RFPs -- and I believe I've won half, so not a bad track record, but i've probably turned down dozens. just not worth it. That said, great article today from the Council of PR Firms about creating and responding to an RFP. Great stuff. Rockstar out!

RFPs (Request for Proposals) can be useful in a marketing agency search. However, many are vague and alienate agencies. Recently cited in The Council of Public Relations Firms' The Firm Voice, "What Clients Want in RFPs," I critiqued agencies. But there's a lot clients can do to get better responses.

Agencies come in all shapes and sizes. Many may look alike, but there's a ton of difference among them. While it may be necessary to compare agency apples to apples, it's harder when there are oranges and even some pineapples in the mix, too. There's a big difference between capabilities and expertise.

Often companies make the mistake of conducting an agency search too early, knowing it can weeks or months of agency presentations. Problem is, things change. Quickly. Budgets get cut, focus shifts and you may find the agency ready to hire is not so well-suited anymore. Now, you have to the search start over and your launch is delayed.

If you must issue an RFP, consider the following best practices:

� Wait till you're ready to hire. Get management team buy-in, agree on a general scope of work, budget range and allocate the time and resources needed.

� Avoid the long list. Blanket RFPs to a "long list" of agencies risk alienating gems. It takes work to provide a thoughtful response. Smaller agencies with limited resources need to be selective about pitching. Issue to a few that you would consider hiring.

� Get the right short-list. Everyone has a network. But not necessarily the right players at the right time. Many agencies can be easily eliminated (and better targeted) without wasting everyone's time.

� Make the RFP short and savvy. Brief the agency and give them enough information to properly respond. Include the situation and reason for the pitch, agency expectations, criteria set and how and why a decision will be made.

Save and your team a lot of time and headaches and do your research, or work with a search consultancy to get the right selection and ask the right questions. Especially when teams are spread thin, time is valuable.

To read the article (on how agencies screw up), visit http://tinyurl.com/WhatClientsWantinRFPs

hey, I'm in a documentary.

2009-07-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release
Contact: Rodger Roeser
rroeser@eisenmarketinggroup.com
859.291.4302
Twitter @ EMGMediaAccess
Greater Cincinnati PR Firm Featured in National Documentary Series
EMG Showcased for Pro Bono, Community Work
Cincinnati, OH – July 29, 2009 – Greater Cincinnati’s largest public relations firm, like its airport, is located in Northern Kentucky. The award winning firm is bringing a little more national attention to the Cincinnati area after being featured in a nationwide documentary series that showcases businesses from across the country making a positive difference in their communities.
Eisen Marketing Group president Rodger Roeser was interviewed as part of the documentary by 50 in 52 Journey and its film maker Daphne Michaelson, who is interviewing these “community movers and shakers” in all 50 states over 52 weeks. The State of Kentucky is currently the featured state, and includes the Greater Cincinnati PR firm and its Operation Outreach program among a total of seven groups featured in the commonwealth.
The documentary can be accessed online at www.50in52journey.com/states/Kentucky6.asp along with clips from several other states. Featured organizations from Ohio are also available.

EMG’s Operation Outreach program provides grant dollars in the form of pro bono assistance to non profit organizations throughout the TriState and across the country. EMG has proudly assisted such organizations as The Cincinnati Police, Newport Firefighters, Brighton Center, Split Rock Conservatory, the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, Kindervelt and many more with marketing communications, website and graphic design, advertising and of course, public relations services.

“When Rodger started his company he realized that giving was going to be a part of his success,” Michaelson said. “Once EMG was in a position to do so they began giving back to the community by helping non profit organizations who had little to no money by helping provide them with top notch marketing services at no cost. With applications jumping from one year to the next, they now have a formal process to try to find the best candidates to have the most impact.”

Roeser said, “I hear so many wonderful stories about groups and organizations that make an incredible impact around our community, but they can’t afford to share that story and create pieces that will help them raise additional dollars so they can, in turn, do more. Operation Outreach provided a formalized mechanism for our firm to help, and it has been great for the morale of our organization as well. We understand that we are the leading firm in the city, and with that comes the responsibility to give back – and we’re humbled that our clients have put us in a position that we are able to do that.”

About EMG

Eisen Marketing Group is the largest public relations firm in Greater Cincinnati and is ranked as one of the Top 150 independent PR firms in the country. EMG works with clientele in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, restaurant, retail, government, commercial and professional services sectors. The award winning PR firm offers both traditional and non traditional public relations services, including podcast development, viral, experiential and promotions. Privately owned, EMG has a proud record of community relations including its Operation Outreach Program and the EMG Scholarship Fund. More information can be accessed at www.EisenPR.com.

Some quick updates, a tool, and a tool

2009-07-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

hey corporate rockstars! some quick updates. EMG has been hired by the AVP as the pr firm for the upcoming professional volleyball tourney in Cincinnati over Labor Day Weekend. we'll be handling the advanced and match time publicity -- ahhhh, takes me back to my NASCAR roots.

Speaking of going back to our roots -- EMG is getting ready to formally launch a new division of the agency and we're putting the finishing touches on that. More news to come, but it's sort of like going back in time for us, so we can continue to move forward. I'm very proud of this division. it "strikes a chord" in my cold heart.

okay, here's a new tool for search engines:

When using search programs to conduct online queries, they can be useful but they can also be obtrusive.

If you're looking to get the most out of a search engine program, while keeping it out of the way, then try out All- In-One WebSearch.

All-In-One WebSearch is an out of the way freeware that will search multiple engines for results. It will even search dictionary sites for word definitions, or encyclopedia based sites for factual information.

and my "tool of the day" award goes to our beloved Congress who continue to try to pull the wool over our eyes regarding the so called "healthcare reform bill." Now, let's all assume for a moment that we're all FOR socialized medicine, now explain all the extras in the bill like bike paths, parks, ham and cheese sandwiches (really, check it out), and literally hundreds of additional pork that has absolutely nothing nada to do with the healthcare bill. And, I keep hearing the same old bullshit. Like, this bill will provide healthcare to X million Americans.

I fail to understand how in any way that is MY responsibility. Get your own damn health insurance. there's this really nifty thing out there called a JOB! unemployment is a fallacy -- there are millions of jobs. maybe not a dream job, but a job. be entrepreneurial -- hell, i created a successful pr firm! Do something, rather than sitting passively by waiting for the world to act upon you. take some resonsibility, because it is not MY responsibility to take of your sorry ass.

that's my rant for the day. Liberals should be ashamed of themselves.

ooo, been too long since I've blogged: Cool New Tool

2009-07-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

If you're involved in foreign sites, then it can be tricky to run into a site not translated into english. There's always Google Translate, but you have to continually return to the site to paste the URL. Instead, try out 2cTranslator.

Simply highlight text on a website, and you're provided with an option to translate it using many different languages.

The City, A Logo, and Sheer Irresponsibility

2009-06-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

I cannot more strongly express my sheer dismay at the City of Cincinnati, "branding" firm LPK, and Macy's for the new "logo" developed for the city. While the city did not actually spend the $75,000, it was underwritten by Macy's -- a business losing money, laying off employees and in general, having a hard time. $75,000 is the pay for several laid off retail employees. And for what?

A poorly designed logo.

Do the math. Our firm charges $100/hour for such work as logo design. It would take us 750 hours at that rate to come up with a logo. There are essentially 150 billable hours in a month. This means one person working on nothing but a logo spending FIVE MONTHS on it!! Five straight months!!! Or, five people doing nothing but a logo for an entire month. It's ridiculous.

We do on average 10 -- 20 logos a year for clients. The average cost of logo design and development is $5,000, and slightly higher if you include testing with a brand testing firm like AcuPOLL. This not includes the logo development/brand development, but also the incarnations of the brand identity and how it would likely be used.

Also, our firm provides work to organizations PRO BONO through our Operation: Outreach program. We developed the logo for the City of Newport Firefighters. The bill you ask? $0. We are also in the midst of creating the new brand identity (and logo) for Over the Rhine. Again, the bill you ask? $0.

Any firm in Cincinnati would have developed this for the city at no charge, if for nothing other than the PR associated with it. LPK should be ashamed and embarrassed by this and your firm should refund the dollars to the laid off employees of Macy's. And city officials, what the hell are thinking? Each of you knows fine firms in this city that would have gladly donated the work. Don't we have more important things to focus on in this city than a logo?

Our firm recently won Government Affairs Campaign of the Year and also Brand Identity of the Year (logo development) by the local Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). This was for the City of Newport Housing Authority, which we renamed Neighborhood Foundations. The cost of the ENTIRE YEARLONG PROGRAM was just over $50,000 -- which included logo development, all new marketing collateral (including printing), local and national publicity, testing, events and open houses, website development and advertising.

Clearly, such efforting shows me why the City of Cincinnati is having such budget problems. What a shame and what a great opportunity lost. There are good options out there.

worst commercial ever

2009-06-04T08:52:00.001-07:00

wow, why on earth would you do this to your brand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jubP3t27IQ&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhome.php&feature=player_embedded

holy crap.

Leadership Workshop

2009-05-13T11:53:00.001-07:00

For Release

Media Contact: Laura Day
Eisen Marketing Group
laura@eisenmarketinggroup.com
859.291.4302

twitter://EMGMediaAccess

Top Cincinnati PR Firm Opens Registration for First Leadership Workshop
Eisen, PRAOA Slates Inaugural Leadership Seminar for June 1: Speaking

Cincinnati, OH – May 13, 2009 – There is little doubt that how leadership is perceived has a tremendous impact on not only the brand of an organization, but also the equity branding of the individual. This public perception is created – or destroyed – by such public relations activities as speeches, media interviews, and presentations. One of Cincinnati’s top public relations experts, Eisen Marketing Group president Rodger Roeser, will work with top area leaders through a new leadership series. On June 1, Roeser and his team of experts will teach and train registrants to be better, more dynamic and more motivating speakers.

Interested leaders can register online at www.EisenMarketingGroup.com or at www.PRAOA.com.

The three hour workshop will be held at the Eisen Marketing Group offices at 515 Monmouth Street in Newport, Kentucky. The fast paced, executive level programs are filled with practical exercises, speaking strategies and tips, and expert analysis and guidance that will make even the most timid of public speakers stronger and good speakers outstanding.

“No longer is the ability to be a powerful speaker optional for leaders or communications executives,” Roeser explained. “Giving concise interviews with the newspaper or local television outlet, motivating your staff, making your argument and closing sales are all part of being a good speaker and a good leader. The time to train is not when the camera is in your face or you have a shareholder presentation tomorrow. The time to train is now, then utilize ongoing exercises we provide that will ultimately create a powerful, confident speaker.”

Roeser, who is a regular speaker and lecturer throughout North America, works with organizations and leaders of all sizes, from politicians to Fortune 500 to entrepreneurs. The investment in the workshop is $300, which covers the event and all materials. Leadership workshops are held monthly. The July 1st event teaches social media best practices, including the use of such things as Twitter, Digg, Facebook and others. The complete seminar list is available at www.PRAOA.com.

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About EMG

Eisen Marketing Group is the largest public relations firm in Greater Cincinnati. The award winning agency works with various organizations to assist them with their business and marketing communications activities, and provides expert counsel and implementation of these programs. More information can be accessed at www.EisenMarketingGroup.com or by calling 859.291.4302.

Sexist Ad Spotlight Award: Meijer

2009-04-24T07:18:00.001-07:00

and yes, Meijer wins the Sexist Ad Award this week. Just heard their new radio spots where a group of women are standing in the kitchen laughing at men for gathering round the new grill -- keep the man outside as long as the woman can stay inside. Now, this is sexist no matter which way you look at. Men don't cook or clean or help out inside, OR, women should be inside "her place is in the home." Then, making fun of the guys who are just outside cooking on the grill and making dinner for the family.

Clearly, another work of art and brilliant copy by a woman who again try to sell product by slamming men. So, Meijer, you win the Sexist Ad Award of the Week. Men, I encourage you not to shop there. Clearly, Meijer thinks men are stupid, and don't help out around the house. Target, i think you'll sell men cleaning supplies, right?

Shame on you Meijer, and shame on your ad agency or advertising executives.

the daffodil principal -- do something today.

2009-04-07T08:11:00.001-07:00

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "Please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, " Daffodil Garden ." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the
greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world ....

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy..
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt, and, Dance like no one's watching.

If you want to brighten someone's day, pass this on to someone special.
I just did!

Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

~anonymous

Why Oh Why Do Clients Hire Ad Agencies When They Need a PR Firm?

2009-03-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

i don't get it? honestly...

you don't go to a sushi restaurant when you want a great burger, do you? You don't hire a plumber when you need your roof done? Do you go to heart surgeon to check your colon?????

Let me make this clear: Ad Agency executives have claimed "the integrated card" for long enough. It's not integrated. Let me explain how this works at an Ad Agency. they may have a couple/a few "pr people" one typically very junior and one probably leading the department. they did so for another revenue stream, instead of advising the client that "they don't do that," or "that's not their core strength." Advertising agencies are very good at what they do -- creative, media, lots of meetings, big invoices and even bigger egos. The problem is, they apply the same methodologies in advertising to PR -- which is flat out wrong. They are not the same.

The smart ad agencies contract WITH a PR firm to deliver the best of the best for a client, or simply share a good pr firm for the client to choose. Ad agencies, or so called "Integrated Marketing Firms" DO NOT have the knowledge, methodologies or expertise of a PR firm. period. they likely don't have the software, the tools, nor the experience. An ad agency HIRING a pr person doesn't make them a PR firm. Usually, the ad agency gives the "leftovers" to the PR person/"team."

Be smarter in your choice.

Is EMG the BEST pr firm, no. But we're damn good at what we do, as are other good PR firms across the country. In Cincinnati, while of course EMG is the best choice;-), there are some great PR firms -- Jill McBride, Wordworth, Vehr and others. Choose wisely. Sometimes, the best advertising and marketing strategy can come from a PR firm because they understand the best and most cost effective ways to relate to your publics. all marketing programs should start from a PR perspective, rather than that being relegated to leftovers.

the public perception of your brand is far too important to place at the feet of an ad agency. Use them, they're great -- for creative and media buys. Leave PR to the professionals.

Public Relations Agency Owners Association

2009-03-06T07:51:00.001-08:00

Public Relations Agency Owners Association Founded
Former Cincinnati PRSA Chapter President, Cincinnati Public Relations Firm President Founds PRAOA
Newport, KY – March 7, 2009 – Eisen Marketing Group president Rodger Roeser, APR, has founded the Public Relations Agency Owners Association (PRAOA) in an effort to galvanize and give a collective voice to agency leaders across the country. Roeser, who is the host of the successful online radio show That Marketing Show and president of Greater Cincinnati’s largest public relations firm, says that the development of the PRAOA was in response to hundreds of agency leaders who have indicated that their voices are not being heard nor challenges being addressed by current professional organizations.
The new association is open to anyone, but encourages agency owners from small and large firms alike to get involved and join. There is no fee to join the PRAOA, which can be accessed via LinkedIn and at www.ThatMarketingShow.com. The association is designed to share best practice ideas and concepts with which agency leaders are constantly faced, and open discussions designed to address many of the unique challenges of firm owners.
“PRSA is a wonderful organization that I have dedicated nearly half of my career to and will continue to do so, however, much of the membership is rather young and not at a senior level facing ownership challenges and issues,” Roeser shared. “I don’t need to learn how to pitch the media, we owners need to understand and address key business issues and proactively confront those strategically for the growth and health of our firms and our clientele.”
Roeser indicated that the radio show will begin featuring PRAOA members addressing key topics and issues, and encourages agency owners to join in and share commentary via the LinkedIn section and suggest guest topics for That Marketing Show. A number of key advice and opportunity items for membership are forthcoming, Roeser added.
About EMG
Eisen Marketing Group is the largest public relations firm in Greater Cincinnati, and works with clientele in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, restaurant, retail, government, commercial and professional services sectors. The award winning PR firm offers both traditional and non traditional public relations services, including podcast development, viral, experiential and promotions. Privately owned, EMG has a proud record of community relations including its Operation Outreach Program and the EMG Scholarship Fund. More information can be accessed at www.BestCincinnatiPRFirm.com.
About Rodger Roeser
Roeser is the president of Eisen Marketing Group and the founder of the Public Relations Agency Owners Association. He served as the 2005 president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and is the founder of the organization’s successful Blacksmith Awards program. He is a board member of the Newport Business Association and a member of the professional development committee of Legacy. A multiple award winning public relations expert, his firm is a designated Emerging 30 Business as one of the fastest growing businesses in Northern Kentucky. Roeser is currently the host and founder of national online radio show “That Marketing Show,” and local online television news magazine “Business Focus.” Roeser is an award winning print and broadcast journalist and former newspaper editor and television and radio news anchor. Roeser sits on numerous boards and philanthropic organizations, and donates his time and services to a host of worthwhile causes.

Tea Parties and Such

2009-03-03T06:41:00.000-08:00

well, with the Obama interview on TMS, only appropriate to talk about the tea parties popping up. in Cincinnati, www.CincinnatiTeaParty.org is starting to organize. Everyone with a job (while they have one) really should pay attention to the socialistic nature of the current congress and administration. It's rather frightening -- i fear no one will be left to work -- we'll all just be a great communist utopia. Looking forward to that. By the way, the publicist for the Obama book sent me an extra copy if anyone would like the Libert book, just send me an email. first one in wins. it is a good book.

Oh well, at least 2012 is just around the corner:-).

Anyway, on to my rants/raves:

the ad for FinallyFast.com gets my Suck Creative Award this week. the first person shows is clearly using a MAC computer, yet it says the product works only for PCs. Whomever handled/oversaw creative on that should be fired. The agency (if there was one) just be fired. Absolutely unacceptable.

I don't really have a Best Creative Award this week as I haven't seen much i find terribly interesting on a national scale, but hark: all you pr folks, send me a pitch on some new creative about to be launched: we'll be featuring new campaigns on TMS next season.

And, all you agency owners out there, be sure to join the Public Relations Agency Owners Association. It's free and good for all of us. Just go to LinkedIn and search companies for the public relations agency owners association or just click
here: http://www.linkedin.com/companies/pr-agency-owners-association?goback=.cps_1236091673169_1

Why EMG is a better agency. Category: Client Money:

2009-02-09T07:17:00.001-08:00

Why EMG is a better agency. Category: Client Money:

Most agencies, when doing a press release, go through many, many, many rounds of revisions both internally and externally with the client. They will have an initial discussion with the client, craft a lousy release, route it around to several co-workers (all of whom are billing the client for this, fyi), rewrite it then send it to the client. Client will make changes. Agency will incorporate the changes and re-route it around to co-workers who will then make additional changes. Agency will incorporate those changes then send to the client for approval who will then make MORE changes. The agency will incorporate, route around one final time, send up the chain of command (and often times also to legal) for final approval and send to the client. What reasonably should have taken a couple hours, costs the client on average (according to the most current second wind report of average costs) more than $1,000!!! That does NOT include distribution on the wire, that is merely the cost to write a 200 word release.

Looking back over the past three years, the average cost and turnaround for a press release through EMG is $250. Why? For starters, we're good writers -- and I am a former award winning newspaper editor. Very few PR people have ever set foot in, let alone worked at a news outlet. Secondly, we're efficient. We find the newspeg (or nugget), and work through that with the client. The piece is drafted by the account exec ON that account, the client reviews and makes final changes, those changes are incorporated, I give it a final read, make any final recommendations, get final approval from the client and POW -- out it goes. Sometimes in less than a day. More importantly, we typically proactively come TO the client and say hey...we should put a press release out about X. For most agencies, it's exactly the opposite -- they wait for the client to bring to them ideas.

Be a better business. Pick EMG.

The Super Bowl and Matt Lauer

2009-02-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

for starters, great Super Bowl -- my beloved Steelers did it again! Yeah!! great game, and proud of the Cardinals, too. Now, on to ads:

I actually thought most of them were rather poorly done, creative wise. There really weren't many that I found particularly memorable. Sadly, the one i recall as being the funniest, I don't remember the company -- either Monster or Career Builder -- with the moose head in the CEOs office, and the Moose ASS in the subordinate's office. but, they failed to deliver recall on the company. honestly, i don't remember.

best ad for me was the Coke ad, and the bugs. Extremely well done, and absolutely spot on for their brand and brand promise. Kudos Coke!! Bud ads were quite lousy this year, which is rather surprising -- those are almost always the creme de la creme. Oh well.

What I actually found most remarkable about the SuperBowl was the disastrous pre game performance by NBC. Weak and not particularly well done. the worst of the worst was the Matt Lauer interview with the Messiah -- i wasn't sure if I was watching an interview or Gay Porn. I mean, the sheer adoration and downright ass kissing my matt lauer to his highness is a low point for the media. I mean, we all know the media believe that our current president is the second coming of Christ, but truly that is bad for our country -- we NEED the media to be objective and keep pushing our politicians. Hopefully, that scrutiny is supposed to lead to some level of honesty and clarity.

The mainstream media has become, in my opinion, rather dangerous, and not must different than Al Jezera or Pravda. Sad. Why was Obama doing an interview during the Super Bowl pregame anyway?? it's like one big PR stunt, and the media is in on it.

Sad.

New Year’s Resolutions and Marketing Activities: Success or Failure Exactly the Same

2009-01-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

New Year’s Resolutions and Marketing Activities: Success or Failure Exactly the Same

By Rodger Roeser, APR
President, Eisen Marketing Group

Here it is just a few weeks after the New Year started and already those resolutions are fading away. Well intentioned efforts to lose weight, get in to better shape, quit smoking, stay more in touch with family – perhaps already things of the past. It got me thinking how similar these resolutions are with marketing and public relations. Regardless of the economy, marketing activities are not flash in the pan, quick fix options, but rather long term, sustained programs and campaigns that actually yield positive results.

Experts will tell you that the reason most resolutions fail is because it involves sustained commitment and effort. Also, they are often unrealistic in nature – so folks give up altogether. Similarly, good public relations and marketing activities take time and are not a quick fix to your business ills. Finding good publicity angles, creating image and article opportunities, reaching out and sharing that company story or profile all take time, patience and stick-to-itiveness.

It also takes time and effort to achieve realistic results. One push up will not make you thin or build your biceps. All too often, I see business executives simply increasing sales numbers because excel allows them to plug in a 25 percent in widget sales – for no apparent reason. It seems solid research and market realities have given way to just plugging in numbers and storming the gates. This is bad practice, and leads to frustration and a lack of business clarity and focus among the employees. Don’t be that executive who says say you want X amount of articles in the newspaper or just any other number that appears to be pulled out of thin air, and when those numbers aren’t hit, you’re disappointed. These types of business mistakes are not productive, and surely not good for morale.

A good marketing executive or agency can offer much better and more realistic guidance to these types of numbers, and advise best ways to achieve those goals. And, like a good personal trainer, help keep you motivated and on track. Here are four simple steps to a successful 2009.

1. Get a Plan!

If you don’t have a marketing or marketing communications plan, get one. Do yourself and your business a favor, hire a good firm, and get a plan developed. The investment of just a few thousand dollars may be the best investment you make this entire year. The plan will have realistic goals with realistic prices. You do yourself no favors when you believe you can do a national advertising campaign for $500. A good plan will lay out strategies, tactics, timelines, goals and budgets that should be very easy to follow. The firm should be able to implement the plan with skill, or work with you to share in the implementation duties. If you don’t have a plan, this is the first and most important step you can take for your business.

2. Stop with the Magic Bullet

We all play Monday morning quarterback – and surely if you’re the coach, you likely know more about football than most. It doesn’t stop people from wanting to share their “ideas.” Same holds true for marketing – rarely are folks short on “ideas,” but recently it seems there is this great new invention that will revolutionize marketing as we know it and cause all other forms of marketing to wither and die. Social media. For some godforsaken reason, all the Monday morning marketers are jumping on the social media bandwagon and putting up any manner of information on facebook, twitter, plaxo, myspace and others – and waiting for the sales to roll in. While social media and having a good social media plan is important, it is not THE answer. It certainly can be integrated into an overall marketing plan, and blogging and tweeting and friending and updating are all smart – just be realistic and be smart about it. If I hear one more time, “we’re not going to do much marketing this year, we have a blog now” I may have to send out the Marketing Police.

3. Keep at It

Regardless of whether your marketing program is grand or modest, continue doing at least something. Now is a great time to purchase paid media, billboards are at great prices and public relations and direct mail is a simple, cost effective way to stay in touch and further solidify the brand. While you must be smart and you should certainly scrutinize every dollar invested, now is not the time to “stop.” I recently had a client that, for all intents and purposes, stopped their proactive marketing outreach last June. Now, they have no pipeline, no leads, and no revenue. They’re lack of consistency in their outreach has likely caused yet another business to go under. Invest wisely, be proactive, and keep at it. Again, a good agency is your best friend here.

4. Change up the Routine

Just like working out, changing things up a bit can yield some quick and dramatic results. Now may be an excellent time to do something different – perhaps an event, a new sponsorship, a cause marketing initiative or a podcast. Properly positioned and integrated, new programs can attract entirely new segments of consumers or prospective business partners in a fresh way. When is the last time you wrote a thought leadership article or submitted an opinion piece? Take a look at where you may have some holes, where opportunities may exist and capitalize. Again, if you don’t know all the opportunities you may have, consult an agency. There is also a great online radio show called “That Marketing Show” that has a top marketing genius as a guest each week sharing one great tip and idea after another.

By taking some simple and proactive steps, and looking into hiring an affordable yet quality expert or agency, businesses can look forward to bright 2009. Now is the time to get out there, stay focused and keep aggressive. Ideas and options are a good thing. Now, go make some waves.

About the Author

Rodger Roeser, APR, is the president and owner of Eisen Marketing Group, Northern Kentucky’s largest fully integrated public relations firm. Roeser served as the 2005 president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. He is an accomplished and award winning print and broadcast journalist, and currently hosts Business Focus, an online broadcast news magazine.

Welcome Corporate Rockstar Padawan Learners

2008-12-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

what a great day!! happy to announce the latest addition to the EMG family that is working to grow their organization and make some waves. Air Alpha. Lots of great news about that throughout cyberspace, but here is a fun one:

Airline Industry Today
http://airlines.einnews.com/article.php?nid=11426

also, we're unveiling their new logo today. you can see that on our Facebook Page at www.EisenManagementGroup.com and just click on the facebook icon on the top righthand corner.

We're also pleased to announce the addition of Strategic Business Solutions and also Pandora Computer Solutions. Been a good couple weeks, but this is still not the major announcement we're expecting before the end of the year. Stay toooned.

also, quick couple points if you're considering hiring a web development firm and the "hidden costs" most don't think about:

1) who is writing the copy?
2) what is the strategic value of the site, and what is it intended to do?
3) understand, "brochure" sites are DEAD!!
4) is someone scamming you into paying for or "doing" SEO. Don't do it. Do me a favor Google Cincinnati PR and tell me who you want handling your SEO. How much do we pay? $0. it's part of a consistent PR program. Don't be suckered. In these slower economic times, dollars are so precious -- don't be lied to by unethical charlatans out there pushing "SEO." it's like Duck & Cover. it might make you feel like you have control, but it really won't help you.

Be smarter marketers. Spend your dollars wisely.

What Recession?

2008-12-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

okay, i'll admit it -- business has been really good, and I think business executives are waking up to the fact that they don't have to pay crazy prices to work with crazy people:-). Do your homework and learn about rates, costs, best practices and so forth. Our firm has a great sheet from Second Wind (it's an agency resource) that details the average cost of just about every tactic you can think of. You see, if you have no idea what something "should" cost, any number makes sense. Feel free to request one, i'll email it to you. just email me at rroeser@eisenmanagementgroup.com.

But refuse to buy in to the hysteria created artificially by the media. work hard, spend wisely and do your homework. these are not business traits that should be reserved for a soft economy, but rather smart proactive tactics for all time and all circumstances.

Proud to announce the addition of Air Alpha to our client roster. They are a private charter airline based out of Greater Cincinnati. More to come on them soon. Also, the addition of Strategic Business Solutions, which is a sales consultant in the technology arena.

Be excellent to one another. And no, climate change, while it may be real, is a scam being forced upon you by more "do gooder" hippies. I have a big question for the Baby Boomers of the world -- what the hell have you done to us? Government is so far in debt we can't see straight, everyone wins a prize for participating, we live in a fantasy land of over drugged, over indulged hippies and entitlements.

Our economy is shaky, we're thinking of "bailing out" failed business models. What have you done? You have mortgaged our future. Again, this is not ALL boomers, but seriously, those "in charge" you have really put us behind the eight ball here.

Some SAGE SEO advice from the pros

2008-11-26T05:40:00.000-08:00

Generally when people are trying to make their site SEO compliant, they think in a very broad sense. You want your site to encompass as much traffic as possible, so being general might persuade some. Most of the time it's the exact opposite, as trying to keep a focused topic or idea is key. Specifically if your site is based on a local service or product.

With SEOSamba you can learn, and apply different ways to better your site's local SEO standard.

PR is Sooooo Important During These Critical Times

2008-11-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

How do you uncover the marketing value of public relations?

PR is a vital component of company success and delivers your message beyond your traditional audience. Successful PR campaigns result in increased awareness and ultimately sales.

A Proctor & Gamble survey found:

PR delivers significant ROI overall, much greater than advertising, and provides a halo effect over other marketing tactics
PR showed an overall 275% ROI
PR delivers high ROI with relatively low spend in comparison to other marketing vehicles
Technology can quantify your PR efforts and tie them back to the contribution they made to the marketing bottom line. Showing numbers is essential but putting them into context is the key.

Knowing where to begin is often the hardest part of measurement. Learn how organizations have used PR management technology to tackle the ROI challenge.

Download the whitepaper today!

http://www.vocus.com/marketinganalytics/index.asp?cid_em1108plmarketinganalytics

oh what a week

2008-11-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

some big news coming out of EMG next week. Big news, but I'll keep you in suspense. So how is business out there? doing the things to help you grow top line, are you cutting bottom line? both?

still paying your pr firm/ad agency over $100/hour for work? Why? Get more. Pay less.

www.BestCincinnatiPR.com

hiring internally? $40K in salary, + benefits, computers, etc., etc., for entry level? Again, why?

Now is a great time to look at your spend as a zero budget number and go up from there. You HAVE to market, that's a given...just get more and stop paying these agencies crazy money for less than stellar results. If you're happy, that's great. In business, nothing is better than having options.

Get some at www.EisenManagementGroup.com

rock on.

Great Article On Spending Wisely in this Economy: PR Shall Set You Free

2008-11-18T05:37:00.000-08:00

Spin Your Dwindling Advertising Budget Into A PR Dynamo

Better Marketing Value for Less Money

By Marsha Friedman

“If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations.”

-- Bill Gates

Tampa, FL- As unlikely as it is that Bill Gates would ever be down to his last million dollars, let alone a single George Washington, the fact remains that it’s a powerful endorsement of the power of PR.

Still, when the economy is tight and corporations yank hard to get their belts down to that last notch, PR is usually one of the first few items on the budget that’s frozen or cut completely. To bean counters, it’s an easy choice. Because it’s impossible to track the impact of PR in strict accounting terms they consider it difficult to quantify PR expenditures. To the numbers guys, if something fails to leave a footprint on the spreadsheet, it is expendable.

However, the usual result of a cut in PR is an “inexplicable” drop in sales and sales leads which can make a company practically invisible to consumers and business-to-business customers alike. Add to that the fact that the print and broadcast coverage almost always comes with an online media counterpart repurposing their stories, PR delivers the double-whammy of free press AND search engine fodder. So, when you cut the PR budget along with the advertising budget, it’s like tossing the baby, the bathwater and the bathtub.

Even in lean times, public relations still provides the highest value and greater return on investment than any other marketing tactic, including promotions and advertising. To increase that value, there are a number of “performance-based” PR agencies that mitigate the risk of their clients and only get paid when they deliver solid placements. Retainer-based firms operate on the principle of making their “best efforts” to get your company press. With these firms, you’re paying more for their time than for press. With performance-based agencies, you actually pay only for press, not for intangibles like time and effort. They deliver for you, or they don’t get paid.

Part of the issue facing corporations is the lack of understanding of the difference between PR and advertising. If the soul of advertising is repetition – which generally cost into the tens of thousands to run an effective campaign – the heart of PR is that clients will likely pay one-tenth or less of the cost of an advertising campaign.

Further, the PR delivers a larger punch because it focuses on the placement of articles and broadcast spots in free media. Moreover, these placements carry the third-party verification factor of being in the news sections (not advertising) of the outlets in which they appear. This means that readers and viewers respect the placements more than advertising because they carry the tacit credibility of the outlets that carry them. In other words, if the editors of these outlets deem the company or client worthy of news coverage, then there must be something special about them.

Gates was one of the few software geniuses of his era who also understood the differences between advertising and public relations, and was able to maximize both to his company’s favor. But with performance-based PR agencies, companies don’t need a Gates-sized bankroll to capitalize on the power of PR. In fact, they can start with about $3,500 for a standard national radio campaign.

At the end of the day, companies can’t survive the lean times without a steady stream of customers coming to their doorsteps, and PR can deliver them without busting the bank.

Happy Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T04:59:00.000-08:00

to all that have served and currently serve for all that you do. A special Vet's Day to my father who served bravely and proudly in Vietnam.

Go do something wonderful today, and thank a vet for giving you the ability to do that.

My Official Endorsement

2008-10-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

I suppose this comes at little surprise to those that know me, but today I officially endorse John McCain for President of the United States. I do so reluctantly, as I don't believe McCain is a strong conservative voice, but i am so fearful of the Obama socialist agenda and what that would do to our country. As a small business owner, Obama will most likely cost some of my employees their jobs -- simply because of the increased tax burden i will have the pleasure of bearing so we can give money to those that don't work. The redistribution of wealth and unfunded mandates that will be imposed by an Obama administration, not to mention the continued deterioration of the 1st Amendment (fairness doctrine) and 2nd Amendment (gun control) gives me no choice than to give my support to Mr. McCain -- who i do believe to be a good, well intentioned and disciplined man.

Happy Halloween everyone!

EMG Scholarship Fund

2008-10-20T08:50:00.001-07:00

Cincinnati Public Relations Firm Develops Scholarship Program
Greater Cincinnati’s EMG Creates Program to Assist in Industry Growth, Diversity

Newport, KY – October 20, 2008 – Northern Kentucky’s largest fully integrated public relations and marketing consultancy Eisen Management Group continues its commitment to the growth of the Greater Cincinnati community. Today, the agency announces the creation of their EMG Scholarship Fund designed to assist minority students entering college who are pursuing a degree in public relations, communications or journalism.

According to EMG president Rodger Roeser, the firm is committed to fostering the educational initiatives of local young people, and in particular, minority students. The scholarship is open to all high school seniors and an application to receive the scholarship can be requested by filling in a form on the agency’s website at www.EisenManagementGroup.com/careers. The judging for the scholarship and the selection is solely at the discretion of EMG and its scholarship committee. The scholarship will be awarded in May, 2009.

“I have the profound privilege of serving this industry in a variety of capacities, often speaking to young professionals or those getting ready to enter the profession as they learn in our colleges and universities,” Roeser explained. “But, I felt that our industry and in particular our industry leadership was not doing enough to reach out at a critical time when future decisions about career are being made – high school. Our profession can only benefit from increased diversity of both minorities as well as young men, and I am humbled that our firm is in the position that we are able to make a positive impact and begin to address this issue.”

The scholarship fund is the third leg of EMG’s continued commitment to the growth of community, small business, and future leaders. Operation: Outreach was launched in April, 2008, and has assisted eight local organizations with pro bono public relations, graphic design, advertising and website development work totaling more than $50,000. EMG’s Small Business Development Assistance Programs have also provided several Greater Cincinnati small businesses valuable marketing and public relations resources and senior counsel at no charge, giving them basic foundational tools to assist in their growth initiatives.

About EMG

Eisen Management Group is the largest, fully integrated public relations and marketing consultancy in Northern Kentucky and works with organizations to assist them in their growth initiatives. One of the nation’s foremost innovators in public relations and social media, EMG develops, implements and manages the growth and reputation of brands in the retail, restaurant, automotive, consumer packaged goods, entertainment, financial, real estate, healthcare, construction, industrial, professional services, and government sectors. More information can be accessed at www.ChooseTheLabrador.com or by calling 859.291.4302.

the genius that IS the corporate rockstar and solving the financial crisis

2008-10-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

okay, i must be the smartest person on the planet or at least, in the US. it's the only explanation, because the brilliance that is on capital hill hasn't quite caught on. work with me for a second.

Give me $5. Thank you. Give me $5 more. Thanks. Okay, $5 more. Thank you, most appreciated. Now, I'll give you $3 back. Now you thank me for my generosity.

Both sides are corrupt. No one is doing what we need them to do, and now...they're trying to push though "another economic stimulous package." So, they can give OUR money back. Okay, are you ready for this genius idea: wait for it...wait for it...

it's radical. it's quite complicated so try to follow me here............

Instead of taking so much money, take a little less so I can keep a little more.

?

Instead of spending all this money on pork barrel projects and entitlements, just don't do that.

?

I know, it's radical. Now that every family, thx to our beloved government, is in debt nearly $90,000, maybe they'll start to wake up and understand that we, just like most families, can't afford things. We must tighten the belt.

Instead of taxes coming out of our paycheck, we need to send in that check each week. That will open some eyes. All of you that think we need to keep funding any manner of nonsense, you knock yourself out and have at it -- we would appreciate your generosity.

Let's get back to some basics and common sense. Roads and bridges? check. Police, fire, EMS...you betcha. National defense? absolutely. parks? No. government funded research? no, not until we're out of debt. Arts? Government funded _________________. No, NOT UNTIL WE ARE OUT OF DEBT. These are luxuries, not necessities, and we have clearly forgotten this. Money to support wooden arrows? the viscosity of ketchup? open your eyes!

think about like...you're in debt up to your eyeballs. But, go on a shopping spree. Or, give it to your neighbor who doesn't have a job. Tough choices are not mutually exclusive to the working class -- they should be a requirement of our government. We CANNOT keep GIVING money away. We can't, gang.

Let's take a little less, Uncle Sam, instead of taking more than you need, spending it, then calling it a spend to give back taxpayer dollars?? is this absurd or have I been just thinking too much?

Time for you, Uncle Sam, to sacrifice. To tighten your belt, and stop the insanity of entitlements, funding a failed education system, and a host of other "progressive" agenda points that push us closer and closer to bankruptcy and socialism. Congress, Lenin would be so proud.

simply a letter to my government that no one is listening to

2008-10-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

I've had enough.

You take MY money that I work so very hard for. I MAKE jobs. I CREATE jobs. yet, you take it all. How are small businesses to ompte? Not that anyone is listenng, but Mr. McCain, Mr. Obama -- our government is killing small business. We are the ones who are disenfranchised. It is not the poor who are given virtually everything that we the taxpayer work so hard for. It is not the so called "rich" who can circumvent virtually everything that is presented to them. It is we, the small business who work so hard to earn clients, to grow our business, to employ those that wish to work that have been continually screwed.

I'm out.

I just don't care anymore. I, as a minority (I'm swedish American) am going to go on welfare. I can pay less, I don't need to work and I can watch my favorite show (the price is right), and simply sit home and have the government take care of me. Thank you, all you liberals, because now, I don't have to work anymore.

Why work? Why DO anything?? Just give me my check. As a small business owner, hell, if I completely screw up, just bail me out. Thank you Uncle Sam, because what was the land of opportunity is now the land of the handout. I'd like mine now, please.

You see, I work for a living. I employ people, but thanks to you, i've now seen the light. I'd like for all of us now to suck at your teet, as clearly, that is the promised land and you continue to "encourage" me to do so by your policies. Again, thank you.

I look forward to your healthcare plan as well.

I give up on you. I give up. I look forward to my government check. Where do I go again?

Advertising During a Down Market

2008-10-10T06:06:00.001-07:00

Recessions Provide a Perfect Opportunity for Advertising to Do Its Job
"When times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise." Business-to-business firms that maintained or increased their advertising expenditures during the recession averaged significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years.

Recessions are different from other economic periods and need to be looked at differently to benefit your business. There are two focuses that you should have when looking at marketing and advertising in a recession:

• Increasing Short- and Long-Term Profits.
• Increasing Market Share.

If you focus in this way, you'll be better off in almost every case both during and after the recession. Recessions clearly reward the aggressive advertiser and penalize the timid one.

Increasing Short and Long Term Sales and Profits

Comparison of Sales & Ad Expenditures

Sales for the companies studied were relatively even before the recession, but varied sharply during and after it. Companies that cut advertising during both of the recessionary years maintained flat sales during the period and only modest sales growth in the following two years. In contrast, the companies that maintained their advertising experienced significant sales growth throughout the four-year period.

In a study of U.S. recessions, McGraw-Hill Research analyzed 600 companies covering 16 different SIC industries from 1980 through 1985. The results showed that business-to-business firms that maintained or increased their advertising expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession averaged significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years, than those that eliminated or decreased advertising. By 1985, sales of companies that were aggressive recession advertisers had risen 256% over those that didn't keep up their advertising.

Sales for the companies studied were relatively even before the recession, but varied sharply during and after it. Companies that cut advertising during both of the recessionary years maintained flat sales during the period and only modest sales growth in the following two years. In contrast, the companies that maintained their advertising experienced significant sales growth throughout the four-year period.

In analysis of the 1990-91 recession, Penton Research Services, Coopers & Lybrand, in conjunction with Business Science International, found that better performing businesses focused on a strong marketing program enabling them to solidify their customer base, take business away from less aggressive competitors, and position themselves for future growth during the recovery.

Increasing Market Share

Comparison of Net Income & Ad Expenditures

According to the study and contrary to popular belief, cuts in advertising during a recession decrease net income over the long haul. Companies that maintained advertising during the recession enjoyed measurably higher net income gains not only during the recession, but even more so, two years after the recession. This in stark contrast to those companies those companies that cut advertising both years and significantly reduced their profits during the recession, and for years following.

A recessionary market can provide an opportunity for businesses to build a greater share of market through aggressive advertising. This according to The Strategic Planning Institute of Cambridge, MA. Correspondingly, businesses that reduce media expenditures suffer loss of market share. It was demonstrated that aggressive businesses can accomplish these gains through greater expenditures without reducing short-term profitability.

According to the study and contrary to popular belief, cuts in advertising during a recession decrease net income over the long haul. Companies that maintained advertising during the recession enjoyed measurably higher net income gains not only during the recession, but even more so, two years after the recession. This in stark contrast to those companies those companies that cut advertising both years and significantly reduced their profits during the recession, and for years following.
Advertising can skillfully reposition a product to take advantage of new buying concerns, give an advertiser a stable image in a chaotic environment, and give an advertiser the chance to dominate the advertising media.

Conclusion

A series of six studies conducted by the research firm of Meldrum & Fewsmith showed conclusively that advertising aggressively during recessions not only increases sales but increases profits. This fact has held true for all post-World War II recessions studied by American Business Press starting in 1949.

One major business-to-business advertiser summed it up best. "When times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise."

Source: Mac Tech Magazine

The Legacy and the Insight

2008-10-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

happy Tuesday, if you're reading this now. Okay, today is crazy. I have an early meeting with Legacy and looking forward to learning from that. It's a great group to belong to, and certainly helpful from a professional development and a networking op. After the meeting, i'm shooting a TV interview (well, I'm not shooting it, i'm actually the subject). It's for Insight6 cable and the Emerging 30 class. each member of the emerging 30 gets to do a quicky interview. pretty cool stuff.

i'll be powersuiting tomorrow.

My mom is actually coming down for the emerging 30 presentation. that's cool, seeing that she has been so instrumental in making the corporate rockstar the corporate rockstar. s'all good and good to make mom proud. that's sort of the theme today. no matter what you're doing -- if it would be something that mom would be proud of, it's probably a good thing to do.

that can be tough in business, but if you have a good moral compass and work your butt off, you should be just fine. always remember, there will be those jealous of your success, those that want to take your success, and those that want to ride the coattails of your success. Surround yourself with those that have that passion and that spirit of success and hard work is its own reward, and let those that stand IN your way and create obstacles to be the inspiration for opportunity. There will always be bitter and small people -- success is the greatest comeback.

always be professional, and remember, the people you meet going up, are the same people you meet coming down. know your friends, know your colleagues, and know the bitters. you can understand and learn from each.

rockstar out.

Rock & Roll All Night

2008-09-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

just a quick fyi, my new CD is coming along nicely. Mark and I worked in the studio Thur/Fri/Sat mostly on lead vocals, but I also laid down some bass trax for several of the songs. Vocals sound really nice, pretty happy with the performance, so now we're getting into the "production" side of this monster -- it's fun to do, but i'll be happy when we have a finished product and I can do what I do best -- promote the hell out of it.

15 songs, 14 originals, one remake (Pat Benatar's Shadows of the Night). Good stuff, pretty proud of the material. no economic slowdown at the good ship EMG, trying to keep up. hey, two things:

1. If you don't have a social media strategy or you think the terms Squidoo or Digg or Plaxo are video games -- call us. EMG can help develop and implement a full service social media program to reach out and respond to your customers -- and monitor the chatter online about your organization.

2. It's holiday event planning time. Call us for completely turnkey solutions to your corporate event -- from holiday to anniversary, trade show to client appreciate parties. One call, we'll handle everything. Booking the room, decorating, invitations, booking the entertainment, catering -- everything. AND, we'll save you money from you would pay each of these alone. Less cost, no headaches, you're the hero.

rock on.

This is why I LOVE my job....

2008-09-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

From my speaking engagement with the University of Cincinnati...

September 18, 2008
Mr. Rodger Roeser, President
Eisen Management Group
515 Monmouth Street
Newport, Kentucky 41071

Dear Rodger:
Your talk on Saturday, September 13th on Creating PR Buzz via New Media was a real hit. You shared both the practical issues associated with new media and inspired the audience toward action. Your presentation was extremely well received. I thought you might be interested in the students’ email comments in response to your presentation:

You are the embodiment of what you preach: a sharp and creative mind that strings together information in a fraction of a second, a role model of adaptation (especially to new technologies).
Margarita Nemesh

I think Rodger did a great job expressing the importance of the impact "new media" has on brands/consumers in today's market. I've never written a blog before, and he made me want to start a blog right there in class. Kyle Connolly

Well, it's been pleasure to meet you in the marketing planning class and have your views on new emerging social media. Certainly, as marketers, we can leverage new media as a whole. Moreover, thanks a lot for replying so richly to my question about email marketing. Anshul Mangla

Thank you for sharing your expertise on new marketing techniques in a very dynamic and engaging way. I learned how to use these mediums to not only market a product, but to market myself. I look forward to exploring all the opportunities this will bring to me and my future projects. Rock on! Laura Deller

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise in the field of social media. I loved your enthusiasm for the tools of the trade as well as your passion for EMG. I look forward to checking out your website and listening to that Marketing Show! Kim Williams

Thank you for a wonderful session which shaped up my understanding of new media and its applicability in forming strategic relationships for creating better career opportunities. Binita Pradhan

Mr. Roeser, thank you for taking time to come and speak to us. I was especially interested in all of the new media outlets, I never knew there were so many out there. I look forward to listening to your show and learning about alternative ways to market. Lauren Mariano

Thank you for the insight and motivation to plug myself in to new media. Rock on. David Alex Tieman

I found the information you shared with us very beneficial in starting our thinking of how we are perceived in the virtual marketplace. All of the sources for marketing and putting out a message are ever changing and most that you mentioned are new to me. I found your expertise in the area extremely helpful in exposing us to these ever‐evolving mediums. I think that the way you are reaching consumers is fitting well in today's market with our increasing dependency on technology, even for leisure activities. I believe that your company will be on the forefront of the next wave of mediums that become effective.
Jessica Lawrence

Rodger – Thank you ever so much for your talk. You provided us with some very valuable insights on New Media. Being from a PR background, I could identify with some of the mediums as I had used them in Mumbai. What was really interesting for me was to compare how the different tools in PR are chosen in different cultures. The American market differs from the Indian market. All in all, a great learning
experience. May I say this ‐‐ You Rock On ! :) Thank you once again, Salonee Khanna

Rodger challenged me as a marketing professional on the value of being up‐to‐date in new media applications. The resources he shared, including his own show, will be very beneficial to my professional development and influence in my company and with my clients. Thank you, Rodger, for sharing this valuable information. Lauren Arnos

Thank you for sharing such wonderful ideas. When you talk about such tactics in America, it may be labeled as a great new marketing ideas. But if we start using such new multimedia for marketing in India, it will be called innovation. Kushal Gohil

Rodger, we appreciate your willingness to help us shape the next generation. And, I look forward to finding new ways to connect our organizations in the future!
Wishing you the best,

Andrea Dixon, Ph.D.

Who Owns EMG?

2008-09-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Perhaps an odd question, and possibly self serving, but...(and this is a long one)

I own EMG. Created it in 1989, and it has existed ever since. it's gone through some changes, but essentially, it's the same vision and organization.

I've actually been asked this question three times this week, and i'm not sure why. perhaps because I'm "young" relatively? I'm 39 years old (I think?), and have certainly gone through the gauntlet of a variety of experiences to be able to lead an agency. (we can talk....), from journalist, the professional sports, to Fortune 500, to major agency, the small boutique -- and still and musician, performer, entertainer, songwriter and promoter.

we are the fastest growing firm in our market, and have been recently named an "Emerging 30" business by our local Chamber of Commerce. A fact that is humbling and a testament not to me, but to our clients and the staff that I have assembled and am blessed to work with. I was, today, interviewed by an author writing a book on success and the insights from those that have achieved some measure of success (I'm not done yet) and I attribute it entirely to my work ethic. I believe that I can honestly say that I work harder than any of my competitors, and am more clever, able to do more with a limited budget, and am unencumbered by internal or external business politics.

Love me, hate me, I really could care less. I'm gonna make you a lot of money. I know that some of my competitors dislike me, to the core. This all rings too familiar as I knew, as a young rock and roller, that the other bands envied our success. We weren't the BEST band -- but we worked harder, on stage and off, than anyone else.

There are dozens of things that I do behind the scenes to help -- buying groceries for those that cannot afford food, helping my family, and again, literally dozens of things that I do that I do not promote. Most don't see that, nor do they see or witness the struggles that this incredibly poor, corn fed nobody from the middle of nowhere endured, persevered and overcame. I have the pleasure of remembering that ramen noodles and potatoes were dinner. I recall using newspaper comics as gift wrapping, I remember working with my father to cut wood to heat our home because we couldn't afford gas. I remember my mother making the most of anything we had in the house to eat, yet never asking for government help. We were poor. My grandmother, to this day, is basically destitute and but by my mother and our family is she supported. I came from utterly nothing, and have no respect for those that cannot accept the fact that you must work and you must learn.

Yes, I own EMG. The Greater Cincinnati office and the Greater Cleveland office. I was the first member of my family to graduate college. I worked incessantly to pay for what I could pay for, and recall living on popcorn and potatoes for a time because that was all I could afford to eat. I performed in a rock band, insisting the club provide us hamburgers just so we could eat, and I have never regretted that time. It resolved my spirit as a man, as a provider and as a leader.

I'm not here to win popularity contests - I doubt I would win even if entered, as leaders, you sometimes ruffle feathers, and I'm definitely no exception. I exist to assist my clients in the growth of their business, and my staff in their growth as professionals and as people.

I own EMG, a fact that I am damn proud of, particularly considering the challenges that I and this business have had to overcome. This entire agency is simply a testament to hard work, perseverance, and the tenacity to succeed -- because failure is not an option. Each of you has the power to succeed, through some will and some hard work. Regardless of how young I am perceived to be (apparently, i've been nominated for one of the top 40 pr executives under 40 by PRWeek Magazine -- a national publication for which I have tremendous respect for and for those that actually judge this -- this cornpoke, cowfed farm hand will continue to deliver the finest in our industry, from LA to New York, that this firm can possibly provide. Expect the best, and call us on it.

Rock on.

Hello UC Marketing Class and Dr. Dixon

2008-09-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Hello gang, how are you today! Please know what a privilege it was to speak with you on Saturday, and know that I am humbled by the fact that you took the time to listen. It's entirely up to you to apply. You have chosen a challenging career, and know that I am here to help you, each of you, in any way I can.

As promised: (but you need to create the strategy and the deliverables/ROI behind these)

1. Develop a CEO podcast, used both internally and externally.

2. Create a "pong online experience" where constituents must log on to any/every social media site to learn clues to the next and win some sort of prize.

3. Develop a dark site, readily available at www.twitter.com in the event of a situation or event and be sure you share this site with appropriate target audiences.

4. Create a distinct brand "persona" and follow him/her along their daily life, and encourage "networks" of people with similar situations to share.

5. Create a video log (VLOG) of people that have positively experienced the brand and ask others to participate by submitting their own video.

6. Post a video(s) on YouTube, with a call to action.

7. Monitor sites and blogs via Meltwater and/or eWatch and recommend courses of action to respond to each.

8. Create a microsite.

9. Leave clues or information at the brand's brick and mortar to encourage them to log on and follow various adventures.

10. Blog.

need more? call me or email me. Best of luck to each of you and keep on rockin'!

TV Launch and Emerging 30

2008-09-03T05:38:00.000-07:00

two real quick things: in October, i'll be hosting a new online news magazine called Business Focus. it's a 10 minute one on one conversation with various movers and shakers across Greater Cincinnati. The show will be broadcast online at the eisen management group website (www.eisenmanagementgroup.com) and we're always looking for great guests, so all you PR and media relations folks, send me a pitch (rroeser@eisenmanagementgroup.com).

Secondly, just honored to have been chosen by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as one of the 30 businesses deemed to be the "Emerging 30" class of 2008. Quite an honor, and it's a testament to our wonderful clients and the hard work of the team members here at EMG.

Oh, Google is Launching YouTube for Business. So, get your videos done (call me, we do that). anyway, make today a great one. OH!!! I have a shindig tonight for a client, real black tie sort of affair -- i'll be the only Conservative in the room, though, I'm sure. Should make for an interesting evening. And, I'm going to see the Mayor of Pittsburgh today.

that's cool.

It's like the Super Bowl

2008-08-26T05:52:00.000-07:00

or at least the playoffs. the conventions are here!!! and yes, I'm a political nerd and love following this stuff. the DNC kicked off last night, and again, i make no secret that I am a proud CONSERVATIVE (ie: i am NOT a republican), and believe that having at least two strong parties and candidates is a good thing.

YOWZA. what a bunch of clowns in a circus. Again, and I have to stress this, I write speeches for a living. I am paid ridiculous amounts of money to develop communications strategies and image and write speeches and such a so forth, so i encourage everyone watching this stuff to realize that people like me are writing this nonsense. Which, is mostly what it has been so far. Nobody is really saying much of anything, but if you listen closely, a couple things are loud and clear:

The government will solve all your problems
If we tax people enough the government will solve all your problems
More government will solve all your problems
Rich people and anyone with a job are evil, and you should get their money.

i am honestly TERRIFIED at the socialistic agenda being put forth. it scares the daylights out of me. But, listen with a keen ear and let me know what you hear.

I love being called a Marketing Guru -- so true, so true

2008-08-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio wants the public to know they're about more than abortions, so they've launched an advertising campaign called the "A-Word."
Advertisement

The real "A-words" are abstinence, access, affordability and advocacy, according to the campaign that is designed to educate the public about Planned Parenthood's services and encourage discussion about sexual and reproductive health.

"When people hear the 'A-word,' they automatically think of abortion, but we're more than that," said Becki Brenner, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region. "By educating people about the services we provide and the importance of prevention, we can prevent the 'A-word' from standing for abortion.

"If the public works with me, that 'A-word' will be less and less needed," she said.

The campaign comes as a high-profile lawsuit that accuses the agency of giving abortions to minors without parental consent is in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, and U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Westwood, is pushing to stop the agency from moving its Green Township clinic near several Westside schools.

"This gives me the opportunity to get out there and tell the truth," Brenner said.

Paula Westwood, executive director of Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati, called the ads misleading.

"Unless people are aware of everything going on with Planned Parenthood, they will not know Planned Parenthood actually encourages sexual activity through their promotion of what they call a 'comprehensive sex-education program,' " Westwood said.

She thinks the ads are part of a nationwide trend by the agency to improve its image and are being released here now in part to counteract her group's Web site, protectcincinnati.org, which is a voice for those opposed to the Green Township clinic's move to West Price Hill.

"It looks like they hired marketing gurus to put a better face on," she said.

The campaign, launched two weeks ago at a cost of more than $10,000, is appearing in The Enquirer and other Enquirer publications such as Hometown and CinWeekly over the next six weeks, though Brenner hopes to expand to television and radio.

When Brenner came to Cincinnati as Planned Parenthood's CEO two years ago, she found the community had a negative perception of the agency.

It had been firebombed in the 1980s, and protests outside their Mount Auburn clinic drew attention.

"We really needed to articulate who we are and what we do," Brenner said.

For instance, the agency offers cancer screenings, education about teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and prenatal care, Brenner said.

Abortions are just 2 percent of their work, she said.

The ads provide information about the services offered at Planned Parenthood's 10 clinics and direct people to the Web site www.theawordohio.com. They also show Brenner's picture and encourage readers to e-mail her.

There have just been a handful of e-mails so far.

"Some people I will not be able to move, but there is a core group of people in our community who need to understand that Planned Parenthood's primary focus is prevention," Brenner said.

I wish this were a little more true

2008-08-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

a fun analogy, close -- but the repubs still have a long way to go in my book to get back to their conservative roots. gang, government is the problem not the solution. less government, more personal responsibility. anyway, a funny story....

I was talking to a friend of mine's little girl, and she said she wanted
to be President some day. Both of her parents, liberal Democrats,

were standing there, so I asked her, 'If you were President what

would be the first thing you would do?'

She replied, 'I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people.'

'Wow - what a worthy goal!' I told her, 'You don't have to wait

until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house

and mow, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50.
Then, I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless

guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward

food or a new house.'

She thought that over for a few moments because she's only 6.

And while her Mom glared at me, she looked me straight in the

eye and asked, 'Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and

do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?'

And I said, 'Welcome to the Republican Party.'

Her folks still aren't talking to me.

Mercy, Mercy Me

2008-08-15T07:25:00.001-07:00

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Rodger Roeser, President
Eisen Management Group
859.291.4302
RRoeser@EisenManagementGroup.com

Eisen Bucks Industry Trends, Continues Significant Business Growth
Cincinnati’s Mercy Montessori Marks 20th New Client Naming EMG AOR in 2008

Newport, KY – August 18, 2008 – Greater Cincinnati integrated public relations and marketing consultancy firm Eisen Management Group has been named agency of record (AOR) for Mercy Montessori. Founded in 1969, Mercy Montessori was the first and is the oldest combined preschool, elementary, and Junior High Montessori school in the Greater Cincinnati area. The school hired EMG to develop and implement a new communications program and advocacy initiative designed to raise the profile of the school, its students and staff, and to assist in gearing up for a 40th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign. The 40th Anniversary will be celebrated in 2009.

According to EMG president Rodger Roeser, the campaign is designed to share many of the accomplishments of the pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students, many of whom have consistently won top honors in state and national academic and service competitions. In addition, as the regions first Montessori school, Mercy Montessori leadership will be positioned to discuss educational initiatives and provide expert insight, context and comment.

“This group has not sought widespread recognition for its many successes – it may be the best school you’ve never heard of,” Roeser says. “Graduates of Mercy Montessori have a stellar record of achievement and success, and the work both the students and the staff perform is humbling and inspirational, and we are honored to have been selected to share this positive message.”

Mercy Montessori principal Patty Normile says that Eisen was selected because of its track record of excellence in positioning business and education leaders as experts in their industry. “Mercy Montessori is genuinely a wonderful school and one of the very best private schools of any kind,” Normile says. “We have such a chain of successes and we believe that it’s valuable for our school and our parents to share these stories of inspiration. The EMG team was incredibly enthusiastic, and their expertise in public relations is well known.”

About Mercy Montessori

Since 1969, Mercy Montessori School has followed the principles of education developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, whose “whole child” approach seeks to educate in an environment that supports each child’s individual development. Mercy Montessori was the first and is the oldest Montessori school in Greater Cincinnati, and educates children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, drawing more than 250 students from 25 ZIP Codes throughout the region. Children are encouraged and supported in their academic, spiritual, emotional and physical growth. More information can be accessed at www.mercymontessori.org.

About EMG

Eisen Management Group is a fully integrated public relations and marketing firm, providing strategic communications and marketing counsel, implementation and brand development. The firm specializes in creating growth opportunities for small to medium sized businesses, governmental and public affairs organizations, professional services, restaurant, retail and CPG. The firm also offers a full suite of in house graphic design, audio design and podcasting. Expert team, with guaranteed best agency rates in a fully integrated, responsive environment. More information can be accessed at www.BestCincinnatiPRFirm.com or by calling 859.291.4302.

EMG In the News: Not a Bad News Day for the Good Guys

2008-08-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

PackageDesign Magazine:

Eisen Makes New Cold Sore Ointment
Look and Sound Sexy for Dr. Krane's

By Larry Jaffee

When you think cold sore medicine, you usually don't think sexy. When women are in need of a remedy, however, their vanity gene kicks in. They don't necessarily want to call attention to the fact that they're using something to deal with their contagious facial blemish.

Canadian bioscience company Taiga Bioactives Inc., headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, needed a way to make its first branded product line, Dr. Krane's KoolLips, to sound and look sexy. KoolLips is a topical ointment for treatment of cold sores that breaks away from the clinical presentation of its competitors.

Read More: http://www.packagedesignmag.com/issues/2008.07/spot.health.shtml

and, the Cincinnati Enquirer

Look Who's Talking
Marketing Show's Webcast fans growing rapidly
Comments Post a Comment • Recommend • Print Print • Email Email • Click To Listen Click To Listen • Type Size: A A

About a year ago, the only people clicking onto Eisenmanagementgroup.com to hear founder Rodger Roeser's Webcast interviews with marketing, branding and public relations experts were friends and family. As "That Marketing Show" enters its third season, listenership is about 20,000. Another 40,000 people have asked to be alerted by e-mail when the next show airs, he said. Roeser, who plans to create a video Webcast on similar topics, is prepping for the next series of online audio shows to begin Sept. 15.

Read More: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080810/BIZ01/808100341

anyway, nice to be recognized.

Press Conference for the Firefighters

2008-08-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Did a press conference for the unveiling of the Newport Firefighters logo. Did it at the Peace Bell in Newport. Tx to the Enquirer, Community Press, Fox19, 5, 12, and 9 for being there -- hmmm, which local paper is missing....again. ugh, can't figure the courier out. oh well, some great coverage for a great cause.

the press conference can also be seen at www.iaff45.org. Here's the clip. Tx Scott.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/NEWS0103/808050410/0/NEWS01

NEWPORT - The Newport firefighters union has a new logo and Web site in an effort to become more visible in the community.

The International Association of Firefighters Local 45 unveiled the new look Monday in front of the World Peace Bell at Fourth and York streets.

The union wants to better publicize its charitable works. Not many people know of the scholarships, fund drives and sponsorship of sporting leagues, said Mike Volz, treasurer of Local 45.

"We don't always have a lot of people respond to these things," Volz said. "This is to let them know what is available to them."

The firefighters will use the new Web site, www.iaff45.org, launched Monday, to publicize events, he said.

Newport firefighters have events throughout the year. At the Aug. 11 City Commission meeting, the firefighters will present a $10,000 check to the families of the two Colerain firefighters killed in an April fire. The firefighters raised the money from a golf tournament in June.

Each Christmas Eve, the union brings Santa and a bag of gifts to needy families.

Local 45 also gives $1,000 scholarships each year to students at Newport and Newport Central Catholic high schools.

Sports in the region get a boost from the union, which purchases the trophies for the annual "bell match" football game between Newport and Newport Central Catholic. Several softball teams in the "ponytail softball" league are sponsored by the Fire Department.

Firefighters show pride in their service to the community with their new symbol.

"That will allow the resident to know that the guys on the Newport Firefighters Local 45 are the guys doing this," said Greg Wuestefeld, Local 45 vice president.

The logo, designed by marketing firm Eisen Management, incorporates red, orange and silver to symbolize passion, awareness and resolve, Volz said

Some News, Lowe's, and Ask a Question

2008-07-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

Gonna be some large news coming out of the EMG camp this week -- we are humbled to continue the growth we're experiencing, but as Thomas Jefferson said "I find the harder I work, the luckier I get." True words, especially in this current economy. We do continue to hire good people, and actually have three open positions in account and graphic/web. Need to keep the nose to the grindstone.

For small businesses out there, couple simple tips: don't do your marketing yourself. Almost any agency can do it better than you can. We have the tools, the time, the focus and the contacts -- focus on what you do best, don't incur the overhead of internal hirings, and challenge your marketing partner to grow your business. I find that folks who try to hire a $60K person in house, can do twice the work of this person with almost any good agency. No single person compares to the team assembled at EMG -- mostly because I can't do what Angela can do, and she can't do what I can do, and on and on. Besides, by the time you're getting to someone commanding $60K in this business, they don't really "do" anything anymore:-). They tell others to do it for them. Be wise, sell shoes really well -- and challenge the marketers to help you do it. It's a wise investment in your company. And, don't be afraid, in the services sector, to get rid of the lousy clientele that brings down the organization.

Oh, a rant: I have a love/hate relationship with Lowe's. I like it better than Home Depot, not sure why, and I have no choice but to use of them -- but damn. Whomever is the marketing person/advertising agency responsible for the Lowe's ad with the guy at Lowe's and his overbearing wife "guilting" this guy into spending money he probably doesn't have and giving him that "look" to fix up the house or whatever...

...all I can say is, I can pretty clearly guess that the people in charge of marketing for Lowe's are women. This has to be one of the most sexist, insensitive and insulting ads I have ever seen. Guy get's done, then his daughter gets in on the act. Lowe's has done for home improvement what Debeers did for diamonds "ie: if you love me, you'll spend wild amounts of money and do this and do that and THEN maybe I'll get off your back, little boy." Insulting, and Lowe's should be ashamed.

I'm boycotting Lowe's for right now, and encourage the guys to do so as well until this nonsense is taken off. Straight white men are the only group that it's still okay to insult. Windex, you're next.

Corporate Rockstar out.

May We All 'Be The Coffee'

2008-07-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pull ed the eggs out and placed them! in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, i ts inside became hardened. The! ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength.

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hard ship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. Corporate RockStar has certainly been all of these -- particularly in my business. i'll work harder at being the coffee. i love coffee.

and I don't love republicans

2008-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

so, yesterday i received a survey from the RNC (republican national committee for those in rio linda). The survey was so disturbingly leading that no information that was in any way shape or form accurate could possibly be gleaned from this thing. Sadly, the folks that develop surveys for the RNC must also think conservatives are not terribly bright, and blindly follow the grand ol party. Guys (on both sides) it's time to wake up. We, the electorate, particularly someone like myself who is incredibly informed and utilizes that information to decide for myself what I believe is best for me, my business and this country -- ain't in grand. You don't need to resort to such tactics and act like we are sheep, simply seeking to be lead.

Straight talk, honesty and integrity can go a long, long way. Sadly, this is missing in politics and i genuinely don't believe anyone has the citizenry's best interests in mind. What has happened? And, look at our economy and the divisive nature, the rudeness. So very sad.

I vote for Bill & Ted. Be excellent to one another.

I don't hate Democrats

2008-07-01T05:18:00.000-07:00

honestly, I don't. In fact, I went to visit the home of basically the founder of the party, Andrew Jackson, and his home called 'The Hermitage" near Nashville, TN. It was truly magnificent and altogether humbling. He was a great man of the people, and did some genuinely amazing things for our burgeoning country. If you have a chance to go and experience the Hermitage, do so, it's amazing and dripping with history.

I wish more democrats would go The Hermitage and reimurse themselves in what it means to be a "man of the people," and make the hard decisions for the good of the country, not for the good of the few. We are a better a country only with strong leadership from all parties, and Jackson, is truly an inspiration -- or should I call him, The General.

also, couple quick points:

Nashville is an AMAZINGLY awesome city! Incredibly clean, vibrant, fun, safe and just a wonderful place to be, to visit and spend some quality time. The people were wonderful, and the Parthenon was nothing short of breathtaking.

The term "an arm and a leg" refers to how many limbs you had showing when you commissioned a portait. The more limbs, the more expensive...thus the term "it cost me an arm and a leg."

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Go make some waves. oh, one more: if you have no enemies, you must not stand for anything meaningful. And...no, your competition shouldn't be your friends. a note from the Corporate Rock Star -- and the immortal words of dubya: You're either with me, or against me.

rock on.

Bienvenido nuestro nuevo cliente

2008-06-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Marisa Minor, Development Manager
Eisen Management Group
859.291.4302
Marisa@EisenManagementGroup.com

Eisen Continues Aggressive, Managed Growth Track
National Society of Hispanic MBAs Joins Integrated Greater Cincinnati PR Firm

Newport, KY – June 19, 2008 – Greater Cincinnati integrated public relations and marketing consultancy firm Eisen Management Group has been named agency of record (AOR) for the Cincinnati Chapter of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs. The professional organization has hired EMG to develop and implement a new communications program and advocacy initiative designed to raise awareness, sponsorships and membership.

According to EMG president Rodger Roeser, one of the main thrusts of the campaign will be to build better general understanding of NSHMBA, and to bring a more “human element” to the chapter by sharing the benefits of professional development, networking and education offered by the organization to sponsors, current and prospective membership.

“It’s an incredible group of some of the best and brightest in our city, who are passionately dedicated to building understanding and fostering leadership,” Roeser says. “We as an agency look forward to utilizing our expertise to share those stories with fellow business leaders and the general public.”

NSHMBA Cincinnati chapter president Gema Bahns explained that Eisen was chosen not only because of its success in working with other professional organizations, but also because of the shared passion for their craft between agency and client. “You can see it in their eyes and their actions how much the group at EMG cares about its craft and its clientele,” Bahns said. “We know and appreciate that we are not the largest client in the world, but they make us feel like we are. We are a passionate group of hard working professionals dedicated to something larger than any of us individually, and EMG quickly understood what we needed, and put us into motion to achieve that.”

Roeser explained that the three main communications initiatives as part of the public relations campaign are:

• You need neither be Hispanic nor an MBA to join the chapter;
• it is a powerful networking, educational and sponsorship opportunity for businesses and leaders seeking to learn, profit and reach out to a high level, diverse audience, and;
• that stereotypes regarding Hispanics need to be addressed and overcome.

Roeser said he expects the agency to implement a social media and online campaign, combined with general operations and brand alignment, local publicity, and literature development.

There are currently 200 members of the Cincinnati NSHMBA chapter.

About NSHMBA

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) was created in 1988 as a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. Widely known as the "Premier Hispanic Organization," NSHMBA serves 32 chapters and 7,000 members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. It exists to foster Hispanic leadership through graduate management education and professional development. NSHMBA works to prepare Hispanics for leadership positions throughout the U.S., so that they can provide the cultural awareness and sensitivity vital in the management of the nation’s diverse workforce. Its vision is to be the premier Hispanic MBA professional business network for economic and philanthropic advancement, and its mission is to foster Hispanic leadership through graduate management education and professional development in order to improve society. More information can be accessed at www.nshmba.org.

About EMG

Eisen Management Group is a fully integrated public relations and marketing firm, providing strategic communications and marketing counsel, implementation and brand development. The firm specializes in creating growth opportunities for small to medium sized businesses, governmental and public affairs organizations, professional services, restaurant, retail and CPG. The firm also offers a full suite of in house graphic design, audio design and podcasting. Expert team, with guaranteed best agency rates in a fully integrated, responsive environment. More information can be accessed at www.BestCincinnatiPRFirm.com or by calling 859.291.4302.

amazing chase newport style

2008-06-17T13:56:00.001-07:00

Contact Information:
Newport Business Association Event Chair:
Heather Rahn (513) 236-6072 or info@cincymindspa.com

For Immediate Release

Newport Business Association Presents “Newport Amazing Chase.”

NEWPORT, KY – June 9, 2008 – The Newport Business Association is sponsoring the “Newport Amazing Chase,” a fundraiser to benefit Newport Veterans Memorial Pool. Newport Amazing Chase is a scavenger hunt throughout the Newport business area, and will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2008. The race begins at 9 a.m. at Fourth Street Elementary, located at 101 E. 4th Street in Newport. The race will end at Cityside Pub and Grill, located at 500 Monmouth Street. Friends and family who do not want to participate in the chase may attend the after party between noon and 3 p.m. for $10.

Each team, made up of no more than 4 people, will complete challenges in each business before moving on to the next. Teams should dress in matching attire or costumes for the family friendly chase. Awards will be given for Fastest Team, Fastest Female Team, Fastest Male Team, Fastest Team with a Stroller, Fastest over Age 55 Team, Furthest Traveled Team, Best Costume, Best Team Name, Most Money Raised, Youngest Participating Team, Oldest Participating Team, and Fastest Corporate Team.

Early entry into The Amazing Chase is $100 per team of four by June 16, after which the entry fee is $150. All the participants will receive a goodie bag and admission to the “Mini-Taste of Newport” after party at Cityside Pub and Grill. Newport restaurants will provide samples of their famous dishes. There will be beverage specials and live music during the awards presentation.

This event is designed to help raise money for Newport Veterans Memorial Pool. The money made will not only help with operation and maintenance costs, but also caters to Campbell County as the only community pool. Partnerships with the Newport Independent School system (NIS) and the Brighton Center will provide low income children with breakfast and lunch, and busing to the pool for recreational activity. NIS also provides a Summer Literacy Academy for children of the area. The pool will serve as an incentive for the kids, while also providing a safe area for them to swim.

Ample parking is available at Fourth Street Elementary School for $2. To register for this event or make a donation, go to www.active.com. Keyword Search: “Newport Amazing Chase”. Checks can be made out to “The Newport Business Association-Pool Fund” c/o The Bank of Kentucky, 501 Monmouth Street, Newport, KY 41071. More information is available at www.go2newport.com/chase/.

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the 3Cs to Successful Pipeline Building

2008-06-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Is it Just My Agency?
The 3 “C’s” to Successful Pipeline Building: Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

Too many agencies prospect in fits and spurts.
Too many agencies are terrible at marketing themselves.
Too many agencies don’t take the time to build an organized new business process.

Winning new business starts with building a solid pipeline of potential opportunities.
Building a solid pipeline starts with developing and maintaining the 3 “C’s” of business development.
Absent of these 3 “C’s”, an agency’s efforts will be stunted, challenged, and frustrated.

The first and potentially most important “C” is consistency of outreach….being there as much as you can, as often as you can. After all, the “game” is a bit of an aperture marketing game. Today your prospect is fine, tomorrow they have their boss breathing down their neck, or a new initiative demands a new look and fresh ideas. Being there when they are ready to make a move means always being on the radar, not just when you can make the time.
The second “C” is consistency of messaging used in reaching out. Just like an advertiser’s brand, your “brand” needs to define itself in as compelling and as unique a way it can. Given at the end of the day, all agencies deliver the same “stuff”, finding the reasons-to-believe your agency is able to get the prospect to a better place is central to convincing them that you can help. Show them you understand their situation, bridge their situation back to your work, then make your compelling case for why your “way” is better than the next agency on the block.
And the third is the consistency of the methodology used in your outreach. You can have the most outgoing, smartest salesperson in the world working on your behalf and if he/she isn’t organized in their approach, doesn’t have the right tools to reach out with, doesn’t have the right support to help develop lists and messaging and reporting, the program will eventually fall short.

Following the 3 “C’s” is particularly important in today’s economy. With fewer opportunities and more agencies knocking on the same door, doing it the way we’ve always done it isn’t going to win the day.
In a recent survey conducted by business development consultancy Reardon Smith Whittaker (www.rswus.com/surveys), 150 agency principals highlighted the consistency of the pain many are feeling in today’s market, stressing the need to be better stewards of the 3 “C’s”.

Is it just my agency?
Doesn’t seem to be so.
According to the survey, close to 60% of those responding state that their business is flat to declining versus a year ago.
51% of agency principals state that winning new business is “harder” or “a lot harder” than it was three years ago – as compared to only 40% agreeing with the statement in last year’s survey. So it’s clearly getting tougher, not easier to create opportunities.

What could be the root cause?
When asked, 37% of principals seem convinced that the top reason for the slowdown is the fact that there are fewer opportunities to be had (as a result of company consolidations and lower levels of spending), and that it is increasingly harder to break through to prospects (44%).
With the economy placing ever-increasing pressure on the advertiser’s financial performance (see RSW’s “A Client’s Perspective on Economic Conditions”: www.rswus.com/surveys), there seems to be ever-increasing pressure on a marketer’s time. With company cut-backs comes less time to talk to agencies. With less time and fewer dollars to be spent on marketing, advertisers are more hesitant to give the agency that simply wants to talk about itself any time. Reach out needs to be compelling, relevant, consistent and on-going. Reaching out with new thinking, best practices, or anything that can add value to the prospect’s world will only improve your chances of penetrating and getting on the radar screen.

Is it possible we are doing something wrong?
Interestingly, agencies are still relying heavily on referrals and networking as a resource for new business. Anecdotally, we have found that the rate of network and referral opportunities is slowing down...which makes sense given the consolidation and reductions in spend.
What agencies aren’t doing a lot of (or maybe not doing effectively) is “prospecting”. Only 16% of new business came in via prospecting in 2008 and in 2007. This could be a function of the fact that fewer new business managers are being brought on board (36% state they hired a new business manager in the 2008 survey as compared with 48% in the 2007 survey). This could also be a function of the fact that the new business managers being brought on board continue to underperform (with 58% of principals stating that they have replaced their new business managers at least once in the past three years.
The lower success rates associated with new business managers could be driven by the fact that new business managers overwhelmingly aren’t squarely focused on the job of reaching out and prospecting...they are focused on lots of other activities – which based on our experience, is recipe for disaster. While 90% of principals state that their new business manager was/is responsible for “setting meetings” and “cold calling”, 60%- 70% of principals state that they are also responsible for “presenting to prospects”, “managing mailings”, and “creating presentations”. We have found that the less a new business manager is focused on the core activity of consistently reaching out, the more likely they are to meet with less-than-optimal success.

So what are we to do?
Only putting an on again/off again effort against outreach, or letting your new business manager do a lot more than they should be doing to generate opportunities isn’t going to help you open up the doors that are harder and harder to open.
Key is following the 3 “C’s”. Consistency of outreach, consistency of messaging, and consistency of methodology. Sitting back and waiting for all this economic nonsense to pass and the referrals and network opportunities to pick back up would be a bad course of action. When the economic chips are down, it is time to ramp it up!
If you manage the process inside, dedicate someone to the process, make them develop a system, force them to create a “brand story”, and keep tabs on how well they are sticking to it. And for God’s sake, let them stay focused!!
If you feel like bringing on more overhead and dedicating more time to the effort is simply outside of your capacity at this point in time, consider outsourcing the activity. More agencies are turning to outside resources to support their new business efforts. According to the survey, 31% of agency executives state that they have or do use an outside service to help open doors and set meetings on their behalf. This is up significantly from the 16% that stated the same in last year’s survey.
More firms are turning to outsourced services because they are less costly, more focused, and expert at what they do. The good ones know how to manage the 3 “C’s” more effectively than any agency can on its own. The right firm can help you build the consistent, compelling message, the right firm can help you build a well organized, strategic target list, and the right firm can help you maintain the consistency of utilizing a well-oiled, market-proven methodology.
At the end of the day, you didn’t get into the ad or PR or design business to be an expert at lead generation. You got into the business to be expert communicators and idea people. In these tough times it may make more sense to keep overhead low, focus on your current clients, and use your new business energies to win prospects handed over to you.

Give Them VOICE

2008-06-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

Agency Launches New Program to Develop Business Leaders Into Powerful Speakers
Top Northern Kentucky Agency Eisen Management Group Unveils ‘Voice’

Newport, KY – June 4, 2008 – What do you get when you cross the 2006 runner up to Miss Ohio, a chiseled, cynical news veteran, and the self proclaimed ‘Corporate Rock Star’? You get a new program, developed by top Northern Kentucky public relations and advertising firm Eisen Management Group that focuses on formalized media training, speech and presentation development, and securing and managing speaking opportunities for business leaders.

The new program, dubbed ‘Voice’, is lead by EMGers Marisa Minor, the 2006 Miss Ohio runner up, former WEBN news director and WKRC AM 550 morning show host Craig Kopp, and EMG president and former radio, television and print journalist Rodger Roeser. The program works with business leadership to develop a more poised, confident approach to speaking, as well as intensive media training to uncover powerful news opportunities, and also prepare and rehearse sound bites and crisis communications activities.

“If our current President taught us nothing else, he showcases how important it is to be able to speak with confidence and poise,” EMG president Rodger Roeser says. “Media training is critical to an organization, and should be rehearsed over and over again in advance, not when the media shows up at the office. In addition, giving powerful presentations is a sign of a good leader, and how that message is delivered often makes the difference between key stakeholders understanding a presentation or dismissing it.”

The all star line up for the Voice program gives executives unparalleled access to tap into the expertise of the EMG Voice team, and better prepare these executives to perform well under pressure, and continue to solidify the brand and advance the initiatives of their organization.

2008-05-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Some Well Deserved Hardware

2008-05-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Eisen Management Group Awarded Highest Honor in Design Competition
Only Firm in Greater Cincinnati, Only Firm in State of Kentucky to Win

Newport, KY – May 26, 2008 – Integrated public relations and brand development firm Eisen Management Group is the only Kentucky or Greater Cincinnati firm to receive an Award of Excellence from the 14th Annual Communicator Awards. EMG won for best package design and corporate identity for their work on Calgary based client Taiga Bioactives and their cold sore product, Dr. Kranes KoolLips brand cold sore treatment.

Eisen Management Group began developing the brand and brand identity for the Taiga flagship brand in June, 2007, which was then called Korner’s Cold Sore Remedy. The Greater Cincinnati and Greater Cleveland based firm developed an innovative design based on a variety of consumer insights that took the brand away from it’s medicinal look pervasive in the industry, to an ultra sleek, sexy and sophisticated brand aimed specifically for women.

The three inch by five inch package, dubbed “The Matchbook,” opens similar to a traditional matchbook, and securely holds a newly designed precision application tube that holds three grams of the product. Since the product is available exclusively throughout Canada, the copy was developed in both English and French. The Matchbook, which uses elements of black tone on tone varnish, and high end copper metallic ink and purple accents, was conceived and developed by EMG president Rodger Roeser and vice president Angela (Young) Deniston. It was printed by InstaBox of Calgary, Alberta, and is available for purchase online anywhere it the world at www.drkranes.com.

“It is gratifying to see that our industry peers recognized the hard work and the creativity that went into creating this piece,” Roeser said. “It’s a very innovative design, and completely sets Dr. Krane’s well above its competition visually, practically and from a general brand design standpoint. We looked at the industry and the packaging in an entirely new way, focused on the needs of a very specific consumer set, and came away with something genuinely breathtaking.”

The design has also been featured in Canadian advertising trade publication Strategy, as well as Create and BrandPackaging Magazines. EMG also won Awards of Distinction in the following categories: business to business trade advertising category, media kit design, and news release writing.

The Communicator Awards is the leading international awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals. Founded by communication professionals over a decade ago, The Communicator Awards received over 8,000 entries from companies and agencies of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards of its kind in the world.

The Award of Excellence, the highest honor in the Communicator Awards, is given to those entries whose ability to communicate puts them among the best in the field.

For well over a decade, the Communicator Awards has honored the best creative work in the communications fields. And now, as we enter our 14th season, we are thrilled to announce new initiatives to make the most important and relevant award of its kind even better.

The Communicator Awards honors creative excellence in Print Media by seeking out the best in Advertising, Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Graphic Design, and Identity Work. The Communicator Awards Competition is open to all companies, agencies, organizations or individuals involved in producing print communication materials for external or internal audiences.

For the first time, the 14th Annual Communicator Awards is being overseen and sanctioned by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a "Who's Who" of acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative and marketing firms. IAVA members include executives from organizations such as Alloy, Brandweek, Coach, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Estee Lauder, Fry Hammond Barr, HBO, Monster.com, MTV, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, and Yahoo!

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About EMG

Eisen Management Group is a fully integrated public relations and marketing firm, providing strategic communications and marketing counsel, implementation and brand development. The firm specializes in creating growth opportunities for small to medium sized businesses, governmental and public affairs organizations, professional services, restaurant, retail and CPG. The firm also offers a full suite of in house graphic design, audio design and podcasting. Expert team, with guaranteed best agency rates in a fully integrated, responsive environment. More information can be accessed at www.BestClevelandPR.com or by calling 859.291.4302.

NineSigma, Kellogg's Launch WP re: Open Innovation and Non Confidential Exchange. Download it. Some cool vid, too.

2008-05-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Managing Flow of Information Critical in Ensuring
Success in Open Innovation

New NineSigma and Kellogg Company white paper discusses best ways to manage the evaluation of external partners consistent with strategies for managing intellectual property

CLEVELAND, Ohio and BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – May 20, 2008 – In a new white paper titled “Open Innovation and The Value of Non-Confidential Exchange,” NineSigma and Kellogg Company discuss how to establish Open Innovation (OI) strategies while preserving the critical intellectual property of all internal and external parties. The paper suggests that by implementing a consistent process of partner evaluation, non-confidential information can be used to identify and qualify new ideas and capabilities from external sources faster and more effectively than ever before.

“Using our proprietary process, which facilitates a structured flow of non-confidential information, NineSigma has helped Kellogg Company establish relationships with global solution providers that have sparked ideas and inspired new solutions to existing challenges,” said Paul Stupay, vice president for NineSigma, Inc. “Our process helps to protect the information and manage the risks involved with evaluating external innovations. Effective integration of Open Innovation with an IP Strategy encourages cultural adoption and consistent utilization throughout the enterprise.”

Stupay outlined three key messages from the white paper:
1. Sometimes organizations jump too quickly to confidential discussions. This often prevents developers from other areas in the company from participating in the discussions and, therefore, the evaluation of external solution providers.
2. In order to facilitate the consistent use of external solutions and technology, organizations must establish a corporate OI infrastructure. This will ensure that the OI process consistently aligns with corporate strategy, structure and culture.
3. An intermediary, such as NineSigma, can develop a customized process that aligns with an organization’s OI infrastructure to facilitate non-confidential and anonymous discussions.

“At Kellogg Company, we have developed a culture of product innovation that has helped us become a world leader in the food industry,” said Silvia Uribe-Saucedo, Advanced Technology Assessment, Kellogg Company. “During the last several years, with ever-changing business climates and consumer demand, we have enhanced our internal innovation processes by engaging NineSigma to help us reach out to the global community for new technologies and opportunities. As a partner, NineSigma ensures that non-confidential information exchanges with external sources operate smoothly and that Kellogg can complete an effective and efficient review of solution provider capabilities. With the help of an intermediary and a defined process and infrastructure, we are able to recognize the numerous benefits of Open Innovation while reducing risks associated with evaluating external innovators.”

To download the complete white paper, visit http://www.eisenmanagementgroup.com/NineSigmaWP/.

About Kellogg Company
With 2007 sales of nearly $12 billion, Kellogg Company (NYSE:K) is the world’s leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, frozen waffles, and meat alternatives. The company’s brands include Kellogg’s, Keebler, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, Cheez-It, Club, Nutri-Grain, Rice Krispies, Special K, All-Bran, Mini-Wheats, Morningstar Farms, Famous Amos, Ready Crust and Kashi. Kellogg products are manufactured in 18 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, visit Kellogg’s web site at www.kelloggcompany.com.

About NineSigma
NineSigma partners with Global 1000 companies to transform their innovation capabilities by connecting them with the very best innovators from around the world. NineSigma’s proprietary process for Open Innovation enables companies to dramatically improve speed to market while lowering product development costs. NineSigma’s open network of innovators is the largest of its kind and spans industries, geographies, and technical disciplines. Companies such as Xerox, GlaxoSmithKline, DuPont, Kraft, P&G, and Unilever engage NineSigma to build new innovation capabilities that leverage research and innovation globally to deliver greater value to their customers. NineSigma is a private company with offices in the United States, Belgium, and Japan. For more information visit: www.ninesigma.com.

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Media Contact: Dan Dyer, pr@ninesigma.com, 513-478-7818
Kellogg Media Hotline, media.hotline@kellogg.com, 269-961-3799

NineSigma Releases RapidOI Service for Innovators

2008-05-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

NineSigma Launches New Professional Service Offering
to Help Companies Optimize Open Innovation

RapidOI emphasizes best practices in developing successful
open innovation initiatives

Cleveland, OH – May 13, 2008 – NineSigma, the leading provider of open innovation (OI) solutions, today introduced RapidOIsm, a new innovation service offering to help companies launch or re-configure their open innovation programs. The new service incorporates NineSigma’s experience with more than 1,000 innovation projects, focusing on the best practices for leveraging the global research and innovation community to speed product development.

RapidOI is a multi-step approach that supports the development and implementation of an enterprise-wide open innovation program. A combination of methodology and consulting, RapidOI guides companies through an open innovation initiative, from defining program goals and connecting with innovators to the acquisition of a technology or solution. NineSigma’s consulting team works closely with clients to establish key roles and responsibilities and integrate best practices to help ensure a successful outcome and maximum return on their open innovation investments.

“Our new service offering is helping companies fully understand the opportunities available through open innovation,” said Paul Stiros, president and CEO of NineSigma. “RapidOI further leverages our years of experience and our team of experts from business and academia to help create more successful engagements between innovations seekers and solution providers. Our service offerings have struck a chord with our customers, and whatever their needs, from beginning the OI process to evaluating solutions and engaging with providers, we have a complete set of services to make it happen.”

“RapidOI provides a deeper level partnership with our customers’ organizations, and it allows us to further demonstrate the value of a well-defined open innovation plan,” said Skip Davis, vice president of consulting for NineSigma. “We have seen a broad range of processes and practices for leveraging the global research and innovation community to support product development, and we understand the speed of business today. We have developed RapidOI to help our customers move strategically and quickly so that they can experience a rapid return on their commitment to open innovation.”

For more information on NineSigma’s service offerings, please contact (216) 295-4800 or visit www.ninesigma.com. To download a one sheet document detailing RapidOI, visit http://www.eisenmanagementgroup.com/ninesigma.

About NineSigma

NineSigma partners with Global 1000 companies to help transform their innovation capabilities and overcome business and technology challenges by connecting them with solutions not readily available in the public domain. NineSigma’s proprietary process for Open Innovation enables companies to dramatically improve speed to market while lowering product development costs. NineSigma’s open network of innovators is the largest of its kind and spans industries, geographies and technical disciplines. Companies such as Xerox, GlaxoSmithKline, DuPont, Kraft, P&G, and Unilever engage NineSigma to build new innovation capabilities that leverage research and innovation globally to deliver greater value to their customers. NineSigma is a private company with offices in the United States, Belgium and Japan. For more information visit: www.ninesigma.com.

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Media Contact: Dan Dyer, pr@ninesigma.com, 513-478-7818

Agencies. Don't Read This! Helping Out the Competition

2008-05-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

Five Principles to Follow to Build Better Pipelines of Business Leads
By: Mark Sneider, Managing Director, RSW US

Amidst budget cuts and the impending threat of a recession, executives and sales managers are feeling the heat to generate sales more than ever before. Cincinnati lead generation firm Reardon Smith Whittaker managing director Mark Sneider shares his top tactics for generating more productive leads.

1. Be Marketing-Centric. Before you hand over the reigns to anybody, you need to first establish a clear, concise, and well differentiated message for your “brand”. Without it, what is someone going to say when asked “Why should I consider you”?

Once you create this communications strategy, carry it throughout every touchpoint: letter copy, your key talking/selling points, web copy. If you have trouble doing this yourself, a good lead generation firm or consultant should be able to see the big picture and guide you through the changes needed to ensure consistency in your marketing communication.

2. Be Consistent. Asking sales people to sell, and manage accounts, and generate leads will not prove of success to the organization. Have the Principal or the President act as part time lead generator will only lead to less than part-time success.

If you put a program together to generate leads, you need to make certain that there are no breaks in the action. Because the lead generation “game” is as much an aperture marketing game as it is a positioning and process and skill set game, maintaining consistency of reach-out is key. Today your prospect may be fine, tomorrow they have an issue or a problem that their current supplier or vendor isn’t doing a good job of fixing – you need to be there.

3. Be Relevant. The last thing you want to do is simply pound on doors in the hopes of one opening up. Do that and you don’t look very strategic, you don’t look like a good potential partner, and you don’t look like you know a lot about your prospect’s business. Being relevant takes time and focus – the kind of focus only a well-organized internal or external lead generation effort can bring you.

Before any call is made into any prospect, conduct news searches on the prospect, check the website for releases, and scour the category’s e-publications for a nugget of an insight you can bring to the table. This way, you exhibit empathy and understanding when you connect and are better able to “bridge” the prospect’s situation back to challenges you yourself have solved for your own clients. Prospects appreciate this – they like to be heard, not to be told.

The Ramp Up and Shuffle

2008-05-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

Before I get too far, I'm not directing this at any particular firm, it's just a general observation on the "big firms" and the "little ones". But, there was an article in today's paper that I at least must reference, and honestly, it gives me no pleasure to do so as this type of practice affects so many good, honest and hard working professionals (typically the young professionals) lives in an already slowed economy. But, it's time for some straight talk and honest to agencies and to those seeking an agency for representation. I call it the Ramp Up and Shuffle.

You call a big firm (most of which are good at producing invoices and poor at producing results) and you meet with the senior people and you're terribly impressed by their portfolio and their work, so you pay the $200/hour for their services. Sadly, the people that actually do the WORK on most accounts in these types of environments are rather junior people and the "folks you thought you hired" have little to no accountability on the actual work of the account. Clients are getting duped into thinking hiring a big agency is smart because they have "the best people" and "best resources." it's an absolute fallacy and myth.

Worse, when the big agency inevitably loses the account for any number of reasons, the people that actually did the work lose their jobs -- typically through no fault of their own. And, the owners and senior people just hack away until the next big client they get, then they hire a bunch of new, wide eyed, unsuspecting young professionals who think it's cool to work for a big agency.

Let me know how cool you think it is today. We grow organically and methodically, and work hard to cross train our teams so they are versatile and valuable throughout the whole of the organization. We also don't put so many eggs in one basket, so as to lose a client (again, it's inevitable -- re: see the RSW reports www.rswus.com) never has such an overwhelming impact to the lives of my most valuable resource (my staff) or the business as a whole.

In addition, as each and everyone at EMG is encouraged to be entrepreneurial, each of us has some level of control over our fate -- like NASCAR. Want more money??? Win a couple races. I'll give you the car, you need to drive. I am saddened today, mostly because my email is about to get loaded with more resumes for positions that just don't exist.

Jeers to the Ramp Up and Shuffle. And, all you clients looking for agency representation -- be a little smarter about your choices and understand what you're really getting and who is really working on your account. Bigger in this business, is definitely NOT better. Smaller firms are less expensive, much more responsive and opportunistic, and typically you work with senior and sometimes VERY senior account experts. The corporate rock star is sad today:-(....To everyone who just lost your jobs...hang in there.

Ohio tobacco foundation demise means layoffs at Northlich
Business Courier of Cincinnati

Northlich said it has laid off 27 employees after the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation, a major client, was abolished by state legislators.

The laid-off employees account for more than one-sixth of the Cincinnati branding firm's work force. Northlich had 155 employees as of February, according to Courier research.

The General Assembly in late April passed a bill requiring Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray to liquidate the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation Endowment Fund, leaving $40 million for the foundation to pay off contractual obligations.

The remaining $230 million will be deposited into the state treasury to fund a jobs and economic development plan pushed by Gov. Ted Strickland.

Kathy Selker, CEO of Northlich, lamented the demise of the marketing program she said had helped reduce teenage smoking by 40 percent in the state.

"I can't begin to express the depth of the personal and professional commitments our people made to reduce tobacco use in Ohio over the past six years," she said in a statement released Monday.

The firm hopes to continue working for an anti-smoking program that the Ohio Department of Health will establish, and it continues with similar programs for Tennessee and the Dominican Republic, she said.

Free IPod and a cool new business website I found

2008-04-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

okay, if you're a business executive, particularly a small business executive, check out this site i found: www.employaid.com

chock full of great stuff, like HR issues, payroll, finding a job, health insurance, yadda yadda yadda. Really good stuff for the small business owner. And, there is also a contest running right now where the winner will receive a free iPod Touch for commenting on the site: http://www.employaid.com/blogs/blogs.asp?ID=24

hey, why the heck not, right?

Also, want to thank the Cincinnati Police for working with Eisen Management Group and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum. Here's an article if you're interested:

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/greater-cincinnati-pr-firm-assist/story.aspx?guid=%7BBF2A7793%2DEEEF%2D4E1E%2D8E89%2D431FE34A5A87%7D&dist=msr_5

We'll be doing some rebranding and assisting them with collateral, website and a big new endowment campaign. good stuff. we also just completed their new public service announcements. too fun.

anyway, rock on.

CinCook and a Lot of Hair

2008-04-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

hey, my recipe for Crab Stuffed Chicken is in today's CinWeekly, a local arts/entertainment magazine. I had just gotten a hair cut not even an hour before...my barber left a little "too much" on top:-). I kinda look like Elvis.

but, hey, the recipe and the dish is really, really good. Especially if you're in a hurry and need to impress your girlfriend.

CiN Cook: Tastes like lobster
Chicken and crab melts together for a delightful dish
KATIE KELLEY SCHMID | CIN WEEKLY

CiN Cook: Rodger Roeser

Here's the article:

http://cinweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080408/ENT0108/804090319/1023

also, this goes back to my vlog on creating a PR Matrix. Obviously, being featured as a cook in a local arts pub isn't necessarily going to bring a million clients my way (unless they want to try my cooking), but it does give personality to EMG (and believe me, I have lots of "personality") and showcases that we also have lives and a sense of humor about things.

Not every good PR hit has to be that your widget is great. A nice, simple corporate profile can go a long way. Oh, btw, do check out our new VLOG feature on our website (www.BestCincinnatiPRFirm.com) and That Marketing Show will be back with new episodes as we kick off our third season in late Spring (writers strike;-).

Speaking of Email: Why Mass Marketing is Dead

2008-04-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

I received this email today: Last i checked, I DO own my own business...

Hi Rodger,

I hope you don't mind me contacting you, but your credentials are quite impressive. We have helped countless individuals realize their dreams of owning a business of their own. Based on your resume, I can see that you are quite accomplished in your field and may welcome the chance to apply your expertise in a more entrepreneurial setting.

Our network of franchise consultants represent hundreds of major franchise businesses that currently exist in the industry. Our services simply assist prospective clients, such as yourself, in researching and selecting available franchise businesses that best suit desired lifestyles and financial goals. The research, qualification, and application service we provide costs you absolutely nothing; our affiliates get paid by the franchisor if and when you open your doors.

This is a unique opportunity that would allow you to apply your experience to a business of your own, increasing your earning potential and allowing you some much deserved flexibility in your career.

Please visit us at www.franopolis.com and fill out the "Get Started Today" form.

Best regards,

Michelle Van Sickle
Franchising Coordinator
Michelle@franopolis.com
www.franopolis.com

13355 Noel Rd. Suite 210
Dallas, Tx 75240

So, while I think email blasts indeed have a place, and not all lists are perfect, of course. This is pretty silly...marketing still comes down to good, old fashioned contacts, hard work, and a good story to share.

Employee Emails

2008-04-04T05:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, let me start by saying most employees are wonderful human beings, but every now and again, as an employer, you have the pleasure of running into someone who is, shall I say, "clueless" as to the ways of the world.

Yesterday, I spent my morning dealing with a former employee whose personal friends continued to email her at her old email address -- at MY company (keyword being MY). Now, kids, please don't be naive enough to not think your employers are not monitoring your emails that come in to your work address -- because we are. Particularly, when an employee leaves, it's common for his or her supervisor to continue receiving those emails if for nothing else to make sure work doesn't fall through the cracks. Sadly, this particular former employee seemed to have ONLY received personal emails at work. Keyword here being former.

So...after receiving literally hundreds of personal emails to MY company intended for this individual (a group of friends still had this email in the group email -- so I would get dozens of emails back and forth about which bar we're going to this evening) I finally asked politely that the group take this email off their list, if for nothing else that it wasn't getting to their intended recipient -- as this individual no longer worked here.

And wow, did the 12 years olds come out of the woodwork -- apparently thinking this was a joke or that I, as the owner of this company, somehow didn't have the right to look at emails coming to MY company (again, keyword MY). So I again asked them to cease, involved my lawyer, and the trite little bastards asked "whatcha gonna do if we don't stop." and even invited my lawyer to their little bar thing they were planning (or threating him if he came?)

that came from this genious:

On Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 10:22 AM, Jon Miller wrote:

Perhaps you could clarify what your attorney intends to do to us if we don't stop emailing you, Rodger?

would you like to come to Black Finn's on Friday?"

Followed again by this genious, who was actually so stupid that she emailed not only my attorney but also our HR person: a Brittany Horning?

Brittany Horning [horninbl@yahoo.com]

"poor rodger. maybe he doesnt have any friends. do we all agree that its a little creepy hes been reading nicoles emails?"

Now again, for anyone out there who actually has a job, ANYTHING ANYTHING ANYTHING sent to my company (repeat after me: "keyword being my") belongs to (anyone, bueller, anyone...ME). And, you're also fools if you don't believe that employers check emails coming to your work address. This individual had personal emails coming to her work email, not a few, but hundreds. Again, children, it's called gmail or hotmail or yahoo.

Saddest of all, I know where this former employee works and, while I wouldn't say I'm friends with the owner of that agency, we are certainly acquainted. This is an incestuous business -- we all know one another. I would hate for the naive nature of her friends to cost her her job because they can't stop sending personal emails to a work email. Or worse, that they don't think anything is wrong with it -- even when the PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY asks them to stop.

Is this what has come of the next gen workers? Lack of respect and living in their own little universe. The lesson today children: don't be an idiot.

Corporate Rock Star out...

Dyslexia

2008-03-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

my Forest Hills Journal piece came out today -- great story about a gal and her child, and turning her passion into a new business. Check it:

Love for child turns into business
Community Press - Florence,KY,USA
BY RODGER ROESER | EASTERNHILLS@COMMUNITYPRESS.COM It was this suffering that caused Shelley Dannenberg to leave her teaching job and go full time into ...
See all stories on this topic

also, what else is new: We plan to unveil the new logo we developed for Bombay City Restaurant tomorrow, and we're getting very close to that grand opening. Secured a new client in the Northern Kentucky Small Business Development Center. We do a ton of work with small businesses, so that's exciting. Also, tomorrow we'll be making our announcements for the finalists of our Operation Outreach 2008 program where we developed a more formalized program to help out non profit organizations. We try to give back where we can.

Our website is actually almost done. we've been so swamped with client work that we haven't really focused on EMG -- so our website was rather dated, but angela has been great getting that done recently. Allie played hooky today as she has Opening Day tix for the Cincinnati Reds. My beloved Tribe starts their World Series run today as well. Go Indians!!

Dont@lie.com

2008-03-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

so, I got this great email from obviously a competitor today. They accessed the client roster I have on our website that lists most of the clients we work with, not all, but most from 2007/2008.

As GOD is my witness, every client on there was/is a client in 2007/2008. So, i feel badly that this person actually took the time to go through the work involved just to send me that type of email

he wrote down his phone number as 1900unethical. And I agree. Many agencies have the practice of listing every client they've ever worked on, even if it was work 10 years ago. For instance, White Castle was a very good client of mine for years, but last year, they decided to go to a new agency -- a good agency. God bless 'em. And, when we do our 2008/2009 client roster, they'll no longer be on there.

But....it's funny, because so many other agencies list all the clients they've ever had so you see the same client coming up on dozens of agencies information, even though that client may not have worked with that agency for 10 years.

At EMG, we don't do that. What you see is what you get, and I'm proud of our people, our work, and of our current clients. Very proud.

and to the person that made the post -- get to work.

sharon alt and the city of peyton

2008-02-29T17:27:00.000-08:00

just got back from indianapolis (wonderful city, btw), and stayed in an absolutely lovely hotel (marriot -- kudos to the carmel team at spring suites). I had the honor of basking in the presence of the insurance's version of a rock star Sharon Alt. We taped her mock trial and putting the American Healthcare System on trial with her colleague Eric Johnson and it was just fantastic. 500 people crowded the event to see her in action, in putting what we have and what may get on trial. Gang...government controlled healthcare (the same government that handles the IRS, the BMV, social security) should NOT be in charge of your healthcare. Period. The horror stories from the socialized countries that do handle healthcare are numerous. Remember, the government is wrought with inefficiency and beauracracy. As sharon stated..."you think healthcare is expensive now, wait 'til it's "free." Learn the facts, people and don't be disuaded by a liberal media with dumbfoundingly socialistic agendas.

The only people that could possibly think socialized medicine is a good idea are the poor who simply want your dollars to pay for their sorry asses. There will be a revolution in this society if we take on the largest entitlement ever afforded in US history. Make no mistake -- it's about omnipotent control, taking away choices (a fact all libs should be aware of) and redistribution of so called wealth.

there are options. learn your options. if you don't have healthcare, you CAN afford it, trust me. Shifting the burden to the working class is foolish and cannot be sustained. We already have in place programs and options for those that "can't afford healthcare."

anyway, we're doing a vlog of sharon's event and we'll have that posted as soon as we do post production on her website (www.altbenefits.com) and also on youtube. she'll be in Kentucky on Monday and continue her tour with a big event in Dallas on March 6.

be smart. learn....because the same government that has bankrupted social security and produces an education system that is the most expensive on earth but consistently poor results...they'd be in charge of your health. Libs...YOU BUY GOVERNMENT healthcare. Me, I'd rather trust capitalism and the free market.

rock on.

Pro Bono Program -- Calling All Non Profits

2008-02-26T06:40:00.000-08:00

Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky PR Firm Seeks Non Profit Groups Needing Assistance
Eisen Management Group Launches 2008 Pro Bono Program

Newport, KY – February 25, 2008 – Continuing the agency tradition of giving back to their business community through assisting worthwhile non profit organizations, local public relations and advertising firm Eisen Management Group is opening up its doors to groups in need of pro bono public relations and advertising services. Dubbed “Operation: Outreach 2008” the agency will commit $50,000 dollars worth of public relations work in 2008 on behalf of worthwhile pro bono groups and organizations.

All area non profit organizations are encouraged to submit their information for immediate consideration by logging on to www.eisenmanagementgroup.com/services and clicking on the community relations button. Simply submit the necessary information on the form to enable the EMG team to review and make selections. The deadline for submission is March 31 at 5 p.m. EST, and those selected will be notified by April 10th.

“We are a generous agency of passionate, hard working and giving public relations and advertising professionals,” EMG president Rodger Roeser says. “We are blessed to be in a position that allows us to commit a meaningful level of service to assist those with a level of professional expertise they may otherwise not have the opportunity to afford. We are proud of Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati community as a whole, and are fortunate to have the ability to do our part to make a positive difference.”

TGIF

2008-02-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

yeah, it's Friday. been another hectic week for the corporate rockstar. We're growing so quickly, which is very positive and we continue to look for additional clients who are seeking growth through solid marketing consulting and marketing communications implementation.

We have a big announcement for next week, which is exciting. Also, we're also going to get set to open up a call for papers for all non profit organizations who need pr, marketing and advertising assistance. We are going to make a large commitment this year to give back.

We have awarded our NexPhase Internship to an NKU Senior -- Kelly Martin. No, not the actress from life goes on...we affectionately refer to her as KMart. Anyway, have a great weekend. NexPhase will open up summer ops shortly, so if you need an intership, stay toooooned.

Where do I begin...

2008-02-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

SEO is a scam. Anyone that provides "SEO services" you need to be on the lookout for. Don't get me wrong, SEO is critical, but paying someone to DO SEO is foolish. You will rank higher organically by issuing solid press releases, blogging regularly, and keeping your website fresh. Don't be fooled or huxtered. The way you develop your website, and terms you use will play a role, but again, SEO is best developed by a pr firm that has your interests in mind within the overall context of your business strategy.

I recently had a client paying upwards of $600/month for nothing more than "SEO." don't be suckered. As part of an integrated program of pr and viral, your SEO bill should be $0. Absolutely foolish. Remember, blogging is free is www.blogger.com is free. Now, watch what I do here:

While I am the president of a Cincinnati public relations firm, we also do advertising, graphic design and website development for organizations throughout North America. So, if you're looking for a Cincinnati public relations firm, or a Cincinnati advertising firm, or a Cincinnati website development firm we have you covered. We also have an office in Cleveland. So again, if you need a Cleveland public relations firm, or...

blah blah blah

you get the idea. Don't be snuckered. Cincinnati and Cleveland public relations firm EMG applies the most sophisticated tools in marketing consulting and combines that will good old common sense. Most of our clients actually reduce spending while gaining market share when they go through our programs. Don't SPEND more, work smarter. How many ad agencies tell you NOT to advertise? we do.

In its entirety, marketing works as a whole and each tactic combines with strategies to acheive widget sales. period. too many agencies forget WHY we market, but would rather showcase how brilliant or creative they are. show me the account exec who's work doubled sales. I can. I can go much further than doubling...

one client: 302 percent increase from last year.

i'll get off my soapbox now.

-- the corporate rockstar.

Ten Trends for 2008: JWT

2008-02-12T08:55:00.001-08:00

Ten Trends for 2008

For the last few years, we’ve compiled year-end lists of trends to watch for. Looking back over our predictions, it’s clear that trends with real significance can’t be assigned to just one calendar year. The trends explored here, which we believe have real weight and momentum, are shifts that are likely to be with us for a long time.

Technology continues to be a common thread among many of the trends we’re highlighting. It drives the serendipitous randomness that throws up chance connections, groundbreaking discoveries and great business ideas. It gives new meaning to the words “instant” and “transparent,” and enables sharing like never before. Technology also seeks to control the harm that can result from or be hidden in huge and complex interactions (think tech-fueled medical advances)—and it is pushing some levelheaded investors to abandon pragmatism.

Demography is also a recurring theme. Beyond just the highly visible numbers—low birthrates and longer life expectancies, resulting in long-term aging populations—the patterns are becoming a lot more fragmented, with currents pulling in various directions. Benchmarking assumptions are being rendered moot.

Finally, in our current eco-friendly world, a trends forecast wouldn’t be complete without citing the next big shift relating to the environment. Hint: It ain’t green.

Rethinking “Instant Gratification”

With high-powered mobile connectivity, the old pitch line “Why wait?!” is being taken from hucksterism to science fiction. Technology is racing to meet people’s desire for instant gratification and the growing expectation that they will get it. Already people can get ahold of hit books, music and TV shows, along with back catalogues of classic movies, music and niche products, pretty much whenever they want to online. The same applies to a multitude of products from vacuum cleaners to medication to cars. Things in digital form (data, music, movies) come as fast as they can download; physical items can arrive as soon as the next day.

Over the next decade, virtually everything that’s ever been made will be available in this way. And as interactive technology inevitably moves toward unwired mobility (think WiFi, mobile phones), location will be no barrier to getting what we want whenever and wherever we want it. Call it “Instant Getification,” a phrase coined by search engine Ask.com in recent TV commercials.

At the same time, products and brands once deemed unique have become commoditized. Take fast fashion. Stylish clothing is readily accessible almost everywhere, with high-end designers such as Vera Wang and Roberto Cavalli selling versions of their wares at mass retailers. Many consumers are now quick to clean out their closets every season to make way for new belts and handbags from Target, trendy outfits from H&M and staples from Wal-Mart.

As a counter to these trends, shopping trips that were once casual outings are becoming focused expeditions for pieces that can be considered an investment rather than an indulgence. In his November column, Vogue’s Mark Holgate notes that the disposable nature of today’s fashion has led to an interesting development: “A growing number of women … have gladly gotten off the shopping merry-go-round of Always Something New and prefer to live with what they have unless something truly extraordinary and/or useful crosses their path.”

“Custom-made” and “one-of-a-kind” are rising above the mass-produced din of “now.” And marketers are asking for commitment from consumers who’ve become accustomed to flitting from one product to another for quick fixes. Indeed, Hyundai’s latest commercial blatantly asks viewers, “Whatever happened to commitment? Standing by your decisions?”

The instantly obtainable nature of almost everything is leading to a premiumization of brands that require more than a quick trip or a click of a mouse to attain and those that offer long-term versus short-term solutions. After all, there’s something to be said for delayed gratification: Everyone likes the thrill of the chase, even when it comes to products and services. Without a chase, is it really all that desirable?

Radical Transparency

In a wired world where massive amounts of data are stored in digital form, practically any information one may want resides on a server somewhere; you can never be sure that hackers, crackers and security specialists don’t know how to access it. The quid pro quo of always-on connectivity is that any electronic communication can be monitored, and movement can be tracked through ISP nodes and cell phones. And in a world of intense media scrutiny where determined diggers can often unearth even the most guarded information, it may well be wise to operate on the assumption that no secret can ever be safe.

The result is a growing acceptance of living life in the open—and in fact many are actively embracing this concept. As conspicuous consumption in the developed world decreases, conspicuous living is at an all time high, with people clamoring to show and tell all, no matter how personal.

Fess up! Flaunt it! Having grown up with celebrity culture, reality TV, the Internet and anti-terrorism security, younger generations take lack of privacy for granted. Unlike their elders, who are generally wary of handing over personal information and sharing personal details, they have few qualms about opening up their lives. It’s the new generation gap, a divide between those who relish privacy and those who feel they have nothing to hide.

While many a confessional blog and compromising photo may be posted in naiveté, over the coming decade, “nothing to hide” will be the norm. Desensitization has set in as people flock to YouTube, Facebook and other consumer-created-content sites to watch everything from the embarrassing (a beauty queen’s inane answer to a simple question) to the prurient (pictures of half-naked drunken college girls) to the chilling (the Finland school shooter foreshadowing his massacre on video). All of this laundry-airing is raising our shock-and-awe thresholds. Why be cautious about exposure when there’s fun and kudos to be had from sharing personal peccadilloes?

Still, a spate of remorse over radical transparency will likely hit as online exhibitionists prepare to enter higher education or the workforce. With admissions offices and HR departments increasingly using the Web to vet prospective candidates—two-thirds of companies readily admit to keeping tabs on employees by checking social networking sites, according to U.K. recruitment agency Poolio—a good chunk of the incriminating material whirling around the cybersphere will be expunged. MySpace pages will be cleaned up. Facebook suicides will be committed (at least temporarily). YouTube videos will go dark. And companies like Reputation Defender, which promises to search out and destroy all inaccurate, inappropriate, hurtful and slanderous information on its clients, will cash in.

Outwitting Disease

Across the developed world, people are living longer than ever, thanks to greater health awareness and advances in medical science. That’s not to say that older generations are leading disease-free lives. But pills and procedures (often non-invasive) are allowing more people to live with chronic ailments and survive surgeries that have historically killed patients at a younger age. And in many cases, they’re able to sustain a fairly comfortable quality of life.

One well-known example of someone who has managed to remain relatively healthy despite a debilitating disease is Earvin “Magic” Johnson. When he was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, it was assumed he would not live long. But Magic has been serving as an apparently robust spokesman for a GlaxoSmithKline HIV drug, one of the medications that’s helped him escape his death sentence. Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, is another high-profile figure able to live a relatively full life despite battling a chronic disease.

Beyond allowing more people to live with disease, medical science is increasingly able to help prevent disease altogether. Doctors are using advanced technologies such as genetic testing to determine whether patients have a propensity for specific illnesses and recommending sometimes radical prevention measures (a double mastectomy, for example) to those at high risk.

Drug companies are developing more vaccines or new medical approaches that can eradicate or diminish the likelihood of disease. Merck’s new HPV vaccine, for example, lowers the risk of cervical cancer in women. And cholesterol-lowering statins are helping people avoid some of the ailments of old age. In the U.K., the national director for heart disease and stroke has advocated a “blanket approach” to statins, arguing that giving everyone above a certain age a daily dose would save lives, National Health Service costs and doctors’ time. The policy would recommend statins for all men over 50 and women over 60. (Final guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is expected in January.)

Advances continue to be made on the genetic testing front, and within the past year scientists have isolated genetic variations that are strongly linked to coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and several mental disorders. The hope is that these technologies will allow more people to focus on preventive medicine early on, armed with strategies against the diseases to which they are most susceptible.

As the price of DNA-sequencing technology falls, genetic testing could soon become a mass-market product. According to The Economist, experts hope to bring the cost of sequencing genomes from $1 million to a relatively affordable $1,000 within the next five years. The market has indicated its interest: Last summer Roche pharmaceuticals bought the gene-sequencing firm 454 Life Sciences, and Google acquired a stake in genetics startup 23andMe.

In the next few years, watch for commercials on genetic testing to crop up alongside pharmaceutical ads. And as more genetic links are determined for common diseases, watch for genetic testing to become a routine component of medical treatment.

Blue Is the New Green

From the 1980s onward, green has symbolized the embrace of jungles and wetlands and owls and dolphins as well as people. But even green has started to feel too limited. It’s now a subset of blue, which is coming to denote the much larger emerging new spirit of good-citizen ethics.

Environmentally, blue (denoting water) is becoming as big an issue as green (forests). The era of apparently limitless clean water supplies is ending. All over the world groundwater aquifers are getting depleted or becoming salinated. Rivers are facing overexploitation, pollution and silting. Oil spills, floating garbage, industrial pollution and algae blooms are impacting seas everywhere.

A recent report from the International Water Management Institute says that if today’s food production and environmental trends continue, water crises are likely to crop up in many parts of the world. Craig Donohue, chief executive of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, predicts that water could become a commodity on futures exchanges in much the same way as carbon emissions are traded today.

As it stands, hundreds of millions in the developing world have no clean water. Soon millions more in the developed world won’t be able to take clean water for granted either. Water management and conservation will rise up the agendas of governments and corporations around the world.

Water just might become the next oil. Yet there’s one key difference between the two precious commodities: While there are some alternatives to oil, there’s no alternative to water.

Beyond the water crisis, “blue” is becoming more prevalent in our consciousness. Take nature documentaries, the consumer agenda-setters of environmentalism. One of the first notable natural history series of the 21st century was The Blue Planet, produced by the BBC in conjunction with the Discovery Channel. It explored the oceans, which cover two-thirds of the planet, and put the notion of “environment” into a broad context for viewers. It played to audiences that were becoming increasingly familiar with satellite images of weather systems sweeping in from the blue of the seas.

Then in August 2005, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in the United States got more people thinking about the environment on a big scale. Politicians and programmers started taking a serious interest in far-off glaciers and ice sheets, and the media was filled with images of blue-white ice framed by clear blue skies and icy blue sea.

Climate change has quickly become the driver of environmentalism 2.0, and consumers all over the world understand that climate is all about the seas and the sky—both blue. Environmentalism 2.0 is already a much bigger political and consumer issue than the 1.0 version, which was largely about issues such as deforestation, the ozone layer, pollution and biodiversity. And in some ways it is more immediate: While many people have never seen a rainforest, water is everywhere and conservation is more immediately actionable.

Almost unconsciously it seems, organizations and tastemakers have been tuning in to the shift from green to blue. Mercedes-Benz has patented its latest emissions-reducing technology for diesel as “Bluetec.” In the U.K., environmental specialists are favoring blue graphics and terminology, such as Level Blue Limited, a sustainability and environmental management services provider. In France, the “Pavillon Bleu” (blue flag) is awarded to towns and pleasure ports that meet all-around environmental standards, and the Blue Plan is a French-based project working toward a sustainable future for the Mediterranean.

Somehow, “blue” terminology and graphics suggest environmental responsibility in a more contemporary and credible way than “green.” It’s as if “green” became too strongly associated with “tree huggers” and the “beards and sandals” ethos of earlier environmentalism and with brands going through the motions of environmentalism (greenwashing). Now corporations embracing environmentalism can adopt “blue” without looking as though they’re jumping on the green bandwagon.

The World Is Local

Security measures, high gas prices and the sheer number of people traveling are making business and leisure travel a lot less quick and convenient than it was even a decade ago. At the same time, high-powered interactive media can help you find whatever you need right in your own corner of the world. These are two key factors helping to tip the balance of interest away from “somewhere else” and toward “where I am now.” Global is shifting to local.

It’s become a lot easier for people to meet their needs locally, thanks to cell phones, cheap online advertising, location-based technologies and sites such as Google and Craigslist. Anyone with an Internet connection no longer has to rely on the hit-or-miss search methods of asking friends or looking in the Yellow Pages. It’s also a lot easier now for local businesses and services to advertise. (This has made local search on Google and other sites a major growth area. Businesses don’t even need a Web site to get on the radar of local customers—they can just provide their information to engines like Google.) With global companies no longer holding a monopoly on mass communication, more people are looking to conduct commerce locally.

Local products and services are also becoming more desirable. For one, an ever growing number of global brands are stuck onto products made somewhere else and sold everywhere, whether it’s lattes, pizza, hip-hop or any of the thousands of commodities you can find wherever you go. And the more ubiquitous and common these commodities become, the more incentive there is to seek out and savor what’s distinctively local.

In the food industry, locally sourced products are seen as being healthier and more environmentally friendly. More consumers are buying local meat, dairy and produce in a conscious effort to support local farmers and producers, eat fresher food and help to reduce carbon emissions.

Local is also seen as safer. In the U.S., the crisis over unsafe Chinese imports demonstrated how the inclination toward “local” (whether that means locally sourced goods or locally owned businesses) is fundamentally a backlash against globalization. It will be interesting to see which industries, domestic or otherwise, benefit from the scares over pet food and toys. Already businesses that are more local than global are seeing an uptick. Specialty toy retailers, for instance, are benefiting as consumers start to worry about lead paint and other safety issues.

Consumers want to be part of the wide world, but they want individuality too. Even if a unique product is not sourced locally, it will attract consumers who appreciate its local provenance and authenticity. Expect to see truly local experiences become more prized for their specificity. For tourists especially, places with a unique identity will be increasingly popular. And we’ll all become more appreciative—and protective—of the flavors that are unique to our particular environs.

The Personal CPM

Individualistic consumers are looking for greater personal relevance in the media they consume. They want information and services that pertain both to their geographical location and to where they’re at in their lives. It’s hard for centralized services to do that, especially advertising. Even context-driven or collaboratively filtered services like Google’s sponsored links and Amazon’s recommendations don’t feel personal, even though they are personalized.

“Personal” takes a real person. Marketers have always known that personal recommendations are the most powerful form of brand advocacy. And thanks to interactive technologies, personal recommendations are no longer limited by physical constraints; consumers can forge wide networks of kindred spirits and virtual friends. As more and more people participate in these networks, they will come to rival traditional media-born advertising in terms of influence.

Watch for millions of influential individuals to develop their equivalent of a personal CPM rate card. A personal CPM assumes that people are their own media properties and, as such, should be applied some worth by the brands they advocate. The larger and more influential their social networks, the more valuable these individuals are and the higher the CPM they will be able to command. But as their influence grows, they will need to remain truly objective—consumers are too savvy to trust those who recommend the brands that pay them the most.

Facebook is now amplifying this trend via a new advertising plan introduced in November. The social networking site is combining user recommendations with hyper-targeted advertising for what it calls SocialAds. As an Advertising Age article describes it, “Under the system, actions users take when they’re not on Facebook, such as renting movies on Blockbuster.com or selling products on eBay, can be broadcast to their Facebook friends. Brands also can create Facebook pages users can interact with, and those interactions are relayed to their networks.”

Group M Interaction CEO Rob Norman told Ad Age: “The more you enable person-to-person communication, the more opportunities there are for individuals to influence each other. This phenomenon already existed; [Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg] just poured gas on the fire.”

Demography’s Dead

Birth rates, death rates, life expectancy and gender ratios will remain the mainstays of demography, but long-held benchmarking assumptions are fast becoming irrelevant. Policymakers and marketers can no longer look at a set of age cohorts and come to meaningful conclusions about life stage.

As life expectancy increases, marriage as a lifelong commitment will be a different proposition in 2010 than it was in 1960. Will it be smarter to marry in your 20s, hoping for the best but leaving room for another shot at marriage in your 30s? Or will it make more sense to focus on building career and friendships in your 20s, playing the field until your 30s with the risk that marriage still won’t work out the first time?

What about kids? Is it wiser to have them when you’re young and vigorous but barely out of early adulthood yourself? Or live it up and then settle down in your 30s, 40s or beyond? Changing social conventions, medical science and the dynamics of divorce and remarriage make it reasonably likely that a person in his or her early 50s will have no children, be a first-time parent, a grandparent, a stepparent or both a grandparent and the parent of toddlers.

In the U.S., for example, birthrates for women 20-24 and 30-34 rose by less than 1 percent between 2004 and 2005 while rates for women 35-44 years old increased by 2 percent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Older women in Europe are also having more children. Higher birthrates among older women in countries including France, Sweden and the U.K. have been “almost sufficient to compensate for the sharply reduced birthrates of younger women,” according to David Coleman, a demographer at Oxford University, as quoted in The Economist.

Retirement and old age are likewise being rethought. In the U.S., where 65 has traditionally been considered the routine retirement age, more senior citizens are now working full- or part-time well past that milestone. (Indeed, many of them are unlikely to regard themselves as senior citizens.) Some are even going back to school, fueling a growing continuing-education industry. In several European countries that are expecting labor shortages in the years to come, governments are offering incentives to those willing to keep working into their golden years.

Over the coming decade, the possible permutations of age, gender, marital status, family composition, work status and health status will become too complex for easy demographic pigeonholing to be useful or meaningful. Watch for marketers and others to focus on behavioral targeting and segmentation and stages rather than ages.

Queen Trumps King

One of the most important shifts shaping demography is the rising power of women. That’s not to say that persistent problems like unequal pay, domestic violence, rape, sex trafficking and the abortion of female fetuses in some countries will abate significantly anytime soon. But as women go further in education, hone their flair for today’s work styles and become choosier in the mating game, the balance is tipping in their favor.

Increasingly, women are starting to get a more fair share of opportunities, power and money. They’re taking greater control over their own fertility. And they’re challenging the privileges that have made it a man’s world.

Consider what’s happening on the political stage. While the trend for female political leaders has been long-established in some parts of the East (Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto and India's Indira Gandhi), other areas are fast catching up. Thirty-four of Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women of 2007 are in government; the top two spots are filled by Angela Merkel, the first woman to become chancellor of Germany, and Wu Yi, China’s vice premier. In recent years, Chile, South Korea, Liberia, Mozambique and Finland elected women as heads of state for the first time. And in 2008, Hillary Clinton stands a decent chance of achieving the same feat in the U.S.

There’s more: Last July, Pratibha Patil became India’s first female president. And Argentina elected its first female president in October. “A female president! Get used to it, all of you! A female. I know that you are used to men [as leaders], but now you will have to get used to women too,” Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said upon her victory. The senator and first lady, who is taking the helm from her husband, outgoing President Nestor Kirchner, has drawn inevitable comparisons to former U.S. first lady Hillary Clinton, also a senator.

It won’t stop being a man’s world overnight, but over the coming decade, women will increasingly be shaping the world according to their needs. The prospect of the United States electing its first female president is a symptom of this trend, and a Clinton presidency could help to accelerate it.

It’s not only women in leadership roles—political and otherwise—who are driving this power shift. Women are gaining clout in other ways. In the U.S., some predict that single women will be the influential voting bloc that could swing the next presidential election—akin to evangelical Christians in the 2000 and 2004 elections. And pollster Mark J. Penn, chief strategist for Clinton’s campaign, theorizes that straight women outnumber straight men by a wide margin; this would mean there are many more unattached women than men, resulting in plenty of spare female time and energy to advance the cause of women.

Cooperative Consumption

Sharing has never been so hip. Thanks to rise of online social networking, people are sharing just about everything from carpooling duties to their living rooms. (Witness the Couch Surfing Project, an online community of people willing to open a couch up to travelers and show visitors around their city.)

Sharing costs is becoming an increasingly popular concept: Fractional ownership allows people to enjoy the benefits of ownership at a reduced price. It’s a concept that’s clearly right for big-ticket luxury items, and one of the first hot ideas in this realm was fractional aircraft ownership. Companies like NetJets offer the lure of private planes with no maintenance to worry about, no managing the pilot and ground crew; as one owner put it, “When you’re done with the plane, it just disappears.”

Outfits such as PartialOwner.com and Fractionallife.com extend the partial-ownership model to everything from homes and luxury cars to restaurants and racehorses. Likewise, art lovers can buy into syndicates such as ArtVest, based in Glasgow, Scotland, which offers partial ownership of artwork.

The concept can be extended into many areas of life, with plenty of scope further down the income ladder. For instance, women who want the use of designer accessories without the burden of designer prices can join Bag Borrow or Steal; a subscription allows members temporary use of a range of high-ticket items. Along the same lines, young women in Argentina and elsewhere are holding clothes-swapping parties in order to leverage the benefits of fashion purchases.

While the concept itself isn’t new (think timeshares or joint stock companies), the technology for pooling demand and resources is becoming increasingly sophisticated. And the appeal of fractional ownership is growing as the luxury category becomes more democratic and accessible to the masses. Over the coming decade, expect smart entrepreneurs to apply the idea to a wider variety of categories (exotic pets perhaps, or leisure equipment).

Stretching the Bubble: Reality Checks for U.S. and China

When an economic bubble pops, the repercussions can be felt the world over. When two bubbles pop, the world economy can easily head into a tailspin. If this is to be prevented, two global economic giants--the U.S. and China--will undergo much-needed reality checks in 2008.

In the U.S., Silicon Valley is flooded with young, eager Web entrepreneurs, venture capitalists are throwing seed money willy-nilly, and everyone is talking about the Internet. It feels like 1999, pre-dot-com crash.

As in the late ’90s, established companies, venture capitalists, angel investors and hedge funds are investing in technology upstarts that have aggregated audiences but little else in terms of monetary assets or sizable revenues. While most of these businesses have yet to break even, they are carrying the hopes and dreams of their investors and the fawning public.

Facebook is the current mascot for this trend. In October, Microsoft paid $240 million for a mere 1.6 percent stake in the social networking site, giving the company an implied value of $15 billion. Meanwhile, Facebook has predicted revenue of just $150 million for the year, chump change compared with Microsoft’s heavy pockets.

The other high flyers include YouTube, bought by Google in 2006 for $1.65 billion, and MySpace, purchased by News Corp. in 2005 for a “mere” $580 million. Both have yet to pay off in serious cash.

Even those burned by the first crash are getting in on the act. Netscape founder Marc Andreessen believes Web 2.0 will be different and has put millions of his own money—along with $44 million raised from Legg Mason, T. Rowe Price and CBS—toward his latest startup, Ning, which provides tools for setting up social networking sites.

Where is all this leading us? Our prediction is that the market will undergo a serious reality check. The wider economy, at least in the U.S., is souring thanks to the weak American dollar and the subprime mortgage debacle. And few of these startups are going public, which means they will be strapped for cash—there are only so many Googles and Microsofts out there to buy them up. Watch for companies and investors to become more cautious and take greater heed of eBay, which admitted that it paid a billion dollars too much for Skype.

China is also at risk of a bubble burst, one of a more traditional nature. The Chinese, who have been known for their strict savings practices, are now taking a gamble in the country’s growing stock and real estate markets. As of this writing, China’s CSI 300 stock index had surged 40 percent since May. The stock market even created the first $1 trillion company, albeit briefly, when PetroChina went public in November. After a day on the Shanghai stock market, the business almost tripled in value, from 16.7 yuan a share to 44 yuan.

Yi Gang, the Beijing head of the People’s Bank of China, aptly described the fervor as an opening of Pandora’s box—while the euphoria over economic growth has been uplifting for the country, it has also put China in danger of asset overvaluation and economic instability. Seasoned analysts and business leaders, including Alan Greenspan and Asian business leader Li Ka-shing, are warning of a pending crash and making comparisons to Japan, whose economy saw a similarly giddy expansion in the late 1980s.

As Chinese equity valuations reach their stretching points, watch for its institutions to undergo their own reality checks.

Whatever Happened To … ?

How about the trends we predicted for 2007? Did the future become the present?

One shift we pinpointed was the Old World increasingly taking on new-world habits. “It now appears that when it comes to obesity and smoking, Europeans aren’t all that different from Americans—they’re just a few years behind the curve,” we said. Indeed, there’s no doubt that a time traveler from 20 years ago might land in Europe and initially assume he was in the U.S., noting a preponderance of overweight people, fast food chains and smoking bans.

We noted that in 2007 and the years to come, we would be “entertaining ourselves.” We wrote, “We are no longer simply interacting with entertainment—rating it, talking back to it—we’re creating it. Technology is allowing more amateurs to express themselves at minimal expense or risk in formats that range from blogs to video clips to mash-ups.” While well-crafted TV shows and major sports events still attract mass attention, they’re up against an ever-expanding variety of user-created content. Web 2.0 is all about finding new and better ways of enabling users to entertain each other.

Another year-old observation: that “the generation gap has nearly closed, at least in the West, where medical and cosmetic advancements are redefining our ideas about age and aging.” The once-clear age-bound and taste-signaled markers of generations are dissolving steadily year by year, and marriage, parenthood and retirement are no longer predictable milestones on a path that marketers and demographers can reliably plot. This trend will be true for 2008 and into the near future, leading to our current observation that demography as we know it is dying.

“Truthiness” was the American Dialect Society’s 2005 word of the year, defined as “The quality of stating concepts or facts one wishes to be true, rather than concepts or facts known to be true.” Last time around we predicted that “Pretty logos and slick packaging will become far less persuasive as consumers do more research and look harder for the facts. Watch for truthiness in branding to fall out of style while truth in advertising re-emerges.” In a world where consumers rapidly spread the word about product performance, the space for spin, hype and empty rhetoric continues to shrink. Ironically, just as it’s getting easier for celebrity wanna-bes to bluff their way through, it’s getting harder for products and brands.

blacksmith awards

2008-01-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

are tonight. very excited about that, as EMG is the presenting sponsor of the event.

also, wednesday night -- still working on the new album -- and we are making excellent progress. Refreshed version of Set Your Mother on Fire is now called Mother America...and honestly, it's just a fantastic rock and roll song. still very political, however, it may be the first "right wing" rock and roll song, ever? we'll see.

anyway, off to the awards ceremony. See you in the funny pages.

A little Blurb in the Providence Business Press

2008-01-23T06:47:00.000-08:00

thank you to them. here's the article: just some usable info on getting your marketing straight as we begin a new year and new quarter.

http://www.pbn.com/stories/28896.html

Go sell something, slackers.

Wagging the Dog: Capitalizing on Economic Slowdown

2008-01-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

Wagging the Dog, Recession and Marketing
By Rodger Roeser, APR

Okay, I have to say it. All the talk about recession and now I’m actually starting to believe it – although I fear that much of it is self fulfilling in how we operate our businesses and overcome perceived obstacles. As the president of a leading small business public relations and marketing agency, a slowing of the economy is the death nail for some organizations. But, for the smart ones and the nimble, those that are prepared, now can be the very best time to take action and increase market share.

Think of it like purchasing stocks when the prices are low – now is a good time to buy, if you understand the value. And, what is more valuable than not just keeping your business solvent, but actually increasing market share during an economic downturn. Many organizations use a so called recession to begin slashing their two most important assets that actually make the company money – the people and the marketing of their products. Now admittedly, many companies hold dead weight in personnel and now is an excellent time to be reviewing productivity. This seems perfectly common place when looking at labor, yet rarely is this simple method applied to the outward marketing spend.

If you are in the business of selling shoes, why do you have a mini agency working internally, eating up precious overhead with a non core competency? And, why are you spending all that money on the software and the programs and the training – you have an accountant and a lawyer that work across town, right? Large, internal marketing teams are rarely a smart choice for a small to midsized organization – overhead is too high and it’s nearly impossible to weather downturns. And, no matter how much you invest, I guarantee most agencies have better tools and more expertise than you do.

So, if you’ve never considered hiring an agency before, now may be the perfect time to look at outsourcing this non core function. That said, if you currently do use an agency – time to look at the rates you’re paying. Agency rates vary wildly from agency to agency and from region to region. So, consider this – if you’re a small to midsized business in New York, it may not be smart to call a New York firm as likely a Midwest firm could do just as good if not better for a fraction of the cost. It’s all about stretching your marketing dollar, and in the simplest of terms, $10,000 in New York won’t go nearly as far as $10,000 in Cleveland – you’ll have more agency time, more agency personnel, and more attention for your investment.

Also, in looking at your existing agency, don’t be afraid to discuss rates – after all, America was built on competition. True, some agencies may be better than others, but in general, a reputable firm is a reputable firm and will do a good job for you – don’t pay more than you have to and now is a great time to look around and gather some rates and information.

Speaking of which, when the economy slows and many competitors pull back, ad rates have this magical way of becoming less expensive – so again, your marketing dollars go much further. It’s less expensive to buy trade ads, radio and television airtime, and even sponsorships. Now is a great time to negotiate rates and buy in advance, as that gives you the best placement and the best leverage in negotiating great rates. If you’re not comfortable or don’t know how to do that – call a reputable firm. Also, keep in mind, with the elections, much space will be taken, so again, best not to wait to long, otherwise your buys will end up at 3 a.m. across squeezed between ads for chat lines and taco bell.

Bottom line is that now is a great time to look at your overall marketing and how by even keeping the investment the same or slightly less, you can actually do much more. Weigh your options and get second opinions. The more you know and understand as a business consumer, the more power and the more impact you can have for your marketing and marketing communications spend. A little homework and some options, and good business leaders could easily save tens of thousands of dollars and still yield better results. And, like the stock market – we’ll come out of recession and you’ll be further ahead than any of your counterparts who will now be forced to play catch up at “normal” prices – supply and demand.

About the Author

Rodger Roeser is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show That Marketing Show, a show that shares best practices in marketing, advertising, public relations and branding with top experts as guests on the show. He is also the president of integrated marketing communications firm Eisen Management Group and served as the 2005 president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. He can be reached at rroeser@eisenmanagementgroup.com or by calling 859.586.4302.

SEO Comparison Tool

2008-01-16T06:08:00.000-08:00

hey, just a quick little seo tool here to compare your seo terms on your website. give it a shot and don't spend your money on those expensive so called SEO experts. you'll achieve much more by doing regular press release and putting those out via a service such as our EMG PRhyme Service -- very sophisticated, technorati tagged, and out to all the major search engines and vertical outlets. Name your pictures and images, pick about 10 keywords and use them wisely throughout the site. Don't be fooled -- SEO services are the equivalent of selling Y2K fixes. some basic due diligence and you'll be just fine.

anyway, here's that tool:

Things tend to be most valuable when they remain rare. Duplicate - or even similar - content can really hurt your rankings. Make sure this isn't happening by using the Page Comparison tool.

Simply enter two URLs, and the tool will compare page titles, meta descriptions, and meta keywords. It'll then compute the percentage similarity in content between the two pages. Stay unique and achieve search engine success.

http://www.seochat.com/seo-tools/page-comparison/

Internship, Options and a Community Press Article

2008-01-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

short but sweet today, i'm really busy -- in spite of the media wagging the dog and predicting recession. all you businesses out there....keep pushing and keep the faith. if you're spending too much money on marketing -- call me -- EMG can help reduce costs and grow your business. most agencies are good at producing invoices, we produce results -- better technology, more nimble and no beaurocracy or internal red tape (ie: less meetings, more cowbell). besides, options are always good, and our rates are among the lowest in the industry for integrated agencies.

anyway, my article was in the Forest Hills Journal today (yes, I still freelance as a reporter. It's fun, and keeps my journalism chops sharp). no, i don't do "hard news" anymore...

http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080110/LIFE/801100320/1074/RSS11

also, our NexPhase internship is accepting applications, so if you're a college student needing an internship, here you go:

Eisen Management Group Opens Entries for NexPhase Internship Program
Leading Small Business Marketing Consultancy Seeks Fresh Minds

Cincinnati, OH – January 14, 2008 – Ohio based public relations, advertising and experiential marketing firm Eisen Management Group announces that it has opened up entries for its coveted and competitive spring 2008 NexPhase Internship Program at its Greater Cincinnati based office.

Candidates seeking a career in public relations, advertising, online and graphic design should apply online at www.eisenmanagementgroup.com or send an email to rroeser@eisenmanagementgroup.com with the word NexPhase in the subject line and an application essay and resume. The paid internship course runs for 13 weeks, and preference is given to those candidates who need the internship credit for summer graduation.

Two interns will be selected for the Spring NexPhase Internship Program among 10 finalists who will be interviewed in person. Winners will be announced in March. The winning candidates will also receive a $500 award and certificate.

Agency president and general manager Rodger Roeser, APR, explains that the intensive internship program is designed for those exceptional students who are seeking an opportunity to get a leg up on their peers in the public relations, advertising and marketing industries. EMG and Roeser have a long track record of service in assisting new professionals in developing a strong path of expertise and integrity in the competitive public relations industry.

“It’s like the peace corps – it’s the toughest job you’ll ever love,” Roeser smiled. “While I can’t rule out coffee and copies, it will most certainly involve beginning to learn and apply best practices in communications, hard work and developing strategies for business growth. And, it’s a lot of fun in a very creative, positive and energetic work environment. For all those students who think they can make some waves, we want to hear from you.”

About EMG

With offices in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio, EMG is a privately owned public relations, experiential marketing and integrated branding communications firm that specializes in developing marketing and communications programs for business seeking growth, fresh and creatively strategic marketing ideas and concepts, and marketing communications implementation. More information can be accessed at www.eisenmanagementgroup.com or by calling 859.586.4302. EMG – Everything is Possible.

A new year, and the LA Times

2008-01-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

greetings fellow corporate rock stars and welcome to 2008! what an exciting and promising year ahead of us. was featured in the Los Angeles Times last week about things businesses should be doing with their marketing to kick off the new year -- it's the perfect time for a comaudit.

anyway...here's the article.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_7795612

Much success, and wishes for a prosperous new year! New That Marketing Show shows start up again next tuesday. oh, and EMG is the primary sponsor of the Cincinnati PRSA Blacksmith Awards. it's a good way to kick things off in the New Year.

Back in the New York Groove

2007-12-19T06:14:00.000-08:00

well, Cincinnati anyway. Spent a couple days in our cleveland office, visited with a couple clients and snuck in some christmas shopping and a trip to Sushi Rocks -- a fab sushi restaurant in downtown cleveland.

anyway, big story was the return to the cincy offices and the stop at Wendy's for an old fashioned hamburger. WORST SERVICE EVER. Sad, because I like Wendy's, and I like the food (of the fast food hamburger joints), and they are usually on the ball. Well, clearly not this particular one (Route 83 off I71 south of Cleveland). It was like a nuthouse. there were literally a dozen customers standing around waiting for their food, literally for over 20 minutes. they LOST my order, and when I reordered, they "COULDN"T FIND IT". what did i get? a cheeseburger. WOW. it was truly horrific. I asked for my money back, because they never could locate this mystery burger, and no one was being served. They had to ask if they could give me my money back. Finally, after over 25 minutes (and there were folks behind the counter, and it was about 7:30 -- the dinner rush was long over) I got my $5 back. no apologies, no gift certificates, just dumbfounded looks.

very sad. I ran over to mcdonald's and choked down one of their sandwiches. yuck, I hate mcdonald's food. but, whatya gonna do. worst is, complaining for such a large entity does no good. i still go to wendy's, and $5 is a meaningless exchange for a large franchise. it's the death of a local restaurant -- which i'm going to do a better job of frequenting the mom and pops more often.

anyway, nifty tool here to check out, helps with reciprocating links on your website...

Reciprocal links can be a bit shady, but, practically speaking, that's all the more reason to make sure they're working correctly. A big question concerns the matter of how well everyone's sticking to the arrangement.

An answer can be supplied by the Reciprocal Link Check tool - after you enter a number of URLs, it'll
see if links between them exist, and in the case that they do, what the anchor text says. Think carefully before engaging in this sort of thing, but it is a potential way of
achieving search engine
success.

http://www.webconfs.com/reciprocal-link-checker.php

Keep on Promoting

year end top tens

2007-12-17T05:45:00.000-08:00

some great stuff here from adage. Also, the year end 2007 Agency Client New Business Survey is available from RSW. go to www.rswus.com and log in to get the FREE report. if you work for any agency, you should download this -- trust me, all your competitors have. chock full of info on why clients hire them, fire them and what they should be doing better. Ethereally, "better creative strategy" comes up, but tangibly, it's "loss of key personnel". very interesting.

anyway, off to Cleveland today for two client meetings and a kick off meeting with your "to be mentioned" new healthcare client. It's an advertising account, most likely, with radio and print creative and flight development (that's where you plan and traffic the media rotation). I'd like to see the client freshen the website and undertake at least a basic PR and publicity program.

well, here's that top ten!

Plus The Most Notorious (or Seriously Ill-Advised) Celebrity Endorsers of 2007
By Bob Garfield Published: December 17, 2007

FORD
Y&R, Detroit
A great American city is destroyed. Hey, let's sell cars! Some blog commenters actually defended Ford's gross exploitation of post-Katrina New Orleans, featuring Harry Connick Jr., on the basis of all the company and its employees did to help after the hurricane. So what? Charity is charity. It is not a licensing deal.

ORVILLE REDENBACHER POPCORN
Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Miami
Digital effects and God-knows-what were used to reanimate the late nerd corn-popper to produce one of the creepiest commercial characters ever made: Orville Deadenbacher, advertising's first pitch -zombie. Like the Haggar smeared-feces atrocity from late '06, the (shall we say) short-lived Orville stunt was client-sponsored self-indulgence from an agency too impressed with its own press clippings.

SNICKERS
TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York
Two mechanics get kissing close while sharing a candy bar and recoil in disgust. Here's the three problems with homophobia gags on the Super Bowl: 1) to a big part of the audience, gross 2) snack-relevant to nobody, 3) duh, homophobic. This one got pulled right after the game.

GM
Deutsch, Los Angeles
Golly, who doesn't like to turn on the big game to see a laid-off autoworker contemplating suicide? The Super Bowl ad was supposed to highlight how everybody at GM is quality-obsessed. Instead, it showed that everybody at GM, including robots, fears for their jobs.

CVS, Hill Holliday, Boston
Women caregivers are so underappreciated. They take care of the kids. They take care of feeble old Mom. They turn rainbows into hair ribbons and fallow meadows into old-growth playgrounds. Then they go to their jobs as CVS pharmacists, where they have plenty of care left over to lavish on you. Because CVS cares sooo much more than those Walgreens scum. Excuse me, ma'am, do you sell ipecac?
So much, so wrong, so avoidable. OK magazine, please do an act of kindness and give these folks some free subscriptions.

MICHAEL VICK: REEBOK AND DONRUSS TRADING CARDS
These brands acted faster than Vick's employers and dropped him within two weeks of the first announcement of charges. This lowlife, despite a multimillion-dollar gig, killed and tortured dogs for money.

SNOOP DOGG: ST. IDES (OWNED BY PABST BREWING CO.), ORBIT GUM
Snoop's charm seems to overcome everyone's good sense, including his own. Illegal drugs and guns -- does a beer brand really need this kind of trouble? Don't even want to know what the folks at Orbit are thinking.

JENNA JAMESON: ADIDAS (ONLINE ONLY)
Limiting Jenna's endorsement to online advertising certainly maximizes the investment. Not that porn is bad, just bad for the brand. Does she wear the shoes while she works? And is that a good thing?

LINDSAY LOHAN: PROACTIV SOLUTION
Remember that shot with Lindsay slumped down, completely out of it in the back of that car? Didn't her skin just glow? Look, another completely predictable and avoidable endorsement catastrophe.

KATE MOSS: H&M, GUCCI
The woman likes illegal substances. That's her right. These brands pay her. It's not a stretch to assume that helps her do what she likes. So who is endorsing what here?

JASON GIAMBI: PEPSI, NIKE, ARM & HAMMER
Is it his willingness to destroy his health for the sake of a homer or his passion for lying and cheating that makes him such an appealing spokesperson? What, Derek Jeter isn't good-looking enough? This should stop.

KEVIN FEDERLINE: NATIONWIDE INSURANCE
K-Fed is a celebrity because he was married to Britney Spears (see No. 1). Even though it was played for laughs, it's not exactly clear why anyone would want K-Fed anywhere near their insurance decisions. Does anyone really want him on their side?

TOM BRADY: GLACEAU, NIKE
He left a pregnant girlfriend. We don't know the whole story; maybe she beat him. And maybe he's planning to pay child support with the millions of dollars he's getting paid. And maybe big brands should require better behavior of their endorsers, but then where would next year's list be?

JOHN DALY: HOOTERS BFF (HE JUST PARKS HIS TOUR BUS IN THEIR PARKING LOT)
He's a hard-drinking, heavy-smoking, domestic-disputing gambler who also hits a mean golf ball. This looks like a match made in heaven. Go for it. ~ ~ ~Kathy Sharpe is CEO of Sharpe Partners, an awarding-winning digital-marketing agency. Through the years, she has worked with many celebrities as part of online marketing campaigns her agency develops.

under the category of What Were You Thinking: Bad Advertising Awards o the Month

2007-12-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

Subway using Peter Griffin (family guy) as their spokesman. I mean, I love family guy, one of the best shows ever...but using an obese, stupid person in the ad? makes absolutely no sense for the brand -- none whatsoever. terrible ad. who are you targeting? what is the statement you're trying to make. Sad, because most subway ads are pretty good.

I'd fire the creative on that one.

For probably the fourth time, Windex get's my vote: continuing to use "stupid men" in the ad, again, I trust that makes the female creative feel better about herself. Clearly, she has a poor opinion of men - and badly needs a date. Guys, find out who the creative is on the windex ads and take her out -- she clearly desperately needs it, and needs to understand that men aren't that stupid, which is pretty much all you can take from the ad. Yes, I know most women "still do the housework" but with an attitude like that -- yeah, you can take your housework and shove it Windex. terrible ad, and this company is owned by men??

Kudos to Starbucks for at least starting to do some TV advertising, but....WTF? ads make absolutely no sense. poorly done, poorly executed. what are we trying to say here? apparently, nothing other than the creative team is really creative (congrats on being SO creative). sheesh. Wake UP and stop paying absurd amounts of money so the creatives can have a creative orgasm and marvel/wallow in their own brilliance.

On a lighter note: great ad for Tanqueray -- shrimp in moderation. Clever and to the point. Same with the Ford Focus and using the nifty music player. Funny, to the point, and on target. Now, go make a good ad today.

A Press Release, Coverage and YOWZA

2007-12-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

hey Gang, been too long since I've written -- are just swamped, which is good for year end for a client. we've unveiled a new client website:

http://www.taigabioactives.com/

another new client website:

http://www.taventures.ca/

and are busy following up on two large stories right now for clientele, in addition to wrapping up our big New York City event and release of Hydresia to the world's cosmetic writers & reporters.

I just got done doing an interview with the Wall Street Journal and CNN, and DMNews Magazine.

American Joe Apparel has received big time national publicity for our gift guide and catalog, literally hundreds of news articles throughout the nation. and, our second press release for our friends at Quadrate is below. Stay busy, stay focused.

rock on.

Quadrate Secures Appointment as SAP Software Partner
Data Management Leader Delivers Rock Solid Data Management

Cincinnati, OH – December 7, 2007 – Quadrate, Inc., a company dedicated to providing SAP users with easy to use data management software, today announces that they are now an officially recognized SAP Software Partner. Quadrate offers worldwide market coverage and delivers comprehensive data management software that adds significant value to SAP solutions, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction. Working in close cooperation with SAP, Quadrate will continue its efforts to ensure tight integration between the SAP solutions and Quadrate's products for managing SAP Data uploads, extraction and reporting.

"This relationship builds on the strength of both Quadrate and SAP to deliver enhanced customer value through increased ease of use and performance of SAP solutions," said Philippe Jardin, CEO of Quadrate.

This recognition is a solid stamp of approval that identifies the data management leader as a valuable player and value added partner in the SAP world. With the resulting partnership status, Quadrate activities are ensured to be compliant with SAP, providing the highest level of expertise for any organization using or in need of SAP solutions.

“Quadrate’s success is a direct result of taking high performance technology and making it easier to use by the business community,” Jardin continued. “And, we provide fast, friendly support that frees up the highly skilled information technology team for other demands of a growing business.”

With Quadrate's easy, three-step solution, business users can accomplish complex data uploads and extractions without having any technical knowledge. Current processes require either manual data entry or IT programming resources. This time-saving software reduces reliance on IT departments, empower business users who are data owners and improves data quality. The software is used worldwide by over 250 Blue Chip companies.

###

About Quadrate

Quadrate solutions were developed in South Africa in 1996 by founder and CEO Philippe Jardin. With world headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company has a global presence in Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Quadrate is a SAP Software Partner with SAP Certified Solutions that provides SAP customers with data management solutions that deliver a high return on investment. Quadrate products are easy to use, yet powerful - enabling both end users and IT departments to perform complex data management tasks. Quadrate's product range is focused on providing users of SAP with the ability to easily upload, extract and report upon their data from their SAP system. More information can be accessed at http://www.quadrate.com/.

Media Contact

Rodger Roeser
Eisen Management Group
513.586.4302
rroeser@eisenmanagementgroup.com

Hi Ryan McCarthy!

2007-12-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

Kiss, Transformers & Black Friday

2007-11-23T16:38:00.000-08:00

I kinda took off txgiving off, ish. I worked about half speed for 10 hours, which is about full speed for 20 hours for most agency execs. it was quite refreshing. I had my standard txgiving dinner of grape nuts (microwaved with honey -- it's really good) and nachos with hormel chili for lunch. for dinner, well, I rarely eat dinner. Caught up on some great KISS videos and, as a musician, I'm still amazed by them. they are my parent's age and still go out and rock and roll night, though surely they no longer party everyday. I'm 38 and don't think I could keep up with these guys on stage. they are AMAZING, and i just loved relaxing and watching kissology 2, can't wait for 3 -- want to see live shows from psycho circus and the reunion and the "farewell tour".

watched transformers, the movie. WOW! that was great. good story, amazazing special effects. As a kid, i had transformers in the 80s and played with them. it was great to see an intelligent story do the stories I had in my head when I was a kid justice. It was really good stuff.

black friday. people are crazy. I'm sad that we are such a consumeristic society. The news adores covering all this stuff and it's just sad to see how parents, grandparents do such a disservice to such a wonderful day and time. it's really sad. proudly, I know I am a marketer and pr exec/ad exec, but this time of year, I'm rather ashamed at my profession. Consumers -- are you so easily lead?

stop the madness. stop the madness. I wish that we could get back to the basics and spend time with one another and enjoy a game or a cocktail or a read book. people going into debt for Christmas? it's absurd. Stuff isn't what we'll remember, it's our time together that we'll value.

Stop listening to people like me for even just a few hours. stop buying and being suckered by "sales" and this and that. This holiday has become a marketing orgasm instead of a sacred and valued celebration. Black Friday? What exactly does that say....

Play it forward everyone and happy txgiving.