Posts Tagged ‘Blackberry’
Friday, August 6th, 2010
I recently joined the Droid world. I LOVE my Droid Incredible. The coverage is amazing, the clear picture and fast processor allow me to view websites and videos on the go, access Adobe files with crisp clarity and truly work “in the cloud.” And of course the tool that every public relations professional needs at all times – a camera. The Droid comes with a 8 mega pixel camera for all your photo needs. But my real Droid joy comes from the many apps I now have at my fingertips.
I don’t know how many apps are too many or too few. After reviewing the app marketplace I downloaded, tested, and kept the following free apps to help organize and maximize my mobile experience:
AndroNews: Provides fast links to major news sources: CNN, USA Today, WSJ.com and BBC to name a few.
Evernote: My most-used, must-have app for organizing notes on all of my devices. The “cloud” at its finest.
Facebook: Full-featured Facebook interface.
FourSquare: Not totally sure why, but I continue to “check-in” from time to time.
Google Goggles: Snap a picture and launch an automatic Google search of whatever you’ve scanned. *CAUTION people searches yield XXX results
Magic8Ball: To help with my really tough day-to-day decisions.
Scanlife: Allows me to engage and maximize the QR Code experience.
TMZ: Celebrity gossip. A supplement to my subscription to People!
Touiteur: My Twitter app of choice. I tried several apps, including the Twitter app and found Touiteur to be the best, most feature-rich.
UrbanSpoon: Scouting new restaurants either at home or on the road.
Where: Provides easy-access reviews and allows local vendors to send me coupons when I’m in proximity of their location.
All of the apps I share here are free. I don’t mind paying for an app if it’s good, but there are so many great free apps you don’t necessarily have to invest to maximize your mobile experience. Though I caution you before settling on any apps; thoroughly read the reviews. Don’t be fooled by the overall rating. Upon digging deeper into the reviews I realized many of the reviewers who provided detailed feedback actually ranked the app lower than the overall rating. Those higher ratings were primarily just the rating with a very brief “It’s excellent” or some mundane response.
I know we have a lot of Blackberry, iPhone and Droid users who follow the BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas blog so I ask you to please share: What are your go-to apps? How do you use them to stay organized and be more efficient? If you are in PR or media relations have you helped create an app for your brand or client’s initiative? Can you give examples of successful app marketing campaigns?
Tags: Adobe, AndroNews, applications, apps, BBC, Blackberry, brand, BurrellesLuce, campaigns, celebrity gossip, client, cloud, CNN, Coverage, decisions, downloaded, Droid, Droid Ultimate, efficient, Evernote, experience, Facebook, feedback, Foursquare, free, Fresh Ideas, Google Goggles, initiative, iPhone, Johna Burke, Magic8Ball, market place, marketing, maximize, Media Relations, mobile, on the go, organize, people, picture, PR, QR code, rank, rating, restaurants, results, reviews, Scanlife, search, subscription, tested, TMZ, Touiteur, Twitter, UrbanSpoon, USA Today, videos, websites, WSJ.com
Posted in Mobile Media, Public Relations, Technology | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
by Colleen Flood*
The timing for the “Meet the Editors” roundtable at the Bulldog Media Relations Summit could not have been a better follow up to my BurrellesLuce colleague Tressa Robbins’ recent post, What Journalist Really Want from PR People. In fact, I had the opportunity to moderate two roundtables with journalists of highly regarded outlets. The morning session was with Brooke Siegel, entertainment editor of DailyCandy.com, and the afternoon session 
was with was Jake Dobkin, publisher of Gothamist.com. Both conveyed similar messages about pitching:
- Provide simple, concise details of what they need to write the story
- Send the type of story their outlet would include
Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes a PR person can make when pitching is sending the finished product. I heard from Dobkin and Siegel that “almost never do they use the ‘story’ as you send it.” And I am sure that most journalists would probably agree. Instead, they recommend “sending the details” and then “they will write the title and the story.” Be specific with details, especially in the subject line. Just be sure you don’t include the entire press release (in the subject line) – Siegel joked that this has happened to her and reached for her BlackBerry to show us, then remembered she had deleted it!
For Jake the details he must have include pictures, illustrations, or video. Since Gothamist.com is a blog it is important to lure the reader with visuals. Without any it is likely he will not do the story. Just don’t send large files. Instead provide photos via a “photo-drop box” like Flickr.
According to Dobkin, PR and media relations professionals should also know before pitching Gothamist.com that:
- Gothamist.com does 10 posts/day
- Audience is 18-34 year olds known as “affluent hipsters”
- Contact via email tips [at] gothamist.com
- Don’t call us – we’ll call you. Trust us, you will receive a call if we need additional information
- Provide videos via YouTube or embed with a code
As far as getting your story picked up by DailyCandy.com, Siegel provides some specifics:
- Dailycandy.com is committed to covering what’s new and undiscovered in 11 cities
- Audience is primarily geared towards women regarding fashion, food, and fun
- Exclusives are welcome
- They have a “deals email” that is a great way to establish brands
- No “enter to win” or giveaways
- How-to videos are welcome
- Always include a website; this is the “biggest business card you have”
It was a pleasure to meet Siegel and Dobkin in person. They are real people who work very hard to get their stories out to their audiences. And while some of their points were specific to their publications, I think the biggest lesson they offered was to remind participants how important it is to “research and know the outlet you are pitching.” Now, that’s a takeaway any savvy professional working with the media would do well to heed.
Are you pitching journalists they way they want to be pitched? What tips have journalists and bloggers given you for working with the media? Share your thoughts with the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.
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*Bio: Colleen Flood has been a sales consultant with BurrellesLuce for over 12 years and is eager to become a more integrated part of the social-public relations community. She primarily handles agency relations in the New York and New Jersey metro-area. She is not only passionate about work, but also about family, friends, and the Jersey Shore. Twitter: @cgflood LinkedIn: Colleen Flood Facebook: BurrellesLuce
Tags: audience, Blackberry, Brook Siegel, Bulldog Reporter, BurrellesLuce, Colleen Flood, Daily Candy, fashion, Flickr, Fresh Ideas, fun, Gothamist, how-to videos, illustrations, Jake Dobkin, journalists, know the outlet before pitching, makeup, Media Relations Summit, outlet, pictures, pitching, pitching the Gothamist, PR, Press Release, research, story, Tressa Robbins, video, What Journalists Really Want from PR People, working with the media
Posted in Industry Events, Media Outreach, Media Relations, Public Relations | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
I just returned from vacation. Before I left, several people told me to turn off my BlackBerry. Maj. David Faggard, U.S. Air Force, who was on a PRSA-NCC Twitter panel I recently moderated, said his time in Afghanistan allowed him to “turn-off” the social media noise. He recommended we all do it from time to time. Can you do it?
This CNN article suggests it is “anxiety” that keeps most of us from unplugging completely on vacation. I’ll admit I, just like “tech-loving kids and parents,” could not do it. I knew there would be emails sent only to me which I would then need to forward to others. I’m also a news junkie, and Twitter is one of my best news feeds.
But, I did try to limit my time on the “crackberry” and computer to a few minutes a day. Peter Bregman’s post The Mostly Unplugged Vacation for the Harvard Business Review shares many of my same feelings and strategies. His suggestion for those who can’t unplug completely: “Choose a specified time — and timeframe — each evening… Scheduling time sets clear expectations — for you, for the other people on your vacation, and for the people reaching you.”
Social media doesn’t have to be for work, so I decided to use Foursquare and Facebook to share my vacation with my friends. Since I was headed to see family and friends in North Dakota, I knew the locations would be quite different from the usual tourist spots others would be visiting. I really enjoyed the comments I received, especially after visiting the world’s largest Holstein Cow in New Salem, ND. (However, I was surprised no one responded, when I became the “mayor” of Wood Lake, ND.) And, many people shared my pain as I was delayed, re-routed, and delayed again in my attempt to fly home.
The key to enjoying your vacation seems to be setting limits on your online interaction. Here are a few good posts on ways to manage your time:
Are you unplugging on your vacation? What tips do you have for the BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas readers?
Tags: Annie Scott, anxiety, Blackberry, BurrellesLuce, Caitie Hawley, CNN, Debbie Friez, emails, expectations, Facebook, Five Reasons to Unplug Your Vacation, Foursquare, Fresh Ideas, Harvard Business Review, How to Manage Social Media and Still Have a Life, Major David Faggard, Michael Giuffrida, New Salem, news, North Dakota, Peter Bregman, PRSA-NCC, scheduling, social media noise, strategies, tech-loving kids, The Mostly Unplugged Vacation, the world's largest Holstein cow, Tips for Unplugging While on Vacation, Twitter, U.S. Air Force, vacation, Wood Lake
Posted in Career Advice, Industry Events, Public Relations, Social Media | 5 Comments »
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Flickr Image: B.K. Dewey
Valerie Simon
Monday morning, as I sat down on the train headed to the Bulldog Reporter 2010 Media Relations Summit, I had trouble getting past the front page of The New York Times. No, it wasn’t the story about “online bullies” or the “G20 agreement to halve budget deficits,” but a part of its masthead: “All the news that’s fit to print.”
I am bothered by the fact that the motto remains tied to a particular format, when in fact The New York Times Digital ranked 13th on the newly released comScore report of top 50 web properties. I enjoy reading The New York Times online via my BlackBerry, following @nytimes on Twitter and receiving its RSS feeds in my reader. I listen to NYtimes.com podcasts and watch NY Times videos. The various formats and channels each offer a unique purpose and different advantage in storytelling.
When I arrived at the conference I paid particular attention to how other media organizations were evolving. During the first roundtable I moderated, Glenn Coleman, managing director, Crain’s New York Business, discussed the different methods of outreach and subscription types available to readers. Alongside the original print edition, there is a digital edition, several premium specialized newsletters, as well as free email alerts consisting of daily, weekly, industry and company email alerts delivering the day’s breaking business news.
Likewise, at my second roundtable, Joe Ciarallo, editor of PRNewser and manager of PR initiatives for mediabistro.com, noted that the MediaBistro community receives content and information from a wide array of platforms. In addition to its original blog, MediaBistro reaches its audience using targeted blogs such as PR Newser, TV Newser, and Agency Spy, premium content, and opportunities for members, live events and an active social media presence.
So what is the new standard of newsworthiness – the new goal of media organizations striving to be that essential trusted source of news? During the conference Rand Morrison, executive producer, CBS News Sunday Morning, wisely remarked that, “Long is shorter than it used to be.” Perhaps an updated motto for The New York Times would be “All the news that’s fit to tweet.” But seriously, the motto should no longer focus on one particular format, but rather on consumption, discussion, or sharing. I’ll put it to you, the BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas community. What do you think would be a more appropriate motto for today’s New York Times?
Tags: @nytimes, Agency Spy, all the news that's fit to print, audience, Blackberry, breaking business news, Bulldog Reporter, BurrellesLuce, CBS News Sunday Morning, Comscore, consumption, Crain's New York Business, discussion, evolution of media, free email alerts, Fresh Ideas, G20 agreement to halve budget deficits, Glenn Coleman, Joe Ciarallo, live events, media organizations, Media Relations Summit, Mediabistro, mediabistro.com, methods of outreach, motto, newsworthiness, NYtimes.com, online, online bullies, podcasts, PR initiatives, premium specialized newsletters, print, PRNewser, Rand Morrison, RSS feeds, sharing, social media presence, targeted blogs, The New York Times, The New York Times Digital, top 50 web properties, trusted source of news, TV Newser, Twitter, Valerie Simon, videos
Posted in Advertising/Marketing, Industry Events, Media Industry, Media Outreach, Media Relations, Public Relations, Social Media | 6 Comments »
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
Is it possible to guarantee your availability to customers each hour of each day? Don’t your responsibilities end at 5 P.M. on Friday afternoon then resume at some point Monday morning? Perhaps at one time it may have been the case; however, as public and client relations increasingly rely on digital communication, there is less of a distinction between “on” and “off” business hours.
Recently, I received an email from a client on a Sunday morning. It came in around 10 A.M. and was marked as “urgent.” This was not a new client, nor one that I would consider to be “high-maintenance.” Upon closer examination, it became clear that the issue was one that could not be solved until Monday morning. In short, it was a typical client inquiry on an atypical day. I debated how best to respond…
I only caught this client’s email because I have a Blackberry that I routinely check. Several years ago this would not have even been possible, but now I am unable to resist the urge to check it dozens of times a day. This affords me the option to respond and deal with issues both on my company’s time as well as my own.
While there may be some added stress caused by my involvement in customer relations on my own time, I’ve found that I like the “head’s up” it affords me. I’ve also found that clients appreciate the timely response. After all, clients are using the same technology I am and often for the same purpose.
In his blog post “Starting Over With Customer Service”, Seth Godin writes,
“The internet has taught us to demand everything immediately (and perfectly).” He goes on to say, “We expect instant results and undivided attention.”
So, not only are client’s using the same technology we are, but they expect us to be available whenever they are. Good, bad or indifferent, that’s how it is.
How then did I handle my client’s inquiry? By responding to their email shortly after receiving it, of course. I advised my client that BurrellesLuce was aware of the issue, that we will do our best to have it rectified ASAP, and to please let us know if there is anything else we can do.
How are you handling the demands of 24/7 customer service? Do you, your company, or team have an official plan in place? Or do your individual representatives act accordingly on their own time? As a customer do you expect your account managers to be on call every minute of every day?
Tags: 24/7 Customer Service, availability, Blackberry, BurrellesLuce, David Aloisio, digital communication, email, Fresh Ideas, instant results, Public Relations, Seth Godin, Starting Over with Customer Service, Technology, The Internet, undivided attention
Posted in Client Services, Public Relations, Technology | No Comments »
