Monday, March 31, 2014

Motivational Monday: It Wasn't A Waste


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Sunday, March 30, 2014

PR|D: Renewing Detroit Through Public Relations

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the PR Detroit kickoff event, PR|D Symposium - Renewing Detroit: the Role of Public Relations which was held at Wayne State University.

PR Detroit is a newly formed group of Metro Detroit-based public relations professionals and companies working together to communicate positive messages for Detroit. Our mission is to facilitate positive news and information about the city with a vision of changing the national conversation to encourage positive change and growth in Detroit.

The symposium was intended for southeast Michigan public relations professionals to explore the challenges and opportunities for communicating positive message about Detroit within the context of the municipal bankruptcy. The symposium included a call to action and engaged the PR community to develop creative strategies for constructive, positive communication.

The entire event was packed full of powerful and influential speakers who are passionate about Detroit and here are some of my highlights and takeaways.


The Welcome
The PD|D Symposium's opening speech was given by Matt Segar, Dean of the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts at Wayne State University; Bill Nowling, Spokesperson for the Office of the Emergency Manager of the City of Detroit; and Alexis Wiley, Director of Community Engagement and Spokesperson for the City of Detroit.


Challenges and Opportunities to Communicating Detroit's Story
This section was given by Peter Kageyama, author of For the Love of Cities.






Just like with the Marche du Nain Rouge where for 300 years, on the Sunday after the Vernal Equinox, Detroiters have celebrated liberation from the Nain Rouge, the fiendish embodiment of all that holds us back. Revelers dressed in costume converge at or near Cass Park and hope for better things for Detroit’s future, celebrating whatever is good and working in the city: happiness, success and freedom from the antagonism of the Nain in the new year.
A perfect example of turning something negative into something positive can be seen while enjoying a nice bike ride down the Dequindre Cut Greenway, an urban recreational path, officially opened to the public in May of 2009. The 1.35-mile greenway, developed through a public, nonprofit and private partnership, offers a pedestrian link between the Riverfront, Eastern Market and many of the residential neighborhoods in between. Formerly a Grand Trunk Railroad line, the Dequindre Cut is a below-street level path for bicyclist and pedistrians. This greenway is well-known for its urban artwork and graffiti, often times commissioned by famous graffiti artists.

You can also see more commissioned graffiti on a well-traveled section of Woodward between downtown and Midtown on the front facade of the Detroit Museum of Contemporary Art.

Panel Discussion: Current Efforts and Activities
Moderated by Marge Sorge, Executive Director of the Detroit Regional News Hub, this panel consisted of Ken Cockrel Jr., Director of Detroit Future City; Mary Kramer, Publisher of Crain's Detroit Business, Dave Lorenz, Manager of Industry Relations and International Marketing for Travel Michigan; and Paula Silver, formerly of Quicken Loans and Opportunity Detroit public relations.




My Takeaways
Based on the conversations that took place, these are the new unofficial guidelines came out of the PR|D Symposium:
  • Do not refer to a Detroit business, landmark, restaurant, or shop as a “hidden gem” 
  • Do not describe Detroiters as “gritty” 
  • Do not support “ruin porn" -- In fact for every picture of ruin porn you come across, post 5 more favorable and positive images of Detroit
  • Bring out of town guests to Detroit and let them experience it for themselves
  • Have elevator speeches prepared in case your encounter negative reviews during your daily life
  • Think outside of the box!
Future Directions
This was a fantastic event with a lot of great speakers and a lot of great suggestions from attendees on what we can do to make a difference using our PR superhero powers:

  • Create an online resource for educational materials and elevator speeches that we can use as PR professionals when asked to speak on behalf of Detroit and our business in the area
  • Work positive messaging into business materials and advertising about Detroit
  • Keep PR|D going
Now that event has come and gone, what will come out of PR|D? I'm hoping it is something big. Something great. It could be a dinner on the Ambassador Bridge, a citywide pillow fight, or more public art. At the very least, I'm hoping for a strong, singular branding campaign that melts together Detroit, its people, and the businesses that support it. More importantly, I'm hoping for a round two where steps will be taken to build a cohesive, active PR presence for the city as a team.

 NOTE: The PR|D symposium was sponsored by PRSA Detroit, the Detroit Regional News Hub, and Wayne State University, with support provided by General Motors, Airfoil Public Relations, and Quicken Loans.
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Monday, March 24, 2014

Motivational Monday: Don't Quit


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Friday, March 21, 2014

Flow Chart: Should I Get Google Glass?

Okay, it's no secret that I really want a pair of Google Glass. And recently I even got an email from Google about being moved off the waiting list and if I was interested they were inviting me to purchase a pair. 

Purchase. A. Pair.

That's $1,500 if you didn't know.

Obviously, I don't have this money. And I'm still hoping someone will offer to GIVE me a pair for FREE. But in the meantime, I'll giggle over this flow chart.


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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

WEBINAR: Influencers 2.0 ROI of the Influencer

Influencers 2.0 ROI of the Influencer
An exclusive, FREE live webinar from Social Media Today
March 25th at 12pm EST / 9am PST
Marketers know that connecting with influencers is a complementary component to a successful content marketing strategy. Identifying those influencers has become much easier with search and social analytics. Yet creating a successful engagement strategy takes a deeper dive into understanding how influencers think and how their activities differ based on the social channel. For example, influencers on Pinterest typically care about different metrics than those creating content on Facebook or Twitter. A walk in the shoes of a YouTube influencer is  not exactly like someone on Instagram or Google+. 

This webinar will plunge into the mind of each of these influencers so brands and marketers can better understand this popular audience. Our expert panelists will share insights from both a brand and influencer perspective so marketers can customize their content strategies to the influencers and platforms that best match their customer.

Join us to learn how to:
  • Use analytics to understand social influencers’ needs and wants.
  • Tailor content for a range of influencers across social platforms.
  • Distribute content with influencers most relevant for each medium
.
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Monday, March 17, 2014

2014 #313Dlove Inspiration

Last week I shared the efforts of the amazing and passionate people of #313Dlove along with the event they held with 313 Detroit enthusiasts on March 13, 3/13.

In previous years 313DLove was an online "trend." At 3:13 p.m. people tweeted a positive message about Detroit with the #313Dlove hashtag. Detroit would often trend locally for a few moments and that was it. Detroit was strong, united, and sharing their passion with the world for 60 seconds. This year it was their goal to have #313Dlove trend globally.

Although I was not able to attend the #313Dlove event that afternoon, I closely followed the live tweets from attendees.


Here are my favorite and most impactful tweets from the day.










^This one hits close to home for me





Detroit has always been a place where things are made. And we need to collectively make an effort to return the favor and help re"make" Detroit. It’s not their problem (the city, the government, the citizens); it’s our problem (Michiganders and Detroit lovers). It’s not their project or business or park. It’s ours. This is the perfect time for us to claim back what is ours and make something from nothing. And it’s time we did something well beyond March 13th or a Tweet or a hashtag. --Challenge Accepted--

By the way, The #313DLove hashtag completely took over Twitter on Thursday! Congratulations and special thanks to everyone involved!
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Motivational Monday: Do Great Work


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Saturday, March 15, 2014

Weekly Wrap Up: March 9-15

Here's some things you may have missed:
And some great stuff from some fellow bloggers:
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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Seeing Instagram Sponsored Posts in the Wild

This morning I woke up and went through my normal ritual before getting out of bed by checking Twitter, Facebook, then finally Instagram. In a sleepy haze I scrolled past something weird on Instagram this morning and I had to go back and do a double-take...


Maybe I'm just cranky because it's early in the a.m. and we're expecting ANOTHER huge winter storm today but I'm pretty annoyed by this. 

Love / Hate Relationship
I have a love / hate relationship with these Instagram sponsored ads. From a normal user standpoint, I want to riot in the streets. From a branding/marking/advertising professional standpoint, I love it!

Imagine the garbage that will ensue
Thankfully this ad in particular isn't so bad. It's for a good cause and it's a visually nice photo. But before long anyone who wants to pay money is going to be able to spam our feeds with whatever nonsense they want. Can you imagine scrolling past something similar to what is posted below when you really just want to look at beautiful landscapes with witty captions and artsy rain drops rolling down glass windows?


If IG can control the quality of sponsored ads I think there is a better chance of these being well received in the IG community. But once trash takes over, it's all downhill from there.

Does the presence of official advertising mean IG is too mainstream now? Could this be the beginning of the end?
Ads were inevitable after Facebook purchased Instagram but I liked to pretend they would just leave the app untouched and as pure as possible. But now that IG is mainstream enough for brands to allocate advertising budget for it, the youth, who is undoubtedly the largest user base, may begin to be turned off by the ads and start to move on to greener pastures. We're already seeing a huge decline in young people on Facebook as it is. 

From an "advertiser," IG ads are gold
As someone who sets up online advertising for brands, this is definitely something I'm interested in (even if it will annoy someone like me). Besides the little Sponsored logo these ads do a great job at blending in to the feed. I almost passed by it thinking at some point I must have followed this account. This ad looks natural for IG. If executed right, brands can really benefit by these.

I know there have been talks about sponsored posts for awhile how but this is the first time I've actually seen one in my feed. (Sponsored Posts were officially launched in November 2013 with Michael Kors) Has anyone else seen one in the wild before now? Has this feature just finally gone live? How do you feel about it?
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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

WEBINAR: The Social Government vs. The Social Citizen

The Social Government vs. The Social Citizen
An exclusive, FREE live webinar from Social Media Today
March 18th at 12pm EST / 9am PST
As government and elected officials join social media, they come face to face with citizens who are already there waiting for them. More than ever, social media is proving to be a useful platform for helping politicians connect to constituents, as well as citizens  with their elected officials and government agencies. However, sometimes there is a disconnect between the two.  Government officials have their agenda, but it isn’t always what people want to hear. On the other hand, constituents have expectations that politicians don’t know.

The government and politicians need to share their personality and promise with citizens, whether they’re constituents or not. The more they use social media to engage and open up authentically, the more trust will be built.

This webinar is an opportunity to explore with our expert panelists:
  • How government can change to better relate to digital citizens?
  • How government agencies can use social media to provide complementary communication and participation channels for citizens.
  • What are the right channels to use to provide public service solutions and services, and interact with and conduct business with citizens.
  • How people can use social media to improve how government works for politicians and citizens.

Sponsored by:

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#313Dlove: Come Together to Show Your Love for Detroit

This week I stumbled upon 313Dlove on Facebook and I instantly felt my heart swell with pride and love.

**A side note to those who are not familiar with Detroit, 313 is the iconic area code for the city.

Just from a quick glance at their Facebook page and you can tell that these guys are genuinely passionate about the city and it's people and culture. It's absolutely beautiful.

As I dug deeper to find out more about 313Dlove and the method behind their maddness I came across a familiar name, Terry Bean. I, like many others, are probably familiar with this name based on Terry's involvement with TEDxDetroit. Terry Bean is the Executive Director for 313Dlove. This is destined to be a recipe for success.

So here's what I've figured out...

Previously 313DLove was an online "trend." At 3:13 p.m. people tweeted a positive message about Detroit with the #313Dlove hashtag. Detroit would often trend locally for a few moments and that was it. Detroit was strong, united, and sharing their passion with the world for 60 seconds.

But this year everything is different...


This year, as Detroit celebrates it's 313th birthday, things are different. Terry and fellow 313Dlove supporters have organized a huge event at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Thursday, March 13.

There will be speakers and attendees of all backgrounds that will be coming together to show their support and love for the city of Detroit. They are leaders in business, thought, non-profit and spirituality and they will take the stage and share their heart. They will discuss why they stay in the Detroit area and execute on big ideas like: Entrepreneurship, Community Forgiveness, Creativity, Leadership and more. This will be an amazing day full of great connections, inspiration and positive energy that will ripple throughout what was originally known as the 313. As an added bonus, a portion of the proceeds will be shared with four local non-profits.

And the goal is to trend #313Dlove on Twitter WORLDWIDE for the entire day in order to spread positive messages about Detroit and its community throughout the world.



“I get frustrated by the limited thinking,” Terry told the Detroit News. There’s no impulse control in some quarters, no recognition of the greater good, no understanding that “you can get yours and I can have mine, too.”

Among the goals of #313DLove is to provide “some direction, some inspiration, dare I say it, a kick in the butt,” he says.

Here is some other advice from Terry on how to help Detroit trend worldwide later this week:

How to get involved in #313Dlove
  • Buy your tickets for the event, here
  • Like them on Facebook, here
  • Show your support on Twitter, here
  • Learn more from their website, here
  • Follow Terry because he's awesome, here

 It's all about the numbers:
  • 313 is the historically, iconic area code for Detroit
  • 313Dlove will be celebrated on Thursday, March 13, 2014 -- 3/13
  • The event costs $31.30 to attend
  • Attendance is limited to 313 guests
  • This year, 2014, marks the 313th birthday of Detroit
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Monday, March 10, 2014

Dr. Seuss Inspired Guide to Twitter

If there’s a science to Dr. Seuss books for teaching children to read, my hypotheses would focus on the comparison and contrast of the words used in rhyming.

For example, from Green Eggs and Ham:

“I would not like them here or there. I would not like them anywhere.”

The rhyme demonstrates visually and typographically, the difference between here, there and anywhere. It’s a simple way to soak up vocabulary in a fun and memorable way. 

HootSuite recently published an infographic titled A Dr. Seuss-Inspired Guide to Twitter, which struck me both as creative marketing and an effective way to reach and teach the basics of Twitter. As the infographic says, citing the Lorax: It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.

 Here’s my call to action: If there’s someone you know that should be using Twitter that isn’t — send them a link to this infographic. They are not going to use it. Unless. Here’s the complete infographic:

Click to Enlarge

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What I've Been Up To Lately: Urban Solstice

For those of you who follow this blog regularly, you may have noticed my lack of engaging posts. I apologize for that and I would like to share with you what has been filling a lot of my time for the last few months.

Other than handling my own PR and running a social media "street team" of fashion bloggers, this new hobby is pretty far from being a social media or tech endevour in which I'm typically involved.

With that being said, my new hobby is no less creative...


I present to you, Urban Solstice -- a minimalist jewelry company.

Statement Rough Cut Diamond Ring

My story 
I have been designing jewelry for myself, off and on, for about a year or so. I had never really thought much about starting a business around it since I already have a career in social media and public relations that I am very busy with and dedicated to. Then in December I started designing more as a way to combat cabin fever (Michigan’s winter has been brutal this year) and in January I opened up shop. Being in the jewelry business is no stranger to me. I worked through college for my uncle who is a traditional jeweler handling his sales, customer service, and inventory. I guess you can say jewelry has always been a love of mine.

Three Stone Natural Jade Necklace

My inspiration
I find my inspiration in the stones themselves. Having previously worked with my uncle who is a jeweler I’ve spent a great deal of time around beautifully cut gemstones and other precious stones, but there is something to be said about uncut, imperfect, rough and raw stones. They are so naturally beautiful even with their imperfections so I try my hardest to find the best way possible to showcase each of the stones’ unique qualities. I’m also inspired by minimalism and geometric shapes which I think you will see a lot of in my work.

Crackle Quartz Nugget Bracelet

The difference
One word: Quality. I try my hardest to source the best quality stones and metals to ensure I am providing my customers the best product at the best possible price.

Petite Rough Cut Diamond Ring

I'm just starting to get this off the ground and I would appreciate all the support I can get!

And don't worry, I'm definitely not leaving my social media life behind! A girl can have two loves!

Follow Urban Solstice on the Web
Urban Solstice on Etsy
Urban Solstice on Facebook
Urban Solstice on Instagram
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Motivational Monday: Stay Level Headed, Stay Strong


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Saturday, March 8, 2014

Wrap Up: March 1 - 8

Here's what you may have missed:
And some great stuff from other bloggers:
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Monday, March 3, 2014

Motivational Monday: Never Accept It


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The Sophisticated Marketer's Guide to LinkedIn


Introducing the Sophisticated Marketer's Guide to LinkedIn

The one-stop shop for everything a marketer needs to know about getting the most value from LinkedIn for themselves and their company. It's not an instruction manual, but more of a strategic guide full of interviews and tips from marketing thought leaders combined with expert insights from the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions team.

The Definitive Guide for Marketing on LinkedIn. 

Get ready to take your social media marketing to the next level and discover the vast opportunities that await – increase awareness, influence perception, generate leads, and ultimately drive revenue with LinkedIn.

Download the free guide and learn:

  • Why your business needs to market on LinkedIn
  • How to tap into LinkedIn’s powerful marketing solutions including Company Pages, Sponsored Updates, and more
  • Expand the reach of your content marketing strategies using LinkedIn to share relevant and targeted content to the world's professionals
  • Reach millions of active business professionals with rich display ads and highly-targeted text ads
  • And much more!
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