43rd Year At CES

For some reason I am looking forward to this year's CES. I know
exactly why. The playing field has been leveled. Everyone is in the
same struggling position. After a year of disapponting sales and
performance for most companies, most attendees will be humble. Kind of
like after 9/11 when friends, neighbors and even strangers helped each
other.

Most people will be searching around to see who survived the economic
downfall and who will make a comeback. Those who show up will be
holding on tight to each other providing extraordinary support and
networking opportunities.

I want to be a part of the new foundation and rebirth. I did it once.
Now I want to do it again.

The Name "Senior Citizen" Stinks

Talk about a PR campaign. I need to start one. I better do something if I am going to make it thru the next 15 years of working. After that you can call me a senior citizen.

It all started when I entered TJ Max in South Beach, FL this past Saturday. The branch just opened and I had never shopped at the retail chain. All I ever heard is that it had some designer merchandise at steep discounts.

I wasn't in the store five minutes when a not-so-young-herself sales lady beelines over to me and bellows loud enough to be heard in Carnegie Hall, "We are offering senior citizens additional discounts today if you sign up for our credit card."

My world stood still. I watched every man and woman near size me up to see who the old biddy was. My husband and a male friend just stood there with smirks on their face expressing "ha ha."

I asked the sales lady how old you have to be to qualify and she said 55. I told her I was 54 and walked away.

Now we all know that I am a few years older than that but I don't want it broadcasted to make me feel what senior citizens used to represent.

In many ways I have more energy than lots of people much younger than me. I don't do jumping jacks and I haven't had my body nipped and tucked like most of my friends and family but does that mean I have to be the "alta cocker" (Yiddish for old fart) in the crowd.

I cant do anything about my age but don’t want to be characterized as old. I am deep in my career, I run around with my friends after work, I watch stupid high school movies, have more apps on my iPhone than most and I frequent many trendy new restaurants. My second home is in the playground of Miami. Need I say anymore?

I don't want to be referred as a senior citizen. How about a "seasoned citizen”? That is really who I am.

Ryan Seacrest Tweets

From the Emmy's. Talk about dedication. But Ryan uses Twitter as a
stage on and off screen. We can all learn from that. He is all about
messaging. It is so important to be a constant source of communications.

Why can't I be more disciplined? Perhaps l, am just plain lazy

Remember To Check For Responses

The whole point of social marketing is to start a dialog with someone
that you do not normally talk to. Too often, people post a thought and
then sign off. Someone yelled at me recently for doing that. Actually
it was my daughter. Ouch that hurt.

So now I try to be diligent about checking back. The more I check, the
more opportunities I see for friendships and business. It takes lots
of discipline to be devoted to social networking but the rewards are
very rewarding.

Celebrate A Life On 9/11

Look up three people you lost touch with on Facebook. Let them know
you have been thinking of them

Learning to Vlog For Social Networking

Part of your communications in the world of social networking is to learn how to really get personal.

And I don’t mean intimate.

I mean reaching out and attracting an audience

Here is my attempt

 

 

Lois Whitman's vlog Spend time building target lists
© 2009 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066

 

You Need To Make Sure Your Message Is Being Heard

Great to have Facebook and Twitter corporate account but what if no one is hearing you?

There are probably countless things you can do to attract friends and fans but here are the initiatives you need to do over and over to make sure you have the right target audience.

1-Connect your Twitter account to your Facebook page so both audiences can read your comments.

2-Post comments that provoke a response. Easier said then done but you can't be commercial. You have to talk about subjects that interest others.

3-Use "Search" on Twitter for key words that will bring you to people who have the same interests. For example, if you are promoting a shoe company you would look up, "Styles," "Feet," "Foot Problems," "Footwear," "Footwear styles," "Achy Feet," "Walking," etc.

4-You also need to click on "Trends" to see what the hot topics are for the day. You will be surprised to see there are topics you can join in on and attract new followers. Remember, your goal is to brand your logo so post, post, post.

5-Make sure you don't post anything you will regret later. It happens to all of us but once you have been burned, you will not do it again.

6-Use "Search" on Twitter to find people you admire. Follow them. Most likely they will follow you back.

7-Join as many groups as you can on Facebook. You will be networked to people you never thought you would have a one on one conversation with. Check out the group first to make sure they fit your target audience.

8-Always spend time posting comments to those people on Facebook and Twitter that you want to get closer to. Social networks are just like real life. You have to give to receive.

More tips in a future post

Rethinking The 'Out Of Office Reply'

In the world of social marketing, one would think that an Out Of Office message posted on your email is just not what the digital world is all about.

Why don’t you simply say. “I hate my job so don’t bother me when I am away from the office” or “I cant be on holiday and take 20 minutes a day to scan important emails.”

I don’t know about you, but when I get an Out Of Office reply I immediately think that person is either tied up, in prison or in a coma.

I get a chuckle out of those who put an automatic Out Of Office response on their emails, but if you send them a message that invites them to a “wow party” or offers “a special gift” they know how to get back to you in an hour or two.

I know, I know there are exceptions so I will stand back while the avalanche of nasty emails come my way.

What about those that leave the Out Of Office reply on even when they are back for a few days?

A%#(@&& !!!!

Un Social Networker

It is not easy being a proponent for social networking

Take the case of HWH trying to explain the benefits of social networking to a client recently

Client: I guess I understand why you want my company to be on Facebook and Twitter

HWH: Yes, without spending a dime you can talk directly to your customers for the first time ever, you can precisely pick who those customers are and you can actually conduct an interactive dialog

Client: But I don’t like the whole concept

HWH: Why?

Client: My old girlfriends can now find me

HWH: Something tells us “Thou Protests Too Much”

Client: Every time I go on Facebook or Twitter, all I read about are comments from friends of mine who say “I am having a bad day.”

HWH: Get past that and learn how to use the technology for branding and sales

Client: We trust HWH so handle it

HWH: Okay, we will make it work

A few minutes later client screams out : “Oh my, check this one out”

HWH: Hmmmmmmm !!!!!!!!!!!

Social Networking Is Coming To A Gas Station Near You

I bet you are not aware of a whole new video platform for reaching your customer. It delivers 20 million customers a month that have a spare five to 10 minutes with nothing to do but hear your marketing message. Social Networking on the Internet is all about directly reaching your target audience and this is a novel approach.

Check out Pump Top TV at www.pumptoptv.com, a new video concept at 12,500 gas stations across the country. Watch the attached video to see how it works.

Companies like Audi, Verizon and Delta have already jumped on the bandwagon. They report fabulous results because they have a captured audience without all of the usual distractions. Early adopters are always thought of as cutting edge companies.

A year from now this is going to be huge just like wireless email, e-readers, MP3 players, etc. You heard it here first.

You Can Be Sued For Your Comments on Twitter

http://www.ragan.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=5AA50C55146B4C8C98F903986BC02C56&tier=4&id=DBE35C0C931B41A2AF82EA37690BB5B5&AudID=3FF14703FD8C4AE98B9B4365B978201A

 

This is not a free for all.  People are suing companies and companies are suing people for their Tweet posts. Read the case of what one Twitter is now up against. And she only had 20 followers.

 

Target Your Audience

The most important element of social networking is to target your
audience. That means you have to think about who you want to reach and
then you have to spend the time going after them.

It is so worth the effort. There is no other way that you can actually
reach out to a specific person or demographic group for practically no
money and in record breaking time.

All you do is make a list of who you want to reach and then search for
them. It is that easy.

This task can take hours or even days, weeks, months. It truly is
never ending because you should always be searching and refining your
lists.

The good news is that you can hire an intern to help you or even ask
your family to help. The younger the better. They're usually the ones
that are clued in the most on how to get this accomplished in the
most expedient way.

Remember, if you don't have the proper target audience you are
basically talking to yourself.

Live Social Networking

Remember, whatever you post on any of your social networks is going to
be seen by all. The word "all" is the operative word. Saturday night I
attended a party in the Hamptons where I met up with a famous investment
banker who looked a little down. I asked him why he was so preoccupied.

He admitted that he had a big deal in the works. He hinted about it on
his personal blog a week ago and the other side immediately felt
betrayed. They said he couldn't be trusted. They walked away. He was
devastated. One little line like.........."something big is about to
happen" blew his deal.

He spent the entire night at the party calling everyone on speed dial
trying to gain sympathy. No one could help him but his close friends
gave him the time to vent. I spoke to him again this morning and he just
doesn't understand what he did wrong.

That in itself is the problem. I suffer too from putting too much in
writing. I am warning all of you. Think twice about the content you are
about to post on your site, their site, Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere
else.

The Best Thing About Social Networking

It allows you to talk to people you never thought possible. Our clients are learning that too. The first time Steve Case, the founder of AOL, answered me on Facebook, I thought it was an imposter. How could this be possible? It became possible because I asked Steve a question that he was interested in and a dialog occurred.

I really felt important. That self confidence helped me reach out to a few other VIP's. Before I knew it, I secured a panel of speakers for a conference I was working on. Before social networking, it would have taken me 10 times the amount of time to get this panel together. Or, it may never have happened because I just couldn't reach the right people.

SN made me a hero.

Still Can't Believe I Made It The Western Wall

I am a walking billboard for Israel. Waited too long in my life to go.
Traveled around the world many times and never had a thirst to go.
Went for two weeks in May and now want to return every year.

The Star Of My Blog

New blog post from mobile phone!

Hello, I am learning to post new blog posts via mobile phone. How great is technology?

Interesting Info You May Not Know About Flying

Just like everyone else, I can’t get Air France Flight 447 out of my mind. It is the last thing I think of when I go to sleep and the first thing that comes to my mind when I wake up. I am not the only one. Many of my friends who have to travel for business and hate flying say they are experiencing the same thing. Some say they now even wake up in the middle of the night worrying about their next flight.

My PR agency dabbled in aviation for a while when we pitched a potential account that makes innovative sensors for aircrafts. I called my contact this morning because I felt that I have been misled for years after aviation experts repeatedly told me never to worry about lightning and/or turbulence. “Just pretend it’s a bump in the road. If you feel bumps when you are on pavement why shouldn’t you feel bumps when you are in the air? Planes are made to withstand lightning. It bounces off like a rubber ball.”

I lived by those words each flight. Now I read that the same disturbances that I was told not to fear probably played a major role in bringing down the Airbus because when you are close to the equator the air circulates in a more intense fashion.

What? I flew close to the equator exactly at this time last year. Why didn’t anyone tell me to duck?

My contact said that there is no way for the aviation industry to really know what happened to the flight. They will give us some politically correct explanations. “We are 20 years away from the aviation industry ever developing a communication system that allows ground air traffic control to talk to aircrafts once they are over 50 miles off our coasts. There is advanced communications equipment now but the aviation industry can’t afford the expense. Each plane is equipped with a satellite phone but it is rarely used because it is very expensive and not convenient.”

What, say that again? Are you telling me that airplanes that travel across the ocean are not in contact with air traffic controllers on the ground? “That’s right. They talk to the aircrafts in front and behind them. That’s it. That is where they get their information from.”

But that doesn’t give them enough time to get out of the way if the weather gets bad. Who do they talk to if they have to go around weather or higher or lower?

“No one. The ocean routes have been traveled so many times that they know what to expect depending on the season. Pilots are given a certain amount of circumference feet to shift around in but that is it. They get a few minutes of advanced info from the plane ahead of them and then they relay it to the aircraft behind. It is like telephone tag. You can only guess how the information changes when it is relayed.”

The last bit of info that really gave me the chills is that many pilots refuse to fly the Airbus. They won’t even go on as a freebie passenger. They claim the tail cannot withstand a lot of stress as we all learned when American Airlines flight out of JFK crashed just a few months after Sept 11 attacks. The FAA’s conclusion was that it was a combination of pilot error and wind conditions. The pilots of flight 587 overreacted to the wake of turbulence and their subsequent maneuvers put too much strain on the tail section. My contact said the current Airbus’ have a tail made out of a composite rather than the metal used in a 757 or 767, their planes of choice.

After reading this essay, please add any info that you may have. I am not an aviation expert but I did talk to one. I am pretty sure that I got all of the info accurately.

Who Has Time For A Social Life?

Today I am avoiding my friends. I have too much to do. Blogging, treadmill, weights, online scrabble and solitare, Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, Audible, checking MeetUps, emails, web sites, 1010 WINS, reading online newspapers and blogs, ipod audiobooks, iphone apps, tv shows, play with Coco, and Sunday night "To Do" list to prepare for the week.

My life has gone totally digital. I sit behind a computer like I am the director of a movie putting all the pieces of a plot together. The plot is my life and I now map it on my Microsoft Outlook calendar, contacts and tasks so I can see it from every laptop I own. I can't be away from my electronics for a second. Never take a shower without putting my Treo and cell on the vanity. iPhone is recharging.

I wake up in the middle of the night and right from my bed talk online to pals and biz contacts in Asia, Israel and Europe. Now must write back old friends who find me on Facebook and want to be new friends.

Not enough hours in the day to live a digital life and a real one

See you on the net

The Orange Juice Indicator: Change May Be Uphill Battle For Obama

President Obama’s election was, among many things, a big resounding vote for change. But is change really what the American people want or are they going to be too afraid to embrace it when it arrives?

One major indicator may be Tropicana’s decision to ditch its revamped orange juice carton packaging after only a few weeks and go back to the old comfortable look consumers know. If people rise up over new packaging, how are they ever going to accept new policies, new standards, new ways of thinking?

We think Tropicana overreacted to consumer outcry and should have let people sit with the new look. After all, change doesn’t always feel immediately good. Sometimes it can leave us uncomfortable. But over time, what seems off can become beloved.

We liked the bold new packaging created by the Arnell Group. It focused on the delicious juice within in place of the venerable orange-with-a-straw image that has represented the brand for so long. Here is a link to to Advertising Age's interview with Peter Arnell on the decision by Tropicana to go back to the old packaging.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid14167986001

But whether you agree or not in this instance, we think it is really a sign that while people talk about wanting change, they are not always willing to take the deep breath and live with the sometimes disquieting transition that may accompany it.

What do you think?

Memo to Bill Gates

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090309/ap_on_bi_ge/buffett_economy_6


Maybe you should rethink how smart Warren Buffet is after his recent remarks on CNBC. I didn't see any gems coming from him about the state of the economy.

Now don't get me wrong. I am not using this space to be critical of one of this country's top business leaders. All I am saying is that in a time when we were looking for great insight, his recent remarks came up short.

I could have said the same thing and that is pretty scary.

Where is his genius? Bill Gates says Buffet is his mentor.

I hope Buffet doesn't turn out to be a major disappointment now that America is really examining his words.

It's Snowing Out And It's Cooking Inside

Don't get me wrong. I have never cooked a meal, never will. I just can't understand why someone would want to take hours to cook a meal, only to have people devour it in minutes.

Anway, my cooking involves working at HWH.

Most people took a snow day. Manhattan is a mess. We had three snowfalls so the streets haven't been totally cleared.

Meanwhile, without a lot of people calling and stopping by, I am getting work done fast and easier. A lot of people are online, working from home. They are lonely willing to talk to Internet contacts. That's me.

Cutting thru my "To Do" list.

See ya

Lois

Liz Smith Reveals Her Age , 86

Today is Liz Smith's last column in the NY Post.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02262009/gossip/liz/ill_miss_you__nyc__156927.htm?&page=0http

She has been such an inspiration for all working women. Wow, to be working at 86.

I know some say she hasn't written her own column in years but trust me, all the input comes from her. And in a pinch, she writes.

I placed a few stories in her column over the years.........always a pleasure.

Liz and Cindy are gems..............

Last Night I was 18 again

If I didn't look down or in the mirror, I was 18 again last night. I went Mashable's NY Blogosphere's gathering at the 92nd St Y Tribeca to hear the most incredible stories about being a blogger and the future of traditional media.

Here is what I learned

1-Most bloggers do not make money and probably never will
2-Most bloggers blog because they love it but they do have a day job
3-The more successful bloggers are securing one major sponsor with a creative advertising concept rather than a page filled with meaningless banner ads
4-Traditional media is in big trouble--Seattle Post Intelligencer gone, Philadelphia newpapers in Chapter XI, SF Chronicle threatening to close, Washington Post dropped 77 per cent in advertising revenues
5-The weak global economic conditions advanced the inevitable, death of print
6-More people today want to read about a certain topic rather than buy a newspaper with its total package
7-Bloggers become famous because of interesting content, small snips several times a day
8-Mashable speakers urge bloggers to network at live events. Learn to be socialable

Here are the sources:


Matt Buchanan, Associate Editor, Gizmodo (Gawkier Media)Matt is associate editor at Gizmodo, the gadget guide that “covers anything you can push a button on, from computers, cell phones and cameras to sexy phone apps and Lego, in the most informative and entertaining way possible.”

Alana Taylor, Contributing Writer, Mashable
Alana Taylor is a new media evangelist, consultant and freelance correspondent. Her articles have appeared on Mashable.com and PBS.org, in addition to her own blog at AlanaTaylor.com. Other clients include Classic Media, Inc. and HaloPets.com. She is currently living in the East Village and double-majoring in Journalism and History at New York University.

Caroline McCarthy, Staff Writer, CNET News/CBS Interactive
Caroline McCarthy authors “The Social” blog, covering social web topics for the CBS-owned CNET News. A graduate of Princeton University’s creative writing program, she has been a journalist since 2006.

Nicholas Carlson, Editor, The Business Insider
Nicholas Carlson is an editor for Alley Insider, part of the business news site The Business Insider, where he covers tech, media and advertising. Before joining Alley Insider, he wrote for Gawkier Media’s Silicon Valley gossip blog, Valley wag.

Bryan Keefer, Director of Product, The Daily Beast
Bryan Keefer is not only a seasoned logger, but also a bestselling author. He co-authored the New York Times bestseller All the President’s Spin: George W. Bush, the Media, and the Truth, which grew out Spinsanity.org, a group blog devoted to debunking political spin.
Before joining Tina Brown’s The Daily Beast, a curator of online news, Bryan was Managing Editor of Brijit.com, a startup that provided short reviews and summaries of long-form journalism. From 2004 to 2006, he was Assistant Managing Editor of CJR Daily, the daily web site of the Columbia Journalism Review, which was awarded an honorable mention for distinguished contribution to online journalism by the National Press Club. He has also provided strategic and editorial consulting services to a number of online properties and media outlets.

Who Came To Michael Dell's Defense?

I just wish that when someone gets verbally attacked, others would come to that person's defense. Why do most people just sit back relishing that it is not them? We need more people with self confidence, a big set of you know what and the moxie to speak up when someone is being unfairly criticized. I realize that Michael Dell does not need any help, but instead of letting the press report that he got slapped by Putin, it would have been better if someone else intervened telling the Russian leader that a world without "entrepreneurs" would be a world that was stagnated and paralyzed. Politicans are a dime a dozen.


http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/28/news/companies/dell.davos.fortune/index.htm

Putin-Dell slapdown at Davos
The Russian prime minister tells the Dell CEO: 'We don't need help. We are not invalids.'

January 28, 2009

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Ever since Vladimir Putin rose to power in 2000, his political opponents and entire countries have learned to their cost that he has a tough, demeaning streak. Wednesday it was Michael Dell's turn. At the official opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Putin, now Russian Prime Minister, delivered a 40-minute speech touching on everything from why the dollar should not be the sole reserve currency to how the world needed to enter into a smart energy partnership with Russia. Then it was time for questions. First up: Dell. He praised Russia's technical and scientific prowess, and then asked: "How can we help" you to expand IT in Russia.
Big mistake. Russia has been allergic to offers of aid from the West ever since hundreds of overpaid consultants arrived in Moscow after the collapse of Communism, in 1991, and proceeded to hand out an array of advice that proved, at times, useless or dangerous.
Putin's withering reply to Dell: "We don't need help. We are not invalids. We don't have limited mental capacity." The slapdown took many of the people in the audience by surprise. Putin then went on to outline some of the steps the Russian government has taken to wire up the country, including remote villages in Siberia. And, in a final dig at Dell, he talked about how Russian scientists were rightly respected not for their hardware, but for their software. The implication: Any old fool can build a PC outfit.

What The Obit of James Brady Didn't Tell You

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/arts/29brady.html?ref=obituaries

I used to be his copy girl 42 years ago. Where have the years gone? In those days, a copy boy/girl was a glorified messenger. I sat at a small desk in the middle of the city room. When someone ran the bell on his or her desk, I would run over, grab their story and deliver it to the copy desk. I also looked up the spelling of words, made trips to the library to research information and delivered hand written messages to friends in the building.

This was all before someone invented email, dictionary.com, Wikipedia and Facebook.

But the activity kept me 40 pounds thinner.

James Brady was among the handsomest men I had ever seen. He was Publisher of Woman's Wear Daily and he and John Fairchild were tall, tanned and dressed like they had just stepped out of the fashion pages themselves. No casual days for them.

Because of them and a guy named Marvin Klapper, I was promoted from copy girl to a reporter on a B2B newspaper called Home Furnishings Daily five months after I joined Fairchild Publications.

The reason for my promotion? I knew the subway system so well that I was able to get back and forth from 12th Street and Fifth Avenue to Panasonic in Long Island City in less than an hour.
They needed a new clock radio (wholesale) for their lunch date, Jackie O, and I was able to make that happen.

So with no skills or experience, I started my career.