Have you ever used NO-AD sunscreen on vacation?  It's really good stuff... great value for the money too because the bottles are ginormous.  What makes this sunscreen really different than Banana Boat, Panama Jack and Coppertone is they don't advertise - hence the name "no-ad."

This company has relied on word of mouth marketing for years.  I first started using it when I was in middle school because I saw a friend with a hot pink bottle of 15 SPF.

While it makes for an interesting case study, NO-AD is also very unique.  Many companies are creating "word of mouth" marketing campaigns which rely heavily on social media sites like Facebook or MySpace, emails (like those sent out by Indianapolis-based ExactTarget), blogs (like your's truly here) and SMS text messaging.  NO-AD really relied on good, solid, old-fashioned word of mouth.

On the American Marketing Association's Web site, Marketing Power, they currently have a survey posted which I found to be extremely interesting.  They ask, "What is your most effective word-of-mouth technique?"  The responses are what got my attention:

• Social Media Sites - 22%
• Email - 54%
• Blogs - 16%
• SMS - 8%

Honestly, I voted for blogs.  I have experienced a great deal of success in gaining coverage for my clients in blogs.  Many blogs have a daily traffic snapshots reaching over 2.2 million making their online viewership greater than the printed circulation of the same company or other reputable media outlets in the same space.

I believe people are more likely to believe the word of a blogger than some group on Facebook or some email they've received.  Emails have a leg-up on blogs though... many campaigns are opt-in and all [should be] opt-out compliant.  To find a blog takes more effort than just checking your inbox - I'll give you that!

I am sad to see that SMS isn't appearing to catch on as quickly as I had anticipated.  I've yet to participate in any opt-in SMS campaign and I really don't think it's for me.  I equate it to receiving a phone call from a telemarketer right when I sit down for dinner.  There's never a good time to receive a random text message from a stranger... not for me, at least!

So what about you?  How will/would you vote?

This morning, I saw a video on Inc. magazine's website talking about "How to choose a PR agency." This was interesting to me, coming from the agency side, to look at what clients must think about in deciding to work with us. So I started thinking about each of the five "tips" given in light of Dittoe PR and our clients.

1.Use references.
Talk to friends and business contacts you know and trust to see what firms they think will be a good fit for your organization. I know we've gotten several of our clients through references and word of mouth. Since we're located in Indianapolis, it's easy for companies here to see our work and for Dittoe to attract the attention of more local clients.

2. Does a PR agency know your business?
Engage the PR agency in dialogue about your industry and business challenges. Ask them how they would likely approach your account. Dittoe works with a wide variety of clients but has particular expertise in the high tech industry. However, after working with several clients in the education industry recently, we've gained a great deal of knowledge about this industry over the past year. Similarly with working with other clients, we're continually learning as much as possible about the marketplace and various industries in order to be able to serve an increasing range of clientelle.

3. Test the chemistry between your company and the agencies that you’re looking at. Who do you think you’ll get along with best and be able to work well with? With any business partnership, it's very important to understand one another and be able to communicate well. Dittoe has a wide range of clients and therefore a wide range of client relationships. Some clients like to talk on the phone with us every day, while others will go days or sometimes even weeks between emails with us. It's our responsibility to understand our clients' needs and cater specifically to them, communicating in the method they prefer.

4. Be a partner. Make sure to let the agency know all the relevant information they might need in order to best tell your story. This is very important to a PR agency. Since what we do is "tell our clients' stories" essentially, it is critical that we have all the necessary information to paint a picture for the media. Clients who withhold information from us are doing themselves a disservice.

5. Define success. Make sure you and the agency have the same goals in mind. It is important for Dittoe to know what our clients expect of us and what will make them happy. That way, we can set our expectations - and help set theirs realistically. All clients usually say they want to be on Oprah, but unfortunately that rarely happens. Landing coverage like Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times is incredible and we're always so excited when stories like these run for our clients. Also, knowing where a client would most like to be featured is important. Some clients would actually prefer to be included in trade publications - written specifically for people in their industry - instead of national newspapers or magazines written for the general public.

Dittoe PR is very good at what we do, and we know how to achieve media coverage successfully for our clients. Anyone looking for a PR agency who would like national exposure should give us a look!

So this morning while I was getting ready to come into work (seriously, can you believe it's the last day of July?), I decided to wear my charm bracelet in a last minute grab for jewelry as I headed downstairs.

When I sat down at my desk today with coffee in hand, the jingling of the few charms I do have rattled against the laminate desktop and instantly I remembered the sound of this bracelet in high school and college.  Each time it seemed a little heavier -- and a little bit more "jingly."

It all started when I was 12 years old.  For Christmas my Grandmother gave me her mother's charm bracelet with one single charm on it... my Dad's silhouette with his name engraved on it.  She had one for every grandchild, I was told. 

After that Christmas, I began to receive new charms each year.  For my 13th birthday I got an ice skate since I had started skating lessons and surprisingly, was doing well at the sport.  For my 14th birthday a viola for the instrument I started playing at age 11 - and still play from time to time.  At 15, my mom gave me one of her charms for typing 60 words a minute - in honor of my own typing skills. 16 - a basketball hoop and ball to commemorate when I made the varsity basketball team that fall.  17 - a graduation cap and the number "2000," and at 18, the state of Indiana since I chose to attend Hanover College.

I didn't receive another charm after June 2000, until last year.  On the night before my wedding, my mother-in-law gave me a charm with my "new" initials on it, our wedding date and a special message just from her.

In a way, this charm bracelet is the story of my life and a continuation of my great-grandmother's. The jingling is a constant reminder of where I've been and what I've done.  I think for Christmas this year I'll ask for a new charm... maybe a telephone or a computer to mark my employment at Dittoe Public Relations?

On July 28, Laura Olson, a reporter from the Indianapolis Star wrote the article, "Indy-area volunteers not stingy with time." She stated in the article, "Indianapolis is one of the top 10 metro areas in volunteer hours per resident, according to a federal report released Sunday."

Many Indianapolis residents are always itching to learn more about where they can volunteer their time and services.  I know of a great volunteer opportunity that you can partake in at any time of the year and as much or little as you would like! 

Eagle Creek Park on the Northwest side of Indianapolis is looking for volunteers to help out at the park doing various activities.  Some of them include taking children on hikes, gardening, working at the marina, working at the newly built Discovery Center, answering phones, taking care of animals and setting up for art shows that exhibit four times a year at the Discovery Center.



If you or someone you know is interested please contact Rosie Johnson, the volunteer coordinator at Eagle Creek Park.  Her number is (317) 327-7148.

One thing I loved about Notre Dame is that a huge percentage of the student body is comprised of athletes - which meant there was always someone to toss a football, shoot hoops or play a game of pick up soccer on the quad with. As someone who loves sports and played competitively through high school, being part of this atmosphere was a lot of fun for me. Since Notre Dame's varsity sports teams are very competitive, a lot of students who attend Notre Dame are good enough at (one or more) sports that they could have played their sport(s) at another college. I actually considered applying to several smaller, Division 3 schools so that I could keep playing soccer during college. Ultimately, I decided that I cared more about attending Notre Dame than I did about playing soccer at the college level. However, I was lucky that this didn't mean I had to give up sports all-together.

In fact, during my years at Notre Dame, I played intramural flag football, soccer, basketball, volleyball and broomball - and had an absolute blast doing it. I met some of my best friends through these teams, and my experiences playing on them remain some of my favorite memories from college. I'll never forget when my freshman year flag football team - from the smallest dorm on campus - beat the team from the largest dorm on campus in the intramural championship game. The coolest part of this, though, was that the game was held in Notre Dame stadium. For a huge ND football fan like myself, getting to step foot on (much less getting to play a game of our own on!) this field was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Another one of my favorite intramural experiences was with my broomball team. If you're not familiar with this sport, let me give a quick outline. It's played on half of an ice rink, with goals at either end. Members of each team run on the ice in shoes (not skates) and hit a ball (not a puck) with a stick that literally could be made at home with a broom handle and a wider piece of plastic at the bottom. Games are twenty minutes long, and in this league they're played at night - usually at 10pm, 11pm, or 12am. My team, which played together for three years, was called Fr. Sorin and the Funky Bunch. (Fr. Sorin was the founder of the university.) For each game, we dressed up in ridiculous non-matching outfits and had so much fun out on the ice. The best part was that despite the recreational nature of the game, we actually took it seriously and got really pumped up for each game. One night we even had a friend who was in the school's band accompany us over to the hockey rink playing music & cheering us on.

Since graduating in May of '07, I've definitely missed getting to play on all these teams with my close friends. This fall, I'm hoping to help coach a soccer team. I think it will be a lot of fun getting to be around the game again, teach it to younger girls, and see them enjoy it the way I did for so many years. Maybe I'll even get to play a little too - although my footskills have definitely gone downhill over the past few years. Oh well, I guess I'll see if a little practice can help bring them back!

OK, remember the movie "Being John Malkovich" where a puppeteer discovers a door in his office that allows him to enter the mind and life of John Malkovich for 15 minutes? Of course, the puppeteer then tries to turn the portal into a small business like any normal person who is out to make money. Well, that's kind of how I feel today -- only I'm not in the mind of John Malkovich... I'm in the mind of my co-worker Meg Charlebois.

Last week I lifted weights with Meg... we each showed each other specific exercises which we enjoy or get a lot out of (read: are really hard but worth it in the long run even if you look like an idiot while doing it).

Yesterday we made an emergency run to Walgreen's for some much needed Diet Coke (which they were out of) and while there, we decided to buy little note pads to track our workouts - and in my case, a food journal as well.

Last night while noting my brisk walk in my "journal" it suddenly occurred to me that at some point last week I walked through a portal and entered the mind of Meg Charlebois.  What else could have caused me to suddenly begin lifting weights, running and tracking my caloric intake in a purple, pink and brown spiral notebook?

The weird thing is, I like "being Meg Charlebois."  I've found I feel better of a morning, sleep better at night and I'm able to run farther in the hot sun than I was previously able to -- when I was being Lauren Littlefield.  Heck, today I'm even lifting and doing abs at lunch (which is then followed with either a smoothie or salad, I haven't decided). *If you know me, you are probably wondering what I'm smoking, right?*

Of course, I'm not really trying to be like my healthy co-worker... but she does inspire me to be healthier, which is an amazing result of our friendship and relationship as Dittoe employees.  Consequently, I think I've inspired her to blog more often!  I'll try to keep you posted on my progress at "being Meg Charlebois."  They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?  Meg won't mind...

This past weekend, my fiance Michael and I went to look at apartments for next summer when we get married. We had a pretty productive weekend, visiting about 8 or 9 apartment complexes around the city. Over the course of these visits, I quickly came to realize that many of the conveniences which I have taken for granted in the past are not always available in these residence communities. Amenities such as a washer and dryer set, decent appliances and clean hallways certaintly aren't standard but are nevertheless important in choosing a place to live. So I thought I'd give out ten tips that, in my opinion, should be considered prior to signing a lease for an apartment.

1. Choose a good neighborhood/part of town
Where you're located in a city can largely determine much of your experience living there. You want to make sure the area is safe and clean, that you will have easy access to a grocery store, convenience store, gas station, etc. and that your commute to work won't be terribly long.

2. Examine how well the grounds are kept
Check out the landscaping - is the grass nicely mowed? Is the parking lot clean and neatly kept? Also, make sure the entrances are clean. A couple of the places we visited this past weekend had disgusting stairwells - full of cobwebs and bugs - not someplace I'd want to come home to.

3. Pay attention to the management staff
Are they attentive, helpful and knowledgeable? If not, be wary of the apartment community. A staff that is unorganized and that isn't able to help with your problems or answer questions will make for a frustrating living experience.

4. What do the apartment's appliances look like?
Are they old and run-down or clean and new? Ask to see an actual apartment (not just the "model" they typically show you) to make sure appliances are standard throughout the complex.

5. Does the apartment have a washer/dryer in-unit or hookups?
If it has neither, I wouldn't consider it. This is one of the most important points that an apartment must have for me. Take this into account when reviewing rent cost. Apartments that include a washer and dryer should be more expensive that those that do not. If you would otherwise have to purchase or rent a washer and dryer, it may be worth the additional cost.

6. What is the layout like? Can you see your furniture filling the space?
Some apartments are planned out well, and others aren't. Make sure the dimensions of the room will accommodate the furniture you currently own and that the apartment makes good use of square footage - and doesn't waste it by putting it in an entranceway or hallway.

7. What is the population of the apartment community like?
If you're a college student, chances are you don't want to live in a community with a lot of older folks who will complain about noise all the time. However, if you're a working professional (who needs to wake up early each morning!) you likely won't want to live somewhere with a lot of loud, college students. Personally, I prefer a quieter, peaceful atmosphere to a rowdy, party-like one.

8. Is parking readily available? Does it cost extra?
Parking cost can be a significant addition to monthly rent cost, so keep this in mind.

9. Do you have a preference for top or bottom floor?
If so, definitely check the availability of this, as sometimes certain types of units are only available on the top or bottom floor.

10. Does the complex require renter's insurance?
While it's definitely smart to purchase renter's insurance (especially if you have a lot of valuable things), some apartment communities require a very high level of renter's insurance. This can get expensive as an additional monthly payment.

But overall, go with your gut. If you like the look and feel of a place, chances are it will turn out OK!

We've all done it. You see a homeless person on the sidewalk or at an intersection and you give them what little change or maybe cash you have in your wallet. Maybe you've even given someone your doggy bag from your nice dinner out. Ultimately you feel sorry for the person and try to offer assistance without really getting involved, right?

My friend Matt did this for an "amputee" and Vietnam War veteran who was seemingly down on his luck in Louisville. Hours later, Matt was astounded to see the man stand up out of his wheelchair and run off with some very real legs and with all of the cash he was given. Matt was upset and everyone who witnessed it commented they would never give money to a homeless person again. 

While finishing up her masters, one of my best friends worked for a company committed to helping homeless people here in Indianapolis. Sadly, one day her purse was stolen out of her office. Though it was later found, the man seen taking it was one of the people her company had offered its services to in the past.

It's hard to help people when you know the odds of them taking your help and actually using it to better themselves (buy food, clothes, etc...) are slim to none. A friend of my Dad's offered to take a homeless man in my hometown of Greenville, SC to McDonald's and buy him lunch - anything he wanted. The man stared at him in disbelief and said, "Just give me money, man."

Unfortunately, many people who are forced to live on the streets face addictions ranging from alcohol to gambling. Their addiction is a disease, and any money they receive goes to feed it. Other large portions of homeless people in the U.S. are victims of foreclosures, bankruptcy and sadly - many are mentally ill.

OK - so why my rant on homeless people? Here in Indianapolis, we have a problem. You don't see it every where... but downtown, especially at night, there are a lot of folks who have nowhere to sleep, no shelter and no dinner. The worst part of this mess is the city is forcing them to get out from underneath the bridges that provide them with the only shelter available and is not providing them with any alternatives.

Every city has a dark side - a side tourists/visitors never see. By placing nice hotels close to attractions like museums, malls, monuments, sport & concert arenas and convention centers most visitors never have to see the "bad" part of town. But what about those of us who live in these bigger cities? We drive through rough areas sometimes. In fact, we probably drive out of our way to avoid them. I say it's time we stop driving around the problems plaguing society and make a change.

Write to your mayor today if you agree with me, and ask them what their plans are to provide the homeless with shelter and increase safety for citizens throughout the city - regardless of race, religion and income.

For those of you in Indianapolis, write to Mayor Greg Ballard here.

Recently, I've seen several YouTube videos of the Muppets singing various songs. On the Fourth of July, someone sent me the Muppets "singing" the Stars and Stripes Forever, and this past weekend I saw three others - the Habanera, Ode to Joy, and a classical music piece the name of which I don't know. All of these are hilarious and have made me wonder whether they might be part of some sort of viral advertising for a new Muppets movie. I definitely hope this is the case, as I love the Muppets and always enjoy their movies.

I've always found non-traditional forms of advertising to be very interesting. Viral advertising tactics such as using YouTube videos, mock websites, and other forms of social media communication are all inexpensive (or free) but can reach an amazingly wide audience. With the numbers of people using social media networking websites, thousands can come in contact with an item posted by a single person. The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, talks about how ideas, products, messages and behaviors spread like viruses do. An example given is that of Hush Puppies shoes. At a time when this company was suffering and on the verge of going out of business, they experienced an unexpected rise in popularity and profit. A very small niche of urbanites who wore hush puppies (likely because they weren't popular) caused the popularity of these shoes to spread like wildfire. People started catching on - and once celebrities started wearing the shoes, the demand only grew more.

In my opinion, if you have a few people - who are widely respected and popular - with large social networks to help spread a message virally, you can reach a huge audience very simply. Once people start talking about something - the topic becomes part of the "buzz" - and it pops up everywhere.

In PR, having news about our clients "go viral" is exactly what we want. At Dittoe, we always hope that by generating some initial media coverage, this will stimulate discussion and that people will ultimately start talking about our clients on their own - and spreading awareness of their products and services!

Yesterday I had an experience at the mall which made me think about the fact that many of the skills necessary to be a successful retail salesperson are similar to those necessary to be successful at Dittoe PR.

As I was walking, I was approached by a salesperson with a lotion sample. Although I politely told him I wasn't interested in sampling his product, he continued to insist that I take the sample, all-the-while getting closer to me and more in my face. I decided to appease him, in the hopes of getting him to leave me alone after that. That was my first mistake. Once I took the lotion sample, he began to show me another set of products for nail care. Talking at a mile-a-minute, the salesman (who clearly cared FAR more about nail care than I, a woman, did) tried to convince me to let him demonstrate a nail smoothing product on me - "Just two minutes of your time." Yeah, right. He proceeded to smooth the top of one of my thumbnails with some sort of nail buffing product. Then, when I said "That's nice, but I really don't need the product," he went into a tirade about how my fingernails are like a business card. "Do you want your business contacts to see you with bad nails?" he asked. As I strained to keep a smile on my face and remain pleasant I thought to myself how my business contacts shouldn't care what my nails look like - they should base their opinions of me on how smart, professional and hard-working I am - and whether I get the job done well. Honestly, I don't care enough or want to spend the money to get a manicure each month - and I'd rather keep my nails cut short so I can toss a football more easily.

At this point, I started to get really annoyed and began to try harder to get away from the salesman. I hate being rude though, so I was still having a difficult time walking away. His tactics then changed to attempts to negotiate with me. He tried offering me the nail kit for half price, then offering me two nail kits for the price of one. The reality of the situation was that I wouldn't spend $5 for a nail kit - it's just not something I need, want or would even use. FINALLY I realized I would just have to be short with the man - tell him I wasn't buying anything, bottom line - and walk away.

To me, a good retail salesperson needs to resemble a good PR professional. He or she should be helpful but not pushy. Knowledge of the product, the ability to communicate and being trustworthy (which includes conveying accurate product and pricing information, especially in a negotiation-type sale) are all critical qualities to have.

At Dittoe, we pride ourselves on always being professional and pitching the media appropriately. The relationships we form with journalists and producers are largely based on their trust that we're providing them with accurate, relevant information. I know there are plenty of PR professionals who pitch using mass email lists and who don't do the necessary research prior to contacting members of the media. Going the extra mile by making ourselves familiar with new media contacts, the topics they general cover, and how they prefer to be contacted is what sets the account executives at Dittoe apart from these other PR professionals in the industry.

I always try to think about how I would react to something if I were the journalist or producer, prior to contacting him or her. By putting myself in someone else's shoes for a minute, it helps me to better understand what they want so I can get the best results for Dittoe and our clients!

As a big football fan, I get very excited every year for the football season to kick-off. I've been a Notre Dame football fan since I was born - literally. My parents have a picture of me at about 2 months old wearing a "one-sie" outfit that said "Fightin Irish" on it. I spent my childhood Saturdays during the fall watching ND games and running around singing the fight song every time they scored. I very distinctly remember 1993, when I was 8 years old, watching the glorious victory for #2-ranked ND over #1-ranked Florida State and then the following week being depressed after losing (not just the game, but our undefeated season and national championship hopes) to Boston College.

As a student at Notre Dame, my love for the school and football team only grew. I saw many great games in Notre Dame stadium as well as on the road. After a (very) disappointing season last year, I am hopeful that the Irish can improve their game this year.

While my greatest football love is Notre Dame, I also just really enjoy the game. I can watch two college or professional teams play regardless of whether I have any real reason to route for one or the other. Each year around this time, when the teams are getting ready to start their summer practices, I get antsy for the season to begin - and love that there will be three straight months of college football (and five months of professional football) to watch.

I can't wait to go up to Notre Dame this fall for a couple of games. There is absolutely nothing quite like a football Saturday at Notre Dame. It's hard to describe it to someone who has never been there, but the way I feel about the first home game of each year is probably similar to how young children feel on Christmas day. I still get goosebumps every time I go back.

Only 44 days to go!

OK, so is it bad that I'm already counting down until the Colts play the Bears on Sunday, September 7th at 8:15pm at the new Lucas Oil Stadium?

My excitement for this season is greater than it was last year when they were the reigning world champs.  I know... I didn't think it was possible, either!  Of course, you can imagine my excitement when I learned from MediaPost.com about Reebok's new commercial by Mcgarrybowen which features both the Manning brothers and other league stars like Chad Johnson, Vince Young and Brian Urlacher (all personal favorites of mine).

Of course, the commercial features several teams including the Colts.  By the way, where the heck are the Colts walking?  They look like they're in the swamps of Florida, not the fields of Indiana!? 

Check the ad out for yourself by clicking on the picture above and let me know what you think.  It gets me excited about football... not Reebok, but maybe that's because I'm a Nike girl all the way.  What about you?  Will you join the migration?

Last week, Dittoe's insurance company sent out a representative to our office to perform an annual "health screening" of all the employees ensured. We were informed that we would each have a finger pricked to draw blood for analysis and that we needed to complete surveys about our nutrition, lifestyles, etc.

During this process, I started thinking about how healthy I really am. While I feel like I've always been a pretty healthy eater and have always been involved in playing sports, I think I definitely owe it to myself to re-evaluate how healthy I currently am and to make necessary changes to my diet and excercise plan if necessary.

When I look at my diet, I know one thing I could stand to improve is eating more fruits and vegetables. I like the way I feel when I'm eating healthy, and I like most fruits and veggies. The difficulty lies in actually working these foods into my diet. I often seem to buy too many fruits or veggies which I'm not able to eat by myself, and they go bad. Or I won't feel like taking the time to cook or prepare veggies with dinner so I'll go without eating any. In taking a step back, though, I realize there are plenty of ways to work fruits and veggies into my diet fairly easily.

For the past week, I've tried to make a conscious effort to do so, and I've been happy surprised by how well it's gone. I bought cans of V-8 juice that I can drink with lunch at work - that give me a serving or two of veggies in each can. I bought and made an effort to eat green pepper and carrots with several dinners. And when buying fruit, I doled out portions that I knew I could eat before it went bad. (For example, I separated a smaller amount of grapes to buy from the huge, family-sized bags they're generally sold in.) The best part of my efforts to eat more fruits and veggies though, was that I allowed myself to buy berries. I generally don't buy raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries at the grocery store because of how expensive they are - even though I LOVE them. But this week I decided I was going to buy them anyway - because they're healthy and provide a nice break from eating an apple with every lunch. Yum :)

The second part of my self-imposed health evaluation was my exercise schedule. Growing up I played sports year-round and never had to worry about getting enough excercise. In college, 90% of the people I knew were extremely sports-oriented. I participated in intramural sports, ran with friends, and played pick-up sports all the time. A group of us even had a routine abs class - which one of my friends, who we affectionately dubbed the "Minister of Pain" led - that we held 2-3 times each week. Now that I'm living on my own, though, the responsibility to excercise falls solely on me, and without sports to play or a running partner it's much less fun, and it's more difficult to motivate myself to exercise.

This past May I ran the Mini Marathon in Indianapolis, which was a great excuse to get myself on a strict training schedule. For twelve weeks leading up to the race I ran at least three days a week, cross-trained on the non-running days, did a core/abs workout twice a week, and lifted twice a week. I was in the best shape I had been in for years! Unfortunately, once the race was over I reverted to my typical routine of just running when I felt like it and when the weather was ideal and not lifting weights at all.

So this week I decided I need to make a concerted effort to keep a stricter exercise schedule - where I make working out a priority. Even though I really dislike running on a treadmill, when it's 90 degrees outside that is the only option I have. So I've been doing that for several days over the past week, in addition to lifting some light weights. I'm also trying to attend the spinning class taught by my co-worker Christy Oberley at least once each week. It's a GREAT workout and is a lot of fun - and I know Christy will give me a hard time if I don't work hard!

It feels good to be healthy, and I know I'm doing a good thing for my body by remaining conscious of my health. Eating well and exercising gives me an increased energy level, puts me in a better mood, and gives me concrete goals to work toward with regard to my health. So thanks, insurance company, for coming to Dittoe PR and getting me thinking about healthy living!

This past weekend I headed home to South Carolina for the wedding of my best friend of over 20 years. 

She was the first friend I made in Greenville.  Last year she stood with me as I said "I do," and this year I was there for her.  It was an emotional experience for me -- and a lot of fun as I was able to hang out with her all weekend long and meet some of her new friends.

After the rehearsal dinner the entire bridal party headed out to celebrate with a few drinks, fresh oysters and live music downtown.  While getting to know everyone I quickly discovered what a small town I'm from... and what a small world we live in.

One of the other bridesmaids is dating a guy who will be in Indianapolis this week working at the new Lucas Oil Stadium.  I gave him some tips on where to go for dinner (St. Elmo of course!) and told him where he could find a good drink or two.

Another bridesmaid is getting married to a guy who lived with one of my best friends from high school while attending Clemson University.  We called him together and laughed while telling stories about him and some other folks we both had in common.

It was wild to know that I had so much in common with people I had never met before!

Overall, the weekend was great.  My friend looked amazing and the reception was a blast.  We did a little dancing, even though the humidity had us all sweating from the moment we stepped outside!  It made me miss home and everything "southern" I've been missing out on since I left for college. 

Who knows... maybe I'll run into someone from home up in Indy now.  If I learned anything from this past weekend, it's that it really is a small world after all.

Last night, along with several of my co-workers from Dittoe PR, I attended a dinner with the Two Million Minutes team and some special guests. This client account of mine is unique in that we get to meet people involved in the film from all over the world. This week, the two Chinese students from 2MM, Xiaoyuan and Ruizhang, are visiting Indianapolis as part of their first-ever trip to the United States.

Since Xiaoyuan sat at my table, I got to talk to her about her education, extra-curricular activities and the comparisons between China and the United States. I was very impressed with her English, as I had shown up to the dinner expecting our entire conversation to be translated by a Chinese/English interpreter. We were, however, able to talk freely, and she understood many topics that were brought up.

We talked about all the media attention Two Million Minutes has received here and how our national PR campaign has brought a lot of excitement to Dittoe. I asked about what she was studying in college and learned that she is a business major but also likes the arts. As a violinist and ballerina, she certainly has artistic talent.  

My favorite part of the night was when Xiaoyuan was asked to play her violin for the group. She had been asked to bring it with her from China and was happy to play a couple of songs for everyone. Now, let me preface this by saying that she had told me she'd been playing since she was four years old (she's now nineteen). Despite hearing this I didn't realize just how good she would be. The first piece she played was a fun, Irish dance song which made me want to go dance a jig at an Irish pub. I love Irish music, so I really enjoyed this one - and everyone clapped along as she played. The second piece seemed to be much more difficult and involved. It was a classical piece, and I was just amazed by how fast her fingers moved and the wide range of notes she was able to play.

It was pretty eye-opening to hear about China directly from Xiaoyuan as well. She mentioned the "one-child policy" which dictates that families residing in urban areas may only give birth to a single child, in order to curb the population growth. She also talked about how much more crowded it was in Shanghai than in Indianapolis.

Despite living across the world in a very different place, she also mentioned being familiar with American television shows such as Friends and CSI as well as some of the same athletes from around the world whom Americans watch. She mentioned that she loved to watch Rafael Nadal play tennis, her favorite sport.

It was definitely an interesting experience having dinner with these visitors from China. I learned a lot, and I hope the other Dittoe girls and I helped make their first dinner in America an enjoyable one!

Every two years I get really excited in mid-July because I am able to get a new, discounted mobile phone with my service provider (Verizon Wireless).

This year is no different. I have had my eye on the LG Voyager since it came out and I can't wait to trade in my beaten-up Samsung!

The discount is a nice bonus to signing a new two-year agreement with Verizon. It allows me to stay "up-to-date" with new mobile technologies and it feeds the hunger of wanting something new and shiny in my purse.

Unlike my husband, I am not interested in a Blackberry, Treo or iPhone. He's in sales and has to be connected 24/7, so for him it makes sense. I do all of my work either on my desktop or laptop and I never feel "disconnected."

My friends, family, co-workers and clients all know my mobile & office numbers as well as my email address and I feel that is more than sufficient for the work I do. Granted, it would be nice not to have to bring my laptop on day trips to NYC or back home to SC but it's something I don't mind doing. In fact, I like doing it... which is why I want the LG Voyager and not the Blackberry Pearl.

In a world where we are becoming more and more connected through the Internet, mobile devices, social networking, etc... it's nice to "disconnect" for a brief moment and have one electronic device meant to do just one thing: be a telephone.

They finally get it. I've tried to explain to my three best friends from college what the term Public Relations  means and what a Public Relations Practitioner actually does.  I've explained, given examples, had them meet my fellow peers in PRSSA and even brought them to my the PRSSA Relay For Life event(thanks again Ginny!).  As a teacher, nurse, and dietitian none of them have stepped foot in the communication school. 



I knew what my friends were going to be doing in their future careers but their lack of knowledge about my career choice was frustrating for me. Then I started to tell them what I do all day for eight or nine hours a day, and they all seemed interested in all the projects I presented to them. Then one night I asked them, do you really know what I'm talking about?  They told me the truth- "not...really."   

When I told them about my new client Katrina's Children, they began to understand the practice of Public Relations. Katrina's Children is a new documentary featuring nineteen children from different neighborhoods in New Orleans. The film examines the impact of Katrina on their lives and is told ENTIRELY from their point of view.  It is such a powerful documentary, and I encourage everyone to at least check out the trailer of the film.   





 It was a client that hit home to my college friends.  We attended college at The University of Alabama, so our school was canceled for a few days when Katrina made her way up through Mississippi and then upward through Alabama. 

We actually had a pretty sweet 'hurricane party' to make things a little bit better. I never thought I would really experience or come close to experiencing a hurricane due to the fact that I lived in Indiana my whole life- a state with NO BEACH!  This was my first time experiencing a hurricane- or the aftermath of one. We did get released from school for Hurricane Rita- but I played it safe and drove back to Indiana.

Back to the point- thanks to Katrina's Children, my friends from college have finally figured out what I do "in life" as we say.  I work at the best Public Relations firm in Indianapolis, specializing in high tech PR. 

An expert is defined as a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority. Every day I pitch some journalist or blogger on speaking with a client, an expert in mobile technology, networking, social media, 3PL, etc… who can provide a perspective relevant to a story or unique enough to qualify as a story in and of itself.

I suppose I’m expert violist, field hockey player and dog trainer since I do possess special skill and knowledge in each field – but I don’t go around claiming to know everything about any of these skills. I consider myself to be an amateur at everything I am skilled at since I don’t quite have the tenure required to be taken seriously as an expert. 

The people I promote each day are referred to as experts because they know their business better than anyone else, bar none. In many cases, the experts I work with are founders of multiple organizations and all of them have taught me so much about their business and industry.

I’ve come to learn so much about the experts I work with and represent. So much that it’s difficult to present media contacts with all of the reasons why they need to speak with someone in the first place. I wish I could just label my clients as experts with stickers on their Web sites or foreheads, whichever they prefer, letting the world know that they are skilled at what they do, the best in fact.

Unfortunately, we all can’t walk around with signs letting the world know who we are – unless you’re into wearing a nametag for the rest of your life. That’s why PR is so important. As hard as it is to get the attention of the media, when I do it is a major adrenaline rush.

After reaching out to someone numerous times over a period of time and receiving no response, no inkling of interest – to get that one phone call or email asking for more information and to speak with the expert is the reason why I come into work every day. That call or email is how I earn my nametag: a Public Relations Account Executive.

With tomorrow being the Fourth of July, it makes me think about past celebrations for the Fourth and summer activities that I associate with this holiday.

When I was growing up, my town always had a Fourth of July parade that anyone could participate in - called the "Horribles Parade." People dressed up in costumes, built props, and sometimes even constructed their own floats for the parade. I remember one year (I think I was around ten) when the summer Olympics were happening. My family and some of our family friends dressed up as Olympic athletes. My sister was a track star, and my parents held a bamboo "hurdle" about two feet off the ground that she jumped over. I was a soccer player, and practiced juggling as I walked down Main Street in the parade.

As I got older, cookouts and fireworks started to be the theme for the Fourth. I always enjoyed eating hot dogs, hamburgers, and watermelon and then walking to the fireworks display at dusk. One year, I remember going up to Maine with my family and watching Fourth of July fireworks on the beach. That was pretty sweet.

Last year, my first Fourth of July since I moved to Indiana, was also my first experience with people shooting off their own fireworks. Since it's illegal in Massachusetts, we had always just had sparklers at our house and then watched the town's big fireworks show. So families actually buying and shooting off their own fireworks was new to me. When I visited the store to look at the wide variety of fireworks available, I was amazed. I just didn't know so many brands and types existed! The night of the Fourth, when it came time to shoot off the fireworks, I was somewhat wary of how safe this actually was, especially since there were a lot of small children around. I was assured by everyone that "we do this all the time - it's completely safe." OK... Everything was fine until one of the kids got too close and did actually get hit by an out of control firework! Luckily, only his hand was burned and he didn't suffer any permanent damage, but the poor kid was scared to death! So, the one experience I've had with shooting off fireworks in a backyard ended with someone getting burned. I think I'll stick to watching fireworks shot off far away from now on.

Although I have many memories of past Fourths of July - and it's always fun to enjoy these summer cookouts and celebrations - I think I too frequently lose sight of what we're actually celebrating on this day - our nation's freedom. Initially, when the Declaration of Indepence was signed on this day in 1776, declaring independence from Britain - and beginning the Revolutionary War - our forefathers fought against oppression, unfair taxation, and rights for Americans. This was the first time we thought of ourselves as a separate group of people - Americans. Over the past 232 years since then, many have had to defend our country and our people in various wars, struggles, etc. Even today, thousands are overseas serving the United States - risking their lives and being apart from family and friends for long periods of time.

So when I'm enjoying a hamburger and watermelon at a cookout tomorrow, I'll have to step back for a moment and realize how lucky and grateful I am for all these men and women thoughout history who have defended our country and worked to maintain our freedom. God bless America!

This November we’re electing the next president of the United States. Whether you’re a democrat or a republican, this election is important. Now more than ever, the U.S. is in desperate need of some good international public relations.

Now I’m not volunteering my services to Senators Obama or McCain (however if they are interested in working with Dittoe PR all they need to do is call) but it is very clear we not only need a change in the Oval Office but also in the news. 

Back in October of 2003, PBS’s Online NewsHour posted a very interesting article which I recently ran across by accident. In it, the writer makes a point which is still relevant today:

“The United States must dramatically transform its public diplomacy system to overcome growing anti-American sentiments abroad, according to a report released Wednesday by an advisory group appointed by the Bush administration.”

Public diplomacy is really very similar to public relations but on a much higher level. After all, we are talking about the international public perception of the United States of America. It’s just a little bit bigger than most PR accounts.

Regardless of who you are pulling for in this year’s election, we must vote for the man we believe to be the best representation of the United States and all the good we can accomplish in the world. We don’t want the European Union glad to see him leave office and we certainly don’t want our president to be thought of as ignorant or stupid.

Unfortunately, President Bush’s administration has a cloud of disapproval hanging over it and at this point in time it remains to be seen if any positive things can ever be attributed to his terms in office. It seems every beneficial act he has been involved with is overshadowed by multiple examples of poor judgment or accusations of weak leadership.

Approval ratings are important in the U.S. and abroad. Not only do they indicate how well a government official is liked but that is directly related to the success of foreign diplomacy efforts and support in Congress.

Additionally, the study performed by the advisory group appointed by the Bush administration back in 2003 found “in this time of peril, public diplomacy is absurdly and dangerously underfunded.”

Funding alone will not make diplomacy efforts more successful (however it is needed very badly), thus I’m back to examining the candidates. Both are very different but have the same objective: to be President – to be the Spokesperson and CEO of the United States.

OK, so for my two cents: Regardless of whom we elect come November, as a nation we need to pay very close attention to our approval rating overseas. After all, our president represents us. We should be very concerned when countries don’t want to participate in diplomatic talks and even more concerned when our so-called allies leave our side whether in battle or on paper.

No matter who gets elected this year, I hope they know a thing or two about public relations – for their sake and ours.