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!

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 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!

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.

Here at Dittoe PR we do many different types of public relations: We do Corporate Public Relations, High Tech PR and Media Relations across the board, but today I've decided to focus on PR for the Planet. I've already blogged about this once, but after recent conversation it seems the time has come for me to do it again.

Even if you're not an environmentalist, a tree hugger or whatever you'd like to call it, things are changing because of Global Warming and it's not for the better.

Here are just a few of the effects that Global Warming is having on our planet, according to National Geographic:

• Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing, and the region may have its first completely ice-free summer by 2040 or earlier. Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from the sea-ice loss.

• Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting—for example, Montana's Glacier National Park now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910.

• Coral reefs, which are highly sensitive to small changes in water temperature, suffered the worst bleaching—or die-off in response to stress—ever recorded in 1998, with some areas seeing bleach rates of 70 percent.

• An upsurge in the amount of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, heat waves, and strong tropical storms, is also attributed in part to climate change by some experts.

Hopefully these facts are enough to turn on that energy-efficient light bulb in your head and inspire you to do something to help the environment.  At a loss for what you can do to help? Here are some ideas:

§     Use less hot water- It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
§     Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible- You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.
§     Reuse your shopping bag-  When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop.
§ Buy locally grown and produced foods- The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.
§         Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible-  Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year!
§         Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates- Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free service connecting north american commuters and travelers.
§         Plant a tree-  A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%.
§         Be sure you’re recycling at home- You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.

For these, and other tips on how to stop Global Warming, visit: http://globalwarming-facts.info/50-tips.html

 

Yesterday, comedian and actor George Carlin passed away at the age of 71 from heart failure.  My first memory of Carlin was as the engineer and voice of trains on “Thomas the Tank Engine,” which was always on PBS when I was little.  As I got older, I learned more about the man and his comedic routines which pushed boundaries and eventually got Carlin arrested and thrown in jail.

Carlin’s “Seven Words” routine is groundbreaking.  By some people, it’s regarded as profane and lewd – but many people it’s simply thought of as comedy.  He told us in plain English how he saw the world around him and it was hilarious.

“… In America, anybody can be president.  That’s the problem.”

His “tell it like it is” stand-up act broke the mold of impersonations and slap-stick routines.  No one has even come close to the level Carlin excelled at.

I think we can all take a tip from Carlin, who recently reflected on how he ended up doing the kind of comedy which made him famous: “I was doing superficial comedy entertaining people who didn't really care: Businessmen, people in nightclubs, conservative people. And I had been doing that for the better part of 10 years when it finally dawned on me that I was in the wrong place doing the wrong things for the wrong people.”

So, are you in the wrong place doing the wrong things for the wrong people?

For me, I’m taking away a few things from the comedian:

• Laugh at yourself – never take yourself too seriously
• Don’t let sticky situations get you down
• Do what you love

Do you remember the difference between an adjective and an adverb? Yea, I don't either. I decided to get myself in check. So today, along with fellow Dittoe PR employee Meghan Howard, I thought I would brush up on some middle school grammar with one of my all-time favorite activities: Mad Libs. And if you haven't done a Mad Lib with a friend in a while, try one. It's a really great brainstorming activity*, which is something most of us need at 4 p.m. on a Friday. So here we go:

Well, it’s a HOT Friday here at the Dittoe PR office, and all of us are feeling a little crazy. Don’t you find it exciting to work when it is so annoying outside? I know we do. But alas, we must skip forward and get the word out on our fantastic** clients. Afterall, when your clients are as cool as ours, it’s really not that happy.***

It’s been a smelly day so far. Intern’s sunshine ran out of gas this morning, so he was tardy getting in. To make up for his joyousness he brought us McDonald’s breakfast flower pots. Who can be mad at a dog after he brings you America’s favorite ponytail? I know we couldn’t.

So now, we’re all coughing away: researching media opportunities and calling reporters, which is a little violent today, as most reporters are out of the office. They must be (****) on their shoe or sliding on their cat.

Over lunch, we all went to  Intern’s house (he has a fun 72 inch river) to watch our newest client's documentary.

Side note: Did you know that today is Summer Solstice? Yep, that’s right, it’s the blondest day of the year! So quietly head out of the office early today, and think of your Dittoe friends, shouting away at work on all of our AMAZING** clients. Ugly Friday to all!

* Riiiiiiiiight
** I wasn’t about to leave that adjective up to Howard and the hands of fate; I like our clients too much
*** Yea, should have picked that one myself
**** Content edited for absolute ridiculousness

1. After you wreck and are out of the race, smile for the cameras before heading to the garage and then bad mouth your teammate in front of the press. 
   

   
2. Don't draft behind Tony Kanaan -- sorry, Sarah Fisher.
3. Promote yourself with your first name only, like Tiger, and become a more profitable brand.
   
   
4. Purdue's "world's largest drum" doesn't even sound like a drum.
5. When the leading lady is out of the race, you have a chance.  Way to get back in it and be the only woman to finish, Milka!
   
   
6. Beer is cheaper at the largest, single-day sporting event in the world than at most restaurants.
7. Every one loves Jim Nabors.
   
   
8. Julianne Hough is really, really pretty in person and she can sing!
9. Slash is still awesome.
10. Last but not least, who cares who wins... if you can make the biggest scene you'll get all the press.  Right, Danica?
    
    

Newbie. Novice. Greenie. Rookie. Call it what you will. If you’ve ever been new somewhere, and we all have, you know that it’s not easy. And it seems, to me anyway, that the older I get, the harder being The New Girl becomes. Maybe it’s because the older we are, the faster we feel we should acclimate to people and surroundings. Maybe the older I get, the more awkward I become. Yea, I’m going with Option B.

 

Anyway, a month ago, I started at Dittoe PR, and once again, I became The New Girl. If you aren’t familiar with Dittoe PR and what they do, the team specializes in media relations, and they’re damn good at it. In the months before I came, the Dittoe team had placed clients in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on Good Morning America. I’d only ever pitched local and regional media, so during my second week here, when I had to pitch New York and national media, I felt … nauseous.

 

But the thing about Dittoe is that the team here cares for one another and their clients, and we all want to see each other succeed. So, before I made my first call or sent my first email, I got a lesson in media relations that rivaled any I’d received in my collegiate (and post collegiate for that matter) experience. You see, Dittoe isn’t your run-of-the-mill PR agency; they are the best. And they know that pitching the media doesn’t mean pitching every media outlet. It’s about pitching the right outlets, giving them the right information, and developing mutually beneficial relationships. It’s what Dittoe does, and it’s what works.

 

Now in my second month here, I’m proud to say that I’m getting the hang of this whole thing. I’m no longer petrified of big name editors, and in fact, I’ve found myself even joking around with some. Best of all, I’m happy to say that I’m at a place that is fostering me into the best, most efficient PR person I can be (in record time). So, I think I’m over being The New Girl. Now, if I could only find the paperclips…

A major component of what we do each day is build relationships.  In fact, you could even argue that the majority of good public relations professionals succeed because of their existing relationships and their ability to build their contact lists into much more than just names, email addresses and phone numbers.

Over time, PR executives begin to know their clients and their media contacts as much more than just CEOs, VPs and columnists.  It's inevitable -- bonds will be formed.

I've come to understand what types of coverage each of my client views as "solid," "dream come true" or "not what we were hoping for."  Each client is different -- as are their people, stories, products and/or services.  While one may be jazzed to be featured in a online review -- the other might prefer a review to run in a specific trade publication.  It's my job to determine what's going to provide my clients with the best amount of coverage AND keep them really happy with the services I provide.

It's almost like a marriage, really.  There are challenges and hurdles to overcome every once in a while -- but usually it's pretty smooth sailing because I want to keep my clients happy and they want to provide me with what I need to do just exactly that.

Yes, some marriages fall apart.  It's inevitable.  Not every company in this world is a perfect fit for Dittoe Public Relations.  Not only do our clients research us to find out why we're so successful and how we can help them -- but we research our potential clients to make sure their goals fit with our abilities. 

So why would a company or individual need a PR firm?  Well... think of it this way:  At my previous job I handled all of the public relations, which meant I cultivated all of the relationships on top of my other duties which included business development and marketing projects.  Here, not only does each account executive cultivate their own relationships for each one of their clients but we share contacts from time to time, producing hundreds, maybe thousands, of solid contacts who recognize the name "Dittoe Public Relations" when we call or email them. 

Remember, it's who you know.  At Dittoe we focus on public relations -- that's it -- not marketing, not advertising... just PR.  It's what we do and we do it well.  We cultivate relationships with members of the press on a daily basis because in the long run, they're the ones who are going to provide the "dream come true" coverage our clients are expecting.

As a PR professional it is our job to reach out to one the most powerful outlets in the media, the blogosphere.  Like any other outlet, there is a certain way to approach bloggers. Here are some helpful hints:

 

• Treat them like any other journalist. Bloggers like to get information in a timely manner. Make sure that you send the press releases, product samples, etc. just as you would for any other journalist
• Never begin any relationship by asking for a favor. This is true for all budding relationships. You should try and learn something about the blogger or leave a comment about a certain blog that you read to show them that you are actually interested in what they have to say not just what their blog can do for your client.
• Keep reasonable expectations.  Most of these bloggers have other full time jobs, so be patient with them as they may not be able to respond to your comments or emails right away.

 

The bottom line is that you should treat bloggers the way you would like to be treated.

Useful Networks' exciting application, sniff (social network integrated friend finder) is preparing for a launch in the United Kingdom very soon, with the U.S. and France to follow suit -- which means, I'm very busy these days.

International public relations can seem intimidating but it's actually really exciting and fun.  The time difference coupled with foreign accents makes for interesting late night and early morning phone calls which always bring a smile to my face.  I won't lie, it's a complete rush and I truly don't mind speaking to someone halfway around the world at 11pm on a Tuesday... as long as it means good coverage is coming soon for my client!

I've been busy researching publications and broadcast media in the U.K. and all over the world this spring.  So far, I have found it's definitely harder to find contacts overseas than it is here in the States!  Which means I'm having to get a little bit more creative... As my Aussie contacts would say, "No worries, mate!"

Who would have thought I would be on the phone or exchanging emails with people in the U.K., China and Australia from my desk in Indianapolis, Indiana?  Honestly, most people don't think "international" when they think about Indiana... the land of car racing, basketball and corn fields.

All of the hard work is paying off, though.  sniff is gaining some great exposure.  I just wish I was there to see it in person instead of having to look at it online.

I’m not one to brag (well, maybe I am) but it’s not every day you can say that you secured your client the kind of coverage we did today! Today, I can…

One after another, the issues hit my desk this morning – bam, TIME magazine!, wham, U.S. News & World Report!, slam, USA Today!

…as if that wasn't enough to make me dance around like a crazy woman, my client's face was starring back at me on the COVER of our local Indiana business magazine!

Sure, I knew it was all coming out. I'd worked for weeks to obtain it. But to see the actual stories in print -with all of their glorious color photos- and knowing that us, an Indianapolis PR agency, landed this stuff?...ah, there is just nothing like it!

Now, I’ve gotten this kind of coverage for clients in the past. National press coverage is our forte. But it's rare when it hits the on the same day and produces so much attention. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing. The client’s website is inundated with inquiries.

Days like today, clients like mine and stories like these are why I started Dittoe PR over eight years ago.

What’s creating all the buzz? Bob Compton and his little film called Two Million Minutes. It’s funny to think when he came to me four months ago and asked me to represent his ‘new film’ (note: Bob is a successful entrepreneur and VC, not a film maker!) that I told him I’d have to ‘think about it.’

After viewing the 1-hour documentary, I was not only committed to taking on this project but promised him I’d give it everything I had. As an American, a business owner and a mother of three young children, this film hit me particularly hard. I saw the eyes of my children’s competitors, and it sent shivers down my spine.

I’m a passionate person, and I’m passionate about this film. I’m thrilled that the media has agreed with me that it’s worth sharing with the rest of America. And this coverage is only the beginning; my next post will reveal what’s coming next! You won’t believe it. I’m still processing it myself…

Somebody pinch me.

It started small... I recycle at home (and now here at Dittoe PR!), I don't litter, when it's nice outside, I ride my bike EVERYWHERE and I even promote green products like the AirFlow Breeze, but lately, I've been thinking... I want to DO something BIG- I mean REALLY BIG. 

I want to get involved and hopefully make others want to get involved too.

Worldwide, there are groups, individuals and companies who are doing their part to help the environment.  Whether they're organizing events, building green machines, researching the next bio-fuel or just spreading the word- they're all ultimately dedicated to getting involved and making this planet better in some way, shape or form.

I think for me, getting involved will start with volunteering.

Saturday, April 26th marks the date of one of the nation's largest Earth Day Festivals- Earth Day Indiana- and this year, guess who's volunteering- ME! (and I talked a few friends into it, so they'll be joining me too) If you're interested or just want to see what Earth Day Indiana's all about, check out EarthDayIndiana.org!

Growing up outside of Boston, I was never really exposed to Nascar or anything to do with car racing. So I never thought I would ever find myself at a race car track. But that's just where I was this morning - at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It wasn't, however, for a car race - it was for a university business plan competition put on by Ball State University.

The competition, in its second year, is called the Nascent 500 Business Plan Challenge. Twelve teams of college students from across North America are selected to come to Indianapolis to compete against each other for the best entrepreneurial venture business plan. Each team presents its plan to a team of judges - all experienced entrepreneurs - in the back of a limo while traveling around the Speedway. It was really neat to be out at the track seeing all these college students so excited about their venture ideas. I could tell they had all worked hard leading up to the competition - I could see them rehearsing their presentations, going over important points with each other, and opening up data-filled spreadsheets on their laptops. They seemed overall slightly nervous but mostly excited to be participating.

I could also see the hard work and preparation that the Ball State Entrepreneurship Center had put into the event - they stuck to a tight schedule - and even utilized portable radios to coordinate activities among themselves! All participants in the competition were treated very well - on top of having the opportunity to compete for a $10,000 grand prize and a fast lap around the track!

Dittoe PR's contribution to the Nascent 500 was in bringing some media out to cover the event this morning. Specifically, some local TV stations came out and filmed the action, interviewed the organizers and students, and got to take in the excitement of the competition for themselves.

I was definitely glad to be able to make it out to the track to see such a unique and exciting competition. Who would have thought that I'd visit a race car track with one of my clients?

I've always been really into politics.  The rhetoric, scandals, damage control, advertisements and promotion of politicians interest me more than most other major news in the world.

What interests me the most this time election year is the excitement of my generation... for the first time in my life, the 20 somethings are INTERESTED and we want a say in who is going to lead our country.  Voting is no longer something our parents do.  We do it, too -- and with the help of the Internet, the excitement is growing faster than ever before!

In a recent New York Times article, Brian Stelter wrote about how my generation is eager to share political views online.  With YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, wikis, chatrooms and even Ask Yahoo!, presidential candidates are interacting with young voters everywhere.  Not only is it convenient to get your news and share your thoughts online, but you reach millions of people.  Much to Senator Clinton's chagrin, that's how we all found out about what landing in Bosnia was really like.

News that doesn't receive a lot of coverage on 60 Minutes or CNN is all of the sudden getting millions of hits online.  What does this mean?  I can't speak for everyone in my generation -- but for me, I'm tired of commentary.  I love round table discussions, hearing multiple views from various professors, politicians and journalists.  However, I have no interest in a one-sided commentary about any candidate.  I'd rather watch a speech on my personal computer in my home office and make my own conclusions, without having to sit and listen to someone from one of the big networks throw in their two cents (which most of the time, aren't even worth that).

At any rate, I'm really looking forward to both the republican and democratic conventions.  I'm excited to learn who will be running against John McCain this fall.  I can't wait to watch debates between the two candidates and then get online to discuss how I thought it went. 

To get in on the conversation... check out and contribute content to these wiki websites: Wiki Democrats & Wiki GOP; and to get involved visit Rock the Vote.

It's snowing here today, and although I hate when it snows in Indianapolis, I can safely say that I LOVED it in Telluride. "Bluebird" skies and blankets of snow were a sight for sore eyes... especially when the snow in Indianapolis has been accompanied by gray skies and gusty winds - blah! Looking out the window from Dittoe PR is not a treat today!

I left for my 6 day vacation in Telluride, Colorado last
weekend and from the time that I left to the time that I got back to Indianapolis, I was cut off- almost completely- from the media.  Being in PR, I can't remember the last time that this has happened... probably because it's pretty hard to do, but with no internet, no cable and only one radio station, it's definitely possible. It's not that I don't love staying up-to-date on the news, pop-culture or any other current events... I do, but sometimes it's nice to leave it all behind.

Telluride was amazing.  Instead of cars, there were gondolas;  instead of snow plows, there were snow cats; and, everywhere you looked people were enjoying the snow... instead of hiding inside praying for it to melt.

I only made it to the slopes once while I was there.  It was great though.  We woke up nice and early, rented my equipment and went for it! NOTE: This was my second time skiing ever (the first being when I was 14 and so uncoordinated all I could and did do was cry). This time things started off pretty well. I thought I was a pro and was SO impressed with myself... ha! 

Here's what happened next...
- While on the lift, I was so busy taking pictures of the mountain (and our skis) that I got distracted and my poles got caught underneath me when getting off the chair. I tumbled, knocked over the power supply to the lift, and landed on my butt - directly under the chair and was stuck for a few minutes.
- On one of my falls, I knocked both skis off and it took a good 40 minutes to get them back on. It's not that I'm an idiot - I'm not, but the mountain was steep, I was impatient and obviously pretty inexperienced. If I hadn't gotten the help that I did, I'd probably still be there.
Now, I know my day sounds like it's getting steadily worse and it was - but that's not close to the worst of it. 
- I was trying to get my groove back when with one swift turn left I crashed right into the mountain...  Let's just say that I was the first person to break a ski this season in Telluride...

I could go on and on about my trip, but I think I'll cut it off here.  I LOVED it there and really can't wait to get back...

Each year, when the month of March arrives, I find myself (foolishly) starting to become excited about the prospect of an early spring. Even though I know I shouldn't expect consistently warm weather until about mid-April, I always find myself lured in by false hopes that warmer weather is closer than it actually is.

Last weekend, we had that first 60-some degree day of the year. I went running outside in shorts and a t-shirt, and it felt great! Now, several days later, I'm reminded by the unforgiving snow and cold temperatures that spring is still several weeks off.

At Dittoe PR, we're reminded daily of how bad our Indiana weather is relative to other areas of the country. Since we work with clients and media professionals from across the country (and sometimes in other countries), we get to hear about how "I bet it's cold out there in Indiana. Here in California/Texas/Arizona/Hawaii, we're having beautiful weather!" Well, that's great to hear. I'm so happy YOU'RE having great weather! Having grown up outside of Boston, I'm used to long, snowy winters, and as much at I don't enjoy them, I am at least used to them. Some of my co-workers, however, grew up in warmer climates - Sacramento, CA and Greenville, SC - and they like to complain about the cold. Luckily for them, I'm not such a "hearty New Englander" that I claim to enjoy the freezing weather or ridicule them for being wimpy. Honestly, I dislike the cold just as much as they do.

The one redeeming quality that I see in snow is that it enables a favorite sport of mine - skiing. Luckily, I will be able to take advantage of the recent snowfall on a trip to Vermont in a week. When I'm experiencing the exhilaration of flying down the slopes of the mountain, I know I won't have any qualms with the snow. I've been skiing since I was about 10 years old, and it's become one of my favorite recreational activities over the years. I've been unable to go the past two winters, so I'm very excited that I'll be back on the slopes soon.

Once my ski trip is over though, spring won't be able to come fast enough!

Bad press will happen from time to time. It is an inevitable part of being in an industry’s spotlight. Occasionally, people will post negative comments on your site, blog, or forum. In the world of social media this is all preordained. The question then is how should one cope with negativity?

 

These are the basic realities that need to be faced:

 

• C’est la vie. Simply put- negative comments are a fact of life. You can’t make everyone happy and some customers will post their criticisms online. 
• If I close my eyes really tight, it will all go away. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way. Deleting negative comments will only make things worse.  
  As a kid, I once went against my parent’s rules and decided to throw around a ball in the living room. Needless to say, I broke my mother’s favorite vase and instead of telling my mother, I hid the pieces in my neighbor’s trash bin. Somewhere in my little head, I was convinced that by making the vase disappear I would avoid getting in trouble. Ask me if I got spanked.
  If a client or customer is upset enough to post something negative on your website, you better believe that by deleting the comment you are only enraging them further. This will cause them to voice their frustrations somewhere else. At least by keeping the negativity on your site you can monitor what is being said. 
• It’s a red flag. Negative feedback can be beneficial. Use these negative comments as an alert system. Feedback from customers is important. It gives you the chance to improve and grow as a company.   
• When life hands you lemons, make some lemonade. You have received some negative comments. So what? This is an opportunity to show your leadership and take charge. Generally speaking, great leaders are always remembered for how they handle conflict. Be proactive and address the negative comment head on. If customers see that you are doing something to correct a mistake, eventually you will regain their trust.

 

 

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.

-Anon