Celebrity Philanthropy and Public Relations

Is celeb philanthropy more about the charity or their public relations? No doubt about it, no matter the reason any type of public service is good, but it seems to me that every time I watch or read the news some celebrity is shown visiting people overseas in a poor economic country or are donating a large sum to a social cause. This has caused me to start question their intentions. Would these celebrities still do the same thing if the cameras were turned off or if their name was not posted on the front page of every pop culture media outlet? Regardless, this PR approach works. Every time a celeb is shown helping a noble cause, it really helps their public image.

Philanthropy public relations began with Ivy Lee when he created this new image building approach for John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller had a long reputation of being a wealthy robber baron, because he came across as a ruthless, profit-driven businessman who's actions were harsh and uncaring. Instead of writing a series of press releases and public statements, Lee thought that it would help his image more if Rockefeller made some company changes. Lee began advertising Rockefeller on the public relations advantages of a broad range of business decisions and management policy that included mechanisms to redress workers' grievances, the selection of new plant sites, setting employee wages and working conditions, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and vendors. In many ways this interactive, image transformation process wasn't complete until 70 years later. Whatever you call this approach, it completely changed Rockefeller's public image from a cruel autocrat to a warm paternalistic employer and incredibly generous philanthropist.

Of course there are many good things that come with a celebs support such as more awareness of a certain organization, foundation or cause and of course usually money follows. Further, it is always nice when someone well-known sets an example; it encourages onlookers to do the same.

On the other hand, not always are causes or programs thrilled to join forces with a celebrity. It can cause a lot of organizational frustration. Issues that can arise are: sometimes the celebrity wants to dictate what their money must be used for, your organization's image is tarnished if theirs is, sometimes their support suggests the cause/organization has a lot of financial support and it's not true and lastly, sometimes an organization does not want a lot of fanfare for their work and the celebrity does. If you are in public relations and advising this type of work to a client be careful of these problematic items.

I'm not saying I think celebrity gifts are wrong or suggesting that celebrities stop their generous deeds. I think that it's great if they are willing to stand up for a noble cause and give their time or money. I just think it's wrong if they are only showing up to show support an event in hopes of stealing the spotlight. (Even from a PR standpoint.) What I really am asking is for my readers to think a little harder the next time they hear or see a celeb trying to make social change either through: a donation, financial gift or by showing support by appearing at an organization's fundraising gala. What are the celeb's intentions and if you believe in a cause or organization, research it yourself, see what's going on with it and support it yourself if you can.

Some of the largest celebrity givers of 2009:

• Paul Newman
• Oprah Winfrey
• Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
• Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith
• Leonardo DiCaprio
• Drew Barrymore
• Laurie and Larry David

Check out some of the websites covering celebrity giving:

• http://www.looktothestars.org/
• http://www.celebritiesforcharity.org/

Mass E-mailing vs. Mass Direct Mailing

Which marketing is more effective, mass e-mailing or direct mailing? What factors should you research when determing which is best for my company? Marketing instructor at the University of St. Thomas, Jonathan Seltzer, answered this question from reader in the Star Tribune business section last week. I thought Seltzer answered this question really well.

While many factors go into a successful campaign, experts agree the most important factor to consider is the quality of the list you have, the relationship the target has with your company and the incentive you are offering.

Lists: All lists are not created equal, so go with the best list -- e-mail or mailing address. Many lists may be a "random" collection of names or addresses, which will not meet your needs. When choosing a list, pick one that's current and, ideally, one for which the individuals have expressed interest in a product or service. Also, ensure the demographics characteristics of the list are similar to those of potential customers.

Relationship: Do the recipients know you and your company? Experience has shown that when the recipient knows neither you nor your company, your e-mail is likely to never make it to the recipient. Assuming the addressee does not know you, consider direct mail to introduce yourself and extend an invitation to provide more information on a topic of the recipients' choosing via e-mail.

Incentive: If you have the right list and a solid relationship, you still need a valued incentive to motivate your audience. Offer me something that I value and I will respond.

Test, test, test: A common rule is "if you do not measure, then you cannot manage" and it certainly applies to direct marketing. Look at your list, draw a sample and prepare two different campaigns to be sent to them. Measure the results to see which was more effective. Repeat this process to fine-tune your message and you will have a winning campaign.

Charlie Gibson Retires and Opens Door For Another Female Anchor, Diane Sawyer

If you haven't heard yet, this is Charlie Gibson's last week serving as anchor for ABC's flagship news broadcast "World News." After 35 years Gibson will fully retire from full-time employment at ABC this Friday, December 18th. Since his announcement to retire on September 2nd, ABC stated that co-anchor, Diane Sawyer will be his replacement.

This move for Sawyer seems to be very similar to Katie Couric who anchors "The CBS Evening News." Both started out on network news morning show and then was promoted to evening news anchor positions. But, I'm curious to know if ABC is promoting Sawyer in hopes of competing more against Couric and CBS? I think so, but am not exactly sure why. For quite awhile "The CBS Evening News" has ranked 3rd (last) against the other major network evening news broadcasts the entire time Couric has anchored. "NBC Nightly News" with Brian Williams has continued to rank first and the "CBS World News" with Charlie Gibson continues to rank second. Regardless of the rankings for Couric, CBS must believe the fact Couric is a woman is not the reason for her low rankings, since they're bringing in their own female anchor.

I am glad another woman is taking a leap into what was considered a man's job. I am interested to see what happens in the coming weeks and years as two strong female journalists compete against one another. I wonder if by adding Sawyer to the ring will actually help Couric, since then she won't be the only female evening news anchor. Or on the other hand, if NBC's first place lead will grow.

Right now, I tend to watch ABC for evening news and going to miss Gibson. I really like his anchoring style in many ways. I can't say that I'll stick with ABC forever after he leaves; it will give me an opportunity to 'shop around.' I hope you enjoyed this post. Thank you for reading and "for all of us at (The Bright Bold Blonde Blog), have a good night."

Not Just Popular Items are Out of Stock this Year; All Inventories are Lean

If you've been holding off from shopping in hopes of retailers giving you better deals, you should rethink your plan. The word on the street is that after last year's overstuffed holiday, retailers are cutting their inventory by as much as 15 percent to dodge huge markdowns that cut into profits.

Like every year, there are items that are more popular than others and there will not be enough to go around, for example the Zhu Zhu pet hamsters. Except this year items that you wouldn't expect to be gone are, and stores will not be restocking their shelves. Macy's said that Ugg boots are sold out at most of their stores and they will not be getting anymore in and many stores are running out of Christmas lights with no plans to order more in.

Retailers are finding this strategy very helpful. Since there are only a certain amount of products, it makes the consumer demand for them higher. Shoppers are more likely pay full price for the item if it is harder to find. Further, stores will sell all of their products without any leftovers. However, the right number of products can create a slippery slope. Stores who could have ordered and sold more of one product are losing sales to online disturbers like Amazon and eBay.

It will be interesting to hear how stores do this holiday season when typically 40 percent of the holiday sales come in during the 10 days before Christmas.

Global Business Basics

Recently, I listened to a very good speaker from Carlson Companies who talked about conducting global business. This is a hot topic right now with most large companies growing internationally. No matter what type of company you work for, before you do any sort of business internationally or with others of a different culture, you should read and consider the checklists below.

The Global Business Executive's Checklist:

• Do now assume that customers speak English or share your cultural heritage
• Find their home city on the map
• Master the pronunciation of names
• Learn their country's PERSIA (Political, Economic, Religion, Social, Intellectual and Arts)
• Contract the service of an interpreter
• Get advice from others who work in that country

Global Imperative: The key to sustained profit

• Global thinking
• Patience and perservance
• Respect
• Long range perspective for results

Retailers Find Success with Internet and Social Media, But Does this kind of Shopping Improve the Economy?

With the economy down and Internet use up, the media has reported that online buying may be retailers hope for the holiday shopping season. However, does online shopping and social media promotions really have that big of an impact on a company's income and does this kind of shopping actually help the economy?

This Cyber Monday many stores offered discounts to online shoppers and they worked, more customers than ever came. Online sales grew 16 percent from last year according to online marketing firm Coremetrics. The entire Thanksgiving weekend struck success for online sales. Discounts spurred an 11 percent jump in online sales on Black Friday and a 10 percent increase on Thanksgiving according to research firm comScore. The whole month stood out for online purchases where online sales were up an average of three percent. This shows that customers are appreciating retailer's online discounts and creative promotions.

Big retailers such as Toys R Us and Best Buy are using the web, especially social media sites Facebook and Twitter to direct buyers to discounts this year. Companies are using special codes for online coupons. This makes this method very easy to track its effectiveness.

Lately every company seems to be jumping on the social media bandwagon. More companies created holiday social media plans this year than ever before:

• 47 percent of retailers planned to increase social media use for the holidays
• 75 percent will improve their Facebook pages
• 59 percent will boost their Twitter use
• 60 percent of consumers will use social media to locate coupons and discounts
• 53 percent will research gift ideas through social media

Source: Deloitte Services, National Retail Federation

Online sales only represent a small portion of retail sales, estimated to be only between 4 and 7 percent of a retailer's overall income. Overall, holiday sales will not be greatly affected by e-commerce. According to the National Retail Federation, in 2008, Americans spent $141 billion online. In stores, we spent $2.4 trillion (excluding auto, food, gas and beverage). Overall, holiday sales will not be greatly affected by e-commerce.

Perhaps no web retailer has been as effective in driving consumers to their site as Amazon. The company did not even feel the recession last year when they reported having one of their best holiday seasons ever. Their fourth-quarter revenue rose by 18 percent to $6.7 billion last year.

Even with a slight increase in retail sales from in store sales, the National Retail Federation, the largest trade group predicts a one percent drop from last year (excluding online) in shopper sales.

Even though online shopping increases a store's revenue, it doesn't exactly improve the economy. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, there are more than 15 million Americans working in retail jobs. In Minnesota, nearly 300,000 are employed in the retail sector. If we shifted to all online shopping, we'd kill jobs in the retail economy. There would also be a cost to jobs at restaurants and other businesses that surround our major retail centers. The states would lose out on considerable sales tax revenue, as well. Minnesota's House Research estimates that the state loses $50 million in a two-year period due to unpaid sales taxes. By law, retailers with physical stores in Minnesota have to collect sales taxes at the time of purchase. Retailers without a physical presence do not have to collect taxes. Individual residents are responsible for self-reporting Internet purchases if the resident purchases a total of $770 a year.

Tiger Woods Engulfed in PR Storm

Within less than a week Tiger Wood's image has been damaged greatly. Since the report of a car crash involving the superstar, the story has grown and spiraled into allegations of a long-term love affair. Woods has yet to say anything aside from postings on his website. My public relations background and friends say this is not the way to handle his PR crisis situation.

Woods said on his website "Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions."

I think that David Letterman did it right, he addressed his affair and alleged extortion attempt quickly. I believe that Woods has waited too long and has used vague words like "transgressions" in his online apology. If you tell all the facts, tell the truth, nothing else will stand the test of time and get it done quickly. If you tell it quickly there will be no holes for other people, such as journalists, to fill.

I must say, I am surprised that Tiger's main sponsors such as Nike, Gillette and Gatorade are still supporting him. However, I suppose he still is a good golfer and will continue to be. Maybe his career is the reason they are still holding on.

It will be interesting to see if he can recover his brand and image. The next few weeks and months will tell.

Where Do Those Facts Come From? False Advertising Issues & Cheerios

The Food and Drug Administration raised questions about three out of four studies General Mills used to support health claims for the nation's top-selling breakfast cereal, Cheerios. (One box of cereal out of every eight sold is Cheerios!) cereal This has caused concerns of false or misleading advertising.

False or misleading information in advertising is known as deceptive or false advertising. Since advertising attempts to persuade consumers into buying products, many governments around the world have set regulations to control false or deceptive advertising. Truth in labeling is essentially the same concept, that consumers have the right to know what they are buying and that all necessary information should be on the label.

This summer General Mills argued that it should be allowed to say that a diet of Cheerios cuts levels of low-density lipoprotein (sometimes referred to as "bad") cholesterol by specific amounts. October 9th, the FDA sent a letter to the company addressing two other claims. They said that the statements, which appeared on boxes reading "4% in 6 weeks" and "10% in one month," were either too short or incomplete. Under the labeling laws, Cheerios may make the claim that it may make the claim it can lower the risk of coronary heart disease when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. The law allows food manufacturers to make a second claim that specifically mentions a certain food, for Cheerios it's oats or "whole-grain food," as long as it's made as part of the more general claim about soluble fiber.

The FDA sent a warning letter to General Mills in May that talked about serious violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, drawing attention to the Cheerios claim that it can "lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks." They said that the placement of the statement on Cheerios boxes were problematic, since the claim appeared in large print on the front of the box. A smaller, second statement appeared near the edge of the box reading cholesterol reduction also required a diet low in cholesterol. As proof, Cheerios responded by submitting four peer-reviewed studies they conducted in the past 11 years.

Barbara Schneeman, Director of the Office of Nutrition, Labeling and Dietary Supplements in the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said in her October 9th letter to General Mills that just one of the studies, Johnston (1998), stood up to her office's review. The study supports the claim that 3 grams per day of soluble fiber (meaning three servings or 3 cups of Cheerios per day) would cut bad cholesterol by 4 percent in six weeks, Schneeman wrote. Yet, health claims must take into account not just one study, but every relevant study, according to FDA rules, and the three other studies that General Mills submitted don't seem to clearly support the claim, Schneeman wrote, referring to Karmally (2005), Reynolds (2000) and Maki (2009). Two of the studies don't report the average cholesterol reduction for people in the study who ate Cheerios vs. people who didn't eat Cheerios. The third study lasted four weeks, not the six weeks suggested in the Cheerios claim.

The FDA said that they did not hold enough strength to support the claim and that to make such a bold statement they must take into account not just one study, but every relevant study. The FDA's letter also said that both the "4 percent in 6 weeks" claim and the "10 percent in one month" claim are based on three servings (3 cups) of Cheerios daily. The letter went on to suggest that the phrases might need to be reworked to make it clear that they don't refer to a single serving. Cheerios is still standing behind belief and is battling with the FDA, but has removed the statements from their products.

This is an example of a disclaimer violation and further, a manipulation of standards violation. Often companies use disclaimers to try and absolve themselves of their legal responsibility for their own actions. Along with unreasonable conditions usually there is a fine print in hopes that consumers will commit themselves without reading it. When a company manipulates a standard, they make something have a different meaning than what it is widely understood as.

I don't think this type of advertising is right. So often in reports and advertisements we see facts that we just accept right away. We don't question really where they've come from or the resource. I think it's good that we have organizations such as the FDA, FTC and other government organizations watching out for unreliable statements and that there are punishments. I don't think that General Mills handled this situation very well at all. They do not to seem to see their statement as wrong in anyway and don't appear to be concerned with telling the public the truth. Lastly, I don't think this issue will hurt the Cheerios or General Mills brand very much, if at all, but I am glad they took these generalized samples off their products.

Black Friday Nightmare Makes Change

Tomorrow marks one of the largest shopping days in the year. Stores will offer great sales on products and customers will line up early (some even today) to get their hands on them. I was disappointed in the human race when I heard the news last Black Friday that a Wal-Mart employee died from being trampled by shoppers after opening the doors.

The 34-year-old male employee was pronounced dead an hour after shoppers came through the doors of the shopping center in Valley Stream, Long Island, about 5 a.m. and knocked him down, police said. Wal-Mart called the incident rare and said they didn't know of any other employee deaths related to Black Friday. A Wal-Mart representative Dan Fogleman called the incident a "tragic situation, ... The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority," Fogleman said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families at this difficult time. Police said about 2,000 people had gathered outside the doors before the Wal-Mart opened at the suburban location about 20 miles east of Manhattan. A crowd pushed the man to the ground at 5:03 a.m., three minutes after the store opened, leaving a metal portion of the door crumpled like an accordion. Wal-Mart worked closely with the police, but those who trampled the man to death could not be identified in order to prosecute them.

Wal-Mart is making big procedure changes for this year's Black Friday sale after what happened. This year the company is keeping its stores open 24 hours on Thanksgiving Day. That will make it unnecessary for shoppers to converge outside for pre-dawn openings. Other changes include handing out maps so shoppers can quickly find hot sale items, and keeping those items far apart so big crowds don't form. Other retailers are making similar changes. Prosecutors considered criminal charges after the guard's death. Instead they let Wal-Mart Stores pay a nearly $2 million settlement after it agreed to the sweeping.

I think this is a terrible situation and I blame the public much more than Wal-Mart. Overall, I think Wal-Mart did a good job handling this crisis. I do not know what more they could have done except give the man's family more money, but that doesn't really fix anything.

I will be out there shopping tomorrow, I don't mean to frighten you off! Hopefully nothing like this ever happens again, it makes us as people sound terrible. I want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving (and Happy Black Friday) too!

On Santa's Wish List: H1N1 Vaccine

Why not eliminate the potential PR crisis and give Santa the H1N1 vaccine? Santa America, a group representing Santa impersonators, is asking the federal government to put Santa on the priority list for getting a swine flu vaccination, similar to healthcare workers or infant caregivers. Also, the group is asking parents not to bring sick children to the mall.

Right now unless the people playing Santa or his helpers at local malls and events have a preexisting medical condition that qualify them to get the shot, they are not eligible to receive one. Officials said more groups may be allowed to get the vaccine in the future, but right now vaccine supplies remain limited to certain high-risk groups.

Just think what a public relations nightmare it would be if one of the most popular Santa’s in the Twin Cities, such as the one at Macy’s, Bachman’s or the Mall of America, caught H1N1 and gave it to a child (or many!) Yikes! I’m surprised the actual employers of the Santa's are not supporting the idea more. No matter what I think that those who are going to be Santa this holiday should be put on the H1N1 vaccine priority list. Their job makes them them very acceptable to catching something, especially H1N1 since little people often are carriers. If a Santa caught the disease it would be very dangerous to themselves and to their other little visitors.

Are You Addicted to Social Media?

Social media is growing rapidly, with Twitter at the forefront growing over 1,000 percent since February. New sites are continuing to constantly rise and fall in an attempt to innovate the social media market place. Communicating has never been easier, and social networking sites help people touch base. It starts out innocently enough with people reconnecting with friends from the past. Then you start connecting with friends from work and then maybe even their friends and then sometimes even celebrities or organizations.

This new rise in social media's popularity has caused the workplace to respond harshly. Most businesses have set limits on the access to social media websites. Statistics show that over 70 percent of employers have banned such sites. This has lead to the popularity of mobile social media. Although teens are the ones who paved the way for mobile social media, it is the adults who have the most use for it. As long as there is good cell phone coverage, and the boss isn’t standing right there, a working man can get his Facebook fix at any moment in time.

You must be careful though not to become a social media addict; doctors are saying social media has started to act like a drug. Harry Haroutunian, a doctor at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, works with people who have chemical dependencies, and he says that as technology and especially social networking expands, he's seeing more and more people with significant in-balance in their lives, spending more time isolated.

A recently released report out of UCLA states the top five signs that could mean you're addicted to social networks.
-you lose sleep over social networks (you're logged in overnight causing you to be extremely tired the next day)
-you spend more than an hour a day on networks-you become obsessed with old lovers or exes you reconnect with
-you ignore work in favor of networks
-the thought of logging off causes stress and anxiety

Dr. Harry says, "Do I have a tolerance to (social networks), like someone can build a tolerance to drugs that's more and more exposure is required to get the satisfaction or the 'high' from using the technology and are there withdrawal symptoms if I try to stop suddenly."

I'm a big fan of social media, but I wouldn't say I'm addicted to it. I do not feel stressed when I can't reach it for awhile and I don't have the Internet attached to my phone so I don't have to worry about using it while away from my computer. However, I do see how social media can consume a lot of one's time. There are so many social media tools to use and you must update yours often and keep up with friend's changes to know what is going on. I can take a lot of time! Just make sure you're not giving up other aspects of your life and watch how much time you spend on it. Lastly, remember people do not need to know everything you're doing or what you think at all times!!!

How to Conduct a Successful Focus Group

I'm a big fan of focus groups! I think they are a great mechanism to gain qualitative information about public opinion. They are used a lot in organizations and businesses when people are going through a big change. This way people affected can voice their feelings freely and the organization can really learn what is important to those involved and how to make things better for them.
As I mentioned early last month, starting this fall my church followed through with a merger with another South Minneapolis United Methodist Church. Since, I've been serving on my church's 'naming committee' to develop a fair process to select a new name. I voiced that before we narrow down the names to those the congregation will actually vote on, we should conduct at least two focus groups where people can see all the names and voice their opinions and feelings about them.
We picked two days and times to hold focus groups and invited everyone to come. They were a huge success and the participants really felt like they were part of the process. At each of them we showed the top 18 names we felt fit the criteria we wanted our name to have. We then went through the list, saying each name one at a time and started an open discussion around that particular name. The focus groups showed our committee things we had not noticed before and really taught us which names were well liked by the congregation.

Tips to conduct a successful focus group:
1) Find a small, quiet room that will not lead to distractions. Make sure everyone can see the others who are part of the focus group. Also, make sure you supply name tags.
2) Add an incentive for coming to your focus group, for example free pizza or a giveaway.
3) Think of your target audience and invite only that group of people who can answer the questions you have.
4) Only allow 10-15 people to participate in your focus group.
5) Assign one or two facilitators and one or two note takers.
5) Bring a tape recorder, set up a camera recorder, or both in the room. This will allow you to have all of the focus group recorded in someway. However, make sure you let everyone who is attending know these recording devices are in the room.
6) Use language that is easy to understand.
7) Encourage those who are not speaking up to talk by asking them questions directly.
8) Make sure your attendees stay on the focus group topic. If they sway, bring them back on track.
9) As the facilitator or part of the team leading the event, keep your opinions out of the focus group. You do not want to influence anyone who is attending.
10) People's time is precious, watch your time. I recommend that a focus group last no longer than one hour and make sure you publicize this. This means you must watch the time you spend on each question.
11) Make sure you thank everyone for coming to your focus group and tell them why you're researching this topic.

Proper focus group question outline:
1) Have each person say their name, ask them an easy question that will allow them to tell everyone else something about themselves.
2) Ask a question that is a little harder, but leads to the topic you really want to discuss.
3) Start asking the questions you really want answers for, the hard questions, make sure to ask follow up questions after.
4) Ask a question that is a little easier, but still on topic.
5) Ask a closing question that leaves them with something to think about.

The process we're using to find a new church name:

• We created a list of criteria that we want our name to have.
• We allowed members and guests of the church to submit names in a box outside the sanctuary until November 1st; we collected over 90 name suggestions!
• We narrowed the list of 90 down to 18 using our list of criteria.
• We organized two focus groups at different times and sent an invite through e-mail, the monthly mailed newsletter and announced it in the bulletin two weeks prior. Everyone was welcomed to come and knew they would see the 18 names. At the end of each focus group we gave each participant two stickers, a pink and yellow, and asked them to place a pink sticker on their first choice and yellow on their second.
• This weekend we narrowed the 18 names down to five based on the votes from participants at the focus groups and how they fit our criteria.
• Now, this coming Sunday, November 22nd, those at the Sunday morning service will be asked to vote for their favorite name out of five at the beginning of the service. We will then count the votes, take the top two names and ask them to vote again for the name that they like and that first us best.

More Changes in the Newspaper Industry: Star Tribune Cuts 100 More Jobs & Announces Changes for 2010

The largest Twin Cities, MN newspaper, the Star Tribune, announced this week that starting soon, they will layoff 100 more employees to recalibrate out of bankruptcy. Nine percent of the total reduction will be done by the end of the year, but 30 of the cuts will come from the Star Tribune's newsroom and those may take a little longer. This is just another example of the changes happening in the journalism industry.

I wrote early last month about the new website the University of St. Thomas created for all of their news outlets (http://www.tommiemedia.com/). It seems the Star Tribune is going to take the same approach strategy in hopes of growth. Editor Nancy Barnes told newsroom staff that she believes the newspaper will succeed in "reinventing" its business and that it won't diminish news coverage. "Newspapers have been struggling financially, but not for readers,'' Barnes said.

The Star Tribune's operating committee disclosed that the newspaper is redesigning its website in 2010 and will expand the amount and types of information available to readers as it works on a new outreach strategy. "The cracking of our historical economic model and the current Great Recession have forced us to move quickly to make meaningful and difficult adjustments over the next few months," the committee said in a memo to employees Monday. "We have tremendous reach. We actually have more readers than we did a decade ago, only some of them are reading us online or on mobile rather than in print" Barnes said.

It's been a rough decade for the Star Tribune, but I am curious to see what changes will be made to their website and if it will help increase readership and finances. I'm not sure if this is the solution to their problem and I understand that they're not sure either, that this is just a temporary change that will be made until they know what is the right path to take. However, I know the Internet news source at the University of St. Thomas is doing very well and is extremely popular among its audience.

As a broadcast journalism major in college, reader of the newspaper and a fan of traditional journalism I may not completely like the changes being made, but really hope the paper can pull out of their troubles. I'm very sorry for the Star Tribune employees who will lose their jobs in the coming months, especially the reporters, good luck.

Why Pop Up Shops?

As the weather gets colder and with the holiday season gearing up, I've been spending a lot more time in shopping malls. Since, I've noticed a change in the number of pop-up shops filling the empty store space than in past years. I called the Mall of America and learned that this year they have about 20 temporary stores plus 80 to 100 kiosks and carts, a lot more than before.

This got me to thinking, what are the benefits for a product or business if they are only going to be around for a little while? With my background, I've always thought and learned that you want to build a brand and build relationships with your customer. That it's not good enough to just make a quick profit on a short sale.

Pop-up shops, or temporary stores, is a trend gaining popularity. Businesses and renters are finding the process beneficial. Stores do not have to make a long term commitment since sales have not been great and renters are able to leave the lights on in their vacant spaces and attract new customers.

Before our recession, landlords had the upper hand, demanding lease terms of 10, 20 or 30 years. But, now malls have put more emphasis on attracting retailers who want to sign leases for a few months to a year.I did some research and found that the retail vacancy rate in the Twin Cities is 7.1 percent, according to Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, and the near future doesn't look better. In the past year, national chains such as Circuit City, Linens 'N' Things and KB Toys have gone bankrupt. Many others, including Zales jewelry, Talbots, Starbucks and Regis-owned hair salons, have shuttered hundreds of stores.

• Businesses do not have to sign a 5- or 10-year lease. It makes them a little less nervous.
• Temporary stores are less expensive for retailers because they usually just need some paint and minor adjustments instead of expensive build-outs needed at a more permanent location.
• Rent is often more affordable, too, with fewer fees and a simpler cost structure.
• Usually, they are less costly than television ads, which can run in the millions of dollars to produce and broadcast, and the stores generate similar buzz and publicity for new brands.
• With temporary shops, stores are able to create a sense of urgency in their customers.

So, how are companies changing their strategy to make a quick impact on shoppers and still build a relationship with them?

• Target and other retailers have used pop-ups to create buzz and "limited-time-only" urgency for shoppers who relish the treasure hunt. Target likes popping up in New York City, especially during Fashion Week, where it gets in and out quickly without having to pay Manhattan rental rates.
• The retailer opened 80 Toys 'R' Us Holiday Express stores in major malls around the country in October, including Southdale Center in Edina and the Mall of America. It also added smaller Express stores within 260 Babies 'R' Us stores. The company is banking that their investment in temporary stores will help its market share, end KB Toy chains and to push its close competitors, Sears and Target, into the background. Wal-Mart is the country's largest toy seller.
• Twin Cities based Becker Furniture World hopes to find an upside in the downturn too. The company has opened two liquidation centers in empty Steve & Barry locations. A Becker Furniture Liquidation Superstore opened in Burnsville Center in July and on Wednesday in Blaine's Northtown Mall. The company is buying up one-of-a-kind furniture because manufacturers and retailers are struggling through the recession. Real estate is also plentiful.
• Nike opened a pop-up store in New York for just four days for the sole purpose of selling 250 pairs of the Zoom LeBron IV NYC basketball shoes, named after the popular NBA All-Star LeBron James.
• Gap kicked off a '60s style tour, where it used a school bus as a traveling pop-up store that made appearances in Los Angeles and New York and stopped at beaches on both coasts. Instead of seats, the bus sported shelves filled with t-shirts, flip-flops, and beach hats that people bought and paid for at a cash register near the driver's seat.
• Wal-Mart adopted the concept in the Spring, when it showed its new fashion line Metro 7 in a Fashion Cabana in Miami's South Beach district, open for only two days.
  Electronics company JVC opened its pop-up store, it offered karaoke and let people film themselves using its newly launched video camera and make their own DVDs, which folks could then carry home as gifts.
• Sneaker maker Fila let people draw their own designs on a computer, which they printed on a T-shirt that shoppers could take home with them for free.

I guess retailers have clearly discovered that pop-up stores can bring brands to life and let people sample products in a great format, without much cost.

Importance of Branding vs. Generational Changes

How important is it to create a company or product brand and then stick with it? I'd say very important, because all of the big brands have done a great of doing this. In most cases, just by seeing a popular brand's logo, colors or trademark statement will make you think of their them or their product. But, what happens when your company or product has been around so long that your brand doesn't market well with your target audience, and you must make changes in order to gain their interest. I'd argue that is equally as important.

I read an interesting article in The New York Times Business section today about the Walt Disney Company's new product. For decades, the Walt Disney Company has kept the $5 billion dollar image of Mickey Mouse frozen under glass, fearful that even the smallest changes could tarnish the brand. However, the Walt Disney Company is concerned that Mickey has become more of a corporate symbol than a beloved character for recent generations of young people. Now, Disney is taking the risky step of re-imagining him for the future.

The first step in Mickey's transition will appear next year when a new video game, Epic Mickey, in which the formerly squeaky clean character can be cantankerous and cunning, as well as heroic, as he traverses a forbidding wasteland. At the same time, in a parallel but separate effort, Disney has quietly embarked on an even larger project, to rethink the character’s personality from the way Mickey walks and talks, to the way he appears on the Disney Channel and how children interact with him on the Web, even what his house looks like at Disney World.

This week, the project got even more excitement to start after the announcement that, after 20 years of negotiations, the company has finally received the blessing of the Chinese government to open a theme park in Shanghai. This will potentially unlock a new giant market for all things Mickey.The Disney executives are moving carefully, and trying to keep a low profile, as they discuss how much they dare tweak one of the most durable characters in pop culture history to induce new generations of texting, tech-savvy kids to embrace him. Disney executives will keenly watch how Epic Mickey is received, to inform the broader overhaul.

While Mickey remains a superstar in many homes, particularly overseas, his popularity has not grown, but stayed stationary. This has resulted because of the new generation of Americans, those who grew up with Nickelodeon and Pixar. They know him, but may not love him. Domestic sales in particular have declined: of his $5 billion in merchandise sales in 2009, less than 20 percent will come from the United States.

I have no doubt that Disney will do a good job rebuilding the Mickey brand. The Walt Disney Company is has a long history of meeting their customer's wants exceptionally.

After some research, here are what I believe are the best branding tips for any company or product:

• Defining your brand. Defining your brand is like a journey of business self-discovery. It can be difficult, time-consuming and uncomfortable. It requires, at the very least, that you answer the questions: What is your company's mission? What are the benefits and features of your products or services? What do your customers and prospects already think of your company? What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?
• Stand for something. People latch on to something they can understand and appreciate.
• Integrate your brand. Branding extends to every aspect of your business--how you answer your phones, what you or your salespeople wear on sales calls, your e-mail signature, everything.
• Do what you say you’re going to do. I know it may sound like common sense, but one of the primary drivers of brand loyalty is a consistent experience.
• Realize that you’re not in control of your brand. That’s right, you only set the direction for your brand. Your actual brand image is determined by your audience.
• Branding is as much about your people as anything else. Never forget that the best interactions come from one-on-one conversations between executives, employees, suppliers, and customers. Employees that want to help and do the best job possible go a long way.

Where is there hope for creative careers in the corporate world during a recession?

It's not a surprise that creative departments and agencies suffer when businesses and organizations are not doing well enough to keep the basic parts running. When companies are stretching all of their money across the board just to get by and stay open, they're not going to pay for the frills and lace that makes them fancy and unique. Even if it is 'for the best of the company,' it kills me to read the poetic statement released after each layoff that they paid some poor communications employee who is still left to write.

I was inspired to write about creative employee layoffs when I heard the announcement of Target Corps decision to layoff eight percent of its corporate marketing department this past Thursday. Since I am looking for a public relations career in the Twin Cities, I was upset to learn the news. Even though the retailer reported declining profits eight quarters in a row, spokeswoman Lena Michaud said the layoffs were unrelated to the economy or Target's financial performance. Instead, the layoffs are part of a "reorganization to make sure marketing is aligned to the needs of the business," Michaud said. The laid-off workers will get full pay and benefits through Dec. 14, severance based on years of service and the option to continue their health insurance for 12 months at their current employee rate, Michaud said.

Two years ago, before this current recession the PR, ad and marketing industries thought they were working their way back up to the booming business days of the 1980s. However, this Summer the Star Tribune wrote about the funk the creative industries are falling into. "The recession changed all that. Some agencies saw layoffs. Some saw revenues decline. Some struggled for new business. Some treaded water. Very few have thrived. 'Flat is the new up,' became the mantra for bottom-line financial growth, but even flat is an ambitious goal when corporate clients are slashing marketing and advertising dollars." (David Phelps, June 22, 2009)
Another hard hit to the creative industry in the Twin Cities came this Summer when Carmichael Lynch laid off a number of its employees. "Like everyone else we had to pare a few people," said Doug Spong, President of Carmichael Lynch, the third-largest agency in Minneapolis. "There isn't anyone else in town who hasn't." Held primarily by the new business from Subaru and stable business from longtime clients like Harley-Davidson, Carmichael Lynch saw revenues increase by 5 percent last year to $63 million. "Agencies are a reflection of their clients, and we've been very fortunate to have a brand like Subaru that is at a price point that consumers can afford and is a brand that appeals to the consumer," Spong said.

"About one-third of our clients are cutting back because business is tough. One-third are maintaining or increasing their budget and one-third is just kind of flat," said Carmichael Lynch CEO Steve Wehrenberg. Wehrenberg said the agency's food and packaged goods clients are doing fine as penny-pinched Americans stay at home to eat their meals while its hard-hit financial sector clients like the Hartford are doing less. On the other hand, Campbell Mithun learned just this summer that H&R Block, a client of nine years, is taking its $120 million book of business to another agency. "It's definitely not a growth year for us unless a miracle happens," Wehrenberg said.

Martin Williams had two rounds of layoffs, totaling 30 people after the agency lost a telecom client and was an unsuccessful bidder for financial services giant J.P. Morgan. Annual revenue of $62 million was down 1.6 percent in 2008, according to Adweek Media. "We saw this coming and made adjustments," said CEO Tom Moudry. "We've tried to control costs, travel, office functions, summer parties, subscriptions. If there's a silver lining, it's that we've taken a look internally and restructured to be faster."

On the upside, the Olson agency actually grew in the heart of the economic downturn. The company went from 156 employees in 2007 to 186 employees in 2008. John Olson, founder, boasts of 11 consecutive years of double-digit growth, including an increase from $25.1 million in 2007 to $35 million last year. In the past year, Olson has landed clients such as Memorex, Carlson Country Inns & Suites, Lee Jeans, Chinet and United Health Group's Ovations division. "We're not chasing everything," Olson President Kevin DiLorenzo. "Sometimes you have to say no."

Colle+McVoy saw its 2008 revenues reach an eight-year high at $26.3 million. Interactive billings increased by 300 percent and now account for 30 percent of the agency's revenue. "We're extremely fortunate. We have no clients in the (battered) automotive, financial or health care sectors," said Colle Chief Executive Christine Fruechte. The rise in social networking means more work from its interactive clients, which include ESPN, Yahoo, Aveda and the Manhattan Toy Co.

Online seems to be proving the way creative industries can still grow in these tough times. "The people who are doing well have a specialty in new media for a direct one on one contact with the customer like social media and interactive media," said St. Thomas's Purdy. "It's an intriguing toy to a lot of clients." The Associated Press agrees. Just this month they wrote that "signs of an online revival are emerging even while advertising in print and broadcasts remain in a slump that has triggered mass layoffs, pay cuts and other upheaval."

"You can draw a straight line from the time when people hear an ad on the radio or television to when they search for that company on the Internet," said David Karnstedt, chief executive of Efficient Frontier, which helps manage ad campaigns on search engines. These trends will give Internet advertising 19 percent, or nearly $87 billion, of the worldwide ad market in 2013, up from just 4 percent, or about $18 billion, in 2004, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers and Wilkofsky Gruen Associates. That would make the Internet the third-largest marketing medium. Television is expected to remain on top, with $168 billion, or 36 percent of the global ad market in 2013, up from 35 percent in 2004. Newspapers would still be No. 2, but their $92 billion in advertising revenue is projected to account for 20 percent of the global ad market, down from 28 percent in 2004. (Star Tribune, Michael Liedtke, October 20, 2009)

Offensive Halloween Costume Creates Controversy

Among the many distasteful costumes that go sale prior to Halloween there’s a particular one causing disdain among the immigrant population, the "illegal immigrant."

The costume appeared in Target's online sale this season with the following description: "He’s got his green card, but is from another planet!" Sure to get some laughs, the illegal alien adult costume includes an orange prison-style jumpsuit with the words 'ILLEGAL ALIEN' printed on the front, an alien mask and a 'green card.' Of course, the costume has alarmed immigration rights groups.

Angelica Salas from the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles has asked Target to remove the "distasteful, mean-spirited and ignorant of social stigma" costume. Lizette Olmos, national communications director for the League of United Latin American Citizens, referred to the costume as “really disturbing” Other social action groups, such as the United Farm Workers have urged their supporters to send complaints to the stores selling the dehumanizing costumes.

I believe Target has responded positively to the complaints during this PR crisis. Target spokesman Joshua Thomas said the item was put on its website by mistake when an employee entered a wrong number into the system. Target has a strict review process with its vendors, he said. "We apologize, this was never intended to be part of our assortment." Thomas said Target is doing everything they can to take the costume down from their website. Media adviser, Vicki Adame, said that this is exactly the kind of divisive issue that a major brand like Target should want no part of. "It's insensitive, it's offensive. Immigration is such a hot-button issue. Why would Target fuel that fire?"

Other companies and websites have been getting angry complaints from the public for selling the costume too; but I believe their PR responses have not been done as well as Targets. The costume can/could also be found on toyrus.com, amazon.com, meijer.com, Walgreens.com, buycostumes.com, eBay. No changes or response have been made yet, however recently, Amazon had taken down the full-body costume, but still offered this equally offensive mask.

The backlash has already begun. Anti-immigrant groups are now asking followers to buy up the illegal alien costume from Amazon and other retailers and wear it on Halloween to make a statement. Americans for Legal Immigration PAC's President William Gheen is even offering to wear the costume during media interviews next week.

"The illegal alien supporting groups in America are attacking free speech once again," said Gheen. "These are the same types of people that are trying to ban Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck from television. They want to control what people can see, hear, say, or even wear for Halloween in pursuit of their open borders agenda."

NWA Flight 188

Most of you have heard of the Northwest Airlines/Delta flight 188. If not, a Minneapolis/St. Paul bound plane missed their landing and went 150 miles beyond their destination. Further, the pilots were out of communication with air traffic controllers for more than an hour. The pilots finally realized their mistake when one of the flight attendants asked them, via intercom, why the plane had not yet descended. It was then determined that both pilots were distracted in conversation and using personal laptops while discussing the scheduling system. Delta said this would be a violation of company policy on personal computers.

The story made national news and I think Delta did a good job responding to the PR crisis. They posted a press release on their website soon after stating that the company suspended the pilot's licenses until the federal investigation was complete. Also, Delta CEO Richard Anderson made a statement saying: "Nothing is more important to Delta than safety. We are going to continue to cooperate fully with the NTSB and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in their investigations." Further, Delta stated that using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies and violations of that policy will result in termination. On Monday Delta Air Lines said they were sending letters and $500 vouchers for future travel to all passengers on the flight.

On the evening news earlier this week I saw one of the pilots speak and apologize to TV reporters from his home's front door. Even though he did not say anything wrong, I thought it was interesting that someone from Delta/NWA had not advised him not to publicly speak.

The incident has been taken very seriously even though no one was hurt. It was a sad day for the pilots On Tuesday. The FAA revoked their licenses, saying they "carelessly and recklessly'' put their passengers and crew in jeopardy. Now they have a chance to appeal.

Here Comes The Next Generation

There are more than 120 million member's part of Generations X and Y and they will soon be taking over the workforce. Findings from studies on these groups of young people say that they are very different than any of the previous generations, and that companies and organizations are not quite sure how to meet their needs as they move into retiring Baby Boomer's positions.

I am part of Gen Y (aka: Millenials, Echo Boomers, Baby Busters, Digital Natives, Slackers - I'm not sure about this one. It seems contradictory since we're also called high achievers). I was inspired to write this entry after reading an article about me on the front page of the Star Tribune this week. I read this article and was surprised to read how right on the conclusions made about myself were true. "They want to work when it's convenient to their lives - not punch in at some 9-to-5 job and be stuck sitting in a cubicle. They relish a challenge more than a paycheck, and resent it when bosses look over their shoulders or fail to reward them for a job well done." (Crosby, Jackie. "Younger Workers Want More Than A Paycheck." Star Tribune. 21 Oct. 2009.)

Our generations are considered slackers when compared to past groups. This generational nickname has caught on because our new demands: we do not define ourselves by our job like previous generations, we demand a work-life balance and will not work a crazy long hour work week and on average people under the age of 30 spend 20 months on a job.

A conference was held this week at the Minneapolis Convention Center and more than 200 attendees from seven states came to the event to share strategies for recruiting, retaining, managing and marketing to Gen Xers (aged 28 to 44) and Gen Yers (14 to 27).

How I Believe Companies and Organizations can Recruit, Retain, Manage and Market to Gen Xers and Yers:

• Develop good first day/week employee welcome traditions. If an employee feels included and important right from the get go, the more part of a team and valued they will feel.
• HR departments should teach managers good ways to manage employees of these groups. Make sure they understand that structure, stability, both constructive and complimentary feedback, independence and a willingness to learn new things is important to these generations.
• Companies/organizations should value employee input. They can do this by including employees in their decision making process by inviting them to meeting or creating surveys.
• Workforces should value community service and ask employees to take part volunteer work through them.
• Work places should value education and try to teach these employees new things on a continuing basis.
• Create a fair promotional process and give rewards to employees as they stay long at company/organization. This way employees can see the growth ladder and know their workplace cares about their career development.

Generation X
Numbers: 49.1 million
Characteristics: Anti-authority, highly individualistic. They are the children of workaholics and divorce, and grew up with cable TV and computers.
Raised to be: Self-sufficient
Job requirements: Positive relationships with colleagues; interesting work; continuous opportunities for learning.
Work style: Want autonomy; dislike being micromanaged; want to be trusted to figure out tasks; want to work outside 9 to 5 schedule.
Motivations: A fun workplace; seeing outcomes of their work; constructive feedback.
Turnoffs: Unrewarded loyalty.

Generation Y
Numbers: 73.5 million
Characteristics: Confident, well-educated, digital thinkers, sense of entitlement, needy. They were micromanaged by parents and have never known life without technology.
Raised to be: High achievers.
Job Requirements: Meaningful work that makes a difference in the world; shared values among colleagues; meeting personal goals.
Work style: Want structure and stability; want immediate and increasing responsibility; prefer small goals with tight deadlines.
Motivations: Collaboration and teamwork; social causes; learning new technology.
Turnoffs: Unchallenging work; being dismissed for lack of experience.
(Source: Rock Stars Incorporated by Sarah L. Sladek)

The History of Public Relations

I learned a little bit about the history of public relations in college, but I wanted to dig deeper to gain a better understanding of where the industry came from. The names Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays are often considered to be the first public relations professionals, but as I'll explain the work of PR began long before he came along.
The history of public relations is mostly confined to the early half of the twentieth century; however there is evidence of the practices scattered through history.

lst Century B.C. -- Romans coined the phrase Vox populi; vox Dei, "the voice of the people is the voice of God." Underscored the emerging importance of public opinion.
18th Century -- Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, whose efforts on behalf of Charles James Fox included press relations, lobbying and, with her friends, celebrity campaigning
1623 -- Pope Gregory XV created the College for Propagating the Faith, the first large-scale use of public relations, created by the Roman Catholic Church to retain followers and solicit converts in the aftermath of the Reformation. Origin of the modern term propaganda.
1748 -- King's College (now Columbia University) used first news release to solicit press coverage.
1773 -- Colonists staged Boston Tea Party, a pseudo-event that helped crystallize public opinion against British rule.
1787 -- The Federalist Papers, a series of 85 pamphlets that were also reprinted as articles in newspapers, were produced to generate support for the formal creation of the United States and passage of its Constitution. 1850s -- American railroads used publicity, advertising and printed materials to attract tourists and settlers to the American West.
1889 -- First corporate public relations department established by Westinghouse, a year after Mutual Life Insurance Company created a "species of literary bureau" to coordinate advertising and publicity. Westinghouse ultimately prevailed in the ensuing "battle of the current" to promote the benefits of alternating current (AC), versus the direct current (DC) invented earlier by Thomas Edison and the General Electric Company.
1897 -- General Electric creates a publicity department.
1900 -- The Publicity Bureau was organized in Boston as the nation's first publicity firm -- and forerunner of today's public relations agency.
1906 -- Ivy Lee was hired to represent the industry in the anthracite coal strike. Lee issued his "Declaration of Principles," considered the birth of modern public relations counseling. (Lee later represented JD Rockefeller's interests in the Colorado Fuel and Iron strike in 1914, also known as the bloody "Ludlow Massacre."
1923 -- Edward Bernays published Crystallizing Public Opinion and popularized the term "public relations counsel." He also taught the first public relations course (at New York University).
1929 -- "The Golden Jubilee of Light" celebrated the 50th anniversary of the invention of the electric light bulb -- probably the greatest worldwide public relations event of the century, orchestrated by Edward Bernays.
1934 -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt used his famous "fireside chats" to instill confidence in the American people.
1934 -- Edward Bernays develops the very successful "Green Ball" campaign for Lucky Strike cigarettes to raise usage by women.
1945 -- US Government announces, in a carefully crafted press release, that an American plane dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
1948 -- The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is founded. The organizations primary objectives are to advance the standards of the public relations profession and to provide members with professional development opportunities through continuing education programs, information exchange forums and research projects conducted on the national and local levels.
1982 -- Six people in a Chicago suburb who took Tylenol capsules die of cyanide poisoning, causing a PR nightmare for McNeil Labs and Johnson & Johnson. Due to a very successful PR crisis plan Tylenol gained its strong public opinion back.

The public relations industry has changed a lot over its short lifetime into what it is today. This change is strongly influenced by the development of social media. Currently, the advertising dollars in media products from corporations like News Corp., Dow Jones, and CMP are under rapid decline in favor of direct advertising products offered by search engines and other tools. Traditional media publications are laying off journalists, consolidating beat reporters, shrinking their print editions, and many publications are shutting down entirely. Blogs have lower over-head costs than traditional media and are often said to provide better news coverage and analysis. Blogs are increasingly sprouting to replace traditional media with a more sustainable low-cost business model and are gaining more of a following. The advent of social media is the most pre-eminent trend in PR today. It's important to note, while social media is on the rise, traditional media is yet to be taken over by the trend as of January 29, 2009. Social media releases, search engine optimization, content publishing, and the introduction of podcasts and video are other burgeoning trends.

Letterman's Tragically Creative Statement

I've always been a fan of David Letterman and his show, especially since I visited the Ed Sullivan Studio for a taping of The Late Show a few years ago. I was very curious about the news of Letterman's affair and want to know how it will play out.

From a PR perspective, I see Letterman's surprising announcement as a nightmare for any publicist. However, the more I think about the way Letterman gave the news, the more entertaining and clever I see it as. For someone who being blackmailed and never does interviews, I think it's a very honest, great, disastrous idea.

When in a situation like this, there are not many options to take. Letterman could have done nothing and paid off the accuser. He could have held a press conference to make the announcement, or he could have said nothing directly to the media, handled it as a legal matter and just let the media find information out on their own.

For a horrible PR situation, I really think Letterman came up with a witty way to handle a tough personal issue. Now, I'm interested to know if this incident will affect his popularity at all.

What's in a Name?

I'm a life member at a old United Methodist Church in South Minneapolis, Asbury UMC. The beautiful organization has been struggling to find new members and has suffered financially for the past decade. Last fall we considered merging with another UMC, Oakland UMC, not far away. This past spring both churches voted whether to come together under one roof or to close. The vote passed and just a little over a month ago we started worshipping together at the previous Asbury building.

The agreement decided upon if the merger went through was that the church and congregation would be considered brand new. This means new committees would be organized, a new worship service would created and a new church name would be chosen.

I was very excited and honored when I was asked to serve on the 'New Church Name Committee.' They liked my history with Asbury, my PR expertise and want me to give a young person's perspective.

A name is very important. It's what we will put on the building sign in the front yard, it's what will use to represent our self on every piece of stationary, it's how people will search for our website, it's where people will make their donation checks out to and most importantly it's the first thing new potential members will see.

The idea of a church organization and even the word 'church' has changed drastically recently. Studies have shown that using the word 'church' in the title of a religious organization carries certain negative connotations with it. I'm exactly sure why this is and why it would attract new people more than another religious organization with word church at the end of its name. Another Methodist church in the same area as ours used to be called Hobart UMC. In the last year it closed due to the same reasons we are facing. Recently a new group reopened it as a UMC, made many changes and renamed it Solomon's Porch. It's doing very well now.

At our next meeting we will start determining criteria we want our name to have. I'm doing some research on the side to see what I find about church names and am curious to see what we decide is important for our name.

How important do you think a church name is? What name would you like to see on the front of your religious organization?

Is Internet Really the Only Affective Way to Reach People With News?

In case you haven't heard, the news industry is suffering and needs a face lift. Recently, a fellow journalism major and I went back to our undergraduate college, the University of St. Thomas (UST), for a visit. I ran into my old broadcast journalism instructor and learned that the ENTIRE student news outreach has changed and is being done through the Internet on a new website: http://www.tommiemedia.com/

The website has completely taken over the well respected weekly school newspaper, The Aquin and the previous monthly produced UST TV news show, Campus Scope. Just like the past news media outlets, the news media website offers paid positions to its directors and editors, and offers educational positions in other areas of the journalism world.

Before I start sounding too negative about change, I want to make it clear that I am very excited for UST and the Journalism Department. I looked at the TommieMedia website and think it looks great. It does a nice job of intertwining broadcast and print journalism in a professional way. (Even though I was sad to see something so important to my fellow journalism students had changed in such a short time after our graduation.)

However, I am wondering if the Internet is the only way the news outlets can reach their target publics? These days I only hear that you need to get your words or products online somehow, either through a website, social media outlet, blog, etc.