Amazing Marketing by Bieber Fans: Fans Plan 'Bieber Buyout' at MOA

With Justin Bieber in town, Bieber fever has been all over the Twin Cities this week! Teeny bopper Bieber fans swarmed to downtown Minneapolis last night before his concert, making the traffic horrific and the ride home from work very long. On Monday, Bieber was at the MOA to take part in a buyout of Bieber CDs for a good cause. Sounds like your typical celebrity PR event, right? However, it wasn't. The neat thing about this publicity stunt was that it was organized by a group of Justin Bieber fans.

A group of Justin Bieber fans used Twitter to gather hundreds in hopes of buying out Bieber's CDs for a good cause. Four Minnesota teens and one teen from Wisconsin who have never met, corralled an anticipated 150 to 200 fellow fans to buy out all the Justin Bieber CDs at the MOA Monday.

Bieber buyouts have taken place all over the country and Europe, but this event may have been one of the largest. The girls are working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to disperse the CDs to children's hospitals across Minnesota.

The event was huge and many more than 200 fans showed up to purchase and donate Bieber's CDs. Bieber was going to make an appearance, but was mobbed on his way to the MOA Best Buy Rotunda that he was advised to leave for his protection.

I can't get over how cool this marketing is. This was a marketing event organized by fans, no one working on the Bieber team. Next, the organizers got fans to buy the artists CDs and then donate them hospitals so that patients would hear his music. Lastly, Bieber gets good PR for contributing to a good cause. The whole thing is brilliant.

Obama's PR Efforts to Assure War in Afghanistan is on Track

This week the Pentagon will attempt to convince the American people that the war in Afghanistan remains on track, despite the mess in military leadership.

Tuesday, General David Petraeus, head of US Central Command, was expected to testify before a Senate committee. This would be his first appearance on Capitol Hill since being picked to lead the war in Afghanistan following Obama's firing of General Stanley McChrystal for criticizing the administration.

Mourning over what he called "a lot of obsession" about the July 2011 withdrawal for US troops, Obama on Sunday defended his war strategy and said the US would assist the Afghans "for a long time to come." When asked about a five-year exit strategy endorsed by the Group of Eight major industrial democracies, Obama told reporters at the economic summit in Toronto, "I don't have a crystal ball." Obama added "I think that right now the debate surrounding Afghanistan is presented as either we get up and leave immediately because there's no chance at a positive outcome, or we stay basically indefinitely and do quote unquoted whatever it takes for as long as it takes." He repeated his view that beginning to pull out troops next year doesn't mean the US will "suddenly turn off the lights and let the door close behind us."

Obama's pick, Petraeus, is a signal that there won't be significant change in strategy. Everyone will be watching carefully to see what other changes might be in store.

The PR effort comes amid mixed reviews on US success in Afghanistan. Obama is advancing a risky new war plan that relies on some 98,000 US troops to prop u the Afghan government and prevent al-Qaida from returning.

This is an important issue for Obama because he said during his 2008 campaign he would end this war and bring troops home. However, he probably did not fully understand the complexity of this war and how hard it would be to suddenly pull out. Obama will need to find a balance between assuring the American people that he is making change and settling down our presence in the Middle East, yet make those who feel nervous about us a retaliation from al-Aida is we abandon the area.

Really? McDonalds Facing Lawsuit Over Happy Meals

The Center for Science in Public Interest is giving McDonald's up to 30 days to stop promoting toys with the purchase of their Happy Meals, saying that the company is contributing to the obesity epidemic that the country is dealing with.

As for McDonald's they insist that "getting a toy is just one part of a fun, family experience," said spokesman William Whitman.

"Tempting kids with toys is unfair and deceptive, both to kids who don't understand the concept of advertising and to their parents, who have to put up with nagging children," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in Public Interest.

My personal opinion is that parents should be responsible and take control of deciding what their children eat. When I was five, If I had the choice, I would have eaten a McDonald's Happy Meal every day, but my parents of course didn't allow this. I can see the Center for Science in Public Interest's side, but cannot agree with their call to action. There are a lot of other fast food chains out there doing the same thing, but because of McDonald's size and history of success they are getting blamed for consumer's great lack of self control.

Connected and on Vacation

A year ago I camped in the Boundary Waters area for four days and didn't miss my phone or Internet connect one bit. I didn't even think about it! However, this year the a new debate has sprung up about how 'connected' one should be on their vacation - and the resorts Minnesotans love are trying to decide.

A few boulders are among the most popular sports at the YMCA's Camp du Nord on the southern edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It's not because of the views. The added elevation gets better cell-phone reception. A few miles north at the Lodge of Whispering Pines, the sauna is the only place that gets a signal, making for a lot of hot conversations.

All of us long to escape the weekly grind, but because of job pressures or a need to stay connected, many of us just can't seem to turn our cell phones off. Then, if we do make an escape, we want a lifeline, a place where we can tap into the world we left behind, even if it means hopping into a car and heading to the nearest town.

This need to stay connected has generated debate among resort and campground operators in Minnesota: How can you balance making visitors feel like they're escaping when they're really not? For the most part, resort owners are accommodating their guest's needs because they realize that vacations aren't what they used to be. And it's becoming evident that vacationers who do want that lifeline don't want to have to go to the lodge to wait in line for a common computer.

Today, jobs are more demanding and some employees 'feel bad' taking vacation time, especially since some worry they may not have a job to come back to if they don't try staying on top of their work while they're gone. Others just like the choice to 'check-in' or not. Regardless, I think we'll see some changes in this area. It will be interesting to see if one campground or resort jumps in offering phone and WiFi service first, and see how they do compared to the rest!

Minnesotans Rate Best in Volunteering

A new national study confirmed that the Twin Cities residents volunteer more of their time to their churches, charities and school than folks in any other metro area in the nation.

More than 900,000 Twin Cities residents, in the city and suburb, volunteered an average of 44 hours a year in 2009, according to the annual report by the federal agency overseeing national service programs. The rest of the state of Minnesota isn't lacking either. More than 1.5 million people volunteered in 2009, the third-highest ranking in the nation.

I think that Minnesota has a couple of things that push it to the top of these rankings. First, we have our "Minnesota nice" personalities. Regardless of the rude person you came across on your way to work today, generally the opinion across the nation of Minnesota people is that we're nice and care about one another and second, we have a strong nonprofit sector funnels volunteer energy.

For years, Minnesotans have ranked near the top nationally on volunteerism, voting and other forms of civic engagement." In fact, the Twin Cities area has topped this same survey for the past four years. The latest study showed that statewide, 1.5 million people volunteered their time, to the tune of 171 million hours last year.

The report showed that 37 percent of Twin Cities residents and those outstate volunteered in 2009. That civic spirit crossed all age groups, from seniors to 20-somethings. Baby boomers were particularly energetic: 40 percent reported volunteering in their communities.

Nationally, volunteerism is on the rise, said the report. More than 63 million Americans over the age of 16 volunteered at least once in 2009, an increase of 1.6 million. This could be because of the high unemployment, people are trying to fill their time while they're looking for work and want to try and help while they have the time.

The increase was fueled by higher volunteer rates among women, especially those age 45 to 54, as well as Americans who were working.

Minnesotans donate their time for many causes, but the top four are projects involving food for the disadvantaged, fundraising, teaching and "general labor," the report said. Roughly a third do their volunteer work at religious organizations and/or schools.

To see the full report, Volunteering in America, go to http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/.

Are Your Ready for Some Futbol?

I've never been a huge soccer (or futbol) fan, but I started watching the World Cup over the weekend and have become one!

Starting last Friday and going until July 11th, 32 nations will face off in soccer's World Cup. Across much of the globe - most of Europe and west Africa, all of the Western Hemisphere south of our borders - the tournament in South Africa is a bigger deal than the Olympics. However, not here. I'm surprised this is the case with the strong U.S. European history, but recently soccer is getting harder for Americans to ignore.

The so-called 90-minute "beautiful game" showcases balletic movement and momentum swings. Not to mention, for certain fans, hot guys running around in shorts. If you watch, you'll surely see fans from across the globe supporting their teams, the superstar players, who are on average a head shorter than your typical quarterback, in their hued uniforms and hear announcers bellow "goooooooalll." Very exciting.

As the United States population grows younger and more ethnically diverse, the globe is becoming smaller, soccer might finally be gaining a foothold on these shores. If you haven't checked it out yet, it's kind of a big deal, expand yourself. I recommend that you do.

Use Facebook Ads to Make Employers Hunt You Down

If you pay attention to the news, you may think that anyone looking for a job should immediately cancel his or her Facebook account and never sign up again. Headlines read: Bank Intern Busted by Facebook, Employers Look to Facebook Too and Employers Snoop on Facebook. There's rarely anything new in the stories, but somehow they continue to pop up. More and more companies are using Facebook as a recruiting tool, but for the most part any press that has included the words "employer" and "Facebook" has been negative. Not anymore.

When you sign on your Facebook account, you may notice an ad on the right side of the screen. Facebook allows you to target your ads very specifically. More than ever, employers are trying to leverage Facebook to find great entry-level talent, but not many are doing a good job.

An organization called One Day, One Job came up with an idea, what if you reverse the role and have the employee target the company her or she wants to work for with Facebook ads? Basically, they wanted college grads to create an ad for themselves. The goal was to sell yourself with a picture and a few short sentences which would convince any recruiter seeing their ad to click through to their resume, web page, contact information, etc. Most importantly they needed a target. This target would be based keywords, location or company. Targeting by the company is the most likely to succeed, because they could guarantee that they would actually reach people who work at companies that might consider hiring them. How they target would depend on what kinds of jobs they were looking for. Yes, this process does cost some money, but overall when looking at its success rate, it's pretty cheap.

To learn more about this idea and how to set up your own Facebook ad click here.

Sex and the City 2: A Promotion for a Life of Whimsical Carelessness

Even though I'm not a "Sex and the City" fanatic, I saw several episodes of the series and liked the characters and the actresses playing them. I still do. The half-hour episodes were well-written and snappy. However, I was thoroughly disappointed in SATC2 and thought it didn't do the six award-winning seasons and first movie justice, was over the top and borderline insulting. For those of you that loved SATC2, I really don't have anything good to say, so you probably should skip this post.

One of the main reasons I enjoyed watching SATC was for the high end fashion, but for some reason the sequel's outfits didn't live up to my expectations and I felt they were farfetched. The ladies have always loved the labels and bought expensive things, but it was still grounded in some sort of far-reaching reality, rather than a flashing showcase of life where money is no object. Also, this time around I often found myself saying, 'what is she wearing?' Rather than, "wow, that's really cool and unique."

I realize that during the Great Depression, Hollywood movies that portrayed glamour and good times were an escape mechanism and flights of fantasy. But, this is a cruel punishment to the average person in the work-a-day world who is upside down on a mortgage, looking for work and had to watch a quartet sit down to an all-you-can-eat buffet and gorge themselves for two hours, and talk about how utterly incredible the food was.

Starting with a flashback scene in the beginning, throughout the whole movie you're reminded of how old the women are. Samantha constantly talks about the vitamins and hormone creams she takes to stay younger, her Spanx and hot flashes. Yes, these lines are funny, but when the theme didn't stop, I thought, has Sex and the City lost its prime just like the characters?

Speaking of age, while watching the storyline unfold, I couldn't believe some of the characters behavior. The drama produced seemed like something an immature, young woman might do and be ridiculed for. Carrie is married to Big and still needs to be reminded that a kiss is still a kiss and that certain marital fundamentals actually do apply. Miranda quits her job because she feels silent in a firm of all men. Charlotte, a mom of two, shuts herself in a closet when two-year-old Rose's constant screaming and older sister Lily's attention-craving gets the best of her while baking cookies and finally Samantha, who is still single and mingling at the age of 52 insists on wearing the same clothes in Abu Dhabi where the culture is very different.

Lastly, I understand Samantha's character and I really do like her. However, I thought that she showed a lack of respect to a culture when she refused to cover herself somewhat in a Muslim culture country. This issue struck controversy across the globe.

As a young female business professional I really like the SATC storyline featuring single, professionally successful women charting their own course, while talking frankly about their experiences with sex, love and city life. I just thought it could have been done more realistically and tactful.

Minnesota Nurses Negotiations: The Importance of Good Communication from Both Sides during a Strike

The 12,000 nurses that represent the Minnesota Nurses Association at 14 Twin Cities hospitals are threatening to walk out June 10 unless talks produce an agreement about pay increases of three percent for each of the three years, pension contributions and more flexibility in scheduling. Nurses claim to be stretched to the limit and don't have enough say in staffing levels. This is causing a low nursing morale and stressed out.

In this strike there are spokespersons from both sides stating their side of the disagreement. It's important this is, so that the clearest messages are communicated to one another and the press in hopes of reaching a settlement. I think that both defenders are doing a good job representing their sides' wants.

I side with the Minnesota Nurses Association, but still I can see both sides. The hospitals are struggling just like any other business during this downturn. They don't want to guarantee higher wages and pensions and other benefits if revenue is not growing. Also, hospitals want to be able to move nurses around hospital units depending on census numbers, even if a nurse is unfamiliar with their new surrounding and may not work as efficient.

Hospitals are an important part of society and nurses are a big piece of their operation. Patients are nervous that their care will be affected by the strike and hospitals are trying to prepare. Hospital communicators are making it clear that the strike will not affect their patient's care, which is vital. There is hope that the strike can be averted all together before 10 arrives.

Affected hospitals: Abbott Northwestern, Mercy, Unity, United and Phillips Eye Institute (all owned by Allina Hospitals and Clinics), St. John's, St. Joseph's and Bethesda (owned by HealthEast Care System), North Memorial, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Park Nicollet Methodist, Fairview Southdale and the Riverside campus of University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.

Is the Coupon Craze Just a Woman Thing?

As the recession continues, the redemption of coupons hits record highs last year; however men still aren't as quick to clip as women.

According to a Nielsen Media report, 311 billion coupons were distributed nationwide in 2009, but only 18 percent of grocery shoppers who used coupons at least once a year were male. This story was discussed in this morning's Star Tribune.

This doesn't mean that men don't want to save, but that they want to do it another way. Men find coupons to be a nuisance, that it's a pain to cut them, hold on to them and then remember to bring them and use them. They feel the preparation time is too cumbersome.

Does this mean that men don't like to think ahead? Some say that this theory goes back to the hunter/gatherer thing, when it was primarily women who had a vested interested in conserving. Others say that men prefer to buy in bulk than become a coupon clipper and believe they save the same amount of money.

Recently, NCH Marketing Services in Illinois released that nearly 93 percent of men who started using coupons when the recession began in 2009, say they plan to continue doing so. Do you think at least some of those coupons were clipped by women?