How to Save Your Marketing Job

Good advice from my client Clay McDaniel at Spring Creek Group on how marketers can avoid the chopping block.

Inexpensive Rainy Day Activity for Kids

I recently started doing some work for a great Seattle company called Zebra Mix. Zebra Mix is a line of organic baking mixes for kids that can be found on amazon.com, fatbrain toys and in many retail locations like Whole Foods. They are not just baking mixes, each "kit" comes with a safari baking map with pictures, instructions and fun little games for kids. As a mom of a preschooler, I LOVE these. The other day my daughter and our nanny spent a rainy afternoon with a kit and made the most delicious chocolate chip cookies. Good response so far from the media and mommy blogosphere. Read the reviews in the Associated Press, Boston Mamas, and Mama Manifesto. Did I mention they make great holiday gifts? You can beat the $5.99 price tag.

Googling the Flu

More proof that search is a barometer for human behavior. Google partnered with the CDC to create a flu trends report where it compared searches with data from "a flu surveillance system" managed by the CDC. Computerworld reports on the correlation between the queries and the data.

How PR Works Today

Here's a great example of the PR 2.0 (PR + Social Media). My newest client, Spring Creek Group, scored some coverage with DMNews for a controversial piece written by principal Clay McDaniel. In this gloves off piece, Clay argues that social networks will replace email. The piece riled up well -known blogger Bob Bly not for its stance on social networks vs. email but on Clay's use of the word, "all". Bob's post generated a few other posts and caused a bigger discussion on social networks. The next day I got a call from a daily business reporter who saw the piece and wanted to interview Clay about social media.

Seattle Tech Companies With Good Exits

Happy to say that two of my clients, CleverSet and Imagekind made this list in Techflash today for companies that sold before the downturn.

PR Advice for Sarah Palin

Dear Sarah,

If you keep talking about something, like clothes from the RNC, the more it becomes a story. It's probably better for you if you just stop talking about those pricey threads once and for all.

Here are some tips to remember when dealing with the "Liberal Media Elite":

1. Stop talking.

Don't elaborate on answers to questions about the clothes. According to the AP, you responded to reporters questions about the clothes with "I never asked for anything more than a Diet Dr. Pepper once in a while," and “I never forced anybody to buy anything.” Even those responses are too long. Reporters want to write about this and you are delivering juicy quotes. The more you talk the more they write.

2. Don't let your dad be an unofficial spokesperson.

Your Dad apparently actually created a big story for the AP when he talked about how you spent the weekend sorting through the clothes. It's not that he really said anything controversial except for this strange comment "That's the problem, you know, the kids lose underwear, and everything has to be accounted for" it's that he spoke at all. He should not be answering reporters questions for you even if what he says seems innocent enough.

3. Change the subject.

If you want this negative news cycle to be gone, you must stop feeding it. Many reporters are hungry for stories about you right now so use this opportunity to change the subject. What you say will end up in print for at least another month so make some serious announcements that will actually help you if you really want to run in 2012.

Worst Press Release in the World

While reading the Bad Pitch Blog, the other day, I was reminded of Keith Olbermann and his "Worst Persons in the World" segment. Here is an example of one of the worst press releases I've ever seen. Time to reconsider the strategy of leveraging high-profile tragedies to sell gun racks.