Boomerang

We’ve got a new Wolfie among our Pack. Cohn & Wolfe has launched Green Wolfie, a blog devoted to sustainability trends and issues from a global perspective. There you’ll learn how companies and consumers are going Green and doing their part to save our natural resources. It will be authored by our worldwide roster of sustainability experts including Geoff Beattie and Annie Longsworth. 

The blog coincides with the latest findings from our 2008 ImagePower Green Brands Survey produced in partnership with Landor and Penn, Schoen & Berland. The research, presented at the Sustainable Brands 08 conference, indicates that two out of three Americans think the environment is in worse shape than it was five years ago, and that lower income consumers have greater concern for the direction of the environment than wealthier consumers. Despite economic considerations, however, consumers are still willing to pay more for green products. For more information on survey results, contact Annie Longsworth at annie_longsworth@cohnwolfe.com.   

While at the Sustainable Brand 08 conference, Cohn & Wolfe conducted several video interviews with business leaders who spoke about their sustainability best practices and activities. You can view these clips on the Cohn & Wolfe YouTube channel and on the Green Wolfie blog.   

In addition, we’ve included additional content on sustainability such as articles, research and case studies on the C&W Sustainability Practice page of our corporate website.

(IMAGE CREDIT: OCCULT OF PERSONALITY)

Alicia Keys invited vocalists to audition to be her backup singer via video submission to MySpace. It sounds like a fantastic opportunity to leverage social networks in a new way – Keys can reach a global audience of hopefuls and can gauge, by video, the talent, appeal, and “shake-it” ability of each candidate on her own time.  

But what about that “certain something” that makes a top performer? Stage presence – a necessary ingredient for the thrill of live performance – is a quality not easily captured by video. Can the confidence and poise required for an onstage performance with a powerhouse songstress like Alicia Keys be encapsulated in a 30-second video? Maybe… maybe not. 

The Internet levels the playing field when it comes to intangibles like stage presence, charisma, interpersonal chemistry and overall people skills. MySpace and other social networks allow people to connect to opportunities that, before social media, might never have come their way.  Dancers from all over the globe can audition with Alicia Keys in the comfort of their own home – no pressure for stage presence required. 

Filmmakers can enter their work for the chance to be part of Paulho Coelho’s new social media-enabled film project – no interpersonal chemistry between collaborators necessary. Match.com members can establish clearly defined profiles designed to attract those that might not be interested if the pair were to initially meet in person – no pressure about a first impression since it’s done over e-mail! 

Social networks not only connect people to people, they connect people to opportunities. As we use online media to supplement (and often replace) what goes on in the offline world, I wonder how we will develop a virtual equivalent of physical chemistry and personal interaction – the magic of the human-to-human experience. I guess we can post a comment to Alicia’s MySpace page and get her insights once her auditions are over…

(Photograph by Chris Buck,  which appeared in New York Magazine in October 2006)

Ever see an unknown musician at a club and predict that he or she is “going to be huge” and it turned out you were 100 percent right?  When I saw Dave Grohl at the 9:30 Club back in 1989 – he was brutally abusing his drum set for Scream – I turned to my friend and said, “The band is average, but he’s one of the most entertaining drummers I’ve ever seen.”  A year or so later, Dave was in Nirvana.  Now, he’s “all that” for the Foos.   

In my 10-plus years in tech PR and journalism, I’ve had the chance to “call it” early and accurately on things like Napster going legit and using tiny TVs to sell airline tickets.  But only rarely have I had the chance to be “in on the ground floor” of a publication, be it online or in print, and accurately predict its future.  When Business 2.0, Brill’s Content, and The Industry Standard hit the scene, many of us (me included) thought they’d be around for a long time.  Oops.   

I got this one right though: I was one of the first people to make HuffingtonPost my primary stop for snarky political opinion and news.  I was initially led to the site just days after HuffPo went live by then radio commentator and current Senatorial candidate Al Franken, who mentioned on his Air America Radio show a post he did. I went, I read, I returned (daily). I told all my politically active friends: “This is the site we’ve been waiting for.”   

The formula for keeping me coming back every day is simple.  The content – from the minds of Christie Hefner, Harry Shearer, Hilary Rosen, Bill Press, and John Zogby even in the earliest days – was as plentiful as it was wonderful. It’s only gotten better; now the site boasts more than 1,800 bloggers (all of whom are unpaid) writing on an ever-expanding universe of topics.   

HuffPo last week celebrated its third year online and is now a force of nature (consistently top-ranked by both Technorati and Alexa), but back when I first discovered the site it was a tiny little island of ideology.  Most posts had just a handful of comments; nowadays, just about every post has hundreds (sometimes thousands) of comments.  The publication’s new tag line “The Internet Newspaper: News Blogs Video Community” is the perfect descriptor. There’s something there for just about everyone.  

Arianna Huffington, one of the most powerful people on the Internet (and in American political discourse) is seemingly everywhere, selling her new book The Right is Wrong, and spreading her particular, peculiar brand of independent political thinking.  To wit, Arianna will speak on May 19^th at the Commonwealth Club here in San Francisco and you can bet I’ll be there, with the same excitement I had when I first saw Dave Grohl play that little stage at 930 F Street.   

I have struggled to explain, particularly to my boss, the general shift in thinking around prioritizing the environment over profits. It’s not a new concept – many sustainable companies have demonstrated that being environmentally friendly can also be profitable – but it’s a concept now being articulated in a new way. The idea of “For Good” instead of “For Profit,” with the knowledge (or trust?) that the money will follow, is beyond counterintuitive for most business leaders; it is heretical to say such a thing aloud. But Gary Hirschberg of Stonyfield Farm said it in a way that resonates in its simplicity: Rather than the planet being a subsidiary of the economy, the economy should be a subsidiary of the planet. And, even more simply stated: no healthy planet, no healthy economy.

One of most critical statements made by a presenter at Fortune’s Brainstorm Green was very simple and obvious: The environment has moved to the top of the agenda for CEOs and CIOs. One of the running themes of the event was the need – make that necessity – for NGOs, corporate America and politicians to work together on solutions before our time runs out.   The urgency of these discussions and the need for decisions were brought home by 16-year-old Avery Hairston, founder of RelightNY, who wryly concluded, “It’s great to see so many of you out there and caring for the environment even though you’re not necessarily going to inherit it.”

On a recent trip to a cruel and shallow money trench, known to some as Las Vegas, I was photographing the classic Flamingo Hotel when my friend asked, “Why are you taking pictures — you’re not even on Facebook?” I was shocked that she didn’t think my noteworthy life was worth documenting if strangers couldn’t see it. I recently took myself off the web to avoid being available to strangers and now I’ve become a “social-media pariah” among my friends.  

It seems as if candid photos have gone from a form of preservation to personal promotion. An individual’s online profile has become a free peep show for anyone to gawk at from the other side of the glass. Keep in mind that your pictures are available to everyone and that privacy features aren’t always dependable and should never be seen as a surefire way to protect your anonymity. Look at Facebook’s recent security system incident that involved a computer technician hacking into Paris Hilton’s private photo album.  

The more one reveals about their personal actions on the web, the more they strip away the mystery of their private lives. However, that can be to our advantage as well. We have the ability to shape how people perceive us through the photos we upload and share with everyone. The only problem is how do we control the use of our personal information and photos when in the hands of other people?

Ashley Alexandra Dupré, the prostitute associated with Gov. Eliot Spitzer, is a perfect example of how openness on the web can backfire. In a just a few hours after the scandal broke, journalists were able to discover an array of information about her — from a photo of her in a bathing suit to private details of her difficult childhood. She may have never expected immediate infamy, but she made the journalists’ jobs a lot easier. Millions of people have made all kinds of personal details available online via social networking sites, perhaps without thinking it could be used against them. My advice: Imagine that everything you type online is being read by a potential employer. Or, better yet, by your parents.  

It never ceases to amaze me how much information we have at our fingertips via the web. No matter what the topic, people are constantly adding their insights, experiences and knowledge to online forums, blogs, and wikis. For me, blogs are a favorite online resource and I love to stumble upon those quintessential lists of top blogs on a specific topic, region or industry. Just in the past few months I’ve started to collect some very valuable blog lists so I thought I’d share them.

Most of the ultimate blog lists I’ve recently come across were developed by organizations and companies. However, some of them were compiled by single individuals who spent several backbreaking hours of research to put them together. These individuals deserve recognition for their hard work and I’d like to personally thank them. Bravo!

If you have an ultimate blog list that’s not included below, send it my way and I’ll add it to this list.

Ultimate Blog Lists

Top 100 Academic Blogs - Jessica Hupp,  CurrencyTrading.net

Top 150 Ad and Marketing Blogs – Ad Age

Top 100 Analyst Blogs – Technobabble

Top 100 Australian Blogs – Meg, Dipping into the Blog Pond

Top 100 Christian Blogs – Joe Carter, Evangelical Outpost

Top 100 Economics Blogs – Laura Milligan, CurrencyTrading.net

Top 100 Education Blogs – Online Education Database

Top 100 Gadget Blogs – GadgetVenue

Top 50 Graphic Design Blogs – David Airey

Top 100 Healthcare Blogs – eDrugSearch

Top 100 HR Bloggers – Laura Milligan

Top 100 Indian Blogs – BlogStreet India

Top 50 Japanese Blogs – Serkan Toto, Tokyotronic

Top 100 Lawyer Blogs – ABA Journal

Top 100 Liberal Democrat Blogs – Iain Dale, Iain Dale’s Diary

Top 100 Lifestyle Blogs – Kineda

Top 100 Luxury Blogs – International Listings

Top 100 Mommy Blogs – Mother’s Day Central

Top 100 Most Subscribed Blogs – BlogBridge

Top 100 Personal Finance Blogs – Ask the Advisor

Top 100 Political Blogs in Canada – Paul, Paulitics

Top 300 Political Blogs in the UK – Iain Dale, Iain Dale’s Diary

Top 100 Popular Blogs – Technorati

Top 50 Productivity Blogs – Leo Babauta, Zen Habits

Top 100 Productivity Blogs – CollegeDegree.com

Top 100 Sober Blogs – Unknown

Top 100 Social Media Blogs – VirtualHosting.com

Top 100 South African Blogs - The Mail & Guardian

Top 100+ Telecom industry Blogs - VoIP Now (NEW - added on 5/13/08)

Top 100 Travel Blogs – Laura Milligan

Top 100 User-Centers Blogs – Jessica Hupp, VirtualHosting.com

Top U.S. State Political Blogs – Chris Cillizza, Washington Post

Top 100 Wine Blogs – Alawine.com

If anyone can turn a social media experiment into a cinematic mosaic of imagination, it’s Paulo Coelho. Arguably best known for his novel The Alchemist, Coelho is an internationally acclaimed author and lyricist who has sold over 100 million books. He may not have the most experience in film making and music composition, but plenty of his fans do. That idea sets the stage for The Experimental Witch Competition, a collaborative film project announced by the beloved Brazilian author last June.  

Coelho’s last novel, The Witch of Portobello, was told from the viewpoint of 15 different characters. For his film competition, Coelho asked filmmakers to choose a character from the book and shoot all of the scenes told from that character’s perspective. Filmmakers are asked to submit their movies via YouTube, while music composers will submit their contributions/theme songs through MySpace. Coelho will work with a professional editor to sew 15 winning films together to recreate the book, and will show the final version in film festivals throughout the world. He communicates this all through his blog. The Experimental Witch is, in essence, an experiment in social media. 

With his unique storytelling style and his passion for the Internet, Coelho is a huge advocate of social media - just check out his website, MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube activity! He is also the first best-selling author to support free distribution of his own work online. Some say this makes him an advocate for piracy, but really it’s just about being “with the times” and giving readers what they want. Besides, distributing his work without cost has actually boosted his book sales.  

At the very least, the film will provide contributors, viewers and fans with a new experience and a screen capture of the plurality of interpretations on one of Coelho’s novels. The project, if pulled off successfully, has the potential to illustrate how the countless interpretations of an idea can be seamlessly woven together to illustrate fifteen visions and one story simultaneously. As Coelho states on his blog, it will be a bit of “cinematographic history” – in addition to being a social media experiment on the grandest scale. I just hope it’s as good as the book.    

I’m presently in a window seat some 37,000 feet above Denver. I love to fly so I actually enjoy business travel. However, I don’t think I’d enjoy having a seat on this airplane.  There’s a time and place for everything, and the time and place for doffing one’s clothes is not at cruising altitude. Traveling naked, which includes bending over to pick up luggage, strapping a seatbelt across a bare lap, and sitting on seats of unknown cleanliness is unsettling. It’s also too much information at the least appropriate time. I would disembark that aircraft with three letters in my head: TMI. 

Thinking about that flight and those three meaningful letters – TMI – reminded me that even the most seasoned PR person or company executive can occasionally forget one of the most basic tenets of great communications: know when to stop talking.   

Brevity is beautiful. It also helps to assure positive results.   

The only way a person can say something they’d later regret later is to talk. While it’s true that silence sends a signal, few people have ever had to retract silence.  Conversely, we’ve all heard this during a press briefing: “Oh, I really didn’t want to reveal that just yet, can we keep that off the record?” Safety lies in the assumption that a spokesperson is never completely off the record. Consider that Samantha Power’s offhand remarks in the Scotsman newspaper cost her her job, and cost her boss some embarrassment. People in Ms. Power’s position are under a unique microscope, but every spokesperson needs to be aware that anything they say can appear just about anywhere.   

Another valuable benefit to practicing brevity is that when someone has the opportunity to do live radio or TV, they will be more than ready to really shine. The spokesperson who is cognizant of the time they take expounding upon a subject is also honing their interview skills. Being brief is broadcast-friendly. Don’t let fantastic sound bytes become watered down (or irrevocably lost) in the clutter of a rambling answer. 

Admittedly, some complex topics require a lengthy explanation, but most things don’t merit a monologue. It’s often best to stop, breathe, and let the reporters absorb what’s been said.   

Most spokespeople are effusive and enthusiastic about their company, their accomplishments, and their vision. But at times we must diplomatically rein them in. This is one of the more sensitive responsibilities that we, as PR practitioners, must face, but it’s immensely valuable counsel. 

I’m signing off now; because I may have said too much.  

I’m what most people would call an RSS junkie. It’s a bit similar to the more commonly used pseudonym “news/media junkie,” though my addiction is blogs. I love receiving the feeds of a really good blog – and a person’s RSS feeds can say as much about them as what’s on their iPod does. For example, here’s a bit about me (based on my RSS profile):

• Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Daily , Mashable = I love music and social media
• Webware = I’m always looking for new web applications to enhance my productivity and sociability
• Seth Godin’s Blog = I believe innovation is a key to success
• TechCrunch = I’m a fan of new, innovative tech companies
• The Bad Pitch Blog = I believe pitching the media is an art form
• Wired Blogs = I’m really into gadgets
• FabSugar, Perez Hilton, ValleyWag = I believe a bit of humor and pop culture awareness does a heart good

Moreover, I love reading really good blogs – big ideas in bite-size pieces. Blogs are usually what I turn to first when I want to get the gist of a thing and I don’t have the time to sort through the detailed specs.

So when it came to searching for a PR agency, where I could plant my feet and continue growing as a PR professional, the Cohn and Wolfe Boomerang blog provided me with a small peek into the agency’s culture and people. After reading a few posts, and checking out how the company approached PR and social media, I felt that C&W had assembled a smart team and a work environment that was a fit for me.

To say the least, I’m extremely excited to join Boomerang as a contributing writer! I look forward to bringing my experiences working with clients in the technology, healthcare, media and entertainment fields, as well as my love of music and social media, to my posts. More so, I look forward to dialoguing with the Boomerang community, discovering more good blogs, and expanding my RSS roll call.

What do your RSS feeds say about you?