Maybe it’s because spring is in the air or because three of our interns have received full-time employment at other PR firms over the past two months, but I can’t help but feel like the economy is on the mend.  This has been the worst recession since the Great Depression, and while the U.S.’s federal deficit and committments abroad are still very much issues, is it possible that we’ve made it through the worst?  If those indicators weren’t enough to convince me, a truly thought provoking piece in this weekend’s NY Times was.  Entitled, “New York Isn’t Silicon Valley. That’s Why They Like I,” the piece felt eerily relevant to my day-to-day digital communications and social media activities, and suggested that NYC is starting to show signs of life again, particularly throughout its tech and start-up industries.

“Book publishing, advertising, media and even the fashion industry are all located in New York. These are the main industries that are being reshaped and redefined by technology and the Internet,” says AnnaLee Saxenian, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies regional economics and technology entrepreneurship.

To be sure, New York is not unseating its West Coast counterpart, notes Ms. Saxenian. “Silicon Valley is always leading the cluster, but it goes through booms and busts like everywhere else.” Nevertheless, she adds, “this is a moment where New York really has the chance to shine.”

Ron Conway, a San Francisco financier who was one of the earliest investors in Google, Twitter, Facebook and Zappos added, “New York has become a hotbed of innovation.  Many start-ups there have as much promise as the best start-ups here in Silicon Valley. And the ecosystem of entrepreneurs, engineers, investors and other players is growing at a pace similar to Silicon Valley when it first got started.”

I strongly encourage everyone reading this post (especially those of you working in our business) to read the article in full because every once in awhile it’s nice to feel part of something that’s bigger than you.  While the piece’s author, Jenna Wortham points out that New York still ranks third behind Silicon Valley and Boston in the number of deals and overall investment rates, there’s still so much happening right here in our own backyard.

And for those of you who are looking to take it all offline and to meet some of the key players driving this surge, be sure to check out next months’s New York Tech Meet-Up (held the 1st Tuesday each month at 7PM; 6 people get 5 minutes each to demo something cool to New York’s tech community of geeks, investors, entrepreneurs, and hackers).  Some of us Quinnlings are going to do our best to make it!

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Left To Right: Corinne Pulitzer, REBNY; Steven Goldschmidt, Warburg Realty; Dawn Doherty, StreetEasy.com; Paul Zweben, Prudential Douglas Elliman; Suzanne Billet-Rosnowski, Quinn & Co.; Ryan Slack, GreenPearl; Deanna Kory, The Corcoran Group

Wednesday I spoke in front of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) at “REBNY Armed And Dangerous 2: Lock And Load With Technology And Social Media Tools.” Our panel included: Dawn Doherty, StreetEasy.com; Steven Golschmidt, Warburg Realty; Deanna Kory, The Corcoran Group; Paul Zweben, Prudential Douglas Elliman; and me, and it was moderated by Ryan Slack of GreenPearl. We spoke in front of a packed house of brokers who were all very engaged and asked great questions throughout the presentation.

I really enjoyed hearing from the other panelists as well as the audience and always learn something every time I do a speaking engagement. All of the panelists shared terrific ammo for brokers to utilize. I wanted to share my prep notes so you all can have some of our “Locked and Loaded” ammo too!

(Some of these items were touched on and some were not. I hope they are helpful!)

The Power of Digital

• The WSJ has the highest circulation of print media in the US at just over 2 mill. Each of the top 5 online sources have over 21 mill. unique views per day.
• 82% of all Americans participate in social networking in some way.
• 90% of homebuyers used the internet to find their new home.
• Buyers find the home they want to buy just as often from the Internet as often as from an agent.
• 91% of buyers attend or plan to attend open houses – 62% use the Internet to find them.

What does this all mean? If done well, digital media can be the most powerful tool in your promotional toolkit.

• Will not replace phone, in-person and great service.
• Good PR for a broker is integrated and involves digital media, traditional media and direct-to-consumer and should always tie back to your goals and consistency with your brand.

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I really should thank @jeffbullas for my recent @Tastidlite ice cream (or should I say guilt-free frozen treat) party @Quinnandco. It was this blog post that got me to follow the yummy brand. Although free dessert was not the reason for reading the story, it was a great end result.

The article, as Jeff put it, “might be productive to look at some Twitter case studies and how different types of businesses are using Twitter to increase sales, drive traffic, use as a service tool and add to their digital marketing toolbox.” Awesome. Who doesn’t want to do that?

I scrolled through the case studies. Number one: @Jetblue; no surprise there and I was already following them, of course. Awesome brand, great marketing, fantastic customer service. “We created a customer service company that happens to fly airplanes,” said Dave Barger, CEO @JetBlue http://ow.ly/16n7k as they were celebrating the airline’s 10^th anniversary earlier this year.

It was the fourth brand in the article that caused a paused. Tasti D-Lite. Yum. The office had made many an order to the frozen treat haven. I was a fan, but not a follower. I needed to go and follow them. Who knew what was about to happen next? After going to @tastidlite to follow them I stopped in my tracks. I could not follow them just yet. There was a contest opportunity. Who doesn’t love to win something? (Side note: I’m super competitive.) The 3,000^th follower would receive a $25 gift card. Tasti D-Lite was already at 2,988. Just 12 more to go. An idea struck and I rallied the troops.

We at Quinn & Co. were going to be @tastidlite ‘s 12 followers to put them at the 3,000 mark. The deal was that all the people who helped put me at the 3,000 follower mark would all get a Tasti D-Lite party. We’d win the card and I would pony up the extra money to make this party happen (of course I would also get the fame and celebrity that went along with being the 3,000^th follower). The prize was just a gift card, but we reach for the stars here and set our sights on making this a party (does Tasti D have a cosmo flavor?).

The plan went into action and 10 people started clicking away to follow (10, not 11, because @Kate212 was able to follow from her account and @Quinnandco.). 2,993… 2,997, 2,998, 2,999. This was it. This was the moment. Would someone else click and be the 3,000^th follower? I hit follow. It took a minute, but there it was. I did it! @Carla_CaccaRey was the 3,000^th follower. Soon after there was a tweet congratulating me. My name was up in lights (sort of). After a DM exchange, @BJ_Emerson, director of information and social technologies for Tasti D, was in touch via email. He asked for my address to mail the card. Then he had an idea (and I don’t think he realized what was going to happen next). He offered to have the card delivered with some extra treats for the office. Um, no brainer, of course!

Frankie, from the Columbus Squarelocation, showed up on Wednesday with two huge coolers. A cake and pints with flavors galore (two with cookie dough, since I mentioned to BJ it was my fave). There were photos, video with our new Flip cam; we should have tipped off Page Six.

While this was a whole lot of fun and great for office morale (not to mention super yummy), this is also a great social media case study. Lots of tweets, Facebook video, online engagement, awesome customer service and more loyal fans. Not surprising though, since what drove me to Tasti D in the first place was a case study on how they are using Twitter to increase sales, drive traffic and use as a service tool to the digital media tool box. Another success. Cheers, Tasti D.

 Their case study on the event.

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These days, it feels like the number of blogs focusing on the digital and social media realms is limitless.  This just adds to a sentiment of complete information overload that is held by so many of us.  My colleague Danielle often likens the scenario to a classroom, saying:

You see, there’s always going to be that person who raises their hand first to answer a question, followed by two more people who raise their hands just to repeat what that first person said — and only afterwards are there going to be one or two people who have something truly valuable to add to the dialogue.

I digress, but the analogy resonates with me each time I hear it, making me think long and hard about the bloggers that do in fact get it.  Like Jeff Bullas, a digital and technology personality whose years of experience in several industries make his posts worth every minute they take to read.  Jeff describes his blog as one about using the Internet to help businesses and individuals market themselves efficiently, not in an intrusive way through interuption marketing, but in a way that engages people and companies in conversations that build trust and relationships.  And well, I personally think that it’s the agencies and professionals out there who don’t follow such best practices that sometimes give the rest of us a bad rap. 

Today, Quinn & Co. was honored to stumble upon Jeff’s post about our recent U.S. PR efforts to promote Tourism Queensland’s “Best Job in the World” campaign which encouraged the international stage really to apply to be a “Caretaker of the Islands” for half a year and spurred on applications across every online channel you can think of.  It’s not every year that we get to be part of such a project and means a whole lot to recognized.  But don’t just check out Jeff’s post about us, subscribe to his blog as a reader (if you haven’t done so already) and you’ll be smarter for it.  Oh and avoid all the clutter out there too!

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This post comes from Allison Greenberg, Q&C’s new social media monthly blogger.

If you’re a Gmail user, you might have noticed something new in your Inbox: Google Buzz.  Nearly a month ago now, Google announced its newest foray into the world of social media taking on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Yelp all at once.

While watching the live-streaming video of the announcement, I couldn’t have been more excited and waited impatiently for my Buzz to arrive. But after only a few days of buzzing, I’m sorry to say that Google Buzz is just a lot of noise (as my colleague Kyle pointed out in a previous post).

Shortly after I began buzzing, I was overwhelmed with useless (and mostly repetitive) information that was only made worse by too many comments from the peanut gallery.  For example, I immediately followed Mashable’s Pete Cashmore but was inundated with comments to his posts (which were essentially a blog feed).  While there is an option to mute a post, I felt this was an extra step I wish I didn’t have to take.

There have also been a lot of discussions about privacy issues with Buzz.  For me, it was an intrusion into my personal email, a sentiment shared by Lancy Ulanoff at PC Magazine. In an instant, my private email contacts became public consumption and I was left feeling exposed. As I echoed in my previous post, I like to keep my social networks separate but Buzz was forcing me to share publicly in a space I preferred to keep private.

With that said, I think Buzz will find more potential in its mobile form. Foursquare’s recent partnership announcements with Bravo, Zagat, among others will help to improve its location-specific content.  However, Google Buzz for Mobile puts more of an emphasis on the conversation and user-generated content (users are required to post a buzz when snapping to a location, Google’s version of a check-in) which could prove beneficial in the long run. While there are still a lot of tweaks to be worked out, I see potential for Google Buzz to oust Foursquare as the “mayor” of mobile location-based apps.

I admit my thoughts on Google Buzz might be a bit premature. So tell me, what do you think of it? Have you found Buzz to be a valuable social media tool?

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Throughout the past few months, millions of Toyota owners have been hearing frightening news about the safety of their cars.  Recently, more problems have surfaced.  It was announced two weeks ago that the Toyota Prius and the Lexus HS250 models were being recalled for a software glitch that could potentially cause drivers to experience brake failure.  And then last week, even more news broke when 8,000 Toyota Tacoma trucks from the 2010 model year were recalled as they may have defective drive shifts that could cause drivers to loose control of their vehicles.

As a result, Toyota now faces more than 60 lawsuits, including personal injury and wrongful death claims, for the various defects. 

This crisis has raised comments and questions regarding how the automaker is handling the overall situation.  One major question is whether or not Toyota should change its name.  Is it too extreme?  Would it even be effective?  These are some of the thoughts racing through the minds of PR pros right now.

I personally do not think a drastic measure such as a name change would help solve any problems here as it can not undo the past.  It is kind of like when a restaurant closes due to poor business levels, a food poisoning crisis, bad review, etc., and then reopens under a new identity but with the same management.  If the underlying problem is not fixed, no one wins. 

Moreover, too many of us have come to view Toyota as being a trused household name, one that is not only reliable and safe, but that also produces luxury, quality products.  But has this positive brand image we once held been forever shattered?  Probably not, particularly if they the most effective crisis communications plan is implemented.

Thus far, Toyota has launched an ad campaign that utilizes print, TV and social-media channels to reach consumers where they are most comfortable being communicated with and apologized to.  However, the two major criticisms of this campaign are that Toyota waited almost a week before announcing anything to the public, and that the ads still do not give consumers the information and answers they are seeking.

Alexander Edwards, president of automotive research firm Strategic Vision, is just one industry head who agrees.  Edwards recently told Ad Age that he felt the campaign’s message points were confusing.  At the same time, several others are placing blame on Toyota and/or the supplier.

So the questions remains: what did we learn?  Essentially, that a crisis can happen to any company regardless of its storied reputation. 

One of the most important things I learned as an undergraduate student of communications and PR was that it is not about the crisis, but about how well it is dealt with.  And although I don’t think Toyota should change its name, I do think that the crisis was not handled in the best possible way.

At this point, the public needs to know the status quo, why it happened and most importantly, clear steps on what they need to do if they were affected; Toyota should also be preparing for any future problems that could arise.

The following site was frequently used in my PR classes and features crisis management tips from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).  Pasted below are some tips for what to do during a crisis and that may be applied to Toyota’s situation dilemma and solution:
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What does Donut, JetBlue and $12,000 have in common? Think, think…keep on thinking…No idea? I’ll give you a few more hints…Sprinkles, jelly, chocolate, creation. Still no idea? I don’t blame you for drawing a blank, as I did as well. Donut, JetBlue and $12,000 add up to Dunkin’ Donuts’ newest digital media contest: “Create Dunkin’s Next Donut.”

For the second year in a row, this campaign is enabling donut feens to channel their inner cravings and to design their dream donut. JetBlue is the contest’s official sponsor and will offer free airfare to transport finalists to the final bake-off. The grand prize is $12,000, as well as the honor of having the winning donut featured throughout stores nationwide.

After reading about this contest and witnessing the big poster depicted above at a location across the street from my office, I thought to myself: What does it take to be the next donut extraordinaire? A developed pallet? A vision of colors? Being able to sense a sugar induced rush? Stepping back and thinking about creating a donut is not something that a typical Dunkin’ Donuts customer would think about, but this contest is creating a whole new outlook on the donut business.

You see, over the past two or so years, many similar contests have been announced. From designing the print of a Victoria Secret underwear to creating a donut, I can’t help but think what the next viral campaign will look like or what the future will bring. Nowadays, it’s becoming more and more customary for industry leaders to open up the flood gates, and to accept feedback and ideas from their end users. And in doing this, consumers have more of a voice than ever before. While some say such an engagement is a backwards way of doing business, other praise the big-box stores for being open to a new way of product creation. Either way, it certainly grasps attention and in this economy, who wouldn’t want $12,000?

So if this post inspired your inner donut design, be sure to check out http://www.dunkindonuts.com/donut.

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Jay Jaffe of Jaffe PR posed the important question on PR Week last week, “Is there a way to make an unflattering Internet mention of you or your firm disappear?”

Many firms out there talk about DSEO (defensive search engine optimization), which involves creating positive online content to push down and replace negative content.  While this sounds logical, what it really involves most of the time is whacking up landing pages and fake Web sites to populate the Web with false-positive content.  If this sounds shady to you, it’s because it is shady!

If negative conversations are happening about you online, you cannot get rid of them.  Yes, you could have everyone in your organization start populating the Web with positive comments, singing your praises – but it will probably look suspicious and obvious. 

Assuming that the negative comments are not complete slander, the truth is you probably have a problem with your business or service that needs to be addressed and fixed. 

While a template response for service issues does not exist, in general, it is important to respond and acknowledge negative reviews.  First, you must look at what the actual issue is and get more information from your critics.  Let them know that you are listening in the same public forum where they initially posted.  Take the conversation offline, as appropriate –Twitter is not the best way to communicate a complex issue.  Another way to approach such times of crisis, as we’ve recommended to clients before, is to create a new Web site to specifically address the issue(s) at hand and to serve as a catch all for your business’ chief message points. 

Once you have an understanding of the problematic themes and provided that you can make some sort of change, even if it is just the way in which you are communicating to your customers, let people know that you have improved your business!

In the case of outlandish slander or unwarranted online attacks (assuming your complete innocence), sometimes it is best to just let the crazies look crazy.  Adding your voice into a conversation automatically gives it authenticity.  Monitor search findings in real-time to see if there is any escalation and be prepared to respond if necessary.  Hopefully, the hecklers will just move on to their next victim.

To conclude, DSEO may be a short-term solution, but it will not produce lasting results and could potentially create a whole slew of ethical issues.  Negative comments are also not the end of the world – people and businesses make mistakes.  The thing that matters most today is how you respond (or don’t).

Lastly, an organic SEO (search engine optimization) program never hurts and should be utilized whenever possible to improve the visibility your business receives across Google and the various search engines.  By implementing a strong keyword discovery on your site, both on- and off-page, as well as in all collateral that has the potential to be syndicated online, you can better ensure that your site is front center in related searches and accompanies any of these bad and most likely inaccurate mentions.

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 This post comes from Senior Account Executive Li Wang, Q&C’s “Media Criticism” monthly blogger. 

By now it’s been well leaked that The Wall Street Journal is putting its army in place in an attempt to destroy the reeling New York Times.  The Journal is launching its NYC edition this spring and aims to outgun the Times in every aspect of its regional coverage from theater to crime to sports.

In theory, the move is well-timed.  The Gray Lady is bleeding (more layoffs are eminent) and the Journal is on the upswing, even pushing out USA Today as the top read newspaper in the nation.  But locals (especially those who still read newspapers) tend to develop a strong trust with the more established local news source.  The Times’ prolific history still makes it the most comfortable news source for the die-hard city folk.  Familiarity in layout, style and voice will keep readers loyal.  In this case, style may triumph over substance.  The Journal doesn’t provoke visually.

Even though the Times has been thinner in recent years, it still has been innovative in many ways, especially in the digital realm.  Its blogs, video content and slideshows are way ahead of what the Journal offers online.  This added value has been well-established by the Times.  Just look at the art direction and coverage in their T Magazine blog, for example.  It’s a strong computer-based extension of one of their strongest print components.

I can’t imagine the Journal stealing away too many Times readers in the next decade, but I admire them for trying.  This increased competition will definitely up the quality of stories and the race to scoop will only benefit readers.  Let the battle begin!

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This post comes from Web Developer and Online Researcher Kyle Mitchell, Q&C’s new technology monthly blogger.

Whenever Google comes out with a new product or even the hint of one, the Internet loses its mind with excitement.  This week, it was Google Buzz, the new social network aggregator that lives right inside your e-mail inbox.

Where as the more casual Internet couldn’t stop talking about Buzz, the tech community is far more interested in an announcement that came out at nearly the same time: Google Fiber.

At some vague time in the near future, Google plans to introduce a gigabit network somewhere in the United States that will serve from 50,000 to 500,000 people. “Googling” something could become a phrase equally applicable to all Internet use.

The more technical data notwithstanding, this network will deliver speeds about 100 times faster than the average broadband connection.  That won’t just make your Hulu videos run more smoothly.  It grants the capability for an application-based revolution that can alter the fundamentals of the Internet, particularly the motion of news and other up-to-the-nanosecond information.

Two important discussions are currently swirling around:

1. Who gets it and how does it arrive?

With the margin of error at 450,000, there is no telling where this initial offering might take place.  And, given the complexity of infrastructure change, multiple delivery methods are also on the possibilities list.  There is already plenty of theorizing going on, and the number of hopeful electioneering attempts will only continue to rise until the March 26th deadline for application.

The only clear fact is that they’re looking for a unified testing ground - both city officials and citizens need to be on board - and the placement of the announcement just underneath the hype of Buzz indicates that they’re not just looking for a popularity contest.

2. Is this going too far?

This is a far more complex debate.  If there is one thing that the tech community fears and distrusts, it’s lateral integration.  Google is already in our searches, our e-mails, our documents, our chats, our videos…the list just keeps going.  If they’re also in charge of the physical network that delivers all of that content, then their power will surpass even that which AOL enjoyed in the early 90s.

Google claims that they do not want to be an ISP - meaning that they won’t be sending you a monthly bill.  Existing ISPs will sell access to the network.  This particular choice has assuaged some tech fears, and accrued lofty praise from certain voices for stepping around service providers that rarely, if ever, reveal details about the actual cost of information access.  Those with this positive view see the move as an attempt to force telecos to change the current state of broadband access in the U.S.  After all, we do rank behind Luxembourg as far as broadband speed goes.

Naturally, very few are willing to publish questioning pieces at this point in the hopes of being among the participants in this network, but a handful question Google’s motivation for getting involved in the below-ground sector.  Google already accounts for a significant portion of all internet traffic, and hosts 13% of all the world’s active Web sites.  Those that are wary have been given plenty of reason.

Whichever way it turns out, this is a far bigger story than a new FriendFeed copy, even if it is better than the original.

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