My home office.

Yesterday my Tweetup buddy, @jtdesigns linked to the Mashable article “The Rise of the Mobile Workforce,” with the enthusiastic status “The new 9-to-5! Live it baby!”

I couldn’t help but smile when I read his status message and the article. As a member of the mobile workforce, I am very fortunate to avoid daily traffic jams and work from the comfort of my home office. I never envisioned I’d work from home – really, years ago, who did?

Thanks to the proliferation of Wi-Fi connections and other leaps and bounds in technology, working remotely is almost as common as commuting. According to a Cisco study on the international workplace, “the mobile workforce is now business-as-usual for enterprises around the world.”

The truth is I don’t even need the home office to be productive. I can take conference calls, brainstorm, draft pitches, etc., from my couch. Or a hotel. Or my cramped seat in coach. I’m connected to my coworkers via phone, email and IM. I’ve written and distributed press releases at 30,000 feet and taken a client’s call when I was on a cruise ship docked in Barcelona. Thanks to technology and an understanding employer, I am accessible and able to work regardless of my location.

But, when I do work from the office, which happens a few times each month, I feel energized. As much as I am an advocate for working remotely, I believe working from the office helps keep a sense of camaraderie with my colleagues. It’s great to see their expressions during a discussion and most importantly, it keeps me connected at a level I wouldn’t otherwise experience.

Where do you work?

I spent most of my childhood, all of my teens, and the early part of my twenties being overweight. Despite dropping 65 pounds while in college, I continue to struggle with my weight and body acceptance issues on a daily basis.

Having been judged by my peers for being fat and knowing the extreme pain and torment harsh words, silent stares and hushed snickers cause, I make it a habit to keep my mouth shut when it comes to others’ weight.

So, was I offended this week when I read Maura Kelly’s blog post (that ignited a firestorm) for Marie Claire “Should “Fatties” Get a Room? (Even on TV?)?” Nope. Do I agree with her opinion? Not at all.

As of this writing, Kelly’s post has over 2,500 comments, hundreds of bloggers have written about her and the Today Show did a segment on the post (according to the show, both Kelly and Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Joanna Coles declined to appear on the program).

Editors at Marie Claire have provided Kelly with a platform to engage readers, be snarky and draw visitors to the site, day after day. She’s doing a damn good job. Just about the entire Internet is talking about her and Marie Claire was a trending topic on Twitter.

I was surprised to hear that Coles and Kelly turned down an appearance on the Today Show. Both had released statements about the controversial post – why not take the opportunity to further explain what Marie Claire was trying to achieve with the piece that was sure to upset its primarily female audience. The biggest question I have is why did an editor assign a story about a television show to a writer who, according to Kelly’s post a) is “not much of a TV person” and b) never saw the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly? I’m left wondering more about the journalistic integrity of the magazine than Kelly’s issue with overweight people kissing or watching “a very, very fat person simply walk across a room.”

I’m glad Marie Claire is willing to publish controversial articles and doesn’t feel the need to overly censor its writers. I support Kelly and her right to voice her opinion under the First Amendment. Personally, I would rather disagree with someone than never hear his or her take.

And to all of the people who were offended by Kelly’s post, remember: “When people attack you, you always have to remember that a lot of what others say about you has a lot more to do with them than you.” – Hillary Rodham Clinton (Thanks to my colleague Lisa for posting this quote on her Facebook page.)

Seasoned JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater made headlines around the globe last week when he lost his cool, cursed out a passenger and exited an aircraft by deploying its escape slide – with a beverage cart beer in hand. 

It seemed everyone wanted to share their POV on the “take this job and shove it” moment. News reports included comment from Slater, the self-proclaimed “bag Nazi,” his ex-wife, passengers on Flight 1052. Even Nancy Grace had an opinion on the dramatic job exit. But I haven’t heard much from JetBlue.  

A post on Blue Tales from August 11 states:

While we can’t discuss the details of what is an ongoing investigation, plenty of others have already formed opinions on the matter. Like, the entire Internet. (The reason we’re not commenting is that we respect the privacy of the individual. People can speak on their own behalf; we won’t do it for them.)

This is understandable. But JetBlue is a company with a strong social media presence. Perhaps the co-tweeters could send messages other than stating they can’t comment on ongoing investigations? Maybe something a little more creative, like: “Our emergency slides are tested regularly” with a link to relevant news coverage?  Though, this is probably easier said than done, as legal issues are undoubtedly at play.

The buzz surrounding the Slater incident is huge. This could be carpe diem moment for JetBlue. The company could embrace the Slater-related publicity and remind the public why JetBlue has hundreds of thousands of brand ambassadors -including great customer service, an engaging online presence, the most leg room in coach, and an outstanding safety record.

In the past, JetBlue has been a company with personality and strong customer interactions. Just because Slater left everyone wondering WTH, JetBlue corporate shouldn’t do the same.

I like music. I enjoy watching music videos. I even enjoy watching some commercials. But what about when the line between entertainment and advertising is blurred?

On a recent morning while at the gym, I was watching VH1 and the VJ introduced the next video – courtesy of Toyota. But the video wasn’t from a pop artist or hot rapper. “Swagger Wagon” was a commercial for Toyota’s Sienna minivan. I was entertained by the rapping parents; the beat was decent and the lyrics comical. But I was also thoroughly confused by the placement.

Had the “Swagger Wagon” video simply followed an ad for toothpaste or a fast food restaurant, I would have thought great commercial.  I appreciate that networks have to think differently to appeal to advertisers these days, but I was left wondering if playing an ad off as just another music video would really do anything for Toyota.

The beauty of viral videos – like “Tea Partay” and “New Dork” is that consumers drive the interest; not the marketers behind the effort. I’d much prefer a colleague to email me a “can’t miss” video or have a friend post one on my Facebook page than watch it on TV. The buzz created by and surrounding viral videos has to be earned and authentic, not solely a media buy.

I was one of a few thousand people at Radio City Music Hall (RCMH) on Tuesday night that gathered to see Conan O’Brien’s “The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour.” It was an evening filled with comedy, rants about NBC, and special guests. Here’s what I took away, in addition to the image of Stephen Colbert and O’Brien in a hysterical yet rather uncoordinated dance-off:

-Team Coco wants you to tweet

Last month when I took my stepdaughter to see “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway, we were reminded to turn off our cell phones and pagers (really, the announcement said pagers). For years now, audience members at shows and performances of all kinds have been asked to turn off wireless devices. So I thought it interesting that upon entering RCMH I was greeted with a sign instructing audience members who planned to tweet about the night’s events to use the hashtag #triumph (as in the insult comic dog).

It’s a new world. One where people are compelled to share whenever and wherever they may be. Encouraging tweeting – at a sporting event, performance, etc. - especially with a suggested hashtag, is a smart way to build trackable buzz and create a sense of camaraderie amongst audience members.

-Shtick journalism really resonates

Tuesday’s show was jam packed with special guests – Colbert, Vampire Weekend, John Krasinski, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader and Jon Stewart, clearly the crowd favorite. The applause the “Daily Show” anchor received rivaled when O’Brien first took to the stage. Nearly a year ago, a Time.com poll named Stewart “the most trusted news man in America,” beating out Charlie Gibson, Brian Williams, and Katie Couric. Judging by the crowd’s uproarious reaction to Stewart’s appearance, I’d stay he still ranks number one – at least with folks in their late teens to early 40’s.

I’ve liked Stewart since his days on MTV. He’s funny but beyond that he is articulate, expressive and appears well-informed. He’s addressing important stories in a way that makes people smile and think. Like Mary Poppins sang, “a spoon full of sugar makes the makes the medicine go down.”

Last week I read Jack Neff’s article in Advertising Age on Dawn’s wildlife rescue efforts in the Gulf Coast oil spill – below is an excerpt:

Dawn’s Wildlife Rescue Efforts Shine in Gulf Coast Oil Spill

Dish Soap’s Long-Running Cause-Related Ad Campaign Timely in Light of Environmental Disaster

By Jack Neff

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) — It’s not the kind of luck Procter & Gamble Co. was looking for, but its Dawn dish soap is one of the few brand beneficiaries of the massive Gulf Coast oil spill.

Dawn launched a new ad for its wildlife rescue efforts on Earth Day and was still in the midst of a related promotional fundraiser just as the environmental catastrophe was unfolding. Earlier this week, it helped drive the point home further, shipping 1,000 bottles of Dawn to animal rescuers in the Gulf Coast, and plans to follow with another 1,000 by week’s end, said spokeswoman Susan Baba.

Lest P&G be accused of opportunism, the ads and donations are extensions of one of the company’s oldest cause-related marketing programs, now in its fourth decade, which got its original impetus from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Because of Dawn’s longstanding relationship with leading wildlife rescue organizations, the International Bird Rescue and Research Center and the Marine Mammal Center, it has access to the animal rescue efforts near the disaster site that few news organizations have, so it began sending news flashes about the first bird rescues today via its Facebook fan page with more than 140,000 fans, and Twitter account, a newer effort with under 200 followers. Publicis Groupe’s MS&L Groupe has handled PR for the Dawn, including the brand’s Facebook page and Twitter account.

You can read the full article here.

This is no doubt a very delicate situation for P&G – what my colleague Rosemary referred to as “the balance between missionary and mercenary.” 

The company has a reputation for donating soap to help with cleanups following oil spills. In fact, I remember watching animals being washed with dish detergent when I was eight-years-old and the Exxon Valdez oil spill was making headlines. But there are certainly critics that think the brand is being opportunistic. Public relations is about communicating and building relationships – in good times and in bad. P&G is communicating about the benefit of Dawn dish detergent in a very tangible and consequential way with its support in the Gulf.

I think it would be more detrimental if a company with a product proven to aid in the rescue of animals played it low-key. P&G is a Fortune 500 company – it’s in business to make money. But if it can help spread brand awareness, drive sales and help save precious wildlife at once – I think there is a PR hat trick at play.

Saying I was raised on McDonald’s is an exaggeration. But when my mom was pregnant, she handled bookkeeping for a Mickey D’s franchisee and, needless to say, she chowed down on many Big Macs while I was in utero. I also have fond memories of childhood birthday parties underneath the Golden Arches and posing for photos with Ronald McDonald. So I was shocked when I read that Corporate Accountability International (CAI) was calling for clown’s resignation.

The Retire Ronald campaign argues that “for nearly 50 years no one has been better at hooking kids on unhealthy food, spurring an epidemic of diet-related disease.” The timing of this campaign, which includes a Web site, a Twitter feed, a Facebook page and grassroots outreach, couldn’t be better. The group’s press conferences in New York and San Francisco and a protest outside a Times Square McDonald’s coincide perfectly with the momentum of Michele Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. Smart.

But unless Ronald has been covertly offering cramped rides to McDonald’s in his clown car – he isn’t to blame for the obesity problem and his “retirement” isn’t likely to help matters. The problem lies with parents opting to feed fast food to their children and not teaching proper nutrition at home. While obviously not a healthy meal, eating a McDonald’s value meal once a month or even once a week won’t make you fat and this campaign probably won’t force Ronald’s retirement from position of chief happiness officer. Like it or not, McDonald’s, an iconic brand, will weather this storm – just like it did when Super Size Me was released and the “experiments” currently circulating online showing its food doesn’t rot.

The Let’s Move and Retire Ronald campaigns are very different, but both ultimately want children to make better decisions when it comes to what they eat. And they’re both garnering the attention they were intended to. As with any campaign designed to change behaviors, knowing your target audience is key. Let’s Move is addressing parents and children (and not victimizing any one source of our obesity problem) and, as such, will likely have a longer shelf life than a Happy Meal or the CAI’s efforts.

A child of the ‘80s, I love a great music video. From U2, INXS, and Robert Palmer to Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Blind Melon – I enjoy watching and singing along. A few years back, I couldn’t get enough of OK Go’s video for “Here It Goes Again,” perhaps better known as the “treadmill video.”

Now it appears the band is well on its way to having a second viral success with its latest video for “This Too Shall Pass,” which features a ginormous Rube Goldberg machine.

I haven’t seen the video on MTV or VH1, just online. And apparently I’m not the only one. Since the video was released on March 1, it has received over seven million views. Its popularity is not an accident: The band had help promoting the video from PR firm Big Hassle.

According to the PRNewser blog on Mediabistro, Big Hassle sent out two pitches to promote the video – one of which was a rather long press release, the other a very brief reminder about the video’s debut. Traditional pitches for a music video? I admit, I was surprised to learn about the PR effort for the video. It was a reminder that even in a world filled to the brim with new media and fresh approaches, long-established communication methods are still valuable and not to be overlooked. The pitches led to media coverage that drove awareness. Plus, I learned about the video before my nearly 13-year-old stepson who practically lives on YouTube.

Check out the full press release here.

Watch the video here.

For many corporations and individuals, common sense dictates the practice of astroturfing (see Wikipedia’s definition if you’re unfamiliar) is something to be avoided, since it’s unethical and chances are it will backfire. It’s also against the law thanks to new FTC guidelines.

So if you’re the world’s largest public corporation by revenue, and stockholders, journalists, bloggers and pretty much everyone under the sun is watching what you’re up to, astroturfing is a disaster waiting to happen – especially if you were caught doing something similar back in 2006.

But that didn’t stop Wal-Mart from setting up a fake community group to drum up support in Chicago, where the company is gunning for a second store within city limits.

When the Chicagoist blog received a series of pro-Wal-Mart comments from unknown screen names in response to various posts, blogger Kevin Robinson decided to investigate. He discovered that, with the help of PR firm Serafin & Associates and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Wal-Mart is behind the phony advocacy group, “Our Community. Our Choice,” which was linked to the blog comments.

Wal-Mart and its associates have every right to plea the corporation’s case to the people of Chicago. And the citizens do, too, if they’re legitimate. But establishing a fake community group that professes to stand for residents and their interests is undoubtedly devious and a tactic no PR firm or brand should use.

What are you doing? A simple question that has started a micro-blogging revolution: Twitter.

At first, I was hesitant to join Twitter. I’d already stopped checking my neon-colored, disaster of a MySpace profile in favor of my clean, crisp Facebook page and wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to yet another social networking site. But after reading Clive Thompson’s “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy” article in The New York Times, I was compelled to dive into the Twitter pool. Thompson wrote that Twitter’s design makes updates “skimmable, like newspaper headlines, maybe you’ll read them all, maybe you’ll skip some.” I figured I could manage.

Six months later, I’ve come to embrace Twitter. Though I do not tweet every day, I like knowing I have the option to when I have something worth sharing with my 250+ followers. I don’t understand how some of the people I follow are able to tweet 20 or more times a day, but I do enjoy perusing their posts and learning new things in the process.

As a public relations professional, here are my top five reasons for utilizing Twitter:

5. Enhancing relationships. Maybe it’s your colleague based in another office, or a former client, but connecting with people you rarely see in person via Twitter is a good way to keep your relationship intact. Tweets fill the gaps between in-person meetings.

4. Instant research. Google is great, but when I want insight from influencers, I turn to Twitter. Pose a question about any topic and you’re sure to get intuitive replies from a wide range of people. Plus, it’s a great conversation starter.

3. Meeting new people. I have no rules for following people on Twitter – I’m open to following just about anyone (get rich quick schemers not included). Through Twitter, I’ve met a feisty journalist based in South Africa, a stay-at-home mom who blogs about environmentalism and a gentleman from Atlanta with a strong interest in fractals and mental disorders.

2. Monitoring the conversation. It’s important to know what’s being said about your clients and their competition. Twitter’s search tool allows for real time monitoring of posts, and as such, complements a traditional media monitoring service.

1. @skydiver. Peter Shankman’s urgent HARO queries help connect journalists and sources in record time.

Follow me on Twitter: @jleckstrom