Every so often, you learn about a new product and wonder, “Why didn’t I think of that?” A former client contacted me a few weeks ago to tell me about a brilliant new product she had invented. It’s called PoopPac. That’s right, I said “poop” on our blog. Any dog lover knows what it’s like to carry their pet’s poo while looking for a trashcan. If you’re hiking, walking on the beach or strolling through a suburban neighborhood, it’s even more of an issue as trashcans are few and far between.

Susan, who lives in sunny Santa Barbara, California, was sitting on the beach one day watching dog owners awkwardly tote around bags of poo while they drank coffee, talked on cell phones, jogged and led otherwise normal lives. She wondered why there wasn’t some type of product available in which they could place the goods until they found a proper receptacle. And PoopPac was born.

PoopPac is, in essence, the industry’s first portable pet waste carrier. It is large enough to contain dog waste until the pet’s owner can find a trash can, yet small enough to carry comfortably. The carrier also has additional space to hold plastic bags for scooping and other essentials. 

Susan had introduced her product at a pet show a couple of weeks prior and was building quite the following on Facebook. I immediately agreed to write and issue her launch press release. Now I enjoy what I do for a living, but I will admit I’ve never had so much fun writing a press release. The stories, the jokes, the puns … they’re endless. And the media seem to agree. We immediately received a dozen requests for samples and photos. PoopPac was included in a blog on the Los Angeles Times website and received a positive review from a major radio station in California. While she can’t yet announce it, her product received an Editors’ Choice award from one of the top pet industry publications. She’s also booked on Warren Eckstein’s nationally syndicated radio program, “The Pet Show” next week. 

While I wish I’d thought of PoopPac, I sure am glad Susan thought of us to help her spread the word.

It’s an age-old perception. The Democrats aren’t tough enough in their rhetoric or their actions. And in the face of terrorist threats and devastating disasters, many people want a leader who is ready to … well … kick ass. President Obama’s handling of the BP oil spill in the Gulf has generated a lot of criticism about his approach as being too calm, cool and collected. So when he told the “Today” show’s Matt Lauer that he was in the region a month ago talking to local fishermen and experts to get answers that would help him determine “whose ass to kick,” it created quite the buzz. I even saw one person on Facebook suggest that he sounded like our former president.

What most people seemed to miss is the lead-in from Matt Lauer that lead to this tough talk from our President. He was talking about the critics and said people feel this isn’t the time for him to meet with advisors. He said they feel he should spend more time in the Gulf and, “…I never thought I’d be saying this to a president, but kick some butt.” When Obama responded, he used “ass” instead of “butt.”

Much of the buzz was around how Obama is finally getting tough and whether it’s appropriate, genuine, etc. or just the work of his speech writers. Again, no one seemed to factor in that he was set up to give that quote. When we prepare spokespeople, we counsel them to be aware of “quote trapping.” Sometimes journalists will use the language they want you to use in an effort to get a specific quote. In this case, Obama gave Lauer what he wanted and took it one step further. From there, it took on a life all its own.

Today’s arrest of Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor is a reminder to those of us in marketing that it’s important to carefully consider the company we keep. There are always risks – past and future – associated with signing on a celebrity spokesperson. But when dieting company Nutrisystem aligned itself with Taylor, they assumed a level of risk greater than most. The company, of course, immediately severed ties with him saying they were “shocked and saddened” by the rape allegations. Admittedly, Taylor managed to stay out of trouble for more than a decade and he seemed to ingratiate himself with America last year during his seven-week run on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.” Presumably Nutrisystem weighed the risks of working with Taylor and decided it was worth it. I think we’re all saddened by the turn of events. But “shocked?”

I was invited to attend a “big mouth meeting” at Hyperion Books this morning. The publisher is about to launch a new book titled, “INFLUENCE: How Women’s Soaring Economic Power Will Transform Our World for the Better” by demographer Maddy Dychtwald. The author gave a short presentation and then attendees were asked to share their thoughts, ideas and questions. The participants comprised journalists (e.g. Carol Hymowitz of Forbes), authors (including Leslie Bennetts who wrote “The Feminine Mistake”), bookstore owners and academics, as well as entrepreneurs like me.

The bottom-line message was this: Women across the globe have achieved a remarkable level of financial independence and feel they’re finally in a position to have a say in our society – but our influence is still disproportionate to that of our male counterparts.

According to Dychtwald, 73 percent of high school valedictorians last year were women. Twenty two percent of women now out-earn their husbands. In fact, women make up 57 percent of all professional workers in our country.

But only 18 percent of our nation’s top corporate leaders are women. And the numbers look similar in politics, on newspaper editorial boards and other places where important public debate occurs.

Dychtwald described the evolution as going from survival to independence to influence. We’re somewhere between independence and influence. The book apparently discusses how women will use this power to “improve society in ways we can only begin to imagine.” Sounds promising. Now that I have a proof of the book (available wherever books are sold on May 4), I’ll give it a read and report back what I learn.

When we pitched Method, we thought about what "product" we'd be...

Last week, Method home and personal care products announced a special offer for their Facebook fans: 50 percent off all online orders for 24 hours. The promotion celebrated the page reaching the 10,000 fan milestone. I logged on immediately and bought way more cleaning products than my two-bedroom apartment needs. And I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t resist.

Method’s fans started thanking the company immediately through their comments. However, the tone of the conversation turned quickly when people started running into issues related to hefty shipping charges. Others were complaining that the offer wasn’t valid in their home countries. Apparently, some people tried to call customer service and the folks answering the phones weren’t aware of the promotion. In all, there were 80 “likes” and 80 comments to the original post.

To their credit, Method responded quickly to people’s complaints and resolved most of the issues by asking them to email customer service directly for help. Thirty people commented once Method posted that information. Several people crafted original wall posts – largely expressing their gratitude. When I noticed that Method posted the offer, they were at 10,021 fans. Today, they’re up to 10,278. It seems the offer motivated fans to tell their friends.

Despite the hiccups, Method’s offer seems to have paid off in the form of social media cred. Perhaps others can learn from their challenges. Rose Communications issued a similar challenge to fans of the GearWrench fan page. We launched the page in November and asked for help getting to 2009 fans by the end of the year. When we fell just short of the goal, we decided it was important to offer something to express our appreciation to the early fans. We considered a number of different options, including a discount on GearWrench-branded merchandise. After anticipating some of the challenges Method faced last week, we decided to give away free ratcheting wrench key chains (they may not sound exciting, but they are mini-wrenches that are actually quite coveted!) to our fans. We had a nearly 100 percent response rate and GearWrench’s fan base increased as a result.

If you’re considering a Facebook fan challenge, we’d suggest the following tips:

1. Consider audiences outside the United States because they’re also your fans online
2. Don’t forget to alert customer service so they are prepared for calls
3. Post the rules online like you would for any other promotion
4. Prepare for fans to ask if the contest can be extended; some will miss it
5. Monitor fan feedback and respond; most fans will forgive almost any mistake if the response is thoughtful and timely
6. Review Facebook’s promotion rules to make sure you’re in compliance

HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY (April 1, 2010) – Rose Communications, an independent, strategic public relations firm, today announced it added Sabre (Stock Symbol: SBR) to its growing client roster. The agency will provide corporate communications counsel to the Tallahassee, Fl.-based printer company.

Rose Communications has a wealth of experience in assisting companies of all sizes through mergers and acquisitions. Its assignment will include community relations, seasonal office décor, PowerPoint best practice instruction, media outreach, employee sensitivity training and branded promotional items.

Sabre made the decision to hire its first agency of record on the heels of its December 2009 acquisition of the only surviving branch of Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pa.

“Transitioning from just selling paper to selling both paper and printers requires a truly concerted approach to communication, something Dunder Mifflin clearly wasn’t accustomed to prior to the acquisition,” said Rosemary Ostmann, president and CEO of Rose Communications. “We’ve had our sights set on the Scranton market for years and I am thrilled to finally establish our presence there.”

Among the areas Rose Communications will focus on is Sabre’s first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art diversity program, which is called, “Print in All Colors.” 

According to Sabre’s Web site, this unique, game-changing initiative “recruits, hires, trains, and promotes without regard to race, skin tone, gender, age, religion…or surgical history.” The recent passage of health care reform presents an opportunity for Sabre to serve as a national model for other companies across all sectors of business.

The woman-owned boutique firm will also manage Sabre’s relationship with spokesperson Christian Slater. In addition to closely overseeing his current appearances in the company’s employee training videos and commercials, Rose Communications will work tirelessly to book interviews with high profile media outlets throughout the Scranton area.

The selection of Rose Communications followed a lengthy request for proposal (RFP) process. “When I saw an RFP come in from an address on Monroe Street in Tallahassee, I knew instantly it was meant to be,” said Ostmann. “We’re on Monroe Street in Hoboken, New Jersey.”

“We’re both excited and nervous about hiring Rose Communications,” said a Sabre employee who refused to be identified for fear of losing her job in the accounting department. “I like the idea of systemizing our company’s communication policy, but I don’t yet understand what this means for the Party Planning Committee, which is doing just fine the way it is.”

About Rose Communications Inc.

Rose Communications Inc., a strategic public relations firm, helps clients uncover and share their stories with key audiences and decision makers. The agency gives clients a voice in the marketplace by engaging trusted industry influencers. From emerging entities to established global brands, the team has experience in consumer and business-to-business categories in a variety of industries, including home products and services, health care, education, financial services, publishing, media, and technology. Rose Communications: Fresh perspective. Authentic approach. Meaningful impact. (And a pretty good sense of humor.)

An article in this week’s Advertising Age profiles Isaiah Mustafa, the “man your man could smell like,” who appeared in a television spot for Old Spice.

Mustafa played for the NFL for four seasons, but didn’t realize fame until he teamed with Procter & Gamble on a campaign for the brand’s body wash. The spot debuted during the Super Bowl (see the irony?) and has become an Internet sensation, garnering more than 6 million views on YouTube.

I’ll admit I hadn’t seen the spot or heard of Mustafa prior to reading Advertising Age. The spot is hilarious and he’s certainly easy on the eyes. According to the article, the PR “bonanza” wasn’t planned. Mustafa has been on NBC’s “Today,” the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” and the “CBS Early Show.” He’s apparently scheduled to be on “Oprah” next week. The article’s author, Jack Neff, suggests the buzz is of “…Snuggie-esque, if perhaps not yet iPad-esque, proportions.”

The success of this campaign is clearly not just about Mustafa; he was a relative unknown. It’s about Mustafa’s appeal combined with super-clever creative and an ad slot that cost between $2 and $3 million. While the exposure is enviable to be sure, is Mustafa an iPad-in-the-making? Highly unlikely. But the investment is definitely paying off for P&G in the form of buzz.

(Note: P&G’s share of the body wash market was slightly down in the four weeks ended February 21, according to the article.)

One of our clients in the do-it-yourself business recently told us they’d been offered an opportunity to be featured on a “TLC show” about home design. The client outlined the package and asked us if we thought it was worth the “sponsorship fee.”

When a “media outlet” asks for more than a product contribution or an interview, we’re always skeptical. There are a number of pay-for-play production companies out there who produce programming that feeds out to networks and stations across the country. They guarantee a specific number of airings, but can’t guarantee where or when.

We’ve vetted these types of opportunities from a number of production companies as well as print publications. They usually call saying they’ve done extensive research and their editorial team selected the company after careful consideration. Typically, they have a B- or C-list celebrity as the host. It’s not until the end of the conversation that they reveal there’s a fee – to “cover production costs.” (The print outlets generally don’t ask for a fee, but they often demand a list of the company’s partners and suppliers. Then they hound those companies for advertising, i.e. “Company X, one of your biggest customers, is being featured in our magazine. It would be a good opportunity for you to show your gratitude by supporting the publication with advertising.”)

Another red flag:  These companies almost never call the client’s PR firm. Instead, they reach top executives directly to stroke their egos, hoping the person will feel honored to be selected and inclined to pay the fee for the exposure. When we call to get more information, they sometimes refuse to speak with us.

So just because a show like the one our client was considering gets picked up by TLC, it doesn’t mean your segment will air at a desirable time or at all.

When our client told us a producer from this particular show had called, the name sounded familiar. I recalled another client of ours participated in this show in the past without consulting us. I asked her to confirm my suspicion that the show was not much different than producing and distributing an infomercial.

The moral of the story:  If you’re not intimately familiar with how news stories are developed, you could be misled that these types of programs hold more PR value than they actually do. If you have a significant PR budget and are looking for video that tells your story (and some exposure you can try to merchandize to your key audiences), it may be worth your consideration. A video news release will accomplish the same goals with more credibility as they’re largely aired during newscasts.

Just remember that true third-party media coverage never requires you to cut a check to a production company. For example, the same client called on by the “TLC show” contributed product to a new HGTV-produced series called “Battle on the Block” in exchange for product exposure on air and as a sponsor. That was a real editorial opportunity we endorsed without reservation.

Clients and prospects often ask us how to create a viral campaign. It’s a tough question to answer because as soon as you start “trying” to be viral you’ve likely done just the opposite. Some of the best viral videos were never intended to be as big as they became. Think about the wedding entrance that made its way into the storyline of The Office or the Mentos and Diet Coke “experiments.”

There’s a new video making its way around the Web today from a company called Grasshopper, which markets virtual phone systems for entrepreneurs. I found out about it when a friend of mine (who’s also a reporter at Fast Company) posted it on Facebook. I subsequently saw that it’s been featured on The Huffington Post.

In one day, the video has garnered nearly 200,000 views on YouTube. It seems well on its way to going viral. Why does it work? A spoof of Jay-Z and Alicia Key’s wildly popular “Empire State of Mind,” it pays tribute to the New Dork instead of New York. It’s well produced, clever and speaks directly to what makes entrepreneurs tick (in this case, I am their target audience).

This is the kind of “advertising” that people are responding to in 2010 – Grasshopper has shown through this video that they get the world I’m living in and they want to entertain me as much as they want to inform me. I may just give them a call.

In journalism school, I was taught to never use words that are subjective in an editorial context. As a PR person, I often counsel clients that terms like “state-of-the-art” and “best-in-class” should generally be reserved for sales pitches. Sure, you can put those words and phrases in news releases. Best-case scenario is a journalist cuts them from the story. Worst (and more likely) case, they write your story off as puffery.

I was reminded of the importance of word choice this week when my journalist husband sent me this video, which pokes fun at the word “revolutionary” and PR people who take themselves too seriously.

There is definitely a place for superlatives in public relations – as there is for embargoed news releases and exclusives. And I do believe you often need to shout from the proverbial mountaintop to be heard. But if engaging with third-party influencers (i.e. journalists and bloggers) is part of your strategy, it’s critical to remember that they cover news.

While (I hope) this video is intended to be a parody, I am afraid it’s not too far from reality. Several years ago, in one week’s time, I had three clients in three different businesses tell me they’d come up with the same positioning statement: “We get the right information to the right people at the right time.”