Jul 29 2011

Foodservice Industry Doubling Down on Fresh Produce Consumption

July 29, 2011 – 11:11 am

By Jason Stemm @NYCubsFan

clip_image002The Produce Marketing Association’s annual Foodservice Conference is taking place in Monterey, CA this weekend. It is an opportunity for growers, suppliers, chefs and operators to connect, share ideas and discover innovation. For some it is a time to sell, for others a time to learn.

It was at this show two years ago that PMA announced a partnership with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) to double fresh produce consumption at foodservice during this decade. It is a lofty goal, and while many chefs and operators are aggressively promoting their local offerings, that alone will not get the industry to the finish line. There is a demand for year-round supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, some of which are not even grown in this country, or limited geographically. It is important to look at seasonality and flavor as well as local when building menus. For instance bananas are one of the most popular fruits and in season year-round. Mangos also enjoy great popularity worldwide, but if we only ate them locally, we’d be burning up a lot of miles to do so. Other items like apples and sweet potatoes are wildly popular, but not as widely grown, at least at the volume required to satisfy the hefty appetite of high-volume operations. Growth in these areas will be a part of increased consumption. Just look at McDonald’s announcement this week to make apple slices a standard part of Happy Meals.

It is important for chefs to be more conscious of their local offerings and to highlight this to diners, however, I hear a growing voice of criticism for anything out of state these days. Different parts of the country, and more so the world, have different seasons, and to feed a growing population, all areas must be tapped to meet demand. As marketers, we need to remind people of this. I’ve asked a number of editors at national magazines how they determine seasonality. Now is the time of year they fill their pages with recipes for corn, tomatoes and blueberries, but if you live in Florida, your local season ended in the spring. This position has spurred misinformation among consumers about seasonality. For instance, how many of you know that most of the fresh sweet corn harvest in the U.S. happens in the spring, with some of the largest states (both by population and sweet corn acreage) all in season, including Florida, California, Texas, Georgia and South Carolina. We are just entering our sweet corn season in New York, but at the city’s Café Habana, people have been enjoying their signature fresh corn all winter and spring..

clip_image004One grower who understands the importance of freshness and seasonality is Farmer Lee Jones of Chef’s Garden in Huron Ohio. His family farm supplies top restaurants around the world with fresh, in-season produce. He focuses on high quality specialty items, and strong relationships with top chefs throughout the world. He couldn’t survive by just distributing locally, despite a rising dining scene in nearby Cleveland. The chefs he sells to demand quality and freshness, and he delivers, even if a thousand miles away, and received the prestigious Who’s Who Award from the James Beard Foundation this past May.

For the industry to achieve its goal of doubling produce consumption, we need to rethink how we communicate seasonality and freshness to consumers. Identifying local produce on menus is a great way to support agriculture in your area and drive sales of dishes full of fresh fruits and vegetables to customers, but we can get so caught up with it, that we turn people off anything not grown down the road. It is similar to when groups like the EWG come out with their Dirty Dozen list, fueling the media and blogosphere with sensationalist headlines that can scare the average consumer off of fruits and vegetables entirely and add another bag of chips or box of cookies to their shopping cart in place of a bag of apples. Organic advocates can be so passionate about their point of view that they scare consumers off of conventionally grown produce and negatively impact consumption and consequentially our nation’s health.

For some foods this issue is less problematic, but there are still ways we can market them better both to chefs and consumers. I was at PMA’s show last year for our client, APEAM (Avocado Producer and Exporters Association of Michoacán) getting chefs to expand their thinking when developing menu items with fresh avocado. Often associated with Mexican and Tex-Mex foods, avocados have great versatility with other flavors. To demonstrate this, we served slices with peanut sauce, mint chutney, harissa and horseradish sauce. For many, it was an eye opener to combine the rich creaminess of avocados with this variety of global flavors. You could see the excitement as the wheels started to turn generating new ideas for incorporating this versatile and popular fruit.

Unfortunately I won’t be at this year’s show, but thanks to blogs, twitter and Facebook I will be able to follow the show virtually. I’m sure there will be lots of talk about local and sustainable produce, though one does not necessarily equate to the other. Operators are keenly aware of shifting consumer preferences, and eager to follow them. Incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables across meal and day parts and giving them more prominence on menus is critical for chefs and operators to support this initiative.In the end, the success of this initiative will not be measured strictly on the numbers, and certainly there are some challenges on how it would even be calculated with the diversity in supply chains. Moving all-in to build partnerships and grow consumption of fresh produce in foodservice is an effort that will reward everyone.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Jason Stemm | Posted in Wine, Food & Nutrition | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (3)
Jul 28 2011

Today’s Hospital: Enough About You…Let’s Talk About Me.

July 28, 2011 – 7:00 am

By Jenn Riggle

Howard Stern

Social media is a lot like talk radio – all talk, all the time. But the question is: Is anyone listening?

Hospitals across the country are putting aside their HIPAA fears and recognizing that social media needs to be an integral part of their marketing efforts. They’re posting videos on YouTube, posting updates on Facebook and Twitter and some are even maintaining blogs.

But just because hospitals are on Facebook and Twitter doesn’t mean they’re engaging with their communities in a meaningful way. Instead, hospitals are using their social media properties as broadcasting tools to promote their service lines, share health tips and talk about themselves.

According to a study conducted earlier this year, 63 percent of hospitals don’t solicit feedback or post questions on their Facebook pages. As a result, their followers become less engaged and are less likely to answer their questions.

It’s as if hospitals are saying: “Enough about you, let’s talk about me.” And unfortunately, no one wants to talk to someone who’s self-absorbed and only wants to talk about themselves. In an effort to avoid risk and control their message, hospitals area actually putting themselves at risk of being irrelevant and becoming part of the noise.

It’s important for hospital marketing execs to evaluate “why” they’re engaging in social media. And why it’s ultimate goal may be to promote the hospital, its social media efforts need to meet a community need in order to be successful.

Community hospitals and medical centers are resources that people don’t want to have to use, kind of like the fire and police department. And while health tips are important, they can serve as a reminder to people that their body can break down and need things like chemotherapy and surgery.

Hospitals need to acknowledge people’s concerns and feelings and find ways to make their communications efforts relevant.

notlistening

To become more relevant, hospitals to shift from a “me” to “we” perspective. For example, rather than simply promoting its orthopedic services, what about creating an online community that answers people’s questions about when they should consider joint replacement, how should they prepare for a surgery and talking to others who have gone through the same experiences.

If hospitals don’t make this shift and focus on what people want, they risk becoming irrelevant or losing mindshare to their competitors.

 
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Jul 27 2011

Blogging Lessons from the Front Line

July 27, 2011 – 9:28 am

THE BOOZE BIN

By Pia Mara Finkell (@piamara)

blogging stress free For me, blogging evokes two emotions in their purest form…stress and satisfaction. It’s a two-step process.

First, I spend a few hours stressing about what to write for the Booze Bin. It’s not that there’s a lack of ideas, but rather a surplus, plus the uncontrollable urge to make each post brilliant. Clearly, I’m shooting for a James Beard Award every time I hit publish (ah, the sweet scent of sarcasm).

A million ideas swirl through my head, I research all of them until my eyes cross, obsess over the details, and then stress some more. When I’m thoroughly exhausted, because I woke up at 5am to start the process having procrastinated all week, I give in to the demons and start to write.

vinny peanut butter 2 While the actual writing moves at lightning pace, it’s the stressing, editing and finally, satisfaction that takes up the majority of my time. Let me further explain the satisfaction part of this predictable process. It’s an even assemblage of staring at my completed work, waiting for the confetti, balloons and clowns to arrive once published (still waiting for this actually), and buzzing about it on every possible medium (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.). Retweets are like corndogs at a carnival. Comments make me as giddy as my bullmastiff Vinny discovering peanut butter for the first time. Mentions and write-ups about the post? Well, no simile could do this justice.

Wine and Tech panel_with signs Taking part in this weekend’s Wine Bloggers Conference made me realize a few things. One, there’s a ton of talented wine writers out there publishing their work every day for free. Some are successful enough and have chosen to accept advertising to try to make a living of it, but all blog for the love of wine and all in attendance strive to improve and grow.

Another solid learning is the best wine bloggers should be treated, and should behave, as colleagues to the best traditional wine writers. Eric Asimov made a good point during his keynote speech: “it’s time to think of ourselves simply as writers.” Whether you are an industry writer or write reviews, cover a single subject or discuss heated wine politics, the rules of good writing and reporting should apply to as much to bloggers as traditional writers.

Here are some of the best wine bloggers out there, from this weekend’s 2011 Wine Blog Awards:WBA_logo

For some key learnings from this weekend’s awesome keynote speakers, Eric Asimov of The New York Times and well-known wine author, Jancis Robinson, take a peek at this post-conference write-up on Richmond.com.

Photos courtesy of Creative Copywriter, Crushd and Wine Blogger Awards.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Pia Mara Finkell | Posted in The Booze Bin, Wine, Food & Nutrition | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (4)
Jul 26 2011

The $29 Million Battery

July 26, 2011 – 11:06 am

lithium-batteries

By Mike Mulvihill

This is not a NASA toilet seat story. (There’s no fun in whipping up on NASA any more.) This is about West Virginia, coal central for the Eastern U.S., which has cleared the way for AES (the nation’s second largest energy company) to construct a 32 MW electric storage device to provide more reliable energy output from a 125 MW wind farm.

This is great news and tremendous progress in the proper direction to make wind power – by nature an “intermittent” energy source – a more predictable input source to a power grid managed by PJM Interconnection LLC spanning a 14-state area.

On the flip side, the storage device/facility, located on 1.25 acres on land, is estimated to cost $28.8 million!

The facility will consist of eight 4 MW modules utilizing lithium ion batteries (similar to those used in hybrid cars), inverters, transformers and cooling systems. It will put power out at a rate of 32 MW, store 8 MW of power and will only need 15 minutes of output from the wind farm to fully charge. Pretty impressive!

This is the largest such project in the U.S. Exceeding a 10 MW battery system facility in Hawaii and a 1 MW system in Minnesota. AES has another project in New York in commercial operations with 8MW battery-based storage expected to ramp up to 20 MW by the end of 2011. The New York project includes $17 million in U.S. Dept. of Energy loan guarantees.

We’ve often stated on this blog that investment in green technology – not rate incentives to consumers – is the way to go to develop a more sustainable economy for renewable/alternative energy. This facility comes at a steep price ($29 million) and I suspect also has DOE loan guarantees, but early adoption of new technology isn’t referred to as “bleeding edge” for no reason. This is how government can help encourage private investment that pays dividends for our economy, the environment and energy consumers. (I’m not even going to touch on the dysfunctional government debt ceiling debate, though it begs for a cheeky remark right here!)

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Mike Mulvihill | Posted in Digital Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
Jul 25 2011

The Rebirth of Michael Vick and Branding Lessons for Corporate America

July 25, 2011 – 12:40 pm

Vick Indicted Football

By Brian Ellis (@onegator)

It wasn’t that long ago when the name Michael Vick drew disdain or sarcastic jokes about his fall from grace. We questioned his motive when he emerged from jail claiming to be a changed man who had come to understand the horrific nature of his crime. Most thought that Michael Vick was through, that he would never regain his potential or that he was just another sad story of a bright and promising career thrown down the tubes.

In the past month, Vick has signed two new sponsorship deals. He’s back with Nike, which dropped him like a rock when his troubles began, and Fuse Science, where he will endorse a line of sports nutrition vitamins and minerals. He was a star in the nation’s capital, where he testified before members of Congress about a new anti-dog fighting bill in partnership with the American Humane Society. He’s won over his teammates in Philadelphia and was voted as the comeback player of the year in 2010 by the NFL – a league that protects its brand like no other.  Some may ask, “How could this be?”  In just two short years, he’s emerged from the dog house and is back in the spotlight of the NFL.

Corporate America could learn a few branding lessons from a man who reached rock bottom in a prison cell:

  1. Most people are willing to forgive IF you admit your faults. No one expects you to be perfect, yet we do expect you to be honest with yourself.
  2. Be true to your word. Don’t just talk a good game, act on it.
  3. Rock star performance trumps most problems. Michael Vick not only appears to have emerged a change man, he also became a better football player. His focus on family and football is clearly paying dividends.
  4. There is no room for self-pity. You will always have critics who will point out your past. It requires developing a thick skin and the wisdom to choose your battles wisely.  
  5. There is little room for error – one strike and you’re done.  Every day, Vick lives with the possibility that it could all end tomorrow.  The work is hard and many times the judgment is not fair.

At this moment in time, Michael Vick has shown us that while you can’t shake your pasts, you can always shape your future. 

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

 
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Jul 22 2011

Run for the Borders—How Food Retailers Can Embrace the Future and Avoid a Slow Death

July 22, 2011 – 9:41 am

by Jason Stemm (@NYCubsFan)

The recent demise of Borders got me thinking how the rise of technology and evolving consumer trends are impacting other retail segments. Some food retailers are embracing these changes and actively incorporating new technology and changes in consumer behavior to stay relevant. Barnes & Noble saw the impact of Amazon earlier on and was quicker to build online sales and develop their own e-reader. A more diversified business also helped, and like Apple, has discovered that having your own store front with knowledgeable staff still provides great appeal to consumers. The grocery industry obviously has different challenges, and I don’t see any immediate threat from e-feeders. Some of these are still on the borders of mainstream adoption, but as the fall of Borders shows, you don’t want to be late to the party.

Fresh is Best—Nielson monitoring of online conversation shows the importance of “fresh” in consumer discussions of food, and research from the Futures Group shows it tops the list of influencers in consumer food purchase. Perishable foods are a great advantage for grocery retailers. Supercenters and big box stores have eaten into large chunk of market share, but they still generally lack the department counters and staff to engage with customers and answer questions. These are important areas to strengthen and highlight with attractive displays and customer service. It begins with the produce department, which is often their point of entry, and continues throughout the perimeter.

C’mon Get Healthy—Become a partner in delivering healthy food choices and nutrition information to your customers. The industry has embraced the Nutrition Keys program, a voluntary effort to provide nutrient information on the front of packages, more prominent to shoppers. According to the Deloitte 2011 Consumer Food & Product Insight Survey, 49% of consumers say that kind of information is helpful. Other departments have been doing this, but can continue to improve. The vitamins and nutrients of fresh fruits and vegetables have been promoted for some time, and I have seen a return of RDs working for or with chains to deliver information and recipes in the store, chain communications and online (both on their site and in social media). Leah McGrath of Ingles (@InglesDietitian) and Barbara Ruhs of Bashas’ (@eatsmartAZ) have been providing great service to customers that is engaging and helpful in making smarter food choices.

Running without Scissors—Couponing has evolved from the weekly ritual of clipping the weekend circulars. Online coupon downloads have grown and are now shared widely on Twitter. Retailers are now using Facebook as a platform to not only share their weekly specials, some offer specials to their social media audience. It is moving to mobile. With the number of smartphones increasing so do the opportunities. Mobile coupons are already available, but highlights at POS or an alternative to loyalty cards can help connect with an expanded demographic. An app that helps you track the price of your purchases by scanning bar codes wouldn’t be bad either. As NFC reaches greater adoption, doors open to a world of possibilities.

Let’s Get it On…line—The web has influenced pre and post purchase, and now mobile is impacting the point of purchase. Cash-strapped consumers are researching prices and planning menus to build lists prior to their store visit, which are down largely attributed to rising fuel costs. There is even a new online retailer in India that is allowing you to buy your groceries through Facebook. The Deloitte survey also showed that consumers are accessing websites more, especially on mobile devices, managing their shopping lists and making decisions. These are great opportunities to deliver information and grow incremental sales. A recipe built upon a featured sale item, can provide value to your customer while lengthening their shopping list.

Privacy Policy—Private label products are on the rise with the help of a sluggish economy and a desire for differentiation. Trader Joe’s has probably done the best job on the differentiation front, but The Fresh Market and others have also had success. For most consumers it is a matter of savings. Deloitte also shows 40% of consumers adding more private label items to their basket in 2011. Not all chains are embracing this approach, particularly with a new food recall seemingly every month. For chains that are taking this strategy, extensions into other areas of the store make sense as shoppers continue to be price conscious.

The Smarter Employee—An opportunity for traditional supermarkets to take a lesson from gourmet and specialty retailers is to have more knowledgeable employees on the floor to deliver great customer service. They could also take a cue from restaurants that serve new dishes to employees so that they can speak to customers about it. Why not provide new or featured products to employees in the break room? Have some cards with information about the products that they can relay to customers on the floor. You will build loyalty from employees and create sales ambassadors throughout the store.

The Smarter Shopper—The Food Network has helped create an expanded knowledge of food, and online fascination has fueled a greater awareness of quality, source and authenticity. Take advantage of this with QR codes and links that take them to the stories of artisanal and premium items that helps sell the higher price.

The Student Shopper—This is not the college student, but the growing number ofimage consumers lacking knowledge and confidence with food or cooking, but are open to learn. Demos, sampling and traditional POS (e.g., brochures, recipe cards) are still effective, but programs like Kroger’s Culinary 411 add technology and outreach to customers with web videos, an e-newsletter and even QR codes on products that link to videos of recipe demos.

There is a world of opportunities for the food industry, and specifically retailers, to engage and educate their customers, to build loyalty, provide fresh quality food and deliver exceptional customer service to distinguish themselves. To succeed, they must recognize and embrace emerging technologies and develop long-range positioning that not only keeps them relevant, but utilizes technology to grow sales. Where else do you see opportunities?

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Jason Stemm | Posted in Digital Marketing, Wine, Food & Nutrition | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
Jul 21 2011

Doctors on Facebook: Hide or Seek?

July 21, 2011 – 9:26 am

By Debbie Myers

Facebook Doctor

As the medical profession begins to dip its toe into social media, professional associations are starting to issue recommendations, particularly regarding Facebook. Last week, the British Medical Association issued new guidance to physicians advising them not to friend current or former patients on Facebook. The BMA’s recommendation is primarily targeted at protecting physicians from having their personal information accessed, thus possibly compromising the physician-patient relationship. At the same time, the Brits think it’s best that MDs also avoid getting too close a peek into their patients’ personal lives. The American Medical Association’s policy on Professionalism on the Use of Social Media doesn’t go as far as to say “don’t friend,” but it does warn physicians to use caution in posting and sharing information online.

Some physicians have jumped into social media with both feet, while others hold it at arm’s length. Kevin Pho, M.D., self-described as social media’s leading physician voice with over 36,000 followers on Twitter, encourages physicians to become smart about social media tools and says “utilizing social media properly gives physicians a powerful voice, and can help them build a positive, influential online persona.” But when it comes to Facebook, even Pho recommends that physicians adopt a “dual-citizenship” approach by creating a Facebook page for friends and family and one for professional purposes, with strict attention to monitoring privacy settings.

Slate.comInterestingly, for one New York woman, it was having physicians as part of her Facebook friend network that she credits for saving her son’s life. As reported on the Today Show and on Slate.com, mother and author Deborah Copaken Kogan posted photos of her young son on Facebook when she became concerned that the rash her son had developed was more than strep or another common childhood illness. According to Kogan, within an hour of posting a picture of her son, she heard from three friends, two of whom are physicians, who advised her to take her son to the pediatrician immediately. Their diagnosis? Kawasaki disease, a rare condition in children that left untreated, could result in serious complications. Kogan says the Facebook responses were the catalyst for her to act quickly. She called her pediatrician and tests confirmed that her son had the disease.

For Kogan, her doctor friends took a risk. They provided advice, to a friend, based on their knowledge. Had Kogan been a patient, these doctors may have been reluctant to speak out. I can’t blame them. It’s a balancing act for physicians. In this litigious world we live in, doctors need to be cautious. But they can be our friends and, for me, I’ve decided I need to add a few to my Facebook network – just to be on the safe side.

 
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Jul 18 2011

Three Cents on Google+ for PR Agencies/ Corporate Communicators who don’t have time to toy around

July 18, 2011 – 12:29 pm

By Priya Ramesh (@newpr)

google_plus_logoSo are you feeling pressured to start toying with Google+ and join the 10M users that are “circling,” “hanging-out” and “sparking” on Google+. My verdict is: definitely play around and identify engagement techniques for your brand but there is no need to shift from Facebook and Twitter just yet. As a social agency, CRT/tanaka is constantly evaluating new tools and applications, BUT we also preach the “Don’t fall for the shiny object syndrome” mantra. With that mindset, my personal (limited) usage of Google+ and listening to expert reviews, here are some key things to keep in mind when you talk about Google+:

Get Familiar with G+ Buzz Words “CIRCLES,” “HANGOUTS” and “SPARKS”: Much like the Facebook ‘Like” and Twitter “Follow”, G+ comes with its own set of engagement buzzwords and the most popular one is “CIRCLE.” Unlike Facebook, where anything you post is shared with both your personal friends and professional friends, G+ enables you to group your contacts in different “circles.” You can control what you want shared with whom in a much more organized fashion on G+ unlike on Facebook. The Visa Blog gives a good analysis of G+ Circles and how to use them efficiently on the Visa blog http://visablog.net/2011/07/7-tips-to-use-google-plus-g-circle.html.  Another great place to learn more about G+ is of course https://www.google.com/intl/en-US/+/learnmore/index.html#circles.

G+ “HANGOUTS” Can be Used for Better COLLABORATION: The “hangout” feature of G+ offers a group-chat functionality for up to 10 people. The video quality may not be near-perfection but offers a great medium to bring in folks across different parts of the globe on a single video-interface. Hangout-e1310772204945Mashable calls “Hangouts” the killer functionality of G+. Facebook recently signed a contract with Skype to add a video/audio feature to their chat but this is still in the works and not sure if it enables group video-chat. G+ Hangouts is offering this for free and that’s freaking cool from a collaboration perspective. Just think of bringing in your clients, colleagues in different offices to now “hangout” versus an audio-only meeting. A great use of the Hangout feature from this Mashable post: Sarah Hill, an anchor for KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri, has been inviting her Google+ fans to join her in Hangouts, the network’s video chat service. KOMU hosts a Hangout during the 5 p.m. newscast to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the newsroom. She then interviews people in the Hangout on-air about their reactions to the day’s news.”

Journalists MORE ENGAGED on Google+:  Meghan Peters, Mashable’s communtiy manager in her post, “Five Ways Journalists are Using Google+” points out that journalists who are typically the cautious adapters of new technology are showing more engagement on Google+.  The easy to “group and share” functionality has attracted the journalists who are able to organize their professional contacts more effectively on G+ than on Facebook Groups or Twitter Lists. So if you haven’t connected with your target media list on Twitter or LinkedIn, may be you can ‘circle’ them on G+. The overall theme so far about G+ is that the conversations are “smarter and more meaningful” on G+, which could be an added incentive for journalists to spend their time on G+. So definitely encourage your media relations team to leverage G+ to connect with your target media.

We are definitely closely following G+ and curious to see how businesses will leverage what’s been called a “truly social product from Google” by CNET. Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-20079844-250/google-makes-me-happier-than-facebook/#ixzz1SSva5CVt. My only word of caution is: Get your hands dirty around G+ but don’t change course on your digital activities just yet. Facebook and Twitter have not become MySpace yet for you to abandon them and don’t fall for the sensational blog posts on G+, everyone will and should talk about G+, BUT you’ve got to filter facts from fiction. Do share your experience so far with G+ with Buzz Bin readers and thank you for stopping by!

Image courtesy: Mashable http://mashable.com/2011/07/17/journalists-using-google-plus/

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Priya Ramesh | Posted in Digital Marketing, PR Industry Trends | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)
Jul 15 2011

Sometimes, It’s Okay to Judge a Book by Its Cover

July 15, 2011 – 10:05 am

best-books-decade_lead_jpg_627x325_crop_upscale_q85

Guest Post By Samantha Cox (@samanthamcox)

As the saying goes, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, that may be sound advice for the dating world, but when it comes to books – and the public relations industry – I must respectfully disagree.

When I walk into a bookstore (my personal kid-in-a-candy-store moment) the first things I look at are the book covers. I walk up and down the aisles, scanning the shelves and letting my eyes linger for less than a second on various ones, waiting for that spark of interest to ignite. It’s only when I feel that flame settle on a particularly appealing cover that I stop and take the book down to learn more. Be it eye-catching colors, distinctive images or unique styles, that first impression is everything.

Perhaps it’s not the best method, but we all do it.Though I’m not a book publisher or cover designer, I can’t imagine either one saying, “No, don’t worry about the cover. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” We’re trying to sell a product here, people. Take wine for example. Ask any honest consumer who, like me, doesn’t know much about vino and they’ll tell you – if they haven’t heard of the wine, they will choose the coolest looking label. Plain and simple.

Image, of course, is an important part of the public relations industry. Just as a bad book cover can deter a reader from discovering a great story, an unappealing design or messy formatting can sometimes keep a client or media contact from considering a promising idea. Whether you’re creating something on behalf of your agency or your client, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind:

Sometimes, less is more – In many cases, the simplest cover designs can be the most eye-catching. Likewise, when you’re giving a presentation, don’t overwhelm your audience. The text on the slides should be limited to key words and phrases – it isn’t there to be read, it’s there to guide you. Similarly, using too many images on each slide can detract from the presentation rather than enhance it. When in doubt, go for a clean, simple look.

Consistent formatting goes a long way – While unique and creative fonts can work for some books, they can be difficult to read and should be avoided when it comes to professional documents and presentations. Stick to the usual suspects (Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri and those similar), and most importantly, stick with the same font throughout. If you’re using Times New Roman, size 12, for a section’s title, use it for every section’s title. From font styles and sizes to paragraph spacing, make sure everything is consistent.

Keep it in the family – Would the second or third book in a series look completely different from the other books in that series? No. They come from the same family, and that should be clear from looking at them. Always make sure you’re using the approved brand colors and styles. The same tone and feel should be carried throughout all materials, from small things like letterhead to bigger things like presentations and websites.

Whoops

PROOF, PROOF, PROOF – Nothing is more distracting than a typo or grammatical error (I know it’s not technically an error, but boy do I hate the comma before “and” in a series). Not only do errors divert the reader’s attention, but they make you look at best careless, and at worst unintelligent. Every piece should be proofed multiple times and always by someone other than the author. There are few worse feelings in the communications world than sending something out and realizing 10 seconds later that it had a typo. When in doubt, consult your AP Stylebook.

So I say go ahead, judge a book by its cover. Keep that judgmental tendency in mind as you write and design content on behalf of your agency and your clients. Believe me, they’ll thank you in the end.

Photos by A.V. Club and Yahoo! News

 
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Jul 14 2011

Get Your Bucket: Let the Healthcare Bailouts (and Bail-ins) Begin

July 14, 2011 – 4:52 pm

by Lisa Kersey

Salmon

While the healthcare industry is often cited as the salmon in the proverbial stream, as health reform unfolds, many hospitals are looking for a net. And many venture capitalists, commercial insurers and even stronger health systems have their buckets ready.

Historically, when the economy took a nose dive, healthcare industry employment trends were still heading north. Similarly, when the general contractors and real estate agents were singing the blues due to the screeching halt in new construction, they realized that healthcare renovations were the only sign of life. As a result, healthcare organizations found they were receiving 12 eager bidders rather than three, for even their smallest projects.

As economic pressures and healthcare reform legislation impact hospitals and health systems across the nation, some new trends are beginning to emerge.

  1. Physicians are knocking on the doors of the C-suite asking to be employed. In the previous wave of mass physician employment during the 1990’s, hospitals were begging for and paying premiums to physicians to sign employment contracts so they would have appropriate coverage by specialists and sufficient primary care base to attract and retain specialists. With health reform and the multi-generational physician workforce physicians are asking hospitals to buy their practices: the older physicians wanting to slow down for retirement and the younger physicians looking for work/life balance. According to management consultant Accenture, less than one-third of physicians are expected to remain in private practice by 2013.
  2. Hospitals and health systems are consolidating at a rapid pace. From the acquisition of ailing hospitals to unsolicited offers for profitable hospitals, mergers and acquisitions have become everyday headlines in the healthcare industry. Whether it’s the non-profit world of Catholic Healthcare, the for-profit world of Tenet and HCA, or the few independent hospitals remaining in the U.S., every corner of the industry is in the game. According to Richard Foster, chief actuary for CMS, 40 percent of hospitals will become unprofitable by 2050 under a provision of the healthcare reform law, which will cause them to drop out of the program or go bankrupt. Hawaii Medical Center has already filed bankruptcy. And without Highmark willing to purchase West Penn Hospital, Pittsburgh would have become a one-horse town. Competitors are becoming friends, and hospitals that had no intention of even dating are finding themselves entertaining marriage proposals. Lawyers, consultants and PR/marketing professionals rejoice! The healthcare provider landscape is changing so rapidly that you should have job security well into this century.
  3. Healthcare financing reform and healthcare delivery reform are finally coming into alignment. Like the Phantom of the Opera, health reform has two faces: 1) the mechanics of reform that deals with who pays for what and 2) the health of reform that is concerned with access to care and the health status of communities. Past attempts to overhaul healthcare have skewed more toward the former, while the current sea of change is focusing on connecting people to healthcare, to improve health and lower costs. Despite your physiological response when you hear the phrases “accountable care organization” and “value based purchasing,” these concepts will have major implications on how the healthcare industry. If all goes well, the nation’s healthcare system will be able to transform itself from being the country with the most costly health system and some of the least healthy people to a model that we can proudly leave to our children.

So grab you buckets–we will all need to contribute to this bail out.

 
AddThis Social Bookmark Button By Lisa Kersey | Posted in Healthcare | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)