(1668,4,'2012-04-16 15:49:01','2012-04-16 15:49:01','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Have you ever gone to a new (to you) website or blog and before you can read anything you get a pop up ad or form DEMANDING that you fill it out? It happened to me today as I was following a link from someone on Twitter. And what was worse, there was no opting out, no little \"thanks but no thanks\" box I could click. It was either sign up for my newsletter or you can\'t read my blog.\r\n</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Can  you imagine if a bricks and mortar store did that? You would walk in, ready to browse (and perhaps you were ready to buy something), and there would be someone standing in the doorway, demanding that you fill out a survey or a customer sign up sheet. If you didn\'t want to comply, then you would not be allowed to enter the store.  You know what would happen to that store? It would lose all sorts of potential customers/business.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I understand that blog and websites want to have something tangible from visitors: a sign up or a purchase. But making it a condition for reading your website/blog\'s content, guarantees you will lose some potential readers. Why would I want to sign up for your newsletter if I can\'t even read about you? </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Don\'t beat your customers over the head. Ask them to sign up, but don\'t make it a precondition for a relationship unless you want to destroy relationships before they start.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you beating your customers over the head?','','publish','open','open','','are-you-beating-your-customers-over-the-head','','','2012-04-16 15:49:01','2012-04-16 15:49:01','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1668',0,'post','',0),
(1669,4,'2012-04-16 15:33:14','2012-04-16 15:33:14','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','1668-revision','','','2012-04-16 15:33:14','2012-04-16 15:33:14','',1668,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/04/1668-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1670,4,'2012-04-16 15:48:36','2012-04-16 15:48:36','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Have you ever gone to a new (to you) website or blog and before you can read anything you get a pop up ad or form DEMANDING that you fill it out? It happened to me today as I was following a link from someone on Twitter. And what was worse, there was no opting out, no little \"thanks but no thanks\" box I could click. It was either sign up for my newsletter or you can\'t read my blog.\n</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Can  you imagine if a bricks and mortar store did that? You would walk in, ready to browse (and perhaps you were ready to buy something), and there would be someone standing in the doorway demanding that you fill out a survey or a customer sign up sheet. If you didn\'t want to comply, then you would not be allowed to enter the store.  You know what would happen to that store? It would lose all sorts of potential customers/business.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I understand that blog and websites want to have something tangible from visitors: a sign up or a purchase. But making it a condition for reading your website/blog\'s content, guarantees you will lose some potential readers. Why would I want to sign up for your newsletter if I can\'t even read about you? </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Don\'t beat your customers over the head. Ask them to sign up, but don\'t make it a precondition for a relationship unless you want to destroy relationships before they start.</span>\n\n&nbsp;','Are you beating your customers over the head?','','inherit','open','open','','1668-revision-2','','','2012-04-16 15:48:36','2012-04-16 15:48:36','',1668,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/04/1668-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1672,4,'2012-04-18 15:15:11','2012-04-18 15:15:11','The single worst mistake you can make in communications is not living up to your promise (s). Why? It breaks trust.\n\nSadly, we see it all the time from big companies and small. Like when a wireless carrier tells you that you will have unlimited data, only to cap you after a certain amount. Or when an airline advertises a low price on a fare only to reference some small print saying it is available only at midnight of the day that Jupiter lines up with Mars.\n\nWhen you continually break promises you create a cynical customer. He or she no longer trusts what you say, and takes what you say with a grain of salt. Cynical customers are not loyal customers.\n\nIt goes beyond false advertising though. In business and personal communication, you also can run the risk of losing trust. If you tell your friend you will be at her birthday party and then don\'t show up. If you promise your client that you will send a document and then you don\'t.\n\nWe\'ve all heard that the most common lie is \"the check\'s in the mail.\" How many times can you tell someone payment is forthcoming and the check is not there?\n\nWhen you as a business or you as an individual fail to live up to your promises, you are helping create a culture of mistrust, cynicism and disappointment.\n\nDo you agree? Is there something worse than making your customers/friends distrust/mistrust you or your business?\n\n&nbsp;','The single worst communications mistake','','inherit','open','open','','1671-revision','','','2012-04-18 15:15:11','2012-04-18 15:15:11','',1671,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/04/1671-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1674,4,'2012-04-25 15:09:08','2012-04-25 15:09:08','I recently flew to Fort Lauderdale and back on US Airways. On both flights, the flight attendants had a \"special\" offer for us, a \"specially selected flight.\" The offer-- only available until April 30 (or the whole month of April, whichever way you look at it) was to sign up for a credit card, and get bonus miles. The rest was so complicated that the flight attendant was struggling to explain what it was and how it worked (something to the effect that if you spent x dollars then you could buy a free companion ticket to anywhere except where it is not available).\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Special badge by Dr. Keats, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctor_keats/263664231/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/92/263664231_2203261611.jpg\" alt=\"Special badge\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\r\n\r\nPhoto by Dr. Keats from Flickr\r\n\r\n<strong>This was not a special offer.</strong>  It was a run of the mill sign up today for our credit card so that we credit you 5000 miles for the trip. This is not different from any of the airline credit cards or even the points credit cards out there.\r\n\r\n<strong>This was not unique to our flight.</strong> The flight attendants made the same pitch twice. And the guy next to me had heard it on another flight.\r\n\r\n<strong>Moral of the story</strong>: Don\'t say something is special if it is not. Most people are savvy enough to know when something is really special and when it is not. Also, don\'t repeat your special offer by saying it is only available to a select few when you\'ve already offered it to many many others.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Special is special unless it isn\'t','','publish','open','open','','special-is-special-unless-it-isnt','','','2012-04-25 15:09:08','2012-04-25 15:09:08','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1674',0,'post','',0),
(1675,4,'2012-04-25 15:08:11','2012-04-25 15:08:11','I recently flew to Fort Lauderdale and back on US Airways. On both flights, the flight attendants had a \"special\" offer for us, a \"specially selected flight.\" The offer-- only available until April 30 (or the whole month of April, whichever way you look at it) was to sign up for a credit card, and get bonus miles. The rest was so complicated that the flight attendant was struggling to explain what it was and how it worked (something to the effect that if you spent x dollars then you could buy a free companion ticket to anywhere except where it is not available).\n\n<a title=\"Special badge by Dr. Keats, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctor_keats/263664231/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/92/263664231_2203261611.jpg\" alt=\"Special badge\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\n\nPhoto:\n\n<strong>This was not a special offer.</strong>  It was a run of the mill sign up today for our credit card so that we credit you 5000 miles for the trip. This is not different from any of the airline credit cards or even the points credit cards out there.\n\n<strong>This was not unique to our flight.</strong> The flight attendants made the same pitch twice. And the guy next to me had heard it on another flight.\n\n<strong>Moral of the story</strong>: Don\'t say something is special if it is not. Most people are savvy enough to know when something is really special and when it is not. Also, don\'t repeat your special offer by saying it is only available to a select few when you\'ve already offered it to many many others.\n\n&nbsp;','Special is special unless it isn\'t','','inherit','open','open','','1674-revision','','','2012-04-25 15:08:11','2012-04-25 15:08:11','',1674,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/04/1674-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1676,4,'2012-04-25 15:08:40','2012-04-25 15:08:40','I recently flew to Fort Lauderdale and back on US Airways. On both flights, the flight attendants had a \"special\" offer for us, a \"specially selected flight.\" The offer-- only available until April 30 (or the whole month of April, whichever way you look at it) was to sign up for a credit card, and get bonus miles. The rest was so complicated that the flight attendant was struggling to explain what it was and how it worked (something to the effect that if you spent x dollars then you could buy a free companion ticket to anywhere except where it is not available).\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Special badge by Dr. Keats, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctor_keats/263664231/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/92/263664231_2203261611.jpg\" alt=\"Special badge\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\r\n\r\nPhoto by Dr. Keats from Flickr\r\n\r\n<strong>This was not a special offer.</strong>  It was a run of the mill sign up today for our credit card so that we credit you 5000 miles for the trip. This is not different from any of the airline credit cards or even the points credit cards out there.\r\n\r\n<strong>This was not unique to our flight.</strong> The flight attendants made the same pitch twice. And the guy next to me had heard it on another flight.\r\n\r\n<strong>Moral of the story</strong>: Don\'t say something is special if it is not. Most people are savvy enough to know when something is really special and when it is not. Also, don\'t repeat your special offer by saying it is only available to a select few when you\'ve already offered it to many many others.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Special is special unless it isn\'t','','inherit','open','open','','1674-revision-2','','','2012-04-25 15:08:40','2012-04-25 15:08:40','',1674,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/04/1674-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1677,4,'2012-04-25 15:09:11','2012-04-25 15:09:11','I recently flew to Fort Lauderdale and back on US Airways. On both flights, the flight attendants had a \"special\" offer for us, a \"specially selected flight.\" The offer-- only available until April 30 (or the whole month of April, whichever way you look at it) was to sign up for a credit card, and get bonus miles. The rest was so complicated that the flight attendant was struggling to explain what it was and how it worked (something to the effect that if you spent x dollars then you could buy a free companion ticket to anywhere except where it is not available).\n\n<a title=\"Special badge by Dr. Keats, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctor_keats/263664231/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/92/263664231_2203261611.jpg\" alt=\"Special badge\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\n\nPhoto by Dr. Keats from Flickr\n\n<strong>This was not a special offer.</strong>  It was a run of the mill sign up today for our credit card so that we credit you 5000 miles for the trip. This is not different from any of the airline credit cards or even the points credit cards out there.\n\n<strong>This was not unique to our flight.</strong> The flight attendants made the same pitch twice. And the guy next to me had heard it on another flight.\n\n<strong>Moral of the story</strong>: Don\'t say something is special if it is not. Most people are savvy enough to know when something is really special and when it is not. Also, don\'t repeat your special offer by saying it is only available to a select few when you\'ve already offered it to many many others.\n\n&nbsp;','Special is special unless it isn\'t','','inherit','open','open','','1674-autosave','','','2012-04-25 15:09:11','2012-04-25 15:09:11','',1674,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/04/1674-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1678,4,'2012-04-26 16:13:13','2012-04-26 16:13:13','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">A couple of days ago I was reading my book while aboard Metro. A couple of stops into the ride, a group of three guys got on and sat right next to me. For the next 30 minutes I was \"treated\" to a non-stop, curse-filled treatise on everything from how women dress to jobs to how living in the suburbs is for the birds (although that was not the way it was actually said). These guys were not speaking amongst themselves. They were loud and obnoxious and did not care who heard them.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt uncomfortable, and I wondered, had I had a child with me, whether they would have moderated their behavior or whether they would have responded if I had asked them to watch their language. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I know, it seems old-fashioned to \"watch your language.\" But there is a public space and a private space, and when you are in public, you are sharing the air and space with other people. You should try to be considerate.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Instead, we see cursing all the time on Twitter, Facebook and every which way we turn. Some people are bring cursing to advertising, in order \"to break through the clutter.\" I just read <a href=\"http://www.talentzoo.com/news/All-this-F-ing-Cursing-Makes-the-Ad-Business-Look-Sh-ty/13930.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">this article on Talent Zoo</span></a> about cursing in the ad industry, where the author feels the need to be graphic in demonstrating what he is referring to.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">There is no need to curse in public. You can do whatever you want in private. You can smoke and drink and overindulge in ice cream. In the public space--in communications--you should put a lid on it. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">What do you think? Do you curse or not in public? Do you care?</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','To curse or not to curse, that is the question','','publish','open','open','','to-curse-or-not-to-curse-that-is-the-question','','','2012-04-26 16:13:13','2012-04-26 16:13:13','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1678',0,'post','',0),
(1679,4,'2012-04-26 16:12:43','2012-04-26 16:12:43','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">A couple of days ago I was reading my book while aboard Metro. A couple of stops into the ride, a group of three guys got on and sat right next to me. For the next 30 minutes I was \"treated\" to a non-stop, curse-filled treatise on everything from how women dress to jobs to how living in the suburbs is for the birds (although that was not the way it was actually said). These guys were not speaking amongst themselves. They were loud and obnoxious and did not care who heard them.  </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I felt uncomfortable, and I wondered, had I had a child with me, whether they would have moderated their behavior or whether they would have responded if I had asked them to watch their language. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I know, it seems old-fashioned to \"watch your language.\" But there is a public space and a private space, and when you are in public, you are sharing the air and space with other people. You should try to be considerate.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Instead, we see cursing all the time on Twitter, Facebook and every which way we turn. Some people are bring cursing to advertising, in order \"to break through the clutter.\" I just read <a href=\"http://www.talentzoo.com/news/All-this-F-ing-Cursing-Makes-the-Ad-Business-Look-Sh-ty/13930.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">this article on Talent Zoo</span></a> about cursing in the ad industry, where the author feels the need to be graphic in demonstrating what he is referring to.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">There is no need to curse in public. You can do whatever you want in private. You can smoke and drink and overindulge in ice cream. In the public space--in communications--you should put a lid on it. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">What do you think? Do you curse or not in public? Do you care?</span>\n\n&nbsp;','To curse or not to curse, that is the question','','inherit','open','open','','1678-revision','','','2012-04-26 16:12:43','2012-04-26 16:12:43','',1678,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/04/1678-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1680,4,'2012-04-30 13:42:36','2012-04-30 13:42:36','Two-year-olds LOVE the word me. They are just learning that they are individuals and that they want whatever their siblings or friends have. \"Me too,\" they shout. \"Daddy, Mommy, look at me!!!\"\r\n\r\nYou would think Twitter has been overrun by a nursery school. In endless posts, self-promoters don\'t use the word me as such, instead, they go on about their blog, their client, their big idea. Post after post after post. Never \"engaging\" with others, never re-tweeting others, and certainly never sharing anything useful.\r\n\r\nTake for example the life coach who just came up with a brilliant idea. She is going to make sure you hear about it--she even created her own hashtag. And she wants you to join in. Or the business development \"expert\" who wants you to like her Facebook page, and asks you every SINGLE day, several times a day. Or the PR guy who constantly tells you how great he is because his VIP clients have been featured in the media.\r\n\r\nSure, you should use Twitter and social media outlets to promote your business (and yourself if you are your business). <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">HOWEVER, if all you do is self-promote, then you are mired in ME-ONLY thinking. In other words, you are being egotistical and/or narcissistic in your use of Twitter.</span> Twitter is a SOCIAL media platform. Social means that there is more than one person out there, right? You want to INTERACT with other people, not just have people look at you.\r\n\r\nThink about the Twitter users you enjoy following. What makes them stand out? I bet they:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Share interesting articles and insights</li>\r\n	<li>Interact with you (answer your questions, comment on your tweets)</li>\r\n	<li>Re-tweet what you share</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIn other words, they don\'t only talk about themselves. They have grown out of the \"terrible twos\" and have learned that there is an US or a WE out there, not just a ME.\r\n\r\nHow should you deal with the \"me-all-the-time\" tweeps? Easy. Unfollow. You won\'t miss their egos clogging up your stream.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think about my post? Ha ha! Just kidding.\r\n\r\nSeriously, though, how far should self-promotion go on Twitter?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Me! Me! It\'s all about ME!!!!','','publish','open','open','','me-me-its-all-about-me','','','2012-04-30 13:42:36','2012-04-30 13:42:36','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1680',0,'post','',1),
(1681,4,'2012-04-30 13:41:13','2012-04-30 13:41:13','Two-year-olds LOVE the word me. They are just learning that they are individuals and that they want whatever their siblings or friends have. \"Me too,\" they shout. \"Daddy, Mommy, look at me!!!\"\n\nYou would think Twitter has been overrun by a nursery school. In endless posts, self-promoters don\'t use the word me as such, instead, they go on about their blog, their client, their big idea. Post after post after post. Never \"engaging\" with others, never re-tweeting others, and certainly never sharing anything useful.\n\nTake for example the life coach who just came up with a brilliant idea. She is going to make sure you hear about it--she even created her own hashtag. And she wants you to join in. Or the business development \"expert\" who wants you to like her Facebook page, and asks you every SINGLE day, several times a day. Or the PR guy who constantly tells you how great he is because his VIP clients have been featured in the media.\n\nSure, you should use Twitter and social media outlets to promote your business (and yourself if you are your business). <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">HOWEVER, if all you do is self-promote, then you are mired in ME-ONLY thinking. In other words, you are being egotistical and/or narcissistic in your use of Twitter.</span> Twitter is a SOCIAL media platform. Social means that there is more than one person out there, right? You want to INTERACT with other people, not just have people look at you.\n\nThink about the Twitter users you enjoy following. What makes them stand out? I bet they:\n<ul>\n	<li>Share interesting articles and insights</li>\n	<li>Interact with you (answer your questions, comment on your tweets)</li>\n	<li>Re-tweet what you share</li>\n</ul>\nIn other words, they don\'t only talk about themselves. They have grown out of the \"terrible twos\" and have learned that there is an US or a WE out there, not just a ME.\n\nHow should you deal with the \"me-all-the-time\" tweeps? Easy. Unfollow. You won\'t miss their egos clogging up your stream.\n\nWhat do you think about my post? Ha ha! Just kidding. Seriously, though, how far should self-promotion go on Twitter?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Me! Me! It\'s all about ME!!!!','','inherit','open','open','','1680-revision','','','2012-04-30 13:41:13','2012-04-30 13:41:13','',1680,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/04/1680-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1682,4,'2012-05-02 12:46:00','2012-05-02 12:46:00','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Perhaps the most basic question you have to ask yourself before creating any marketing/communications materials is:</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Who is my target audience?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The more you know who they are, where they are and what they need, the better your materials will be.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And yet. A couple of days ago, I was driving down Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest D.C. and saw a sign outside of a church that made me wonder.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The sign said: </span>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>English Classes Available. Please Call [telephone number] to Enroll.</em></span></p>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now, if you need to learn English, can you read English? Nope. Is the audience for this sign people who know people who need to learn English? Perhaps. I would think this sign would be more effective if it were written in the language of the people you are trying to target, don\'t you think?</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Who is your audience? ','','publish','open','open','','who-is-your-audience','','','2012-05-02 12:46:00','2012-05-02 12:46:00','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1682',0,'post','',0),
(1683,4,'2012-05-02 12:45:41','2012-05-02 12:45:41','<span style=\"color: #888888;\">Perhaps the most basic question you have to ask yourself before creating any marketing/communications materials is:</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #888888;\"><strong>Who is my target audience?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #888888;\">The more you know who they are, where they are and what they need, the better your materials will be.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #888888;\">And yet. A couple of days ago, I was driving down Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest D.C. and saw a sign outside of a church that made me wonder.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #888888;\">The sign said: </span>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #888888;\"><em>English Classes Available. Please Call [telephone number] to Enroll.</em></span></p>\n<span style=\"color: #888888;\">Now, if you need to learn English, can you read English? Nope. Is the audience for this sign people who know people who need to learn English? Perhaps. I would think this sign would be more effective if it were written in the language of the people you are trying to target, don\'t you think?</span>\n\n&nbsp;','Who is your audience? ','','inherit','open','open','','1682-revision','','','2012-05-02 12:45:41','2012-05-02 12:45:41','',1682,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/1682-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1685,4,'2012-05-07 12:45:20','2012-05-07 12:45:20','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','1684-revision','','','2012-05-07 12:45:20','2012-05-07 12:45:20','',1684,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/1684-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1686,4,'2012-05-07 13:23:00','2012-05-07 13:23:00','Many organizations, especially nonprofits and associations, focus on having one annual event that is meant to be a fundraiser or a idea-raiser.  Events are a great way to publicize an organization, get people together, and provide value to attendees. Except when the events don\'t go well. And that is a big exception.\n\nUnfortunately,  many events have better publicity than planning, and that is guaranteed to backfire. What I mean is that event organizers spend inordinate amounts of time and money to make sure that people know and attend a conference, and spend much less time and money on the logistics of the event.\n\nThis past Saturday, I attended a \"women\'s conference.\" It had a very nice website, and was going to deal with some intriguing subject matter (women and politics, women in developing countries, etc.) I believed the hype and bought my ticket (also, I had a very nice discount from a friend involved with the group).\n\nFirst indication of a problem was the disparity of information between the ticket and the website. One said the program started at 8:30, the other that registration started then, and the program at 9:45.  Neither was right.\n\n<strong>Lesson: Make sure the details are correct, and that everyone has the same information.</strong>\n\nThe people who were involved with greeting and registering were doing neither when I arrived at 8:50. Badges were still being put out. No one handed me a program. It was disorganized.\n\nThe program did not start until 10:15. From there, everything ran late. No one thought to tell people where the breakout sessions would be, and one was on a different floor (the session I was signed up for).\n\n<strong>Lesson: Timing matters.</strong>\n\nThe \"panelists\" for the session I attended were sitting and chatting amongst themselves for 25 minutes, ignoring the fact that 40 people were sitting and waiting for them to start.\n\n<strong>Lesson: Explain expectations to presenters.</strong>\n\nAnd then there was the issue of lunch. It was supposed to be \"grab and go.\"  I am vegetarian and guess what, there was not a single vegetarian option to be found.\n\n<strong>Lesson: If you are going to offer food (and there is no other food available on site) then you have to consider dietary restrictions.</strong>\n\nThe bottom line is that the event organizers did not pay attention to the organization aspect of running an event. While I am sure that some people got some value from this particular event, these lapses in logistics wasted my time (and my money).\n\nEvent planners pay attention to every last detail from food choice and availability to coat checks to bathroom locations. Event marketers, on the other hand, are focused on getting registrations. Both are EQUALLY important. If you sacrifice planning for publicity, you will have a disorganized event. If you sacrifice publicity for planning, you will have a poorly attended event. Either scenario will create PR headaches for you later on.\n\nIn my case, I will probably never attend this particular women\'s conference again. My perception of the event and its organizers is that they were more focused on the bottom line than on making sure everything went smoothly for the attendees.\n\nIf you are organizing an event, be sure you spend as much time planning as you do publicizing it. And PS, event planning is a skill. Get people to help plan your event\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Invest in event planning not just event marketing','','inherit','open','open','','1684-revision-2','','','2012-05-07 13:23:00','2012-05-07 13:23:00','',1684,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/1684-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1687,4,'2012-05-07 13:25:54','2012-05-07 13:25:54','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Many organizations, especially nonprofits and associations, focus on having one annual event that is meant to be a fundraiser or a idea-raiser.  Events are a great way to publicize an organization, get people together, and provide value to attendees. Except when the events don\'t go well. And that is a big exception.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Unfortunately,  many events have better publicity than planning, and that is guaranteed to backfire. What I mean is that event organizers spend inordinate amounts of time and money to make sure that people know and attend a conference, and spend much less time and money on the logistics of the event.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This past Saturday, I attended a \"women\'s conference.\" It had a very nice website, and was going to deal with some intriguing subject matter (women and politics, women in developing countries, etc.) I believed the hype and bought my ticket (also, I had a very nice discount from a friend involved with the group). </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">First indication of a problem was the disparity of information between the ticket and the website. One said the program started at 8:30, the other that registration started then, and the program at 9:45.  Neither was right. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Lesson: Make sure the details are correct, and that everyone has the same information.</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The people who were involved with greeting and registering were doing neither when I arrived at 8:50. Badges were still being put out. No one handed me a program. It was disorganized. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The program did not start until 10:15. From there, everything ran late. No one thought to tell people where the breakout sessions would be, and one was on a different floor (the session I was signed up for). </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Lesson: Timing matters.</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The \"panelists\" for the session I attended were sitting and chatting amongst themselves for 25 minutes, ignoring the fact that 40 people were sitting and waiting for them to start. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Lesson: Explain expectations to presenters.</strong> </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And then there was the issue of lunch. It was supposed to be \"grab and go.\"  I am vegetarian and guess what, there was not a single vegetarian option to be found. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Lesson: If you are going to offer food (and there is no other food available on site) then you have to consider dietary restrictions.</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The bottom line is that the event organizers did not pay attention to the organization aspect of running an event. While I am sure that some people got some value from this particular event, these lapses in logistics wasted my time (and my money).  </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Event planners pay attention to every last detail from food choice and availability to coat checks to bathroom locations. Event marketers, on the other hand, are focused on getting registrations. Both are EQUALLY important. <strong>If you sacrifice planning for publicity, you will have a disorganized event. If you sacrifice publicity for planning, you will have a poorly attended event.</strong> Either scenario will create PR headaches for you later on.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">In my case, I will probably never attend this particular women\'s conference again. My perception of the event and its organizers is that they were more focused on the bottom line than on making sure everything went smoothly for the attendees.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>If you are organizing an event, be sure you spend as much time planning it as you do publicizing it.</strong> And PS, event planning is a skill. Get qualified/experienced people to help plan your event. It does pay off.</span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Invest in event planning not just event marketing','','inherit','open','open','','1684-revision-3','','','2012-05-07 13:25:54','2012-05-07 13:25:54','',1684,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/1684-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1693,4,'2012-05-16 14:26:22','2012-05-16 14:26:22','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">As a homeowner, I have dealt with dozens of contractors to perform repairs and inspections, and all the other things one needs to get done in a house. One stands out--my plumber Mark. Not only is he a good plumber, he\'s a nice guy. I think we can learn a whole lot about marketing from him.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Choose your target market carefully:</strong> Mark has decided exactly where he is most comfortable working, geographically and culturally. He knows also what he is NOT looking for.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Advertise to the target market only</strong>: Mark does not have a sign on his truck, and he does not run ads in the mass media. He wants to continue working with his target market and not with just anyone.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Distinguish yourself from the competition</strong>: In Mark\'s case, he is green (although not certified) and he prides himself on punctuality. These are two things he highlights in his marketing materials. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Love what you do and be good at it:</strong> Mark loves plumbing and has since he was a child. He also knows what he is doing.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Be professional and responsive:</strong> Mark responds to inquiries quickly. He asks for pictures of the repair that needs to get done so he can properly assess and estimate the job. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Be pleasant and respectful:</strong> People like to do business with people they like. Mark always shakes hands with you when he comes to your house, and he immediately dons booties to prevent tracking dirt into your house. (something most contractors don\'t even think about). Mark also leaves his work area spotless. No messes to clean up.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;\">In the end, Mark wins at marketing because he has figured out how to market to a niche audience,  to provide exemplary service that generates return business and referrals and he doesn\'t waste his marketing dollar reaching out to people outside his market.</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Marketing lessons from an A+ plumber','','publish','open','open','','marketing-lessons-from-an-a-plumber','','','2012-05-16 14:26:22','2012-05-16 14:26:22','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1693',0,'post','',0),
(1702,4,'2012-05-29 14:35:06','2012-05-29 14:35:06','When was the last time you checked--and I mean thoroughly checked--your online content? Recently? Last quarter? Last year? When you launched the website?\r\n\r\nIf you haven\'t done it recently (within the past six months), I suggest hopping over to your website RIGHT NOW.\r\n\r\nIt\'s crucial to check for accuracy and relevance of your content. Here are a few areas you most definitely want to check and update if necessary:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Contact information</li>\r\n	<li>Product/service listing</li>\r\n	<li>Pricing</li>\r\n	<li>About page (everybody still with your company or in the same position?)</li>\r\n	<li>Home page (what exactly is the first thing you are telling people about your company?)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nPeople are using the web more and more each day to find vendors and buy stuff. An out-of-date or inaccurate website will make it difficult for those potential customers to do business with you.\r\n\r\nWhat are you waiting for! Go do it now.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Check your content much?','','publish','open','open','','check-your-content-much','','','2012-05-29 14:35:06','2012-05-29 14:35:06','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1702',0,'post','',0),
(1690,4,'2012-05-09 12:26:19','2012-05-09 12:26:19','At the women\'s conference I referenced on <a title=\"Invest in event planning not just event marketing\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/invest-in-event-planning-not-just-event-marketing/\" target=\"_blank\">Monday\'s post</a>, the organizer was also the emcee. She introduced the keynote speaker like this:\r\n\r\nI met [speaker] at a conference, and I think she\'s so great. I learned a lot from her. I was really impacted by what she said. I learned that....\r\n\r\nThis is not a verbatim quote but do you notice anything about this \"introduction?\"  It is all about the organizer and not about who she is introducing.  It\'s a \"me\" speech. Not a \"we\" speech and certainly not a \"you\" speech.\r\n\r\nI asked Brad Phillips (@mrmediatraining on Twitter), president of <a href=\"http://www.phillipsmediarelations.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Phillips Media Relations</a>, a media training organization, what he thought of a speech that focused on \"I.\" His response was:\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<div>Depends on the humility of the speaker, I suppose. Can range from humble self-experience to (more often) grating and ego-filled.</div>\r\n<div></div></blockquote>\r\nIn other words, an \"I speech\" can  seem self-aggrandizing and can potentially turn the audience off, especially if the speaker shows no humility.\r\n\r\nIt seems to me that emcees at an event should focus more on the we and you than on the me. The event after all, is not about the emcee, it is about the collective audience. It is not about the emcee\'s ego.\r\n\r\nIn this case,  I think this particular emcee was very self-focused. She was neither humble nor overly egotistical but seemingly clueless as to how she was coming across. She did not seem to care that she should have given the speaker a proper introduction (Ms. so and so is a writer focused on x, and she has been working in this field since x, etc.) and she also did not seem to be able to connect the dots on how this particular speaker would help us, the audience, why this speaker had been invited to speak.\r\n\r\n<strong>In marketing communication, the focus should be on the you or the we, and not the me.</strong> If you ever go to a website or read a brochure that goes on about me, me, me and does not address how we work together or how this benefits you, you know you are dealing with someone who has not a single clue about audience (or its needs).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Me, We and You','','publish','open','open','','me-we-and-you','','','2012-05-09 12:56:36','2012-05-09 12:56:36','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1690',0,'post','',0),
(1691,4,'2012-05-09 12:25:53','2012-05-09 12:25:53','At the women\'s conference I referenced on <a title=\"Invest in event planning not just event marketing\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/invest-in-event-planning-not-just-event-marketing/\" target=\"_blank\">Monday\'s post</a>, the organizer was also the emcee. She introduced the keynote speaker like this:\n\nI met [speaker] at a conference, and I think she\'s so great. I learned a lot from her. I was really impacted by what she said. I learned that....\n\nThis is not a verbatim quote but do you notice anything about this \"introduction?\"  It it all about the organizer and not about who she is introducing.  It\'s a \"me\" speech. Not a \"we\" speech and certainly not a \"you\" speech.\n\nI asked Brad Phillips (@mrmediatraining on Twitter), president of <a href=\"http://www.phillipsmediarelations.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Phillips Media Relations</a>, a media training organization, what he thought of a speech that focused on \"I.\" His response was:\n<blockquote>\n<div>Depends on the humility of the speaker, I suppose. Can range from humble self-experience to (more often) grating and ego-filled.</div>\n<div></div></blockquote>\nIn other words, an \"I speech\" can  seem self-aggrandizing and can potentially turn the audience off, especially if the speaker shows no humility.\n\nIt seems to me that emcees at an event should focus more on the we and you than on the me. The event after all, is not about the emcee, it is about the collective audience. It is not about the emcee\'s ego.\n\nIn this case,  I think this particular emcee was very self-focused. She was neither humble nor overly egotistical but seeminglmore clueless as to how she was coming across. She did not seem to care that she should have given the speaker a proper introduction (Ms. so and so is a writer focused on x, and she has been working in this field since x, etc.) and she also did not seem to be able to connect the dots on how this particular speaker would help us, the audience, why this speaker had been invited to speak.\n\n<strong>In marketing communication, the focus should be on the you or the we, and not the me.</strong> If you ever go to a website or read a brochure that goes on about me, me, me and does not address how we work together or how this benefits you, you know you are dealing with someone who has not a single clue about audience (or its needs).\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<blockquote>\n<div></div></blockquote>','Me, We and You','','inherit','open','open','','1690-revision','','','2012-05-09 12:25:53','2012-05-09 12:25:53','',1690,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/1690-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1692,4,'2012-05-09 12:26:19','2012-05-09 12:26:19','At the women\'s conference I referenced on <a title=\"Invest in event planning not just event marketing\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/invest-in-event-planning-not-just-event-marketing/\" target=\"_blank\">Monday\'s post</a>, the organizer was also the emcee. She introduced the keynote speaker like this:\r\n\r\nI met [speaker] at a conference, and I think she\'s so great. I learned a lot from her. I was really impacted by what she said. I learned that....\r\n\r\nThis is not a verbatim quote but do you notice anything about this \"introduction?\"  It it all about the organizer and not about who she is introducing.  It\'s a \"me\" speech. Not a \"we\" speech and certainly not a \"you\" speech.\r\n\r\nI asked Brad Phillips (@mrmediatraining on Twitter), president of <a href=\"http://www.phillipsmediarelations.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Phillips Media Relations</a>, a media training organization, what he thought of a speech that focused on \"I.\" His response was:\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<div>Depends on the humility of the speaker, I suppose. Can range from humble self-experience to (more often) grating and ego-filled.</div>\r\n<div></div></blockquote>\r\nIn other words, an \"I speech\" can  seem self-aggrandizing and can potentially turn the audience off, especially if the speaker shows no humility.\r\n\r\nIt seems to me that emcees at an event should focus more on the we and you than on the me. The event after all, is not about the emcee, it is about the collective audience. It is not about the emcee\'s ego.\r\n\r\nIn this case,  I think this particular emcee was very self-focused. She was neither humble nor overly egotistical but seemingly clueless as to how she was coming across. She did not seem to care that she should have given the speaker a proper introduction (Ms. so and so is a writer focused on x, and she has been working in this field since x, etc.) and she also did not seem to be able to connect the dots on how this particular speaker would help us, the audience, why this speaker had been invited to speak.\r\n\r\n<strong>In marketing communication, the focus should be on the you or the we, and not the me.</strong> If you ever go to a website or read a brochure that goes on about me, me, me and does not address how we work together or how this benefits you, you know you are dealing with someone who has not a single clue about audience (or its needs).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<div></div></blockquote>','Me, We and You','','inherit','open','open','','1690-revision-2','','','2012-05-09 12:26:19','2012-05-09 12:26:19','',1690,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/1690-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1694,4,'2012-05-16 14:25:07','2012-05-16 14:25:07','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">As a homeowner, I have dealt with dozens of contractors to perform repairs and inspections, and all the other things one needs to get done in a house. One stands out--my plumber Mark. Not only is he a good plumber, he\'s a nice guy. I think we can learn a whole lot about marketing from him.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Choose your target market carefully:</strong> Mark has decided exactly where he is most comfortable working, geographically and culturally. He knows also what he is NOT looking for.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Advertise to the target market only</strong>: Mark does not have a sign on his truck, and he does not run ads in the mass media. He wants to continue working with his target market and not with just anyone.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Distinguish yourself from the competition</strong>: In Mark\'s case, he is green (although not certified) and he prides himself on punctuality. These are two things he highlights in his marketing materials. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Love what you do and be good at it:</strong> Mark loves plumbing and has since he was a child. He also knows what he is doing.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Be professional and responsive:</strong> Mark responds to inquiries quickly. He asks for pictures of the repair that needs to get done so he can properly assess and estimate the job. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Be pleasant and respectful:</strong> People like to do business with people they like. Mark always shakes hands with you when he comes to your house, and he immediately dons booties to prevent tracking dirt into your house. (something most contractors don\'t even think about). Mark also leaves his work area spotless. No messes to clean up.</span>\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;\">In the end, Mark wins at marketing because he has figured out how to market to a niche audience,  to provide exemplary service that generates return business and referrals and he doesn\'t waste his marketing dollar reaching out to people outside his market.</span>\n\n&nbsp;','Marketing lessons from an A+ plumber','','inherit','open','open','','1693-revision','','','2012-05-16 14:25:07','2012-05-16 14:25:07','',1693,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/1693-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1697,4,'2012-05-21 13:51:08','2012-05-21 13:51:08','Social media has lots of pluses when it comes to marketing. Among them are:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Low cost (especially compared to the cost of advertising on television)</li>\r\n	<li>Word-of-mouth value for trust and amplification</li>\r\n	<li>Speed and ease in execution</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nSocial media is a VALUABLE part of a marketing communications plan, but, it should not be the only part. If you put ALL your effort/dollars into social media, there is little doubt that you will be failing to reach all of your target audience.\r\n\r\nLet me tell you about two companies that make their business solely on online traffic, but are advertising in other media: Constant Contact and Reputation.com\r\n\r\nIn case you have never received an enewsletter, you should know that Constant Contact is an established email marketing business.  Many organizations and businesses use Constant Contact to send out email campaigns.  Constant Contact advertises its services on the radio. Yes. On the radio.\r\n\r\nReputation.com works on making sure that you preserve a good reputation online. It is useful for people/organizations that have received negative reviews or are associated with with negative news/information. Reputation.com advertises in print (I saw a print ad this morning in the Washington Post). It also advertises on television.\r\n\r\nIf these two companies--which do business online--have to take their advertising off line, that should tell you that you cannot rely on social media (or online media) alone. You have to mix it up. You have to reach potential customers where they are, and they may not be on social or online.\r\n\r\nDo you do all your marketing on social media? If so, tell me why. If not, also tell me why.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Should you do all your marketing on social media?','','publish','open','open','','should-you-do-all-your-marketing-on-social-media','','','2012-05-21 13:51:08','2012-05-21 13:51:08','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1697',0,'post','',0),
(1698,4,'2012-05-21 13:50:28','2012-05-21 13:50:28','Social media has lots of pluses when it comes to marketing. Among them are:\n<ul>\n	<li>Low cost (especially compared to the cost of advertising on television)</li>\n	<li>Word-of-mouth value for trust and amplification</li>\n	<li>Speed and ease in execution</li>\n</ul>\nSocial media is a VALUABLE part of a marketing communications plan, but, it should not be the only part. If you put ALL your effort/dollars into social media, there is little doubt that you will be failing to reach all of your target audience.\n\nLet me tell you about two companies that make their business solely on online traffic, but are advertising in other media: Constant Contact and Reputation.com\n\nIn case you have never received an enewsletter, you should know that Constant Contact is an established email marketing business.  Many organizations and businesses use Constant Contact to send out email campaigns.  Constant Contact advertises its services on the radio. Yes. On the radio.\n\nReputation.com works on making sure that you preserve a good reputation online. It is useful for people/organizations that have received negative reviews or are associated with with negative news/information. Reputation.com advertises in print (I saw a print ad this morning in the Washington Post). It also advertises on television.\n\nIf these two companies--which do business online--have to take their advertising off line, that should tell you that you cannot rely on social media (or online media) alone. You have to mix it up. You have to reach potential customers where they are, and they may not be on social or online.\n\nDo you do all your marketing on social media? If so, tell me why. If not, also tell me why.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Should you do all your marketing on social media?','','inherit','open','open','','1697-revision','','','2012-05-21 13:50:28','2012-05-21 13:50:28','',1697,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/1697-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1699,4,'2011-07-22 04:18:37','2011-07-22 04:18:37','In the <strong>Washington, DC</strong> metro          area:\r\n\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications\r\n\r\nPO Box 1435\r\nRockville, MD 20849\r\n\r\nT: 301-424-2488\r\nM: 305-336-4357\r\nE: <a href=\"mailto:info@deborahbrody.com\">info@deborahbrody.com</a>\r\n\r\nTwitter: <a href=\"http://twitter.com/dbmc\" target=\"_blank\">@DBMC</a>','Contact','','inherit','open','open','','24-revision-v1','','','2011-07-22 04:18:37','2011-07-22 04:18:37','',24,'http://deborahbrody.com/2011/07/24-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1700,4,'2012-05-29 14:24:33','2012-05-29 14:24:33','We are located in the <strong>Washington, DC</strong> metro area:\r\n\r\nWrite us at:\r\n\r\n<address>Deborah Brody Marketing Communication</address><address>PO Box 1435\r\nRockville, MD 20849</address>Call:  301-424-2488 (office) or  305-336-4357  (mobile)\r\n\r\nEmail: <a href=\"mailto:info@deborahbrody.com\">info@deborahbrody.com</a>\r\n\r\nTwitter: <a href=\"http://twitter.com/dbmc\" target=\"_blank\">@DBMC</a>','Contact','','inherit','open','open','','24-revision-v1','','','2012-05-29 14:24:33','2012-05-29 14:24:33','',24,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/24-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),
(1703,4,'2012-05-29 14:34:25','2012-05-29 14:34:25','When was the last time you checked--and I mean thoroughly checked--your online content? Recently? Last quarter? Last year? When you launched the website?\n\nIf you haven\'t done it recently (within the past six months), I suggest hopping over to your website RIGHT NOW.\n\nIt\'s crucial to check for accuracy and relevance of your content. Here are a few areas you most definitely want to check and update if necessary:\n<ul>\n	<li>Contact information</li>\n	<li>Product/service listing</li>\n	<li>Pricing</li>\n	<li>About page (everybody still with your company or in the same position?)</li>\n	<li>Home page (what exactly is the first thing you are telling people about your company?)</li>\n</ul>\nPeople are using the web more and more each day to find vendors and buy stuff. An out-of-date or inaccurate website will make it difficult for those potential customers to do business with you.\n\n&nbsp;','Check your content much?','','inherit','open','open','','1702-revision','','','2012-05-29 14:34:25','2012-05-29 14:34:25','',1702,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/05/1702-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1711,4,'2012-06-11 13:03:20','2012-06-11 13:03:20','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Have you ever noticed how certain words or phrases seem to become ubiquitous? Sometimes it is because of a movie (\"dude\" became very very popular after Bill and Ted\'s Excellent Adventure). Sometimes it is because of a TV show. Sometimes, I am just not sure.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I heard a commercial on the radio the other day for a cell phone company, where one of the guys was saying \"Boom!\" and the other other guy replies: \"Stop saying that!\" And the other guy goes on \"Boom, and there it was.\" I can\'t remember the words verbatim, but it was all about boom.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And then I started to see/hear boom everywhere, including this commercial for </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Miracle-Gro Potting Soil</span>:\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/qfWW1gWyMoo?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Notice the last word in the commercial.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Boom!</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I bet you start noticing boom all over the place. If you find a good one, share it here in the comments.</span>','Did that commercial just go boom?','','publish','open','open','','did-that-commercial-just-go-boom','','','2012-06-11 13:03:20','2012-06-11 13:03:20','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1711',0,'post','',0),
(1705,4,'2012-06-01 13:04:23','2012-06-01 13:04:23','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Yesterday on Twitter, someone posted about an event that sounded intriguing. I went to check out the link provided for details, thinking I would find time, place and cost, but instead I found a sign-up form. The form asked for: name, gender, date of birth, time zone, location, religious views, email and a password. I kid you not. Or, you could sign up using your Facebook login.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">How much of this information are you requiring? <strong> The information you require can be construed as a barrier to entry</strong>. You put up figurative barriers, at differing \"heights\" to reduce the amount of people that can access your offering. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now, some people have absolutely no problem handing over any information that is asked of them. I used to know a woman who would even give out her social security number and her mother\'s maiden name just to be on an email list. And then there are people like me, who guard their personal information zealously and will only give up the minimum for a good reason. For example, if the doctor\'s office wants to know if I have had a surgery or take any medication. But why would I give an organization putting together an EVENT my birth date and religious affiliation? </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This problem extends to the growing number of websites that require you to sign up with your Facebook account. Again, some people consider their Facebook profile public. And some---like me--don\'t. Facebook has already compiled a good amount of personal information about you: where you live, where you are from, who your friends are, what your likes and dislikes are, your age and if you provided them with this info: where you went to school, your religion, your marital status and on and on.  </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">You should consider exactly what information you require, and furthermore, you should tell people what you plan to do with that information. What exactly are you going to do to safeguard the privacy of that information?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Again, some people are pretty lax about privacy. But there is a continuum, and if your goal is to get more people (not fewer) to sign up, then you will have to consider that some people are not so comfortable handing over this information. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">What are your thoughts? On a personal level, do you give any information requested, or do you fudge it? Do you sign in using your Facebook? </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">On an organizational level, how much information are you requiring and is all of it necessary?</span>','How much information are you requiring?','','publish','open','open','','how-much-information-are-you-requiring','','','2012-06-01 13:04:23','2012-06-01 13:04:23','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1705',0,'post','',0),
(1706,4,'2012-06-01 13:03:27','2012-06-01 13:03:27','Yesterday on Twitter, someone posted about an event that sounded intriguing. I went to check out the link provided for details, thinking I would find time, place and cost, but instead I found a sign-up form. The form asked for: name, gender, date of birth, time zone, location, religious views, email and a password. I kid you not. Or you could sign up using your Facebook login.\n\nHow much of this information are you requiring? <strong> The information you require can be construed as a barrier to entry</strong>. You put up figurative barriers, at differing \"heights\" to reduce the amount of people that can access your offering.\n\nNow, some people have absolutely no problem handing over any information that is asked of them. I used to know a woman who would even give out her social security number and her mother\'s maiden name just to be on an email list. And then there are people like me, who guard their personal information zealously and will only give up the minimum for a good reason. For example, if the doctor\'s office wants to know if I have had a surgery or take any medication. But why would I give an organization putting together an EVENT my birth date and religious affiliation?\n\nThis problem extends to the growing number of websites that require you to sign up with your Facebook account. Again, some people consider their Facebook profile public. And some---like me--don\'t. Facebook has already compiled a good amount of personal information about you: where you live, where you are from, who your friends are, what your likes and dislikes are, your age and if you provided them with this info: where you went to school, your religion, your marital status and on and on.\n\nYou should consider exactly what information you require, and furthermore, you should tell people what you plan to do with that information. What exactly are you going to do to safeguard the privacy of that information?\n\nAgain, some people are pretty lax about privacy. But there is a continuum, and if your goal is to get more people (not fewer) to sign up, then you will have to consider that some people are not so comfortable handing over this information.\n\nWhat are your thoughts? On a personal level, do you give any information requested, or do you fudge it? Do you sign in using your Facebook?\n\nOn an organizational level, how much information are you requiring and is all of it necessary?','How much information are you requiring?','','inherit','open','open','','1705-revision','','','2012-06-01 13:03:27','2012-06-01 13:03:27','',1705,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1705-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1707,4,'2012-06-05 13:31:40','2012-06-05 13:31:40','Every organization (business, nonprofit, political, association) should have a list of key messages.These key messages should be updated frequently (no less than once a year). If yours doesn\'t, it\'s time to start creating a list of key messages. Key messages form the basis of your speeches, press releases and other communications materials.\r\n\r\nKey messages should include facts about the organization, the organization\'s mission and philosophy, organizational goals, how the organization operates and other important information you want your audience to know.\r\n\r\nYour key messages should be genuine, and stand up to scrutiny.  Some organizations end up with key messages that are not reflective of reality, but rather are ideological.  This is especially true with political organizations.\r\n\r\nI came across a great example  key messages that don\'t accurately reflect reality in yesterday\'s Washington Post. In a story written by Dan Eggen on page A7, entitled \"McDonnell says stimulus aided Va. --but only in the short run,\" the first paragraph says:\r\n<blockquote>Virgina Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) wandered off script somewhat Sunday as a surrogate for the Mitt Romney presidential campaign, conceding that  President Obama\'s stimulus measures had helped his state weather the economic crisis.</blockquote>\r\nOf course, the Romney campaign has been arguing that Obama\'s stimulus hurt the economy, and did not create jobs---<em>because stimulus goes against Republican economic ideology.</em> Governor McDonnell was reflecting the reality on the ground in his remarks--that indeed the stimulus has helped Virginia. He \"went off message\" because instead of being ideological, he was being factual, rooting his comments in the reality of his state.\r\n\r\nA similar situation occurred last week when Cory Booker said that he was sickened by the attacks on Bain Capital. The Obama campaign\'s key messages about Romney\'s tenure at Bain were more ideological than factual. Booker was simply reflecting facts that private equity firms are not the way they were being portrayed by the campaign. Booker was roundly criticized for \"going off message.\"\r\n\r\nWhen key messages IGNORE reality and facts, and simply reflect ideology and beliefs, they are open to attack and leave spokespeople with the opportunity of \"wandering off script\" or \"going off message.\"\r\n\r\nMost people have a hard time lying when asked a direct question. If your key messages are ideologically but not factually correct, they will not stand up to scrutiny. You don\'t want to ask spokespeople to lie, so inject some honesty into your messaging!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Root your messages in reality not ideology','','publish','open','open','','root-your-messages-in-reality-not-ideology','','','2012-06-05 13:31:40','2012-06-05 13:31:40','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1707',0,'post','',0),
(1708,4,'2012-06-05 13:25:03','2012-06-05 13:25:03','Every organization (business, nonprofit, political, association) should have a list of key messages. If yours doesn\'t, it\'s time to start a list. Key messages form the basis of your speeches, press releases and other communications materials.\n\nKey messages should include facts about the organization, the organization\'s mission and philosophy, organizational goals, how the organization operates and other important information you want your audience to know.\n\nIt\'s important that your key messages be genuine, and stand up to scrutiny. Many organizations fail at this because they are more interested in ideology and not reality. This is especially true with political organizations.\n\nI came across a great example of when key messages don\'t accurately reflect reality in yesterday\'s Washington Post. In a story written by Dan Eggen on page A7, entitled \"McDonnell says stimulus aided Va. --but only in the short run,\" he writes:\n<blockquote>Virgina Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) wandered off script somewhat Sunday as a surrogate for the Mitt Romney presidential campaign, conceding that  President Obama\'s stimulus measures had helped his state weather the economic crisis.</blockquote>\nOf course, the Romney campaign has been arguing that Obama\'s stimulus hurt the economy, and did not create jobs---<em>because stimulus goes against Republican economic ideology.</em> Governor McDonnell was reflecting the reality on the ground in his remarks--that indeed the stimulus has helped Virginia. He \"went off message\" because instead of being ideological, he was being factual, rooting his comments in the reality of his state.\n\nA similar situation occurred last week when Cory Booker said that he was sickened by the attacks on Bain Capital. The Obama campaign\'s key messages about Romney\'s tenure at Bain were more ideological than factual. Booker was simply reflecting facts that private equity firms are not the way they were being portrayed by the campaign.\n\nWhen key messages IGNORE reality and facts, and simply reflect ideology and beliefs, they are open to attack and leave spokespeople with the opportunity of \"wandering off script.\"\n\nMost people have a hard time lying when asked a direct question. If your key messages are ideologically but not factually correct, they will not stand up to scrutiny.\n\n&nbsp;','Root your messages in reality not ideology','','inherit','open','open','','1707-revision','','','2012-06-05 13:25:03','2012-06-05 13:25:03','',1707,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1707-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1709,4,'2012-06-05 13:30:52','2012-06-05 13:30:52','Every organization (business, nonprofit, political, association) should have a list of key messages.These key messages should be updated frequently (no less than once a year). If yours doesn\'t, it\'s time to start creating a list of key messages. Key messages form the basis of your speeches, press releases and other communications materials.\n\nKey messages should include facts about the organization, the organization\'s mission and philosophy, organizational goals, how the organization operates and other important information you want your audience to know.\n\nYour key messages should be genuine, and stand up to scrutiny.  Some organizations end up with key messages that are not reflective of reality, but rather are ideological.  This is especially true with political organizations.\n\nI came across a great example  key messages that don\'t accurately reflect reality in yesterday\'s Washington Post. In a story written by Dan Eggen on page A7, entitled \"McDonnell says stimulus aided Va. --but only in the short run,\" the first paragraph says:\n<blockquote>Virgina Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) wandered off script somewhat Sunday as a surrogate for the Mitt Romney presidential campaign, conceding that  President Obama\'s stimulus measures had helped his state weather the economic crisis.</blockquote>\nOf course, the Romney campaign has been arguing that Obama\'s stimulus hurt the economy, and did not create jobs---<em>because stimulus goes against Republican economic ideology.</em> Governor McDonnell was reflecting the reality on the ground in his remarks--that indeed the stimulus has helped Virginia. He \"went off message\" because instead of being ideological, he was being factual, rooting his comments in the reality of his state.\n\nA similar situation occurred last week when Cory Booker said that he was sickened by the attacks on Bain Capital. The Obama campaign\'s key messages about Romney\'s tenure at Bain were more ideological than factual. Booker was simply reflecting facts that private equity firms are not the way they were being portrayed by the campaign. Booker was roundly criticized for \"going off message.\"\n\nWhen key messages IGNORE reality and facts, and simply reflect ideology and beliefs, they are open to attack and leave spokespeople with the opportunity of \"wandering off script\" or \"going off message.\"\n\nMost people have a hard time lying when asked a direct question. If your key messages are ideologically but not factually correct, they will not stand up to scrutiny.\n\n&nbsp;','Root your messages in reality not ideology','','inherit','open','open','','1707-revision-2','','','2012-06-05 13:30:52','2012-06-05 13:30:52','',1707,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1707-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1710,4,'2012-06-05 13:32:52','2012-06-05 13:32:52','Every organization (business, nonprofit, political, association) should have a list of key messages.These key messages should be updated frequently (no less than once a year). If yours doesn\'t, it\'s time to start creating a list of key messages. Key messages form the basis of your speeches, press releases and other communications materials.\n\nKey messages should include facts about the organization, the organization\'s mission and philosophy, organizational goals, how the organization operates and other important information you want your audience to know.\n\nYour key messages should be genuine, and stand up to scrutiny.  Some organizations end up with key messages that are not reflective of reality, but rather are ideological.  This is especially true with political organizations.\n\nI came across a great example  key messages that don\'t accurately reflect reality in yesterday\'s Washington Post. In a story written by Dan Eggen on page A7, entitled \"McDonnell says stimulus aided Va. --but only in the short run,\" the first paragraph says:\n<blockquote>Virgina Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) wandered off script somewhat Sunday as a surrogate for the Mitt Romney presidential campaign, conceding that  President Obama\'s stimulus measures had helped his state weather the economic crisis.</blockquote>\nOf course, the Romney campaign has been arguing that Obama\'s stimulus hurt the economy, and did not create jobs---<em>because stimulus goes against Republican economic ideology.</em> Governor McDonnell was reflecting the reality on the ground in his remarks--that indeed the stimulus has helped Virginia. He \"went off message\" because instead of being ideological, he was being factual, rooting his comments in the reality of his state.\n\nA similar situation occurred last week when Cory Booker said that he was sickened by the attacks on Bain Capital. The Obama campaign\'s key messages about Romney\'s tenure at Bain were more ideological than factual. Booker was simply reflecting facts that private equity firms are not the way they were being portrayed by the campaign. Booker was roundly criticized for \"going off message.\"\n\nWhen key messages IGNORE reality and facts, and simply reflect ideology and beliefs, they are open to attack and leave spokespeople with the opportunity of \"wandering off script\" or \"going off message.\"\n\nMost people have a hard time lying when asked a direct question. If your key messages are ideologically but not factually correct, they will not stand up to scrutiny. You don\'t want to ask spokespeople to lie, so inject some honesty into your messaging!\n\n&nbsp;','Root your messages in reality not ideology','','inherit','open','open','','1707-autosave','','','2012-06-05 13:32:52','2012-06-05 13:32:52','',1707,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1707-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1715,4,'2012-06-11 13:02:44','2012-06-11 13:02:44','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Have you ever noticed how certain words or phrases seem to become ubiquitous? Sometimes it is because of a movie (\"dude\" became very very popular after Bill and Ted\'s Excellent Adventure). Sometimes it is because of a TV show. Sometimes, I am just not sure.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I heard a commercial on the radio the other day for a cell phone company, where one of the guys was saying \"Boom!\" and the other other guy replies: \"Stop saying that!\" And the other guy goes on \"Boom, and there it was.\" I can\'t remember the words verbatim, but it was all about boom.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">And then I started to see/hear boom everywhere, including this commercial for </span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Miracle-Gro Potting Soil</span>:\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/qfWW1gWyMoo?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Notice the last word in the commercial.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Boom!</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I bet you start noticing boom all over the place. If you find a good one, share it here in the comments.</span>','Did that commercial just go boom?','','inherit','open','open','','1711-revision-4','','','2012-06-11 13:02:44','2012-06-11 13:02:44','',1711,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1711-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1712,4,'2012-06-11 12:57:07','2012-06-11 12:57:07','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Have you ever noticed how certain words or phrases seem to become ubiquitous? Sometimes it is because of a movie (\"dude\" became very very popular after Bill and Ted\'s Excellent Adventure). Sometimes it is because of a TV show. Sometimes, I am just not sure. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, the word that I hear everywhere, in commercial after commercial, is \"boom.\" As in:</span>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">                 I was texting on my phone, and then boom, I ran into him.</span></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Boom, and I have the stuff I need.</span></p>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">These aren\'t verbatim...but you get the picture.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Here\'s a commercial for Miracle-Gro Potting Soil</span>:\n\n&lt;iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/qfWW1gWyMoo?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Notice the last word in the commercial.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Boom!</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I bet you start noticing boom all over the place. If you find a good one, share it here in the comments.</span>','Did that commercial just go boom?','','inherit','open','open','','1711-revision','','','2012-06-11 12:57:07','2012-06-11 12:57:07','',1711,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1711-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1713,4,'2012-06-11 12:58:07','2012-06-11 12:58:07','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Have you ever noticed how certain words or phrases seem to become ubiquitous? Sometimes it is because of a movie (\"dude\" became very very popular after Bill and Ted\'s Excellent Adventure). Sometimes it is because of a TV show. Sometimes, I am just not sure. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, the word that I hear everywhere, in commercial after commercial, is \"boom.\" As in:</span>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">                 I was texting on my phone, and then boom, I ran into him.</span></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Boom, and I have the stuff I need.</span></p>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">These aren\'t verbatim...but you get the picture.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Here\'s a commercial for Miracle-Gro Potting Soil</span>:\n\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/qfWW1gWyMoo?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Notice the last word in the commercial.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Boom!</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I bet you start noticing boom all over the place. If you find a good one, share it here in the comments.</span>','Did that commercial just go boom?','','inherit','open','open','','1711-revision-2','','','2012-06-11 12:58:07','2012-06-11 12:58:07','',1711,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1711-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1714,4,'2012-06-11 12:58:12','2012-06-11 12:58:12','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Have you ever noticed how certain words or phrases seem to become ubiquitous? Sometimes it is because of a movie (\"dude\" became very very popular after Bill and Ted\'s Excellent Adventure). Sometimes it is because of a TV show. Sometimes, I am just not sure. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Recently, the word that I hear everywhere, in commercial after commercial, is \"boom.\" As in:</span>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">                 I was texting on my phone, and then boom, I ran into him.</span></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Boom, and I have the stuff I need.</span></p>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">These aren\'t verbatim...but you get the picture.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Here\'s a commercial for Miracle-Gro Potting Soil</span>:\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/qfWW1gWyMoo?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Notice the last word in the commercial.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Boom!</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I bet you start noticing boom all over the place. If you find a good one, share it here in the comments.</span>','Did that commercial just go boom?','','inherit','open','open','','1711-revision-3','','','2012-06-11 12:58:12','2012-06-11 12:58:12','',1711,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1711-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1717,4,'2012-06-13 13:38:50','2012-06-13 13:38:50','Twitter (and any other social network) is a form of public communication. Even individuals who are representing themselves are using it as a platform to reach a broader audience. Throw in a few hashtags and re-Tweets and suddenly you may be talking to millions of people.\r\n\r\nAt an organizational level, who should handle your Twitter feed? For many organizations, it falls to the communications/marketing folks (fine) and for some it is interns (not so fine). Some organizations have their top executive tweet (really good, I think).\r\n\r\nAnd then there is Sweden, yes the country of Sweden (or rather its tourism board). You see, Sweden has embarked on an experiment to allow citizens to handle the <a href=\"https://twitter.com/#!/sweden\" target=\"_blank\">@sweden </a>Twitter feed. There are some rules on the ground--apparently, citizens should not discuss political views.\r\n\r\nSomeone forgot to tell the latest citizen to handle @sweden, a 27-year old \"holy mother of two\" Sonja Abrahamsson, that racism should also not be displayed. Sonja apparently is a huge fan of Adolf Hitler, and seems to be just a tad anti-Semitic. You can read all about it in <a href=\"http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2012/06/swedens-official-tweeter-now-asking-about-jews/53439/\" target=\"_blank\">this story</a> on The Atlantic Wire and <a href=\"http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/sweden-hands-its-twitter-account-citizens-and-things-get-weird-141069\" target=\"_blank\">this story </a>on AdWeek.\r\n\r\nHow is having Sonja do some stupid (racist) jokes helping to communicate anything positive about Sweden to any readers of the Twitter feed?\r\n\r\nThe person in charge of your Twitter feed is representing you (your organization, business or country) to the world. He or she is in effect, your public spokesperson. As such, this person should have the following characteristics:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Be very knowledgeable about your organization (or country)</li>\r\n	<li>Understand how Twitter works and that it can be quoted and used as a news source</li>\r\n	<li>Be familiar with all key messages, press releases and other public information</li>\r\n	<li>Be prepared to answer questions and comments professionally and not emotionally</li>\r\n	<li>Be enthusiastic about your organization (or country)</li>\r\n	<li>Keep personal opinions to him/herself</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhat do you think? Who handles your Twitter feed? Would you ever let someone like Sonja take over your feed? Thoughts and comments welcome!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Who should handle your Twitter feed?','','publish','open','open','','who-should-handle-your-twitter-feed','','','2012-06-13 13:38:50','2012-06-13 13:38:50','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1717',0,'post','',1),
(1718,4,'2012-06-13 13:36:17','2012-06-13 13:36:17','Twitter (and any other social network) is a form of public communication. Even individuals who are representing themselves are using it as a platform to reach a broader audience. Throw in a few hashtags and re-Tweets and suddenly you may be talking to millions of people.\n\nAt an organizational level, who should handle your Twitter feed? For many organizations, it falls to the communications/marketing folks (fine) and for some it is interns (not so fine). Some organizations have their top executive tweet (really good, I think).\n\nAnd then there is Sweden, yes the country of Sweden (or rather its tourism board). You see, Sweden has embarked on an experiment to allow citizens to handle the <a href=\"https://twitter.com/#!/sweden\" target=\"_blank\">@sweden </a>Twitter feed. There are some rules on the ground--apparently, citizens should not discuss political views.\n\nSomeone forgot to tell the latest citizen to handle @sweden, a 27-year old \"holy mother of two\" Sonja Abrahamsson, that racism should also not be displayed. Sonja apparently is a huge fan of Adolf Hitler, and seems to be just a tad anti-Semitic. You can read all about it in <a href=\"http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2012/06/swedens-official-tweeter-now-asking-about-jews/53439/\" target=\"_blank\">this story</a> on The Atlantic Wire and <a href=\"http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/sweden-hands-its-twitter-account-citizens-and-things-get-weird-141069\" target=\"_blank\">this story </a>on AdWeek.\n\nHow is having Sonja do some stupid (racist) jokes helping to communicate anything positive about Sweden to any readers of the Twitter feed?\n\nThe person in charge of your Twitter feed is representing you (your organization, business or country) to the world. He or she is in effect, your public spokesperson. As such, this person should have the following characteristics:\n<ul>\n	<li>Be very knowledgeable about your organization (or country)</li>\n	<li>Understand how Twitter works and that it can be quoted and used as a news source</li>\n	<li>Be familiar with all key messages, press releases and other public information</li>\n	<li>Be prepared to answer questions and comments professionally and not emotionally</li>\n	<li>Be enthusiastic about your organization (or country)</li>\n	<li>Keep personal opinions to him/herself</li>\n</ul>\nWhat do you think? Who handles your Twitter feed? Would you ever let someone like Sonja take over your feed? Thoughts and comments welcome!\n\n&nbsp;','Who should handle your Twitter feed?','','inherit','open','open','','1717-revision','','','2012-06-13 13:36:17','2012-06-13 13:36:17','',1717,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1717-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1738,4,'2012-07-03 13:59:25','2012-07-03 13:59:25','Maryland, Virginia and DC were hit hard last Friday night by a storm called a Derecho. It came straight at us with winds clocked at 70 miles per hour, lightning and rain, all which brought down branches and even whole trees.  My house shook, the lights flickered, and then the power went out. I got out flashlight and immediately called Pepco. The initial message said crews were being assigned and I should have power restored by midnight. When I called the next 15 times, I got the same message each time: Crews would be assigned shortly.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, a million electric customers in the region were also without power, also not getting answers from their utilities. Intersections were dark and tempers were frayed--because not only was there no power, but record-breaking heat and humidity. I decamped to my local Cosi, which thankfully had power, coffee and free Wi-Fi. Pepco\'s website informed me that the more than 1000 customers in my section did not have an estimated restoration time. By Sunday, after Pepco finished surveying the damage, it announced a \"global estimated restoration time\" of Friday, July 6 at 11 pm (yes, a whole week later).\r\n\r\nNow, Pepco has been running an ad campaign for the past several months. Here\'s a sample:\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZD_3mOq1DnM\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nNotice the message: Pepco is working hard to improve its reliability.\r\n\r\nBut is Pepco doing enough? Is it reliable? After this fiasco, the answer seems to be no.\r\n\r\nThe commercial above makes claims that fly in the face of what happened on the ground. And what\'s more, taking a week to restore power (during a heat wave), seems to me to indicate that Pepco is not working hard enough (or has enough crews, etc.).\r\n\r\nYesterday, Marc Fisher from the Washington Post called me because he had seen my previous <a title=\"How to become the most hated company\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2011/07/how-to-become-the-most-hated-company/\" target=\"_blank\">blog posts </a>on Pepco. He asked me what I would recommend that Pepco do, communications-wise. Should they not advertise? I am not sure what the answer is. I do know that a commercial like the one above does not ring true, and I will bet that the ad gets taken off the air. Perhaps the best course for Pepco is to invest its ad budget into infrastructure, and when it has made REAL, significant improvements, then have a PR campaign to inform its public about what exactly has been done. Just a thought.\r\n\r\nHere\'s Marc Fisher\'s article, that ran today (I am quoted on the second page): <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/for-pepco-customers-without-power-frustration-grows-four-days-after-storm/2012/07/02/gJQAJ0vQJW_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">For Pepco customers still without power, patience wears thin</a>.\r\n\r\nIt seems that Pepco\'s work still continues, and continues and continues. It is a long way from being what I would consider a reliable company.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Working hard or hardly working? Pepco strikes again','','publish','open','open','','working-hard-or-hardly-working-pepco-strikes-again','','','2012-07-03 13:59:25','2012-07-03 13:59:25','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1738',0,'post','',0),
(1720,4,'2012-06-19 13:04:40','2012-06-19 13:04:40','You may remember the famous line by Marshall McLuhan:\r\n<blockquote>The medium is the message.</blockquote>\r\nWhat does that mean? According to Wikipedia:\r\n<blockquote>meaning that the form of a <a title=\"Media (communication)\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_%28communication%29\">medium</a> embeds itself in the <a title=\"Message\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message\">message</a>, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.</blockquote>\r\nAll that is somewhat esoteric...and when McLuhan was writing his observations in 1964,  the new frontier was television.\r\n\r\nTelevision may or may not be on the decline, but we are definitely in a world where the Internet and social media are our mass communication media.\r\n\r\nI came across an article by Jeremy Porter, on his blog Jounalistics, entitled \"<a href=\"http://blog.journalistics.com/2012/are-blog-posts-better-than-press-releases/\" target=\"_blank\">Are Blog Posts Better Than Press Releases</a>?\" Now, I am a huge fan of blogging and blogs, but I don\'t think blogs are \"better\" than any other form of communication. However, blogs may be <em>better suited</em> to some types of communication.\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, there is no hierarchy among the media (this one is better than that one) but rather there is a \"right-er\" medium for the message. For instance:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>If your message is short and ephemeral (an observation, a quick update, etc.) use <strong>Twitter</strong>.</li>\r\n	<li>If your message is long and requires complicated explanations, use a<strong> white paper</strong>.</li>\r\n	<li>If your message is newsworthy, and you want to get out to journalists, use a <strong>press release.</strong></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nChoosing which media to use is your job as a communicator. If you don\'t understand the differences between media, then you are going to have a hard time communicating your message to its target audience.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Is there a medium that can be used for all messages? Is there a better medium? Let me know in the comments.','The medium and the message','','publish','open','open','','the-medium-and-the-message','','\nhttp://blog.journalistics.com/2012/are-blog-posts-better-than-press-releases/','2012-06-19 13:08:43','2012-06-19 13:08:43','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1720',0,'post','',1),
(1721,4,'2012-06-19 13:03:44','2012-06-19 13:03:44','You may remember the famous line by Marshall McLuhan:\n<blockquote>The medium is the message.</blockquote>\nWhat does that mean? According to Wikipedia:\n<blockquote>meaning that the form of a <a title=\"Media (communication)\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_%28communication%29\">medium</a> embeds itself in the <a title=\"Message\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message\">message</a>, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.</blockquote>\nAll that is somewhat esoteric...and when McLuhan was writing his observations in 1964,  the new frontier was television.\n\nTelevision may or may not be on the decline, but we are definitely in a world where the Internet and social media are our mass communication media.\n\nI came across an article by Jeremy Porter, on his blog Jounalistics, entitled \"<a href=\"http://blog.journalistics.com/2012/are-blog-posts-better-than-press-releases/\" target=\"_blank\">Are Blog Posts Better Than Press Releases</a>?\" Now, I am a huge fan of blogging and blogs, but I don\'t think blogs are \"better\" than any other form of communication. However, blogs may be <em>better suited</em> to some types of communication.\n\nIn my opinion, there is no hierarchy among the media (this one is better than that one) but rather there is a \"right-er\" medium for the message. For instance, if your message is short and ephemeral (an observation, a quick update about stats, etc.) then you best medium may be Twitter. If your message is long and requires complicated explanations, perhaps the best medium is a white paper.  If your message is newsworthy, and you want to get out to journalists, then you may decide to employ a press release.\n\nChoosing which media to use is your job as a communicator. If you don\'t understand the differences between media, then you are going to have a hard time communicating your message to its target audience.\n\nWhat are your thoughts? Is there a medium that can be used for all messages? Is there a better medium? Let me know in the commnet.','The medium and the message','','inherit','open','open','','1720-revision','','','2012-06-19 13:03:44','2012-06-19 13:03:44','',1720,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1720-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1722,4,'2012-06-19 13:09:50','2012-06-19 13:09:50','You may remember the famous line by Marshall McLuhan:\n<blockquote>The medium is the message.</blockquote>\nWhat does that mean? According to Wikipedia:\n<blockquote>meaning that the form of a <a title=\"Media (communication)\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_%28communication%29\">medium</a> embeds itself in the <a title=\"Message\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message\">message</a>, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.</blockquote>\nAll that is somewhat esoteric...and when McLuhan was writing his observations in 1964,  the new frontier was television.\n\nTelevision may or may not be on the decline, but we are definitely in a world where the Internet and social media are our mass communication media.\n\nI came across an article by Jeremy Porter, on his blog Jounalistics, entitled \"<a href=\"http://blog.journalistics.com/2012/are-blog-posts-better-than-press-releases/\" target=\"_blank\">Are Blog Posts Better Than Press Releases</a>?\" Now, I am a huge fan of blogging and blogs, but I don\'t think blogs are \"better\" than any other form of communication. However, blogs may be <em>better suited</em> to some types of communication.\n\nIn my opinion, there is no hierarchy among the media (this one is better than that one) but rather there is a \"right-er\" medium for the message. For instance:\n<ul>\n	<li>If your message is short and ephemeral (an observation, a quick update, etc.) use <strong>Twitter</strong>.</li>\n	<li>If your message is long and requires complicated explanations, use a<strong> white paper</strong>.</li>\n	<li>If your message is newsworthy, and you want to get out to journalists, use a <strong>press release.</strong></li>\n</ul>\nChoosing which media to use is your job as a communicator. If you don\'t understand the differences between media, then you are going to have a hard time communicating your message to its target audience.\n\nWhat are your thoughts? Is there a medium that can be used for all messages? Is there a better medium? Let me know in the comments.','The medium and the message','','inherit','open','open','','1720-autosave','','','2012-06-19 13:09:50','2012-06-19 13:09:50','',1720,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1720-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1723,4,'2012-06-19 13:04:40','2012-06-19 13:04:40','You may remember the famous line by Marshall McLuhan:\r\n<blockquote>The medium is the message.</blockquote>\r\nWhat does that mean? According to Wikipedia:\r\n<blockquote>meaning that the form of a <a title=\"Media (communication)\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_%28communication%29\">medium</a> embeds itself in the <a title=\"Message\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message\">message</a>, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.</blockquote>\r\nAll that is somewhat esoteric...and when McLuhan was writing his observations in 1964,  the new frontier was television.\r\n\r\nTelevision may or may not be on the decline, but we are definitely in a world where the Internet and social media are our mass communication media.\r\n\r\nI came across an article by Jeremy Porter, on his blog Jounalistics, entitled \"<a href=\"http://blog.journalistics.com/2012/are-blog-posts-better-than-press-releases/\" target=\"_blank\">Are Blog Posts Better Than Press Releases</a>?\" Now, I am a huge fan of blogging and blogs, but I don\'t think blogs are \"better\" than any other form of communication. However, blogs may be <em>better suited</em> to some types of communication.\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, there is no hierarchy among the media (this one is better than that one) but rather there is a \"right-er\" medium for the message. For instance, if your message is short and ephemeral (an observation, a quick update about stats, etc.) then you best medium may be Twitter. If your message is long and requires complicated explanations, perhaps the best medium is a white paper.  If your message is newsworthy, and you want to get out to journalists, then you may decide to employ a press release.\r\n\r\nChoosing which media to use is your job as a communicator. If you don\'t understand the differences between media, then you are going to have a hard time communicating your message to its target audience.\r\n\r\nWhat are your thoughts? Is there a medium that can be used for all messages? Is there a better medium? Let me know in the comments.','The medium and the message','','inherit','open','open','','1720-revision-2','','','2012-06-19 13:04:40','2012-06-19 13:04:40','',1720,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1720-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1724,4,'2011-08-24 16:10:35','2011-08-24 16:10:35','<div id=\"aboutleft\">\r\n<img src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/picture.jpg\" align=\"left\" style=\"margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 40px;\">Deborah Brody is a writer and consultant with nearly 20 years public relations, advertising and marketing experience. Her firm, Deborah Brody Marketing Communications (DBMC), provides high-level writing and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofits.\r\n\r\nPrior to launching DBMC in 2002 and helping organizations refine marketing materials, write blog posts, create website content, and generate press releases, the bilingual (English, Spanish) Deborah worked at several South Florida-based agencies, including Everett Clay Associates, The Jeffrey Group, and  Peter Nasca Associates. With these firms, she specialized in public relations in Latin America and corporate communications.  During this time, Deborah also taught Advanced Public Relations Writing at Florida International  University.\r\n\r\nCurrently based in the Washington,  D.C. area, Deborah is a graduate of Brandeis University (B.A., Politics) and of Boston University\'s College of Communications, where she earned a Master\'s degree in Mass Communication.\r\n\r\nDeborah is now serving her second year on the board of Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), where she chairs the Pro Bono Committee, and has also held positions with the National Arts Marketing Council’s Steering Committee (Miami) and the Jewish Community Relations Council (Miami).\r\n\r\nAn avid reader, Deborah leads a book group that meets monthly to discuss current fiction.\r\n<p style=\"text-align:center; font-size:20px;\"><a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/clients/\">Clients</a> | <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/portfolio/\">Portfolio</a> | <a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/about/how-we-work/\">How We Work</a></p></div>\r\n<div id=\"aboutright\">\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\"><p id=\"testimonial\">In the media relations area, Deborah displayed great news instincts - she knew what was newsworthy and how to get coverage. She is a creative, clear, and concise writer, targeting her products to the organization and its audiences. Plus, she\'s bi-lingual and can help you reach even broader audiences.</p>\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Debbie Auerbach-Deutsch, former VP of Communications, B’nai B’rith International</p>\r\n</div>\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\"><p id=\"testimonial\">Deborah wrote 8 reports on workshops that took place at the International Aid & Trade Event in Washington D.C. The articles she wrote are accurate, engaging and comprehensive. They were delivered as requested and on time. I am more than satisfied with Deborah\'s work and she was a pleasure to work with.</p>\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Sula Bruce, Aid and Development Forum</p>\r\n</div>\r\n<div id=\"testimonial\"><p id=\"testimonial\">Deborah is a smart, clear, and strong writer who always impresses me with her awareness of the latest marketing trends. </p>\r\n<p id=\"testimonial\">Bonnie Auslander, Office of Business Communications, American University Kogod School of Business</p>\r\n</div>\r\n</div>','About','','inherit','open','open','','18-revision-v1','','','2011-08-24 16:10:35','2011-08-24 16:10:35','',18,'http://deborahbrody.com/2011/08/18-revision-42/',0,'revision','',0),
(1727,4,'2012-06-21 13:04:48','2012-06-21 13:04:48','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It seems that there are lots of people out there who either don\'t know how to use Twitter or don\'t really care.  Their behavior --from ignoring people to being excessively self-promotional-- is just plain obnoxious. \"In real life\" if you engage in obnoxious behavior, people start avoiding you, right?</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">These are a few obnoxious behaviors that you should avoid:\n</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior</strong>: Not responding to @ mentions</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> Someone is trying to talk to you. In person, would you ignore someone who is speaking to you?</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior</strong>: Retweeting every comment that includes a mention of oneself</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious</strong>: It is clear that you are trying to make sure your followers know that others have mentioned you. In person, what would you think of someone who is constantly saying, things like \"Joe really  likes me, and told me so.\"</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior:</strong> Bragging or posting completely self-serving tweets</span>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> When you are going on (and on and on) about yourself, you are acting as if the world is your echo chamber. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The only person that benefits from your behavior is you.</span> </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior</strong>: Following people but never interacting with them</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> If you are interested in following someone, perhaps it is because you enjoy what they share or have to say. When you don\'t COMMUNICATE with that person, you are giving absolutely no reason why that person should follow you or value your follow.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior:</strong> Never interacting with anyone</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> Would you go to a party, stand up and start talking and ignore everyone else in the room? Would you show up to a networking event and not speak to anyone? Why are you there? Presumably, you are there because you want to speak with other people--not to or at them.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior:</strong> Scheduling Tweets</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this obnoxious::</strong> When you schedule Tweets you are using Twitter as a place to dump information rather than a place to interact with people. It takes the social out of social media. </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">What obnoxious behavior have you encountered on Twitter?</span>\n\n&nbsp;','How to use Twitter and not be obnoxious','','inherit','open','open','','1726-revision','','','2012-06-21 13:04:48','2012-06-21 13:04:48','',1726,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1726-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1728,4,'2012-06-21 13:15:07','2012-06-21 13:15:07','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It seems that there are lots of people out there who either don\'t know how to use Twitter or don\'t really care.  Their behavior --from ignoring people to being excessively self-promotional-- is just plain obnoxious. \"In real life\" if you engage in obnoxious behavior, people start avoiding you, right?</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">These are a few obnoxious behaviors that you should avoid:\n</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior</strong>: Not responding to @ mentions</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> Someone is trying to talk to you. In person, would you ignore someone who is speaking to you?</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior</strong>: Retweeting every comment that includes a mention of you</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious</strong>: It is clear that you are trying to make sure your followers know that others have mentioned you. In person, what would you think of someone who is constantly saying, things like \"Joe really  likes me, and told me so.\"</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior:</strong> Bragging or posting completely self-serving tweets</span>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> When you are going on (and on and on) about yourself, you are acting as if the world is your echo chamber. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The only person that benefits from your behavior is you.</span> </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior</strong>: Following people but <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">never</span> interacting with them</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> If you are interested in following someone, perhaps it is because you enjoy what they share or have to say. When you don\'t COMMUNICATE with that person, you are giving absolutely no reason why that person should follow you or value your follow.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior:</strong> Never interacting with anyone at all\n</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> Would you go to a party, stand up and start talking and ignore everyone else in the room? Would you show up to a networking event and not speak to anyone? Why are you there? Presumably, you are there because you want to speak with other people--not to or at them.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior:</strong> Scheduling Tweets</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this obnoxious::</strong> When you schedule Tweets you are using Twitter as a place to dump information rather than a place to interact with people. It takes the social out of social media. </span>\n\n<strong>Behavior</strong>: Automatically Tweeting your check-ins\n\n<strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> Do you walk around announcing yourself everywhere you go? \"Hi, I am at the corner of Main and Elm. Hi, now I am dropping my clothes at the dry cleaners. Hi, now I am stopping at the drugstore for my seizure medication.  Hi, now I am picking lint off my jacket while standing on line at Starbucks.\"\n\nIf you don\'t want to be obnoxious on Twitter, think whether you would do those things if you were to see your \"Tweeps\" in person. It really is that simple.\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">What obnoxious behavior have you encountered on Twitter?</span>\n\n&nbsp;','How to use Twitter and not be obnoxious','','inherit','open','open','','1726-autosave','','','2012-06-21 13:15:07','2012-06-21 13:15:07','',1726,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1726-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1729,4,'2012-06-21 13:05:00','2012-06-21 13:05:00','<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It seems that there are lots of people out there who either don\'t know how to use Twitter or don\'t really care.  Their behavior --from ignoring people to being excessively self-promotional-- is just plain obnoxious. \"In real life\" if you engage in obnoxious behavior, people start avoiding you, right?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">These are a few obnoxious behaviors that you should avoid:\r\n</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior</strong>: Not responding to @ mentions</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> Someone is trying to talk to you. In person, would you ignore someone who is speaking to you?</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior</strong>: Retweeting every comment that includes a mention of oneself</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious</strong>: It is clear that you are trying to make sure your followers know that others have mentioned you. In person, what would you think of someone who is constantly saying, things like \"Joe really  likes me, and told me so.\"</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior:</strong> Bragging or posting completely self-serving tweets</span>\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> When you are going on (and on and on) about yourself, you are acting as if the world is your echo chamber. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The only person that benefits from your behavior is you.</span> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior</strong>: Following people but never interacting with them</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> If you are interested in following someone, perhaps it is because you enjoy what they share or have to say. When you don\'t COMMUNICATE with that person, you are giving absolutely no reason why that person should follow you or value your follow.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior:</strong> Never interacting with anyone</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is obnoxious:</strong> Would you go to a party, stand up and start talking and ignore everyone else in the room? Would you show up to a networking event and not speak to anyone? Why are you there? Presumably, you are there because you want to speak with other people--not to or at them.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Behavior:</strong> Scheduling Tweets</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this obnoxious::</strong> When you schedule Tweets you are using Twitter as a place to dump information rather than a place to interact with people. It takes the social out of social media. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">What obnoxious behavior have you encountered on Twitter?</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to use Twitter and not be obnoxious','','inherit','open','open','','1726-revision-2','','','2012-06-21 13:05:00','2012-06-21 13:05:00','',1726,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1726-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1731,4,'2012-07-24 14:46:35','0000-00-00 00:00:00','You have a network: a good amount of people are in your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter circles, and you know most of them in person. Right? You interact with most of them, if only to \"like\" their status, or comment on their promotions, right? On Twitter, you retweet stuff, right?\n\nNo?\n\nIf you aren\'t interacting with your network regularly in some semi-meaningful way, you are neglecting this very valuable group of people. And people that you neglect aren\'t really going to be there for you when you need them.\n\nI just received a note from someone who has not NEEDED my input for some time, and thus, hasn\'t been heard from. But now, she needs me again.  Her business is up for an award and she needs my vote. Actually, she needs lots of votes.  So she is begging for me and all her other contacts to vote.\n\nI can\'t speak for her other contacts, but I don\'t have a reason to do anything for her. She is an opportunistic networker--using the network she has only when it is opportune for her. Somehow, I doubt if I were to ask her for a favor, whether she would comply. She would most likely ignore me, since there is no opportunity for her to','Are you opportunistic about your network?','','draft','open','open','','','','','2012-07-24 14:46:35','2012-07-24 14:46:35','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1731',0,'post','',0),
(1732,4,'2012-06-27 14:23:26','2012-06-27 14:23:26','You have a network: a good amount of people are in your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter circles, and you know most of them in person. Right? You interact with most of them, if only to \"like\" their status, or comment on their promotions, right? On Twitter, you retweet stuff, right?\n\nNo?\n\nIf you aren\'t interacting with your network regularly in some semi-meaningful way, you are neglecting this very valuable group of people. And people that you neglect aren\'t really going to be there for you when you need them.\n\nI just received a note from someone who has not NEEDED my input for some time, and thus, hasn\'t been heard from. But now, she needs me again.  Her business is up for an award and she needs my vote. Actually, she needs lots of votes.  So she is begging for me and all her other contacts to vote.\n\nI can\'t speak for her other contacts, but I don\'t have a reason to do anything for her. She is an opportunistic networker--using the network she has only when it is opportune for her. Somehow, I doubt if I were to ask her for a favor, whether she would comply. She would most likely ignore me, since there is no opportunity for her to','Are you opportunistic about your network?','','inherit','open','open','','1731-revision','','','2012-06-27 14:23:26','2012-06-27 14:23:26','',1731,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1731-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1753,4,'2012-07-19 19:28:43','2012-07-19 19:28:43','The other day I had a conversation with a neighbor. She\'s renovating her house and she mentioned that one of her big problems is mildew. I asked whether she has a dehumidifier. And, you guessed it, she does not. If you have humidity, which leads to mildew, then do something about it.\r\n\r\nThere are many people out there who know exactly what the problem is, but many of them don\'t find a solution. I am sure you have experience with this situation. For instance, how many people have you met who complain of having headaches or stomach issues or fatigue (and I mean on an ongoing basis), yet don\'t go to the doctor?\r\n\r\nHow many companies or organizations know they have a customer communications problem, yet don\'t update their website, survey their members, create a new brochure, train front line employees or whatever it takes to remedy the situation?\r\n\r\nAwareness is important, but action is the only way to move forward.','Knowing the problem is not enough','','publish','open','open','','knowing-the-problem-is-not-enough','','','2012-07-19 19:28:43','2012-07-19 19:28:43','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1753',0,'post','',0),
(1734,4,'2012-06-28 17:28:05','2012-06-28 17:28:05','It\'s somewhat ironic, but I haven\'t been blogging much this week because I have been working on the details for a blogging workshop!\r\n\r\nIf you or someone you know is in the Metro DC area and wants to learn how to more easily write blog posts, find topics and inspiration, make your headline more appealing and get your blog going, you may want to come to my <a href=\"http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\">\"How to write your blog: A hands-on workshop.\" </a>\r\n\r\nThe workshop is taking place on Tuesday, July 31, starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Center (which has plenty of parking nearby and is a few blocks from the Silver Spring Metro stop), in the Colesville Room.  The cost is $75 for the three hour session, (and will include refreshments).\r\n\r\nYou will leave the session with a ready-to-publish blog post, blog post ideas, lists of keywords and categories for your blog, and lots of other useful information that will make blogging easier for you.\r\n\r\nIf you have any questions, let me know in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Want to learn how to blog?','','publish','open','open','','want-to-learn-how-to-blog','','','2012-06-28 17:28:05','2012-06-28 17:28:05','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1734',0,'post','',0),
(1735,4,'2012-06-28 17:26:29','2012-06-28 17:26:29','It\'s somewhat ironic, but I haven\'t been blogging much this week because I have been working on the details for a blogging workshop!\n\nIf you or someone you know is in the Metro DC area and wants to learn how to more easily write blog posts, find topics and inspiration, make your headline more appealing and get your blog going, you may want to come to my <a href=\"http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\">\"How to write your blog: A hands-on workshop.\" </a>\n\nThe workshop is taking place on Tuesday, July 31, starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Center (which has plenty of parking nearby and is a few blocks from the Silver Spring Metro stop), in the Colesville Room.  The cost is $75 for the three hour session, (and will include refreshments).\n\nYou will leave the session with a ready-to-publish blog post, blog post ideas, lists of keywords and categories for your blog, and lots of other useful information that will make blogging easier for you.\n\nIf you have any questions, let me know in the comments.\n\n&nbsp;','Want to learn how to blog?','','inherit','open','open','','1734-revision','','','2012-06-28 17:26:29','2012-06-28 17:26:29','',1734,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1734-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1736,4,'2012-06-28 17:26:53','2012-06-28 17:26:53','It\'s somewhat ironic, but I haven\'t been blogging much this week because I have been working on the details for a blogging workshop!\r\n\r\nIf you or someone you know is in the Metro DC area and wants to learn how to more easily write blog posts, find topics and inspiration, make your headline more appealing and get your blog going, you may want to come to my <a href=\"http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\">\"How to write your blog: A hands-on workshop.\" </a>\r\n\r\nThe workshop is taking place on Tuesday, July 31, starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Center (which has plenty of parking nearby and is a few blocks from the Silver Spring Metro stop), in the Colesville Room.  The cost is $75 for the three hour session, (and will include refreshments).\r\n\r\nYou will leave the session with a ready-to-publish blog post, blog post ideas, lists of keywords and categories for your blog, and lots of other useful information that will make blogging easier for you.\r\n\r\nIf you have any questions, let me know in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Want to learn how to blog?','','inherit','open','open','','1734-revision-2','','','2012-06-28 17:26:53','2012-06-28 17:26:53','',1734,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1734-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1737,4,'2012-06-28 17:29:09','2012-06-28 17:29:09','It\'s somewhat ironic, but I haven\'t been blogging much this week because I have been working on the details for a blogging workshop!\n\nIf you or someone you know is in the Metro DC area and wants to learn how to more easily write blog posts, find topics and inspiration, make your headline more appealing and get your blog going, you may want to come to my <a href=\"http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\">\"How to write your blog: A hands-on workshop.\" </a>\n\nThe workshop is taking place on Tuesday, July 31, starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Center (which has plenty of parking nearby and is a few blocks from the Silver Spring Metro stop), in the Colesville Room.  The cost is $75 for the three hour session, (and will include refreshments).\n\nYou will leave the session with a ready-to-publish blog post, blog post ideas, lists of keywords and categories for your blog, and lots of other useful information that will make blogging easier for you.\n\nIf you have any questions, let me know in the comments.\n\n&nbsp;','Want to learn how to blog?','','inherit','open','open','','1734-autosave','','','2012-06-28 17:29:09','2012-06-28 17:29:09','',1734,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/06/1734-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1739,4,'2012-07-03 13:51:26','2012-07-03 13:51:26','Maryland, Virginia and DC were hit hard last Friday night by a storm called a Derecho. It came straight at us with winds clocked at 70 miles per hour, lightning and rain, all which brought down branches and even whole tree.  My house shook, the lights flickered, and then the power went out. I got out flashlight and immediately called Pepco. The initial message said crews were being assigned and I should have power restored by midnight. When I called the next 15 times, I got the same message each time: Crews would be assigned shortly.\n\nMeanwhile, a million electric customers in the region were also without power, also not getting answers from their utilities. Intersections were dark and tempers were frayed--because not only was there no power, but record-breaking heat and humidity. I decamped to my local Cosi, which thankfully had power, coffee and free Wi-Fi. Pepco\'s website informed me that the more than 1000 customers in my section did not have an estimated restoration time. By Sunday, after Pepco finished surveying the damage, it announced a \"global estimated restoration time\" of Friday, July 6 at 11 pm (yes, a whole week later).\n\nNow, Pepco has been running an ad campaign for the past several months. Here\'s a sample:\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZD_3mOq1DnM\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\n\nNotice the message: Pepco is working hard to improve its reliability.\n\nBut is Pepco doing enough? After this fiasco, the answer seems to be no.\n\nYesterday, Marc Fisher from the Washington Post called me because he had seen my previous <a title=\"How to become the most hated company\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2011/07/how-to-become-the-most-hated-company/\" target=\"_blank\">blog posts </a>on Pepco. He asked me what I would recommend that Pepco do, communications-wise. Should they not advertise? I am not sure what the answer is. I do know that a commercial like the one above does not ring true, and I will bet that the ad gets taken off the air. Perhaps the best course for Pepco is to invest its ad budget into infrastructure, and when it has made REAL, significant improvements, then have a PR campaign to inform its public about what exactly has been done. Just a thought.\n\nHere\'s Marc Fisher\'s article: <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/for-pepco-customers-without-power-frustration-grows-four-days-after-storm/2012/07/02/gJQAJ0vQJW_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">For Pepco customers still without power, patience wears thin</a>.\n\nYes, Pepco\'s work still does continue--and it should work harder!\n\n&nbsp;','Working hard or hardly working? Pepco strikes again','','inherit','open','open','','1738-revision','','','2012-07-03 13:51:26','2012-07-03 13:51:26','',1738,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1738-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1740,4,'2012-07-03 13:52:13','2012-07-03 13:52:13','Maryland, Virginia and DC were hit hard last Friday night by a storm called a Derecho. It came straight at us with winds clocked at 70 miles per hour, lightning and rain, all which brought down branches and even whole tree.  My house shook, the lights flickered, and then the power went out. I got out flashlight and immediately called Pepco. The initial message said crews were being assigned and I should have power restored by midnight. When I called the next 15 times, I got the same message each time: Crews would be assigned shortly.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, a million electric customers in the region were also without power, also not getting answers from their utilities. Intersections were dark and tempers were frayed--because not only was there no power, but record-breaking heat and humidity. I decamped to my local Cosi, which thankfully had power, coffee and free Wi-Fi. Pepco\'s website informed me that the more than 1000 customers in my section did not have an estimated restoration time. By Sunday, after Pepco finished surveying the damage, it announced a \"global estimated restoration time\" of Friday, July 6 at 11 pm (yes, a whole week later).\r\n\r\nNow, Pepco has been running an ad campaign for the past several months. Here\'s a sample:\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZD_3mOq1DnM\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nNotice the message: Pepco is working hard to improve its reliability.\r\n\r\nBut is Pepco doing enough? After this fiasco, the answer seems to be no.\r\n\r\nYesterday, Marc Fisher from the Washington Post called me because he had seen my previous <a title=\"How to become the most hated company\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2011/07/how-to-become-the-most-hated-company/\" target=\"_blank\">blog posts </a>on Pepco. He asked me what I would recommend that Pepco do, communications-wise. Should they not advertise? I am not sure what the answer is. I do know that a commercial like the one above does not ring true, and I will bet that the ad gets taken off the air. Perhaps the best course for Pepco is to invest its ad budget into infrastructure, and when it has made REAL, significant improvements, then have a PR campaign to inform its public about what exactly has been done. Just a thought.\r\n\r\nHere\'s Marc Fisher\'s article: <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/for-pepco-customers-without-power-frustration-grows-four-days-after-storm/2012/07/02/gJQAJ0vQJW_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">For Pepco customers still without power, patience wears thin</a>.\r\n\r\nYes, Pepco\'s work still does continue--and it should work harder!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Working hard or hardly working? Pepco strikes again','','inherit','open','open','','1738-revision-2','','','2012-07-03 13:52:13','2012-07-03 13:52:13','',1738,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1738-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1747,4,'2012-07-16 20:53:32','2012-07-16 20:53:32','Last week, I wrote about an <a title=\"Pepco truly believes advertising is the answer\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/pepco-truly-believes-advertising-is-the-answer/\" target=\"_blank\">ad campaign Pepco is currently running</a> (there have been at least two or three more of the same ad I mentioned) in the Washington Post.  Today, I noticed a full page ad on the back page of Section A in the Post, by Dominion Power (which services parts of Virginia and which had a million or so customers without power).\r\n\r\nBecause of the size of Dominion\'s ad, here it is scanned in  two parts:\r\n\r\n[gallery]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNotice anything? Dominion ACKNOWLEDGES the problem, and focuses on their customers. There is no apology here either, but there is a more human touch to this ad than Pepco\'s. Both Pepco and Dominion say the same thing -- the storm was devastating and the circumstances were challenging--but with different sentiment.\r\n\r\nI believe that all marketing communications reflect a company\'s corporate culture. Some companies are more formal, some are more humane and some are more playful or fun. Some companies--think law firms--are all about formality and adherence to strict protocols. These companies will usually have dress codes and rigid standards of conduct. Their advertising/communications will also be formal and rigid. Other companies--think entertainment--are more relaxed. Their advertising is generally more creative.\r\n\r\nWTOP (news radio here in Washington) hosted an incredible session last week with eight utility executives. Each company had suffered power losses from the derecho storm. They all said similar things--the storm was unexpected, they weren\'t prepared, tree trimming would not have helped since whole trees came down and burying power lines is very expensive. What was different amongst them was the tone. Dominion\'s executive said almost the same thing Pepco\'s Tom Graham said, but he said it without the condescension. He acknowledged how hard it was for the customers--Graham was concerned with his talking point (\"reliability\") and with making excuses.\r\n\r\nYou can see the difference in corporate culture in Pepco\'s advertising versus Dominion\'s. Dominion is more down to earth, whereas Pepco doesn\'t seem to understand that \"customers\" are people.  Pepco is more formal, more wordy. Dominion was inclusive (\"Storms can tear things apart, but they can also bring us together) while Pepco was divisive (We were tested and we responded). For Dominion, there\'s an attempt at solidarity with customers.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you think these ads reflect different corporate cultures and priorities?','Dominion vs. Pepco: How ads reflect corporate culture','','publish','open','open','','dominion-vs-pepco-how-ads-reflect-corporate-culture','','\nhttp://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/pepco-truly-believes-advertising-is-the-answer/','2012-07-16 20:53:32','2012-07-16 20:53:32','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1747',0,'post','',0),
(1743,4,'2012-07-10 17:05:42','2012-07-10 17:05:42','After eight or more days, Pepco finally restored power to everyone that had lost it. And the company finally got back  to advertising how hard it is working to be reliable. This morning, I came across a three-quarter page ad in the Washington Post. It was too large for my scanner to make the whole thing into a PDF but here is the portion I was able to scan:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Pepco-ad-71012.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1744\" title=\"Pepco ad 71012\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Pepco-ad-71012-215x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"215\" height=\"300\" /></a><strong>Notice the headline: We Were Tested. And We Responded.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn the ad, Pepco claims it prioritized and mobilized crews. The ad says: \"Even with all the destruction, we beat our original global estimated time of restoration by two days...\"\r\n\r\nApparently, this ad is designed to convince customers that Pepco not only did what it is meant to do (provide power) but was able to restore power much quicker than it promised. (By the way, this is an old sales trick: tell the customer that you won\'t be able to do something until a certain date, and then deliver early, making yourself look good.)  As if this is any consolation to the thousands of people who spent the last week trying to deal with excessive heat, throwing out spoiled food and spending out-of-pocket to stay in hotels and eat in restaurants.\r\n\r\nThe ad also says \"We are stronger and more reliable-but no amount of strengthening to our system could have withstood a  storm of this magnitude.\"\r\n\r\nWhat Pepco is doing with that sentence is making excuses. I don\'t think people were as upset with the initial loss of power from \"a storm of this magnitude\" but with how long it took power to be restored, coupled with completely abysmal communications.\r\n\r\nOh but this ad is not all about chest-thumping. No. It is also to say \"Thank you to our customers who remained patient while we worked around the clock to restore service.\" And also to thank its partners, employees, and indeed itself for \"performance that beat our own expectation and was in line with our peers\' response to the storm.\"\r\n\r\nPepco concludes that it will continue to \"enhance our reliability, work hard to restore power when storms come again, and keep our customers informed of our progress every step of the way.\"\r\n\r\nWow. Just wow.\r\n\r\nImagine if Pepco had engaged in some community and public relations work instead. For example, Pepco could have sponsored some cooling centers or handed out water and ice. Or what if the company sounded genuinely sorry for the situation its customers were facing? Instead, it seems that Pepco believes that if it tells people what it wants them to believe, then those people will simply believe it.\r\n\r\nAnd again Pepco forgets that people have first-hand experiences to guide their decisions. Most people who called Pepco to report outages or get updates got no information or the wrong information. People who were able to access the Pepco website also were unable to get information. And then there is the reality that most people that lost power waited for at least two to five days to get it back. And that those days were during an almost unprecedented heat wave.\r\n\r\nI am not sure who handles communications at Pepco, or who thought that making excuses and spinning the situation is a way to get customers on your side, but that person or persons should perhaps take a break from doing advertising. Advertising, especially something so unapologetic and self-serving as this particular ad is, is not the solution to fixing Pepco\'s image.\r\n\r\nPepco is spending millions of dollars on advertising to rehabilitate its image and it is not working.  Every dollar more that goes into advertising, especially something like the ad above, is actually proving how out of touch this company is, how little it understands its customers and how even less it seems to care.\r\n\r\nIf you felt the need to run advertising, why not run an ad that said something simple like:\r\n\r\nThanks to our customers for your patience. Thanks to our staff for your hard work.\r\n\r\nor\r\n\r\nWe are happy that power has been restored to all our customers, and we sincerely regret the major inconvenience. We promise to do better.\r\n\r\nBut no, we won\'t see any humility or apologies from Pepco. Instead, we will see it ask for rate increases and blame everything from God to the weather for its inability to communicate properly and work efficiently.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Pepco truly believes advertising is the answer','','publish','open','open','','pepco-truly-believes-advertising-is-the-answer','','','2012-07-10 17:05:42','2012-07-10 17:05:42','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1743',0,'post','',1),
(1744,4,'2012-07-10 16:32:38','2012-07-10 16:32:38','Pepco ad in July 10 2012 Washington Post','Pepco ad 71012','','inherit','open','open','','pepco-ad-71012','','','2012-07-10 16:32:38','2012-07-10 16:32:38','',1743,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Pepco-ad-71012.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1745,4,'2012-07-10 17:01:47','2012-07-10 17:01:47','After eight or more days, Pepco finally restored power to everyone that had lost it. And the company finally got back  to advertising how hard it is working to be reliable. This morning, I came across a three-quarter page ad in the Washington Post. It was too large for my scanner to make the whole thing into a PDF but here is the portion I was able to scan:\n\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Pepco-ad-71012.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1744\" title=\"Pepco ad 71012\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Pepco-ad-71012-215x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"215\" height=\"300\" /></a><strong>Notice the headline: We Were Tested. And We Responded.</strong>\n\nIn the ad, Pepco claims it prioritized and mobilized crews. The ad says: \"Even with all the destruction, we beat our original global estimated time of restoration by two days...\"\n\nApparently, this ad is designed to convince customers that Pepco not only did what it is meant to do (provide power) but was able to restore power much quicker than it promised. (By the way, this is an old sales trick: tell the customer that you won\'t be able to do something until a certain date, and then deliver early, making yourself look good).  As if this is any consolation to the thousands of people who spent the last week trying to deal with excessive heat, throwing out spoiled food and spending out-of-pocket to stay in hotels and eat in restaurants.\n\nThe ad also says \"We are stronger and more reliable-but no amount of strengthening to our system could have withstood a  storm of this magnitude.\"\n\nWhat Pepco is doing with that sentence is making excuses. I don\'t think people were as upset with the initial loss of power from \"a storm of this magnitude\" but with how long it took power to be restored, coupled with completely abysmal communications.\n\nOh but this ad is not all about chest-thumping. No. It is also to say \"Thank you to our customers who remained patient while we worked around the clock to restore service.\" And also to thank its partners, employees, and indeed itself for \"performance that beat our own expectation and was in line with our peers\' response to the storm.\"\n\nPepco concludes that it will continue to \"enhance our reliability, work hard to restore power when storms come again, and keep our customers informed of our progress every step of the way.\"\n\nWow. Just wow.\n\nImagine if Pepco had engaged in some community and public relations work instead. For example, Pepco could have sponsored some cooling centers or handed out water and ice. Or what if the company sounded genuinely sorry for the situation its customers were facing? Instead, it seems that Pepco believes that if it tells people what it wants them to believe, then those people will simply believe it.\n\nAnd again Pepco forgets that people have first-hand experiences to guide their decisions. Most people who called Pepco to report outages or get updates got no information or the wrong information. People who were able to access the Pepco website also were unable to get information. And then there is the reality that most people that lost power waited for at least two to five days to get it back. And that those days were during an almost unprecedented heat wave.\n\nI am not sure who handles communications at Pepco, or who thought that making excuses and spinning the situation is a way to get customers on your side, but that person or persons should perhaps take a break from doing advertising. Advertising, especially something so unapologetic and self-serving as this particular ad is, is not the solution to fixing Pepco\'s image.\n\nPepco is spending millions of dollars on advertising to rehabilitate its image and it is not working.  Every dollar more that goes into advertising, especially something like the ad above, is actually proving how out of touch this company is, how little it understands its customers and how even less it seems to care.\n\nIf you felt the need to run advertising, why not run an ad that said something simple like:\n\nThanks to our customers for your patience. Thanks to our staff for your hard work.\n\nor\n\nWe are happy that power has been restored to all our customers, and we sincerely regret the major inconvenience. We promise to do better.\n\nBut no, we won\'t see any humility or apologies from Pepco. Instead, we will see it ask for rate increases and blame everything from God to the weather for its inability to communicate properly and work efficiently.\n\n&nbsp;','Pepco truly believes advertising is the answer','','inherit','open','open','','1743-revision','','','2012-07-10 17:01:47','2012-07-10 17:01:47','',1743,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1743-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1746,4,'2012-07-10 17:03:58','2012-07-10 17:03:58','After eight or more days, Pepco finally restored power to everyone that had lost it. And the company finally got back  to advertising how hard it is working to be reliable. This morning, I came across a three-quarter page ad in the Washington Post. It was too large for my scanner to make the whole thing into a PDF but here is the portion I was able to scan:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Pepco-ad-71012.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1744\" title=\"Pepco ad 71012\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Pepco-ad-71012-215x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"215\" height=\"300\" /></a><strong>Notice the headline: We Were Tested. And We Responded.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn the ad, Pepco claims it prioritized and mobilized crews. The ad says: \"Even with all the destruction, we beat our original global estimated time of restoration by two days...\"\r\n\r\nApparently, this ad is designed to convince customers that Pepco not only did what it is meant to do (provide power) but was able to restore power much quicker than it promised. (By the way, this is an old sales trick: tell the customer that you won\'t be able to do something until a certain date, and then deliver early, making yourself look good).  As if this is any consolation to the thousands of people who spent the last week trying to deal with excessive heat, throwing out spoiled food and spending out-of-pocket to stay in hotels and eat in restaurants.\r\n\r\nThe ad also says \"We are stronger and more reliable-but no amount of strengthening to our system could have withstood a  storm of this magnitude.\"\r\n\r\nWhat Pepco is doing with that sentence is making excuses. I don\'t think people were as upset with the initial loss of power from \"a storm of this magnitude\" but with how long it took power to be restored, coupled with completely abysmal communications.\r\n\r\nOh but this ad is not all about chest-thumping. No. It is also to say \"Thank you to our customers who remained patient while we worked around the clock to restore service.\" And also to thank its partners, employees, and indeed itself for \"performance that beat our own expectation and was in line with our peers\' response to the storm.\"\r\n\r\nPepco concludes that it will continue to \"enhance our reliability, work hard to restore power when storms come again, and keep our customers informed of our progress every step of the way.\"\r\n\r\nWow. Just wow.\r\n\r\nImagine if Pepco had engaged in some community and public relations work instead. For example, Pepco could have sponsored some cooling centers or handed out water and ice. Or what if the company sounded genuinely sorry for the situation its customers were facing? Instead, it seems that Pepco believes that if it tells people what it wants them to believe, then those people will simply believe it.\r\n\r\nAnd again Pepco forgets that people have first-hand experiences to guide their decisions. Most people who called Pepco to report outages or get updates got no information or the wrong information. People who were able to access the Pepco website also were unable to get information. And then there is the reality that most people that lost power waited for at least two to five days to get it back. And that those days were during an almost unprecedented heat wave.\r\n\r\nI am not sure who handles communications at Pepco, or who thought that making excuses and spinning the situation is a way to get customers on your side, but that person or persons should perhaps take a break from doing advertising. Advertising, especially something so unapologetic and self-serving as this particular ad is, is not the solution to fixing Pepco\'s image.\r\n\r\nPepco is spending millions of dollars on advertising to rehabilitate its image and it is not working.  Every dollar more that goes into advertising, especially something like the ad above, is actually proving how out of touch this company is, how little it understands its customers and how even less it seems to care.\r\n\r\nIf you felt the need to run advertising, why not run an ad that said something simple like:\r\n\r\nThanks to our customers for your patience. Thanks to our staff for your hard work.\r\n\r\nor\r\n\r\nWe are happy that power has been restored to all our customers, and we sincerely regret the major inconvenience. We promise to do better.\r\n\r\nBut no, we won\'t see any humility or apologies from Pepco. Instead, we will see it ask for rate increases and blame everything from God to the weather for its inability to communicate properly and work efficiently.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Pepco truly believes advertising is the answer','','inherit','open','open','','1743-revision-2','','','2012-07-10 17:03:58','2012-07-10 17:03:58','',1743,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1743-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1748,4,'2012-07-16 20:30:15','2012-07-16 20:30:15','','Dominion 2','','inherit','open','open','','dominion-2','','','2012-07-16 20:30:15','2012-07-16 20:30:15','',1747,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Dominion-2.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1749,4,'2012-07-16 20:30:22','2012-07-16 20:30:22','','Dominion 1','','inherit','open','open','','dominion-1','','','2012-07-16 20:30:22','2012-07-16 20:30:22','',1747,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Dominion-1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1750,4,'2012-07-16 20:52:03','2012-07-16 20:52:03','Last week, I wrote about an <a title=\"Pepco truly believes advertising is the answer\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/pepco-truly-believes-advertising-is-the-answer/\" target=\"_blank\">ad campaign Pepco is currently running</a> (there have been at least two or three more of the same ad I mentioned) in the Washington Post.  Today, I noticed a full page ad on the back page of Section A in the Post, by Dominion Power (which services parts of Virginia and which had a million or so customers without power).\n\nBecause of the size of Dominion\'s ad, here it is scanned in  two parts:\n\n[gallery]\n\n&nbsp;\n\nNotice anything? Dominion ACKNOWLEDGES the problem, and focuses on their customers. There is no apology here either, but there is a more human touch to this ad than Pepco\'s. Both Pepco and Dominion say the same thing -- the storm was devastating and the circumstances were challenging--but with different sentiment.\n\nI believe that all marketing communications reflect a company\'s corporate culture. Some companies are more formal, some are more humane and some are more playful or fun. Some companies--think law firms--are all about formality and adherence to strict protocols. These companies will usually have dress codes and rigid standards of conduct. Their advertising/communications will also be formal and rigid. Other companies--think entertainment--are more relaxed. Their advertising is generally more creative.\n\nWTOP (news radio here in Washington) hosted an incredible session last week with eight utility executives. Each company had suffered power losses from the derecho storm. They all said similar things--the storm was unexpected, they weren\'t prepared, tree trimming would not have helped since whole trees came down and burying power lines is very expensive. What was different amongst them was the tone. Dominion\'s executive said almost the same thing Pepco\'s Tom Graham said, but he said it without the condescension. He acknowledged how hard it was for the customers--Graham was concerned with his talking point (\"reliability\") and with making excuses.\n\nYou can see the difference in corporate culture in Pepco\'s advertising versus Dominion\'s. Dominion is more down to earth, whereas Pepco doesn\'t seem to understand that \"customers\" are people.  Pepco is more formal, more wordy. Dominion was inclusive (\"Storms can tear things apart, but they can also bring us together) while Pepco was divisive (We were tested and we responded). For Dominion, there\'s an attempt at solidarity with customers.\n\nWhat do you think? Do you think these ads reflect different corporate cultures and priorities?','Dominion vs. Pepco: How ads reflect corporate culture','','inherit','open','open','','1747-revision','','','2012-07-16 20:52:03','2012-07-16 20:52:03','',1747,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1747-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1752,4,'2012-07-16 20:52:18','2012-07-16 20:52:18','Last week, I wrote about an <a title=\"Pepco truly believes advertising is the answer\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/pepco-truly-believes-advertising-is-the-answer/\" target=\"_blank\">ad campaign Pepco is currently running</a> (there have been at least two or three more of the same ad I mentioned) in the Washington Post.  Today, I noticed a full page ad on the back page of Section A in the Post, by Dominion Power (which services parts of Virginia and which had a million or so customers without power).\r\n\r\nBecause of the size of Dominion\'s ad, here it is scanned in  two parts:\r\n\r\n[gallery]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNotice anything? Dominion ACKNOWLEDGES the problem, and focuses on their customers. There is no apology here either, but there is a more human touch to this ad than Pepco\'s. Both Pepco and Dominion say the same thing -- the storm was devastating and the circumstances were challenging--but with different sentiment.\r\n\r\nI believe that all marketing communications reflect a company\'s corporate culture. Some companies are more formal, some are more humane and some are more playful or fun. Some companies--think law firms--are all about formality and adherence to strict protocols. These companies will usually have dress codes and rigid standards of conduct. Their advertising/communications will also be formal and rigid. Other companies--think entertainment--are more relaxed. Their advertising is generally more creative.\r\n\r\nWTOP (news radio here in Washington) hosted an incredible session last week with eight utility executives. Each company had suffered power losses from the derecho storm. They all said similar things--the storm was unexpected, they weren\'t prepared, tree trimming would not have helped since whole trees came down and burying power lines is very expensive. What was different amongst them was the tone. Dominion\'s executive said almost the same thing Pepco\'s Tom Graham said, but he said it without the condescension. He acknowledged how hard it was for the customers--Graham was concerned with his talking point (\"reliability\") and with making excuses.\r\n\r\nYou can see the difference in corporate culture in Pepco\'s advertising versus Dominion\'s. Dominion is more down to earth, whereas Pepco doesn\'t seem to understand that \"customers\" are people.  Pepco is more formal, more wordy. Dominion was inclusive (\"Storms can tear things apart, but they can also bring us together) while Pepco was divisive (We were tested and we responded). For Dominion, there\'s an attempt at solidarity with customers.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Do you think these ads reflect different corporate cultures and priorities?','Dominion vs. Pepco: How ads reflect corporate culture','','inherit','open','open','','1747-revision-2','','','2012-07-16 20:52:18','2012-07-16 20:52:18','',1747,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1747-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1754,4,'2012-07-19 19:28:20','2012-07-19 19:28:20','The other day I had a conversation with a neighbor. She\'s renovating her house and she mentioned that one of her big problems is mildew. I asked whether she has a dehumidifier. And, you guessed it, she does not. If you have humidity, which leads to mildew, then do something about it.\n\nThere are many people out there who know exactly what the problem is, but many of them don\'t find a solution. I am sure you have experience with this situation. For instance, how many people have you met who complain of having headaches or stomach issues or fatigue (and I mean on an ongoing basis), yet don\'t go to the doctor?\n\nHow many companies or organizations know they have a customer communications problem, yet don\'t update their website, survey their members, create a new brochure, train front line employees or whatever it takes to remedy the situation?\n\nAwareness is important, but action is the only way to move forward.','Knowing the problem is not enough','','inherit','open','open','','1753-revision','','','2012-07-19 19:28:20','2012-07-19 19:28:20','',1753,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1753-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1755,4,'2012-07-19 19:29:48','2012-07-19 19:29:48','The other day I had a conversation with a neighbor. She\'s renovating her house and she mentioned that one of her big problems is mildew. I asked whether she has a dehumidifier. And, you guessed it, she does not. If you have humidity, which leads to mildew, then do something about it.\n\nThere are many people out there who know exactly what the problem is, but many of them don\'t find a solution. I am sure you have experience with this situation. For instance, how many people have you met who complain of having headaches or stomach issues or fatigue (and I mean on an ongoing basis), yet don\'t go to the doctor?\n\nHow many companies or organizations know they have a customer communications problem, yet don\'t update their website, survey their members, create a new brochure, train front line employees or whatever it takes to remedy the situation?\n\nAwareness is important, but action is the only way to move forward.','Knowing the problem is not enough','','inherit','open','open','','1753-autosave','','','2012-07-19 19:29:48','2012-07-19 19:29:48','',1753,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1753-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1756,4,'2012-07-23 16:38:54','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Before you solve your problem, you have to be aware of what it is. However, once you are aware, as I said here last week, you have to do something about it.\n\n&nbsp;','How to solve your marcomm problems','','draft','open','open','','','','','2012-07-23 16:38:54','2012-07-23 16:38:54','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1756',0,'post','',0),
(1758,4,'2012-07-24 18:22:50','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Or, the 5 Marketing Lessons You Can Learn From Jigsaw Puzzles.\r\n\r\nOn a recent weekend, I spent a few hours putting together a really cool Andy Warhol Flowers 1000 piece puzzle.  While I was doing it, I kept thinking that marketing is really very similar to doing a puzzle. Here\'s why:\r\n\r\n1) You have to see the big picture: All puzzles have a picture of the completed puzzle to guide you. In marketing, you have to be able to envision the end result.\r\n\r\n2) Always start with the edge: In doing any puzzle, the easiest way is to put together the edge first, and work your way in. Edge pieces are easier to find too. In marketing, start\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Marketing is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle','','draft','open','open','','','','','2012-07-24 18:22:50','2012-07-24 18:22:50','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1758',0,'post','',0),
(1759,4,'2012-07-24 18:20:41','2012-07-24 18:20:41','Or, the 5 Marketing Lessons You Can Learn From Jigsaw Puzzles.\n\nOn a recent weekend, I spent a few hours putting together a really cool Andy Warhol Flowers 1000 piece puzzle.  While I was doing it, I kept thinking that marketing is really very similar to doing a puzzle. Here\'s why:\n\n1) You have to see the big picture: All puzzles have a picture of the completed puzzle to guide you. In marketing, you have to be able to envision the end result.\n\n2) Always start with the edge: In doing any puzzle, the easiest way is to put together the edge first, and work your way in. Edge pieces are easier to find too. In marketing, start\n\n&nbsp;','Marketing is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle','','inherit','open','open','','1758-revision','','','2012-07-24 18:20:41','2012-07-24 18:20:41','',1758,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1758-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1760,4,'2012-07-24 20:46:29','2012-07-24 20:46:29','I think I finally figured out why Pepco has such a bad image: the company does not \"get\" public relations. The company seems to believe that advertising alone can build a positive image, while failing to realize that most people differentiate between bought advertising and the third-party endorsement that comes from a public relations program.\r\n\r\nIf we look at the past month, we have not seen a single positive sign from Pepco. The latest news, out today, is that Pepco is complaining that the reduced rate hike that it is getting from the Maryland Public Service Commission won\'t be enough to sustain \"improvements.\" Read the article in the Washington Post <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/pepco-says-improvements-may-not-be-sustainable-after-md-rate-hike-decision/2012/07/24/gJQA8D3t6W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a>What we have seen is a large advertising campaign designed to tell people that Pepco responded well to the derecho storm (in spite of ample evidence to the contrary).\r\n\r\nPepco  understands that it must have a spokesperson to answer questions, but it does not seem to get that the spokesperson must tell the truth and not minimize the suffering caused by prolonged power outages (which is exactly what Thomas Graham continuously does). As Robert McCartney, columnist for the Washington Post puts it: <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/slip-of-tongue-reveals-pepcos-contempt-for-customers/2012/07/21/gJQAbfve0W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"A slip of tongue reveals Pepco\'s contempt for its customers.\"</a>\r\n\r\nPublic relations, according to BusinessDictionary.com, is the practice of creating and maintaining goodwill among an organization\'s publics, through the use of such tactics as media relations, sponsorships and charitable contributions.\r\n\r\nAs far as I can see, Pepco is not doing a good job at creating or maintaining goodwill. It is failing at public relations (and in my opinion, it is also failing at advertising). More troubling is that the company seems to not care what the public thinks. It seems to believe that if it places enough advertising, the public will believe that it is working hard and improving reliability. As I have said before, the public will only believe that Pepco is working hard-- at advertising-- unless changes are made that affect them directly (better communication, faster restoration times, indeed, increased reliability).\r\n\r\nPepco--how about you hire someone who \"gets\" public relations? Perhaps with some wise PR counsel you will improve your image by actually making steps that do increase goodwill.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>UPDATE</strong></span>\r\n\r\nTom Graham has<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/my-deeds-on-pepcos-behalf-should-outweigh-my-mistaken-words/2012/07/24/gJQApnGO7W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\"> this letter to the editor</a> in Wednesday\'s Washington Post.  I quote:\r\n<blockquote>Critics can say many things about the company and about me, but to question our care and concern for our customers is simply unfair. This is my home, these are my people, and they are — and will remain — my utmost professional priority.</blockquote>\r\nDo you think this rings true? Is the charge unfair?  Moreover, do you think this was a good move on Graham\'s part?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Pepco doesn\'t understand public relations','','publish','open','open','','pepco-doesnt-understand-public-relations','','','2012-07-25 14:45:16','2012-07-25 14:45:16','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1760',0,'post','',0),
(1761,4,'2012-07-24 20:45:47','2012-07-24 20:45:47','I think I finally figured out why Pepco has such a bad image: the company does not \"get\" public relations. The company seems to believe that advertising alone can build a positive image, while failing to realize that most people differentiate between bought advertising and the third-party endorsement that comes from a public relations program.\n\nIf we look at the past month, we have not seen a single positive sign from Pepco. The latest news, out today, is that Pepco is complaining that the reduced rate hike that it is getting from the Maryland Public Service Commission won\'t be enough to sustain \"improvements.\" Read the article in the Washington Post <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/pepco-says-improvements-may-not-be-sustainable-after-md-rate-hike-decision/2012/07/24/gJQA8D3t6W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a>What we have seen is a large advertising campaign designed to tell people that Pepco responded well to the derecho storm (in spite of ample evidence to the contrary).\n\nPepco  understands that it must have a spokesperson to answer questions, but it does not seem to get that the spokesperson must tell the truth and not minimize the suffering caused by prolonged power outages (which is exactly what Thomas Graham continuously does). As Robert McCartney, columnist for the Washington Post puts it: <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/slip-of-tongue-reveals-pepcos-contempt-for-customers/2012/07/21/gJQAbfve0W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"A slip of tongue reveals Pepco\'s contempt for its customers.\"</a>\n\nPublic relations, according to BusinessDictionary.com, is the practice of creating and maintaining goodwill among an organization\'s publics, through the use tactics including media relations, sponsorships and charitable contributions.\n\nAs far as I can see, Pepco is not doing a good job at creating or maintaining goodwill. It is failing at public relations (and in my opinion, it is also failing at advertising). More troubling is that the company seems to not care what the public thinks. It seems to believe that if it places enough advertising, the public will believe that it is working hard and improving reliability. As I have said before, the public will only believe that Pepco is working hard-- at advertising-- unless changes are made that affect them directly (better communication, faster restoration times, indeed, increased reliability).\n\nPepco--how about you hire someone who \"gets\" public relations? Perhaps with some wise PR counsel you will improve your image by actually making steps t\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Pepco doesn\'t understand public relations','','inherit','open','open','','1760-revision','','','2012-07-24 20:45:47','2012-07-24 20:45:47','',1760,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1760-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1762,4,'2012-07-25 14:46:21','2012-07-25 14:46:21','I think I finally figured out why Pepco has such a bad image: the company does not \"get\" public relations. The company seems to believe that advertising alone can build a positive image, while failing to realize that most people differentiate between bought advertising and the third-party endorsement that comes from a public relations program.\n\nIf we look at the past month, we have not seen a single positive sign from Pepco. The latest news, out today, is that Pepco is complaining that the reduced rate hike that it is getting from the Maryland Public Service Commission won\'t be enough to sustain \"improvements.\" Read the article in the Washington Post <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/pepco-says-improvements-may-not-be-sustainable-after-md-rate-hike-decision/2012/07/24/gJQA8D3t6W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a>What we have seen is a large advertising campaign designed to tell people that Pepco responded well to the derecho storm (in spite of ample evidence to the contrary).\n\nPepco  understands that it must have a spokesperson to answer questions, but it does not seem to get that the spokesperson must tell the truth and not minimize the suffering caused by prolonged power outages (which is exactly what Thomas Graham continuously does). As Robert McCartney, columnist for the Washington Post puts it: <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/slip-of-tongue-reveals-pepcos-contempt-for-customers/2012/07/21/gJQAbfve0W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"A slip of tongue reveals Pepco\'s contempt for its customers.\"</a>\n\nPublic relations, according to BusinessDictionary.com, is the practice of creating and maintaining goodwill among an organization\'s publics, through the use of such tactics as media relations, sponsorships and charitable contributions.\n\nAs far as I can see, Pepco is not doing a good job at creating or maintaining goodwill. It is failing at public relations (and in my opinion, it is also failing at advertising). More troubling is that the company seems to not care what the public thinks. It seems to believe that if it places enough advertising, the public will believe that it is working hard and improving reliability. As I have said before, the public will only believe that Pepco is working hard-- at advertising-- unless changes are made that affect them directly (better communication, faster restoration times, indeed, increased reliability).\n\nPepco--how about you hire someone who \"gets\" public relations? Perhaps with some wise PR counsel you will improve your image by actually making steps that do increase goodwill.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>UPDATE</strong></span>\n\nTom Graham has<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/my-deeds-on-pepcos-behalf-should-outweigh-my-mistaken-words/2012/07/24/gJQApnGO7W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\"> this letter to the editor</a> in Wednesday\'s Washington Post.  I quote:\n<blockquote>Critics can say many things about the company and about me, but to question our care and concern for our customers is simply unfair. This is my home, these are my people, and they are — and will remain — my utmost professional priority.</blockquote>\nDo you think this rings true? Is the charge unfair?  Moreover, do you think this was a good move on Graham\'s part?\n\n&nbsp;','Pepco doesn\'t understand public relations','','inherit','open','open','','1760-autosave','','','2012-07-25 14:46:21','2012-07-25 14:46:21','',1760,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1760-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1763,4,'2012-07-24 20:46:29','2012-07-24 20:46:29','I think I finally figured out why Pepco has such a bad image: the company does not \"get\" public relations. The company seems to believe that advertising alone can build a positive image, while failing to realize that most people differentiate between bought advertising and the third-party endorsement that comes from a public relations program.\r\n\r\nIf we look at the past month, we have not seen a single positive sign from Pepco. The latest news, out today, is that Pepco is complaining that the reduced rate hike that it is getting from the Maryland Public Service Commission won\'t be enough to sustain \"improvements.\" Read the article in the Washington Post <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/pepco-says-improvements-may-not-be-sustainable-after-md-rate-hike-decision/2012/07/24/gJQA8D3t6W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a>What we have seen is a large advertising campaign designed to tell people that Pepco responded well to the derecho storm (in spite of ample evidence to the contrary).\r\n\r\nPepco  understands that it must have a spokesperson to answer questions, but it does not seem to get that the spokesperson must tell the truth and not minimize the suffering caused by prolonged power outages (which is exactly what Thomas Graham continuously does). As Robert McCartney, columnist for the Washington Post puts it: <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/slip-of-tongue-reveals-pepcos-contempt-for-customers/2012/07/21/gJQAbfve0W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"A slip of tongue reveals Pepco\'s contempt for its customers.\"</a>\r\n\r\nPublic relations, according to BusinessDictionary.com, is the practice of creating and maintaining goodwill among an organization\'s publics, through the use tactics including media relations, sponsorships and charitable contributions.\r\n\r\nAs far as I can see, Pepco is not doing a good job at creating or maintaining goodwill. It is failing at public relations (and in my opinion, it is also failing at advertising). More troubling is that the company seems to not care what the public thinks. It seems to believe that if it places enough advertising, the public will believe that it is working hard and improving reliability. As I have said before, the public will only believe that Pepco is working hard-- at advertising-- unless changes are made that affect them directly (better communication, faster restoration times, indeed, increased reliability).\r\n\r\nPepco--how about you hire someone who \"gets\" public relations? Perhaps with some wise PR counsel you will improve your image by actually making steps that do increase goodwill.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Pepco doesn\'t understand public relations','','inherit','open','open','','1760-revision-2','','','2012-07-24 20:46:29','2012-07-24 20:46:29','',1760,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1760-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1764,4,'2012-07-25 13:26:37','2012-07-25 13:26:37','I think I finally figured out why Pepco has such a bad image: the company does not \"get\" public relations. The company seems to believe that advertising alone can build a positive image, while failing to realize that most people differentiate between bought advertising and the third-party endorsement that comes from a public relations program.\r\n\r\nIf we look at the past month, we have not seen a single positive sign from Pepco. The latest news, out today, is that Pepco is complaining that the reduced rate hike that it is getting from the Maryland Public Service Commission won\'t be enough to sustain \"improvements.\" Read the article in the Washington Post <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/pepco-says-improvements-may-not-be-sustainable-after-md-rate-hike-decision/2012/07/24/gJQA8D3t6W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">here.</a>What we have seen is a large advertising campaign designed to tell people that Pepco responded well to the derecho storm (in spite of ample evidence to the contrary).\r\n\r\nPepco  understands that it must have a spokesperson to answer questions, but it does not seem to get that the spokesperson must tell the truth and not minimize the suffering caused by prolonged power outages (which is exactly what Thomas Graham continuously does). As Robert McCartney, columnist for the Washington Post puts it: <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/slip-of-tongue-reveals-pepcos-contempt-for-customers/2012/07/21/gJQAbfve0W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"A slip of tongue reveals Pepco\'s contempt for its customers.\"</a>\r\n\r\nPublic relations, according to BusinessDictionary.com, is the practice of creating and maintaining goodwill among an organization\'s publics, through the use tactics including media relations, sponsorships and charitable contributions.\r\n\r\nAs far as I can see, Pepco is not doing a good job at creating or maintaining goodwill. It is failing at public relations (and in my opinion, it is also failing at advertising). More troubling is that the company seems to not care what the public thinks. It seems to believe that if it places enough advertising, the public will believe that it is working hard and improving reliability. As I have said before, the public will only believe that Pepco is working hard-- at advertising-- unless changes are made that affect them directly (better communication, faster restoration times, indeed, increased reliability).\r\n\r\nPepco--how about you hire someone who \"gets\" public relations? Perhaps with some wise PR counsel you will improve your image by actually making steps that do increase goodwill.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>UPDATE</strong></span>\r\n\r\nTom Graham has<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/my-deeds-on-pepcos-behalf-should-outweigh-my-mistaken-words/2012/07/24/gJQApnGO7W_story.html\" target=\"_blank\"> this letter to the editor</a> in Wednesday\'s Washington Post.  I quote:\r\n<blockquote>Critics can say many things about the company and about me, but to question our care and concern for our customers is simply unfair. This is my home, these are my people, and they are — and will remain — my utmost professional priority.</blockquote>\r\nDo you think this rings true? Is the charge unfair?  Moreover, do you think this was a good move on Graham\'s part? A\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Pepco doesn\'t understand public relations','','inherit','open','open','','1760-revision-3','','','2012-07-25 13:26:37','2012-07-25 13:26:37','',1760,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1760-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1925,4,'2012-11-28 21:26:33','2012-11-28 21:26:33','You learned it way back in kindergarten, remember? Show and tell was when you brought something in and you told your classmates about it. Some people\'s show and tell was boring and some was really good. I can\'t remember anything from kindergarten but I know the lesson of showing and telling is a good one for anybody trying to communicate.\r\n\r\nYou would think something as basic as show and tell would stay with most people. And yet it hasn\'t.\r\n\r\nToday, I am searching for an online task manager. There are many (and I am not really sure which one to use). Some show you screen shots of the software. Some show you video. All of them tell you what they do (but not how exactly).  One in particular does not show or tell me anything. It asks me to sign up. I don\'t know about you, but I am not signing up for ANYTHING, even if it is free, if I don\'t know what it is exactly.\r\n\r\nPerhaps this company\'s principals did not attend kindergarten.\r\n\r\nRemember, show and tell. People need to see what they are getting and they need to understand it too.\r\n\r\nRight?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Show and tell!','','publish','open','open','','show-and-tell-2','','','2012-11-28 21:26:33','2012-11-28 21:26:33','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1925',0,'post','',0),
(1903,4,'2012-11-09 19:23:46','2012-11-09 19:23:46','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\r\n\r\nPlease answer my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\r\n\r\n[polldaddy poll=\"6678494\"]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','publish','open','open','','where-do-all-the-rss-feeds-go','','','2012-11-09 19:23:46','2012-11-09 19:23:46','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1903',0,'post','',0),
(1904,4,'2012-11-09 19:18:31','2012-11-09 19:18:31','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\n\nP\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<noscript><a href=\"http://polldaddy.com/poll/6678494/\">Do you use a RSS reader?</a></noscript>','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-revision','','','2012-11-09 19:18:31','2012-11-09 19:18:31','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1782,4,'2012-08-02 13:31:32','2012-08-02 13:31:32','The reason I created the How to Write Your Blog workshop--which I just presented on Tuesday at the Silver Spring Civic Center--is because I have spoken to many people who think blogging is hard or that it takes to much time. I have found blogging to be fun, and wanted to teach people that it doesn\'t have to overwhelming.\r\n\r\nThe workshop leads you through reasons to blog to writing a blog post. We discuss keywords, categories, tags and headlines. We discuss what you should and should not do on a blog. And what most participants find helpful is the part on generating blog post ideas.\r\n\r\nOut of the three hours allotted to the workshop, we spend 20 minutes writing a blog post.  The idea is that when you realize you can write a whole post in 20 minutes, it seems doable and perhaps even easy.\r\n\r\nOne of the participants said that breaking up the process into its parts makes it seem less stressful, and that is exactly the point.\r\n\r\nMy colleague Lisa Newman took photographs of the workshop and created this montage:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DBrody-Workshop-Collage.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1783\" title=\"Deborah Brody How to Write Your Blog Workshop \" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DBrody-Workshop-Collage-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"240\" /></a>\r\n\r\nIf you missed the workshop this time around, you may want to sign up for my enewsletter so that you can find out when it\'s being offered again.','Making blogging easier','','publish','open','open','','making-blogging-easier','','','2012-08-02 13:31:32','2012-08-02 13:31:32','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1782',0,'post','',0),
(1786,4,'2012-08-06 15:42:12','2012-08-06 15:42:12','In its most basic form, communications happens when there is a dialogue between two people. Yet, how often do we see miscommunication instead of communication? Or one person shouting down the other? Or one person getting offended? Often, personality is behind miscommunication.\r\n\r\nOver the weekend, I watched part of a panel presentation regarding civility in politics on CSPAN. One of the panelists said that civil communication only occurs when one person speaks and the other listens (and vice versa). It seems pretty straightforward, but in most communications efforts I see every day, it isn\'t happening. In many cases, it comes down to personality traits that impede true communication.   These are:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Arrogance</li>\r\n	<li>Self-involvement</li>\r\n	<li>Narcissism</li>\r\n	<li>Insecurity</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nYour personality can make or break your communications efforts. Arrogant people will dismiss or debase your concerns, questions and input. Self-involved or narcissistic people will only focus on their own concerns. Insecure people will exaggerate their own accomplishments and/or put down yours or seek a way to make you look stupid.\r\n\r\nI see examples of these personalities every single day on Twitter (people who never engage with other people are self-involved or those who don\'t credit others may be insecure). And corporations are not immune, since corporations are run by people (although they aren\'t people in spite of what Mitt Romney may think).\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://wtop.com/1165/2979339/Poll-Pepco-customers-most-dissatisfied\" target=\"_blank\">WTOP conducted a poll which found that Pepco\'s customers were more dissatisfied than those of other utilities. </a> In my opinion,  this has to to do with Pepco\'s arrogant communications efforts (generated by a company led/managed by arrogant people).\r\n\r\nDo you agree? Are there other personality traits that affect communications? Please let me know in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is your personality getting in the way of your communications efforts?','','publish','open','open','','is-your-personality-getting-in-the-way-of-your-communications-efforts','','','2012-08-06 15:42:12','2012-08-06 15:42:12','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1786',0,'post','',0),
(1771,4,'2012-07-26 12:15:52','2012-07-26 12:15:52','Many people like the idea of blogging, but are stymied when actually wanting to start writing. What to write about? How to write it? What if no one reads it? If this is you--and you live in the Metro DC area--come to a workshop I am leading next Tuesday, July 31 in Silver Spring. I will teach you how to write your blog. You will leave the session with several blog post ideas, a completely written blog post, and lots of information to get you blogging.\r\n\r\nAll the details and registration are available here:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\">http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/</a>\r\n\r\nI hope to see you Tuesday! If you can\'t make it next week, and you are interested in the workshop, please drop me a line or a comment.','How do you figure out what to write about?','','publish','open','open','','how-do-you-figure-out-what-to-write-about','','','2012-07-26 12:15:52','2012-07-26 12:15:52','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1771',0,'post','',0),
(1772,4,'2012-07-26 12:13:55','2012-07-26 12:13:55','Many people like the idea of blogging, but are stymied when actually wanting to start writing. What to write about? How to write it? What if no one reads it? If this is you--and you live in the Metro DC area--come to a workshop I am leading next Tuesday, July 31 in Silver Spring. I will teach you how to write your blog. You will leave the session with several blog post ideas, a completely written blog post, and lots of information to get you blogging.\n\nAll the details and registration are available here:\n\n<a href=\"http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\">http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/</a>\n\nI hope to see you Tuesday! If you can\'t make it next week, and you are interested in the workshop, please drop me a line or a comment','How do you figure out what to write about?','','inherit','open','open','','1771-revision','','','2012-07-26 12:13:55','2012-07-26 12:13:55','',1771,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1771-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1773,4,'2012-07-26 12:15:46','2012-07-26 12:15:46','Many people like the idea of blogging, but are stymied when actually wanting to start writing. What to write about? How to write it? What if no one reads it? If this is you--and you live in the Metro DC area--come to a workshop I am leading next Tuesday, July 31 in Silver Spring. I will teach you how to write your blog. You will leave the session with several blog post ideas, a completely written blog post, and lots of information to get you blogging.\n\nAll the details and registration are available here:\n\n<a href=\"http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/\" target=\"_blank\">http://learntowriteyourblog.eventbrite.com/</a>\n\nI hope to see you Tuesday! If you can\'t make it next week, and you are interested in the workshop, please drop me a line or a comment.','How do you figure out what to write about?','','inherit','open','open','','1771-revision-2','','','2012-07-26 12:15:46','2012-07-26 12:15:46','',1771,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1771-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1774,4,'2012-07-30 13:49:34','2012-07-30 13:49:34','Well, faithful blog readers, I thought I was done writing about Pepco\'s advertising efforts, but then I saw this nearly-full page ad in yesterday\'s (Sunday, July 29) <em>Washington Post</em> (again, I had to scan it in two parts):[gallery link=\"file\"]\r\n\r\nIn case you can\'t read the ad above, let me provide the content:\r\n<blockquote>It\'s popular right now, even convenient, to beat up on Pepco. And because the facts have been misrepresented, that\'s easy to do.\r\n\r\nBut there\'s another side of the story. Some of our customers too the time to tell it. We thought we\'d share.</blockquote>\r\nIf I understand this correctly,  Pepco is saying that government officials like Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the Montgomery County Council, DC Mayor Gray,  the media, and customers who are complaining about Pepco\'s dismal service are \"beating up\" on Pepco because the \"facts have been misrepresented.\" What facts is the ad alluding to? We know (we lived) the facts: 780,000 of Pepco\'s customers lost power, and of those, most received power by July 4, five days after the storm. Other customers weren\'t restored until July 6. Those are the facts on the ground and they have not been misrepresented.\r\n\r\nPepco is attempting to convince you that you are wrong if you believe the narrative that Pepco did not do enough to restore power during the derecho (which was exactly one month ago from the date of the ad). Instead, Pepco parades 17 customer testimonials  that are praising Pepco\'s performance (out of the 780,000 affected by the outage---that is an extremely meager 0.00217%).\r\n\r\nThe ad continues:\r\n<blockquote>We know this isn\'t the way everyone feels-that many of our customers were frustrated. We want them to know that though our work is far from over, we are committee to continuing to improve. And despite what they may hear, our response to the derecho was swift, aggressive and in line with our neighboring utilities. That is an inconvenient truth that doesn\'t fit the storyline.\r\n\r\nThanks to the customers who took the time to shed some light on the real story.</blockquote>\r\nSo, Pepco is saying that it knows \"some\" customers are frustrated, but in essence, they have no right to feel that way because it doesn\'t fit the Pepco storyline. The Pepco storyline (and that is exactly what it is, a story that Pepco tells itself) is that Pepco works hard and that people have no right to expect anything more from it. The 17 customers that they quote  in the ad understand this \"real story.\"\r\n\r\nHonestly,  in my nearly 20-year marketing career, I have never seen something like this.  It truly is a waste of advertising dollars (which Pepco customers are footing the bill for).  To run an ad in the newspaper of record to tell customers that they are wrong to feel frustrated because they are being misguided by \"misrepresented facts\" is truly an outrage.\r\n\r\nAgain, Pepco\'s communications department seems to be tone-deaf, and really really bad at advertising. Rule number one of advertising is that you don\'t insult your customers.\r\n\r\nPepco management is desperate to improve its public perception. However, through these misguided and mismanaged advertising efforts, it is only hurting itself further.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Pepco really really wants you to believe a story','','publish','open','open','','pepco-really-really-wants-you-to-believe-a-story','','','2012-07-30 13:49:34','2012-07-30 13:49:34','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1774',0,'post','',0),
(1775,4,'2012-07-30 13:17:03','2012-07-30 13:17:03','','pepco ad 72912 b','','inherit','open','open','','pepco-ad-72912-b','','','2012-07-30 13:17:03','2012-07-30 13:17:03','',1774,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/pepco-ad-72912-b.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1776,4,'2012-07-30 13:17:11','2012-07-30 13:17:11','','pepco ad 72912 a','','inherit','open','open','','pepco-ad-72912-a','','','2012-07-30 13:17:11','2012-07-30 13:17:11','',1774,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/pepco-ad-72912-a.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1777,4,'2012-07-30 13:43:50','2012-07-30 13:43:50','Well, faithful blog readers, I thought I was done writing about Pepco\'s advertising efforts, but then I saw this nearly-full page ad in yesterday\'s (Sunday, July 29) Washington Post (again, I had to scan it in two parts):[gallery link=\"file\"]\n\nIn case you can\'t read the ad above, let me provide the content:\n<blockquote>It\'s popular right now, even convenient, to beat up on Pepco. And because the facts have been misrepresented, that\'s easy to do.\n\nBut there\'s another side of the story. Some of our customers too the time to tell it. We thought we\'d share.</blockquote>\nIf I understand this correctly,  Pepco is saying that government officials like Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the Montgomery County Council, DC Mayor Gray,  the media, and customers who are complaining are \"beating up\" on Pepco because the \"facts have been misrepresented.\" What facts is the ad alluding to? We know (we lived) the facts: 780,000 of Pepco\'s customers lost power, and of those, most received power by July 4, five days after the storm. Other customers weren\'t restored until July 6. Those are the facts on the ground and they have not been misrepresented.\n\nPepco is attempting to convince you that you are wrong if you believe the narrative that Pepco did not do enough to restore power during the derecho (which was exactly one month ago from the date of the ad). Instead, Pepco parades 17 customer testimonials  that are praising Pepco\'s performance (out of the 780,000 affected by the outage---that is an extremely meager 0.00217%).\n\nThe ad continues:\n<blockquote>We know this isn\'t the way everyone feels-that many of our customers were frustrated. We want them to know that though our work is far from over, we are committee to continuing to improve. And despite what they may hear, our response to the derecho was swift, aggressive and in line with our neighboring utilities. That is an inconvenient truth that doesn\'t fit the storyline.\n\nThanks to the customers who took the time to shed some light on the real story.</blockquote>\nSo, Pepco is saying that it knows \"some\" customers are frustrated, but in essence, they have no right to feel that way because it doesn\'t fit the Pepco storyline. The Pepco storyline (and that is exactly what it is, a story that Pepco tells itself) is that Pepco works hard and that people have no right to expect anything more from it. The 17 customers that they quote  in the ad understand this \"real story.\"\n\nHonestly,  in my nearly 20 year marketing career, I have never seen something like this.  It truly is a waste of advertising dollars (which Pepco customers are footing the bill for).  To run an ad in the newspaper of record to tell customers that they are wrong to feel frustrated because they are being misguided by \"misrepresented facts\" is truly an outrage.\n\nAgain, Pepco\'s communications department seems to be tone-deaf, and really really bad at advertising. Rule number one of advertising is that you don\'t insult your customers.\n\nPepco management is desperate to improve its public perception.','Pepco really really wants you to believe a story','','inherit','open','open','','1774-revision','','','2012-07-30 13:43:50','2012-07-30 13:43:50','',1774,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1774-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1778,4,'2012-07-30 13:44:50','2012-07-30 13:44:50','Well, faithful blog readers, I thought I was done writing about Pepco\'s advertising efforts, but then I saw this nearly-full page ad in yesterday\'s (Sunday, July 29) Washington Post (again, I had to scan it in two parts):[gallery link=\"file\"]\n\nIn case you can\'t read the ad above, let me provide the content:\n<blockquote>It\'s popular right now, even convenient, to beat up on Pepco. And because the facts have been misrepresented, that\'s easy to do.\n\nBut there\'s another side of the story. Some of our customers too the time to tell it. We thought we\'d share.</blockquote>\nIf I understand this correctly,  Pepco is saying that government officials like Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the Montgomery County Council, DC Mayor Gray,  the media, and customers who are complaining are \"beating up\" on Pepco because the \"facts have been misrepresented.\" What facts is the ad alluding to? We know (we lived) the facts: 780,000 of Pepco\'s customers lost power, and of those, most received power by July 4, five days after the storm. Other customers weren\'t restored until July 6. Those are the facts on the ground and they have not been misrepresented.\n\nPepco is attempting to convince you that you are wrong if you believe the narrative that Pepco did not do enough to restore power during the derecho (which was exactly one month ago from the date of the ad). Instead, Pepco parades 17 customer testimonials  that are praising Pepco\'s performance (out of the 780,000 affected by the outage---that is an extremely meager 0.00217%).\n\nThe ad continues:\n<blockquote>We know this isn\'t the way everyone feels-that many of our customers were frustrated. We want them to know that though our work is far from over, we are committee to continuing to improve. And despite what they may hear, our response to the derecho was swift, aggressive and in line with our neighboring utilities. That is an inconvenient truth that doesn\'t fit the storyline.\n\nThanks to the customers who took the time to shed some light on the real story.</blockquote>\nSo, Pepco is saying that it knows \"some\" customers are frustrated, but in essence, they have no right to feel that way because it doesn\'t fit the Pepco storyline. The Pepco storyline (and that is exactly what it is, a story that Pepco tells itself) is that Pepco works hard and that people have no right to expect anything more from it. The 17 customers that they quote  in the ad understand this \"real story.\"\n\nHonestly,  in my nearly 20 year marketing career, I have never seen something like this.  It truly is a waste of advertising dollars (which Pepco customers are footing the bill for).  To run an ad in the newspaper of record to tell customers that they are wrong to feel frustrated because they are being misguided by \"misrepresented facts\" is truly an outrage.\n\nAgain, Pepco\'s communications department seems to be tone-deaf, and really really bad at advertising. Rule number one of advertising is that you don\'t insult your customers.\n\nPepco management is desperate to improve its public perception. However, through these misguided and mismanaged advertising efforts, it is only hurting itself further.\n\n&nbsp;','Pepco really really wants you to believe a story','','inherit','open','open','','1774-revision-2','','','2012-07-30 13:44:50','2012-07-30 13:44:50','',1774,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1774-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1779,4,'2012-07-31 16:01:48','2012-07-31 16:01:48','Yesterday, I wrote about Pepco\'s <a title=\"Pepco really really wants you to believe a story\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/pepco-really-really-wants-you-to-believe-a-story/\" target=\"_blank\">latest print ad</a>, where they find customers who think Pepco does really well. And today, in the Washington Post, there\'s an article entitled <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pepco-defends-its-response-to-derecho-storm-saying-it-mobilized-quickly/2012/07/30/gJQAmxuVLX_story.html?hpid=z6\" target=\"_blank\">\"Pepco defends its response to derecho storm, saying it \"mobilized quickly.\"</a>The article makes clear that Pepco wants to change the perception that it responded slowly and badly. It says:\r\n<blockquote>Pepco vigorously defended itself Monday in its first self-assessments since last month’s derecho storm, saying it responded aggressively and effectively to restore power to nearly half a million customers left<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/for-pepco-customers-without-power-frustration-grows-four-days-after-storm/2012/07/02/gJQAJ0vQJW_story.html\" data-xslt=\"_http\"> sweltering in the dark</a>. <a href=\"http://www.pepco.com/home/emergency/junestorm.aspx\" data-xslt=\"_http\">The electric company</a> accepted limited responsibility for software glitches that affected tens of thousands of calls for service and for its inability to give customers a better sense of when their power would be restored.</blockquote>\r\nApparently, Pepco has decided that its communication strategy is to aggressively tamp down on any criticism of its service. What a contrast from Verizon, which today has a <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/verizon-vows-to-do-better/2012/07/30/gJQAfI0ELX_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">letter to the edito</a>r in the Washington Post where it apologizes for disruptions to 911 calling that occurred in the aftermath of the derecho.\r\n\r\nThe problem with Pepco\'s communication strategy is that, as I have pointed out before, it doesn\'t acknowledge reality. In this case, the reality  is customers were rightfully frustrated.  By not recognizing genuine complaints, the company is effectively hedging against doing anything to fix those problems.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Does this strategy work for Pepco, or does it further deteriorate its public image?','Pepco does have a communications strategy: go on the offense','','publish','open','open','','pepco-does-have-a-communications-strategy-go-on-the-offense','','','2012-07-31 16:01:48','2012-07-31 16:01:48','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1779',0,'post','',0),
(1780,4,'2012-07-31 16:01:42','2012-07-31 16:01:42','Yesterday, I wrote about Pepco\'s <a title=\"Pepco really really wants you to believe a story\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/pepco-really-really-wants-you-to-believe-a-story/\" target=\"_blank\">latest print ad</a>, where they find customers who think Pepco does really well. And today, in the Washington Post, there\'s an article entitled <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pepco-defends-its-response-to-derecho-storm-saying-it-mobilized-quickly/2012/07/30/gJQAmxuVLX_story.html?hpid=z6\" target=\"_blank\">\"Pepco defends its response to derecho storm, saying it \"mobilized quickly.\"</a>The article makes clear that Pepco wants to change the perception that it responded slowly and badly. It says:\n<blockquote>Pepco vigorously defended itself Monday in its first self-assessments since last month’s derecho storm, saying it responded aggressively and effectively to restore power to nearly half a million customers left<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/for-pepco-customers-without-power-frustration-grows-four-days-after-storm/2012/07/02/gJQAJ0vQJW_story.html\" data-xslt=\"_http\"> sweltering in the dark</a>. <a href=\"http://www.pepco.com/home/emergency/junestorm.aspx\" data-xslt=\"_http\">The electric company</a> accepted limited responsibility for software glitches that affected tens of thousands of calls for service and for its inability to give customers a better sense of when their power would be restored.</blockquote>\nApparently, Pepco has decided that its communication strategy is to aggressively tamp down on any criticism of its service. What a contrast from Verizon, which today has a <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/verizon-vows-to-do-better/2012/07/30/gJQAfI0ELX_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">letter to the edito</a>r in the Washington Post where it apologizes for disruptions to 911 calling that occurred in the aftermath of the derecho.\n\nThe problem with Pepco\'s communication strategy is that, as I have pointed out before, it doesn\'t acknowledge reality. In this case, the reality  is customers were rightfully frustrated.  By not recognizing genuine complaints, the company is effectively hedging against doing anything to fix those problems.\n\nWhat do you think? Does this strategy work for Pepco, or does it further deteriorate its public image?','Pepco does have a communications strategy: go on the offense','','inherit','open','open','','1779-revision','','','2012-07-31 16:01:42','2012-07-31 16:01:42','',1779,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1779-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1781,4,'2012-07-31 16:02:56','2012-07-31 16:02:56','Yesterday, I wrote about Pepco\'s <a title=\"Pepco really really wants you to believe a story\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/pepco-really-really-wants-you-to-believe-a-story/\" target=\"_blank\">latest print ad</a>, where they find customers who think Pepco does really well. And today, in the Washington Post, there\'s an article entitled <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pepco-defends-its-response-to-derecho-storm-saying-it-mobilized-quickly/2012/07/30/gJQAmxuVLX_story.html?hpid=z6\" target=\"_blank\">\"Pepco defends its response to derecho storm, saying it \"mobilized quickly.\"</a>The article makes clear that Pepco wants to change the perception that it responded slowly and badly. It says:\n<blockquote>Pepco vigorously defended itself Monday in its first self-assessments since last month’s derecho storm, saying it responded aggressively and effectively to restore power to nearly half a million customers left<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/for-pepco-customers-without-power-frustration-grows-four-days-after-storm/2012/07/02/gJQAJ0vQJW_story.html\" data-xslt=\"_http\"> sweltering in the dark</a>. <a href=\"http://www.pepco.com/home/emergency/junestorm.aspx\" data-xslt=\"_http\">The electric company</a> accepted limited responsibility for software glitches that affected tens of thousands of calls for service and for its inability to give customers a better sense of when their power would be restored.</blockquote>\nApparently, Pepco has decided that its communication strategy is to aggressively tamp down on any criticism of its service. What a contrast from Verizon, which today has a <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/verizon-vows-to-do-better/2012/07/30/gJQAfI0ELX_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">letter to the edito</a>r in the Washington Post where it apologizes for disruptions to 911 calling that occurred in the aftermath of the derecho.\n\nThe problem with Pepco\'s communication strategy is that, as I have pointed out before, it doesn\'t acknowledge reality. In this case, the reality  is customers were rightfully frustrated.  By not recognizing genuine complaints, the company is effectively hedging against doing anything to fix those problems.\n\nWhat do you think? Does this strategy work for Pepco, or does it further deteriorate its public image?','Pepco does have a communications strategy: go on the offense','','inherit','open','open','','1779-autosave','','','2012-07-31 16:02:56','2012-07-31 16:02:56','',1779,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/07/1779-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1783,4,'2012-08-02 13:25:43','2012-08-02 13:25:43','','Deborah Brody How to Write Your Blog Workshop ','','inherit','open','open','','dbrody-workshop-collage','','','2012-08-02 13:25:43','2012-08-02 13:25:43','',1782,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DBrody-Workshop-Collage.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1784,4,'2012-08-02 13:30:13','2012-08-02 13:30:13','The reason I created the How to Write Your Blog workshop--which I just presented on Tuesday at the Silver Spring Civic Center--is because I have spoken to many people who think blogging is hard or that it takes to much time. I have found blogging to be fun, and wanted to teach people that it doesn\'t have to overwhelming.\n\nThe workshop leads you through reasons to blog to writing a blog post. We discuss keywords, categories, tags and headlines. We discuss what you should and should not do on a blog. And what most participants find helpful is the part on generating blog post ideas.\n\nOut of the three hours allotted to the workshop, we spend 20 minutes writing a blog post.  The idea is that when you realize you can write a whole post in 20 minutes, it seems doable and perhaps even easy.\n\nOne of the participants said that breaking up the process into its parts makes it seem less stressful, and that is exactly the point.\n\nMy colleague Lisa Newman took photographs of the workshop and created this montage:\n\n<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DBrody-Workshop-Collage.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1783\" title=\"Deborah Brody How to Write Your Blog Workshop \" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DBrody-Workshop-Collage-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"240\" /></a>\n\nIf you missed the workshop this time around, you may want to sign up for my enewsletter so that you can find out when it\'s being offered again.','Making blogging easier','','inherit','open','open','','1782-revision','','','2012-08-02 13:30:13','2012-08-02 13:30:13','',1782,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1782-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1788,4,'2012-08-10 14:19:53','2012-08-10 14:19:53','Yesterday, none other than the Social Media Club DC (SMCDC)  put out a tweet asking people to \"show some love\" to their Facebook page, because unlike their Twitter feed, it had \"only\" 3,000 supporters. I responded: \"Twitter and FB are totally different platforms and thus have different audiences. Where are you giving/getting more value?\"  To which SMCDC responded: \"It\'s hard to compare since they are so different, but just in case people want to be exposed to our content in a different form...\"\r\n\r\nFirst of all, social media is not JUST a numbers game. Having more followers/supporters/likers doesn\'t mean anything if you haven\'t decided what you want from those people. Are you trying to show increased interest in your product? Then the metrics may help with that.\r\n\r\nYou have to ask yourself WHY you are doing what you are doing. What are you trying to accomplish?  Are you advocating for a cause? Trying to sell product? Raising your profile?In SMCDC\'s case, it the content on Facebook different than Twitter? Is it more appealing to a certain demographic to see it on Facebook? What are the advantages of having more Facebook followers?\r\n\r\nYoung people who understand the tools of social media and can adapt at warp speed to the newest and greatest (in other words, they get the what), generally do not have enough business experience to really understand the why.\r\n\r\nThis morning I came across this article on Inc. Magazine: <a href=\"http://www.inc.com/hollis-thomases/social-media-dont-put-intern-in-charge.html\" target=\"_blank\">11 Reasons a 23-Year-Old Shouldn\'t Run Your Social Media </a>by Hollis Thomases.  Most of Thomases\' reasons have to do with the knowledge that experience delivers. You become a better communicator with time, for example.  She writes:\r\n<blockquote>Social media is not the be-all and end-all. It\'s a marketing <em>tool</em>--part of an ever-growing arsenal of ways to bring your company to your prospective customers\' attention.</blockquote>\r\nI would also add that young hires/interns/recent college graduates don\'t understand STRATEGY. Tools are to be used tactically, as part of a larger strategy. If you just look at the tool (we need more followers on Twitter), without thinking about WHY, then you are just using the tool for no purpose at all.\r\n\r\nThoughts? Please share in the comments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','But why are you doing it?','','publish','open','open','','but-why-are-you-doing-it','','','2012-08-10 14:19:53','2012-08-10 14:19:53','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1788',0,'post','',0),
(1787,4,'2012-08-06 15:40:26','2012-08-06 15:40:26','In its most basic form, communications happens when there is a dialogue between two people. Yet, how often do we see miscommunication instead of communication? Or one person shouting down the other? Or one person getting offended? Often, personality is behind miscommunication.\n\nOver the weekend, I watched part of a panel presentation regarding civility in politics on CSPAN. One of the panelists said that civil communication only occurs when one person speaks and the other listens (and vice versa). It seems pretty straightforward, but in most communications efforts I see every day, it isn\'t happening. In many cases, it comes down to personality traits that impede true communication.   These are:\n<ul>\n	<li>Arrogance</li>\n	<li>Self-involvement</li>\n	<li>Narcissism</li>\n	<li>Insecurity</li>\n</ul>\nYour personality can make or break your communications efforts. Arrogant people will dismiss or debase your concerns, questions and input. Self-involved or narcissistic people will only focus on their own concerns. Insecure people will exaggerate their own accomplishments and/or put down yours or seek a way to make you look stupid.\n\nI see examples of these personalities every single day on Twitter (people who never engage with other people are self-involved or those who don\'t credit others may be insecure). And corporations are not immune, since corporations are run by people (they aren\'t people in spite of what Mitt Romney may think).\n\n<a href=\"http://wtop.com/1165/2979339/Poll-Pepco-customers-most-dissatisfied\" target=\"_blank\">WTOP conducted a poll which found that Pepco\'s customers were more dissatisfied than those of other utilities. </a> In my opinion,  this has to to do with Pepco\'s arrogant communications efforts (generated by a company led/managed by arrogant people).\n\nDo you agree? Are there other personality traits that affect communications? Please let me know in the comments.\n\n&nbsp;','Is your personality getting in the way of your communications efforts?','','inherit','open','open','','1786-revision','','','2012-08-06 15:40:26','2012-08-06 15:40:26','',1786,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1786-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1789,4,'2012-08-10 14:18:56','2012-08-10 14:18:56','Yesterday, none other than the Social Media Club DC (SMCDC)  put out a tweet asking people to \"show some love\" to their Facebook page, because unlike their Twitter feed, it had \"only\" 3,000 supporters. I responded: \"Twitter and FB are totally different platforms and thus have different audiences. Where are you giving/getting more value?\"  To which SMCDC responded: \"It\'s hard to compare since they are so different, but just in case people want to be exposed to our content in a different form...\"\n\nFirst of all, social media is not JUST a numbers game. Having more followers/supporters/likers doesn\'t mean anything if you haven\'t decided what you want from those people. Are you trying to show increased interest in your product? Then the metrics may help with that.\n\nYou have to ask yourself WHY you are doing what you are doing. What are you trying to accomplish?  Are you advocating for a cause? Trying to sell product? Raising your profile?In SMCDC\'s case, it the content on Facebook different than Twitter? Is it more appealing to a certain demographic to see it on Facebook? What are the advantages of having more Facebook followers?\n\nYoung people who understand the tools of social media and can adapt at warp speed to the newest and greatest (in other words, they get the what), generally do not have enough business experience to really understand the why.\n\nThis morning I came across this article on Inc. Magazine: <a href=\"http://www.inc.com/hollis-thomases/social-media-dont-put-intern-in-charge.html\" target=\"_blank\">11 Reasons a 23-Year-Old Shouldn\'t Run Your Social Media </a>by Hollis Thomases.  Most of Thomases\' reasons have to do with the knowledge that experience delivers. You become a better communicator with time, for example.  She writes:\n<blockquote>Social media is not the be-all and end-all. It\'s a marketing <em>tool</em>--part of an ever-growing arsenal of ways to bring your company to your prospective customers\' attention.</blockquote>\nI would also add that young hires/interns/recent college graduates don\'t understand STRATEGY. Tools are to be used tactically, as part of a larger strategy. If you just look at the tool (we need more followers on Twitter), without thinking about WHY, then you are just using the tool for no purpose at all.\n\nThoughts? Please share in the comments.\n\n&nbsp;','But why are you doing it?','','inherit','open','open','','1788-revision','','','2012-08-10 14:18:56','2012-08-10 14:18:56','',1788,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1788-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1799,4,'2012-08-20 19:04:25','2012-08-20 19:04:25','Here I go again. Pepco can\'t seem to stop providing material. On Friday, I received a letter from Thomas H. Graham, Pepco\'s regional president. It was addressed to \"Dear Valued Pepco Customer.\"\r\n\r\nThis letter, dated August 3 (but received two weeks later), is more of what we have already seen in Pepco\'s ads and public statements.  The derecho was very bad. Pepco had a lot of work to do. Pepco is committed to improving reliability.\r\n\r\n<strong>Same message, different medium.</strong>\r\n\r\nMy favorite line is this:\r\n<blockquote>Yet, even with all the destruction, Pepco restored power to 90% of customers by midnight on July 4, more than 48 hours before our original estimate.</blockquote>\r\nLet\'s rewrite: Most Pepco customers were without power for five days.  Pepco did not get power to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">all</span> its customers until some eight days after the storm.\r\n\r\nWithout the spin, it doesn\'t sound so good, does it?\r\n\r\nThen we have this gem:\r\n<blockquote>Today, we are stronger and more reliable--but no amount of strengthening to our system could have withstood a storm of this magnitude.</blockquote>\r\nIn other words, Pepco wants customers to be aware that Pepco is not equipped to deal with storms \"of this magnitude.\"\r\n\r\nAnd the letter finishes off with the same message that we have seen over and over:\r\n<blockquote>Again, we sincerely thank you for your patience. I would also like to thank customers who took time to show their gratitude--shaking crew members\' hands, leaving them notes, water and Popsicles...We will continue to enhance our reliability....</blockquote>\r\nNote to Mr. Graham: anybody who was able to give crew members Popsicles had to have some refrigeration.  Just saying.\r\n\r\nPepco does not get that it does not matter what medium you use, the message is still not resonating.\r\n\r\nPersonally, I don\'t feel any better about Pepco after reading this letter--in fact, I am angry that the company would waste paper, postage and money putting together another self-congratulatory and inaccurate piece of propaganda. What do you think? Is direct mail to customers the way to get across this message?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s not the medium, it\'s the message','','publish','open','open','','its-not-the-medium-its-the-message','','','2012-08-20 19:06:09','2012-08-20 19:06:09','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1799',0,'post','',0),
(1791,4,'2012-08-13 13:03:22','2012-08-13 13:03:22','If you work in destination or travel marketing, there are plenty of people that envy your job. What could be more fun than having travel as your business? After all, travel marketers get to research and report on the places that make a destination stand out. I am sure that involves a lot of fun activities like dining out and attending cultural events.\r\n\r\nSome destinations are easier to market than others. Perhaps New York City or Washington, DC are more enticing to travelers than Des Moines or Kenosha (no offense to either of those cities).\r\n\r\n<strong>Whatever destination you are marketing, however, you should make sure it is open for business. This means having places for people to stay and eat, and actually being open.</strong>\r\n\r\nYesterday, I went to Hagerstown, Maryland. My destination was not the city of Hagerstown, but rather the Premium Outlets located there. Once I was done shopping, I decided to check out \"Historic Downtown Hagerstown.\" I figured I would stop by the visitor center to get some information about what made Hagerstown historic and then perhaps get a refreshment of some sort.\r\n\r\nI drove into Hagerstown, and I noticed that there were few if any people on the street.  Everything seemed closed. I went into the visitor center at 3:45 pm, which was lucky since it closes at 4 pm on Sundays. The only person there was the clerk. I asked if anything was open and he told me that most restaurants and other businesses in downtown Hagerstown are closed on Sundays AND on Mondays.  I picked up a few brochures and left. Needless to say, I was not going to be able to get any snacks so I just headed to the highway and back home.\r\n\r\nHagerstown\'s Convention and Visitor\'s Bureau\'s <a href=\"http://www.marylandmemories.org/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">website</a> does not mention that downtown Hagerstown is closed on Sundays. Also, their tagline seems to be \"Let\'s make some Maryland memories 75 miles away from Baltimore.\"  I am not sure why anyone would think that\'s a good way to market a destination (hey, its more than an hour\'s drive from a big city!).\r\n\r\nMost people who take day trips do so on the weekends- Saturdays AND Sundays. If a town/city is dead on Sundays, there is no reason to visit.  If you want to market your city or town as a destination (historic or otherwise), you must be open for business.\r\n\r\nWould you make a separate trip to visit a place if you found it was not open on the day you visit? Let me know your thoughts.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is your destination open for business?','','publish','open','open','','is-your-destination-open-for-business','','','2012-08-15 20:24:43','2012-08-15 20:24:43','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1791',0,'post','',2),
(1792,4,'2012-08-13 13:02:43','2012-08-13 13:02:43','If you work in destination or travel marketing, there are plenty of people that envy your job. What could be more fun that having travel as your business? After all, destination marketers get to research and report on the places that make a place stand out. I am sure that involves a lot of fun activities like dining out and attending cultural events.\n\nSome destinations are easier to market than others. Perhaps New York City or Washington, DC are more enticing to travelers than Des Moines or Kenosha (no offense to either of those cities).\n\n<strong>Whatever destination you are marketing, however, you should make sure it is open for business. This means having places for people to stay and eat, and actually being open.</strong>\n\nYesterday, I went to Hagerstown, Maryland. My destination was not the city of Hagerstown, but rather the Premium Outlets located there. Once I was done shopping, I decided to check out \"Historic Downtown Hagerstown.\" I figured I would stop by the visitor center to get some information about what made Hagerstown historic and then perhaps get a refreshment of some sort.\n\nI drove into Hagerstown, and I noticed that there were few if any people on the street.  Everything seemed closed. I went into the visitor center at 3:45 pm, which was lucky since it closes at 4 pm on Sundays. The only person there was the clerk. I asked if anything was open and he told me that most restaurants and other businesses in downtown Hagerstown are closed on Sundays AND on Mondays.  I picked up a few brochures and left. Needless to say, I was not going to be able to get any snacks so I just headed to the highway and back home.\n\nHagerstown\'s Convention and Visitor\'s Bureau\'s <a href=\"http://www.marylandmemories.org/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">website</a> does not mention that downtown Hagerstown is closed on Sundays. Also, their tagline seems to be \"Let\'s make some Maryland memories 75 miles away from Baltimore.\"  I am not sure why anyone would think that\'s a good way to market a destination (hey, its\n\nMost people who take day trips do so on the weekends- Saturdays AND Sundays. If a town/city is dead on Sundays, there is no reason to visit.  If you want to market your city or town as a destination (historic or otherwise), you must be open for business.\n\nWould you make a separate trip to visit a place if you found it was not open on the day you visit? Let me know your thoughts.\n\n&nbsp;','Is your destination open for business?','','inherit','open','open','','1791-revision','','','2012-08-13 13:02:43','2012-08-13 13:02:43','',1791,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1791-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1793,4,'2012-08-15 20:25:48','2012-08-15 20:25:48','If you work in destination or travel marketing, there are plenty of people that envy your job. What could be more fun than having travel as your business? After all, travel marketers get to research and report on the places that make a destination stand out. I am sure that involves a lot of fun activities like dining out and attending cultural events.\n\nSome destinations are easier to market than others. Perhaps New York City or Washington, DC are more enticing to travelers than Des Moines or Kenosha (no offense to either of those cities).\n\n<strong>Whatever destination you are marketing, however, you should make sure it is open for business. This means having places for people to stay and eat, and actually being open.</strong>\n\nYesterday, I went to Hagerstown, Maryland. My destination was not the city of Hagerstown, but rather the Premium Outlets located there. Once I was done shopping, I decided to check out \"Historic Downtown Hagerstown.\" I figured I would stop by the visitor center to get some information about what made Hagerstown historic and then perhaps get a refreshment of some sort.\n\nI drove into Hagerstown, and I noticed that there were few if any people on the street.  Everything seemed closed. I went into the visitor center at 3:45 pm, which was lucky since it closes at 4 pm on Sundays. The only person there was the clerk. I asked if anything was open and he told me that most restaurants and other businesses in downtown Hagerstown are closed on Sundays AND on Mondays.  I picked up a few brochures and left. Needless to say, I was not going to be able to get any snacks so I just headed to the highway and back home.\n\nHagerstown\'s Convention and Visitor\'s Bureau\'s <a href=\"http://www.marylandmemories.org/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">website</a> does not mention that downtown Hagerstown is closed on Sundays. Also, their tagline seems to be \"Let\'s make some Maryland memories 75 miles away from Baltimore.\"  I am not sure why anyone would think that\'s a good way to market a destination (hey, its more than an hour\'s drive from a big city!).\n\nMost people who take day trips do so on the weekends- Saturdays AND Sundays. If a town/city is dead on Sundays, there is no reason to visit.  If you want to market your city or town as a destination (historic or otherwise), you must be open for business.\n\nWould you make a separate trip to visit a place if you found it was not open on the day you visit? Let me know your thoughts.\n\n&nbsp;','Is your destination open for business?','','inherit','open','open','','1791-autosave','','','2012-08-15 20:25:48','2012-08-15 20:25:48','',1791,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1791-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1795,4,'2012-08-13 13:03:22','2012-08-13 13:03:22','If you work in destination or travel marketing, there are plenty of people that envy your job. What could be more fun that having travel as your business? After all, destination marketers get to research and report on the places that make a place stand out. I am sure that involves a lot of fun activities like dining out and attending cultural events.\r\n\r\nSome destinations are easier to market than others. Perhaps New York City or Washington, DC are more enticing to travelers than Des Moines or Kenosha (no offense to either of those cities).\r\n\r\n<strong>Whatever destination you are marketing, however, you should make sure it is open for business. This means having places for people to stay and eat, and actually being open.</strong>\r\n\r\nYesterday, I went to Hagerstown, Maryland. My destination was not the city of Hagerstown, but rather the Premium Outlets located there. Once I was done shopping, I decided to check out \"Historic Downtown Hagerstown.\" I figured I would stop by the visitor center to get some information about what made Hagerstown historic and then perhaps get a refreshment of some sort.\r\n\r\nI drove into Hagerstown, and I noticed that there were few if any people on the street.  Everything seemed closed. I went into the visitor center at 3:45 pm, which was lucky since it closes at 4 pm on Sundays. The only person there was the clerk. I asked if anything was open and he told me that most restaurants and other businesses in downtown Hagerstown are closed on Sundays AND on Mondays.  I picked up a few brochures and left. Needless to say, I was not going to be able to get any snacks so I just headed to the highway and back home.\r\n\r\nHagerstown\'s Convention and Visitor\'s Bureau\'s <a href=\"http://www.marylandmemories.org/index.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">website</a> does not mention that downtown Hagerstown is closed on Sundays. Also, their tagline seems to be \"Let\'s make some Maryland memories 75 miles away from Baltimore.\"  I am not sure why anyone would think that\'s a good way to market a destination (hey, its more than an hour\'s drive from a big city!).\r\n\r\nMost people who take day trips do so on the weekends- Saturdays AND Sundays. If a town/city is dead on Sundays, there is no reason to visit.  If you want to market your city or town as a destination (historic or otherwise), you must be open for business.\r\n\r\nWould you make a separate trip to visit a place if you found it was not open on the day you visit? Let me know your thoughts.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Is your destination open for business?','','inherit','open','open','','1791-revision-2','','','2012-08-13 13:03:22','2012-08-13 13:03:22','',1791,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1791-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1796,4,'2012-02-27 15:27:13','2012-02-27 15:27:13','Deborah Brody Marketing Communications works with small to medium-size businesses and non-profit organizations. We have experience with various industries, including hospitality/tourism, financial, real estate, marketing, legal and software development.\r\n\r\n<strong>Clients have included:</strong>\r\n\r\nACTON Marketing\r\nAlexandria Education\r\n\r\nBNA\r\nB’nai B’rith International\r\nCaribbean Basin Enterprise\r\nHotel Presidente (Costa Rica)\r\nLaw Offices of Jason Warshofsky\r\nMemorable Costa Rica\r\n\r\nMiCORE Solutions, Inc.\r\nSimply Savvy Events\r\nStarWave Associates\r\nStateTrust Group\r\nStreamline Communications\r\nStudio Twenty-Two\r\nTabacon Resort and Spa (Costa Rica)\r\nThe Gary Rosenthal Collection','Clients','','inherit','open','open','','38-revision-v1','','','2012-02-27 15:27:13','2012-02-27 15:27:13','',38,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/02/38-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1797,4,'2012-08-17 13:57:59','2012-08-17 13:57:59','My last blog post was about how you have to <a title=\"Is your destination open for business?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/is-your-destination-open-for-business/\">\"be open for business\"</a> if you are trying to market a destination.  In other words, marketers have to be aware of what the potential/actual customer experience looks and feels like.\r\n\r\nLast night, I attended a happy hour at a newish bar in Penn Quarter in Washington, DC.  My friend and I each got a $5 beer and sat down. The place was crowded, not packed, and the din was tremendous. We could barely hear each other. Why? Well, the room was apparently designed to bounce all noise back. There were none of the usual noise absorbers like acoustic tile on the ceiling or carpet or drapes. Instead the floor was pure concrete, the ceiling had no insulation and the walls were also concrete.\r\n\r\nIt was so unpleasant that we left after one beer. I wonder how many other people also left after a short while. If this bar checked out its customer experience they could take corrective steps to cut down some of the noise. Otherwise, I predict that within six months the place will close because no one is going to want to hang out there.\r\n\r\nRegardless of what field you are in, marketing is not simply pushing out a message and hoping it will stick. Marketers need to understand their customers and their experience with their product or service.\r\n\r\nSavvy marketers will check out the customer experience. Whether you do it by surveys, secret shoppers, going on location, listening to customer input on social channels--there are many ways to understand what your customers like and dislike. If you ignore the customer experience, your marketing will ultimately fail.\r\n\r\nHow do you check out the customer experience? Have you had a marketing campaign fail (or succeed) because of customer feedback?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Checking out the customer experience','','publish','open','open','','checking-out-the-customer-experience','','','2012-08-17 13:57:59','2012-08-17 13:57:59','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1797',0,'post','',0),
(1798,4,'2012-08-17 13:57:20','2012-08-17 13:57:20','My last blog post was about how you have to <a title=\"Is your destination open for business?\" href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/is-your-destination-open-for-business/\">\"be open for business\"</a> if you are trying to market a destination.  In other words, marketers have to be aware of what the potential/actual customer experience looks and feels like.\n\nLast night, I attended a happy hour at a newish bar in Penn Quarter in Washington, DC.  My friend and I each got a $5 beer and sat down. The place was crowded, not packed, but the din was tremendous. We could barely hear each other. Why? Well, the room was apparently designed to bounce all noise back. There were none of the usual noise absorbers like acoustic tile on the ceiling or carpet or drapes. Instead the floor was pure concrete, the ceiling had no insulation and the walls were also concrete.\n\nIt was so unpleasant that we left after one beer. I wonder how many other people also left after a short while. If this bar checked out its customer experience they could take corrective steps to cut down some of the noise. Otherwise, I predict that within six months the place will close because no one is going to want to hang out there.\n\nRegardless of what field you are in, marketing is not simply pushing out a message and hoping it will stick. Marketers need to understand their customers and their experience with their product or service.\n\nSavvy marketers will check out the customer experience. Whether you do it by surveys, secret shoppers, going on location, listening to customer input on social channels--there are many ways to understand what your customers like and dislike. If you ignore the customer experience, your marketing will ultimately fail.\n\nHow do you check out the customer experience? Have you had a marketing campaign fail (or succeed) because of customer feedback?\n\n&nbsp;','Checking out the customer experience','','inherit','open','open','','1797-revision','','','2012-08-17 13:57:20','2012-08-17 13:57:20','',1797,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1797-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1800,4,'2012-08-20 19:04:14','2012-08-20 19:04:14','Here I go again. Pepco can\'t seem to stop providing material. On Friday, I received a letter from Thomas H. Graham, Pepco\'s regional president. It was addressed to \"Dear Valued Pepco Customer.\"\n\nThis letter, dated August 3 (but received two weeks later), is more of what we have already seen in Pepco\'s ads and public statements.  The derecho was very bad. Pepco had a lot of work to do. Pepco is committed to improving reliability.\n\n<strong>Same message, different medium.</strong>\n\nMy favorite line is this:\n<blockquote>Yet, even with all the destruction, Pepco restored power to 90% of customers by midnight on July 4, more than 48 before our original estimate.</blockquote>\nLet\'s rewrite: Most Pepco customers were without power for five days.  Pepco did not get power to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">all</span> its customers until some eight days after the storm.\n\nWithout the spin, it doesn\'t sound so good, does it?\n\nThen we have this gem:\n<blockquote>Today, we are stronger and more reliable--but no amount of strengthening to our system could have withstood a storm of this magnitude.</blockquote>\nIn other words, Pepco wants customers to be aware that Pepco is not equipped to deal with storms \"of this magnitude.\"\n\nAnd the letter finishes off with the same message that we have seen over and over:\n<blockquote>Again, we sincerely thank you for your patience. I would also like to thank customers who took time to show their gratitude--shaking crew members\' hands, leaving them notes, water and Popsicles...We will continue to enhance our reliability....</blockquote>\nNote to Mr. Graham: anybody who was able to give crew members Popsicles had to have some refrigeration.  Just saying.\n\nPepco does not get that it does not matter what medium you use, the message is still not resonating.\n\nPersonally, I don\'t feel any better about Pepco after reading this letter--in fact, I am angry that the company would waste paper, postage and money putting together another self-congratulatory and inaccurate piece of propaganda. What do you think? Is direct mail to customers the way to get across this message?\n\n&nbsp;','It\'s not the medium, it\'s the message','','inherit','open','open','','1799-revision','','','2012-08-20 19:04:14','2012-08-20 19:04:14','',1799,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1799-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1801,4,'2012-08-20 19:04:25','2012-08-20 19:04:25','Here I go again. Pepco can\'t seem to stop providing material. On Friday, I received a letter from Thomas H. Graham, Pepco\'s regional president. It was addressed to \"Dear Valued Pepco Customer.\"\r\n\r\nThis letter, dated August 3 (but received two weeks later), is more of what we have already seen in Pepco\'s ads and public statements.  The derecho was very bad. Pepco had a lot of work to do. Pepco is committed to improving reliability.\r\n\r\n<strong>Same message, different medium.</strong>\r\n\r\nMy favorite line is this:\r\n<blockquote>Yet, even with all the destruction, Pepco restored power to 90% of customers by midnight on July 4, more than 48 before our original estimate.</blockquote>\r\nLet\'s rewrite: Most Pepco customers were without power for five days.  Pepco did not get power to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">all</span> its customers until some eight days after the storm.\r\n\r\nWithout the spin, it doesn\'t sound so good, does it?\r\n\r\nThen we have this gem:\r\n<blockquote>Today, we are stronger and more reliable--but no amount of strengthening to our system could have withstood a storm of this magnitude.</blockquote>\r\nIn other words, Pepco wants customers to be aware that Pepco is not equipped to deal with storms \"of this magnitude.\"\r\n\r\nAnd the letter finishes off with the same message that we have seen over and over:\r\n<blockquote>Again, we sincerely thank you for your patience. I would also like to thank customers who took time to show their gratitude--shaking crew members\' hands, leaving them notes, water and Popsicles...We will continue to enhance our reliability....</blockquote>\r\nNote to Mr. Graham: anybody who was able to give crew members Popsicles had to have some refrigeration.  Just saying.\r\n\r\nPepco does not get that it does not matter what medium you use, the message is still not resonating.\r\n\r\nPersonally, I don\'t feel any better about Pepco after reading this letter--in fact, I am angry that the company would waste paper, postage and money putting together another self-congratulatory and inaccurate piece of propaganda. What do you think? Is direct mail to customers the way to get across this message?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','It\'s not the medium, it\'s the message','','inherit','open','open','','1799-revision-2','','','2012-08-20 19:04:25','2012-08-20 19:04:25','',1799,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1799-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1802,4,'2012-08-22 13:51:45','2012-08-22 13:51:45','Asking for help is supposed to be one of the hardest things people do. I think it is probably harder for people to recognize when they need help.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Shark by StormyDog, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-lees/134610871/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/54/134610871_a3ad9262b7.jpg\" alt=\"Shark\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<em>Photo: Shark by StormyDog, from Flickr.</em>\r\n\r\nThere\'s this guy--I call him the shark--who desperately needs help. Except he doesn\'t seem to recognize that he does.  The shark is a guy who hasn\'t quite mastered what we call \"social skills.\" More to the point, he doesn\'t know how to start or maintain a conversation. He doesn\'t have much to say even though he is dying to connect. This guy has been attending social events for the last twenty years and instead of making friends, he scares people away (thus why I call him the shark: he circles around making you feel he is going to injure you).  He comes up to women, whether or not they seem open to conversation, and stands there, expecting the woman to converse with him. What\'s worse is he has nothing to say. He\'s awkward and seems desperate. The bottom line is he needs help.\r\n\r\nSadly, the shark has been using the same \"strategy\" for twenty years: go to an event, and hope that someone will talk to him. What he should do is try a different strategy. One in which he recognizes that what he is doing doesn\'t work, and then get some help figuring out what does work -either from a therapist or a dating coach.\r\n\r\nBut before you think this is about people needing therapy, plenty of businesses and organizations also have communications problems. Nobody understands what they do. Nobody \"gets\" their message, if they even have one. These organizations need help.\r\n\r\nAs I said before, recognizing you need help is the hardest part. Here are some clues that your organization may need communications help:\r\n\r\n1. You\'ve been doing the same thing over and over, and getting no results.\r\n\r\n2. You can\'t explain in two or three sentences what you do.\r\n\r\n3. You are not \"engaging\" with your audiences--nobody \"likes\" your Facebook page for example.\r\n\r\n4. Your sales/donations are down.\r\n\r\nYou need help. Don\'t be like the shark, scaring your potential customers and donors away because you just don\'t know how to communicate!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Sometimes, you need help','','publish','open','open','','sometimes-you-need-help','','','2012-08-22 13:51:45','2012-08-22 13:51:45','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1802',0,'post','',0),
(1803,4,'2012-08-22 13:51:07','2012-08-22 13:51:07','Asking for help is supposed to be one of the hardest things people do. I think it is probably harder for people to recognize when they need help.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a title=\"Shark by StormyDog, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-lees/134610871/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/54/134610871_a3ad9262b7.jpg\" alt=\"Shark\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\n\n<em>Photo: Shark by StormyDog, from Flickr.</em>\n\nThere\'s this guy--I call him the shark--who desperately needs help. Except he doesn\'t seem to recognize that he does.  The shark is a guy who hasn\'t quite mastered what we call \"social skills.\" More to the point, he doesn\'t know how to start or maintain a conversation. He doesn\'t have much to say even though he is dying to connect. This guy has been attending social events for the last twenty years and instead of making friends, he scares people away (thus why I call him the shark: he circles around making you feel he is going to injure you).  He comes up to women, whether or not they seem open to conversation, and stands there, expecting the woman to converse with him. What\'s worse is he has nothing to say. He\'s awkward and seems desperate. The bottom line is he needs help.\n\nSadly, the shark has been using the same \"strategy\" for twenty years: go to an event, and hope that someone will talk to him. What he should do is try a different strategy. One in which he recognizes that what he is doing doesn\'t work, and then get some help figuring out what does work -either from a therapist or a dating coach.\n\nBut before you think this is about people needing therapy, plenty of businesses and organizations also have communications problems. Nobody understands what they do. Nobody \"gets\" their message, if they even have one. These organizations need help.\n\nAs I said before, recognizing you need help is the hardest part. Here are some clues:\n\n1. You\'ve been doing the same thing over and over, and getting no results.\n\n2. You can\'t explain in two or three sentences what you do.\n\n3. You are not \"engaging\" with your audiences--nobody \"likes\" your Facebook page for example.\n\n4. Your sales/donations are down.\n\nYou need help. Don\'t be like the shark, scaring your potential customers and donors away because you just don\'t know how to communicate!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Sometimes, you need help','','inherit','open','open','','1802-revision','','','2012-08-22 13:51:07','2012-08-22 13:51:07','',1802,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1802-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1804,4,'2012-08-22 13:52:51','2012-08-22 13:52:51','Asking for help is supposed to be one of the hardest things people do. I think it is probably harder for people to recognize when they need help.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a title=\"Shark by StormyDog, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-lees/134610871/\"><img src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/54/134610871_a3ad9262b7.jpg\" alt=\"Shark\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\n\n<em>Photo: Shark by StormyDog, from Flickr.</em>\n\nThere\'s this guy--I call him the shark--who desperately needs help. Except he doesn\'t seem to recognize that he does.  The shark is a guy who hasn\'t quite mastered what we call \"social skills.\" More to the point, he doesn\'t know how to start or maintain a conversation. He doesn\'t have much to say even though he is dying to connect. This guy has been attending social events for the last twenty years and instead of making friends, he scares people away (thus why I call him the shark: he circles around making you feel he is going to injure you).  He comes up to women, whether or not they seem open to conversation, and stands there, expecting the woman to converse with him. What\'s worse is he has nothing to say. He\'s awkward and seems desperate. The bottom line is he needs help.\n\nSadly, the shark has been using the same \"strategy\" for twenty years: go to an event, and hope that someone will talk to him. What he should do is try a different strategy. One in which he recognizes that what he is doing doesn\'t work, and then get some help figuring out what does work -either from a therapist or a dating coach.\n\nBut before you think this is about people needing therapy, plenty of businesses and organizations also have communications problems. Nobody understands what they do. Nobody \"gets\" their message, if they even have one. These organizations need help.\n\nAs I said before, recognizing you need help is the hardest part. Here are some clues that your organization may need communications help:\n\n1. You\'ve been doing the same thing over and over, and getting no results.\n\n2. You can\'t explain in two or three sentences what you do.\n\n3. You are not \"engaging\" with your audiences--nobody \"likes\" your Facebook page for example.\n\n4. Your sales/donations are down.\n\nYou need help. Don\'t be like the shark, scaring your potential customers and donors away because you just don\'t know how to communicate!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Sometimes, you need help','','inherit','open','open','','1802-autosave','','','2012-08-22 13:52:51','2012-08-22 13:52:51','',1802,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1802-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1820,4,'2012-09-06 13:52:31','2012-09-06 13:52:31','My Google reader has more than 100 subscriptions. On Twitter, I follow more than 1000 folks. I also have connections on LinkedIn and pages I have liked on Facebook. All in all that is a lot of content to which I am exposed each day.\r\n\r\nI have come to realize there are three types of content providers that I just don\'t have time for. They are the raconteurs, the recyclers and the reprobates.  They seem to be everywhere and I just want to avoid them!\r\n\r\n<strong>Raconteurs</strong>\r\n\r\nRaconteurs like to make a fuss. They are there to criticize anything and anybody just to get a rise out of their readers. There is one writer in particular who is such an extreme example of this that I recognize him from his blog titles alone (things like \"Are we really better off today?\" or \"The Gender Gap is a Myth\") which are designed to perk your interest because they AIM to be controversial. The sad thing is many raconteurs are seeking controversy not to enlighten but to rile up.\r\n\r\n<strong>Recyclers</strong>\r\n\r\nThese are not your environmentally-friendly folks, looking to reduce, reuse and recycle cans, bottles and paper.  Instead, these are idea recyclers. They are so devoid of original thought that they recycle ideas posted by other folks and pass them off as their own. A couple of weeks ago,  the big rage on Twitter was an article from Fast Company on how to be more productive. Now, there is nothing wrong with re-posting or retweeting that information (heck, we all want to get more out of days it seems). What is bad is taking the content but changing the title, taking only the main points,  or whatever and passing it off as your own post. There\'s a blogger,  often featured on a blog I read regularly, who is a mistress of this format. If it was all over Twitter yesterday, she is posting about it today.\r\n\r\n<strong>Reprobates</strong>\r\n\r\nReprobates are people who just post nasty stuff--either because they think it is amusing or because they are seeking to shock. Mostly, they love to use obscenity in their tweets and their posts. The more f-bombs they can cram into a paragraph the better.  Reprobates also make inappropriate remarks about serious or sensitive topics-- like the CNN guy who called the Democratic National Convention \"The Vagina Monologues.\"\r\n\r\nDo you have some of these in your content stream? Do you have types of bloggers/Tweeters that you avoid? Let me know in the comments.','3 Rs: Who to avoid on social media','','publish','open','open','','3-rs-who-to-avoid-on-social-media','','','2012-09-06 13:52:31','2012-09-06 13:52:31','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1820',0,'post','',0),
(1806,4,'2012-08-27 17:48:55','2012-08-27 17:48:55','If you are on Twitter, chances are you\'ve seen tweets like this:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Hey smelly guy on the Metro, invest in some deodorant! </em></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>This girl at the gym is hogging the machines. </em></p>\r\nPeople are tapping away their snide commentary on their smartphones, knowing full well that the person they are discussing will never see these commentaries or know he or she was being discussed at all.\r\n\r\nPeople seem to be avoiding a confrontation. Or maybe the are avoiding an uncomfortable conversation. People seem to be expressing anger and distaste quite passively--by sharing it on Twitter-- without actually solving the situation.\r\n\r\nPerhaps this avoidant behavior is related to technology. Over the weekend, the Washington Post ran an article regarding entitled <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-art-of-the-digital-breakup/2012/08/23/636f4cce-b4c5-11e1-9e4c-5a6a137d65e1_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"It\'s over. Didn\'t You Get My Text?\"</a> (weirdly, the digital article is titled differently: \"The Art of the Digital Breakup\").  More and more, people are hiding behind their gadgets and avoiding talking to each other, especially about difficult things. In the article, Lisa Bonos writes:\r\n<blockquote>And it\'s not unheard of for Facebook users to get news about their romances when the other person changes his or her status...</blockquote>\r\nBonos says that digital rejections seem easier because there is no interruption or arguments. But, it could be painful for the \"dumpee\" since there was no chance to interact, to ask questions.\r\n\r\nI see it all the time (and have been guilty of myself): using email or social media to say something that we couldn\'t say to someone face to face.\r\n\r\nIt\'s affecting conversations for sure. But more distressing to me is that it seems to be affecting empathy and connection with other people. We figure that if we \"like\" something on Facebook, then we\'ve connected with someone. But have we? Not really.  I have seen many people who say they would rather text than talk. Some people even prefer posting things on social media to communicate with lots of people at once instead of bothering to talk to friends individually.\r\n\r\nIn the end, social media may not be MAKING us more passive-aggressive or socially awkward, perhaps it only exacerbates what was already there. And for me, social media has been the springboard to more meaningful personal connection. Sadly though, there are far too many people hiding behind their gadgets, making snide comments rather than confronting or connecting with other people.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Have you seen the rise in passive-aggressive behavior? Does it affect you?','Is social media making us more passive-aggressive?','','publish','open','open','','is-social-media-making-us-more-passive-aggressive','','','2012-08-30 18:24:04','2012-08-30 18:24:04','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1806',0,'post','',0);
INSERT INTO `wp_posts` VALUES
(1807,4,'2012-08-27 17:48:23','2012-08-27 17:48:23','If you are on Twitter, chances are you\'ve seen tweets like this:\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Hey smelly guy on the Metro, invest in some deodorant! </em></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>This girl at the gym is hogging the machines. </em></p>\nPeople are tapping away their snide commentary on their smartphones, knowing full well that the person they are discussing will never see these commentaries or know he or she was being discussed at all.\n\nPeople seem to be avoiding a confrontation. Or maybe the are avoiding an uncomfortable conversation. People seem to be expressing anger and distaste quite passively--by sharing it on Twitter-- without actually solving the situation.\n\nPerhaps this avoidant behavior is related to technology. Over the weekend, the Washington Post ran an article regarding entitled <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-art-of-the-digital-breakup/2012/08/23/636f4cce-b4c5-11e1-9e4c-5a6a137d65e1_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"It\'s over. Didn\'t You Get My Text?\"</a> (weirdly, the digital article is titled differently: \"The Art of the Digital Breakup\").  More and more, people are hiding behind their gadgets and avoiding talking to each other, especially about difficult things. In the article, Lisa Bonos writes:\n<blockquote>And it\'s not unheard of for Facebook users to get news about their romances when the other person changes his or her status...</blockquote>\nBonos says that digital rejections seem easier because their is no interruption or arguments. But, it could be painful for the \"dumpee\" since there was no chance to interact, to ask questions.\n\nI see it all the time (and have been guilty of myself): using email or social media to say something that we couldn\'t say to someone face to face.\n\nIt\'s affecting conversations for sure. But more distressing to me is that it seems to be affecting empathy and connection with other people. We figure that if we \"like\" something on Facebook, then we\'ve connected with someone. But have we? Not really.  I have seen many people who say they would rather text than talk. Some people even prefer posting things on social media to communicate with lots of people at once instead of bothering to talk to friends individually.\n\nIn the end, social media may not be MAKING us more passive-aggressive or socially awkward, perhaps it only exacerbates what was already there. And for me, social media has been the springboard to more meaningful face to face connection. Sadly though, there are far too many people hiding behind their gadgets, making snide comments rather than confronting or connecting with other people.\n\nWhat do you think? Have you seen the rise in passive-aggressive behavior? Does it affect you?','Is social media making us more passive-aggressive?','','inherit','open','open','','1806-revision','','','2012-08-27 17:48:23','2012-08-27 17:48:23','',1806,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1806-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1808,4,'2012-09-04 19:57:38','2012-09-04 19:57:38','I finally watched <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077928/\" target=\"_blank\">Midnight Express </a>last week. I know--EVERYBODY has seen it already (it came out in 1978, so I am merely 34 years behind the times). However,  I am very glad I didn\'t see it before my trip to Turkey back in 2000, or I would have had more than a second thought or two.\r\n\r\nIn case you are like me, one of the last two people who haven\'t seen this movie, let me give you a basic plot summary. Billy Hayes is visiting Istanbul in 1970 with his girlfriend Susan, and right before leaving decides to smuggle some hash out of the country. He gets caught and then gets thrown in a Turkish jail. Jail is no picnic and Billy is desperate to get out but not his parents\' money or the US consul can really help him. Turkey wants to make an example of him (if not of their prison system). He goes through hell (torture, hunger, madness, losing friends, losing hope, even ending up in a ward with demented people), until he is finally able to find a way out.\r\n\r\nWhile I was watching, I kept thinking that Midnight Express is really a movie about communications, and how when communications fail, stuff goes very wrong. It is also a movie about how cultures clash. If Billy had been just a bit more culturally sensitive, he may have avoided being put in jail in the first place. It\'s clear that Billy is the typical \"ugly American,\" thinking that he can behave in another country as if he\'s in the United States. He is also ignorant or very naive about the Turkish legal system. Smuggling hash through the airport makes him nervous, but when he is discovered, he almost treats it as a joke. He doesn\'t know Turkey considers this almost a capital crime.\r\n\r\nBy the way, Midnight Express is based on a true story. This really did happen.\r\n\r\nTo make  it out of a Turkish prison (or deal with a communications problem), you, like Billy Hayes, could do well to:\r\n\r\n<strong>Learn the lingo:</strong> Midnight express is a jail term for escaping jail. Billy doesn\'t seem to quite grasp this concept.\r\n\r\n<strong>Speak the language:</strong>If Billy had bothered to learn some Turkish, he may have understood what was being said.\r\n\r\n<strong>Understand that your culture is not the predominant one:</strong> Billy feels entitled. People should understand English, and they should treat him better just because he is American. But the opposite happens--he is singled out for brutal treatment.\r\n\r\n<strong>Know when to speak and when to be silent:</strong> Billy could have spared himself a lot of trouble if he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he rages against the prison guard and gets badly tortured.\r\n\r\nDid you see Midnight Express? Do you agree that Billy could have saved himself a lot of trouble or was he doomed just by doing what he did?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How to make it out of Turkish prison (or avoid going there in the first place)','','publish','open','open','','how-to-make-it-out-of-a-turkish-prison','','','2012-09-04 19:57:38','2012-09-04 19:57:38','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1808',0,'post','',0),
(1809,4,'2012-08-30 16:39:45','2012-08-30 16:39:45','Last night, I finally watched Midnight Express. I am so glad I didn\'t see it before my trip to Turkey back in 2000, or I would have had more than a second thought or two.  In case you are like me, one of the last two people who haven\'t seen this movie, let me give you the basic plot. Billy Hayes is visiting Istanbul in 1970 with his girlfriend Susan, and right before leaving decides to smuggle some hash out of the country. He gets caught and then gets thrown in a Turkish jail. Jail is no picnic and Billy is desperate to get out but not his parents\' money or the US consul can really help him. Turkey wants to make an example of him (if not of their prison system).','What not to do if you are stuck in a Turkish prison','','inherit','open','open','','1808-revision','','','2012-08-30 16:39:45','2012-08-30 16:39:45','',1808,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1808-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1810,4,'2012-08-30 17:02:08','2012-08-30 17:02:08','Last night, I finally watched Midnight Express. I am so glad I didn\'t see it before my trip to Turkey back in 2000, or I would have had more than a second thought or two.  In case you are like me, one of the last two people who haven\'t seen this movie, let me give you the basic plot. Billy Hayes is visiting Istanbul in 1970 with his girlfriend Susan, and right before leaving decides to smuggle some hash out of the country. He gets caught and then gets thrown in a Turkish jail. Jail is no picnic and Billy is desperate to get out but not his parents\' money or the US consul can really help him. Turkey wants to make an example of him (if not of their prison system).\n\nNow, I am not defending the Turks here, but what is ugly is how Billy behaves. He thinks he can just saunter out of Turkey with drugs taped to his body. And when he is caught, he has no idea','What not to do if you are stuck in a Turkish prison','','inherit','open','open','','1808-revision-2','','','2012-08-30 17:02:08','2012-08-30 17:02:08','',1808,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1808-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1811,4,'2012-08-30 17:55:46','2012-08-30 17:55:46','We all know political speech is rhetorical--designed to fire up support. Most political speeches are short on substance and long on promises. This is true for any party, any politician. But how often do you see a political speech that is made up of misrepresentation and falsehoods? Indeed, of outright lies? Look no farther than Paul Ryan\'s speech at the Republican National Convention last night. The fact checkers have been having a field day, and everyone is saying the same thing: the speech is full of lies.  For example, Talking Points Memo lists the <a href=\"http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/30/772921/6-worst-lies-in-paul-ryans-speech/\" target=\"_blank\">6 Worst Lies in Paul Ryan\'s Speech</a>. Even a blogger for Fox News calls the speech <a href=\"http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/?intcmp=trending\" target=\"_blank\">deceiving</a> (although I have been told the blogger is a progressive pundit with the otherwise conservative news outlet h/t to <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MrMediaTraining\" target=\"_blank\">Brad Phillips</a>).\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">But we are all fact checkers now.</span></strong>\r\n\r\nHow can you trust a politician who lies so blatantly and yet so earnestly? (Yes, I know, most politicians lie.)  It\'s like the bigwigs at the GOP are not aware that millions of people, all with access to the Internet, can quickly look things up, comment instantaneously and amplify the response.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Is it an echo chamber?</span></strong>\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, perhaps those of us tweeting and sharing articles like the one above are really in an echo chamber. We are all talking to ourselves. The party faithful out there think Paul Ryan gave a great speech! He promised that Mitt Romney will show strong leadership, and protect Medicare (even though Romney has shown very little leadership and Ryan\'s plan actually decimates both Medicare and Medicaid).\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>What happened to Medicaid?</strong></span>\r\n\r\nActually, you will notice that the RNC is focused on MEDICARE. Why? Because Medicare is the government-sponsored health insurance plan for SENIORS. There are a lot of seniors in Florida (where the convention is being held) and seniors vote.  But Romney and Ryan are not talking at all about Medicaid, which is government-sponsored health insurance for poor people.  But then again, Mitt Romney has already said he is not concerned about the very poor in this country.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Did you build that?</strong></span>\r\n\r\nAnd of course, the other deceitful thing going on at the RNC convention is the \"we did build it\" trope--which is based on a statement (perhaps unadvised) by President Obama about small businesses needing the support of government to succeed--that has been taken out of context.\r\n\r\nAll in all, something built on a weak foundation--and lies are weak--generally falls down on itself. But the question is unless someone points out a lie, do you know it? And more importantly, do the voters going to the polls in November have real, factual, proven information on which to make a decision?\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Truth should be as important as presentation.</span></strong>\r\n\r\nWhen people praise Paul Ryan\'s speech as being good--what are they saying? And if a speech can be good even though it is build on a foundation of lies, where does that leave us and our democracy?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Built on a foundation of lies','','publish','open','open','','built-on-a-foundation-of-lies','','','2012-08-30 18:38:42','2012-08-30 18:38:42','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1811',0,'post','',0),
(1812,4,'2012-08-30 17:55:23','2012-08-30 17:55:23','We all know political speech is rhetorical--designed to fire up support. Most political speeches are short on substance and long on promises. This is true for any party, any politician. But how often do you see a political speech that is made up of misrepresentation and falsehoods? Indeed, of outright lies? Look no farther than Paul Ryan\'s speech at the Republican National Convention last night. The fact checkers have been having a field day, and everyone is saying the same thing: the speech is full of lies.  For example, Talking Points Memo lists the <a href=\"http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/30/772921/6-worst-lies-in-paul-ryans-speech/\" target=\"_blank\">6 Worst Lies in Paul Ryan\'s Speech</a>. Even Fox News calls the speech <a href=\"http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/?intcmp=trending\" target=\"_blank\">deceiving</a>.\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">But we are all fact checkers now.</span></strong>\n\nHow can you trust a politician who lies so blatantly and yet so earnestly? (Yes, I know, most politicians lie.)  It\'s like the bigwigs at the GOP are not aware that millions of people, all with access to the Internet, can quickly look things up, comment instantaneously and amplify the response.\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Is it an echo chamber?</span></strong>\n\nOn the other hand, perhaps those of us tweeting and sharing articles like the one above are really in an echo chamber. We are all talking to ourselves. The party faithful out there think Paul Ryan gave a great speech! He promised that Mitt Romney will show strong leadership, and protect Medicare (even though Romney has shown very little leadership and Ryan\'s plan actually decimates both Medicare and Medicaid).\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>What happened to Medicaid?</strong></span>\n\nActually, you will notice that the RNC is focused on MEDICARE. Why? Because Medicare is the government-sponsored health insurance plan for SENIORS. There are a lot of seniors in Florida (where the convention is being held) and seniors vote.  But Romney and Ryan are not talking at all about Medicaid, which is government-sponsored health insurance for poor people.  But then again, Mitt Romney has already said he is not concerned about the very poor in this country.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Did you build that?</strong></span>\n\nAnd of course, the other deceitful thing going on at the RNC convention is the \"we did build it\" trope--which is based on a statement (perhaps unadvised) by President Obama about small businesses needing the support of government to succeed--that has been taken out of context.\n\nAll in all, something built on a weak foundation--and lies are weak--generally falls down on itself. But the question is unless someone points out a lie, do you know it? And more importantly, do the voters going to the polls in November have real, factual, proven information on which to make a decision?\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Truth should be as important as presentation.</span></strong>\n\nWhen people praise Paul Ryan\'s speech as being good--what are they saying? And if a speech can be good even though it is build on a foundation of lies, where does that leave us and our democracy?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Built on a foundation of lies','','inherit','open','open','','1811-revision','','','2012-08-30 17:55:23','2012-08-30 17:55:23','',1811,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1811-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1813,4,'2012-08-27 17:48:55','2012-08-27 17:48:55','If you are on Twitter, chances are you\'ve seen tweets like this:\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Hey smelly guy on the Metro, invest in some deodorant! </em></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>This girl at the gym is hogging the machines. </em></p>\r\nPeople are tapping away their snide commentary on their smartphones, knowing full well that the person they are discussing will never see these commentaries or know he or she was being discussed at all.\r\n\r\nPeople seem to be avoiding a confrontation. Or maybe the are avoiding an uncomfortable conversation. People seem to be expressing anger and distaste quite passively--by sharing it on Twitter-- without actually solving the situation.\r\n\r\nPerhaps this avoidant behavior is related to technology. Over the weekend, the Washington Post ran an article regarding entitled <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-art-of-the-digital-breakup/2012/08/23/636f4cce-b4c5-11e1-9e4c-5a6a137d65e1_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"It\'s over. Didn\'t You Get My Text?\"</a> (weirdly, the digital article is titled differently: \"The Art of the Digital Breakup\").  More and more, people are hiding behind their gadgets and avoiding talking to each other, especially about difficult things. In the article, Lisa Bonos writes:\r\n<blockquote>And it\'s not unheard of for Facebook users to get news about their romances when the other person changes his or her status...</blockquote>\r\nBonos says that digital rejections seem easier because their is no interruption or arguments. But, it could be painful for the \"dumpee\" since there was no chance to interact, to ask questions.\r\n\r\nI see it all the time (and have been guilty of myself): using email or social media to say something that we couldn\'t say to someone face to face.\r\n\r\nIt\'s affecting conversations for sure. But more distressing to me is that it seems to be affecting empathy and connection with other people. We figure that if we \"like\" something on Facebook, then we\'ve connected with someone. But have we? Not really.  I have seen many people who say they would rather text than talk. Some people even prefer posting things on social media to communicate with lots of people at once instead of bothering to talk to friends individually.\r\n\r\nIn the end, social media may not be MAKING us more passive-aggressive or socially awkward, perhaps it only exacerbates what was already there. And for me, social media has been the springboard to more meaningful personal connection. Sadly though, there are far too many people hiding behind their gadgets, making snide comments rather than confronting or connecting with other people.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Have you seen the rise in passive-aggressive behavior? Does it affect you?','Is social media making us more passive-aggressive?','','inherit','open','open','','1806-revision-2','','','2012-08-27 17:48:55','2012-08-27 17:48:55','',1806,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1806-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1814,4,'2012-08-30 17:55:46','2012-08-30 17:55:46','We all know political speech is rhetorical--designed to fire up support. Most political speeches are short on substance and long on promises. This is true for any party, any politician. But how often do you see a political speech that is made up of misrepresentation and falsehoods? Indeed, of outright lies? Look no farther than Paul Ryan\'s speech at the Republican National Convention last night. The fact checkers have been having a field day, and everyone is saying the same thing: the speech is full of lies.  For example, Talking Points Memo lists the <a href=\"http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/30/772921/6-worst-lies-in-paul-ryans-speech/\" target=\"_blank\">6 Worst Lies in Paul Ryan\'s Speech</a>. Even Fox News calls the speech <a href=\"http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/?intcmp=trending\" target=\"_blank\">deceiving</a>.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">But we are all fact checkers now.</span></strong>\r\n\r\nHow can you trust a politician who lies so blatantly and yet so earnestly? (Yes, I know, most politicians lie.)  It\'s like the bigwigs at the GOP are not aware that millions of people, all with access to the Internet, can quickly look things up, comment instantaneously and amplify the response.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Is it an echo chamber?</span></strong>\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, perhaps those of us tweeting and sharing articles like the one above are really in an echo chamber. We are all talking to ourselves. The party faithful out there think Paul Ryan gave a great speech! He promised that Mitt Romney will show strong leadership, and protect Medicare (even though Romney has shown very little leadership and Ryan\'s plan actually decimates both Medicare and Medicaid).\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>What happened to Medicaid?</strong></span>\r\n\r\nActually, you will notice that the RNC is focused on MEDICARE. Why? Because Medicare is the government-sponsored health insurance plan for SENIORS. There are a lot of seniors in Florida (where the convention is being held) and seniors vote.  But Romney and Ryan are not talking at all about Medicaid, which is government-sponsored health insurance for poor people.  But then again, Mitt Romney has already said he is not concerned about the very poor in this country.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Did you build that?</strong></span>\r\n\r\nAnd of course, the other deceitful thing going on at the RNC convention is the \"we did build it\" trope--which is based on a statement (perhaps unadvised) by President Obama about small businesses needing the support of government to succeed--that has been taken out of context.\r\n\r\nAll in all, something built on a weak foundation--and lies are weak--generally falls down on itself. But the question is unless someone points out a lie, do you know it? And more importantly, do the voters going to the polls in November have real, factual, proven information on which to make a decision?\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Truth should be as important as presentation.</span></strong>\r\n\r\nWhen people praise Paul Ryan\'s speech as being good--what are they saying? And if a speech can be good even though it is build on a foundation of lies, where does that leave us and our democracy?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Built on a foundation of lies','','inherit','open','open','','1811-revision-2','','','2012-08-30 17:55:46','2012-08-30 17:55:46','',1811,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1811-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1815,4,'2012-08-30 18:25:33','2012-08-30 18:25:33','We all know political speech is rhetorical--designed to fire up support. Most political speeches are short on substance and long on promises. This is true for any party, any politician. But how often do you see a political speech that is made up of misrepresentation and falsehoods? Indeed, of outright lies? Look no farther than Paul Ryan\'s speech at the Republican National Convention last night. The fact checkers have been having a field day, and everyone is saying the same thing: the speech is full of lies.  For example, Talking Points Memo lists the <a href=\"http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/30/772921/6-worst-lies-in-paul-ryans-speech/\" target=\"_blank\">6 Worst Lies in Paul Ryan\'s Speech</a>. Even a blogger for Fox News calls the speech <a href=\"http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/?intcmp=trending\" target=\"_blank\">deceiving</a>.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">But we are all fact checkers now.</span></strong>\r\n\r\nHow can you trust a politician who lies so blatantly and yet so earnestly? (Yes, I know, most politicians lie.)  It\'s like the bigwigs at the GOP are not aware that millions of people, all with access to the Internet, can quickly look things up, comment instantaneously and amplify the response.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Is it an echo chamber?</span></strong>\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, perhaps those of us tweeting and sharing articles like the one above are really in an echo chamber. We are all talking to ourselves. The party faithful out there think Paul Ryan gave a great speech! He promised that Mitt Romney will show strong leadership, and protect Medicare (even though Romney has shown very little leadership and Ryan\'s plan actually decimates both Medicare and Medicaid).\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>What happened to Medicaid?</strong></span>\r\n\r\nActually, you will notice that the RNC is focused on MEDICARE. Why? Because Medicare is the government-sponsored health insurance plan for SENIORS. There are a lot of seniors in Florida (where the convention is being held) and seniors vote.  But Romney and Ryan are not talking at all about Medicaid, which is government-sponsored health insurance for poor people.  But then again, Mitt Romney has already said he is not concerned about the very poor in this country.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Did you build that?</strong></span>\r\n\r\nAnd of course, the other deceitful thing going on at the RNC convention is the \"we did build it\" trope--which is based on a statement (perhaps unadvised) by President Obama about small businesses needing the support of government to succeed--that has been taken out of context.\r\n\r\nAll in all, something built on a weak foundation--and lies are weak--generally falls down on itself. But the question is unless someone points out a lie, do you know it? And more importantly, do the voters going to the polls in November have real, factual, proven information on which to make a decision?\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Truth should be as important as presentation.</span></strong>\r\n\r\nWhen people praise Paul Ryan\'s speech as being good--what are they saying? And if a speech can be good even though it is build on a foundation of lies, where does that leave us and our democracy?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Built on a foundation of lies','','inherit','open','open','','1811-revision-3','','','2012-08-30 18:25:33','2012-08-30 18:25:33','',1811,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1811-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1816,4,'2012-08-30 18:34:59','2012-08-30 18:34:59','We all know political speech is rhetorical--designed to fire up support. Most political speeches are short on substance and long on promises. This is true for any party, any politician. But how often do you see a political speech that is made up of misrepresentation and falsehoods? Indeed, of outright lies? Look no farther than Paul Ryan\'s speech at the Republican National Convention last night. The fact checkers have been having a field day, and everyone is saying the same thing: the speech is full of lies.  For example, Talking Points Memo lists the <a href=\"http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/30/772921/6-worst-lies-in-paul-ryans-speech/\" target=\"_blank\">6 Worst Lies in Paul Ryan\'s Speech</a>. Even a blogger for Fox News calls the speech <a href=\"http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/?intcmp=trending\" target=\"_blank\">deceiving</a> (although I have been told the blogger is a progressive pundit with the otherwise conservative news outlet h/t to <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MrMediaTraining\" target=\"_blank\">Brad Phillips</a>).\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">But we are all fact checkers now.</span></strong>\n\nHow can you trust a politician who lies so blatantly and yet so earnestly? (Yes, I know, most politicians lie.)  It\'s like the bigwigs at the GOP are not aware that millions of people, all with access to the Internet, can quickly look things up, comment instantaneously and amplify the response.\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Is it an echo chamber?</span></strong>\n\nOn the other hand, perhaps those of us tweeting and sharing articles like the one above are really in an echo chamber. We are all talking to ourselves. The party faithful out there think Paul Ryan gave a great speech! He promised that Mitt Romney will show strong leadership, and protect Medicare (even though Romney has shown very little leadership and Ryan\'s plan actually decimates both Medicare and Medicaid).\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>What happened to Medicaid?</strong></span>\n\nActually, you will notice that the RNC is focused on MEDICARE. Why? Because Medicare is the government-sponsored health insurance plan for SENIORS. There are a lot of seniors in Florida (where the convention is being held) and seniors vote.  But Romney and Ryan are not talking at all about Medicaid, which is government-sponsored health insurance for poor people.  But then again, Mitt Romney has already said he is not concerned about the very poor in this country.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Did you build that?</strong></span>\n\nAnd of course, the other deceitful thing going on at the RNC convention is the \"we did build it\" trope--which is based on a statement (perhaps unadvised) by President Obama about small businesses needing the support of government to succeed--that has been taken out of context.\n\nAll in all, something built on a weak foundation--and lies are weak--generally falls down on itself. But the question is unless someone points out a lie, do you know it? And more importantly, do the voters going to the polls in November have real, factual, proven information on which to make a decision?\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Truth should be as important as presentation.</span></strong>\n\nWhen people praise Paul Ryan\'s speech as being good--what are they saying? And if a speech can be good even though it is build on a foundation of lies, where does that leave us and our democracy?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Built on a foundation of lies','','inherit','open','open','','1811-autosave','','','2012-08-30 18:34:59','2012-08-30 18:34:59','',1811,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1811-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1817,4,'2012-08-30 18:25:49','2012-08-30 18:25:49','We all know political speech is rhetorical--designed to fire up support. Most political speeches are short on substance and long on promises. This is true for any party, any politician. But how often do you see a political speech that is made up of misrepresentation and falsehoods? Indeed, of outright lies? Look no farther than Paul Ryan\'s speech at the Republican National Convention last night. The fact checkers have been having a field day, and everyone is saying the same thing: the speech is full of lies.  For example, Talking Points Memo lists the <a href=\"http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/30/772921/6-worst-lies-in-paul-ryans-speech/\" target=\"_blank\">6 Worst Lies in Paul Ryan\'s Speech</a>. Even a blogger for Fox News calls the speech <a href=\"http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/?intcmp=trending\" target=\"_blank\">deceiving</a>.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">But we are all fact checkers now.</span></strong>\r\n\r\nHow can you trust a politician who lies so blatantly and yet so earnestly? (Yes, I know, most politicians lie.)  It\'s like the bigwigs at the GOP are not aware that millions of people, all with access to the Internet, can quickly look things up, comment instantaneously and amplify the response.\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Is it an echo chamber?</span></strong>\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, perhaps those of us tweeting and sharing articles like the one above are really in an echo chamber. We are all talking to ourselves. The party faithful out there think Paul Ryan gave a great speech! He promised that Mitt Romney will show strong leadership, and protect Medicare (even though Romney has shown very little leadership and Ryan\'s plan actually decimates both Medicare and Medicaid).\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>What happened to Medicaid?</strong></span>\r\n\r\nActually, you will notice that the RNC is focused on MEDICARE. Why? Because Medicare is the government-sponsored health insurance plan for SENIORS. There are a lot of seniors in Florida (where the convention is being held) and seniors vote.  But Romney and Ryan are not talking at all about Medicaid, which is government-sponsored health insurance for poor people.  But then again, Mitt Romney has already said he is not concerned about the very poor in this country.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Did you build that?</strong></span>\r\n\r\nAnd of course, the other deceitful thing going on at the RNC convention is the \"we did build it\" trope--which is based on a statement (perhaps unadvised) by President Obama about small businesses needing the support of government to succeed--that has been taken out of context.\r\n\r\nAll in all, something built on a weak foundation--and lies are weak--generally falls down on itself. But the question is unless someone points out a lie, do you know it? And more importantly, do the voters going to the polls in November have real, factual, proven information on which to make a decision?\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Truth should be as important as presentation.</span></strong>\r\n\r\nWhen people praise Paul Ryan\'s speech as being good--what are they saying? And if a speech can be good even though it is build on a foundation of lies, where does that leave us and our democracy?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Built on a foundation of lies','','inherit','open','open','','1811-revision-4','','','2012-08-30 18:25:49','2012-08-30 18:25:49','',1811,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/1811-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1818,4,'2012-08-16 13:15:16','2012-08-16 13:15:16','Deborah Brody Marketing Communications works with businesses and non-profit organizations. We have experience with various industries, including hospitality/tourism, financial, real estate, marketing, legal and software development.\r\n\r\n<strong>Clients have included:</strong>\r\n\r\nACTON Marketing\r\nAlexandria Education\r\n\r\nBNA\r\nB’nai B’rith International\r\nCaribbean Basin Enterprise\r\nHotel Presidente (Costa Rica)\r\n\r\nKARRASS\r\nLaw Offices of Jason Warshofsky\r\nMemorable Costa Rica\r\n\r\nMiCORE Solutions, Inc.\r\nSimply Savvy Events\r\n\r\nSperry Van Ness\r\nStarWave Associates\r\nStateTrust Group\r\nStreamline Communications\r\nStudio Twenty-Two\r\n\r\nSW Creatives\r\nTabacon Resort and Spa (Costa Rica)\r\nThe Gary Rosenthal Collection','Clients','','inherit','open','open','','38-revision-v1','','','2012-08-16 13:15:16','2012-08-16 13:15:16','',38,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/08/38-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),
(1819,4,'2012-09-04 19:56:43','2012-09-04 19:56:43','I finally watched <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077928/\" target=\"_blank\">Midnight Express </a>last week. I know--EVERYBODY has seen it already (it came out in 1978, so I am merely 34 years behind the times). However,  I am very glad I didn\'t see it before my trip to Turkey back in 2000, or I would have had more than a second thought or two.\n\nIn case you are like me, one of the last two people who haven\'t seen this movie, let me give you a basic plot summary. Billy Hayes is visiting Istanbul in 1970 with his girlfriend Susan, and right before leaving decides to smuggle some hash out of the country. He gets caught and then gets thrown in a Turkish jail. Jail is no picnic and Billy is desperate to get out but not his parents\' money or the US consul can really help him. Turkey wants to make an example of him (if not of their prison system). He goes through hell (torture, hunger, madness, losing friends, losing hope, even ending up in a ward with demented people), until he is finally able to find a way out.\n\nWhile I was watching, I kept thinking that Midnight Express is really a movie about communications, and how when communications fail, stuff goes very wrong. It is also a movie about how cultures clash. If Billy had been just a bit more culturally sensitive, he may have avoided being put in jail in the first place. It\'s clear that Billy is the typical \"ugly American,\" thinking that he can behave in another country as if he\'s in the United States. He is also ignorant or very naive about the Turkish legal system. Smuggling hash through the airport makes him nervous, but when he is discovered, he almost treats it as a joke.\n\nOh, and by the way, Midnight Express is based on a true story. This really did happen.\n\nTo make  it out of a Turkish prison (or deal with a communications problem), you, like Billy Hayes, could do well to:\n\n<strong>Learn the lingo:</strong> Midnight express is a jail term for escaping jail. Billy doesn\'t seem to quite grasp this concept.\n\n<strong>Speak the language:</strong>If Billy had bothered to learn some Turkish, he may have understood what was being said.\n\n<strong>Understand that your culture is not the predominant one:</strong> Billy feels entitled. People should understand English, and they should treat him better just because he is American. But the opposite happens--he is singled out for brutal treatment.\n\n<strong>Know when to speak and when to be silent:</strong> Billy could have spared himself a lot of trouble if he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he rages against the prison guard and gets badly tortured.\n\nDid you see Midnight Express? Do you agree that Billy could have saved himself a lot of trouble or was he doomed just by doing what he did?\n\n&nbsp;','How to make it out of Turkish prison (or avoid going there in the first place)','','inherit','open','open','','1808-revision-3','','','2012-09-04 19:56:43','2012-09-04 19:56:43','',1808,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1808-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1821,4,'2012-09-06 13:52:19','2012-09-06 13:52:19','My Google reader has more than 100 subscriptions. On Twitter, I follow more than 1000 folks. I also have connections on LinkedIn and pages I have liked on Facebook. All in all that is a lot of content to which I am exposed each day.\n\nI have come to realize there are three types of content providers that I just don\'t have time for. They are the raconteurs, the recyclers and the reprobates.  They seem to be everywhere and I just want to avoid them!\n\n<strong>Raconteurs</strong>\n\nRaconteurs like to make a fuss. They are there to criticize anything and anybody just to get a rise out of their readers. There is one writer in particular who is such an extreme example of this that I recognize him from his blog titles alone (things like \"Are we really better off today?\" or \"The Gender Gap is a Myth\") which are designed to perk your interest because they AIM to be controversial. The sad thing is many raconteurs are seeking controversy not to enlighten but to rile up.\n\n<strong>Recyclers</strong>\n\nThese are not your environmentally-friendly folks, looking to reduce, reuse and recycle cans, bottles and paper.  Instead, these are idea recyclers. They are so devoid of original thought that they recycle ideas posted by other folks and pass them off as their own. A couple of weeks ago,  the big rage on Twitter was an article from Fast Company on how to be more productive. Now, there is nothing wrong with re-posting or retweeting that information (heck, we all want to get more out of days it seems). What is bad is taking the content but changing the title, taking only the main points,  or whatever and passing it off as your own post. There\'s a blogger,  often featured on a blog I read regularly, who is a mistress of this format. If it was all over Twitter yesterday, she is posting about it today.\n\n<strong>Reprobates</strong>\n\nReprobates are people who just post nasty stuff--either because they think it is amusing or because they are seeking to shock. Mostly, they love to use obscenity in their tweets and their posts. The more f-bombs they can cram into a paragraph the better.  Reprobates also make inappropriate remarks about serious or sensitive topics-- like the CNN guy who called the Democratic National Convention \"The Vagina Monologues.\"\n\nDo you have some of these in your content stream? Do you have types of bloggers/Tweeters that you avoid? Let me know in the comments.','3 Rs: Who to avoid on social media','','inherit','open','open','','1820-revision','','','2012-09-06 13:52:19','2012-09-06 13:52:19','',1820,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1820-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1822,4,'2012-09-06 13:53:35','2012-09-06 13:53:35','My Google reader has more than 100 subscriptions. On Twitter, I follow more than 1000 folks. I also have connections on LinkedIn and pages I have liked on Facebook. All in all that is a lot of content to which I am exposed each day.\n\nI have come to realize there are three types of content providers that I just don\'t have time for. They are the raconteurs, the recyclers and the reprobates.  They seem to be everywhere and I just want to avoid them!\n\n<strong>Raconteurs</strong>\n\nRaconteurs like to make a fuss. They are there to criticize anything and anybody just to get a rise out of their readers. There is one writer in particular who is such an extreme example of this that I recognize him from his blog titles alone (things like \"Are we really better off today?\" or \"The Gender Gap is a Myth\") which are designed to perk your interest because they AIM to be controversial. The sad thing is many raconteurs are seeking controversy not to enlighten but to rile up.\n\n<strong>Recyclers</strong>\n\nThese are not your environmentally-friendly folks, looking to reduce, reuse and recycle cans, bottles and paper.  Instead, these are idea recyclers. They are so devoid of original thought that they recycle ideas posted by other folks and pass them off as their own. A couple of weeks ago,  the big rage on Twitter was an article from Fast Company on how to be more productive. Now, there is nothing wrong with re-posting or retweeting that information (heck, we all want to get more out of days it seems). What is bad is taking the content but changing the title, taking only the main points,  or whatever and passing it off as your own post. There\'s a blogger,  often featured on a blog I read regularly, who is a mistress of this format. If it was all over Twitter yesterday, she is posting about it today.\n\n<strong>Reprobates</strong>\n\nReprobates are people who just post nasty stuff--either because they think it is amusing or because they are seeking to shock. Mostly, they love to use obscenity in their tweets and their posts. The more f-bombs they can cram into a paragraph the better.  Reprobates also make inappropriate remarks about serious or sensitive topics-- like the CNN guy who called the Democratic National Convention \"The Vagina Monologues.\"\n\nDo you have some of these in your content stream? Do you have types of bloggers/Tweeters that you avoid? Let me know in the comments.','3 Rs: Who to avoid on social media','','inherit','open','open','','1820-autosave','','','2012-09-06 13:53:35','2012-09-06 13:53:35','',1820,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1820-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1823,4,'2012-09-07 13:52:07','2012-09-07 13:52:07','Thank goodness we all have something we are good at, and I hope we are doing whatever that is. After an incident this week, I hope doctors have the good sense to hire somebody who can handle communications for them (but maybe good sense is exactly what was lacking).\r\n\r\n<strong>The letter</strong>\r\n\r\nHere\'s the scenario: I received a letter from an ophthalmology practice I have been going to for the last two and half years. The letter introduces a doctor who is joining the practice. It goes on, in glowing terms, to describe the many qualifications this doctor has (apparently, with the exception that the new doctor roots for a basketball team the lead doctor does not).\r\n\r\nThe last paragraph is all about self-congratulation--let me quote:\r\n<blockquote>I am proud that at X Ophthalmology, our dedication and skill has (sic) been recognized in Washingtonian\'s Top Doctors, The Washington Post Super Doctors, Consumer Checkbook\'s Top Doctors, and on Angie\'s List. Together, we will continue to provide the highest level of medical care in a warm and supportive environment. We look forward to assisting you and your family with all of your eye care needs.</blockquote>\r\n<strong>The website</strong>\r\n\r\nNow, let me add that my doctor is neither the letter\'s author or the new doctor. So, I went to the practice\'s website, which still reflected her name and not the new doctor\'s.   I called and asked if my doctor was still at the practice. The answer was no. I asked why the website wasn\'t updated. The answer was that it had happened very quickly (by the way, not so quickly that they did not have new letterhead printed on which the letter was sent).  I asked whether they thought it might have been a good idea to inform my doctor\'s patients that she had left the practice and how to best contact her. I didn\'t get a satisfactory response. Clearly, this practice was just going to wait for patients to call and then tell them, which is not very thoughtful.\r\n\r\n<strong>The letter and the website don\'t match.</strong>\r\n\r\nIn my opinion, this shows a classically inept way of handling communications because it fails to think about the target audience\'s needs.  The lead doctor obviously thinks that patients will naturally want to stay with him and his new doctor, who after all, is the recipient of prizes and and all sorts of post graduate degrees from prestigious universities. It does not take into consideration that people form personal relationships with their doctors and that a doctor-patient relationship is based on trust. I have already developed trust with my doctor, and I like her.\r\n\r\n<strong>A better way: provide the information that your audience needs</strong>\r\n\r\nThe appropriate way to handle communications in this case would have been to introduce the new doctor while saying that my doctor had chosen to go to another practice. It would have also been good to update the website at the same time the letter was sent, making sure the new information was available by the time people got the letter. Additionally, the fact that this practice thinks it is more important to send a letter than to update a website shows a minimal understanding of how people get their information these days.\r\n\r\nPerhaps for people who understand communications my comments seem fairly straightforward. Apparently, this doctor has no clue, and why he should probably stick to making medical decisions.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? Have you had similar experiences?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Why doctors shouldn\'t handle patient communications','','publish','open','open','','why-doctors-shouldnt-handle-patient-communications','','','2012-09-07 13:52:07','2012-09-07 13:52:07','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1823',0,'post','',0),
(1824,4,'2012-09-07 13:51:36','2012-09-07 13:51:36','Thank goodness we all have something we are good at.  And I hope we are doing whatever that is. After an incident this week, I hope doctors have the good sense to hire somebody who can handle communications for them (but maybe good sense is exactly what was lacking).\n\n<strong>The letter</strong>\n\nHere\'s the scenario: I received a letter from an ophthalmology practice I have been going to for the last two and half years. The letter introduces a doctor who is joining the practice. It goes on, in glowing terms, to describe the many qualifications this doctor has (apparently, with the exception that the new doctor roots for a basketball team the lead doctor does not).\n\nThe last paragraph is all about self-congratulation--let me quote:\n<blockquote>I am proud that at X Ophthalmology, our dedication and skill has (sic) been recognized in Washingtonian\'s Top Doctors, The Washington Post Super Doctors, Consumer Checkbook\'s Top Doctors, and on Angie\'s List. Together, we will continue to provide the highest level of medical care in a warm and supportive environment. We look forward to assisting you and your family with all of your eye care needs.</blockquote>\n<strong>The website</strong>\n\nNow, let me add that my doctor is neither the letter\'s author or the new doctor. So, I went to the practice\'s website, which still reflected her name and not the new doctor\'s.   I called and asked if my doctor was still at the practice. The answer was no. I asked why the website wasn\'t updated. The answer was that it had happened very quickly (by the way, not so quickly that they did not have new letterhead printed on which the letter was sent).  I asked whether they thought it might have been a good idea to inform my doctor\'s patients that she had left the practice and how to best contact her. I didn\'t get a satisfactory response. Clearly, this practice was just going to wait for patients to call and then tell them, which is not very thoughtful.\n\n<strong>The letter and the website don\'t match.</strong>\n\nIn my opinion, this shows a classically inept way of handling communications because it fails to think about the target audience\'s needs.  The lead doctor obviously thinks that patients will naturally want to stay with him and his new doctor, who after all, is the recipient of prizes and and all sorts of post graduate degrees from prestigious universities. It does not take into consideration that people form personal relationships with their doctors and that a doctor-patient relationship is based on trust. I have already developed trust with my doctor, and I like her.\n\n<strong>A better way: provide the information that y</strong>\n\nThe appropriate way to handle communications in this case would have been to introduce the new doctor while saying that my doctor had chosen to go to another practice. It would have also been good to update the website at the same time the letter was sent, making sure the new information was available by the time people got the letter. Additionally, the fact that this practice thinks it is more important to send a letter than to update a website shows a minimal understanding of how people get their information these days.\n\nPerhaps for people who understand communications my comments seem fairly straightforward. Apparently, this doctor has no clue, and why he should probably stick to making medical decisions.\n\nWhat do you think? Have you had similar experiences?\n\n&nbsp;','Why doctors shouldn\'t handle patient communications','','inherit','open','open','','1823-revision','','','2012-09-07 13:51:36','2012-09-07 13:51:36','',1823,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1823-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1831,4,'2012-09-19 21:06:05','0000-00-00 00:00:00','After the Republican Convention in Tampa, the PBS Newshour interviewed a group of undecided voters. These voters represented a cross section of the electorate: men and women, young and old, and registered Republicans, Democrats and independents. To a person, each undecided voter was still undecided after listening to and discussing the convention speeches.\n\nThe PBS Newshour interviewed the same group of undecided voters after the Democratic Convention, and all were still undecided.\n\nHow do you convince the undecided to make a choice? First, you have to understand the source of indecision. In the case of the PBS group of undecided voters it seemed to me that the source of indecision was perfectionism. Each voter indicated that they liked certain things about each candidate, but not everything. It sounded like in order to make a decision, these voters needed the candidates to be perfect (to them).\n\nIf perfectionism is the problem, campaigns will need to convince voters that NO candidate is perfect and that perfectionism should not be a goal for voters. Campaigns will also have to set out which things matter the most and convince voters that those issues are the ones to look at--even at the expense of everything else.\n\nOf course, this is easier said than done.\n\n&nbsp;','Convincing the undecided','','draft','open','open','','','','','2012-09-19 21:06:05','2012-09-19 21:06:05','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1831',0,'post','',0),
(1827,4,'2012-09-11 18:04:50','2012-09-11 18:04:50','Yesterday, I attended the first day of <a href=\"http://www.advertisingweekdc.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Advertising Week DC</a>, a yearly event that is hosted by the <a href=\"http://www.dcadclub.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Ad Club of Metropolitan Washington</a>.  The theme of this year\'s week is \"awe,\" as in awesome. It quickly became an annoying trope used throughout the day. I think what the organizers were trying to tap into was creativity--because that is what drives awesome campaigns, ads and/or concepts.\r\n\r\nOf the nine presentations I attended yesterday, three stood out in regards to creativity.\r\n\r\n<strong>Mad Women</strong>\r\n\r\nThe first was a presentation by Jane Maas, who has written a book about women in adverting during the 1960s called <a href=\"http://adage.com/article/special-report-advertising-week/forthcoming-tome-mad-women-side-story/230133/\" target=\"_blank\">Mad Women</a>. Ms. Maas started her advertising career as a copywriter in the days when most women in advertising were secretaries. We\'ve seen those days portrayed in Mad Men, and apparently, according to Maas, the portrayal is not far from the truth. People in the advertising world back then were busy smoking, drinking and having sex. Of course, people today are busy doing that, just not at the office.  Drinking heavily at lunch was de rigeur. She gave the sense that advertising work was freer from constraints back then. There was more loyalty from clients, and ad agencies were willing to experiment. Perhaps the experimentation was fueled by alcohol, regardless, there seemed to be an attempt to push the envelope and see things differently.\r\n\r\n<strong>A cool office...and CEO</strong>\r\n\r\nAndrew Graff is the CEO of Boston agency <a href=\"http://www.a-g.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Allen &amp; Gerritsen</a>. Graff spoke about how he has created a pretty cool environment at his agency, which is designed to foster creative thinking. First, he has given his staffers tons of perks, like free breakfast every day and pet health insurance. Second, he has built an office environment were people can work in different locations--cafe, sofa or cubicle.  Third, he has implemented a mentorship program where he is being mentored by a 23-year-old. This has allowed Graff to understand how another generation thinks.  The main points here are that people should enjoy coming to work and that work should not be structured in a traditional way. Graff says that if you are someone who needs a lot of structure to work, you won\'t be happy at Allen &amp; Gerritsen (nor would you likely be hired).  <strong>To be creative--to think differently--you have to be able to see beyond structure.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Cannes award-winning campaigns</strong>\r\n\r\nThe last program (before the kick-off reception) was a reel of the winners of the 2012 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. What\'s great about being able to see these diverse campaigns is that it showcases creative and impactful work from  all over the world. A couple campaigns really stood out to me.\r\n\r\nOne was to save a library in Troy, OH. The people who were in favor of closing the library were saying that it was a tax issue. To counter that narrative the save-the-library folks came up with a social media campaign saying that they would be burning all the book once the library was closed. Folks were outraged at that suggestion. Then the save-the-library people said that closing the library was equivalent to burning books--effectively shutting down the taxes argument.\r\n\r\nThe other campaign that I thought was very creative was to encourage employers to hire workers with Down Syndrome. The campaign showed well known advertising (this was in Italy) but replaced the people in the ads with people who have Down\'s.  It was designed to make people see Down Syndrome in a more positive light.\r\n\r\n<strong>What are you doing to foster creativity?</strong>\r\n\r\nLately, I have noticed the lack of creativity in commercials. It seems as though they same ideas are cycled over and over. Chances are that ad agencies are not fostering creativity as much as they are kowtowing to clients who are unwilling to take risks.  There is no creativity without some degree of risk.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Fostering creativity and other ideas from Ad Week DC','','publish','open','open','','fostering-creativity-and-other-ideas-from-ad-week-dc','','','2012-09-11 18:04:50','2012-09-11 18:04:50','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1827',0,'post','',0),
(1828,4,'2012-09-11 18:04:22','2012-09-11 18:04:22','Yesterday, I attended the first day of <a href=\"http://www.advertisingweekdc.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Advertising Week DC</a>, a yearly event that is hosted by the <a href=\"http://www.dcadclub.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Ad Club of Metropolitan Washington</a>.  The theme of this year\'s week is \"awe,\" as in awesome. It quickly became an annoying trope used throughout the day. I think what the organizers were trying to tap into was creativity--because that is what drives awesome campaigns, ads and/or concepts.\n\nOf the nine presentations I attended yesterday, three stood out in regards to creativity.\n\n<strong>Mad Women</strong>\n\nThe first was a presentation by Jane Maas, who has written a book about women in adverting during the 1960s called <a href=\"http://adage.com/article/special-report-advertising-week/forthcoming-tome-mad-women-side-story/230133/\" target=\"_blank\">Mad Women</a>. Ms. Maas started her advertising career as a copywriter in the days when most women in advertising were secretaries. We\'ve seen those days portrayed in Mad Men, and apparently, according to Maas, the portrayal is not far from the truth. People in the advertising world back then were busy smoking, drinking and having sex. Of course, people today are busy doing that, just not at the office.  Drinking heavily at lunch was de rigeur. She gave the sense that advertising work was freer from constraints back then. There was more loyalty from clients, and ad agencies were willing to experiment. Perhaps the experimentation was fueled by alcohol, regardless, there seemed to be an attempt to push the envelope and see things differently.\n\n<strong>A cool office...and CEO</strong>\n\nAndrew Graff is the CEO of Boston agency <a href=\"http://www.a-g.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Allen &amp; Gerritsen</a>. Graff spoke about how he has created a pretty cool environment at his agency, which is designed to foster creative thinking. First, he has given his staffers tons of perks, like free breakfast every day and pet health insurance. Second, he has built an office environment were people can work in different locations--cafe, sofa or cubicle.  Third, he has implemented a mentorship program where he is being mentored by a 23-year-old. This has allowed Graff to understand how another generation thinks.  The main points here are that people should enjoy coming to work and that work should not be structured in a traditional way. Graff says that if you are someone who needs a lot of structure to work, you won\'t be happy at Allen &amp; Gerritsen (nor would you likely be hired).  <strong>To be creative--to think differently--you have to be able to see beyond structure.</strong>\n\n<strong>Cannes award-winning campaigns</strong>\n\nThe last program (before the kick-off reception) was a reel of the winners of the 2012 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. What\'s great about being able to see these diverse campaigns is that it showcases creative and impactful work from  all over the world. A couple campaigns really stood out to me.\n\nOne was to save a library in Troy, OH. The people who were in favor of closing the library were saying that it was a tax issue. To counter that narrative the save-the-library folks came up with a social media campaign saying that they would be burning all the book once the library was closed. Folks were outraged at that suggestion. Then the save-the-library people said that closing the library was equivalent to burning books--effectively shutting down the taxes argument.\n\nThe other campaign that I thought was very creative was to encourage employers to hire workers with Down Syndrome. The campaign showed well known advertising (this was in Italy) but replaced the people in the ads with people who have Down\'s.  It was designed to make people see Down Syndrome in a more positive light.\n\n<strong>What are you doing to foster creativity?</strong>\n\nLately, I have noticed the lack of creativity in commercials. It seems as though they same ideas are cycled over and over. Chances are that ad agencies are not fostering creativity as much as they are kowtowing to clients who are unwilling to take risks.  There is no creativity without some degree of risk.\n\n&nbsp;','Fostering creativity and other ideas from Ad Week DC','','inherit','open','open','','1827-revision','','','2012-09-11 18:04:22','2012-09-11 18:04:22','',1827,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1827-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1832,4,'2012-09-19 21:04:33','2012-09-19 21:04:33','After the Republican Convention in Tampa, the PBS Newshour interviewed a group of undecided voters. These voters represented a cross section of the electorate: men and women, young and old, and registered Republicans, Democrats and independents. To a person, each undecided voter was still undecided after listening to and discussing the convention speeches.\n\nThe PBS Newshour interviewed the same group of undecided voters after the Democratic Convention, and all were still undecided.\n\nHow do you convince the undecided to make a choice? First, you have to understand the source of indecision. In the case of the PBS group of undecided voters it seemed to me that the source of indecision was perfectionism. Each voter indicated that they liked certain things about each candidate, but not everything. It sounded like in order to make a decision, these voters needed the candidates to be perfect (to them).\n\nIf perfectionism is the problem, campaigns will need to convince voters that NO candidate is perfect and that perfectionism should not be a goal for voters. Campaigns will also have to set out which things matter the most and convince voters that those issues are the ones to look at--even at the expense of everything else.\n\n&nbsp;','Convincing the undecided','','inherit','open','open','','1831-revision','','','2012-09-19 21:04:33','2012-09-19 21:04:33','',1831,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1831-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1834,4,'2012-09-20 14:15:20','2012-09-20 14:15:20','All sort of companies sell (sponsored Tweets, for example) on social media, so a better question is should you? In my opinion, the answer is no.\r\n\r\n<strong>Wedding crashers</strong>\r\n\r\nThink of it this way: you are at a wedding reception. You are busy chatting with relatives you haven\'t seen in ages while enjoying one or two glasses of champagne. Then, someone (think of this person as a wedding crasher) pops up, out of nowhere, and starts discussing health insurance options with you. First, you know this person is not invited to the wedding. Second, this person is a buzz kill. Right?\r\n\r\n<strong>Time and place</strong>\r\n\r\nSame thing happens when you are on Facebook or Twitter and someone you don\'t know is talking to you about something you don\'t want to discuss right then.  And the truth is you may be interested in the product or service being offered, but the time and place are all wrong. It is wrong because you are on social networks to be social. You are not there to shop.\r\n\r\n<strong>Are you pushing?</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is not to say you can\'t market or communicate with target audiences on social networks. If your emphasis is brand awareness or image building, I think social networks can be hugely helpful. But selling is a \"push.\" And people don\'t like to pushed when they are relaxed.\r\n\r\nPerhaps this a personal bias of mine, but I don\'t like being sold in general. The other day I was doing a bit of shopping at Tysons Corner (and I was in the buying mode), and I got hawked walking from store to store from the various vendors who sell their wares from carts. I found it hugely annoying (one of them even asked me if was lazy because I didn\'t have a manicure and she was selling a manicure kit).\r\n\r\nDo you think selling on social networks is effective? Have you bought something that was advertised to you on a social network?','Can you sell on social media?','','publish','open','open','','can-you-sell-on-social-media','','','2012-09-20 14:15:20','2012-09-20 14:15:20','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1834',0,'post','',0),
(1843,4,'2012-10-01 19:29:47','2012-10-01 19:29:47','It seems that many businesses, especially the big ones, spend much more money on memorable advertising campaigns and very little on customer service. No matter how great a business is, there will always be customer service to be done (changing addresses, paying bills, correcting billing errors, etc.). Yet, many businesses ignore the basics.\r\n\r\nA couple of examples:\r\n\r\n<strong>Netflix.</strong> Netflix does not seem to care much about how its customers feel. The company does not respond to Twitter mentions. It doesn\'t seem to be concerned about negative postings. How do I know? Well, I have had Salmon Fishing in the Yemen at the top of my Netflix queue for about six weeks or more. At first, there was a \"long wait.\" Now, it\'s a \"short wait.\" Bottom line is that I have watched several other movies while still waiting for Salmon Fishing. And I have tweeted Netflix. And I have wanted to email them--there is no easy way to do that.\r\n\r\n<strong>ATT</strong>. I have been with ATT for years now. I recently upgraded to a smartphone and was told that I was eligible for the upgrade (which apparently  means in ATT language they will CHARGE you for this upgrade). I called to see if they would take this charge off--and my argument was 1) I was not advised of such a charge and 2) I was told I was eligible for an upgrade. The customer service agent said he would give me a \"courtesy one-time waiver\" of this fee, but proceeded to lecture me that this fee was something all carriers do and that ATT would charge me it with every subsequent upgrade. He was combative and rude, and when I pointed this out to him, he hung up on me.  I called back and spoke to supervisor and she told me the same thing about the charge (a bit less rudely).  I repeatedly told her that I have been an ATT customer for years, I pay my bills on time, and ATT had given me no special offers. Bottom line in my experience: ATT does not care.\r\n\r\nNetflix and ATT appear to be utterly unconcerned with how their customers feel about them. I am just one more customer.\r\n\r\nIn contrast, I flew <strong>Delta</strong> last month and was amazed by the airline\'s interest in my customer experience. After the first flight I was sent a survey to measure what I thought of the boarding process, etc. The return flight was badly delayed due to weather in Washington. Delta sent an apology for the delay (even though it was  truly not at fault) and asked how the gate agent and flight attendants acted during the delay.\r\n\r\nCustomer service and experience should be an integral part of an organization\'s overall marketing strategy. If your organization does not know anything about how your customers feel, and does not respond to customer issues, you are well on your way to losing those customers.  <strong></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Marketing should be both about ATTRACTING customers and RETAINING them</strong>.\r\n\r\nThoughts?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','How do your customers feel?','','publish','open','open','','how-do-your-customers-feel','','','2012-10-01 19:29:47','2012-10-01 19:29:47','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1843',0,'post','',0),
(1836,4,'2012-09-20 14:07:11','2012-09-20 14:07:11','All sort of companies sell (sponsored Tweets, for example) on social media, so a better question is should you? In my opinion, the answer is no.\n\n<strong>Wedding crashers</strong>\n\nThink of it this way: you are at a wedding reception. You are busy chatting with relatives you haven\'t seen in ages while enjoying one or two glasses of champagne. Then, someone (think of this person as a wedding crasher) pops up, out of nowhere, and starts discussing health insurance options with you. First, you know this person is not invited to the wedding. Second, this person is a buzz kill. Right?\n\n<strong>Time and place</strong>\n\nSame thing happens when you are on Facebook or Twitter and someone you don\'t know is talking to you about something you don\'t want to discuss right then.  And the truth is you may be interested in the product or service being offered, but the time and place are all wrong. It is wrong because you are on social networks to be social. You are not there to shop.\n\nThis is not to say you can\'t market or communicate with target audiences on social networks. If your emphasis is brand awareness or image building, I think social networks can be hugely helpful. But selling is a \"push.\" And people don\'t like to pushed when they are relaxed.\n\nPerhaps this a personal bias of mine, but I don\'t like being sold in general. The other day I was','Can you sell on social media?','','inherit','open','open','','1834-revision','','','2012-09-20 14:07:11','2012-09-20 14:07:11','',1834,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1834-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1837,4,'2012-09-20 14:15:02','2012-09-20 14:15:02','All sort of companies sell (sponsored Tweets, for example) on social media, so a better question is should you? In my opinion, the answer is no.\n\n<strong>Wedding crashers</strong>\n\nThink of it this way: you are at a wedding reception. You are busy chatting with relatives you haven\'t seen in ages while enjoying one or two glasses of champagne. Then, someone (think of this person as a wedding crasher) pops up, out of nowhere, and starts discussing health insurance options with you. First, you know this person is not invited to the wedding. Second, this person is a buzz kill. Right?\n\n<strong>Time and place</strong>\n\nSame thing happens when you are on Facebook or Twitter and someone you don\'t know is talking to you about something you don\'t want to discuss right then.  And the truth is you may be interested in the product or service being offered, but the time and place are all wrong. It is wrong because you are on social networks to be social. You are not there to shop.\n\n<strong>Are you pushing?</strong>\n\nThis is not to say you can\'t market or communicate with target audiences on social networks. If your emphasis is brand awareness or image building, I think social networks can be hugely helpful. But selling is a \"push.\" And people don\'t like to pushed when they are relaxed.\n\nPerhaps this a personal bias of mine, but I don\'t like being sold in general. The other day I was doing a bit of shopping at Tysons Corner (and I was in the buying mode), and I got hawked walking from store to store from the various vendors who sell their wares from carts. I found it hugely annoying (one of them even asked me if was lazy because I didn\'t have a manicure and she was selling a manicure kit).\n\nDo you think selling on social networks is effective? Have you bought something that was advertised to you on a social network?','Can you sell on social media?','','inherit','open','open','','1834-revision-2','','','2012-09-20 14:15:02','2012-09-20 14:15:02','',1834,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1834-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1838,4,'2012-09-20 14:16:28','2012-09-20 14:16:28','All sort of companies sell (sponsored Tweets, for example) on social media, so a better question is should you? In my opinion, the answer is no.\n\n<strong>Wedding crashers</strong>\n\nThink of it this way: you are at a wedding reception. You are busy chatting with relatives you haven\'t seen in ages while enjoying one or two glasses of champagne. Then, someone (think of this person as a wedding crasher) pops up, out of nowhere, and starts discussing health insurance options with you. First, you know this person is not invited to the wedding. Second, this person is a buzz kill. Right?\n\n<strong>Time and place</strong>\n\nSame thing happens when you are on Facebook or Twitter and someone you don\'t know is talking to you about something you don\'t want to discuss right then.  And the truth is you may be interested in the product or service being offered, but the time and place are all wrong. It is wrong because you are on social networks to be social. You are not there to shop.\n\n<strong>Are you pushing?</strong>\n\nThis is not to say you can\'t market or communicate with target audiences on social networks. If your emphasis is brand awareness or image building, I think social networks can be hugely helpful. But selling is a \"push.\" And people don\'t like to pushed when they are relaxed.\n\nPerhaps this a personal bias of mine, but I don\'t like being sold in general. The other day I was doing a bit of shopping at Tysons Corner (and I was in the buying mode), and I got hawked walking from store to store from the various vendors who sell their wares from carts. I found it hugely annoying (one of them even asked me if was lazy because I didn\'t have a manicure and she was selling a manicure kit).\n\nDo you think selling on social networks is effective? Have you bought something that was advertised to you on a social network?','Can you sell on social media?','','inherit','open','open','','1834-autosave','','','2012-09-20 14:16:28','2012-09-20 14:16:28','',1834,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1834-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1839,4,'2012-09-24 14:24:06','2012-09-24 14:24:06','Last night, on 60 Minutes, both President Obama and Mitt Romney were interviewed. Scott Pelley interviewed Romney while Steve Kroft interviewed Obama. At the end of the hour, when both candidates gave few specifics, I don\'t think anyone\'s mind was changed. If you supported Romney, you liked what he had to say. Likewise for Obama.\r\n\r\n<strong>Beliefs are not facts but they are just as immutable</strong>\r\n\r\nThe campaigns are facing a very polarized electorate. People either support the candidate or they actively despise him. Take for example a friend of mine who is a very religious Catholic. She despises Obama  because she says he \"promotes abortion\" She has no evidence to prove this (because there is no evidence and besides, there is a huge difference between supporting the right to get an abortion and promoting it) but she believes it, and also that because he is pro-choice, he is immoral.  Someone like her will not be convinced by any campaign ad or speech.\r\n\r\n<strong>Role of undecided voters</strong>\r\n\r\nWe\'ve been told that the outcome of this election lies in the hands of the \"undecided.\" Campaigns are spending inordinate amounts of money trying to sway these voters (if they do even vote). After seeing a group of undecided voters on the PBS Newshour, which interviewed them after each of the conventions, I am not certain that undecided voters can be swayed. Those PBS undecideds seemed to be seeking the perfect candidate, and neither Obama nor Romney measured up. Undecideds may well be perfectionists who are unable to prioritize issues and accept that neither candidate will be perfect, and therefore can\'t make up their minds.\r\n\r\nIn short, I think that very few things that happen between now and Election Day will change voters\' minds. Minds are made up, and any \"mistakes\" candidates make will further solidify opinions not change them. You would think, for example, that there would be outrage about Mitt Romney\'s manipulation of his tax returns. Instead, those who support him say he has merely complied with the law and those who don\'t see further proof that he is a rich person trying to protect himself from taxation.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? What can campaigns do to sway voters?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are the presidential campaigns convincing voters?','','publish','open','open','','are-the-presidential-campaigns-convincing-voters','','','2012-09-24 14:27:53','2012-09-24 14:27:53','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1839',0,'post','',0),
(1840,4,'2012-09-24 14:23:52','2012-09-24 14:23:52','Last night, on 60 Minutes, both President Obama and Mitt Romney were interviewed. Scott Pelley interviewed Romney while Steve Kroft interviewed Obama. At the end of the hour, when both candidates gave few specifics, I don\'t think anyone\'s mind was changed. If you supported Romney, you liked what he had to say. Likewise for Obama.\n\n<strong>Beliefs are not facts but they are just as immutable</strong>\n\nThe campaigns are facing a very polarized electorate. People either support the candidate or they actively despise him. Take for example a friend of mine who is a very religious Catholic. She despises Obama  because she says he \"promotes abortion\" She has no evidence to prove this (because there is no evidence and besides, there is a huge difference between supporting the right to get an abortion and promoting it) but she believes it, and also that because he is pro-choice, he is immoral.  Someone like her will not be convinced by any campaign ad or speech.\n\n<strong>Role of undecided voters</strong>\n\nWe\'ve been told that the outcome of this election lies in the hands of the \"undecided.\" Campaigns are spending inordinate amounts of money trying to sway these voters (if they do even vote). After seeing a group of undecided voters on the PBS Newshour, which interviewed them after each of the conventions, I am not certain that undecided voters can be swayed. Those PBS undecideds seemed to be seeking the perfect candidate, and neither Obama nor Romney measured up. Undecideds may well be perfectionists who are unable to prioritize issues and accept that neither candidate will be perfect, and therefore can\'t make up their minds.\n\nIn short, I think that very few things that happen between now and Election Day will change voters minds. Minds are made up, and any \"mistakes\" candidates make will further solidify opinions not change them. You would think for example that there would be outrage about Mitt Romney\'s manipulation of his tax returns. Instead, those who support him say he has merely complied with the law and those who don\'t see further proof that he is a rich person trying to protect himself from taxation.\n\nWhat do you think? What can campaigns do to sway voters?\n\n&nbsp;','Are the presidential campaigns convincing voters?','','inherit','open','open','','1839-revision','','','2012-09-24 14:23:52','2012-09-24 14:23:52','',1839,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1839-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1841,4,'2012-09-24 14:24:06','2012-09-24 14:24:06','Last night, on 60 Minutes, both President Obama and Mitt Romney were interviewed. Scott Pelley interviewed Romney while Steve Kroft interviewed Obama. At the end of the hour, when both candidates gave few specifics, I don\'t think anyone\'s mind was changed. If you supported Romney, you liked what he had to say. Likewise for Obama.\r\n\r\n<strong>Beliefs are not facts but they are just as immutable</strong>\r\n\r\nThe campaigns are facing a very polarized electorate. People either support the candidate or they actively despise him. Take for example a friend of mine who is a very religious Catholic. She despises Obama  because she says he \"promotes abortion\" She has no evidence to prove this (because there is no evidence and besides, there is a huge difference between supporting the right to get an abortion and promoting it) but she believes it, and also that because he is pro-choice, he is immoral.  Someone like her will not be convinced by any campaign ad or speech.\r\n\r\n<strong>Role of undecided voters</strong>\r\n\r\nWe\'ve been told that the outcome of this election lies in the hands of the \"undecided.\" Campaigns are spending inordinate amounts of money trying to sway these voters (if they do even vote). After seeing a group of undecided voters on the PBS Newshour, which interviewed them after each of the conventions, I am not certain that undecided voters can be swayed. Those PBS undecideds seemed to be seeking the perfect candidate, and neither Obama nor Romney measured up. Undecideds may well be perfectionists who are unable to prioritize issues and accept that neither candidate will be perfect, and therefore can\'t make up their minds.\r\n\r\nIn short, I think that very few things that happen between now and Election Day will change voters minds. Minds are made up, and any \"mistakes\" candidates make will further solidify opinions not change them. You would think for example that there would be outrage about Mitt Romney\'s manipulation of his tax returns. Instead, those who support him say he has merely complied with the law and those who don\'t see further proof that he is a rich person trying to protect himself from taxation.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? What can campaigns do to sway voters?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are the presidential campaigns convincing voters?','','inherit','open','open','','1839-revision-2','','','2012-09-24 14:24:06','2012-09-24 14:24:06','',1839,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/09/1839-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1842,4,'2011-07-22 04:15:58','2011-07-22 04:15:58','<h3>Project</h3>\r\nPerhaps you want to hire us to work on a single project. You\'ll give  us all the relevant information, including target audience for the  project, timelines and existing materials. Once we\'ve assessed what you  need, we will provide you with a written time and cost estimate before  beginning.\r\n\r\nProjects are payable with a 50% deposit to start, and the balance due once the project is complete.\r\n<h3>Retainer</h3>\r\nIf you require ongoing marketing help or know you will have many  projects over two months or more, we will set up a retainer agreement.  We will estimate how many hours of time you will require per month. We  will agree on a cost and number of hours. Retainer agreements are  payable on a bi-weekly schedule. Retainers can be dissolved in writing.\r\n<h3>Payment</h3>\r\nWe accept business or personal checks, cash and money orders. We do not  provide credit card processing at this time. Our policy is 14 days net  for most invoices. As a small business, we cannot afford to extend  credit to our clients, and we respectfully request full payment as  invoiced. All jobs require an initial 50% deposit.','How We Work','','inherit','open','open','','42-revision-v1','','','2011-07-22 04:15:58','2011-07-22 04:15:58','',42,'http://deborahbrody.com/2011/07/42-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1844,4,'2012-10-01 19:29:22','2012-10-01 19:29:22','It seems that many businesses, especially the big ones, spend much more money on memorable advertising campaigns and very little on customer service. No matter how great a business is, there will always be customer service to be done (changing addresses, paying bills, correcting billing errors, etc.). Yet, many businesses ignore the basics.\n\nA couple of examples:\n\n<strong>Netflix.</strong> Netflix does not seem to care much about how its customers feel. The company does not respond to Twitter mentions. It doesn\'t seem to be concerned about negative postings. How do I know? Well, I have had Salmon Fishing in the Yemen at the top of my Netflix queue for about six weeks or more. At first, there was a \"long wait.\" Now, it\'s a \"short wait.\" Bottom line is that I have watched several other movies while still waiting for Salmon Fishing. And I have tweeted Netflix. And I have wanted to email them--there is no easy way to do that.\n\n<strong>ATT</strong>. I have been with ATT for years now. I recently upgraded to a smartphone and was told that I was eligible for the upgrade (which apparently  means in ATT language they will CHARGE you for this upgrade). I called to see if they would take this charge off--and my argument was 1) I was not advised of such a charge and 2) I was told I was eligible for an upgrade. The customer service agent said he would give me a \"courtesy one-time waiver\" of this fee, but proceeded to lecture me that this fee was something all carriers do and that ATT would charge me it with every subsequent upgrade. He was combative and rude, and when I pointed this out to him, he hung up on me.  I called back and spoke to supervisor and she told me the same thing about the charge (a bit less rudely).  I repeatedly told her that I have been an ATT customer for years, I pay my bills on time, and ATT had given me no special offers. Bottom line in my experience: ATT does not care.\n\nNetflix and ATT appear to be utterly unconcerned with how their customers feel about them. I am just one more customer.\n\nIn contrast, I flew <strong>Delta</strong> last month and was amazed by the airline\'s interest in my customer experience. After the first flight I was sent a survey to measure what I thought of the boarding process, etc. The return flight was badly delayed due to weather in Washington. Delta sent an apology for the delay (even though it was  truly not at fault) and asked how the gate agent and flight attendants acted during the delay.\n\nCustomer service and experience should be an integral part of an organization\'s overall marketing strategy. If your organization does not know anything about how your customers feel, and does not respond to customer issues, you are well on your way to losing those customers.  <strong></strong>\n\n<strong>Marketing should be both about ATTRACTING customers and RETAINING them</strong>.\n\nThoughts?\n\n&nbsp;','How do your customers feel?','','inherit','open','open','','1843-revision','','','2012-10-01 19:29:22','2012-10-01 19:29:22','',1843,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1843-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1845,4,'2012-10-01 19:30:51','2012-10-01 19:30:51','It seems that many businesses, especially the big ones, spend much more money on memorable advertising campaigns and very little on customer service. No matter how great a business is, there will always be customer service to be done (changing addresses, paying bills, correcting billing errors, etc.). Yet, many businesses ignore the basics.\n\nA couple of examples:\n\n<strong>Netflix.</strong> Netflix does not seem to care much about how its customers feel. The company does not respond to Twitter mentions. It doesn\'t seem to be concerned about negative postings. How do I know? Well, I have had Salmon Fishing in the Yemen at the top of my Netflix queue for about six weeks or more. At first, there was a \"long wait.\" Now, it\'s a \"short wait.\" Bottom line is that I have watched several other movies while still waiting for Salmon Fishing. And I have tweeted Netflix. And I have wanted to email them--there is no easy way to do that.\n\n<strong>ATT</strong>. I have been with ATT for years now. I recently upgraded to a smartphone and was told that I was eligible for the upgrade (which apparently  means in ATT language they will CHARGE you for this upgrade). I called to see if they would take this charge off--and my argument was 1) I was not advised of such a charge and 2) I was told I was eligible for an upgrade. The customer service agent said he would give me a \"courtesy one-time waiver\" of this fee, but proceeded to lecture me that this fee was something all carriers do and that ATT would charge me it with every subsequent upgrade. He was combative and rude, and when I pointed this out to him, he hung up on me.  I called back and spoke to supervisor and she told me the same thing about the charge (a bit less rudely).  I repeatedly told her that I have been an ATT customer for years, I pay my bills on time, and ATT had given me no special offers. Bottom line in my experience: ATT does not care.\n\nNetflix and ATT appear to be utterly unconcerned with how their customers feel about them. I am just one more customer.\n\nIn contrast, I flew <strong>Delta</strong> last month and was amazed by the airline\'s interest in my customer experience. After the first flight I was sent a survey to measure what I thought of the boarding process, etc. The return flight was badly delayed due to weather in Washington. Delta sent an apology for the delay (even though it was  truly not at fault) and asked how the gate agent and flight attendants acted during the delay.\n\nCustomer service and experience should be an integral part of an organization\'s overall marketing strategy. If your organization does not know anything about how your customers feel, and does not respond to customer issues, you are well on your way to losing those customers.  <strong></strong>\n\n<strong>Marketing should be both about ATTRACTING customers and RETAINING them</strong>.\n\nThoughts?\n\n&nbsp;','How do your customers feel?','','inherit','open','open','','1843-autosave','','','2012-10-01 19:30:51','2012-10-01 19:30:51','',1843,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1843-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1863,4,'2012-10-20 15:20:18','0000-00-00 00:00:00','Today I am at WordCamp Philly, which is the second WordPress \"camp\" I am attending.<!--more-->  I have already learned (within 15 minutes) how to do something cool.','Learning WordPress','','draft','open','open','','','','','2012-10-20 15:20:18','2012-10-20 15:20:18','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1863',0,'post','',0),
(1848,4,'2012-10-04 19:52:28','2012-10-04 19:52:28','Have you ever visited a website that looked as if a teenager built it by trying out every single font and programming code out there? Or have you picked up a brochure that looked like your dad\'s secretary typed it out back in 1962?  If so,  you know instinctively that looks matter.\r\n\r\nYears ago I had a client who ran a tutoring service. He knew how to write and had written a fairly good brochure (although he was not highlighting why you should hire his company...and that is where I came in). He had also \"designed\" this brochure, and it looked like it. Because his brochure was \"home-made\" he looked small time. It wouldn\'t appeal to the diplomats that were his target audience. I convinced him to spend some money on professional design. He was very pleased with the end result and agreed that with a properly designed brochure, his business LOOKED professional, and seemed \"big time.\"\r\n\r\n<strong>Looks matter.</strong>\r\n\r\nWould you go to a hospital that looks dirty? Would you trust your tax returns to an accountant who seems shady? Would you hire a personal trainer that you met while eating at McDonald\'s?  No, no, and no.  Your impressions of each of these would be negative in relation to the image you are looking for. Your image of an ideal hospital is one of white walls and the strong smell of disinfectant, right?\r\n\r\nDan Kohan, a graphic designer and owner of the Washington-based graphic design firm<a href=\"http://sensicaldesign.com/\" target=\"_blank\"> Sensical Design</a>, says this:\r\n<blockquote>Graphic design communicates nonverbal information, the same way our facial expressions or clothing communicate when we\'re having a conversation. When people are presented with a magazine, say, or a website, they respond first to how it communicates visually—whether it looks attractive and professional or amateurish and cheap, whether it\'s easy to read, whether it draws your attention to what\'s important—and only then do they read the content. <strong>So, effective and appropriate design is crucial if you want your message to be heard.</strong></blockquote>\r\nNot only does design help make you LOOK professional, but it actually is part of your message.\r\n\r\nLooks matter. Are you paying enough attention?','Looks matter (or, invest in good graphic design)','','publish','open','open','','looks-matter-or-invest-in-good-graphic-design','','','2012-10-04 19:52:28','2012-10-04 19:52:28','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1848',0,'post','',0),
(1849,4,'2012-10-03 13:11:11','2012-10-03 13:11:11','Have you ever gone to a website that looked as if a teenager built it by trying out every single font and programming code out there? Or have you picked up a brochure that looked like your dad\'s secretary typed it out back in 1962?  If so,  you know instinctively that looks matter.\n\nYears ago I had a client who ran a tutoring service. He knew how to write and had written a fairly good brochure (although he was not highlighting why you should hire his company...and that is where I came in). He had also \"designed\" this brochure, and it looked like it. I convinced him to spend some money on professional design. He was very pleased with the end result and agreed that with a properly designed brochure, his business LOOKED professional.\n\nLooks matter.\n\nWould you go to a hospital that looks dirty? Would you trust your tax returns to an accountant who seems shady? Would you hire a personal trainer that you met while eating at McDonald\'s?  No, no, and no.  Your impressions of each of these would be negative in relation to the image you are looking for. Your image of an ideal hospital is one of white walls and the strong smell of disinfectant, right?\n\n&nbsp;','Looks matter (or, invest in good graphic design)','','inherit','open','open','','1848-revision','','','2012-10-03 13:11:11','2012-10-03 13:11:11','',1848,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1848-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1850,4,'2012-10-04 19:51:56','2012-10-04 19:51:56','Have you ever visited a website that looked as if a teenager built it by trying out every single font and programming code out there? Or have you picked up a brochure that looked like your dad\'s secretary typed it out back in 1962?  If so,  you know instinctively that looks matter.\n\nYears ago I had a client who ran a tutoring service. He knew how to write and had written a fairly good brochure (although he was not highlighting why you should hire his company...and that is where I came in). He had also \"designed\" this brochure, and it looked like it. Because his brochure was \"home-made\" he looked small time. It wouldn\'t appeal to the diplomats that were his target audience. I convinced him to spend some money on professional design. He was very pleased with the end result and agreed that with a properly designed brochure, his business LOOKED professional, and seemed \"big time.\"\n\n<strong>Looks matter.</strong>\n\nWould you go to a hospital that looks dirty? Would you trust your tax returns to an accountant who seems shady? Would you hire a personal trainer that you met while eating at McDonald\'s?  No, no, and no.  Your impressions of each of these would be negative in relation to the image you are looking for. Your image of an ideal hospital is one of white walls and the strong smell of disinfectant, right?\n\nDan Kohan, a graphic designer and owner of<a href=\"http://sensicaldesign.com/\" target=\"_blank\"> the D Sensical Design</a>, says this:\n<blockquote>Graphic design communicates nonverbal information, the same way our facial expressions or clothing communicate when we\'re having a conversation. When people are presented with a magazine, say, or a website, they respond first to how it communicates visually—whether it looks attractive and professional or amateurish and cheap, whether it\'s easy to read, whether it draws your attention to what\'s important—and only then do they read the content. <strong>So, effective and appropriate design is crucial if you want your message to be heard.</strong></blockquote>\nNot only does design help make you LOOK professional, but it actually is part of your message.\n\nLooks matter. Are you paying enough attention?','Looks matter (or, invest in good graphic design)','','inherit','open','open','','1848-revision-2','','','2012-10-04 19:51:56','2012-10-04 19:51:56','',1848,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1848-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1851,4,'2011-09-08 15:09:51','2011-09-08 15:09:51','<table class=\"homemain\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\">\r\n<table class=\"homeleft\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>How We Can Help</strong></h4>\r\nIf you\'re a small to medium size business or a non-profit organization seeking to communicate effectively with your target audience, you\'ve come to the right place.\r\n\r\nAt Deborah Brody Marketing Communications, you\'ll work directly with an experienced marketing professional offering an integrated approach to marketing communications.\r\n\r\nTogether, we will create, recreate or refine your marketing materials (both in English and in Spanish). Whether you want to develop a brochure, need public relations assistance, or need to create a user-friendly website, we\'ll find the most effective solution.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n<td>\r\n<table class=\"homeright\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<h4><strong>Why Chose DBMC</strong></h4>\r\nDeborah Brody Marketing Communications is a reliable, creative, professional and knowledgeable marketing partner.\r\n\r\n<strong>You\'ll find that our services</strong> are an affordable alternative to the traditional advertising or public relations agency.\r\n\r\n<strong>You won\'t pay agency prices</strong> and you won\'t have to deal with inexperienced staff.\r\n\r\nNo matter if you need a single writer on a freelance basis, or need to put together a communications team, we can work with you.</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n</td>\r\n</tr>\r\n</tbody>\r\n</table>\r\n<div id=\"contacthome\"><a style=\"color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"contact\">Contact us</a> today to learn how to improve your marketing and communications.</div>','Home','','inherit','open','open','','2-revision-v1','','','2011-09-08 15:09:51','2011-09-08 15:09:51','',2,'http://deborahbrody.com/2011/09/2-revision-25/',0,'revision','',0),
(1853,4,'2012-10-09 13:45:01','2012-10-09 13:45:01','I finally watched <a href=\"http://fishingintheyemen.com/#/videos\" target=\"_blank\">Salmon Fishing in the Yemen</a> last night (Netflix had me wait for this movie for about two months, but that is another story). If you haven\'t seen it yet, this is the basic plot: Yemeni sheik likes to fish salmon and wants to be able to do so in his country. He hires a British firm to find someone to bring his plans to fruition. British firm reaches out to Dr. Alfred Jones, of the UK Fishing and Hunting Department. Dr. Jones laughs at the idea, but Mrs. Patricia Maxwell, press secretary for the British Prime Minister insists that the project must go on, as a publicity ploy to counteract some bad news. And so Dr. Jones embarks on feasibility studies, etc.\r\n\r\nTo me, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a movie about the power of <del>faith</del> PR. Great public relations takes skill and passion. It is not for the faint of heart, especially when embodied by Mrs. Maxwell, who is played brilliantly, and with comic flair by Kristin Scott Thomas. She is a spot-on caricature of a PR  person (always working, smartphone in hand 24-7, running from meeting to meeting). In my opinion, she alone makes the movie worth watching.\r\n\r\nMrs. Maxwell is very adept at PR. Here\'s what she does well:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Understands the value of positive publicity (\"we need a good news story from the Middle East\")</li>\r\n	<li>Is always thinking of what story to tell</li>\r\n	<li>Recognizes opportunities (when she hears there are 2 million fishermen in the UK, she sees voters)</li>\r\n	<li>Knows that every audience has its news source</li>\r\n	<li>Thinks visually (does the Prime Minister fish? No, well send the Foreign Minister instead)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nBut Mrs. Maxwell is not perfect. Here\'s where she may have gone a bit wrong:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Fails to have a plan B (expects plan she has to work regardless)</li>\r\n	<li>Doesn\'t understand the constituency (salmon fishermen are pretty passionate about their fish and will not go down easily)</li>\r\n	<li>Is too focused on the end result (goes too far in general)</li>\r\n	<li>Treats people like pawns</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nWhat do you think? Do PR people go to far in real life? Do you know a Mrs. Maxwell? Do we need more PR people like her or fewer? And if you haven\'t seen this movie, try to get it on your Netflix queue now. It may be a while.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Mrs. Maxwell was on the right track, sort of','','publish','open','open','','mrs-maxwell-was-on-the-right-track-sort-of','','','2012-10-09 13:45:01','2012-10-09 13:45:01','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1853',0,'post','',0),
(1854,4,'2012-10-09 13:44:44','2012-10-09 13:44:44','I finally watched <a href=\"http://fishingintheyemen.com/#/videos\" target=\"_blank\">Salmon Fishing in the Yemen</a> last night (Netflix had me wait for this movie for about two months, but that is another story). If you haven\'t seen it yet, this is the basic plot: Yemeni sheik likes to fish salmon and wants to be able to do so in his country. He hires a British firm to find someone to bring his plans to fruition. British firm reaches out to Dr. Alfred Jones, of the UK Fishing and Hunting Department. Dr. Jones laughs at the idea, but Mrs. Patricia Maxwell, press secretary for the British Prime Minister insists that the project must go on, as a publicity ploy to counteract some bad news. And so Dr. Jones embarks on feasibility studies, etc.\n\nTo me, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a movie about the power of <del>faith</del> PR. Great public relations takes skill and passion. It is not for the faint of heart, especially when embodied by Mrs. Maxwell, who is played brilliantly, and with comic flair by Kristin Scott Thomas. She is a spot-on caricature of a PR  person (always working, smartphone in hand 24-7, running from meeting to meeting). In my opinion, she alone makes the movie worth watching.\n\nMrs. Maxwell is very adept at PR. Here\'s what she does well:\n<ul>\n	<li>Understands the value of positive publicity (\"we need a good news story from the Middle East\")</li>\n	<li>Is always thinking of what story to tell</li>\n	<li>Recognizes opportunities (when she hears there are 2 million fishermen in the UK, she sees voters)</li>\n	<li>Knows that every audience has its news source</li>\n	<li>Thinks visually (does the Prime Minister fish? No, well send the Foreign Minister instead)</li>\n</ul>\nBut Mrs. Maxwell is not perfect. Here\'s where she may have gone a bit wrong:\n<ul>\n	<li>Fails to have a plan B (expects plan she has to work regardless)</li>\n	<li>Doesn\'t understand the constituency (salmon fishermen are pretty passionate about their fish and will not go down easily)</li>\n	<li>Is too focused on the end result (goes too far in general)</li>\n	<li>Treats people like pawns</li>\n</ul>\nWhat do you think? Do PR people go to far in real life? Do you know a Mrs. Maxwell? Do we need more PR people like her or fewer? And if you haven\'t seen this movie, try to get it on your Netflix queue now. It may be a while.\n\n&nbsp;','Mrs. Maxwell was on the right track, sort of','','inherit','open','open','','1853-revision','','','2012-10-09 13:44:44','2012-10-09 13:44:44','',1853,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1853-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1855,4,'2012-10-09 13:46:05','2012-10-09 13:46:05','I finally watched <a href=\"http://fishingintheyemen.com/#/videos\" target=\"_blank\">Salmon Fishing in the Yemen</a> last night (Netflix had me wait for this movie for about two months, but that is another story). If you haven\'t seen it yet, this is the basic plot: Yemeni sheik likes to fish salmon and wants to be able to do so in his country. He hires a British firm to find someone to bring his plans to fruition. British firm reaches out to Dr. Alfred Jones, of the UK Fishing and Hunting Department. Dr. Jones laughs at the idea, but Mrs. Patricia Maxwell, press secretary for the British Prime Minister insists that the project must go on, as a publicity ploy to counteract some bad news. And so Dr. Jones embarks on feasibility studies, etc.\n\nTo me, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a movie about the power of <del>faith</del> PR. Great public relations takes skill and passion. It is not for the faint of heart, especially when embodied by Mrs. Maxwell, who is played brilliantly, and with comic flair by Kristin Scott Thomas. She is a spot-on caricature of a PR  person (always working, smartphone in hand 24-7, running from meeting to meeting). In my opinion, she alone makes the movie worth watching.\n\nMrs. Maxwell is very adept at PR. Here\'s what she does well:\n<ul>\n	<li>Understands the value of positive publicity (\"we need a good news story from the Middle East\")</li>\n	<li>Is always thinking of what story to tell</li>\n	<li>Recognizes opportunities (when she hears there are 2 million fishermen in the UK, she sees voters)</li>\n	<li>Knows that every audience has its news source</li>\n	<li>Thinks visually (does the Prime Minister fish? No, well send the Foreign Minister instead)</li>\n</ul>\nBut Mrs. Maxwell is not perfect. Here\'s where she may have gone a bit wrong:\n<ul>\n	<li>Fails to have a plan B (expects plan she has to work regardless)</li>\n	<li>Doesn\'t understand the constituency (salmon fishermen are pretty passionate about their fish and will not go down easily)</li>\n	<li>Is too focused on the end result (goes too far in general)</li>\n	<li>Treats people like pawns</li>\n</ul>\nWhat do you think? Do PR people go to far in real life? Do you know a Mrs. Maxwell? Do we need more PR people like her or fewer? And if you haven\'t seen this movie, try to get it on your Netflix queue now. It may be a while.\n\n&nbsp;','Mrs. Maxwell was on the right track, sort of','','inherit','open','open','','1853-autosave','','','2012-10-09 13:46:05','2012-10-09 13:46:05','',1853,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1853-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1857,4,'2012-10-12 13:54:19','2012-10-12 13:54:19','I am not trying to get all new age and self-helpy with you. Instead, I am trying to find out whether you are presenting your \"real self\" to the world in your communications. In business lingo, this would translate into \"are you being authentic?\"\r\n\r\nWith social media, there is a blurring of lines between personal and professional. My Twitter feed, for example, features lots of political commentary. Some may not agree with my political viewpoint, but it is what it is. If you choose to not work with me because you disagree with me, so be it.\r\n\r\nIt turns out that people like authenticity. They like knowing who they are dealing with. And really, don\'t you want to work with people who want to work with you, when they know your foibles, viewpoints, etc.?\r\n\r\nI was inspired by the article <a href=\"http://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/on-social-media-authenticity-always-wins.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Best Social Media Tactic: Always be Authentic\"</a> in Inc. Magazine. Here, writer  Christina DesMarais interviews J. C. Kendall, CEO of TekPersona. Kendall is known as being brutally honest in his customer/social media exchanges. He feels that it is part of his branding strategy. He says the following:\r\n<blockquote>You simply cannot avoid offending some people. <strong>No brand should waste undue time trying to appeal to everyone.</strong> When you are developing and supporting your brand, you are creating an expectation of what will occur through a transaction with your company. Your messaging has to focus on your target customer.</blockquote>\r\nEmphasis above is mine. I think that too many organizations and individuals work too hard to be \"nice,\" to appeal to everyone. They are AFRAID of being disliked. But the truth is that not everybody will like you and that is OK. You don\'t want everybody to listen to what you have to say--just your target audience. Your target WANTS what you have to offer.\r\n\r\nSo, if you are afraid of being yourself, stop. Be who you are and forget about being nice to everyone. I am not saying be mean or nasty. Just be authentic.\r\n\r\nAre you afraid of being yourself? Why or why not?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Are you afraid of being yourself?','','publish','open','open','','are-you-afraid-of-being-yourself','','','2012-10-12 13:54:19','2012-10-12 13:54:19','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1857',0,'post','',1),
(1858,4,'2012-10-12 13:53:58','2012-10-12 13:53:58','I am not trying to get all new age and self-helpy with you. Instead, I am trying to find out whether you are presenting your \"real self\" to the world in your communications. In business lingo, this would translate into \"are you being authentic?\"\n\nWith social media, there is a blurring of lines between personal and professional. My Twitter feed, for example, features lots of political commentary. Some may not agree with my political viewpoint, but it is what it is. If you choose to not work with me because you disagree with me, so be it.\n\nIt turns out that people like authenticity. They like knowing who they are dealing with. And really, don\'t you want to work with people who want to work with you, when they know your foibles, viewpoints, etc.?\n\nI was inspired by the article <a href=\"http://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/on-social-media-authenticity-always-wins.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Best Social Media Tactic: Always be Authentic\"</a> in Inc. Magazine. Here, writer  Christina DesMarais interviews J. C. Kendall, CEO of TekPersona. Kendall is known as being brutally honest in his customer/social media exchanges. He feels that it is part of his branding strategy. He says the following:\n<blockquote>You simply cannot avoid offending some people. <strong>No brand should waste undue time trying to appeal to everyone.</strong> When you are developing and supporting your brand, you are creating an expectation of what will occur through a transaction with your company. Your messaging has to focus on your target customer.</blockquote>\nEmphasis above is mine. I think that too many organizations and individuals work too hard to be \"nice,\" to appeal to everyone. They are AFRAID of being disliked. But the truth is that not everybody will like you and that is OK. You don\'t want everybody to listen to what you have to say--just your target audience. Your target WANTS what you have to offer.\n\nSo, if you are afraid of being yourself, stop. Be who you are and forget about being nice to everyone. I am not saying be mean or nasty. Just be authentic.\n\nAre you afraid of being yourself? Why or why not?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Are you afraid of being yourself?','','inherit','open','open','','1857-revision','','','2012-10-12 13:53:58','2012-10-12 13:53:58','',1857,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1857-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1914,4,'2012-11-13 18:06:57','2012-11-13 18:06:57','There are a few things that people tend to overlook or to simply not check.\r\n\r\n<strong>Check the contact information CAREFULLY on your website/marketing materials</strong>\r\n\r\nYou want to make sure it is accurate. Perhaps have someone read it off to you. For example, in my newsletter I found the address had the wrong ZIP code.  A graphic designer I know had one digit wrong in her phone number.\r\n\r\n<strong>And check whether it can be found easily</strong>\r\n\r\nI just spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find where an art class was being offered--you know--the actual physical place where it was meeting. The website made you go to the About page where you had to scroll to the \"where to find us\" page. Why make it so complicated?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"216\"]<a title=\"check by PNASH, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pnash/5227436224/\"><img title=\"Check mark\" src=\"http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5165/5227436224_aa52b49262_m.jpg\" alt=\"check\" width=\"216\" height=\"118\" /></a> By PNASH, Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\n<strong>Check to see if GPS/Google Maps/Mapquest can find your address</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you are any type of location that people drive to (store, restaurant, hotel, attraction), have you checked that the address you give out  works on GPS/Google Maps/Mapquest? Sometimes street names have changed or are new and do not show up.\r\n\r\n<strong>Check how your email and enewsletters  show up to recipients</strong>\r\n\r\nBefore you send out anything to the world, send yourself a sample. You want to make sure your name is spelled correctly, and how it shows up in the recipient\'s inbox.  For example, someone I know was sending email that was coming from Email box 2 instead of her name. And just today I received an enewsletter titled \"Sample Newsletter\" from a well known institution. These can result in people not knowing who you are and ultimately, not opening your email/enewsletter.\r\n\r\nGo check these things right now. Fix them if they don\'t check out. You will be glad you did.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Quick! Check these potential problems right now','','publish','open','open','','quick-check-these-potential-problems-right-now','','','2012-11-13 18:06:57','2012-11-13 18:06:57','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1914',0,'post','',0),
(1860,4,'2012-10-16 20:40:20','2012-10-16 20:40:20','Last week, I attended an event and the complaint from the organizers is that fewer and fewer people are attending. Now part of this particular group\'s situation has to do with poor publicity.  In fact, their attendance has dwindled to such an extent that they have had to change venues. Today I attended another event (different group), same problem: fewer people.\r\n\r\nIf you are organizing an event that has been losing audience, you may want to ask yourself these questions:\r\n\r\n<strong>Is your publicity reaching new/bigger audiences?</strong>\r\n\r\nObviously, if few people know you are having an event, few people will attend. As a communicator, you have to evaluate where you are publicizing your event, and whether you are attracting enough people. Moreover, if you are trying to expand the amount of people at your events, you are going to have to experiment with new ways of publicizing the event. If you can only count on your core group, you don\'t have a recipe for growth.\r\n\r\n<strong>Is your program good?</strong>\r\n\r\nThere are just so many times I can go to a social media event. I have heard lots of it before. Nothing new there. <strong>Programming content counts.</strong> Doing a boring event or having the same speakers is not going to draw a new or bigger crowd.\r\n\r\n<strong>What else is going on that day?</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is about the importance of timing. If you are having an event, and there is a presidential debate going on that evening, you are forcing people to choose, and you may lose. Also, what time of day is your event? Have you experimented with other times?\r\n\r\n<strong>How good was your last event?</strong>\r\n\r\nYou know the saying, <em>you are only as good as your last success</em>. How successful was your last event? Were people interested, motivated, energized? Or did you receive complaints? Was the speaker entertaining or boring?  Unfortunately, you do not have too much control over circumstances (speaker was grumpy, people were late due to mass transit problems, etc.), but it matters anyhow. If you had a crappy event, people aren\'t going to want to attend another event that you put on.\r\n\r\n<strong>Do you know who your audience is? Do you know why they attend your events?</strong>\r\n\r\nYou don\'t survey you attendees? Big mistake! If you don\'t even know why the people who are there attended, how are you going to figure out why people aren\'t attending? YOU MUST SURVEY...even informally. As an organizer, ask people on the way  in how they found out about the event and on their way out whether they enjoyed the event. Have forms people can fill out. Send out an electronic survey. Do what it takes to find out more about your audience.\r\n\r\nWhat are you up against and how are you fixing it? Let me know in the comments.','Are your events drawing fewer people?','','publish','open','open','','are-your-events-drawing-fewer-people','','','2012-10-16 20:40:20','2012-10-16 20:40:20','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1860',0,'post','',0),
(1861,4,'2012-10-16 20:39:58','2012-10-16 20:39:58','Last week, I attended an event and the complaint from the organizers is that fewer and fewer people are attending. Now part of this particular group\'s situation has to do with poor publicity.  In fact, their attendance has dwindled to such an extent that they have had to change venues. Today I attended another event (different group), same problem: fewer people.\n\nIf you are organizing an event that has been losing audience, you may want to ask yourself these questions:\n\n<strong>Is your publicity reaching new/bigger audiences?</strong>\n\nObviously, if few people know you are having an event, few people will attend. As a communicator, you have to evaluate where you are publicizing your event, and whether you are attracting enough people. Moreover, if you are trying to expand the amount of people at your events, you are going to have to experiment with new ways of publicizing the event. If you can only count on your core group, you don\'t have a recipe for growth.\n\n<strong>Is your program good?</strong>\n\nThere are just so many times I can go to a social media event. I have heard lots of it before. Nothing new there. <strong>Programming content counts.</strong> Doing a boring event or having the same speakers is not going to draw a new or bigger crowd.\n\n<strong>What else is going on that day?</strong>\n\nThis is about the importance of timing. If you are having an event, and there is a presidential debate going on that evening, you are forcing people to choose, and you may lose. Also, what time of day is your event? Have you experimented with other times?\n\n<strong>How good was your last event?</strong>\n\nYou know the saying, <em>you are only as good as your last success</em>. How successful was your last event? Were people interested, motivated, energized? Or did you receive complaints? Was the speaker entertaining or boring?  Unfortunately, you do not have too much control over circumstances (speaker was grumpy, people were late due to mass transit problems, etc.), but it matters anyhow. If you had a crappy event, people aren\'t going to want to attend another event that you put on.\n\n<strong>Do you know who your audience is? Do you know why they attend your events?</strong>\n\nYou don\'t survey you attendees? Big mistake! If you don\'t even know why the people who are there attended, how are you going to figure out why people aren\'t attending? YOU MUST SURVEY...even informally. As an organizer, ask people on the way  in how they found out about the event and on their way out whether they enjoyed the event. Have forms people can fill out. Send out an electronic survey. Do what it takes to find out more about your audience.\n\nWhat are you up against and how are you fixing it? Let me know in the comments.','Are your events drawing fewer people?','','inherit','open','open','','1860-revision','','','2012-10-16 20:39:58','2012-10-16 20:39:58','',1860,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1860-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1862,4,'2012-10-16 20:41:25','2012-10-16 20:41:25','Last week, I attended an event and the complaint from the organizers is that fewer and fewer people are attending. Now part of this particular group\'s situation has to do with poor publicity.  In fact, their attendance has dwindled to such an extent that they have had to change venues. Today I attended another event (different group), same problem: fewer people.\n\nIf you are organizing an event that has been losing audience, you may want to ask yourself these questions:\n\n<strong>Is your publicity reaching new/bigger audiences?</strong>\n\nObviously, if few people know you are having an event, few people will attend. As a communicator, you have to evaluate where you are publicizing your event, and whether you are attracting enough people. Moreover, if you are trying to expand the amount of people at your events, you are going to have to experiment with new ways of publicizing the event. If you can only count on your core group, you don\'t have a recipe for growth.\n\n<strong>Is your program good?</strong>\n\nThere are just so many times I can go to a social media event. I have heard lots of it before. Nothing new there. <strong>Programming content counts.</strong> Doing a boring event or having the same speakers is not going to draw a new or bigger crowd.\n\n<strong>What else is going on that day?</strong>\n\nThis is about the importance of timing. If you are having an event, and there is a presidential debate going on that evening, you are forcing people to choose, and you may lose. Also, what time of day is your event? Have you experimented with other times?\n\n<strong>How good was your last event?</strong>\n\nYou know the saying, <em>you are only as good as your last success</em>. How successful was your last event? Were people interested, motivated, energized? Or did you receive complaints? Was the speaker entertaining or boring?  Unfortunately, you do not have too much control over circumstances (speaker was grumpy, people were late due to mass transit problems, etc.), but it matters anyhow. If you had a crappy event, people aren\'t going to want to attend another event that you put on.\n\n<strong>Do you know who your audience is? Do you know why they attend your events?</strong>\n\nYou don\'t survey you attendees? Big mistake! If you don\'t even know why the people who are there attended, how are you going to figure out why people aren\'t attending? YOU MUST SURVEY...even informally. As an organizer, ask people on the way  in how they found out about the event and on their way out whether they enjoyed the event. Have forms people can fill out. Send out an electronic survey. Do what it takes to find out more about your audience.\n\nWhat are you up against and how are you fixing it? Let me know in the comments.','Are your events drawing fewer people?','','inherit','open','open','','1860-autosave','','','2012-10-16 20:41:25','2012-10-16 20:41:25','',1860,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1860-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1864,4,'2012-10-20 13:36:10','2012-10-20 13:36:10','Today I am at WordCamp Philly, which is the second WordPress \"camp\" I am attending.<!--more-->  I have already learned (within 15 minutes) how to do something cool.','Learning WordPress','','inherit','open','open','','1863-revision','','','2012-10-20 13:36:10','2012-10-20 13:36:10','',1863,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1863-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1865,4,'2012-10-20 13:36:17','2012-10-20 13:36:17','Today I am at WordCamp Philly, which is the second WordPress \"camp\" I am attending.<!--more-->  I have already learned (within 15 minutes) how to do something cool.','Learning WordPress','','inherit','open','open','','1863-revision-2','','','2012-10-20 13:36:17','2012-10-20 13:36:17','',1863,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1863-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1866,4,'2012-10-20 13:46:33','2012-10-20 13:46:33','Today I am at WordCamp Philly, which is the second WordPress \"camp\" I am attending.<!--more-->  I have already learned (within 15 minutes) how to do something cool.','Learning WordPress','','inherit','open','open','','1863-revision-3','','','2012-10-20 13:46:33','2012-10-20 13:46:33','',1863,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1863-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1867,4,'2012-10-20 14:34:04','2012-10-20 14:34:04','','Picture0005','','inherit','open','open','','picture0005','','','2012-10-20 14:34:04','2012-10-20 14:34:04','',1863,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Picture0005.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1868,4,'2012-10-20 14:28:24','2012-10-20 14:28:24','Today I am at WordCamp Philly, which is the second WordPress \"camp\" I am attending.<!--more-->  I have already learned (within 15 minutes) how to do something cool.','Learning WordPress','','inherit','open','open','','1863-revision-4','','','2012-10-20 14:28:24','2012-10-20 14:28:24','',1863,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1863-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1869,4,'2012-10-20 15:18:35','2012-10-20 15:18:35','Today I am at WordCamp Philly, which is the second WordPress \"camp\" I am attending.<!--more-->  I have already learned (within 15 minutes) how to do something cool.','Learning WordPress','','inherit','open','open','','1863-revision-5','','','2012-10-20 15:18:35','2012-10-20 15:18:35','',1863,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1863-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),
(1920,4,'2012-11-20 14:14:48','0000-00-00 00:00:00','This is a fact: if organizations fail to appeal to younger people, they will not survive. There is no growth potential in appealing ONLY to older populations. They are not the future.  And yet, how many organizations are doing nothing--communications or programming-wise--to appeal to a younger audience?\r\n\r\nLast week, I attended an event where I was the youngest person. And I am not considered young (demographically speaking, of course).  It got me thinking about what organizations will have to do to appeal to younger people. Will it suffice to change and expand their communications efforts, or will they have to revamp their program offerings? Or both?\r\n\r\nNot appealing to younger people is a mistake of epic proportions. Witness the Republican Party\'s handwringing in light of their presidential loss to the Democrats. Even Mitt Romney seems to acknowledge his party was not offering much to young people (although his assertion that Obama was offering young people \"gifts\" was misguided at best).  The GOP is now dealing with the fact that their primary target of older, white male voters is a shrinking demographic.','Kidding around: appealing to younger people','','draft','open','open','','','','','2012-11-20 14:14:48','2012-11-20 14:14:48','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1920',0,'post','',0),
(1872,4,'2012-10-23 15:05:55','2012-10-23 15:05:55','This blog is hosted on a website built on <a href=\"http://wordpress.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress</a>. Lots of blogs, and many websites, are built using WordPress because it is easy to use and easy to customize. Because WordPress makes it so easy to update your content, there are more organizations using WordPress as a content management system (CMS). If you use software such as Dreamweaver to build a website, you probably have to call your “web person” to ask him/her to make updates.\r\n\r\nWordPress has built quite a large community of users and developers, many of whom have regular meet ups and discussion groups. A very popular (and fun) way to get a large group of WordPress enthusiasts together is <a href=\"http://central.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress “camp.” </a>These camps happen year round in cities worldwide. All are volunteer run.\r\n\r\nThis past weekend I attended <a href=\"http://2012.philly.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Word Camp Philadelphia</a>, and last month I went to Word Camp in Baltimore. I am trying to learn all I can about WordPress since I don’t have an IT department or anybody handling my website (which is a long story).\r\n\r\nI learned a lot at Word Camp Philadelphia (and kudos to the organizers who made this volunteer run event run smoothly and professionally). Here are some main takeaways:\r\n<h3> <strong>Make security a priority</strong></h3>\r\nAll websites are vulnerable to hacking. There are several steps you can take to minimize the risk. Among them:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>            Do not use admin as your log on name</li>\r\n	<li>            Have a strong password</li>\r\n	<li>            Always update to the newest version of WordPress</li>\r\n	<li>            Be sure your plugins are compatible and updated</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Backup often</strong></h3>\r\nWe heard this time and time again—make your back ups happen automatically. There are many plugins (free and paid) that make this easy. The one mentioned by many presenters was BackupBuddy.\r\n<h3> <strong>Plugins are cool</strong></h3>\r\nPlugins are little programs that add functionality to your WordPress site. There are thousands of plugins available for download from WordPress.org, providing the ability to share posts, create backups, and add lots of bells and whistles. You should keep plugins updated, and you should remove any you aren’t using. Too many plugins can slow a website down, and create issues.\r\n\r\nA few that were mentioned repeatedly were:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>All in One SEO pack</li>\r\n	<li>AntispamBee</li>\r\n	<li>Akismet</li>\r\n	<li>Yet Another Related Post (YARPP) (running on this site)</li>\r\n	<li>Digg Digg (for social sharing)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong> Content is crucial</strong></h3>\r\nIf you don’t have interesting and relevant content on your blog/website, why would anybody want to visit? Keep in mind that people don’t like to read long chunks of text (as Jess Ostroff from <a href=\"http://dontpanicmgmt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Don’t Panic Management</a> put it: <strong>TL;DR</strong>, which stands for too long; didn’t read). Also, to avoid long uninterrupted text is why we break up content using headings, bullets and images. To organize your content, you should use some sort of content management system. Jess Ostroff recommended <a href=\"http://www.divvyhq.com/\" target=\"_blank\">DivvyHQ.com</a> (paid) or the WordPress Editorial Calendar (free).\r\n<h3> <strong>Websites should be accessible</strong></h3>\r\nThere is such a thing as making your website “handicapped accessible.” For example,  blind people use web readers to visit websites. If you have images on your website, you should make sure to add alt text  so that these readers can include a description of these images.\r\n\r\nAnother type of accessibility is for mobile devices. The newest version of the simple WordPress theme (Twenty Twelve) adjusts the dimensions of your website to make it fit to a mobile phone screen.\r\n<h3> <strong>WordPress: it’s not just for blogging anymore!</strong></h3>\r\nThe most important takeaway is that WordPress is not just for blogging. Large organizations have already migrated their websites to a WordPress platform.\r\n<h3><strong>Go to camp  already!</strong></h3>\r\nIf you are interested in learning more about WordPress, I highly recommend going to Word Camp. However, not all camps are created equal and it may be worth it to travel to a camp that is well organized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','All I learned about WordPress I learned at camp','','publish','open','open','','all-i-learned-about-wordpress','','','2012-10-23 15:07:59','2012-10-23 15:07:59','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1872',0,'post','',2),
(1873,4,'2012-10-23 15:02:28','2012-10-23 15:02:28','This blog is hosted on a website built on <a href=\"http://wordpress.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress</a>. Lots of blogs, and many websites, are built using WordPress because it is easy to use and easy to customize. Because WordPress makes it so easy to update your content, there are more organizations using WordPress as a content management system (CMS). If you use software such as Dreamweaver to build a website, you probably have to call your “web person” to ask him/her to make updates.\n\nWordPress has built quite a large community of users and developers, many of whom have regular meet ups and discussion groups. A very popular (and fun) way to get a large group of WordPress enthusiasts together is <a href=\"http://central.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress “camp.” </a>These camps happen year round in cities worldwide. All are volunteer run.\n\nThis past weekend I attended <a href=\"http://2012.philly.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Word Camp Philadelphia</a>, and last month I went to Word Camp in Baltimore. I am trying to learn all I can about WordPress since I don’t have an IT department or anybody handling my website (which is a long story).\n\nI learned a lot at Word Camp Philadelphia (and kudos to the organizers who made this volunteer run event run smoothly and professionally). Here are some main takeaways:\n<h3> <strong>Make security a priority</strong></h3>\nAll websites are vulnerable to hacking. There are several steps you can take to minimize the risk. Among them:\n<ul>\n	<li>            Do not use admin as your log on name</li>\n	<li>            Have a strong password</li>\n	<li>            Always update to the newest version of WordPress</li>\n	<li>            Be sure your plugins are compatible and updated</li>\n</ul>\n<h3><strong>Backup often</strong></h3>\nWe heard this time and time again—make your back ups happen automatically. There are many plugins (free and paid) that make this easy. The one mentioned by many presenters was BackupBuddy.\n<h3> <strong>Plugins are cool</strong></h3>\nPlugins are little programs that add functionality to your WordPress site. There are thousands of plugins available for download from WordPress.org, providing the ability to share posts, create backups, and add lots of bells and whistles. You should keep plugins updated, and you should remove any you aren’t using. Too many plugins can slow a website down, and create issues.\n\nA few that were mentioned repeatedly were:\n<ul>\n	<li>All in One SEO pack</li>\n	<li>AntispamBee</li>\n	<li>Akismet</li>\n	<li>Yet Another Related Post (YARPP) (running on this site)</li>\n	<li>Digg Digg (for social sharing)</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>\n<strong> Content is crucial</strong></h3>\nIf you don’t have interesting and relevant content on your blog/website, why would anybody want to visit? Keep in mind that people don’t like to read long chunks of text (as Jess Ostroff from <a href=\"http://dontpanicmgmt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Don’t Panic Management</a> put it: <strong>TL;DR</strong>, which stands for too long; didn’t read). Also, to avoid long uninterrupted text is why we break up content using headings, bullets and images. To organize your content, you should use some sort of content management system. Jess Ostroff recommended <a href=\"http://www.divvyhq.com/\" target=\"_blank\">DivvyHQ.com</a> (paid) or the WordPress Editorial Calendar (free).\n<h3> <strong>Websites should be accessible</strong></h3>\nThere is such a thing as making your website “handicapped accessible.” For example,  blind people use web readers to visit websites. If you have images on your website, you should make sure to add alt text  so that these readers can include a description of these images.\n\nAnother type of accessibility is for mobile devices. The newest version of the simple WordPress theme (Twenty Twelve) adjusts the dimensions of your website to make it fit to a mobile phone screen.\n<h3> <strong>WordPress: it’s not just for blogging anymore!</strong></h3>\nThe most important takeaway is that WordPress is not just for blogging. Large 0rganizations have already migrated their websites to a WordPress platform.\n<h3><strong>Go to camp  already!</strong></h3>\nIf you are interested in learning more about WordPress, I highly recommend going to Word Camp. However, not all camps are created equal and it may be worth it to travel to a camp that is well organized.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','','','inherit','open','open','','1872-revision','','','2012-10-23 15:02:28','2012-10-23 15:02:28','',1872,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1872-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1874,4,'2012-10-23 15:03:34','2012-10-23 15:03:34','This blog is hosted on a website built on <a href=\"http://wordpress.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress</a>. Lots of blogs, and many websites, are built using WordPress because it is easy to use and easy to customize. Because WordPress makes it so easy to update your content, there are more organizations using WordPress as a content management system (CMS). If you use software such as Dreamweaver to build a website, you probably have to call your “web person” to ask him/her to make updates.\r\n\r\nWordPress has built quite a large community of users and developers, many of whom have regular meet ups and discussion groups. A very popular (and fun) way to get a large group of WordPress enthusiasts together is <a href=\"http://central.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress “camp.” </a>These camps happen year round in cities worldwide. All are volunteer run.\r\n\r\nThis past weekend I attended <a href=\"http://2012.philly.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Word Camp Philadelphia</a>, and last month I went to Word Camp in Baltimore. I am trying to learn all I can about WordPress since I don’t have an IT department or anybody handling my website (which is a long story).\r\n\r\nI learned a lot at Word Camp Philadelphia (and kudos to the organizers who made this volunteer run event run smoothly and professionally). Here are some main takeaways:\r\n<h3> <strong>Make security a priority</strong></h3>\r\nAll websites are vulnerable to hacking. There are several steps you can take to minimize the risk. Among them:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>            Do not use admin as your log on name</li>\r\n	<li>            Have a strong password</li>\r\n	<li>            Always update to the newest version of WordPress</li>\r\n	<li>            Be sure your plugins are compatible and updated</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Backup often</strong></h3>\r\nWe heard this time and time again—make your back ups happen automatically. There are many plugins (free and paid) that make this easy. The one mentioned by many presenters was BackupBuddy.\r\n<h3> <strong>Plugins are cool</strong></h3>\r\nPlugins are little programs that add functionality to your WordPress site. There are thousands of plugins available for download from WordPress.org, providing the ability to share posts, create backups, and add lots of bells and whistles. You should keep plugins updated, and you should remove any you aren’t using. Too many plugins can slow a website down, and create issues.\r\n\r\nA few that were mentioned repeatedly were:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>All in One SEO pack</li>\r\n	<li>AntispamBee</li>\r\n	<li>Akismet</li>\r\n	<li>Yet Another Related Post (YARPP) (running on this site)</li>\r\n	<li>Digg Digg (for social sharing)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>\r\n<strong> Content is crucial</strong></h3>\r\nIf you don’t have interesting and relevant content on your blog/website, why would anybody want to visit? Keep in mind that people don’t like to read long chunks of text (as Jess Ostroff from <a href=\"http://dontpanicmgmt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Don’t Panic Management</a> put it: <strong>TL;DR</strong>, which stands for too long; didn’t read). Also, to avoid long uninterrupted text is why we break up content using headings, bullets and images. To organize your content, you should use some sort of content management system. Jess Ostroff recommended <a href=\"http://www.divvyhq.com/\" target=\"_blank\">DivvyHQ.com</a> (paid) or the WordPress Editorial Calendar (free).\r\n<h3> <strong>Websites should be accessible</strong></h3>\r\nThere is such a thing as making your website “handicapped accessible.” For example,  blind people use web readers to visit websites. If you have images on your website, you should make sure to add alt text  so that these readers can include a description of these images.\r\n\r\nAnother type of accessibility is for mobile devices. The newest version of the simple WordPress theme (Twenty Twelve) adjusts the dimensions of your website to make it fit to a mobile phone screen.\r\n<h3> <strong>WordPress: it’s not just for blogging anymore!</strong></h3>\r\nThe most important takeaway is that WordPress is not just for blogging. Large 0rganizations have already migrated their websites to a WordPress platform.\r\n<h3><strong>Go to camp  already!</strong></h3>\r\nIf you are interested in learning more about WordPress, I highly recommend going to Word Camp. However, not all camps are created equal and it may be worth it to travel to a camp that is well organized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','','','inherit','open','open','','1872-revision-2','','','2012-10-23 15:03:34','2012-10-23 15:03:34','',1872,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1872-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1875,4,'2012-10-23 15:05:03','2012-10-23 15:05:03','This blog is hosted on a website built on <a href=\"http://wordpress.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress</a>. Lots of blogs, and many websites, are built using WordPress because it is easy to use and easy to customize. Because WordPress makes it so easy to update your content, there are more organizations using WordPress as a content management system (CMS). If you use software such as Dreamweaver to build a website, you probably have to call your “web person” to ask him/her to make updates.\r\n\r\nWordPress has built quite a large community of users and developers, many of whom have regular meet ups and discussion groups. A very popular (and fun) way to get a large group of WordPress enthusiasts together is <a href=\"http://central.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress “camp.” </a>These camps happen year round in cities worldwide. All are volunteer run.\r\n\r\nThis past weekend I attended <a href=\"http://2012.philly.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Word Camp Philadelphia</a>, and last month I went to Word Camp in Baltimore. I am trying to learn all I can about WordPress since I don’t have an IT department or anybody handling my website (which is a long story).\r\n\r\nI learned a lot at Word Camp Philadelphia (and kudos to the organizers who made this volunteer run event run smoothly and professionally). Here are some main takeaways:\r\n<h3> <strong>Make security a priority</strong></h3>\r\nAll websites are vulnerable to hacking. There are several steps you can take to minimize the risk. Among them:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>            Do not use admin as your log on name</li>\r\n	<li>            Have a strong password</li>\r\n	<li>            Always update to the newest version of WordPress</li>\r\n	<li>            Be sure your plugins are compatible and updated</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Backup often</strong></h3>\r\nWe heard this time and time again—make your back ups happen automatically. There are many plugins (free and paid) that make this easy. The one mentioned by many presenters was BackupBuddy.\r\n<h3> <strong>Plugins are cool</strong></h3>\r\nPlugins are little programs that add functionality to your WordPress site. There are thousands of plugins available for download from WordPress.org, providing the ability to share posts, create backups, and add lots of bells and whistles. You should keep plugins updated, and you should remove any you aren’t using. Too many plugins can slow a website down, and create issues.\r\n\r\nA few that were mentioned repeatedly were:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>All in One SEO pack</li>\r\n	<li>AntispamBee</li>\r\n	<li>Akismet</li>\r\n	<li>Yet Another Related Post (YARPP) (running on this site)</li>\r\n	<li>Digg Digg (for social sharing)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3>\r\n<strong> Content is crucial</strong></h3>\r\nIf you don’t have interesting and relevant content on your blog/website, why would anybody want to visit? Keep in mind that people don’t like to read long chunks of text (as Jess Ostroff from <a href=\"http://dontpanicmgmt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Don’t Panic Management</a> put it: <strong>TL;DR</strong>, which stands for too long; didn’t read). Also, to avoid long uninterrupted text is why we break up content using headings, bullets and images. To organize your content, you should use some sort of content management system. Jess Ostroff recommended <a href=\"http://www.divvyhq.com/\" target=\"_blank\">DivvyHQ.com</a> (paid) or the WordPress Editorial Calendar (free).\r\n<h3> <strong>Websites should be accessible</strong></h3>\r\nThere is such a thing as making your website “handicapped accessible.” For example,  blind people use web readers to visit websites. If you have images on your website, you should make sure to add alt text  so that these readers can include a description of these images.\r\n\r\nAnother type of accessibility is for mobile devices. The newest version of the simple WordPress theme (Twenty Twelve) adjusts the dimensions of your website to make it fit to a mobile phone screen.\r\n<h3> <strong>WordPress: it’s not just for blogging anymore!</strong></h3>\r\nThe most important takeaway is that WordPress is not just for blogging. Large 0rganizations have already migrated their websites to a WordPress platform.\r\n<h3><strong>Go to camp  already!</strong></h3>\r\nIf you are interested in learning more about WordPress, I highly recommend going to Word Camp. However, not all camps are created equal and it may be worth it to travel to a camp that is well organized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','All I learned about WordPress I learned at camp','','inherit','open','open','','1872-revision-3','','','2012-10-23 15:05:03','2012-10-23 15:05:03','',1872,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1872-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1876,4,'2012-10-23 15:05:07','2012-10-23 15:05:07','This blog is hosted on a website built on <a href=\"http://wordpress.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress</a>. Lots of blogs, and many websites, are built using WordPress because it is easy to use and easy to customize. Because WordPress makes it so easy to update your content, there are more organizations using WordPress as a content management system (CMS). If you use software such as Dreamweaver to build a website, you probably have to call your “web person” to ask him/her to make updates.\r\n\r\nWordPress has built quite a large community of users and developers, many of whom have regular meet ups and discussion groups. A very popular (and fun) way to get a large group of WordPress enthusiasts together is <a href=\"http://central.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress “camp.” </a>These camps happen year round in cities worldwide. All are volunteer run.\r\n\r\nThis past weekend I attended <a href=\"http://2012.philly.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Word Camp Philadelphia</a>, and last month I went to Word Camp in Baltimore. I am trying to learn all I can about WordPress since I don’t have an IT department or anybody handling my website (which is a long story).\r\n\r\nI learned a lot at Word Camp Philadelphia (and kudos to the organizers who made this volunteer run event run smoothly and professionally). Here are some main takeaways:\r\n<h3> <strong>Make security a priority</strong></h3>\r\nAll websites are vulnerable to hacking. There are several steps you can take to minimize the risk. Among them:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>            Do not use admin as your log on name</li>\r\n	<li>            Have a strong password</li>\r\n	<li>            Always update to the newest version of WordPress</li>\r\n	<li>            Be sure your plugins are compatible and updated</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Backup often</strong></h3>\r\nWe heard this time and time again—make your back ups happen automatically. There are many plugins (free and paid) that make this easy. The one mentioned by many presenters was BackupBuddy.\r\n<h3> <strong>Plugins are cool</strong></h3>\r\nPlugins are little programs that add functionality to your WordPress site. There are thousands of plugins available for download from WordPress.org, providing the ability to share posts, create backups, and add lots of bells and whistles. You should keep plugins updated, and you should remove any you aren’t using. Too many plugins can slow a website down, and create issues.\r\n\r\nA few that were mentioned repeatedly were:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>All in One SEO pack</li>\r\n	<li>AntispamBee</li>\r\n	<li>Akismet</li>\r\n	<li>Yet Another Related Post (YARPP) (running on this site)</li>\r\n	<li>Digg Digg (for social sharing)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong> Content is crucial</strong></h3>\r\nIf you don’t have interesting and relevant content on your blog/website, why would anybody want to visit? Keep in mind that people don’t like to read long chunks of text (as Jess Ostroff from <a href=\"http://dontpanicmgmt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Don’t Panic Management</a> put it: <strong>TL;DR</strong>, which stands for too long; didn’t read). Also, to avoid long uninterrupted text is why we break up content using headings, bullets and images. To organize your content, you should use some sort of content management system. Jess Ostroff recommended <a href=\"http://www.divvyhq.com/\" target=\"_blank\">DivvyHQ.com</a> (paid) or the WordPress Editorial Calendar (free).\r\n<h3> <strong>Websites should be accessible</strong></h3>\r\nThere is such a thing as making your website “handicapped accessible.” For example,  blind people use web readers to visit websites. If you have images on your website, you should make sure to add alt text  so that these readers can include a description of these images.\r\n\r\nAnother type of accessibility is for mobile devices. The newest version of the simple WordPress theme (Twenty Twelve) adjusts the dimensions of your website to make it fit to a mobile phone screen.\r\n<h3> <strong>WordPress: it’s not just for blogging anymore!</strong></h3>\r\nThe most important takeaway is that WordPress is not just for blogging. Large 0rganizations have already migrated their websites to a WordPress platform.\r\n<h3><strong>Go to camp  already!</strong></h3>\r\nIf you are interested in learning more about WordPress, I highly recommend going to Word Camp. However, not all camps are created equal and it may be worth it to travel to a camp that is well organized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','All I learned about WordPress I learned at camp','','inherit','open','open','','1872-revision-4','','','2012-10-23 15:05:07','2012-10-23 15:05:07','',1872,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1872-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1877,4,'2012-10-23 15:05:55','2012-10-23 15:05:55','This blog is hosted on a website built on <a href=\"http://wordpress.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress</a>. Lots of blogs, and many websites, are built using WordPress because it is easy to use and easy to customize. Because WordPress makes it so easy to update your content, there are more organizations using WordPress as a content management system (CMS). If you use software such as Dreamweaver to build a website, you probably have to call your “web person” to ask him/her to make updates.\r\n\r\nWordPress has built quite a large community of users and developers, many of whom have regular meet ups and discussion groups. A very popular (and fun) way to get a large group of WordPress enthusiasts together is <a href=\"http://central.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress “camp.” </a>These camps happen year round in cities worldwide. All are volunteer run.\r\n\r\nThis past weekend I attended <a href=\"http://2012.philly.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Word Camp Philadelphia</a>, and last month I went to Word Camp in Baltimore. I am trying to learn all I can about WordPress since I don’t have an IT department or anybody handling my website (which is a long story).\r\n\r\nI learned a lot at Word Camp Philadelphia (and kudos to the organizers who made this volunteer run event run smoothly and professionally). Here are some main takeaways:\r\n<h3> <strong>Make security a priority</strong></h3>\r\nAll websites are vulnerable to hacking. There are several steps you can take to minimize the risk. Among them:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>            Do not use admin as your log on name</li>\r\n	<li>            Have a strong password</li>\r\n	<li>            Always update to the newest version of WordPress</li>\r\n	<li>            Be sure your plugins are compatible and updated</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong>Backup often</strong></h3>\r\nWe heard this time and time again—make your back ups happen automatically. There are many plugins (free and paid) that make this easy. The one mentioned by many presenters was BackupBuddy.\r\n<h3> <strong>Plugins are cool</strong></h3>\r\nPlugins are little programs that add functionality to your WordPress site. There are thousands of plugins available for download from WordPress.org, providing the ability to share posts, create backups, and add lots of bells and whistles. You should keep plugins updated, and you should remove any you aren’t using. Too many plugins can slow a website down, and create issues.\r\n\r\nA few that were mentioned repeatedly were:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>All in One SEO pack</li>\r\n	<li>AntispamBee</li>\r\n	<li>Akismet</li>\r\n	<li>Yet Another Related Post (YARPP) (running on this site)</li>\r\n	<li>Digg Digg (for social sharing)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<h3><strong> Content is crucial</strong></h3>\r\nIf you don’t have interesting and relevant content on your blog/website, why would anybody want to visit? Keep in mind that people don’t like to read long chunks of text (as Jess Ostroff from <a href=\"http://dontpanicmgmt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Don’t Panic Management</a> put it: <strong>TL;DR</strong>, which stands for too long; didn’t read). Also, to avoid long uninterrupted text is why we break up content using headings, bullets and images. To organize your content, you should use some sort of content management system. Jess Ostroff recommended <a href=\"http://www.divvyhq.com/\" target=\"_blank\">DivvyHQ.com</a> (paid) or the WordPress Editorial Calendar (free).\r\n<h3> <strong>Websites should be accessible</strong></h3>\r\nThere is such a thing as making your website “handicapped accessible.” For example,  blind people use web readers to visit websites. If you have images on your website, you should make sure to add alt text  so that these readers can include a description of these images.\r\n\r\nAnother type of accessibility is for mobile devices. The newest version of the simple WordPress theme (Twenty Twelve) adjusts the dimensions of your website to make it fit to a mobile phone screen.\r\n<h3> <strong>WordPress: it’s not just for blogging anymore!</strong></h3>\r\nThe most important takeaway is that WordPress is not just for blogging. Large 0rganizations have already migrated their websites to a WordPress platform.\r\n<h3><strong>Go to camp  already!</strong></h3>\r\nIf you are interested in learning more about WordPress, I highly recommend going to Word Camp. However, not all camps are created equal and it may be worth it to travel to a camp that is well organized.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','All I learned about WordPress I learned at camp','','inherit','open','open','','1872-revision-5','','','2012-10-23 15:05:55','2012-10-23 15:05:55','',1872,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1872-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),
(1878,4,'2012-10-23 15:09:02','2012-10-23 15:09:02','This blog is hosted on a website built on <a href=\"http://wordpress.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress</a>. Lots of blogs, and many websites, are built using WordPress because it is easy to use and easy to customize. Because WordPress makes it so easy to update your content, there are more organizations using WordPress as a content management system (CMS). If you use software such as Dreamweaver to build a website, you probably have to call your “web person” to ask him/her to make updates.\n\nWordPress has built quite a large community of users and developers, many of whom have regular meet ups and discussion groups. A very popular (and fun) way to get a large group of WordPress enthusiasts together is <a href=\"http://central.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">WordPress “camp.” </a>These camps happen year round in cities worldwide. All are volunteer run.\n\nThis past weekend I attended <a href=\"http://2012.philly.wordcamp.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Word Camp Philadelphia</a>, and last month I went to Word Camp in Baltimore. I am trying to learn all I can about WordPress since I don’t have an IT department or anybody handling my website (which is a long story).\n\nI learned a lot at Word Camp Philadelphia (and kudos to the organizers who made this volunteer run event run smoothly and professionally). Here are some main takeaways:\n<h3> <strong>Make security a priority</strong></h3>\nAll websites are vulnerable to hacking. There are several steps you can take to minimize the risk. Among them:\n<ul>\n	<li>            Do not use admin as your log on name</li>\n	<li>            Have a strong password</li>\n	<li>            Always update to the newest version of WordPress</li>\n	<li>            Be sure your plugins are compatible and updated</li>\n</ul>\n<h3><strong>Backup often</strong></h3>\nWe heard this time and time again—make your back ups happen automatically. There are many plugins (free and paid) that make this easy. The one mentioned by many presenters was BackupBuddy.\n<h3> <strong>Plugins are cool</strong></h3>\nPlugins are little programs that add functionality to your WordPress site. There are thousands of plugins available for download from WordPress.org, providing the ability to share posts, create backups, and add lots of bells and whistles. You should keep plugins updated, and you should remove any you aren’t using. Too many plugins can slow a website down, and create issues.\n\nA few that were mentioned repeatedly were:\n<ul>\n	<li>All in One SEO pack</li>\n	<li>AntispamBee</li>\n	<li>Akismet</li>\n	<li>Yet Another Related Post (YARPP) (running on this site)</li>\n	<li>Digg Digg (for social sharing)</li>\n</ul>\n<h3><strong> Content is crucial</strong></h3>\nIf you don’t have interesting and relevant content on your blog/website, why would anybody want to visit? Keep in mind that people don’t like to read long chunks of text (as Jess Ostroff from <a href=\"http://dontpanicmgmt.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Don’t Panic Management</a> put it: <strong>TL;DR</strong>, which stands for too long; didn’t read). Also, to avoid long uninterrupted text is why we break up content using headings, bullets and images. To organize your content, you should use some sort of content management system. Jess Ostroff recommended <a href=\"http://www.divvyhq.com/\" target=\"_blank\">DivvyHQ.com</a> (paid) or the WordPress Editorial Calendar (free).\n<h3> <strong>Websites should be accessible</strong></h3>\nThere is such a thing as making your website “handicapped accessible.” For example,  blind people use web readers to visit websites. If you have images on your website, you should make sure to add alt text  so that these readers can include a description of these images.\n\nAnother type of accessibility is for mobile devices. The newest version of the simple WordPress theme (Twenty Twelve) adjusts the dimensions of your website to make it fit to a mobile phone screen.\n<h3> <strong>WordPress: it’s not just for blogging anymore!</strong></h3>\nThe most important takeaway is that WordPress is not just for blogging. Large organizations have already migrated their websites to a WordPress platform.\n<h3><strong>Go to camp  already!</strong></h3>\nIf you are interested in learning more about WordPress, I highly recommend going to Word Camp. However, not all camps are created equal and it may be worth it to travel to a camp that is well organized.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','All I learned about WordPress I learned at camp','','inherit','open','open','','1872-autosave','','','2012-10-23 15:09:02','2012-10-23 15:09:02','',1872,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1872-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1880,4,'2012-10-25 19:39:46','2012-10-25 19:39:46','This year, we have been bombarded with political ads on TV, especially in swing states. I can attest to this since my TV DMA covers Northern Virginia, and Virginia is a swing state, so we have been seeing (too) many here in Maryland.\r\n\r\nThe spending is in the billions. Adweek reports: <a href=\"http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/political-tv-ads-shatter-records-144746\" target=\"_blank\">Political TV Ads Shatter Records. It\'s not over yet.</a>  According to Adweek, as of last week, 915,000 presidential ads have appeared. Add to that congressional and senate ads, and ballot question ads, and I would be surprised if you have seen even one commercial for Viagra!\r\n\r\nIn today\'s Washington Post, Ned Martel writes in the article <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/could-the-campaign-ads-benefit-from-the-mad-men-touch/2012/10/24/84a09c60-1215-11e2-ba83-a7a396e6b2a7_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Could the campaign ads benefit from Mad Men touch\"</a> that the ads are not even that good.  He says:\r\n<blockquote>To advertising executives, this onslaught of attack ads looks like a giant waste of money. It certainly runs counter to every risk-conscious maxim the industry has honed since the days of “Mad Men.”</blockquote>\r\nNegative ads have been a staple of political campaigns forever. You want to discredit your opponent, that is understood. Unfortunately, this year especially (or so it seems...memories are short), we are seeing that not only are these ads negative, they are also factually challenged. Glenn Kessler, \"The Fact Checker\" writer at the Washington Post,<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/romney-doubling-down-on-debate-misstatements/2012/10/24/c1d34826-1e22-11e2-ba31-3083ca97c314_blog.html\" target=\"_blank\"> today rated  one of Mitt Romney\'s ads regarding Obama\'s so-called Apology Tour </a>four Pinnochios (which means that this particular ad includes falsehoods).\r\n\r\nWe are seeing a lot of back and forth: Romney says one thing, and Obama answers it. And to add legitimacy, we are seeing the use of news footage. An Obama ad recently used footage from a 60 Minutes interview of Mitt Romney.\r\n\r\nBut does any of it make any difference in trying to reach the mythical undecided voter? I am not sure. I think it must have some impact but does it change minds? Do people watch the ads or do they tune them out? I don\'t know. What are your thoughts?','Do political ads work?','','publish','open','open','','do-political-ads-work','','','2012-10-25 19:39:46','2012-10-25 19:39:46','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1880',0,'post','',0),
(1881,4,'2012-10-25 19:39:00','2012-10-25 19:39:00','This year, we have been bombarded with political ads on TV, especially in swing states. I can attest to this since my TV DMA covers Northern Virginia, and Virginia is a swing state, so we have been seeing (too) many here in Maryland.\n\nThe spending is in the billions. Adweek reports: <a href=\"http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/political-tv-ads-shatter-records-144746\" target=\"_blank\">Political TV Ads Shatter Records. It\'s not over yet.</a>  According to Adweek, as of last week, 915,000 presidential ads have appeared. Add to that congressional and senate ads, and ballot question ads, and I would be surprised if you have seen even one commercial for Viagra!\n\nIn today\'s Washington Post, Ned Martel writes in the article <a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/could-the-campaign-ads-benefit-from-the-mad-men-touch/2012/10/24/84a09c60-1215-11e2-ba83-a7a396e6b2a7_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">\"Could the campaign ads benefit from Mad Men touch\"</a> that the ads are not even that good.  He says:\n<blockquote>To advertising executives, this onslaught of attack ads looks like a giant waste of money. It certainly runs counter to every risk-conscious maxim the industry has honed since the days of “Mad Men.”</blockquote>\nNegative ads have been a staple of political campaigns forever. You want to discredit your opponent, that is understood. Unfortunately, this year especially (or so it seems...memories are short), we are seeing that not only are these ads negative, they are also factually challenged. Glenn Kessler, \"The Fact Checker\" writer at the Washington Post,<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/romney-doubling-down-on-debate-misstatements/2012/10/24/c1d34826-1e22-11e2-ba31-3083ca97c314_blog.html\" target=\"_blank\"> today rated  one of Mitt Romney\'s ads regarding Obama\'s so-called Apology Tour </a>four Pinnochios (which means that this particular ad includes falsehoods).\n\nWe are seeing a lot of back and forth: Romney says one thing, and Obama answers it. And to add legitimacy, we are seeing the use of news footage. An Obama ad recently used footage from a 60 Minutes interview of Mitt Romney.\n\nBut does any of it make any difference in trying to reach the mythical undecided voter? I am not sure. I think it must have some impact but does it change minds? Do people watch the ads or do they tune them out? I don\'t know. What are your thoughts?','Do political ads work?','','inherit','open','open','','1880-revision','','','2012-10-25 19:39:00','2012-10-25 19:39:00','',1880,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1880-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1883,4,'2012-10-29 14:57:25','2012-10-29 14:57:25','If you are anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard you are feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy (or at least, you are hearing about the effects of Sandy on the nonstop news coverage). You are probably hunkered down at home since few people ventured out to work today.  If your job is to communicate, you are faced with a tough situation: you cannot compete for attention! What should you do?\r\n\r\nIf you already have a <strong>print campaign</strong> running, there is nothing you can or should do. People realize that your ad or press release went out way before the storm.\r\n\r\nIf you have <strong>TV  ad campaign</strong> running, realize that your spots probably won\'t run. Too much air space will be devoted to hurricane coverage. The issue you will have to face is whether you can continue to use those spots after the storm. Are they still relevant? More importantly, if people are dealing with after-disaster effects, how much impact will your ads have?\r\n\r\nIf you had scheduled a<strong> press conference</strong>, you should cancel it. Nobody wants to hear about product launches when they are worried about a tree crashing down on their house.\r\n\r\nIf you handle <strong>communications for a business or organization</strong>--especially a retail operation--you should update your website and social media feeds regarding your status (are you open or closed, do you have power or not, will you honor late payments etc.) You should also record a phone message for your location. Not everyone will have access to the Internet. You may also consider sending emails/SMS messages to customers who may need to reschedule appointments etc.\r\n\r\nIf you have a <strong>press release</strong> going out this week, you may want to reschedule it. Your news will have to compete with disaster information.\r\n\r\nIf you have a <strong>social media campaign</strong> running, first realize that many people may not have Internet access. You may want to postpone your campaign, and certainly, revisit and reconsider any scheduled Tweets, Facebook updates or blog posts.  Mary Fletcher Jones of Fletcher Jones has written a very useful blog post: <a href=\"http://fletcher-prince.com/2012/10/28/6-tips-how-communicators-can-prepare-for-hurricane-sandy/\" target=\"_blank\">6 Tips: How Communicators Can Prepare for Hurricane Sandy</a> where she deals with special considerations for social media.\r\n\r\nWhat are you doing to communicate during and after the storm? Please share any insights here.','Communicating when disaster strikes','','publish','open','open','','communicating-when-disaster-strikes','','','2012-10-29 14:57:25','2012-10-29 14:57:25','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1883',0,'post','',0),
(1884,4,'2012-10-29 14:56:51','2012-10-29 14:56:51','If you are anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard you are feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy (or at least, you are hearing about the effects of Sandy on the nonstop news coverage). You are probably hunkered down at home since few people ventured out to work today.  If your job is to communicate, you are faced with a tough situation: there\'s no competing for attention! What should you do?\n\nIf you already have a <strong>print campaign</strong> running, there is nothing you can or should do. People realize that your ad or press release went out way before the storm.\n\nIf you have <strong>TV  ad campaign</strong> running, realize that your spots probably won\'t run. Too much air space will be devoted to hurricane coverage. The issue you will have to face is whether you can continue to use those spots after the storm. Are they still relevant? More importantly, if people are dealing with after-disaster effects, how much impact will your ads have?\n\nIf you had scheduled a<strong> press conference</strong>, you should cancel it. Nobody wants to hear about product launches when they are worried about a tree crashing down on their house.\n\nIf you handle <strong>communications for a business or organization</strong>--especially a retail operation--you should update your website and social media feeds regarding your status (are you open or closed, do you have power or not, will you honor late payments etc.) You should also record a phone message for your location. Not everyone will have access to the Internet. You may also consider sending emails/SMS messages to customers who may need to reschedule appointments etc.\n\nIf you have a <strong>press release</strong> going out this week, you may want to reschedule it. Your news will have to compete with disaster information.\n\nIf you have a <strong>social media campaign</strong> running, first realize that many people may not have Internet access. You may want to postpone your campaign, and certainly, revisit and reconsider any scheduled Tweets, Facebook updates or blog posts.  Mary Fletcher Jones of Fletcher Jones has written a very useful blog post: <a href=\"http://fletcher-prince.com/2012/10/28/6-tips-how-communicators-can-prepare-for-hurricane-sandy/\" target=\"_blank\">6 Tips: How Communicators Can Prepare for Hurricane Sandy</a> where she deals with special considerations for social media.\n\nWhat are you doing to communicate during and after the storm? Please share any insights here.','Communicating when disaster strikes','','inherit','open','open','','1883-revision','','','2012-10-29 14:56:51','2012-10-29 14:56:51','',1883,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1883-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1885,4,'2012-10-31 14:01:38','2012-10-31 14:01:38','Yes, I know, it is somewhat formulaic to have a scary things post at Halloween, but why not? Following, in no particular order, are the scary (wrong) things communicators do:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Not know their effect from their affect</li>\r\n	<li> Declare that social media isn’t necessary</li>\r\n	<li> On the other hand, think that all they need to do is Tweet something out</li>\r\n	<li> Think a USP is something like a USB</li>\r\n	<li>Overlook the basics: not checking the address is correct, for example</li>\r\n	<li>Network all the time or not at all</li>\r\n	<li> Steer clear of professional development events because “there’s nothing new to learn”</li>\r\n	<li> Use corporate-speak phrases just to achieve buy-in or ramp up their core competency</li>\r\n	<li> Fail to adapt to changing conditions (“We will send out the press release, I don’t care that Hurricane Sandy just devastated New York.”)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nI know you have a few good ones to add--so please, please add them in the comments!\r\n\r\nHave a happy Halloween! Hope you get more treats than tricks.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1886\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Pumpkins.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1886\" title=\"Pumpkins\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Pumpkins-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Row of pumpkins at Farmers\' Market\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Pumpkins just in time for Halloween[/caption]','Scary things communicators do','','publish','open','open','','scary-things-communicators-do','','','2012-10-31 14:01:38','2012-10-31 14:01:38','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1885',0,'post','',0),
(1886,4,'2012-10-31 13:58:26','2012-10-31 13:58:26','','Pumpkins','Pumpkins just in time for Halloween','inherit','open','open','','pumpkins','','','2012-10-31 13:58:26','2012-10-31 13:58:26','',1885,'http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Pumpkins.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),
(1887,4,'2012-10-31 13:59:32','2012-10-31 13:59:32','Yes, I know, it is somewhat formulaic to have a scary things post at Halloween, but why not? Following, in no particular order, are the scary (wrong) things communicators do:\n<ul>\n	<li>Not know their effect from their affect</li>\n	<li> Declare that social media isn’t necessary</li>\n	<li> On the other hand, think that all they need to do is Tweet something out</li>\n	<li> Think USP is something like a USB</li>\n	<li>Overlook the basics: not checking the address is correct, for example</li>\n	<li>Network all the time or not at all</li>\n	<li> Steer clear of professional development events because “there’s nothing new to learn”</li>\n	<li> Use corporate-speak phrases just to achieve buy-in or ramp up their core competency</li>\n	<li> Fail to adapt to changing conditions (“We will send out the press release, I don’t care that Hurricane Sandy just devastated New York.”)</li>\n</ul>\nI know you have a few good ones to add--so please, please add them in the comments!\n\nHave a happy Halloween! Hope you get more treats than tricks.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_1886\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Pumpkins.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1886\" title=\"Pumpkins\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Pumpkins-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Row of pumpkins at Farmers\' Market\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Pumpkins just in time for Halloween[/caption]','Scary things communicators do','','inherit','open','open','','1885-revision','','','2012-10-31 13:59:32','2012-10-31 13:59:32','',1885,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1885-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1888,4,'2012-10-31 14:00:32','2012-10-31 14:00:32','Yes, I know, it is somewhat formulaic to have a scary things post at Halloween, but why not? Following, in no particular order, are the scary (wrong) things communicators do:\n<ul>\n	<li>Not know their effect from their affect</li>\n	<li> Declare that social media isn’t necessary</li>\n	<li> On the other hand, think that all they need to do is Tweet something out</li>\n	<li> Think a USP is something like a USB</li>\n	<li>Overlook the basics: not checking the address is correct, for example</li>\n	<li>Network all the time or not at all</li>\n	<li> Steer clear of professional development events because “there’s nothing new to learn”</li>\n	<li> Use corporate-speak phrases just to achieve buy-in or ramp up their core competency</li>\n	<li> Fail to adapt to changing conditions (“We will send out the press release, I don’t care that Hurricane Sandy just devastated New York.”)</li>\n</ul>\nI know you have a few good ones to add--so please, please add them in the comments!\n\nHave a happy Halloween! Hope you get more treats than tricks.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_1886\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Pumpkins.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1886\" title=\"Pumpkins\" src=\"http://deborahbrody.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Pumpkins-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Row of pumpkins at Farmers\' Market\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Pumpkins just in time for Halloween[/caption]','Scary things communicators do','','inherit','open','open','','1885-revision-2','','','2012-10-31 14:00:32','2012-10-31 14:00:32','',1885,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/10/1885-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1890,4,'2012-11-01 17:13:16','2012-11-01 17:13:16','<strong>Work for your treats!</strong>\r\n\r\nLast night was Halloween, and I had a bowlful of good (chocolate) candy. There seemed fewer trick-or-treaters this year than last, and a lot fewer cute costumes. I am not sure what that was about. But what really bugged me was the teenager who showed up with her backpack open, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">wearing no costume</span>,  just ready to grab some candy. Really? She made no effort at all and perhaps she felt a sense of entitlement. I shut the door after that and decided to keep the rest of the candy for myself.\r\n\r\n(Also, why is it that the littlest kids grabbed one piece of candy each, but the teenagers grabbed a handful?)\r\n\r\n<em>The takeaway here is that looking the part helps with buy-in. I am not inclined to give you candy if you don\'t look like a trick-or-treater, right?</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>How am I supposed to get home?</strong>\r\n\r\nLast week I called a couple of dealerships about a malfunctioning knob in my car. Both dealerships were able to figure out approximately how much it would cost to fix but only one dealership offered a shuttle to take me home and pick me up. Where do you think I made a service appointment?\r\n\r\nWhen your car is in the shop, and it is going to take all day to fix, what are you supposed to do? You can\'t drive yourself, obviously, but you do have options: 1) you could sit at the dealership all day (and be bored and unproductive); 2) you could get a friend or family member to pick you up and take you back (if you have a favor that needs returning); 3) you could take a cab (could cost you lots of money); or 4)  you could take public transportation to where you need to go (if it is even available).\r\n\r\n<em>The marketing lesson here is that offering a useful service like a courtesy shuttle will set you apart and bring you business, often more than advertising will.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>Complain but with a purpose</strong>\r\n\r\nBlogs are great for so many reasons, not the least of which is that it gives you a place to air your concerns. If you have a personal blog, complaining about something that happened to you at your local fast food shop or a blow up with a neighbor is appropriate. However, if you are writing for a small business or organizational blog, complaining just to blow off steam is not only useless, it may be detrimental. What is the reason that you are sharing the complaint? How is it helping your blog\'s readers? How is it getting your blog more readers of the kind you want?\r\n\r\nFor example, a couple of years ago, I wrote a complaint post about a certain cosmetics company. I did try to give it a communications spin, but the people that find my blog because of that particular post are other angry customers who are in no way interested in my thoughts on marketing communications, but rather in complaining about the cosmetics company. It gets me readers, but not readers in my target audience.\r\n\r\n<em>Before you start a complaint blog post or rant, think about how it fits with your blog\'s  purpose and  target audience.</em>\r\n\r\nHappy November!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Random thoughts to start November','','publish','open','open','','random-thoughts-to-start-november','','','2012-11-01 17:13:16','2012-11-01 17:13:16','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1890',0,'post','',0),
(1891,4,'2012-11-01 17:12:51','2012-11-01 17:12:51','<strong>Work for your treats!</strong>\n\nLast night was Halloween, and I had a bowlful of good (chocolate) candy. There seemed fewer trick-or-treaters this year than last, and a lot fewer cute costumes. I am not sure what that was about. But what really bugged me was the teenager who showed up with her backpack open, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">wearing no costume</span>,  just ready to grab some candy. Really? She made no effort at all and perhaps she felt a sense of entitlement. I shut the door after that and decided to keep the rest of the candy for myself.\n\n(Also, why is it that the littlest kids grabbed one piece of candy each, but the teenagers grabbed a handful?)\n\n<em>The takeaway here is that looking the part helps with buy-in. I am not inclined to give you candy if you don\'t look like a trick-or-treater, right?</em>\n\n<strong>How am I supposed to get home?</strong>\n\nLast week I called a couple of dealerships about a malfunctioning knob in my car. Both dealerships were able to figure out approximately how much it would cost to fix but only one dealership offered a shuttle to take me home and pick me up. Where do you think I made a service appointment?\n\nWhen your car is in the shop, and it is going to take all day to fix, what are you supposed to do? You can\'t drive yourself, obviously, but you do have options: 1) you could sit at the dealership all day (and be bored and unproductive); 2) you could get a friend or family member to pick you up and take you back (if you have a favor that needs returning); 3) you could take a cab (could cost you lots of money); or 4)  you could take public transportation to where you need to go (if it is even available).\n\n<em>The marketing lesson here is that offering a useful service like a courtesy shuttle will set you apart and bring you business, often more than advertising will.</em>\n\n<strong>Complain but with a purpose</strong>\n\nBlogs are great for so many reasons, not the least of which is that it gives you a place to air your concerns. If you have a personal blog, complaining about something that happened to you at your local fast food shop or a blow up with a neighbor is appropriate. However, if you are writing for a small business or organizational blog, complaining just to blow off steam is not only useless, it may be detrimental. What is the reason that you are sharing the complaint? How is it helping your blog\'s readers? How is it getting your blog more readers of the kind you want?\n\nFor example, a couple of years ago, I wrote a complaint post about a certain cosmetics company. I did try to give it a communications spin, but the people that find my blog because of that particular post are other angry customers who are in no way interested in my thoughts on marketing communications, but rather in complaining about the cosmetics company. It gets me readers, but not readers in my target audience.\n\n<em>Before you start a complaint blog post or rant, think about how it fits with your blog\'  purpose and  target audience.</em>\n\nHappy November!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Random thoughts to start November','','inherit','open','open','','1890-revision','','','2012-11-01 17:12:51','2012-11-01 17:12:51','',1890,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1890-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1893,4,'2012-11-05 21:39:18','2012-11-05 21:39:18','Last week, when we were waiting for Hurricane Sandy to hit, my main worry was losing power. Because the storm was predicted many days out, Pepco was actually ready, with out-of-state assets in place. Pepco also warned it could take a week or more to restore powe (managing expectations?)  Thankfully, Montgomery County was spared the worst of storm, and although some customers did lose power, the majority did not. Of course, New Jersey and New York were hit pretty badly and are still struggling to get power restored.\r\n\r\n<strong>Detailed preparedness plan, communicated </strong>\r\n\r\nPepco seemed to go to great pains to communicate exactly how it was prepared to deal with the storm (participated in mutual aid calls, got repair crews in place, and so forth). Prior to the storm, every customer received a robocall warning to be prepared.\r\n\r\n<strong>More faces of Pepco</strong>\r\n\r\nI noticed that prior to the storm, Pepco held a couple of news conferences. Instead of featuring Tom Graham, Pepco’s regional president, who was everywhere during the Derecho coverage, Pepco featured David Velazquez, the executive vice president for power delivery for PHI (Pepco’s parent company).\r\n\r\nHere\'s the video:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/VzlyJyf2LmM?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\r\n\r\n<strong>Different tone and trying to do the right thing</strong>\r\n\r\nIn a full page color ad placed in yesterday\'s Sunday Washington Post, Pete Pedersen, Pepco’s emergency preparedness manager is featured (again, not Tom Graham). The headline is “Thank you for weathering the storm with us.” The body of the ad seems to recognize how much suffering being without power engenders saying:\r\n<blockquote>Because so many other communities are suffering right now, we hope you will join us in making a contribution to the American Red Cross.\r\n\r\nWith any storm like this, we’re all in it together.</blockquote>\r\nThe ad includes the American Red Cross logo and how to make a contribution. This shows some element of corporate social responsibility, which is in stark contrast to the lack of empathy exhibited during the Derecho, when Pepco even tried to charge customers a fee for the days they did not have power.\r\n\r\nGone is the defensiveness of the post-Derecho advertising.  But this is Pepco after all, and there still is an element of back-patting:\r\n<blockquote>But because of early preparations and your help in reporting outages and downed lines, we were able to respond quickly to this historic event.</blockquote>\r\nIs this a new Pepco? I am cautiously optimistic.\r\n\r\nYour thoughts?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Has Pepco changed its communication strategy?','','publish','open','open','','has-pepco-changed-its-communication-strategy','','','2012-11-05 21:39:18','2012-11-05 21:39:18','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1893',0,'post','',0),
(1894,4,'2012-11-05 21:35:28','2012-11-05 21:35:28','Last week, when we were waiting for Hurricane Sandy to hit, my main worry was losing power. Because the storm was predicted many days out, Pepco was actually ready, with out-of-state assets in place. Pepco also warned it could take a week or more to restore power. Every customer received a robocall warning to be prepared.  Thankfully, Montgomery County was spared the worst of storm, and although some customers did lose power, the majority did not. Of course, New Jersey and New York were hit pretty badly and are still struggling to get power restored.\n\n<strong>Detailed preparedness plan, communicated </strong>\n\nPepco seemed to go to great pains to communicate exactly how it was prepared to deal with the storm (participated in mutual aid calls, got repair crews in place, and so forth).\n\n<strong>More faces of Pepco</strong>\n\nI noticed that prior to the storm, Pepco held a couple of news conferences. Instead of featuring Tom Graham, Pepco’s regional president, who was everywhere during the Derecho coverage, Pepco featured David Velazquez, the executive vice president for power delivery for PHI (Pepco’s parent company).\n\nHere\'s the video:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/VzlyJyf2LmM?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\n\n<strong>Different tone and trying to do the right thing</strong>\n\nIn a full page color ad placed in yesterday\'s Sunday Washington Post, Pete Pedersen, Pepco’s emergency preparedness manager is featured (again, not Tom Graham). The headline is “Thank you for weathering the storm with us.” The body of the ad seems to recognize how much suffering being without power engenders saying:\n<blockquote>Because so many other communities are suffering right now, we hope you will join us in making a contribution to the American Red Cross.\n\nWith any storm like this, we’re all in it together.</blockquote>\nThe ad includes the American Red Cross logo and how to make a contribution.\n\nGone is the defensiveness of the post-Derecho advertising. There still is an element of back-patting:\n<blockquote>But because of early preparations and your help in reporting outages and downed lines, we were able to respond quickly to this historic event.</blockquote>\nIs this a new Pepco? I am cautiously optimistic.\n\nYour thoughts?\n\n&nbsp;','Has Pepco changed its communication strategy?','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision','','','2012-11-05 21:35:28','2012-11-05 21:35:28','',1893,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1893-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1895,4,'2012-11-05 21:35:57','2012-11-05 21:35:57','Last week, when we were waiting for Hurricane Sandy to hit, my main worry was losing power. Because the storm was predicted many days out, Pepco was actually ready, with out-of-state assets in place. Pepco also warned it could take a week or more to restore power. Every customer received a robocall warning to be prepared.  Thankfully, Montgomery County was spared the worst of storm, and although some customers did lose power, the majority did not. Of course, New Jersey and New York were hit pretty badly and are still struggling to get power restored.\r\n\r\n<strong>Detailed preparedness plan, communicated </strong>\r\n\r\nPepco seemed to go to great pains to communicate exactly how it was prepared to deal with the storm (participated in mutual aid calls, got repair crews in place, and so forth).\r\n\r\n<strong>More faces of Pepco</strong>\r\n\r\nI noticed that prior to the storm, Pepco held a couple of news conferences. Instead of featuring Tom Graham, Pepco’s regional president, who was everywhere during the Derecho coverage, Pepco featured David Velazquez, the executive vice president for power delivery for PHI (Pepco’s parent company).\r\n\r\nHere\'s the video:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/VzlyJyf2LmM?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\r\n\r\n<strong>Different tone and trying to do the right thing</strong>\r\n\r\nIn a full page color ad placed in yesterday\'s Sunday Washington Post, Pete Pedersen, Pepco’s emergency preparedness manager is featured (again, not Tom Graham). The headline is “Thank you for weathering the storm with us.” The body of the ad seems to recognize how much suffering being without power engenders saying:\r\n<blockquote>Because so many other communities are suffering right now, we hope you will join us in making a contribution to the American Red Cross.\r\n\r\nWith any storm like this, we’re all in it together.</blockquote>\r\nThe ad includes the American Red Cross logo and how to make a contribution.\r\n\r\nGone is the defensiveness of the post-Derecho advertising. There still is an element of back-patting:\r\n<blockquote>But because of early preparations and your help in reporting outages and downed lines, we were able to respond quickly to this historic event.</blockquote>\r\nIs this a new Pepco? I am cautiously optimistic.\r\n\r\nYour thoughts?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Has Pepco changed its communication strategy?','','inherit','open','open','','1893-revision-2','','','2012-11-05 21:35:57','2012-11-05 21:35:57','',1893,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1893-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1958,4,'2012-12-27 13:45:44','2012-12-27 13:45:44','<strong>1. Understand the basics (who you are and what you do) before doing anything else</strong>. I worked with one client this year who had launched a website, hired a marketing person and even commissioned a video without ever having examined what the company’s main message was, defined a target audience or main competitors and certainly hadn’t thought out its USP.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. You don’t have to market everywhere, just where you are likely to find your target audience</strong>. There’s no need to spread your marketing message far and wide. You can have success by focusing your efforts where you are likely to find your audience.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. There is only one content strategy (getting your target audience to read your content).</strong> <strong>Everything else is a TACTIC. </strong>I have read many articles about content marketing, all claiming to have new “strategies.” In most, if not all, cases, these strategies were really tactics.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]<a title=\"School Blackboard by H2O Alchemist, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/h2oalchemist/414924312/\"><img class=\" \" title=\"School Blackboard in Ghana by H2OAlchemist on Flickr\" src=\"http://farm1.staticflickr.com/158/414924312_26809b1259.jpg\" alt=\"School Blackboard\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a> School Blackboard in Ghana by H2OAlchemist on Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\n<strong> 4.</strong> <strong>Acknowledge the reality on the ground</strong>. This year we have seen several advertisers (and a politician or two) who just did not get it. Like Pepco, who continued patting itself on its back about “reliability” when hundreds of thousands of customers were without power during extreme heat for several days.\r\n\r\n<strong> 5</strong>. <strong>Depending on Facebook (or any free, third-party service) as a marketing platform will cost you.</strong> Sure, you can have a Facebook page for free, but figuring out its ever changing policies will cost you in time and effort.\r\n\r\n<strong>6. Stop scheduling your tweets! </strong>Tweeting about your fun weekend ahead while people are mourning 20 dead children is tacky and preventable. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Twitter is about immediacy, engagement and responsiveness. Scheduled tweets are just the opposite.</span>\r\n\r\nWhat lessons did you draw from the year that was? Anything jump out at you? If so, please share in the comments.','6 marketing and communications lessons from 2012','','publish','open','open','','6-marketing-and-communications-lessons-from-2012','','','2012-12-27 13:45:44','2012-12-27 13:45:44','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1958',0,'post','',0),
(1898,4,'2012-11-08 17:37:21','2012-11-08 17:37:21','There\'s lots of advice floating around there about how often you should blog. Some say blog every day, some say twice a week. Does frequency matter? Should you blog more often or less often?\r\n\r\nI advocate for blogging consistently rather than frequently. For some bloggers it may too much pressure to blog every day or even once a week. What can you accomplish consistently? Can you do once a month? In that case, that should be your blogging frequency.\r\n\r\nA few weeks ago, I ran a poll via LinkedIn, asking the following question:\r\n\r\nDo you judge a blog/blogger by the frequency of posting.\r\n\r\nThe answer options were:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Yes</li>\r\n	<li>No</li>\r\n	<li>Depends on blog type</li>\r\n	<li>I judge based on content rather than frequency.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOverwhelmingly, people said they judged based on content. Frequency may not matter that much.\r\n\r\nThe answer to should you blog more often is, quite simply, it depends.\r\n\r\nIn the end, you have to decide what is best for your target audience, and for your ability to blog. Does your target need frequent updates? Are you able to deliver the frequency? If so, then blog more often. Are you using your blog to provide relevant information, that does not have to be updated so often? Then blog less often.\r\n\r\nWhat do you think? What have you found works best for you, and why?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Should you blog more often?','','publish','open','open','','should-you-blog-more-often','','','2012-11-08 17:37:21','2012-11-08 17:37:21','',0,'http://deborahbrody.com/?p=1898',0,'post','',0),
(1899,4,'2012-11-08 17:36:59','2012-11-08 17:36:59','There\'s lots of advice floating around there about how often you should blog. Some say blog every day, some say twice a week. Does frequency matter? Should you blog more often or less often?\n\nI advocate for blogging consistently rather than frequently. For some bloggers it may too much pressure to blog every day or even once a week. What can you accomplish consistently? Can you do once a month? In that case, that should be your blogging frequency.\n\nA few weeks ago, I ran a poll via LinkedIn, asking the following question:\n\nDo you judge a blog/blogger by the frequency of posting.\n\nThe answer options were:\n<ul>\n	<li>Yes</li>\n	<li>No</li>\n	<li>Depends on blog type</li>\n	<li>I judge based on content rather than frequency.</li>\n</ul>\nOverwhelmingly, people said they judged based on content. Frequency may not matter that much.\n\nThe answer to should you blog more often is, quite simply, it depends.\n\nIn the end, you have to decide what is best for your target audience, and for your ability to blog. Does your target need frequent updates? Are you able to deliver the frequency? If so, then blog more often. Are you using your blog to provide relevant information, that does not have to be updated so often? Then blog less often.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat do you think? Should you blog more often or less often?\n\n&nbsp;','Should you blog more often?','','inherit','open','open','','1898-revision','','','2012-11-08 17:36:59','2012-11-08 17:36:59','',1898,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1898-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1900,4,'2012-11-08 17:38:29','2012-11-08 17:38:29','There\'s lots of advice floating around there about how often you should blog. Some say blog every day, some say twice a week. Does frequency matter? Should you blog more often or less often?\n\nI advocate for blogging consistently rather than frequently. For some bloggers it may too much pressure to blog every day or even once a week. What can you accomplish consistently? Can you do once a month? In that case, that should be your blogging frequency.\n\nA few weeks ago, I ran a poll via LinkedIn, asking the following question:\n\nDo you judge a blog/blogger by the frequency of posting.\n\nThe answer options were:\n<ul>\n	<li>Yes</li>\n	<li>No</li>\n	<li>Depends on blog type</li>\n	<li>I judge based on content rather than frequency.</li>\n</ul>\nOverwhelmingly, people said they judged based on content. Frequency may not matter that much.\n\nThe answer to should you blog more often is, quite simply, it depends.\n\nIn the end, you have to decide what is best for your target audience, and for your ability to blog. Does your target need frequent updates? Are you able to deliver the frequency? If so, then blog more often. Are you using your blog to provide relevant information, that does not have to be updated so often? Then blog less often.\n\nWhat do you think? What have you found works best for you, and why?\n\n&nbsp;','Should you blog more often?','','inherit','open','open','','1898-autosave','','','2012-11-08 17:38:29','2012-11-08 17:38:29','',1898,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1898-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1910,4,'2012-11-09 19:21:56','2012-11-09 19:21:56','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\r\n\r\nPlease fill out my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-revision-7','','','2012-11-09 19:21:56','2012-11-09 19:21:56','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),
(1905,4,'2012-11-09 19:19:31','2012-11-09 19:19:31','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\n\nPlease fill out my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<noscript><a href=\"http://polldaddy.com/poll/6678494/\">Do you use a RSS reader?</a></noscript>','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-revision-2','','','2012-11-09 19:19:31','2012-11-09 19:19:31','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1906,4,'2012-11-09 19:19:50','2012-11-09 19:19:50','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\r\n\r\nPlease fill out my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<noscript><a href=\"http://polldaddy.com/poll/6678494/\">Do you use a RSS reader?</a></noscript>','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-revision-3','','','2012-11-09 19:19:50','2012-11-09 19:19:50','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
(1907,4,'2012-11-09 19:19:53','2012-11-09 19:19:53','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\r\n\r\nPlease fill out my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<noscript><a href=\"http://polldaddy.com/poll/6678494/\">Do you use a RSS reader?</a></noscript>','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-revision-4','','','2012-11-09 19:19:53','2012-11-09 19:19:53','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),
(1908,4,'2012-11-09 19:20:05','2012-11-09 19:20:05','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\r\n\r\nPlease fill out my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<noscript><a href=\"http://polldaddy.com/poll/6678494/\">Do you use a RSS reader?</a></noscript>','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-revision-5','','','2012-11-09 19:20:05','2012-11-09 19:20:05','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),
(1909,4,'2012-11-09 19:21:41','2012-11-09 19:21:41','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\r\n\r\nPlease fill out my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<noscript><a href=\"http://polldaddy.com/poll/6678494/\">Do you use a RSS reader?</a></noscript>','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-revision-6','','','2012-11-09 19:21:41','2012-11-09 19:21:41','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),
(1911,4,'2012-11-09 19:23:19','2012-11-09 19:23:19','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\r\n\r\nPlease answer my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\r\n\r\n[polldaddy poll=\"6678494\"]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-revision-8','','','2012-11-09 19:23:19','2012-11-09 19:23:19','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),
(1912,4,'2012-11-09 19:23:26','2012-11-09 19:23:26','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\r\n\r\nPlease answer my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\r\n\r\n[polldaddy poll=\"6678494\"]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-revision-9','','','2012-11-09 19:23:26','2012-11-09 19:23:26','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),
(1913,4,'2012-11-09 19:24:51','2012-11-09 19:24:51','I have more than 100 subscriptions on my Google Reader. I love having the convenience of all those blogs in one place. Yesterday, I led my \"How to write your blog\" workshop, and the participants told me they don\'t use readers and doubt they have much traction. So, I thought I would survey to see if people use readers.\n\nPlease answer my poll. I will share the information with you in a blog post.\n\n[polldaddy poll=\"6678494\"]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Where do all the RSS feeds go','','inherit','open','open','','1903-autosave','','','2012-11-09 19:24:51','2012-11-09 19:24:51','',1903,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1903-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),
(1915,4,'2012-11-13 18:01:20','2012-11-13 18:01:20','There are a few things that people tend to overlook or to simply not check.\n\n<strong>Check the contact information CAREFULLY on your website/marketing materials</strong>\n\nYou want to make sure it is accurate. Perhaps have someone read it off to you. For example, in my newsletter I found the address had the wrong ZIP code.  A graphic designer I know had one digit wrong in her phone number.\n\n<strong>And check whether it can be found easily</strong>\n\nI just spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find where an art class was being offered--you know--the actual physical place where it was meeting. The website made you go to the About page where you had to scroll to the \"where to find us\" page. Why make it so complicated?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Check to see if GPS/Google Maps/Mapquest can find your address?</strong>\n\nIf you are any type of location that people drive to (store, restaurant, hotel, attraction), have you checked that the address you give out works on GPS/Google Maps/Mapquest? Sometimes street names have changed or are new and do not show up.\n\n<strong>Check how your email and enewsletters  show up to recipients?</strong>\n\nBefore you send out anything to the world, send yourself a sample. You want to make sure your name is spelled correctly, and how it shows up in the recipient\'s inbox.  For example, someone I know was sending email that was coming from Email box 2 instead of her name. And just today I received an enewsletter titled \"Sample Newsletter\" from a well known institution. These can result in people not knowing who you are and ultimately, not opening your email/enewsletter.\n\n&nbsp;','Quick! Check these potential problems right now','','inherit','open','open','','1914-revision','','','2012-11-13 18:01:20','2012-11-13 18:01:20','',1914,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1914-revision/',0,'revision','',0),
(1916,4,'2012-11-13 18:03:20','2012-11-13 18:03:20','There are a few things that people tend to overlook or to simply not check.\n\n<strong>Check the contact information CAREFULLY on your website/marketing materials</strong>\n\nYou want to make sure it is accurate. Perhaps have someone read it off to you. For example, in my newsletter I found the address had the wrong ZIP code.  A graphic designer I know had one digit wrong in her phone number.\n\n<strong>And check whether it can be found easily</strong>\n\nI just spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find where an art class was being offered--you know--the actual physical place where it was meeting. The website made you go to the About page where you had to scroll to the \"where to find us\" page. Why make it so complicated?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a title=\"check by PNASH, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pnash/5227436224/\"><img src=\"http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5165/5227436224_aa52b49262_m.jpg\" alt=\"check\" width=\"240\" height=\"131\" /></a>\n\n<strong>Check to see if GPS/Google Maps/Mapquest can find your address?</strong>\n\nIf you are any type of location that people drive to (store, restaurant, hotel, attraction), have you checked that the address you give out works on GPS/Google Maps/Mapquest? Sometimes street names have changed or are new and do not show up.\n\n<strong>Check how your email and enewsletters  show up to recipients?</strong>\n\nBefore you send out anything to the world, send yourself a sample. You want to make sure your name is spelled correctly, and how it shows up in the recipient\'s inbox.  For example, someone I know was sending email that was coming from Email box 2 instead of her name. And just today I received an enewsletter titled \"Sample Newsletter\" from a well known institution. These can result in people not knowing who you are and ultimately, not opening your email/enewsletter.\n\n&nbsp;','Quick! Check these potential problems right now','','inherit','open','open','','1914-revision-2','','','2012-11-13 18:03:20','2012-11-13 18:03:20','',1914,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1914-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),
(1917,4,'2012-11-13 18:05:43','2012-11-13 18:05:43','There are a few things that people tend to overlook or to simply not check.\r\n\r\n<strong>Check the contact information CAREFULLY on your website/marketing materials</strong>\r\n\r\nYou want to make sure it is accurate. Perhaps have someone read it off to you. For example, in my newsletter I found the address had the wrong ZIP code.  A graphic designer I know had one digit wrong in her phone number.\r\n\r\n<strong>And check whether it can be found easily</strong>\r\n\r\nI just spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find where an art class was being offered--you know--the actual physical place where it was meeting. The website made you go to the About page where you had to scroll to the \"where to find us\" page. Why make it so complicated?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"216\"]<a title=\"check by PNASH, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pnash/5227436224/\"><img title=\"Check mark\" src=\"http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5165/5227436224_aa52b49262_m.jpg\" alt=\"check\" width=\"216\" height=\"118\" /></a> By PNASH, Flickr[/caption]\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\r\n<strong>Check to see if GPS/Google Maps/Mapquest can find your address</strong>\r\n\r\nIf you are any type of location that people drive to (store, restaurant, hotel, attraction), have you checked that the address you give out  works on GPS/Google Maps/Mapquest? Sometimes street names have changed or are new and do not show up.\r\n\r\n<strong>Check how your email and enewsletters  show up to recipients</strong>\r\n\r\nBefore you send out anything to the world, send yourself a sample. You want to make sure your name is spelled correctly, and how it shows up in the recipient\'s inbox.  For example, someone I know was sending email that was coming from Email box 2 instead of her name. And just today I received an enewsletter titled \"Sample Newsletter\" from a well known institution. These can result in people not knowing who you are and ultimately, not opening your email/enewsletter.\r\n\r\nGo check these things right now. Fix them if they don\'t check out. You will be glad you did.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Quick! Check these potential problems right now','','inherit','open','open','','1914-revision-3','','','2012-11-13 18:05:43','2012-11-13 18:05:43','',1914,'http://deborahbrody.com/2012/11/1914-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),
