Tar Heels Return From Maui Invitational vs. UNC-Asheville 11/30

Coach Roy Williams and the UNC basketball team gets back to the Dean Dome after battling through the Maui Invitational to take on UNC-Asheville this Sunday. Visit TarHeelBlue for more information.

————————————————————————————-

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Anaheim Ducks 11/30

The ‘Canes are looking to rack up some much-needed November wins as they take on Chris Pronger and the Ducks Sunday at the RBC Center. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

————————————————————————————-

B.B. King @ Durham Performing Arts Center 11/30

For blues fans, this is a must-see. B.B. King and “Lucille” are road warriors, and his crowd-pleasing show is sure to entertain. Check him out at the DPAC Sunday.








——————————————————————–

Thanksgiving: Turkey, Football, Pilgrims

Our Thursday is pretty booked with NFL action, feasting and family. What about yours?  What are you doing today?

Digg vs. Reddit

I admit it, I enjoy perusing Digg and Reddit as much as the next person for weird, wacky and out-there stories. I’ve always assumed Digg to be superior as it has substantially more traffic and thus substantially more stories and user input.  As such, I rarely submit blog posts to Reddit, prefering to Digg the post and asking friends to Digg it if they like the article.  After an interesting in-house conversation about the supposed superiorty of Digg I decided to test the value of Reddit with our last post on Dell’s Idea(l) Storm.  The results suprised me to say the least.

I’ve pasted Compete’s website traffic report above.  You can see why I thought Digg would be more beneficial than Reddit.  Interestingly enough, Reddit provided three times more inbound traffic than Digg and the bounce rate was 50% as opposed to Digg’s almost 90% bounce rate.  While this is obviously only one post, it has changed my perception of Reddit.  I’ll continue to test posts with Reddit and will report back in a month with statistically significant results.

Does  your company need a PR firm to help represent your company online?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 919-233-6600.

Related Links

Reddit is Better than Digg

PR Firms Digg Their Clients

Dell’s IdeaStorm Website Ideal for Customers

Dell’s foray into social media has been well documented; just ask @bobpdell at Twitter or see Dell’s new IdeaStorm website.  Interestingly enough, so has their less-than-stellar support services.  The IdeaStorm website is basically a blog that asks Dell customers for ideas about what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong.  It incorporates features similar to Digg and Reddit where people can vote up or vote down issues, and there is also a status bar to let everyone know where Dell is with the issue.  A far cry from their phone support, the IdeaStorm website is a proactive attempt to engage customers and receive valuable feedback.  After all, if you don’t know what the problem is, you can’t fix it.  In addition to a wide variety of topics there are 4 main options when you enter the site: post, promote a post, discuss, and see what Dell is working on.

From a public relations standpoint Dell is definitely moving in the right direction with the IdeaStorm website.  Happy customers and critics alike are going to be talking about your products online, so you might as well have them doing it on your website where you can facilitate a conversation and promote transparency.  For most critics, a timely, human, response to their gripe is enough to mollify them, and when you actually respond by changing or fixing a problem, you start creating a serious fan base – people who will evangelize for you.  So while your phone call may still take two hours on Dell support, you can go to the IdeaStorm website and suggest that they improve the process.

Does your company need a public relations firm?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 919-233-6600.

Related Links

Why Dell Continues to Use Social Media

Social Media Elects Barack Obama

The 2008 Internet Summit held in Chapel Hill last week brought together some of the best and brightest for discussions on where the Internet is and where it is heading.  The Summit addressed a wide range of issues on the internet from blogging and new media, to e-commerce ROI, all the way to search engine optimization (SEO).

Bob Young, co-founder of Red Hat and CEO of Lulu.com, gave an impressive keynote (one of three) in which he urged everyone to work on building and retaining customer loyalty so that consumers go directly to your site instead of having to find it through Google.  In addition to the three featured speakers there were also 12 panels that discussed a wide variety of topics.  As a blogger and someone who is interested in search optimization, the two best panels I attended were “”Blogging and New Media” and “The Present & Future of Search”.  Michael Marshall, a panelist on the search panel, was especially impressive with his knowledge of the Google algorithm and the best ways to get to and stay at the top of Google’s search results.

Overall it was a great event, with a solid lineup of panelists and speakers.  I’m excited to see who they will pick to speak at next year’s event and the topics we will be discussing next year.

Does your company need a public relations firm?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 919-233-6600.

Bond, James Bond Is Finally Cool Again

What would you do if you were told to take the most successful and highest grossing film series of all time and basically forget everything you know about it and start from scratch?

Well, that’s not too far off from what the owners of MGM told the creators of the two most recent James Bond flicks, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.  The current era of Bond films began in 1995 with Pierce Brosnan.  Brosnan made four movies as 007 that grossed over $1.5 billion.  Not only that, but each film was more successful than the last, even the laughably cheesy Die Another Day.

So when history tells you that Brosnan’s next film would only make more money, you stick with him, right?  Not exactly.  In 2002 (right after Die Another Day), Brosnan was nearing the age of 50, so the powers that be at MGM said they wanted to take the series in a new direction…and did they ever!

Rather than go with one of the many Hollywood A-listers that fit the Bond image (tall, dark and handsome) such as Eric Bana, Hugh Jackman, Gerard Butler or Clive Owen, they chose Daniel Craig.  Craig has blonde hair, blue eyes and is a shockingly short 5′10.  Not only that, but Craig is built more like a wrestler than a suave looking spy.  Even his most recent movie poster is the first in the series where Bond doesn’t sport a handgun, but ops for an assault rifle!  So most people, myself included, expected this to be a complete disaster.

I couldn’t have been further from the truth.  Craig’s first Bond film opened to rave reviews and became the highest grossing entry in the 22 part series.  And now Craig’s follow up, Quantum of Solace, is on track to top that with over $70 million in its opening weekend.

This is an amazing story.  Several franchises have tried to reinvent themselves in the past eight years with new entries, including the decent Rocky, the plot-less Rambo, and the ridiculously awful Indiana Jones.  These franchises stayed true to past formulas, proving that too much of a good thing can just get old.  So MGM took a different approach.

They restarted the franchise when they didn’t have to, they hired an unknown actor that everyone though would be a bust, and they started at the beginning of the Bond story rather than pick up where the last one left off.

MGM took a dangerous risk, but it has resulted in billions of dollars and a legion of new 007 followers that will be willing to spend their hard earned money at the box office for years to come.  Sometimes a business or an organization has to take a risk or shake things up in order to gain some attention, and this is a great example of how that can happen.  They proved that Martinis aren’t the only things that can benefit from being shaken!

Does your company need a PR firm to monitor your online reputation and get your story out there?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm based out of Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 9919-233-6600.

Motrin Ad Rubs Moms the Wrong Way

In a public relations move that was doomed to fail, the makers of Motrin ran an ad that focused on moms who carry their babies in a sling.  They equated the sling to a “fashion accessory” and said that it “totally makes me look like an official mom”.  As the ad ran last weekend moms begun to respond negatively on Twitter, a microblogging website similar to Instant Messenger, creating a public relations nightmare for Motrin.

Motrin receives the PR FAIL of the Week not for running the ad – although the ad should have been tested before running – but for not having a presence on Twitter!  The Twitter storm raged for several days before Motrin was even aware of the problem, making it that much worse.  By the time they realized their mistake bloggers had already written stories about the ad and angry moms had being tweeting their displeasure for several days.

Motrin has since apologized for the ad and has taken it down, but the damage has been done.  Ultimately, this will be a good thing for Motrin, as they realize that they have to monitor their reputation online.  If you’re not talking about what your company is doing, someone else is!  See the embedded video below to watch the now infamous Motrin ad.

Does your company need a PR firm to monitor your online reputation and get your story out there?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm based out of Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at 9919-233-6600.

UNC vs. NCSU @ Kenan Stadium 11/22

The two in-state rivals renew their heated competition at noon Saturday in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels (7-3) are looking to secure a strong bowl bid; the Wolfpack (4-6) hopes to become bowl eligible. For more information, visit the NC State Athletics page.

————————————————————————————-

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Phoenix Coyotes @ RBC Center 11/21

The ‘Canes face off against Olli Jokinen and the Coyotes at 7 pm Friday night at the RBC Center. Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky will be busy brushing off autograph-seekers to focus on moving up in the Pacific Division; ‘Canes coach Peter Laviolette is trying to steer Carolina further into the win column and out of the hot seat. Tickets start at $25 and are available here.

————————————————————————————-

Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ RBC Center 11/22

Get in the Christmas spirit with some wild guitar solos this year. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra combines prog-rock with yuletide cheer. Needless to say, it is awesome. Tickets start at $37.50 and are available here.

————————————————————————————-

Annie Comes to Progress Energy Center 11/20-11/22

Broadway Series South is presenting “Annie” at Progress Energy Center through Saturday. Multiple showing are available on Friday and Saturday; tickets start at $21. Check here for more information.

Iams Pet Food Celebrates 10th Annual Campaign for a Cause

There’s no doubt about it, Iams Pet Food has a lot to celebrate this time of year.  The pet food fortune is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its pet adoption campaign, “Home 4 the Holidays,” and the launch of what it hopes to be a successful PR campaign.  The goal for the “Home 4 the Holidays” campaign, which began Oct. 1 and is expected to run through Jan. 5, is to encourage consumers to adopt pets from local animal shelters.  Iams is pulling out all the stops to rally support for their company as well as a popular cause.

Iams’ partnership with the San Diego County-based Helen Woodward Animal Center will surely attract pet lovers and animal enthusiasts from around the country, as joining up with a cause nearly always creates a reciprocal relationship between both parties.  The pet food company has amped up their outreach efforts on the Web by utilizing various social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube to hlep spread the word.  These creative tools have become an excellent way to make your mission mobile.  Iams has also teamed up with Felicity Huffman of Desperate Housewives, celebrity pet lover and a household name in television, to bring a familiar face to the campaign.  Earlier this year, Huffman’s own experiences with pet adoption were pitched to mega media outlets like USA Today, The View and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

The exposure that Iams is gaining will surely put them in the spotlight with traditional supporters, but the campaign is also targeting a different group of fans in a new sports-themed challenge featuring the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns.  The match up between the two, appropriately named the “Cats versus Dawgs” competition will monitor completions on the field as well as adoption completions at local animal shelters.  The goal for the campaign is to successfully find 1 million homes for shelter pets during the 12-week agenda – an ambitions feat to say the least.  Iams is even taking steps to ensure consumers that the campaign goals can still be met, even in the midst of economic hard times, by marketing the benefits of adopting a pet through the encouraging slogan “If the time is right for you and you can afford to adopt, a pet is a great companion.”

Iams seems to have created an effective message by bringing attention to an important cause as well as capitalizing on the key opportunities to increase the exposure for both organizations.  The pet food company is another example of the importance of establishing positive relationships that benefit both parties involved.  With all the ingredients in place for Iams’ next recipe for success, this campaign is sure to bring many happy pets “Home 4 the Holidays.”

Does your company need a public relations firm?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, N.C.  Please visit the MMI Associates Web site for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at (919) 233-6600.

BBC Apologizes for “Lapse of Taste”

BBC celebrity Jonathan Ross learned the hard way that not everyone has the same sense of humor.  Ross and radio talk show host Russell Brand recently thought it would be funny to make a prank phone call to fellow comedian Andrew Sachs.  When they realized that Sachs was not home, they decided to leave a message, followed by numerous other messages that contained inappropriate comments about Sachs’s granddaughter.

While the intent was to entertain, the BBC audience was not amused.  Thus far, the BBC has received at least 35,000 messages from angry listeners.  As a result of the public relations nightmare, Ross was suspended for 12 weeks, costing him $2.43 million and Brand resigned. In addition, Ross made a public apology for his “gross lapse of taste” and the BBC made an on-air apology.

Allowing the talk show hosts to get away with this behavior was impossible because the BBC network is supported annually by TV owners and state funds. Not to mention that in July the network was fined $600,000 for misleading viewers in a TV and radio phone-in competition. This network has got to get control of it’s negative coverage if it wants to continue to prosper.  As with any television network, when you start offending viewers, you start losing money.

Does your company need a public relations firm?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions? Give us a call at (919) 233-6600.

N.C.-Based Restaurant Chain Offers Veterans Free Dinner Buffet Tonight

Growing up in a military town, it was easy for me to understand the value of America’s armed forces.  I got a close-up look at the U.S. Marine Corps that gave me the ability to put faces to the institution; this is the case for many North Carolinians, who live in one of the most military-friendly states in the country.

A popular go-to for many of the Marines back home was our local Golden Corral. It provided a big buffet at a good price, and the Marines like. (I once had the opportunity to try one of the Marines’ famous MREs, or “Meal, Ready to Eat”, and now understand just why Golden Corral was so popular among the troops.)

The upper management at the Raleigh-based buffet restaurant chain must have caught onto this; tonight, all U.S. military veterans can get a free meal as part of the company’s eighth annual “Military Appreciaton Monday” dinner. In all, 485 restaurants in 41 states are taking part.

Thus far, Golden Corral has provided 1.8 million free meals to veterans, and has raised more than $2.5 million in support of various state Disabled American Veterans chapters.

The chain rolled out an impressive campaign for this year’s dinner. They called on actor Gary Sinise of CSI and Forest Gump fame (Lieutenant Dan) to do a promotional commercial.  Sinise is known for his support for the military and is a good fit for the Golden Corral campaign.

The company’s philanthropic efforts aren’t going unnoticed. The “Thank You” Dinner campaign draws on a instrumental part of the nation’s fabric and hits home for a lot of Golden Corral’s target market. That is what makes this public relations campaign such a strong move.

Does your company need a public relations firm?  MMI Associates is a full-service public relations firm located in Raleigh, NC.  Please visit the MMI Associates website for more information.  Any questions?  Give us a call at (919) 233-6600.