What does your e-reader say about you?

As the proud new owner of a Nook Color, I did thorough research before I purchased based on differences between it's rival, the Kindle, and even the iPad. All of these devices are more than capable to read any type of publication, but it has been found that magazine sales have been very reflective of which product sells to whom. A recent New York Times article explains the differences in features that consumers look for when purchasing new technology.

While the iPad still proves to be the top contender for the magazine business, the Nook Color has been shown to appeal to a surprisingly large amount of women magazine readers. Top sellers on the Nook Color include US Weekly, Shape, Women's Health and Every Day with Rachael Ray. This could be due to Barnes & Noble's marketing strategies specifically targeting women. Women buy more books than men do, and are more likely to buy devices made just for that very thing.

The iPad and other tablets are marketed as toys for men, while the Nook Color and Kindle are more popular among women. Nook Color ads feature women and girls relaxing and reading in comfortable places such as the beach, in bed or on the couch. Also, when you purchase a Nook Color, an enthusiastic woman is more than happy to take you through the introduction video on how to use your new device. Females usually don't think there is anything wrong with just words and pictures, as opposed to men that look for animation, live video and audio. According to sales, women just want something to read on, not high definition applications.

The Nook Color also proves to be popular among the publishers that supply these magazines, because of Barnes & Noble sharing data with them about who their subscribers are, unlike their competitor, Apple. It is also much easier and less expensive to create electronic versions of magazines on the Nook, than the iPad. Publishers are only required to send a PDF, and Barnes & Noble does everything else. "Nook Color really taught us an important lesson in that consumers in their interests are really diverse," said David Carey, president of Hearst Magazines. "We have those that want a really enhanced edition with cinematic elements which you find in iTunes, and those who want a more straightforward version of their favorite magazine where the benefit is portability."

What do you look for when purchasing an e-reader? Read more of the New York Times article here.

Short, Sweet, and to the Point

Have you ever watched a speech on the news and thought to yourself, "Huh?!" Many times, this is because communications specialists fail to think of their audience. Writing a speech in a concise and easily understood manner is effective, both for the speaker and the listener. The speaker will sound much more confident in their words, and the listener will be able to grasp the concept of the issue without having to dictionary.com anything.

Brad Phillips, of Phillips Media Relations, recently wrote an article "5 Ways to Write for the Ear, Not the Eye" in which he gave the following points:

• Use short words: While using larger words can be impressive, the point of a speech is to get your message across to your entire audience.
• Use short sentences: When you are delivering a speech, having long or run on sentences can be hard to read, much less understand. Shorter sentences are always easier to deliver and the most memorable.
• Use everyday words: Though the general population may have a large vocabulary, the majority of those listening to you only use a limited amount of non-conversational words.
• Use contractions: In writing formal documents, it is never advisable to use contractions. It is the opposite in spoken word. Using contractions such as I'll, I'm, and can't lend a more friendly and personable vibe when speaking to the public.
• Say them out loud: When you finish writing your speech, say it out loud. If you are stumbling over words and taking multiple pauses, maybe it's time, as Phillips says, "write for the ear, not the eye."

To read Brad Phillips' full article, click here.

Social Media Can Be Socially Dangerous

The positives of Social Media and the Internet are obvious for both consumers and companies: unlimited free access, massive amounts of shared information and networking. Facebook allows you to show your friends what is happening in your life, Twitter allows you to cleverly share your thoughts and likes with your followers, and Four Square gives you tips on which up-and-coming places your friends are “checking into.” On the other hand, the free marketing, event planning, and ability to easily access demographic information makes social media a publicist’s dream. However, the Internet is not always as safe as it appears to be, and it is important to monitor what you publicize.

Recently, the multi-billion dollar company Sony has had a massive data breach that has allowed hackers to access personal information from over one million Playstation customers. Sony, one of many companies who have fallen victim to a large scale security breach, has spent the past couple of weeks investing millions of dollars in PR recalls and increasing malware for their customers. This is just one of many cases in which the Internet has shared too much.

While your company or client may not be as publically vulnerable as the technological conglomerate Sony is, one should stop to think if they are really protecting themselves and/or their customers’ information to the best of their ability. While doing some research, I stumbled upon the article “Keeping Your Company’s Online Presence Safe” on the Bankok Post’s technology section. The following are what the article outlined as the five biggest virtual threats to both companies and individuals:

1. Malware: In the past, there have been worms that have been circulating both Facebook and Twitter. Do not click on a button or icon you are unfamiliar with! If you are curious, a quick Google search can take only a few seconds of your time and could potentially keep your computer safe.

2. Privacy: The more personal information you put online, the more at risk you can become. Privacy settings can often be broken by hackers, so be aware that people outside of your network may still be seeing things that can put you at risk.

3. Phishing Scams: Do your research before divulging personal information to any website! It is easy for cybercriminals to make fraudulent websites in order to attain passwords, usernames or even credit card numbers from the masses. Make sure any website you submit your information to is valid and safe.

4. Site Flaws: There have been breaches in privacy settings that can allow others to access your personal websites even if they are protected. Often basic information that can be found on your pages can be used in security questions that could give others access to a variety of your accounts or subscriptions.

5. Spam 2.0: Advertisers and companies often use your personal information to target you for your demographic or personal likes. Be aware that information you display may lead to unwanted e-mails or targeting.

As I read up on the Sony data breach, I did a search on data breach/identity theft. I was shocked with how many breaches occur on a daily basis that don’t make it to national news. Large companies may benefit from investing in Identity Theft protection software to avoid these issues. From Facebook to Playstation, information is out there, so make sure you are smart with what you post. Everyone in the Public Relations world is grateful for the use of social media, but beyond their professional uses, be aware that if one isn’t careful, social media can become socially dangerous.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Meagan Prescott.

Have You Un-Sucked Your Writing Lately?

We've all experienced that dreaded feeling of being obligated to use 'buzzwords,’ overused phrases and jargon in our writing. The term "For lack of a better word" may actually be a good thing when it comes to public relations writing. Let's face it, in the PR field we struggle to deliver a message to the public that is clear and unambiguous; a message that gets the point across and engages the public through expressive writing. The problem many of us face is how to remain creative without losing the public's interest in the organization's message no matter how complicated it may be. Simplifying the words we use does not equate to a loss of creativity but rather a broader, more comprehensible message for our audience.

Luckily, there is a tool to help those who wander in the purgatory of "fluff" words and terms. It's called UnSuck-It.com, and it may be the second best PR writing tool next to your AP Style handbook of course! Unsuck-it is a website that allows you to submit, search, define and sometimes laugh at the hundreds of examples of bad, over complicated business and communication jargon people use while identifying a better word or phrase to use. Some popular examples of over-used words the site lists along with their easier counterparts are: "Pre-Plan" or just plan, "Eyeballs" or viewers and "facilitate" or help. The site will help you and at the same time give you a good laugh with its sarcastic definitions and cynicism of media and culture today. As PR-squared.com sarcastically says in regards to the site's use - If only we could convince clients that all press releases needed to be “run through the Unsuck It filter” (read: “written in plain English”) before sending them to the wire services. Let’s work on that."

Simply stated simpler is better but often more difficult. The irony of the difficulty of finding a simpler word to use will be over once you give Unsuck-it.com a try. The word base is always growing on the site so user submissions are definitely encouraged. Remember the K.I.S.S. method folks: Keep It Simple and Short!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jessica Lopez.

Creating Opportunity in 140 Characters or Less

This summer I am studying abroad in Paris for five weeks and I am getting ready to leave in less than 20 days. Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post about creating and taking advantage of the opportunity to travel and study abroad because of the benefits it provides to you as an up-and-coming young professional. Luckily for me, I followed my own advice (and the advice of many others).

However, being gone for such a large gap of time this summer meant that finding an internship this summer would be nearly impossible. Those that know me, know I am an internship addict of sorts. I haven't had 20 internships or anything crazy, but ever since I began interning last summer I haven't been able to stop and have had three internships since. I have plenty of things to occupy my time with this summer including arranging travel plans, my part-time job and working on things for the firm however I couldn't help but feel as though I was missing out on opportunities to do more.

I graduate next May and it is my dream to work in public relations/communications for a wildlife conservation nonprofit organization, combining my passions for PR, animals and nonprofit. I've had a great deal of experience with nonprofit, interning with two nonprofit organizations, interning for an agency that works solely with nonprofit organizations and managing several nonprofit clients through my work in PRowl. However, I had yet to gain any experience working with a wildlife conservation organization and I knew I needed to start making connections now not a few weeks before graduation.

So, I sent out a tweet. The tweet read: Dream job: PR for nonprofit animal conservation org. Looking to connect, learn more & volunteer services! I proceeded to tag @nonprofit orgs, my favorite Twitter feed that is connected to over 50,000 nonprofit organizations on Twitter.

Within an hour, I received a reply from an organization called Nikela Wildlife whose mission is to find and qualify experts and certify wildlife conservation and education projects in order to protect our planet's wildlife and prepare the rising generation for careers in conservation and ecotourism. I spoke back and forth with one of the organization's founders and she asked me if I would like to assist them with their blogging efforts for their "Meatless Mondays" installation that provides readers with meatless alternatives to their favorite recipes. It was honestly perfect... combining my love for wildlife, social media, blogging and food. I've already written up three posts and I very much look forward to writing more throughout the summer for this incredible organization. To check out their blog and read more about their various projects visit www.Nikela.org.

Twitter can be an incredibly powerful tool when used correctly. A friend and PRowl alumnus was able to find a job using Twitter and I was able to find a volunteer opportunity using 140 characters or less. Make sure you are clear and concise (you don't have that many characters to ramble with) and make sure you let people know how you can help and what you can bring to the table. Opportunities are out there, just learn how to use the tools you've been given to go find them.

#WeinerGate: Another Lesson in Political PR

Just when you thought it was over, up pops Weiner again.

Last Thursday I wrote about a Twitter scandal involving New York Representative Anthony Weiner’s unfortunate tweet to a college student containing a picture of a man’s bulging underwear. He ignored press inquiries until the picture became headline news on almost every major media channel. He then claimed that his Twitter account had been hacked and the recipient of the picture wrote an article for the New York Daily News supporting Weiner’s assertion. Oddly enough, he told a reporter that he could not verify whether the body part in question belonged to him. I mentioned that this blunder could drive further media speculation and that Weiner needed to address future gaffes upfront immediately in order to avoid a scandal that could end his political career.

Turns out I was right. A few days later a conservative blog reported that there were even more explicit photos of Weiner that he had sent to young women around the country. On Monday the representative held a press conference to admit everything; he had sent the original tweet and had similar relationships with at least half a dozen women across the country.

Weiner’s attempt to evade the press backfired on him. The hashtag #weinergate has been trending on and off the last couple days whenever a new piece of the scandal is unearthed. His media gaffe went viral and is still taking up most of the news cycle on major networks and pundit shows.

Avoiding or lying to the press is never a good tactic for a public official. Their careers rely on the sense of trust and credibility that they foster with their constituents, much of which is established through media coverage. Now Weiner’s colleagues from both sides of the aisle are calling for his resignation. I have to give him some credit; he came clean within a week. Other politicians like Bill Clinton and John Edwards have kept their denials up for much longer.

What do you think? Can Representative Weiner recover from this blunder? Should he resign from his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives?

Just incase you're considering a run for public office, here is a quick guide to posting on Twitter.

Delivery is Key

What makes a consumer pick Nike over Adidas or Tide over Gain? Brand loyalty has been tied to millions if not billions dollars a year in market research in the science behind how a consumer connects with a brand. Recently the majority of research in brand loyalty is getting those consumers who are infrequent or on the fence about a certain brand. An article in Distributed Marketing explains how message delivery, specifically message consistency, multi-channel delivery, customer management, and frequent communication within the channel, could be the key in swaying infrequent consumers.

1. Message Consistency- Making sure that the audience fits the message. For an example a young demographic calls for an informal relative message.

2. Multi-channel Delivery- Providing information that is easily accessible. Make sure the your key words for searches are up-to-date and accurate.

3. Customer Management- Knowing the consumer and their experience with the brand. The article highlights customer service as a major factor in experience.

4. Frequent Communication Within the Channel- The new front runner in obtaining brand loyalty can be directly linked to the interaction and open dialogue between the consumer and the brand, "You can’t over communicate with them – but you can easily overwhelm them by bombarding them with one-way messages..."
Most importantly we see that delivery and consistency of a message is key in converting a one time consumer to a potential loyal consumer.