I attended the Silicon Valley NewTech meetup this week at the new DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Gary offices in “East” Palo Alto. Part of the new batch of technology networking events, SVNT spotlights new and and cool tech and Web 2.0 companies for an audience comprised of programmers, VCs, engineers, CxOs, VPs, and marketing professionals. The event was founded by Vincent Lauria, VP of Products for Meetro, a location-aware IM client. A recent transplant from NY, he is also the…
My Article on Blogger Relations Posted on Forward Moving Today
Blogging has grown to become a great “disruptor” for PR. For those who are unfamiliar with the clout many blogs carry today, it has substantially grown from random musings, personal experiences, and op eds to full blown reporting across every category you could imagine. Some have even become rock stars in their own right, with PR associates tripping over themselves trying to get their attention. Please jump to Forward for the rest of the article. Enjoy… Please vote at NewPR!…
On Air with "For Immediate Release" Regarding New Press Release Template
On Monday, I joined Shel Holtz on his popular For Immediate Release (FIR) podcast for his ongoing series regarding the New Media Release (NMR) lead by Chris Heuer of BrainJams and Tom Foremski of Silicon Valley Watcher (one of the most influential blogs in the U.S.). The podcast is available online at http://forimmediaterelease.biz/index.php/weblog/C5/ The series was inspired by Tom Foremski’s original post, Die Press Release, Die Die Die, where he tells the PR industry that things cannot go along as…
Don’t Slash Your PR Budget, Game Winners Don’t Sit on the Marketing Sidelines
With an image like this, I guess it’s fair to summarize the following article in this way, “benchwarmers can not drive successful brands and businesses. And businesses who choose to sit on the sidelines can never win a game.” Venture capital is no longer a guaranteed funding source for startup companies, and from what I’m hearing in the VC community, it may no longer be desirable. New business models are forcing sales to become the lifeblood of business once again…
Stirr Mixer 1.4 Wrap-up – An event worthy of your time
Last week’s Stirr event was definitely an indication that Silicon Valley is ready to socialize and network again. Yes, I know…before you start attributing everything to the hype of Web 2.0 and offer your premonitions of dotbomb 2.0, please read between the lines of the following wrap-up. The truth is that a group of energetic and optimistic folks decided to help reconnect Silicon Valley and generate the impression that we are all ambassadors for the next chapter in technology innovation:…
Climbing the Corporate Marketing Ladder of Success
Suddenly you find yourself quickly rising through the corporate ranks, marcom coordinator, marcom manager, director of marketing, VP of Marketing! Ahhhhhh, the sweet life. One sec, don’t forget the rise to stardom takes more than the ability to kick ass in any one segment of marketing. As you grow, so should your horizons, experiences, talents, capabilities, and expertise. Whichever discipline launched your rise to fame, as you clime the ladder of corporate success, your comfort zone will expand until you…
Revisiting Guy Kawasaki’s "How to Suck Up to a Blogger"
In February, Guy Kawasaki wrote an extensive article that was in essence, a strategy guide to strengthen the bridge and enhance the likeliness for PR and communications professionals to reach influential bloggers. Yes, I know, February…that was a lifetime ago in Silicon Valley. But, I think this article will only gain greater relevance as time goes on and is more important today than it was just several months ago. Let’s, for the sake of editorial continuity, agree that blogs are…
Colleges Send Marketing/PR Graduates to Workforce Ill-Prepared
Congratulations class of 2006! It’s June and you have the golden key to success – your degree in PR, Communications, or Marketing. Now you’re ready to take on the world and land that high-paying gig running marketing initiatives for the best companies on the market. However, as you’ll quickly learn (literally), there’s a tremendous chasm between learned arts and practiced arts. And for the most part, it will seem as if you have to relearn everything in order to advance…
Opening Up the Corporate Kimono – Corporate Blogs are the Heart and Soul of Business
Blogging is nothing new. It’s already propelled many of whom used it as a part-time platform for their opinions and observations into the stratosphere, or shall we say blogosphere. Many bloggers and blogerati are rock stars, regardless of industry and journalistic background. Their intelligence, words of wisdom and associated niches attract legions of loyal readers. The technologies available today allow writers to easily publish, link, feed, and market globally – all with a bit of simple HTML code on their…
Web 2.0 from a Designer’s Perspective
While we all debate the true definition of 2.0, its direction, value, lifespan, cease and desist letters, impact on society and eventual impact on the economy, a recent blog post on FontFeed is analyzing the movement from a designer’s standpoint….although, I must say, that I disagree with his opening line, “There is no official standard for what makes something “Web 2.0…” Web 2.0 logos are categorized by softies, futurists, classics, and new classics. If you’re starting-up a new site, service,…
