Welcome Baby Reed!

My goodness, it's already December! My apologies for ignoring my blog -- it's been a crazy past few months. I just gave birth to a beautiful, amazing, healthy baby boy, (Gary) Reed Deniston! He was born on Saturday, November 21st, 9:22 a.m. Weighing in at 7 lbs, 4 oz. and 21" long. It has been a whirlwind, it's hard to believe he's already over 2 weeks old! He's doing great, and I'm getting much better. The delivery went very very well and we're recovering nicely. I LOVE being a mommy, and it has completely changed our lives. He melts my heart :) What an amazing Christmas gift to receive this year, we are truly blessed to have this little man in our lives!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year -- Wishing you all the best in 2010!!!

Digging Into DIGG

Social Media — it's a hot topic for firms trying to keep up with the latest technologies. I'll admit, it's hard to know everything about all of them, but to stay in the game, it's necessary to understand how these can benefit you and your clients. Not only can potentials learn about you and your company, you can learn more about your industry and be better at whatever it is you do.

Today, I'm exploring the world of DIGG and hope to share what I learn about this, and other social media sites, along the way. Here are some tips on how to effectively use DIGG:

SEARCH
Next time you're searching articles, images or videos, try looking it up on DIGG. When you come across stories you like, you can "digg" it, book marking it for yourself and to share with others.

On this site, the news is controlled by it's community of users. They decide what is newsworthy and what makes the front page. This site has a whole range of categories that cover almost any topic. Stories that get the most "votes" or "diggs" come up first in the results.

LEARN
If you are new to Digg, then hang out around the site for about a week and read and see how people are commenting and what kind of stories are getting popular. Participate in threaded comments and discussions.

SUBMIT
Submit your own articles and stories. If your post is unique and good enough, it could make it to the first page, exposing you to over 10,000 visitors.

CONNECT
Connect to other users and build your circle of friends. Why? Because, when you submit a story - you can invite your friends to Digg it. Don't forget to reciprocate :)

COMMENT
Another easy way to get traffic (although a fractional amount) is by posting comments on popular stories with high diggs. Just make sure what you write is relevant to the story and then leave a catchy phrase and link (signature) at the end of your comment.

Happy DIGGing!

New SpringWidget

Get this widget!

Laughs, a Launch and the Loo

Join the SyFy channel's Ghost Hunters Friday from 3-6pm at the Barnes & Noble on Newport on the Levee as they sign the new book they co-wrote with Roto-Rooter plumbers, "Chilling Tales from the Porcelain Seat."

Also there will be cover model and porcelain princess Brittany Everitt, a toilet ice sculpture and a signed toilet (that was on the cover) that will be signed by the Ghost Hunters and Brittany and raffled off at the event.

Copies of the book will be for sale at the event. Be sure to grab your copy and we'll see you there!

It's a BOY!

Well, assuming everyone knows by now, Gary and I are expecting :) We're just about 22 weeks -- so a little over 5 months! We recently found out it's a boy!!! Couldn't be happier and I've been feeling great! Belly is ever-growing and this kid is gonna be tall like his daddy.

Now is when things start to get interesting -- we need to pick a name, register, find childcare (ACK! expensive!) and decorate the nursery! I cannot wait to decorate baby D's room. Hope to pick out some paint in the next week or so -- I'll be sure to post pictures of the room when it's done.

Chilling Tales from the Porcelain Seat

It's here! EMG's first book is launched and available for purchase at chillytales.com.

SciFi’s Ghost Hunters, Roto-Rooter Launch New Bathroom Reader Book
Chilling Tales from the Porcelain Seat Available

Cincinnati, OH – June 25, 2009—Roto-Rooter, America’s largest plumbing and drain cleaning service provider, has unveiled its latest creation to bring joy and relief to bathroom users everywhere. Chilling Tales from the Porcelain Seat is a vignette-style bathroom reader featuring real life Roto-Rooter plumbers and SciFi channel’s Ghost Hunters Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson. Chilling Tales from the Porcelain Seat features strange but true tales of plumbing horrors and hilarity and is available for purchase at www.chillytales.com.

The idea behind the book stems from all the strange, odd, unexplained and simply weird experiences both the Ghost Hunters and other Roto-Rooter plumbers have witnessed over the years involving pipes, drains, sinks and toilets. “Many of the locations alleged to have poltergeists simply turn out to be plumbing issues, clanging pipes and DIY projects gone wrong,” Hawes said.

“Chilling Tales from the Porcelain Seat highlights the odd experiences that many plumbers encounter on a daily basis,” Hawes added. “Readers will be shocked to learn about some of the things we’ve experienced on the job and we’ve even had folks from all across the country send in their own plumbing stories for the book. There are tales that will curl your hair, and others that are just so funny you can’t help but belly laugh. It’s a great way to spend some quality time on the throne.”

The book is also filled with practical tips, advice and what not to do’s for do it yourselfers who may be looking to tackle a plumbing problem, although Hawes wryly admits that his best do it yourself plumbing advice is to call an experienced plumber. Chilling Tales features toilet trivia and even a special foreword by the Porcelain God himself.

Visitors to www.chillytales.com or www.rotorooter.com can also enter Roto-Rooter’s Chilling Tales Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Colorado where the winner will join Jason and Grant on a ghost hunt at the famous Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the location for the filming of the movie The Shining, or the chance to stay at the haunted Spaulding Inn of New Hampshire, owned and operated by the Ghost Hunters stars. Other prizes will also be available.

Media Contact: Allison Brinkman
Eisen Marketing Group
859-291-4302
Allison@eisenmarketinggroup.com
Twitter: @EMGMediaAccess

Operation Outreach 2009

Eisen Marketing Group Now Accepting Applications for Grant Program

Cincinnati, OH — April 3, 2009 — Eisen Marketing Group (EMG), Greater Cincinnati’s largest public relations firm, announced the call for applications for its Operation: Outreach 2009 grant program.

Operation: Outreach provides non profit, certified 501(C)(3) businesses professional marketing communications services they could not otherwise afford, enabling them to invest finite resources on providing services to the community.

Businesses wishing to apply for the grant may do so online at www.eisenmarketinggroup.com. The deadline for all applications is May 1, 2009. Through Operation: Outreach, EMG and its staff have provided more than $100,000 worth of in kind services and donations. Samples of work provided from Operation: Outreach 2008, including work with such past recipients as the Newport Firefighters and Cincinnati Police, can be seen at the EMG website.

“EMG is humbled to be in a position to offer assistance and help our local community through our Operation: Outreach grant program,” EMG president Rodger Roeser said. “In the past, Operation: Outreach has provided local nonprofits such things as professionally developed websites, local and national publicity, brand development, capital campaigns and even logo design. Each of us at EMG is moved by the great work many of our non profit organizations do – work far more important than the work we will ever do. It is a distinct honor that we can give of our time and talent to help those who help so many.”

On May 15, 2009 the organization(s) selected for the grant program will be notified and an announcement will be made to the public.

About EMG
Eisen Marketing Group is the largest public relations firm in Greater Cincinnati, and works with clientele in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, restaurant, retail, government, commercial and professional services sectors. The award winning PR firm offers both traditional and non traditional public relations services, including podcast development, viral, experiential and promotions. Privately owned, EMG has a proud record of community relations including its Operation Outreach Program and the EMG Scholarship Fund. More information can be accessed at www.BestCincinnatiPRFirm.com.

Bad Websites of 2008

And the awards for the worst websites for '08 go to:
(adapted from webpagesthatsuck.com... who ironically has an aweful website)

1) Havenworks
http://www.havenworks.com/
... oh Dear Lord.... Has whoever built this ever seen a website before? Obviously earns the number 1 spot.












2). Fabric Land
http://www.fabricland.co.uk/
Really??? Does that look good to you? I think this would cause a seizure if stared at for too long. I don't even know what to say about this. It's scary bad.










3. Brill Publications
http://www.brillpublications.com/
The navigation is incredibly difficult. I think they overthought the attempt at being overly creative. They forgot to make it intuitive to browse through. Good luck getting back to the homepage!












4. Yvette's
http://yvettesbridalformal.com/
Yowza! This has to be a joke! This is possibly worse than the Fabric Land site. Wow. wow. A little over the top... maybe? Makes me want to go to church and beg forgiveness for the poor soul who thinks they're a web designer.










5. Toto | Washlet
http://www.cleanishappy.com/
Possibly not safe for work
This one made me giggle! A clean butt is a happy butt, but a website with no words can't be good for SEO.










There's many more where that came from! Let's hope you're site never falls victim to being a laughing stock! Call a professional :)

New Site Launches!

I'd like to announce the launches of two client websites this past month.

Wangler Hardware
http://www.wanglerhardware.com
We're very proud of this site—Marisa and I developed this site for her parents Ace hardware store, located in Ft. Recovery, OH. You can check out historical photos from Wangler's beginnings and find out what's going on in the community.

Capitol Electronics
http://www.capitolelectronics.com
Capitol Electronics is a manufacturer rep with more than 6,000 customers and 500 dealers throughout Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.

2009 Trends in Branding

Today I came across an interesting link on the HOW magazine site about top branding trends for '09. The game has changed with the economy, do-it-yourself-ers, social media and handheld technology. This year we'll all need to be a little more nimble, a little more strategic and on top of things.

http://www.trendsinbranding.com/

Some Funny Ads

Happy Friday everyone! Today I'd like to share some funny advertisements that will surely make you giggle! Why can't we have more of these kind of clients!

http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/graphicsblog/2009/02/06/best-creative-clever-some-funny-print-ads-best-print-advertisements/

Trying to Save a Few Bucks will Likely Waste a Lot of Bucks

It's a classic scenario, and it happens way too often. Business owners decide they want it all for nothing. If they initially put money into it, and decide not to follow through because they don't want to spend additional dollars, well they might as well have flushed it down the toilet. Then they wander what went wrong and why they aren't getting more business. My advice is to finish what you've started and do it right the first time. As I've said before -- it's an investment, so do it wisely and you'll reap the rewards!

If you're going to decide to move forward on a marketing plan, you must follow through and do ALL of the steps necessary to make it successful -- and no shortcuts! If you've already invested a few hundred bucks upfront, don't you want to spend a little extra to finish it? Stopping halfway through a plan isn't helping anyone. That will certainly not pay off and it will be all for not.

Some businesses are quick to pull the trigger in the beginning, but are so focused on the bottom line of their spending that they get gun-shy and stop all-together. Or -- just as bad -- take shortcuts. Cheapest is not always the best option. Half-assing it is just as wasteful. That's like buying a brand new car and not maintaining it, then getting mad at the saleman who sold it to you because it doesn't run anymore. Well -- you didn't do what the salesman said!

Do it right, and don't take wasteful shortcuts. If you buy a cheap lawnmower and it breaks, you end up spending more than what you would have to buy a decent one to begin with. If you spend 8 hours @ $95/hr. looking for a $3 photo instead of buying a $200 one that took you 5 minutes to find, you just spent a lot more than you needed to! To what? Save money? 'Cause guess what, you didn't. You've successfully done the opposite. See the context here? Wisen up, invest in yourself and I promise, you'll attract new business!

Best Advice I've Ever Received

“Be Confident”
The best advice I’ve ever received as a designer is to be confident – in my knowledge of the industry, and in my abilities.

I think that is one of the biggest challenges of being a successful designer. When you start out in the field you do exactly what you’re told, and you’re unsure about changing it if it doesn’t work. Instead of saying “this doesn’t look good,” think to yourself, what would I do if it were up to me? Because to the client, it is up to you. They’ve entrusted themselves to you and your expertise.

I’ve been in this industry for over 10 years. I lacked confidence in the beginning, designing things exactly how it was sketched out, not fully understanding why I was doing things a certain way. I was the designer in the corner, just following orders, and that’s all I was going to be doing. Years later I had that a-ha moment. I realized, hey, I’m pretty good at this. And all of a sudden I wasn’t afraid of saying no. If someone wanted something a certain way, and it wasn’t working out, I wasn’t afraid to say “this isn’t going to work the way we thought it would, but how about this instead…”

Now I’m the Vice President of Creative & Web at Eisen Management Group, dealing directly with clients, working with account managers, and overseeing an art department. I have a deeper passion for what I do and am excited to work on new projects that rely upon my skill, as well as my ability to make recommendations in the best interest of a client.

Brand Identity Crisis

I've noticed a new trend in retail lately, one that I'm none too happy about. It all started when years ago, Martha Stewart took over Kmart. I don't care for Kmart anyway, but seems to me it got more expensive, and there are hardly any products available there without her name emblazoned upon them. For being a big Speedway-type of cheap retail store, it's not exactly worth paying the extra for her name. They don't even have decent customer service! Then again, I guess Martha Stewart is all about DIY...

Then, I noticed Kohls is selling Vera Wang. And it ain't cheap! Granted, I like Kohls, they have good quality products for reasonable prices, hence, that's why I go there! If I want to spend $400 on a Vera Wang bedding set, wouldn't I expect to find that at Macy's or another upscale store? See, my point is I shop at those places to save money on something of decent quality. Now, a) the cheap alternatives aren't so cheap anymore, and b) it cheapens the expensive brand. Vera Wang is a luxury item, and by saying you bought it at Kohls, well, I guess it can't be that luxurious. You can find Vera Wang next to the Hanes clearance aisle. I expect it out of Daisy Fuentes, but what the Wang?

The latest, now Walmart is carrying Better Homes and Gardens...

Target, Kohl's, Kmart, Walmart -- I expect to find things cheap, that's why those places are around. They're sending mixed messages with carring these higher end products. What does that say about the brands - on either side of the table? Go back to what you were originally intended I say! Now you're ruining it for everyone. What's next - gas stations selling $5 lattes? Value City selling 10,000 sofas? McDonalds selling steaks??? Or, the opposite could be said. All-you-can-eat buffet at The Precinct. Or 25 cent wing nights at the Boathouse...

Agency Vs. InHouse

What I'm about to tell you may blow your mind. A new way of thinking about how you're spending your dollars on marketing. If you think you're saving money by hiring someone internally -- think again! An agency can save you thousands of dollars. Just like you'd trust an expert to handle your finances or insurance, an agency will make sound investments in the right places with the proper tools. They have the connections, the technology and the expertise -- likely your intern won't have access to or knowledge of these things!

You can get the experience and firepower of an integrated Advertising/PR agency for LESS than the cost of an entry level person. You'll get more done and you'll have professional looking materials. Trust me, you don't want to look amateur for the money you're investing.

Let's take this into consideration. An entry level person is going to take at least a $25,000 salary. Well, they need equipment and software, right? There's another $2-5,000. Taxes, $8,000. Insurance, benefits, 401K, etc. Not to mention implementing your programs could run $30-50K. The list goes on. Not only that, but it's going to be unprofessional - an entry level worker only has a year or two of experience, limited expertise and resources.

Now, do you really think hiring an agency will cost $90,000 a year for a modest campaign? You don't have to worry about salaries, expensive software, subscriptions and dues, taxes, benefits, etc. You can have years of professional experience and guidance, unlimited resources and the latest tools. The only cost is putting together and implementing your campaign. Nearly HALF the cost!

When I explained this to my husband, he looked at me and said "Wow, I never thought of it that way. That's like going from bunny ears to HD!"

Cutting Back on Advertising Could Backfire

In tough times like these, a company's first reaction may be to cut spending, particularly in advertising. But cutting advertising dollars without consideration can have adverse effects. If you aren't marketing - no one is buying!

Studies show the most successful companies maximize their value by maintaining their advertising in a down market. The long term benefits heavily outweigh the short term. Advertising keeps you top-of-mind to the consumer. It creates a positive impression on your company -- that you are successful and committed to your product. Out of sight is out of mind, so if you stop reaching out, consumers tend to forget you exist when they're ready to make a purchase. And let's not forget, your competitors are cutting back. When they cut back, they lose clients... clients you could be gaining.

This day in age, there are so many cost effective methods to take advantage of -- including social media, public relations and a strong web presence. You can get more bang for your buck investing in multiple outlets, rather than dumping your money into an expensive television or radio spot. Think smarter, spend more wisely. Do something!

You can be the best firm, have the most beautiful portfolio or work with the smartest of engineers, but if no one knows you exist, it doesn't matter. Cutting your marketing and advertising is one of the worst mistakes to make during an economic crisis. It is an investment, not an expense. Success does not happen on it's own.

“If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations.”
-- Bill Gates