Fueled by a long anticipated product launch, a name guessing game for the new product, and the always fun iPhone to Verizon hopes, the expectations for yesterday’s Apple unveiling were high and the interactions on Twitter certainly reflected that. According to Trendrr.com, there were 177,000 iPad tweets within the first hour alone following the announcement. That’s an average of 3,000 iPad tweets per minute and who knows how many more there would have been had the Bailey Gardiner team been in the office (yesterday was our agency retreat and, don’t worry, there are lots of photos and video to come).

Not only is the sheer volume of iPad tweets notable, but so is the sentiment. According to Mashable, Crimson Hexagon took the time to analyze the sentiment of more than half a million iPad tweets following  the announcement. While about 50 percent of the people had negative feedback and 50 percent had positive, 29 percent of those tweets showed intent to buy the product. That’s about 145,000 people at $500, for the least expensive version, creating at least $72,500,000 in sales if everyone who tweeted about buying the new product actually does go buy one. Personally, even though I’m a Mac lover, I fall within the 21 percent who thought it had a stupid name.

The high level of iPad tweets show that more and more people are turning to Twitter as a resource for breaking news and a venue to share their opinions. When I logged into Twitter this morning #ipad, iTablet, Apple iPad, #itampon, and MaxiPad (reinforcing the stupid name theory) are still trending in the U.S. on Twitter and probably will be for a while to come. I wonder what they will come up with next?

When I read this hilarious post from The Oatmeal, I remembered back to when I decided to major in Communications/Public Relations at San Diego State University. I was informed that I had to pass the GSP (grammar, spelling, punctuation) test (I know I’m dating myself). Each student was only allowed three times to take it and if you didn’t pass, you had to take a semester-long course. It totally freaked me out only because I heard a lot of horror stories from other students.

My head was buried in my AP Stylebook for weeks and I ended up failing. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t really understand how knowing all of this information was going to be useful to me in my career. That’s what spell check was for, people. And, come on. I was a sophomore in college, pledging a sorority (insert joke here) and just wanted to graduate and get a job. This little GSP test wasn’t going to hold me back. I had things to do.

Well, after nearly 10 years of working in this profession, I’d like to go back and tell my college self just how important it is to know the difference between “their”, “they’re” and “there” and “loose” and “lose.” Now, I did end up passing the test the second go at it, but it wasn’t without some help from a study course. And, it is my mission in life to make sure that every intern I come into contact with, any aspiring public relations professional I speak to, or anyone that reads this post, knows that having an AP Stylebook handy at your desk (even it is from 1998) is the most important book you’ll own.

Why is it so important you ask? Well, pressing send on an email to a client or media contact with “How’s the whether in NYC today?”, or “Hope to see you their” in the copy probably isn’t going to score any points, or land my client the feature story in the Wall Street Journal. Even posting a status on your personal Facebook page as, “I definately can’t wait for the weekend.” is almost guaranteed a public call-out from my sarcastic and slightly critical friends.

I’ve listed a few below you should absolutely have memorized. The rest you can use a dictionary and that trusty little thing I like to call my “save me from public humiliation book.”

1. Affect vs. Effect: As written on The Oatmeal- “Most of the time effect is a noun and affect is a verb. If you’re unsure, try substituting a different verb and see if it works.”
2. Don’t start a sentence with a numeral. Spell out a numeral at the beginning of a sentence, or re-write the sentence so the number appears later. The only time you can use an actual numeral to begin a sentence is when it’s a year.
3. They’re, their and there: Honestly, this is the most commonly misused word I see. They’re is a contraction for “they are.” Their is possessive. There refers to a place.
4. “I before E except after C”: Receive- not recieve, Friend- not freind, Thief- not theif.
5. Finally, if you’re going to get one thing right, it’s “loose” not “lose.” You don’t loose your keys, or your shoelaces aren’t lose.

Bailey Gardiner is on the hunt….AGAIN! We’re looking for a public relations intern who can fill some pretty big shoes, blow our creative minds with enthusiasm, ambition and previous PR skills.

We’re looking for:

• A college junior or senior working on a communications, journalism or English major.
• Ability to work at least 30 hours/week
• Outstanding communications skills (verbal and written)
• Thrive in a fast-paced, energetic, highly creative setting
• Previous PR/media experience is highly preferred
• An enthusiasm for social media – beyond your facebook account – we’re looking for someone who gets it from a marketing perspective and really, really loves it.

Here’s what you’ll get hands-on experience doing:

• Direct media pitching
• Writing media releases and alerts
• Upkeeping digital clipbooks
• Blog and social media correspondence
• Brainstorming
• Research
• Creating and updating media lists
• General account support

And working for us isn’t so bad either. You’ll be working with clients like Tiffany & Co., Electra Bicycle, Del Mar Racetrack and many others. We’d love to pay minimum wage, but can also provide college credit too. The experience is invaluable and we take the time to teach, support, provide you with responsibility all while having a blast.

If you fit the bill, please send your resume, cover letter and references to erika@baileygardiner.com or call (619) 295-8232.

To a lot of people, paper is just that, paper. But, when you work in an industry that involves printing a wide range of items for your clients, (think letterhead, save-the-date cards, pamphlets, and other such collateral) you quickly learn there are thousands of different types of paper. Out of these thousands of types, there are quite a few options for those who want to print on eco-friendly paper and with companies becoming more and more environmentally conscious, we propose at least one eco-friendly paper option to all of our clients.

Below are the types of “green” paper that we use most often:

1) Recycled Paper: Many brands have “recycled paper” options but the vast majority is not 100% recycled. Usually a portion of it is. This is a good option for companies who are environmentally conscientious, but may not have the budget to print on a 100% recycled paper.

2) FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified Paper: This paper has come from trees that were grown in an area where funds have gone to to eliminate habitat destruction, water pollution and violence against people and wildlife. Sometimes you are able to find a FSC paper that has also, been recycled – a doubly green choice.

3) Post-Consumer Material (PCW) Paper: This paper has been used and then separated from solid waste to be recycled into new paper. This paper is made from all types of products, therefore re-using even more waste than a recycled paper uses.

4) Seed Paper - The coolest new trend is that people are starting to print on seed paper which is a type of paper that is embedded with an array of wildflower seeds. You can actually take this paper, plant it and grow flowers. And the best part is this paper isn’t even made out of trees. We often go to Green Field Paper in San Diego where they specialize in 100 percent tree-free products. They make their paper out of recycled uniforms from Seaworld, mixed with 100 percent organic cotton and an array of other ingredients that would have been thrown out in the trash. I think this is my new favorite type of paper. Such a cool concept!

Everyone is used to Powerpoint, but Keynote is PPT on steroids. Of course, it is made by Apple! It is user-friendly and there are endless options for creative presentations, but many aren’t using it yet because they don’t want to have to learn a new program. Here at Bailey Gardiner, we use Keynote for every client presentation so we’ve put together a few pointers to make using Keynote a little easier. 

• Add a Slide

• Select “Slide”
• Select “New Slide”
• From the Masters drop down in the toolbar, select the master slide you would like your new slide to be

• Add A Picture

• Drag a file into your keynote OR
• Go to “Insert” and “Choose” and you can browse for the image to insert

• Frame a Picture

• Select the “i” inspector icon
• From the inspector menu, select the image tab
• With your image selected, from the “Stroke” dropdown, select frame

• Sizing an Image

• Select the image
• Use the squares on the corners and edges of the image to drag in or out
• To size proportionally, drag a corner of the image while holding “Shift”

• Cropping or “Masking” an Image

• Select the image to Mask
• Select the “Mask” icon in the toolbar
• Drag the crop marks or use the sliding bar in the edit mask box to the desired crop
• Click anywhere else in the slide to accept

• Multiple Images

• When using multiple images on one slide, Keynote will show yellow lines from image to image to help you center all of them
• If images overlap, you can bring an image to the top of another by selecting it and choosing “Arrange” and “Bring to Front.” The same applies to back, etc.

• Embed Video

• Drag the video into your keynote
• Size as needed
• It will play when you turn to that slide in presentation mode

• Embedding a Link

• Select the text or image that you want to link to a website (note: during the presentation, you must be connected to the internet for it to work)
• Select the hyperlink tab from the inspector box
• Check “Enable as a hyperlink”
• Select “Webpage” from the Link To dropdown
• Type the URL you want to link to

• Creating Presentation Notes

• Select “View” in the menu and select “Show Presenter Notes”
• Add notes where shown.

• Presenting

• Select the Play button in the toolbar to begin a presentation.
• Click your mouse, press space bar or use arrow keys to advance the presentation
• If you are connected to a larger screen or projector, select Play from toolbar and select Customize Presenter Display. Check the following: Current Slide, Next Slide, Notes, Clock

While companies around the country are learning how to engage in social media, we really appreciate the ones that can have fun with the fact that they may not know everything about it.  And Big Bear Mountain Resort’s new radio spot illustrates this perfectly.  Not to mention, this spot really is AWESOME-SAUCE!

(click the link below to hear radio spot)

BBMRRadioSpot

We are entering our fifth year of working with Seaport Village, a favorite seaside destination for San Diego locals and visitors, and Bailey Gardiner is lucky to manage all of Seaport’s marketing efforts – public relations, advertising, special events and social media.

In preparation for a presentation to the tenants of Seaport, we wanted to compile a highlight reel of all the great work that went on throughout 2009. It’s a fun way to bring to life the advertisements, collateral pieces, events, public relations hits, social media, and onsite signage the Bailey Gardiner teams created. And it’s definitely more entertaining than me standing at the front of the room rattling them all off! So we gathered all the necessary pieces and enlisted Rich, our fantastic copywriter and jack of many trades, to put together our video (some of you may recall his great work on the BG Holiday Video and outtakes). Our client and the tenants enjoyed it and we hope you do to.

There has been huge craziness in the San Diego radio industry lately, and I continue to be asked by our advertising clients and others exactly what this means in the marketing landscape. To each I answer, “I wish I knew.” But in reality, I can make a few predictions.

First of all, what the hell happened?

• It began in August, when San Diego beloved radio icons Jeff & Jer were suddenly off the air due to contract disputes with Clear Channel Radio, their station’s owner.  Clear Channel had been on a hell-bent buying frenzy, snapping up radio stations across the country and many in the San Diego market – all with investment capital they had over-leveraged.  (You know, those silly banks were lending tons of money to just about anybody with a business plan a few short years ago.)  When markets started tightening, so did Clear Channel, and they no longer wanted to pay for higher salary morning teams – regardless of their success or following.  Jeff & Jer were out, and Clear Channel shifted a less expensive, less experienced morning team to their former station and time slot. Thus, AJ in the Morning is the winner of that game of musical chairs.

• Around the same time, Monique & The Man on Jack FM was cut down to just the lovely and talented Monique Marvez. Evidently having The Man involved was too expensive for ownership at KFMB.  Then in a very odd move, station management decided to reduce Monique’s live on-air time slot to just 5 – 5:30 am, playing music the rest of the time.  And just recently, she is off the air altogether and her contract is not being renewed.  Ratings at Jack FM continue to plummet in her absence.

• In another Clear Channel debacle, radio icons Dave, Shelly & Chainsaw on KGB suddenly got the ax as well.  Again, those pesky contract negotiations were listed as the culprit, and once again it was really because Clear Channel could not swallow the show’s high salaries. DSC fans staged protests they were so upset and angered.

• Then The Mikey Show on Rock 105.3 was suddenly absent (again Clear Channel  – seeing a pattern?) and fans lamented yet another loss of morning show talent.  Mikey is the only one to have cut a new deal, showing up for mornings now at FM 94.9.

This whole mess has left audiences reeling, radio dials spinning, and listeners not clear on where to listen – or why.  What’s more, it’s left the advertising industry in a bit of a quandry.  Rating points that were already a bit sketchy (see my previous blog spot on Arbitron ratings) are now completely unproven and unreliable.  Advertisers that have been buying radio based purely on ratings points can no longer trust that process.  Long time advertisers that were buying ad libs from proven on-air talent – these are spots recorded or spoken live by the deejay to endorse a particular product – can no longer have access to those familiar voices.  These were enormously popular – when Monique Marvez spoke about her personal experience in buying a Sleep Train mattress, her listeners would take that endorsement to heart.

Advertisers are left trying to figure out how to spend their radio budgets, or if they even should. So then, what now?

Truth is, radio has been – and will continue to be – an important part of the advertising mix.  Its immediacy and frequency allow an advertiser to reach their audiences with a message aimed at getting consumers to take action – right now.  With most radio listening taking place in the car, the assumption is that people are captive audiences.  And in the case of morning shows, audiences are accustomed to being entertained by personalities beyond just playing music.

Sure, the face of radio advertising has changed. It’s not as lucrative as it once was, and there is competition from digital radio like Pandora, iTunes, satellite radio like Sirius and many other sources.  Yet, none of those provide the familiarity, the down-home comfort and the city-centric knowledge and access that local radio can provide.

This too shall pass.  These radio personalities will find new homes where they can broadcast their morning shticks.  Radio stations will find new owners that will invest what they can in perhaps a new model for radio that is both profitable AND entertaining.  And consumers will play spin the dial until they land on a few new choices, perhaps hearing some familiar old friends.

There will always be a need for the Jeff & Jers of the world, because we want to be entertained.  Even more important than that, these iconic morning teams have provided a common thread for our greater community that few other outlets can even come close to.  The familiarity of their voices, their jokes and their laser-sharp knowledge of San Diego represent a shared touchpoint for our city.

And that is worth money.  The question is, how much?

When the green movement first started garnering major awareness a few years ago, it seemed that any eco-friendly product or service was able to capitalize on the attention and get positive press and accolades.  As the movement continues to grow and green products flood the market, however, it has become harder for new brands to infiltrate the cluttered marketplace of  green marketing. As consumers continue to get inundated with green messaging, new products and services are under much more scrutiny and must do more to differentiate themselves from the pack. Having handled the public relations for a few green brands, I have a few tips for how eco-friendly products can distinguish themselves in the green market.

Provide value

The down economy affected the green market considerably. Just being green isn’t enough anymore, and consumers are much less likely to pay a premium for green products and services. Consumers have to see green products as providing value to their lives, especially if the products cost more than a non-green alternative.

Implement a corporate culture of sustainability

These days, just having an eco-friendly product or service is not enough. Companies have to practice what they preach and embody a corporate culture of sustainability. Has your green company implemented sustainable business practices, such as recycling, using renewable energy, consuming less and conserving water, as well? Is your company involved with green charities and organizations? Green initiatives should be implemented across all sectors of the company.

Provide a unique product or service

Provide something new and different to the market. It is much harder to gain recognition if there are 20 other brands that offer a very similar product or service to yours.  Do we really need another basic, organic cotton t-shirt company?

Be committed and authentic

So many brands are trying to capitalize on the green movement by making small tweaks and throwing an eco-friendly label on their product. The public is getting much more savvy and is no longer buying it. If a company is not fully committed to the cause, and is just trying to jump on the bandwagon, it can backfire. If, for example, you are using organic cotton, but are also using toxic dyes, you might face scrutiny and a backlash from the media and the public.  Don’t claim to be eco-friendly unless you can really back it up.  And as with any brand, authenticity is key.

Do you have other tips for green brands? Which green brands do you think are doing a good job?

Anyone who has logged into Google Analytics knows that it’s a beast. With so much information, how are you supposed to know what’s important? Below are the two things that I like to look at when I am trying to measure the blog’s success and look for things to improve.

The two most important areas to look at in Google Analytics:

1. Traffic sources - This section will tell you how people are coming to your blog, which gives you feedback on how well you are doing promoting your content. You can check what your top traffic sources are (likely your website, Google or Twitter) and the top keywords that people are using to find your blog in search.

• The referring traffic portion of the pie chart will show you all the traffic that comes from other websites (eg. your company’s site, Facebook, Twitter and any of your other social media endeavors). You can see exactly which referring source is driving the most traffic by clicking on “View Report” and then on “Referring Sites.” Spend the majority of your time promoting your blog content on the sites that are working the best already. You may also want to choose one of your social media platforms that is under-performing and work on increasing traffic from that site as well.

• The search traffic portion of the Google Analytics graph refers to all the visitors who found your blog organically on Google, Yahoo or Bing. If your blog is just starting out, it is likely that this will be a very small percentage of your traffic sources. As you implement SEO tactics and establish credibility with the search bots, you’ll watch that percentage grow.

2. Top content – This will tell you what blog posts are getting the most traffic and give you insight into what resonates with your readers. If you click on “Content Overview” you can see the top posts for any given time period. Make sure you set it to the time period that you want to measure. I usually check top content by month as well as for the overall in the history of the blog.

Once you have the list, I’d recommend taking a closer look at the ones that got the most traffic to figure out why. If you click on the title of the post, it will pull a report on just that post. Click on “Content Detail“ and then check “Entrance Sources.” This will tell you where people are coming from to find this particular post. If the number one source is Google you can then see which keywords people are using to find this post by going to “Entrance Keywords.”

You can then capitalize on your top posts by going back in and updating them.  For instance, I wrote a post in August about Facebook contests for companies that continues to get traffic daily. It’s likely that a lot of this traffic is coming from people looking for info about the new regulations to Facebook contests, rather than a case study on how to run a successful contest. So, in order to capitalize on the traffic AND ensure our readers are getting the info they need, Katy wrote a post about the new rules for Facebook contests which I then linked to in an “update” to the original post.

With Google Analytics there are a whole lot of other fun things you can look at, but I have found the above two areas to be the most telling in shaping the way I measure success. How about you? Anything you find more useful to look at?