C.E.L.’s Kari Logan recently returned from traveling in Delaware and Virginia with CNN International News reporter Natalie Allen and photojournalist Rich Rumppe. The crew shot video and conducted interviews with two successful Nexstar® Network member businesses for a special program entitled, Top Shops – A Nexstar Network Report.
The program with run at Nexstar’s upcoming Super Meeting in Austin Texas. Logan secured Natalie Allen to host the show. “The video segments will be produced in news story format,” said Logan.
“They will share the secrets of these successful companies.”
Kari Logan, Co-owner & Media Relations Specialist at C.E.L., is headed to Denver, Colorado to attend the Applewood Peer Group Meeting on behalf of Nexstar® Network. Logan will write an article on the event for Contractor Magazine, a leading trade publication for plumbing, heating and cooling home service contractors.
Nexstar conducts peer group meetings so members have the opportunity to see and learn from the best-run companies. Meetings are hosted by members who open their business, their books and their secrets to fellow members; owners and managers of independent plumbing, HVAC and electrical contracting companies. It’s three days of intense mentoring and participants walk away with tangible strategies that have led to documented success. Peer Group meetings set the standard and raise the bar for other professionals to live and work by.
“I’m looking forward to capturing the essence of this event within the pages of Contractor,” said Logan. “It’s always inspiring to visit the shops of successful Nexstar members with a strong commitment to mentoring and learning from other members through Nexstar’s incredible peer connections.”
It’s summer time once again, which means it’s time to enjoy the fresh air and sun. Looking for a great outdoor activity to experience with family and friends? Kari Logan, C.E.L.’s Media Specialist, has the perfect answer: Bring the garden to the table!
Entertain loved ones and enjoy summer by hosting a homegrown garden party. This past Saturday Kari was on the local NBC affiliate KARE 11 and featured items from the General Store of Minnetonka. The creative items included patio lights, decorative napkins, lighted tree branches, shatter proof wine glasses, a fire pot, ant salt and pepper shakers, and a shish kabob style “FireWire” for grillin. What about the non-breakable plates? Well, let’s just say that host Belinda Jensen was determined to make them live up to their name!
Kari also showed some tasty summer treats – including roasted vegetables and herbs and an organic chocolate cake – from the Country Cake Cupboard & Café located in Long Lake, MN. Other featured items included a cold veggie pizza from the deli at Fresh Season’s Market in Minnetonka and potted plants and herbs from Otten Brothers Nursery in Long Lake.
“It was a pleasure to introduce KARE 11 viewers to products from The General Store of Minnetonka, Otten Brothers Nursery, Country Cake Cupboard and Café and Fresh Seasons Market,” said Kari. “As the ‘entertaining maven’ on KARE 11 News Saturday, I connected the garden with the table to create a homegrown garden party. From plants to food to patio décor, the businesses I featured have it all and they dish it up with impeccable customer service. As a company passionately committed to the betterment of business, family and the community, it is rewarding to bring great people and products together to create entertaining ideas for families and friends.”
Now that you’ve heard from Kari, how can you bring your favorite recipes from the garden to the table in your backyard?
If you’ve seen Nike’s latest commercial featuring Tiger Woods, it’s quite different from their typical golf-themed action shots of Tiger sinking a putt and following it with his well-known victory fist pump. But Nike’s new ad with Tiger, which has proven to be somewhat controversial, just might stop you and make you think.
The ad features a simple, black-and-white shot of Tiger glaring into the camera with a sober expression on his face. A voice comes over, which is the voice of his late father Earl Woods. In a solemn tone he addresses Tiger. At one point, Earl Woods says, “I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are, and did you learn anything.” Tiger never answers him; he only continues to stare, leaving the audience hanging.
But how could Tiger’s late father, who passed away in May of 2006, have addressed Tiger about his regretted actions and recent scandal? This is no ghost story. The audio is actually from a past interview from a DVD collection released in 2004 about Tiger’s life. In context, Earl Woods was describing himself in comparison to his wife Kultida.
So is Nike trying to resonate at a deeper level with their audience? Or is it just a publicity stunt to get people talking about Nike? Even if the ad doesn’t drive you to go buy a pair of Nike shoes, it definitely has put their recognized brand under a hot spotlight. It has even inspired quite a few parodies and spoofs of the commercial. This stunt might make other brands think twice about the effectiveness of shock value and creating a new controversy. Is all the attention and buzz worth risking the reputation of your brand? Clearly Nike is confident that it is worth taking that chance.
So what do you think? Did Nike go too far by using the out-of-context words of the late Earl Woods? Or is all fair in love, war, and advertisements?
If you went on your computer to visit Google this morning, you might have notice a unique April Fool’s prank – Google changed its name to “Topeka” just for the day. Funny joke or creative media-stunt? Talk about branding at its finest!
Google decided to switch their name for a day after the Mayor of Topeka thought it would be fun to change the town’s name to “Google” for the month of March.
While Google reps have stated that they meant it to be a funny joke and are not trying to show favoritism to the city, several city officials and local newspapers are calling this a “big hit” for Topeka.
This stunt has caused a massive amount of buzz and curiosity for both Google and Topeka. So how can a “virtual John Doe” become an overnight sensation? One way is by creatively seizing a timely opportunity that will gain effective exposure for the brand.
Twin Cities media maven Kevyn Burger appeared on Fox 9’s The Morning Buzz on February 10th. She encouraged viewers to create a Valentine’s Day treasure hunt for their kids and featured great treasures from The General Store of Minnetonka as the reward at the end of the hunt. They have everything from retro toys to dresses for American Girl dolls to heart shaped cookies and fudge in their Café.
Valentine’s Day was big at my house growing up. My mom baked a heart shaped cake every year and I got to frost it and put sprinkles on the top. My sister and I always got a fun present like pink or red socks with hearts on them and of course, a famous Brach’s candy box.
It’s good to poor romance into Valentine’s Day, but it’s also nice to spend time showing your kids you love them. My Valentine’s Day memories from growing up are vivid in my mind and I have created those same memories for my daughter. Now a freshman in college, I had to put Valentine’s Day in a box this year and mail it to her. Hard to send the heart-shaped cake, so heart shaped cookies headed to Loyola University with of course, frosting and sprinkles! Next year I’ll stop at The General Store of Minnetonka on my way to the mailbox!
I continue to hear news reports on Tiger Woods and his attempt to rehabilitate himself from an alleged sexual addiction. The media claims his world is falling apart around him. My response to that is we all make choices and when we make bad ones, we may have to suffer some bad consequences. As my mother used to say, “You made your bed and now you have to lie in it.” However, today, I heard a news report on how Tigers actions and the subsequent fall out is impacting the PGA Tour and how they are looking at cutting their ticket price in half in order to draw a crowd.
This is a good lesson to businesses and organizations on putting all of the eggs of your brand in one basket. The PGA can’t change the fact that the best golfer draws the biggest crowd, but their marketing/pr strategy should be diverse and designed to promote all of their core competencies. The PGA was around long before Tiger Woods was born and love for the game runs rampant around the world! There’s a rich history and there is a bright future with up and coming golfers. Why do people buy tickets to the tour? The value of the experience goes beyond Tiger Woods, but have we been sold on that value or just on catching a glimpse of the Tiger whose wild side has caused him to mauled by the media?!
If you’re getting a lot of play with a celebrity spokesperson, newsworthy CEO or a hot attention-getting product, make sure you’re planning ahead in case one of those promotional tools fizzles out. Continue to sell the core of your business, your expertise, dedication, ethics, and your commitment to service.
I was reading my daily issue of Ragan’s PR Daily Dog this morning, it’s a daily newsletter of sorts for public relations professions. I try to keep up on what’s new in the industry, especially when it comes to attracting media attention towards my clients.
So, the next time you’re wondering if writing and distributing a good press release is worth the time and money, consider the new rules of engagement and potential return on investment!
This morning, the Today Show reported that it is so unusually cold in Miami
that Miami Zoo staff has given the orangutans hot chocolate and a warm
blanket!
Now, the visual of this in my head has made me giggle out loud several times
already today. Those adorable little faces on heads popping out from a cozy
blanket holding a mug of Swiss Miss brings a smile to my face. It also
brought a public relations thought to my head, as these things typically do.
What a great move for the Miami Zoo to release this information to the
press! It shows their commitment to caring for their animals and I guarantee
that Floridians will race to the zoo today to catch a live glimpse!
Sometimes the most instinctive and basic acts of care and kindness make the
best news coverage and the best public relations.
Tiger Woods has created a PR nightmare for himself surrounding his recent car accident in his neighbor’s yard. The odd thing is that he could have avoided it by simply speaking the truth, or at least part of it.
It’s no secret that Tiger has a hot temper reputation, so the public probably isn’t surprise by the incident. He coud have avoided the negative press by owning up to the fact that he sped off in a rant, whatever the reason. He could have acknowledged the fact that it was a dumb mistake and he was angry and wasn’t paying attention to his driving. If it happened as a result of a domestic dispute, why not just admit it. Couples fight. End of story. But now, the media is dishing for dirt and asking tons of unanswered questions because they assume he’s hiding something and rumors of affairs and lost products endorsement are running amuck.
I realize that the media poking into their personal lives; dishing for dirt exhausts celebrities, but that’s in the job description and they know it going in, that it is the price of fame.
I hope Tiger’s public relations team steps in soon and strongly advises him to fess up before more damage is done.
