05/23/13

Mobile Takes the Lead: Mobile App Marketing Drives Reviews, Downloads, Industry Distinctions

By Katja Schroeder, Expedition PR

It’s easy to see that we’re living in a mobile world. The Mobile Marketing Association just released their research indicating that mobile marketing is projected to represent more than $400 billion to the U.S. economy in two short years.

A recent Developer Economics report by Vision Mobile showed that developers who do not develop for iOS or Android generate about half the revenue of the developers who do. Also, in the findings iOS emerged as the highest priority platform.

Expedition PR has been working closely with clients who develop and introduce pioneering mobile applications.

Most recently our client, Morton Subotnick’s Pitch Painter, received a 2013 ON for Learning Award from Common Sense Media. Pitch Painter was just one of 50 apps, games, and websites to receive the award celebrating the very best in kids’ digital media products. We’re so pleased that Pitch Painter was recognized for its innovation and ingenuity.

Also, we’re proud of all of the work we’ve done for our clients in the mobile space, so to learn more about Expedition PR’s Mobile App Promotion Offerings, just check out our latest announcement.

05/16/13

Networking Before You Network

By Andrés Uribe, Expedition PR

The telegraph, two way radio, land phone and cell phone all mark great advances in communication throughout history. These though are all overshadowed by the advent of the Internet. Through online communication, it is now possible to intimately know a person without ever stepping foot in the same room. In regards to networking, this is a huge deal.

In the past, a networking event meant grabbing a stack of business cards, putting on your best business attire, and navigating rooms offering free coffee and a few dozen people wearing nametags. While this still goes on today, and can be a valuable experience in the networking process, the Internet offers us valuable opportunities to start networking before ever stepping foot into a trade show. Here are three networking strategies that you can implement without ever putting on pants:

Claim your online profiles. Before you do anything, you should mark your territory by claiming your online profiles. According to research done by Edison Research, 56% of Americans already have a profile on a social networking site. This means that the 44% who don’t are missing out on one big networking party. Your online profiles can be divided into two different categories:

General. These are places that most every professional, regardless of industry, should have a presence. This includes sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. Once on these sites, it becomes easy to set up filters in order to find where members from your industry are hanging out.

Industry specific. These include forums and social networking sites that will cater specifically to members of your industry and the people who interact with them. In order to find those that fit your needs, some searching is required. A good tip though is to not get stuck on a single one. Most industries will have multiple large forums with many active users. Each forum can have a culture of its own, so try a few out while you’re searching for the one you like best.

Express yourself. Now that you have online profiles and people know who you are, tell them what you’re all about. Start by making regular daily posts on your profiles. Be sure to make it so your message comes across clear and concise, and is engaging to other users. Use hashtags when on Twitter and always give credit and tag publications and/or authors who’s articles you share with your peers. Continue reading →

05/14/13

View from the UK: Paywalls Are A Global Story for News Media

By Tracey Johnston, London, UK

In June, editors and news business managers head to Bangkok for the World Newspaper Congress. The programme reveals the hot topic on everyone’s mind – business models in the digital age and, specifically, paywalls.

Most of the main US media outlets have already implemented paywalls of one type or another, whether metered (offering a number of articles for free and then charging for further access) or hard no-pay, no-access models.

In the UK, the paywall debate has not been settled as conclusively. News International’s London Times sits behind a hard paywall and the media group – part of News Corporation – is planning to do the same with its tabloid title, The Sun, later this year.

News organizations worldwide are adopting paywalls for their online and mobile content.

Continue reading →

05/9/13

Think in #Hashtags

By Katja Schroeder, Expedition PR

A common practice in media and messaging workshops is to develop a message house based on three pillars, with each pillar representing a core message. The house always has a roof and the roof has room for a sentence that describes the company’s overall mission. Putting a company’s mission into a single sentence is not an easy exercise. A company has many dimensions and addresses a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. However, boiling down the message really helps to focus on the essential.

Stan-01-Opinions We can take this exercise even one step further. Today, a company’s mission needs to fit into a Tweet, 120 characters (not 140), that can be easily shared and re-tweeted. Ideally, you should think about your company’s mission in a hashtag format. What is it that your company wants to change? Express it in 1-3 words.

For example, we work with Seed&Spark, a crowd-funding and distribution startup exclusively for independent film. They use the hashtag #stayindiefilm or #filmcurious to communicate their mission of changing the independent film industry for the better.

For more ideas on how to communicate your company, take a look at our slideshow and download our eBook on “How to Prepare for Your First PR Push“.

05/7/13

Happy Mother’s Day…Warren Buffett?: How American Women Are Driving Business and Dreams of a ‘Girl’ President

By Tress Fereday, Expedition PR

In honor of Mother’s Day and all working women (whether that is inside or outside the home,) we’ve been discussing the state of women, their influence in business, and purchasing power. My viewing habits of late have helped put some of these thoughts in perspective.

Rosie the Riveter vs. Stupid Girls

I watched (two times) the documentary Miss Representation, which outlines how the media’s misrepresentations of females have led to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence. Some of the stats in the film are sobering and a bit scary.

Perhaps Pink in her song “Stupid Girls” illustrates this minimization and sexualization of women with the lyrics “What happened to the dreams of a girl president? She’s dancing in the video next to 50 Cent.”

Then I saw the PBS series MAKERS: Women Who Make America, which tells the story of the social revolution mighty women have fought to gain a full and fair share of political power, economic opportunity, and personal autonomy.

My mood improved by being reminded of the pioneering females who drove and expanded the horizons of women. But, it is interesting to note that much of the work and legislation against atrocities such as domestic violence and sexual harassment in the workplace didn’t come into place until the 1970’s and 80’s … not that long ago!

So, my question is ‘should we be optimistic or pessimistic about the current role of women?’

The Oracle of Omaha Strikes Back

Then, the “Oracle of Omaha,” Mr. Warren Buffett came out with his speech and essay on how women are the key to the nation’s prosperity

As a new member of the Twitter universe, one of his first tweets directed followers to his essay in Fortune Magazine, where he outlines how today’s empowered and confident women (unlike in his generation) are the key to the future of American business.

And, Mr. Buffett, I couldn’t agree more. Plus, there are stats to support this over and over again.

Women Speak Up/Tweet Up

According to Time, women are using their rapidly increasing spending power to impel changes in the way companies operate. Also, when it comes to earnings, in 47 of the 50 largest metro areas, single, childless women in their 20’s make more than their male peers.

For example, Hawaiian Tropic finally dropped their ridiculous bikini contests (born in the go-go 80’s) realizing their buyer is female. Thank goodness!

According to Marketing Zeus, 85% of purchases and purchasing influence reside with women yet 91% feel that advertisers do not understand them.

It’s time to speak up (and tweet up!) The team who produced Miss Representation are encouraging people worldwide to use the hashtag #NotBuyingIt to call-out sexism in media and products. They have a list of “All Time Worst Offenders” that include some well-known brands.

They recently were a part of the campaign to get Disney to remove sexist Avenger t-shirts from their stores. The boy version said “Be A Hero” and the girl version proclaimed “I Need A Hero.” Yikes!

Women Powering Business

Just check out Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and you’ll see that many of the major global brands have women at the helm.

The top three are Ginni Rometty as President and CEO of IBM, Indra Nooyi is Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, and Meg Whitman as Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Also, you’ll find Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer on the list.

So, whether you aspire to be the CEO of a multinational company or the CEO of your household (or a combination of both), there are inspiring, hardworking women who have blazed the trail.

While we don’t have our “girl president” yet, I am optimistic it will happen in my lifetime.

And, back to our friend Buffett who described how women from his generation were “brainwashed” into thinking men were better in business where today his daughter would laugh and never believe such a silly notion. He also reminded the students during his speech to not define success strictly in monetary terms.

“When you get to be my age … if the people you want to have love you, love you then you are a success.”

A statement to make a Mother proud.

05/3/13

Perfect Pairing: Food & Tech

By Katja Schroeder, Expedition PR

Last night, tech writer Jon Brodkin of Ars Technica tweeted “Did you know there are still people who take photos of every meal they eat and post them on Facebook?” Having just celebrated the launch of Falansai, a new Vietnamese restaurant in Brooklyn, which included the set-up of its social media channels, I could not help but thinking that sharing pictures of food is a good thing. While I might not want to see every single meal my friends are devouring, I trust their taste buds. Sites like Yelp that are packed with consumer reviews and pictures of dishes help me and others decide where to grab the next lunch or dinner.

According to the 2011 State of the Social Media Survey NM Incite, 60% of social media users create reviews of products and services. That includes restaurant reviews, often with pictures.

Technology has created new visual and consumer-content driven marketing tools for the food and hospitality industry. A great picture of an amazing meal posted by a guest can be a restaurant’s best word of mouth.

At last week’s NY Tech Day, the world’s largest startup fair, a number of startups used technology to innovate the food services industry. Here are three of the companies who exhibited at the show.

Culinary Agents: When stopping at the booth, the Culinary Agents team positioned their service as a “LinkedIn” for people who work in the food industry. Right now, most of the LinkedIn users are some type of knowledge worker. Very few cooks are to be found on LinkedIn. Culinary Agents is building a community of talent from all walks of the food and beverage industry to feed a robust job search/match tool that drastically improves the process for both talent and talent seekers.

Plated: Frustrated with having to think of recipes and to shop for all the ingredients to make a delicious meal? Plated is out to change that. This e-commerce platform provides gourmet dinner kits. Customers can cook delicious meals at home without the need for meal planning, recipe hunting or grocery shopping. This is how it works: Plated features a variety of new chef-designed meals each week. Choose the meals you want and order online. No need to grocery shop or recipe hunt (they do it for you).

FoodtoEat: FoodtoEat proposes a new way to order food online from restaurants and food trucks. The company created a common online hub for customers and vendors alike. Customers can customize their dining experience through a large selection of vendors that can be combined for one order. I immediately envisioned myself ordering a couple of my favorite foods from Williamsburg’s Smorgasburg to my home.

From POS systems like Breadcrumb to new types of food delivery services, technology is creating new ways to produce, serve and enjoy food – and share these experiences with others.

And congratulations to FoodtoEat. They are the winner of Expedition PR’s NY Tech Day raffle.

04/30/13

Innovation in NYC: NY Tech Day 2013

By Andrés Uribe, Expedition PR

Expedition PR had the pleasure and excitement of being one of the over 400 companies exhibiting at NY Tech Day 2013. Companies ranged from established startups like Uber and Seamless to newly founded ventures such as Lineapple and I Know The Chef. Here is a short list of new apps I have downloaded and services that I have signed up for since last Thursday:

Eat Tribal. Let’s face it, with our forward looking eyes, keen intellect, and sophisticated hunting capabilities, humans are natural apex predators designed to thrive on a diet centered around animal meats (sorry PETA). New startup, Eat Tribal, attempts to satisfy your need for meat (and some veggies) with the delivery of healthy pre-cooked meals delivered right to your home, office, or gym. Once you sign up for Eat Tribal, you’ll receive 3-5 meals (based on your choosing) delivered weekly. All ingredients used in meals are grass-fed, pasture-raised, organic, and locally sourced.

Host Committee. Want your party to go as viral as your last Facebook photo album? Host Committee has you covered. Enjoy a beautiful integration of social media, ticketing, and event planning that guarantees a packed party where everyone will know at least one person before they ever walk through the door. Additionally, by gameifyng party planning, Host Committee is able to offer great party perks for attendees who bring the most friends. And with a constantly updating roster of venues, you’re sure to stay in the loop on what’s hot in NYC. Continue reading →

04/25/13

What Business Are You Really In? How Dancers Showcase Business Model Transformation

By Tress Fereday, Expedition PR

I’ve been working for Marketing Communications agencies for a minute or two, and have participated in my share of team building, creativity-inspiring activities. The most memorable included cardio kick boxing, disco bowling, a limo ride to a spa, splashing at a water park, and an old-school Field Day with tug-a-war and three-legged race. The purpose of these events was to inspire and to build the team dynamic to ultimately drive business … and profits, of course.

I had a lot of fun, and it did reenergize me, and my colleagues. So, when I saw this article about the Trey McIntyre Project, I was intrigued. Not that is was just another unusual motivating event for a business audience (it is that), but that this dance troupe has expanded the notion of what their business is. According to their founder, “we have a real asset, which is the creative process itself. We’re selling that.”

So, it got me thinking about businesses that stick to their business model and refuse to change where others evolve and transform.

Trains vs. Transportation

So, if you were in the railway business in the last century, things were going well until airplanes, cars, and trucks transformed how people and freight were moved. Today, Amtrak and commuter rails in large metropolitan areas are the only remnants of the glory days of consumer locomotive travel.

In hindsight, we can wonder ‘why were these companies committed to the train business vs. being in the transportation business?’ As economies and technologies changed, new companies rose up to address these new demands.

Sustainable and Advancing Business Models

A company that comes to mind that has continually evolved its business model and approach is Amazon.com. The company has been around for 18 years, and started as an online bookseller. Since then they sell pretty much … everything!

I use the site often because of its simplicity and ease-of-use. I joke that you can buy everything on Amazon, even an elephant! Now maybe you can’t buy a real elephant, but their inspired entry into e-readers and tablets have set them up for success in the digital media transition. And, analysts are touting that Amazon is positioning itself for the long-term.

What Business Are You In?

So, if asked “what business are you in” what is your answer? Metaphorically, are you in the “train” business, or instead are you addressing the “transportation” needs of your industry?

If Amazon had answered solely ‘the online book business’ year-over-year , things may be wildly different today. While many of the dot coms of the 90’s went bust because of unsustainable business models, Amazon has catapulted from $510,000 in yearly sales in 1995 to $17 billion in 2011.

The story is a quintessential start-up success story with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos starting the company literally in his garage and getting his friends to beta test the site.

If you are in the midst of launching your company or new product, then check out the free eBook compiled by Expedition PR “How to Prepare for Your Next PR Push.” You’ll learn five steps that can help you get ready to unveil your startup, and perhaps become the next Amazon.

Also, take a moment to view a bio of Jeff Bezos where he laughs a lot! Because nothing feels better than knowing exactly what business you are in.

And if you are at NY Tech Day today, stop by the Expedition PR booth. We’d love to meet you.

04/23/13

Startups Get Serious: The First PR Push for the Company Launch

Free eBook Series Offers Help to Launch New Company

By Katja Schroeder, Expedition PR

Let’s start with some positive news. According to the Small Business Administration, there are more than 28 million small businesses in the United States, which employ half of America’s workforce.

Unfortunately, the not-so-good news is that stats published by SCORE reveal that one-third of these businesses fail within one year, and 70 percent go under by year five. Some scary metrics for any budding entrepreneur.

Stan-07-Conclusion When starting a busy, it is easy to get caught up in product development and operations, and forget about marketing. However, marketing should be a critical element in your business plan to launch – and grow the business.

It’s time to stay focused and utilize tried and true strategies in your Marketing Communications efforts.

To help small business owners, Expedition PR is offering a free Startup Series eBook “How to Prepare for your First PR Push.” In this eBook you’ll learn how to navigate five stepping stones on the path of your first PR push. Continue reading →

Recently, I invited Idil Cakim, the author of the book ‘Implementing Word of Mouth Marketing’to be a guest speaker at my Social Media Marketing class at St Francis College.

Trains vs. Transportation

Sustainable and Advancing Business Models

What Business Are You In?