Archive for December, 2010

Ragan Insider   |  Ragan Staff

79 percent of mothers using social media

A recent study by Child’s Play Communications shows that most moms are not as inexperienced with social media as their naïve sons and daughters may think. Of 2,000 U.S. mothers surveyed, 79 percent with kids younger than 18 are active on social networking sites, such as Facebook, with 43 percent of these moms using it on a daily basis. What does that mean for marketers? Almost one in four moms (23 percent) considered active on social media say they’ve purchased a children’s product based on a networking sit

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How to survive work in 2011: A cartoon for your consideration

Here’s a month-by-month breakdown for how to survive the next 12 months at work. In this cartoon, you’ll see there’s plenty of time allocated for recovering from the winter ski trip to lounging around during the summer while the big boss is away. Of course this is a snapshot of everyone else’s activities; not yours and mine. See it here.

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Telltale signs that your employees are wasting time

We all know people who appear busy but get little accomplished. Eric Abrahamson, a professor at Columbia Business School, describes these folks as “Michelangelos of work avoidance.”  It’s important that HR pros, managers, and others spot these employees before they create discord in the workplace. Susan Adams, writes on Forbes.com that we should be looking for clues on how t

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Did Julian Assange steal a journalist’s girlfriend?

First, the WikiLeaks founder rattles the U.S. State Department with his release of classified diplomatic cables. Now, he’s accused of stealing America’s women. Well, OK, in the interest of accuracy: Assange’s actions may have led to the breakup of one American couple. The Daily Mail reports that Assange “ended the relationship between a well-known American reporter and his girlfriend by blatantly attempting to seduce her during a dinner at a Stockholm restaurant.” The 

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Does Islam need better PR?

One in two Britons associate Islam with terrorism, according to a YouGov poll. The Exploring Islam Foundation (EIF), a group of young British professionals who practice Islam, which commissioned the poll, is tapping public relations to change that perception. “The daring public relations initiative primarily featured an ad campaign covering three issues championed by the Prophet Muhammad: women’s rights, social justice and protecting the environment,” reports the

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3 misunderstandings about public relations

What is PR? I bet you wish you had a nickel for every time someone asked that question. “PR is often misunderstood by the masses, and as a result many people are confused by what PR can do and what it cannot do,” writes PR pro Karla Jo Heims. She highlights three of the biggest misunderstandings about PR and argues that the way PR is typically done today is incorrect. — Matthew Royse

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On Facebook, Canadians ‘like’ brands the most

Canadians are more likely than other humans to “like” brands on social media, according to the Digital Life study from TNS. “Canada exceeds the global average of four brand-friends, and is ahead of China (two brand-friends) and is tied with Northern Europe,” reports Marketing Magazine. “Social media participants in Latin America have an average of six brand-friends.” Take note, brands: The study rev

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6 marketing lessons from a frozen foods connoisseur

Ever wish there was a fearless critic reviewing the many items in the grocer’s frozen food aisles? If so, you’re in luck. Meet Gregory Ng, the creator of “Freezer Burns: The Internet’s Only Frozen Food Show,” which — you guessed it — offers reviews on frozen foods. The online video show has almost 11,000 subscribers. Turns out Ng’s venture offers some important marketing lessons —

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Company taps WikiLeaks to sell feminine hygiene products

The Wikileaks controversy is the talk of the entire world. Marketers in one nation have tapped the Zeitgeist to sell feminine hygiene products. Who’d have thought that nation is Pakistan? The ad (seen here), created by RG Blue Communications, is appearing on billboards in Karachi, reports The Express Tribune. I guess Julian Assange and his website are stirring things up!

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3 rules for (nontraditional) holiday e-mail cards

E-mails are a fabulous way to send holiday greetings, and if you still need to reach out to some of your contacts and people, check out these three ideas. Rachel Happe, co-founder of social media consultancy The Community Roundtable, suggests that you stay away from any mentions of religious holidays. Instead, her guest post on the Blue Sky Factory blog offers three e-mail samples that are seasonal, fun and mildly entertaining. This is something you CAN try

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Social networkers in Europe steer brand awareness

Are you a social media user? If so, chances are you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to fast-tracking brand awareness. The more that users share data and reviews online, the more recognition a brand receives. A Forrester survey of 14,000 people throughout Europe found that 4 percent of Web surfers are responsible for 80 percent of the influential