Personalizing Your PR
Forget that special media contact on his birthday? Did another employee's anniversary go by without recognition? For the calendar-clumsy, Card-care can help take care of
personal PR by delivering timely, personalized cards for customers, clients, employees and associates. Just put together a database of the important people and their big dates and
a personally selected card shows up at your desk. Sign it, lick it and drop it in the mail and you suddenly look considerate.
(Card-Care, 800/892-9301, http://www.card-care.com.)
Top Billing
It's hard to put a lot of faith in a release that opens, "Amazing Search Engine Secrets Discovered by a Computer Illiterate Man in Massachusetts Can Practically Hand You the
Top Search Engine Positions... And Add 1,550 Hits a Day to Web Site Overnight!" But an email that found us last week had just enough facts to pique our interest. For example:
- Infoseek, Alta Vista and HotBot ban Web sites that break their rules, including "insider" techniques that many experts recommend (we'd explain, but we didn't shell out
the bucks for the CD) - Using search engine submission software can get your page deleted from major search engines
- 95 percent of Internet traffic originates at one of the 10 major search engines Something called the Search Engine Magic CD-ROM, with 21 interactive video and audio lessons
about achieving better placement, is selling for $144. It vows you can own the top search engine positions for less than the cost of a few classified ads. No word on whether the
program will help you lose 40 pounds in two weeks or regrow hair.
(Financial Systems, 212/504-8032.)
Bring on the Broadband
PR Newswire isn't just for simple press releases anymore. The company is providing access to newsworthy video and audio from top global corporations and associations using
StreamSearch. com's database.
The directory helps consumers, investors and business leaders search audio and video content of product releases, corporate announcements, video news releases, conference
calls, shareholder meetings and other events. StreamSearch.com provides consumers with direct access to PR Newswire's playable media and updates the selection daily.
(Renu Aldrich, PR Newswire, 212/282-1929, http://www.streamsearch.com.)
Hitting the Bottom
Line
Unsure if your campaign was worth it? Questus, an interactive agency, has launched Dynamic Media Planner to statistically analyze campaign elements - including media placement,
messaging, design, positioning, tonality and incentives - to identify the most cost-effective mix.
"The Internet is lit up with ineffective ad campaigns," says Jeff Rosenblum, president. "Some marry good creative with bad placement. Some use catchy messages that undermine
the company's brand. These mistakes are costly and avoidable."
The agency also launched AudienceProfiler, a service for Web site operators that provides demographic and psychographic profiles of site visitors.
(Wayne Phillips, Sydney Communications for Questus, 925/676-0832, http://www.questus.com.)
Tchotchke
Heaven
Looking for that perfect gift to woo your favorite journalist, analyst or customer? PromoMart, a promotional shopping mall, has upped its search capabilities to include more
than 100,000 products that can be imprinted with a company logo or message. For example, you can search for baseball hats with a price range of $5 to $10. (Editor's Note: This is
not a hint. We don't think we look very good in baseball hats.)
(Marge Ryan-Atkinson, ASI for PromoMart.com, 800/546-1386.)
Make Me a Match
If you're looking for an agency to handle your PR tasks, consider listing at bSource.com, an "online business matchmaker" that helps small and medium-sized companies locate,
evaluate and select outsourced services including public relations and Web development. The site recently formed a partnership with IndustryWeek whereby the service is
integrated with IndustryWeek's Web site.
(David Hawk, Dadascope Communications for bSource.com, 415/431-0055.)
Money Talks
Quarterly revenues to announce? Vcall, a service of the Investor Broadcast Network, lets investor relations professionals Webcast events for more than 1,200 public companies.
It gives investors access to I/R conference calls, earnings releases, shareholder meetings and financial community presentations.
(Kim Stever, Investor Broadcast Network, 215/814-6606.)
Response Rates:
Email: 7.5%
Banner ads: 1%
Direct mail: 1%
Source: Inbox Interactive
Page Views. There might be enough people online for everyone to read a page. By 2005, about 1 billion people will be connected to the Internet, up from a mere 300
million now.
Source: The Angus Reid Group
Expert Web Picks
Where do technology gurus hang out on the Web? Reid Walker, director of external communications at PSI Net, lists his favorite haunts:
Investor Packages - type in a company's stock symbol or name and this
site will cull all the news about that company from a wide range of financial
sites. (http://www.investorpackages.com)
Silicon Valley Tarot - "Why stoop to market research, consumer surveys
and expensive consultants to guide you in the scary, uncertain future of technology
when you can consult the Silicon Valley Tarot?" (http://www.svtarot.com)
Dictionary of Management Jargon - Good for a laugh. I really believe
some people in PR agencies and accounting firms refer to this site before a
pitch. (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Styx/8877/mj/mj.html#V)