Bender Helper Impact

Have you heard the term “check-in” more often lately?  Or seen a friend grab their smartphone the moment they walk into a restaurant for dinner? 

It might just be because location-based social networks, or “lo-so” networks (thanks Mashable), are bigger than ever.  Though they are nothing new, the popularity of location applications such as Foursquare and Gowalla is surging, exemplified by the record 347,000 Foursquare check-ins experienced recently during the interactive portion of SXSW.

If you’re unfamiliar with this latest social media craze, location-based social networks allow users to check-in at different places, post tips and recommendations about them, and in return earn points and virtual badges.  Additionally, if a user has checked in somewhere more than anyone else in the network, they are declared “The Mayor” of that location.

While some may find these location applications a bit creepy, I have become addicted.  I was hesitant to jump onto the lo-so bandwagon, but once I did I never looked back.  Now when I go anywhere, the first thing I do is whip out my Blackberry and check-in on Foursquare.  Only a few of my friends are on the network so they tend to think I am crazy (which I swear I’m not) for faithfully conducting my virtual check-ins.

While people may view apps like Foursquare as just another vehicle for virtual stalking, I’ve discovered that it has actually become a source of motivation to get out and explore my city.  When I check-in to a location, instantly a list of nearby restaurants, bars and coffee shops pop up on my screen, leading me to discover places I never knew about. 

The tips people leave have also come in handy when visiting these venues and – as nerdy as it may sound – I take great pride when I am declared the mayor of a particular location.  (Fun fact: I am honored to say that I am currently the mayor of B/HI.)

With all the hype that comes with location-based social networks, it is easy to assume that they’re just silly apps with no purpose.  Au contraire!  Lo-so networks are additional tools in the social media toolbox that brands and businesses can utilize to interact with their audience.  Whether it is Bravo TV creating a whole campaign involving Foursquare or a local diner offering a free hamburger to the “mayor” of their restaurant, location-based social networks are providing new opportunities for engagement.

This is just the beginning for lo-so networks.  As the definition of a location shifts and the applications continue to evolve with new features such as analytic dashboards, allowing participating businesses to gather data about their customers, the possibilities for these networks are seemingly endless.

[Follow Whitney: @whitneychampion]

The Game Developer’s Conference has changed quite a bit since I began attending the show in San Francisco more than five years ago with Autodesk Media & Entertainment. ”Change” is a very good thing, considering that just five years ago we did not have the Wii or iPhone, let alone PlayStation Move, social gaming, and fun free online games for kids like Free Realms and Moshi Monsters. With the arrival of the iPad, Microsoft Natal on the horizon, and distribution innovations like OnLive and Gaikai, GDC is evolving in step with these new technologies and consumer trends.  Last month’s show, which reflected those changes, continued to be a learning experience for those in attendance as a primary point of discussion was how tools and techniques must shift in tandem with the marketplace.


While the GDC show floor seemed smaller than in years past (most likely due to the economic challenges every company continues to face), it is still a highly regarded, “must-attend” show for the industry’s top publishers, developers and technology vendors. Whether you’re reporting on the industry or working in it, access to the secrets behind some of the past hot titles, as well as a sneak peek at 2010’s most anticipated games, are activities no one wants to miss.


On the media front, I’ve witnessed an interesting transition. GDC has shifted from being a show mostly attended by B2B press, to a convention most major gaming media are eager to attend, whether they are a production trade, newspaper, blog, magazine, online or broadcast outlet.


Keeping in step with GDC’s theme of growth and evolution, B/HI attended the show with facial animation company Image Metrics.  The company just completed its public listing, beta program of its FACEWARE application for game developers to use in house. The B/HI team was also on site to support the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, which is offering an expanded three-year program for those that want to make games or VFX but don’t have a strong foundation in art. B/HI also attended the Flash Gaming Summit with social gaming client AddictingGames.com, meeting with media and attendees that are eager to learn the secrets to success in creating and selling fun free play online.


With GDC over, the 2010 tradeshow season is officially in full swing. It’s gearing up to be a great ride, and I’m looking forward to meeting friends old and new all year long. You can follow me on Twitter at @shannonmcphee to see if we’ll be at the same conference soon. Until then, happy gaming!

[Follow Shannon: @shannonmcphee]

As I complete my final semester of college, I have taken time to reflect upon what I have gained from my six-figure education at Loyola Marymount University. There are great memories, friendships and Facebook updates, of course. But wait! There’s more!

Graduating with a degree in history, I will proudly leave the campus I have made my second home with practical research skills that have helped me learn not only about past events, but have also helped me better understand the world in which we live today.  

Another way I’m learning about our ever-changing world is here at Bender/Helper Impact, where I am currently an intern in the Digital Entertainment division.

As part of my internship I conduct a lot of online research, and proper web browsing tools help me quickly navigate the Internet.  In the fast-paced world of PR we must be sure to maintain credibility with the messages and news we broadcast, yet it is also vital to work quickly and efficiently.

With that said, here are a few key things I’ve learned about online research; in particular for use with Google.

1. Every. Word. Matters.  capitalization does not. 
This is most likely because Google realized that we have become too lazy to take our pinky and press shift to switch to activate the uppercase function.  And, honestly, if Google does not have the intuition to just KNOW that you capitalize “I,” then how good is their product, really?

2. If you mean it, quote it.
This is perfect for people, places, and nouns in general.  I tend to use quotation marks when looking for a specific title or term.  Or when I’m Googling a person I met on a Friday night at The Brig (a bar in Venice).  This search tool will give you the exact words in the exact order you put them in.
• Be aware that using quotations can remove relevant searches from your query, so use them with caution!

3. +/-
I’ve been having a lot of problems recently conducting searches on Britney Spears and what bloggers fondly refer to as her “cheetolings.” 

I want Google to understand my search query, but how do I explain to it vocabulary created by Spears’ 6-year emotional rollercoaster ride via the tabloid superhighway?
For this search, words you want to exclude will get a (-) marked immediately before the search term.  Ex: [Britney Spears cheetolings -cheetos]

Words you want searched exactly as you typed them, and not their synonyms, should be searched with (+) immediately preceding the word. Ex: [Britney Spears +cheetolings]

4. OR
This should be clear.  I’ve been looking for digital cameras online.  I want a Nikon OR a Canon SLR. Not both.

5. BONUS!
Put a * where you have omitted a word from your search and Google will magically insert what it believes to be relevant to your search topic. 

E.g.: [Oscars best * 1988] will return a search on best actress, actor, documentary... you get the idea. 

Remember: When using Web sites or blogs as references, always search for the author and when the site was updated as this can be a good indicator of the site’s credibility. 

Search on.

If you read the recent B/HI Blog post by my colleague Whitney Champion regarding the Los Angeles food trucks, then it is apparent how much the B/HI staff loves these roaming culinary vehicles. It was this love that brought Whitney and me to the Don Chow Tacos truck one sunny February afternoon.  Don Chow’s serves a fusion of Mexican and Chinese foods, a variety neither of us had experienced and we were excited to check out!

As luck would have it, that same day the Food Network’s popular program, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” was filming Don Chow’s for an upcoming episode!  Since I’ve always had a suspicion that Whitney was born to be a star, I felt as if we had stumbled onto a golden opportunity. Furthering our luck, when we arrived at the truck no other patrons were there and we were quickly approached by one of the show’s producers asking if we would like to be interviewed for the show – would we like to? Um no, we would LOVE to!

We quickly ordered our food (thanks Food Network for treating us!) - one Kung Pao chicken taco for Whitney and a BBQ pork taco for myself.  We were then ready for our close-up (Mr. Demille… haha). 

It was here being a PR professional really came in handy.  As we do with our clients, we practiced our messaging to ensure that we had all of our facts straight before stepping up to the microphone. Soon we were in front of the camera, answering questions about the quality of the food, how we knew about the food trucks, how often we ate at them and which were our favorite trucks.  The interviews took about five minutes each and after signing our release forms, we hustled back to work. 

Exhilarated, we ran back to the office and promptly told everyone we work with that we were about to become famous.

“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” is scheduled to air in about six months.  We’ll be sure to send out a “tune-in alert” about our television debut so check the B/HI blog often to uncover our 15 minutes of “fame”!

[Follow Miranda: @MirandaG1234]

It was a hazy summer afternoon when I was first introduced to the Kogi BBQ truck, one of the many gourmet food trucks that have taken Los Angeles by storm. 

Days after becoming a follower of Kogi’s Twitter account, my co-workers and I embarked upon our first trip to try their Korean-inspired tacos and burritos.  As we approached the long line outside of TLofts, the urban loft community near the Bender/Helper Impact (B/HI) office, I did not understand the hype. 

I soon learned what all the fuss was about...

Within seconds of my first bite of the chicken taco, I was hooked.  Never having tasted anything like Kogi’s Korean and Mexican signature fusion flavor, I quickly became obsessed.  Kogi has returned to our area nearly every Thursday since my first visit, and it has become a weekly ritual to walk over to TLofts to experience the finest in mobile dining.

As word of Kogi’s popularity continued to spread, TLofts became home to other popular food trucks of Los Angeles.  Vehicles serving up everything from Philly cheesesteak sandwiches to hot dogs to cupcakes soon began to arrive daily, making every day a new culinary adventure.

I may seem overzealous about my food trucks, but I’m not ashamed.  I love that in the span of one week I can have such diverse meals as a mac & cheese melt from the Grilled Cheese Truck, a gyro from Louks To Go and a breakfast sandwich from the Buttermilk Truck -- and they are within walking distance from my desk!

It has also become an office-bonding experience for many of us at B/HI who enjoy the delicious offerings of the dozens of food trucks that journey the streets of Los Angeles.  We follow them on Twitter; we let each other know when a new one is coming to us for the first time; and we make group trips together at lunchtime.

As social media continues to rapidly expand, it is permeating everything that we do, right down to where we choose to eat.  Whether it is a Fortune 500 company, a mom and pop food truck, or a single individual, social networks are encouraging everyone to connect and share more than ever before.  The result: increased knowledge, enhanced social engagement, and most importantly, delicious food.

[Follow Whitney: @whitneychampion]

They say college is supposed to prepare you for the working world.  In many ways, my degree in Communication Studies has proven immeasurable when it comes to research methods, knowing media outlets, brand messaging, and distribution platforms for entertainment products. 

However, what college didn’t teach me is how the real working world works.  There are a few things that college could not prepare me for that I’m learning at my first job at Bender/Helper Impact.

Even with my Communication Studies degree, my communication skills at work are constantly being tested and stretched.  I’m learning the dynamics of working in a group and as a team player.  While college work was mostly a solitary experience – writing papers, taking tests – I am never really working alone on the job.  Everything I do goes through a review process and is refined and improved upon by various members of my team.

This review process also throws my usual time-management skills for a loop.  Whereas in college I could get away with procrastination and pull an all-nighter here or there, that isn’t possible when projects require constant feedback and review.  Also, in school you’re given all your assignments in the beginning, laid out like a map that’s easy to follow.  But in the real world of PR, where seemingly every hour new tasks pop up from the client or as an offshoot from an existing task, you need to be flexible and efficient.  This is an industry where you need quality and quantity, and the only way to get to that level is through experience.

In my time here as an account coordinator, I’ve learned so much.  My university gave me the building blocks for the real world, but it’s here at Bender/Helper Impact, where I’m using these blocks to form a solid foundation that will help me grow and succeed throughout my career.

[Follow Kristal: @kristal_bailey]

One of the beautiful things about the Internet is that everybody can now market themselves and their content in exciting new ways; and, many are doing a great job of it.  One look at Felicia Day’s work over the past three years will tell you that there is something to this whole Internet business. As a sidenote, last night I re-watched the Guild Season 1 on Netflix  - awesome.



Anyway, we all know that online marketing is nothing new, but one of the earliest online marketing tools, search engine optimization, can now be used to put Web video content in front of new audiences.  While SEO has been around for a long time, Web television is still in its infancy. Today, script optimization presents a huge opportunity for content creators to promote video content; and as far as I have seen, nobody is openly taking advantage of it.



Recently, Hulu announced that they have enabled closed caption search, which means that you can now insert popular search terms into your scripts to help shows index. In addition to Hulu, YouTube and Google have been doing this for even longer. If you don’t believe me, check out the following video to see closed captioning SEO actually work: http://bit.ly/11G2ic



Optimizing YouTube is easy, because a little something called AdWords exists to tell you what people are searching for in Google. Due to the fact that Google owns YouTube, this is probably a good place to start.



Unfortunately, there is no Hulu “AdWords,” so when optimizing a video for Hulu I would stick to what Hulu’s audience is looking for. First, I would look at the Hulu homepage. Outside of that, Hulu users are searching for timely news items and top network television shows.



So, my advice to content creators is this: become a news source.  Host a weekly video series discussing the top news or a roundup of network television shows and what you, as independent writers, think about them.  Doing this may just land you a coveted spot on Hulu, somewhere between a clip of Peter Griffin fighting a chicken and that Shy Ronnie SNL skit.



My advice to studios - hire some internal Internet savvy people and put them on your creative teams. So far, you are failing in this regard. Put one marketer on your writing staff.  Hire junior writers to take background character work and use this to strategically infiltrate the Internet with Twitter accounts, blogs, etc. Let your characters live and breathe online (Hint: all of this activity can be optimized as well).

My advice to content destination sites - provide creators with your search data. Sure, you will probably be flooded with a bunch of spam videos but tweaking your search algorithms can filter those out; and, on the up side your site traffic will go through the roof.



Anyway, just my thoughts on it all.  Let the games begin.

[Follow Matt: @MattMeeks]

Last Thursday, I flew to Houston for the much-anticipated Mom 2.0 Summit – a convention where almost 350 web savvy moms, online marketing pros and even a handful of digital dads congregated to learn, bond and Tweet. For two days, I manned the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment booth, with the goal of getting everyone excited about Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Strawberry Shortcake and Flicka 2 – but I didn’t expect it to end up being such a great learning experience!  I met and chatted with hundreds of bloggers – a handful I’ve worked with and the rest brand new – and also experienced first-hand the influence and power that this community holds.

Just minutes after director and producer Michael and Janeen Damian’s Flicka 2 presentation, @MMIWest had posted a blog and tweeted about the importance of this family film - even uploading a photo of Flicka from the clip. Within seconds, people were re-tweeting and replying to @MMIWest.  In a flash, the power of networking and getting a message out to the WORLD quickly unfolded right there, in the ballroom of the Four Seasons. 

A few other memorable moments?  I learned that the majority of moms miss Strawberry Shortcake’s original look, Alvin is always going to score points with the kids and driving around downtown Houston in the Oscar Meyer wienermobile is as cool as it sounds.

I’m not a daily coffee drinker (tea for me, please), but if I do partake in some java it’s usually in the “coffee disguised as dessert” category. Thus a recent trip to the nearby The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for a Mocha Ice Blended drink.

Ready to enjoy my beverage, what I instead digested was not up to par with other Ice Blended drinks I’ve had.  This one was watery, had little flavor, and was akin to drinking a coffee-colored slushee.

Figuring I didn’t get what I paid for, I wrote an email to the folks at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, nicely expressing my disappointment in my recent purchase.  A few days later, a customer service representative, Katie, wrote me back.  Her friendly email expressed her concern, that she would share my experience with her team, and if I’d like to get a certificate for another Ice Blended to “make up” for my recent experience.

Katie’s email reminded me how important good customer service is.  We want to be recognized if we have an issue with a company’s product and know that we are being heard, as well as know the company is continually working on improving.

I wrote back to Katie, thanking her for contacting me and the generous offer for a complimentary drink.  More importantly, my confidence in the company actually increased.

In the world of PR, we agonize over every decision we make – and 95% of the time rightly so.  But if we remember the golden rule (treat others as we’d like to be treated) - we’re likely to get the results we strive for in our profession: a public that thinks well of the clients we represent and turns to them for their services time and time again.

[Follow Angela: @AngelaLapre]

You won’t normally find a lot of video game journalists at a NASCAR event.  It just doesn’t happen.   And perhaps that is why our recent event hosted by Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) at the Toyota Speedway was so perfect; we immersed a bunch of video game journalists in a world that was very different from their own and in the process increased awareness for PDE’s upcoming title – Days of Thunder.