Bender Helper Impact

Meeting the stars of one of my favorite shows of the ‘90s was definitely a show highlight! CES 2011 is really going to have to try hard to outdo this year’s show, but until then – Live long and prosper.

While MP3s changed the music industry by giving audiences access to smaller acts around the world, musicians now struggle with the medium that quickly turned thoughtful, emotional and often expensive recordings into a free product. As artists face today’s challenges of exciting interest across multiple platforms, many have also found success by propelling their PR and marketing machines using Web video to promote their work and make an honest living.

In a Jan. 2 op-ed for The New York Times, Bono writes that "a decade's worth of music file-sharing and swiping has made clear that the people it hurts are the creators – in this case, the young, fledgling songwriters who can't live off ticket and T-shirt sales like the least sympathetic among us."  He goes on to blame Internet service providers for their abuses against the music business, but neglects to mention that artists, even those without record label representation, can seize the medium with a computer, a camera, advertising savvy and publicity support.

As a musician, indie-label-enthusiast and PR professional, I often question which platform would work best to meet my immediate needs without giving it all away.  What has become clear to me, however, is that music videos, streaming performances and smart placements across the Web allow artists to promote their talents while remaining sincere, avoiding the dreaded "sell-out" label, and even make enough to pay the rent.  While artists test new video, MP3 and streaming sites that launch almost daily, the platform-agnostic approach that many are adopting requires a product that pops.

Meme-jacking was the major video trend of 2008.  Big artists embraced viral video and re-appropriated already-successful memes as part of their work.  Rihanna and T.I. took on "numa numa," Weezer enlisted the entire Web for their "Pork and Beans" video and Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" was destined to be a viral hit with a nerdy plot, Mimi at her most diva-licious and "30-Rock's" Jack McBrayer hamming it up in his signature Kenneth the page fashion.

In 2009, we saw a remarkable use of Ustream by Gonzales where he broke the record for the world's longest music concert by playing the piano for 27 hours live from a theater in Paris.  Mashable called the performance "a win for the Web and its social broadcasting tools," though the big winner was Gonzales who shared his talents with the world via Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, etc.

John Mayer made an augmented reality music video, Diplo and Lil Jon invited fans into the studio via video stream and DIY band Owl City ranked 16th in top digital sales due to a successful music video that was later featured on MySpace and iTunes.  This successful use of video placed a little-known act from Minnesota at the top, among mainstream concept albums, deceased legends and movie soundtracks.

Sony and Universal Music Group's YouTube-powered music video platform, Vevo, launched in an attempt to save the music industry and Hulu is closing deals with still-standing labels for its own music video collection. 

In these first few weeks of 2010, Lady Gaga’s spectacularly unpredictable creativity got her a gig as the “new face” of Polaroid and my own client, Scion, launched a music video series, Scion A/V Video, to help indie labels, artists and directors harness the power of Web video.

With a camera, a vision and a solid PR campaign (large or small), musicians can use Web video to expand their creativity and profitability far beyond 129 kbps.

[Follow Maria: @oonceoonce]

I recently watched “The Proposal” on DVD and in one scene Sandra Bullock’s character, Margaret Tate, tells her assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) he can’t travel home over the weekend due to work. In true Hollywood fashion Tate’s cold heart soon melts, however, and we see the warm, caring woman we knew was there all along. 

As we’re in the midst of the holiday season, the movie made me think of two things. First, the importance of being grateful and caring, and two, we might have avoided debacles such as Enron and WorldCom if more businesses considered incorporating workplace spirituality. No – workplace spirituality has nothing to do with religion or New Age practices.  Rather, it is where a company recognizes people have an inner life that deserves to be nourished and consequently deserve to work in a place that is based on the principles of trust and respect.

Dr. Kent Rhodes writing for the Pepperdine University Graziadio Business Report states, “conversations around the value and place of spirituality in the workplace have been further encouraged by the need for managers and leaders to behave more ethically in the world and to foster ethical decision-making in their workforces.”

Imagine taking the spirit and positive feelings of the holidays and transferring that into the workplace. Americans are, in general, skeptical about major corporations.  From the bonuses for AIG executives to risky mortgages offered to unsuspecting consumers, 21st century corporations seemingly play by a different set of rules. The good thing is that incorporating workplace spirituality does not have to be extreme, or a signal a company is “going soft.”  While it is not a cure-all, if leaders sincerely champion ethics over greed and harmony over clashes, while also keeping an eye on the bottom line and implementing solid business practices, corporate American can begin to restore consumer perceptions and promote positive change. Now that would be a happy ending.

[Follow Angela: @AngelaLapre]
 
If Enron adopted workplace spirituality and was less focused on unethical means, perhaps Enron CEO Jeff Skilling (pictured) would not have found himself behind bars.

Photo credit: AP Worldwide

If you read my first post on the B/HI Bat Asses, you probably thought our season was coming to a fast close.  Well, you thought wrong.  In a stroke of luck (or a clerical error), our softball team made it to the Culver City Adult Softball League playoffs!

The game took place at Veterans Field in Culver City, Calif. at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, December 4.  While the team had a rocky season, we were all excited to get in the game and see what would happen! We had a great 
line-up including Bender/Helper Impact Partner Dean Bender as pitcher, Account Coordinator Whitney Champion at second, Account Executive Frances Kregel, Senior Account Executive Gabriel Del Rio and Director of Social Media Matt Meeks in the outfield, VP of Digital Entertainment 
Melisa Rodriguez at third, myself (Account Executive Miranda Gooding) as catcher and numerous friends and family playing various positions on the field. 

The game started strong with the Bat Asses leading 10-2 against the highest ranked team in the league! For most of the game we held on to our high score, but as the game wore on it became apparent the opposing team wanted to go all the way. While we made it difficult for them to score runs and get us out, in the end the better team took home the W. They did, however, acknowledge that we had given them a run for their money (which was an amazing compliment after the season we had).

We finished the night with a team trip to Shakey’s Pizza where we relived some of the amazing, hysterical and downright ridiculous highlights of the past three months.  And by ridiculous, I mean players falling all over each other in the outfield and swan dives over the catcher at home plate. While we may not have taken home a trophy, we all really enjoyed our time together.  As we joked around about what a difficult season this was for our new team, our fearless leader really summed it up by stating the obvious, “It was a good effort, but in the end we just weren’t good enough.” Spoken like  a true champ!

[Follow Miranda: @MirandaG1234]

As an entertainment publicist, I often consider myself a tribal storyteller around a metaphorical campfire.  Successful campfires need a crowd and my guests represent various publications that reach a very targeted demographic. If I’m doing my job well, I leave a lasting impression and those around me will carry a similar story to their next campfire.

Today’s modern times have produced a 24/7 news cycle that has placed an incredible burden on journalists to meet the interest of their readers.  They’re slammed with deadlines and are being chased by hundreds of publicists who are eager to share their own story, around their own campfire.

Each outing needs to be unique in order to differentiate itself from others and my “tribe” is often tasked with having timely guests, accessible seats and even lavish treats.  As storytellers, we’re valued by the frequency of our fireside visits and the scope of our story.  In such a competitive arena, it’s our job to cut through the clutter, create urgency and most importantly, keep the audience top of mind.  Next time you read an entry by your favorite journalist, remember everyone values a good story and chances are, his hands are still warm from his last campfire visit.

[Follow Gabriel: @gdelrio]

Perhaps the proverbial emotions brought on by pregnancy have gotten the best of me. Every day as my baby bump pops, I grow more and more proud of my team. Here we are in the midst of the crazier-than-ever fourth quarter, working 10+ hours day after day, event after event, Saturday after Sunday.  We're facing the challenges of competitive titles, the hurdles of the evolving media landscape, and the constant pressure to deliver the sun and the moon...

And each day, the team does just that. The placements we've secured in just the last few weeks are absolutely amazing. To name just a few:  An “Ally McBeal” cast reunion on Good Morning America (@mollymq); three-page Blu-ray blow-out in Maxim featuring one client (@cjdolliver); “Fight Club” Blu-ray feature stories in the New York Times and New York Post (@corinagaldamez); two 20-minute segments on Martha for “Food, Inc.” (@mmromley); spreads in Entertainment Weekly, GQ and The Los Angeles Times for the 20th anniversary of “Say Anything” (@fkregel); Time and Oprah.com tied to “Sesame Street’s 40 Years of Sunny Days”; an Entertainment Weekly first look at “Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Darkside” (@csellers34); an eight-page Mel Brooks feature in Filter (@rwolfson); not to mention the DVD announcement for “Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3” Blu-ray in Entertainment Weekly’s ‘News and Notes’ section (@nicolelapretty).

Placements aside, the team has broken a Guinness World Record, babysat kids during mommy blog events (@krystalfranklin), packed a 'SUNNY' yellow carpet, filled theaters for three consecutive filmmaker media days, recruited and escorted a crew of 'Wolverines' at the Michigan/Notre Dame game (@tawnaboucher), embarked on the maiden flight of the “Darth Stewie” balloon, walked the Hollywood Christmas Parade and had a sleepover at Madame Tussaud’s in New York.

Our holiday gift guide efforts (thanks Lisa!) have been through the roof.... Time, Oprah, New York Times, Men’s Journal, Playboy, Giant, Parenting, Playstation Magazine, E! News, Geek, AOL and Wired.com, among many, many others.

All of this on top of our regular day-to-day activities...With sheer determination, dedication and some blood, sweat and tears... Everyone on this team – including @miyawilliams, @emyeary, @bruinnat, @meganforster and Carla Schalman - has bounded together.  None of this could have happened without such an amazing team...I know I speak for Dean, Lee and Shawna when I say – we’re all super proud!

[Follow Sarah: sgumina]

Public relations professionals hear it all the time: outreach to the ever-expanding blogosphere is becoming more and more important to our industry.  Whether it is an article on the front page of the Los Angeles Times about mom blogs or a post on PRNewser, there’s no denying the influence that blogs have.

This message didn’t really hit home until last December when my client, Scion, gave the Digital Entertainment team the task of doing the press for its Scion House Party concert series, in particular getting the word out to blogs.

Scion House Parties are free concert events featuring international dubstep and electro headliners and popular local DJs.  I was excited to dive into this new project and researched appropriate blogs I needed to contact to inform them about these exciting monthly shows.  I scoured the Internet feverishly looking for appropriate sites as I attempted to wrap my head around the dubstep/electro blog community.

My hours of searching paid off, and through my targeted outreach, I now have what I like to call my “blogger pals.”  By taking the time to do thorough research, I have established relationships with numerous bloggers who love the music that Scion is delivering and want to help get the word out to their readers.

As a huge music fan, it has been especially fun for me to interact with the online music community, read their blog posts, follow them on Twitter and meet some of them at the House Parties.  Not only do I have dozens of new friends, but also get to secure coverage on some of the most influential media sites today: blogs.

[Follow Whitney:@whitneychampion]

When I showed up for my 12 noon meeting with Randy Wells of Magnolia Pictures, the intent was simple — walk over to get a cup of coffee, discuss how we performed for his company during the year and seek an extension to the relationship for next year with the goal of securing a slight increase (a challenge in this environment but I had my ammunition ready). What happened next was a career first!

Randy came out of his office to meet me and instead of walking over to get coffee, he indicated to me that some delivery guys were at his house waiting to move some furniture into his son’s bedroom — and could I join him.  He apologized for the change of plan but was pleased that I agreed to accompany him. Randy lives about a mile from his office so the drive was a short one. When we got there, sure enough the movers were there — but they weren’t prepared to move anything. They told Randy that they are not contracted to move furniture out of his house — only allowed to move furniture in.  Well, Randy looks at me and with a slightly begging request, asks me to help him move his son’s sleeper sofa out of the bedroom.  Of course I agreed. How heavy could it be? It was damn heavy! And I’m in pretty decent shape.

After about an hour of supervising the movers, Randy was ready to chat about our business relationship. Needless to say, I had him where I wanted him — on the couch that we moved to his backyard. It was at this location that Randy agreed to the extension, agreed to a raise and basically agreed to pretty much anything else that I threw his way. Talk about the advantages of guilt — or in this case, the benefits of being a team player.

As I said, this was a career first. Who knows? Maybe I should attend all business meetings with a moving truck. Oh, btw, never did get my cup of coffee.

[Follow Dean: @dbender]

Recognizing this, and wanting to be the very best team we can be, the Digital Entertainment team decided to collectively take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test.  The test, originally developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, was created during World War II in order to help women choose a suitable industrial job they would personally excel in.

The Myers-Briggs test is also designed to evaluate one’s psychological preference in how they view the world around them and, consequently, how they make decisions.  MBTI utilizes eight qualities that can result in 16 different, four-quality combinations: extraversion or introversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling and judging or perceiving.

My test results determined I was an ESFP (extraverted, sensing, feeling and perceiving) personality.  Although all the ESFP qualities seemed to adequately reflect my personality, a few resonated with me more than others.  First, the ESFP lives in a world of possibilities and loves people and new experiences.  This is definitely a quality I see in myself and is also a strong motivator behind my decision to pursue a career in public relations.  Additionally, the ESFP is known to be a spontaneous and optimistic individual.  This also reminds me of myself, as I love to try new things and attempt to exude a generally positive attitude.  Finally, the ESFP knows how to have fun and has an appreciation for good food and wine.  This quality matches me perfectly as I try not to take life too seriously and, of course, I always enjoy good food and wine!

Just as my personality type reflected me, the rest of the team was also surprised to see how accurately their personality types described them.  As the team’s unique qualities ranged from charismatic and compassionate to visionary and unconventional, it was interesting to ascertain each team member’s individual traits.

Whether we are extraverts or introverts, feelers or thinkers – in the end, we are a team.  Taking this test initially shed light on our individual strengths and weaknesses, but more importantly demonstrated that no matter what differences we may have, we can learn to put them aside, appreciate one another and discover each day how to work together more effectively and foster an improved team dynamic. 

[Follow Caitlin: @caitsett]

Last month, several members of the Digital Entertainment team had the opportunity to help the Home Entertainment team staff the star-studded DVD release of “Star Trek.”  Set atop the hills of Los Angeles at the Griffith Park Observatory, stars like Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and John Cho walked the red carpet in celebration of the launch.

Behind-the-scenes, the B/HI staff was busy assisting media, walking talent down the red carpet and announcing celebrity arrivals.  I had the pleasure of working with a reporter from Star Trek Magazine who gave me lots of Star Trek insight.  By the end of the night, I was placed on car duty along with my colleague, Maria Gonima.  Our new mission was to ensure the timely departure of our new celebrity friends.  Armed with swag and walkie-talkies, we took our positions!

Unbeknownst to us walkie-talkie virgins, there is such a thing as walkie-talkie etiquette and language.   Within minutes of placing the headphones on our heads, we received our first page, “It’s Melanie -- for the front.”  Was she talking to us?  How should we respond? - Yes?  Did you need something?  Go ahead?  The pressure was on.  After some delay we responded with “Maria and Jennifer at the front!”

After receiving some tips from the valets, we were walkie-talkie pros by the end of the night doling out “Roger,” “affirmative” and “copy that.”  Our conversations were no longer drawn out answers – they were brief and to the point.  They went more like the following:

Jennifer: “Jennifer for Maria.”
Maria: “Go Jennifer”
Jennifer: “What’s your 20” (location)
Maria: “Front”
Jennifer: “10-12” (talent heading down)
Maria: “Roger”

The night lent itself to a perfect lesson: brush up on your walkie-talkie skills every chance you get.  You never know when they may come in handy.

Over and out.

[Follow Jennifer: @JenniferReza]