Bender Helper Impact

As I end my third week as an Account Executive at Bender/Helper Impact, I really can’t believe I’ve been here almost an entire month. Time really flies when you’re learning your way around this place!

My first impression? Everyone here is so organized they could all moonlight as editors at Real Simple. And it makes sense because they all – well, now it’s “we all” – have to juggle a million things at once while keeping in mind a million looming deadlines. So it thrilled me to no end on my first day when I was shown the break room and, within it, an absolutely gorgeous one-shot coffee machine.  You can ask my new office-mate, I think I love that coffee machine (and all the different varieties of flavors to choose from – including hot cocoa!) a little too much. But I digress…

So what’s a new girl, thrown into the mix of deadlines, meetings, projects and even special “Bender lingo,” to do? Ask! Luckily everyone couldn’t be nicer about showing me their binders, their files, their to-do lists, and everything else that’s crucial to keeping yourself both efficient and from going insane when working here. They also help with translating words like “download,” “verticals,” “asks,” and “p/u” when they’re used in ways I’ve never heard before.  I’ve also asked “How on earth do you do this all?” many, many times and always the answer is the same: teamwork.

I’ve learned more about teamwork in these past few weeks than I ever did during my high school P.E. class. I’m still new, so I’m obviously no expert, but I do know one thing – you won’t last long here if you’re not willing to both help out, and also ask others for help when you need it. The word “team” is thrown out here a ton and, unlike those words I mentioned above, it’s used in the same way I’ve always heard it. And it’s nice when you first start somewhere to hear: “That’s so great that we have a full team!” and “I’m so happy you’re on the team.” Yes, that’s right, I’m on a team! As crazy as it gets here, being on team is a great place to be.

[Follow Nicole: @NicoleLAPretty]

Gazing out at the sparkling Pacific Ocean from the beautiful island of Maui, one becomes quite introspective.  All things considered, there is not a better setting for a little self analysis.
Our world as communications professionals is filled with a bevy of emotions and deadlines.  We see and experience all things — mostly coated with a layer of stress (either self inflicted or graciously provided to us).  How do we maintain our maneuverability, our intelligence or our ability to perform when our many worlds seem to be crashing down on us all day long?  We do it for many reasons but one stands out.  There’s a certain sense of accomplishment to be a problem solver. An influencer. An evangelist.  We persuade. We alter perceptions. We activate. We’re all about change.

We move in and out, up and down, side to side, every day of the week. It takes a strong individual to understand and deal with the volatility of our terrain.  However, this endless ocean view reminds me of a world without deadlines — and we all need to visit that world to appreciate the one in which we live.

As a communications and public relations professional in the midst of obtaining my MBA, I was curious how knowledgeable “the average” MBA recipient is about public relations.  After all, if the person in question is a high-ranking executive, his or her company’s reputation is on the line when things go awry.

According to Council of Public Relations’ 2006 panel of business school representatives, “MBA students have little understanding of public relations and its career opportunities because the academic program does not expose them to it.”

This lack of understanding is evident with organizations “catching up” with the powerful social media tools and the havoc they can cause.  A case in point is the recent tweets posted by players of the Texas Tech football team, including negative posts about the team’s coach, Mike Leach.

As reported by ESPN, Leach banned his entire team from using Twitter.  I do not know if the highest levels of the college have put a social media policy in place, but with more than 30,000 Internet savvy students and faculty on campus it would seem appropriate that the PR staff at Texas Tech have a seat at the table to help shape smart policies on social media.

The challenges for companies can be significant.  From GM’s bailout to the inappropriate use of a foreclosed luxury home in Malibu, Calif., by a Wells Fargo executive, the need for MBA programs and business leaders to keep corporate reputation top of mind is critical.  As with many things, knowledge is power, and MBA students are wise to be aware of PR. Further, executives should readily use their PR teams to help set and enforce common sense policies to protect and maintain positive brand reputation.

[Follow Angela: @AngelaLapre]

The Beatles’ Paul, John, George and Ringo were reunited in The Beatles: Rock Band, which hit store shelves today. B/HI took full advantage of the buzz surrounding the game to get coverage for our client GameTrailers.com (GT).  Reps from GT were secured to provide expert commentary and demo the game simultaneously on the CW’s “KTLA Morning News” and Fox LA’s “Good Day LA.”  Mike Hope, Stacy Miles and Bradney Blake were on-hand to staff the interviews and snapped some pics.

To watch the segments online, visit:
GameTrailers on KTLA Morning News
GameTrailers on Good Day LA  

[Follow Stacy: @SuprStace6]

Tawna Boucher:
What surprises me every year I attend Comic-Con is the shear volume of fans – I just can’t seem to wrap my head around it.  I don’t know anywhere else in the world where there is one humongous room filled with so many comic book, sci fi, gaming, film zealots! It’s amazing. And we think traffic in LA is bad...there is nothing like trying to get from one booth to the other – it takes a lot of patience and perseverance. We had an awesome booth this year for Fox/MGM HE called “Feed Your Fear” where fans were dared to test their strength by strapping into an electric chair, donning vision goggles and experiencing harried clips of iconic scenes from horror films including Child’s Play, Misery, Hannibal, etc. It was a huge hit this year with attendees, media, and on up to the executives, and we had a lot of fun chatting up all the excited fans, as well as witnessing a few creepier characters who took the challenge very seriously including Storm Troopers, Predator, Glinda the Good Witch, Planet of the Apes, and more. But that’s what you expect when you attend Comic-Con – big crowds, crazy fans, lots of noise, excitement, parties, panels, talent signings, and non-stop action. And I wonder why it took me almost a week to recover.



Conor Sellers:
This year marked my fifth straight year attending Comic-Con on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  Over the years it is very safe to say that things have gotten much bigger and a lot more complicated.  This time around was no different thanks to a ridiculous signing schedule at our booth that featured a LOT of big time television talent from "Fringe," "24," "Glee," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Dollhouse," "Futurama," and "American Dad" to name a few.  We also had a couple of highly anticipated direct-to-DVD sequels on the horizon including Wrong Turn 3 and WWE superstar Ted DiBiase Jr. in The Marine 2.  After 4 long days, zero sleep, hardly any food or even a simple chair to sit in, it was over.  I keep telling myself I won’t go next year.  Fingers crossed.

I drove from northern Utah to Los Angeles, applied for the internship and, after interviewing with them, was thrilled to hear I got the position. I have been interning here for 10 weeks. I work with a brilliant group of young, hip people who are always working even after they run out of gas.

Working here can feel like being in the kitchen cooking meals for six different people all at once. There is always something going on and something that needs to get done. I really enjoy the agency’s fast pace, multi-task work environment.

I learned quickly that communication and clarity is key. When several people are telling me what they need done, it’s  easy to become confused and lose track of what should be done first.  Asking questions for clarity and prioritizing helps to ensure what I need to do and that it gets done correctly.

Going into this internship and seeing what everyone does has really been a humbling experience.  I wanted to work on big projects, be creative and do things that would make me “look good,” but the reality is that I am young, inexperienced and need to help with the small things first.

According to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, only 19.7 percent of the 2009 graduates who applied for a job actually have one. That does not sound particularly promising for me, but hopefully this experience with B/HI will put me in that 19.7 percent.

Following this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Kotaku reported that video games are quickly stealing the show, and B/HI’s gaming team was there to make sure our clients got their share of the spotlight this year.

B/HI was on hand to promote DC Universe Online and Free Realms for Sony Online Entertainment, Star Trek: D-A-C and The Warriors: Street Brawl for Paramount Digital Entertainment, and the latest Naruto titles for Tomy. The B/HI team, including Mike Hope, myself (Shannon McPhee), Stacy Miles, Elizabeth Stewart, Michelle Hoffman, Cate Lombardo and Adrienne Borgstrom all attended Comic-Con to ensure our clients’ titles received plenty of attention from enthusiast, consumer and broadcast media.

Below are a selection of show highlights that showcase just how busy the team was at Comic-Con San Diego. It’s an action packed five days, but the fans and our media friends make it all a lot of fun!

The B/HI ladies snap a quick pic with the official Catwoman and Batman at the SOE booth. From left to right are Shannon McPhee, intern Rachel Waller, Catwoman, Elizabeth Stewart (front), Cate Lombardo, Batman and Stacy Miles.	CNN’s Danya Levine interviews Free Realms art director Rosie Rappaport about the breakout success of the family-friendly online game.
DC Universe Online Senior Producer Wes Yanagi discusses the upcoming MMO with Ryan Stevens of GameTrailers.	G4’s Blair Herter interviews Jim Lee of Wildstrom Comics and creative director of DC Universe Online before the game panel with Geoff Johns and Marv Wolfman.
Glenn Stotz of TOMY shows off Naruto Shippuden Ninja Destiny 2 on the DS to Clayton Morris of Fox and Friends.	Star Trek: D-A-C Producer Ben Hoyt asks a few questions off camera before showing off the game live to the CW.
Comic book legend and DC Universe Online writer Marv Wolfman discusses the upcoming video game live on Fox 5 San Diego.	Trekkies Michelle Hoffman and Shannon McPhee of B/HI and Paramount Digital Entertainment Producer Jeffrey Dixon take the bridge with the Star Trek green girls in the Paramount booth.
The Warriors: Street Brawl Producer Jeffrey Dixon of Paramount Digital Entertainment shares the spotlight with Comic-Con’s youngest journalist while Michelle Hoffman of B/HI ensures no embargoed information is disclosed

[Follow Shannon: @shannonmcphee]

An article in the online edition of the July 4th New York Times said it best: “In the new world of social media, P.R. people must know hundreds of writers, bloggers and Twitter users instead of having six top reporters on speed dial.”

The world of social media has forever changed the way we do public relations. Any P.R. professional knows that building relationships is a key part of this profession. Bloggers and citizen journalists are key influencers in the new world of social media that need to be pitched – and mom bloggers are one of the most powerful crowds on the web. The 2009 Women and Social Media Study from iVillage, BlogHer and Compass Partners shows that women are “significantly more likely to make a purchase decision based on customer experiences reported on blogs.”

I hadn’t fully wrapped my head around it all until a week ago when one of my college friends started following me on Twitter and asked me if I was pregnant. Pregnant? Me? I started laughing hysterically (did I mention I am not even married?!). “No, I am not pregnant. What in the world gave you that idea?!” She told me she was new to Twitter and wanted to see who I was following so she could get a good start. When she saw the large amount of mom bloggers I follow and interact with, she came up with that conclusion. I then explained to her that I work with these women on a daily basis, and I consider many of them my friends. Friends? Did I just say friends? Yes. These women are more than an acquaintance. They are more than a business relationship. I follow them on Twitter, I read their blogs, I know what is going on in their personal lives, I know random information about all of them and I email them outside of office-related correspondence – I enjoy chatting with them because I care.

One blogger friend of mine that I have developed a great relationship with is Amy Lupold Bair of ResourcefulMommy.com. While we have great conversations and share some fantastic stories, we have also been able to provide each other with great work-related feedback. Recently, Amy shared her thoughts with me about the way publicists outreach to bloggers, which is what actually led to this post. Below, Amy has generously offered her tips for outreaching to mom bloggers based on her experiences. We hope this information will be helpful as the influence of social media continues to grow, changing the way we all work.

1. Bloggers are People: While pitching to a member of the mainstream media may feel like pitching to the media outlet itself, pitching to a blog means reaching out to a person. The copy should always feel personal, even if you’ve just reworked a larger outreach. The number one “must do?” Use our first name when addressing us, not the name of our blog or Twitter ID.

2. Bloggers are Professionals: It may contradict the first tip, but this is important as well. Many bloggers are incredibly savvy about how to take your copy and make it pop from the page, how to give you great keyword link back, and how to build buzz in social media. Sometimes it’s great to just let us take your idea and run with it!

3. Family First: Most “mom bloggers” do not have childcare, so although we’re great at what we do online, our families come first. That may mean delayed posting or even the occasional ball dropped. If you’re understanding of the chaos we live in, we’ll reward you for your patience in the long run with our loyalty. Also, if the post is time sensitive, tell us up front!

4. Diversify: Mom bloggers often run in a niche, and while we recognize the value in this – be it coupon bloggers, review bloggers, parenting bloggers – we don’t like to see the same content across the entire niche. Try to reach out to a diverse group of moms when offering one content idea or giveaway.

5. Reach the Small Blogger: I created my word of mouth marketing network, www.Momfluence.com, with the idea of working with the smaller blogger for this reason: a large group of bloggers with a small but powerfully loyal following is just as valuable to PR as a handful of untouchable big name bloggers. And as you help these bloggers build their readership, they will stay loyal to your products and pitches.

6. Know Our Blogs: Even if you like working with a blogger, if the pitch is not a fit it serves you and the blogger better to skip them in your outreach. When a blogger receives a pitch that seems to come from left field in terms of content topic, they are more likely to be wary of that PR firm in the future.

7. Offer More than Content: If there are giveaway or review opportunities available along with a press release, make that known from the start and you’ll hold the blogger’s attention. Many refuse pay-for-post and even look down upon those bloggers who accept cash payment, but offering a way to boost readership or provide a product to review may be of great value.

8. Don’t Always Ask for Numbers: Many bloggers are self-conscious about their site stats, so if you have approached them, try not to scare them away by asking for the numbers right out of the gate. If we are accepting your offer to run a giveaway or review a product, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for the link as well as stats at that time.

9. Get Personal: If you are following us on Twitter or reading our blogs, mention that interaction. Sharing that you saw a tweet about a recent milestone is a wonderful way to not only acknowledge that you view us as people, but that you are a person and not just an agency as well.

10. Respond to Us: If a blogger reaches out to you, definitely respond even if it is just to decline working with them at that time. This is a rule that I believe bloggers should follow as well, and it creates inroads for future relationships that may be mutually beneficial!


(Follow Amy - @resourcefulmom)
(Follow Krystal - @krystalfranklin)

Believe it or not I worked on the campaign for The Diary of Anne Frank 50th Anniversary DVD for nearly 9 months, so yes I can safely call it ‘my baby.’  The project was conceived last Fall as a huge initiative for Fox – and I knew that the executives not only loved this film but would be keeping a close eye on the campaign from start to finish - and I was up for the challenge.  I think my film background drives my passion for classic films – I had the pleasure of working on the DVD premiere of El Cid in 2008 and I have a real fondness for well-developed stories and characters.  What struck me as I researched this film was how often people around the world talk about it and truly love it – they hold it very close to their hearts. It is a book that is still taught in schools and one of the rare stories that bridge multiple generations. I had seen the film before and I saw it again recently on the big screen and was enchanted all over again. George Stevens did a beautiful job of bringing this revered true story to the silver screen. I think he made a wise decision by bringing a fresh face to the role of Anne Frank. Millie Perkins was a model in NYC and had never acted a day in her life, but her innocence brought an unaffected naivety to the film.  And Diane Baker, who played Margot Frank, was also an inexperienced actress at the time but her performance was so subtle and nuanced, it’s hard to believe she was such a novice.

The B/HI Fox team truly went above and beyond for the 50th Anniversary Edition DVD of this acclaimed film, including coordinating two bi-coastal events.  On June 9, a week prior to street, a special screening and Q&A took place as part of the AFI “Cinema’s Legacy” series at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.  George Stevens Jr., the film's Associate Producer and son of the Director, along with stars of the film Millie Perkins (Anne Frank) and Diane Baker (Margot Frank) attended.

B/HI also worked closely with the respected Anne Frank Center for their annual “Spirit of Anne Frank Awards” Gala on June 15 in New York City where George Stevens Jr. received an Honorarium in the Arts Award. Diane Baker, Millie Perkins and TCM host Robert Osborne also attended.  
 

All in all, I met and worked with some amazing people on this project and it was especially fun to work with Millie Perkins and hear all of her Hollywood insider stories – there were some great ones – I told her she really should write a book!  Also it was a delight to work with Diane Baker – she has an incredible spirit and so much passion. I spent many hours listening to countless interviews with Millie and Diane and it was incredible to hear the zeal that the journalists still had for the film. This film is so beloved, so timeless, and most definitely an experience I will never forget.

[Follow Tawna - @tawnaboucher]

	Left: Director George Stevens and Otto Frank Below: The Diary of Anne Frank cast
	Left: TCM host Robert Osborne, Millie Perkins (Anne Frank), Diane Baker (Margot Frank) and George Stevens, Jr attend “The Spirit of Anne Frank” awards Gala at the Pierre Hotel in NYC on June 15th.