PAN Blog

The images of devastation and the stories of survival and despair from Hurricane Katrina are so moving that Americans across the country are coming together to help in any way they can.

At PAN, many of our employees and clients want to show their support for the victims by contributing to the relief effort. To do our part as an organization, PAN has pledged to match the contributions of our employees and clients -- dollar for dollar in the hope of helping to ease the pain of so many. As Joel noted below, we have chosen the American Red Cross as our vehicle. We hope that with our contribution we can help provide food, shelter and other services to the victims of this terrible disaster as they try to rebuild their lives.

For most PR agencies, it’s not every day that you win an account that really jazzes your staff and represents a fun, sexy story that is sure to take off with the media. Well, that’s the case with our newest client, Eleksen, that we announced today via a press release . Simultaneously, Eleksen also announced their North American presence.

PAN has been charged with helping to make their product, Elektek, a household name and we are up for the challenge. Given our blend of consumer/fashion and technology experience, you’ll be hearing a lot more about Eleksen, Elektek and wearable technology in the coming weeks and months.

Ephraim Schwartz's InfoWorld column today addresses the loss of Baby Boomers from the workforce, what companies can do to combat this loss, and the impact the IT world will have when IT pros leave the workforce. It's anangle talked about for a long time and not nearly considered enough. A "Gen X" worker myself, I seldom consider who will be around to teach me when they've left the workforce and how I will find time to teach to the next generation when I'm taking on the work of those who have gone off to retirement.

Ephraim's focus on what will happen to the IT workforce is especially thought-provoking. I would think IT is an area where there is less concern over baby boomers leaving. IT is an industry where change is not only neccessary but imperative, and where technology is getting smarter and doing more- requiring less work in installation and maintanence and thus less staff. One would think IT would be an industry not as impacted by the so-called "brain-drain" as other industries - like healthcare.

As my generation gets older, I'm sure we will all be impacted by the loss of the experienced baby-boomers, but the workforce might be completely different by that point as well. Five years ago the way we worked was very different. We can be sure that ten years from now, (when this huge impact will take place) we'll be in a whole new ball game as well. If that's the case, maybe this won't be as big of a problem as we expect? Of course, we should all do what we can to embrace technologies to help us prepare, such as CRM systems. But maybe that precise technology, and the technology yet to come will be the saving grace from our concerns?

A study issued by Stanford and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that items placed in a McDonald’s wrapper tasted better to young children. In the study, children were presented with multiple food items such as carrots, milk, and apples in McDonald’s wrappers. The children were then given the same food items in unmarked packaging. The children were then asked to identify which items tasted better. The Golden Arches always won.

In the business of marketing, we know that packaging can often make or break a product. An interesting question to ask ourselves also is, does size matter?

In an effort to cash in on the millions trying to lose weight many companies have joined the 100 calorie movement and have transformed their tasty, sugary, salty, and high-fat snacks into 100 calorie bite sized mini packs. Even Burger King has joined the club by announcing they will be introducing a line of 100 calorie fries & ketchup packets. What will they think of next? 100 calorie hamburgers? Do these items taste as good as their larger counterparts?

At a recent Weight Watchers meeting more than half the room admitted to eating more than one of the 100 calorie packages. When asked why, many of the members admitted that they missed the larger cookies or crackers and felt compelled to eat more. Many also said that they felt more satisfied with the regular sized snacks.

This made me think, why then don’t food manufacturers just package the regular sized portions? This will not only satisfy our sensory needs, but also instruct the public on what the correct portions are.

Just some food for thought.

Today marks a special day in the season. This Friday is an especially meaningful one for New Englanders because it marks the last unofficial day of summer. New England summers are bordered by two big holiday weekends - they begin with Memorial Day and end with Labor Day. After the 1st of September and Labor Day things just seem different; all the kids are back in school, the air is not as sticky and there's a frightening briskness to the air that hints at the approaching Fall only three weeks away.

Of course, the end of August always bares signs of the coming seasonal change. I almost drove off the rode a couple weeks ago when I saw my first cluster of foliage, glowing bright orange at the top of an oak tree still surrounded by green neighbors. Soon the streets will be swarming with "foliage watchers" with cameras in hand and backbacks slung over their shoulders that blaringly scream "tourist!", who have traveled the world to see New England's most colorful time of year. You'd also know them because they'll be the ones standing in the middle of the street taking pictures of a tree in the middle of rush hour (oh yes, I've seen it before). Meanwhile the Mass natives will flock to Vermont to see the real autumn colors amidst mountains spotted with quintessential New England towns (not to mention the best apple pickin' and maple syrup). It will all come so fast after Labor Day.

So moral of the story is, enjoy the last weekend of summer. Hit the beach, take the boat out for its last summer run, wear your bathing suit every where you can (using your own discretion of course), and exhaust every last ounce of propane in your grill with a full weekend of BBQs/cookouts (Hellooooo Bobby Flay!). It is all too fleeting!

Happy Labor Day!

Does anyone buy compact discs anymore, anyone under 26?

I do, but I'm 30 and still wish Guns & Roses had made one more incredible album before the band went nuclear. Anyway, I continue to buy CDs because I enjoy the album art and inside cover notes from the artist. I bought a Sasha disc from Amazon.com yesterday, and found the inside booklet to be a treasure of artist insight with edgy photos and a ton of perspective into why he writes/mixes the songs that he does... can you get that online?

Of course, all music is bits & bytes these days with digital radio (love Pandora.com), the two satellites providers and Apple's minor contribution, something Pod; all making the marketplace a delight for music fans. However, when I spend money on music I like to have a tangible thing to reference when looking at my bank account, that’s also why I like CDs.

So, I was in a Strawberry's music store the other day perusing the new music section when a clerk tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Hey, don't buy anything from there, it's all in the 'used' music section for half price." So I took a short walk with my new helpful friend, and there it was - all the new music, wrappers removed, security stickers gone, but in perfect scratch-less condition for half price! So I said to the guy, this must be the “Burn and Return” section, half expecting him to laugh. Expressionless he says, “Strawberry’s has a very strict policy on burning music and returning it.” I ask him what this aisle is all about then, and he said a lot of people get duplicate CDs as a gift and return the duplicate for a trade-in CD. I look at him closely to see if he's passing a “joke” here; sadly he’s as serious as a heart attack. Go figure.

You really need to eat sushi the day you buy it and don’t try to "save it" in the refrigerator whether it's takeout from that smart Japanese restaurant or pre-boxed at the corporate A&P – it needs to be eaten that day. And that’s not because of raw fish getting “fishy,” a common assumption, but according to the University of Florida's Keith Schneider: "That’s because foods can interact when they’re placed together. Inside a sushi roll, bacteria sometimes find ideal conditions in the spaces where moist ingredients come in contact with dry ones, or where foods with different pH meet. The result: faster spoilage." He also cites white rice not treated with vinegar as a culprit to your California Roll’s rapid deterioration.

Schneider, an associate professor of food science at UF, goes on to caution consumers who buy ready-to-eat sushi; do not let it warm up. Take it from the cooler just before purchase, bring it home quickly and refrigerate it immediately unless you plan to eat it right away.

If it does get warm, you really can’t re-refrigerate it – you’ve got to eat it then and there, or toss it in the trash.

In Tom Nordlie's campus-based article, where I found this infinitely useful information, he quotes Sasha Issenberg, a journalist who authored “The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy,” to add a bit of color to this research-based story by dispelling the myth that sushi is exclusively a fine dining experience.

“In Japan, (sushi’s) origins are far closer to the experience of going to a supermarket and getting takeout and bringing it home, than actually sitting down in a sushi bar and spending $100 on your dinner and eating it there,” said Issenberg.

Just once I thought about buying sushi at the supermarket, but then I remembered a passage from Eric Schlosser’s alarmist horror novel “Fast Food Nation,” in which he reports that supermarkets color the beef red to make it look more appealing to consumers. Following this thinking it seems that grocery stores would color the fish too if need be, or use leftovers or something else awful. So in the end I’ll stick to my fancy Japanese joint, if for nothing else the waitresses are fun.

We’ve all been in the awkward situation when you’re dining with a group of people, the bill comes and the drama begins. Do we separate? Equally divide? Factor out the alcohol? What about the tip? What did you order again? What was a beautiful meal and friendly discussion gets heated with people throwing accusations of being cheap, or overcharging each other. Suddenly your social occasion becomes “the moment we stopped being friends with so-and-so”.

You’re probably shaking your head in agreement after reading the above situation, because it really does happen to everyone if not repeatedly, than at least once. So why the huge drama? Because the rules of etiquette around this issue are a bit cloudy. The New York Times Diner’s Journal explored this issue and opened up a discussion between peers in an article yesterday in order to establish some basic guidelines of etiquette around bill time when dining in groups. Having been a waitress in fine dining restaurants, I think this is a CRITICAL issue to address before you even sit down together, but here are some other suggestions:

- Always assume that if you’re dining in a group of more than 6 people (3 couples), that the check is going to be divided evenly among everyone.
- Take into account any significant ($20 or more) price differences in orders. If someone only orders soup and everyone else orders 2-3 courses, it’s not fair to make them pay the same.
- If there were a couple of people not drinking alcohol while the rest of the group was, separate the beverage total to take this into account and don’t overcharge the non-drinkers (you might need them to be your DD later)
- If it’s family style (many dishes ordered and shared among everyone) know that you’re splitting it evenly and don’t make the argument that you only ate a little. That’s tacky and you’ll never be invited out again.
- If you know you’re going to ask for a separate check, tell the server before you order so that the process is simplified later and the rest of your party knows your plan.
- Finally, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, wait until the end of your meal to say that you want separate checks for everyone at the table. This is a HUGE inconvenience for your serving staff, and traditionally parties over six are grouped together on one bill and a service charge of 18% is applied AUTOMATICALLY. Don’t be that group that takes up an inordinate amount of time and is so rude as to assume this is okay. It’s not.

Eric Lundquist, editorial director at eWeek, was kind enough to stop by our offices at PAN a few weeks ago to give us an update on some of the changes that have taken place at the publication, and at Ziff Davis overall. One thing that he mentioned, that was entirely unrelated to PR but peaked my interest nonetheless, was a Bike to Work Day that he's helping to organize. As it turns out, Eric is an avid proponent of creating a comprehensive bicycle plan for Andover, Mass., and even writes about It in his personal blog Bike01810.

And it got me thinking…could such a program work in downtown Boston?

In an effort to “go green”, reduce traffic angst and perhaps cut down on the “fluff factor” of many of its Fast Food Nation-loving citizens, several cities abroad are working toward implementing a public-use bicycle program. On July 15, Paris inaugurated a new self-service bicycle transit system called Velib (a combination of the French words velo, for bike, and liberte, for freedom) to encourage its population to choose leg power over automotive power. And it seems to be catching on. From what I’ve read, bicyclists are plentiful, especially on center-city streets, and it's hard to walk more than two blocks without encountering a Velib station occupying what would have been a few parking spots for cars.

Of course Paris is not the first city to support a widespread bike-share system. Lyons, France, started one last year and Barcelona, Spain, began one in March. But according to Parisian newspapers, the system in Paris is the biggest and most comprehensive. And as anyone who has visited The Netherlands can tell you, there are just as many bikes as people (13 million bikes, 16 million Dutchmen). Bikes are available for rent - by the day, week or month - at most major train stations in Holland, from Maastricht in the south to the northern city of Groningen. In other words, bicycles rule. Just try stepping into a bike lane in Amsterdam – you’ll get a whole lot of angry bike bell. Holland’s version of road rage, I suppose.

Last week Boston’s Mayor Menino announced his plans to increase Boston’s “greening” efforts. It includes the Bike Friendly Businesses Program which recognizes businesses that encourage bicycling among their employees by “engaging in bicycle friendly practices.” Too bad I work 25 miles from home. But at least it’s a step in the right direction. Some Boston-area individuals have already taken matters into their own hands on this one.

Personally, I’d love to see Boston embrace a city-wide bike share program, similar to what Philadelphia is working on. If Phili can do it, why can’t we?

Prices are going up again! The cost of a first class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, according to the United States Postal Service’s website.

Last May, the price of a first class stamp went up two cents, as many of us can fondly remember scrambling for 2 cent stamps. What will be different about this year’s price increase is that there will not be as much of a scramble for supplementary one cent stamps, since we can all continue to use 41 cent Forever Stamps purchased prior to May 12, even after the price change.

According to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, the USPS will adjust their mailing services prices each May. By law, these prices can increase on average no more than the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Additional increases to begin on May 12, 2008 include;
* Large envelope, 2 ounces: $1 (up 3 cents)
* Certified mail: $2.70 (up 5 cents)
* First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico: 72 cents (up 3 cents)
* First-class international letter to other countries: 94 cents (up 4 cents)

How will this effect today’s technology focused society?
Do you still send out birthday cards or are they e-cards? An e-card can definitely save you when it is too late to mail a birthday card on-time but I don’t think that it has the same personal effect as a traditional card. Maybe instead of buying stamps at the post office we should begin to order stamps online in smaller quantities so we don’t get caught up in the price increases.

Additionally, the USPS does have a very cool feature for customizing stamps with photos, which brings an element of convenience to our very hectic lives, plus it’s another opportunity to show off our kids, pets, loyalty to our favorite sports team or the company logo.

According to BIGresearch the average man will spend $163.37, which nearly doubles the $84.72 that the average female plans to spend on Valentine’s Day.

Traditional gifts, such as candy, flowers and jewelry are expected to see a slight decrease in popularity this year with more consumers preferring gift cards and gifts of experience such as a fancy dinner or a spa gift certificate.

The next statistic will blow you away… total spending for Valentine’s Day 2008 is expected to reach $17.02 billion and $367 million of this figure will be spent on our pets!

Think of what could be done with this money… save a rain forest, feed the hungry, build homes for the less fortunate, research cures for cancer, the list goes on and on.

Personally, I shop the sales and found my husband a very nice shirt and tie in Macy’s and only ended up spending $46.74. In retrospect, it might have been more worthwhile to make a donation in his name to the ASPCA or Breast Cancer research, something with a longer lasting effect than a few days of looking snazzy at work.

So, how much did you spend? Any regrets?

Former Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist of Oregon’s MySpace page is a hot topic in her community. As a PR professional, the first thing that I think of when a politician has a MySpace page is, “Excellent, they are expanding their reach and making an effort to connect with multiple generations through a medium that is continually growing in popularity.”

Well, this mayor was doing something a little different. She was posting pictures of herself wearing only a black bra and panties on her MySpace page. But wait, it gets better… in the pictures she is sitting on one of the town’s fire engines.

The former mayor has responded to the situation by making it clear that the pictures were taken before she became mayor and that it is her personal life and has nothing to do with her position as a the mayor. She also noted that she is not going to take the pictures down.

I think it is horrible, that a public figure has pictures of herself in her underwear on MySpace, but I also don’t think that anyone should have pictures up in their underwear, there has to be a line between appropriate and pornography. Imagine if the pictures were of your 5 year-olds teacher, your doctor, the president. I think that many of us would be upset about it.

We all know that public officials have less privacy then an ordinary person and that they lose many of the aspects of everyday life that we all enjoy like taking a walk, grabbing a coffee or attending a sporting event without interruptions. Maybe having a personal MySpace page should be added to the “off limits” list for public officials.

And the reason that she is no longer the mayor is that a vote took place on Monday night, resulting in her position being recalled. The reason for her being recalled was the pictures and an issue involving the management of the town golf course.

February 29th, Leap Day, it comes just once every four years and with it, the birthday I rarely get. Don't get me wrong, my parents still give me a present every year and the family always gathers to celebrate, but I'm not going to say it was fun fielding questions in kindergarten, when my 'Birthday Tree' wasn't up on the tack board (you don't get over those things). The positives do outweigh the negatives, though.

When I turned twelve (three in Leap years), I was interviewed by the Lowell Sun for a piece they were doing on Leap Year birthdays. It was at that time I realized the perks and privileges that come with being born on Leap Year, not to mention there's only 684 people born on Leap Day per 1 million, according to leapzine.com.

It's a great conversation piece, as well. The most common question I get is, "So when it's not a Leap Year, when do you celebrate your birthday? Is it the 28th or March 1st; which is it?" I usually tell some people the 28th and others the 1st that way I get two days out of it during the off years to make up for things.

I'll have to say too that pulling the "but I am two" card when Mom would point out my childish antics, was invaluable all the way up through age eleven. But, let's get serious for a moment. I'm turning six tomorrow. That's a big step, and it's going to take a bit of adjustment. When you're five, let's face it -- no one expects much, but six, six, now that's where you have to make it happen.

For all of my fellow Leap Year babies, Happy Birthday and enjoy the day! It won't be around again 'til 2012.