Windows Vista is here…well almost. Yes, the much maligned and often delayed Vista will finally arrive on Thursday. Unlike the local Target on “Black Friday” not many people are fighting to be first in line. Most pundits are cautiously optimistic and most companies are taking the old wait and see approach. Why – well a few reasons: Redmond’s failure to launch the product on time has many people wondering what took so long – five years between XP and Vista is an eternity in the software industry. Microsoft has also been notorious for the amount of bugs and gaps in their software…we all know that Firefox has exploded because of the many weaknesses in IE. Finally, the pure pain of transferring operating systems has many corporations weighing the expected upgrades versus the potential compatibility issues that may arise with other software, therefore making the early assumption it is just not worth it…yet.

Although we won’t be jumping on the Vista train anytime soon, I am excited about the upcoming changes. I love when companies innovate. Sure, you can knock that Apple has had many of these features with their OSX Tiger system, but I love to see a huge company like Microsoft take time to make changes and really want to create a better product. Will it have bugs? Probably, but innovation is exciting. Whether it is from such internet darlings as Google or behemoths like Microsoft – innovation will only breed innovation and force others to create around the new product offerings. Maybe I am optimistic, but here is hoping that Redmond gets it right. I can’t wait to see the new Aero design, the new expanded search features, the new photo and movie creators. Let’s usher in a new era and hope that, like Christmas morning, we awake not knowing what to expect and leave a little happier with the new surprises we just unwrapped.

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PlayStation 3 finally went on sale nationwide today. In addition to playing games, the Sony gaming console can surf the Web, download video and music and play movies with its Blu-ray high-definition disc drive. There are reports that some people here in Indianapolis waited in the rain and cold for 48 hours to get their hands on one of the few PS3s available. At least they were safe. In Connecticut, two armed men tried to rob a line of people waiting to buy the new gaming console this morning, and shot one who refused to give up the money.

Prices on eBay reached $10,000 even though it costs only $500 for a 20-gigabyte version and $600 for a 60-gigabyte version. Sony hopes to sell 1 million units of the PS3 in the US by the end of March. Experts suggest each PS3 could last 10 years and could go a long way toward helping Sony meet its goal of staying at the top of the $30 billion gaming market.

For those not lucky enough to get a PS3 of their own, our friend Keith Shaw of NetworkWorld has a great preview on his Cool Tools weekly video show. He reveals his limited-edition PS3 that he got from the "underground." Watch it here!

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“PR isn’t in our budget right now”……When I hear this from companies I immediately ask, “What marketing efforts are you utilizing today that are immediately resulting in sales? What else are you doing to create sales leads? How are you actively engaging with your target audience? How are you letting the world know about your product?

PR is usually one of the least appreciated and the most under-valued sales / communication tools. We at BLASTmedia believe – we know – PR can actually be one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal! When consumers read an unbiased expert article in a media outlet that recommends a product (via a review, company feature, etc.), they are more likely to purchase that product. Advertising is what a company says about itself; PR is what an expert says about it. Which one do you trust?

Here’s a great example of the impact of PR: We secured coverage for our client Sonnet Technologies in The New York Times. The direct result was Sonnet shattering both their one-day and two-day sales records by a factor of 5. We launched SLEEPTRACKER last year before the Holiday Season and secured dozens of articles in major media outlets including an award as on of the “50 Best Inventions of 2005” from TIME Magazine. Their founder credits us for helping him become profitable after six months (as PR is the ONLY marketing they do), and in 2006, they expect to sell over 20,000 units in over 40 countries!

Another example comes from our client Horizon Software, who wanted to grow visibility within school systems as a company in the forefront of tackling childhood obesity with their MealpayPlus solution. Through our media outreach we secured numerous articles in not only national media including Good Morning America and CNN, but also in newspapers and education trade pubs. This coverage has helped Horizon Software increase their new accounts by 175% and their revenue is up 35% in just a matter of months!

Shouldn’t PR be the first tool you grab out of your marketing bucket?

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As the calendar turns to November, people everywhere start getting ready for the holidays. I personally love this time of year—the weather gets colder, leaves start to fall, and hopefully snow will be just around the corner! But I also love it because this is what PR gurus have been working on for the past few months.

The holiday season really began back in June for the PR folks. It was then that the publications with six-month lead times began looking for products to include in their holiday gift guides, and the mad dash to get your product in front of the editors commenced. It seemed so odd at the time to be speaking with an editor on the phone and explaining to him/her why your product would be a great holiday gift for your parents, kids, sister, etc…

Those publication issues that you worked on way back in June are starting to appear now on newsstands and hopefully all of your hard work paid off. But, the cycle starts all over again because daily and weekly publications are beginning to gear up for their holiday gift guides, and those guides are equally as important. For me, having a client included in a holiday gift guide or an end-of-the-year roundup is always exciting, because I know what a direct impact they can have on my client’s 4th quarter sales.

As the holidays approach, more and more consumers turn their minds to one thing—gifts. You have to start thinking about what you are going to buy for everyone on your list, and that can be extremely overwhelming. Here’s where the media steps in, with gift guides ranging from the hottest gadgets, the trendiest new clothes, or even the best new foods to try. If your client/product is included in these guides, their visibility will soar, sales will increase and in the end, clients will be happy. This is what we PR people all strive for, after all.

If you haven’t started contacting gift guide editors, what are you waiting for? There is still time, but you have to move fast. Here are some tips for finding last-minute gift guides:

1.) Identify your target-- Long-lead publications’ gift guides are closed, but daily newspapers and weekly publications are most likely still accepting submissions.
2.) Find the correct contact—never underestimate the power of the phone! Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call an editorial assistant or an assignment editor and ask if they are doing a gift guide, and who the correct contact is.
3.) Convince the editor---once you find the correct contact, persuade them that your product is a must-have this season by highlighting its unique features.
4.) Continue to follow up—editors are extremely busy this time of year, and staying in constant contact with them is important. Make sure your product is always on their radar so that when they decide which products to include, yours is fresh on their minds.

There are going to be a ton of BLAST clients in holiday gift guides this season - will your clients be there next to ours?

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