Lunch Time Laugh
It's offical, I'm obsessed. Take five and recharge yourself with the best skit since The Blue Oyster Cult.
Don't know about you but now I'm ready to phone pitch!
 |
|
« September 2008 | Main | November 2008 » October 29, 2008October 28, 2008Skullcandy and BLASToutdoors *chill* at ICER AIR 2008The girls of BLASToutdoors met up with Charlie and Ben of Skullcandy who were in town for ICER AIR 2008, a San Francisco big-air ski and snowboard competition. (Don't let the sunglasses fool you, it was a chilly Saturday!)
October 22, 2008Cheers to Katie: YOU NAILED IT!BLASToutdoors welcomed a new tradition this Monday in our staff meeting - the You Nailed It! award. The prize you ask? A trophy (made by yours truly, with help from the BLAST groupie) accompanied by a small gift. Congrats to Katie for being the recipient of the first-ever You Nailed It! Way to go KWags!
BLAST SF soaks it up!
If you don't know already, San Franciscans NEVER have nothing to do! This past weekend, the BLAST San Fran team (Ashley, Kathryn, Katie and Sarah) hit the pavement, along with more than 75,000 others, and ventured to Dolores Park in the Mission to watch over 30 teams compete for Red Bull Soapbox Race fame. Our other BLAST San Fran team member, Jessica, checked out Ice 'n' Air at AT&T Park with some of the Skullcandy crew. Check out some of our pics from the race (our own BLAST groupie included). Major fun had by all!
Save the date... pack a picnic, BYOB (beverage, of course) and catch up with us next year at the Soapbox Derby! If you didn't get the opportunity to watch the Red Bull Soapbox Race San Francisco live, it will be broadcast in the Bay area on KOFY TV20/Cable 13 on Saturday, October 25 at 7pm. TURN A PASSION FOR THE OUTDOORS INTO YOUR PROFESSION!
NEW ONLINE GUIDE MAKES OUTDOOR INDUSTRY EASY TO NAVIGATE FOR WOMEN WHAT: Seattle, Washington INFO: To register or learn more or to access the OIWC Guide online, visit www.oiwc.org ### October 16, 2008BLASToutdoors Enjoys National "Bosses Day"For those of you who are not up to speed on the Hallmark Holidays, today is a national holiday--"Bosses Day". A few us at BLAST had the oppotunity to go out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather in SF and take Sarah Andrus, our boss, out to lunch. A great time to connect on our clients, we enjoyed some good eats, and good drinks in celebration of what a great boss and team we have. Keep up the good work BLAST ladies!
October 13, 2008Good PR. As critical to success as eating is to the survival of fish.
Sounds funny, and much too simple, yet today this is the moral of the story (read the article--it will make sense). Far too often in the world of PR, we see too many PR firms so focussed on checking off their tasks for the day or the week and feeling as though they've accomplished the world each time their pen strikes another item. The reality is they're checking off their own lists and potentially not that of their clients---the most important part. Earlier today, while doing some client research, checking on coverage, following up with editors, talking with Men's Health, and clearing out my email box filled with product and information requests, I had a thought "what can I do each and every day to make sure my clients are happy?" Interestingly enough, as I had this thought I came across a PR tips article that stated, "We're so busy doing the things on our to-do list and cleaning out our in boxes, that we don't do the most important things that guarantee our futures!"-- This got me thinking. If I could think of one thing to secure the future of not only BLASToutdoors with each and every client we work with, but more importantly the success and growth of our clients companies I would say that one thing needs to happen each and every day---GOOD LISTENING. At BLAST we pride ourselves both on our ability to get marvelous big hits for our clients, but more importantly on our ability to LISTEN to our clients and find out how we can not only do our job better, but how we can become a part of their company and culture. Through our ability to listen everyday to our clients and their needs, the editors we work with, and roll with the punches, we have created the ability of producing top notch PR coverage. At the end of the day the "proof is in the pudding" and while the economy may be down, BLAST employees are working each and every day to increase national knowledge on our clients and their products. So, just as a fish needs to eat, clients need good PR coverage in a negative economy. Outdoor companies, we're here for you:) October 10, 2008BLASToutdoors Welcomes Lippi OutdoorIt's been another busy and exciting week at BLAST, as we've welcomed Lippi Outdoor to our client list. Maker of the original and one-of-a-kind Selk Bag, a wearable sleeping bag, we're all thrilled to be part of their team. A new client, we've already been working with the folks at Powder Magazine, Outside Magazine, and the next season of the Bachelor for product placement. What can we say, it's just another week in the life of a BLASToutdoors representative. Be sure to check out the Lippi Selk Bag!
October 09, 2008Extreme Halloween: Tricks and Treats
No matter where you're spending Halloween in the United States this year, I strongly encourage you to embrace the holiday spirit (or spirits) and plan an abnormal adventure. No, watching Hitchcock's Psycho on TBS doesn't count. From touring abandoned prisons to spending the night in a haunted hotel, you may be surprised at all the spine-tingling action located close to your hometown! Take a tour of your local abandoned prison. The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA, offers day and night tours including a chance to be locked inside Al Capone's old cell. If you live in San Francisco, the famous Alcatraz is a hop-over-the-bay away and Moundsfield, West Virginia Penitentiary is thought to be built on an ancient Indian burial ground. Really! The Shadowlands Web site offers an in-depth directory of haunted spots in every state from movie theatres to dorm rooms to abandoned insane asylums. They even suggest tips to exploring haunted locations. Guaranteed there is something within driving distance wherever you are. So go forth! The only gear you'll need for these adventures are a few silver bullets, cloves of garlic, wooden crosses and an old Quija board from the 80's. October 08, 2008BLASToutdoors Welcomes Freestyle AudioLance and the team of Freestyle Audio have teamed up with the women of BLASToutdoors this week!! Let's go!
October 07, 2008BLAST Loves Lamp!Always planning ahead and dressed to impress, Ashley Lamp is the newest addition to the BLASToutdoors team - so welcome! A Columbus, Ohio native, Ashley bravely took the plunge a little over one year ago to the Wild Wild West - namely San Francisco, California. Read below to learn more about the Lamp we love :)
Kathryn: How did you survive in San Francisco without BLASToutdoors? Kathryn: What was the largest number of dogs you walked at one time? Kathryn: Soft or hard shelled tacos? Kathryn: Why? Kathryn: So which Taco Bell location do you frequent? *Note: Jessica has just proclaimed Ashley her new best friend upon hearing Ashley's undying love for the Spicy Chicken Crunch Wrap Supreme. Yo quiero Taco Bell! Kathryn: What is your favorite outdoor activity? Kathryn: Any specific resort? Kathryn: Would consider yourself a morning or night person? Kathryn: What is the weirdest fact people know about you? Kathryn: Who do you look to for inspiration? Kathryn: What is your favorite TV show? Kathryn: Are you a sports fan of any kind? Kathryn: What is your favorite thing to do living in San Francisco? Kathryn: Divulge a dirty little secret? Well, there we go ladies and gents, a day in the life of Ashley Lamp!
Don't Sweat the Press ReleaseA press release is not a pitch. I repeat, a press release is NOT a pitch. We use press releases very differently than other agencies and I thought it would be helpful to shed some light on the subject. You will come across many agencies who spend countless hours on a press release and use it as their first line of communication with members of the press. The problem is, blindly sending just a press release via email to all of your contacts doesn't provide any context for the editor. Most times, there are unique angles that can be derived from your announcement that appeal to different editors with various beats, so why treat all of them the same? Editors want to know one main thing - why would my readers care? It is our job to gain their interest by providing that context up front, in an email or phone call. So, how and when do WE use press releases? We write them quickly and effectively, but use them primarily as a means of follow up (except with blogs, who are handled differently). We first tailor our communication to what the editor would want to share with his readers. Once we receive interest and the editor requests more info or an interview, THEN we provide the press release for all the hard facts. Companies who have been in the PR game for awhile still hold press releases near and dear to their hearts. They often fight us on the content of the press release and put too much energy into it - taking valuable time away from actually pitching the announcement. Many still don't understand that the press release is not the first line of offense - it should come secondary to the conversations that we will be having with our contacts. Don't get me wrong - a well-written press release is extremely important and many of the old-school rules still apply (it must be newsworthy, fact-based and free of fluff), but it is simply not relied upon solely for coverage today. We crank out great press releases here, but we'll get you coverage with or without one. |
