Girl Scouts Go Social, Celebrate First National Girl Scout Cookie Day
The Girl Scouts are celebrating their first National Girl Scout Cookie Day today. As a marketer, I am glad to see that they are embracing social media as part of their strategy.
Highlights include a #onemorebox contest with winners announced the day of, and live coverage of the day’s events. @GirlScouts will even be tweeting the location of The National Girl Scout Cookie Day Truck as it makes its way through New York City, staffed with Girl Scouts selling cookies.
The girl scouts also have a new app that helps you locate thin mints pronto. After you download the app on Android or iPhone, put in the ZIP Code and it will ask if you are looking for sales going on today, the weekend or the next seven days. You can also sign up to receive an alert when there is a sale in your area!
We can even accept credit card payments at our cookie sale booth. Did you know you can donate cookies to the troops?
The cookies have a new package design and as a food allergy mom, ingredients are listed and “may contain” statements are included so kids with food allergies will know if the cookie is safe to eat (the may contain statement is not mandatory and that is where cross contamination occurs.)
My family was in the girl scouts – my mom was a leader, my sister was a Junior and I was a Brownie. My daughter is in her third year of girl scouts and is a Junior. She has learned leadership skills from cookie sales and project work. She has gained compassion through community service. She has gone outside of her comfort zone at camp and in a canoe and emerged a stronger, more confident girl.
I have already seen changes in my daughter. She has cleaned up our street on her own as a result of one community service clean up project and started a side business selling bracelets. The sky is the limit in her eyes and it is exciting to see her grow into an active, responsible citizen and future entrepreneur.
I am thankful for organizations such as Girl Scouts that give our children the life skills they need to succeed that they might not get otherwise, in the classroom or elsewhere.
February 8 is National Girl Scout Cookie Day!
Join in on the fun and festivities on National Girl Scout Cookie Day, when we’ll celebrate the world’s largest girl-led business and make it easy for you to buy or order cookies from your local Girl Scout Cookie Professional. Here’s how you can stay in touch throughout the day:
- Download our new Girl Scout cookie iPhone or Android app to find cookie sales.
- Upgrade your cookie-buying skills by watching Girl Scouts give you advice or downloading our simple guide.
- Learn about the 5 Skills girls develop through the Girl Scout Cookie Program.
- Visit the Girl Scout Blog for up-to-the-minute updates.
- Check the route of the Girl Scout Cookie Truck as it makes its way through New York City.
- Look for our one-day-only Facebook contest on February 8. And tell us on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram why you’d recommend buying #onemorebox.
- Get your cookie memorabilia—especially our iconic cookie glasses!
Atlanta Food Allergy News and Events
Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta has events coming up for teens and parents.
Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta Teen Event
Feb 17, 2013, 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Snow Mountain, Stone Mountain GA
Join us as we spend the day braving Avalanche Alley and tube runners with Dr. Luqman Seidu and the FA Kids of Atlanta volunteer team!
Many thanks to GA Allergy, Immunology, & Asthma for supporting the FA Kids 1st Annual Teen Event!
Fore details and to confirm, email Karen (at) foodallergykidsatl.org!
(Please note – this will be an adult only event)Following the presentation and questions & answers, attendees will have time to meet privately with Dr. Seidu and also meet other food allergic families in GA.
Beverages will be served and allergy friendly samples will be provided.
Food allergy resources, books, cookbooks, educational materials, 504 samples, newly diagnosed resources and more will be available for purchase & giveaway during the meeting!
Eggnots from eggnots.com will be available at $15.00 per dozen!
RSVP:
We hope to see you there! RSVP is requested for this event. Please send an email with event, number of guests attending, & any questions or concerns you would like addressed to confirm@fakidsatl.org, or by registering here: http://www.foodallergykidsatl.org/support-group-meetings.html
DIRECTIONS:
http://www.northside.com/locations/alpharetta_map.aspx
Northside Medical Complex
3400 Old Milton Parkway
Building C, Suite #310 (third floor – Educational Classroom)
Alpharetta, GA 30005
Review and register for scheduled meetings & events here: http://www.foodallergykidsatl.org/upcoming-events.html
In Search of Atlanta Alternative Radio.
It’s a revolution.
Atlanta’s alternative radio went totally outer limits a few weeks ago. Dave 92.9 FM announced they were switching to sports talk radio (ugh). Project 9-6-1 (formerly 96 Rock) switched to a top 40 format. Then 99X (98.9) announced they were switching to 98 The Bone and filling the hard rock format left open by Project 9-6-1. Having a hard time keeping up? Well if you live in Atlanta it has been one shuffle after another.
Some people don’t understand why I’m so upset. I enjoy alternative rock and have listened to it for years. I remember listening to records, tapes and later cds from bands that weren’t on the radio. They were good – really good – and didn’t have a voice like the pop and traditional rock artists.
I got in trouble in fifth grade in Philadelphia, PA listening to Adam Ant’s Prince Charming in the library (hee). In middle school I learned about all kinds of cool music from mixtapes traded with friends. Listening to punk bands like The Cramps and Sex Pistols, alternative 80s music like The Church, Depeche Mode, The The and so much more. I wrote letters to radio stations in high school in 1985 when I moved to Greenville, SC asking for them to play different music and new bands. (Good news – Greenville FINALLY has an alternative radio station that just started THIS YEAR!)
When radio stations starting playing these bands dubbed “alternative rock”, it was an awakening. It gave new bands a voice and us bored listeners new music. I moved to Atlanta after graduating college at Auburn University in 1993. 99x was my favorite station and finally was a home for alternative music fans in Atlanta.
How ironic that today is the 20 year anniversary for 99x. I am now listening to Barnes & Steve Craig reminisce on ex99 on Live 365 and it’s their last day broadcasting on this station. Steve did say he was going to start podcasting The Steve Show, so that is good news for fans.
I know radio industry naysayers site losing listeners to internet radio, satellite radio and other competition, but I still prefer to listen to the radio in my car without paying a subscription.
“Arbitron, which tracks radio trends, says at least 93 percent of Americans still listen to traditional AM/FM during any given week.” – AJC
What alternative do we have left to listen to in Atlanta? What are you listening to?
As for me, I am listening to ex99 on Live 365 with some of my favorite DJs from 92.9 and 99X. But it ends today as they seek funding. I appreciate 88.5, 89.3, 91.1, but sometimes don’t get a good signal north of Atlanta. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Read on from some smart Atlanta people:
Is 99X Truly Dead? – Rodney Ho questions if 99X is really gone for sure. The website is still live and so are the Facebook and Twitter pages. I really hope it doesn’t go away.
The End of Dave – Aaron Elya reflects on working at Dave 92.9 FM and also being a fan.
“…Get out there and support LOCAL and REGIONAL music. Don’t let the money driven decisions of major radio corporations make up your mind for you. Choose for yourself…and let them know you did. We have the power of technology to let our opinions be known to the world…it’s time to use it.”
Radio Trends behind the recent upheaval on the AM/FM dial - A summary of Atlanta radio changes.
MY FAVORITE STATION’S GONE TO WHAT? – AJC
Some of the recent format changes among Atlanta’s radio stations:
Was: 106.7/Atlanta’s Greatest Hits (oldies, 1960s-’80s) Now: All News 106.7
Was: Project 9-6-1 (hard-edged rock) Now: Power 96.1 (top 40)
Was: Journey 97.9 (’80s, ’90s pop) Now: A spinoff of Q100 which plays the top 20 songs at 97.9 from sister station Q100 at 99.7 (top 40)
Was: 99X at 98.9 (alternative rock). Now: 98.9/The Bone (hard-edged rock)
Was: 640/WGST-AM (news/talk) Now: 640/ESPN Deportes (Spanish-language sports talk)
Now: 92.9/Dave FM (adult rock) Now: 92.9/The Game (sports talk)
Food Allergy News for September 2012.
Now that back to school is in full swing, I am thankful that my daughter’s school worked with me to create an allergy action plan to keep her safe. As a food allergy parent, I find that opportunities to educate and advocate about food allergies come daily (and are very much needed). And I am proud of my five year old daughter for the advocate she has become to protect her health and well-being. One of the ways to educate is to stay on top of industry news.
Here is a roundup of the latest food allergy news.
From Kids with Food Allergies - Mylan Specialty L.P. has partnered with, Julie Bowen, star of ABC’s hit show, “Modern Family,” as well as a mom in real life to a young son with life-threatening allergies, to launch a new educational initiative, Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis. The Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis Challenge™ is a competition for students (grades 1-12) to write an essay describing an original idea to help make schools more aware of and better prepared for anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Fifteen students will win a $2,000 scholarship. More info is available at http://www.Anaphylaxis101.com/. Deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 9, 2012.
For Atlanta food allergy families, Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta announced its 3rd Annual Allergy Friendly Halloween at Pirates Cove Adventure Golf in Duluth, GA! Saturday, October 20, 10AM – 12PM! For more information and to RSVP, visit the website.
My favorite resource is Snack Safely for safe snacks. They announced an update for its list. Remember to always, always read the label and if you are not sure, call the manufacturer or avoid the item altogether.
The FAAN Walk for Food Allergy is lined up – ours is coming up in October. Get involved and raise money for this important cause!
UnPitching: How Not to Suck at Pitching the Media – Vocus Webinar with Scott Stratten.
Yesterday’s Vocus webinar was titled “UnPitching: How Not to Suck at Pitching the Media” by Scott Stratten from UnMarketing. Stratten is the President of Un-Marketing. He is an expert in Viral, Social, and Authentic Marketing which he calls Un-Marketing. He is an author, blogger and was named a top influencer by Forbes.
Stratten quickly got to the point about public relations and marketing and what it’s all about. People react, people respond, people reach out. It’s about relationships. It always has been and always will be.
Stratten is an industry influencer with his blog Un-Marketing. As a result, he has been added to media lists and has witnessed firsthand what it’s like on the other side. He has received nightmare pitches of email blasts to a large BCC list, generic emails in ALL CAPS (unless you are giving birth, don’t use all caps in an email subject line!) among others.
The danger with media lists (and I fully agree) is that some people send an email blast without further qualifying the list and getting to know the journalists and if they indeed are a good fit for your client or company.
A few years ago, it was all about getting the media’s attention and now it is about reaching media as well as influencers.
He discussed a case study about a product launch of a new single cup coffee machine. An agency pitched the client that they wanted help the client gain more share of conversation. They were currently mentioned 0.04% in Canada when people talked about coffee. The agency proposed that they would increase the numbers by reaching bloggers and influencers and canceling the TV budget. (Stratten warns that in order to pitch executives about social media, you need to match the metric with the mind.)
The client eventually agreed and the agency ran a social campaign. They contacted 100 influencers and wrote individual letters. They got to know these people, offered to send a free coffee machine and then followed up two weeks later with a “What did you think?” No pressure to write about it or anything. Stratten was one of the recipients. He loved the machine. Then the agency had him pick 10 friends on Twitter and then sent those people a coffee machine. That is how buzz starts. (“I got to be Oprah!”) Eventually the campaign resulted in 12.6% mentions in Canada when people talked about coffee.
He went on to tell a few more stories about companies doing awesome things, and ones doing not so awesome things, including an unhappy customer at a pizza place that posted an image on Twitter that went viral.
Some other sound bites from the webinar:
- Your brand can’t have a great person on Twitter and a sucky customer representative – you have to linear!
- Pitching should be like a first date: get to know someone before you ask them out.
- Social hasn’t diminished PR; it’s just shifted it. PR is no longer a megaphone. It’s a telephone & it’s on speaker. It’s about engagement.
- Start the relationship before you need the relationship. (true in PR and also in personal networking)
- Face-to-face isn’t dead. It’s more important than ever.
- Don’t just pitch me. Be sincere. Get to know someone first.
- There are two types of people you don’t want to upset. Geeks and Moms. If you anger a geek mom, good luck.
- Outrage does not take the weekend off!! If you’re gonna play in Social Media, it’s 24/7
- what you tweet is a billboard. you are always an employee – what you tweet can/will impact your employer.
- You are not PR, you are the PR expert. Everyone in your company who represents your brand is PR.
- Internally, PR pros should be social media training everyone, not just media training your CFO.
- You have to match the metric with the mind! It’s not about Likes or Tweets. It’s about the conversation and sentiment.
- You can’t stop the “geekalanche” – don’t censor your customers.
- If you are in PR, spam is not okay. Do your homework. Make sure the people you pitch have expertise that aligns with your pitch.
- Unless you are giving birth, don’t use all caps in an email subject line!
- If you put your employer in your Twitter bio, every tweet represents your business.
- Companies aren’t awesome, people are.
- When you write to a company in anger, sometimes all you want is to be acknowledged.
- Don’t put influencers on the spot on Twitter for help. If you wouldn’t do it in a crowded room, don’t do it on Twitter.
- We are a forgiving society if we are “Immediate. Authentic. Appropriate” when something goes wrong in Social Media.
He shares these insights from his second book The Book of Business Awesome / The Book of Business UnAwesome. It is surely a great read and one to go on the bookshelves for marketers and public relations professionals alike.
Vocus offers a free webinar series for PR professionals. I recommend it to anyone involved in marketing, PR and social media.
Your Personal Brand and LinkedIn.
I spoke with a niece of a friend recently who had just graduated from college and we were talking about marketing. I asked her if she was on LinkedIn and offered to connect with her.
She mentioned that she didn’t have her profile filled out just yet. I was surprised since I assumed that the younger generation was more hip on social media and that she would know that LinkedIn is the single most important place to post your digital resume.
My dad works with his local chemical engineering association to line up speakers of interest for events. He recently had a recruiter speak that emphasized LinkedIn as the number one place where businesses and recruiters go to find talent.
If there is only one thing that you do today for your personal brand, go out and make sure your LinkedIn profile is filled out 100%.
- Optimize your headline for your job search. What keywords will people search for you?
- Ask friends and colleagues for a reference – LinkedIn makes it easy.
- Make sure you have skills identified as those are searchable for employers.
- Fill out past positions with keywords and descriptions of your past jobs.
- Personalize your LinkedIn URL.
- Use a professional picture on LinkedIn.
- Have a blog? Add a link to it. Use anchor text with keywords in the link (select Other and name the blog using keywords).
- Add social media accounts like Twitter.
- Check the apps and add any that might apply like Amazon Reading List, Slideshare or TripIt.
- Join a relevant group in your industry. Talk with others in the group.
- Ask a question in Answers. The community is very helpful.
- Keep your profile updated as you go. It will always be a work in progress and updates keep your profile fresh.
Now you are ready to go. Also, build your network before you need it. Connect with everyone that you have done business with and make it an ongoing process.
Small steps can go a long way to ensure your future!
Women, Beauty and Advertising.
I recently watched this video from Peter Shankman (to his wife and female friends) that my friend shared on Facebook. He explains that he saw an advertisement at a local Wal-Mart while on a business trip. An ad for women in the clothing section that shows a woman putting on makeup and saying that she can be beautiful. His message is refreshing – that women are beautiful. No matter what time of day, what they are wearing or what makeup they may or may not have on.
So much of advertising to females – women, teens and girls – sets a high standard of beauty. Body image and definitions of beauty for girls usually start with Barbie, princesses and Bratz and it only gets worse from there.
“Girls’ perceptions of their femininity and appropriate behavior are largely formed before they even hit first grade—good reason to consider these dolls a lot more than child’s play. “Until children are about five, they can’t distinguish fantasy from reality,” says Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D., coauthor of Packaging Girlhood. “So what they see is how they think the world operates and what it means to be a girl.” – Glamour
Read More http://www.glamour.com/sex-love-life/2007/04/sexy-children#ixzz1wZhKMciH
The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty was one of the first to expose the unfair standards of beauty set by the media and to show real women, confident, independent, beautiful.
“Based on the findings of a major global study,The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report, Dove® launched the Campaign for Real Beauty in 2004. The campaign started a global conversation about the need for a wider definition of beauty after the study proved the hypothesis that the definition of beauty had become limiting and unattainable. Among the study’s findings was the statistic that only 2% of women around the world would describe themselves as beautiful.” – Dove
Females grow up comparing themselves to unrealistic images of beauty in magazines, advertisements, on television and in movies.
As a mother of two young girls, it is my hope that they will be more self-confident than I was growing up. I want them to realize that they are beautiful, intelligent, capable women and that they are a gift to this world.
Common Sense Media – Girls and Body Image Tips
Image via BeautyRedefined.net
Business Trends in Social Media.
I recently attended a webinar from Mari Smith and Guy Kawasaki entitled The 7 Hottest Business Trends in Social Media. It was very informative and relevant for all businesses.
The top trends include:
1) Big Brand Bypass – New platforms are allowing consumers to bypass big brands and buy, sell and exchange directly with each other. The internet has leveled the playing field for businesses of all sizes.
2) Humanize to Monetize – Brands need to show a human side to make a more personal connection with consumers. Brands with personality such as Zappos, SouthWest Airlines, Starbucks and Virgin are succeeding online. The size of your business no longer matters. People crave a human connection and receiving acts of kindness.
3) Cause-based Consumers – Consumers’ growing concern over the environment calls for companies to communicate charitable and green initiatives. Companies need to be transparent, share ethics and how policies are shaped and regulated to build trust and credibility.
4) Super Social Status – Badges, gamification, influence scores are all increasing in social media. Status ratings such as Klout are changing the way society regards influence. One example is restaurants using FourSquare and rewarding the mayor and those who check-in to make customers feel extra special.
5) Awesome vs. “Flawesome” – Consumers realize that companies aren’t perfect. Companies that admit they made a mistake and quickly take action to right the wrongs achieve a Flawesome status. Showing transparency and empathy will keep customers and fans satisfied. Handle negative comments and reviews, don’t delete them. 68% of consumers trust reviews more when there are good and bad scores. (Source: Revoo.com January 2012) FedEx and Comcast are great examples of brands embracing social customer service.
6) Mad for Mobile – Mobile device usage outnumbers computers 5-to-1 worldwide. How is your business adapting to mobile marketing? Websites, email, video and online marketing messages need to be optimized for mobile devices.
7) Privacy Paranoia – Privacy backlash with Facebook and Google show a growing concern about information misuse. State your privacy policy upfront – your terms, what you are going to do with the data – and that will help people feel safer and want to buy more of your products.
Natural Foods Warehouse Crabapple Allergy Friendly Grocery Store Tour & Tasting, Monday May 14th
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Natural Foods Warehouse on Crabapple Rd., is hosting an allergy friendly grocery tour and tasting on Monday, May 14th in honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week. This is an opportunity to sample the newest allergy friendly products on the market.
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Vendors will be on-site and allergy friendly samples will include Bearitos, Just Tomato, Galaxy, Mina’s, Enjoy Life, Earth Balance, Udi’s, Dandie’s, and Tofutti products, just to name a few!
Allergy friendly cookbooks such as Allergy Free Desserts and the Food Allergy Mama’s Cookbook, plus many more will be available for purchase.
There will be door prizes, giveaways and more!
This nonprofit organization helps raise awareness of food allergy management and the seriousness in food allergy reactions in schools, daycares, and restaurants. The organization also hosts support group meetings, mom’s night out dinners, and provides a safe environment for food allergic children to participate in, through yearly activities and programs.
President and Founder Karen Harris say they plan to use most of the funds to purchase educational materials and stock epinephrine for Georgia schools. Delivering educational presentations and ensuring schools are stocked with life-saving medication can help to reduce the risk of food allergy reactions and fatalities in food allergic students.
Food Allergy Awareness Week is May 13 – 19, 2012.
Food Allergy Awareness Week is the week of May 13 – 19, 2012. My daughter was diagnosed at age two with a peanut and egg allergy. She is now five and will be starting kindergarten in the fall.
I am preparing now for keeping her safe at school and that will require meetings with teachers, lunchroom staff, bus drivers and creating a health care plan. I have concerns such as peanuts brought in to the school for Georgia day where they were eaten outside by the playground (the dust is dangerous and can cause anaphylaxis) as well as other concerns such as candygrams given to children and peanut butter used in projects. This is why it is very important to establish a team based approach with your school and to communicate clearly what it is that you want for your child at school and writing it in a plan.
Food Allergy is an immune system response. It occurs when the body mistakes an ingredient in food — usually a protein — as harmful and creates a defense system (antibodies) to fight it. Food allergy symptoms develop when the antibodies are battling the “invading” food.
Symptoms of a food allergy can range from mild to severe, and the amount of food necessary to trigger a reaction varies from person to person and can even be triggered by just a trace amount of an allergy-causing food. Symptoms of a food allergy may include:
Rash or hives
Nausea
Stomach pain
Diarrhea
Itchy skin
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Swelling of the airways to the lungs
Anaphylaxis (a severe or life-threatening allergic reaction)
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Food Allergies are a potentially life-threatening medical condition that afflict as many as 15 million Americans including almost 6 million children.
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Children with food allergies: 1 in 13. That’s two per classroom.
Emergency room visits caused by food-allergic reactions each year: 203,000. That’s one every three minutes.
Food allergies are life-altering for everyone involved — not just the kids (I know this from experience!)
Only eight foods account for 90% of the food-allergic reactions in the United States: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. And for those who may be unaware, even trace amounts of a food allergen can cause a reaction; there are no cures for food allergies.
It is the second anniversary for Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta. Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta was created to support families who manage food allergies, educate those who care for our children, and create a safer environment in the local area for food allergic individuals. I am thankful for this wonderful group of people and their dedication to educating schools and restaurants to help keep our children safe.
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with a food allergy, or you think they have symptoms of one, go to an allergist and then find a local community support group. My daughter and I have learned so much from the wonderful families and doctors and you really feel like you are not alone as your learn to navigate in this food-centric world.
Resources:
Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta - local nonprofit in Atlanta
Food Allergy Statistics from FAAN, Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
Food Allergies By The Numbers – FAI
Safe@School flyer – FAAN – Presentation for schools about food allergy management and the seriousness in food allergy reactions (up to 25% of first time reactions in children happen in school.)
Food Allergy Awareness Week – FAAN
Helpful Information and Documents – FAAN
The Balancing Act (video) - Food Allergy Awareness for Parents
Articles
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Tips on Attending Summer Camp With Food Allergies Girl’s Death Highlights Allergy Safety in Schools Deaths Show Schools Need Power of the EpiPen |
