Ladies, don’t go crazy.  Gentlemen, don’t be scared.

The new application, which is now available for download in iTunes, brings the engagement ring page of the Tiffany’s website right to your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Not that I am anywhere NEAR getting engaged in the immediate future, but as a curious female, I download this app and played around with it.  And let’s be serious, it’s the only thing in that beautiful Tiffany blue that you can get for free.  What I found was a reliable, easy-to-use application that does exactly what it says it does: “Find your perfect engagement ring with Tiffany & Co.’s Engagement Ring Finder.”

The home page offers 5 simple choices:

1. Find Your Perfect Engagement Ring.
2. Your Saved Rings
3. Find The Correct Ring Size — so cool!
4. The Tiffany Difference
5. Expert Consultation.

Tiffany & Co.’s website offers 4 out of 5 choices above.  The coolest, and probably most helpful feature, of this app is that you can click on Find the correct ring size and, by placing a ring on the screen, can figure out what size ring the woman in question wears (even without her knowing!).  Then you can change the size by either selecting a smaller or larger size on the right side of the screen.  This is a feature not offered on the Tiffany & Co. website but is something of great importance when buying an engagement ring.  It’s always good when the ring fits, right?

I enjoyed looking at all of the beautiful ring settings and styles, as most girls do.  The screen shots of the ring styles below didn’t happen by accident- the style (Tiffany Bezet Round) is my dream ring [please note, DREAM ring.  Look at that price tag...].  The different features of this app let me browse the ring styles, find the Tiffany Bezet Round style, carat size and setting I liked, and save the choice to revisit it later or to continue browsing.

Tap Share This Ring With A Friend for options to post to Facebook, Twitter, or send in an email in case you want to consult your friends or family about some choices.  Expert Consultation option is also really cool.  You can set up a meeting with someone from Tiffany’s in person or send a message to someone right from the application, which is great.

The rest of the app is pretty self explanatory.  There is a choice to browse the 40+ styles, cuts, and carats they offer as well as an option to see different views of the ring itself.  Another choice explains the “Tiffany Difference,” which is a few different screens of text.

Overall, I found the application to be a great source of inspiration for engagement ring shopping.  Can everyone afford a Tiffany’s engagement ring?  Absolutely not. But this application might help some clueless fellas at least think about different ring styles for their gals, even if they can’t stomach the price tag.  It’s also great to see Tiffany’s venture into mobile applications and social media.  We’ll have to see if other jewelers follow in some fashion (fashion? Tiffany’s? Get it? :] ).

Is Tiffany & Co.’s engagement ring application really that scary?  What if it’s used for inspiration?  Should other jewelers follow suit?  What do you think?

P&G is a huge, giant sized company with many brands stemming out from underneath it.  Many of P&G’s wide variety of products are ones that are frequently purchased and used on an everyday basis, including Cover Girl, Tide, Bounce, Dawn, Cascade, Olay, PUR, and Pantene.  So far, the company’s advertising efforts in 2010 appeal a key demographic for many of these P&G brands: women, especially mothers.

The first ad aired during the Winter Olympics in February and is part of P&G’s “Thanks, Mom” campaign [Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Portland].

This one is a little obvious.  Anything with little children will most likely appeal to a mother.  They will always remind her of her children, whether or not they are young children or adults.  Especially since the tagline, “Proud Sponsor of Moms,” appears right after a montage of brands that women use.  Even with their wide range of uses, Tide, Pampers, Crest, Olay, etc. are all products that a woman would use during her day.  While the ad itself isn’t selling a specific product or services, per say, P&G takes the time out to honor all mothers out there and just reminding the viewers of the products they use so often.

The second ad started airing on March 29, 2010, and is a part of P&G’s “Future Friendly” campaign, which highlights P&G products that save money, save water, or reduce energy.

This ad appeals to eco-friendly consumers [especially women] who take care of a house and do laundry, which is actually mentioned in the ad.  Brands featured include Tide, Bounty, Cascade, and Dawn.  I don’t know about you, but those brands make me think of housekeeping and, you guessed it, moms.  I also really like the use of green in this ad- the green theme to the copywriting, the green crayon used in the visuals.  And since “about 74 percent of consumers say they would switch to another brand if it helped them conserve resources without having to pay more,” P&G’s emphasis of everyday household products with everyday household names should resonate with the consumer and help make the world a bit more sustainable.

Neither of these television ads are particularly innovative or different, but I feel that Proctor & Gamble understands how important women are to their sales and targeted them well with both of these advertisements.

After watching these ads, how do you think Proctor & Gamble did in targeting women with these spots?  What could P&G have done better?  How are other competitors targeting key demographics in their advertising?

Image from Flickr

Today is June 1st.  I don’t know about anyone else, but the first six months of this year have been incredibly stressful for me, both personally and professionally.  I have often, more often that I’d like, found myself feeling like my head is going to explode, much like this little guy on the right.  Even though stress is a part of life and can’t be avoided, it can be the start of a downward spiral that is difficult to recover from.  Here are some ways- 25- that I handle stress and how I don’t let it take over my life.  Disclaimer: I tried to be as gender neutral as possible, so this isn’t a “girls only” list.  Keyword = tried.

1. Actually cooking dinner (or any other meal), then taking the time to enjoy it.
2. Working out. Nothing like taking out your frustrations on the machines at the gym.
3. Taking a walk through your neighborhood.
4. Watching mindless television- that’s what reality shows are for, right?
5. Bike rides.
6. Two words: retail therapy.
7. Go for a drive…anywhere.
8. Go swimming.
9. Grabbing a drink with your friends.
10. Enjoy some live music. My favorite is Fools & Horses. Great band from Baltimore that tours primarily on the East Coast, but gets to the Mid-West and West Coast every now and then!  Good fellas, good friends of mine and (for the ladies) pretty nice to look at :)
11. Read a good book.
12. Skim through a magazine.
13. Clean! It’ll take your mind off of things.
14. Video games. Nothing like beating the crap out of a fake, virtual character, right?
15. Go away for the weekend.  My favorite place to run away to is Baltimore, MD :)
16. Watch sports.
17. PLAY sports.
18. Go to the beach.
19. Spend time with your friends, even if it’s a low key movie night.
20. Plan a trip (if you can afford it).  That gives you something to look forward to!
21. Call a friend or relative to catch up.
22. Focus on the positive in your life.
23. Disconnect from social media for an hour.
24. Enjoy a nice glass of wine.
25. Just dance- it’ll be ok. Lady Gaga speaks the truth!

How do you destress?

The reasoning behind this is simple.  Color is a very simple, yet very persuasive thing when it comes to buying decisions.  There is a whole psychology to it!  Different consumers respond to different colors in different ways, for a variety of different reasons.  I saw this not only in the retail industry where I worked for a number of years, but learned about it in a Consumer Behavior class while in college.  When you walk around a store, there are specific reasons why certain colors are placed next to each other, why certain brands come before others.  Nothing happens by accident.

Instead of this psychology of color starting its influence through in-store displays, IBM is trying to get this going in an actual advertisement.  They call this “a smarter supply chain.” Check out the video about the billboard below:

These new smart billboards are definitely a game changer in the advertising and retail industries.  Outdoor and out-of-home advertising might be the toughest, most expensive medium to create for.  Just reading about this new billboard was enough to drive me to IBM’s website about the new Smarter Planet campaign to see what it’s all about.  If I saw this billboard in person and saw it changing colors as different people walked past right before my eyes, I’d probably whip out my iPhone and look it up right there.

If other companies started using this smart technology in their ads, I’m not sure if this alone would convince me to buy a product or service, but it would definitely spark my interest and do some research.  More importantly, I would remember this brand for using innovative technology from the very beginning.

IBM’s Smarter Planet campaign takes a positive running start with its color sensitive advertisement.  How do you think this will change the advertising and retail industries in the future? Will industries other than retail benefit from this color sensitive marketing?

It’s officially May, and it’s officially college graduation season.  This week’s post is a special one, as it is part of

Sam is graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in Journalism and Business next Saturday!  Aside from being awesome, She enjoys anything digital and social media related, traveling, and cooking.  One more thing to mention: Sam already has a job for post-graduation! She will be working at Fuor Digital, a small digital agency in Chicago, and her new position entails a mix of PR, social media, and new business development.  I hope this interview allows you to gain a little insight into Sam and her passion for Journalism and Social Media.

Christa (C): What drew you to major in Journalism as opposed to other specializations in the Communications industry?
Samantha (S): The writing and the quick pace! You’re never bored when you’re on the edge of the latest news. But I never wanted to report per se. I’ve always appreciated the elements of good journalism. My freshman year I started at a small private school in Dallas called Southern Methodist University. I was in Advertising, but it just didn’t feel like the right fit (school and major). So one day I approached my Advertising teacher and blatantly asked him where I should transfer. With little hesitation, he told me to go to Mizzou for journalism. I visited, and fell in love. I feel fortunate here at Mizzou to have a broader major in Journalism and an emphasis in Strategic Communication (for me, a PR focus). That’s always been appealing personally!

C: How do you think social media will continue to change the Journalism industry?
S: I see social media as the foundation for the future of journalism. People no longer wait for news to break on sites like CNN or USA Today. Instead, they’re viewing a Twitter feed like @BreakingNews for the latest – and this benefits both the news source and the individual. No one has to concoct a transparent news story, they just need to release an update in 140 characters. There is definitely the question of credibility, but my recommendation would be to stick with news outlet accounts that you recognize and trust. Once a reporter learns to harness the speed and efficiency of Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook, then they will find themselves at a heightened level of success.

C: What is your dream job?
S: I’ve never had a specific dream job, actually! My dream job is a job that makes me feel like I’m never really working – I think passion reigns over any job title. I want to be surrounded by teachers and a dynamic team as well – that will always make me happy. But I’ve never forced myself into a niche. I think it’s safe to say anything with a digital focus will always be of interest for me. Otherwise I just stick to what feels natural!

C: You recently co-founded a Twitter chat (#cookchat, 8 pm on Sundays) and regularly participate in other chats such as #u30pro, #prstudchat, and #journchat. How important do you think these experiences have been in your employment search?
S: I can’t even begin to express how helpful these chats have been in contributing to my overall job search. I love that I’ve had the opportunity to converse with other bright minds that I would’ve never met otherwise. I’ve actually pursued a lot of connections I’ve made in chats and taken them offline – this has been an excellent experience as well. When it comes to social media and these Twitter chats, I think they just serve as a tipping point for something greater – whether it’s networking, exchanging blog posts, or creating solid friendships. Not to mention you learn so much from others! Experienced pros are always willing to offer great advice, and that’s an opportunity you can’t find anywhere else. I am forever indebted to those who went out of their way to provide suggestions and tips.

Side note: Matt (the other co-founder of #cookchat) and I worked at the same agency in Columbia, Missouri at different times. We didn’t know each other and collaborated randomly on Twitter. That’s pretty powerful!

Image from Flickr

I’d like to personally congratulate Sam on her amazing accomplishments and her upcoming graduation!  I expect nothing but great things from her and her fellow Class of 2010 grads across the country.  Congrats again!  You did it!!

The Bare Bones

Name: Tom O’Keefe
PR Experience: Buchanan Public Relations Intern (September 2008 to April 2009). Brodeur Partners Business to Business Team Intern (May 2008 to August 2008).
Position Sought: Entry-level public relations, marketing, and/or social media.
Where: Baltimore, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York.
When: September 2010.
Education: Villanova University. B.S., Communication. General Business Minor.
E-mail: TomOKeefe1 [at] gmail.com
Twitter: @TomOKeefe1
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomokeefe1

The Meat and Potatoes

Hello! My name is Tom O’Keefe and I would be a great addition to your public relations team. I am a diligent, reliable, and outgoing recent graduate with internship experience in business-to-business, law, health care, technology, and financial public relations. I am a critical thinker and a problem solver who enjoys interacting with others to reach common goals.

Since October of 2008, when I first joined Twitter, I have gained a solid understanding of social media through direct participation and client monitoring. In the changing world of public relations, I am constantly reading, learning, and exploring in order to attain a better understanding of the many tools available to help clients. I am eager to capitalize on these tools in my first full-time public relations job.

I have had two fantastic public relations internships. Most recently, at Buchanan Public Relations, a small agency in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, I was able to write press materials, help plan events, and explore social media for client implementation. With Buchanan, I gained the valuable hands-on experience needed to enter into the public relations field, while working with a dynamic team of professionals and executives.

Previous to working with Buchanan Public Relations, I interned with the Business-to-Business Team at Brooder Partners. There, I learned the “ropes” of public relations. I analyzed editorial opportunities, created media lists and clip books, and pitched media members for clients. It was my internship with Brodeur Partners that exposed me to the world of public relations and convinced me that it was the right profession for me.

Currently, and ending in August, I am completing a year of post-graduate service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps as a teaching assistant for a high school in Baltimore, Maryland. As a teacher, I have been able to work on relevant public relations skills such as clear and effective communication, speaking to groups, facilitating conversation, handling crisis situations, thinking on my feet, and, most of all, patience and flexibity. After teaching for a year, I am confident that I can handle most any situation thrown my way.

Now, I am hoping to gain employment with a dynamic and fun public relations team with room for growth beginning in September 2010. Though I am open to other places, I am actively searching in Baltimore, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City.

With my various experiences, always-positive attitude, and passion for public relations and social media, I can be a valuable part of your public relations team, helping your clients to achieve the results they need.

I welcome you to e-mail me (TomOKeefe1 [at] gmail.com), follow me on Twitter (@TomOKeefe1), connect with me on LinkedIn, or read my volunteer blog. I look forward to hearing from you!

[A special thanks to Christa for offering her blog as a space for this. It means a lot, Christa! Thank you!]

Last week, AdAge reported that McDonald’s Corporation is celebrating the 7 year stretch of this campaign (and their stellar first quarter profits) with what they call “I’m Lovin’ It” 2.0.  Instead of scrapping the whole campaign, McDonald’s CMO Mary Dillon said, “If you look at the business success, there would have been no reason for changing the campaign, except for ego.”

I would have to agree with Ms. Dillon on that one.  Clearly, the campaign works very well for McDonald’s.  Why fix something that ain’t broke?

Below are three new television ad spots from McDonald’s, each done by a different agency.  The spots reach out to some different McDonald’s consumers- families, on-the-go, and international consumers- while still reflecting its how the brand wants to portray itself.  I think the creative is great for the fast-food chain and will certainly raise the bar for the fast-food advertising industry.

Proud Papa [Agency: Leo Burnett]

The “Proud Papa” advertisement has a lot of truth to it, especially a proud parent rewarding their child for good grades and taking them out to celebrate.  And finding the french fry in between the seats of the car.  That happens in my family all the time (though we don’t eat it, we’d normally throw it out…).

Baby [Agency: TBWA]

I especially like the “Baby” spot, as I think it reflects how McDonald’s tries to express themselves as a brand and what they do for their consumers- staying open late and satisfying their consumers at all costs.  I also love how the father continually drives around, as to not wake his sleeping infant.  That was a very sweet touch.

Big Mac World Chant [Agency: DDB]

This spot is really cool because of the global aspect.  It demonstrates uniformity of McDonald’s products across the globe, how recognizable that Big Mac really is, and the influence this brand has world wide.

What do you think of McDonald’s and their “2.0″ campaign?  Is there enough difference to call it 2.0? Which advertising spot is your favorite?

When I see very few brands engaging consumers in social media through their traditional advertising- media vehicles that are struggling to produce results- I have to ask, “Where are the social media ‘call to actions’ in advertising?”  This is a question I’ve been asking ever since the Super Bowl and the questionable advertising we saw there.  Four months later, I’m still wondering the same thing.

Small advertising lesson: “Call to action” refers to the next step you want a consumer to take when they see an ad. Visit our store, See our magazine, Stop by our shop, Visit our website, etc. all are examples of a “call to action.”

A recent Nielsen survey of 1,700 U.S. Internet users discovered that 73% of them use social media at least once a week, with 47% of users visiting Facebook daily. That percent strongly rivals the 55% of those same users who watch television daily.  Based on these findings (especially for a social media and advertising enthusiast like myself), I can’t help but notice that very few brands are marrying the two.

Here are three ads from this year that actually do include social media call to actions in their television advertising.  Shockingly enough, I can’t think of another television ad that includes a social media call to action.

Toyota

Marshalls

TJMaxx

What are your thoughts- how do these brands incorporate social media into their advertising?  What could they do better?  Do the YouTube and Facebook pages reflect the brand?  What other brands who use social media in advertising?

Me at the Louvre!

All the things you hear about going to Paris and falling in love are absolutely true.  I know, I speak from first hand experience.

For those of you new here, I spent Easter and the following week in Paris with my sister who is studying abroad there.  We also spent the second weekend I was there in London (60£ round trip bus fare, how could we not?).  Words cannot express how much I loved this trip, especially since we did so much in the little time I was there.  Paris, especially.  It’s the most beautiful city I’ve ever been to, and I’ve had wonderful opportunities to visit other cities in Europe as well.  Paris is by far my favorite.

I gush about Parisian fashion here.  I raved about the food with my coworkers all week.  Now I hope to gush about everything else I saw and learned while I was there:

You can’t take anything “to go”
I was shocked to find that when I got off the plane in Paris. I wanted to grab a coffee (iced, in fact) quick and get back to my sister’s apartment.  She kind of chuckled and told me they don’t do that in France, except for at Starbucks or McDonald’s- both of which are American companies.  At first, I was shocked.  But as the week went on, I saw the appeal of staying put.  Enjoying your coffee with pain au chocolat (sweet bread filled with chocolate. YUM) while enjoying the company of your family or friends allows you to appreciate the simplest things a everything the city has to offer- food and good company.

The metro/subway/underground can be simple
Both Paris and London have incredibly easy public transportation, especially the metros.  By the second or third day in Paris, I was getting the different lines and where to transfer.  London offered a simple underground as well, and Angela and I were pros before we left.  There were very little transfers on both, and the names of the lines were in the direction of where you were going (not A/C/E OR 4/5/6).  Both even tell you when the next train is coming on an electronic board on the platform.  New York City, you should be taking notes.

Tradition is VERY important
In England, you know that the country has a Prime Minister and a royal family.  However, the Prime Minister actually “runs” the country.  My sister and I are still trying to figure out what the royal family does, but even if it’s not much, the tradition is the most important thing.  Since we don’t have that kind of history in the USA, I find the whole thing completely fascinating.  We can (and should) embrace our own traditions, whether it be on a nationwide, regional, local, or family level.  Without them, who are you as a person?

Cities don’t have to be so “angry”
Sometimes when I’m in New York City, it feels, I don’t know, angry. Maybe it’s because I’ve encountered rude people working in the subway, or people aren’t willing to help you if you get lost.  I didn’t experience that at all in Paris or London.  Many people talk about how rude the French are, especially to Americans.  I say FORGET THAT STEREOTYPE.  If you try and embrace the French culture, they will respect you in return.  That is the same for any other country or city in Europe, especially where they don’t speak English.  If you’re thinking about traveling abroad, get a basic language book and read up.  More often than not, you will be respected for your efforts.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned is how much I love to travel and see new places.  I can’t wait to go on my next European adventure!

Have you ever traveled abroad?  What are some lessons you learned while away?  How did you incorporate them into your every day life?

Here are a few of my favorite pictures that I took while away. For more pictures of my trip (350+ of them], click here :)

Bonjour mes amies! I wanted to give everyone the heads up, since today would be my scheduled post for the week:

I leave for Paris on THURSDAY!

Dans trois jours! C’est incroyable!!!! (in 3 days! It’s incredible!!)

…wish I remembered more French than I actually do…

In case you haven’t heard, I am going to Paris (and newly added London) to visit my sister who’s studying abroad in France. Very excited for the whole thing: to see my sister, to see Paris and London, to have vacation, and I’ve been tres vocal about my excitement since I booked my trip (apologizes if it was too much excitement haha).

For anyone who stops by here until I return on April 12th, the content will remain the same. This week is crazy busy with packing, running errands after work, etc. and I certainly can’t promise to update while I’m away.  Rest assured, though, that there will be PLENTY to talk about when I return.  Especially marketing, product placement, advertising, social media, basically everything that I love.  Not including food, my traveling adventures, and fashion (which will be saved for my Posterous).  I will be taking plenty of notes (written and mental) with lots of good stuff for when I come back.  Never fear!

Until April 12th! Au revoir!! :) :) :)