I attended the inaugural State of Style Summit yesterday, hosted by fashion and style platform, StyleCaster. The event included some of the  fashion industry’s biggest influencers and tastemakers, who discussed fashion and beauty’s changing trends in the digital age. Speakers at the event included Doug Zarkin, VP of Marketing at Kellwood Company (owner of Kaplow clients XOXO, Zobha and Baby Phat), accessories and clothing designer Rebecca Minkoff and Ann Shoket, Editor in Chief of Seventeen.

Here are some key takeaways:

Listen to Your Target Audience on Brand Social Pages:

One of the reasons social media users follow, like, or view brand pages is to be heard by the brand. Consumers regularly share their thoughts about what they like and don’t like about certain products or brand initiatives. Therefore, it is important for brands to listen and respond to these comments. For example, Rebecca Minkoff said she listens to consumer feedback from her social media pages when designing accessories. She once put up on Facebook a photo of a handbag she was working on and asked if it was too tough-looking. Based on consumer-response, she revised the design. Minkoff relishes the opinions of her brand advocates, because at the end of the day, they end up purchasing her products.

Accessible Aspiration – Style Experts, Models, Fashion Blogger Engagement:

When a brand partners with a well-known spokesperson to represent it, it’s important that the spokesperson engages in conversation with consumers via social media. Conversation, tips and tidbits from a style expert, celebrity, model, or blogger are considered a reward to the consumer. They appreciate the connection to these fashion figures because they are now on the same level and platform as they are, where before, these figures were inaccessible.

Consumer Experiences Help Shape a Brand’s Products:

Rebecca Minkoff discussed how the life experiences of her target audience shape the accessories she designs. For example, her best-selling “Morning After” handbag is based on the lives of women ages 20-29 who may be single, dating, or adjusting to life changes. Inside this purse is a faux business card with an image of a good-looking man and a number which connects to the Minkoff headquarters. By adding this personal touch and relating this bag to the experiences of her target audience, Minkoff adds a layer of authenticity

I admit I’m not sold on Google+. It’s selfish really – I don’t want another profile to update or network to build up. But, amidst reports that the social platform has surpassed 90 million users and will be rolling out its Search, plus Your World initiative, I felt I owed it a second glance.

At the start of the Global Google+ Hangout session at Columbia’s Social Media Weekend, I was happy to hear Sree Sreenivasan, the event’s organizer, mimic my feelings on the subject of new social media platforms. He shared a few wise words to consider before hopping on the bandwagon of a hot new social tool:

“Think first, does it fit into my workflow? Does it fit into my life flow?”

“Always be an early tester and a late adopter.”

Leaving us with the statement that, “Google+ is Google’s last stand with social, their last chance to make it work,” he introduced us to Daniel Sieberg of Google.

I watched with a skeptical eye as Daniel rattled off brief factoids about Google+ (200 features have been added since its launch, 3.5 billion photos have been shared through the platform, etc.), but when we hopped on a Hangout On Air video chat with Bradley Horowitz, VP of Product Management at Google and journalists in London, Berlin, Jakarta and Istanbul, things got a bit more interesting.

See, a Hangout On Air is not just another video conference call. Still in the Whitelist stage, Hangout On Air is the evolution of the Hangout (yes, a tool that just launched four months ago is already evolving). To summarize, Hangout on Air turns your computer into a mini broadcast tower. In their words, it’s the next generation of citizen journalism.

Here are the two key Hangout On Air stats that really struck a chord with me:

• As you video chat with up to 10 people from your Circles, the Hangout On Air can be seen live on your Google+ stream for all to see
  • This allows others to see and talk about the video chat, even if they cannot participate in it (engagement, engagement, engagement!)
  • When the video chat is over, it is automatically saved as a private or public YouTube file
    • This saves the video chat for use as future content on all social pages and guarantees additional visibility (YouTube is the top video search engine and second largest search engine, period!)

While remaining an intimate video chat among a small group of people, the whole world has the ability to listen in and discuss during real time, and can refer back and engage with the content at any point afterwards since it is a saved YouTube file.

Daniel and Bradley shared stories of rural hospitals receiving live expertise from large city hospitals during surgeries and other unique uses for Hangouts. The possibilities for this new technology are far-reaching.

I still may not be sold on Google+ for personal use, but I can absolutely see the amazing potential the Hangout On Air feature holds for brands.

Whether you’re new to social media or a seasoned user, Sree Sreenivasan’s Social Media Weekend was meant to be a learning experience for everyone. The primary goal behind this event was to share best practices with journalists and media professionals when using social media, and stress the importance of connection. A common thread seen throughout the conference was personal branding. Some savvy social media minds shared their thoughts on social media and its impact on journalism and media; here are some of the key takeaways from that day:

Know who you are.

Never shy away from being you. Pick two to three subjects that define you and demonstrate your niche. Sree Sreenivasan said: “Think about the top 10-15 people following you whenever you tweet. Aim not to bore them.” Regularly update your social media profiles to include the most up-to-date information. It is important to constantly recreate your bio; it is the one place where you can brag about your accomplishments.

Think before you tweet.

Don’t bore or more importantly, misinform your followers. Consider what you’re tweeting to them. Sreenivasan added: “Everyone will miss almost everything you do on social media.” Keep it interesting, find new ways to engage with your community, but remember that your personal brand is an extension of your parent company. Steve Rubel shared a great example – Derek Jeter as an extension of the Yankees baseball brand. Through his own personal pages, Jeter gives the Yankees a humanistic quality and acts as the face behind the brand.

Timing is everything.

Unique content becomes spreadable content when the timing is perfect. We are living in a world of real-time news, where breaking stories are reported instantaneously. There are positives and negatives to this. Reporting breaking stories first can build trust within your community, but rushing and misreporting a story can result in major issues. The false report of Joe Paterno’s death was a great example mentioned during the Sports & Social Media Panel by Richard Deitsch: “As in Paterno’s death, one blogger source was used to break the story. Leading to one blogger embarrassing a major corporation.” Had this corporation verified its sources before releasing the story, this situation may have never happened. While it can be frustrating to wait, ESPN’s Joe Schad added: “I tweet what I know when I know it.”

My colleagues Dara Cothran [When What Happens in Vegas Goes Global] and Katie Cwayna [The Sexy Way] have each shared their personal observations from their first trips to the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with Skype and Case-Mate respectively. As a veteran of many CES shows, I would like to share a few general observations from CES about product marketing and social media that I believe brands should consider when participating in this or other large conferences or trade shows:

The Power of Celebrity - From former sports stars (Dennis Rodman, Robert Horry, John Salley and Carl Banks) to music talent (Justin Bieber, LL Cool J, 50 Cent, Ludacris and Will.i.am) and from television stars (Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Greg Grunberg, Wayne Brady and Ryan Seacrest) to Hollywood actors (Eliza Dushku), celebrities were spotted pushing product all around CES. While having these notable names was good for booth traffic or drawing in large RSVP numbers for parties, it’s questionable whether the investment will translate into product sales. Mashable reported that 85% of social media mentions about those celebs did not reference the gadgets or companies they were promoting at CES. Brands need to re-think the put-a-celeb-in-our-booth approach going forward.

Social Media – On-Site Engagement Tool or Broadcast Channel? – Lots of brands at CES sought to use social media as a way of engaging those in the industry walking around the show floor. From contests attached to Foursquare check-ins to Twitter giveaways for retweeting different phrases or #hashtags, there were all kinds of ways to win products and/or tickets to shows or other Vegas experiences. However, brands that pursued these types of tactics forgot to factor in one big thing: network connectivity. With overloaded WiFI and 3G networks, people couldn’t get online, making it nearly impossible to engage with the brands whose booths they were patrolling. However, other brands decided to use social media as a channel to share what was going on at CES with those people who couldn’t be in Vegas. Some common approaches were hours of livestreamed interviews or reports from the show floor, as demonstrated by Panasonic Live@CES and Facebook Live, or just simple Flickr galleries posted by brands showing their booth presence and their new products. The key lesson for brands? Define the goals for using social media at large events like CES and factor in how availability of network infrastructure impacts the definition of the goals.

No Longer Consumer Electronics for Technology’s Sake – Increasingly, consumer electronics brands have fully realized and embraced the need to present their technology products as integrated into consumers’ daily lifestyles. Not only was this insight reflected in product design, as demonstrated by the explosion of thin and light ultrabooks unveiled at CES, but also in the design of booths across the show floor where the technology and products were presented in real-life settings. And the emergence of the tablet is increasingly infiltrating the workplace, as demonstrated by companies like GE, Aetna and Comcast, each of which have announced formal programs to give iPads to all of their employees. By thinking and acting this way, companies are increasingly able to set the proper context in which their new devices are to be used. Ultimately, this translates to helping consumers better understand which devices are actually right for their personal and or professional needs.

The mere mention of Las Vegas evokes sensory overload, but when you add 153,000 tech enthusiasts and 3,100 exhibitors occupying nearly 1.9 million square feet of exhibit space for the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (January 10-13), it’s an explosion!. You’d better be on your best behavior as well, because with over 6,500 media in attendance, there is no chance, despite what the commercials promise, that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Thanks to the modern media mix, everything at CES was news – from the length of the cab lines to surprise celeb appearances.

This was the biggest year ever for CES and fellow Kaplow-ite Chaim Haas and I attended as part of the Skype public relations team. Skype is a CES veteran, but this was the brand’s first public appearance since being acquired by Microsoft. Our team had the enviable position of being both a part of the large Microsoft booth presence and still being able to express our fun Skype brand personality in the Skype Lounge, located in the Central Plaza outside the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The Skype Lounge was a big draw.  Most attendees were too busy working the floor at CES to check out all the sights in Vegas, so Skype came to the rescue, bringing the sights to them! Skype’s roving reporters visited Vegas hot-spots like the Stratosphere, Indoor Skydiving, the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris, the gondola rides at the Venetian and shared the moment with CES attendees back at the booth via LIVE video calls on a giant TV screen inside the Skype Lounge. At any given moment, people crowded into the booth to catch all the action. Wax Elvis even made an in-booth appearance while our roving reporters were visiting Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in the heart of the Strip.

Skype is now available everywhere and on many different devices. Through our social media channels, we encouraged CES attendees to “SpotSkype” and share the pictures with us. Big congratulations are also in order for some of Skype’s partners who launched new products this year. This includes: Panasonic’s VIERA Connect TV featuring a new Social TV feature, which allows consumers to connect with friends and family via Skype while they are watching TV; Logitech unveiled a full HD Webcam for 1080p video calling over Skype; and Sony Electronics unveiled the Sony Bloggie Live HD camera with live streaming capabilities thanks to the integration of Qik right on the device. Capping off a great week, the Sony Bloggie Live HD was named recipient of a “Best of CES” award from LAPTOP Magazine.

As a fashionista living in Manhattan, the thought of going to the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was quite intimidating. After all, I prefer a PC over a Mac and my old BlackBerry to the new iPhone 4S. Let’s face it; I just learned how to tweet.

Knowing I would be surrounded by savvy techies and cutting-edge consumer electronics, I even contemplated toning down my wardrobe, but I didn’t have to, as I was at CES with Case-Mate, the leader in fashion forward mobile tech accessories.

As a virgin to both Vegas and CES, I was pleasantly surprised by just how hip CES is. From a PR perspective, this makes a lot of sense. Companies not only have to have quality products and ground-breaking innovations, but they need to attract media and buyers to their booths using whatever approaches it takes. I saw everything from Justin Bieber to booth babes and even people jumping on trampolines. Case-Mate didn’t need any of this because its booth’s high design, quality products and team spoke for itself.

Some favorites from the show included a new Tortoiseshell case for the hip socialite, a Phantom case for the Soul Cycle enthusiast and a POP! ID case for the minimalist bar-goer. The booth represented Case-Mate’s philosophy of “happiness by design” and showcased all of the products in a fun and vibrant way, even allowing guests to make their own cases on-site or trade in their old cases for a new one. And the team was authentic and genuine – each Case-Mate team member dressed their smartphones up with a case that matched their individual style.

Whether it’s a brand, product or idea – CES is the place to make it come to life in a way that is authentic (and sometimes even unusual). What I learned:  if tech can be sexy, anything can be!

Today’s connected consumer suffers from what can only be termed the “Times Square Effect.” The other night, I walked out of a Broadway show and was immediately bombarded by the neon signs and noisy soundtracks of brands trying to attract consumers’ attention. I walked away not remembering a single message from any one specific brand. The “Times Square Effect” is following consumers 24-7-365 as brands compete both online and offline for audience attention and share. PR professionals, who have long been the stewards of a company’s message, must now help curate the enormous amounts of content being thrown at consumers. They are already using social media to create, control and communicate their own experiences. We can help by making sure our output is relevant, useful and meaningful to them.  People are not just craving more information—they also want context from and an emotional connection to the brands they use every day.

Consumers want to know what a brand is all about, the humanity behind it, if you will, and they now have the digital tools and resources to find out. If brands aren’t ready to tell their story, consumers can and will decide what it is. This means that even more than before, starting at the top, companies are now asking themselves: “Who are we and what do we stand for?” Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about weaving that cause throughout the company’s corporate DNA, so that it becomes evident in everything the company does. Companies are also now faced, more than ever, with having to communicate authentically to their customers and potential customers—in real time. PR practitioners have always been about developing relationships and projecting the humanity of a brand. We are a natural fit to help companies recognize the benefits, and navigate the pitfalls, of real time interaction.

At the end of the day, this is an exciting time for PR and for companies looking to get their message out. The potential for greater creativity is boundless as we have more tools to help clients service consumers. The opportunity to help customers connect with brands that share their concerns and values through meaningful content and conversation is palpable. I’m looking forward to what the rest of 2012 will bring—including the unexpected.

Hot off the press! Kaplow is pleased to share its listing in the 2011 Holmes Report “Agency Report Card.”

Kaplow kick-started its 20^th year in 2011 with exciting new business additions and a revamped senior management team, quickly overcoming any industry hurdles thrown our way due to the ever-changing economy. As noted in the article, one key to Kaplow’s success is a 360 approach to client campaigns that supplements core media relations capabilities with newer offerings that include Kdrive social media practice, Kstudio content creation and distribution unit and groups focused on special events, corporate social responsibility and brand storytelling.

After the recognition of all our hard work this year, the article closes with a note that the agency has also secured a place on the Holmes list of the Best Agencies to Work For. Way to go!

A special shout-out goes to our dedicated clients, who continue to challenge us to be a best-in-class agency.

You can find the full Kaplow Holmes Report Card here. Here’s to even more exciting things to come in 2012.

Here at Kaplow, we have the benefit of being on both coasts at the same time – we have offices in NYC and San Francisco!

Tammy Lam from our SF office was able to attend a recent PR panel for start-ups and small businesses. The tips she shared from one panelist, Eric Savitz, San Francisco Bureau Chief of Forbes, are best practices for ALL companies and PR pros, not just start-ups.

Brush up on your media relations know-how with the below insights:

• Always be on the top of your game – Journalists are often asked to, and do, refer companies to PR firms that they respect.
• Look at the lifecycle of your company – Are you still in beta? Did you just secure a fresh round of funding? Leverage each new stage to secure press in the right outlets.
• Do not overreach – Know the limitaitons of your products/company. It’s called public relations – dont pitch a WSJ-type publication unless it’s ready for public scrutiny.
• Customer stories are great – Customer stories are even better if your customers are exponentially bigger than you and you can demonstrate/quantify the value you provided to them.
• Pick a face for your company – It doesn’t have to be the CEO – it could be your head engineer or the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), but pick someone who has the charisma and personality that personifies your company. Sometimes a big personality and a willingness to have an opinion are memorable enough to secure a story, where a product may not be.
• Do not blast pitches out to hundreds of people – You will not get a response. Take the time to pare your lists down to the key influencers who will make a difference in what your company is trying to achieve and personalize your pitch to what they have been writing about.
• Reporters won’t write the same story twice – Give them a new angle. It’s not enough to say: “Noticed you covered XX company, we do that too, will you cover us?” Tell the reporter why you’re DIFFERENT and whether you solved a problem with a different approach.
• Craft the subject line with a personal touch – Some of the best subject lines to get reporters to open an email are: “Saw your fabulous XX story” or “Disagreed/Agreed with your XX story.”
• Do not follow up every other day – It takes up the reporter’s time to answer you, when they could be reviewing your email. Give them about 3-4 days to look things over before following up.

What other media relations tips have you learned throughout your career? Please share additional tips and advice in the comments.

As I sit at my desk after our Pizza Friday lunch, updating clients’ Facebook pages, interacting with beauty editors on Twitter and hopping on client calls, I think about the men and women in our Armed Forces and their average “Day in the Office.”  I can’t even imagine.

I always remember this anecdote my dad told me about my grandfather, who I affectionately referred to as “Pop-pop.” My dad was one of seven siblings and growing up in the ‘60s, all the kids in the neighborhood had fathers who had served in WWII.  While playing war in the yard one day, all the kids began role-playing the positions their fathers had been during the war.

“I’m being a fighter pilot because that’s what my father was in the war!”

“I’m being a radio operator!”

All of a sudden my dad and his brothers realized they had no idea what their dad did during the war. They ran to the backyard, bombarding him while he was building a swing set, and asked.  Distracted he replied, “I was a coward.”  Not detecting the sarcasm in his voice, the boys ran back to their friends and proudly declared: “We’re being cowards because that’s what OUR dad was in the war!”

My “Pop-pop” was not a coward.  He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in the Philippines and to this day, we still do not know why he received it.

Members of the military never complain and never boast.  They give up their safety, their homes and time with their family and loved ones to protect you and I.  On behalf of Kaplow, we are so grateful to all the men and women who serve, or have served our country.  You allow us all the freedoms and comforts we enjoy every day.

Happy Veterans Day.