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.

Last night, Kaplow accepted its Consumer Agency of the Year Award at the annual SABRE dinner and awards ceremony hosted by The Holmes Report.

We have seen tremendous change in our industry over the past 20 years. There are new tools and channels to reach the consumer every day, and there is more noise to cut through than ever before. But with all the change, the one constant that drives us forward is doing innovative, great work.  Whether we are helping to change a perception of a brand, diverting a crisis or engaging consumers with brand stories, it all comes back to doing innovative, great work.

Each individual is a crucial component to the success of our team, and we are thankful for the great work that each and every one of our team members contributes every day.  Thank you to the whole Kaplow family!

Kaplow Named Consumer Agency of the Year from Kaplow Communications on Vimeo.

Photos from the Awards dinner:

The watch industry’s largest event held annually in Switzerland each March, BaselWorld was the perfect platform to reinforce a leadership position for Timex Group in the timepiece and jewelry industry. With 12 watch brands across the luxury and mass sectors under the corporate umbrella, the Timex Group had a major presence at the event.  The forum allowed a strategic opportunity to connect Timex Group CEO, Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, with a global media audience across trade, business and lifestyle press to deliver a unique point of view of business trends, while also underscoring the company’s core commitment to CSR.

Kaplow secured and co-staffed more than 20 media meetings with press representing countries around the globe, including the US, Europe, China, India and South America.

Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, CEO of Timex Group with Michele Norsa, CEO of Salvatore Ferragamo

Adam Gurian, President of Timex Brand

Through strategic outreach, Kaplow has introduced MyPublisher to a key influential demographic – the mommy blogger.  By leveraging a make-your-own PhotoBook giveaway, bloggers were able to engage their audiences, both on their blogs and on Twitter.  Top mom blogs such as Babble, Mommin’ It Up, Lil’ Duck Duck and Droolicious enthusiastically blogged about MyPublisher, calling it the “pioneer in the PhotoBook industry” and further establishing MyPublisher as the premier PhotoBook site for all stages of life.

To align CafePress with the current news cycle and taking advantage of a seminal pop culture moment—Kaplow hit 5th Avenue in New York City to shower revelers at the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade with 2,500 free branded buttons celebrating the luck o’ the Irish.

Kaplow staffers strategically planned the guerilla outreach, planting teams along the parade route from 42nd Street and targeting heavy traffic areas such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Rockefeller Center. Not only did Kaplow reach a mass of consumers with the CafePress message, but media as well—with WNYW FOX 5 and NY1 anchors donning the CafePress branded button during their live newscasts.

This guerilla approach and scrappy effort enabled us to reach consumers at the grassroots level in a fun and relevant way, building buzz for CafePress.

Kaplow led the media charge for Skype at the 2009 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. On very short notice, Kaplow arranged a press conference to announce that Skype, the leader in internet communications, was working together with the world’s leading mobile handset manufacturer, Nokia – news that quickly became one of the show’s major stories.

Kaplow also arranged 1:1 briefings for Skype’s executives and for the company to participate in Pepcom’s MobileFocus Global co-op media event, where it demonstrated its new mobile applications in front of 150+ of the mobile industry’s top journalists, and to host a VIP cocktail party at one of the city’s swankiest hotels.

To end off an overly successful conference, Skype President Josh Silverman participated in a keynote panel in front of 1,000+ delegates, during which he sparred in a debate with former Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo over the value of flat-rate mobile data plans and wireless carriers’ control over consumers’ usage of their mobile phones.

Did you know that 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size? Kaplow teamed up with REDBOOK magazine for a campaign aiming to educate women on how to get the right fit.  Kaplow hand-selected a group of media to attend a NYC bra-fitting party hosted by Stacy Morrison, Editor-In-Chief, REDBOOK magazine. Media attendees included New York Daily News, SheKnows, SheFinds, NewYorkMag.com and fashion expert Jenn Falik.  Attendees learned how to properly fit themselves with the guidance of Morrison and Warner’s own Nancy Lesser Bellini and Ramona Dunlap.  To round out the campaign, Morrison filmed an instructional bra-fitting video, which played throughout the party, and now lives on Warners.com and Redbookmag.com—teaching women all over the world to find their right fit.

As a way to demonstrate eBay’s vanguard position in the fashion industry, Kaplow and eBay partnered with young, up-and-coming fashion designer Yigal Azrouël for his Fall Fashion Week runway presentations.  Fashion insiders received a custom-designed, eco-friendly T-shirt designed by Yigal for eBay.  To celebrate this new partnership, eBay will host an exclusive charity sale featuring 50 items from the designer’s Spring/Sumer collection starting June 4, 2009.  The partnership has already drummed up buzz with mentions in USA Today, Women’s Wear Daily, The New York Post and Los Angeles Times.

Kaplow joined Skype at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to announce an all new version of the software and mobile products which bring Skype is to users wherever, whenever.

Skype utilized CES as a platform to pre-announce the all new Skype, which will be released in February, as well as new mobile platforms. The updated program is that is easier to use, more fun and engaging, with incredible video capabilities.  Skype also participated in ShowStoppers@CES, and held a VIP Cocktail Party for over 125 guests.

In addition, Kaplow secured 25 1-on-1 media briefings with Skype spokespeople to engage journalist’s in Skype’s vision and its commitment to driving quality and ease-of-use.

To expand the traditional eBay holiday program, Kaplow secured several high-level broadcast media partnerships, which ran in conjunction with eBay’s holiday initiatives.

The Bonnie Hunt Show and Kaplow created “Bonnie’s Basement,” an eBay charity auction with one-of-a-kind items donated by celebrity guests.  The hosts of The View discussed the Doorbusters program and launched a one-day sweepstakes for an audience member to win a diamond ring.  To round out the media partnerships program, eBay and Kaplow partnered with Live with Regis and Kelly to sponsor a week-long “Season of Savings” with an on-air sweepstakes and eBay deals exclusive to the Regis and Kelly Web site.