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.

By Mandy Hjellming

Kaplow has been selected as a finalist for the 2010 PRWeek Awards in the Best Use of  Audio/Visual category for its work with Skype.

Over 70 of the most-respected PR professionals in the industry gathered in December to judge hundreds of entries and named Kaplow’s project entitled Skype on TV: The Biggest News in A/V since the Satellite Truck as a top entry.

Not long ago, if a television news program wanted to show video of a reporter or guest on location, they sent out a satellite truck, paid up to $10,000 and waited for the truck to arrive, set up, and try to hit the satellite. Kaplow and Skype realized that Skype’s free broadcast-quality video calling was a perfect audio/video solution for broadcasters. Skype’s face-to-face video calling allows producers to show video and talk with reporters and guests from wherever they are in the world. In addition to the hundreds of local network news affiliates now utilizing Skype, other well-known TV programs that are using Skype include “Good Morning America,” “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here,” “Miss Universe Pageant,” “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?,” “CNN’s Larry King Live,” “E! News,” and “Fox and Friends.” Many programs have weekly and even daily Skype reports. “The TODAY Show” airs a half hour segment entitled “Money 911” every Wednesday, where viewers sit in their kitchens and living rooms and ask NBC’s financial experts for advice via Skype.

“A PRWeek Award is not easy to win, nor should it be. It is the highest accolade in the public relations industry, given each year to the best corporate, nonprofit, agency, and education teams, and the work that they produce. A PRWeek Award is a unique symbol of achievement and leadership, and immediately sets the winner apart from others” – Julia Hood, Publishing Director, PRWeek

This most recent accolade will join the list with Kaplow’s past PRWeek honors:

- 2009 PRWeek Award Finalist: Promotional Event of the Year, Target’s Bullseye Bodegas

- 2009 PRWeek Award Finalist: Best Use of Broadcast Program, Spin Master Bugsville Butterfly Treehouse

- 2008 PRWeek Award Winner: Global Campaign of the Year, Blue Planet Run Foundation

Winners will be announced at the PRWeek Awards dinner in March.

Jillian Wright is getting the Star treatment these days. The new St. Ives consulting aesthetician and owner of NYC’s Glow Skin Spa was recently honored as “Hottest Facialist of the Year” by Star magazine.

With the unique ability to connect brands with credible spokespersons, Kaplow identified Jillian as the perfect fit for the brand’s consulting aesthetician role, with the goal of increasing St. Ives’ awareness among celebrities and influencers.

Her professional advice and tips have appeared in leading media outlets, including In Style, Marie Claire, Glamour, Teen People, Redbook, New York’s Daily News and Post. She has an exceptional roster of clients that trust her with their skin, including Alicia Silverstone, Ivana Trump, Tea Leone, Gabriel Byrne and Kristen Wiig.

Jillian’s mantra reflects the St. Ives philosophy of revealing your naturally beautiful skin: “Exfoliate, hydrate and protect.” Look no further than the gorgeous skin of her Hollywood clientele – and in the pages of Star – for proof that this philosophy is a winner!

Every year, the Cosmetic Executive Women Beauty Awards draws an impressive list of high-level media attendees to the annual insider event.  For 2009, Kaplow aimed to reach the online consumer through a targeted viral outreach program.

To kick off the viral program, Kaplow secured online give-a-ways with top beauty blogs BellaSugar, AOL Stylelist, MyBeautyberry, SheKnows and TotalBeauty, which increased awareness of the Beauty Awards and resulted in a strong click-through to buy through the retail partners on CEW.org.

The announcement of the Award winners, held on May 1st in New York City, sparked viral buzz like never before—reaching top influential beauty bloggers who Twittered and live blogged about the winner’s in real-time.  Bloggers from BeautyNewsNYC, SheFinds.com and Sephora.com instantly spread the news to their readers, touching consumers online where they shop and buy beauty products.

Skype took center stage at the NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 21. Attended by broadcasters, media, entertainment and communications professionals, the show focuses on solutions for delivering the next generation of audio, video, and filmed content across multiple platforms.

Recently, an array of broadcasters have used Skype’s High Quality Video calling as an easy, low-cost means of gathering news.  Kaplow, therefore, arranged for Julian Spittka, a senior engineer on Skype’s audio/video team, to deliver a presentation at NAB on how any broadcaster can successfully integrate Skype High Quality Video calling into broadcasts and enhance their news gathering capabilities.

In addition to the presentation, Kaplow leveraged Skype’s presence at the NAB Show to announce the launch of a new informational microsite, where broadcasters can find information necessary for integrating Skype High Quality Video calling into programming.  Additionally, at the show Kaplow revealed that Skype HD video calling is now available for testing by broadcasters.

Show attendees got to see Skype’s High Quality video calling in action.  With the aid of Skype and Kaplow, presenter Thomas R. Ray, III of WOR-AM delivered his session remotely via a Skype High Quality video call.

Kaplow recently received top honors from long-standing agency client Target Stores for work in 2008 with the Bullseye Bodega program as the centerpiece. Target recognized Kaplow for achieving excellence in innovation by continually bringing distinctive, fresh ideas to strategic PR and marketing efforts. Target enlisted new designer partner and one of the world’s top product designers, Dror Benshetrit, to craft the look for this award.

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.

NEW YORK – Kaplow announced the addition of Rowenta USA to its diverse portfolio of globally recognized brands. Rowenta USA is the leading manufacturer of high-performance irons and garment steamers in the world. Kaplow was awarded the business after a competitive pitch.

Rowenta, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, is a privately-held company known globally for best-in-class home appliances that deliver the highest performance and professional quality results. They are a subsidiary of Groupe SEB®, the parent company for top housewares brands including Krups®, All-Clad®, Emerilware®, T-fal®, Mirro® and others. The milestone anniversary offers Rowenta an opportunity to extend brand awareness as the most innovative leader in garment care among a broader group of consumers.

The 2009 campaign positions Rowenta as the global leader in high quality irons and steamers. In particular, Kaplow will be charged with raising awareness of the pressure iron and steamer, a growing category within the garment care industry. To reinforce its leadership in garment care, Kaplow will lead a number of tactics designed to educate consumer media about the100-year heritage of Rowenta and superior product design and technology.

“Kaplow presented a plan with smart, strategic and creative ideas that will allow us to open a dialogue with new audiences,” said Michele Lupton, director of marketing communications for Groupe SEB USA. “We were impressed with Kaplow’s brand building experience and track record of delivering solid, meaningful results.”

“With the beautifully designed, top quality products of Rowenta, this story will be a pleasure to tell,” said Liz Kaplow, president and CEO of Kaplow. “We are excited to help this world-class company increase their visibility and grow their business.”

About ROWENTA® USA

Rowenta is the leading manufacturer of high-performance irons and garment steamers.  Beauty and intelligence are a part of each and every appliance.  Rowenta USA is headquartered in West Orange, NJ and is a division of Groupe SEB USA.

About Kaplow

Kaplow is an independent marketing communications agency in New York. We specialize in creating buzz, shaping perception, building businesses and driving the bottom line for our clients.

What distinguishes Kaplow? Our unparalleled access to media and our unsurpassed connections to influencers. Our flexibility and initiative. Our boundless imagination, fresh ideas and depth of insight. And our deftness in cross-pollinating people, ideas and strategies across industries and across borders. By intimately connecting clients to the people, industries and opinion influencers who count, we’re not just sparking conversations, we’re changing them.

Please visit www.kaplowpr.com for more information.

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.

Aiming to position Lumene as an authority in the beauty field and to expand the brand’s following on the Web, Kaplow recently launched the “LumeneGal” Twitter campaign.  LumeneGal ‘tweets’ to create conversations with beauty influencers about Lumene technology, product news, discounts but also fun, relevant content about beauty trends.  As Twitter is all about the interaction on the Web, LumeneGal also searches the Twitter-space for beauty-related questions and encourages readers to follow the Twitter feed.