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Our friends at The Brainzooming Group did a phenomenal job of facilitating the an effort by Kansas City social media users to strategize ways to capitalize on being first to receive Google’s ultra-high speed fiber. Working with the Social Media Club of Kansas City, “Building the Gigabit City: Brainstorming A Google Fiber Roadmap” was a tremendous first step. Check out this news report:

Mike Brown, founder of The Brainzooming Group, volunteered to fully donate the company’s innovation services and the Brainzooming Methodology to the session that brought together more than 80 individuals from SMCKC as well as the broader community—a combination of visionary entrepreneurs, developers, business leaders and creators.

Though this is only the beginning of a long road to success, we commend The Brainzooming Group and Social Media Club of Kansas City for making this “first step” on the road to Gigabit City a reality.

Disclosure: The Brainzooming Group is a client of AlexanderG Public Relations.

Dan Coyle

Yesterday I talked about how much I enjoy working with writers, artists and musicians to help promote their work and ideas. In particular I discussed author Melissa Studdard’s debut novel Six Weeks to Yehidah.

Today I’m excited to share that my friend singer-songwriter Dan Coyle will release a new album From Prague to Paris in September. I’ve had the privilege to work with Dan on his previous CD launch and some other promo work here and there. He makes the work collaborative and fun. That’s a gift.

Besides his creativity, work ethic and talent, Dan’s also one of the coolest guys you’ll ever meet–but don’t tell him I said that.

He’s been touring Europe for several months and it really has his creative juices flowing.

“I’ve really taken a lot of time to craft these songs and have no doubt that this will be my best work yet,” said the modern-day troubadour.

“Since we’ve been touring Europe with such success this year, I decided to write and record everything here,” he said. “Half the album will be stories inspired by our travels; the other half will consist of thoughtful songs similar to what you’ve heard from me previously–but with a keener focus on melodies and lyrics.”

We’ll hear more from Dan soon. In the meantime, you can preview the new release at Dan’s website. If so inclined you can pre-order it. Dan works very hard to give you your money’s worth. But don’t just take my word for it–ask Europe:

Melissa Studdard's Debut Novel

One of the great pleasures of working in the public relations field is interaction with a wide variety of clients. In particular I–as a writer and a wannabe musician–really enjoy working with professional writers and musicians. Whether it’s promoting a concert (or a food festival featuring great music) a new CD or book launch, it’s a blast to work with creative people.

Speaking of creative people…an exceptional writer is Melissa Studdard, author of Six Weeks to Yehidah, which just last week shot to #6 on the Amazon.com Hot New Releases in Children’s Science Fiction & Fantasy Chart upon release, ranking in the top one percent of all books on Amazon.

Studdard’s debut novel follows Annalise of the Verdant Hills and her two walking, talking wondersheep in their travels to ever more outlandish places, meeting outrageous and enlightening folk on their journey to discover interconnectedness in a seemingly disconnected world. Readers discover with them how just one person can be the start of the change we all strive for. A delightful and thought-provoking story for all ages, Six Weeks to Yehidah is more than an adventure story.

“Studdard intersperses elements of music, magic, myth, Native American iconography, and mystery that leave the reader yearning for a sequel. Although, like Harry Potter it is technically a children’s book, adults will be just as mesmerized by the trials and travails of the cheeky and courageous Annalise,” said Aparna Mukhedkar of the journal The Criterion.

“In many ways, Six Weeks to Yehidah is about tolerance and acceptance of ourselves and others,” said Studdard. “It was also important to me to share certain wisdom traditions with children, and I absolutely knew that the best way to do this was through narrative. I wanted to share philosophies and ideas in a way that would be fun and exciting for the kids who read the book. We all know how gruesome canonical fairy tales can be, and, of course, these tales are based on an older model of human thought and behavior,” Studdard said. “I feel like we need new stories that more accurately reflect who we are becoming, and which give us something to aspire to. The subconscious mind is a powerful thing, and the stories we tell our children are an important facet of who they will become.”

Check it out–it’s a fantastic book.

Tomorrow, news about another artist…the folk troubadour who’s currently making new fans across Europe and getting ready to “drop” a new CD: Dan Coyle.

I’m proud and very fortunate that AlexanderG PR is a active member of the respected national PR collaborative PRConsultants Group. Due to the hard work of several members (including noted writer and PR pro Amy Smith) PRCG has a spiffy new PR blog: PRCG Powerlines.

Check it out…it will be updated frequently with PR news you can use, info and more. You might even find a piece by yours truly.

Some people think that a cash value should be assigned to any earned publicity. Others realize it's not a legitimate comparison.

Recently Wall Street Journal columnist Carl Bialik, The Numbers Guy, addressed the subject of advertising value equivalency AVE. This is perhaps the first example of a mainstream media publication shining a light of the controversial practice of AVEs.

The primary reason advertising value equivalents exist are because they are perceived to be a way to attribute value to programs that would otherwise be difficult to value directly. They are a path of least resistance approach to return on investment calculations, but not a valid one.

via AVEs don’t measure the value of media coverage; they sensationalize it | Articles.

There are many reasons why this assertion by Don Bartholomew over at Ragan is right (Click on the link above to read the entire post--well worth it). But  the main reason I see is a simple one:

Buying an ad doesn't render the same credibility as earning a positive story or mention in the media.

Some may say this is naive, as getting a story on the news doesn't necessarily mean it has merit, but it certainly is more likely to have greater weight with most consumers than a glossy ad.

Simple question: what impresses you more, an ad about a company during the local news or a positive story about that company on the local news? If you agree that a story is worth more than an ad, then a cash equivalency is a ridiculously useless concept.

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Today’s PR Pro tip: Always get it in writing.

PR Pros
Once you make your deal with a client, do yourself a favor. Make sure the contract with your client is in writing, signed by both parties and filed before you make another move.

Hey, nobody wants hard feelings, so do the work up front to avoid having a sticky situation arise at the end of the project. In other words, if you think you lost money on a job–then it’s (most likely) your fault–not the client’s. Why? Because if you spelled out what you would and would not do in the time and/or within the budget allotted, then your chances of losing money are very small. (Of course, your desire to please the client by over-delivering is up to you. But that’s another story.)

Clients
I’ve had many clients who balked at a contract. Whether it was too “formal” or they felt put off by the legalese, it can have a chilling effect on the warm-fuzzy relationship you just started with your agency. However, if you’re serious about working with a PR firm, please respect the contract. Though it may seem tedious–or downright impersonal, I’m sure you’ll be glad in the long run that there was clear communication about expectations and goals from moment one.

So get it in writing, bub. Never assume anything. Remember the immortal words of Felix Unger (stick with it until around 4:30):