Wake Up and Help the Homeless: Wear Your PJs to work

I am clearly the GroundFloor Media PJ slacker, but the rest of my colleagues showed up in style today to support Denver’s Road Home (http://www.denversroadhome.org/) by celebrating PJ Day.



In case you were shocked to walk into Starbucks and see folks dressed up in their favorite footed pajamas, today employees throughout Denver could pay $5 to wear their PJs to work. Ramonna is part of Leadership Denver this year and thanks to one of her classmates, Jennifer Hallam, made a pledge to Denver’s Road Home that GroundFloor Media would pay the way for all of our team members so they could join the cause.

In case you have missed seeing photos of our Mayor in PJs and have yet to trip over the donation meters that line the streets of Denver, Denver’s Road Home is Mayor Hickenlooper’s 10-year plan to end homelessness. During the initiatives first two years, the following has been accomplished:
• 1,243 new units of housing for the homeless have been created
• 957 families have received eviction assistance
• 3,278 homeless people received employment assistance
• 415 families have been mentored through the faith initiative

I cant think of a better reason to spend the day in PJs. In fact, I decided to celebrate a little late and plan to wear mine now.

Laura

Colorado Garden & Home Show Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Sick of the cold weather? Next weekend spring will arrive with the annual Colorado Garden & Home Show. Not only will the Show celebrate its 50th Anniversary but will include 15,000 blooming flowers, 100 tons of boulders and rocks and 2,000 truckloads of fresh recycled mulch, waterfalls, ponds and streams, paths and elevated walkways and bridges all add to the gardens’ living nature. It’s also the only show produced by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that contributes show proceeds (about $8 out of every $12 ticket) to grants and scholarships. To date, Colorado Garden Show has awarded $3 million in grants and scholarships to 207 organizations to support horticulture in Colorado.

What I really can’t wait to see is the “Secret Garden of Pirate’s Cove” entry garden. I’ve visited LaFond FX special effects company several times to check in on the 25 ft. tall by 32 ft. long pirate ship complete with pirates, cannons and ancient warriors. The enormity of the pirate ship is hard to describe. How they will move it in to the Colorado Convention Center next week will be a sight to see. Curious? Check out the behind-the-scenes video on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Colorado-Garden-Show-Inc/77663835284?ref=ts

More than 600 companies from 25 states and Canada will introduce new technologies in energy-efficient heating and cooling products, window treatments, siding, flooring, lighting, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, patio furniture, gutters, sound systems, storage systems, greenhouses, decks, spas and more. If you ever want to check out options for your dream kitchen or backyard this is the spot.

Other things not to miss:

Feb. 7 - 15
· Master Gardeners from Colorado State University’s Cooperative Extension Service will answer all your questions for free. Look for them in their bright green vests in The Education Garden.
· Marvel at the creative floral arrangements and designs in Colorado’s largest juried Flower Show, “Playtime in the Rockies,” presented by the Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs.
· Explore The 9News Hot Products Zone for new gardening and home improvement products from a leafproof gutter system to handcrafted children’s furniture to EcoSmart fire to permanent holiday LED lighting and more
· Looking for Green Ideas? Stop by the Smart Energy Living Pavilion to learn the five most important steps for achieving energy efficiency in your home.

Feb. 7-8
· Admire, but do not eat, the 120 extravagant cakes competing for prizes in the show’s botanically-correct “sugar art show.” The “Sweet Times in the Rockies” Cake Decorating Contest will be on display next to the show’s main entrance.
· Don’t miss the celebrity “ICE-OFF” cake competition to benefit The Children’s Hospital on Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. in the Demonstration Theater.

Feb. 11
· Stop by the Flower Sale halfway through the show when fading flowers will be removed from the garden and replaced. The Rotary Club will have these flowers on sale to the public for $2 per pot.

Feb. 14
· Discover tips and techniques for successful gardening and home improvement projects presented by regional experts at the Demonstration Theater. Richard Trethewey of This Old House will speak in the Demonstration Theater at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Feb. 15
· Twenty metro area Rotary Clubs will converge on the Convention Center to carefully box 7,000 flowers and ready them for delivery to 60 local nursing homes.

The State of the Media (and therefore, our profession)

I know I’m not catching anyone by surprise when I say that traditional media as we know it is in trouble. I follow “themediaisdying” on Twitter and am reminded of this sad fact every day. Now, with the Rocky Mountain News up for sale and its future uncertain, the fact is hitting home even harder than usual. As public relations professionals, this is changing our daily lives and the fundamental ways we do business. Gone are the days of beat reporters with column inches waiting to be filled with news about their beat – even good news. Nowadays it can take several calls to various contacts in the newsroom to determine who might be around that day and MIGHT have time to cover your story – if it’s a REALLY big story. I’m not complaining because that creates more work for PR practitioners; I truly feel for my friends in the media who have so little time and so few opportunities left to cover the things they are passionate about in meaningful ways.

As PR professionals, we must stay on the forefront of these changes, maintain strong relationships with the reporters who are lucky enough to be left out there, and shift our thinking toward new media and new ways to reach the consumers we need to reach. Whether that’s through blogs, microsites, special events or cause-inspired campaigns, now more than ever is the time to think out of the box, be creative, flexible and – most of all – strategic. It’s a challenging time in our industry, but there are some great opportunities out there to do things in new ways and really make an impact. Good luck!

And you call yourself an expert??

Caroline McCarthy has a great post today on CNet's "the social" blog called Marketing: Social media's hidden bubble. Her post details the plight of the infamous "Social Media Expert". (Yes, we've all met a few.) Caroline reminds us how these experts enjoyed a sudden rise to fame in 2008 as companies and agencies everywhere scrambled to hire their social media savior. Now it seems these same experts are struggling to find employment and keep their expert status among a society of much more socially-savvy folks. I agree with Caroline that the "Social Media Expert" is quickly heading the way of the dodo, however I'd argue that there are a number of companies who need guidance through the social media universe from a strategic perspective. As Caroline says, almost 50% of social media marketing campaigns fail. The difference in the 50% that do succeed? In my opinion it's strategy. When it comes to social media, you can't afford to throw 10 million spitballs at the wall and see what sticks. Where are the conversations that matter to your business taking place? What is the tone of those conversations and who's leading the discussions? In order to have a successful social media campaign you have to start with the basics and then build a sound strategy that maps to your objectives. If you need help figuring out your social media strategy, find someone with strong social media experience who understands your business and how a smart, strategic social media campaign can help your business grow.

Being an expert on something is great, but how can you be an expert on something that is changing every 3 seconds and is different for every single company?