CROSSROADS

War Stories and Business Ideas from CES

Walking through the halls of CES 2012, many people see flash and excess, maybe even view it as a signal that the economy is in recovery given that companies are spending money to share their story. What I saw was a lot of HARD WORK. Every banner that was visible to attendees was the thoughtful results of graphic designers, marketing teams, printers and who knows how many others --all before landing in the hands of someone with a forklift and support staff to dangle it from the rafters. 

In our work with client SimplyHired.com, we are closely examining the trends around employment and reminded regularly that it is a tough job market out there. The effort and enthusiasm from booth and convention staff was refreshing—no one was taking for granted the opportunity to earn a living.

On the flip side, attendees were grumpy! You couldn’t go anywhere in, around or near the convention center without overhearing a personal “war story” from one of the thousands of attendees. Gripes about cab lines, food options and the outrageous cost for any fill-in-the-blank item was the main topic of discussion. Many aspects of the convention experience is perceived as broken and it made me think “Where there is a market problem, enlies a business idea!” Cab shortages?

What about bike rentals or PediCabs?

Long lines for unhealthy lunch options? The hotels should sell healthy BROWN BAG LUNCHES! It would be nice to get people thinking about active-lifestyle alternatives.

Speaking of active lifestyles, there was an admirable cluster of Digital Health and Fitness  companies this year at CES. Everyone from Garmin to iHealth to Striiv, was showcasing new options for monitoring blood pressure and glucose levels or devices that keep you motivated to walk more (Striiv’s monitor, for example donates clean water to third world countries when its users hit certain milestones for daily movement).

I am anxious to see how this space shakes out from an adoption perspective. The amount of walking that was done over the course of the week makes CES attendees the perfect target for these devices. Maybe next year, someone can use the event as a test bed!

Other notable companies in the iLounge area were Mavizon, who was showcasing “Mavia” a socialization tool that ties into your car, Looxcie, a hands free camera with streaming capabilities, as well as Boost Case which won some CES award accolades for its slim cases that double battery life of your iPhone or iPod.  I also enjoyed seeing the buzz around one-time client Dish Network’s launch of “Hopper”

its new DVR offering. Hopper messaging was everywhere, but this is the one I wanted to bring back to the office. It would be perfect for an office group nap!

Did you attend CES? Please send me a note at kangell at schwartzmsl dot com or comment here. I would love to hear your war stories or business ideas, maybe this time next year it will be in beta…


 

By Kim Angell on January 12, 2012 3:59 PM Permalink

Tell Your Mobile Story at CTIA

This May, the wireless industry will gather for one of its biggest events, CTIA Wireless. In addition to the trade show packed with vendor booths, the event will offer a variety of educational sessions. This presents an excellent opportunity for executives at forward-thinking wireless and mobile companies to position themselves as thought leaders at one of the industry’s most significant events. CTIA is currently accepting proposals for potential panelists and presenters at the event. This is an excellent way to build a reputation as a leader in wireless. Here are some of the tips we offer to our clients seeking speaking positions.

•    Develop your proposal around a hot topic. The mobile industry is innovating quickly in a number of areas, from mobile payments to mobile device management, machine-to-machine communications and dozens of other areas that impact both consumers and businesses. These sweeping trends are catching the attention of CTIA attendees – your buyers. The speaking organizers at CTIA have assembled an agenda that helps explain emerging trends to attendees. In your proposal, focus on the emerging and broad trends where you can offer expertise.

•    Struggling to find a topic that’s best for you? Engage in discussion with analysts in your market space and ask them what they’re hearing from the industry. Your investors can also be useful in providing a bird’s-eye view. Also comb through magazines and blogs for the hot topics that are most relevant to the industry.

•    Develop relationships with decision-makers at CTIA. On a daily basis, CTIA staff and executives communicate with the industry’s leaders. Meet with influential leaders at CTIA team to share your opinions about industry trends from the front lines. You may then find yourself invited to speak on a panel.

•    Propose a full panel, not an individual speaker. Executives from the leading companies in the mobile industry are chosen as keynote speakers and panelists. However, if you’re with a smaller company, you’ll need to get strategic. Think of the relationships you’ve built and leverage them. Is there a well-regarded analyst that shares your views? Do you have a customer that can provide real-world insight into your topic? How about a key partner from a highly visible wireless organization? Assemble a panel with all of these experts and offer an irresistible proposal to CTIA.

•    If you are invited to speak at CTIA, pull out all the stops to make sure you ace the assignment. The CTIA staff closely monitor the success of individual speakers and panels. If your session attendees rate you highly, you have a greater chance of being invited back.

Make sure to get your speaking submission in by the deadline of January 15th. The competition for speaking opportunities is high, but the time spent in crafting a successful abstract is well worth the effort.

Need guidance in preparing a speaking submission? For further insight contact Schwartz MSL Boston at (781) 684-0770. The agency’s wireless practice represents some of the leading companies in mobile, and we can help you, too.

By Joe Palladino on January 11, 2012 10:23 AM Permalink

Have a Healthcare Play? Consider Going to HIMSS 2012

by Mercedes Carrasco

Schwartz MSL’s tech clients often ask us if attending HIMSS is worth their time and investment. These technology vendors might have a significant play in the healthcare vertical, but aren’t delivering pure-play HCIT products like EMRs, clinical decision support tools or healthcare billing platforms. Although HIMSS is the largest and most well-attended show dedicated to HCIT, the answer for general tech companies isn’t so clear cut.

When discussing with clients the decision to attend or plan a larger presence through exhibiting or sponsorship at HIMSS, we pose the following questions:

What do you want to get out of the conference? In the past, even some of the largest HCIT vendors have commented that lead generation at previous HIMSS events has been moderate. Though the event attracts technology buying decision makers, the show is ‘noisy’ with hundreds of companies competing for booth traffic and general awareness. Typically, attendees are looking for specific HCIT solutions and may not yet be thinking about technology investments they should make to support a HCIT deployment.

Where HIMSS may not always deliver in leads, it does provide a fertile environment for vendor networking. Dozens of companies announce partnerships and plant seeds for many more. A trip to Vegas may be a cost-effective way for your company to get some face time with bigger HCIT players.

One constant at HIMSS is the strong media presence. For companies that are new to the healthcare industry, there is a good opportunity to schedule introductory briefings with editors and analysts, to educate them on how your technology fits into the HCIT landscape. As with any media outreach, they will be most interested in news, hearing about your company’s overarching strategy and roadmap, and customers.

How advanced is your healthcare messaging? The healthcare industry is experiencing dramatic changes in terms of payment and care delivery models. HCIT will play a big role in supporting new models, such as pay-for-performance and ACO. The industry recognizes a huge potential for support technology – particularly storage and security components that will be critical as more healthcare organizations digitize their records while working to comply with regulations, and IT consulting and integration to optimize IT investments and manage complex IT networks. Technology companies that want to succeed in the healthcare vertical must clearly articulate and illustrate their value proposition for their product and services within the healthcare market and be prepared to relay those messages to many audiences at the show, namely vendors, analysts, media and attendees. Schwartz MSL leverages our healthcare experience to help clients craft healthcare-specific messaging.

Can you tell a customer story?
One of the best ways to advance your healthcare-specific messaging is to use a healthcare customer. Inviting a customer to join you at HIMSS – whether at your booth or on the show floor – is a great draw for media. Reporters and editors want to hear firsthand how your customers use your technology to meet their needs.

Here is a strategy that worked well for Schwartz MSL client Circadence, a company that provides WAN (Wide Area Network) and network optimization solutions, at HIMSS 2011. Although they didn’t have a customer on hand, Circadence executives met with key reporters, including Jim Knaub at Radiology Today, and shared the experience of a customer, Imaging Associates of North Mississippi Magnolia (IANMM), that uses Circadence MVO to ensure rapid, reliable and secure delivery of large image transfers. The executives recounted the customer’s process from evaluation through implementation while communicating clear, quantitative ROI. The result: a follow-up conversation between the customer and editor after the show, which became a cover story. To view that story, visit Radiology Today. Since the story ran, Circadence has expanded its presence in healthcare, providing WAN and network optimization for images, electronic health records and now the ability to access critical healthcare information on any mobile device.

After reviewing these questions, consider dipping your toe in the HIMSS pool by sending a few executives as attendees. Investment in attendee passes is much less expensive than sponsoring a booth, plus it gives executives the time to walk the show floor, and network with other vendors, potential partners and the media. Register before January 23 for the standard rate. And while you’re there, take advantage of Las Vegas in February and dip another toe in the pool at Venetian’s Tao Beach.

Schwartz MSL has had a long-standing presence at HIMSS and will have HCIT practice group members at the 2012 show. We’re less than eight weeks away, but there’s still time to plan and make a significant impact.  Schwartz MSL created a Road to HIMSS 2012 Planning Guide to help you navigate the PR and marketing opportunities at the show. Download the guide for free here.

For further advice or information on how Schwartz MSL can partner with you, please contact Dave Close or Doug Russell in our Boston office at 781-684-0770, or Shannon Murphy in our San Francisco office at 415-512-0770, or send an email to healthcareIT@schwartzmsl.com.

By Davida Dinerman on January 5, 2012 11:32 AM Permalink

Learning from Bissel - A Trade Show Master

Over the years, I have probably been to hundreds of trade shows. My clients frequently ask me what I think of trade show/Expo X and if they should exhibit/speak there.

To me it always boils down to:

• Who will be there?
• Will  you have a chance to engage meaningfully with prospects (and the media/bloggers)?
• How crowded will it be?
• What commitment is involved.
• How much will it cost?

This weekend I ran across a company that deserves praise for picking an absolutely perfect trade show for them - Bissel.

I took the family to LEGO Kidsfest. A three day 140,000 sq. ft. LEGO extravaganza.

One of the exhibits was "Big Brick Pile”  a 50x100' file of LEGO bricks. At the end of the pile Bissel was there demonstrating the power of its Super Sweep Turbo (it is not a vacuum) to pick up LEGO bricks of all sizes.

Kids were lining up to use the sweeper, pick up bricks and dump them out again.

This is a great example of experiential marketing where the company identified a use of its product, and provided prospects a chance to try it in a real work environment. The Bissel staff was also handing out coupons and explaining the three different stores you can purchase the product at.

What really drove this home to me was after my four year old swept up LEGO bricks for the third time and almost go into a fight with a six year old over who got to pick up the bricks next - My wife turned to me, grabbed me by the collar, looked in my eyes and told me "I don't care about the 'husband rule' that says 'thou shalt not buy your wife appliances as a gift.' I want this. I want this. Do you understand me?"

I am positive my wife was not the only person with that reaction.

So a tip of the hat to the Bissel marketing executives, and a story for all companies to think about. Does your trade show participation and display create that type of reaction from prospects? If not, what can you do to create that scenario.

By Mark McClennan on December 5, 2011 9:24 AM Permalink

National Black Public Relations Society Conference--Celebrating African American Achievements and Promoting Diversity in PR

 BY LAUREN PITCHER

Wyonona Redmond, president of the National Black Public Relations Society (NBPRS) speaking at the opening reception held at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee

 

 The National Black Public Relations Society (NBPRS) held their annual conference, October 27-30, 2011 in Milwaukee and this year I had the opportunity to be there. The theme for this year’s conference was:  “The Network at Work: Managing Transitions, Techniques and Technology for Business and Career Success.” Some of the most respected African Americans in the communications industry were there including former journalists who started their own boutique PR agencies, corporate communications professionals, agency PR practitioners, bloggers, PR freelancers, authors and community relations professionals.

Throughout the conference I had the opportunity to attend a variety of workshops but one that particularly stood out to me was:  “Breaking In & Staying In: Realities & Strategies for Blacks in PR.”  The panel highlighted the importance of building relationships with co-workers to bridge racial differences and we discussed the value of not focusing on being the only minority at the company but rather being aware of how to constantly develop new skills, think outside the box, promote integrity and stay up-to-date with the clients business.

Although only 4.7% of the marketing, advertising and PR industries are made up of ethnic minorities, conferences such as this are a huge step to help diversify the industry, recognize African Americans in the industry and showcase their achievements. Wyonna Redmond, president of NBPRS, defines PR as this: “Our job in the public relations field is to communicate ideas, evoke feelings, shape images, enhance or change perceptions and build relationships.”  More diversity in the industry will mean more perspectives and different ideas being shared, which can only lead to helping grow the industry. Carol Moseley Braun, the first African American female senator, said it best in her keynote address at the conference: “When all the cream is allowed to rise to the top, the butter is bound to be better!”

 

Tags: conference tips, diversity, training

By Dara Sklar on November 18, 2011 3:53 PM Permalink

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SimplyHired.com Helping The White House Get Veteran's Back to Work

Yesterday, the White House announced a plan to help put veterans back to work with the assistance of Schwartz MSL client SimplyHired.com, which gives veterans access to more than 500,000 job listings from its “veteran-friendly companies” job search filter.

This initiative marks a huge milestone in our country’s commitment to repaying the debt of gratitude that is owed to all men and women in uniform by providing military veterans with immediate access to employers who are committed to hiring veterans.

The reality is that many veterans return home to a stark reality: high unemployment rates and rising costs of food, shelter and services in nearly every state. That’s where companies like SimpyHired.com are now stepping up to help make the transition from deployment to employment easier for our veterans and their families. So how does the plan work?

In addition to the White House’s plan to provide other new resources for veterans,  Google, the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs and SimplyHired.com have been working together to develop the Veteran’s Job Bank, pulling from more than 500,000 specially-tagged job postings on 

SimplyHired.com that feature opportunities from veteran-committed companies all over the country. As more employers undertake to become part of the Veterans Job Bank, Google will index these new job postings to help increase the available jobs for veterans on NRD.gov.

To learn more about how to mark your company’s job postings as Veteran-committed so that you can be a part of President Obama’s commitment to put veterans back to work, please visit https://www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov/home/instructions_for_employer_participation.

Written By: Amanda Chagoya

By Kim Angell on November 8, 2011 1:20 PM Permalink

Steve Jobs remembered

Steve Jobs passed away yesterday. The news came to me last night the same way it did for many others: via a post on my Facebook news feed. I didn’t read it on my iPhone because I was at home, using my MacBook Air.

In the coming hours and days, we’ll read and hear many eulogies of Steve Jobs.  For many, he was the inventor of our times. He was a creative genius who brought simplicity and elegance to high tech products. He always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone else in the high tech world, forcing others to catch up.

I never met Steve Jobs, but he changed my life. I am old enough to remember the first generation of PCs that ran DOS, an operating system that required memorizing a long list of command codes to simply type a memo. I was working in publishing, and one day, a Macintosh computer arrived on my desk. It was shaped like a child’s wooden block set on its end. It lacked an internal hard drive. Instead you saved your files to the same disk that held the MacWrite and MacPaint software.

More importantly, you didn’t need to memorize anything because the Macintosh had menus with the commands right on them and icons you could click. It was the first intuitive GUI for a PC. I fell in love. From publishing, I went to a high tech startup developing Macintosh networking equipment, and from there, eventually, to high tech PR.

Jobs referred to the Macintosh design team as artists. Their signatures were engraved inside the original Mac cases. For many years, I kept that original Mac but eventually discarded it. I wonder if their signatures were inside.

Over the years, Apple’s reputation rose, fell and then rose again. It was never the biggest PC maker, but it set the bar for user interface design because of its unique fusion of artistry and technology. Jobs changed the world again with the debut of the iPod, which transformed the music industry. Just when the mobile phone giants were coasting, Jobs brought out the iPhone and forced the entire industry to innovate to catch up.Then the iPad came along and it quickly made laptops look, well, so yesterday.

So here’s the question everyone is asking now: can Tim Cook, or anyone else for that matter, replace Jobs at Apple? Will anyone else see just far enough into the future and deeply enough into our psyches to make entire industries obsolete? Part of me hopes the answer is yes, because Apple is a great company. And part of me knows the answer is no, because there was only one Steve Jobs.

By Carol McGarry on October 6, 2011 8:05 AM Permalink