Edelman Atlanta

Please pay close attention to the announcement Edelman is making Monday morning about its partnership with Technorati. For the next six months, we'll be the ONLY company in the world that can monitor blog conversations for our clients in multiple languages. As you're putting together RFP responses, or going after new clients that are international, this new blog monitoring and conversation participation offering is a real differentiator for us. It absolutely kicks butt. Stay tuned. We can talk about this when I'm back in town, but just wanted to make sure you knew to give this your utmost attention. Thanks.

My perfect vacation is finding a hidden oasis away from the hustle and bustle that comes with most tourist destinations...and more often than not, the search for such an oasis leads me to Central or South America.

I love the culture, the beauty of the land, the people I meet and the ability to get away from it all. It's on my annual international trip that I'm finally able to muster up enough will power to leave behind the cell phone (and now my Blackberry).

I'm fortunate to have a boyfriend who enjoys such travel as well and in recent years we've managed to soak up the sun and culture in Mexico (Cuernavaca, Taxco, Ixtapa, Zihuatenjo and other remote locals, opting to avoid Cancun and Alcapulco), Venezuela (Caracas, Canaima and Los Roques), Costa Rica (San Jose / Alajuela, Volcan Arenal, Monteverde and Tortuguero Island) and next Belize. We're even already thinking about our 2007 trip, which could very well be the Galapagos Islands.

We try to alternate each year between lazy, strolling, beach trips and adventure trips (which usually involve crazy itineraries such as 3 cities in 7 days or days packed full of physical activities such hiking, kayaking and snorkeling all in the same day). But no matter the destination, we always come back with fun stories of humorous mistranslations or unreal transportation experiences--from bus rides with chickens and plane trips in aircraft that hasn't been flown in the U.S. for decades to jeep-boat-jeep treks that are over such rough terrain that it takes you 3 hours to go 17 miles.

Every moment is a true slice of life...and as nice as the Ritz Carlton can be, it just isn't the same.

Did you see the results of the latest Harris survey regarding workplace behavior? Take a look:

The rudest thing you can do at work is to use profanity.

That's the word from a Harris Interactive survey of 2,318 employed adults conducted for Randstad USA, a leading workforce solutions company, about behaviors that interfere with work performance. Fully 91 percent of those surveyed cited profane language as the rudest workplace behavior.

Top 9 office etiquette pet peeves:

Using profanity: 91 percent
Being spoken to in a condescending tone: 44 percent
Public reprimand: 37 percent
Micromanaging: 34 percent
Loud talkers: 32 percent
Cell phones ringing at work: 30 percent
Using speakerphones in public areas: 22 percent
Personal conversations in the workplace: 11 percent
Using PDAs during meetings: 9 percent

Swearing at work--even if it seems like everyone else is doing it, too--can leave a bad impression, according to James O'Connor, founder of Cuss Control. Not only that, but it makes you unpleasant to be around and can endanger your relationships as people lose respect for you. Most of all, it shows you don't have control and could even lead some to think you have a bad attitude or a lack of character.

"Swearing is complaining, and it can be infectious," O'Connor told Training magazine. "It also reflects on an individual's lack of maturity and inability to cope with daily aggravations."

To help you stop swearing, devise a new list of tension-releasing words. For example, instead of saying you're "pissed off," try one of these: angry, mad, livid, fuming, irate, furious, enraged, incensed, upset, infuriated, spitting mad, disappointed or frustrated.

Edel-folks... do you agree?

Thanks again for your help. Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

I am a die hard LOST fan. I tune in every Wednesday to find out what will happen next. Are the survivors indeed in purgatory as many fan discussion boards speculate? What is the Dharma initiative really about? Is the Hanso corporation evil?

Two weeks ago, I (along with every other fan) noticed an advertisement for the Hanso Foundation that ran during the regular commercial break during LOST. The short ad listed a website and phone number to call. A frenzy ensued, and fans across the country called the number to get clues to unlock parts of the Hanso Website (www.thehansofoundation.com for the curious.) Instantly curious, I began perusing the Fan boards and found out about "The Lost Experience," a game for the fanatical LOST watcher to find clues which will lead fans deeper into the lost mystery.

I also found out that a companion book called "Bad Twin," published by Hyperion (sister company of ABC) was selling online. This book is the same manuscript that Sawyer was reading before Jack snatched it out of his hands and threw it into the fire, and supposedly written by an author who died on the fictional Oceanic flight. Although the book (which can be found on Amazon) is not flying off the shelves, I still think ABC is smart to think outside of the box (or the television set) with LOST fans.

Sprite has gotten in on the game as well. This week's Hanso commercial included a web address to www.subLYMONal.com. In addition, Sprite sponsors some of The Hanso Foundation matieral, Sprites motto is "OBEY you thirst", if I recall correctly LYMON was a campaign for Sprite a few years back and when you visit the website, the word OBEY flashes on the screen and the website closely resembles Sprite's new ad campaign.

So I pose this question. . .Could the TV show LOST be an experiment in marketing?

Fans are responding to this kind of interactive television in a positive way and I know I am enjoying the ride.

Taylor rocked the house again! I'm not an Elvis fan, but I have to admit I thought Taylor, Chris and Elliott were amazing tonight. Cat was very disappointing. Here's how I think it'll play out now:

Cat leaves next. It's a real toss-up going forward because Elliott's really back in the game.

Tonight, I started believing for the first time that Taylor may actually win. He's absolutely the most likeable and is cute enough to win. Poor Elliott's just too homely to market effectively. Chris can be hot and has a powerful voice. So my vote is that the final two will be Taylor and Chris. It'll be close.

Thoughts?

I want my mtvU!

Unbeknownst to me until recently, MTV and its advertisers and partners are targeting the 18- to 22-year old college audience with mtvU--a television network for college students that broadcasts to more than 700 college campuses across the country.

Touting itself as "your channel for everything college," mtvU features "music you won't see anywhere else, updates from MTV News and CBS News produced exclusively for the college audience, information on how to score killer jobs and internships, the 411 on traveling abroad and everything else that makes college...well, college."

So, I had to ask myself if this had existed when I was in college, what (if anything) would have made me watch it? And while I don't know how successful the effort has been for MTV, I have to commend them on the effort. They're certainly trying to encourage viewership by making expansive college tours. Wouldn't you watch for the opportunity to see yourself or your friends on TV? After all that's what's led to the success of reality (or as I like to call it TMI) TV. mtvU also offers plenty of opportunities to win prizes, cash, scholarships and such. And that's certainly a motivater for a college student looking for beer money.

So, I guess only time will tell if the network's marketing efforts pay off.

And speaking of marketing, mtvU--following in the footsteps of the Apprentice and others--uses its show Quad Squads to pit two teams (in this case, of students) against each other to take what they've learned in the classroom and apply it in real world scenarios. The network recently challenged a team of students from Auburn University and the University of Alabama to create a marketing campaign for their client, Snickers.

In the six-week academic challenge, the 4-person teams comprised of PR, marketing and mass com majors were charged with creating an event on campus that tied the Snickers into the tagline "Snickers Satisfies." Executives from Snickers chose the winner after each team made a presentation. The winners each received a $2,500 scholarship and a year's supply of Snickers. (I guess that's better than Ramen Noodles.)

If anyone has any questions about which team of brilliant, well-educated students won the competition (as if there would be any question), let's just say that the winning team worked with the school's architecture students to construct a replica of the Toomer's Corner oak tree out of Snickers bars and used the wrappers in lieu of toilet paper to roll the tree--a true Auburn tradition after any victory, especially one over 'Bama. :-)

When my roommate and I moved into our apartment, we debated costs and decided that getting a DVR was not one of our necessities and that there were other things we'd rather have (high speed internet being the main one). The downside is that if I forget to tape a show, I'm out of luck-maybe I'll catch it it reruns this summer, but usually I just never see it. Two weeks ago, I forgot to tape Alias. Although it's gone downhill recently, it's the last few episodes of the series and I try to catch them so I'm not wondering what happened to Sydney and Vaughn.

Fortunately, with ABC's streaming all new episodes online, my disappointment didn't last long. I've heard a lot about their video streaming, only because they are the first major network to distribute full episodes of their shows for FREE. So last night, I watched my first internet-streamed full TV show. It worked great! Although small, the quality was good and the video ran fine (I was worried b/c my lap top is what some might call old and can be a bit slow). The commericials didn't annoy me either-there were only a handful and they were 30 seconds each. Overall, I was able to watch an hour-long program in about 40 minutes. So next time you forget to set the DVR (or VCR, in my case) to record Lost, Desperate Housewives or Grey's Anatomy, I recommend watching the episode online from the ABC web site-it worked for me.

Now, when will NBC start streaming episodes of The Office? I missed that one last week too.

Starting this October, Mr. T (yes, the one of "The A-Team" fame) will be dispensing advice to people struggling with personal or professional problems in a new TV series humorously titled “I Pity the Fool.” (Well, I think it’s a tongue-in-cheek title. That may not have been what TV Land was going for.) In the series, the “star” will travel across the country dispensing inspiration and advice.

That’s right. Ordinary people like you and me can go on TV and have Mr. T tell us that we’re idiots. In case there’s any question as to what exactly he plans on telling guests, he clarified in an interview with AP. According to Mr. T, he’s not at all like Dr. Phil, and people won’t be sitting around crying (at least not initially, anyway, though I suspect they might be later). Instead, they’ll hear uplifting advice like: "You're a fool — that's what's wrong with you. You're a fool if you don't take my advice."

To be fair, I can’t let that be the only information presented. I mean, he has his moments of brilliance too. For example, talking (what the T in his name stands for, apparently) will be the secret to his show and the basis for his advice. Who knew that talking could solve problems?

Yes, the show will be on TV Land, but what does it say about our culture that a wrestler-turned-TV star whose last claim to fame was a TV show from 1983 is suddenly deemed qualified enough to solve people’s personal problems? Do I really trust a man who wears that much gold jewelry to tell me what exactly is wrong with my life?

Having said that, are we taking odds as to how successful this show will be? I’ll be the first to admit that I may have to watch one episode, just to see what it’s like. And maybe that’s the real secret to the show…

Kudos to the move team for arranging such a fun outing today! I just love the new space and can't wait to move! Who cares if the commute will be worse? It'll be worth it to feel so good about our physical surroundings.

I've been through several moves in my career, but I haven't through one that was so well organized up front. I'm impressed with what a great job the committee has done keeping us informed and being available to answer questions.

So, we were all right -- Paris is gone. I thought she was very gracious. We haven't seen the last of her, I'm sure.

Today's AJC says that Ryan didn't announce next week's theme....but I thought he said they were all going to Graceland for Elvis training. What did you hear?

Okay, Idol fans. Taylor rocked the house last night. I don't care what Simon says. Dialidol.com says Paris leaves tonight. I agree.

Steve has McFeever. I thought Katherine did well last night.

Chris rocked on Renegade but finally showed a chink in his armor with the second song.

Anyone else still watching?