While I can admit growing up I may have taken my Ann Arbor’s assets for granted, going to college in a different state and reading plenty of headlines about my hometown’s national recognitions has got me thinking: do people know what they’re really missing by not living in Ann Arbor?

Here are some plausible credits that Ann Arbor’s recently snatched up: Money Magazine ranked Ann Arbor 46th in its’ 2010 list of “America’s 100 Best Small Cities.” The magazine coined Ann Arbor as a college town but with perks of a bigger city, boasting plenty of arts and culture. I couldn’t agree more. What would Ann Arbor be without the annual Art Fair, Hash Bash, and our year-round offering venues, such as the Michigan Theater, the Hands-On Museum and The Ark?

Ann Arbor isn’t just college-student friendly. Parenting Magazine ranked Ann Arbor fourth in its compilation of “10 Best Cities for Families.” In its list, the Magazine emphasized the “braininess” of Ann Arbor and it’s efforts to educate youth. According to the magazine, the city’s high school graduation rate is 94 percent and more than 64 percent of Ann Arbor residents have four or more years of college under their belts. In fact, the Ann Arbor School system isn’t too shabby, either. In it’s “America’s Best High School’s List,” BusinessWeek named Huron High School the school with the best overall academic performance in Michigan. I guess you could say I received a decent high school education.

Ann Arbor’s population is educated. We’re not a huge city, but we have flare. We’re eco-friendly. And we know how to dine well. What more could we ask for?

Rachel Krasnow

Winning the Most Innovative Award was a good start, but it’s only a start,” Tommy Green, CEO said. “Now the mission is getting the product on peoples’ heads.”

http://www.annarbor.com/news/britney-lankford-had-never-participated/

The all day Camp looked at ways to erase social stigmas associated with poor mental health “one tweet at a time” through social media marketing. Camp presentations and discussions pitched SM as an opportunity to release public service announcements from a personal perspective.

Additionally, presenters positioned SM as an outlet for those dealing with stress and anxiety. In terms of daily relief, individuals can blog and tweet away mental angst. According to Mental Health Camp counselors, mental health ranges from mental wellbeing (e.g. minimum stress, interpersonal problems) and serious illness (e.g. addiction, schizophrenia, anorexia). Mental wellbeing is our focus in this blog. Rather than keeping thoughts and burdens weighing on your mind, why not write a soothing blog or post on Twitter? In this sense, SM is a new age, productive version of the punching bag or stress ball.

Although the Camp concluded in April, online therapy continues on the Mental Health Camp’s website (here) as well on sites throughout the internet. As we have documented on this blog Web 2.0 and SM continue to weave into communication networks in productive ways.

Personally, I find blogging and other SM software both fun and therapeutic. In addition to a quick cure for boredom, networking with friends on Facebook is a great distraction from daily stresses. And when my girlfriend and roommates are sick of listening to my rants about my favorite sports teams, I continue the discussion on the blogoshpere. I know, I know…how pathetic right? Well, the stigmas surrounding these online outlets are quickly disappearing while the benefits are becoming more apparent.

Case Ernsting

The negative economic circumstance dominates newscasts these days, but we rarely hear about the financial aid available. President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on February 17th thereby generating thousands of dollars for business owners seeking aid in the tough economy. The ARRA is designed to stimulate many different industries around the country, with unique investments here in Michigan. In efforts to accelerate the economic recovery, Governor Jennifer Granholm’s administration has created a website filled with helpful hints on obtaining grants and tax aid for state businesses. Granholm and her staff should be commended on the launch of this site, for Michigan is one of only 17 in the nation to offer ARRA information with such ease. Sites assisting the search for recovery financing:

www.Grants.com
www.Recovery.gov
www.Michigan.gov/recovery

Governor Granholm can be seen here, outlining the state’s use of ARRA funds.

Work is being done to fuel the local economy as well. Ann Arbor SPARK is focused on continuously supporting regional businesses and entrepreneurs throughout these tough economic times offering programs, resources, and proactive backing. Many businesses have heard about and benefited from SPARK’s commitment to Ann Arbor innovation.

Hopefully your business has stood up to the downward sloping economy, but if you’re having trouble, make sure you apply for grants and financial assistance soon. Many grants have a “90 Day Window” for applications. The economy can’t wait, and neither should you.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming….

Case Ernsting

For instance, Genetics Squared is in the process of developing a test that can help doctors determine how to treat certain types of cancers. By using personalized medicine we can possibly save the health care economy over 200,000 million dollars by being able to target the right procedures and treatments for different cancers. Imagine that?

VPSI, Inc is another client of ours that is helping all of us reduce our carbon footprint by providing alternate forms of sustainable transportation in the form of Vanpooling. To find out more about Vanpooling and VPSI go to http://www.pooling-resources.com, which is a blog that Eiler writes and maintains on behalf of VPSI, Inc.

NSF International helps protect all of us from the recent food scare(s) we have been trying to overcome the past six months. Recently, NSF provided a $1 million grant to a Virginia Tech professor of weed science to study the pathogen that causes bacterial speck disease of tomatoes. NSF is another example of a Michigan-based international business that is in the center of international issues. NSF International is an independent, not-for-profit organization.

Not only are the companies that we represent making a difference in the health and
well being of our nation, but I feel as if I can help make a difference by using the resources of a PR agency to spread the word. By using the correct forms of a market positioning strategy, we have found that we are able to get great marketing and public relations results for our clients and I am proud of that!

Matt Roush, editor of the Great Lakes IT report and technology editor at WWJ News Radio 950, gave a presentation July 17 to Automation Alley and the Entrepreneurial Institute of Southeastern Michigan highlighting some of the positives in the Michigan economy today.

Although large companies and manufacturing industries are consistently losing jobs, small entrepreneurial companies are slowly gaining jobs. The challenge is to know how to encourage more of this kind of growth. Some of the things Michigan has going for it in this area include: engineering talent, great research universities such as the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michigan State University and a welcoming environment for business.

There are some steps that can be taken in order to create a healthy environment for these businesses to survive. They include: increasing entrepreneurial K-12 education, increased acceptance and understanding of the risks associated with entrepreneurial businesses and a better understanding of the role of public relations in these ventures.

Many companies in the high-tech, healthcare and problem solving industries are growing and hiring. NSF International, a public health and safety company, is one of those companies. In 2007, NSF hired 117 people in the United States. So far 68 people have been hired in 2008. The company is averaging 31 open positions per month. NSF employees also have opportunities for internal moves – 46 employees were promoted or transferred through the month of June.

High-tech players in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Linux Box and Genetics Squared have also grown and hired this year.

“It’s simply not true that tech jobs are moving to India and China,” Roush said. He went on to say this is what some high school students are hearing from their counselors, despite the inaccuracy of the statement.

The companies who are experiencing growth are often the ones who are able and willing to adapt to the changing economy.

Plexus Systems, a company that provides business software solutions, added 30 jobs in Michigan in 2007. In 2008, the company will create more than 100 more positions.

Want another example? Meditrina Pharmaceuticals Inc., Velcura Therapeutics, NanoBio Corporation and ProNAi Therapeutics have all moved some of their business to Michigan. These pharmaceutical companies have also been adding jobs.

Creativity, high-tech skills and willingness to take an entrepreneurial risk may be one path to success for Michigan.

Beth

Phil

After this, Larry discussed how the ways people gather information/news has evolved over time and how technology has affected it. When people are looking to gather news/information in today’s day and age they use things such as the internet, (ask, yahoo, google, (other search engine) newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, word of mouth, etc. The way people do research and gather info has evolved over time, people do not have to go to libraries now to find information, they are using a variety of forms of social media that are accessible from most peoples homes and now even cell phones and PDA’s. A social media survey was taken, in which the participants had to rank social media on a level of importance (1 being the most important and 5 the least). The top three forms of social media that ranked the most important were Podcasts (3.9), Social book marking sites (3.6), and Blogs (3.2). These changes in social and e-media have caused positive changes in PR technology, ranging from the incorporation of blogs on their own or clients websites to podcasts and other forms of technology.

II. What the future may hold for traditional media and sources of information
• Print Media
1. Will not merely disappear
2. Will morph into something else to deliver information
3. Many of these media already have web sites and “e” media
4. Will adjust to what the market is becoming
5. Printouts for all media will lessen because of cost, the green movement and news technologies that favor rapid response. Printing costs are a big driver for change.

• Radio
1. Radio will remain solid because devices like IPods make it easy to access
2. Things will go digital
3. PDF’s will increase
4. Online information will be accessible for cell phones

• Technology and traditional media
1. There will not be any single “next big thing”
2. Technology moves in incremental steps and will evolve over time.
3. Traditional media will adjust to and loose ground to new media because there are so many forms of new media.
4. The key element is for people to learn them and be able to use them effectively to get what they need.
5. Example: Mainframe computers to timesharing to client/server to personal computers to the Internet.

III. PR in Integrated Marketing Communications
• Third party credibility from PR outweighs ads
• People tend to believe what news they read, not paid ads
• PR has high ROI
1. One client in 2006 had $8.4 million in media coverage, which gave an ROI of 18 times
2. Another paid $1,400 in PR fees for a product introduction that garnered $17,950 worth of media coverage

IV. Blog Credibility
• Consistent Uploading
1. Weekly; bi-weekly
2. Same message throughout
• Links to Other Blogs
1. Blogs linking to you and you linking to other blogs
• Company and Media Recognition
1. Blogger’s Choice Awards
2. Reference in the Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.
• Executive Posts
1. GM Fast Lane

V. Internet Negativity
• Negative posts from consumers
1. Backlash from a new product
2. Overall Criticism
• Acknowledge and apologize
1. Offer Direct apologies
2. State Solutions or an alternate point of view

VI. Examples of Emedia Growth
• IDG $3 billion global publisher
• 300 newspapers & magazines
• Computer World, PC World, Info World, Network World, CIO, Digital World & Mac World
• Events-750 in 55 Countries
• Research-provides market intelligence
• Online- 450 websites, 200 writes, and Tech news
• For IT- Telco & Consumer Tech
VII. IDG
• Was all print, now online specialty publisher
• Half of $3 billion revenue from print
1. Was 25% four years ago
2. Forecast to be 70% by 2012
• InfoWorld closed print version and now 100% online
• Datamation did the same thing four years ago
• IDG does online titles first (Goes to print version if market demands

Why is Social media different from traditional PR/Marketing Tactics? It is an open conversation, with the changes in PR technology readers are now able comment on your activities and expect you to respond. Companies of any size can compete equally. Some crucial points that were made with the statistics of social media were that 66% of Americans trust blogs for their product recommendation. 1 of 4 Americans has a Myspace page and the average Facebook user logs in six times/day (20,000 new members each day). Companies and firms are now incorporating sites such as these into their marketing scheme due to their high volume of daily traffic.
Some may ask what do business people need from new/social media? The answer is confidence that the info is correct and that the info could potentially help business decisions.

VIII. Publishing A Beginning Not an End
• Shift from print to online changes assumptions about marketing and publishing
• Publishing is a starting point, not the ending point
• Publishers carefully get research and verify information (It is edited, then published)

IX. Online Media is the Opposite
• A story may expand and enlarge a reader (participants)
1. Add their comments and theories with a blog post, podcast, or other online contribution
• Messages are no longer one-way. Your audience contributes to expanding your content
• It is like a dialogue, a conversation

X. IT Professionals and Social Networking
• 77% of IT professionals in 430 Fortune 1000 companies use social networking
• 42% Three time/week
• 35% One time/week
• 22% not active
• Demonstrating rapidly increasing numbers of IT professionals using social sites to get and share information, network and communicate fast

XI. So where is all this going?
• Evolutionary change is a fact
• If you want to be part of getting information efficiently, these new was to do it are imperative.
• Conversation has become a norm for journalism
• People are trying to reach specific groups and targets-not masses.
• Everyone wants “instant gratification of information”
• New techniques and devices: Kindle- from Amazon
1. No carrying books, magazines or newspapers
2. Can be delivered to you in one minute when you buy for $10
3. Holds hundreds of books, newspapers, blogs

• All ways to access information is changing
• No longer news organizations with large staffs, reporters and editors who cover beats and generate news based on their areas
• Rather we have a sea change in the ways info is generated and disseminated
• In many ways new outline media have already supplemented traditional news media (e.g. blogs, podcasts, video social media)
• Like the Industrial Revolution, but this is the Information Revolution
• People are more interested to reach audiences directly and have discussions, conversations, than get info from mass media

Larry Eiler’s Presentation

Lots of people want to learn about new media and how to use the Internet to reach customer and make sales. This sessions is aimed precisely at what people want to know. What is Google AdWords and how does it work to help me reach customers? What is SEO (search engine optimization) and how can it work for me? How do I unify various new media Internet techniques to be the best for my business?

Mr. Naegle will cover AdWords; Ms. Girard SEO; and Ms. Desai how various strategies with Internet marketing tools work together to benefit your business.

They’ll answer a series of questions that I will pose, including:

What is needed to be successful with an Internet marketing strategy?

What about budget?

How do I drive more leads to my site?

How do I get started?

What future innovations is Google planning in terms of on-line marketing?

Why is performing visitor behavior analysison your site important?

With the Internet growing rapidly as a source for reaching customers directly to generate knowledge of your business, you will want to hear from these leading people and companies.

Posted by Larry

“Google Effect” refers to Google’s moving here last year and the positive flow of interest in our region due to our number one position in the recent Knowledge Worker Quotient survey by Expansion Management magazine.

Top 10 Knowledge Worker Metros

1. Ann Arbor, Mich. MSA
2. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va. MSA
3. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif.
4. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.-N.H. MSA
5. Durham, N.C. MSA (tie) San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. MSA (tie)
6. Boulder, Colo. MSA
7. Madison, Wis. MSA
8. Iowa City, Iowa MSA
9. Ithaca, N.Y. MSA (tie) Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash. MSA (tie).

It is good to have some positive news to report so let’s all be aware that economic recovery takes time and will occur periodically.

Larry Eiler