Wit Watch: New Digital Shelter Magazine for "Nesting Newbies"

"For a Home Tweet Home" is the cover tag line for the new digital shelter magazine Nesting Newbies.  The vision is certainly young and current, aiming to combine "......a traditional magazine format with the new social media trend of original online videos and blogs to present a cross-platform experience for 'nesting newbies,' the site’s target audience of those who are new to nesting and have no clue when it comes to cooking, entertaining, and decorating. Cooking and decorating enthusiasts will also enjoy the original ideas being presented."  


Looking through the Winter issue, (their second) it feels a bit like a hipper, younger  Better Homes & Gardens with  accessible entertaining, cooking and home design stories. I especially liked the interpretation feature on the spectacularly designed San Francisco Dining By Design tables for DIFFA. One of my favorite design events! Produced by McIntosh & Murphy  and edited by its co-founder Jodi Murphy, the model seems  poised to take full advantage of the reader technology headed our way.  What do you think of Nesting Newbies? Does it feel like another sign of the "old guard" (print home magazines) being phased out? 

Photo: Nesting Newbies

Wit Watch: Redesign the UPC Code on Your Packaging

Branding is so much fun, especially when you have the ability to customize something as boring as a UPC code to transform it into another small brand asset that makes people take notice. Design and architecture is a business of creativity, where the difference is in the details. How about a roller for a wall covering brand or a chair silhouette for a furniture line?  What a fun brainstorming session that would be.

Rockin' Mosaics

Mosaics are one of the most fascinating works of art I've come to learn about as a publicist in design and architecture. And I have to say, I'm always blown away when I see something as beautiful and unique as this. Crafted from stones, the finish of these amazing outdoor mosaics created by Jeffery Bale actually look like a woven rug from a distance.

Wit Watch: Estee Lauder Makeover Event Gets a Fresh Face with Social Media Color

Photo courtesy of Estée Lauder

Getting a makeover at the cosmetic counter is always a fun way to try new product, but you only get that pretty face for a day with usually nobody but your cat and husband to see it. Estee Lauder's new  "Your Beauty.Your Style.Your Profile"  event is putting a fresh face on this age-old marketing strategy with some social media color. Visit a counter for a free makeover and foundation samples and they'll also give you a hard copy  and digital photo that you can use for your social networking, dating and professional pages.  Just a little touch here and there, and voila. You've got a fresh, new idea. Love it.

How Not to Pitch Someone via Twitter

If you ever wanted to know how NOT to pitch a journo, blogger or anyone for that matter your news via Twitter, read today's post on The Bad Pitch Blog where he shares a bad one and why it stinks.

Image from Bad Pitch Blog

Quickie Case Study: Placing a Design Feature in Your Local Paper

This Boston Globe home design story, Strategic Splurge, featuring the work and ideas of Linda Merrill  is  a good example of the kinds of design stories newspapers are interested in, and how you should pitch them.   Effective PR is not just knowing who to pitch, but what to pitch when. Luxury spending is dead and budget is all the rage. If you're looking for a media story, review your product and projects for examples. Pull out the value and savings ideas, use seasonal and housing trends and pitch your product or service behind it. And most importantly, follow and get to know your local design reporters.  The knowledge gained by that is more valuable than any blog post you'll read.