Design Businesses! Why & How to Attend Meet the Media Twitter Chat, Friday April 2

Join us this Friday for the only #MeetMdiaChat on Twitter
 April 2nd at 1 - 1:30PM EST

with Carmen Natschke of the top ranked design and architecture blog The Decorating Diva

What Is It?
 #MeetMdiaChat Twitter Chat is a monthly PR chat that aims to connect design & architecture businesses and PR professionals with the design media for improved media relations. Each month, a media guest will join us to answer your questions about content and useful information like what they're looking for, how they like to be pitched, and more. 

Why Attend?
To learn more about the design media's content, story interests and best pitching practices.

How Do I Participate?
It's easy. Twitter Chats are a fun and dynamic way to learn and connect! 

. Once you have a twitter account, go to TweetChat
. Log on
. Input “#MeetMdiaChat” in the Room to Enter field
. Start tweeting

Please note: you can still participate even if you don’t use TweetChat; just use the hash tag #MeetMdiaChat when you enter a tweet so the group can follow your conversation. Another great tool to stay on top of the conversation is TweetGrid. Check it out.

How it Works 

. Introduce yourself when you sign in
. I will introduce our guest and pose 2 - 3 questions to start 
. Please send any questions you have to @lauranewm (do not use the hash tag #MeetMdiaChat). I will then ask the question of the guest labeled Q1, Q2, and so forth.
. Please stay on topic and be sure to mark any responses to questions with their respective question label at the start of your tweet: EX: Q2: When did you decide to do that? #MeetMdiaChat
. Learn, have fun and go get 'em!

Still not clear or need help getting set up on Twitter? Feel free to contact me at laura@lauranewmanpr.com or ask your question here on comments.

Ask.Listen.Learn: Decorating Diva On Meet Media Chat April 2

Save the Date! Tell your industry friends! Tweet it, Facebook it and shout it out from a rooftop! On Friday, April 2nd I'll be hosting  Meet the Media Chat (#MeetMdiaChat) on Twitter - the first of a series of live Twitter chats focused on connecting design businesses with the media on a more intimate level.  Carmen Natschke of the design and architecture blog The Decorating Diva will be the inaugural guest and she's ready to answer your questions!

One of the most important things in PR is knowing the media and understanding their needs and interests.  #MeetMdiaChat will allow you to learn more about their content and ask specific questions you have about getting a story placed with them and other curiosities you may have. So don't be that next ignored e-mail, unanswered phone message or embarrassing case study on the Bad Pitch Blog. Attend, ask, listen, learn.

Join  #MeetMdiaChat 

with 

Carmen Natschke 

@DecoratingDiva 

Friday, April 2nd,  1:00 - 1:30PM EST

Stay tuned on Twitter following #MeetMdiaChat and on my blog for more details and news on upcoming chats.  #MeetMdiaChat will run once a month with different media guests. (Got two lined up already!)  If you're a journalist, blogger, editor, or freelance writer who wants to participate, or have a suggestion on who you'd like to meet on #MeetMdiaChat, leave a comment or email me at laura@lauranewmanpr.com.
Tweet to you soon!

About Decorating Diva

The Decorating Diva, LLC covers interior design, the decorative arts and architecture throughout the year.  In addition, each month The Decorating Diva, LLC dedicates a series of articles to a specific topic related to design, decorative arts or architecture.

The Decorating Diva.com is listed in the top one percent of all websites tracked by ALEXA and Technorati; has a monthly audience reach of 40,000 (Nov 2009) and is regularly quoted in industry publications as the source for design trends and eco-savvy design.  

3 Tasty Marketing Lessons from DIFFA Dining by Design 2010

2010 DIFFA DBD Table by Marc Blackwell

Behind every winning marketing or media campaign is a set of principles that guide their creation. For me, the DIFFA Dining by Design Event is a fun feast of eye-candy,  where I get to see the marketing exercise come to life in inspiring dining installations by architects, designers and home furnishing brands.  While some went for the fantastic with live models, giant dinosaur egg place settings and sandy floors, overall the event exemplified (as it always has)  the very real and working world of branding. While my eyes feasted on the visual, my mind chewed on the marketing ideas that gave birth to their creation.  Here are a three of my favorite tables from this year's event, and a taste of the marketing lessons they served up:

GIVE 'EM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT  

The New York Design Center table designed by Michael Tavano was themed "Connected" and connect it did. Aside from showcasing a range of products from showrooms at the center in a beautiful green and blue color story, the interactive installation invited viewers to take pictures for Facebook uploads and tweet to the New York Design Center Twitter page. People loved it. Passer bys were magnetized to the table, attracted to the tweet waterfall displayed on the big screen monitor that hovered over the table. At the same time, I saw people  inquire about the fabrics and furniture in the setting while they were there. I'm sure you've heard. The "new" marketing is about starting a conversation, not pushing a message. The  NYDC gives us a good  look at the effect  social media has on people and how it can work for a brand. Engage with your audience, make them feel a part of your brand, and give them a reason to stick around and learn about your product or service.

CREATE ONE SINGULAR MESSAGE

 Benjamin Moore's table by David Stark was one of my favorites for the pure and simple fact that the design screamed one loud and clear message. "Check out the Benjamin Moore ben Color Capture iPhone application." Stark chose the techy theme over colorful, making the application front and center and showing us that Benjamin Moore is a leader.  Two tall, black candle operas were "lit" by  iPhones displaying a flickering flame and the entire backdrop included four giant iPhone screens playing the Color Capture application. Some people asked, "Where's the color?" expecting such a given for a paint brand.  (It was all in the app) And that's the point. When you're planning your next marketing or PR campaign, stay focused on the message you want to convey.  Make it strong, impactful and don't let too many colorful ideas distract from the message.

DESIGN SOMETHING TIMELY

While we all love the fantastic, its the tables that are realistic (and comfortable) that merit some attention. The challenge in any campaign is to distill something useful and relevant from our own brand story to create something people care about. This eco-friendly "Cradle to Cradle" table designed by students at the New York School of Interior Design  exemplifies the art of designing a timely message. The booth's walls were decorated with a myriad of different sized and colored recycled wood slatz, while Origami sculptures lined the center of the table. Place settings were matched by eco-friendly director chairs baring green messages like "recycle" and "earth" on their backs. Imaginative without being off-base, the table has real life applications and inspires some real life marketing thought. Set your own brand aside for a while and put the bigger questions on the table.  What do people, your customers, care about? What are their pain points and what am I (or can I be) doing to address them? Once you start answering these questions, you can begin creating something stimulating that will actually help a customer, a reporter and contribute to the conversation larger society is having.

Wit Watch! DIY Textile Design Sites Give Power to the People

Customization has come a long way thanks to the net. From tee-shirts to furniture, consumers have the ability like never before to put their very own stamp on what they buy, and textiles are no exception. Over the past few years a number of websites have emerged allowing designers, artists, and crafters to make affordable, small-run printings of their work or any design enthusiast to buy something truly unique. Dubbed in this Miami Herald article by one very happy crafter "The Etsy of Textiles," sites like Spoonflower and KarmaKraft  are empowering otherwise unrealized artists to actually print and sell their work. The business of design has changed - and with it- the way we shop.  What are you doing as a design business to keep up? 

Pictured: Peacock Scatter by cottageindustrialist on Etsy

Live "Wit Watch!" at DIFFA Dining by Design & Architectural Digest Show, This Thursday!

NYDC 2009 DIFFA Table 

The Architectural Digest Home Show is set to open this week and in conjunction with it, DIFFA's spectacular  Dining By Design event, where industry luminaries and brands create awesome dining table designs and experiences. I love this event. It's one big stew of creativity, full of inspiring ideas in design, branding, entertaining, and marketing. So I'm thrilled to be kicking off my Wit Watch! of the AD Show live from the New York Design Center DIFFA table on Thursday, March 18th @ 12:30PM. 

The NYDC has been a co-sponsor of the New York Dining by Design event for ten years. With the help of Michael Tavano, they've created a table themed "Connected" and invited me and other bloggers to help make it  interactive. Of course, I said yes. Loudly! If you're famliar with my blog, you'll know that Wit Watch! is a regular series of posts that share unique and inspiring ideas, from a cool promotion or new business idea to the extraordinary work of an artisan or architect. I'll be scouting for and sharing some of my favorite creations, ideas and news from the show and hopefully inspire, inform and enlighten you. 

So stay tuned, and if you're attending the show, be sure to stop by, say hello and let me know what you're doing or seeing that's worth a mention on Wit Watch!

What Marketing Buzz Looks Like: House Beautiful's Get Blue Promotion

What would you do if you found a beautiful blue Eames chair sitting on a dirty street block on your daily routine walk to work? Last week, House Beautiful wrapped up it's "Blue Chair" campaign to promote their current blue issue, leaving 40 blue chairs around the city for anyone to claim their own if they found it.  Penelope Green's article in today's New York Times tells the story about how the promotion went down on the street level, offering a really nice look into the element of surprise and excitement a great promotion can create. Not to mention the added value content they're providing to their social media fans, who received the locations via Twitter and Facebook! If you're blue because you missed this one, check out House Beautiful's other blue promotions running the rest of this month. I hear they're giving away Jet Blue tickets next! 

Designers Announced for 2010 Kips Bay Designer Show House

Drum roll please. Kips Bay has announced its roster of designers and room designations for the 2010 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York, and with it, a new location on the West Side.   According to Marisa Marcantonio of Style Beat, the early announcement and West Side locale are pumping some added excitement into this already well regarded show house event, slated to open April 30th.

Thumbs Down to NYT Architecture Critic Nicolai Ouroussoff

In the worlds of architecture, fashion, food and theatre, a critic has the power to a make or break your name or business. In some cases, their status is untouchable, and this is no more truer than with New York Times' architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff. But what if someone actually said that Nicolai was not good enough? Alexandra Lange at Design Observer did in a well pointed essay sparking a healthy conversation that's seemingly overdue. 

Past & Present, Right Before Your Eyes

Leader Theater, 9th Street, Washington, DC

How fun is this. Jason Powell's flickr set "Looking Into The Past" merges past and present photos of neighborhoods and buildings for a very unique perspective. Thanks to Swissmiss for this find. 

People Buying More Furniture & Fashion Online

Maybe you need another reason to convince yourself that online PR, marketing and sales really is worth your time and money. The truth is in the U.S. Census numbers. In this interesting new infographic by Permuto, furniture and fashion categories show that a healthy 65% of purchases happen online. Even if you're not set up for e-commerce, coming up in a search could be your next best shot at a sale.

Lifestyle Mags Go iPad: GQ, Glamour,Vanity Fair

In the continuing story of the iPad and the future of our favorite magazines, Conde Nast is adding lifestyle titles Glamour, Vanity Fair and GQ to the iPad roster this year. This summer will surely be exciting time; a period that could see the publishing industry finally settle into a more successful and secure a business model. Are you planning to get an iPad?  Which magazines would you like to see become available?  

The Overlooked Power of a PR Placement

Many times, clients expect to get a direct sale or tons of phone calls as a result of media placements. It's true that certain placements with certain media outlets can drive traffic and sales. I've had home design clients featured in the New York Times Currents, In Style, Apartment Therapy, and Architectural Digest  enjoy this kind of  result. But in many cases, the phone won't ring off the hook, your site traffic won't spike and droves of people won't be banging down the doors to your store. (Of course, this also depends on how galvanizing your product or service is, but that's another post) 

A seasoned client who understood this once said to me, "PR creates opportunities," and that is unequivocally true. It's a series of "clicks" that open up minds and doors, and a powerful tool that can further your business - if you use it. Jane Pollak, an entrepreneurial coach and regular presenter for the ASID, shares  her own experience with PR and some very wise words on just what you should expect and do with your publicity.

Photo: www.dazzlergardens.com

J.Pocker Tortoiseshell Frames on New York Spaces

One of my recent projects has been to gain some product coverage for the venerable art and framing business in New York, J.Pocker. It's been a fun ride  learning about this company's very rich heritage of celebrated designer and high society clientele, from Diana Vreeland, Billy Baldwin, and the Roosevelts to today's Charlotte Moss, Victoria Hagan and Mario Buatta.  Here's a beautiful new  feature on their new Tortoiseshell Frames on New York Spaces' newly re-designed website and blog The Edge. I'm never tired of seeing a beautiful product placement come to life.