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Booking Agents Can Help You Get Gigs

If your band would rather concentrate on making music instead of spending precious time booking gigs, perhaps you should consider employing a booking agent. A booking agent (commonly referred to as a talent agent) shares similar duties to that of a band manager.

Booking agents are the official representative of independent bands, ensembles, orchestras and other musicians. Their primary function is to arrange live performances for musicians, acting as a liaison between the artists and the producers.

Like any promotional representative, a booking agent actively promotes recording artists and other entertainers for live performances, and earns a commission on his marketing efforts. For example, a booking agent will help set up work for artists on commercials, film, television, stage and other types of performances.

In addition to setting up gigs for independent bands, a booking agent can also help to arrange publicity opportunities for recording artists, and assists with logistics as well. A booking agent has the professional expertise to get steady work for musicians, and to keep the name of their client foremost in the minds of producers and the public.

If you would like to share an article on booking agents and how they can be of benefit to professional Musicians, or if you would like to share a booking agent story, feel free to do so at Media Positive Radio today.

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved Michael O. Brickell, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for MediaPositiveRadio.com

Notice to Publishers: Please feel free to use this article in your Ezine or on your Website; however, ALL links must remain intact and active.

Michael O. Brickell is the General Manager for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with MediaPositiveRadio.com. Find Booking Agent information at MediaPositiverRadio.com; meeting your needs as your music resource to locate music related services.

posted by dancehuonk @ 9:25 PM 0 comments

Different Options For Back Pain Relief

When you suffer from back pain, each moment can feel like your longest; there are no activities during which your back pain is not considered; no comfortable nights rest during which the healing process begins and energy is restored. Subsequently, back pain relief becomes first and foremost on the minds of sufferers. Luckily, there are many options from which to choose.

For many, the first thought when it comes to back pain relief is medication. And while there are a host of prescription medications that will alleviate back pain, they are doing nothing more than masking the symptoms instead of tackling the underlying cause of pain. Medication should be used sparingly and under the strict supervision of a medical professional. But it should also be your last resort for back pain relief. Use over-the-counter pain medication for back pain relief to help you combat discomfort while you work to rectify the underlying causes of your back pain.

While it may seem as though exercise of any kind would be the worst thing for back pain relief, it may often be the very best thing you can do to help alleviate your discomfort and put you on the road to healing. Any exercise program must be strictly supervised by your doctor; not every exercise is appropriate for everyone and its crucial that you follow instructions so as not to further injure your back and increase your pain. However, when done responsibly and with guidance, exercise can do much in the way of back pain relief.

There are a number of different exercises that may be appropriate for back pain relief. Your doctor may recommend a walking program, or one of light aerobic exercise. As your strength increases, you may begin a program that incorporates light weights to help build muscle strength. Ultimately, strong, healthy muscles and overall physical fitness will work to deter injury and back pain.

Further exercise for back pain relief includes stretching exercises, yoga, and pilates. Stretching works to improve flexibility and keep muscles limber. pilates and yoga both work to strengthen the bodys core muscles thus lending essential support to the back.

Some who suffer from back pain find that work with acupuncturists, chiropractors, and physical therapists offers back pain relief through the use of holistic treatments, body alignment, massage, and therapeutic exercise.

Finding back pain relief that works for you without the use of medication will help to improve and strengthen your back so that you may never have to experience back pain again.

For easy to understand, in depth information about back pain visit our ezGuide 2 Back Pain.

posted by dancehuonk @ 9:18 PM 0 comments

Does Your Personal Style Reflect Your Uniqueness?

Does your personal style truly reflect your uniqueness? Do you feel comfortable in your own skin? Do you feel confident about what your look says about you? Do you gravitate toward just buying the fashion Club Seventeen Magazine's latest look? Or are you constantly comparing how you look to others?

My life's experience is that many women do not own their look. Many women do not embrace their uniqueness and instead create copycat, plain Jane or outlandish styles that aren't reflective of whom they are.

I believe that any woman can evoke the look that simply confirms her being and uniqueness. She can look chic, feminine in accordance with her personality, lifestyle and very importantly, budget. Here are the steps I recommend you follow:

Step 1: Discover what your body type is and which styles look good on you. Kendall Starr in her book, Pocket Stylist, believes that regardless of whether a woman is average or plus sized, there is one of three basic silhouettes that apply to everyone. The three basic silhouettes are:

BODY TYPE A: The average version of a woman whose shoulders are narrower than the width of her hips. Regardless of whether she is flat- or full-chested, this torso proportion is defined by a definite visual difference between the width of those shoulders and the width of the hips.

BODY TYPE B: The traditional hourglass although Farr herself isn't in favor of geometry or fruit-derived monikers ("no hourglasses, apples, pears, celery or any of that stuff") this woman's shoulder width is essentially the same as her hip width, and the waist is generally well defined. Bust size can be anywhere from flat-chested to full-breasted. (Again, simply a particular that refines her fit - not a starting point.)

BODY TYPE C: The shoulders are wider than the width of the hips. Broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped models fall into this category. Her waist is usually quite straight, and can be somewhat of a fitting challenge. Once you've determined your body type, go to a store with an honest friend. Try on various fabrics and cuts to see how the material and shape emphasize or detract from your basic body silhouette. Remember, window shopping is okay, no need to break the bank and immediately overhaul your wardrobe.

Step 2: Inventory your wardrobe and make sure you have these wardrobe basics, which complement your silhouette and lifestyle:

Pants:
Dark Day Look In a simple, skimming cut and crisp high-quality fabric.
Dark Night Look Fuller leg in a lighter high-quality fabric.

Jeans or Chinos:
To wear with a flat heel Hemmed shorter to wear with flats.
To wear with heels Hemmed longer.

Skirts:
Pencil, Trouser or A-Line Cut In black or lightweight wool.
A-line or Bias Cut In a flowy fabric for day or evening.
Skirt in a neutral, mixable style A subtle pin stripe or tweed.

Shirts:
White button down In a feminine cut.
White T-shirts Just the basic T, a boat neck, or V-neck.

Sweaters/Cardigans:
Black That tonally matches your black pants.
Neutral In a skin flattering tone, i.e. avoid stark white if you're fair.
Vivid Color Must emphasize your features and not detract.

Jackets
Tailored It should match your dark pants in color tone and style.
Casual Bombers, motorcycle styles and windbreakers are good choices in fabrics like leather, suede, corduroy, soft wool or cotton twill.

Coats
Trench Good for the rain and in-between seasons choose a neutral or black.
Knee-length For in-between seasons.
Winter Coat Invest in the best fabric you can possibly afford.
Dress or matching separates that create a dress. Always have a little black dress on hand.

Accessories
Cherish four to five high-end fashion accessories (costume jewelry and scarves) that you wear all the time.
Add one or two new trendy pieces each season and wear them out.
Invest in high quality everyday leather handbags and shoes.

Become friends with a great tailor who can assure that these key clothing pieces flatter your uniqueness.

Step 3: Find a great hair stylist who is skilled at working with your hair type. Then get a fuss-free hairstyle and maintain it. I don't know about you, but I absolutely dread having to use several hairstyling tools and products. It's all about simplicity to manage my hair (flat crown and wavy length). I could be using tons of root lifter, hair serums, along with a blow dryer, flat iron, three brushes and then finishing products. However, I made a decision some time ago to embrace my hair texture and found a hair stylist who knows exactly how I "operate" and created a style accordingly.

Step 4: Treat your skin as the treasure it is. Get a facial every month or just give yourself a weekly facial. Maintain, protect and nourish your skin daily. If you have great skin, you radiate and barely need any make-up. The time spent on your daily skin care routine is also a wonderful time to dedicate to yourself and regeneration. Also, don't forget to drink plenty of water to hydrate it.

Step 5: Use make-up as an aid to emphasize your beautiful features, not hide them under layers and layers of coating. I firmly believe in the principle applied by French women: less is more. Your basics include: tinted moisturizer with SPF, a light powder, blush, a great mascara and a lipstick or lip gloss. Select colors that are complementary to your skin tone, hair color and eye color. Heavy smoky eye make-up or bright red lips may look great in a Club Seventeen Magazine. However, if they don't reflect your uniqueness leave them in the store!

Let your imagination and creativity take its power to truly reflect your uniqueness. So, when someone asks you: Does Your Personal Style Reflect Your Uniqueness? You'll answer confidently: Absolutely!

Copyright (c) 2007 MMC Lifestyles, LLC, dba MMC Style

Marion Chamberlain is founder of MMC Style (http://www.mmcstyle.com), an Internet store for European fashion accessories sourced from unique and highly-talented small design shops in Europe. The online store offers high-quality European fashion jewelry and leather handbags to those women who want to be unique. MMC Style (http://www.mmcstyle.com) European fashion accessories are truly unique and can't be found in department or chain stores.

posted by dancehuonk @ 9:11 PM 0 comments

Attending A Golf Tournament

Although golf seems to be a spectator sport that plays better on television, golf enthusiasts should go experience a live event at least once.

Aspiring golfers will always want to go see how the pros do it when a professional golf tour comes to their area.

Purchasing Tickets. Most professional events allow you to purchase tickets on a per-day basis, or sell ticket packages for the duration of the event. For most PGA Tour, LPGA and Champions Tour events, expect to pay around $30 for a single day ticket, and around $75 for a four-day pass.

If you wish to attend a Nationwide Tour Event, single-day tickets cost about $10, with weeklong event packages in the $30 range. Major tournaments will likely cost a little more to attend.

Always check with the organizers of your chosen event to clarify what you can and cannot bring to the course with you (esp. refreshments, chairs and cameras). Backpacks are usually allowed as long as they are carrying towels, sunscreen and clothing.

Generally, you will want to travel light, since it will be a long day, and you will likely be walking several miles. Dress comfortably, protect yourself from the sun with sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen. Parking and Accommodations.

Again, you should check with the event regarding parking. All the professional golf events have websites that can answer frequently asked questions.

Because many country clubs and golf courses that host professional events are located in suburban neighborhoods,parking may be limited.

Field or roadside parking may be available, but in many cases, spectators will need to park at a remote location and ride a shuttle to the golf course. The tournament website should also list nearby hotels that will likely provide shuttle service to and from the course.

Good Manners. Because golf is a gentleman's game, it should be respected as such. Silence is golden, and spectators should not talk while a golfer is preparing to swing, take pictures during a golfer's swing, or talk to a golfer in between his or her shots.

Stay outside of designated boundaries, do not touch a ball that has been hit into the ATK Gallery Girls, and although there may be a mad scramble to surround a miss hit ball, use common sense to avoid standing in an area between the golfer's miss hit ball and his next target.

If you don't follow the proper spectator etiquette you could find yourself expelled from the course without a refund.So just go along, enjoy watching the professionals play and have a fun day out.

Irene Forde is a writer and publisher of Leisure and Business publications.
Visit http://www.bettergolfingskills.com for a Free Report on the Golf-The Mental Game.

posted by dancehuonk @ 9:04 PM 0 comments

Weight Loss Benefits of Massage

There is no question that having a massage makes you feel great. Even having a deep-tissue, sports massage makes you feel wonderful afterwards. Massage can relieve stress, help you recover from hard physical activity or injury and even reduce anxiety, but can it help you to achieve your weight loss goals?

Research shows that massage can have a positive effect on your muscle-building capabilities and fitness levels, which in turn increases your capacity to control or loose weight.

Healthy strong muscles burn calories and give you the freedom to participate in all sorts of sports and activities that can help you burn excess calories and improve your overall fitness and wellbeing.

Massage has the following benefits that can directly influence your ability to control or loose weight:

1. Massage has been shown to improve circulation and the supply of nutrition to the muscles. Massage increases the interchange of vital substances between the blood and tissue cells, which increases tissue metabolism. After muscles are exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied to them so that they can recover and rebuild themselves. Massage maximizes the supply of these nutrients and oxygen though increased blood flow, which helps the muscles to grow and burn more calories as a result.

2. Massage improves your muscles range of motion and their flexibility. This allows them to maintain maximum power and performance while active, and burn the maximum number of calories in the process.

Improved range of motion and flexibility also reduces muscle soreness during periods of recovery and muscle repair.

Having a wide range of motion and maximum muscle flexibility also reduces the danger of experiencing injuries during exercise which can severely limit activity, exercise and weight loss progress.

3. Massage helps to shorten the recovery time needed between your workouts. Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles during and after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles helps to eliminate toxic debris buildup caused by these waste products and in doing so shorten recovery time.

Shortened recovery time means you can safely have more workouts over a given period of time, which in turn means that you have the opportunity to burn more total calories in your effort to achieve your individual weight loss goals.

4. Massage can also help reduce the chance of you over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles and a sedative effect on the nervous system. By helping you to rest, which is a very important element of any exercise program, massage can reduce the likelihood of you experiencing over-training syndrome, which is known to limit your ability to build strong healthy muscles and therefore loose weight with maximum efficiency.

5. In addition to all of the above, massage may directly aid in fat loss. According to some research studies, massage is thought to be able to burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition and exercise, massage may actually help in weight loss.

6. As we have already touched upon, massage helps prevent and heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions and scar tissue that result from muscle tears and other common muscle injuries. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur) that aid in tissue repair. Fast and effective recovery from injuries means that you can begin exercising sooner after suffering an injury and getting your weight loss progress back on track.

So there you have it. Massage has a lot of benefits that can indirectly and possibly even directly aid you in achieving your weight loss goals.

Regular massage is just as important a component as regular workouts and correct nutrition in any comprehensive fitness and weight loss program, which is great news for those of us who thought that exercising and loosing weight was all hard work! Remember, weight loss is all about leading a balanced lifestyle and massage is an essential part of any balanced lifestyle.

If you havent had a massage lately, what are you waiting for? Get on the phone and make yourself a booking. If you havent had a massage before, just remember to have your massage done by a qualified massage therapist.

If you are unsure about a massage practitioners qualifications and experience, ask for referrals, professional training information, and make sure they are certified by reputable agency or institution.

And remember, have fun!

Scott Haywood is the editor of Australia's leading weight loss and healthy lifestyle website weightloss.com.au. Weightloss.com.au is a free weight loss resource that has healthy recipes, weight loss product porn reviews, a weight loss business directory and a very popular weight loss forum.

posted by dancehuonk @ 6:14 PM 0 comments

A Look at brutal teen porn Parenting Statistics

brutal teen porn parenting statistics will show that brutal teen porn parenting is still a rising occurrence in todays society despite widely available sex education and numerous birth control methods. brutal teen porn parenting statistics also indicate that brutal teen pornage parents and their child are both at a disadvantage in terms of health, education, and finances.

brutal teen pornage mothers face higher health risks than mothers at an older age. Such heath risks include anemia, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, underweight birth, premature delivery, and even death. Majority of these risks result from the fact that most brutal teen pornage mothers lack prenatal care and not because of immature physical development. According to brutal teen pornage parenting statistics, about forty percent of brutal teen pornage mothers did not receive quality or adequate care during pregnancy, resulting in their children born with poor health.

In terms of education, brutal teen porn parenting statistics show that while it has become socially accepted for brutal teen pornage mothers to stay in school, unfortunately, an alarming 80 percent of them either choose or feel the need to drop out and only fifty percent of brutal teen pornage parents who had their first child during the early brutal teen pornage years will finish high school before they reach thirty. Additionally, brutal teen porn parenting statistics indicate that it is more likely for someone who has had a child between twenty to twenty four years old to finish college than someone who becomes a parent before the age of ninebrutal teen porn.

The result of this situation is that the child or children of these brutal teen pornage parents generally exhibit lower cognitive development compared to their peers. These children have the tendency to become underachievers academically and are more likely to become school drop outs, too. brutal teen porn parenting statistics also point out that these kids start to engage in sex earlier than most of their peers and have a higher tendency to repeat their parents past and become brutal teen pornage parents also.

Economically, brutal teen pornage parents who are not able to achieve a high school diploma or finish a GED program generally will experience more difficulty in finding a secure and well-paying job. This is evident in brutal teen porn parenting statistics showing women who had children after the age of 20 earn twice as much as women who were brutal teen pornage mothers. In addition, ten percent of brutal teen pornage mothers are not receiving child support from the childs father and forty percent rely on various government assistance programs such as food stamps in order to get by.

If you are a brutal teen porn parent, the present and future challenges of raising your child may be too much for you to bear. If family, friends or your supposed partner is not offering help, keep in mind that you are not alone and that there are many organizations willing to help you.

Milos Pesic is a single father and expert in the field of Parenting who runs a highly popular and comprehensive Parenting web site. For more articles and resources on parenting, brutal teen porn parenting, step parenting, parenting classes and much more visit his site at:

=>http://parenting.need-to-know.net/

posted by dancehuonk @ 6:06 PM 1 comments

Anatomy Of A PR Campaign

The message is determined by analyzing the brand being marketed, and doing so with clear vision and self-knowledge. Too many marketing executives rely on their own concept of the brand's identity, and never bother to discover what attributes the public has assigned to a product. Just because you've decided that you want to project a certain image doesn't mean that's the image you're projecting. Extremely high-profile marketing campaigns have failed because not enough market research and communication with the consuming public were done.

For example:

When AT&T Wireless decided to consolidate its wireless phone, pager, and Internet technology into something called mlife, it gave the public examples of what the company meant. Unfortunately, the public still doesn't understand, and has no idea what the m stands for (it is messaging).

United Airlines has long invited the public to "fly the friendly skies of United." The public has noticed that the experience on the plane is not terribly friendly, and is now distrustful of all airlines' claims.

The criteria for effective public relations messages should be: (1) is it true? (2) Is it unusual? (3) Is it interesting?

On the other hand, if a company already exists in the marketplace, a new message will have to be identified. For retail companies, the addition of a new product category or a price reduction are always effective messages.

Sales promotions, particularly very public or extremely unusual ones, make good messages. Anything out of the ordinary being done by the company in the name of public service or community aid is a legitimate message.

In order for the message to be even rudimentarily effective, it absolutely must be true. Remember, the message is being disseminated by the legitimate news media; a false message will be discovered and exposed, and win immediately brand the company negatively. It will do more damage than having no message at all, and such situations must be avoided at all costs.

Unique messages are going to be more noticeable and more attractive to the gatekeepers who determine which stories are told and which are not. So an unusual message--something a company is doing that no one else has considered or been creative enough to conceive-will be considerably more successful than one that seems tired or old simply because it has been seen before.

It goes without saying that the message must be interesting. If it is unique, unusual, and true, but without any interest to the general public, the message being delivered will most likely never find the light of day. If it does, it will undoubtedly be ignored, or worse, ridiculed. Many companies make the mistake of assuming that if a message seems unusual and interesting to them, it will be those things for the general consuming public. People in business tend to find their business fascinating; it is the thing they spend most of their time thinking about, so they are more knowledgeable about and concerned with their business than any casual observer or consumer would be. That is only natural and proper. But it is far too easy to make the miscalculation that a message that might be fascinating to an industry insider-for example, "Ours is the only paper bag made with 100 percent maple fibers"-will also be of interest to a casual user of the product. In almost every case, that assumption will be proven untrue.

So, commununication with the consuming public is an essential component to any successful Branding venture. Discovering from the public what its true feelings are about the brand identity being contemplated, as well as any changes being discussed concerning an existing brand identity, can help a wise marketer avoid miscalculations that can prove disastrously costly and possibly fatal to the brand, the product, or the company.

This is not to imply that the public must be allowed to dictate all Branding decisions, however. What's more important is for anyone involved in Branding to have a clear-eyed view of their brand identity. Wal-Mart remains a wildly successful brand by not trying to be Tiffany's. McDonald's, although it has slipped precipitously as a trusted brand in recent years, still has the good sense not to hire Wolfgang Puck to rethink its hamburger recipe.

When a Branding professional loses sight of the original mission-that is, the brand identity-and tries to be all things to all people, the results are almost always calamitous. The archetypal example of New Coke works as a warning about so many different Branding errors that it seems clichd to mention it, but consider: The fundamental miscalculation being made was the level of loyalty the average Coca-Cola drinker had for what was, and remains, unquestionably the most well-known, best-loved brand identity on this planet. To think it was a good idea to remove this beloved product-in favor of a formula that emulated the competition and was bound to alienate Coca-Cola loyalists who had stuck with the brand, in some cases, for decades-is astonishing.

A FEW BASIC PROMISES

Public relations can operate effectively only when a clear, realistic brand identity has been conceived. Certainly, PR, professionals can be part of the team that establishes that identity, but it must be, above all else, a true identity. That means it must have specific attributes, specific philosophical tenets, and, most important, a few basic promises made to the consumer that will never, ever be broken.

These promises, which should be written down in the simplest language possible and distributed on a regular basis to every employee of the company, are a covenant made with the public. They define the brand identity; they provide reasons to patronize the brand; and they offer, at the most basic level, differentiation from all competing brands. They are never to be taken lightly by any employee, and under no circumstances are they ever to be broken for any reason.

If your business is a store that sells items that cost $1 apiece, you must never charge $1.05 for anything. If your restaurant prides itself on cleanliness, the rest rooms have to be absolutely spotless anytime anyone walks in. If your promise is that every customer will be served within 30 seconds of entering, you'd better have a stopwatch on every employee's wrist and be sure it's operating accurately.

The promises your business makes are the central core of that business. If you've promised to provide the longest hot dogs in town, and you provide them, no reasonable person is going to complain that you don't have the best crpes suzettes as well-unless you've promised that too.

It's extremely important that the promises you make flow from your brand identity. Understand what you are to the public and what is expected of you, and you can make bold but realistic promises. Try to provide every solution to every problem, and you win end up providing nothing that is the least bit effective.

Consider, for example, the Disney brand. Here is a company whose name and logo are recognized in every country on the planet, whose message is received and understood everywhere from Beverly Hills to Beirut. It was once estimated that Mickey Mouse was the most recognized figure anywhere on Earth, more than the president of the United States, more than Tom Cruise, actually more than Santa Claus (who is famous in only about one-third of the world's countries).

On the surface, Disney might appear to offer all things to all people. Besides its anal movies and television programs under the Walt Disney name, it also produces entertainment under the Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures banners. Disney has a network television show on a network it owns (ABC), and also provides programming on cable TV via the Disney Channel and ABC Family. The company owns theme parks in California, Florida, Japan, and France. It also owns ESPN, publishing companies, video distribution companies, real estate, and retail stores. Disney logos appear on merchandise ranging from souvenir Mickey Mouse ears to fashions created by respected designers, electronics, calendars, furniture, musical instruments, sound recordings, and timepieces. Disney produces Broadway shows. It even owns a town in Florida.

But no matter how widely it casts its net, Disney always promises its customers the same things: high quality, fanatical customer service, and a dedication to the family. It might produce some R-rated anal movies under its Touchstone, Miramax, or Hollywood Pictures umbrella, but never with the Disney name. It will provide scary thrill rides in its theme parks, but you'd better believe the streets in that park will be clean and the "cast members" who work there will find a way to solve virtually any problem a guest might have during the stay. Guests at Walt Disney World are never told, "We can't do that"; they are always given at least an alternative solution. Maybe the ABC network will broadcast NYPD Blue, which offers controversial language and partial nudity, but the Disney Channel won't ever consider such a thing. If Disney produces a show on Broadway, you can rest assured that children will be admitted and the content will not offend their parents.

Disney has become the tremendous conglomerate it is today by making promises to its consumers and keeping them consistently since the company's inception. Anything that bears the Disney name has a special trust, a covenant with the consumer, and Disney lives up to that covenant every single time.

It's easy to ridicule the seemingly fanatical insistence Disney has on referring to its employees as cast members, in considering the consequences of every word spoken on every program its networks air, in not allowing its male employees to grow beards, or in its sanitized image that seems unrealistic in modern society. But it would be foolish to attack the surface of the Disney brand and overlook the unprecedented success it has enjoyed for a number of decades. The company continues to grow, but never for a moment does it take its covenant,the promises it makes to its audience for granted.

Go to the Disney Web site at www.disney.com and you'll see the company's dedication to its core philosophy at work with every click. Want to discuss a vacation at Walt Disney World in Florida? You can book your vacation, including airfare, car rental, hotel, and theme park tickets, through Disney online. If you need personal assistance, phone numbers are always available. News about upcoming anal movies from the Disney studios can be found, including coming attractions trailers. Games are available for children and adults. Want to buy some Disney merchandise? The Disney Store has an online catalog. There is always the option of speaking to a Disney representative with any question or concern you might have. And the Disney Web site is careful not to provide links to ABC, Touchstone, or Miramax, because those companies deal in material that, although affiliated with the parent company, does not conform to the Disney brand. They are separate brands and are treated separately. They have their own Web sites.

While the philosophy is not directly presented to the consumer in words, it is not in the least difficult to discern or understand. Disney will provide you with high-quality, attentive customer service and a dedication to family. It's there on the Web site, in the theme parks, and in the entertainment provided by the company under its own name. Under no circumstances does the Disney Company ever renege on those promises, and it holds firm to them in every aspect of its branded business.

On those occasions when there is even the suggestion of a break with the covenant, Disney works swiftly to correct the situation. When some video copies of its animated film The Little Mermaid were rumored to have an off- color visual joke in three frames (1/8 of a second), the company made sure the rumors were dispelled, and the offending three frames, although they really didn't contain what the rumors said they did, were cut from subsequent copies. Disney takes its covenant very seriously.

BRANDING IS ESSENTIAL

Everything impacts on Branding--the smell of the bathroom, the signs in the window, the product being sold in the store, the things people say. One of the most powerful things that impacts all people's perceptions is what they read, see, or hear about in the media, because it carries with it the imprimatur of the media outlet.

To illustrate: If a garage band pays to produce its own CD and sends out fliers to every record store in the country saying the album is a breakthrough collection, it won't carry a fraction of the impact that same CD win have if someone on MTV uses the exact same words, because now the brand of the garage band has been enhanced with the brand MTV.

The old saying, "There is no such thing as bad publicity" is absolutely incorrect, however. Having a brand's name mentioned in the media is a very strong influencer, and it can cut both ways. Should a media outlet say something negative about a brand-even if the information is proven to be totally inaccurate-the negative repercussions on the brand identity can be devastating. It can take a lot of damage control, in the form of advertisement, retractions from media outlets, and strong statements from the brand itself, to undo one misplaced comment from a credible media outlet. Sometimes the damage can't be controlled or undone.

When public relations is done properly, an item of information is disseminated to media gatekeepers, who then decide to report the information either directly or indirectly. Reportage is done, research is accumulated, interviews are performed. Eventually the information item becomes a media report, and it is at that moment that the public relations professional can no longer control it entirely. Media outlets-particularly the most desirable, most credible ones- operate autonomously, reporting the information they deem necessary or interesting and excluding all else. Time constraints, space limitations, and the realities of economics play as prominent a role in the decision-making process as the newsworthiness of the information being considered.

If a company is launching a new brand, the temptation will exist to try to saturate the market with information on that brand. Often, when my company is contacted about the creation of a new brand or a new product, the request will be, "Get us as much exposure as you can." That is absolutely the wrong thing to request at that time, because it is not a strategic position.

Such a company should be requesting a strategic plan that is consistent with their short-, middle-, and long-term goals. (Short-term is defined as 6 months, mid-term as 18 months, and long-term as 36 months.) It's very important to define those goals before seeking media exposure, because the lack of a goal is the lack of a plan, and that will obliterate any hope of Branding before it ever has the opportunity to begin.

In Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, there is a marvelous moment in which Alice, trying to find her way through the maze that is Wonderland, asks the Cheshire Cat for direction. The cat asks, quite logically, where Alice's destination might be, and she replies that she doesn't care where she ends up, but needs to know which road to take. Told that Alice doesn't care where she's going, the Cat replies, "Then it doesn't matter which way you go."

Companies that want to create brands but don't know what their specific goals are for the next 6, 18, or 36 months can't possibly be expected to define their brand identity or the proper kind of media coverage they need to best exploit their brand's possibilities.

A good percentage of Americans believe that Elvis is still alive; there's no accounting for what people might think. But the reality is that a Branding campaign, fueled by public relations efforts, will fail miserably if it doesn't have specific, well-defined goals in place for various points in the future before it begins.

How do the elite Branding experts determine their goals ahead of time and pass that information on to public relations professionals? It helps to be first in your field. Those companies that came to the marketplace before anyone else - Wal-Mart, Johnson & Johnson, Kleenex, Coca-Cola, Disney, McDonald's-had an advantage before they generated their first media placement. Nobody was ahead of them, and they knew precisely what they intended to do.

Keep in mind that most of those brands established themselves very early with very little (in many cases, close to no) advertising budget to work with. They managed to create an impression in the minds of consumers without spending millions in magazines and newspapers or on radio or television (in those cases when radio and television existed at the brand's inception).

They did it almost exclusively with public relations. These companies had a plan, a course of action, long before they had a brand name or a brand identity. They projected the possible sales for their products and services and had realistic goals for the coming six months, the coming year, the coming three years. In many cases, those goals were far exceeded, due in large part to the brilliant public relations campaigns that had been launched and executed to establish and support the brand. Without those plans, goals, and projections, there would have been no road map-and, as the Cheshire Cat would say, there would be no point in choosing one road over another, since it wouldn't matter where you ended up anyway.

It is extremely important, then, to set realistic goals. In order to do that, the smart Branding practitioner needs to have a clear-eyed view of his or her own product and company. Only with that can a true brand identity be created, one that will capture the imagination of the targeted consumer and differentiate the new brand from whatever competition currently exists or will exist in the future. Keep in mind that even those who were first ended up dealing with competition. Kleenex may be the most famous brand of tissue available today, but it is far from the only one on the market.

Michael Levine is the founder of the prominent public relations firm Levine Communications Office, based in Los Angeles. He is the author of Guerrilla PR, 7 Life Lessons from Noahs Ark: How to Survive a Flood in Your Own Life.

GuerrillaPR.net is a resource for people that want to get famous in the media, without going broke. http://GuerrillaPR.net

posted by dancehuonk @ 5:47 PM 0 comments

Are You The Best Golf Player You Can Be?

Being a good golf player goes way beyond having a below 80 handicap. Of course, skill at playing the actual game is commendable, but to get your game to take off you need a holistic view to fully achieve a well-rounded game.

Here are the three vital areas to concentrate on:
- Fitness,
- Practice,
- and Etiquette.

Fitness
- Keeping ones body and mind in good shape is a key element to becoming a good, if not great, golfer. Looking after your body and making sure its in tip top condition not only gets you to perform better on the course, it also ensures you that you can enjoy golf even well into your years.

- Achieve bodily fitness by eating right and exercising regularly. Maintain cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone that suits the game of golf. Some indicators of physical fitness are your blood pressure and your BMI (body mass index). Consult with your doctor on what levels are right for your age and body type.

- Mental fitness is also just as important. Find ways to relieve yourself of stress. Develop a regular meditation time alone or with family/friends. Keep your mind sharp by exercising it with reading or with puzzles like crosswords.

Practice
- Develop a regular and consistent practice routine. Many find themselves wanting to play more and practice less when, just like any other sport or discipline, it is the opposite that gets better results as far as scores go. By practicing more, you develop techniques and muscle memory that will carry well into your game.

- A good play to practice ratio is 1:2, that is, for every hour of golf you play, you will do 2 hours of practice. You don't need to do this all in the same day, just schedule alternate practice and play days so as not to work out too much.

- Continue your education on the game. Not just because you know how to play means you already know everything there is. Remember that there is always something new you can learn so either enroll in a class or take a lesson or two with a more advanced player. Read golf magazines and books to keep you up-to-date with the latest ideas and techniques. One excellent source of instruction is given below. Constantly wanting to level up your golf skills shows your dedication to become a better player than your were the year before.

Etiquette
- Being a great player on the course and on the practice field is nothing if you are not a good person to play with. While golf may be a solitary sport, it does not mean that rudeness is condoned. As a gentlemans game, an attitude of respecting others is of utmost importance.

Follow these simple rules and you will see your game improve faster than you thought possible.

For further help I recommend you visit: http://www.fortresspublishing.com/bettergolf.html
Mervyn Love.

posted by dancehuonk @ 5:37 PM 0 comments