Business Record - Iowa Biz

"Media Relations" means relating to the media

Claire Celsi is the Director of Public Relations at Lessing-Flynn in Des Moines.

About five years ago, I was invited to speak at a Society of Professional Journalists meeting here in Des Moines, held in the old Des Moines Social Club. I was there to talk about how social media was forvever changing the face of journalism. 

The room was divided between two "camps." The first camp was a group of newspaper publishers, owners and editors who thought that they should "own" the digital lives of their reporters and every single thought they thought or word they wrote.

The other camp was the reporters themselves, some of whom were listening intently but not saying anything. But there were a few brave souls who stood right up and admitted (GASP!) that they were starting to use social media in their reporting! And sometimes (double GASP!) they had personal opinions about things that they didn't really try to hide. They also asserted ownership over their own personal thoughts and written content (THE SKY IS FALLING!).

This created a vigorous debate amongst the group. There was a true upheaval taking place in the industry. The "old-school" position was that reporters were neutral arbitors of the news, had no discernable personal leanings, and isolated themselves from the commoners to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

Fast-forward five years. In my estimation, most journalists still conduct themselves with the utmost journalistic intergrity and very carefully stay within the lines. However, many of them have found ways to be "one of us" and have joined social networks. While a few disclose their personal political bias, most stay neutral, at least publicly. But, the good journalists I know all use social media to further their craft.

Journalists can still use help from their friends and the general public and maintain journalistic integrity. They have always been trusted with the job of rooting through contradictory information and severly divergent viewpoints. Social media just helps reporters do their jobs more efficiently. Furthermore, I'm fairly certain that reporters get story ideas from conversations they witness on their social networks.

Journalists talk about themselves a little now. I can tell when someone is having a frustrating day. Or when they have an ailing parent. Or just need a hug. The thing I like the most is that I can really get to know them as a person before talking to them about a story. I can read their previous stories on Facebook and Twitter and know what beat they cover and what they are interested in.

Having this information makes me FAR more attuned to them as a person and as a professional. I really like having this new way to learn about reporters as people, not just paragraph stackers. 

So when you're looking around for someone to tell your story to, don't forget...Reporters are people, first and foremost. It's likely that you can find out a lot about them by following them on Twitter. 

-Claire Celsi

Technology & innovation - An introduction

John Stineman is a West Des Moines based consultant and Executive Director of
the Heartland Technology Alliance. Follow him on Twitter at @heartlandtech5.

Technology is everywhere. From the smart phones in our pockets to the touch screens in our cars to the Netflix stream to our television screens, connected technology has changed our lives and changed our economy forever. For every person who worries over the increasing tendency to be staring down at the device in one’s hands instead of talking with the people around them, there are many others who are exhilarated by connections that are stronger than ever before. You’re driving the tech economy, and maybe you didn’t know it.

There is a lot to it. Technology is not just about the wonder and efficiency it brings to make our lives more convenient or our jobs easier or more productive. It's about enabling innovation. Fostering the next game-changer. And for us here in the Midwest, it's about leveraging technology to our economic and societal benefit. In April, Techie.com named the Des Moines metro area one of the “10 most unexpected cities for high tech innovation.”

While technology and innovation tend to find a way to break through in one form or another nearly everywhere, it is clear there are ways to help them thrive. 

We are on the cusp of an era of innovation. As a hub for insurance and financial services, we are beginning to get noticed for our growing startup scene. Des Moines is home to several new and noteworthy tech startups, including Dwolla, a mobile-payment company that does tens of millions of dollars in business each month – a whole new take on financial services.

Our business leaders are now talking about "scaling" technologies and nurturing a "startup ecosystem." Our elected officials are asking people who wear t-shirts and jeans to work what they need to succeed.

Yes, things are changing and it is an exciting time for Central Iowa. This new IowaBiz blog topic - Technology & Innovation - aims to push forward a critical public conversation about what we need to know and do in order maximize the benefits of this new era by capturing and shaping opportunities to grow our economy, and position our communities for the future.

We'll tackle how technology is being leveraged by non-technology companies. We'll look at how our schools are working to foster innovation so local students are as technologically savvy as their urban, silicon-centric peers. And we'll look at how connectivity and the migration to the next generation of the Internet network is a driver for future innovation and the knowledge-based economy.

Finally, we won't be afraid to examine how public policy affects all of these things. The world is changing. Fast. Let's be a part of driving the change!

-John Stineman

Sampling works

Kelly Sharp is the owner of Heart of Iowa Market Place

Someone recently asked me why we like to sample so many products at the Heart of Iowa Market Place.

The reason, I replied, is because sampling works.

Sampling works because it provides a unique and fun experience for customers, which is what retail is supposed to be all about. It works because it educates the consumer about your products. It works because it moves products. And, it works because it produces results on the bottom line of your balance sheet.

I hadn't realized how powerful sampling is until we started offering samples of our homemade fudge. Hardly anyone who comes into my store is thinking they want fudge when they walk through the door … until they taste the fudge. Everyone likes it. And when they come back, they're eagerly expecting a fudge sample.

The first time they come, it's a happy surprise. But it quickly becomes part of the Heart of Iowa experience for returning customers. Sometimes, they come in specifically for a fudge sample. And I'm absolutely thrilled when they do.

Sampling works.

We did a little test not too long ago. We'd been sampling a sausage meat. We had a lot more of a second variety in stock and I said, "We should sample that one instead."

Right away, the second brand started selling because people could taste it. Everybody wins in that situation.

Sampling is all around us, and yet it is often an underutilized sales tool by many small retailers. Book stores know that you bring in authors for readings and book signings. Lowe's and Home Depot have courses to show you how to build things. Other retailers can and should learn from those examples.

Often, your vendors will provide you with free samples. (I'll get into that the next time I write.)

But today is a great day to be thinking about what you can do to engage your customers, give them a unique experience and encourage them to come back. Product sampling should be at the top of your ideas list.

Why? Because sampling works.

-Kelly Sharp