The February PRSA GA luncheon was sold-out and overflowing with young aspiring PR students attending the Real World 2009 Conference. The students filled the Loudermilk Center and had an opportunity to network and participate in numerous workshops and seminars. PRSA GA President, Mike Neumeier (Arketi Group) presented Whitney Boudreaux (Arketi Group) with the monthly Chapter Champion Award for her outstanding service and leadership in the community. The event featured guest speaker Heather Oldani, director of U.S. Communications for McDonald's. Heather discussed McDonalds’ ongoing social media efforts to engage consumers in dialogue about the McDonald’s brand as well as its’ products. Spotted in the crowd were Judy Wick (Fiserv), Jami Buck (Cox Enterprises) and Ashley Collins (Weber Shandwick).
For more information about PRSA GA and the March luncheon, visit http://www.prsageorgia.org/.
Good info from Forrester Research...
February 25th, 2009
77 percent of business technology decision-makers engage with social media on the job, yet most B2B marketers are not effectively using social technologies to influence the purchasing decisions of their customers, says Forrester Research.
In 2007 Forreter released their comsumer Social Technographics Scale . (See more explanation about the scale in the Forrester PowerPoint )
Now they’ve done the same for BtoB buyers. Forrester polled more than 1,200 business technology decision-makers in North America and Europe about their social media participation throughout the buying cycle. The numbers are quite different - and I’d guess that the rapid adoption of social media over the past two years is one factor.
The Social Technographics Profile segments business buyers into six categories based on their social activities:
- Creators — 27 percent publish a blog, publish Web pages, create/upload video or music, or write articles and post them online.
- Critics — 37 percent post reviews of products or services, comment on someone else’s blog, or contribute to online forums.
- Collectors — 29 percent use RSS feeds, vote for Web sites online, or add tags to Web pages or photos.
- Joiners — 29 percent maintain a profile on a social networking site or visit social networking sites.
- Spectators — 69 percent read blogs, listen to podcasts, watch video from other users, or read online forums and reviews.
- Inactives — 23 percent do not participate in any social media activities for work purposes.
91% of these decision-makers consume social media including blogs, video, and customer reviews.
What’s the biggest influencer? 75 percent said peers influence their purchase decisions more than any other media or information source.
“Emerging social behaviors will fundamentally change the nature of the marketing relationship between B2B buyers and sellers — especially in a down economy,” said Oliver Young, senior analyst at Forrester. “B2B marketers must use social profiling data to determine how social tactics complement the rest of the marketing mix. Integrating traditional and online tactics is essential as the groundswell of social activity grows.”
The new report, “The Social Technographics® Of Business Buyers,” directed at Technology Product Management & Marketing professionals, is available to Forrester RoleView™ clients and can also be purchased directly from the Forrester website
Source: http://www.infocomgroup.net/falkow/
Taking The Lead
One of Arketi’s own, consultant Whitney Ellis Boudreaux, has been named the recipient of the February 2009 PRSA GA Chapter Champion Award for her outstanding volunteer work with the chapter.
Currently, she serves as the co-chair of the Awards Celebration Committee and coordinated the Silent Auction at last year's PRSA GA Awards Celebration. Previously, she was part of the operations team for the Real World Collegiate Conference. Additionally, she is an active participant of the Young Professionals SIG and has served as a greeter at monthly luncheons.
Whitney’s outstanding service and leadership in the community is an example we should all try to follow. From everyone at Arketi, congratulations Whitney, you’ve made us proud.
We have seen many business and trade journalists embrace Twitter. As a result, BtoB PR folks need to start thinking about how they can get their organizations in on the Twitter...[Hint check out www.twitter.com/arketi]
More than one in ten (11%) online adults in the US say they have used Twitter - or a similar service – to share updates about themselves or view updates about others, and those who use Twitter have a greater affinity for mobile devices, according...
Source: marketingcharts.com
The Business Marketing Association, Atlanta Chapter held it’s 5th Annual Chocolate Tasting Fundraiser last night at FAB (French American Brassiere). Over 75 marketing and business professionals attended this sold out event and enjoyed chocolate, wine, raffles and a live auction benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foudnation. Vikki Locke from B98.5 and her husband were special guests at the event and Vikki welcomed the attendees. BMA President, Barry Mirkin performed the live auction generating high dollar bids on a 2 night stay at Loews Lake Las Vegas and private golf lessons from the Reynolds Plantation. In the crowd were Larry Fauconnet from AT&T, Joe Noonan from Proforma, John Wiley from Leapfrog, Mousa Ackall and Ashley Jones from Arketi Group (pictured above). The event hyped the next BMA event with Robin Fisher Roffer, Big Fish Marketing, March 19th at Maggiano’s. For more information about BMA Atlanta, click here.
Seeking Good Business Karma?
Why not help a worthy non-profit!
Arketi pro-bono client, HealthMPowers, is looking for new office space and office equipment. HealthMPowers, an Arketi client since late 2006, is a unique, coordinated initiative designed to increase health knowledge and provides programs that are designed to provide students with the health information, skills, resources and motivation necessary to take responsibility for their own health. Any donations, suggestions and/or references are welcome.
- Office space specifications (Approximately 2600-3500 square feet of space):
- Minimum 5 offices plus 9 workstations
- Conference Room
- Access to Training Room
- Storage Space
- Break room/Restrooms
- Ability to park mobile unit
- Internet and Phone Access
Office equipment needs include:
- Desk/Cubicles: 5 desks/9 cubicles
- Desk Chairs: 14
- Trash Cans: 10
- Conference Room Table: 1
- Conference Room Chairs: 8
- Phone System – 1 central line w/ 8 connecting phones & answering machine: 1 -
- Printers (black and white, color): 6 B&W (2 wireless), 1 color
- Printer Router: 1
- Copy Machine: 1
- Fax Machine: 1
- 4-Drawer Lateral Files with locks: 2
- 2-Drawer File Cabinets: 14
- Network Router (14 users): 1
- Book Cases: 14
- Shelving Units: 8
- IT Support – For setting up new office
Please direct all inquiries to Mike Neumeier (mneumeier@arketi.com).
Thank you.
On Saturday evening, the Atlanta Ad Club hosted the Atlanta ADDY Awards, the Southeast’s largest advertising competition. With more than 730 entries, 176 ADDY Awards were presented to advertising professionals and students. The coveted “Best of Show Award” was given to Ames Scullin O’Haire for its work with The Blues Foundation, and the “Student Best of Show Award” went to Creative Circus. ADDY Award Co-Chairs Annette Filliat (Arketi Group) and Jennifer Hudson (Edelman) noted a shift this year in more engaging interactive entries, including YouTube videos, micro sites and online games. Attendees included Patrick Scullin (Ames Scullin O’Haire), Dan Reichard (Crawford Communications), John Levinson (AJC Media Solutions) and TJ Hargen (Definition 6). For more information, visit
http://www.atlantaaddys.org/.
Amy Leefe, reporting
Report Points To Georgia Tech Community As Young
Yes, our start-up community is still starting up...with slightly more than a third of our entrepreneurs first-timers. That said, a third said they were on there second start up.
Numbers aside, truly great technology companies and ideas have come from Georgia and will continue to do so.
Survey: Georgia’s tech community is burgeoning
Georgia technology entrepreneurs are more likely to be on their first startup than peers in California and Massachusetts, according to a Technology Association of Georgia survey.
The finding echoed venture firm sentiment that the Peach State lacks serial entrepreneurs
Thirty-five percent of Georgia entrepreneurs surveyed said they were on their first startup, while 34 percent said they were on their second startups, according to the TAG study.
The results were revealed at a panel discussion at the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) on Feb. 5.
Read full article here.
Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Urvaksh Karkaria Staff Writer
Brian and Whitney Tie the Knot
Two of Arketi’s best became even better on 1/24 when they married! Congratulations go to the happy couple from all of us in the office. We know they are going to have a wonderful life together.
