Holiday Time = Good Cause PR

How was your Thanksgiving? I really enjoyed it. Spent time with my family and enjoyed the all the great food. Thanksgiving really makes me reflect on all the good people in my life.

This is also the time of year where you read numerous articles and see various news segments on how people are helping those in need. I saw one early this morning about a toy donation program in Los Angeles that let children borrow toys for free (I'll find out the name of organization). The program is a big help to parents who can not afford to buy new toys and it gives children a chance to play with them then return them for another toy. It also teaches kids responsibility because they are essentially taking care of someone's property.

I also read various articles about churches donating food including turkeys, so families can prepare their own Thanksgiving meal. There are so many good organizations that are genuinely trying to help others such as Toys for Tots. Every year I try to donate be it some of my time, PR skills or monetary (gift or money) to hopefully make some kind of difference with different organizations.

Are We Too Focused on Youth?

by C. A. Brooks
Style and Focus Lifestyle PR

We live in a youth obsessed culture where everything and everyone has to be young and fresh. Look at some of the new and returning fall shows, that are aimed at teens and early twenty-somethings including the revamped 90's shows like 90210 and Melrose Place. The main cast of both shows are at least 10 years younger than the actors were when the original 90's series aired.

Flip through any glossy fashion and beauty magazine and you will notice there are numerous ads for anti-aging products and not just for your face but for your hair, nails and body. There's big business in anti-aging products and treatments all to make you look younger. Even teenagers are starting to purchase these products. Which is the last thing they should be worrying about is their skin starting to age. I wrote another post on this "Are Anti-Aging Products being over Marketed?"

Take a look at Hollywood, the current hottest celebrities are Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. Yes, they are talented but I feel as though they are be over marketed and are being promoted to the wrong target audience (more so with Miley Cyrus than with the Jonas Brothers). Hollywood has always had an obsession with youth but it seems that must be the current pre-requisite now because you don't really need to have any talent just youth. This is included with the number of complaints that I hear from teens about the lack of quality shows for them to watch. Some feel that there's nothing to watch if you're too old for Hannah Montana and not into the Gossip Girl type shows. So, what's left for them to watch?

As a marketer and publicist, I think overly promoting youth is not a good thing because constantly pushing youth places a negative connotation towards aging and suggest that you're only of some worth or value if you're in your teens and early twenties. It gives off a fear of once you step out of that age bracket you're useless and your life will no longer be any fun. Which is certainly not true. Now there are a group of people out there trying to chase youth and that's kind of like running on a treadmill trying to reach the finish line.

By only concentrating on youth, you decrease the value and experiences that we gain as we age. I think more attention should be focused on one's talent and experiences and instead of on looks and aging. Yes, it's pipe dream but maybe it'll happen one day.

Marketers Are Not the Reason People Buy Things They Don't Want

Rant for the day by
Style and Focus Lifestyle PR

I am so tired of hearing that "Marketers are the reason people buy things they don't want". People buy things because they want to buy them and not from ads or anything else. A person can see hundreds of ads and not be inclined to make a purchase unless it's for something that they were already interested in or thinking about buying. Saying that marketers are the reason would mean that people mindlessly shop and just buy whatever is pitched regardless of whether they want it or not. There are numerous reason why someone would make a purchase for instance, some consumers buy things as a status symbol or because they are simply trying to impress others.

I'm not going to deny that there aren't some ads that can be misleading and for those, make sure you do your research so you can make the best decision for you (and read the fine print).

Marketers are not forcing customers to go into stores and purchase anything. The consumer has freewill to make decisions and figure out for themselves if this is what they really want. Yes, Marketers help in figuring out the best way for customers to see the product but they do not force anyone to buy.

Are Beauty Pageants Still Relevant?

by A. Brooks
Style and Focus Lifestyle PR

No, because beauty pageant were once seen as a way for young women to get more opportunities in life as well as provide the winner with a scholarship towards college. The pageant was a way for accomplished or well-rounded young women to showcase their talents in a wholesome format. Now beauty pageant are just that beauty pageants, they hold no real value. Young women no longer need to enter pageants to showcase how talented, smart, poised and socially conscious they are. There is a plethora of opportunities out there for young women to achieve their goals in our modern society. As well as the popularity of these pageants has continue to decease over the years with TV viewers.

In the past, the contestants were seen as role models for young girls and women but now many of the young contestants are dogged by so many controversies and scandals instead of promoting goodwill that it's hard for them to be seen as best and brightest. Are there still high moral standards associated with these beauty pageants? They seem to be slipping.

What do you think, "Are Beauty Pageant Still Relevant?"

Editorial: Fashion Marketing, Who are they Marketing To?

Do you ever look at a fashion ad and feel like it's the same old thing? Or you have to look at the title to figure out what's being promoted. Well, that's how I feel lately when I see one. There's nothing different or makes a particular designer or brand standout. I don't think the ads have to be shocking to standout just more creativity put into it. I feel like some of the ads are missing the point on who they are suppose to be marketing to. Some of the ads don't even seem to go with the magazine they're featured in.

Why do they go through so much effort to make the models and the clothing look so ugly and unappealing? You want the potential customer to envision themselves wearing that certain items and not turning up their nose in disapproval. If the model looks sickly thin or the clothes look to out there then you've missed the mark.

What I am happy about is that most fashion magazines are reflecting recent consumer buying behavior (e.g. saving money but still want to wear the latest trends). Even Vogue has included more affordable options aimed at their readers. They are catering to what their customers want (along with artistic and inspirational pieces), meaning fashion doesn't have to come with a designer price tag.

Women, Enough with the Tween Lingo

by C. Brooks
Style and Focus Lifestyle PR

I might take some hits for saying this but I'm so tired of seeing and hearing women in their 20's and 30's talking like tween and teenagers. It's time for women to grow up.

There is nothing wrong with having a youthful spirit, I have one, but we shouldn't have to talk like an adolescent, especially during work. There is just something kind of odd when you see women in their 20's, 30's and even 40's still talking as well as acting like junior high students.

For instance, yesterday, I had the unfortunate chance of speaking with a PR rep at an event and she couldn't get one sentence out without saying OMG or some other juvenile lingo. I couldn't take her seriously. I know the product's good, I'll just call and get a press kit mailed out to me. It's okay to act your age and be a grown-up while still being playful.

With youth being pushed everywhere, be it in fashion, beauty and especially Hollywood I guess some women want to act like the most coveted thing around. Perhaps it just a phase that going around hopefully it doesn't stick around too long. This kind of reminds me of an episode of "Sex and the City" where Carrie poised the question: "Are we thirty-four going on thirteen?"

I talked with some of my guy friends and they say they are having a hard time finding "women" to date. One of my best friends, Conner says he thought he spotted his dream girl until she spoke and realized that she's still speaking in acronyms in her late 20's, a complete turn-off, not being able to have a conversation without decoding their speech.

Some of the most popular shows with women in their 20's and 30's are surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) are: MTV's The Hills, Gossip Girl, and entertainment news shows.

If you've ever seen an old movie (something you might see on TCM) starring Lauren Bacall, Myrna Loy, Dorothy Dandridge, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Leslie Caron, Rosalind Russell, and Marilyn Monroe, you will note that their characters were highly sought after and desired, for being glamorous, strong, feminine, sexy, sophisticated, intelligent women who embraced their 20's and 30's and did not dumb down to attract men.

Let's leave the tween/teen behavior and speech to the tweens and teens.

Editorial: Who Needs the Fashion Police?

Yesterday, I was speaking with a friend and she asked me did I watch The Fashion Police on E!. I said, no. I don't really like those shows, I find them to be boring and way too judgemental. What's fun about watching someone criticize someone for what they're wearing? Why waste time sitting there watching tv hosts talk about people? Well, my friend absolutely loves these shows and thinks that the celebrities should fire their stylist if they end up looking horrible.

Personally, I think fashion should be fun. You should wear whatever you want to wear be it preppy, eclectic, glam or whatever. I consider myself a classic-glam-prep with a little international flair. I don't look down my nose at someone wearing something I might not like. We all like different things. Who cares what anyone thinks? If you like it, wear it. If everyone dressed the same way how boring would that be.

Are you a fan of The Fashion Police or similar shows? Should we or even the celebrities care what they think? What's you opinion?

Are You Taking a Hiatus from TV?

Something, I'm sure the big executives dealing with the writer's strike probably didn't take into account that some viewers are finding other things to do besides turning on the television. I was talking with a couple of friends of mine and most of them stated that instead of just coming home and vegging out in front of the television they are instead going out to see a movie, meeting friends for dinner, or just sitting down to just relax at a nightclub or bar with friends. Pretty much everything else besides watching TV. However, there still are a large number of people tuning in to watch TV especially reality shows, sports and PBS.

As for me, sometimes, I don't even turn on the TV unless it's for an episode I really want to see. Like my friends, I have been filling my time with reading books, watching a few DVD movies that I've bought but have not had any time to watch, meeting up with friends, etc. I never quite realized how many hours a week I was actually spending watching TV until I turned it off. It's nice to have those extra hours.

Perhaps the executives didn't realize that without new episodes of our favorite shows, some viewers were not going to even bother watching TV. Even though I don't watch a lot of TV, I think I may have changed my TV habit. Honestly, I'm not sure if I will go back to watching a lot of TV once the strike is over.

Hopefully, the writer's strike will be settled with a fair agreement for both sides very soon. I do feel bad for all the people who are out of work and I hope they can get back to doing what they love to do.

Should Students Be Expelled Over MySpace Pictures?

I find it really disturbing that school officials are expelling students for pictures on their MySpace accounts. There are three incidents that I've heard about. When did schools have jurisdiction over the Internet and what students do during their non-school activities. Why not talk to the students with their parents about the negative images then give them a chance to update their accounts (if the parents deem it necessary) before they just expelled them. It is the parent's responsibility to "parent" their children not the school. The students do need to know that what they put online others can see but what does expelling them actually teach them.

I thought the focus of schools were to educate students instead they are closing the door on their educational future. I think education is one of the most important things in the world. Many of the schools state they have a zero-tolerance policy, which pretty much every school has. Maybe it's a little hokey but why not have the students create a presentation on the perils of negative images and behaviors or some other form of "punishment" that would result in them learning something positive instead of just getting kicked out of school leaving them to try to find another school (which will probably be hard with a expulsion attached to their name), home schooling or some other option.

I'm not a parent, but I graduated from college when Facebook.com and MySpace.com were starting to become really popular and I can remember people posting pictures that most might deem inappropriate but it's like Maslow's hierarchy of need of belonging, they post things because they don't want to be left out. They want to be part of the group and they want to be accepted. The more raunchy or outrageous the pictures the more "friends" they seem to have on their accounts.

I see if the students were planning something violent on the school or inciting violence towards students at school through the use of their MySpace account then the school should step in but to expel students over pictures is a little ridiculous in my opinion.

What's your opinion, should students be expelled over their MySpace pictures? Is there another option or is expulsion the only option?

A Friendly Discussion on Good Girls vs. Bad Girls in Entertainment

Yesterday I was talking with a friend, S. about the appeal of the bad girls in Entertainment. S. said "I don't really get the whole hoopla about these Harry Potter kids they're boring, I would rather see stuff about Linsday, Paris and Nicole."

I said sure these "bad girls" are getting instant attention but in the long run I see the "good girls" having a successful career in the long run. After a while people in the industry and fans included are going to get tired of seeing them doing the same things to get attention. Also, the people in the industry are not going to want to work with them because they will want someone with less baggage and negative press.

S. said that the "bad girls" make you want to buy a magazine with them on it. Who wants to see some boring "good girl" on the cover talking about her boring life." I guess it's the opposite for me becaues I would rather buy a magazine with a "good girl" on the cover.

I said "look at actresses Natalie Portman, Raven Symone (whose reported to be worth over $400 million) and Anne Hathaway (whose currently on two national magazine covers), they're "good girls" and they are not being photographed doing stupid things yet are still very successful and people want to know more about them. The big interest with the "Harry Potter" kids is they just seem so "normal" compared to their American peers."

She still thinks the "bad girls" are still more fun to read about. So in the end, we just decided to agree to disagree on this subject.

The Latest Thing In Demand: 20-Somethings Seeking Etiquette

Gone are the days when parents would send their children to finishing and charm schools. Manners seem to have almost disappeared from our modern society. You see bad manners almost everywhere, cell phones ringing during a movie, road rage, inconsiderate neighbors, rude and mean anonymous comments on various blogs and websites, etc. We as a society have become less formal, mean and less civil to each other.

You ask someone about manners and many will tell you they think they're stuffy and constricting. Good manners should not be seen as stuffy and boring but as a way to be a better you. In this modern age etiquette is not used to look down on those with less than great manners but to maneuver through this on the go society. There is a whole generation in society that have not been taught good manners and it's shown on a daily basis.

A good thing I've noticed is some 20-somethings and early 30-somethings are seeking out etiquette and good manners. Many realize that good manners will not only help them communicate in this modern society with others such as co-workers, roommates, friends and even their families but can help them gain a more polished and professional image thus giving them an edge over their peers.

Many in this group are buying etiquette books, searching on-line for information and enrolling in charm schools to better themselves.

But why are so many 20-somethings seeking etiquette advice? I posed this question to Lizzie Post, who is a young woman that is seen as a leader for 20-something manners seekers. Post is the author of the book "How Do You Work This Life Thing?" which is a fun little etiquette book that deal with today's issues without being stuffy. Some of the topics include: cell phone etiquette, dating, help with roommates and crazy co-workers.

She thinks, 20-somethings are searching for etiquette for two reasons: first, they are starting to recognize that there is a need for civility and order, and it can be simple and expressive, but it needs to be there. For instance, when you greet someone you’d like to receive a greeting back in return or when you clean the kitchen, it’s nice when your roommates show their appreciation for what you’ve done by saying, “Thank you for cleaning.”

As we start to become responsible for our own lives, we see how important it is to recognize, consider, and respect those around us. (Usually, we figure it out because someone’s not considering, or respecting us. It’s how we learn.)

The second reason, is as we get older, we realize etiquette’s not just about mom yelling at you to put your napkin in your lap. We start viewing it differently—not, so much as annoying rituals and rules, but as tools that help us get through life’s sticky situations smoothly, or prevent them altogether. It’s a whole new idea for us, and I’m really glad to see our 20-something generation really embracing it and being interested.

She raised a good point because pouting, whining and being irresponsible is so not cute pass the age of five. As an adult you have to learn how to communicate and deal with your problems and not just ignore them hoping they will go away.