What is the Deal?

I feel like it's been an eternity since I've blogged on my own blog!!! What is up with that?? :) But I'm here with lots to say, as usual. :) On a more personal note, I've been reading this novel by Jennifer Weiner called "Goodnight Nobody"...about a woman and her family who have relocated to this perfect little town in Connecticut where the perfectness is ooozzzing with ridiculousness. Could never live like that. Anyway, a perfect housewife is found murdered and the town is turned upside down. The woman in the story, who used to live in NYC and was a reporter before getting married and settling down, starts digging around and finds herself being threatened by an unknown person. I'm not quite through so I can't ruin it for you by giving away the ending. :) But every woman who wishes she had time for playdates and ice cream after school and chit chat at the park (but not really wishes...) should read this book.

So, in almost two weeks I'll be down in the Atlanta region helping organizations learn more about social media and how to use it. It's going to be workshop/group activity based and should be a very productive two days with the group. Really excited about this. With all the hype everyone is writing about and posting info about, sometimes it really makes the difference to have a one on one training sessions with someone and show them the basics first. It's still very intimidating stuff for the seasoned execs.

I'm working on ways to tie the traditional ways of public relations to the interactive social media world for them...I think that showing people who are used to the good ol' days way of communicating could grasp the concepts and the reasoning better. That will be my weekend thought...along with finishing my book.

Have an awesome weekend. ;)

Why are so Many New Yorkers Disconnected from the Social Scene?

You would think that after seeing everyone in New York with some communication device in their hands at all times, one would be a social butterfly. But I'm finding it's not always the case.

My theory is...everyone in New York is always so busy, talking with one person or another, out there on the scene that there is just no time to keep up with an online social life. I cannot count the amount of people I have met and had a conversation with who don't know what Twitter is, don't have a Facebook account and don't keep up with their friends online like they should. It's like mass communication that there is just no time for I guess.

Anywho...I want to make it a mission to show as many people I meet that...YES...you can have a Facebook and you can have a Twitter...and you can update it right from that handy device you are on all day!! Come On! There are many people here who freak out when they lose their phones. Why?? They have about 500 contacts in there and no other way of communicating with them other than a phone number!! It's crazy.

If you are reading this...you are social...be social online. It's not an extra task to add to your day. It's fun! It's exciting to reconnect with old friends and it's a great way to meet new people!!

If you don't have it on your phone, get it!

Download Twitter for Your Blackberry Here: http://digg.com/d17Awf

Download Facebook for Your Blackberry Here: http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/features/social/facebook.jsp

Enjoy!!

Day Two was a Blast at CM Summit!

It was just as good as Day one...everything we could have hoped for. I think my eyes were dry by the end of the day, I really didn't want to blink for fear I would miss something! It was jam packed with speakers getting about 15-20 minutes to make their case and then it was "Showtime!" for the next act! Very fast paced but it kept everyone energized I think. There were some excellent show and tells...I'm going to get a list of the videos showed during some of the presentations and post them here. They are too good for words. 

Check out Twitter for all the Highlights from this year's event. http://www.twitter.com/kristencruz. 

And to top off the day, I finally found a dress for the the Webutante Ball this Friday evening...somewhat of the closing formal to end the "Internet Week" event. It's supposed to be alot of fun and it's definitely what we need after such a hectic week. I think they are even choosing a Webutante "King & Queen" of the ball. Very cute. I wasn't going to go long but I found this Asian inspired black/white number and I had to get it. It was calling my name from the display window...now let's just hope that everyone who attends the ball is attending from out of town and didn't happen upon the same dress! :) That's never fun. 

I really hope everyone found my Highlight Tweets from the conference informative and gave you some good ideas on social media. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to post them here or reach out to me on Twitter.

Thanks Federated Media for a great event this year!

The First Day of the CMSummit...What a Day

Ok, the first day of the summit was a great start to a week full of social media madness and this other chaos called Internet Week. :) There is literally something happening every minute this week...there won't be much time for actual internet usage on my part. lol

With starbucks in hand and a paper and pen ready to go and blackberry set to twitterberry...I was ready. The conference was packed full of everyone in all media mediums...journalists, publishers, publications, social platform marketers, search marketers, media buyers, advertisers and agencies. Did I miss anyone??... Every topic was covered from social experience case studies to media buying through social sites and everything in between. After the conference concludes tomorrow afternoon, I will be summarizing all the great take aways, stats and trends. It's alot but anyone who has any affiliation with social media will benefit. Check out my Twitter Page for all the tid-bits from today's conference. http://www.twitter.com/kristencruz. Be back tomorrow with more great information from the conference. It's been a long day and my brain is mush. :) Good Night!

CMSummit Next Week in NYC

Federated Media's CMSummit this year in NYC focuses on what we all want to know at the end of a hectic and busy day...what is working in our industry. The title of this year's conference is "What Works? The Case Studies". And there are many of them. The CMSummit provides key insights from some of the world's largest brand advertisers and the web's most successful social media properties. I am attending the CMSummit this year as part of New York's Internet Week (June 1 -5). http://internetweekny.com/ Internet Week New York is a week-long festival of events saluting New York's thriving Internet industry and the many talented companies, organizations, and innovators creating the future of online media. It is presented by IADAS & The Mayor's Office of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting. There will be a wealth of talented speakers from a huge range of companies with recent successes in media and advertising including Facebook, MTV, Google, Procter & Gamble & American Express. I will be blogging during the two day seminar on June 1-2 as well as Tweeting my way through the sessions. The most important points from each session will be coming through real time on Twitter and I will follow up after the conference on June 3rd with a fun-filled recap on my blog. 

So stay tuned!! This conference is expected to knock our socks off! :)

Panama City Beach CVB Launches New, Real. Fun. Web site.

Panama City Beach is making a new splash online just in time for Summer travel. The new web site promoting Panama City Beach as “Real. Fun. Beach.” among many other exciting attributes officially launched today with high praises and excited locals waiting for the official unveiling. The new web site developed by Jennifer Barbee, Inc. allows visitors to the site to begin their PCB experience with a FUN personality quiz to identify the rest of their jouney through the new site. The personality types are chosen for the user after a series of fun questions are asked and include After Dark Shark, Leader of the Sandy Bottom Bunch, Eco-Seeker, Wave Warrior and Soul Surfer. This personality each user is given coins them and their customized experience each time the user visits the site. Many other fun games can be found within the new site keeping new as well as returning visitors coming back for more FUN. The Jennifer Barbee, Inc. creative and marketing team had an amazing and “FUN” :) time developing ideas and promotions for the new site. Having an array of marketers and developers all fitting a variety of the personality types developed for the site really allowed for some very creative and interesting ideas to drive the new look and feel of the web site. Check it out! http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. 

Send us your feedback! We would love to hear all your comments and enjoy the new site!

Laying Roots in NYC

After a two week moving extravaganza, I now have a new place to call home. NYC! Living in Edgewater, NJ is a hop over the Hudson to Manhattan but gives me a sense of quiet and calm. I can see the city from many of the hundred windows I have in my home! (And I'm serious. One bedroom alone has 14!) We are so excited to officially be residents complete with a Parking Sticker and everything. As you can imagine, we are going to love living here but we are also loving working here. Today is my first day back in the "work saddle" (no Texas roots pun intended here), and I have this sense of having the opportunity to do anything that I can come up with just because of the location. There are so many networking benefits, social events, networking meetups and just a sense of everyone in this industry wanting to bounce ideas & creative thoughts off of others. It's a huge community of social, search, creative & media sources here. In the coming weeks I will be scouting locations in the NYC area to house our new Jennifer Barbee, Inc. New York offices. We are very excited to get this plan off the ground. It's been a long time coming and it's getting very close. I'll keep the blog updated on the progress of the office opening as well as networking events I am attending, social events that I attend and how those worked out for business opportunities for fellow New Yorkers looking for some beneficial events to attend. I won't forget to mention the open bar or drink specials as well. :) Don't worry.