How Familiar (and Unfamiliar) Holidays Can Drive Your PR Campaign

As the dog days of summer wind down, I think it's only appropriate that I tell a dog story of my own.

It starts with a client of mine who is a dog crusader with a cause. She's written seven books about it, and just released a new one. Her passion, as if you haven't figured it out by now, is animal rescue - specifically dogs from animal shelters. It's a reasonably narrow cause, but she has been getting a great deal of attention, and October is going to be even bigger for her. You see, October is national Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month, sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). For our client, it's a month made in heaven for her message.

So far, her print campaign has produced several interviews, several requests from specialty publications for bylined articles from her, and we are gearing up for some potential TV interviews as October grows closer.

That's not to say her campaign wasn't getting interest prior to the announcement of Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month, but there is a more universal point to be made here. If one is enterprising enough, it is extremely easy to research and discover a "holiday" of sorts related to just about any topic, cause or company.

There are days set aside to commemorate the anniversaries of Civil War battles, the invention of popcorn, birthdays of dead celebrities, the invention of the rotary engine and just about anything you could possibly imagine. There is even a printed resource, Chase's Calendar of Events published by McGraw Hill, filled with literally thousands of listings for holidays from the ridiculous to the sublime. Also, don't be afraid to do some creative Google searching to find out if there are any "holidays" related to your message. You may be surprised with what you find.

For instance, National Teen Driving Safety Week is in October this year, and it focuses on getting teens to reduce distractions while driving, such as the use of cell phones and PDAs. We've used this week to help a few clients get their messages out to the public. One such message was about trackable car GPS systems and was aimed at keeping teens safe on the road. For another client, we pitched their message about responsibility being one of the traits of a successful teenager, which was a great fit for the Teen Driving Safety Week. The key thing was to use the date as a way to help focus on a message that was relevant to BOTH the audience for the holiday and the intended audience for the client's message.

With our dog expert, national Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month was ready-made, but that doesn't mean it was a simple process.

We planned many weeks in advance to hit the long lead publications in late July with a written article and pitch for the client, which is already resulting in coverage in those outlets in October when they arrive at the newsstands. Moreover, we will begin to pitch her for TV interviews nationally about four weeks prior to October 1st, helping producers to plan their potential segments in a comfortable time frame. Finally, we are updating the print article to reflect the timeliness of the event for when we hit the short lead outlets the week prior to October 1st. So, it's not enough to have a good "holiday" to co-opt for your campaign. You have to plan far enough in advance to take advantage of it.

Finally, you need to be completely ready - and available - to face the press once the campaign begins.

So find the holiday that relates to your message, whether it is for your book or product, and then plan carefully to execute your PR tactics around that date. It might take an evergreen campaign pitch and make it instantly relevant to everyone simply because it appears on the calendar.

For 20 years Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations as CEO of EMSI. Go to www.emsincorporated.com to signup to receive her free weekly PR Tips today! More resources for authors can also be found at www.publicitythatworks.com. Or call at 727-443-7115, ext. 202, or email at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com.

Multimedia Career Certification For MCSE Networking Tech Support - Some Insights

Should you be wanting to study for the MCSE certificate, it's likely you'll come into one of two categories. You may want to come into the computer world, and you've found this commercial sector has lots of demand for men and women who are commercially qualified. Instead you are perhaps already a professional attempting to formalise your skills with an MCSE.

We'd recommend you check that the training provider you're using is supplying you with the latest level of Microsoft development. A lot of students are left in a mess when it turns out they have been studying for an out-of-date syllabus which inevitably will have to be up-dated. Be aware of computer training companies that are simply out to sell something. You should know that buying an MCSE course is like buying a car. They're not all the same; some are comfortable and reliable, whilst some will be a big disappointment. A worthy company will offer you time, expertise and advice to check you've got the correct course. If a company has a creditable product, you will be able to look at examples of training materials before you buy.

For the most part, a everyday student really has no clue what way to go about starting in IT, let alone which area they should look at getting trained in. Scanning long lists of different and confusing job titles is next to useless. The vast majority of us have no concept what the neighbours do for a living - let alone understand the complexities of a new IT role. Getting to an informed resolution can only grow via a systematic study across many shifting key points:

* Which type of person you think yourself to be - the tasks that you really enjoy, and on the other side of the coin - what don't you like doing.

* What length of time can you allocate for retraining?

* Have you thought about salary vs the travel required?

* Considering the huge variation that Information Technology encompasses, it's obvious you'll need to be able to see how they differ.

* You'll also need to think hard about the level of commitment that you will set aside for your education.

For most people, getting to the bottom of each of these concepts needs a long talk with a professional who has direct industry experience. And we don't just mean the accreditations - but the commercial needs and expectations besides.

There are colossal changes about to hit technology over the next generation - and it becomes more and more thrilling each day. Technological changes and dialogue through the internet will noticeably shape the direction of our lives over future years; overwhelmingly so.

Should lifestyle be up there on your scale of wants, you'll appreciate the fact that the regular income for IT employees in general is noticeably better than salaries in other market sectors. The requirement for properly certified IT professionals is guaranteed for quite some time to come, thanks to the ongoing growth in IT dependency in commerce and the huge skills gap still present.

Don't accept anything less than the most up to date Microsoft (or any other key organisation's) authorised exam preparation and simulation materials. As the majority of examination boards in IT tend to be American, you need to become familiar with their phraseology. It's no use just understanding random questions - it's essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format. Mock exams will prove enormously valuable in helping you build your confidence - so when it comes to taking the real deal, you won't be worried.

Written by Jason Kendall. Try mcse-uk.co.uk or MCSA MCSE.

Questions About Yoga Teacher Certification Through Correspondence Courses

Have you ever been curious or skeptical about how correspondence courses, for Yoga teachers, work? Below is a question and answer session about educating Yoga instructors through distance learning. These courses are online, or correspondence programs, designed for the education of new, or established, Yoga teachers.

Q: It's hard to believe that someone can be certified as a Yoga teacher without face-to-face contact. How does a correspondence course for Yoga instructors compensate for personal contact?

A: Technology, in the form of streaming video, via Internet and DVDs, has changed the face of education and training in every field. Correspondence courses traditionally entailed learning by reading, and maybe sending a few photos of postures, but video has made learning and testing much easier - especially when you add telephone, or Email contact,

Many graduates of correspondence courses are already certified or registered Yoga teachers, but they need Continuing Education Credits for re-certification from the registries or their original certifier. Therefore, Yoga certification organizations provide continuing education for Yoga teachers, and the world's Yoga registries approve of non-contact continuing education units (CEUs).

Q: What kind of testing requirements do Yoga teacher graduates go through?

A: The examinations process is the same as most on-site Yoga teacher training courses. There will be written exams, but you will retain more information from essay-style written examinations. Multiple choice and true or false examinations do not require a Yoga teacher intern to do in-depth thinking and research.

There may be essays, research, and a synopsis or two. The highlight of the testing process is the practical exam video, which may be 50% of the entire grade. The video may require you to demonstrate, assist, adjust, and explain, pranayama (Yogic breathing), relaxation, asana (Yoga posture), and meditation techniques.

Depending on the practical exam requirements, there may be other techniques to demonstrate, and explain, such as: Mudras (gestures, usually performed with the hands), bandhas (locks), or something else.

Q: Is knowledge of all the aspects of classical Hatha Yoga required?

A: A well-rounded distance learning Hatha Yoga course should contain educational materials about the following aspects: Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology, Asanas, Modifications, Yoga philosophy, Yoga teaching methodology, Adjusting posture (asana) alignment, Chakras, Bandhas, Mudras, Yamas, Niyamas, Pranayama, Meditation and Relaxation, Working with special populations, Yoga Teaching Tips, and Yoga Teacher Ethics.

Granted, some Yoga distance learning courses have less material to learn, but the very first level 1 course should contain at least 200 hours worth of material, to set a solid foundation of knowledge. In fact, a level 1 Yoga certification course is often considered a foundational course, which opens the path toward constructive continuing education for life.

© Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com.

He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

Women in the Marketplace

The saying, "if momma isn't happy no one is" should be standard practice in the business world, because if you do not make the female consumer happy, you could be messing with fire. Once you get that fire going, it can be hard to put out as women often talk and share their experiences. One of the biggest things they share is shopping do's and don'ts. You do not want to be put on the don't list!

Here is another bit of insight on women consumers today. They are not fully marketed to. If you are not tapping into the 80% of the purchasing power you are not reaching your full business potential especially those who market to what is deemed typically a "male" product such as electronics, vehicles, and sports items. Targeting strictly males on these items is not only stereotyping, but also cutting you out of a lot of revenue that can be had from the pockets of women.

It is said, that by 2010 women will control one trillion dollars of the wealth in the United States. If you think about the previous mentioned 80% of the shopping power and add the one trillion to that, you would be just plain crazy not to try to tap into that market. Women already make up over 65% of the online shoppers and you can expect that number to increase as well. So regardless if you are marketing a storefront or an internet based company, women are the larger percentage of the consumers, period.

When targeting your market towards women, it is not much different then targeting men. When doing so, target your market towards professions, interest, and age. Do not just market by age group. At one time, flash may have been enough the spark the interest of a woman, however nowadays, more and more women are highly educated and a flashy advertisement will not gain the same attention as it once may have. Women know what they want and can no longer be stereotyped as the passive woman who is easily persuaded.

Women demand to be acknowledged as a viable part of the economy. They demand to be approached based on their intelligence and not their gender. They demand information on the product or service they are considering purchasing. A woman does not want her time wasted. Their time is just as valuable as a man's, so keep your sales pitch to the minimum, be precise and concise with your information, but do not belittle a woman by being to simplistic.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online (http://www.sixsigmaonline.org) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Keeping Your Employee's Certifications Up to Date

Keeping up to date with the mandatory employee certifications can be a job in its self. Most states and federal agencies mandate that employees be certified in some safety courses. Some industries mandate you be certified in these areas:

• CPR Training


• First Aid Training


• Fire Extinguisher Training


• Forklift Operators Training


• AED Training

CPR and AED Training consists of: Adult, Child and Infant CPR and choking procedures, AED Familiarization and Operation, Special Situations, BLS Key Topics, First Aid Basics, Medical, Injury and Environmental Emergencies.

CPR, AED and First Aid Training consist of: Adult, Child and Infant CPR and choking procedures, AED Familiarization and Operation, Special Situations, First Aid Basics, Medical, Injury and Environmental Emergencies.

CPR, AED, First Aid and Bloodborn Pathogen Refresher Training consist of: Adult, Child and Infant CPR and choking procedures, AED Familiarization and Operation, Special Situations, First Aid Basics, Medical, Injury and Environmental Emergencies. Bloodborne Pathogens Refresher class.

First Aid Training consists of: First Aid Basics, Medical, Injury and Environmental with a focus on the workplace and specific hazards assessment.

Certain skills are considered essential to the provision of first aid and are taught ubiquitously. Particularly, the "ABC"s of first aid, which focus on critical life-saving intervention, must be rendered before treatment of less serious injuries. ABC stands for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. The same mnemonic is used by all emergency health professionals. Attention must first be brought to the airway to ensure it is clear. Obstruction (choking) is a life-threatening emergency.

Many industries must have employees that are trained in these specific areas of certification. The regulating organizations that regulate these industries are usually Labor and Industries.

James is a well know author have published various articles about Code 3 Training which is a specialized company that specializes in CPR-First Aid- Fire Extinguisher Training in the Portland Oregon and Vancouver Washington area.

Breast Enhancement Pills For the Women - Are These Pills Effective?

Breast Enhancement gives self-assurance and self-confidence. Having it facilitates to make sure healthy relationships, success, career and on the whole satisfaction with life. A lot of factors play a significant role in increasing or reducing our level of self-assurance plus physical look is amongst them. Flourishing breast augmentation processes have facilitated lots of women get back or augment the faith they have in themselves as well as put that bounce back in their steps.

If you vision of a day while you have the attractive and beautiful figure that you observe other women having, then it is the time that you look sincerely at the breast enhancement pills for the women as they could be the complete respond to your query on how to enhance your breast naturally.

Although a lot of women have tried to augment their bust size by way of surgical process it is not unidentified for these techniques to at times have unexpected side effects as well as certainly just undergoing this process could mean months of ache and nasty scar tissue.

Luckily by the work of scientists, to have surgery is no longer the single way to augment the size of your breast and achieve the shape that you wish, since there are currently substitute products that include herbal supplements that are recognized to support breast size as well as have additional health advantage properties as well.

It is not rare for the majority of women to be worried about the shape and size of their breast and this anxiety is more possibly to influence you as you grow or after giving birth. Whatsoever your personal concerns are you could now be guaranteed that you are in the position to make a start as well as do something regarding your shape in addition to breast size plus you no longer have to fret about undergoing surgical procedure or aching operations.

With these beast enhancement supplements they support the enlargement of breast tissues that naturally increases the breast size plus in the procedure also adds towards providing you a fuller and firmer shape.

Therefore if you are amongst a lot of women who want to know about the breast enhancement, then find out the established natural herbal way as well as look onward to getting the ideal shape that you have forever craved after.

Besides having the medicinal properties, a few special herbs are established effectual in the hormonal balancing. The abundant testaments on Breast Enhancement before as well as after effects of taking the natural herb-based pills have recognized certain recognition on effectiveness as well as side-effect free solution which it proffers. These nature-bounded augmentation pills are chiefly intended to provide the body the type of motivation that would eventually reactivate balance in hormones which endorse full bust growth. With every day dose of these pills, with other supportive herb-founded breast firming creams, women could enjoy an effectual answer which does not compromise the health.

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