There’s been one theme that has come up in every conversation here at SXSW: LISTEN. But the context of this worthy advice has varied widely.

For budding entrepreneurs, it is vital to listen and acknowledge the users’ needs. We happen to be in Austin with one of our clients, Brian Cohen, the Chairman of the New York Angels, who also holds the distinction of being the first investor in Pinterest. As he explains in this Mashable article, the site’s success was rooted in their commitment to listening to smart people throughout the development process. Had the founders of Pinterest missed a simple observation in their early users’ behavior, the site likely wouldn’t be the phenomenon we’re seeing today – getting nearly 12MM unique monthly visitors with the average user spending 89 minutes on the site.

For brands, there is, of course, a lot of discussion about the need to listen to what consumers are saying about your brand online. This was illustrated very poignantly by a case study that was presented during a panel titled, “The Sports Fan in 2015.” The panelists talked about Nike Basketball’s “Black Mamba” campaign: a microsite was built around an alternate persona of Kobe Bryant – each time 1750 tweets per hour used the hashtag, #MambaMoment or talked about Kobe, the site would dynamically change and unlock access to exclusive content for a six hour stretch. This inherent ability to respond to users’ interests in real-time is a perfect illustration of what listening is all about. It gives brands the opportunity to become even more relevant to a topic that is of high interest at any given time.

In fact, there are dozens of vendors (both new and established) hawking social media listening, monitoring or management tools here in Austin. We hope to spend time with them and see which are best suited to help our clients listen to what the online community is saying about their brands. The practice of listening will ultimately make your brand’s engagement with fans more authentic and impactful, which will, in turn, result in greater brand loyalty.

At SXSW 2012, in Austin, TX, beyond panels and solo talks and forums and Meet Ups and blogger lounge interviews, lies a world of possibility to actually connect with people who might literally blow you away. Take David Eagleman for example. Eagleman runs the Eagleman Laboratory for Perception and Action and this is the mission: “The long range goal of our lab is to understand how the brain constructs perception, how different brains do so differently, and how this matters for society. To that end, our three main prongs involve time perception, synesthesia, and neurolaw.” What did he just say? Ok, it may be a little above our heads, but not that much. One of the things he is focusing on is how the part of the brain that assesses and perceives other humans perceives and sizes up brands. “It’s almost the same,” says Eagleman. What does that bode for brands and their creation/adoption of a persona and development of a voice? The more human, personable and engaging you are the better chance you will connect with customers, who will then become an advocate/ambassador for you. Keeping it real is great: keeping it human is even better!

Kaplow was on the scene at Wednesday evening’s CEW Product Demonstration at the Metropolitan Pavilion!

Check out the below video from Kaplow’s own Adrienne Klein to hear what this CEW-hosted event was all about and the new beauty trends we spotted on the floor.

Don’t forget to check back with us in May when we will discuss all the winning beauty innovations after the CEW Beauty Insider’s Choice Awards ceremony!

Since March is Women’s History Month, it brought to mind an event I recently attended that was a testament to the strength and grace that lives in so many fabulous women. For the second year in a row, I was moved to spend this past Valentine’s Day sitting in the iconic Apollo Theatre for their annual Dining with the Divas luncheon. Emceed by ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts, the event featured women from Crystal McCrary’s new book Inspiration: Profiles of Black Women Changing Our World. It was a joy to be surrounded by women such as Gayle King, Susan Taylor, and Janelle Procope, who are continuing the fearless legacy of the Apollo Theatre, a venue with such a rich and illustrious heritage.

Dining with the Divas is also an annual fundraiser to support the Apollo’s year round education programs and community activities in NYC. Overall, it was an amazing experience to connect with women from all different careers and personal backgrounds over the mutual desire to help people. What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than by celebrating the “diva” in all of us?

Did you know that one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime? And that most cases of violence aren’t reported to the police? Before I started working with our client the Avon Foundation for Women and their Speak Out Against Domestic Violence programs, I wasn’t aware of these alarming statistics.

Last week, I was lucky enough to staff and help draw media attention to an important event for my client’s Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program at the 2^nd World Conference of Women’s Shelters. On February 28, the Avon Foundation held a luncheon to recognize the best global communications campaigns and programs that are bringing attention to the need to end violence against women.

Avon Global Ambassador & Honorary Chair of the Avon Foundation for Women, Reese Witherspoon, presented the awards and launched a new fundraising product just in time for International Women’s Day (March 8). And yes, she looked as beautiful in person as on screen!

The product Reese unveiled is the latest addition to Avon’s fundraising empowerment collection, the Circle of Support Necklace. One hundred percent of the net profits from the sale will benefit Avon’s Speak Out Against Domestic Violence programs.

The Circle of Support Necklace features the infinity symbol, which represents the limitless potential for women and is really quite beautiful.  International Women’s day is this Thursday and I hope you will help us celebrate by buying a necklace for yourself, friend, wife, sister, mother or daughter.

More About the Circle of Support Necklace:

• Available for only $5.00
• 100% of net profit from this product ($3.71) will be donated to the Avon Foundation for programs dedicated to ending violence against women
• Domestic Violence Resource Guide included with purchase
• Empowerment products are available through Avon Sales Representatives in more than 50 countries by calling 1-800-FOR-AVON or by visiting www.avon.com
• For more information about Avon’s efforts to end violence against women around the world, please follow Twitter hashtags, #AvonSpeakout and #IWD or visit www.facebook.com/avonfoundation.

L-r: Carlotta Jacobson, president of CEW and Liz Kaplow, CEO and founder of Kaplow Communications, at the Beyond Beauty Gala

Our very own Liz Kaplow was among the honorees at the recent 8^th Annual Beyond Beauty Gala, which benefits the James E. Marshall Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning WCBS-TV reporter Dana Tyler, the event featured actress Dendrie Taylor from The Fighter as the evening’s guest speaker. The foundation was created in 2003 by Elysée Scientific Cosmetics President Linda Marshall and family, in memory of her son who battled the condition his entire life. James died in 2002, at the age of 39.

In her acceptance, Liz Kaplow referenced her own transformative experience at the Beyond Beauty event three years prior: “Linda told her story with blatant honesty, but also with heartfelt love and optimism. She talked of the real life her son James had bravely lived.  She honored his life by telling the truth. And it was in the power of storytelling that she helped us to understand OCD in a way that statistics never could. I founded Kaplow 20 years ago because I believe in the power of storytelling.”

The $225,000 raised at the event went to support Dr. Gerald Nestadt and his research team at the Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, who are working on better solutions to manage, treat and perhaps, even prevent OCD.

Kaplow, who was introduced by CEW president Carlotta Jacobson, placed the night in context: “I am honored to have been chosen for this award and I hope you will join me in a commitment to share Linda’s story and her message: To be positive, to laugh, love, to take something devastating and use it as a foundation to move forward and bring good to the world.”

A few nights ago New York Women in Communications helped launch “Social Media Week” with an event titled “Bridging the Generation Gap: Reaching Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials.” Kaplow’s own EIC, the incomparable Nick Charles, was one of the panelists. I say “incomparable” because few men I know would be so at ease speaking in front of over a hundred women, about their online behavior and how brands can successfully reach them. Moderated by Emmy-award-winning WABC-TV reporter Stacey Sager, the panel also included Susan Rinkunas, online editor for Women’s Health and Phyllis Weiss Haserot, president of the Practice Development Counsel.

Key takeaways:

Find out where your target audience lives and what they’re doing.

Not literally, or you’re looking at the business end of a restraining order. But when determining how to reach a particular audience, make sure you know where they go online, and what they’re doing there. For example, Millennials are often looking to socialize, while Baby Boomers look to reconnect. They’ve been there and done that. Now they want to find the people they went there and did that with.

One size does not fit all in social media.

Put down the posting for “Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr/Everythingelse” and back slowly away from the keyboard. A cookie cutter approach to creating or revamping your brand’s comprehensive online presence is rarely successful. Figure out which destinations make sense for your target demographic, and then implement a strategy that caters to the audience that lives there.

Take advantage of the “Interest Graph.”

It’s not always about age. As evidenced by the skyrocketing phenomenon that is Pinterest, social media users are gravitating to communities that enable them to celebrate various interests, whether it’s home décor, travel, arts & crafts, or in my case, bacon. This means that portions of the population (regardless of age, location, socioeconomic status, and more) are segmenting themselves and broadcasting to the world what they are interested in hearing more about. Brand marketers should take note.

Give them something they can use, not what you think they should hear.

We live in an age where you can throw a virtual dime and hit nine jillion pieces of digital content. Specific age groups are searching for different types of information based on where they are in life, and what they’ve already experienced (or haven’t experienced). Help that person curate the content that is most meaningful to them, that they can use to better their life in some aspect. Be unselfish. They will reward you.

Hello. My name is Jen.  I want to begin this conversation by telling you all about myself; then, I’ll let you know what you can do for me.

Anyone who has any right-brain function would know this exchange would not lead to a meaningful relationship.

But public relations (PR) is all about relationships, and while PR 101 teaches us about the importance of building relationships with editors and bloggers, this knowledge is often thrown out the window when we outreach to celebrities or other influencers on behalf of our brands. Have you ever thanked a company for sending you a free product or coupon? Probably not.  So, why do we think this blanket gifting approach will work with influencers?

When you outreach to a celebrity or influencer, treat it as if you are in the beginning stages of a new relationship. If you have no friends or are always the victim of failed relationships, below are a few tips to get you started.

First Impressions Matter:  Ask a couple that met on Match.com about their experience, and they’ll likely tell you that they were initially attracted to their partner’s picture and were impressed by the first message they received from that person. Similarly, your brand’s initial communication with an influencer will determine whether she wants to engage with you.  If you are sending products, make sure they are packaged, presented, and delivered in a way that is personalized for each recipient and also tells your brand’s story.

If Her Mom Likes You, You’re In: If you brought your high school girlfriend’s mother a bouquet of flowers on prom night, your prom picture is likely still on her family room mantle, next to your former sweetheart’s wedding picture.

No, we don’t need to impress a celebrity’s mother. We need to impress someone even more important – her publicist.

An influencer’s publicist or agent is her most trusted confidant and gatekeeper, so make just as big of an effort developing a relationship with him. Any time you send a gift to a celebrity, include a small gift and note for the publicist. Find out his client list and congratulate him when one of his clients scores a great press hit.

The next time he sends out an image of his client, he might ask her to rock an outfit from one of your brands.

Sincerity Rules: No one likes to feel used. Make sure you are staying true to yourself and your brand and are genuine with all communication.

Good luck with your celebrity outreach! If you have any tips of your own, we’d love to hear them

I attended the inaugural State of Style Summit yesterday, hosted by fashion and style platform, StyleCaster. The event included some of the  fashion industry’s biggest influencers and tastemakers, who discussed fashion and beauty’s changing trends in the digital age. Speakers at the event included Doug Zarkin, VP of Marketing at Kellwood Company (owner of Kaplow clients XOXO, Zobha and Baby Phat), accessories and clothing designer Rebecca Minkoff and Ann Shoket, Editor in Chief of Seventeen.

Here are some key takeaways:

Listen to Your Target Audience on Brand Social Pages:

One of the reasons social media users follow, like, or view brand pages is to be heard by the brand. Consumers regularly share their thoughts about what they like and don’t like about certain products or brand initiatives. Therefore, it is important for brands to listen and respond to these comments. For example, Rebecca Minkoff said she listens to consumer feedback from her social media pages when designing accessories. She once put up on Facebook a photo of a handbag she was working on and asked if it was too tough-looking. Based on consumer-response, she revised the design. Minkoff relishes the opinions of her brand advocates, because at the end of the day, they end up purchasing her products.

Accessible Aspiration – Style Experts, Models, Fashion Blogger Engagement:

When a brand partners with a well-known spokesperson to represent it, it’s important that the spokesperson engages in conversation with consumers via social media. Conversation, tips and tidbits from a style expert, celebrity, model, or blogger are considered a reward to the consumer. They appreciate the connection to these fashion figures because they are now on the same level and platform as they are, where before, these figures were inaccessible.

Consumer Experiences Help Shape a Brand’s Products:

Rebecca Minkoff discussed how the life experiences of her target audience shape the accessories she designs. For example, her best-selling “Morning After” handbag is based on the lives of women ages 20-29 who may be single, dating, or adjusting to life changes. Inside this purse is a faux business card with an image of a good-looking man and a number which connects to the Minkoff headquarters. By adding this personal touch and relating this bag to the experiences of her target audience, Minkoff adds a layer of authenticity.

I admit I’m not sold on Google+. It’s selfish really – I don’t want another profile to update or network to build up. But, amidst reports that the social platform has surpassed 90 million users and will be rolling out its Search, plus Your World initiative, I felt I owed it a second glance.

At the start of the Global Google+ Hangout session at Columbia’s Social Media Weekend, I was happy to hear Sree Sreenivasan, the event’s organizer, mimic my feelings on the subject of new social media platforms. He shared a few wise words to consider before hopping on the bandwagon of a hot new social tool:

“Think first, does it fit into my workflow? Does it fit into my life flow?”

“Always be an early tester and a late adopter.”

Leaving us with the statement that, “Google+ is Google’s last stand with social, their last chance to make it work,” he introduced us to Daniel Sieberg of Google.

I watched with a skeptical eye as Daniel rattled off brief factoids about Google+ (200 features have been added since its launch, 3.5 billion photos have been shared through the platform, etc.), but when we hopped on a Hangout On Air video chat with Bradley Horowitz, VP of Product Management at Google and journalists in London, Berlin, Jakarta and Istanbul, things got a bit more interesting.

See, a Hangout On Air is not just another video conference call. Still in the Whitelist stage, Hangout On Air is the evolution of the Hangout (yes, a tool that just launched four months ago is already evolving). To summarize, Hangout on Air turns your computer into a mini broadcast tower. In their words, it’s the next generation of citizen journalism.

Here are the two key Hangout On Air stats that really struck a chord with me:

• As you video chat with up to 10 people from your Circles, the Hangout On Air can be seen live on your Google+ stream for all to see
  • This allows others to see and talk about the video chat, even if they cannot participate in it(engagement, engagement, engagement!)
  • When the video chat is over, it is automatically saved as a private or public YouTube file
    • This saves the video chat for use as future content on all social pages and guarantees additional visibility (YouTube is the top video search engine and second largest search engine, period!)

While remaining an intimate video chat among a small group of people, the whole world has the ability to listen in and discuss during real time, and can refer back and engage with the content at any point afterwards since it is a saved YouTube file.

Daniel and Bradley shared stories of rural hospitals receiving live expertise from large city hospitals during surgeries and other unique uses for Hangouts. The possibilities for this new technology are far-reaching.

I still may not be sold on Google+ for personal use, but I can absolutely see the amazing potential the Hangout On Air feature holds for brands.