The event began with a brief cocktail hour followed by Liz Kaplow’s introduction of the honorary speaker.  Liz said that she was greatly looking forward to hearing “Lee’s unique take on the current debate over leaning in, opting out, defining balance and why feminism shouldn’t be a dirty word.” Liz spoke of Lee’s power and grace as a writer and storyteller in her critically acclaimed book In an Instant: A Family’s Journey of Love and Healing. In an Instant chronicles the story of Lee’s husband, Bob Woodruff, and his ordeal after his ABC News team was struck in a roadside bomb attack while on an assignment in Iraq. During Bob’s long road to recovery after suffering a traumatic brain injury, Lee held her family together, providing physical and emotional support. Lee turned her family’s personal tragedy into a public mission by founding the Bob Woodruff Foundation, ReMind.org, to shed light on traumatic brain injury. The foundation’s mission is to ensure that wounded service members receive the long- term care they need and help them assimilate back into their communities.

During her speech, Lee spoke about the notion of “having it all.” As women, she said, we are inclined to “define” our happiness and success by how full we feel our lives are—a thriving career, marriage, family, social life etc. If one aspect is amiss, we feel unaccomplished as a whole. Lee said that she believes women are absolutely capable of having it all, but not necessarily at the same time. She stressed the importance of being easier on ourselves and not trying to achieve perfection, which only sets us up for failure and disappointment. Lee also urged that women should be supportive and non- judgmental of one another. “People, women in particular, need to do whatever is right for them,” she said.

Lee is a fierce example of strength, dignity and grace during both the best and worst of times. In the introduction of her new book Perfectly Imperfect- A Life in Progress, her husband Bob writes, “During my injury and recovery I was amazed, watching my wife, at how she was able to keep so many things together—the children’s needs and schedules, while managing their fears and concerns.” Lee’s ability to conquer life’s challenges and keep moving forward is truly admirable and can help each of us think about how we define balance in our own lives.

1. Simon Doonan goes from Madison Avenue to Mass Market– Designed by Barney’s Creative Ambassador, Simon Doonan using 3,200 Nexxus bottles, Nexxus and Kaplow brought premium window dressing to a mass retailer. Location was key – we chose the Duane Reade directly across from Radio City Music Hall, where the Tony Awards were held.

2. Nexxus Show-Stopping Red Carpet Experience Sweepstakes – One lucky fan had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win two tickets to the Tony Awards.

Approximately  45 people arrived at Duffy Square in Times Square, dressed in their best formal attire, and had their photo taken on the Nexxus red carpet.  After the photos, we randomly chose our winner – Julie Christianson! She’s been a Broadway fan since she was a child and used to tape the Tony Awards on her VHS player and watch it all year.

Julie and her guest, Mark Oxman, were whisked away to a New York City hotel suite, where she had her hair and makeup done by industry leaders like Nexxus Creative Director Kevin Mancuso.

Once they were ready, Julie and Mark were taken via limo to walk the Tony Awards Red Carpet and sit with their Broadway idols at the iconic Radio City Music Hall.  The night didn’t end when the show did; they were then taken to the famous Plaza Hotel to dine and dance with the night’s winners and Broadway stars at the post-Tony Awards Gala.

Now that’s what we call show stopping!

Her message was one of empowerment, especially for women who fear that they need to step away from their careers, finding it is too difficult to climb the corporate ladder and the jungle gym at the same time.  I was one of those women.  I had a successful job in public relations and was on a path toward future success.  However, when I became pregnant with my first son, I wasn’t sure I could handle it all.  So I stepped away as a middle manager and accepted a new job outside of PR – one where I’d have more flexibility, but less of a challenge.  While being a mother gave me great personal satisfaction, I still felt something was missing.

As time passed, my family grew and another little boy entered my life.  Soon after his arrival, I realized that I had a responsibility to both my children and myself to be happy.  I sought out companies that would value me both as a communications professional and a devoted mother.  (After all, if motherhood doesn’t teach you time management skills, nothing will!)  That’s when I came across Kaplow.  My former supervisor and longtime mentor, Theresa McDonnell, told me all about the agency and what made it so unique – the focus on living a 360-degree life, one where talents are nurtured and personal responsibilities are respected.  When I met Liz, I instantly knew she was pioneering a new trail for women.

Now Liz will have the power to reach even more professionals with the help of influential women who share her vision, including Joanna Coles, Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan and last night’s featured speaker.  As Liz noted in her remarks, we must create an environment where anyone can rise up into leadership positions – including the busy mother of two precocious little boys.  It’s a lesson I can teach them and one I hope all women and men will soon adopt.

Generation Y is currently as large as the Baby Boomer demographic and they’re still moving up the financial ladder.  MBUSA doesn’t want to “die with its consumers” like several other luxury auto brands have done in the past.  With a carefully curated media strategy, they took a tremendous risk and invested millions of marketing dollars in an integrated campaign to reach the 30+ consumer.

You may have seen its Super Bowl commercial, featuring Willem Dafoe as the Devil trying to coax a young “dude” into signing his soul away for the chance at the good life, including trysts with Kate Upton and a “bromance” with Usher.  At the end of the clip, a billboard announcing the new CLA vehicle, starting at less than $30K, was revealed and the young man tells Satan, “Thanks, but I think I’ve got this.”

The conversation surrounding the advertisement was amplified via Mercedes-Benz’s social channels, which are populated with millions of fans from Gen Y hungry for behind the scenes content and news.  Famed YouTube filmmaker, Casey Neistat, has been commissioned to create a four part video series to help enhance its image with this younger demographic.  Later this year, they’ll continue to build online buzz with an Instagram campaign, leading up to the car’s September release.  Glaser told event attendees that even if consumers don’t run out to purchase a Mercedes this September, they’ll have them hooked for when they can afford it, keeping the brand both aspirational and inspirational for years to come.

Mercedes-Benz is using a variety of social and traditional verticals to reach Gen Y.  Is it costly, yes.  Is it risky, of course, especially since there’s no definitive way to measure the campaign’s social components.  We may never know how a Tweet sent today leads to the sale of a car 2 – 3 years down the road; however, taking a campaign or idea that would traditionally live only as long as its shelf live and giving it digital “legs” is what brands need to do to stay relevant.

Aliza Licht, DKNYPR Girl, summed it up perfectly, “the goal of social media is to be where your current and future customers are.”  Luxury brands, just like every other product or service, need to embrace holistic marketing to keep their companies in business for the long haul.

“Spandex is good for your hips, not for your heart,” Agapi joked with her trademark humor and warmth.  “My mother taught me that the most important thing in life is to find your unique gift.  When you do what you love, you will excel at it.” Agapi also spoke about the importance of community.  “Share what you want to accomplish with your friends and you will build a tribe.  Ask other people to help you.  When you have a passion for what you believe in, you can be shameless.”

At the heart of Agapi’s message was the importance of authenticity. “One of the greatest gifts we can give is being personal.  Be who you are,” she advised.  “When you are authentic, it is disarming.”    Anyone who has met Agapi can only agree.

Target’s Larger-than-Life Threshold Dollhouse by the Numbers:

• 1,540 square feet (larger than most NYC apartments)
• 21 feet high
• Built by a crew of 50 in less than 54 hours
• All but two pieces of the Dollhouse fit through a standard sized single door frame
• Featured over 55 light bulbs
• Used 12 different colors of paint in its seven uniquely decorated rooms
• Had more than 180 linear feet of flower boxes
• Over three full 26’ delivery trucks were used to transport the featured Threshold product

Did you build-up an insatiable appetite for the styled rooms throughout the Dollhouse like I did? Not to worry! The full collection is available now at Target stores and on Target.com.

The Skype team (L-R) celebrates at the 2013 Sabre Awards dinner: Vicki Crafton, Vice President, Kaplow; Shana Pearlman, Social Media Manager, Skype; Chaim Haas, Senior Vice President, Kaplow; Robert Gedarovich, Director of Digital Strategy, Kaplow; Emily Listfield, Editor-in-Chief, Kaplow; Nadina Guglielmetti, Senior Vice President of Digital, Kaplow; Stephanie Larson, Social Editorial Manager, Skype.

2013 Gold SABRE Award: Branded Journalism, Skype with Kaplow for the Skype Blog Network.

Check out our work on the Skype Bog Network by clicking here: http://blogs.skype.com.

As I celebrated the achievements of this year’s Matrix winners along with the event’s 1,000+ guests, two questions ran through my mind:

1) How does Joan Rivers stay so sharp? Truly. The woman turns 80 this year.

2) How do I cull down two hours of inspirational story-telling from Matrix winners into one blog post?

The speeches of every honoree were special; however, I found myself circling back to a remark made by Rivers at the start of the ceremony: “Families come and go; jobs and careers are forever.”

Rivers noted that women starting out in the communications field often ask her advice on balancing a career and family. In her trademark crass, sarcastic fashion, she answered that it was impossible – (ha!) – successful women always put their careers ahead of their families. The statement, which verbatim included many more expletives than permitted on The Thinking Kap, received chuckles from the audience members, but it made me reflect on how fortunate I am to have powerful female role models in my life – women in communications who made it their mission to find a balance between career success and family, and whose efforts have made it possible for me and my peers, the next generation of women in communications, to achieve the same.

The first woman that came to mind was my own mother. A broadcast journalist and PR professional during my childhood, I never felt the stress and fatigue she was surely facing every day. In fact, I couldn’t understand how the mothers without careers filled up their days! After Mom, my mind immediately went to Kaplow’s founder & CEO, Liz Kaplow, who, as President-Elect of NYWICI, was sitting a few seats away from Rivers on the Matrix stage.

Liz established Kaplow more than 20 years ago, in order to have the flexibility to raise her two young daughters, Juliana and Melanie, while maintaining her successful PR career. While it was her own family that solidified her decision to begin a business, the importance of work/life balance – whether that balance is needed to care for an ill parent, to spend time with a significant other or to celebrate the birth of a new baby – is still firmly engrained in Kaplow’s DNA.

It makes me happy to report that if a young woman entering the communications industry today asked me the same question asked of Rivers, my answer would be completely different: Find a company that is led by those that share your values – I, and every Kaplow employee, can tell you they do exist!

Note: I wasn’t able to answer either of the questions I asked myself during the Matrix Awards, but if you “like” the NYWICI Facebook page and watch the show via the page’s LiveStream app, you may be able to!

Liz Kaplow, President & CEO of Kaplow and President-Elect of NYWICI and Nancy Weber, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer of Meredith Corporation and President of NYWICI walk the red carpet at the 2013 Matrix Awards
Photo credit: www.maryannerussell.com

I only call after I’ve done my due diligence, ensuring that I have the right person and that they care about the topic I’m pitching.

Here are my three main reasons for making the call:

1. Phone conversations lead to chit chat. Getting to know editors is the best way to truly understand them, their jobs, and how you can help them. Maybe you are both dog lovers or  are going on similar summer vacations—having a casual conversation can go a long way in fostering a relationship.  Who knows, maybe they’ll even come to you the next time they are working on a relevant pitch.




2. You get instant feedback….good or bad.  Clients like to hear feedback on pitches. You may be able to get this type of feedback from email pitching, but I have received better insight over the phone. Editors are more likely to explain why they aren’t interested in your pitch—it might be that they are working on another pressing story, or they just filed a similar trend piece, for example.




3. Phone calls allow time to seed other stories.  Before I make the call I jot down a few things so I’m never caught off guard. Even if an editor isn’t interested in my original pitch, I’ll throw out another idea to see if it sticks.