Coffins by Walmart

Certain products should only be sold at specialty stores and I believe that coffins are one of them. But why was I only a little surprised when I read that Walmart now sells discounted coffins and funeral accessories right on the stores website? According to an article on AdAge.com by Jack Neff entitled “Why Walmart's Entry Wont Kill Casket Business,” the superstore now offers items that would be too difficult to fit into a monstrous Supercenter.

The article states that both Walmart and competitors are downplaying the effect this will have on the coffin industry, but Walmart is happy with the response so far. Representatives from the National Funeral Directors Association and the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association believe that with buying coffins online comes the risk of receiving a damaged product that may not be able to be repaired in time for the funeral. The article goes to show that by shopping at the superstore wont even save you that much money! In some cases, it’s a bit more expensive.

Even if the prices are cheaper, I’m wondering how stingy people are willing to be when purchasing a loved ones final resting place. Most cemetery and funeral businesses do charge an obscene amount of money to, lets say, dig a hole in the ground and I think that’s disgusting. Especially in this economy, I don’t know how people can afford the thousands of dollars it costs after a person passes away. A lot of people don’t realize if the deceased didn’t set aside money for the funeral arrangements, it’s on the family to pay for everything. However, even if I was flat broke with no means to pay for a loved ones funeral, the last place I would shop for an urn or coffin is Walmart.

Pretty soon, Walmart is going to sell everything and all the small businesses owners in America are going to go out of business. Although there is a fad going around to “buy local” during this recession, some people can’t afford to shop at a privately owned business so instead they take the trip to Walmart. I hate Walmart, but I’m a poor college student and go there to get my groceries. It sucks. The biggest Walmart in the State of New York just opened two streets over from my house in Hamburg and I noticed they now sell wine in their extensive beer aisle. I would put money on that “Brierwood Wine and Spirits,” the small liquor store located on that same set of property as Walmart, is out of business in one year.

"Tweetarded" Athletes

“How dumb can you be?” is the question I always ask myself when I see a celebrity on the news getting in trouble for saying something inappropriate. I’m not talking about little slip-ups that the media catches just because the person is under a microscope. I’m talking about those idiots who say offensive racial or ethnic slurs when they know it’s going to be documented and reported about on a huge scale.

That’s why I was shocked when reading the article by Rich Thomaselli “When Tweeting Athletes Turn Into Legal Liabilities” which shows that there are that many idiot athletes. The article mentions a handful of athletes who tweeted offensive remarks and got fined, suspended or both because of it. For example, Thomaselli mentions Kansas City Chiefs football star Larry Johnson, who used homophobic slurs on his personal Twitter account, tweeting himself into a two-week suspension from the team. Really? Are you that dumb.

Then, to make matters even worse for Mr. Johnson, when reporters asked to comment about the tweet he told them to get their faggot asses out of the locker room. This guy is unbelievable.

Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson isn’t the only athlete who is unaware that when you say something offensive on Twitter, people do notice. It seems to me that these professionals should a publicist or a manager monitoring their social media profiles just in case they say something stupid. Why these athletes wouldn’t have the same etiquette with social media that they know they need when they are on camera, I don’t know? Perhaps nobody clearly spelled it out for them, although I believe it goes without being said that whatever you put on the Internet is there for all to see.

There are a few examples in this article when I can see how some athletes may just believe that they are venting and not actually doing any harm. San Diego Chargers football player Antonio Cromartie was fined $2,500 back in the preseason for tweeting about the awful food served at training camp. I hope that when Mr. Cromartie tweeted this, who was merely just venting and not acutally trying to taint this food companies brand. There was another instance when Texas Tech University football player Brandon Carter tweeted earlier this season that "this is not how I saw our season" and was suspended by head coach Mike Leach, who also banned players from using Twitter.

I don’t think it’s going to be long before we start seeing more bans on using social networking sites with employers, institutions and sport teams. Social networking sites are not just fun, but they can also be very beneficial. However, there’s always going to be a few who abuse it’s purpose and ruin for the rest of us.

It's Good To Be King

Brooke Ehrhart, St. Bonaventure University IMC Student
David King, Director of Social Media for Gutenburg Communications

Brooke: Could you briefly explain where you work, what you do and how long you've been doing it?
David: I'm the Director of Social Media for Gutenberg Communications, a B2B PR firm with offices in New York City, Las Gatos, London, and Mumbai. I began working here just a few months after they opened the office in December 2008.


Brooke: Does the company you work for use social networking sites? If yes, which ones? How do you use these sites? Do you plan on using them in the future?
David: I help B2B brands use social media to enhance branding, increase lead generation, and gain mindshare. The role is equal parts strategic consulting (PPTs, planning, budgeting, discussing, proposals, meetings) and execution (writing blogs, tweeting for clients, etc.)


Because social media relies heavily on publishing written textual commentary/response/content online, it relies heavily on solid and conversational writing skills.

We have recently started blogging and tweeting as part of an overall project to improve the marketing we do for ourselves, but primarily my role is to help our clients engage in social media for their companies.

We're still working out a few kinks, but our blog has managed to very quickly get a fairly significant readership. Of course we will continue to use social media in the future - hopefully increasingly so - as it is quickly becoming an imperative for agencies to demonstrate through example their social media savvy.

Coming Soon: Droid Domination?

I feel sorry for networks that aren’t AT&T. Really, I do. I’m not sure if anybody will ever conquer the iPhone. The iPhone is a beast in the tiny smartphone forest that just eats up everything in its path. Should other networks even try to develop their own version of the iPhone or is this an impossible task?

Verizon Wireless doesn’t think so. In an article posted in AdAge, Rita Chang discusses how the network is starting to reveal their strategy for the Droid, which is basically their version of the iPhone, only better. The Droid’s website refers to the new smartphone as a “robot” and will literally get you out of any problem. A little dramatic? Yes, I think so.

In the Droid’s premier teaser ad, it aims all of its attention on the iPhone’s shortcomings. For example, the ad states that “iDon’t allow open development” clearly stating who the phone company is targeting. So far, those who have reviewed the Droid give it awesome reviews, saying, “The Droid is the most sophisticated mobile device to hit the market to date from a hardware standpoint.”

But lets get real. Nobody is every going to dethrone the iPhone. The Droid will probably be extremely popular within the verizon network, but will the Droid lure back those who left Verizon to own the iPhone? Experts say probably not. Actually, the only phone that has been able to lure people away from their current carrier has been the iPhone.

Some experts believe that by the Droid taking on such as strong competitor as the iPhone they are taking some major risks. In their teaser ad, Verizon starts rambling off negative features that the iPhone supports, also stating that “everything iDon’t, Droid Does.”

Do I think the Droid is going to overpower the iPhone? No. Not even close. It probably wont even knock the monster down one, teensy-weensy little knotch. What I do think this phone will do is keep people from leaving leaving Verizon to obtain the iPhone. Bottom line is Verizon has the best network in the country. A cell phone, although it is capable of doing many other wonderful things, is really meant to do one thing: make phone calls. Verizon has the fewest drop calls in the nation and people know that. Therefore, I think if they can produce a smartphone comparable to the iPhone backed up strongly with their fantastic coverage, they might stand a chance in the big, bad forrest conquered by the iPhone.

Getting Filled In With Linkedin

To be quite honest, I’m getting a little sick of social networking sites. I don’t see the benefits of setting up accounts on five different sites, unable to keep up to date with all of them, rather than dedicating all your time to one or two. I believe in quality, not quantity. Of all of these sites, however, I believe the one that holds the most meaning and produces the most benefits for its users would be Linkedin.

According to an article entitled “Linkedin for Dummies” some of the benefits of using this social networking site is networking, hiring, posting jobs, getting business advice as well as saving and making money. What makes this site different from the rest is that Linkedin is a business networking site rather than one like Facebook, which is normally used for recreational purposes and catching up with friends. It’s a good idea to be logged into both sites, Linkedin and Facebook, because that way your have a two sites to separate your personal life and your work life.

The article gives insight to how a person can really utilize Linkedin and enhance their career. An interesting piece of advice that the article gave was when the author stated that when completing your profile, you should make it less formal. Your profile gives potential colleagues and employers a quick glimpse into you as a person. They get all of that on your resume. Here, you really have the opportunity to be funny, creative and to show your personality. It’s appropriate to add your education and work experience to your profile, but it’s also alright to have a little fun with it as well.

It is very important to maintain a personal relationship with all of those you’re connected to. It isn’t a good idea to accept invitation from somebody you don’t know, nor is it a good idea to send an invitation to somebody you don’t know. Another great piece of advice this article gives is that when sending an invitation to some body don’t forget to personalize the message. It shows the person that you’re really interested and care about forming a relationship.

One of my favorite parts is the recommendation feature on Linkedin where people who have met you can give comments on you as a person and add anything you may have missed. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve filled out a resume and forgotten something I’ve done in the past that is relative to my career or could be interesting to a potential employer. That is why it is always a good idea to chat with people who know you when looking for ways to describe yourself. Just one other aspect that makes Linkedin fabulous!

My Main Man, Mark

Person: Mark Inman
Employer: St. Bonaventure University

Describe who you work for, what it is you do and how long you've been doing it?

I work for St. Bonaventure University. It's a swell place. I work in social media, produce video, write press releases, et al. I've been here for 15 months.

Does the business you work for use social networking sites? If yes, which ones?

Yes. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Blogger, and Flickr and Delicious to a lesser extent.

How and for what purpose do you use these sites?

A new publishing medium, a quick way to converse with people interested in SBU, and to identify (and address) trends and needs of such people.

Do you believe you effectively communicate with your consumers?

As a publishing medium, I think we use social media well, but there isn't enough conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Tell your friends to start commenting on stuff on the SBU Facebook page. :)

What are some of the benefits of using social networking sites?

For SBU, it's easier to know wants of prospective students as well as alumni concerns. It also facilitates friendships at a rapid rate among freshmen groups.

Will you use/continue to use these sites in the future?

Yes.

Chattin' it up with Cutco

Person: Kathleen Donovon

Employer: Vector Marketing, Cutco Cutlery

Describe who you work for, what it is you do and how long you've been

doing it?

I work for Vector Marketing Corp. and my job is to promote the product

they sell - CUTCO Cutlery. I've been working here for 9 1/2 years.

Does the business you work for use social networking sites? If yes, which ones?


We just started testing the waters with social networking sites, but

it's really all new to us. We currently are using Facebook and Twitter.



How and for what purpose do you use these sites?

Again...we've just started using the sites. For now, we using them

simply as a way to communicate with our stakeholders. We're NOT using it

to aggressively promote our company.



Do you believe you effectively communicate with your consumers?

Because we're a direct seller, our best communication comes from our

sales representatives who are doing in-home demonstrations. From the

public relations side, recent TV appearances have generated a lot of

buzz about CUTCO.



What are some of the benefits of using social networking sites?

From our brief experience with it, it allows us to respond quickly and

directly to consumers concerns. It also allows us to quickly post

important information.



Will you use/continue to use these sites in the future?

Yes.