Monday, September 18, 2006

Boring Press Releases From Last Week

Here are the lamest press releases I received last week. Some aren't that bad but most are just lame, why would people send this stuff to bloggers? Do big businesses think I or my team will ever care about a new hire? Unless it's father Time or Mother Goose, it's not news to put out a press release about hiring a new employee.

This one gets the award for "Worst Title of a Press Release"
MySpacers shake their moneymakers for cash
from: 5wpr.com

Forget "Dancing with the Stars," there's a new contest in town that's challenging rump shakers across the nation to show off their best moves to a worldwide audience.

Launching today, the "Stickam(TM) Dance Off" is the first ever, online dance competition that's awarding cash prizes for the best dance videos uploaded to the Stickam.com Web site. The champion receives $500 along with the bragging rights of being the Internet's top video dancer.

Here's Our Award for "Lack of any substance"
Digital Influence Group Announces Addition of Aaron Hughes as Vice President and Creative Director
From: racepointgroup.com

"Today Digital Influence Group, Inc., a leader in social media marketing services, announced today that Aaron Hughes has joined the firm as vice president and creative director. Drawing from his impressive creative background which includes ten years at Digitas, Hughes will direct all phases of creative work from concept and project planning through production, for all accounts.

...Waltham, Mass, September 13, 2006 – Digital Influence Group, Inc., a leader in social media marketing services, announced today that Aaron Hughes has joined the firm as vice president and creative director. In his new role Hughes will direct all phases of creative work from concept and project planning through production, for all accounts. He will craft the visual direction and concept development for everything from large Web site builds to multi-faceted social media marketing campaigns, as well as facilitate and drive account growth strategies."

This one gets the "Who Cares" award
Alacra Compliance Awarded Model of Excellence by InfoCommerce Group!

"New Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Application Recognized by Leading Industry Group

New York, Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - Alacra, Inc., a leading provider of online business information solutions, announced today that the Company's recently launched Alacra Compliance () application has been named as a 2006 Model of Excellence award winner by InfoCommerce Group. Since its debut this spring, Alacra Compliance is changing the way that financial institutions meet their Anti-Money Laundering, “Know Your Customer” and Enhanced Due Diligence requirements.

InfoCommerce Group (“ICG”) is the leading consulting, publishing, conference and research company focused on the data publishing industry. Their annual Model of Excellence awards recognize innovative companies which effectively combine world-class software with high quality data. According to InfoCommerce Group President Russell Perkins, “Alacra Compliance cleverly marries a vertical search engine with federated search capabilities for premium content. The result is an innovative workflow application that helps financial institutions get their arms around rapidly changing regulatory requirements.”"

But wait, it gets even better...

"The Model of Excellence awards will be presented at the InfoCommerce 2006 Conference, to be held October 10-12 in Philadelphia. Barry Graubart, Alacra's Vice President of Product Management will also serve as moderator of the Vertical Horizons session at this year's InfoCommerce Conference."

Now seriously, how many bloggers will be at that awards ceremony? Not this guy (two thumbs pointed at my chest and cheezy grin on my face).

Bad PR Summary
The litmus test of whether or not something is newsworthy in today's internet environment is whether or not bloggers are willing to talk about the news and are excited about the news. The press releases above should be filed under fluff, because there is no substance to any of them. If there was substance then we'd see something about profits and revenues growing by 500%, or something of that nature but instead we get fluff. I will not apologize for giving the above companies a hard time either because they need to get a clue when it comes to putting out stuff that's newsworthy versus stuff that's just hair in the drain causing a clogged up pipe.

Posted By Jason Dowdell at 09:53 AM
Permanent Link: Boring Press Releases From Last Week | Comments (2)

(2) Comments on Boring Press Releases From Last Week

Tips for Being a Successful Landlord

In today’s apartment rental market there are several things that are “must do’s” for becoming a successful landlord. The reason you’re playing the real estate rental game is to have the check in your mailbox on the first of the month, right? Here are a few tips that can help you to achieve this with as little aggravation and frustration possible.

First and foremost is finding the right tenant to rent your apartment, house or other rental. This is the most important ingredient in the recipe. Checking the prospective tenant’s credit history to make sure they are paying their bills is one of the best ways you can screen. A tenant that pays their bills on time most likely will send you their rent on time. Establish a clear system on collecting rent, handling complaints from the tenant and how you will contact them if you need to gain access to the apartment.

Secondly, get all the important terms of the tenancy in writing. You have the option to have a basic rental agreement or draw up a formal lease. Whichever you decide, the important thing is to document the terms that you and the tenant agreed to. Clarify who is paying the utilities, the rental price and any other agreements made between you and your tenant.

It’s a good idea to stay on top of the repair and maintenance needs of your property. When you are notified of something that is broken or not working, repair it as soon as possible to prevent further damages. You may also lawfully enable the tenant to withhold rent, sue for injuries caused by defective conditions or move out without notice.

On a similar topic make sure you are carrying enough property and liability insurance to cover yourself in any situation. A well designed insurance program can protect your rental property from losses caused by everything from fire and storms to burglary, vandalism, and personal injury lawsuits.

I hope that this has been helpful to you. Just remember, as long as you follow these simple tips you will be on your way to a happy and fulfilling landlord future. Best of luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eric Goldstein, associated with www.AllSpacses.com which Conveniently Connects All People with All Spaces in All Places, has been dedicated to the real estate rental market for over 8 years. He has assisted over 25,000 landlords with their renting needs. Any questions about renting apartments, houses or other rentals feel free to visit www.AllSpaces.com or email him at Eric@AllSpaces.com.

Comments by Jamie : Monday, September 18, 2006 at 12:30 PM

Jason: I got tired of getting bad pitches and press releases. So I started the Bad Pitch Blog. Feel free to send some my way.

http://badpitch.blogspot.com

Comments by Kevin Dugan : Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 09:39 PM

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