Authenticity is the secret sauce

It's a new world out there. We're all online and everything we do in the social networking space cements our professional reputations and our personal brands. What we say, how we say it, and the actions we take define us--and all the world is watching. But, how real is what you're putting out there?

This week, 90210 actress AnnaLynne McCord made headlines when she tweeted a photo of herself without a stitch of makeup. She made a surprising move and shared her authentic self with the masses. Blemishes and all. Do you share just as openly?

Left: AnnaLynne McCord with makeup and hairstyling. Right: AnnaLynne au natural. 

When we blog, tweet, podcast, or do other things online, we're trying to brand ourselves by creating an image. That public image, however, is sometimes very different than our authentic selves. Behind the metaphoric makeup, we all have imperfections.

Your professional goals may be to become the next Darren Rowse or Mari Smith, but it's not gonna happen. Know why? Only Darren is Darren and only Mari is Mari. To try to be them is nothing other than a goal to be a cheap knock-off. Instead of being them, shouldn't you be the best version of you? And that doesn't mean more mascara or a flashier website.

So, here's the reality. We all work hard to perfect that public image; to ensure we're portrayed in the best light possible. But, instead of worrying about the spin, how about being real? The truth is being authentic is powerful. It's something that makes people relate to you, cheer for you, support you, and remember you.

Regardless of what you put out there to maintain your image, there's no hiding from who you really are. You know yourself better than anyone. Why not share that person--the real you--with the world? Flaws and all. You may be surprised by how liberating and empowering a little authenticity can be. 

I'm a celebrity and I'm better than you

This week, news circulated around the web about actor Josh Duhamel's brush with airport security. In a nutshell, Duhamel (known primarily for his work in the "Transformers" movies and his marriage to singing sensation, Fergie) was asked repeatedly by a flight attendant to turn off his Blackberry. He, and hundreds others, were en route from New York to Kentucky. According to other passengers, Duhamel refused to comply. Several said he was rude and indignant, thinking that the rules did not apply to him. To cut to the chase, the rules did apply to him and the plane was turned around on the tarmac and Duhamel was escorted from the plane by security.

Once upon a time, it seemed as though the general public was so enamored with celebrities that they could do no wrong. Now, however, there seems to be a groundswell of disgust for celebs who think they're better than the rest of us. This was very apparent in the reader comments that appeared on the Duhamel story posted on Yahoo!'s omg page (click the image to enlarge it if you need to see it better):

I don't care how annoying or frustrating traveling is nowadays. If you fly commercially, air travel is the great equalizer. The rules are the rules and travelers are nothing more than livestock, regardless of the amount on your W-2. Frankly, I think it's fan-freakin-tastic that Duhamel was escorted off the flight. And, shame on him for inconveniencing his fellow travelers because of his inflated sense of self and entitlement.

How about you? Do you think celebs should be given a reality check? Are they out of touch due to so much special treatment? Should more of them be escorted off the metaphoric airplane?

Is Suri Cruise Baskin-Robbins' new poster child?

While I was standing in line at CVS, I happened to see this issue of Star in the magazine rack.

The cover features Katie Holmes with her daughter Suri. Now, I didn't intentionally look at it. It was more of a glance as my eyes were headed to the candy bars, but what I couldn't help being blindsided by was the Baskin-Robbins cup.

Notice how the logo is front and center? See how Suri's little fingers do nothing to obscure the big "BR" logo? Now, maybe I'm a skeptic, but within two seconds I was wondering if this was flat out product placement.

Sure, paparazzi do their fair share of photo taking, but in this day and age celebrities have been known to submit their own photos to magazines. As such, I couldn't help but to question whether the Cruise-Holmes family had sold the image to Star. And, if Baskin-Robbins had paid Mrs. Tom Cruise to plant the cup, perfectly mind you, in lil' Suri's clutches.

Ok, I can accept the fact that this is starting to sound a little like a conspiracy theory (and I won't even talk about how Suri's top is pink and matches the Baskin-Robbins' color palate). However, don't underestimate the power of Corporate America, people. Product placement is an art. The goal of this multi-million dollar industry is to subtly make you want something you probably don't need.

Surely, I'm not the only one who thinks that the Baskin-Robbins cup is featured just a little too prominently and a little too perfectly. Or, am I?

Let me hear it, folks! Am I crazy? Or crazy smart? I'll defer to the majority on this one.*

* I can be swayed one way or the other on this topic with a scoop of Baskin-Robbins Cotton Candy ice cream. No, I wasn't paid to say that. But, I suddenly have a craving for it. Weird.

Why media coaching is a MUST before any interview

As someone with a background in public relations and broadcasting, I've done media training for many high-level executives. Conducting an interview is not something someone should take lightly and it should not be assumed that you can just be yourself and it will all be alright. This is magnified ten-fold when the interview is captured on video.

Below is a stellar example of a person who was not adequately prepared to speak with the media. Her eye rolls, laughter, and facial expressions did nothing but discredit her and embarrass her employer. It's shocking that a company as well-known as Gawker, a media outlet itself, would not coach its editor to provide a more competent interview. Especially considering the controversial topic: stalking.

In this day and age where cutbacks are affecting businesses large and small, this is an important reminder that having a full-time, professional PR/communications person on the staff is crucial. When this interview took place, that role had been vacant at Gawker for four months.

Why shop when you can swap?

Today, I took a stand against consumerism. Instead of putting cash into the belly of corporate America, I traded something I no longer wanted, for something I did want.

Russell Brand (you know, the British comic who's dating Katy Perry, played the rockstar in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and is in the upcoming film Get Him to the Greek), hosted a one-day only pop-up and exchange shop in one of Los Angeles' swankiest malls, The Beverly Center. From 2pm until 6pm, people lined up to shop in the Buy Love Here store. The drill: find something you want and then tell Russell what you'll trade him for it. The idea was to promote the re-use of products in a surplus society.

Once you were allowed into the store (they only allowed a few shoppers in at a time), you could select one item to swap. The inventory included a random assortment of wares, including: clothes, shoes, brooms, a tri-cycle, a toaster, a microscope, shower curtains, vases, and my personal favorite, an unused pregnancy test. Over the course of the day, the items changed as people exchanged their item for a store item.

My mom found an old-fashioned box purse she wanted and I found a brand new Guess purse (girls and their purses, right?). By the time we got to the front of the line, the gal said Russell would be busy for 15 minutes and asked if we wanted to wait or just check out with one of the girls. My mom opted for the latter. Big mistake. The girls kept asking my mom to put up more and more of her things to get the purse. She ended up having to trade a bottle of wine, a brand new pair of Crocs, and Gloria Vanderbilt designer jeans for her purse.

No sooner than I was about to step forward, Russell came back and asked what I had found and why I wanted it. Then, he wanted to know what I was prepared to give up and why. I started conservatively and held up a wooden theatrical mask which a neighbor had left behind when he moved. Russell loved my mask and the story I had made up about wearing it to hide my face for two years because I was embarrassed about not having a fancy Guess purse to carry around town. Russell stopped me at my first offering, held the mask up to his face for the cameras, and sent me on my way. Deal made! Obviously, the girls were much harder to please than Russell.

Today's pop-up shop was a one-time deal, but organizers told me it's likely Russell will bring the Buy Love Here store to other cities. Hopefully, they will iron out the kinks to improve the shopping process, though (e.g. I waited more than two hours to get into the store). The event will also be featured in a documentary about happiness that Russell is producing.

So, since Russell let me off easy, I still have a bike helmet, some DVDs, and a beautiful beaded necklace to trade. Who wants to make a deal?

NOTE: Thanks to the always hip JessieBR for posting the event on her Facebook page. If it weren't for Jessie, I'd have no idea how hopelessly un-hip I really am!

Product placement meets Bridezilla

This weekend, my girlfriends and I enjoyed a good, old-fashioned night of chick flicks. One of the films on the playbill was Bride Wars, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. The premise is two best friends get married on the same day and battle each other for guests, entertainment, and all the other wedding necessities (bear with me, gentleman, the girl talk is almost over). Kate's character spends an entire scene mooning over a Vera Wang dress and there is much talk about how crucial the gown is to ensure the wedding is perfect. Enter product placement.

Now, it's not uncommon in the least to have a product receive such obvious attention in a film. What is unusual, however, was the Vera Wang bonus feature on the DVD.

"The Perfect White Dress" selection is a seven-minute piece on the history and prestige of the Vera Wang empire. We learn how Vera started out creating wedding gowns, then went on to designer couture for celebrities, and has now added housewares to her inventory. It doesn't have a 1-800 number at the bottom of the screen, but aside from that it is a infomercial through and through.

I watch a lot of films on DVD and this is the first time I've seen a product from a movie get its own bonus feature. Movie studios pay millions of dollars to get a film onto the silver screen, and having product placement seep over onto the DVD extras is a really smart way to secure additional monies. The advertiser gets to build on the exposure already given in the movie, and the consumer can choose whether or not to consume this extra bit of advertising. Win-win, right?

Although I'm not a fan of product placement, I really like this new approach. I suspect this is just the beginning of a shift in how products are shared with audiences. Oh, and by the way, I used a Kensington keyboard to write this post. If you like how my words look, you can learn more about Kensington products HERE (sorry, I couldn't resist!).

Is there a wrong way to honor Martin Luther King Jr.?

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A national holiday to remember a remarkable man who changed the direction of a country.

In Los Angeles, the city marks the occasion with the Kingdom Day Parade. For the past 25 years, junior high school bands have played and dancers have pranced through the streets to commemorate the life of this incredible man. For as long as I can remember, the local ABC affiliate has pre-empted regular programming for two hours to show the parade live. Since they have that sponsorship title, the ABC talent rides in the parade. The local sports guys wave to the crowd and other reporters swarm the streets. For some reason, this has always seemed slightly inappropriate to me.

In my opinion, it seems like a more fitting tribute to King, a man who was all about social change, would be something more relevant. Perhaps a national day of service where people do something to benefit their community. Or, maybe, a designated moment of silence across the US where people stop to reflect on King's life and influence--and what they can do to make a difference.

This man was gunned down; assassinated. Somehow, a huge Ryder moving truck pulling a flatbed of local newscasters and scantily clad dancers shaking what their mamas gave them just seems like a woefully inappropriate tribute. A man of his caliber, to me, deserves a more dignified remembrance. Something of substance; something with meaning.

Is it me? Am I being too conservative? Is there a right and wrong way to honor a man who was killed because of his quest for social change? Or, is just remembering enough?

When ordinary people become paparazzi

Today, singer Adam Lambert sent out the following tweet:



Shortly afterwards, he sent out these two tweets:



Obviously, with less than one year in the limelight, Adam is new to the world of celebrity. He has maintained an active presence on Twitter and is pretty candid about where he goes and what he does. However, as his star rises, it seems as though he's starting to realize that every ordinary citizen is now an unofficial member of the paparazzi.

In this day and age where nearly everyone has a smartphone, a digital camera, and mobile video capturing capabilities, is anything off limits? Should celebrities consider the invasion of privacy the price of fame? Or has technology and social media destroyed our ability to think of anything as private?

What do YOU think?

U2 gets an A+

A few days ago I wrote about the live webcast of U2's Rose Bowl concert in California. Did you watch it last night? I did. And, for almost three hours the world felt a little smaller—a little closer.

I watched the Twitter scroll on YouTube and saw comments from fans around the globe. People tweeting in different languages, from faraway lands. I also went to Twitter directly, where 33 percent of the trending topics were U2 related. People who were up in the middle of the night on the other side of Earth, watching and tweeting during this spectacular, free concert. Folks who shared something in common; the universal language of music.

Generally big name entertainers see the opportunity to make loads of easy cash by allowing fans to "attend" these mega-events via outrageously-priced, cable pay-per-view shows. But, U2 has never been your run of the mill rock band. Bono continues to push the envelope in such new and exciting ways that it no longer even resembles an envelope.

U2 is a band that practices what it preaches. It's all about inclusion, change, enlightenment, philanthropy, and heart. The webcast was yet another example of that. U2 embodies everything that rock stars should be. Everything that any rock band could be, if they cared a little more about the music and the mission—and less about the moola.

Thanks for a great evening, guys.

Long live the tweet-peat

The new season of Glee starts today. As you may know, it aired just one episode last season and nabbed the prime spot following the season finale of American Idol. However, that was four months ago and Fox obviously needed to re-air that episode before today's premiere. So, it was shown again a few days ago. But this wasn't just your ordinary repeat—it was a tweet-peat!

What's a tweet-peat, you ask? At first glance, you might just think it's pop up video (a.k.a. culture notes) that show small, on-screen boxes with bits of trivia. However, it is much, much more.

Here's how the Glee tweet-peat worked. Fans were invited to tweet with three actors from Glee during the East Coast feed and three different actors during the West Coast show. The boxes that popped up on the TV screen during the show were tweets from those actors (including @replies to fans on Twitter). Again, in real time, both on TV and on Twitter.

As a pop culture junkie with a healthy curiosity about new marketing tactics, I had to participate. For an hour I watched the on-screen tweets and scampered back to my computer during the commercials to look at the tweets on Twitter. And, might I add, my tweet was answered by @MsAmberRiley (Merceded Jones on the show) and shown on TV at 9:46 p.m. (PST), complete with my Twitter username. Very cool.

I have to say, I think this new spin on an old gimmick is a really smart way to engage viewers. It was fun, it was real, it was live, and it gave unprecedented access to the actors.

I give a big thumbs up to Fox on this one.

Gratitude is sexy

Ashton Kutcher landed the profile in this week's Parade magazine. Although I can't really call myself a huge fan (although I did enjoy That 70s Show), this article did make me like him a lot more. He seems grounded, appreciative, and doesn't take his success for granted.

I remember reading another article on Ashton awhile back that said he used to work at a factory where we swept up Cheeto dust (yes, crumbs from Cheetos). Talk about a 180. Perhaps it's those who had humble beginnings who appreciate the good things in life more than the others. Although, really, it's the simple act of appreciation that I find endearing.

I remember watching an interview with John Stamos where he said he was no more talented than the next guy, he was just lucky. No self-indulgent drivel about how great he was; no "I deserve this" garbage that you get from so many actors. He just knew his hard work had to mesh with some good, old-fashioned luck to get him where he is today. And, he appreciated it.

What Ashton and John have is something Paris Hilton will never possess. Gratitude. It's an attribute that cannot be bought, looks good on everyone, and never goes out of fashion.

The legacy of Billy Mays

I know it has been two weeks since Billy Mays passed away, but I still miss him. He was the most credible and captivating pitchman that ever was. If Billy said a product worked, I knew it did.

Today TMZ released a copy of a yet-to-be-seen Billy Mays commercial. It was so good to see Billy in action again as he trumpeted the benefits of Mighty Tape, a self-fusing, silicone rubber tape that withstands heat, cold, and whatever Billy throws at it. It even works underwater! Now if anyone besides Billy told me that, I'd call them a liar.

With Billy gone, who will the world turn to for the latest cleaning and maintenance products? The only other guy out there pitching stuff is the ShamWow guy, Vince Shlomi. However, Vince is hardly the voice of authority and his recent arrest for punching a hooker didn't really help his image. But, in his defense, she was trying to bite off his tongue.

Billy Mays was one-of-a-kind and I doubt any of us with drawers full of Fix-it and Mighty Mendit will ever embrace another pitchman the way we did Billy. He was even buried in a shirt with the OxiClean logo on it. Now, that's loyalty. That's Billy Mays.

Does sex sell?

Today, ABC News wrote an article about sex being used to sell food. We've all seen the TV commercials laden with innuendo. Do people really want a burger because Paris Hilton is washing a car or Audrina Patridge is wearing a shiny bathing suit? I mean, she's fake eating. The only thing she really puts in her mouth is the pineapple.

I know these commercials aren't aimed at me. They're trying to target the single bachelor who is motivated by this approach. But, interestingly enough, I read not too long ago that Carl Karcher, Carl's Jr.'s conservative and religious founder who was ousted as CEO in 1993, had become dismayed over how the company was being marketed. Not that he had any say at that point (and certainly not now, since he passed away in 2008).

Although "Happy Star" is still on the Carl's Jr. logo, I suppose his time as a working mascot is long gone. I mean, how hot can Happy look in a skimpy bikini?