Brands are strengthened by employees having a voice online

BBQ Chain Smokey Bones Turns Staff Into Hosts of Web Communities With Thousands of Followers. Visit: http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=137595

Etiquette for Displaying the U.S. Flag

With Independence Day around the corner, we thought it would be appropriate, and helpful, to share etiquette tips for displaying Old Glory outside your restaurant, corporate office or at home.

1. Two or more flags displayed on one pole - The U.S. Flag should always be at the top of the pole, in position of honor. So if you are displaying a flag for a club, organization, or city flag from the same pole, they should be below the U.S. Flag.



2. Displaying the U.S. Flag against a window or wall - The blue field (also called union) of a flag, should always be to the viewer's left.



3. Multiple Flags on Multiple Poles - The U.S. flag should be placed to the extreme left as the flags are most frequently viewed. This is the position of honor.



4. U.S. Flag flying with flags from other nations - Each flag should be the same size and displayed at the same height.



5. Flying at Half-staff - Half the distance from the top to the bottom of the flag pole. If more than one flag is flying, measure the length from the top of the first flag to the bottom of the last. Align the center point of the flag group with the center point of the pole. If your flag is mounted on a wall and cannot be flown at half-mast, it is appropriate to tie a black mourning ribbon above the flag.

Below are flag flying holidays for the remainder of 2009:

Independence Day - July 4

Labor Day - first Monday in September

Patriot Day - (fly at half staff)- September 11

Columbus Day- Second Monday in October

Navy Day - October 27

Marine Corps Day - November 10

Veterans Day - November 11

Thanksgiving Day - Fourth Thursday in November

Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Day (half staff) - December 7

Christmas Day - December 25

I Blankin' Love This Video

Products are built in factories. Brands are built in the minds of consumers. Enjoy this short video on the power of the relationship between brand and consumer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaJu89iyEhw

Looking for TasteCasters in the Phoenix Market

Let's Eat and Tweet!

TasteCasting is a growing team of socially networked, and social media savvy people that establishments invite to attend a complimentary tasting. In exchange the TasteCasting team broadcasts to their collective network of friends, followers, and linked connections using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, WordPress, Flickr, and more. The cameras, Flip video, camcorders, smartphones and more tell a complete store about the establishments menu, the taste, small, the recipes, ingredients, the specials, history and overall experience.

Do you live in the Phoenix metro area and have at least 250 contacts in your social network? Want to eat, tweet, and retweet? If so, find and more about TastCasting by visiting http://www.tastecasting.com/. To sign up as a TasteCasting member visit www.tastecasting.com/reviews/create-a-team. Simply fill out the fields and we’ll get in contact with you. Our first tasting to take place in July.

Tips on Successful Cross Promotion

Summer is a good time to execute a collaborative effort between you and another business or organization on a cross promotion. If you are a upscale restaurant consider partnering with a boutique who wants to produce a fashion show in your lounge. If you are a fast casual concept with fundraising programs available, consider reaching out to a local non profit for a fundraising night this summer. The purpose for both entities should be; a) tapping into each other's core customer base and making a personal connection, and b) for the purpose of providing value to each other's customers.
To get started, identify retail businesses that are non-competitive to your product or service and who share a similar customer base as you.

Here are some tips on implementing a successful cross promotion:

1. Promote the event at each of your business through small signage inside the four walls or small cards.


2. Each partner should commit to posting the event on Twitter, Facebook fan page, Yelp, e-mail database, and your website beginning 3 weeks prior to the event.


3. If budget allows, share ad space in your community newspaper. Or better yet, if there is a social page that pre-promotes events, write the reporter well in advance.


4. If the event is off-site, give out samples of your food. And hand out a special offer bouncing people back into your restaurant within a 2 week period.


5. Host a drawing for dinner for four. This will allow you to capture names to add to your social network and database. Most importantly, you can begin a real dialogue with new customers.

The success of a cross promotion is all in the execution; from pre-promotion to the night of the event to post stories. Take digital video of your event and post on YouTube, write about the night on Twitter the next day, post photos on your Facebook fan page, and send an e-mail to all in attendance thank them for participating.