It’s all over the media…a Texas man camps out a week early for the iPhone 4. Makes you wonder…several things…

1. Did he take a “Camping Trip” vacation week from his job? I guess you can’t really call in sick a whole week with attention like this.

2. He’s been first in line for the iPhone Two Years Running…this will be the Third Year. Is he iPhone’s biggest fan?

3. Should Apple fork over a free phone for all the publicity he’s receiving in the media giving the iPhone 4 even more media attention?

4. Has technology really taken us to these extremes?

5. Remember when showing up at 3am for an after Thanksgiving sale was extreme?

6. Wonder if this guy is married or has any kids? “Honey, kids…I’ll be down at the apple store if you need me, in my tent, all week. Don’t forget to eat all your vegetables and brush your teeth before you go to bed!”

7. Does he ever let anyone borrow his phone? The one he stood in line a week for?

8. Does it get the best case and screen protector money can buy?

I could go all day…but I have to stop. Lots of work to do. Happy Monday!

At the NAJ Summit East conference this morning, Jennifer Barbee spoke to the audience of tour operators and destinations on the East Coast about international search and social strategies. Specializing in marketing strategies for destinations, JB’s presentation spoke to the power of SEO across multiple platforms outside of the web site…Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Press Releases, Flickr and more. JB also feels very strongly that a multi level search strategy is necessary when marketing your destination both domestically and internationally. With such topics as “Search Marketing is Forever Changed.” and “Don’t Write Keyword Checks Your Site Can’t Cash”, the discussion was flowing as the latest trends in international search strategy and social dominance was covered. Thanks to all the attendees that attended Jennifer’s presentation at NAJ Summit East this morning!

A quick look at how to handle the micro level of Crisis response to the oil spill for destinations.

45 days and counting.

Thousands of destinations on alert.

24.5 Million Search Results for Oil Spill.

And, at the end of the day, we (agencies and destinations) are responsible for how we handle this on a micro level.  However our common denominators, this is the time to seek the unique – our voice, our message and our response to each community.

I’m not going to pontificate political or otherwise on the missed efforts, the government response, or the like.  These, for any of us are just opinions on things that we cannot control and have no say over.  What we can do is start to think on the micro level.  It will take each of us quick thinking, smart and truthful marketing and a little ol fashioned ingenuity to tell each of our stories and protect our assets, better inform tourists and leverage the things that make us …well, us.

“Worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum…”

This is not the first time, and certainly not the last that our industry is faced with many unknown factors and the response of the public.  Like a crisis that arises in your life, and to quote Baz Lurhman (Everybody’s Free (to wear sunscreen) class speech remix, 99.)

“The real troubles in your life are apt to be those that have never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.”

We all have crisis communications plans in place for those natural disasters that may hit any of our destinations on a regular basis (Hurricane being the most prominent).  Can these be adapted to something unprecedented? Yes and No.  How you respond might be similar – but what you respond to, leaves a thousand choices for us to work through at lightning speed.  The Oil Crisis is officially 45 days and counting.  During those days, a lot of us have been “.. go .. no wait….ok ..now GO .. no, wait.”  Kinda hard to know when and how to respond to a disaster both natural and manmade, and certainly we can’t predict the impact and when (and if) the oil will hit certain areas.  Like one of the clients I had worked with in the past, received calls for Leaf Peeping (What time and day do the leaves change color?)  Even with our positive assets – no way to predict the path that Mother Nature guides anything. This is a day by day situation that needs attention and tweaking as it evolves, or devolves in so many ways.

How do you handle a crisis online with unknown variables like this?  When will it hit?  Will it hit?  What’s the local impact, what’s the civic duty, etc.  Here are some of our tips for how to handle the Oil Spill crisis with grace, ease and doing your damndest to get out real, true information to those who are tainted by media uproar.

1. Hyper-Responsive and INFORMED

• This is a no-brainer.  Don’t sit back to see what happens.  Consider information as fast as it’s available and work with your teams to provide several planning opportunities to know what is going on where, when and how.

2. Plant seeds and WORK your fan base

• If you are a beach destination, you already have raving fans, memories in them from warm days and happy times.  Talk to them via your social efforts on a real person-to-person basis, ask them to spread the REAL word about the impact or lack thereof.  They want those memories preserved, unspoiled and will help you do what it takes to make sure future and past visitors know the skinny.

3. Consider ALL angles, leave no stone unturned, and no one offended.

• Who are the affected parties in a situation like this?  Locals, Businesses, Tourists, environmental groups, etc.  Consider how any of these parties might view your marketing messages, how does it positively emotionally impact them?  Then seek out their chatter, where are they talking online?  What are they sounding off about? Also of each group, are there micro groups to be considered? Group Planners, Foodie Tourism, etc.  Keep mining as long as your time allows.  Thank goodness for Google, finding these with the right keywords should be easy.

4. Show n Tell

• I know a lot of destinations who have turned on web cams .. and some who have turned them right back off.  Better to SHOW in a realistic way what is up, than leave it to the media to show the “carnage” for ratings.

5. Place media where the uninformed articles show up

• Sometimes media goes dark in a crisis and that’s the right thing to do.  You also don’t want your message to appear to be “tacky” during a calamity. But one of the tricks of our trade is to use contextual advertising to tell your story in a positive way if possible.  Keep tourism up as much as you can.  Consider mining out places where these discussions are happening and reuse your fan comments on why you are still good, and people should continue and make travel plans.  Beside the articles that prey on the headlines, be truthful and stay in front of those readine.

6. DO NOT take advantage of the situation at the expense of any other market.

• If your neighbor is affected, please don’t be anything but supportive from a regional approach.  Remember this might be you, and not only is it in poor taste.  It turns off tourists.

7. Agency beware:  don’t call on non-clients hoping for a piece of the action.

• All the articles are coming out at record speed about how much additional dollars destinations are getting to help market the message and retain tourism, jobs and the like.  If it’s not your account.  Keep your phone down.  If they need you and know about your ability, they will call.  Don’t prey.

8. Don’t make assumptions on anything you have no control over.

• You cannot promise anything at this point about your beach or the next.  Many well-informed scientists have that job – stick to yours.  If you are quoting predictions, source it.  If you don’t you will be sorry when you are holding the bag for reckless assumptions.

9. Remember you are more than the sum of your parts.

• The town, the community is more than the beach.  There is a vibe, a personality a reverberating memory of a special wedding, a family reunion, a much needed family vacation.  Coming off of a (debatable) recession and all of us working (on average 55+ hour) work weeks.  We need off.  Cater to our emotional and time starved triggers, and you can market the assets of your city besides that that may be affected with unknown impact, etc

10. Give Back.

• Nuff Said.

What JB Inc is doing for oil crisis clients.  We have a few new scopes of work for some of the affected destinations.  We are doing a few things to make this both an actionable marketing plan and also do our duty as PART of this industry, and not apart from it.  Kristen has reduced our commission on oil spill related media buys, negotiating better rates with participating (thank you!) partners, Drew and Hannah are working on firming up the charities we can work with to help with clean up, if necessary and preserving the jobs and industry that depend on clean water and wildlife.  And we are here, talking to others that are dealing with the same, listening to the states, the media and the horses mouth.  At the end of the day, though – we are working to empower our clients and provide johnny-on-the spot advice from every angle our experience and our knowledge can suggest.  Certainly hope these tips helped out.   But, regardless of extra funding or not – it is our job to take care of our own.  Focus on the micro and those that believe in you, worked of mouth is more important than ever since the media is also so much under scrutiny.  It’s ask a friend.  The spill is for all of us to clean up.  One thought, one campaign, one volunteer effort and one concentration on mitigating loss and concentrating on the positive truth at a time.

A recent article on Career Builder titled “Do you get e-mail rage?“, offers some great tips to anyone dealing with a mass amount of email where one of many might trigger a not so nice tone. We’ve heard these helpful tips before…step back from the computer, take a minute to relax and think before you start typing back and vent to someone next to you, not in writing. These are great to keep close to you when dealing with a lot of email on a daily basis.

A similar management issue we see all the time is email control. We are all so tied to our email, no matter where we are. We feel that because our smartphones capture that email as soon as it’s sent, and we have that email on our mobile device no matter where we are, that we should respond immediatly. Sometimes, the response time is not as important as the thought that went into the response. Before you fire off a response to an email that came into your mobile device while you were checking out at the market, evaluate a few key factors into the best response possible from you. Afterall, this email, no matter how fast you responsed, will forever be in writing and no one will be remembering how quick you responded. They will however, remember what you said.

Questions to ask yourself before you respond:

1. How urgent is this email?

2. If after-hours, how important is it that I respond now? Can it wait until the am?

3. Do I need to respond with information that I should look into first?

4. Would my mind be clearer with more precise feedback if I waited to respond a later time in the day?

5. Is my schedule for email better suited at allocated times during the day? Meaning, should I respond per email or should I allow a concentrated time for email depending on my day’s tasks.

To a healthier and happier email relationship.

The internet has done wonders for the world at large. It has changed commerce, communication, research … and so many other elements of our day-to-day existence.

But, and this is a big BUT, the internet cannot take the place of face to face interaction. This is a key factor to remember. The smartest social networking strategies take this into account. After all, it’s great to make contacts via Twitter and build a “like” base via Facebook … but meeting these contacts in person will build connections that are ten times stronger.

Why do you think Tweet Ups are so popular? It takes the convenience and coolness of an online venue and adds the invaluable element of in-person socialization. Even though we live in the digital age, human beings still crave the warmth and comfort of mingling with their fellow man.

Most heavy internet users are your average everyday man or woman, looking to build connections, make friends, network. The best strategy is an integrated strategy – which means a healthy balance of in-person communication and digital interchange. There are some things that cannot be communicated via email, Skype or Twitter.

We’re having a JB Inc. strategy meeting this week in NYC. Our team will spend a lot of time talking, planning, and brainstorming, and out of these 5 days will come a whole host of new ideas, breakthroughs and team accomplishments. While have some remote team members has suited us extremely well (given that we’re a close-knit group), these uninterrupted in-person sessions are completely invaluable when it comes to staying on track as a company.

If your organization is remote and spends a lot of time communicating digitally – think about initiating a quarterly get-together. Or, if you have lots of Twitter followers – make time for a Tweet-Up. You’ll be amazed at the connections  you make, and the fresh, brilliant ideas that start popping up!

As interactive experts, we spend a LOT of time on the web. This means our expertise stretches beyond the realm of web marketing, and really encompasses all things internet – including online shopping. Let’s just say we know where to go for some of the best deals in cyberspace…

So, in the spirit of sharing, here are a fabulous few sites that’ll help you keep tight rein on your recession budget!

Woot.com – Serving up one daily item at an amazing price – from blu ray players to designer watches and everything in between. The site even has special Woot happy hours in certain cities – and who doesn’t love a good cocktail with your daily deal?

WarbyParker.com – Some Wharton grads created this site to bring affordable glasses directly to the consumer. All pairs are just $95 (lenses included), and for every pair purchased, they donate a pair to people in need. And the frames are stylish and flattering, to boot.

Groupon.com – Centered around the notion of “collective buying power” – Groupon offers a daily coupon for something cool to do, at an amazing price. The catch is that you only get the deal if enough people buy into it (incentive to pass it along to friends) … but if they do, you can score some terrific bargains! Recent deals have included electrolysis treatments, car washes, dinners, dances classes & more.

DailyCandy.com – Ok, so technically this site doesn’t always deliver deals – it’s a conglomoration of all the hottest new trends, events, deals & more in your local city. If it’s hot, Daily Candy knows about it. An absolute must-read for anyone in the know. And yes, you can score some fabulous bargains & offers here, too.

Overstock.com – Not exactly a secret, but this site is still the reigning king when it comes to great bargains on everything from clothes and accessories to furniture and electronics. And you can’t beat $2.95 shipping!

Hope you enjoy these little gems as much as we do – happy shopping!

It’s Official! Jennifer Barbee, Inc.’s new office in New York City will officially open in March 2010 and will act as our new headquarters at JB Inc. It’s been a long process but we are so excited to officially get into the mix of our friends, colleagues and partners in the Big Apple. With a remote office since April 2009 in New York, we have created amazing campaigns and results with other agencies and media in NYC. It feels like our home and we are thrilled to soon be able to call New York City home. With new projects kicking off in 2010, including our DotCom Diva Unplugged series beginning in March as well, we are backed by a strong team and strong partners that helped us get this far. Through the DotCom Diva series beginning in early 2010, we are focusing our work and education on being a part of empowerment within our women community. Bringing together a group of inspiring experts in the fields of life coaching, meditation, holistic healing, nutrition and intuitive energy, we are combining the essential web education and wellness techniques and moving to strip away the layers of built up stress, tactical thinking and missed lunches to reveal the core in all of us. Women+Web+Wellness is our new mantra for 2010 as we make our way into the city that never stops working.

Jennifer Barbee, Inc. is kicking off our 2010 NYC move with myself acting as “Master of Ceremonies” at the Educational Travel Conference in Providence, Rhode Island February 3-6, 2010. Hope to see you there!!

Contact us to learn more about how you can be involved in the DotCom Diva Unplugged series in 2010.

It’s such an amazing time of year. Santa, Christmas cards, snow and a lot of magic. We like to think that Santa is out there…existing in all the magic that makes this season so much fun and joyful. We like him so much, he’s a guest on our web site. http://www.jenniferbarbeeinc.com.

With the wintery weather that hit the Northeast this weekend, we would like to take a moment and say drive safe and if flying, we hope you get to your destination with your spirits in tact. It’s the busiest travel time of the year. A great article was posted this morning by a Philadelphia Newspaper entitled “Winging It: Up in the Sky, a Real Holiday-Season Miracle.” Couldn’t have said it better.

Our team at Jennifer Barbee, Inc. wants to wish all of you out there a very Happy Holiday and Prosperous New Year!!

The holiday season is kicking into overdrive, which means it’s about time to bust out those shopping lists and blow our yearly bonuses on our friends and loved ones!

And for the tech-savvy within your circle, there’s no need to spend exorbitant amounts on expensive tech products. Let’s face it, the true techies will already have the latest and greatest, the top tech gadgets. It’s like trying to buy wine for a sommelier – they’re the experts, let them handle the heavy lifting.

The best strategy? Pick up some cutting edge tech accessories to go along with their top tech gadgets, and you’ll leave friends and loved ones thrilled with your thoughtfulness.

Not only that, these terrific products are all under $50, so you don’t have to break the bank during tough holiday times. Shop on!

1.    Wii Sports Resort – So much fun, they’ll work off Christmas dinner in no time!

2.    Logitech QuickCam Deluxe Webcam for Notebooks – Help your loved ones keep in touch visually (and enjoy the joys of Augmented Reality, to boot!) .

3.    Droid Skinomi TechSkin Screen Protector – For early adopters of the hot new Motorola Droid, give them protection they can feel secure about – made with the same material used to protect the space shuttles

4.    USB Cell Rechargeable Batteries – They’ll never get stuck with a dead Playstation remote again, as these batteries can be re-juiced through a standard USB! Plus, these are oh-so green!

5.    Ecopad Paperless Notepad – Paper is so 20th century. Appeal to your green buddies and given them the gift that keeps on giving – a reusable notepad, no trees required.

6.    Mittenberry – Are thick mittens giving your friends the Blackberry blues? Winter gear can really mess with texting skills . . . but have no fear, the Mittenberry is here! These toasty mittens have flaps that flip down to allow bare thumbs access to any PDA, a totally fun and useful option among tech accessories.

7.    Custom Kindle Skin – Create a custom Kindle skin, for that voracious reader on your gift list! Add pics of cute kittens, fiery drag races or Lady Gaga – whatever floats their boat.

8.    Juice Bar Portable Solar Charger – It doesn’t involve juice … other than the electric kind! Charge your cell with a few rays of sunshine, or through USB.

9.    I luv i189 Speaker System – Let them charge their iPods and listen to tunes in surround sound, simultaneously. Not bad.

10.    The Sharper Image Charging Valet – Know someone with so many devices, they’re never uplugged? This charging dynamo allows you to charge 3 different devices from one plug. How convenient!

So pick up these tech accessories for those in your savvy circle, and you’ll see smiles all around this holiday season!

And your budget will be feeling pretty merry, too …

Happy Holidays to all, from Jennifer Barbee Inc!

There are times in this life when you know exactly why you are here and what you were put on earth to do.  This is one of those times for me, and I am forever grateful.  I am here to intake and release.  When I re-entered the industry under my own name, there was a lot to consider.  I felt a little like a mosquito in a nudist camp.  I knew what I ought to do, but I didn’t know where to begin.

I have come to find JB Inc.’s success in learning  that my unique contribution to the industry is one of motivation: one visitor, customer, colleague at a time.  I’m here to learn and develop the most creative aspects of new media and release and coach my clients, colleagues and many friends who attend our conferences and seminars.  I look back and think about the “pass it on effect” from my agency clients, to my professional coaching . . . I can truly feel proud that we have passed it on and affected more than just those from whom we’ve earned a paycheck.

I can laundry list the awards, contracts and “material” things that make JB Inc successful , and I am grateful for that abundance.  My tiny consulting firm continues to flourish against odds that would make even Kenny Rogers walk away from the gambling table.  I’m grateful even more for the talented team that made those achievements possible.  But, I’m always looking at tomorrow, for my team, my children, my family, my clients.   How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I am committed to?  I listen.  I’m thankful that I have the discernable ability to listen to what is needed, and use our talent to create solutions.

I’m blessed to have my family.  The little ones in the house, the big one by my side, and all the others that make work feel like home.

Oh, yea – and thanks Internet . . . I’m always appreciative for the life you have afforded us.