How can I ensure that my blogger relations efforts are in compliance with the new FTC guidelines? _______________________________________________________________ Kayleigh Fitch, blogger relations expert While the FTC’s updated Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising can be complex and difficult to understand in entirety, there are specific and clear guidelines a marketer should be aware of when promoting products and services through blogger relations.

Life is full of choices.Pepsi or Coke? Salad or pasta? Boxers or briefs? Compact or utility vehicle? Answer it or let it roll over? Go out or stay in? Take the over or the under? Call or send an e-mail?

The Detroit Free Press announced earlier this month that the government released a sobering jobs report indicating that the number of unemployed nationally rose by 632,000 people in the month of December to more than 11 million.That's a lot of people, many of whom are experiencing serious repercussions.According to a recent report in the Washington Business Journal, "Two recessions over the last decade have elevated the number of people living in poverty, with nearly half of the increase occurring in the suburbs of the nation’s biggest metropolitan areas, according to a report released Wednesday by the Brookings Institution."People aren't just losing their jobs, they are losing their cars and their houses, even their families.

I feel the need to start off this blog post by giving the disclaimer that I am a loyal Coke fan. Thanks to my college roommate, I refuse to drink Pepsi and scoff at wait staff who try and slip me one when I order Coke.

Do publicity and media relations tactics like news releases and media coverage support organic search engine optimization?

Recently our company was instrumental in the building and construction of a new sustainable retailer.  This new building received a lot of local and trade media coverage; however, our involvement is getting overlooked.  Is it too late for us to get a piece of the pie?  If not, how should we approach the media?

2009 was all about transparency – open communications and honest relationships. No more secrets in a world of social media; give us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. After all, the truth will set us free.Maybe not so much.I read this morning in the Wall Street Journal that the new president of Procter & Gamble plans to introduce 30% more new products this year than last.

I sometimes brainstorm about the next greatest advancements in technology. Internet in the car was something I considered a real possibility, but I just didn’t realize the advancement would come so soon. This week at the Consumer Electronics Show a number of car manufacturers are showing off their dashboards equipped with the Internet.