No, not an evolution throughout the centuries. I’m talking about the evolution of Halloween costumes through the different stages of life.  It seems like Halloween means a little something different to everyone depending on what age you are…

Babies
Clearly you have no say in your costume. Parents will basically dress you in whatever will look cutest when they show off photos to friends. Like this poor little stinker…
 

Kids
This is when Halloween dressing starts to get a little competitive because you want to have the coolest or scariest costume in school that day. It’s also when you discover the gloriousness that is Trick or Treating. 

Teens
Teenagers usually have a falling out with Halloween.  You are too cool to wear a costume, unless of course someone’s parents are out of town in which case there may be an exception.

College kids
Halloween makes a comeback, in a very ridiculous, often shall we say risqué way. And there’s always the celebrity costume trend of the year: 2007 was the year of Amy Winehouse and 2008 was all about sexy Sarah Palin. I’m going to take a wild guess that this year will be a toss-up between Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson.

Adults
Although costumes may not be the wildest, they are definitely the most unique. Plus, you can finally splurge!  I personally am a big fan of the Kate Gosselin wig…

Here at Hunter PR, we’re having a little celebration of our own, complete with a costume contest, treats, and a pizza party. Feels like I’m back to being a kid again…

Last night, I attended a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) seminar with a panel of notable food bloggers that included editors from AOL Food, The Nibble, The Food Section and Apartment Therapy. One of the hot discussion topics was whether or not the abundance of food blogs caused Gourmet Magazine to fold.  The general consensus was that it was strictly a business decision based on lost advertising revenue, falling readership and the cost of paper. In my opinion, falling magazine readership could be a result of the wide variety of high-end “foodie” content, including recipes, now available for free online.

The panel of bloggers also gave their view on the current at-home cooking trends, which included:

- Quality, healthy eating

- Celebrity Chefs

- Gluten-free cooking

- Using bacon in unique recipes (Example: Chocolate Chip cookies with Bacon)

- Slow cookers and slow cooked recipes

- DIY Ingredients (Example: Salad Dressing)

- Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes

A question was raised over how the recent FTC Disclosure Policy would affect food bloggers.  All of the bloggers talked about adding a tagline to their blogs with a disclaimer about where many products came from.  While these bloggers do receive and review products from marketers, they also write about products that they find at their local grocery stores. One blogger, for example, said that she goes to the store to buy the products that she’s writing about, to ensure that her readers will be able to purchase them.

The panel also discussed how unfair they thought it was that the new FTC Disclosure Policy does not extend to newspapers. The bloggers claimed that their traditional media counterparts often receive free products, just like they do, yet they are not regulated.

Overall, the seminar provided useful insight into the world of a food blogger. As social media continues to gain momentum, it is important that we adapt our traditional public relations methods when communicating to social media content providers. Just like journalists working at traditional media outlets, bloggers are media content providers. Thus, PR should lead the way in establishing meaningful relationships with bloggers, as well as those providing content on Twitter, Facebook and other social media vehicles.

Megan

Last week I joined four Hunter’s for the Kelly Clarkson concert at Hammerstein Ballroom. I must admit, I like Kelly, but my dear friend and colleague Michael LOVES her. I was excited to hear live music, but was also excited to watch Michael belt out the lyrics to “Since U Been Gone.”

With our general admission tickets in-hand, we huddled into the sea of people, anxiously waiting for the action to begin. Eric Hutchinson was the evening’s opening act. The Billy Joel-esqe singer engaged the crowd with six songs from his debut album, including the crowd favorite “Rock & Roll.”

When Eric exited the stage, we waited in anticipation for the woman of the hour. After swapping favorite Kelly songs with fellow fans, the pink curtain dropped and we didn’t stop singing for the next hour and a half! She sang the best tracks from her current album as well as a few classic favorites. Highlights included a mashup of Alanis Morissette’s “That I Would Be Good” and Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” and a cover of The White Stripe’s “Seven Nation Army.”

I knew going into the show that Kelly has a great voice, but the American Idol winner blew me away! I think its safe to say that Reba McEntire, who watched the show from the front row, was also thoroughly entertained. I glanced over at one point to see the country crooner recording a video on her cell phone.

Jennie

Last week I attended a book signing for “Eat Your Feelings” Recipes for Self-Loathing by Heather Whaley at Powerhouse Arena in DUMBO.  Whaley did a reading and discussion with John DeLucie, Executive Chef of the Waverly Inn, and the two told great stories about their favorite comfort foods.  DeLucie also shared some gossip, from the celebrity hot spot where he works, such as Jay Z being a great tipper, and that his staff really likes Mariah Carey, but is not too fond of Madonna.

During the event there was a contest featuring three of the recipes in Whaley’s book:  Hamburger Casserole for When Nobody Loves You and Never Will, Foreclosure Fiesta (aka Guacamole recipe) and Drunk and Disorderly Donut Pudding.  Guests who participated put a personal twist on her recipes and the winner received a reservation for two at the Waverly Inn—had I known how amazing the prize would be I totally would have participated!

The recipes in the book are tongue-in-cheek and in addition to the ingredients, they include “real life” ingredients.

It got me thinking of what my favorite comfort foods are and what my recipes for “self-loathing” would be.  The first one that came to mind is my delicious and couldn’t-be-easier-to-prepare Hash Brown Casserole. This recipe first became a hit while I was in college and went back home for Thanksgiving.  My friends from high school had a tradition where we got together for a potluck the day after Thanksgiving and the casserole was the only dish served where every last crumb was gone.   Check out my recipe served Whaley’s way below:

Thanksgiving Hash Brown Casserole for Potluck with friends when they have nothing to bring to the table:

·      1 package Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns

·      1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Fat free Campbell’s cream of chicken soup

·      2 cups (8 ounces) Kraft Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

·      3/4 cup Fat free sour cream

·      3 old friends who are now acquaintances

·      1/4 cup chopped onion

·      A handful of questions to keep in your back pocket for small talk

·      Salt and pepper to taste

Topping:

·      1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted-divided

·      1 1/2 cups corn flakes, coarsely crushed

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 quart glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray*. In large bowl combine all hash brown ingredients; mix well. Spread into prepared baking dish.

2. In small bowl stir together topping ingredients. Spread topping evenly over Hash Browns. Bake 45 minutes or until hash browns are tender.

3.  Pull out the basic 5 questions (How are you?, What have you been up to?, Are you seeing any one?, How’s work?, How is your family?) out of your back pocket if you encounter awkward silence with someone who used to be your “best friend” but now you can’t relate to.

* An 11x7-inch rectangular or 8-inch square-baking dish can be used.

For years this was my signature dish, and then in 2005 I decided to spend Thanksgiving in NYC—everyone was crushed.  Not because I wasn’t attending and they wouldn’t see me, but because there wouldn’t be any Hash Brown Casserole.  A friend asked for recipe and tried to replicate, but sadly it wasn’t the same and that was the last potluck.  I’d like to think it was my absence and the imposter casserole that ended the almost ten year tradition.  In any case, every time I make this I can’t help but think of good times with old friends.   

Annette

Check out Heather’s blog and some of her recipes: http://eatyourfeelingsrecipesforselfloathing.blogspot.com/

It’s hard to overstate how social media is transforming the PR business. In 2008, Twitter was barely on the radar screen. Less than a year later, Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres now have more Twitter followers than the entire populations of Ireland, Norway and Panama! Since my wife is a nurse, I had always associated SMR with “Standard Metabolic Rate.” Now when I hear this acronym, I immediately think “Social Media Release.”

It ain’t easy keepin’ up with the “social media Joneses.” Becoming an expert in social media means staying on top of social networks, blogs, viral video, SEO, RSS, digital apps, online communities, measurement & monitoring, legal & ethical considerations — the list goes on and on…New issues crop up every day. Social media is simultaneously overwhelming and exhilarating, depending on the day (and sometimes the hour!).

As social media continues to evolve, I believe there’s at least one constant. When it comes to leveraging the enormous power of social media, PR is the marketing function best equipped to take the lead. Why? Well for starters, PR practitioners are trained in the principles of dialogue (two-or many-way communication), rather than monologue (one-way communication). And PR is all about the “soft sell,” and so is social media. For more reasons why PR should assume the pole position in the social media marketing mix, check out the op-ed I recently wrote in Bulldog Reporter’s Daily Dog.

Happy friending, tweeting and posting to all!

Jason