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02/29/12 March Action Hero: Opera San Luis Obispo

 

02/28/12 Drive Green, Save Money with FunRide

 

02/14/12 Are you in love with your brand?

 

02/10/12 Publicity is not public relations

 

02/06/12 Local Financial Services Professional Earns National Certification

 

02/04/12 Customers Love Rizzoli’s Automotive, AAA Evaluation Says

 

02/03/12 Realities of Social Media Management for Brands

 

02/02/12 Supporting the Chamber, Supporting the Business Community

 

02/02/12 February Action Hero: Friends of the Elephant Seal

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  • 02/29/12 March Action Hero: Opera San Luis Obi...

    Home to lovers, villains, heroes and scoundrels, Opera San Luis Obispo (OperaSLO) is a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing cultural life by entertaining and inspiring its audiences. In March, a newly established “co-opera” combines OperaSLO’s educational outreach programs and Cal …View More

    March Action Hero: Opera San Luis Obispo

    February 29th, 2012 - by nikkiwg

    Home to lovers, villains, heroes and scoundrels, Opera San Luis Obispo (OperaSLO) is a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing cultural life by entertaining and inspiring its audiences.

    In March, a newly established “co-opera” combines OperaSLO’s educational outreach programs and Cal Poly’s learn-by-doing philosophy. The Cal Poly Student Opera Theatre will work closely with OperaSLO Artistic Director Brian Asher Alhadeff in a presentation of “Classic Scenes from Opera and Musical Theatre.” This collaboration gives students valuable stage performance experience and the opportunity to learn from Alhadeff and work with OperaSLO’s professional orchestra and chorus members. Jacalyn Kreitzer will produce and Katherine Arthur will stage direct. Both women are from the Cal Poly Music Department.

    Performances are to take place on March 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and March 10 at 3 p.m. in the Pavilion of the Performing Arts Center.

    OperaSLO has been San Luis Obispo County’s “voice of the opera” for 26 years, and it is the only professional opera company in the area. Founded by Jill Anderson and the late Jean Cook, OperaSLO offers a variety of opera pro­ductions, from familiar favorites such as “La Bohème” and “Tosca,” to more modern and unique works such as “Fidelio” and “Red Cloud.” There is something for everyone who shares a passion for opera and appreciates the artistic unity of each performance.

    For more information about OperaSLO or to make a donation, visit www.operaslo.org. For more information on the “co-opera” performances or to purchase tickets, visit www.pacslo.org or call (805) 756-2787.

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  • 02/28/12 Drive Green, Save Money with FunRide

    By Mark T. Shaffer Car sharing is challenging the traditional car rental model with its increased convenience and lower costs. Some businesses spend a lot of money to maintain a fleet of vehicles to get employees to meetings or make …View More

    Drive Green, Save Money with FunRide

    February 28th, 2012 - by Guest Blogger

    FunRide

    A screenshot of www.MyFunRide.com.

    By Mark T. Shaffer

    Car sharing is challenging the traditional car rental model with its increased convenience and lower costs.

    Some businesses spend a lot of money to maintain a fleet of vehicles to get employees to meetings or make deliveries. FunRide provides an economical way for businesses to continue providing great products and services, without having to manage rising costs associated with a fleet of vehicles, or worse, passing those costs onto consumers.

    We pay for the vehicles, the fuel, the insurance, and the maintenance of all of our vehicles. Members just pay a basic annual membership fee, and an hourly fee whenever they rent a vehicle.

    FunRide offers vehicles to rent by the hour or day and the entire fleet is alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles, reducing transportation costs for businesses, organizations and individuals. With rising gas prices, it makes economical sense.

    How it works

    A business or individual joins FunRide by registering online for a fee as low as $30 a year for an individual. Once you are a member, you get a fob that you put on your key chain.  When you need a car, truck or van, simply log onto www.myfunride.com and reserve any of the 15 vehicles by the hour or by the day. The vehicles are parked throughout the community, so you can reserve a vehicle that is close to your home or work.

    When it is time to use the vehicles, you walk up to the vehicle and hold your fob over the sensor located on the windshield. The door unlocks and the key is in the glove box. You do not have to fill out paperwork and you can reserve vehicles up to three months in advance. You can also schedule a pick-up from your smart phone while standing next to the vehicle.

    Commuters, businesses, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, seniors, visitors, college students and families all use FunRide. When members are done with vehicles, they simply return to the pick-up location. They do not have to fuel or clean the vehicle. The rate is $7.50 an hour and includes fuel for the first 150 miles and insurance.

    How it started

    I started FunRide in 2009 because I wanted to take the car-sharing model and make it green. Car-sharing began in the United States 13 years ago when ZipCar began its service in Boston. This car-sharing model is aimed at large urban areas where many people cannot afford to have a car due to high parking costs. But the FunRide model is designed to work in smaller markets, like San Luis Obispo.

    To see how FunRide can save you or your business money, call our office at (805) 547-2225 or visit us at myfunride.com.

    Mark T. Shaffer is the president and CEO of FunRide, an organization based out of San Luis Obispo, Calif. that started in 2009 and has grown to have a fleet of 15 vehicles, including one in Ventura and one in Santa Maria. For more information about FunRide, visit www.myfunride.com.

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  • 02/14/12 Are you in love with your brand?

    Let’s face it. Any good relationship is built on trust. The same is true for a brand and its relationship with consumers. Let’s take a look at the relationship a brand has with its consumer. The first date Ah the …View More

    Are you in love with your brand?

    February 14th, 2012 - by Whitney Diaz

    Let’s face it. Any good relationship is built on trust. The same is true for a brand and its relationship with consumers. Let’s take a look at the relationship a brand has with its consumer.

    The first date

    Ah the first date. What a wonderful thing. It evokes joy beyond measure and a nervous giddiness that leaves us breathless. When was the last time you felt that way about your brand? Like any good first date, that first introduction to a brand is aimed at captivating you, the consumer, with its vibrancy, confidence, value and style.

    Long-lasting relationship

    True Love Red

    One of our brand's colors.

    The beginning of a beautiful and long-lasting relationship starts with trust. Color, pattern and repetition builds that trust between consumers and the brands they love. One of the colors we use in our Verdin brand is something we like to call “True Love Red.” You can see it in nearly ever piece of collateral or advertising we create for our brand. We have other colors, sure, but this particular red is meant to evoke desire and passion in the consumer. Because we use this color repeatedly either on its own or in patterns with other colors in our palette, consumers begin to recognize the vibrant color as a part of our brand.

    As I said before, any good relationship is built on trust. And trust in a brand is built on understanding the meaning of a recognized pattern. Because patterns are memorable, once understood and applied, a brand’s pattern can actually help that brand grow by creating an efficient and stable model for growth.

    But while your brand’s image creates that initial trust, it’s the message that helps create a lasting relationship with consumers. Branding is the process of creating a consumer-oriented promise, and keeping it. If you want to grow your brand, promises must be kept. Think about the promises your brand has made to consumers and ask yourself if the message is clear and if you’ve kept those promises.

    Your brand is something that should fill you with joy and pride, something you should love wholeheartedly. Are you in love with your brand?

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  • 02/10/12 Publicity is not public relations

    I’m a trained journalist who learned how to do a job from a reporter’s perspective: Be thorough. Report accurate information. Be fair. Remain objective. Be transparent. So when I transitioned to public relations three years ago, I thought I would …View More

    Publicity is not public relations

    February 10th, 2012 - by Whitney Diaz

    I’m a trained journalist who learned how to do a job from a reporter’s perspective: Be thorough. Report accurate information. Be fair. Remain objective. Be transparent.

    So when I transitioned to public relations three years ago, I thought I would have to do everything differently. To a certain extent, that’s true. But I still have that journalism frame of mind and approach to everything I do. The benefit of having a background in journalism is that I know how reporters think. And when you think like a reporter, you can get your news out there.

    Public relations is a form of journalism, but while reporting is more reactive, public relations is proactive. I recently attended a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) seminar, and learned a lot.

    One of the greatest takeaways from the seminar, and something I will continue to tell myself daily, is that publicity is not public relations. Let’s break it down by definition.

    Publicity is defined as “the deliberate attempt to manage the public’s perception of a subject.” (Wikipedia)

    Public relations is defined as “the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics (audiences).” (Wikipedia)

    Like good journalists, good public relations professionals must have a strategy, be transparent, and maintain credibility by providing accurate information from expert sources.

    Public Relations Strategy
    So you wrote that press release, sent it to the media, and the local news covered it. While that may be great exposure, did that local news coverage do what you wanted it to do? If all you wanted was news coverage, you’re missing the point of public relations.

    The greatest thing I learned at the seminar I attended this week was that an organization or company must have an overall public relations strategy, with goals that tie back to the organization’s mission and methods of evaluating your efforts. The idea is to use objectives and a plan that clearly detail how you will reach your goal(s).

    Luckily, there are standards in our industry. Some follow RPIE (the process of research, planning, implementation and evaluation), some follow the four-step approach to marketing (awareness, agreement, acceptance, action).

    Either way, you must have a strategy and plan. Otherwise, you’re just doing stuff. You’re just writing press releases, you’re just making that brochure, you’re just writing that blog. To what end? Figure out what your goals are, then figure out what you need to do to get there. Whether you work in San Luis Obispo or Los Angeles or New York, this applies to your business.

    For help building a customized public relations strategy for your business, or for more information, contact us at verdin@verdinvision.com or call (805) 541-9005.

    • Like you, I am a former newspaper journalist who has stepped into public relations. I have read blogs that state journalists do not make good PR people because, for one, we don't have people skills. That is wrong. Or, we will not take the customer's standpoint seriously because as journalists we are concerned with informing the public. That is wrong too. You are correct when you said publicity is different from public relations. You are right also when you said former journalists know the reporter's mind. For 13 years, I had to decide what is newsworthy on my beat. How many PR people can say they know without a shadow of doubt what is newsworthy? Most of them have never worked in the field. I wish you much success in PR. www.mediaspencer.org

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  • 02/06/12 Local Financial Services Professional...

    Jane Trapp, Assistant Vice President, Compliance Officer and Community Reinvestment Act Officer at American Perspective Bank, was recently awarded the Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) designation from the Institute of Certified Bankers (ICB), a subsidiary of the American Bankers Association, …View More

    Local Financial Services Professional Earns National Certification

    February 6th, 2012 - by Whitney Diaz

    Jane Trapp

    Jane Trapp

    Jane Trapp, Assistant Vice President, Compliance Officer and Community Reinvestment Act Officer at American Perspective Bank, was recently awarded the Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) designation from the Institute of Certified Bankers (ICB), a subsidiary of the American Bankers Association, in Washington, DC.

    Trapp joined American Perspective Bank in 2011, where her primary responsibility is to ensure that the bank is compliant with all banking regulations, and her CRCM designation showcases her level of expertise and experience in that role. Trapp has worked in the local banking industry for over 20 years, most recently at Santa Barbara Bank and Trust.

    She also is an active member of The Rotary Club of Santa Maria and volunteers with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara County. Trapp is a native of Pennsylvania where she attended Bloomsburg State University and studied business administration. She and her husband Craig have lived in Santa Maria for the past 15 years.

    The CRCM designation is awarded to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of bank regulatory compliance. To qualify for the CRCM certification, individuals must have certain levels of experience and education in the compliance profession, pass an exam and agree to abide by a code of ethics. The CRCM exam covers regulatory requirements as they relate to credit, deposits/securities, safety and soundness, information reporting and corporate responsibility.

    Financial services professionals, working through the Institute of Certified Bankers, initiated the CRCM designation and eight others in order to establish meaningful standards of knowledge in specialty areas of the financial services industry. ICB certifications formally recognize those who meet these standards and meet professional continuing education and development requirements.

    The ICB, with 8,000 certified members, provides financial services professionals with confidence, credibility and recognition through its certifications. As a subsidiary of the American Bankers Association, ICB promotes the highest standards of performance in the financial services industry by validating individuals’ knowledge and expertise.

    For more information about the Institute of Certified Bankers and its professional certifications, call (202) 663-5092 or visit www.aba.com/icb.

    About American Perspective Bank
    Since 2007, American Perspective Bank has served commercial enterprises, professionals, real estate investors, family business entities and residents in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. For more information, visit www.AmericanPerspectiveBank.com, or call (805) 226-5300.

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  • 02/04/12 Customers Love Rizzoli’s Automotive...

    Locals in need of auto repairs are sure to have an excellent experience at Rizzoli’s Automotive. In 2011, the longstanding family-run business scored 100 percent in customer satisfaction for its San Luis Obispo location and 97.5 percent for its Santa …View More

    Customers Love Rizzoli’s Automotive, AAA Evaluation Says

    February 4th, 2012 - by Whitney Diaz

    Locals in need of auto repairs are sure to have an excellent experience at Rizzoli’s Automotive. In 2011, the longstanding family-run business scored 100 percent in customer satisfaction for its San Luis Obispo location and 97.5 percent for its Santa Maria location.

    Emphasizing quality customer care for three generations, Rizzoli’s Automotive earns consistently high marks on the American Automobile Association’s (AAA) annual customer satisfaction evaluation.

    “Rizzoli’s has continued to score high on this evaluation for the past seven years,” said Rizzoli’s General Manager Kyle Rizzoli. “We are proud to consistently receive such high marks from this respected organization, and we are even prouder to offer such a high level of service to our customers.”

    AAA holds its approved auto repair facilities to high standards and continually screens and monitors them to assure all criteria are met. Every year, AAA evaluates and scores the customer satisfaction index for all AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities. Respondents are asked to evaluate customer service, professionalism in solving problems, accuracy of estimates, service completion on promised date, and customer loyalty.

    Now in its third generation of family ownership, Rizzoli’s Automotive is the first AAA Auto Repair facility on the Central Coast and has won the most awards for excellence in quality of work and customer loyalty in its AAA network. Rizzoli’s service all car makes and models, with shops located at 2584 Victoria Lane in San Luis Obispo and 1149 W. Tama Lane in Santa Maria. Call (805) 541-1082 for more information, or visit www.rizzolisautomotive.com.

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  • 02/03/12 Realities of Social Media Management...

    People often ask me, “How much time do I need to spend on social media?” And it’s never a simple answer. Before getting started on social media platforms, first ask yourself these key questions. • Realistically, how much time CAN …View More

    Realities of Social Media Management for Brands

    February 3rd, 2012 - by Whitney Diaz

    Social MediaPeople often ask me, “How much time do I need to spend on social media?”

    And it’s never a simple answer. Before getting started on social media platforms, first ask yourself these key questions.

    • Realistically, how much time CAN you spend on social media for your business?
    • How much time are you willing to spend on social media for your business?
    • Who will be engaging your online community? Will you have a designated community manager, or will you be doing it yourself?
    • Are you familiar with popular social media platforms?
    • Are your customers using social media? Which platforms are they using?
    • What do you want to get out of social media for your business?

    For small business owners who don’t have the time or resources to have a dedicated team bolstering their online communities, I say, do what you can. But be realistic. If you can’t spend at least 15 minutes on your social network(s) per day, you probably shouldn’t even have a presence. Period.

    Like with any business endeavor, you have to be willing to invest a little bit of your time and money to get a positive result. The same stands for social media for business.

    The whole idea behind creating a brand presence is to engage users for your business. And if you can’t dedicate the time to do that, you really don’t belong on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.

    The fact is that social media management, or community management as marketers more frequently call it nowadays, takes time and dedication. And it takes a certain amount of knowledge about how social networks work and how users actually use them. It is not the easiest thing in the world to do.

    Business Benefits of Social Media

    I don’t want to scare you away from using social media as a marketing tool for your business. People enjoy social media because it’s fun. And the benefits of social media for brands are endless, really. But here are my favorite benefits for small, local businesses, if they use social media well.

    • ROI: Your brand will still be around in five years. (Socialnomics.net)
    • Create and increase brand recognition, awareness.
    • Increase customer loyalty.
    • Get meaningful feedback.
    • Communicate rapidly.
    • Gain new customers via word of mouth.

    But in order to gain these benefits, you must first commit to social media.

    Repeat after me:
    I (state your name) solemnly swear that if I create a Facebook page/Twitter handle/YouTube Channel/Google+ page/(ENTER social network here), I will check it at least once a day and post a mix of rich content for my community to share. If this means that I need my smart phone on me at all times to post content for my customers, friends and community, then so be it. I will post content regularly, but not too frequently. I will not post sales pitches and expect to gain anything. I will strive to remember that social media for businesses is about relationships, connections and community. Over time, I will build connections that will help increase my brand’s visibility. And above all: I will have fun.

    That felt good, didn’t it? Now repeat that to yourself, every time you feel like you’re in over your head or that you don’t know what you’re doing.

    For more tips on social media for business, please contact me at whitney@verdinvision.com or call (805) 541-9005.

    Browse other articles related to this one by visiting our blog tree: http://verdinvision.com/category/social-media/.

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  • 02/02/12 Supporting the Chamber, Supporting th...

    The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce has been in existence for 107 years. Wow! That’s a long time for an organization to sustain itself, grow with the community and its members, and remain relevant. Aside from stellar leadership, I …View More

    Supporting the Chamber, Supporting the Business Community

    February 2nd, 2012 - by Mary Verdin

    The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce has been in existence for 107 years. Wow! That’s a long time for an organization to sustain itself, grow with the community and its members, and remain relevant.

    Aside from stellar leadership, I think the reason it has continued to do all of these things is our active business community, a group that participates and gives generously of their time to keep the Chamber at the center of the issues, providing insight, guidance and even entertainment (think GMSLO).

    This year, Verdin has three employees who are joining Chamber committees. I will be rejoining the Issues & Evaluation Committee, a fluid committee designed to focus on whatever issues face local business, from changes in federal health care regulations to better lighting downtown. It’s a great way to keep up on what’s going on and to have an active voice.

    Whitney Diaz will be joining the Technology Advocacy Committee. Whitney is our Social Media Strategist and PR Coordinator, and she focuses on all things digital. It’s a perfect fit. She’ll offer a valuable perspective and she’ll have fun participating!

    To support our tourism clients and keep us in the middle of San Luis Obispo County’s largest industry, Ashlee Akers will rejoin the Tourism Council. This committee brings together all the wonderful things that attract visitors to the Central Coast, and make us want to live here.

    We look forward to the year to come, lending our expertise and enjoying being in the center of things! Be sure to stay abreast of the Chamber’s happenings this year – there are sure to be many things that will interest you and affect your business.

    We all help out other community organizations as well, because we know giving back to the community helps us all.

    It’s important for local businesses and their employees to be actively involved in their community. Now more than ever, nonprofits need your support and involvement. Find your passion outside of work and donate time, money or materials to a great local community organization.

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  • 02/02/12 February Action Hero: Friends of the...

    Friends of the Elephant Seal (FES) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating people about elephant seals and other marine life and teaching stewardship of the ocean. FES has served San Luis Obispo County and its friendly volunteers and docents …View More

    February Action Hero: Friends of the Elephant Seal

    February 2nd, 2012 - by Whitney Diaz

    Friends of the Elephant Seal (FES) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating people about elephant seals and other marine life and teaching stewardship of the ocean. FES has served San Luis Obispo County and its friendly volunteers and docents have interacted with more than one million visitors since its inception.

    In 1997, the FES began as a result of the rapidly growing elephant seal colony at Piedras Blancas. The area was set aside specifically for the elephant seals, allowing people to view them freely. The viewing area is located directly off of Highway 1 with a nearby parking lot.  Visitors and tourists have the opportunity to watch the seal activity safely from the bluff and stand only feet away from these magnificent animals. There is no admission charge. Currently, the elephant seal colony has grown to approximately 16,000 and about 4,000 pups are born every year.

    February is an exciting month at the elephant seal viewing site at Piedras Blancas. Visitors and tourists get to see females nursing their newborn pups and males fighting for mating rights.  Females are forced to protect themselves and their pups if an unwelcome male approaches and long, brutal fights may occur.

    Volunteer docent guides, dressed in bright blue jackets, are available to answer questions every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    For more information on elephant seals, what FES does, and how to become a volunteer or docent, visit www.elephantseal.org or call the visitors center at (805) 924-1628.

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