Facebook has 200 million active users, with more than four million joining fan pages each day. And they aren’t just college students. Two-thirds of Facebook users are outside of college. In fact, the site’s fastest growing demographic are those 35 years and older.

As one of the fastest growing social media sites, Facebook can be a great tool for developing a digital relationship with your potential or existing customers. When Abrams Research recently asked more than 200 social media leaders which site they would pay for if they had to, 32.2 percent responded “Facebook.” But Facebook isn’t for everyone.

Some questions to ask yourself before you dive in:
o Does your business have a strong consumer following?
o Are you open to ideas and discussions generated by your fans, whether they are positive or negative?
o Do you have a regular flow of information to share with your followers?

 Several LANE PR clients have taken the plunge and are seeing results:

Dutch Bros. Coffee:
o Nearly 6,000 fans; 23 fan photos
o Consistent interaction with the “Dutch Mafia”
o Promotes Dutch Bros. events, like grand openings, “Dutch Love Day” and nonprofit benefits

Oregon Strawberry Commission:
o More than 800 fans
o Creates awareness for quality of Oregon strawberries versus those from other regions
o Shares news and events regarding Oregon strawberries

Wines from Spain:
o Nearly 300 fans
o Acts as virtual news room with postings of recent Spanish wine articles
o Promotes Wines from Spain sponsored events, like the Great Match

Heathman Hotel:
o Nearly 200 fans
o Expert on what’s happening in Portland, Ore.
o Promotes unique components of the hotel, as well as hotel sponsored events

Not a member yet? Give it a shot! It’s quick and easy – and I’m sure you’ll find yourself addicted in no time, searching for friends, colleagues and (most importantly) brands. If you’ve yet to be sold, let me know and I’ll walk you through it (katie@lanepr.com).

How many people get to help a dog celebrate her birthday at the Heathman Hotel for their job? Not many - and the guestlist will be just as select this May 1, when the Heathman Hotel will celebrate its pet friendly amenities with a birthday party/fashion show for one of America’s most beloved dogs, Zelda.

The bulldog behind Zelda Wisdom, whose iconic costumed images grace cards, calendars, and books and more (with one liners dreamed up by her ex-ad exec owner, Carol Gardner) is turning 13. Zelda has been on Good Morning America and Oprah. But she will share both the limelight and her wardrobe for her birthday, when local celebs bring their own precious pooches to join in the fun.

Together, Zelda and her guests will eat “cake,” “sing” happy birthday, and parade through the Heathman’s Tea Court in Zelda’s famous costumes. Party proceeds will benefit Banfield Pet Hospital, which has just launched a new pet hospice program.

Tickets for Zelda’s Birthday are $100 and available through Banfield Pet Hospital.

There is a burrito cart that I can see from my office window.  This particular cart used to be around the corner and out of site.  I have to admit, I did visit the cart once or twice when it was in the previous location.  I never had to wait in line – just walked right up and gave my order. 

Since the move, the line is often 10 – 15 deep.  Why?  Did he employ a fabulous PR firm? Did he purchase a billboard on 217?  Did he develop a Facebook page, which now boasts 500 “friends?” As you can imagine, the answer to all of these questions is most likely - no.

So why the sudden spike in business?  Location, location, location.  The cart is now within eyeshot of Lincoln High School.  While he still gets a trickling of local business people looking for a quick lunch, the bulk of his new clientele includes the 14 – 18-year-old crowd, clamoring for a big burrito.  A simple move from one corner to another increased his business substantially. 

If people can’t find you, they can’t purchase your product.  This goes for physical location as well as web- based location.  The easier you can make it for a potential customer to find you the better.  From search engine optimization to a targeted social media campaign, making yourself seen is the key to success.

Sunstone Circuits®, the printed circuit board (PCB) prototype solutions provider, was awarded a SMT VISION Award for its PCB123TM design software at the 17th Annual SMT VISION Awards held during the 2009 IPC APEX Expo. The SMT VISION Awards recognize the people and products within the surface mount industry that serve as benchmarks of excellence.

Click here to read the article.

Entrust [NASDAQ: ENTU], a world leader in securing digital identities and information, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Thoma Bravo, LLC in a transaction with a total equity value of $114 million. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Entrust’s shareholders will receive $1.85 in cash for each share of Entrust common stock they hold, representing a premium of approximately 22.4 percent over Entrust’s average closing share price of $1.51 during the 30 trading days ending April 9, 2009 and 25.8 percent over Entrust’s average closing share price of $1.47 during the 90 trading days ending April 9, 2009.

Click here to read the article.

The May issue of Travel + Leisure just hit the stands and the feature story is on the 50 Best New Restaurants in the U.S. (http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/50-best-new-us-restaurants-2009)
The primary themes: affordability, seasonality and connectivity. While some of the highlighted venues are high on the swanky Richter scale, the majority were friendly neighborhood joints with limited seating and small inventive menus featuring local artisan ingredients at fair prices.

To my disappointment, Portland’s representation was negligible. T+L’s one Rose City selection? Beast, (http://www.beastpdx.com/about/) Naomi Pomeroy’s meat-lovers oasis in the city’s Northeast quadrant.

Meanwhile, after several years of (relative) culinary obscurity, Seattle seems to have reclaimed its title as the Pacific Northwest dining destination, snagging seven positions on the coveted list. Featured restaurants include: Quinn’s, Pike Street Fish Fry, Spring Hill, Joule, How to Cook a Wolf, Poppy and Corson Building.

Is Portland’s run as the darling of the national food media over? Or like Seattle, is it our turn to slide into the back seat for a while?

What do you think? Email me at kristen@lanepr.com

Think locally
Smaller regional and community banks typically offer more personalized service and more direct access to key decision makers than the large national banks. And thanks to less exposure to the subprime mortgage mess than many of the larger national banks, smaller banks may be in a better position to lend to entrepreneurs. Yates eventually landed at Umpqua Bank, an Oregon-based bank, which gave Portland Spirit a $3 million loan last year. Yates says he has business, home, and cell phone numbers for Matt Stanley, his commercial banking officer, and speaks with him every couple of weeks. “They know us, and they have taken the time to understand all the ins and outs of our business,” says Yates. “That certainly wouldn’t have happened at a large institutional bank.”

Click here to read the article.

Public Relations Efforts Generate Spanish Wine Sales Despite Economic Downturn
Portland, Ore. – April 6, 2009 – LANE PR, the public relations agency for Wines from Spain, a promotional division of the Trade Commission of Spain, works to increase the awareness of Spanish wines in the United States.  In 2008, nearly 1,300 press articles mentioned or featured Spanish wines, reaching more than 200 million Americans. As a result, both Spanish wine imports and value increased in the U.S. in 2008 as compared to 2007.

Click here to read the article

I attended an FWA event recently where the panel discussion was on corporate social responsibility and microfinance. What was interesting was that the all-female panel represented Citi, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and AMEX.  Financial companies we hear a lot about these days for reasons other than their philanthropic efforts. A couple of points particularly caught me:

• CSR can be a grassroots reputation management tool:  According to some of these panelists, the relationships their companies have built with communities thru CSR have provided them with credible third party validation in not-so-good times. In other words, while everyone is bashing Citi, the bank has real relationships and proponents around the globe — those less fortunate individuals whom they have empowered economically.  This has helped their reputation during a time of corporate turmoil.

• CSR isn’t being cut:  In a time when cutbacks are very popular – be it employee programs and benefits, employees themselves, consultants and other “extras” - CSR programs aren’t taking a hit, at least at these big financial entities, because their value is seen all the way at the top. CSR has become a “strategic asset”.

Living sustainably is often about making smart small choices that add up. But where to start? Check out Ideal Bite – www.idealbite.com. This daily e-mail service offers “bite-sized ideas for light green living.”

It’s quick, clever and might just inspire some simple changes that help the environment and your wallet.

I have stated before that I like technology and the people who are driving its future.   I like their vision, their tenacity and their ability to think outside the box.  Technology is one of the more inspiring industries today.   However, as a marketing person and a communicator, there is some cause for concern. 

I am concerned about the explosion of social media sites and web tools.  It seems to be “build it and they will come” to the ninth degree.  How much money is involved in the development of these sites?   Where are the solid revenue models?  How much overlap is there?  Which sites will gain traction and see pleased investors and which will not?  This reminds me a lot of the late 1990s where the goal was to gain market share at all costs and the revenues would come later.   We all know what happened when that bubble imploded. 

Lately, I have also been exposed to a rash of new, small, well-funded technology companies with innovative products but no ability to sell them.  The first job of a technology CEO is to sell the product.  Once sales are established then the focus can shift to growing the company.  I started my career in retail in the 1970s with another truism:  nothing happens until someone sells something.      

I have an ulterior motive for my concerns and complaints.  I am counting on technology and innovation to catapult the world out of the current recession.  Please listen up.

We all know that, when used correctly, social networking sites (like Facebook) and microblogging services (such as Twitter) can be an excellent means of promoting new products or services and even building brand loyalty.  I am always listening for good examples of how this is being done in the real world, and yesterday, I heard one. A woman was shopping at a local clothier for vacation attire.  As she was ringing up her purchases, the salesperson asked her if she was going somewhere fun.  When she replied “Costa Rica,” the salesperson handed her a card inscribed with the store’s Facebook page and Flickr account. “When you get there, take pictures of yourself in your new clothes and post them to our sites!”  Assuming the woman takes the retailer up on the offer, this clever tactic serves several purposes:

1. The retailer gains greater reach by adding the woman to the retailer’s group of “friends.”  By doing so, the woman has essentially given her permission to receive special offers, messages and news from the retailer.
2. The retailer earns a third party endorsement. 
3. The retailer gives emphasis to its position as a lifestyle brand for jet setters.
4. The retailer has an instant ad campaign without paying travel costs, model and photographer fees.

Another thing the retailer could have done to gain greater involvement?  Incent shoppers to post their photos by holding a monthly drawing for an all-expense paid trip to another exotic locale.