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# Jeff Rutherford

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [Sugaridoo Bernina Quiltalong from 2019 - working on it again](http://jeffrutherford.com/sugaridoo-bernina-quiltalong-from-2019-working-on-it-again/) - In 2019, Irene, a Dutch quilter, partnered with Bernina for her Sugaridoo Bernina Quiltalong. The links, patterns, and YouTube videos are still there, so if this catches your eye, dive right in. I loved the bold, modern row-by-row pattern. As is typical for my quilting, I sewed a couple of rows of the quilt, and
- [Bonnie Hunter's Annual Mystery Quilt -  Chilhowie ](http://jeffrutherford.com/bonnie-hunters-annual-mystery-quilt-chilhowie/) - I tried to make my first Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt in 2016, I believe. Her pattern that year was tilted En Provence. I made it through the first clue which was overwhelming in terms of the number of pieces, and then I ended up abandoning the quilt on clue 2. At the time, I just
- [Elizabeth Hartman's New Quilt Pattern](http://jeffrutherford.com/elizabeth-hartmans-new-quilt-pattern/) - I love Elizabeth Hartman's patterns. I haven't completely finished any of Hartman's quilts (I have lots of UFOs), but I've made many of the blocks. Several years ago, before the pandemic, I took an Elizabeth Hartman class at Valley Fabrics in Northampton. But, I'd made some of her blocks even before that. Last week, I
- [All my quilts](http://jeffrutherford.com/all-my-quilts-may-15-2020/) - I'm sure this won't be complete, but I'm going to try and create a list or catalog of the quilts that I've made. As you'll see as you glance at this, I have a bunch of quilt tops finished or near finished, but not quilted. My goal for the past year or two has been
- [Article about me and my quilting](http://jeffrutherford.com/article-about-me-and-my-quilting/) - This article was originally published by Paradise City Press. I'm republishing it with the permission of the author - Jason Kotoch. MEN WHO QUILT: A NEW STITCH IN THE HISTORY OF AN AMERICAN TRADITION. BY JASON KOTOCH The sharp silver needle on the Janome sewing machine pierces supple purple fabric with precision. The room is stuffed
- [Works In Progress - May 1, 2020](http://jeffrutherford.com/works-in-progress-may-1-2020/) - Some quilters start a quilt and have tunnel vision until that quilt is done and the binding is sewn. I'm not that quilter! I've seen a variety of quilters online who keep a very detailed list of quilts in progress or UFOs. I've never written down a list of my UFOs, but I thought it
- [Daily Hampshire Gazette article about my quilting - March 13, 2020](http://jeffrutherford.com/daily-hampshire-gazette-article-about-my-quilting-march-13-2020/) - I live in Northampton, Massachusetts in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. I moved to the area in 2002 after 8 years in New York City. I'm 1 hour and 25 minutes west of Boston. Some states and areas are weird. I grew up in Macon, Georgia and drove and explored the entire state. There are
- [What's Under My Needle - April 24, 2020](http://jeffrutherford.com/whats-under-my-needle-april-24-2020/) - If you had told me at the beginning of 2020 that I'd have entire weekends, mornings, and evenings at home with zero distractions to sew, I would have responded with a huge list of quilts that I was going to work on. But the reality of a social distancing lifestyle in response to a global
- [Frolic quilt - Bonnie Hunter's annual mystery quilt](http://jeffrutherford.com/frolic-quilt-bonnie-hunters-annual-mystery-quilt/) - Well, I'm done with the bulk of the work for Bonnie Hunter's Frolic quilt - her 2019 annual mystery quilt. I know, I know. I have two borders of half-square triangles still to sew, but in my mind the bulk of the sewing on this top is done for now. I didn't have as much
- [Bonnie Hunter Annual Mystery Quilt 2019 - Frolic](http://jeffrutherford.com/bonnie-hunter-annual-mystery-quilt-2019-frolic/) - I’m hard at work on my third Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt - Frolic. And, drum roll . . . I’ve decided to make the quilt in two different colorways. I still don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up this pace and finish two quilts especially considering everything else I’d like to sew. But
- [Tell Me A Story Block Swap - Holiday Edition](http://jeffrutherford.com/tell-me-a-story-block-swap-holiday-edition/) - I’m currently sewing blocks for Amy Friend’s Tell Me a Story Block Swap - Holiday Edition. Amy’s Tell Me A Story block is featured in her book Intentional Piecing. She has organized multiple rounds of Tell Me a Story block swaps. I’ve participated in multiple rounds, and I have a stack of blocks from quilters
- [Good Fortune Quilt - Bonnie Hunter’s Annual Mystery Quilt](http://jeffrutherford.com/good-fortune-quilt-bonnie-hunter-annual-mystery-quilt/) - Last year, I completed On Ringo Lake - my first Bonnie Hunter’s annual mystery quilt. I started work on the previous year’s mystery quilt, but I gave up after sewing half of the second clue. If you’re not familiar with Bonne’s quilts and her annual mystery quilts, they are very, very scrappy and involve a
- [Podcasting 101 - simple steps to launching a podcast](http://jeffrutherford.com/podcasting-101-simple-steps-to-launching-a-podcast/) - Are you listening to podcasts? Have you thought about starting a podcast? Here are some simple steps to recording and launching a podcast. 1. What's it all about? - First things first. You need to decide on a theme/subject for your show. Sure, you can just turn on the microphone, and start rambling, but you're
- [Northampton Modern Quilt Guild - Ugly Fabric Challenge](http://jeffrutherford.com/northampton-modern-quilt-guild-ugly-fabric-challenge/) - I'm the current President of the Northampton (Massachusetts) Modern Quilt Guild. We're an active guild with 40 or so members in Western Massachusetts, and we meet once a month. Carson Converse, one of our members and a very talented quilter, recently organized an "Ugly Fabric" challenge for the guild. Each guild member participating in the
- [QuiltGuy Quilt Retreats](http://jeffrutherford.com/quiltguy-quilt-retreats/) - As of this writing, I have attended 20 QuiltGuy quilt retreats. There have been a total of 22 retreats since they started. I've missed two of them. QuiltGuy originally started as an email discussion list of male quilters on Yahoo Groups (now defunct). At some point, someone on the email list mentioned that a number
- [What's Under My Needle - November 1, 2019](http://jeffrutherford.com/whats-under-my-needle-november-1-2019/) - I spend a lot of time sewing. I work full-time, and I'm busy raising my two sons. I also record a podcast, and spend time doing CrossFit and various obstacle races (Spartan races, Savage races, the Bonefrog, etc.). But, I try to get to the sewing machine at least once a day. It doesn't always
- [Podcast post-production 101](http://jeffrutherford.com/podcast-post-production-101/) - A while back I wrote a post Podcasting 101 - Simple Steps To Launching a Podcast. I wrote that post strictly out of need. I needed a post like that when I started podcasting. I bought several "How To Podcast" books, and I don't know if I was just missing something or there was just
- [Purple and White quilt - no title yet](http://jeffrutherford.com/purple-and-white-quilt-no-title-yet/) - For a maker or quilter (which I am), there’s nothing worse in the world than to misplace or lose 20–30 quilt blocks that you’ve already spent time sewing. That’s what happened with this purple and white quilt. I don’t usually title my quilts. But after spending several evenings recently reading Elaine Poplin’s blog — messygoat — I’m reconsidering the
- [QuiltCon . . . 2017](http://jeffrutherford.com/quiltcon-2017/) - Next week, I’ll be heading off to Nashville, Tennessee for QuiltCon 2019 - the annual quilt show and conference of the Modern Quilt Guild. This will be the second QuiltCon that I’ve attended, and I couldn’t be more excited. I think I’m more excited than Christmas morning. One of the big things for me is
- [Two Harry Potter quilt-alongs](http://jeffrutherford.com/two-harry-potter-quilt-alongs/) - I have a confession. I haven’t read all the Harry Potter books, but I’m now making two different Harry Potter quilts. I’m currently listening to the Prisoner of Azkaban audiobook with my 15-year-old son via Audible. I’m a voracious reader. I originally waited to read the Potter series with my kids. I started reading the
- [365 quilt - June 9th block](http://jeffrutherford.com/365-quilt-june-9th-block/) - The 365 quilt project began in 2016. Designed by an Australian quilter, Kathryn Kerr, as its name suggests, the 365 quilt features one quilt block per day. Kerr diligently released a quilt block pattern every single day of 2016. Quilters around the world rushed to make their own 365 quilt, including me. Here's an image
- [Rest In Peace Readmill -- One Step Closer to Bezos' eBook Monopoly](http://jeffrutherford.com/rest-in-peace-readmill-one-step-closer-to-bezos-ebook-monopoly/) - Readmill is no more. Berlin-based Readmill announced that Dropbox acquired the company, and the Readmill app is being discontinued. When I opened and read the email announcing the shuttering of the Readmill app, it was a punch in the gut. Readmill was an interesting and innovative alternative to the Amazon Kindle hegemony or monopoly. It's
- [Unlocking Today's Mobile Shopper - Infographic](http://jeffrutherford.com/todays-mobile-shopper-infographic/)
- [How A Good PR Strategy Could Have Saved Microsoft's Xbox One And Paved The Way for the Future of Video Gaming](http://jeffrutherford.com/how-a-good-pr-strategy-could-have-saved-microsofts-xbox-one-and-paved-the-way-for-the-future-of-video-gaming/) - TL;DR - Microsoft could have preserved their initial Xbox One plans if they had delivered an articulated and detailed explanation of their next generation video game delivery experience when they initially announced the device. Microsoft PR execs could have created specific taglines and catch phrases to describe the transformative qualities of the Xbox digital delivery.
- [Got Google+ Questions? Here Are Some Answers](http://jeffrutherford.com/got-google-questions-here-are-some-answers/) - I recently wrote an explanation of why I use and enjoy Google+ vs. other social media platforms. If you're interested in Google+, here's a variety of blog posts, articles, and Google+ posts that will help you get the most out of Google+. How to Make A Google+ Account That You'll Actually Use by Reputation Capital The Ultimate
- [Reading List - 2013](http://jeffrutherford.com/reading-list-2013/) - I used to keep a detailed list of every book that I read. However, two young kids, a busy career, and life disrupted that list-making habit for several years. I figured it's time to get back to keeping list of what I read. When I gave up the book reading list habit, there certainly weren't
- [Why I Use and Prefer Google+](http://jeffrutherford.com/why-i-use-and-prefer-google/) - I agree with Brad Feld. I think Google's long game on Google+ is brilliant. Regardless of where Google+ fits into Google's long-term business strategy (hint - Google+ is a huge factor in Google's long-term plans for both the company and it's search technology - take a look at this, this, or this article about the
- [ Book^2 Camp - It's All About the Conversations and People](http://jeffrutherford.com/book2-camp-its-all-about-conversations-and-people/) - Earlier, I wrote about my trip to NYC to particpate in Book^2 Camp - an afternoon of intense discussion, thought, and pondering about the future of book publishing and independent bookstores. Book^2 Campis an unconference. For the unitiated, with an unconference there is absolutely no set agenda or speakers prior to the event. A group of
- [ Book^2 Camp - Deciphering the Future of Book Publishing, eBooks, and Independent Bookstores](http://jeffrutherford.com/book2-camp-deciphering-the-future-of-book-publishing-ebooks-and-independent-bookstores/) - Yesterday, in NYC, on the eve of O'Reilly's Tools of Change For Publishing conference, a varied group of book publishing professionals participated in the Book^2 (pronounced “Book Squared”) Camp unconference to discuss the future of books, reading, independent bookstores, and book publishing. As the founder of Delabarre Publishing, I attended Book^2. I've been a lifelong,
- [How I Republished an Amazing Coming-of-Age Novel by Edgar-award winner Clark Howard](http://jeffrutherford.com/how-i-republished-an-amazing-coming-of-age-novel-by-edgar-award-winner-clark-howard/) - Note: In addition to 15 years of working in PR – securing press coverage for companies at the intersection of technology, media, and digital marketing, I have long been interested in book publishing. Prior to my PR career, I worked for three and half years at a literary agency in New York City. In 2010,
- [What is the most valuable skill for recent PR grads looking for a job today? Questions about PR](http://jeffrutherford.com/what-is-the-most-valuable-skill-for-recent-pr-grads-looking-for-a-job-today/) - I'm writing a series of posts answering questions from PR students at the University of Georgia. If you have questions of your own, leave them in the comments or email me at jeff@jeffrutherford.com On to more questions. Q. What is the PR industry's reputation today? How do other industries view Public Relations as a practice?
- [Are PR jobs increasing? Questions about PR.](http://jeffrutherford.com/are-pr-jobs-increasing-questions-about-pr/) - A friend teaches at the University of Georgia, my alma mater, and I asked if her students had any questions about the PR biz. I'll be answering some of their questions in a series of posts. Let's get started. Q. Are PR jobs increasing today? Is the terminology for these jobs changing (maybe there's a
- [News of the week - November 5, 2011](http://jeffrutherford.com/news-of-the-week-november-5-200/) - News of the week - November 5, 2011 Here's the news that I've been paying attention to this past week: Google Reader - To the dismay of many devoted Google Reader users, Google decided to shut down the sharing and social features within Google Reader and are pushing users to share stories via Google+. Regardless
- [Amazon.com - Sweatshop 2.0](http://jeffrutherford.com/amazon-com-sweatshop-2-0/) - Amazon is dealing with a growing PR and business crisis. Amazon got caught forcing warehouse workers to work in brutal, health-threatening conditions. The true question here is, "Would Amazon have agreed to install air conditioners in their Pennsylvania warehouse if an industrious reporter hadn't written about the appalling conditions in Amazon's warehouses?" I don't think
- [Data-driven public relations - Using Numbers, Surveys, Stats to Secure Media Coverage](http://jeffrutherford.com/data-driven-public-relations-using-numbers-surveys-stats-to-secure-media-coverage/) - Unless you're a company that is on a constant development cycle and releasing new software features every week, signing new customers every day, etc., ultimately the questions come up, "What now?" "Where do we go from here with PR?" In the absence of "news," many companies go radio silent, but silence can be deadly. If
- [What would Thomas Edison be working on if he were alive today?](http://jeffrutherford.com/what-would-thomas-edison-be-working-on-if-he-were-alive-today/) - Do you enjoy books and reading? Sign up for the To Be Read e-newsletter today - www.tobereadbooks.com. I recently discovered the great 10 Golden Rules of Internet Marketing podcast. If you have listened to the podcast, I highly recommend it. As an aside, I originally discovered Jay Berkowitz of 10 Golden Rules from an interview
- [Using Social Media – Twitter, YouTube, etc. – For Crisis PR. What BP America Could Have Done Differently To Respond to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion](http://jeffrutherford.com/social-media-–-twitter-youtube-etc-–-for-crisis-pr-–-what-bp-america-could-have-done-differently-to-respond-to-the-deepwater-horizon-oil-rig-explosio/) - Erik Saas at MediaPost wrote a recent story about how BP America could have handled the communications concerning the current oil spill disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico. Saas’ story looks at some of BP’s muddled attempts to use social media to handle the crisis. Some of the comments to Saas’ story are interesting.
- [PR 101 - press releases - do you even need one?](http://jeffrutherford.com/pr-101-press-releases-do-you-even-need-one/) - During the first dot com boom, press release strategies for PR exploded in popularity. Dot com companies desperate for press attention pumped out press releases once or twice a week (or even more). Press releases about new hires, new buttons added to a website, new office pet policies at the company… It was out
- [Corporate Gobbledygook - Your Customers Don't Understand You](http://jeffrutherford.com/corporate-gobbledygook-your-customers-dont-understand-you/) - In my years working in PR, I've worked with a wide variety of technology and digital media companies, and I've been cc'ed on many emails of internal corporate discussions. And, often, I find the emails puzzling because they're filled with acronyms and code words concerning a client's business. There's certainly nothing wrong with using internal
- [The debate over PR spam emails continues](http://jeffrutherford.com/the-debate-pr-spam-emails-continues/)
- [HJ Heinz Wasn't Listening. Are You? How to Set Up a Real-time Twitter Monitoring System Today - Twitter PR strategies](http://jeffrutherford.com/heinz-wasnt-listening-are-you-how-to-realtime-twitter-monitoring-system-twitter-pr-strategies/) - Earlier this week, Advertising Age featured an article by Michael Werch titled My Life as H.J. Heinz: Confessions of a Real-Life Twitter Squatter. In late 2009, Wertz created a H.J. Heinz, yes the ketchup company, twitter account and proceeded to twitter on behalf of Heinz - links to recipes, bits of history about the company.
- [Training for the Olympics - how does your digital marketing efforts stack up?](http://jeffrutherford.com/training-for-the-olympics-how-does-your-digital-marketing-efforts-stack-up/) - The Winter Olympics are in full swing in Vancouver. As I've watched some of the world-class Olympic athletes compete, I started thinking about the training regimes of superstar athletes. Jerry Rice, the famed wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, rarely took a day off in the offseason. He spent every offseason training - and
- [Local event digital marketing, search engine optimization, PR - Festival of the Hills case study](http://jeffrutherford.com/local-event-digital-marketing-search-engine-optimization-pr-festival-of-the-hills-case-study/) - For the last several years, I've volunteered to handle PR/marketing for a local fall festival in my town - the Conway, Massachusetts Festival of the Hills. The first year, I spent the majority of my time focusing on traditional PR efforts - contacting local newspapers, radio, TV - for calendar listings, pre-event press coverage, and
- [Seth Godin and book PR - should he have staggered his Linchpin PR splash?](http://jeffrutherford.com/seth-godin-and-book-pr-should-he-have-staggered-his-linchpin-pr-splash/) - Seth Godin's latest book Linchpin was published on January 26th. Now, Seth Godin sure doesn't need me to tell him how to publicize his books. He's done a pretty damn good job already. However, when Linchpin launched, I did notice something and wanted to mention it, because once I noticed it, I started asking myself
- [Ebooks Pricing Palooza ](http://jeffrutherford.com/ebooks-pricing-palooza/) - Though I spend my working hours doing public relations/media relations for technology and digital marketing companies, I've had a long-time interest in book publishing. I worked in book publishing in the mid-1990s when I worked at the Denise Marcil Literary Agency. And, I've watched the rise in eBooks, and I've spent a lot of time
- [Jeff Bezos spoiled my Christmas surprise](http://jeffrutherford.com/jeff-bezos-spoiled-my-christmas-surprise/) - Jeff Bezos spoiled my Christmas surprise. Bezos never misses an opportunity to tout how Amazon's every move is done to make their customers happy. At the same time, Amazon has repeatedly talked about how the Amazon Kindle is one of the most gifted items ever. If that's the case, why would Amazon ship Kindles in
- [Napster for eBooks - the eBook Genie is out of the Bottle](http://jeffrutherford.com/napster-for-ebooks-ebook-genie-is-out-of-the-bottle/) - I've written about a Napster for eBooks before. And, unfortunately, I'm forced to write about it again, due to the actions of book publishers over the past several weeks. First, let's recap the recent ebook and book publishing headlines: • Barnes & Noble's nook launches. The first wave of nook reviews were great, the second
- [Why AOL's Tim Armstrong may be smarter than many pundits think](http://jeffrutherford.com/why-aols-tim-armstrong-may-be-smarter-than-many-pundits-think/) - Slate.com's Farhad Manjoo doesn't think too much of AOL's new strategy. AOL is hard at work building a next generation online content company. But, that content is going to be driven not by the traditional editorial meeting where a bunch of people try to discern the zeitgeist of the day and write stories based on
- [Using Social Media For Crisis PR - What Maclaren Could Have Done Differently ](http://jeffrutherford.com/using-social-media-for-crisis-pr-what-maclaren-could-have-done-differently/) - Oh, the wrath of frustrated, angry affluent parents. And, it all could have been prevented with a few all-nighters from the Maclaren communications team and aggressive use of social media. Maclaren, a British high-end stroller company, currently faces a recall of 1 million umbrella strollers because the stroller's folding hinge can amputate a child's fingertips.
- [I Love the Web, But We've Got A Long Way To Go](http://jeffrutherford.com/i-love-the-web-but-weve-got-a-long-way-to-go/) - I wish I could distinctly remember the first time I ever used a web browser. I'm pretty sure it was a day or two after the first version of Netscape launched. I read about it in USA Today (a newspaper I still read every single morning, including today). At the time, I was living in
- [Why Good PR is like Good, Smashmouth Football](http://jeffrutherford.com/why-good-pr-is-like-good-smashmouth-football/) - Down, set, hut, hut! The nights are getting colder. The leaves are falling. And more importantly, football season is in full swing again. (Let's just hope the New York Jets, my team, can recover from their last two ugly losses). What can PR consultants and PR agencies learn from football? Strategic - if you're a
- [How Do You Reason or Argue with a Mob?](http://jeffrutherford.com/how-do-you-reason-or-argue-with-a-mob/) - It's interesting to watch the recent disruption tactics at local town hall meetings to discuss the current healthcare legislation being debated by the U.S. Congress. You could argue that a thriving democratic government requires vigorous debate. But, debate requires two points of view - or more - discussing an issue. The tactics deployed recently have
- [Twitter - Don't Forget Friendster](http://jeffrutherford.com/twitter-dont-forget-friendster/) - [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPqqhBwriuE[/youtube] Here's the TechCrunch article - Hey, Where's The Twitter For Families - that I mention in the video.
- [Rupert Murdoch Needs to Buy Gawker Media Now!](http://jeffrutherford.com/rupert-murdoch-needs-to-buy-gawker-media-now/) - [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChwFkbn2DjA[/youtube]
- [Social Media Self-consciousness](http://jeffrutherford.com/social-media-self-consciousness/) - At Podcamp Boston on Saturday, I mentioned to a couple of people an idea that I don't think gets a lot of attention - social media self-consciousness. I was talking to someone on Saturday who had been thinking about starting a podcast, but for whatever reason hadn't reached a point where he was ready to
- [Podcasts - Amazing Content, Bad Name](http://jeffrutherford.com/podcasts-amazing-content-bad-name/) - [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly7ubnYnQdo[/youtube]
- [PR and Email Marketing: A Marriage Made In Heaven](http://jeffrutherford.com/pr-and-email-marketing-a-marriage-made-in-heaven/) - The following story is real. None of the characters were made up. All names and events discussed are real. This post is a joint effort by DJ Waldow and Jeff Rutherford. You can find the same post on both http://socialbutterflyguy.com/ and http://jeffrutherford.com/. It's the real life story of what happens when a PR guy and
- [What would Edward Bernays be doing if he were alive today and working in PR? ](http://jeffrutherford.com/what-would-edward-bernays-be-doing-if-he-were-alive-tody-and-working-in-pr/) - What would Edward Bernays be doing if he were alive today and working in PR? Bernays is considered the father of modern PR. You can discover more about Bernays here, here, and here. Bernays often indulged in PR "stunts," a strategy that I've vociferously warned clients not to do. How hard is it to get
- [Well-written blog = great digital media strategy for Goodwill of Washington, DC](http://jeffrutherford.com/well-written-blog-great-digital-media-strategy-for-goodwill-of-washington-dc/) - Digital marketers and social media "experts" sure love the shiny and new. As soon as one technology develops - email, Tripod, theGlobe, online forums, blogs, SMS, social networks - anything and everything that came before is old news, boring, stale, dead. And, of course, Joe Q Public is usually 4 or 5 circles - or
- [Twitter Early Adopters Adjusting to Oprah](http://jeffrutherford.com/twitter-early-adopters-adjusting-to-oprah/) - Over the weekend, I saw more than one early-adopter technology pundit wringing their hands on Twitter about @Oprah's discussion of Twitter on her show on Friday. More than one person asked something along the lines of, "Where are we going to go now that the masses are discovering Twitter?" What? This just reeks of elitism,
- [Social Media Book Publicity Case Study - Jack Kilborn, author of AFRAID](http://jeffrutherford.com/social-media-book-publicity-case-study-jack-kilborn-author-of-afraid/) - Businesses and entrepreneurs of all types are trying to figure out how they can use social media marketing. Authors and writers have been using a variety of digital PR techniques for several years now, including: creating their own blogs, conducting blog tours (guest posting on other blogs to coincide with the publication a new book),
- [Using Social Media For Crisis PR - What Starbucks Could Have Done Differently](http://jeffrutherford.com/using-social-media-for-crisis-pr-what-starbucks-could-have-done-differently/) - Recently, Starbucks launched a new promotional campaign incorporating social media. Starbucks fans were encouraged to take photos of new Starbucks posters and post them to Twitter with specific hash tags - #top3percent or #starbucks. However, within hours of launching the promotion, the producers of a new documentary accusing Starbucks of union busting, decided to hijack
- [Published authors may be sitting on a lucrative eBook income stream](http://jeffrutherford.com/published-authors-may-be-sitting-on-a-lucrative-ebook-income-stream/) - In the mid-1990s, after I moved to New York City, and before I started working in public relations, I worked at a literary agency. I had always been a voracious reader. And, even though I read a lot of books as a kid, it seems like as I moved into my 20s and started reading
- [Google Announces EBook Initiative - Jeff Bezos' Monopoly is Crumbling Around Him](http://jeffrutherford.com/google-announces-ebook-initiative-jeff-bezos-monopoly-is-crumbling-around-him/) - In the latest eBook news, yesterday the New York Times reported on a new Google eBook initiative - separate from its book scanning project. Google is in discussions with many book publishers to sell eBooks direct to consumers via Google. As publishers continue to fret over Amazon.com's $9.99 pricing for eBooks that are currently available
- [Friday afternoon country music lyrics - Porter Wagoner's The Cold Hard Facts of Life](http://jeffrutherford.com/friday-afternoon-country-music-lyrics-porter-wagoners-the-cold-hard-facts-of-life/) - I have this regular Friday feature on my blog - country music lyrics. For an explanation of why I do this, you can check out this post. It’s Friday afternoon, it’s five o’clock somewhere, and it’s time for some more country music lyrics. The Cold Hard Facts of Life by Porter Wagoner I got back
- [Twitter - Restaurants using Twitter for marketing](http://jeffrutherford.com/twitter-restaurants-using-twitter-for-marketing/) - With the growth of Twitter, many companies and businesses are trying to figure out how to use Twitter to drive business. We all know the importance of using social media tools to listen to customers, but can social media also be used for promotions and coupons to actually drive business? Let's face it, as much
- [Social Media for "Boring" Products and Services](http://jeffrutherford.com/social-media-for-boring-products-and-services/) - Josh Bernoff at Forrester Research recently wrote a report Social Technology Strategies for "Boring" Consumer Brands. Alas, the report costs $749, so I haven't read it - yet. But, Bernoff's executive summary explains his key point - "borrowed relevance." If you have a "boring" brand or product that doesn't necessarily lend itself to digital conversations
- [Friday afternoon country music lyrics - Today My World Slipped Away by Vern Gosdin](http://jeffrutherford.com/friday-afternoon-country-music-lyrics-today-my-world-slipped-away-vern-gosdin/) - I have this regular Friday feature on my blog - country music lyrics. For an explanation of why I do this, you can check out this post. A few weeks ago, I featured a song Chiseled in Stone by Vern Gosdin. At the time, I didn't know I'd be featuring another song so quickly by
- [Did you Etsy Today? Grassroots Twitter movement](http://jeffrutherford.com/did-you-etsy-today-grassroots-twitter-movement/) - In case you missed #etsyday on Friday, Geoffrey Fowler explains on the Wall Street Journal's Digits blog. Etsy is an online marketplace for artists to sell their wares. Susan Schumann, an etsy user who sells her photos, decided to start her own grassroots campaign to increase awareness. She encouraged people to Twitter about etsy and
- [Social media backlash or Advertising Age comment trolls?](http://jeffrutherford.com/social-media-backlash/) - Josh Bernoff, co-author of Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, a book that I highly recommend, recently wrote a column for Advertising Age about how the term "media" in social media is tripping up many marketers and business executives who often associate media with being a one-way communication channel. I thought Josh's
- [eBook pricing may force an eBook Napster soon](http://jeffrutherford.com/ebook-pricing-may-force-an-ebook-napster-soon/) - If you've read much of this blog, then you know that I'm very interested in the book publishing and especially eBooks. In the mid-90s, before I moved into public relations, I worked in the book publishing industry. I worked for a literary agency in NYC. This morning, I read a blog post Some eBook Observations
- [Friday afternoon country music lyrics - Summertime by Kenny Chesney](http://jeffrutherford.com/friday-afternoon-country-music-lyrics-summertime-by-kenny-chesney/) - If you’re curious why I’m posting these, check out my explanation. It's Friday afternoon, it's five o'clock somewhere, and it's time for some more country music lyrics. Summertime by Kenny Chesney Summertime is finally here That old ballpark, man, is back in gear Out on 49 Man I can see the lights School's out and
- [The most interesting bookstores in the world](http://jeffrutherford.com/the-most-interesting-bookstores-in-the-world/) - If you love books, or love bookstores, you should definitely check out the Most Interesting Bookstores of the World site - complete with beautiful photos. Here are two of my favorites: El Ateneo in Buenos Aires. Borders Bookstore at the Time Warner Building on Columbus Circle - New York City.
- [Can Microsoft buy search share from Google and Yahoo?](http://jeffrutherford.com/can-microsoft-buy-search-share-from-google-and-yahoo/) - At this point in the evolution of search engines - and more importantly in consumers current use of search engines - can Microsoft basically change consumer behavior through advertising? It may be a fruitless task, but Microsoft is going to try. According to Advertising Age magazine, Microsoft is planning to spend $80-100 million advertising their
- [Friday afternoon country music lyrics - My Wife Thinks You're Dead by Junior Brown](http://jeffrutherford.com/friday-afternoon-country-music-lyrics-my-wife-thinks-youre-dead-by-junior-brown/) - If you're curious why I'm posting these, check out my explanation. It's Friday afternoon, I'm about to end the work week, and it's time for some more country music lyrics. Yee-haw! My Wife Thinks You're Dead by Junior Brown It's good to see you baby it's been a long long while We're both a whole
- [3 Ways To Keep A Public Relations Client Happy ](http://jeffrutherford.com/3-ways-to-keep-a-public-relations-client-happy/) - Media coverage – the more the better – In the last 10 years, PR companies have relegated media coverage to a small subset of their services. They’re more interested in making money on brand articulation, messaging, media training, etc.When most CEOs, CMOS, and other executives, evaluate their PR success, they're going to ask themselves, "How
- [Is True/Slant the Future of Journalism?](http://jeffrutherford.com/is-trueslant-the-future-of-journalism/) - Is True/Slant the Future of Journalism? I doubt it. But, at this point, if anyone says they know what the future of journalism is, I certainly don't believe them. There are a lot of digital journalism experiments - True/Slant, Outside.in, Placeblogger, etc - being thrown at the wall right now, and who knows what's going
- [Friday afternoon country music lyrics - Chiseled in Stone by Vern Gosdin](http://jeffrutherford.com/friday-afternoon-country-music-lyrics-chiseled-in-stone-by-vern-gosdin/) - If you’re curious why I’m posting these, check out my explanation. It's Friday afternoon, it's five o'clock somewhere, and it's time for some more country music lyrics. Chiseled in Stone by Vern Gosdin. You ran cryin' to the bedroom I ran off to the bar, Another piece of heaven gone to hell, the words we
- [Using Twitter to Respond to a PR Crisis - Amazon.com Failed To Act](http://jeffrutherford.com/using-twitter-to-respond-to-a-pr-crisis-amazoncom-failed-to-act/) - I try to unplug during many weekends. Part of that is the fact that I have two small children, and I'm spending most weekends doing dad things. Another reason is that I like to try and take a break from the firehose of constant info that I'm dealing with throughout the week. So, I was
- [Fujitsu launches ebook device in Japan with color display](http://jeffrutherford.com/fujitsu-launches-ebook-device-in-japan-with-color-display/) - Fujitsu has released an ebook device in Japan with a color display. From Book Business, "The Flepia, which weighs 385g and is 12.5mm thick, features an 8-inch touch display screen capable of showing up to 260,000 colors in high definition. It enables 40 hours of continuous battery operation when fully charged, and does not require
- [Social networks - friends conundrum ](http://jeffrutherford.com/social-networks-friends-conundrum/) - Why can't we be friends? Someone that I follow on Twitter asked a question this morning about joining an online marketing community, and one of the other members automatically added her to their email newsletter list - without asking for her permission. First, that's just bad permission marketing. I have no problem if you alert
- [Stephen King discussing the Amazon Kindle 2](http://jeffrutherford.com/stephen-king-discussing-the-amazon-kindle-2/)
- [Shelf Awareness](http://jeffrutherford.com/shelf-awareness/) - Shelf Awareness, an email newsletter about bookstores and book retailing, published a letter to the editor I emailed them last week. This was in response to several previous letters about independent bookstores grappling with the rise in eBooks. Jeff Rutherford of Jeff Rutherford Media Relations writes: With e-books, and especially the Amazon Kindle, the barrier for
- [HarperStudio tries non-returnable](http://jeffrutherford.com/harperstudio-tries-non-returnable/) - Bob Miller explains HarperStudio's efforts at selling books to bookstores on a non-returnable basis. I'm actually surprised given the emphasis on "green" in so many industries that environmental activistis haven't seriously attacked the book publishing biz. ENORMOUS amounts of gasoline are wasted shipping books to bookstores, packing them up two months later, shipping them back
- [The Second Is Coming](http://jeffrutherford.com/the-second-is-coming/) - Kindle 2.0 is scheduled for first quarter of 09. Or so says Techcrunch. I agree with Michael Arrington. Why is Amazon controlling the production of the Kindle? Why not license the technology, provide the digital content for Kindle devices, and let Asian tech manufacturers innovate on a wide range of Kindle devices. Does Amazon really want to
- [Read All About It](http://jeffrutherford.com/read-all-about-it/) - Like a lot of things that Google announces, this announcement came and went in less than a 24 hour news cycle. On September 8th, Editor & Publisher wrote about a Google deal with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the St. Petersburg Times, and the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph to digitally publish thousands, if not millions, of old newspaper articles that
- [Are You Experienced?](http://jeffrutherford.com/are-you-experienced/) - The new Xbox Experience - the revamped Xbox Live UI - is scheduled to launch tomorrow. How much you want to bet that they have server issues and download queues a hundred miles long tomorrow? Not sure when companies will grasp the need to improve launch day experiences. I read that the queues to access the new
- [Got Book?](http://jeffrutherford.com/got-book/) - What took them so long? It's sad that it took an economic crisis of historical proportions to make book publishers realize that they need to get serious about marketing the joy of reading and books. According to Publishers Weekly, Random House has spearheaded a holiday advertising campaign touting books as great gifts - and not
- [Now that that's settled](http://jeffrutherford.com/now-that-thats-settled/) - The New York Times wrote about Google's recent settlement, or proposed settlement I should say, of the Association of American Publishers and the Authors Guild. Obviously this gives Google the right to display scanned books and sell ads against those books. And, I'm assuming that there's some kind of rev share with the authors for that
- [Friday afternoon country music lyrics - October 3, 2008](http://jeffrutherford.com/friday-afternoon-country-music-lyrics-october-3-2008/) - I grew up listening to Charley Pride singing this song. And, in fact, Charley Pride at the Macon Coliseum in Macon, Georgia, was the first concert I ever went to. Kiss An Angel Good Morning Whenever I chance to meet some old friends on the street They wonder how does a man get to be
- [I'd like to read a book, but I'm tethered to my computer](http://jeffrutherford.com/id-like-to-read-a-book-but-im-tethered-to-my-computer/) - Well, Sony announced their third generation Sony Reader last night. There's a lot to like about the new Sony Reader - PRS-700 - touch screen, LED for reading in bed or low-light conditions. (As an aside, can someone explain that type of numbered branding to me? Why not call it Sony Reader 3, the Third,
- [Sony Reader event tonight](http://jeffrutherford.com/sony-reader-event-tonight/) - What is Sony planning to announce tonight? A new Sony Reader model with built-in wireless? New deals with publishers to expand the number of available titles? Are they going to end the Sony Connect software in favor of a web-based platform? The search functionality of Sony Connect still leaves a lot to be desired? I
- [Friday afternoon country music lyrics - Sept. 19, 2008](http://jeffrutherford.com/friday-afternoon-country-music-lyrics-sept-19-2008/) - If you're curious why I'm posting these, check out my explanation. Up today, a wonderful Johnny Paycheck tune - The Real Mr. Heartache. "The Real Mr. Heartache" Written by Johnny Paycheck There we were all three of us sitting side by side Three guys who have loved her, but to someone she lied Now everybody's
- [Will Maghound Have Much Bite Behind Its Bark?](http://jeffrutherford.com/will-maghound-have-much-bite-behind-its-bark/) - Kudos to Time Inc. for innovating and launching Maghound. But is it going to work? What is Maghound exactly? It's a unique way to subscribe to magazines. Instead of the traditional fill out a subscription form, send in a check, and get your magazine every month, Maghound offers something new. You select the magazine, or
- [Sony Reader graces shelves at Target](http://jeffrutherford.com/sony-reader-graces-shelves-at-target/) - I'm a couple of days behind on this, but as Joe Wikert noted Sony Readers are now available at both Target's online store and brick-and-mortar stores. I was emailing a friend in publishing yesterday about this, and we both agreed that this is a great move on Sony's part. However, I can't help but wonder,
- [Friday - Country Music lyrics - Sept. 12, 2008](http://jeffrutherford.com/friday-country-music-lyrics-sept-12-08/) - I'm a huge country music fan. In college, I started a hardcore country music show Dirt Roads & Honkytonks at WUOG, the college radio station at the University of Georgia. Go Dawgs! I thought I'd post some country music lyrics once a week for everyone's pleasure. First up, Two Dollar Toy by Stoney Edwards. One
- [Plastic Logic - Mr. Bezos on Line 1](http://jeffrutherford.com/plastic-logic-mr-bezos-on-line-1/) - This week at Demo, Plastic Logic demoed the second generation Amazon Kindle. Okay. I'm joking, of course. Plastic Logic is a separate company in no way associated with Amazon - yet. But, they did display a new eReader device with a form factor that Bezos' design team should be studying intently for the second generation
- [I Don't Have A Clue](http://jeffrutherford.com/i-dont-have-a-clue/) - Bob Minzesheimer (someone whose book publishing articles I've been reading for years and enjoying) wrote in today's paper about Scholastic's launch of 39 Clues. (As a complete aside, Scholastic you need to call an SEO swat team today. I just Googled "39 Clues," and the site is the third organic search result. That's not good!
- [What Books Will You Be Reading This Fall?](http://jeffrutherford.com/what-books-will-you-be-reading-this-fall/) - Hillel Italie's Associated Press article about the lineup of fall books has gotten a lot of media coverage. So what fall books are you looking forward to? At the top of my list are The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder and The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly. I've had
- [More Thoughts About The Sony Reader](http://jeffrutherford.com/more-thoughts-about-the-sony-reader/) - Joe Wikert's post about Penn State's Sony Reader experiment got me thinking about the Sony Reader again. I'm a big fan of the Sony Reader, and I would love to see them succeed. But, I also feel that Sony has to gird for daily battle with Amazon. Jeff Bezos has proven over and over again
- [Sony Reader vs. Amazon Kindle](http://jeffrutherford.com/sony-reader/) - John Gapper, a Financial Times writer, has written an interesting article about Sony's fumbled Sony Reader. Gapper makes some interesting points and argues that Sony Reader's lack of a wireless connection has doomed the device vs. the Amazon Kindle. While I agree with much of Gapper's article, I don't necessarily agree that all is lost
- [Um, what took you so long](http://jeffrutherford.com/um-what-took-you-so-long/) - Dell is marketing a new stylish PC - called a Studio PC. I admit. I think that computer is pretty cool looking. I certainly wouldn't mind having one sitting on the corner of my desk. But, I doubt it runs OS X. So, alas, I won't be using it anytime soon. But, I do have
- [Kindle is selling](http://jeffrutherford.com/kindle-is-selling/) - According to this Silicon Alley Insider post, Amazon is indeed selling lots of Kindles - 240,000 of them since they went on sale in November. I'm actually surprised at those numbers. Sure, Amazon has done a pretty good job of marketing the Kindle. And Amazon has an advantage that any online marketer would kill for
- [The Night Is Darkest Before The Dawn](http://jeffrutherford.com/the-night-is-darkest-before-the-dawn/) - Okay, okay, I admit it. I'm a complete and total fanboy. I saw The Dark Knight last night at a midnight screening Hadley, MA. As another dad of a small child said to me via email last week, "I can't remember the last time I was awake at midnight, much less started an activity at
- [Where, oh where, is my iPhone keyboard?](http://jeffrutherford.com/where-oh-where-is-my-iphone-keyboard-accessory/) - Why is there no iPhone physical keyboard accessory? I had a Handspring Visor, and I bought a foldable keyboard. Then, I had a Dell Axim, and I bought a foldable keyboard? So, why isn't Apple allowing third-party companies to build and market a foldable keyboard for iPhones? When the iPhone launched, a lot of people
- [eReader for iPhone and iPod Touch](http://jeffrutherford.com/ereader-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/) - Here's a demonstration video of the new eReader for iPhone and iPod Touch.
- [Literary Executors](http://jeffrutherford.com/literary-executors/) - This is very sad. Andre Norton, a prolific science fiction and fantasy author, left a confusing will and estate. As a result, manuscripts that she left behind are entangled in this mess, and who knows when they'll ever be published. I'm not a lawyer, but . . . Writers and authors should remember that their
- [Hello world](http://jeffrutherford.com/hello-world/) - Why am I so late to the blogosphere? Well, actually I'm late in actually writing a blog, but I've been actively involved with new media and blogs since they became widely known as blogs in 2002 or so. I work in the public relations industry, and in 2002 I was working at Trylon SMR. My

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