As I head out on vacation and separate from the digital world, I wanted to leave you with some of my favorites and most popular and give you a chance to grade me on how I’m doing on my predictions for 2010. The links to these “pre-owned” posts are below.

Doug’s Vlog Views:
2010 Predictions
I was wrong that Tiger would miss the Masters but right that he didn’t win a major.

Segments with Industry Thought Leaders
Sanjay Gupta

Richard Edelman

Two of my recent conversations that are personal favorites
Leigh Fazzina on Social Media in Healthcare

Keith Chambers, author of the book Pull on integrating your sales proposition into your marketing message

Michael Moore revisited
Our spoof of “Roger and Me” takes on Michael Moore from the left.

Douglas Simon President & CEO of D S Simon Productions had a conversation with Lewis about “The End of Public Relations” and it’s transition to “Strategic Communications.”

Some of Lewis’s VlogViews:

“There’s no such thing as public relations, there’s only communications.”

“Public relations, marketing and investor relations have all have melded into one discipline, which is effective strategic communications.”

“For consumer facing products and services, I think it needs to be much more of an open dialogue.”

“It’s not answering the question that the client asks in the way they expect it, it’s answering the question the client asks that actively accomplishes the goal they have laid out for themselves.”

http://www.kcsa.com/
http://twitter.com/KCSA_Comms

Douglas Simon President & CEO of D S Simon Productions and John Seng, President & CEO of Spectrum discussed the responsibility of health care companies in providing accurate information to their consumers.

Some of John VlogViews:
“The one thing everyone’s got in common is health care and we all want to maintain the good health we’ve got. It’s about where we go for our information, who influences us.”

“I’m extremely passionate about what I feel is the need or obligation, the commitment that must be there on behalf of pharma to ensure that there is accurate information being presented about their products.”

“I think the challenge is out there for companies to make it clear that they have every intention of making sure that the patients have the best information to work with, and accurate information. Not misleading or potentially harmful information.”

Other links:
http://www.spectrumscience.com/
http://www.spectrumscience.com/blog/
http://twitter.com/JohnJSeng

Douglas Simon President & CEO of D S Simon Productions had a conversation with Leslie Sobon, corporate vice president, product marketing at AMD from a recent Satellite Media Tour for Back to School tips for women.

Some of Leslie’s VlogViews:

“It’s really about what women look for in a PC. We don’t want to be special marketed. We don’t need “pink” marketing. That we do really know what we want in a PC we want it easy to use not because we’re illiterate but because we are busy”

“This first blog is about what to look for in Back to School. So I talk about what women want but then I give a handful of choices of some really good notebook computers if you are really looking to buy a PC for your kid.”

“I really want it to be my voice… and I want to write it.”

other Links:
AMD Back to School Blog

Minor plot spoiler alert: In his commentary on the Mad Men season premiere, Douglas Simon, President & CEO, D S Simon Productions looks at the surprising role of PR as portrayed on the hit show for brand building and moving product.

Some of Doug’s Vlog Views:

You don’t see Sterling Cooper Draper Price promoting itself through advertising. They used PR.

The funniest part of the show was when Peggy shared the news that after the success of their “stunt,” the client was increasing its advertising spend. Why?

In episode two, will Don be giving Harold Burson or Howard Rubenstein a call?

Douglas Simon President & CEO of D S Simon Productions had a conversation with Steve Momorella about TEKGroup International’s findings from their Social Media News Survey and how a company can enhance their outreach with social media tools. Steve was present at the Bulldog Media Relations Summit in NYC on June 28th.

Some of Steve VlogViews:
“75% of the people that we interviewed said after they learn of a story on a social media news outlet, they then go to the corporate website or online news room.”

“We found that most organizations should have an online newsroom, if not for the kind of the traditional use, which is to access the media its really to have a central headquarters of all your information.”

“People make the mistake of they write a great story, they put out a press release and they sit back and wait for people to come and they’re not aggressive in pushing their message out. That’s one of the biggest mistakes is you have a great story but no one knows about it.”

D Simon Productions partnered with Bulldog Media Relations Summit, which was held June 28 and 29th in NYC.

Douglas Simon President & CEO of D S Simon Productions had a conversation with Lauren Dewhirst, the newest member of the D S Simon Productions Team about her experience, philosophy and approach in her new role as VP, Director Midwest operations at D S Simon Productions.

Some of Lauren’s VlogViews:

“During the hiring process, I learned D S Simon Productions is an innovative, integrated, content creation company with distribution across all platforms, anything from TV to radio and Internet. I didn’t realize that Internet Media Tours, Viral Video, Media Placement and Video Press Junkets were such an important part of what we do. But, most important was the fact that we are at the forefront of where our industry is going. That was really important for me.”

“I’ve worked with some of the CMO and Chief Communications Officers at great companies and have been at the table with them outlining what their goals are for the coming years. I’m excited to help them strategize, plan and execute broadcast PR initiatives to help them achieve their goals.”

Le Bron James has done enormous damage to his brand with the way he handled the move, according to Doug Simon, President & CEO D S Simon Productions. It has to go down as one of the worst self-inflicted PR moves yet. Why? The only logical answer is LeBron just doesn’t care.

Some of Doug’s Vlogviews

He has taken his brand and narrative from “King James” to “I’ll get by with a little help from my friends (Wade and Bosh).”

“He was going to be hated for leaving anyway but why give fans a legitimate reason for anger.”

How can he fix his image?
“The only way might be for him to strap on a wet suit, swim 5,000 feet down and stop the BP oil leak.”

The Worst PR Move in sports History

Letter from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert

Douglas Simon President & CEO of D S Simon Productions had a conversation with Tina Brown, Founder of The Daily Beast about the site, the mistakes of newspaper conglomerates, how PR needs to adjust to the changing media consumption and offers advice to the Obama PR team to raise his approval rating. The interview was conducted at the Bulldog Media Relations Summit.

Some of Tina’s VlogViews:

“One of his problems has been that he is over promoted as the face of his own administration. There has been a lack of other faces that can take the heat.”

“Say what you will about personalities around George Bush but Rumsfeld was a ubiquities presence. Cheney, all these guys, they were out there for the President…”

“The other people in the (Obama) cabinet, except for Hilary just haven’t made an imprint on the media for him particularly on energy policy. On The Beast, I’ve just advocated Arnold Schwarzenegger should be his energy guy”

Click here for the Full Interview

Other Links:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/
http://www.twitter.com/thetinabeast

Doug Simon, President & CEO, D S Simon Productions comments on Obama’s inability to have PR that matches accomplishments and advises Obama’s PR Team to launch a “Temperament Offensive.”

President Obama’s historic candidacy was marked by a nearly flawless PR campaign that celebrated his inspiring speaking style and the ability to bring people together and end the divisveness in the country. Welcome to the real world of leadership which, despite his many achievements toward his promised agenda, has resulted in an approval rating below 50%.

Unfortunately for Obama, he has not had a media constituency (like Fox for Republicans) that has been supporting him strongly. He also seems to lack third-party supporters with strong media voices. Ironically, Obama has taken a PR beating on “temperament.” It’s not uncommon to hear him criticized for “not being angry enough,” or similar complaint.

I advise that he launch a PR offensive with third-party spokespeople praising his temperament as what is necessary to help naviagate the US through these challenging times. The case can be made that “cool, calm, thoughtful leadership is what we need right now. His team isn’t making that case and his approval ratings are paying the price.