Buzzflikr Blogs: Debra’s Interviews

Buzzflikr Client CRATE INTERIORS Uses Twitter to Reach Clients

Featured on the cover of this month’s Conde Nast Traveler (”21 Twitterers to Follow”), social media has become the go-to platform for branding building and messaging.

Although lampooned on late-night shows like SNL, social networks like Facebook and Twitter provide instant gratification to a technology obsessed world. Even if it’s just about the mundane minutes of our lives, we crave connection, information and above all entertainment.

And day by day our buzzworthy team observes small businesses, growing brands and corporations jumping into the game. After all it’s a great platform for announcing time-sensitive special offers, exclusive deals, insider scoop and insights from the moguls we most admire.  Our client CRATE INTERIORS uses Twitter and Facebook actively to reach clients in Southern California and resort markets thru Mexico. Check out our handy feed that displays social media updates directly onto their landing page:  

But in chat rooms across the net, the debate continues. Is it a valid form of marketing, advertising and PR? Will it survive the present fad? Well, we says yes. Think about it - it’s a real-time conversation reaching directly to phones and desktops all day long. Big business indeed, so get in while it lasts. Twittter is the new crack!

Our CATCH A BUZZ Lounge caught the attention of Apparel News during LA Market Week, as our staffers tweeted live from the show, broadcasted trend tips and brought high potential brands to the industry’s attention. Our digital media lounges were stationed at FOCUS and TRANSIT tradeshows on the penthouse floor and attracted 3x as many visitors, exhibitors and retailers as last season. Thanks to the California Market Center for hosting us, StyleChick for collaborating on YouTube interviews and our fabulous beverage sponsors for keeping us hydrated! xoxoxo

Apparel News Features our CATCH A BUZZ Lounge

Ever since we met the team from Matiko Shoes at LA Market Week last season, we’ve jonzed hard for their footwear magic. Every silhouette is positively buzzworthy, every heel height is this season’s must have! I’ve been tottering around in the Pabla Gladiator Wedge, 4.5″ of pure urban vixen vamp - without the toe-crunching torture of course. These expertly crafted strappy sandals are cushy in the footbed, highly breathable and only look dangerous. Get yours at the fab new Matiko Shoes website.

Pabla Pewter by Makito Shoes

Ximena Valero’s debut show opened LA Market Week and grabbed front page ink at Apparel News. The runway event was hosted by our friends and clients Fashion Business Inc., powered by Buzzflikr PR and drew a standing room crowd to FBI’s new headquarters at the CMC.

The Mexican-born designer has recently claimed West Coast soil to develop her brand and reposition manufacturing. She participated in FOCUS with a booth right next to Buzzflikr’s CATCH A BUZZ Lounge, met with several editors and opened one new retail account. The collection of drapey jersey silhouettes is represented at several marque boutiques in Los Angeles. We are excited to be collaborating with this talented young designer, so watch this space for more news!

Ximena Valero Scores Apparel News Cover

If you attended LA Market Week over the last few days, no doubt you visited our tandem CATCH A BUZZ Lounges at FOCUS Tradeshow and TRANSIT Shoe Show, Penthouse 13A-B. Our street teams tweeted live with soundbites on exhibiting brands, trend insight and tips for making the most of social networking tools. We poured organic coffee, teas and dispensed free advise on brand building in the digital era. Many apparel entrepreneurs visited our lounge, got set up on facebook for the first time and brainstormed about how to increase sales online. Watch this space for more news and success stories from Buzzflikr, the industry’s first online publicist

CATCH A BUZZ Lounge | Wine and Cheese Tasting

LA Market Week is coming up next weekend, everyone! Catch A Buzz with us at the FOCUS Lounge - we’re pouring organic teas, coffee, beer and wine… and of course dispensing free marketing & PR advise and tips for expanding your online brand profile. Come meet the team!

Buzzflikr's CATCH A BUZZ LOUNGE

You know what they say, 80% of the time we’re successful by using just 20% of our abilities. In other words, our genius lies in focusing on our areas of expertise and leaving the rest to others.

In this Digital Era many small business owners They feel unsure about using online communication to promote their brands. They know it’s important but it’s not their expertise or focus. Neither should it be.

Here’s our 2 cents: Concentrate on running a great business and delegate these functions to someone who can commit to doing it. Planning meaningful blog entries, posting news to facebook or twittering about your latest buzz is quite possibly the most effective strategy for promoting your company. It should be conducted as a cohesive part of your business growth strategy and handled by someone with a passion for these activities.

Need help figuring out your 80/20? Let’s talk!

Zappos CEO Uses Facebook to Connect

Face it, a proactive twitter campaign IS time consuming. First, you need followers then you need something compelling to talk about. And of course that all-important time element to make it a regular gig. But this new media DOES generate worthy return on your hard-earned investment because of consumer interest. Tweets are simply the hottest newest thing, and this immediacy is exactly what our market requires today.

At Buzzflikr we tweet editors and clients with news, event reminders and updates plus run these campaigns for clients. It has definitely generated new leads and eyeballs to our business and can do the same for you. Want to start your own Twitter campaign? Let’s talk!

Follow us here: Facebook | Twitter

You’ve read about it in the New York Times, Selectism, Men Style and many others.  Pantone is red hot and actively collaborating with the world’s hippest brands to bring its color vision to life.  

Recent hook ups with Uniqlo, The Gap and Fine Paints of Europe have galvinized cult status for the world’s leading color authority.  Now, the New Jersey-based firm makes tracks to the West Coast in partnership with Seavees to launch a limited edition range of sneakers debuting tonight at Fred Segal.  An installation based on vintage paint chips hangs in Conveyor where the California Cool kicks are on display.  Don’t miss it!

Design for Seavees x Pantone Display at Conveyor

Flinging open the newly stenciled doors to its expanded 7,000 sq ft Resource Center, Fashion Business Inc. hosts its open house tonight and invites one and all. This event marks a significant benchmark for the non-profit organization that serves as a small business incubator for fashion and textile brands. By partnering with Microsoft, Brother International and others the FBI is poised to offer much-needed seminars, retraining programs and business coaching to fledgling brands in this changing economy.

Buzzflikr is pleased to support the FBI with PR and marketing oversight. We invite you all to attend this evening’s celebration and design your own custom tee at the On Demand Printing Center, courtesy of our fab friends and organic tee shirt makers, bgreen.

BGreen Sponsors FBI Open House Tonight

Fashion Business Inc. has announced ambitious growth plans this year, in spite of the troubled economy. Leveraging its expertise in employee training, small business coaching and monthly seminars, FBI has expanded its services to the fashion industry by partnering with Microsoft.  Together, the two companies offer free retraining programs targeting displaced apparel and textile workers.

Founder Frances Harder spoke to Buzzflikr about her commitment to cultivating emerging fashion brands.  “Times are tough for the apparel industry, but we offer the tools to innovate and get thru it,” she explains.

To accommodate this expansion, FBI has moved its Resource Center to a larger, newly renovated 7,000 square foot facility in the California Market Center.  Here the non-profit organization will be able to expand its monthly curriculum and serve more members than ever.  Proof positive that innovative thinking is just what we need in this market to survive and thrive!

Frances Harder Expands Training Curriculum at FBI

Catch a Buzz with Buzzflikr this week at the FOCUS ecolounge during LA Market Week. Meet our busy, buzzy team of cute interns and enjoy complimentary coffee all day or beer and wine all evening. We’ll share tips for building your brand’s online profile, making the most of blogs, SNs, Tweets and the many amazing web tools we use everyday. Join us and take the sting out of PR!”

Catch a Buzz with Buzzflikr

The buzz is all about Pantone x Seavees and the launch of their 1963-PMS inspired limited edition sneakers. Don’t miss the debut at Fred Segal this week, Thursday 19 March from 5-8p. Music by Irons, a color-infused bar hosted by Skyy Vodka and powered by our Buzzflikr team.

Pantone x Seavees Limited Edition Sneakers Launch @ Fred Segal

If you’re anywhere near Lalaland on Earth Day (and heck its practically the birthplace of all things eco), then head to The Way We Wore on April 22 for a celebration of reclaimed, revived and repurposed.

Legendary proprietress Doris Raymond debuts her Out of the Ordinary collection, a celebration of restored 20th century fashion. Participating designers include many of my personal faves including Katayoni Adeli, Madga Berlinger and badboy Jeremy Scott (thx for the front row tix @MOCA!).

Susan Henry of SHADES is the night’s hair mistress and will showcase her non-toxic all natural hair care range while green expert Paige Padgett handles makeup. To find out more, follow us here and see you there!

Search engine optimization could very well save the day in this turbulent economy. And according to Sally Falkokw (fellow South African PR guru, prolific speaker and blogger) it’s possibly our greatest PR weapon for helping brands build buzz.

The results of proper SEO can be astounding. No surprise there since search engines help us find everything we need these days. And while dollars are tight, we’re conducting more pre-purchase research than ever before.

So, what’s your online profile like? Are you maximizing key words on your company’s website, blog, press releases and product information? Do you know how to drive consumer traffic and click-thrus directly to your site?

As the industry’s first “online publicist” Buzzflikr offers web expertise across a broad platform of brand building services. Our SEO Package is a healthy diagnostic for your business, providing clear insight and support for getting your company noticed. Call us and get optimized today!