The global adoption of the Internet has profound implications for marketing and brand engagement. Extending a company's brand experience online can enhance traditional campaigns while engaging target audiences in dynamic, interactive ways. Moreover, by cultivating deeper relationships with customers online, a company can build brand loyalty while gaining valuable insights into the minds of key stakeholders.

One way to foster brand loyalty, while strengthening and forming relationships with key target audiences, is to launch a corporate blog. This new social media tactic is a relatively inexpensive two-way external communications vehicle that can position companies as industry experts, build credibility, raise visibility and gather feedback from customers.

However, done poorly, blogging can alienate or anger the very audience you are trying to reach. Before your company considers joining the "blogosphere," we would like to offer a few tips:

• DO be prepared to include all details about an issue. Bloggers are smart and they will ask questions, dig deeper and take the conversation where you may not want it to go.
• DO post information on your blog that is unavailable anywhere else. Create a valuable resource that stakeholders know they can count on for updates.
• DO establish policies for your corporate blog. Be clear about what information your contributors can make public, and be aware of legal issues that may arise.
• DON'T be uptight. Do something fun! You are human and your readers should know that. One of the most undesirable forms a corporate blog can take is to sound like it was written by committee.
• DON'T abandon your blog readers. Post regularly and keep your content fresh and relevant.
• DON'T make it impossible for your readers to comment by requiring them to register for the site. By choosing to blog, you're entering a conversation. Let the other party speak.

For more details on corporate blogging, contact Nereus at:
info@nereus-worldwide.com

There is no question that the Consumer Electronics Show has become the largest consumer technology tradeshow in the world. CES 2008 drew 140,000 attendees, featured 2,700 exhibitors and covered 1.8 million square feet of exhibit space, with more anticipated next year. Nereus members have participated in CES since the mid 1990s and have learned a thing or two to share with first-time and veteran show goers alike.

As you plan for CES 2009, here are our top five tips you should know before you go:

5) Message Vehicles – At CES, there are hundreds of communication methods to reach your target audiences. Consider corresponding events like CES Unveiled and Show Stoppers, as well as sponsorships such as 15-ft. bus signs and strategic advertising placements.
4) SmartPhones are Smart – Now that the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) has discovered how to provide uninterrupted mobile phone service, take advantage! With this latest technology, you can monitor real-time coverage updates, manage your e-mail inbox and even make dinner reservations for 15.
3) Time Management – Don't be fooled by Vegas blocks - they run longer than other cities. The LVCC's three buildings are huge and it can easily take 30 minutes to get from the North Hall to the South Hall. Plan for a hike.
2) Know your Audience – If you are working with press and analysts, put yourself in their shoes; offer them food and beverage, develop extensive yet light collateral (like a CD press kit), and be courteous of their time commitments.
1) Invest in Good Shoes and Carry Cash! – This may sound obvious to some, but most Las Vegas cabs don't take credit cards, and if the taxi lines run longer than a 30-minute wait, you may want to hoof it to get to your next appointment. The Las Vegas Monorail is also an option for getting to and from many of the major hotels on the Las Vegas Strip.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates at CES: "The second digital decade will be more focused on connecting people, being user centric... applications will run not only on the PC, they'll run up in the Internet, in the cloud, on the phone, on the TV - the best of rich platforms and Internet services."
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Intel CEO Paul Otellini at CES: "Increasingly, computing and communications are coming together, bringing a new level of capability and intelligence to the Internet experience. The personal Internet of tomorrow will serve you, delivering the information that you want, when you want it, how you want, wherever you are."
Network News, Jan. 14, 2008, p. 12

Nowadays, the unthinkable is no longer unthinkable. Businesses, non-profit organizations, governments and other organizations must be prepared to deal with the unexpected, any time, day or night, weekday or weekend.

When the unexpected happens, a quick and confident response is essential. To provide it, an organization must be thoroughly prepared to handle the emergency or business crisis. First they must determine, and then begin doing, the right thing for the affected groups, businesses or individuals. Then, and only then, are they ready to take the second step: communicating with the affected parties so they understand the situation and know what is being done to resolve, rectify and recover from it.

Nereus is experienced in crisis management and communications, and can help any group or organization prepare and practice to deal with any type of crisis. Our strategy includes steps such as:

• Prepare
• Practice
• Respond
• Recover

Crisis Management and Communications is the name of our emergency and crisis services. At Nereus, we first stress doing the right thing for the affected parties - i.e., managing the crisis. "People first, media second" is our rule. Once the "right thing" is put into action, we take the second step, which is communicating with the affected parties and, at the right time, the media.

Nereus Crisis Management and Communications services also differ from those of other firms in that we and our partners are skilled in helping people and organizations recover from a crisis or emergency. Recovery may involve immediate medical care, short and long-term counseling, or other services. Our team of experts has counseled companies and individuals on a variety of crises or emergencies, ranging from recalled products to mass-casualty scenes.

For more information about Nereus' Crisis Management and Communications services, download the PDF at:
http://www.nereus-worldwide.com/assets/services

Eurocom Worldwide, the Global PR Network, recently released the results of its Annual IT Confidence Survey. More than 350 senior IT industry executives were polled by Eurocom Worldwide member agencies around the globe, and the responses indicate that confidence is strong for 2008.

The annual survey was carried out this winter by Eurocom Worldwide in association with Nereus, who is a member of Eurocom Worldwide.

The survey shows that 68% of the senior executives surveyed expect to increase jobs in their company over the next 12 months, up from 63% last year, with only 6% predicting a decline in employment in their firm. More than half (53%) are more confident about year-over-year prospects in the IT sector in 2008, although confidence levels are down compared to 2007 survey results, when a record 65% said they were more optimistic.

As was the case last year, respondents to the IT Confidence Survey remain skeptical about the U.S. economy. Almost 50% are less confident about prospects for the U.S. economy than they were a year ago, compared to 33% last year. Additionally, 38% of survey respondents expect the tech heavy NASDAQ to mark time and show no growth, with 24% predicting a fall.

For more survey results, click here.

Q1 has been a busy time for the Nereus team. At CES in January, Nereus staffers secured more than 50 editor and analyst meetings for their clients. Nereus hosted meetings with the following key media and analysts:

Clients, prospects and friends know us as Nereus, a strategic communications firm focused on our clients' success. But you may not know as much about the dynamic character we named ourselves after, the Greek Titan named Nereus, son of Pontus and Gaia, the gods of the Sea and the Earth. Just as Nereus was connected to the Earth and the Sea, our Nereus brand visually depicts our team's global connections.

Known as "truthful Nereus," he tells no lies and always knows what is right. This prescient Titan possesses the power of forethought and can prophesize about the future. Nereus is also a master shape shifter, and can appear in different shapes and sizes as the situation demands.

All very suitable characteristics for a strategic communications agency!

Lisa Sherwin, President
Since 2002, Lisa Sherwin has worked with a growing team to build Nereus from a one-person shop into an award-winning, full-service, global agency. She loves to strategize with her Nereus colleagues and her clients at the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF), USB-IF and PCI-SIG.

Lisa says the best part of her job is creating an environment where people can be creative, productive and earn a living doing something they are passionate about.

She often burns the midnight oil at the office (we caught her here at 11:30 p.m. last night!), but she does find time to catch Grey's Anatomy and hang out with friends. She is also a very active member of our local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), where she just retired from a four-year stint on the board of directors. Now, Lisa turns her attention to the PRSA's Counselors Academy, a peer network of senior-level PR executives and industry thought leaders.

Lisa personifies the exacting standards of Nereus, and the innovative, dependable people who work here.

From the desk of Joel Steward, Nereus intern
Interning at Nereus is great way to learn several new skills every day. That really means I get to work on a little bit of almost every project in the company, from filing clipbooks and distributing mail to creating press briefing books and drafting press releases.

My day at the office starts at 8:00 a.m. After fighting traffic on six highways just to get to the front door, I grab a double espresso from the kitchen and start rolling through daily coverage tracking for our clients. My e-mail inbox has a scattering of project requests from busy account managers who need someone to pick up some extra work, and fulfilling some of those requests while working on my current projects keeps me busy all morning. After completing research for RFP responses, working on internal communications projects, or working with the team on advertising strategy for one of our clients, I am ready for a break... and lunch!

After lunch on Mondays, I join our weekly Nereus-wide meeting to review recent work and share ideas. I touch base with my manager after the meeting to prioritize my projects before diving into a clipbook of the month's coverage for one of our larger clients. As the day draws to a close, I work with a member of the team to send out an internal newsletter. After a busy day, I head out the door to go home and relax.

To survive and thrive as a Nereus intern, I've learned to maintain a healthy perspective on life and work, knowing that I'll get to put some newly honed skills to work again the next day when I get into the office.