Rare And Crown Forum Join Forces In Strategic Partnership To Advance Conservative Voices

Leading Authors and a Powerful Social Platform Will Reach 25 Million

 Rare.us, a Cox Media Group property, and Crown Forum, one of America's leading publishers of politically conservative authors, today announced the launch of Rare Forum, an exclusive content and marketing partnership to bring conservative writers to a new and broader readership. Rare Forum pairs the best-selling authors published by Crown Forum with the online news and social media reach of Rare.us, which has annualized page views of 25 million.

The Rare Forum partnership will highlight exclusive, first-look content from esteemed Crown Forum authors through the Rare platform as well as an author speaking series, book forums, and other online events and sites. Crown Forum publishes many of the most prominent conservative writers, thought leaders, and political figures, including Charles Krauthammer, Greg Gutfeld, Allen West, Charles Murray, Michael Barone, and Pat Buchanan, among many others.

The Rare Forum partnership comes at a time when online and social media are the most effective ways to reach younger Americans, a key audience for the future of conservative thinking and politics.

"In just our first year, Rare has emerged as a gathering of important conservative voices, which readers turn to approximately 2 million times per month," said Leon Levitt, Rare publisher. "Our partnership with Crown Forum means our valued readers will get an even greater offering from Rare through exclusive, first access to leading conservative thinkers. Rare is on a steep growth trajectory and we are simply thrilled."

Tina Constable, Senior Vice President, Publisher of Crown Forum, said, "We are excited to embark on this new partnership with Rare.us. Bringing together Crown Forum's leading thinkers and bestselling authors with this exciting, new online platform for conservative news and opinion will heighten the level of engagement about the most important issues of the day. We believe Rare Forum will fill a space that has been underserviced for the young conservative reader."

The Rare Forum partnership is designed to be both unique and timely in a quickly changing conservative landscape. As the nation looks toward the 2016 presidential election, the conservative party is gaining a younger, more diverse supporter base.

"They must have a place to call home, where many voices are in discussion with each other. Getting exceptional Crown Forum content first on Rare will make those discussions more meaningful," said Levitt.

SOURCE Rare.us

RELATED LINKS
http://rare.us

New Avatar-Based, Online Role-Play Tool Helps U.S. Parents "Start the Talk" With Youth About Underage Drinking

 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) introduces Start the Talk, its new videogame-like tool that helps parents practice tough conversations about underage drinking in a risk-free virtual environment.  Start the Talk comes at a crucial time as the rate of youth using alcohol for the first time doubles in the month of December and remains high into January.¹

Start the Talk is the newest component of Talk. They Hear You., SAMHSA's underage drinking prevention campaign that launched last May.  The campaign equips parents and caregivers with the information, tools, and confidence they need to start talking to youth early—as early as 9 years old—about the dangers of alcohol. 

Start the Talk is an evidence-based behavioral tool that uses life-like avatars to engage in interactive conversations.  The simulation is based on research in social cognition, learning theory, and neuroscience.  Each virtual role-play conversation is structured as a 10- to 15-minute interactive, videogame-like experience.  Users enter a risk-free practice environment, assume a parental role, and engage in a conversation with an intelligent, fully animated, emotionally responsive avatar that models human behavior and adapts its responses and behaviors to the user's conversation decisions.

"The holiday season is a time of year when families come together," said Frances M. Harding, Director of SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.  "Now is the perfect time for parents and caregivers to connect with their children and talk about the dangers of drinking alcohol.  Short, frequent discussions can make all the difference.  Start the Talk provides a safe place to practice these conversations and build confidence."  

"Ongoing, open, and calm conversations between children and their parents and caregivers are important to preventing underage alcohol use," added Harding.  "Even when children seem like they aren't listening, they really do hear us."

Studies have shown that parents have a significant influence on young people's decisions about alcohol consumption,²especially when they create supportive and nurturing environments in which their children can make their own decisions.³  This is why talking to children early and often can have a significant impact on how a child thinks about alcohol.  Equipping parents with a tool such as Start the Talk can foster these discussions.

Realizing that many parents and caregivers are "on the go," SAMHSA plans to launch a mobile application version of Start the Talk in spring 2014.  In addition, SAMHSA will soon redesign Start the Talk in 3D and allow users to choose from a new selection of diverse avatars.

Parents and caregivers are asked to try Start the Talk and share it with friends and family.  SAMHSA also urges the prevention community to share Start the Talk and the Talk. They Hear You. campaign resources on their websites, through social media channels, and in newsletters.

Talk. They Hear You. is SAMHSA's national public service announcement campaign that empowers parents to talk to young children as early as 9 years old about the dangers of underage drinking.

For more information about SAMHSA, visit www.samhsa.gov.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

1	Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). The NSDUH report: Monthly variation in substance use initiation among adolescents. Retrieved fromwww.samhsa.gov/data/2k12/NSDUH080/SR080InitiationSubstanceUse2012.pdf.
2	Nash, S. G., McQueen, A., & Bray, J. H. (2005). Pathways to adolescent alcohol use: Family environment, peer influence, and parental expectations. Journal of Adolescent Health, 37(1), 19–28.
3	Barnes, G. M., Reifman, A. S., Farrell, M. P., & Dintcheff, B. A. (2000). The effects of parenting on the development of adolescent alcohol misuse: A six-wave latent growth model. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(1), 175–186.

SOURCE SAMHSA

Reagan Wireless Donation brings Christmas Cheer to Orphanage in the Philippines

"Today is Christmas in the Philippines.  The children thank you for your generous donation of the playground, bicycles, toys, food and medical supplies.  Tomorrow, we head to another orphanage with 186 children from 7-18 years old.  The children were very happy to receive your gifts," Fernando Kuehnel, Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Kabataan Charity said in a letter thanking Daniel Kaufman, Reagan Wireless President & CEO.

An orphanage in the Philippines, where a typhoon devastated large parts of the country last month, has received a generous donation of $25,000 from Reagan Wireless, a leading technology company in the global cellular phone distribution industry.

The orphanage that is home to more than 160 children used the donation to purchase medical supplies, food, toys, bicycles, and build a playground which was unveiled on Christmas day.  

"This is an ongoing donation we have been making for over two years now.  The needs of the orphanages have increased since the typhoon as a result of kids either losing parents, or through the loss of job and possessions, making it impossible for some parents to afford to take care of their children," Mr. Kaufman said.

The Kabataan Charity is a 501(c) 3 charity with a mission to provide aid to orphanages or children's homes in the US and worldwide, including those in the Philippines.

More information about Reagan Wireless can be found at www.reaganwireless.com.

SOURCE Reagan Wireless

RELATED LINKS
http://www.reaganwireless.com

McCusker & Company's Service USA Division Launches New Line of Commercial and Consumer Android Tablets

ServiceUSA, a subsidiary of McCusker & Company, a leading worldwide provider of consumer and commercial electronics extended warranty services, will soon start offering its own branded line of commercial and consumer Android tablet products designed for the special needs of today's businesses, retailers, distributors and home users.

"We surveyed the tablet products out in the market today and recognized that there was a true need for a product branded by ServiceUSA and backed by the peace of mind of the McCusker & Company extended warranty protection," said McCusker & Company Chief Executive Officer Will McCusker. "Now our commercial and consumer customers can purchase a product that is endorsed by our firm with the same warranty protection they entrust for their other valuable electronics."

The tablet is being developed in conjunction with North Carolina-based 13 Enterprises. 13 Enterprises specializes in providing enterprises, educational institutions, hotels and other corporate projects with a complete 360 solution. They offer a full suite of tablet products along with custom imaging, assets tags, custom cases and even bulk or drop shipping.

"13 Enterprises was a great partner to develop and bring this tablet product to market," McCusker said. "We are looking to forward to launching this new Android tablet product in 2014 and sharing the availability of this technology with our valued customers."

ServiceUSA has also partnered with Computer Tree to provide the technical support, repair center, and help desk for the new ServiceUSA tablets. Service USA will provide sale and lease options for the products to corporations and distributors.

For more information about ServiceUSA, a division of Colleyville, Texas-based McCusker & Company, please check outwww.goserviceusa.com.

Colleyville, Texas-based McCusker & Company is a leading firm offering custom product protection solutions for a wide variety of consumer and commercial industries. The company specializes in fulfilling the underwriting, licensing, and administration requirements for international warranty and service programs.

Their comprehensive solution includes data administration; customer service; repair and depot facilities along with national onsite service maintenance and installation. They serve the electronics industry; HVAC; LED lighting; precious metals and auto parts industries among many others.

SOURCE McCusker & Company Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://www.mccuskerco.com

Facebook: Live Streaming (muted) Commercials

Have you heard the news about Facebook's new way to increase engagement, shares and likes for the MARKETERS? Please share your thoughts. 

#k10friends #k10networking #k10 #k10earth

___________________________________

FROM FACEBOOK NEWSROOM

Testing a New Way to Watch Promoted Videos in News Feed

December 17, 2013

Since September, we've been testing a way to make videos more engaging on Facebook, and as a result we've seen views, likes, shares and comments increase more than 10 percent.

We're beginning to test a similar video viewing format for advertisers. Marketers will be able to use this new format to tell their stories to a large number of people on Facebook in a short amount of time - with high-quality sight, sound and motion. This approach will continue to improve the quality of ads that you see in News Feed.

This week, a small number of people will see video ads for the new film 'Divergent' begin playing as they come into view in News Feed on mobile and desktop. Here’s how it will work:

• Rather than having to click or tap to play, videos will begin to play as they appear onscreen - without sound - similar to how they behave when shared by friends or verified Pages. If you don’t want to watch the video, you can simply scroll or swipe past it.
• If the video is clicked or tapped and played in full screen, the sound for that video will play as well.
• At the end of the video a carousel of two additional videos will appear, making it easy to continue to discover content from the same marketers.
• On mobile devices, all videos that begin playing as they appear on the screen will have been downloaded in advance when the device was connected to WiFi – meaning this content will not consume data plans, even if you're not connected to WiFi at the time of playback.

We’ll continue to refine this new way for brands to tell stories on Facebook to ensure the best experience for people and marketers.For more specifics on this feature for marketers, read our post on Facebook for Business.Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: Which videos start playing in News Feed?
A: At this time, videos start playing from:

1. Individuals (personal Facebook accounts or verified Pages
2. Some Pages, like those of entertainers and sports organizations
3. Summit Entertainment’s content for Divergent

Q: Is there a way to prevent these video ads from playing as they appear on screen?
A: The video ads will begin to play as you scroll through News Feed, but if you don’t want to watch, you can simply keep scrolling and the video will stop playing. Video ads are pre-downloaded when you are on WiFi so they do not consume additional data. 

Q: When do videos play with sound?
A: Videos will not play with sound unless you turn the sound on. To do this, click or tap on the video. 

Q: When will all video content begin to play as it appears on screen?
A: This is an initial, limited test. We will let you know if/when you'll begin seeing more video content begin to play as it comes into view. 

Auto Signatures REMOVE THEM

Automatic signatures on your smartphone, email, or other devices, advertising your device specs or manufacturer name, is NOT a good thing.

Most smartphones come with an auto signature enabled on the phone.
This usually says something like:
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy
Sent from my iphone

Many people have a certain amount of borderline psychotic brand loyalty. Remember every interaction with every potential customer counts. People and their device loyalty is equivalent to sports and car fanatics. The rivalry between Boston and New York baseball fans is similar to the one between Android and Apple.

Just because you love your phone, does not mean that everyone does. Chances are that many people you interact with, will have a different phone than you. People will start to formulate an opinion of you before you even meet.

When I see a stock auto signature it tells me two things:
1 - This person does not know how to remove the signature. They are NOT computer savvy.
2 - This person does not use the same device as me.

Sure any objection can be overcome, but why risk stacking the deck against you? We are human, and when humans have to make decisions, we weigh the options. When two identical options appear before us, we sometimes resort to picking petals off a flower to make a choice.

My basic tip for the day is to please remove the manufacturer loaded auto signature from your devices. Think of it like pulling the size stickers or hang tags off your clothes. YES IT LOOKS LIKE THAT TO THE REST OF US.

Side Notes for the Texually Inexperienced:
Android is an operating system (software) for Smartphones. A variety of smartphone hardware manufacturers use Android (Samsung, LG, HTC, and many more.)

Apple is a manufacturer of both hardware and software. When comparing we look at Android verses IOS (the Apple operating system).

Google+ Circulation - How to Use It

One of the biggest challenges I face when going after clients, is showing them what my follower number means on Google+. With the bulk of social media professionals hitting Facebook, Twitter and Pintrest with everything they have, many are missing the G+ wave that we are on. It is even more frightening when I see people on G+ trying to teach each other how to better navigate Facebook, rather then learning Google+ while they are here.

My #k10 method for explaining my reach is a three step process:

1 - Speak about my rank on CircleCount.com

CircleCount.com

2 - Explain the way that my posts on a particular subject will rank in the top results for people who follow me.
   
3 - Explain multiplication and the social network of Google+. If we use small numbers, let's start with 10 people. I have 10 people following me, and they share my posts with their audience. Those 10 people just turned into 1000. When I use my number specifically, I use a chart, with my picture in the middle with the current number of followers. Then I show a couple of other pictures of people who follow me, and their followers. The remaining follower count I multiply by 300, stating that this is the average number of followers each person has who follows me.

Now I know that this isn't science, and that my numbers will be off. This is the way I estimate it. I would love to hear what you are using to show your reach. How do you show your social media success beyond the follower number?

Why is this important?
We need to develop a standardized way to rank each other. Once we have collectively, as a community, established a norm, we will be able to use it when meeting with clients. The client will hopefully already know how we rank each other, so we can have meetings about action plans, and not impromptu educational introduction to Google+ meetings. Just like newspapers have circulation counts (see articles below), we need to have circulation numbers as well. This will translate into better contracts and higher ad sales.

If you are interested in collaborating on creating a standard, please comment and let me know. We are all on top of the wave, and we can significantly impact the way that Google+ is used and ranked among other social networks.

These are two examples of how Google+ followers are showing on Google. This is just the beginning. Many major newspapers are still not on Google+.

Click on Pictures to See Articles About Newspaper Circulation