chocolate

Our agency works with various chocolate brands so we are keyed into the food blogs. And there are some that we can’t live without!

Candy Addict Blog: This is the premier go-to blog for candy news and reviews. If you are a candy lover (and just about everybody is in some form or fashion) than you need to give this blog a spin, and fast! The writer is brilliant and sheds light on all types of tidbits that you, the candy addict, may have not ever considered as you are downing that little piece of heaven.

Chocolate Atlas: Chocophiles absolutely MUST check out this blog. If you love chocolate, have a global sensibility and a sophisticated palate (doesn’t everybody??) then this is the blog for you!

The Nibble: This gourmet food blog has a section entirely dedicated to chocolate. If you love chocolate, and I’m just not sure who doesn’t, you NEED to take a peek (or a long look). This is a great resource and you can trust that ALL the info included has been carefully considered.

Zomgcandy: Ok, the name is a bit interesting, BUT the content is fab! This top “sweet tooth” destination features taste tests (how else to distinguish between the good and the supremely good) and expertly reviews the very best of “all things sweet.”

Enjoy!

Our company represents several companies that have excellent products for an excellent price—especially in this economy. Alas, some we cannot promote (for various reasons) but the concept got me thinking. In a time when the “value” message continues to reign, what really is an affordable indulgence and does it really matter…

Well, of course it does! I don’t care who you are everyone is looking to save, but indulging oneself will never go out of style. For those brands that promote their products as an affordable indulgence (and this we know is relative—Jeep vs Hummer = affordable indulgence) making their mark has never been more important.

So what would be an affordable indulgence? A little, delicious piece of chocolate? Yep, that’s rates high for moi! A new lipstick? Sure thing! Can’t afford the dress, but hey I can change up my look with a new red shade. How about a food processor? What? Well, start saving and cook at home, but bypass the frozen dinner and try to “out rival” your local restaurant with your own recipes. What’s the ultimate affordable indulgence? Love, but that’s another story altogether…

Ok, I know it sounds insane to point out that as communications specialists we’re in the people business. Of course we are… but I honestly think, and especially with certain types of shops, that we often forget what our real assets are—people. Why is this the subject of a blog entry? Because everyday I have to remind myself of that fact.

So, who are the people? If you’re a communications practitioner you’re going to say the media, the clients, your employees and co-workers. And that’s 100% right. But there are also YOUR vendors, various cab drivers, the drycleaner, etc. Really? Well, think about it… running your own lifestyle PR business or just working in this industry can be HIGHLY stressful. All day long it’s our job to “convince” people to do things: write stories about our clients, trust our agency to give you good advice that you SHOULD take and NOW… this is stressful. It’s not always easy to convince anyone to do anything, just think about your own family and friends (how often do they do what you want them to do?). So what happens with all this stress? Well if you’re not a saint (and if you work with me you KNOW that I am not one to blithely pass things off to fate and lightly move on), then you might find that you are just a tad bit curt with your staff, not to mention the guy at the corner bodega.

So, here’s my point. Remember, you’re in it for the people. All that practicing you do, being polite when you’re irritated (yes, Mr. Cabdriver you really don’t need to jerk me all over the backseat) or holding your tongue when the super tells you that he can’t fix the toilet, will help you when your client refuses to take good advice (do magicians and diamonds really go together?) or when your employee screws up the call-in number for your new pitch (that you really need to sell in or you can’t hire that new person in LA). It all adds up in the end. Because if you do lifestyle PR and rep consumer brands like we do you might think it’s about the chocolate, but it’s really about the receptionist.