McFly?

Now that the blog has been up and running for a couple of weeks and we've discussed it on our Team Call, I began to wonder who is reading with any regularity. As I considered the myriad of ways to monitor activity, I decided to go with a decidely low-tech experiment.

Those of you who check the blog will know that you are free to get your holiday weekend party started a little early by taking off at noon on Thursday, July 3. Those of you who don't...well...better luck next year!

Post a message here or send me an email to let me know that you've read this and are planning to take the afternoon.

To Scan or Not to Scan?

Today's New York Times included a in-depth article looking at the pros/cons and costs of a heart CT scan. The article includes some compelling information about these scans -- I encourage all of you to read it.

ECC Toolkit

I recently received an ECC Toolkit, chok full of good stuff for learning about and promoting ECC. -- that's Emergency Cardiovascular Care for you newbies.

The Kit Includes:

• ECC Fact Sheet (see below)
• A PowerPoint Overview of ECC
• Scientific Statements
• Resources
• Print Ads
• A Quick Quiz to engage consituents
• Common Mistakes Fact Sheet
• ECC Important Contacts

The kit also included some videos but I can't figure out how to move them from the CD to my computer. I'll keep working on that but I've placed the hard copy kit in Glen's office for the time being.

Most of the kit materials are now posted on the S Drive at:
S:\Affiliate\Communications\ECC Toolkit

ECC FactSheet - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: ECC FactSheet

How To Talk About Who We Are

Back in March, I attended an Affiliate Management Team (AMT) meeting in Dallas. Nancy Brown, COO at National Center, was one of the presenters and she delivered a compelling and informative talk about the history of the organization, its evolution and the strategic plan for the coming years. I've started sharing her PowerPoint with new hires and it occured to me that many of you would probably find it useful. So...here it is!

You can view it here and it is also saved on the S Drive at:
S:\Affiliate\Communications\About the AHA

How to talk about who we are - March 2008 - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: How to talk about who we are - March 2008

How to Pack Light

So my new favorite magazine is Shop Smart from Consumer Reports. It's full of great tips and advice on the things -- big and small; special and ordinary -- that we spend our money on.

There's plenty of good stuff to share from the current issue but the item that seems timely is their list of travel websites. As you prepare for the July 4th holiday or summer vacations, keep these in mind.

Load Lighteners
Need help slimming down your suitcase? Check out these websites:

• Onebag.com shows you how to cram all you need for any trip into one bag.
  Tip: Use space inside your packed shoes for fragile items.
• Travelite.org has suggestions on selecting the best clothes and luggage for your travel.
  Tip: to make packing easy, color-coordinate all your clothing, using neutrals as a base.
• RickSteves.com explains how to spend weeks in Europe with just a few changes of clothing. Tip: If you're not going to wear an item more than three times, don't pack it. And look for patterns and fabrics that don't show wrinkles.
• Magellans.com offers a slew of packing articles and includes an electrical adapter guide. Tip: If you're taking a jacket on the plane, stuff the pockets.
• TSA.gov lists the latest TSA rules. Did you know that you can wear a gel-insert bra on a plane but not gel shoe inserts?
  

What the tweet?

Here's an article Tammy found on Ragan's Communications regarding Twitter. I encourage all of you to a) read the article, b) comment on it (here on via email) and c) sign up and begin Tweeting. We can follow each other and test out what does/not work and explore other applications for this technology. You can find/follow me at elseash.

What do I mean by tweeting, following and Twitter? Read on...

Is Twitter the newest and coolest way to pitch the media?
By Christine Kent
chrisk@ckeditorial.com

A social media service that lets you tell people whether you got the frappuccino or the decaf latte, or how you’re passing time at the airport—what could be more useless?

Twitter is one of those social media technologies that is bound to make you scratch your head and say, “You’ve gotta be kidding me”—assuming you’re not already drinking the Twitter Kool-Aid.

Well, given the trajectory of most social media, you may not be surprised to hear that Twitter is rapidly gaining a following not only as a PR tool, but as a way to reach out to the media (yes, they’re slowly but surely getting on Twitter too). If you’re a total Twitter newbie, read our sidebar on Twitter basics. If you have a general idea of how the service works, read on for tales of Twitter success.

Journalists are Tweeting too

Slowly but surely, mainstream journalists (not just the tech media) are turning up on Twitter and often sharing thoughts on stories they’re covering.

“They’re out there telling us what they’re writing about, and what they’re thinking about,” says Lisa Dilg, account director at PerkettPR in Detroit. “It’s more valuable than an editorial calendar ever was.”

Heather Mosley of PerkettPR and Rick Wion of GolinHarris weigh in on the benefits of Twitter.

And there’s definitely pitching going on. “I’ve landed two editorial clips because of my interaction with [Adweek reporter] Brian Morrissey,” says Britt McColl, PR manager of Santa Monica, Calif. ad agency RPA. She’s only been on Twitter for a couple of months, but after reading a trade article about Morrissey’s use of Twitter, she signed up and started “following” the writer.

“Every so often, he’d throw out comments about what he was working on,” says McColl. At one point, he solicited some feedback on agencies going digital for Adweek’s “Just Asking” feature.

“I sent a pitch to Brian via e-mail, because he’d made it clear that he doesn’t want to be pitched on Twitter,” McColl says. Her reward was a placement for her ad agency in the article, with a similar clip in a feature a couple of weeks later.

“It’s always nice to get the inside track on what journalists are thinking about,” says McColl—and that information, say PR pros, makes a free Twitter membership worth your time.

“You’re just finding out what goes on in their daily lives,” says Lara Kretler, account director at Fahlgren Mortine in Columbus, Ohio. She’s currently “following” a local BusinessWeek reporter on Twitter. “You’ll hear about someone’s kids, or what they’re doing on the weekend. It can give you the personal touch you need when you finally send them a pitch via e-mail.”

Bellying up to the bar, via Twitter

Is it possible that Twitter could bring back the personal interactions that used to take place between PR people and journalists at the local watering hole? Nowadays, there’s little personal schmoozing between communicators and the media—it’s all mostly on a professional and formal level. Kretler is one PR pro who thinks Twitter can add that missing element.

In fact, Kretler is currently planning a local “Tweetup,” or a face-to-face meeting with local Twitter members. “It’s a great way to get to know local members of the media in person, share a drink or a bite to eat, and learn how to work with them and what they’re looking for.”

Shannon Nelson, publicist and chief blogger at Pierce Mattie PR in New York, is also a big fan of Twitter’s ability to provide a more informal channel for discussion with journalists. “Some of the people I am followed by, and that I’m following, are from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe, Gawker Media’s Consumerist, Fast Company, Advertising Age, BusinessWeek, and The New York Times,” Nelson says. “Everyone engages in conversation, asks for input for upcoming articles and watches for breaking news.”

At least at this stage in Twitter’s development, Nelson says, journalists seem to see no risk on being “followed” by PR people. “It’s less threatening to talk to journalists this way,” says Nelson. “And they can talk to you without being worried that you’re going to pitch them.”

That’s not to say that pitching via Twitter isn’t legit; it’s just not something you do the second you join. Clayton Blackham, senior associate at SnappConner PR in Draper, Utah, spent a couple of months “following” Matt Miller, writer of ZDNet’s “Mobile Gadgeteer” feature—and getting Miller to “follow” him—before lobbing a pitch Miller’s way. Miller sent a Twitter message back to Blackham right away, letting him know that he’d done a write-up of the story on ZDNet.

“I’m not sure that he would have done anything with the pitch if I had just e-mailed him,”
says Blackham.

Of course, the day may soon come when “TwitReleases” are commonplace. In his PR Squared blog, Todd Defren, principal at SHIFT Communications in Boston, recently pondered the impact of a press release from Softbank that was just one sentence: “SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp. today announced it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Japan later this year.”

Said Defren on his blog, “[I] realized that this Softbank/iPhone deal could have been announced via Twitter, with 17 character spaces to spare!”

What’s the takeaway for PR professionals? Start practicing the craft of writing 15-word pitches.

Twitter basics

So what is this newish social media tool with the funny name? It’s like sending a text message via your cell phone, but to a group of people all at once, who can pick up your message via their own mobile devices, or check them on the Web.

You can send a Twitter message, called a “Tweet,” via Twitter’s Web site, or with your phone. Messages are limited to 140 characters, which prevents Twitter users from boring the heck out of their friends with long missives.

What do people Twitter about? Where they’re eating dinner, if they’re bored and wishing they were somewhere else—you name it, people Twitter about it. This is why Twitter is often referred to as a “micro-blogging” tool.

The value of these communications very much depends on the people you are “following”—that is, the people whose Tweets you want to read on a regular basis. If you follow people who engage in some interesting discussions despite the limitations of the message length, Twitter may be worth your time.

Here’s some advice for getting the most out of Twitter in terms of media relations:

Find and follow. “Do your research and see if your contacts are there,” says Mark Holterhaus, communications consultant for LaBreche in Minneapolis. Twitter lets you search by name, including the names of specific media outlets, and by location. If a journalist included the name of his or her employer in their short Twitter bio, you can find them via a search.

Learn from the masters. “Find an influencer that you have a lot of respect for, and see who they follow and talk to,” says Lisa Dilg, account director in the Detroit office of PerkettPR.

Don’t pitch right away. As with other social media tools, such as blogs, you get more credibility if you’re a listener and a participant in discussions prior to putting on your PR hat. Spend some time following your chosen media contact and see how or she wants to use Twitter.

Full disclosure. Don’t mask your identity; state your PR affiliation in your bio. “I want them to know that I’m a real person, and that I’m not trying to dupe them,” says Dilg.

Shrink URLs. If you want to share a Web site with fellow Twitterers, and especially with journalists, don’t take up the entire Tweet with a Web address, advises Catherine Bergstrom, principal of Espresso PR in San Francisco. “Get a shortened URL at TinyURL.com,” she suggests.

Communications Weekly: Phat Stats

This week on the CWU: Americans are Fat! And we don't mean Phat! (and, yes, I did just say that out loud. And, yes, I am as embarrassed of myself as you are!) The story/study will appear in the June 30 edition of Circulation.

Scientific Journals
Action required: Pitch as appropriate – Journal release for Monday, June 30
(Embargoed for release at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET, Monday, June 30, 2008.)

• Cover Memo
• Population-based approach needed to reduce obesity in the United States
• Advocacy and Cause sheet
• Fact sheet
• Study PDF
• Advocacy talking points (field only please)

Contact Maggie Francis at 214-706-1382 with any questions.

All of the above materials are located on the SDrive at:

S:\Affiliate\Communications\Communications Weekly Update\June 26, 2008 - Obesity

Houston GRFW Sizzle Reel

Look what I found on YouTube! (Thanks to Patty for posting.)
This "Sizzle Reel" is what Gabe put together as part of a Houston Go Red For Women ROI report. I think the name could also be "Fun with PowerPoint." Can you believe Gabe created this through PP and then married it with another video editing program? Now that's being creative!



Looking for the 2008 National Wear Red Day Sizzle Reel? I couldn't figure out how to upload it to YouTube but you can find it here.

Day in the life of a Youth Market Director

Elizabeth forwarded this fun video produced by YMD Lisa Ellis.

Okay, Sandy, the pressure is ON! Our Staff Conference Video has to be better, funnier...um, shorter?

Enjoy! And, thank a YMD today.

Get it while it's HOT!

As discussed on this morning's Team Call, Bill has created a series of six "hot sheets" covering AHA FRDs (that's frequently requested documents, I just made it up!). Topics include:

• Heart Attack Warning Signs
• Stroke Warning Signs
• CPR/AED Fact Sheet
• Dial 911 Fast
• Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survival Tips
• Risk Assessment Fact Sheet

And because I can rarely find the "off" button for my internal editor, I suggest tweaking the Stroke document to include Give Me 5 info. Hmmm...perhaps that's another topic for a blog entry...

Back to the fact sheets...I'm embedding two of them here as examples but the rest are available on the S Drive at:

S:\Affiliate\Communications\Hot Sheets

Stroke Warning Signs - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Stroke Warning Signs

Heart Attack Warning Signs - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Heart Attack Warning Signs

Mileage Rate Increase!!

Mileage Rate Increase!!

As of July 1, 2008 the IRS mileage reimbursement rate will increase from $0.505/mile to $0.585/mile. E1 will automatically handle this rate change. However, if you are processing an expense report with mileage prior to this increase as well as mileage incurred after June 30, you will need to submit these on separate expense reports. E1 uses the date on the expense report in order to calculate the proper rate.

The sky-high gas rates have prompted several of you to ask about work-from-home opportunities for both yourself and/or your support staff. All of us, as professional, exempt staff are eligible for a flexible work schedule and occassional telecommuting. As I understand it, non-exempt staff, are not eligible because the nature of their jobs require them to be in the office. I will continue to explore and get back to you.

Flexible Work Schedule
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a flexible work schedule is an alternative to the traditional 9 to 5, 40-hour work week. It allows employees to vary their arrival and/or departure times. Under some policies, employees must work a prescribed number of hours a pay period and be present during a daily "core time." The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not address flexible work schedules. Alternative work arrangements such as flexible work schedules are a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee (or the employee's representative). The Department of Labor has conducted numerous surveys and published articles and reports on the subject.

Start! HeartWalk Ad Template

I tell ya, I find the best stuff when I'm cleaning out my email. I've started looking at those "Hey, Email hog, DELETE SOME STUFF!!" messages as "Hey, you're about to find something cool that you missed or forgot about."

Here's what I found today, thanks to Tiffany and Gabe (with a nod to Kim for creating the first version). This version has also been saved to the S Drive for easy access:
S:\Affiliate\Communications\Start Templates. Please save any other Start! Templates here so others can benefit from your work.

2008 START! Ad - Houston Business Journal (Email) - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: 2008 START! Ad - Houston Business Journal (Email)

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

In case you missed today's All Staff E-Memo, consider this your instant replay.

Here’s what’s happening . . .

Introducing AHA's exciting new patient portal, HeartHub!

• HeartHub is an online patient education resource that offers dynamic and easy-to-access cardiovascular and stroke information.


• The new patient portal has resources such as video clips, interactive web tools, up-to-date AHA news, podcasts, and animated illustrations – it is the premier source to help patients, families, and caregivers understand their condition and begin to take control to manage their health.

If you have questions . . .

• Please contact Elyse Thompson, National Center Issues Marketing Manager in Patient Education, at 214.706.1149

P.S.

Did you know AHA has two free magazines?

If you don't already receive Heart Insights and Stroke Connection Magazine, I suggest you go ahead and subscribe to them now. Who knows what sort of inspiration they could inspire or hidden information they could provide. You can always remind constituents of these resources, too.

Billboards

Another awesome share from Mashell. This time her pass-along info is about a HeartWalk billboard campaign in Charleston. I could totally see the slacker version working in Austin (home of the original 1991 Slackers movie) and with some creativity we could come up with even more versions.

1) The Build Up - When we first talked, we had the idea of doing a one or two month campaign to create a higher level of awareness for walking and thus the Heartwalk. We could do that with a bulletin (or three) and/or posters. The concept behind these is to use the equity (or build equity) in the Start! logo to encourage people to be healthier by walking. The thought occurred to us that if people start walking, what do they stop doing? There were three major issues that walking improves.. weight, respiratory and mood. The tone we're going for is light-hearted and friendly yet seriously encouraging. We feel these are phrases friends would use in conversation. "Man, my belly is jiggling. I need to get active." "I gotta stop slacking off and just start walking."

2) The Heartwalk® - The stock ads for the Heartwalk have always presented problems.

Because they're trying to accomplish in one poster what we're doing with a longer campaign, the date and place gets lost in either a background photo or conflicts with a headline. We've redesigned a much simpler version to get to the point quicker and keep consistency with the walking campaign that will precede it. By the time the Heartwalk posters are up, most people will have seen the walking bulletins, thus their recognition of the logo and their mindset of walking has increased.

Statisticapalooza

We're frequently called upon to provide statistical information for our colleagues and the media. I was lurking on the S Drive (S:\Affiliate\Communications\Statistics - Resources) and discovered this gem from Mashell Sourjohn tucked away in a file folder. It's dated Feb 2008 so some of you have seen this before but I think it's worth repeating here.

Thanks Mashell!

---0---

Whether you are writing a script for your event, completing a proposal or submitting a press release we all often are in need of statistics. First and foremost we always want to use American Heart Association statistics. We are positioned as experts in the field and it is only appropriate that we utilize our own data. Please find the following resources:

• American Heart Association
  All statistics are for the most recent year available. Prevalence and hospitalizations are computed for 2005 unless otherwise noted. Mortality data are final for 2004, unless otherwise specified. U.S. and state death rates and prevalence rates are age-adjusted (unless otherwise specified) per 100,000 population.


• Updated Mortality Data:
  Cardiovascular Disease Deaths Decline SharplyIn early January 2008, the National Center for Health Statistics released updated cardiovascular disease mortality statistics. These are final data for 2005.


• Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2008 Update
  The American Heart Association works with government agencies to derive our annual statistics for cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. Also includes data on risk factors, nutrition, quality of care, medical procedures and economic cost.


• Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2008 Update (At-a-Glance Version)
  This abridged version (40 pages) of the 2008 Statistical Update provides a quick overview of the latest statistics relating to cardiovascular disease, risk factors, quality of care and other topics.


• Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2008 Update (All Charts)
  This PowerPoint presentation includes the charts in the current edition.


• Statistical Fact Sheets:
  The following statistical information shows the effect of heart disease on people from various backgrounds. The information is also broken down according to key risk factors and other relevant topics.


• Heart Facts:
  Latino/Hispanic AmericansThis two-sided sheet contains basic facts on heart disease for Spanish-speaking Latino/Hispanic Americans on side one and facts for English-speaking Latino/Hispanic Americans on side two.


1168615288228LatinoSpan%20HeartFacts07 loRes - Upload a Document to Scribd
Read this document on Scribd: 1168615288228LatinoSpan%20HeartFacts07 loRes


• Populations
  Slice and dice the data you need by populations (age, ethnicity, etc)


• Obesity
  Nation at Risk: Obesity in the United States. A statistical sourcebook jointly compiled and released the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to shows how prevalent obesity has become and to examine the factors that contribute to thepatterns of unhealthy eating and insufficient physical activity that are at the heart ofthis epidemic.


Nation at Risk PDF - Upload a Document to Scribd
Read this document on Scribd: Nation at Risk PDF


• Childhood Obesity
  As rates of childhood overweight and obesity increase, the healthcare industry understands the need for action. This link takes you to the Alliance site geared toward healthcare professionals.
Stroke Statistics
Stroke is the third largest cause of death, ranking behind "diseases of the heart" and all forms of cancer. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States.

Non-AHA Statistical Resources
Remember if you use statistics from another organization you must site where you pulled that information.

• Center For Disease Control
• US Census Factfinder
• Kaiser State Health Facts
• State and Metropolitan Area Data Book - 5th Edition
• Kaiser State Health Facts Online
• Health Tracking fact sheet
• National Institute of Health
• Annie E. Casey Foundation
• President Council on Physical Fitness
• Health Finder
• Healthy People 2010
• US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Indian Health Services

I hope this is helpful in all your endeavors.
Regards and Appreciation - Mashell

Habla Espanol?

Thanks to Tammy McKinney for pointing out Babelfish, a useful online translation service.
While this is a handy tool for translations on the fly, it won't replace professional translation of materials for use with constituents. I've used this to translate some personal emails to/from German/English in an effor to help me communicate with my mom's family...let's just say that there's defenitely something lost in translation!

Speaking of translations. Are you looking for Go Red For Women materials in Spanish? Well then look here:

• All Go Red documents distributed in CWU found at
  O:\National Center\COM\Communications Weekly Update\Communications Weekly Update\Go Red For Women
  This also include some Spanish materials and holiday pitches.
• Go Red For Women in Espanol has been officilly lauched under the dedicated site: goredcorazon.org (and, .net, .com). You’ll notice an interesting feature when comparing the English version. We’ll also eventually have a toggle on the English site that will get the viewer an option to go to the Spanish laguage site.
• You can also find some Spanish documents on the O Drive:
  O:drive\National Center\CEO\Cause Initiative Files\2008 Spanish Materials.
• And here's where you can find the Spanish poster, Af-Am/Hisp newsletter & some other things:
  O:drive\National Center\CEO\Cause Initiative Files\2008 WRD\WRD PDFs for

Tim Russert Statement

Wow!

That's the first thing I said when I saw the news bulletin that Tim Russert had collapsed and died of a heart attack while at NBC's Washington D.C. bureau studios.

The AHA released a statement on Saturday (See below) regarding Russert's death.

The DFW team has collaborated on an idea to use this tragic case to help save lives -- they're developing plans to ptich stories related to the July Messaging Platform from National Center stressing Summer Safety and the importance of CPR. Russert's death is also a good argument for AEDs in the workplace.

Russert (10) - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Russert (10)

Alphabet For Life

So I received this random, unfamiliar tree-hugger type catalog in the mail the other day and it has some really cool stuff in it. Clearly, someone's market research paid off when they bought my name/address from a list somewhere because I dig a lot of stuff in this catalog. (Get it? Dig? Tree hugger? Come on! Work with me!)

One of the items that really stood out to me was the Alphabet for Life Plaque -- a wall-hanging that spells out some pretty good rules for living. (note: the link to the plaque is to a different catalog b/c when I googled "Alphabet for Life" this one was a lot cheaper...just in case anyone wants to purchase it...I've got your back!).
Take a look at the list below and I think you'll agree that each and every one of these has it's place in both our personal and professional lives. As with any of the motivational-type stuff I pass along, take what you like and leave the rest.

Accept Difference.
Be Kind.
Count Your Blessings.
Dream.
Express Thanks.
Forgive.
Give Freely.
Harm No One.
Imagine More.
Jettison Anger.
Keep Confidences.
Love Truly.
Master Something.
Nurture Hope.
Open Your Mind.
Pack Lightly.
Quell rumors.
Reciprocate.
Seek Wisdom.
Touch Hearts.
Understand.
Value Truth.
Win Graciously.
Xeriscape.
Yearn For Peace.
Zealously Support a Worthy Cause.

Women's Health Magazine's 100 Most Useful Websites

Hey guys,
As a subscriber to Women's Health magazine, I also receive their e-newsletter. Today's version included some very useful information. So useful, in fact, that the article actually features WH's 100 Most Useful Websites. The sites cover a range of topics from career to travel to just plain cool.

Now 100 websites = a lot of websurfing...and I have it on pretty good authority that none of us has the time to scan 100 websites. So here's Steph Notes (vs Cliff Notes), or a listing of my faves from the list:

Time Wasters

2 | Be Artsy (Sort of)

jacksonpollock.org

Move your mouse to create a spot-tastic masterpiece.

Tree Huggers

14-15 | MUST-READ ECO BLOGS

treehugger.com and
ecofabulous.com

Go there now for instant
greenspiration.

Buddy, Can you spare a dime?

47 | DO GOOD

kiva.org

Log on and lend as little or as much money as you like to entrepreneurs in developing countries. You could help a 38-year-old mother in Senegal stock her retail store with lemons, palm oil, and brooms or a 29-year-old man in Lebanon open an auto repair shop. You'll receive photos and notes from the person you sponsor, and Kiva generally gets your money back within a year.

Okay, here are a couple of work-related ones. The first is for blowing off steam while the second one is to help you get in touch with your inner OCD. (Re: #61: I know about this one so you better disguise your rants well!)

61 | CHEW OUT YOUR BOSS WITHOUT GETTING FIRED

workrant.com

Tough day at the office? Go here and submit a rant or click on "Top 10 Rants" to instantly feel better about your own shit day.

62-63 | MUST-READ CAREER BLOGS

lifehacker.com and unclutterer.com

Go to these blogs now to learn to be a zillion times more productive.

Website Metrics with Compete.com

Frustrated because you can't figure out how to count that web hit in your impressions report? Need some quick stats and no one is responding to your email? Well, help is on the way!

My peer in the MidWestern States Affiliate shared a potentially very cool web tool with me that coule save the day. Compete.com is a free (for now, anyway) site that provides the montlhy unique visitors for almost any website you want -- including some of the hard to get, smaller websites.

The tag line on their homepage pretty much says it all: Track your rivals. Then eat their lunch.

But, fine, if you want more details, here's how they describe it:

Compete is a new breed of web analytics company. We have a diverse sample of 2,000,000+ U.S. internet users that have given us permission to analyze the web pages they visit and ask them questions via surveys. We're betting that the insights we create from consumers' online behavior - whether they're watching, searching, shopping or socializing - is valuable for companies who are looking to radically improve their marketing. We think that web analytics means analyzing what consumers do across the entire web, not just what they do within a particular site, and that marketers can use this rich information across the entire company, not just for online media planning or site design decisions.

Powered by the largest pool of online consumer behavior data in the industry, Compete.com is the only online competitive intelligence service that combines site and search analytics in one site to help you quickly master online marketing. With Compete.com, you can identify rival search marketing strategies to take your SEM and SEO efforts to the next level, and stay on top of rivals with site metrics and audience profiles.

Project Management

So Yvette and I were talking about organization goals -- as in being organized, we spend plenty of time talking about the goals of the organization -- and she mentioned a PowerPoint presentation Scot Johnson, SVP of HOD, provides on just that topic.

I asked Scot for copy and am sharing it with you here. It's also located on the S Drve at:

S:affiliate/Human Resources/training/TXAU/Project Mangement

According to the presentation, approximately 80 percent of projects are "unsuccessful in terms of missed deadlines and/or budget." We can do better than that! Maybe this will help...

American Heart Project Management LC - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: American Heart Project Management LC

What's in it for me?

Here's a handy document (thanks, Kim!) to help explain why support of the AHA is a very good thing (thanks, Martha!).

You can order these handy "How We Work For You" documents from National Center or simply print them out locally.

06-4190 AHA FundRaising FactSheet - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: 06-4190 AHA FundRaising FactSheet

Bill's CPR Hit in Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Congrats to Bill for his first major print hit highlighting CPR -- on the heels of National CPR/AED Awareness Week. The story ran on Sunday, June 8.








CPR makes difference, one life at a time
By ANGIE SUMMERS
Star-Telegram staff writer

When Shalique Martin collapsed suddenly during football practice in February, the world briefly stopped for all the students standing on the Coble Middle School football field.
The eighth-grader didn't have a heartbeat.

But offensive coordinator coach Brian Randle knows cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He kept the other players calm and administered CPR for several minutes until paramedics arrived.

"It was scary," Randle was quoted as saying at the time. "I was just hoping that he'd make it through."

The 14-year-old did. Randle saved his life.

Martin underwent heart surgery after the incident. He returned to school in March.

He lived because one person knew CPR.

Last week was National CPR/AED Awareness Week, designed to raise awareness for CPR training and train the public in the use of automated external defibrillators, machines that can restart the hearts of those who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.

The American Heart Association reports that an estimated 166,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest, an electrical malfunction that causes rapid and chaotic heart activity and then causes the heart to stop beating.

The city of Arlington has worked to reduce that number by putting AEDs in most public buildings and schools. The device is labeled with directions, so it is easy to use.

The city joined the heart association, the Arlington Fire Department and the University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing in 2006 to start a program that aims to improve cardiac arrest survival by teaching 10 percent of the city's population how to perform CPR.

Since then, the community-based CPaRlington program has trained 16,700 people how to perform the lifesaving technique.

Many organizations have received the training. This school year, the program was offered to six eighth-grade classes in the Arlington school district. Five classes are scheduled for training next school year.

That will mean that almost every eighth-grader in the Arlington district soon will be CPR-trained. Each trained student also receives a personal CPR Anytime Kit to take home so they can share the information with their family and friends.

The kit, available thorough the heart association, includes an inflatable manikin, DVD and instructions.

Although chest compressions combined with mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing is the best way to deliver CPR, the American Heart Association recently said that performing hands-only CPR also can save lives. That technique gives those who may be reluctant to perform the traditional procedure a better chance of resuscitating someone.

The rules are simple. Lay the person on the floor face-up, and put one hand on top of the other in the middle of the victim's chest. Push hard and fast, 100 times a minute -- the same rhythm as the beat of the Bee Gees song Stayin' Alive.

It's better to do something than nothing at all.

Just ask Shalique Martin.

What to do
If someone collapses:

1. Call 911
2. Put the victim on the floor face-up.
3. Put one hand on top of the other in the middle of the victim's chest.
4. Compress the person's chest 100 times a minute

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Online: www.americanheart.org/handsonlycpr or http://www.cparlington.org/
asummers@star-telegram.comANGIE SUMMERS, 817-548-5405