Saw this in Entertainment Weekly not too long ago and thought it was pretty funny.

Does anyone else think that there’s a glut of press releases out there?  Even though some see PR (wrongly) as “free advertising,” a bad or unwarranted press release is going to turn off journalists (supposedly the intended targets) as quickly as a bad ad would alienate consumers.

Perhaps the relative ease of production and distribution, either via email or one of the many wire services, makes it too easy to turn distribute news these days.  However, blasting out a press release to your “list” doesn’t equate to a PR campaign and those that do it are possibly harming their clients more than they’re helping them.  We’ll be doing a bigger well orchestrated rant post on that down the line.

For many of our clients, we don’t do formal press releases unless something really warrants attention.  You’ll see the occasional one in the action sports trades surrounding a new team rider or ASR event, but when it comes to everything else, we keep it to the facts and then send it to just the media who definitely hopefully care about what our clients have going on.  And while we have a big “list” of media here at the office, we don’t just send news to everyone we know.  There’s a lot of news coming out of BBPR’s clients that we just don’t send to Chad @ Malakye for his news section, Kailee @ Transworld Business, JB @ South of the North or Joe Schmoe @ Major National News Outelt.  Why?  It’s not because we don’t like them.  Usually because it’s just not relevant to them and they know when we do send them something, it’ll always hopefully be something they can use.

Before you blast everyone you know with a release that your widget is now 2 percent lighter (which IS a big deal if your widget weighs 20 tons) or comes in a lighter shade of pink, ask yourself “Does anyone really care?”

Bill Byrne is the lead media strategist for the San Diego based PR consultancy, BBPR. He’s been helping action sports brands sell out since 1997 and occasionally delivers fantastic results for his clients. Feel free to bother him @ bill@bbpublicrelations.com.

Registration is now open for Shop-Eat-Surf’s Executive Roundtable on March 30, when Tiffany Montgomery interviews Skullcandy CEO Rick Alden and President Jeremy Andrus in front of a live audience.

General registration opens to all on March 1.

Skullcandy started in 2003 and reached $125 million in revenue in 2009, with projections for a 30% - 40% growth in 2010. Alden was named Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the January 2010 edition.

The company primarily makes and markets headphones sold through action sports and music retail channels, and has branched out to other retail channels and categories.

Rick and his team work with an intensity, focus and sharp vision that stands out in action sports, and that will be one focus of the Roundtable discussion - along with the company’s continued growth against the recessionary headwinds, and how Skullcandy has overcome obstacles during the company’s rapid growth.

It all happens from 8:30 - 11 a.m. at the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach. We’ll serve breakfast and coffee, and in addition to the formal program, we’ll have plenty of time for informal discussions before and after the session.

SES Members save on admission, paying $65. General admission is $100. Your admission includes valet parking and breakfast.

Executive Edition members can register by clicking this link. Be sure to use the same email address that’s linked to your membership.

If you’re not an Executive Edition member, it’s not too late to sign up for a membership while registering for the Executive Roundtable.

To become a member and register for the event, click here. For an all-in-one bundled price of $154.99, you receive early registration and savings to this event ($65) and to each of our quarterly Executive Roundtable events, plus access to Executive Edition stories for a year ($89.99)..

The Shorebreak Hotel is again offering a special rate of $159 - a $60 savings - for Executive Roundtable registrants who stay at the hotel on Monday, March 29. You’ll find more details on our event registration page.

Or you can book your room by clicking here or by calling the Shorebreak’s reservations desk at (877) 744-1117 and mentioning the Shop-eat-surf event.

This Executive Roundtable is presented by sponsors Wells Fargo Trade Capital, UTC RETAIL, Innovative Systems, Moss Adams and the Shorebreak Hotel.

By Brian Socolow

The growth of action sports has largely been fueled by fans under 18, and on-line marketing companies targeting that audience have followed. Whether it’s Quiksilver, Monster Energy Drinks or ESPN X Games, the look and feel of the typical action sports-related website is young, edgy, authentic. Action sports marketers need to be aware, however, of the panoply of laws that regulate marketing to kids, including the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA prohibits the online collection of personal information from kids under 13 without verifiable parental consent. It’s enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the advertising industry’s self-regulatory forum, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU).

COPPA applies to commercial websites or online services that are targeted to children under 13 and to general audience websites that knowingly collect information from children under 13. To determine whether a website is targeted to children, the FTC considers several factors including the subject matter, visual or audio content, the age of models on the site, language, and whether advertising on the website is directed to children.

COPPA requires these websites to:

· Post a privacy policy outlining their information collection practices;

· Provide notice to parents of their information collection practices;

· Get prior verified parental consent if the website collects personal information from children under 13;

· Provide access to the information collected and the opportunity to delete such information; and

· Maintain reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality, security, and integrity of such information.

Most COPPA violations seem to fall into one of three categories: websites that don’t adequately block kids under 13 from using the site; websites that collect personal information from kids under 13 without first obtaining parental consent; and websites that require kids to provide personal information as a condition of playing a game or entering a sweepstakes.

For example, CARU investigated Sports Illustrated Kids, the operator of the Battle MAX website, which was offering a “Take Your Best Shot Sweepstakes.” The print version of Sports Illustrated Kids magazine included a print advertisement for the sweepstakes and an address for the website. CARU was concerned that the sweepstakes registration process allowed children to sign up for an electronic newsletter without parental notification or an opt-out. Also, CARU found that the site contained a link to the Dew Action Sports Tour website, at www.dewactionsportstour.com – a site that collected personally identifiable information, such as full name, street address, email address, etc, from all visitors without prior parental consent, and did not screen for age. After being notified by CARU, Sports Illustrated Kids immediately removed the link to the electronic newsletter and also removed the link to Dew Action Sports Tour.

COPPA applies to individually identifiable information about a child, such as full name, home address, email address, telephone number or any other information that would allow someone to identify or contact the child. COPPA also covers other types of information — for example, hobbies, interests and information collected through cookies or other types of tracking mechanisms — when they are tied to individually identifiable information.

Perhaps the most onerous part of complying with COPPA is getting verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal information from kids. There is a sliding-scale for obtaining this consent: how a website obtains the consent depends on how the website uses the child’s personal information. If the website uses the information for internal purposes, a less rigorous method of consent is required. However, if the website discloses the information to others, the situation presents greater dangers to children, and a more reliable method of consent is required.

Websites may use email to get parental consent for all internal uses of personal information, such as marketing back to a child based on his or her preferences or communicating promotional updates about site content, as long as they take additional steps to increase the likelihood that the parent has, in fact, provided the consent. For example, websites might seek confirmation from a parent in a delayed confirmatory email, or confirm the parent’s consent by letter or phone call.

When websites want to disclose a child’s personal information to third parties or make it publicly available (for example, through a chat room or message board), the sliding scale requires them to use a more reliable method of consent, including getting a signed form from the parent via postal mail or fax; accepting and verifying a credit card number in connection with a transaction; taking calls from parents, through a toll-free telephone number staffed by trained personnel; or email accompanied by digital signature. In the case of a monitored chat room, if all individually identifiable information is stripped from postings before it is made public — and the information is deleted from the operator’s records – a website does not have to get prior parental consent.

There are a few other exceptions under COPPA that allow websites to collect a child’s email address without getting the parent’s consent in advance. These exceptions cover many popular online activities for kids, including contests, online newsletters, homework help and electronic postcards. Prior parental consent is not required when a website collects a child’s or parent’s email address to provide notice and seek consent; a website collects an email address to respond to a one-time request from a child and then deletes it; or a website collects an email address to respond more than once to a specific request — say, for a subscription to a newsletter. In that case, the website must notify the parent that it is communicating regularly with the child and give the parent the opportunity to stop the communication before sending or delivering a second communication to a child.

Although an investigation by CARU does not result in fines, the FTC has the authority to impose substantial fines for websites that violate COPPA. The FTC recently announced that Sony BMG Music had agreed to pay a $1,000,000 penalty to settle charges that it violated COPPA. Sony operates hundreds of fan websites and, according to the FTC, many of these sites required users to submit a broad range of personal information, together with date of birth, in order to register for these sites. The FTC also said that Sony collected personal information from at least 30,000 underage children without first obtaining their parents’ consent, and the websites enabled children to create personal fan pages, review artists’ albums, upload photos or videos, post comments on message boards and in online forums, and engage in private messaging. The FTC also said that the Sony websites did not block registrations from kids under 13.

Conclusion

Although action sports companies often search for edginess, when it comes to promoting action sports events, personalities, and merchandise to kids, marketers should be wary of the rules that limit their activities.

Brian R. Socolow (bsocolow@loeb.com) is a partner in Loeb & Loeb LLP’s sports practice. He represents individuals and organizations in the sports industry in contracts, intellectual property and related matters.

Label Networks’ iPhone app allows subscribers and readers of Label Networks the capability to access information, including data reports, quickly from their mobile device, keeping them up to speed on the fast-changing marketplace and providing valuable knowledge to stay ahead of the competition.

The release also marks the launch of Mobile Culture Lab, the technical division of Label Networks that specializes in designing and developing applications for the mobile generation.

“We have developed wireless applications for the past 10 years deployed in various youth markets, and we have a deep understanding of the potential and future growth of this market,” says Tom Wallace, President of Label Networks.

With Mobile Culture Lab, Label Networks is now extending its offerings to include this experience to clients via custom iPhone app creations. “Our group is versed in solving complex technical applications, yet also has an eye for design aesthetic and user experience,” continued Wallace. “Our core members have a rich history of creating leading-edge consumer experiences and technical platforms, including NBA.com, Nascar.com, Rivals.com, Skiresorts.com, LabelNetworks.com, and recently Royal Caribbean’s Royal Connect.”

Technical Director, Bradley Feldman, also brings more than 20 years of experience to Mobile Culture Lab having architected dozens of enterprise software systems, multidimensional database architectures and high-end networks, including one of the most secure banking transaction systems used by the Federal Reserve System, database architectures and e-commerce transaction systems for some of the largest Internet Media companies including BurrellesLuce and Rivals.com, and cloud computing and wireless/mobile technologies, designing significant systems for Relevant Evidence LLC, Label Networks, Inc., and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Label Networks’ Mobile Culture Lab is currently in the final stages for developing an iPhone app for the non-profit, Keep-a-Breast Foundation. This app provides a step-by-step guide to self breast exams, monthly schedule reminder with push notification, and foundation information.

For more information on Label Networks’ iPhone app or to see what Mobile Culture Lab can do for you, please contact us at (323) 630-4000; info@labelnetworks.com.

About Label Networks:
Label Networks, Inc. is a leading global youth culture intelligence media and research company authentically measuring the most trendsetting subcultures in the world. Launched in 2000 to bridge the gap between the youth culture marketplace and the lack of useful research about the fast-changing landscape, Label Networks created new methods to gain constantly fresh quantitative and qualitative data about the marketplace accurately and quickly using a combination of remote data-acquisition and analysis systems, and a credible network of Global Street Culture Experts. Together, Label measures and reports about youth culture, providing inspiration, data, and analysis for those needing a new source of knowledge for creating successful strategies. Label Networks Premium Subscription includes Youth Culture Studies from North America, Europe, Japan, and China, plus a weekly newsletter, daily reports, and topical video clips. Label Networks also provides custom research, presentations, and iPhone applications creation through Mobile Culture Lab. Clients range from: Apple Computer, Adidas Originals, Toyota Europe, Pacific Sunwear, Fourstar Distribution, Dickies, Bauer, Airwalk, Macy’s, Dr. Pepper, Sunkist, RedBull, Coca-Cola, K-Swiss, Reebok, Fuel TV/Fox Sports, Footlocker Europe, Oakley, The North Face, Creative Artists Agency, ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water.

Contact:
Label Networks, Inc.
411 S. Main St., #614
Los Angeles, CA90013
(323) 630-4000
info@labelnetworks.com
www.labelnetworks.com

presented by FUEL TV
Thursday, December 10, 2009
La Jolla Group headquarters - Irvine, CA

SPEAKER: Michael Tomson, Design Consultant & Gotcha founder

group Y Panel Discussion & Gathering
“Inside the La Jolla Group”

presented by FUEL TV
Thursday, December 10, 2009
La Jolla Group headquarters - Irvine, CA

SPEAKER: Bill Bussiere - President & CFO, La Jolla Group

Skateboarding
· Decks (includes longboards)
· Trucks
· Wheels
· Shoes
· Sandals
· Apparel
· Watches
· Sunglasses

Surfing
· Surfboards: Short/Long
· Wetsuits
· Shoes
· Sandals
· Apparel
· Watches
· Sunglasses

These Mini Reports include information about the consumer buying your products that is critical to the future of your business:

• Demographic and Participation Charts from our Annual Consumer Reports
• Top Brands
• Frequency of Purchase
• Average Units Purchased Per Year
• Average Amount Spent

Plus the most current information on the Category from our Quarterly Specialty Retail Reports:
-

• Retailer Demographics
• Top Brands Carried
• Number of Specific Category Items carried by Specialty Retailers

And, specific category dollar/unit information including:

• Total Units
• Total Dollars spent by Surfers / Skateboarders (whichever applies)
• Average Prices based on spending by both active and passive participants.

All of this for $199 … and ordering is easy. Just visit our e-store at www.board-trac.net , click on the desired report and a PDF of the report will be e-mailed to you within 48 hours.

If your needs are even more specific or you want broader information, we can do that, too. We conduct proprietary research and also provide marketing services to guide you through application of the research data. In addition, we have a variety of reports available on our web site that provide a broader view of your target consumer.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call Angelo / Marie at Board Trac 949.858.9095.

The Board Retailers Association (BRA) is hosting two Retailer Survivor Series one day prior to the opening of the Surf Expo trade show on January 13, 2010 and the ASR trade show on February 2, 2010. Retailers are encouraged to take advantage of the trip to the trade shows by attending a full-day of certified retail education focused on current market issues facing specialty retailers. The primary purpose of the Retailer Survivor Series is to educate retailers and provide the tools necessary to continue to survive the market and increase profitability. The Retailer Survivor Series is an eight track program with two tracks running simultaneously at each show:

ASR – February 2, 2010
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, CA

Course I - Merchandising
Includes analytical trends, pricing and promotion, OTB, inventory budgeting and control, cash flow structuring and private label production.

Course II - Digital Retailing
Includes online retailing, driving web traffic, web analytics, social marketing and targeting the youth market.

REGISTER NOW (CLICK HERE)
BRA Member $75
Non-BRA Member $100

The Retailer Survivor Series utilizes interactive seminars, presentations, workshops and roundtables designed to encourage dialogue, education, interaction and involvement among all sectors of the industry. Make the most of your visit to Surf Expo and ASR by registering for the BRA Retailer Survivor Series – the preeminent educational and networking opportunity for show attendees.

*Both the Merchandising and Digital Retailing  courses will run simultaneously from 10:00am - 6:00pm, February 2, 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center. Registrants must choose one course for the day in order to receive certification.