We Move Issues

Newspaper Web Sites Seeing More Traffic

The dead-tree versions are getting smaller, more expensive and selling less copies, but the web-based versions of many major newspapers are seeing dramatic growth. That's not surprising. People around the world, across all age groups, are spending more time on the internet - connecting to friends and family, sharing and reading links and news, and enjoying videos. In what has been a dismal period for newspapers, an increase in web traffic provides a crucial opportunity for the media industry, but only if newspaper publishers are savvy enough to maximize the trend by creating consistently compelling content and effectively yet unobtrusively monetizing their web sites.

CPA Client Mentioned on PR Week Blog

Our ongoing efforts with AmericanWinery.com to uncork New Jersey and allow fine wine to be shippped directly to Garden State residents was spotlighted by the PR Week blog. We're pleased to get the attention of such a well-respected industry publication, but we're thrilled with the web-based grassroots efforts that have led over 200 New Jerseyans thus far to contact their elected officials in Trenton and let them know they support cosnumer choice in New Jersey.

Twitter Gets New Investment

Some new investors are in the Twitter stable  bringing the total financing to $55 million for the micro-blogging/status update/social messaging company. Twitter seems to have addressed nearly all of its reliability issues and is now looking to develop a model for revenue growth. They already have a semi-rabid fan base (myself included) so the hard part of getting millions of people to use the service on a regular basis is done. Now, it's time to figure out the monetization. Look for potential corporate and pro accounts in the future to fill part of that void.

Facebook Is (Becoming) a Part of Our Lives

Fortune has an excellent article about Facebook's growth, functionality and plans for the future. It's an in-depth review and makes for an excellent read. Indeed, as more people use the social networking site to message friends, family and colleagues, share links and post content, Facebook is rapidly moving beyond a "phonebook" and becoming the phone itself.

Not on Facebook yet? Your friends and family are already there. Go ahead and give it a try.

Thought Leadership Means Correct Spelling

Many government and business officials are writing blogs with mixed degrees of success. Blogs are meant to facilitate communication, demonstrate expertise and engage your audience and stakeholders. However, when basic spelling mistakes litter your posts, your message gets diluted. Blogging is another form of writing and you wouldn't include typos and gramatical errors in a business letter or press release. Nor should you include them in your blog posts, especially if you're the Minister of Education!

CPA President Featured in New Jersey Jewish News Article

Jon Shure has admirably served New Jersey Policy Perspectives for years. It will be the state's loss but the nation's gain when he moves to Washington D.C.  next month to work on the State Fiscal Project at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In a recent article, CPA President Steven E. Some was asked to comment on Jon's departure.

“I have a high regard for Jon, but that doesn’t mean I agree with him,” said Steve Some, a Republican lobbyist at Capital Public Affairs, a bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm in Princeton.

“He has been extremely effective in pushing policy issues. He is viewed by policy makers from all sides of the debate as a person of integrity. He is such a presence among the policy makers that when he leaves, there will be a major void from the perspective he represents,” said Some.

We wish Jon the best of luck as he begins his new venture!

The Jersey Bounce, Republican Style

Republicans have had a tough time statewide in New Jersey for decades. However, an increasing number of pundits are entertaining the notion of a GOP revival in the Garden State this year. With the country in recession and unemployment rising, incumbents everywhere have reason to be concerned. That's no different in New Jersey, especially during a year that will likely see an incumbent facing a challenger perceived as a corruption-buster intent on changing the politics of Trenton.

CPA Client In Local Spotlight for Consumer Choice

AmericanWinery.com recently partnered with Capital Public Affairs to open up consumer choice in New Jersey.  Currently, Garden State residents are banned from purchasing fine wine over the internet or in person directly from the winery and having it shipped to their home. Millions of other people in 35 states around the country enjoy this simple right, yet New Jerseyans do not simply because of where they live. NJBIZ.com picked up on this important story and spotlighted our efforts on their web site. If you're a New Jersey-based wine lover, please take a moment to learn more about our efforts to uncork New Jersey!

CPA's Meyer Featured on PRWeek.com

The public relations industry magazine PR Week featured our news about Jeff Meyer, CPA'a newest partner, on its blog. We're pleased to see Jeff's new gig with CPA receiving such interest.

News Breaks on Social Media Sites First

As user-generated content takes over social media web sites, a rapidly growing number of news stories are being broken and shared on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and others. That makes sense. People are often at the center of breaking news scenes or rapidly changing events. They can easily update their Facebook status, send a tweet or post of photo to Flickr, all from their "phone." It's a direct connection to/from the event and the people involved in it, and it's an incredible tool for commnunicating information, data and content right from any scene, breaking news or not. This phenomenon will continue to grow and smart media outlets are already incorporating pictures, comments and insight from people who happen to find themselves at the scene of a breaking news story.