Article: New Global Communication Weapon May Be Mixing Street Protesting and Social Media

Newswise — With many Americans concerned about rising gas prices, state budgets and inflation — and with battle lines drawn in several states between governments and unions — the U.S. can expect more social media “wars" in the near future.

“Union protesters will take to the streets and use social media to communicate their message in order to build support,” said Rowan University (Glassboro, N.J.) adjunct marketing professor Jennifer Regina, who also is CEO of a marketing firm that specializes in social media (The Marketing of Everything, Washington Township, N.J.).

The subject of unions using social media is in its infancy, but organizers in Wisconsin have demonstrated success with it, and Regina expects more state groups to follow that example.

“The ease of creating groups and engaging participants is the biggest benefit of social media. Although it is easy to collect members, the key is to create an atmosphere where action is taken by those members,” Regina said. “It can be as simple as calling their government official, donating time or material or taking a stand in the streets or courthouse.”

Regina said organizers also can use Twitter to inform people on the route of a protest or what supplies and materials to bring. In a few short days, a very organized group can be formed and messages communicated on the fly.

Of course, both sides of the battle can use social media. State governments also can employ social media to create a more effective way to communicate their messages to their constituents.

“Officials will use social media to persuade residents what needs to be accomplished in order to turn the souring financial picture around,” Regina said.

Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker has used Twitter effectively in the past to communicate with the state’s residents, Regina said. “In December 2010, he used Twitter to tell residents about the city’s snow emergency. He created an open channel of communication and asked people to tweet him information about the city. Many people asked for help during the storm and were helped after tweeting requests to Booker,” she noted.

Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools can be used in any forum or for any agenda. “As long as state governments create their social media channels as forms of open communication, they can create trust,” Regina said.

“Residents will feel that their comments and thoughts are taken seriously and, in return, they will be more open to listening to what government officials have to say.”

With many states facing similar issues compared to Wisconsin, the trend will be for both sides of a problem to air their fight publicly and in social media channels, the professor added. “There is a correct way to properly navigate these new communication methods,” she said, “and those who don’t embrace the rules will lose the social media war.”

http://www.newswise.com/articles/from-wisconsin-to-new-jersey-the-new-global-communication-weapon-may-be-mixing-street-protesting-and-social-media?ret=/articles/channels&channel=22&category=breaking&page=2&search%5Bstatus%5D=3&search%5Bsort%5D=date+desc&search%5Bchannel_id%5D=22

Rowan Article on How Social Media can Help De-Stress Moms Published in India Newspaper

Social media can help stressed-out and overworked mothers, says an expert.
Today's moms know that time is their most precious commodity. School, homework, activities, dinner and bedtime make for a grueling schedule that most moms have to face on a daily basis.

One solution to help with the burden -- and to help moms not pull out their hair -- is to become more organized and use technology to make life easier, said Jennifer Regina, an adjunct professor of marketing in the Rohrer College of Business at Rowan University (Glassboro, N.J.) and founder and CEO of The Marketing of Everything (Washington Township, N.J.).

According to The NPD Group, 79 percent of moms with children younger than 18 actively use social media, said Regina.
They rely heavily on blogs and Facebook to decide what to buy and what brands to promote through their word-of-mouth channels.
Additionally, 55 percent of moms have purchased a product because of a blog, and 40 bought a product because they saw it on Facebook.

“Word of mouth is critical for moms making purchases. The first place moms will go to are other moms in order to come up with the brands or products they should be considering in their product choices,” she said.
Social media, she said, have provided the platform that has allowed those word-of-mouth referral to flourish.

For example, Regina said, CafeMom is one of the largest resources for moms with any questions on a multitude of topics.
For the mom who has a very mobile lifestyle, social cell phone applications have been developed to make even life's milestones easier.
Pregnant women can use Mom 2 Be, which is a pregnancy app that tracks the baby's progress through statistics and even allows the mother-to-be to share tri-semester information with friends and family.
Every mother needs help in the kitchen, Regina said. The Mom's Shopping List cell phone application allows anyone to quickly create a shopping list.
Some fun mobile applications are available. The first is the Ask Mom app. This will not only entertain kids but also provide great conversation starters. It covers cute questions that kids would ask their mom.

“Even if a child can't read, the application allows him or her to tap on words, and the question is read out loud,” Regina said.

Another favorite app is Sit or Squat, which provides a very important service: help for moms to find the nearest bathroom for their toddler who is participating in toilet boot camp.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/social-media-can-help-stressedout-overworked-mothers/767951/?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d934fac4c578dfa%2C0

My ABC Action News Interview with Amy Buckman on Mobile Money Apps

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/consumer/save_with_6abc&id=7957642