Social media studies are interesting, because any number of studies reveal different things.

Here is this comScore study about gender differences in social networks:

A look at gender differences in social networking engagement found that, across global regions, females age 15 and older spend more time social networking than their male counterparts. In North America and Europe, women spent an average of nearly two hours (30 percent) more than men on social networking sites in October. Latin America saw both females and males average the most hours on social networking sites globally, with females averaging 8.2 hours social networking in October and males averaging 6.9 hours.

Intuitively, we know this to be true. And, I think this will only keep growing.

How do you interpret these findings?

Today is Mabel’s Labels‘ 10-year anniversary! I’m so honored to have been able to work with this team of moms to help share their expertise and product offerings through both media placements and celebrity attention to other parents around the world. Mabel’s Labels holds a particularly special place in my heart because they gave me a shot to be their publicist when I had only one previous client at the time.

Although I had been a sort of “publicist” for my own brand of clothing for years before, I was still green as the owner of a boutique PR firm. Co-founder Tricia Mumby met with me for coffee in San Diego to interview me, and we automatically connected. I remember her asking me why I think I should have the position over more experienced, larger New York-based PR firms, and I asked her to give me the chance to prove myself.

She and the other co-founders gave me that opportunity, and it is something I will always be grateful for. I continue to learn a lot through them, and have never run low on my passion to share Mabel’s Labels’ product launches, news, “Mama of Many” Julie Cole’s personal and professional expertise, Mumby’s marketing expertise and the Mabelhood story with anyone who will listen. I love this brand; even more so, I love the people behind the brand! I have the pleasure to work daily with their marketing manager, my sweet, amazing Karma, as well as Blais, who is on top of everything at all times. (I miss working with Melissa Madden, too!) I know business is supposed to be business, and that we aren’t supposed to be emotionally attached, but I am! I sincerely, genuinely adore Mabel’s Labels and everyone I have had the pleasure to get to know over the past few years. Here’s to another 10 years.

Social media gets attention, because it is seen as a collection of tools than can help businesses promote themselves. But, what is rarely talked about is how it can be used for other purposes; product development, for example.

When developing a product, market feedback is important. But, what if you could get that feedback before you actually launch? What it you could create a product, while in development, with your customer? What if salespeople and the people on the front lines had a say in the ultimate product outcome? Continue reading →

A rarely spoken advantage of social media, is that it can also be an enabler for innovation.

Stefan Lindegaard published a blog post recently about how to use Linkedin for innovation. It is a good post and you should definitely read it. Today, I aim to fill the gap with some tips for Twitter

There some fundamental reasons for using social networks: to connect with people; to share stuff you find interesting; to discuss things of interest; to participate; to contribute. With that said, if you really want to use social networks for innovation, you ultimately have to add value.

There are social networks such as Behance that are specialized for creatives. But, just like Linkedin, you can use Twitter, Quora, Google+ and others for innovation purposes. What are these purposes?

Here are a few:

Insights

You can find both customer and marketing insights. For example, there is the unfocused chatter that is all over the place, and the chatter that is focused. How do you remove the noise? You can start by monitoring specific hashtags, specific topics, creating a list of people of a certain topic and participating in discussions.

Look out for people who participate and cross-post on other social networks like LinkedIn and Quora. If you have a blog and think you can add value to these discussions, you can cross-post it on your blog. This way you can bring the conversation to where you are and hopefully discover insights.

Collaboration

I’ve found collaboration opportunities with a handful of people just through Twitter alone. On Twitter, there are chats you can participate it. For example, #innochat is popular with innovation professionals and provides an outlet to discuss an innovation topic during one hour. Some people have ended up collaborating together in advancing the knowledge and practice of innovation.

Your company can do the same. See if there’s a specific chat about your industry and participate in it. If there isn’t one and you feel like you can “own” a certain topic, create one.

Responsiveness

An important piece of news can be communicated by people on the ground faster than by a news stations. This dynamic also applies to business intelligence. People are talking about your product, some frustration or complaint and you need to be there.

This point goes hand in hand with “insights” because you are listening to your customers or market to see what is going on. This will also force you to become more agile, which a critical innovation capability.

Boost Creative Thinking

Innovation starts with creative thinking. With that said, having access to so much diverse knowledge gives you the opportunity to connect with people who are in different industries than you. This is an opportunity to cross-pollinate ideas. It is an opportunity to elevate your creative IQ, and develop a capability for thinking creatively.

Develop Strategic Thinking

It goes hand in hand with creative thinking. Put simply, if you are participating in various discussions, reading a wide variety of material from diverse types of people, you are developing your business acumen. But to fully take advantage of it, you have to reflect on what you read, discuss, observe and listen to. Only then, will you begin thinking strategically.

Thought Leadership

Every company out there has to innovate to survive and thrive. And innovation, distinguishes leader from follower. So, if you are an innovative company, you can’t rest on your laurels. You have to look for ways to keep innovating. Social networks will help you do this if you do all of the above points.

Employee Engagement

The new type of employee lives on social networks. They expect to work and collaborate in social networks. And, a company that is innovating, is ahead of the curve when it comes having employees who are engaged with their work.

Put simply: Creating value hasn’t changed, only how it gets done.

Your turn, how can my company use social networks for innovation? If you are already using social networks for innovation, how are you doing it?

This post was originally published on Game-Changer as: How can my company use social networks for innovation?

Nutrition, social interaction, playing with pets — there seems to be a new method for improving our child’s brain capacity every day. And today there’s a new technique that may or may not have parents ready to jump on board. It involves two wheels, a helmet and a lot of independence.

A new study published by a Danish University revealed that children who biked to school performed measurably better on tasks that required concentration and that the effects lasted for up to four hours after the exercise. The research team also studied the effects of diet on concentration and found that a healthy breakfast and lunch, while still important, played less of a key role compared to exercise.

A bulk of the findings have to do with geography. They’ve found that children who are free to walk around their neighborhoods on their own have a better understanding of “cognitive mapping.” Children learn how to get from point A to point B and in turn, learn how to use their bodies to understand the landscape around them.

Many parents have fond memories of riding their bicycles around the block with neighborhood friends, but it’s generally a rare sight to see children biking to school, whether it’s because of a fear for safety, bike-unfriendly roads or a desire to give children the comfort of door-to-door service.

What do you think of the study’s findings? Would you let your child ride his or her own bike to school?

Image via The Atlantic

Being caught up in the craziness of that particular day, between college apps for Alexis; homework w/Daniella and Gabriel; my PR business and my clients; my home and my husband, I wasn’t in the most open mood when I received a phone call from a woman asking me about possibly helping out with the PR for the Friends of Scott Non-profit foundation.  The Friends of Scott Foundation had been setup several years ago by Scott Delgadillo’s family, after Scott had lost his battle with leukemia at the age of 14.  The foundation helps kids with cancer and their families, both financially and emotionally.

I had heard about this cause last year, as they were preparing for their previous prom in San Diego and needed prom dresses donated.  So, I had been familiar with their local prom for kids in treatment or who had missed their own prom due to treatment, but I just didn’t know how I was going to tell this kind woman that I just don’t have the time to help out right now.  As our conversation continued, and she started to tell me the story, “when my son, Scott….”  I had to stop her, and asked, “Excuse me?  Your ‘son’ Scott?  You are Scott’s mother???”  I immediately got goosebumps, and became teary eyed, and my entire being changed at that moment.  Something about Scott’s MOM calling me, a mother of 3 myself, changed my entire attitude.  I went from having a wall up, to that wall crumbling down and opening my heart.  Mother to mother, I WOULD MAKE THE TIME  to help the Friends of Scott Organization reach out on a national level, so that these amazing people can take these proms to other cities and allow these kids with cancer to forget their sickness for that one night. 

On March 4th, I had the honor to be part of Friends of Scott’s 5th Annual Unforgettable Prom for Teens with Cancer at San Diego’s Hall of Champions. The kids had their hair and makeup done; dresses and tuxes on; and arrived by limos, where football player Stephen Cooper helped them onto the red carpet.  They were announced by a lovely emcee, Lisa Solis, and then were welcomed down the red carpet, where Skateboard Champion Tony Hawk surprised the kids.  They were so incredibly excited.  They were then interviewed by Juliette Vara and Kirstin Lindquist, and then walked into their PROM and CELEBRATED the night away.

You can view NBC’s coverage of this event in the video below:  

View more videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com.

View more videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com.