Author Archives: uwirepr

‘Go Viral to Improve Health’ and Win Up to $10,000

WASHINGTON, January 23, 2012 - Students pursuing degrees toward careers in health, engineering, and computer science could earn a distinctive addition to their resumes by participating in “Go Viral to Improve Health,” a contest that challenges undergraduate and graduate students to create innovative health-related apps and offers $18,000 in prizes.

“Go Viral to Improve Health” is the second annual collegiate challenge sponsored by the Institute of Medicine and National Academy of Engineering to spur students to work in interdisciplinary teams and transform health data into mobile apps, online tools or games, or other innovative products that solve vexing health problems.

The team that designs the best product will receive a $10,000 prize sponsored by Heritage Provider Network and the opportunity to demonstrate their app during the plenary session of “Health Datapalooza,” the third annual Health Data Initiative Forum, June 5-6, Washington, D.C. The second and third place teams will receive awards of $5,000 and $3,000 respectively, and both will have the chance to display their winning technologies in the exhibit hall at this national gathering of software engineers, developers, and health leaders. Teams will be reimbursed up to $1,000 of their travel costs to the forum.

Entries will be assessed on their design, usability, and how well they integrate public health data. Expert judges include Deborah Estrin, professor of computer science, University of California, Los Angeles; Reena Singhal Lee, senior technical manager, Google; Richard Merkin, president and CEO, Heritage Provider Network; Todd Park, chief technology officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Barbara Rimer, dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Participating teams must consist of between two and five members and include at least one undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a health-related degree and one undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in computer science, engineering, or a similar major. Additional team members may come from any program or major. Teams must use data from the Health Indicators Warehouse (www.healthindicators.gov), a vast collection of health data and indicator sets made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and are encouraged to use other data sources as well. Additional eligibility criteria and terms are spelled out at www.iom.edu/goviral.

Students must register their teams for the challenge by Feb. 10, 2012. Once registered, teams have until noon EST on March 28 to submit their apps. Further details about “Go Viral to Improve Health” can be found at www.iom.edu/goviral and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/goviraltoimprovehealth. Questions can be directed to goviral@nas.edu.

The Institute of Medicine and National Academy of Engineering along with the National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter. For more information, visit www.national-academies.org.

Heritage Provider Network, Inc. is one of the largest physicians’ groups in the United States, providing medical care to approximately 700,000 individuals. It is on the cutting edge of the accountable care model of health care delivery and is dedicated to quality, affordable health care and putting patients’ wellness first. For more information, visit www.heritageprovidernetwork.com.

Contacts:
Christine Stencel, Senior Media Relations Officer, Institute of Medicine
202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu
Randy Atkins, Senior Media Relations Officer, National Academy of Engineering
202-334-1508; e-mail ratkins@nae.edu

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MEGHAN MCCAIN RELAUNCHES MCCAINBLOGETTE.COM AS A PLACE FOR WOMEN TO TALK POLITICS

Site features a call for bipartisan guest blogettes and passionate conversation

LOS ANGELES, January 17, 2012 - Meghan McCain, MSNBC contributor, author, columnist and political junkie has re-launched her official online political magazine mccainblogette.com, announced EQAL, the media company that builds influencer networks around celebrities and brands. The blogette, which Meghan will update daily, will feature politics 101, up-to-date election commentary, hot topics, and Meghan’s essentials for life. McCainBlogette.com is a community for politically charged women who are looking to talk politics and for women looking to learn more about our election process.

Meghan issued a call to blogettes. She says, “Anyone that is interested and active in this election cycle and would like a platform to voice your opinions and perspective on 2012, please apply! I am looking for the fun and fearless political junkies out there that can bring a fresh look.”

McCainBlogette recently featured its first blogette called No Such Thing as a Free Lunch or Degree. All bloggettes are asked to submit their blogs to the blogette galley.

Users get a sneak peek into what makes Meghan tick. She talks style, music choices and her latest obsessions. “We’ll cover it all, from the politics of dating to the absurdities of the 2012 election, and I hope you’ll share your honest opinions with me.”

“We wanted to help Meghan McCain re-launch McCain Blogette to offer her a way to build a robust community around ideas and to empower women to speak out about their views,” said Miles Beckett, Co-Founder and CEO of EQAL, “With the election ramping up, re-launching Meghan’s community is a great way to bring the election conversation online in a new way.”

About Meghan McCain:

As the daughter of U.S. Senator John McCain, Meghan McCain was propelled into the national spotlight at an early age. Meghan’s unparalleled exposure to American politics gave her the opportunity to hear voters debate the most complex issues first-hand. Meghan’s time on the campaign trail with her father inspired her acclaimed memoir, Dirty Sexy Politics. The book chronicles her personal journey across the American political landscape. Campaigning with her father also inspired Meghan to publish My Dad, John McCain, an illustrated children’s book that brings her father’s heroic story to life. As a columnist for The Daily Beast, she passionately discusses women’s issues, social issues, marriage equality and her firm belief that there is room for all walks of life in the GOP. While in college, Meghan worked at Newsweek magazine and Saturday Night Live. She is a graduate of Columbia University and currently resides in New York City.

About EQAL:

EQAL is a media company that builds influencer networks around celebrities and brands. Their celebrity and brand networks include the official websites and social media accounts for celebrities including Tori Spelling, Lauren Conrad, Bethenny Frankel, Nick Cannon, Elle and Blair Fowler and the brand partnership with Philadelphia Cream Cheese that recently won a Gold Effie Award. Their celebrity networks generate more than 1.8 billion impressions and reach over 25 million people each month. EQAL’s “hub and spoke” strategy focuses on building an integrated media property by increasing social media numbers, driving traffic and engagement to the celebrity’s official website, and providing new revenue opportunities.

EQAL was founded by Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, creators of the online sensations lonelygirl15, KateModern (with Bebo) and Harpers Globe (with CBS television). The two are widely credited as being the first to create quality serial programming for the internet, for integrating products into online programming and for originating the first “online to on-air” programming with a network television show. Miles and Greg are frequent speakers on digital entertainment and brand integration in the online space as well as the future of entertainment on the internet and beyond. The company continues to evolve at the rapid speed of the medium as it combines quality content, celebrity influencers and technology.

Contact for McCainBlogette.com:

Melissa Kwechansky, EQAL

Melissa@EQAL.com

818.276.6319

Jill Siegel, EQAL

Jill@EQAL.com

917.214.1710

MEGHAN MCCAIN RELAUNCHES MCCAINBLOGETTE.COM AS A PLACE FOR WOMEN TO TALK POLITICS

Los Angeles, CA, December 13, 2011 - Meghan McCain, MSNBC contributor, author, columnist and political junkie has re-launched her official online political magazine, mccainblogette.com, announced EQAL, the media company that builds influencer networks around celebrities and brands. The blogette, which Meghan will update daily, will feature politics 101, up-to-date election commentary, hot topics, and Meghan’s essentials for life. McCainBlogette.com is a community for politically charged women who are looking to talk politics and for women looking to learn more about our election process.

Meghan launches the site today with a call to blogettes. She says, “Anyone that is interested and active in this election cycle and would like a platform to voice your opinions and perspective on 2012, please apply! I am looking for the fun and fearless political junkies out there that can bring a fresh look.”

Users will also get a sneak peek into what makes Meghan tick. She’ll talk style, music choices and her latest obsessions. “We’ll cover it all, from the politics of dating to the absurdities of the 2012 election, and I hope you’ll share your honest opinions with me.”

Meghan welcomes her fans to her site by saying, “Welcome to the new McCainBlogette.com. For those of you that followed this site that started my love affair with the political process during the 2008 election, welcome back. For those of you that are visiting for the first time, thank you for checking out my newly revamped site.”

Later in the week, Cindy McCain will guest blog about the McCain family holiday traditions, her favorite ornaments (hint: one is of the USS John McCain), John’s flawless turkey techniques and celebrating with one of her sons deployed overseas. Check in on Thursday for this special blog.

“We wanted to help Meghan McCain re-launch McCain Blogette to offer her a way to build a robust community around ideas and to empower women to speak out about their views,” said Miles Beckett, Co-Founder and CEO of EQAL, “With the election ramping up, re-launching Meghan’s community is a great way to bring the election conversation online in a new way.”

About Meghan McCain: 

As the daughter of U.S. Senator John McCain, Meghan McCain was propelled into the national spotlight at an early age. Meghan’s unparalleled exposure to American politics gave her the opportunity to hear voters debate the most complex issues first-hand. Meghan’s time on the campaign trail with her father inspired her acclaimed memoir, Dirty Sexy Politics. The book chronicles her personal journey across the American political landscape. Campaigning with her father also inspired Meghan to publish My Dad, John McCain, an illustrated children’s book that brings her father’s heroic story to life. As a columnist for The Daily Beast, she passionately discusses women’s issues, social issues, marriage equality and her firm belief that there is room for all walks of life in the GOP. While in college, Meghan worked at Newsweek magazine and Saturday Night Live. She is a graduate of Columbia University and currently resides in New York City.

About EQAL:

EQAL is a media company that builds influencer networks around celebrities and brands. Their celebrity and brand networks include the official websites and social media accounts for celebrities including Tori Spelling, Lauren Conrad, Bethenny Frankel, Nick Cannon, Elle and Blair Fowler and the brand partnership with Philadelphia Cream Cheese that recently won a Gold Effie Award. Their celebrity networks generate more than 1.8 billion impressions and reach over 25 million people each month. EQAL’s “hub and spoke” strategy focuses on building an integrated media property by increasing social media numbers, driving traffic and engagement to the celebrity’s official website, and providing new revenue opportunities.

EQAL was founded by Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, creators of the online sensations lonelygirl15, KateModern (with Bebo) and Harpers Globe (with CBS television). The two are widely credited as being the first to create quality serial programming for the internet, for integrating products into online programming and for originating the first “online to on-air” programming with a network television show. Miles and Greg are frequent speakers on digital entertainment and brand integration in the online space as well as the future of entertainment on the internet and beyond. The company continues to evolve at the rapid speed of the medium as it combines quality content, celebrity influencers and technology.

Contact for McCainBlogette.com:

Melissa Kwechansky, EQAL

Melissa@EQAL.com

818.276.6319

Jill Siegel, EQAL

Jill@EQAL.com

917.214.1710

Sodexo Foundation announces final week for students to apply for 2012 Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarships

Deadline to apply for $5,000 scholarships and matching grants to students’ hunger charity of choice is December 5th

GAITHERSBURG, Md., November 29, 2011 – The Sodexo Foundation, the anti-hunger charitable arm of Sodexo, Inc., announces the final week for accepting applications for the Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship program. The application period closes December 5, 2011.Up to five students will be selected as national winners. Each will receive a $5,000 scholarship award and a matching $5,000 grant in their name for the hunger charity of their choice. In addition, up to 20 students will earn regional recognition, with a $1,000 donation in their name to the hunger charity of their selection.”There are 16.2 million children living in food insecure homes in the United States. That is one in five children,” said Robert A. Stern, president of the Sodexo Foundation. “As a result of job scarcity and an unstable economy, children at risk of hunger are emerging in food insecure homes and neighborhoods where we least expect it.”

The Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarships recognize students, who are driving awareness and mobilizing youth to be catalysts for innovative solutions to eliminate hunger in America. First introduced in 2007, the scholarships support the education of young people who are working to end hunger in communities across the country – and draw attention to the innovative and effective solutions that they are implementing toward ending hunger in their lifetime.

“It was amazing to be selected for this honor. My first thought was the joy of presenting the $5,000 grant to Carroll County Food Sunday and all the people it will help feed,” said Travis Robinson, a 2011 recipient of the Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship, who had helped collect more than 31,000 pounds of food donations for his local food bank in Carroll County, Maryland.

To be eligible, students must be enrolled in an accredited education institution (kindergarten through graduate school) in the United States and be able to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to hunger-relief activities in their community.

The deadline for applications is December 5, 2011. The 2012 Stephen J. Brady Scholarship recipients will be announced on June 14, 2012 at the annual Sodexo Foundation Dinner in Washington, D.C. For a complete description of the program or to apply, please visit www.SodexoFoundation.org.

The Sodexo Foundation works to ensure that every child in the United States, especially those most at risk, grows up with dependable access to enough nutritious food to fuel  a healthy, productive life. To make a contribution to the fight against hunger or for more information, please visit www.SodexoFoundation.org.

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About Sodexo

Sodexo in North America
Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $15 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions
Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo acts as the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and employee well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo’s 380,000 employees in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled array of On Site Service Solutions and Motivation Solutions. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the fulfillment of its employees and the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates.

Contact
Samuel E. Wells
301 987 4893
samuel.wells@sodexo.com

Student Discount Society Helps Student Interns Launch Campus Businesses Making People Laugh and Promoting Daily Deals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Rich Alapack, 773-322-6851, rich.alapack@studentdiscountsociety.com

Student Discount Society helps interns earn money and gain experience in sales, content creation and social media marketing to help get jobs after graduation.

CHICAGO, November 29, 2011 – Student Discount Society is looking for college students who want to gain business experience, nurture job skills, make extra money and have fun doing it. The company provides resources and trains college interns to run their own local daily-deal businesses under the Student Discount Society brand.

“A degree only gets you a spot in line. If you don’t have job experience, you’ll lose out to candidates with better qualifications. But it’s difficult to get a job when you haven’t had one before, and that’s why we started Student Discount Society,” said Rich Alapack, one of the company’s co-founders, along with Jon Benson. “We provide all the resources that interns need to run daily deals, produce funny videos, earn money and improve skills that help them get jobs later. Student interns, in return, help us spread the fun of Student Discount Society throughout College campuses.”

According to Alapack, Student Discount Society’s national office provides sales strategy, training, weekly calls, software and video capabilities to assure the success of its student interns. The company is looking for interns who want to hone three skills increasingly important to today’s employers: sales, content creation and social media marketing.  “Today’s employers are looking to hire people with experience in these skills but in reality it’s very hard to find opportunities to acquire this experience.  I guarantee students won’t get the same level of experience from any other internship.”

Student Discount Society student interns give local businesses the ability to run daily deals on local college campuses. Then interns create funny, cool viral videos that help promote the deals. Finally, students use what is often innate knowledge of social media to promote the deals. The harder they work to sell the deals, the more money they make.

“Interns hoping to go into sales after graduation get a chance to learn how to increase contacts in their network, for example,” said Benson. “Interns who want to go into creative careers learn skills that will help them succeed in the film, graphic design and video worlds.”

In addition to earning money, student interns are recognized through regular contests and other rewards. “One of the most unique aspects of this program is that we help motivate our interns,” Alapack said. “We don’t just give them goals and let them sink or swim. We believe people should be encouraged and rewarded for good work. It helps keep them on track to meet their goals.”

The company intends to launch Student Discount Society internship programs on every U.S. campus. “After all, every student deserves to have the best possible shot at a good future, and we can help them gain the experience they need to take that first step from college to their first professional position,” Benson explained.

For more information on how to become an intern, students should visit Student Discount Society’s website at www.studentdiscountsociety.com

About Student Discount Society

Student Discount Society is an organization built by students for students, to entertain students and help them save money and enjoy successful careers. The national Student Discount Society office provides resources, training and motivation. Student interns run daily online deals locally, then promote them on college campuses through viral video and other social media marketing techniques. Ultimately, interns gain job experience and build skills that make it more likely they’ll be hired after college. Visit Student Discount Society online at www.studentdiscountsociety.com.

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New, Free Exam Offers Students New Opportunities to Find Jobs, Internships

November 29, 2011 – Students at more than 250 colleges and universities seeking jobs and internships in finance, consulting and related fields are discovering a new exam designed to showcase their abilities at no cost to major companies throughout the world.

The Bloomberg Assessment Test (BAT) is a comprehensive aptitude exam that measures a student’s strengths in 11 different areas ranging from economics and analytical reasoning to situational judgment and verbal skills.

The BAT (www.takethebat.com) was quietly launched less than one year ago and, so far, more than 20,000 students have taken the exam at such universities and colleges as Michigan State, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Mt. Holyoke, UC Santa Cruz, and Notre Dame.

The free, three-hour exam is open to undergraduate and graduate students, no matter what their major, if they are seeking internships or jobs in areas such as finance or consulting or just want to measure their competitive strengths or weaknesses in a range of subjects.

The exam results are available to the student and included in the BAT Talent Search database, which lists the scores anonymously. A number of major employers, including investment banks and consulting firms, in the Asia, Africa, Europe, and the United States are using the BAT for recruitment purposes.

More than 500 test takers have already made connections with prospective employers.

The test results provide considerably more insights into a student’s skills and abilities than a resume. Recruiters can search the database to find students who have strengths in areas of particular interest to them.

The recruiter then invites the student, who remains anonymous, to connect with the company and learn about potential positions. Students interested in the company can accept the connection and then will be contacted by the recruiter.

The BAT was developed by the Bloomberg Institute, a subsidiary of Bloomberg LP, in partnership with a global team of senior executives from leading financial institutions and faculty from major universities.

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THE RECORDSETTER BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS: More than 300 Extraordinary Feats by Ordinary People

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
Contact: Lauren Reddy

Quirky, fresh, and funny, this is the world record authority for the NEW generation where anyone, anywhere, at any age, can be the best at something!

Highest Tap Dance, Longest Word in a Tweet, Largest Toothpick Beard

THE RECORDSETTER BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS
More than 300 Extraordinary Feats by Ordinary People

By DAN ROLLMAN and COREY HENDERSON

From the time he was 10 years old, Dan Rollman dreamed of being in The Guinness Book of World Records, but later he discovered that there was a lot of red tape to deal with before a record could be admitted. Disheartened, but determined, Dan and his friend Corey Henderson, two self-professed “world record junkies,” saw an opportunity to create a similar, but more accepting, model for recording human achievement. The duo spent years building RecordSetter.com with money out of their own pockets, finally launching the site at the end of 2008. Within days, submissions to the video-based site began trickling in. Soon, Dan and Corey were buried under a mound of records, making regular guest appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , and selling out live world record events from coast to coast.

Today, RecordSetter.com has catalogued over 20,000 record setters from more than 50 different countries, with hundreds of new records submitted weekly. The site is used by summer camps, church groups, juggling clubs, professional skateboarders, ex-Olympians and even the folks who run National High Five Day. Led by a team of moderators, the RecordSetter community plays an active role in approving records.

And now, at last, there is a book to chronicle some of the most extraordinary and outlandish achievements! THE RECORDSETTER BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS (Workman) expands on the content of the website and features over 300 categorized records, with chapters including The Creative Arts, Food and Drink, Sports and Games, Science and Technology, Money and Style, Groups, Visionaries, Earth and Environment, and The Human Body. Each record features:

  • A photo or illustration
  • Related data (date, location, tools, etc.)
  • A short description, including funny or offbeat trivia
  • Criteria to complete the record
  • Related records
  • Ideas for other records to be set

The book also includes profiles of record setters and interviews, back stories on buzz worthy records, tips for setting records, failed attempts, and amazing tales like “The International Battle for Giraffe Tattoo Supremacy.” In addition, there is an examination of RecordSetter culture with unique lists of outrageous records, in-depth stories of RecordSetter rivalries, and details on how readers can host their own record setting events! All readers are encouraged to not only break records in the book, but also to invent bold, new feats worthy of inclusion.

Just a few of the captivating records featured are:

  • Most People Hit in Face with Pies in 30 Seconds While on Roller Skates (PG 81)

Current record: 13 by Drew Barrymore (yes, that Drew Barrymore!)

  • Most Pizza Slice Face Slaps in 15 Seconds (PG 69)

Current record: 210 by Mel Sampson from Canada

  • Longest Office Chair Train Pulled by a Motorcycle (PG 186)

Current record: 19 people by members of Wieden + Kennedy’s Team Maroon from Oregon

  • Fastest Time to Recite All 50 States in Alphabetical Order While Being Hit in the Head with Wooden Spoons (PG 216)

Current record: 16.75 seconds by Stefanie Ward from Pennsylvania

  • Fastest Time to a Open Bag of Skittles and Sort Them by Color (PG 73)

Current record: 21.95 seconds by Caitie McMekin and Melanie Crampton from New Jersey

  • Most Vertical Fist Pumps in 30 Seconds (PG 278)

Current record: 255 by Abraham Collins from New Jersey (of course!)

THE RECORDSETTER BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS will indulge readers of any age in the weird, wacky, and wild and perhaps inspire them to set a record of their own!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
DAN ROLLMAN is the president and co-founder of RecordSetter. Dan is a lifelong world-record fanatic who tried in college, unsuccessfully, to set a Guinness World Record for ravioli eating. He has set 12 RecordSetter world records, but all but two have been beaten. An Emmy Award-winning advertising copywriter, with two Super Bowl commercials to his credit, Dan lives in Brooklyn.

COREY HENDERSON is the CTO and co-founder of RecordSetter. A competitive marathoner, who hails from a family of entrepreneurs, he has been at the leading edge of web development since 1997. Corey is proud to hold the RecordSetter world record for Most Fiery Crashes in One Game of Pole Position, and dares anyone to try and beat it. He lives with his family in New York City.

ABOUT THE BOOK
THE RECORDSETTER BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS More than 300 Extraordinary Feats by Ordinary People
By Dan Rollman and Corey Henderson
Workman Publishing • November 2011 • ISBN: 9780761165774 • $12.95

For more information or to schedule an interview with Dan Rollman and Corey Henderson, please contact:
Lauren Reddy/lauren@workman.com /212.614.7597

Visit them on the Web at WWW.RECORDSETTER.COM

 

New Social Question and Answer site TipnTag.com Looking for Student Ambassadors; Offering Daily $50 Gift Cards and an iPhone 4S promotion

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., November 14, 2011 – Striving to become the go-to resource for college students to discover and make Boston their home, social question and answer platform TipnTag.com is looking for student ambassadors to join the site and help shape its future. Started by a Bentley University graduate Khalid Kassim, TipnTag.com is aimed at Boston newcomers and Boston natives, the curious and the experienced, where students can engage in a dialogue on everything from the best student-friendly restaurants and underground music scenes, to tips and specials offered to students by retailers, clubs and venues around town.

Based on a simple” Where can I…” question structure, TipnTag.com offers many ways for students to get the most out of Boston. Students can answer daily, curated questions, eligible for $50 gift cards to over 20 retailers of their choice such as Starbucks, GAP, Best Buy and Travelocity. Students are also encouraged to ask and answer questions of particular interest across popular categories, and discover new places and friends in the Boston area.

Students who engage on the site are automatically entered to win an iPhone 4S, which will be awarded during the beginning of December at a great location in Boston to be announced later on this month on TipnTag.com.

I started TipnTag.com with a vision of creating a digital meetup place for students looking to make their college city feel like home,” shares TipnTag’s founder Khalid Kassim. “ We are starting with Boston and will be rolling out to more cities in 2012. We are looking to partner with students to help us shape TipnTag.com as their place to ask, answer and discover.”

Students are encouraged to visit TipnTag.com and sign up for a member account. They can leave tips for the daily Top Tip Giveaway, the daily curated question promotion, or choose from among 14 popular categories, including Dining and Nightlife and Entertainment. They can also visit the TipnTag blog, which features the best tips shared on the platform weekly. Members of TipnTag.com are welcomed and encouraged to share ideas for new site feature, suggestions for new questions and categories, and any general feedback that will make the platform more useful and fun for students. Students can also download the TipnTag iPhone app to search and get tips on the go.

Contact TipnTag.com:

www.tipntag.com

alex@tipntag.comTipnTag on Twitter

TipnTag on Facebook


First-Ever Advertising Campaign to Address Unplanned Pregnancy Among Young Women in the U.S. Launches Nationwide; Offers Tools and Advice at Bedsider.org

Media Contacts:
The National Campaign, Bill Albert, 202-478-8150balbert@thenc.org 
The Ad Council, Ellyn Fisher, 212-984-1964efisher@adcouncil.org 
Euro RSCG, Jared Kreiner, 212-886-4269jared.kreiner@eurorscg.com

Nearly one in ten unmarried young women has an unplanned pregnancy each year, according to new data released today 

WASHINGTON, DC, November 10, 2011 - The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is joining the Ad Council to debut a groundbreaking, first-ever national multimedia public service campaign designed to reduce the rates of unplanned pregnancy among unmarried young adults in the U.S. The three-year campaign drives sexually active women ages 18-24 to Bedsider.org, a new comprehensive online and mobile program, to help them find the right birth control method for them and use it carefully and consistently in an effort to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

The U.S. has one of the highest rates of unplanned pregnancy in the entire developed world. Nearly one in ten unmarried young women (ages 20-29) has an unplanned pregnancy each year, according to new data developed by the Guttmacher Institute and released today by The National Campaign. That is approximately 1.3 million unplanned pregnancies annually—a 13 percent increase in this age group between 2001 and 2006.

According to public opinion data also being released today, the vast majority (84 percent) of unmarried young adults in their 20s believe it’s important to avoid getting pregnant or cause a pregnancy right now. Even so, previous research conducted by The National Campaign suggests that less than half of young women are using birth control consistently. Young adults who experience unplanned pregnancy and birth have fewer opportunities to complete their education or achieve other life goals, and their children experience more health risks and social risks as well.

Bedsider aims to help young women (ages 18-29) find a method of birth control that’s right for them and stick with it through a series of online, video and mobile components. At Bedsider, visitors can explore, compare, and contrast all available methods of contraception, set up birth control and appointment reminders, view videos of their peers discussing personal experiences, and view animated shorts that debunk myths about birth control. The strategy for Bedsider was developed by IDEO, an award-winning global innovation and design firm.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, M.D., a practicing physician, board certified in internal and addiction medicine, got an early look at Bedsider. Dr. Drew is also a relationship expert with a 28-year run as host of the nationally syndicated Loveline radio program.

“I’m excited about Bedsider,” said Pinsky. “It’s an exceedingly rare bird—an authoritative and engaging resource that young adults can trust. It’s not preachy; it’s fresh, funny, and easy to use. It also makes the difficult decisions about birth control easier to navigate and answer. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

The multimedia PSA campaign that is being launched in partnership with the Ad Council was created pro bono by ad agency Euro RSCG in New York and includes television, radio, print, web and non-traditional advertising, as well as an integrated social media program. The light-hearted ad campaign uses humor to communicate to young women about the importance of birth control. Featuring a montage of relatable and funny “sex mishaps,” the television ads conclude with the line “You didn’t give up on sex. Don’t give up on birth control either.”

“Bedsider and the accompanying PSA campaign are trying to ‘rebrand’ contraception as a positive part of life that promotes self-determination, education and achievement,” said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign. “Both bring fun and a light touch to an area that is too often hush-hush, serious and boring.”

The social media portion of the PSA effort will include outreach and engagement via the ad campaign’s Facebook and Twitter communities, including a new application launching later in November that will invite users to anonymously submit their funniest fails and most awkward romantic moments on both Facebook and Twitter. The Twitter program also includes the promotion of campaign-designated hashtags: #sexfail and #dontgiveup.

“Despite the public’s perception that unplanned pregnancy is largely confined to teens, new research reveals that this issue is a major problem among young adults and the consequences can be very serious,” said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “This breakthrough ad campaign uses identifiable humor to empower young women to find the birth control method that is best for them. It’s a public health effort that has the potential to benefit many, many young women.”

“The Bedsider PSA Campaign has an important message that we wanted to communicate in a world full of important messages,” said Lee Garfinkel, Co-Chairman of Euro RSCG New York. “In order to get this cynical young woman to pay attention and break through the clutter, we had to do something that was relatable and would have a high impact.”

The Ad Council is distributing the new PSAs to more than 33,000 media outlets nationwide today. The ads will air and run in advertising time and space entirely donated by the media.

Several media companies have made early commitments to support the new PSAs in donated media, including Viacom, Demand Media, re:fuel (a former division of Alloy Media + Marketing) and long-standing National Campaign partner mun2.

The new research data is based on special tabulations conducted by the Guttmacher Institute (www.guttmacher.org ). Information on pregnancy intentions comes from the 2002 and 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) surveys conducted by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and a Guttmacher survey of abortion patients, and were combined with data on births from NCHS, induced abortions from a national survey of abortion providers, and estimates of miscarriages calculated from the NSFG surveys. Population denominators came from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The public opinion polling was conducted by telephone by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS), an independent research company. The survey is weighted to provide a nationally representative estimate of the unmarried populations ages 18-29. Telephone interviews (both landline and cell phone) were conducted by SSRS with 1,025 respondents from August 17-September 25, 2011.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy seeks to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families. Our specific strategy is to prevent teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among single, young adults. We support a combination of responsible values and behavior by both men and women and responsible policies in both the public and private sectors. If we are successful, child and family well-being will improve. Please visit www.TheNationalCampaign.org to find out more.

The Ad Council
The Ad Council (www.AdCouncil.org ) is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives.

Euro RSCG Worldwide
Euro RSCG Worldwide is a leading integrated marketing communications agency and was the first agency to be named Global Agency of the Year by both Advertising Age and Campaign in the same year. Euro RSCG is made up of 233 offices in 75 countries and provides advertising, marketing, corporate communications and digital and social media solutions to clients including Air France, Charles Schwab, Citigroup, Danone Group, IBM, Kraft Foods, Lacoste, L’Oréal, Merck, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Reckitt Benckiser, sanofi-aventis and Volvo. Euro RSCG Worldwide is the largest unit of Havas, a world leader in communications (Euronext: HAV.PA) (Paris: HAV.PA).

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“THE STUPIDEST THINGS EVER SAID is the crème de la crud!”

The Stupidest Things Ever Said BOOK OF ALL-TIME STUPIDEST TOP 10 LISTS

By Kathryn and Ross Petras

October 24, 2011 - From the celebrated collectors of the best-selling annual 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar (over 4 million sold) comes the fabulously stupid collection they’ve put together due to popular demand: THE STUPIDEST THINGS EVER SAID BOOK OF ALL-TIME STUPIDEST TOP 10 LISTS (Workman; November 2011; $10.95). It’s a stupid title for a very stupid book!

This is the best of the Stupidest — or should we say, the stupidest of the stupidest, the creme de la crud of stupidities — over 1,000 ridiculous quotes in an irresistible top ten list format. It’s celebrities, politicians, and athletes; unthinkable book titles; erroneous road signs and menu translations; bizarre events and questionable scientific stories. It’s lists like:

  • The Top 10 Stupidest and Most Incredibly Annoying Things Said by Rich People

 #1: It’s so bad being homeless in the winter. They should go somewhere warm like the Caribbean where they can eat fresh fish all day. – model/socialite Victoria Hervey

  • The Top 10 Stupidest and Least Inspirational Coaches and Managers

 #5: Just remember the words of Patrick Henry: “Kill me or let me live!” - college football coach Bill Peterson

  • The Top 10 Stupidest Examples of Celebrities Sharing Their Vast Knowledge 

#3: Who is Yom Kippur? Is that the name of the new Japanese designer? - model-turned businesswoman Kathy Ireland

  • The Top 10 Stupidest Newspaper Typos Ever Printed 

#3: “I’s very happy,” said Olga, a medical student, in perfect English. - The Lynchburg (Virginia) Daily Advance

  • The Top 10 Stupidest Quotes from an Alternate Reality

#4: Nothing means nothing, but it really isn’t nothing because nothing is something that isn’t. - basketball player Darryl Dawkins

  • The Top 10 Stupidest Christmas Carols, Hymns, and Oratory 

 #10: I Saw Murray Kissing Santa Claus - as printed on Kowloon (Hong Kong) school hand-out

Plus lost in translation moments. Doubles entendres. Political speeches, foreign menus, traffic signs. Celebrities on literature, on world events, on revealing too much about themselves - Making love in the morning got me through morning sickness – I found I could be happy and throw up at the same time (Pamela Anderson). Book titles - Anorexia Nervosa in Bulgarian Bees. Newspaper headlines - Reason for More Bear Sightings: More Bears. And police blotters - Police receive a report of a newborn infant found in a trash can. Upon investigation, officers discover it was only a burrito.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

KATHRYN and ROSS PETRAS, brother and sister, are the specialists in stupidity who have written numerous humor books and whose 365 Stupidest Things Ever Saidcalendar has entertained millions of readers for 18 years. They also publish collections of smartness, most recently Don’t Forget to Sing in the Lifeboats and Dance First, Think Later. Their blog is www.stupidest.com.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

THE STUPIDEST THINGS EVER SAID BOOK OF ALL-TIME STUPIDEST TOP 10 LISTS

by Kathryn and Ross Petras

Publication Date: November 2011

Paperback, $10.95

ISBN 978-0-7611-6591-0

For more information or to schedule an interview with Kathryn or Ross Petras, please contact: Maggie Gleason/maggie@workman.com/212.614.5634

 

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