PROFNET EXPERT ALERTS: Business & Technology

Jan. 22, 2008

1. Advertising: Super Bowl Advertising
2. Advertising: Companies Forthcoming with Super Bowl Advertising Plans
3. Automotive: PHEVs and the Hybrid Car Market
4. Business: Interim CEOs Provide 'Change Agent' for Transformations
5. Business: NASCAR Sponsorships
6. Business: Talent Retention During Layoffs
7. Business: Effect of a Weak Dollar on U.S. M&A Activity
8. Business: Proposed ID Theft Law Threatens to Steal from Small Businesses
9. Finance: Wesley Snipes' Tax Trial and Advice for Others in Same Boat
10. Finance: Savvy Retirement Planning
11. Personal Finance: Credit Score Optimization Critical in 2008
12. Technology: Nanotechnology in Consumer Products
13. Workplace: Anti-Discrimination Policies Often Poorly Communicated

**1. ADVERTISING: SUPER BOWL ADVERTISING. TIM CALKINS, clinical professor of
marketing, Kellogg School of Management at NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: "There is
no question that the Super Bowl is the biggest advertising event of the year,
and that's been the case for a long time. What's amazing is that the Super
Bowl keeps getting more and more important." During the broadcast of Super
Bowl XLII, both perennial advertising powerhouses and newcomers alike will
spend an unprecedented $2.7 million dollars to secure one 30-second spot. The
high demand for ad space fueled this record average price tag, setting the
stage for arguably the most anticipated Super Bowl advertising display ever.
Calkins is available to comment on the added pressure advertisers are under,
what to expect differently in Super Bowl XLII, criteria for an effective Super
Bowl ad and the best Super Bowl ads of the past. News Contact: Mavourneen
Ryan, Mavourneen.Ryan@mslpr.com Phone: +1-312-861-5247 (1/21/08)
**2. ADVERTISING: COMPANIES FORTHCOMING WITH SUPER BOWL ADVERTISING PLANS.
DEREK RUCKER, assistant professor of marketing, Kellogg School of Management
at NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: "There is added pressure this year because
companies are more forthcoming with their Super Bowl plans. By building
expectations in the mind of your consumer, you better deliver." During the
broadcast of Super Bowl XLII, both perennial advertising powerhouses and
newcomers alike will spend an unprecedented $2.7 million dollars to secure one
30-second spot. The high demand for ad space fueled this record average price
tag, setting the stage for arguably the most anticipated Super Bowl
advertising display ever. Rucker is available to comment on the added pressure
advertisers are under, what to expect differently in Super Bowl XLII, criteria
for an effective Super Bowl ad and the best Super Bowl ads of the past. News
Contact: Mavourneen Ryan, Mavourneen.Ryan@mslpr.com Phone: +1-312-861-5247
(1/21/08)
**3. AUTOMOTIVE: PHEVs AND THE HYBRID CAR MARKET. STEVEN LETENDRE, professor
and energy economist at GREEN MOUNTAIN COLLEGE in Poultney, Vt., and one of
the nation's leading experts on plug-in hybrids and V2G, can discuss what
Toyota's PHEV will mean to the hybrid car market: "This (PHEV) is the next
generation of vehicles. A hybrid that gets 60 miles per gallon can get the
equivalent of 100 mpg after it is converted to a PHEV, with the additional
miles as a cost equivalent of a dollar a gallon." Letendre and his students
are currently testing the performance of a plug-in hybrid for Central Vermont
Public Service. News Contact: Laura Snyder, laura@dickjonescomm.com Phone: +1-
814-867-1963
(1/16/08)
**4. BUSINESS: INTERIM CEOs PROVIDE 'CHANGE AGENT' FOR CORPORATE
TRANSFORMATIONS. RON NORELLI, chairman of THE NORELLI GROUP, a high-level
advisory firm for private equity firms: "Companies in need of a quick infusion
of transformative thinking may be well served to bring in an interim CEO to
serve as a change agent. If the current CEO had the ability to fix the
company, that person would have already done so. An interim CEO must be able
to assess a situation quickly, generate consensus around a solution, gain
credibility and implement needed changes, which might include cost reductions,
implementation of new business strategies or creation of a bridge between
generations in a family-owned business. Many interim CEOs are willing to share
the risk by tying their compensation to the achievement of specific financial
goals." Norelli can provide a comprehensive review of the role of interim
CEOs, including how to select a temporary chief executive and expectations for
this individual. News Contact: Michael Henry, mhenry@wrayward.com Phone: +1-
704-926-1364 (1/21/08)
**5. BUSINESS: NASCAR SPONSORSHIPS. DARREN MARSHALL, a noted market research
specialist, has worked with NASCAR sponsors such as Miller, Home Depot and
Supercuts: "Season-long TV ratings for the NASCAR Sunday cup races, the most
important in the sport, dropped 18 percent in 2007 from their record-high year
of 2005. With the 50th running of the Daytona now only a month away, the
perceived slowdown in growth has forced NASCAR teams, sports marketing firms
and sponsors to look closely at the business side of NASCAR." Marshall is
available to speak on advice for new and existing NASCAR sponsors, including
proven strategies to maximize those sponsorships, as well as the landscape of
NASCAR and sports in general, from a business perspective. News Contact: Dan
Lobring, dlobring@revolutionworld.com Phone: +1-312-529-5833 (1/21/08)
**6. BUSINESS: TALENT RETENTION DURING LAYOFFS. Bob Kustka, a former Gillette
HR executive and current HR consultant, can discuss talent retention during
layoffs in light of forecasted large layoffs for 2008: "When businesses
release employees, they need to make sure that retaining and recruiting
skilled talent remains a priority or risk struggling to rebuild their
personnel when the economy improves. Smart HR professionals will continue to
invest in a staffing strategy that will pick the talent that will impact their
company in the future." News Contact: T.K. Hall, tk@ictusinitiative.com Phone:
+1-617-717-8294 (1/21/08)
**7. BUSINESS: EFFECT OF A WEAK DOLLAR ON U.S. M&A ACTIVITY. TRACY LARSEN,
managing partner of BARNES & THORNBURG's Grand Rapid, Mich.-based office, co-
chair of the firm's business department and member of the management
committee, is available to discuss the outlook for the M&A landscape in 2008:
"With the dollar continuing to fall against foreign currencies, 2008 should
see a great deal of M&A activity involving deals initiated by foreign
corporations. A weak dollar generally encourages foreign investment, and with
nearly half of all deals in the fourth quarter of 2007 having buyers from
outside the United States -- more than $100 billion worth -- I expect this
trend will continue deep into 2008." Larsen is a nationally recognized expert
in corporate law, and is ranked one of the nation's top corporate attorneys by
"The Best Lawyers in America" guide. Larsen has extensive experience in
representing both domestic and foreign corporations in their acquisition
strategies, and can offer an insider's view on deals in 2007, as well as what
the business community can expect to see in 2008. News Contacts: Patrick Kane,
pkane@lambert-edwards.com or Kristen Heffern, kwrightheffern@lambert-
edwards.com Phone: +1-616-233-0500 (1/21/08)
**8. BUSINESS: PROPOSED MASSACHUSETTS ID THEFT LAW THREATENS TO STEAL FROM
SMALL BUSINESSES. MARK SCHREIBER, chair of the privacy group at Boston-based
law firm EDWARDS ANGELL PALMER & DODGE: "In the wake of recent data security
breaches at The Boston Globe and The TJX Companies Inc., we need stronger
identity theft guidelines to protect consumers. However, the regulations
proposed by the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business
Regulation are so sweeping that many small businesses will be unable to meet
them. State officials have to do a better job of educating businesses about
the regulations and allow a grace period to comply once they go into effect.
Businesses have until Jan. 25 to make their viewpoints heard before the public
comment period closes." News Contact: Michelle Tsai,
Michelle.Tsai@hillandknowlton.com Phone: +1-212-885-0366 (1/21/08)
**9. FINANCE: WESLEY SNIPES' TAX TRIAL AND ADVICE FOR OTHERS IN SAME BOAT.
RICHARD BOGGS, founder and president, NATIONWIDE TAX RELIEF: "High-profile
entertainment figure Wesley Snipes is going to trial this week in Florida over
what could be up to $15 million in back taxes. Does Snipes have a chance with
his defense that he didn't know he owed the taxes? That's unlikely. Snipes
should just admit that he made a mistake and try to make a deal with the feds.
It's never too late to make a deal with the IRS." Boggs can provide advice for
Snipes and others finding themselves up against the long arm of the IRS. He
handles tax debts for individuals and companies with a minimum debt of
$10,000, and has settled problems for as big as $50 million. He's based in
L.A. and has plenty of entertainment experience to back up his perspective.
News Contact: Sean Mahoney, smahoney@inkincpr.com or +1-310-867-0670 Web site:
http://www.nationwidetaxrelief.com (1/21/08)
**10. FINANCE: SAVVY RETIREMENT PLANNING. ALAN KLAYMAN, finance expert and
founder of MYINCOMESTRATEGY.COM, can address savvy retirement planning: "It's
time to recession-proof your retirement income. How many 300+ point drops in
the Dow does it take until you realize that having your retirement income
depend on the movement of the stock market month to month is a dangerous game?
For some, it won't happen until they have to liquidate positions to produce an
income. At that point, they'll decide there is nothing they want to sell. Too
many funds are depressed, or the outlook for some stocks/funds looks too
promising. But people who have relied on the stock market alone have no
choice; they have to sell. Unfortunately, this realization happens after the
plunge. I advise people to stop relying on models that try to predict the
future. Instead, they should choose an income strategy that ignores monthly
market volatility. It's time to make smart choices so you don't run out of
money." News Contact: Michelle Tennant, michelle@publicityresults.com Phone:
+1-828-749-3200 (1/21/08)
**11. PERSONAL FINANCE: CREDIT SCORE OPTIMIZATION CRITICAL IN 2008. DAVID G.
CHUNG is managing director of CREDITXPERT, the leading provider of credit
optimization technology: "With the credit market tightening in 2008, credit
scores will increasingly affect financial decisions. Credit scores influence
mortgage rates, credit card terms, insurance rates and even employment
opportunities. Consumers with high holiday credit balances may not realize
their scores have dipped. To protect themselves, consumers should find out
their scores and take action to improve their credit." Chung can discuss how
consumers can adopt better credit practices and use credit optimization
technology to improve their finances in 2008. News Contact: Denise Bauwens,
dbauwens@marcomexchange.com Phone +1-610-891-7560 (1/21/08)
**12. TECHNOLOGY: NANOTECHNOLOGY IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS. CATHY FLEISCHER,
Ph.D., president and chief technology officer of New York-based NATURALNANO,
can comment on the growth of nanotechnology in consumer products:
"Nanotechnology-enabled products will redefine even the most basic of consumer
goods, from creating flame resistant furniture to stronger, tear-resistant
fabrics. I expect to see nanotechnology breakthroughs grow at an exponential
rate, as forecasts estimate nearly $1 trillion worth of such products on the
market by 2015, and more than $1.4 billion in federal R&D investment expected
in 2008." Fleischer can also speak to extended-release applications, often
considered the next generation of nanotechnology, which can create products
such as longer-lasting perfumes or more effective sunscreens. Fleischer is a
20+ year industry veteran whose experience includes some of the most
innovative polymer-based work done by Eastman Kodak. She holds a Ph.D. in
polymer science from the University of Connecticut, a master's degree in
chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and
earned her bachelor's in bioengineering/material science from the University
of Pennsylvania. News Contact: Patrick Kane, pkane@lambert-edwards.com Phone:
+1-616-233-0500 (1/21/08)
**13. WORKPLACE: ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICIES ARE OFTEN POORLY COMMUNICATED.
KEVIN P. OAKES, CEO of the INSTITUTE FOR CORPORATE PRODUCTIVITY: "In many
companies and organizations, anti-discrimination policies are often poorly
communicated to its employees. Most companies and organizations have a formal
anti-discrimination policy in place and consider anti-discrimination training
to be very important. Discrimination policies are often well documented and
comprehensive to serve as a buffer against litigation. However, most companies
and organizations report that employee claims are frequent. Shortcomings in
the communication of these policies are where we see problems. Training of
front-line managers is not reinforced with any frequency. There may also be
difficulty in communicating policies to employees in geographically dispersed
worksites, part-time employees, seasonal employees and independent
contractors. The most common discrimination complaints reported by companies
and organizations revolved around the issues of race, sexual harassment,
gender and age." News Contact: Patricia Vaccarino, patricia@xanthuscom.com
Phone: +1-206-979-3380 (1/21/08)
SOURCE ProfNet