A few days ago we had the pleasure of attending The Aftermarket event, which is apart Ultimat Vodka‘s “Find Balance” campaign that takes an irreverent look at the social lives of busy professionals. Guest enjoyed specialty cocktails, passed hor’devores, and fun photoshoot. Ultimat also let guest try out their new app which basically give you a rundown about your social life. Here are some deets…

Ultimat research revealed as work pressures increase, our bandwidth for interpersonal social connections decreases, that Americans now believe Facebook is the best gauge of a person’s social activity and…

· Almost a third (32%) of Americans believe that a person’s Facebook page tells them the most about their social lives and that it is a far better indicator than other measures like an upcoming month’s calendar (22%) or credit card statements (14%)

· Four in ten (40%) people ages 21-29 place this much faith in Facebook feeds, while fewer (30%) of those 30+ share this belief

The Social Life Audit, Ultimat’s app that assesses one’s offline social life using online technology. The app uses facial recognition technology and analytics to assess Facebook photos and check-ins to yield an overall Social Life Audit score and customized infographics in several specific categories. Check it out: www.sociallifeaudit.com.

Always remember to drink responsibly!

Throughout the evening, the talented, and downright fabulous DEX team worked their magic (a miracle in my case-it had been a long day!) on many of the ladies of the blogosphere. We were imparted with some great make-up and skincare wisdom as well as treated to customized gift bags (yay swag we can actually use!). Emmy-award winning make-up artist Kevin James Bennett was also on hand to support Mr. Phillip and mingle with guests.

DEX known for using the city’s fashion and nightlife as its muse to create vibrant mineral makeup that is “natural, not neutral” is unlike other mineral makeup on the market. They enthusiastically and successfully maintain a cruelty-free, eco-friendly ethos that is hypoallergenic, sun protection formulated, and provides long-term anti-aging results for all women.

Check out their comprehensive array of services and products: http://dexnewyorkstudios.com/

Wow time surely flies! January 1, 2011 marked yet another milestone for JohnSimonDaily.com and it would not be possible without YOU! We strive to bring you the best and most original content on the web. Your feedback shows us we are doing just that. Thank you so much for visiting and supporting us.

I would personally like to send a special THANK YOU to Team JSD and our yearly contributors:

Desha W., Suzanne T., Christine T., Dana B., Whitney M., Sabina E., Sandra R., Victoria O., Reginald E., Emily S., Christian F., Candita S., Stevyn L., Alyson C., Fabiola L., Melissa D., Yanni D., Dreena W.

Thanks for everything!

We would love to give one lucky JSD winner a chance to win a $50 Gift Card from Victoria’s Secret and Getting The Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald!

TO ENTER:

***Comment below on this article with your NAME & LOCATION or a simple Happy Anniversary message***

***Follow us on Twitter @JohnSimonJSD and tweet us the Hashtag #HappyAnniversaryJSD***

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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Must be legal U.S. and Canada resident, 18 yrs or older to enter. The winner will be notified via email and have 24 hours to respond. Please be sure to include a valid email address when leaving your comment. The winner of this giveaway may not transfer prize rights nor obtain substitutions or cash redemption. All taxes on prizes and incidental expenses not specified in the above prize descriptions are solely the responsibility of winners. Offer void where prohibited by law.

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The John Simon Daily Giveaway will conclude TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2011 at 6pm EST

GOOD LUCK! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JSD!!!

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

John Simon Daily would like to thank everyone who attended and supported the “Call It Spring” store opening on September 1st. Since the successful and highly publicized opening, a series of events have transpired behind the scenes between Shine Media PR and John Simon of John Simon Daily.

First and foremost, Shine Media PR hired John Simon to bring in bloggers for the event, which was done flawlessly. Over 100+ bloggers filled the Spring Shoes (sister company to Aldo Shoes) store at the Manhattan Mall in New York City. Bloggers tweeted during the event and wrote amazing articles about the grand opening. So you may ask, What was the problem? In series of emails and text messages from both Robyn and Mauricio Bouzas (President & Vice President of Shine Media PR), expressed how extremely angry and upset they are because “bloggers were thanking John Simon and not Shine Media PR” and to my surprise, they blamed me. Why am I to blame because of what someone else writes on their blog? (A question that Shine has yet to answer). Shouldn’t a Public Relations firm be asking themselves why they failed so miserably?

As the social media expert, I brought in at least 80% (if not more) of the guests at the Spring Shoes store opening in less than 2 weeks! In addition, Robyn Bouzas asked me to be the photographer at the event five hours before the event began. I happily agreed and they did not even had the courtesy to offer me any additional compensation. Shine Media PR has never publicly thanked or acknowledged me for the successful event. They didn’t even bother to introduce me to Spring Shoes PR Director Effie Giannou. Perhaps they wanted to take credit for my hard work? To add fuel to the fire: Shine Media PR has taken upon themselves to shamefully send a email to bloggers that mentioned John Simon. The email was titled: “Huge Favor ”:

Hi,

Hope you’re doing great.

We love your blog post but would highly appreciate it if you stated that this event was hosted by Shine Media PR and Call It Spring.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks a million

Shine Media PR

How embarrassing…this email prompted a response from one blogger that said, “I meant to ask you about this! When I put the post up, they [Shine Media PR] hounded me about including you. SMH [Shake my head] this is ridiculous!” I couldn’t agree more! Besides what PR is thanked or mentioned in any post event coverage? In a email to me, Mrs. Bouzas bragged that she had ten years of PR experience, which I find extremely hard to believe. Mr. and Mrs. Bouzas would know that any event is suppose to be about the brand not the PR firm and frankly how to be more professional. I have never in my life dealt with this kind of unprofessional behavior.

It’s time that Shine Media PR takes responsibility for their actions and gives credit where it’s owed and point the finger at themselves, not John Simon. Am I supposed to apologize because my fellow blogging community is thanking me for inviting them to a massive event? Absolutely not! We are constantly ignored and shut out by print magazines and PR firms. Shine Media PR needs to learn that we have the right to thank whomever we want, so I ask that they seek professional media training and get a clue. When word got out about this unfortunate situation, it prompted an immediate reaction from the blogging community. I have received several emails of support:

“No one even knows Shine Media, but we ALL KNOW & LOVE JOHN ”

“Haters!!!!! U were the reason we came…Well I haven’t done my post but when I do I’m thanking u”

“we love you john!!!!!!”

“Hi John,

Thanks again for inviting me to the shoe party. I guess others did, but didn’t mention your name in the post. I only mentioned the gift card. Too bad Shine Media has a attitude. I thought you were going to say they were upset that I politely said that Spring Shoes suck My friend….really expressed how cheaply made she thinks the shoes are.”

“Hi John,
Tough break with Shine.
Let me know if you ever need anything.”

“Seriously? That’s kind of fucked up.”

“Hi John,
Just wanted to thank you again for the invite to the Spring store opening. I can’t believe how Shine PR reacted, that’s totally not acceptable. Please keep in touch and let me know if there is anything I can help with!”

THANK YOU to everyone that have support me and JohnSimonDaily.com! With success comes negativity and “haters”. I just wanted to simply set the record straight and put an end to the rumors. Although I am not at fault, I have tried to make amends with Shine Media PR before it got to this point but Mr. and Mrs. Bouzas cowardly make excuses not to meet; but, they insist on insulting me through emails and text message after business hours. As of today, I can confirm that Shine Media PR has removed us from their email list and no longer invite us to events. How selfish of them! However, John Simon or JohnSimonDaily.com contributors will never attend a Shine Media PR event or promote any of their clients again. Shine Media PR you wanted press coverage, here it is.

John Simon
Editor-in-Chief
JohnSimonDaily.com

P.S. I have chosen to protect the identity of the bloggers for fear that they will get the same mistreatment from Shine Media PR.

Below, check out images (personally taken by me) from the Call It Spring store opening!

Designer Norma Kamali will be one of the first designers to participate in the digital version of Interview Magazine, which will be available on the Apple iPad on April 5, 2010. Kamali has also created a portfolio for consumers to scroll through their favorite looks that can be emailed or shared with friends. Check out the video the designer created that expresses the spirit of the collection.

Norma Kamali Swimwear can be viewed here

Quite a bit of speculation-fog continues to loom over the future of the music industry and its hierarchy. Arguments can be made that, soon, brands will work directly with artists – omitting record labels and changing the definition of A&R completely. There was no better place to sift insight than at Social Media Weeks’ panel discussion thrown by SoundCtrl and No Longer Empty (the non-profit that fills vacant NYC store fronts with amazing art and exhibits) titled “What Is Your $ocial Currency?” – the only event of the week focused on music AND new media. Held at the old Tower Records space on 4^th and Broadway, DJ Zeke spun a crowning mix of old school and modern hip hop as former Columbia Records exec and Co-Founder of BeEverywhere.tv James Andrews moderated panelists QuestLove of The Roots, Pepsi’s Senior Marketing Manager Andrew Katz, and Marisa Bangash of Uncensored Interview.

DJ Zeke

When asked if Tribes were intentionally built into DNA of The Roots business model, ?uestLove asserts that it wasn’t. Social media made it possible for him to have “personal interaction [that] wasn’t necessarily a fan club.” Dissatisfied with fan clubs of the past where you’d sign up, mail in, and get an “autographed” photo of Whitney Houston or whomever, ?uestLove wanted to “create a place to communicate with fans.” It wasn’t until 2 years went by did he realize what an impact this conversation had on the bands’ bottom line. “The power of our following on the net is what convinced the label to let us out.” Concerned with the amount of money their label was pumping into the band in relation to the yield, ?uest made the case for Geffen’s more efficient approach. “Your audience is on the internet!”

“Do brands want to be famous?” Andrew Katz expressed Pepsi’s commitment to “adding value to the conversation” today’s consumer is having within its culture. “The world doesn’t need another Britney Spears,” he says. They don’t want to just staple themselves to what’s hot now, but embed themselves into the very nature what’s NEXT. “We want to be iconic.” B.B. King, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe – not simply famous. “What he said,” ?uest says in agreement followed by a roareous laugh from the crowd – he couldn’t have said it better himself. I’ll note that Pepsi announced in December 2009 its plans to forgo the traditional route of Super Bowl ads this year and will pump the $20 Million dollar budget into online and social media. The boldest move by any major brand, yet.

Marisa Bangash and Katz agree that labels are just middle men and that the days of “brands as content distributors and curators” could be in sight. “The Roots album – brought to you by Downy!” ?uestLove chimes in with a chuckle. But this could very well be the most viable way for all parties – the artist and consumer – to be satisfied with the music experience. “Music should be a utility bill,” ?uest says. The argument for artists to be empowered by their content – and not a slave to it – is very much here. “The Roots have always operated outside of record sell,” ?uestLove states proudly. “I learned from the beginning I have to produce, write, drum, blog for others…[I had to] be ubiquitous…be so spread out that the label couldn’t drop us.” He’s surprised that most artists are still relying solely on record sales. His advice? “Artists must change their mentality – be more creative. What else can you do? Can you blog? Can you teach?”

And the A&R guy? “He’s the new ad agency,” says Katz. ?uestLove references the breakout success of hot new artist Santigold being measured not by album or single sales – but by licensing deals inked (Prefixmag.com estimates that up to 75% of her debut album has already been licensed to the likes of beer and hair product commercials). “It’s the new platinum record.”

Run Tweet That.™

Photos by Nick McGlynn