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Buying something without a review feels a bit like buying blind.

Decision time: there’s a sale on a GPS at what seems like a decent price. There are bold, red letters letting me know that this item runs a “high sellout risk.” Do I pull the trigger? Not quite yet.

I need to hear the experience of others. I want to know first-hand if someone is pleased (or displeased) with their item. First I check the reviews on the site. Then I try the reviews on Amazon, followed by a quick Google search for other opinions. Finally, I check the warranty and return policy and, if comforted by my findings, make the purchase. If a $200 GPS warrants this amount of research, I can’t imagine the effort put into making purchases in the thousands or higher.

I’m not the only one that likes to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. I was recently speaking to a client who commented that customers are always asking for first-hand examples of the company’s capabilities in specific target markets. This particular client’s sales staff, however, was hesitant to ask their customers for a short testimonial or participation in a case study.

This unwillingness to share customer information is understandable, though it can’t be the end of the discussion. The biggest hurdle is the ladder of buy-in. It’s our job as PR and marketing professionals to support the internal marketing team in communicating the importance of the satisfied customer voice. We need to get the sales staff and their supervisors on board and ensure that they understand the powerful influence that a testimonial can have. We’ve seen success through internal communications and reward programs that incentivize staff to push just a little harder to get customers to participate.

Case studies and testimonials are marketing gold. They allow a company to showcase a success story while controlling the content. A case study, unlike unmoderated, user-driven content, ensures a positive message that is peer-driven and promotes sales.

Not only is a case study handy in the sales room - it’s also a key part of a PR professional’s toolkit. It’s like an Ace up my sleeve – if an editor is hungry for content, a case study is almost always a welcome addition to any publication or web site. If customers are looking for case studies in the dealership, they’re most certainly looking for them in magazines or online. We can always squeeze a few more placements out of a case study, use the selected images or pull quotes for an upcoming editorial piece.

When looking to create a piece of collateral, it’s advantageous to produce something that has almost infinite uses. The case study, applicable in the salesroom, the boardroom and the newsroom, is that piece of the puzzle that reinforces the high level of quality, service and support that are the foundation of a brand.

Yesterday, when Reed Elsevier announced the intention to sell off the majority of its RBI publications, while retaining those that “fit well with [their] plans”* we were taken aback. Sure, it’s “happening everywhere” in the print magazine industry, and this is not the first we’ve heard of RBI’s sale but it’s difficult to accept that a major player in the business can just throw up their hands and walk away.

It seems that North American trade press has been hit even harder than mainstream news. What’s the future of B2B communications while print flounders?

For many, the answer is a move to digital media - whether by offering an optional digital format of the magazine or a full-service Web site that includes articles, blogs, comments and news feeds. Content that is consistantly updated in real-time is the lifeblood of these sites and has become integral to the SEO strategies of companies fighting to maintain relevancy in a saturated online market.

The move to all-digital formats makes sense for many of these publications. After all, many of their readers are stationed at a computer or near their Blackberry/Palm/iPhone most of the day, so a digital media form makes sense.**

In order for these endeavors to succeed, these publications will have to become integrated; that is to say, it will likely have to go above an offering of a .pdf version of a magazine.  These sites should become the “hub” for their readers; a place where content is shared, readers become part of the conversation and remain engaged and informed. for digital magazines and Web sites for many of these trade publications.

Among all trade publishers, Reed publications have generated arguably the largest online media presence. Many have adopted not only a digital format (which I’m thankful for, on behalf of trees and my recycling bin), but also blogs, vlogs, Twitter and Facebook accounts. They saw the writing on the wall, got creative and adapted at a breakneck speed, exceeding the expectations of many. These sites do not behave like stereotypical, flat B2B trade pub Web sites – they are dynamic, interesting and content-rich. What more could you ask for?

I have faith that these publications, bolstered by their web-savvy editors, will emerge from the chopping block even stronger than before. I hope that investors can see the value in these publications, the bargain price they’re going for and, moreover, the influence and respect they have in their respective markets. To all of the editors that we have worked with here at Koroberi, we will see you on the flip side – and be sure to comment on your blog.

*(including the construction units Reed Construction Data US & Canada and RS Means, entertainment units Variety, Marketcast, LA411 and Buyerzone)

**I did see a few copies of a familiar B2B software magazine at the gym a few weeks ago, where admittedly reading from a screen is a bit difficult.

Why is it that all bottles have a neck anyway? The Non Object design group decided to break the rule and design a vodka bottle with out a neck. The result is the Vertikal Vodka in a neckless bottle - with an afterlife as an elegant vase.

Now all they need to do is open a Teleflora-like Vertikal Flower Service and we’re good to go.

Detail of Mary Lou and Her Other Sister, 1992 Acrylic on Canvas

Fashion designer Prada is throwing open the doors on an art gala celebrating provocative pop artist John Wesley. A little more nuanced than your typical Lichtenstein, but just as compelling.

Back when surfing was just beginning to catch fire in southern California and elsewhere, there was an intrepid band of film producers from this region (themselves legendary surfers, like Greg Noll) who were contributing to the sport’s popularity by making a series of films that documented the first big wave riders and their assault on Oahu’s fabled North Shore.

Complimenting this furious output of homegrown moviemaking was a series of film posters that more than anything else serve as a time capsule to the early days of  surfing and the artistic sensibilities that surrounded our culture at that time.

The posters in many instances have a common type usage and format similar to the popular film posters of graphic designer Saul Bass but begin to play off in wildly imaginitive tangents, each one a small document to the heady days of the burgeoning surf scene.

The films themselves had their world premieres in locales such as the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and Van Nuys High School. The venues may not seem that impressive in comparison to their Hollywood counterparts, but these locations, these movies and these incredible posters all played a seminal role in influencing generations of young surfers and skaters – such as the legendary Z Boys of Dogtown – creating a youth culture phenomenon that continues to this day.

How many times has a client balked at a project price or the deliverables associated with a project and wanted to negotiate? You presented good solid pricing that represented the scope of the job well, and they just didn’t accept it. Do you stand firm or lower the price to get the work? It is always a challenge when dealing with clients who always haggle. Sometimes you just shake your head and wonder if they act that way in real life situations.

Neal’s Yard Remedies was one of the first beauty products firms in the UK to focus on natural ingredients - has it stayed true to its roots?

The natural and organic beauty firm came under fire from bloggers this week for the reversal of its decision to engage with the public in an online debate, after agreeing to participate in a regular series sponsored by The Guardian Newspaper.

Follow the resulting PR train wreck…a lesson in how brands have to adjust to new ways of interacting with the public in today’s media environment.

It’s that important. Go. Read. Share.

Trompe l’oeil (trick of the eye) artist John Pugh is a native Californian whose deceptive murals decorate walls from Honalulu to Hayward, CA.

Pugh has brought the structure of an architect, the intellectual vision of a scholar, the humor of a comedian, and the narrative ability of a master storyteller to his craft. His murals cleverly fool the viewer into seeing a modern facade’s broken wall revealing Greek columns or a bull grazing in front of an unfinished mural. But his art also captures the imagination and engages the mind. “Once captivated by the deception,” he says, “the viewer is lured into crossing an artistic threshold and is seduced into exploring the concept of the piece.”

If only New York had his talents for the subway cars of the seventies…

On February 9, Dow Chemical registered the website URL www.BanAminopyralid.com. This is a bit questionable since the company actually produces a product called aminopyralid. The domain sits dormant without content and is merely a placeholder - for now.  For UK gardeners last year, and for US gardeners this year, aminopyralid - a hormonal herbicide used to kill weeds in hay and straw fields - has become a nightmare.

Here’s the deal: in the tightly-knit coven of commercial-chemical and -seed producers (often one and the same), agricultural extension services, and growers/producers, the work of the farm gets done via something called a “producer program.”  A “program” consists of soil amendments, herbicides, pesticides and seed stock genetically modified to flourish in this chemical bath. You plant the right seed, you spray the right chemicals and everything comes up roses.

But unintended consequences have a strange way of showing up where you least expect them. In the case with aminopyralid, when hay and straw produced using the chemical was sold to local horse and cattle farms, the chemical was passed along in the produce. Horses and cows eat the hay and sleep on the straw, creating a manure-and-straw-bedding mixture that is then composted, left to cook for a year or so and then sold to compost packagers and vegetable gardeners.

Then something strange happens. The local extension service (find yours here) begins to get calls about twisted tomato vines with curly leaves, wilting eggplant and droopy potato plants. Strawberry producers loose a season’s crop. Suburban gardeners report wilting zinnias. And then you suddenly realize – the herbicide that was in the manure has now contaminated the soil, and may continue to contaminate the soil for years to come, which is just one of many worries, as no one completely understands the full effects of the pesticide.

Recently banned in the UK for its devastating impact on vegetable and flower gardeners (Dow UK has its own reactionary website, this one called www.ManureMatters.co.uk), the true impact of aminopyralid is only just now being felt in the US. While there were some reports of impact last year, they are becoming more frequent this year, in reaction to the application of aged compost by farmers. We appear to be running a year behind the UK in our cycle, but the spring of 2009 will be remembered by many local farmers and market gardeners as the “Spring of Aminopyralid” as they witness the unintended consequences that follow its use.

So when Dow registered www.BanAminopyralid.com, they were undoubtedly anticipating competition for the domain. Or perhaps they were simply being good corporate citizens, preempting the public outcry. What next? As this is America, the likelihood of a class action lawsuit is probably greater than the likelihood of a ban on the chemical. In the meantime, beware of putting any compost on your garden, whether from a plastic bag or from a local farmer in the back of a truck. Buy local, but buyer beware, Dow Chemical’s slogan, “bringing good things to life,” is not necessarily referring to the life of your produce.