Over the past few weeks, the Costa DeVault team has kept our eyes peeled for informative, thought-provoking and insightful tweets. Here they are, in case you missed them.

A special thanks to @jessicagreco, @davidronick, @meaghery, @bloomaces and @apstylebook for sharing.

As we’ve heard time and time again – if something isn’t broken, don’t fix it. On Friday, April 23, Coca-Cola will be reminded of this, as they celebrate the 25th anniversary of the launch of “new Coke.”

In 1985, as a response to the enthusiasm surrounding a new beverage company, PepsiCo – Coca-Cola introduced a reformulated product. To put it mildly, the new drink was negatively received, and a public outcry ensued. People began hoarding cases of the original drinks (quickly dubbed “old Coke”). In June 1985, Newsweek reported that savvy black marketers sold “old Coke” for $30 a case and the company’s consumer hotline was getting 1,500 calls a day from upset customers. Protestors even rallied at the corporate headquarters in Atlanta. After a grueling 79 days, the company pulled “new Coke” from the shelves and brought back the original – now labeled “Coca-Cola Classic.”

The “new Coke” example is often at the top of the list of marketing blunders and is used as a “what not to do” case study. And, while it’s easy to fault Coca-Cola (who changes the world’s most popular soft drink in the first place?), the company learned a valuable lesson about brand loyalty. Until “new Coke,” customers didn’t know what they were missing. Suddenly, people realized that a soft drink actually meant something to them. Before the product reformulation, overall consumer preference and brand awareness were slipping. The firestorm surrounding “new Coke” was replaced by affection for Coca-Cola Classic, re-energizing the company. Coca-Cola now knows the power of their brand, which I’m betting is a marketing tool many companies wish they had.

Photo credit: DeusXFlorida

Chris Gent, a 23-year public relations industry veteran, was recently named the 2010 Central Florida Public Relations Professional of the Year by the Orlando chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA). Chris is vice president of corporate communications for Kissimmee Utility Authority, and serves as FPRA’s statewide vice president of technology. Chris will be honored at the Image Awards ceremony tonight.

Here, Chris discusses how great communicators succeed and why PR professionals should never stop learning.

Best advice to PR professionals:

“Continue to learn. Even though most of us have graduated from college, our diplomas shouldn’t mark the end of our education. In fact, the best PR professionals I know are the ones who continue to learn each and every day. I recommend educating yourself on things that will make your organization shine and raise your value as a professional. Spend some time perfecting your writing so you can better tell your organization’s story. Set up a blog so you can learn how technology works. Learn how to shoot, edit and create a video to inform or inspire others. Find a mentor to help grow your career. Go back to school and get an advanced degree to upgrade your skills and credentials. Join a professional association like FPRA or Public Relations Society of America to network with other communicators. Seek professional accreditation to demonstrate your commitment to personal and professional development.”

Best PR decision I’ve made:

“I’d like to think I’ve made a few good PR decisions over the years. One was accepting a position at Kissimmee Utility Authority back in 1993. That decision has led to a great career so far. When I speak to student groups I always encourage them not to overlook lesser-known companies when seeking employment. Everyone dreams of landing a PR job with the Disneys, JetBlues and Googles of the world, but in reality there are thousands of smaller, lesser-known companies and PR agencies that offer amazing opportunities for advancement and growth.”

A PR mistake I’ve learned from:

“I’ve learned to listen to both sides of a story before reaching a conclusion or opinion. There’s a saying that God made us with two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as much as we talk, because listening is twice as hard to do well. Great communicators are always great listeners, and what they say always relates back to what they heard.”

Favorite PR-related or business book:

“Applebee’s America by Ron Fournier, Douglas B. Sosnik and Matthew J. Dowd. It was required reading for a graduate school course, but it’s a fascinating look at how successful political, business and religious leaders are connecting with the new American community. The book is written by a former Clinton aide, one of the masterminds behind the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign and a senior Associated Press political correspondent. It’s a tremendous read that directly applies to our role as communicators.”

What are some publications or online resources that you read regularly?

“For the past 20 months, I’ve been a graduate student at The George Washington University earning a master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations. Most of the publications I’ve read during that time have consisted of textbooks, case studies and lectures. I do manage, however, to find time to read the statewide and local publications produced by the FPRA. I subscribe to The Economist, Florida Trend, Orlando Business Journal and PRWeek. I also follow a number of industry and PR-related blogs, including this one. I enjoy learning about the successes, challenges and failures that other business professionals face. I believe we can always learn something from their experiences.”

It is only day one of the 140 Conference and the information is already flowing. For those of us not able to attend the event in NYC this year, Twitter users are taking part in what the conference is all about – sharing thoughts in 140 characters or less. Below are some of the highlights of April 20:

Thanks to @OliviaMelikhov, @Samsungtweets, @GRTaylor2, @noornet, @beebow, @amyfabulous, @HRLori, @bdresher and @ssmirnov for being our eyes and ears at the conference. And a big thank you to @donny_deutsch, @acarvin, @JeffreyHayzlett, @IvankaTrump and @garyvee for sharing your insight.

The other day someone tweeted a story about McDonald’s hiring its first Director of Social Media – Rick Wion. Whenever I read something online, I always like reading the comments, too. But this one left from “amusedmarketer” (of course there’s no real name) left a bad taste in my mouth:

Hmm. Mr. Wion – McDonald’s new social media chief tasked with optimizing return on customer engagement – has just 276 Facebook friends, 269 LinkedIn connections (1 endorsement) and 1,309 Twitter followers. Guess anybody can call themselves a ‘social media expert’ these days. Onto the next bubble: CleanTech.

This is the type of comment that makes people in social media look like mean trolls. Insults do not yield wisdom. Furthermore, arbitrarily “counting” someone’s Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections and Twitter followers is a ridiculous litmus test to determine that individual’s social media capabilities. Results matter in the real working world – not how many so-called “connections” you have and how awesome your “personal brand” is. Call me old-fashioned, but it’s about the company – not the person.

So, if you’re going to judge me solely on how many Twitter followers, Facebook friends and LinkedIn recommendations I have, you’ll be disappointed. I guess I could spend time acquiring more connections though. Oh wait, but I have to go back to work. And so does Rick Wion.

Photo credit: agilitynut

There’s nothing like a day of outdoor family fun to celebrate the early days of spring. That’s what the Camaraderie Foundation, a new Central Florida nonprofit that provides counseling services to service members and their families, had in mind for their kick-off event this past Saturday.

“The Camaraderie Foundation kick-off event was a great opportunity to show Central Florida what we are all about – giving back to those who are still serving overseas as well as their families who are here,” said Marnie Waldrop, co-founder of the Camaraderie Foundation. “Living through a deployment and the adjustment afterwards was the hardest experience I have ever gone through. We want people to know that they have a support system that they can rely on.”

For more information about the Camaraderie Foundation, please visit their web site, follow them on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

As tourists and locals alike wait in anticipation of Universal Studio’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an alleged new theme park gained buzz just in time for April Fool’s Day. Underground Adventure, “the world’s first underground theme park,” claimed to be opening a 50-acre park on April 5 just outside Orlando in the rural town of Chuluota.

The only known advertising took place on one local radio station. The ad invited listeners to “Come on down … literally!” Although many were skeptical of the park’s existence, some Facebook and Twitter users remained hopeful.

With the promotion and viral buzz, in addition to a Craigslist post that advertises tickets; all bases seemed to be covered. A phone number and web site added to the authenticity without breaking the bank. Although, a standard 60-second ad on Power 95.3 costs roughly $175 per spot, which is probably more than the average person is willing to spend on a prank. But, what if the radio space is the most critical part of the scheme?

Before the “theme park” was announced to be a hoax this morning (the web site changed to display an April Fool’s Day message), Underground Adventure sounded a lot like 1985’s Plummet Mall, which was used to study the effectiveness of radio advertising. The four 60-second spots, which aired in Cincinnati, advertised the first underground mall. The last of the ads claimed that the opening would be delayed because seismic activity shifted the mall’s location. Regardless, when Burke Marketing Research did a recall study following the campaign, they found that 33.2% correctly identified Plummet Mall by name.

As with any research study, there could have been outside factors affecting the end result. Did people remember the mall because of the advertising? Or did they remember it because it was such an out-of-the-box idea? Maybe it was a mixture of both. In a time when consumers are questioning the effectiveness of radio, it would have been interesting to quantify the Underground Adventure data by looking at web site traffic, social media mentions and volume of phone calls.

In the spirit of April Fool’s Day … did the Power 95.3 crew have you fooled?