While last year’s updated AP Stylebook focused largely on adding social media guidelines, the recently released 2011 book took a different turn … toward culinary terms and food trends. Designed in response to the growing number of food and restaurant writers nationwide, the new 16-page section features more than 400 food names and terms, including an official AP Recipe Style. So, for those of you who may have struggled in the past with how to correctly write “adobo sauce” or “amuse-bouche,” fret no more.

The new guide doesn’t completely deviate from last year’s social media focus and gives a nod to Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare by including “geotagging,” “geolocation,” “unfriend” and “unfollow.” And in the spirit of simplicity – similar to last year’s change from “Web site” to “website” – the edition removed spaces and hyphens from “smartphone,” “cellphone” and “email.”

Although a complete list of all the book’s changes is not available online, you can purchase the new guide through the Associated Press’ website.

What do you think about the new food inclusions? Are they necessary or not? Is there anything you would rather see make the cut?

NPR has been producing an excellent series about the communications industry. The latest segment explains how Lexicon Branding, Inc., creator of the names BlackBerry, Scion, Pentium and hundreds of other well-known brands, worked with Procter & Gamble (P&G) to pen the name for the Swiffer.

Originally, P&G wanted to call the product “EZMop,” but after much discussion, they decided to nix the word “mop” altogether in order to disassociate from the word. The Swiffer has taken off — as well as its name. The other day, my neighbor told me that her house needed a good “Swiffer cleaning.”

A product’s name is of paramount importance — and the linguistic waters can be murky. One of the classic name “fumbles” was for the Chevy Nova — “nova” in Spanish means “no-go.” It’s a good reminder that research (even in all languages) should be an integral part of a naming process.

Experts agree that branding is more than a name or a logo … and a logo isn’t a brand unless it’s on a cow. But, a good name can help reinforce your brand’s promise.

In the NPR story, Diane Prange, chief linguist for Strategic Name Development, says the stakes are high in the naming game: “Your name is a shortcut to your brand, and your brand is your promise. But even the naming experts agree: Keeping a promise takes a lot more than a good name.”

What are some of your favorite brand names? Personally, I like the name Google, which started out as BackRub, because the search technology checked back links to estimate a site’s importance. Could you imagine saying, “Hold on, I’ll BackRub it …” Thank goodness for productive brainstorms and naming experts.

I recently saw an advertisement in The New York Times print edition that caught my eye. It was an American Express ad featuring numerous “tweet testimonials” from people sharing the reasons why their businesses are “booming.”

The ad is part of the American Express “Start Booming” initiative, which is a “celebration of innovative and successful small businesses.” The campaign ultimately serves as a platform to showcase American Express business cardholders.

At the end of the ad, it states that for a chance to appear in another upcoming The New York Times ad, you can post your #booming tweet at: openforum.com/whatsbooming.

I was super intrigued (and engaged). Expecting to find cheesy PR-written testimonials and articles on the website, I was proven wrong.  People from Twitter shared interesting thoughts. Some of my favorites include:

And the @OPENForum Twitter handle retweeted some of these insights. There were also thoughtful “tip articles” and videos about American Express cardholder success stories – I especially enjoyed the one about the Alpaca ranch.

The strategy in using Twitter for this campaign is a good one, since many small business owners use the platform to learn about organizational growth and strategies.

Business author Thomas J. Peters said that “the best-run companies stay as close to their customers as humanly possible.” America Express embraces this philosophy and that’s why I think its ad campaign is #booming.

… For some, that is the question. When it comes to social media for your business, Shawn Vincent hit the nail on the head with this tweet:

Chances are your brand (or industry) is being talked about online. Whether it’s a compliment or complaint, it’s an opportunity to thank a loyal advocate or address a concern. To equate this to the pre-Twitter, Facebook and blogging days, think of these comments as if they were a phone call to your headquarters. But, with social media, that “call” is potentially being heard by millions of users.

Opportunity is calling. Are you picking up?

Foursquare recently launched “Foursquare for Universities,” a section of their website dedicated to connecting students, staff and alumni with their respective school. The best part about the program is that it fits naturally into what universities are already doing.

You can use Foursquare to enhance campus events. For example:

• Fall orientation? Help students get acquainted with their school by hosting a campus-wide scavenger hunt.

• First football game of the season? Offer a free university t-shirt to students who “check in.”

• Daily deals at an on-campus restaurant? Promote specials and ask for students’ feedback via Foursquare tips.

For case studies of universities getting an “A+” in Foursquare 101, check out Harvard, Stanford and Syracuse.

I’m definitely a supporter of attention-grabbing, non-traditional media to increase brand awareness, “butt” when it comes to Kentucky Fried Chicken’s recent ploy of renting “ad space” on women’s derrières to promote its Double Down sandwich, I have to wonder.

According to a recent USA Today article, “women on college campuses are being paid $500 each to hand out coupons while wearing fitted sweatpants with “Double Down” in large letters across their rear ends.”

For certain types of products, this form of marketing might be appropriate, but for fast food? Personally, seeing a logo for food on someone’s backside would not be the way I would increase market share – especially for a deep fried delight weighing in at 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 mg of sodium.

KFC is definitely trying to refresh their brand – with grilled chicken last year and the Double Down sandwich this year. However, it doesn’t seem to be working.

Last week, KFC confirmed that more than six in 10 Americans ages 18 to 25 — the chain’s key demographic – couldn’t identify Colonel Sanders, KFC’s animated figurehead. Also, five in 10 believe he is a fictitious icon.

Is 120 years of brand equity being diluted further by this type of campaign?

I have to wonder what Colonel Sanders would have to say about the tactic. What are your thoughts? Double-breaded disaster or “finger lickin’ good” gimmick?

Photo credit: USA Today

If you’re like me, one of the most dreaded details about driving in downtown Orlando is finding parking close to your destination – without paying an arm and leg. So when I came across this new, free iPhone application, I thought, “Everyone should know about this!”

Orlando parkIN’ is a new app created by Right Brain Media. It helps drivers figure out where the closest parking garages are in proximity to their downtown destination, and it will sort the options in order of price. This handy application requires the iPhone 4.0 Software Update.

With the new Amway Center opening October 1, this is the perfect app to use when scouring for parking – if paying $20 at the GEICO Garage (located across from the Amway Center on W. South St.) is not in your budget.