PROFNET WIRE: BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY: Business Innovation Oct. 22, 2007

_____ LEADS

1. Business: Innovative Thinking and Exploring Artistic Expression

2. Business: Overcoming the Helium Shortage

3. Consumer Issues: Consumers Must Guard Their Personal Data

4. Management: HR Competence Models Range from Beginner to Expert

5. Marketing: Effective Content Requires a Strategic View

6. Marketing: The Advertiser's Guide to Doing Social Media Right

_____ LEADS

**1. BUSINESS: INNOVATIVE THINKING AND EXPLORING ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.

SUZANNE FETSCHER, president/CEO of the McCOLL CENTER FOR VISUAL ART and creator of an executive program called the Innovation Institute: "Business innovation continues to be talked about the same way, mostly rehashing the skills taught in MBA programs across the country. Every business wants employees who are innovative and can contribute to the next great product or service that will propel sales and profits to higher levels. While many organizations champion innovation in their corporate mission statements and in their communications with employees, their actions have just the opposite effect by squelching innovative thinking." Fetscher can discuss the similarities between the artistic creative process and business innovation, and how business executives can take clues on creativity by exploring the nature of artistic expression. News Contact: John Mader, jmader@wrayward.com Phone: +1-704-926-1316 (10/22/07)

**2. BUSINESS: OVERCOMING THE HELIUM SHORTAGE.

PHILLIP KASH, Ph.D., a physical chemist specializing in the chemistry and physics of latex balloons and their reaction to various climate and weather conditions: "The helium shortage is a serious threat to balloon retailers in the party and entertainment industries. However, business owners don't have to compromise. There are ways to overcome the helium shortage, such as using special treatments that significantly extend the floating time of latex balloons, preventing the need to waste helium by replacing balloons. There are also techniques that allow for 25 percent less helium to be used without compromising balloon float time." The helium shortage is likely to get worse with anticipated price hikes of 20-30 percent, starting this October. Kash can discuss helium and air permeation through latex balloons, as well as the science of helium retention. News Contact: Sarah Pritts, pr@hi-float.com Phone: +1-502-394-9189 (10/22/07)

**3. CONSUMER ISSUES: CONSUMERS MUST TAKE STEPS TO GUARD THEIR PERSONAL DATA.

PETER S. VOGEL, attorney at the Dallas office of GARDERE WYNNE SEWELL: "No one wants to hear that their personal data, including credit card information, has been compromised, but consumers must also do their part and be more diligent about protecting themselves. It's not only being cautious when you use a credit card; it's also destroying papers containing confidential information, not simply throwing items in the trash where anyone can pick through it. The IT community is working hard to deal with security breaches, but not all the trouble occurs on the Internet." News Contact: Rhonda Reddick, rhonda@androvett.com Phone: +1-800-559-4534 (10/22/07)

**4. MANAGEMENT: HR COMPETENCE MODELS RANGE FROM BEGINNER TO EXPERT.

JAY JAMROG, senior vice president of research at the INSTITUTE FOR CORPORATE PRODUCTIVITY (i4cp, Inc.): "It appears that more companies have HR competence models in place within their organizations than they have had in the recent past. In 2005, less than one-third of organizations had any type of HR competence model in place, while today nearly half have established a specific competence model to monitor the effectiveness of HR functions. One-fourth of the organizations that do not have a HR competence model do plan to implement one within the next year. Those companies that currently have an HR competence model, or plan to implement one, say they've established baseline proficiency levels. The proficiency levels tend to break into groups of three to six tiers, ranging from entry/beginner to advanced/expert." News Contact: Patricia Vaccarino, patricia@xanthuscom.com Phone: +1-206-979-3380 (10/22/07)

**5. MARKETING: EFFECTIVE CONTENT REQUIRES A STRATEGIC VIEW.

JOHN JANTSCH is a veteran marketing coach, award-winning blogger and author of "Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide" (Thomas Nelson, 2007): "On the Web, it is simply not enough to write hard-hitting sales copy and call it content. Content -- content that educates and builds trust -- has become much more active than that and requires a strategic view to be truly effective. New media tools such as blogs, podcasts, videocasts and RSS have made the use of multiple forms of content creation a necessity. Marketing content must come packaged in text, images, audio and video in order to stand out. Google, Yahoo and MSN think so much of the mixed media content strategy, they have all begun some form of what is being called 'Universal Search.'" News Contact: Patricia Vaccarino, patricia@xanthuscom.com Phone: +1- 206-979-3380 (10/22/07)

**6. MARKETING: THE ADVERTISER'S GUIDE TO DOING SOCIAL MEDIA RIGHT.

GEORGE KRAUTZEL is president and co-founder of ITTOOLBOX, which facilitates of IT knowledge sharing among peer groups of executives and professionals through the world's largest IT community: "Navigating available online marketing opportunities is a daunting task, even for experienced marketers. What's the difference between traditional online marketing and the new opportunities available through online communities? What role do social media sites bring to a marketer's toolbox? How does one determine the best road to advertising utopia? These questions are top-of-mind with thousands of marketers and often go unanswered. The online marketing game should be easier to solve and not based on trials and errors." Krautzel can discuss what it takes to leverage social media successfully. News Contact: Kim Miller, kmiller@tieronepr.com Phone: +1-617-610-0583 (10/22/07) SOURCE ProfNet

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