Allison Dawn PR Client, Flexfit, Announced as Official Headwear for Two Clubs

Long Island Ducks, Bridgeport Bluefish to wear Flexfit brand exclusively in 2012

Central Islip, NY, January 24, 2012 –(PR.com)– The Long Island Ducks and Bridgeport Bluefish, members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, today announced a partnership with world renowned headwear manufacturer Flexfit/Yupoong, making the company the official on field headwear of the Ducks and Bluefish, as well as the first choice for all retail sales at the Waddle In Shop and Bluefish Gear Shop throughout the 2012 baseball season.

“We’re excited to be able to partner with Flexfit, a company whose values are in lockstep with ours on providing our players and fans with cutting edge, high caliber headwear,” said Ducks President/GM and Bluefish Senior VP Michael Pfaff. “Flexfit has established itself as a world leader in the category and we’re working on some exciting new looks and designs for all to enjoy this upcoming season.”

In addition to providing the teams with all on field headwear, including spring training/batting practice headwear, special event headwear and potential playoff/championship caps, Flexfit will enjoy exposure through team marketing platforms. Along with the new look and feel, players and fans will enjoy sleeker, more streamlined designs with moisture-wicking performance and cutting edge styles during the 2012 campaign.

To be a level above, Flexfit implements set routines of Research & Development. Through the years, Flexfit has introduced new products that have revolutionized the headwear industry. From the famous Flexfit sweatband to the company’s cool & dry technology, Flexfit is always staying ahead of the curve. Flexfit is constantly searching for new product innovations that can bring joy to hat bearers and improve the welfare of the communities they are involved with.

“Flexfit is excited to be the official 2012 headwear sponsor of the Long Island Ducks and Bridgeport Bluefish professional baseball teams,” states Flexfit LLC President, Thomas Cho. “We look forward to both teams enjoying the comfort and performance that only Flexfit hats can provide.”

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Allison Kugel
516-942-0264
Contact
www.AllisonDawnPR.com
www.Flexfit.com

Peter Facinelli Interview with Allison Kugel

My Peter Facinelli interview is scheduled to post on PR.com Monday morning. In the interview with Peter we discussed how he almost passed up his breakthrough role in the Twilight saga (oops!), his quirky role in Showtime’s series Nurse Jackie and taking the leap of starting his own production company, Facinelli Films to star in and produce the indie film, Loosies.

Here are a few teaser excerpts from my Peter Facinelli Interview for PR.com:

“I almost didn’t read for Twilight. My agent said, ‘Do you want to do a vampire movie?’ And I was like, ‘No.’ I was totally thinking blood and guts and bats in caves, like some kind of horror movie.” – on Peter Facinelli almost turning down the role of Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the Twilight saga

“For me, this is like movies from the 1970s that had these characters that were anti-heroes. They weren’t exactly heroes, but they were anti-heroes that you rooted for. The world isn’t black and white. They’re not always doing the right thing, but you root for them anyway because they have more good about them than bad.” - Peter Facinelli describing his character, Bobby, in the indie film “Loosies”

“That makes me completely uncomfortable (laughs). I don’t know how to play that. I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’d be really boring at that.” - on Peter Facinelli’s fear of playing the leading man

This news story was brought to you by Allison Dawn PR

Kourteny Kardashian Expecting 2nd Baby

In this week’s US Weekly, which hit some newsstands today, Kourtney Kardashian announces her second pregnancy in an exclusive cover story. Despite the up and down nature of Kourtney Kardashian and boyfriend Scott Disick’s relationship and Kardashian’s refusal to tie the knot, the couple are overjoyed about their impending new addition, and a sibling for their son, Mason.

Kourtney Kardashian gave the following official statement to E! about her second pregnancy:

“Scott and I are so excited to announce that we are expecting our second child and are thrilled to be expanding the love in our family.”

Kourtney Kardashian tells US Weekly that she is nine weeks along in her pregnancy, having found out she was pregnant by taking a home pregnancy test five weeks ago. The US Weekly article talks about how Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick went from “sleeping in separate beds” to expecting their second baby together.

Kourtney also proclaims that, although typical protocol is to wait until twelve weeks has past to officially announce a pregnancy, at just nine weeks along she feels confident enough to make the big announcement of her second pregnancy to US Weekly.

This story is brought to you by Allison Dawn PR

Frank Sinatra "Best of the Best"

Frank Sinatra’s only son. Frank Sinatra Jr. recently sat down with Spinner to discuss the holiday release of Frank Sinatra’s latest music compilation, Best of the Best. Sinatra Jr. also shared why he feels his legendary father lived to be 82, while most iconic legends meet their tragic ends prematurely.

Frank Sinatra, Jr. told Spinner, “[Frank] Sinatra always had both feet on the ground. He never believed, or allowed himself to believe, any of the fame that surrounded him. He never took the adulation seriously.”

Frank Sinatra’s son and namesake, Frank Sinatra Jr. went on to explain that it was his father’s down to earth outlook on fame and his close ties to his family that helped him to avoid the kind of early tragic end that had befallen other icons like Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.

Frank Sinatra Jr. explained to Spinner, “They were tragic figures in the sense that they didn’t have their feet on the ground and they died that way. Isn’t that interesting, that all three of those people died alone?”

Praising his legendary father, for whom he composed music and musically directed until Sinatra’s death in 1998, Frank Sinatra Jr. says one thing he wants Frank Sinatra fans to know about his father is that “he never lost the concept of the reality of life. That is something I believe that people should know. And I believe that is the reason why he lived to be 82-and-a-half-years old.”

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to interview Frank Sinatra Jr’s older sister, Nancy Sinatra, for PR.com and Nancy and I discussed Frank Sinatra’s legacy from the point of view of his first born (Nancy).

Here are some clips from the Nancy Sinatra interview on PR.com:

PR.com: Your father was around to see the first inklings of the power of the Internet back in the late 90s, shortly before he passed. What did he think of it?

Nancy Sinatra: He was thrilled. He would read the questions that people would write in, and then he would tell me what to say in response to their questions, and he said, “This is great. Please keep in touch with my supporters.” And I said, “I promise.” I have ever since.

PR.com: For your Sirius XM radio show, Nancy for Frank, how do you go about scripting each show, and how do you determine what Frank Sinatra stories should remain private and what stories about your father you care to share with the public?

Nancy Sinatra: It’s all up to the music. We’re recording a show tomorrow and the album we’re playing is the Strangers In The Night album. I haven’t seen a script yet. I send the songs to my producer and he takes the songs and puts them into a script that includes the composer, lyricist, and if possible, when it was recorded originally. Whatever nerdy kind of technical information we can get, we put it into the script. If there are any stories, they come about as a result of a song.

PR.com: Your sister Tina does a great deal as far as managing, I guess what you would call the Sinatra brand. Is that an equal three-way partnership between you, Tina and Frank, Jr., or does Tina take the lead with business matters pertaining to your father’s work?

Nancy Sinatra: Tina’s a producer, so we rely on her for that sort of thing. We are all absolutely involved, of course. We all meet once a month, or once every two months if we’re traveling. We discuss the projects that are coming up and what we are going to do about them, and who’s going to do promotion. I liken it to a family farm. The products are usually recordings, sometimes films, and you take them to market and market them as best as you can. It’s not easy anymore. The music business is pretty much history. It’s generally via downloading, and mostly the younger people don’t want to pay anything for music. There are also so many expenses involved in putting out CDs, and you have to be very sure that everything you put out is of quality. If there is a mistake at the printers or there is someone along the way who misspells a composer’s name or puts in a wrong date, we get clobbered by the Frank Sinatra fans who know every detail. When that happens it’s embarrassing for us, but we can’t be there every second of every day with this stuff as it goes through. We can license and hope (laughs)… that they do a good job and not let us down.

CLICK TO READ MY ENTIRE NANCY SINATRA INTERVIEW ON PR.COM

This story is brought to you by Allison Dawn PR

Nudity During Sex is Waaay Overrated!

During my chat with Pamela Anderson for an interview to be published this week on PR.com, the international bombshell gave me the scoop on her new sultry stocking collection, The Pamela Couture Stocking Collection by Secrets in Lace.

When I questions Anderson about her general dislike for pantyhose, she set me straight by exclaiming that her couture stocking collection is not for every day use. Pam’s stockings are for sex!

Here are some yummy quotes that Pammy relayed to me:

“I’ve never worn pantyhose, but my aunt and mom swear by them. My stockings are for making love in. They’re real nylon stockings. It’s a fantasy. They feel incredibly sexy, and guaranteed not to run. They aren’t for every day, but they are so gorgeous and they’re historically pleasing. If stockings could talk…”

Pamela Anderson also expressed her funny side during our interview when she insisted that her mom still wears lingerie for her dad, but not in the way you might think:

“I know my mom still wears lingerie and jumps out of closets to scare my dad. She’s always joked that she tries to give him a heart attack so she can get [his] coin collection. But now she’s actually worried that she might give him a heart attack. And the coin collection may not exist, so she’s being gentler on him. They watch a lot of CNN and she also Twitters all her complaints about politics, but does it looking fabulous.”

On a more serious note, Anderson’s mom has passed along some words of wisdom to her famous daughter when it comes to seducing the opposite sex:

“She taught me how to walk, one foot directly in front of the other, so you lure men with your hips.”

At the end of our interview Pamela was kind enough to brief me on what she meant when she told me “if stockings could talk…” She said, “You know, like if walls could talk.” Thanks Pam, I got that one. My real questions for you is, “if your stockings could talk…” We would all love to hear what those naughty nylons would have to say!

READ MY FULL PAMELA ANDERSON INTERVIEW HERE

OMG! I haven’t seen a music video this funny, raunchy and crazy since, well, probably the 80s which Katy Perry’s video for her single “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” pays brilliant homage to.

Check out hilarious celeb cameos by Corey Feldman, Kenny G and Debbie Gibson, and laugh your a*s off at Katy Perry’s impression of a totally nerdy (and horny) 1980s teenager who falls victim to an overly rowdy house party that, she apparantely threw, at her parent’s house. Sooooooo 80s and soooooooo rock star!

A couple years back I interviewed 1980s Lost Boy-turned addict- turned reality star and zen master, Corey Feldman (he actually named his son “Zen”). I actually really enjoyed our conversation. We covered a lot of Corey’s crazy life. After you’ve laughed yourself sick at Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” music video have a read below at some excerpts from my Corey Feldman interview:

PR.com (Allison Kugel): You’ve effectively changed your image from the time you were a teenager…

Corey Feldman: (Laughs) I’m glad you think so.

PR.com: (Laughs) Well, you’ve managed to overcome some of the bad press from your adolescence. There’s been a lot of press about you being spiritual, about you being an animal rights activist, an environmental activist… being on a better path and having a family, and so on. Are you hoping that will lead to you being back to where you were in the heyday of your career… at some point?

Corey Feldman: That’s a many wielded sword that you just threw at me because there’s so many different answers and outlets to the question you pose. I don’t think that I’m purposely doing anything to change an image, or to reconfigure the way people think of me. I think that I’m simply living my life as I always have, which is hopefully in a positive direction. If you really look at my history, before I had my drug problems I was out campaigning for Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” [campaign]. I was also at the forefront of working with animals rights and I was a vegetarian since I was 12 or 13 years old. I’ve always been a spiritualist. I’ve always prayed and believed in God. Unfortunately, I hit a speed bump in my own personal path and went down a very dark road for a few years. Even though it really was a few years, people chose to kind of hang that on me as my door sign, saying “This is who he is. This is his box, and keep him in it.” It’s been a fight of good versus evil in my own personal life that one day I will rise above this soot that’s being thrown on top of me, and rise up from the ashes with my positive message, and show people this is who I’ve been all along.

PR.com: I think because a child star gone wrong makes a juicier story.

Corey Feldman: Exactly. But unfortunately that’s the temperature of our society. Everybody’s always looking for the gossip, but they’re not looking for the real answer or the real solution. To me it’s so much more appealing, because there’s so much negativity out there and there’s so much degradation out there. It’s so much more appealing to hear a positive story, or somebody that’s got something to share with us that we can use as an inspiration. All I’ve tried to do since the time that I got sober is leave a positive message and try and help people through their own struggles, where I needed help getting through mine.

PR.com: How did the Lost Boys sequel (Lost Boys: The Tribe) come about after twenty years? Is it the original team that did the first movie?

Corey Feldman: Not at all. It was something that had been talked about for years and years. Originally it was going to be done by Richard Donner and Joel Schumacher who did the original. As things progressed, it never got made the way that it was supposed to. Then it came back around as a direct to DVD movie that they were going to do for a very low budget. I declined to be a part of it because I wasn’t happy with the script or the way things were going. I didn’t want to be a part of a trashy remake of a great movie. Then they came back to me from Warner Bros. and said, “We have a new script. We’ve listened to your thoughts, and we’ve written in a part for Corey Haim. We’re increasing the budget and we’re going to give it a shot at theatrical [release]. We’re going to try and actually make it a real movie.” At that point I said, “Ok let’s give it a shot.” I also was quite impressed by the director, P.J. Pesce’s, dedication to connecting the two films and preserving the feel and the vibe of the first film. I know that’s what’s most important to fans.

So long Spitzer. In what Huffington Post is calling a “CNN Shakeup” the cable news network has finally pulled the plug on Eliot Spitzer’s troubled talk show, which already went through one major format change during its brief time at CNN. Personally, I am an Eliot Spitzer fan, and was happy to sit down with the former New York Governor several months ago to discuss his then talk show, Parker Spitzer. Though, at the time of our chat, Eliot Spitzer vehemently denied rumors of any on-set strife with co-host Kathleen Parker, apparantly Eliot Spitzer had a brilliant poker face with me, as the show let go of Kathleen Parker and then morphed into a solo act for Spitzer, titled, In The Arena.

“‘In the Arena” had itself replaced ‘Parker Spitzer,’ the show Spitzer launched with former co-host Kathleen Parker last year,” The Huffington Post states.

Here is Spitzer’s official statement in response to the changing and subsequent canceling of his CNN talk show: “We engaged serious people in conversations about national and global issues in a way that was informative and challenging,” Spitzer said in a statement. “I believe that we provided diverse and valuable perspectives during the show’s tenure. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at CNN.”

Fair Enough.

Here are some excerpts from my December 13, 2010 Eliot Spitzer interview for PR.com:

PR.com: CNN approached you and they said, Eliot we want you to headline a primetime talk program for our network because…

Eliot Spitzer: (Laughs.) You would have to ask them that. I don’t know what their rationale was. When they came to me, I said, “Ok, I’m game for it.” Why they wanted to do it, only they can answer. Obviously, the network is interested in creating informative, interesting programming. Eight o’clock is an hour where you’ve got Keith [Olbermann] who does a very good job on the other side with one perspective and you’ve got Bill O’Reilly who has another perspective. What we’re trying to do is to create an opportunity for both views to be heard with vigorous debate and inquisitive questioning so that people learn and leave the program not just having their pre-existing views re-enforced, but having felt something educational is happening.

PR.com: What is your response to critics of Parker Spitzer who are saying that Kathleen Parker is CNN’s token pseudo-conservative and that she is struggling to find her voice and get her footing on the show alongside your outspoken personality?

Eliot Spitzer: I certainly don’t agree with it, but you can’t silence critics, nor do you ever try to. People are entitled to their views.

PR.com: What is Kathleen’s position? Would she agree with that criticism of the show’s dynamic?Eliot Spitzer: Kathleen’s voice is powerful and is heard, as it should be, and she is an effective questioner. I think people have to appreciate that.

PR.com: How effective do you feel in your role on Parker Spitzer as far as your ability to make a difference in the political and economic landscape? Are you frustrated operating outside of politics?

Eliot Spitzer: It’s a different role. When you’re in the arena, as they say, it’s one thing. When you’re in the media you play a different role and you learn to enjoy and appreciate each one, and just do what you can do to use an hour of primetime TV, five nights a week, to try to educate and frame issues and make sure the public understands what the choices are that we’re making.

CLICK TO READ MY ENTIRE ELIOT SPITZER INTERVIEW

Juicy Couture, My Favorite!

Fashion public relations is a lot of fun for us publicists! Seriously, what woman wouldn’t want to work with gorgeous fashion apparel, picking out the stars of that season’s line and pitching them to the media? Everything from designing the press kit to writing the promotional copy and seeing the results of your fashion pr efforts in magazines, it makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.

Fashion public relations is visual and fantasy-based. It’s all about presenting a certain image. When I work with a fashion client I usually break the brand down to its foundation and re-make it from the ground up. Does that sound weird? Here’s what I mean, and these are just a few fashion public relations tips that anyone can use to achieve media coverage and consumer buzz for apparel and accessories.

In all of my career I have never seen an industry quite as saturated as the fashion industry. High end couture and celebrity-driven lines seem to reign supreme in fashion pr and everyone else is forced to fight for the remaining showroom and retail floor space.  But here are some fashion public relations strategies that can still stack the public relations and marketing deck in your favor.

How are you presenting your fashion line? Every fashion designer needs a website, that is an obvious point, and assuming you have a professional looking website, how is your line being displayed? I will never forget one particular client who I worked with a few years ago. When we first began working together she was displaying her clothing on headless mannequins and photographing her clothing that way. I didn’t understand how a fashion designer could allow her creations to hang pitifully on headless mannequins. Where is the fantasy and intrigue? Clothes are meant to be worn by people, beautiful people who carry themselves with flare and have a sparkle in their eye = confidence. Display your apparel properly… on human beings. Look at your entire line for the upcoming season and pick the stand-out pieces. Find a model or models who wear your designs well and project the fantasy you want to convey. My public relations firm, Allison Dawn PR, puts together photo shoots for fashion clients, but anyone can do this on a relatively small budget. There are many photographers, makeup artists and models vying for a chance to build up their portfolios. You can create images that will capture the attention of media, consumers, buyers and the entertainment community if you adhere to your vision. I have created lookbooks, start to finish, for $2000.00.

Be strategic with your samples. Don’t give out samples to every Tom, Dick and Harry. Samples are valuable and should only be given out with imminent purpose. Distribute samples with care to the following sources:  wardrobe stylists, editors and celebrity publicists. BUT, this should be a relatively short list. Sit down and make three lists:

Which celebrities fit the body type, lifestyle and image that reflects the image of your fashion line

Which magazines and blogs write about fashion and accessories that seem to fit the same demographic as your own line. Remember this includes the look of the apparel and accessories but also the retail price point. If there is a particular magazine or page in a magazine where the editors seem to consistently include pieces that look similar to your but the average price point of what they cover is $50.00 to $250.00 and your pieces average from $500 – $1000 then that is not the right venue for your line.

Research talent agencies that represent wardrobe stylists (yes, they have agents) and invest in a Hollywood Creative Directory to contact TV and film products directly to inquire about presenting your link to their costume designers.

Know how to use your bragging rights appropriately. When it comes to Fashion PR, it’s all about “who is wearing your line?” Retail buyers and sales reps for that matter are shaky at best about trying out new lines. However, they love to see glossy pictures of celebrities out and about wearing your line in the celebrity weeklies, or in fashion magazines. They also love to see your pieces on the red carpet, or to hear how much so and so actress just loves that sweater or scarf from your latest collection. Don’t be shy about announcing these exciting developments in press releases and in email pitches to editors and fashion reporters.

Stay tuned for more on fashion public relations in upcoming blogs.

Online social media marketing is public relations 2.0. Gone forever are the days where a company or organization could set about pursuing a traditional media campaign where magazine, newspaper, radio and television coverage are the sole focus. Reason being, the average person now spends more time online then they spend on traditional periodicals and broadcast media, combined. The crowd has moved to a different venue and you have to move with them. Traditional media is still very much ingrained into our collective psyche as having the most cache (though we are likely the last generation to think this way), but prestige aside, the practicality is no longer there.

Nowadays most every business, product, service or organization has an online presence where their goods and services are sold and marketed. If you want to make a sale and turn press into sales conversion do you want someone to read about your product in a magazine and file your information away in their memory to hopefully be retrieved at a later date, or do you want that person to read about you, become interested in what you are selling and be able to access your product at the click of a button?

Online social media and online marketing encompasses many things, all of which equal high quality, targeted traffic to whatever you are promoting. For my company, it means creating a long chain of online information that work in conjunction with each other to raise a client’s overall profile online to raise them above their competition. Virtually every industry is saturated at this point, and the ones that are not become so rather quickly. To raise above the fray, i insist that my clients agree to a combination of online social media, online marketing, search engine optimization and online viral marketing in addition to any traditional public relations efforts we put forth.

Online social media and online SEO marketing should be consistent with traditional marketing and media relations in that it should stay on message, offer information, use targeted keywords, create relevent incoming links, and establish the client as an expert in their field.

I will go more in-depth with online marketing, online social media and online media marketing in my next few blog postings.

Bristol Palin Talks to GMA's Robin Roberts

In a Good Morning America exclusive with Robin Roberts, Bristol Palin gives a candid interview in which she explains some blunt accusations that are in her new book, Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far. One of the claims Bristol Palin makes in her explosive memoir is that her ex-fiance, and the father of her son, Tripp, allegedly got her drunk and “stole her virginity.” Or at least that’s how it felt, Bristol explains to Roberts in the exclusive one-on-one interview.

When Robin Roberts asked her to clarify her claim, Bristol Palin explained that she is not accusing Levi Johnston of “date rape” or “rape,” but that she does feel like her virginity was stolen from her, citing underage drinking as the catalyst for her “foolish mistake.” Bristol Palin then goes on to further state that she has gained this perspective of the night in question now that she is looking back on the night she lost her virginity “with adult eyes.” Fair enough.

Take a look at this Bristol Palin interview clip below from GMA. Can someone steal your virginity before you are ready to have sex, and was Bristol Palin, in fact, date raped if she was intoxicated. Have a look: