ProfNet Experts Available on Humans of New York, Chinese Business, More

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing. To receive these updates by email, send a note to [email protected] with the industries you cover, and we'll add you to the appropriate edition. 

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EXPERT ALERTS

• Humans of New York: An Illustration of How IT Is Affecting Leadership
• File-and-Suspend Social Security Strategy
• Converting an Online Following Into Sales
• Negative Impacts of a Fox/Time Warner Deal
• Rise of Chinese Business

MEDIA JOBS

• Producer - Wall Street Journal (DC)
• Editor - Effingham Daily News (IL)
• Retail & Finance Reporter - Ad Age (CA/NY)
  

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Media 411: Encouraging Newsrooms With Newsroom Sounds
• ProfNet Success Story: Kerry Heaps, Strictly Marketing Magazine
• 9 Headline Writing Don'ts for Online Journalists and Bloggers

EXPERT ALERTS:

Humans of New York: An Illustration of How IT Is Affecting Leadership
Surinder Kahai
Professor
Binghamton University
What does Humans of New York illustrate about IT's effect on leadership? The networking, viral communication and widespread reach enabled by technology make it more likely for those with an appealing vision to be discovered by people from different corners of the world. These individuals are not ordered to follow the leader. According to Kahai, they do so because they feel an emotional connection to the leader, the leader's vision and the leader's work. The leader is passionate about her/his vision and is constantly modeling it through actions shared via technology. After stimulating action, the leader gets out of the way. The followers, with the help of technology, take it up upon themselves to share their thoughts, their interests, and become leaders in their own right. There is no top-down system through which leadership is exercised. Says Kahai: "One can see Stanton as a leader in the 'swarm-like' emergent behavior he enables. After Stanton makes a post, his followers collectively address the post without any external coordinating mechanisms or any explicitly posted rules. Occasionally, you notice conflict when posters counter others' interpretations. For the most part, these conversations remain respectful. But when some cross the limits of respectful behavior, others jump in to control the conversation and prevent it from going out of control."
With two decades of research on leadership and information technology (IT), Kahai argues that Humans of New York (HONY) and its author, Brandon Stanton, illustrate how technology has enabled the emergence of unappointed, informal leaders who have a powerful influence over others. This contradicts the argument that leadership is not affected by IT, and Kahai believes that Stanton provides a prime example of how leadership takes on a new meaning in the virtual realm.
Website: http://www.binghamton.edu
Media Contact: Ryan Yarosh, [email protected]

File-and-Suspend Social Security Strategy
Bijan Golkar, CFP
Vice President/Senior Advisor
FPC Investment Advisory, Inc.
As you get closer to retiring, social security begins to look about as simple as a Rubik's Cube. That's because a dizzying combination of factors play into the decision -- including your health status, life expectancy, marital status and earning potential. The possible outcomes based on these factors can be mind-boggling. Says Golkar: "There's the 'file-and-suspend-claim' strategy. The higher earner files a claim as early as age 66 -- opening the door for the partner to claim spousal benefits -- and then suspends the original claim. Once the higher earner suspends benefits, those benefits continue to grow until age 70. At that point, the spouse may change course, claiming their own maximum retirement benefit at age 70."  Based in San Francisco,  Golkar has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, The Fiscal Times, Bankrate, MoneyUnder30.com and DepositAccounts.com.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/bijangolkar
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/bijangolkar
Website: http://www.FPCWealth.com
Media Contact: Steve Garmhausen, [email protected]

Converting an Online Following Into Sales
Jim Belosic
CEO
ShortStack
More than 100 business owners and marketing executives were surveyed by ShortStack on their top social media marketing goals. 35 percent of respondents want to convert their online fans into leads/customers; 25 percent of respondents want to drive traffic to their website; 27 percent want to engage with their fans and 2 percent wanted to gain knowledge about their fanbase. Says Belosic: "Three years ago, social media marketers' main goal was to grow their social media presence and learn about their online followers. Today we're seeing that shift because most people are actively seeking brands online. So now brands are looking a step further and discovering how to turn those followers into leads and sales."
Belosic can discuss why the market and brands have shifted from growing their online following to converting them into sales and how businesses can be successful at converting their audience and what tools can help them reach their goals.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/shortstack
Website: http://www.shortstack.com
Expert Contact: [email protected]
Media Contact: Sara Piccola, [email protected]

Negative Impacts of a Fox/Time Warner Deal
Uri Fleming
Partner
Kleinberg Lange Cuddy & Carlo LLP
"A Fox/Time Warner deal would have an extremely negative impact because it would eliminate another buyer potentially, someone else you can sell your product to. It also may tilt the scales further in favor of media conglomerates, at a time when talent is optimistic about new opportunities from online providers like Netflix and Amazon. For cable companies, it means an even bigger entity making carriage deals on the other side."
Fleming represents authors, actors, writers, directors, producers, production companies, studios and other entities in a wide variety of matters related to all facets in the development, production and distribution of motion pictures, television programs, new-media productions and other creative content. He has worked on and closed some of the past decade's biggest deals, such as the sale of DreamWorks SKG to Paramount Pictures and the subsequent sale of the DreamWorks library to Dune/Soros. Just recently, led by Ken Kleinberg, and in tandem with literary agent Neil Blair, he represented J. K. Rowling in the comprehensive expansion of Ms. Rowling's deal with Warner Bros., including producer and writing deals for a new potential trilogy based on Ms. Rowling's novella "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"; Ms. Rowling's role and compensation in connection with the various "Harry Potter" theme park attractions; and expansion of the partnership between Warner Bros. and Ms. Rowling on the "Pottermore" platform. Led by Bob Lange, he represented Leslie Greif in ITV's $30 million acquisition of Greif's ThinkFactory Media, Inc. (Emmy-Award winning "Hatfields and McCoys," "Gene Simmons Family Jewels;" TVOne's "R&B Divas;" and Lifetime's "Preacher's Daughters"), and continues to represent ThinkFactory Media, Intuitive Entertainment ("Millionaire Matchmaker," "Pit Boss"), Authentic Entertainment ("Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," "Flipping Out") and 2C Media ("Airport 24/7:MIA," "Swamp Wars") in connection with a wide variety of television and online projects.
Website: http://www.kleinberglange.com
Media Contact: Seth J. Horowitz, [email protected]

Rise of Chinese Business
Savio Chan
Chinese Business and Consumer Expert
US China Partners
"The successful IPO of Alibaba.com, China's massive e-commerce site with hundreds of millions of users and which hosts millions of merchants and businesses, has sparked significant interest by Americans in China and Chinese consumers. Chinese consumption has become just as important to the world economy as their American cousins and this growth has occurred in three phases. The period from 1992-2000 saw the birth of Chinese consumption. After 80 years of war, revolution and a production based, closed market, the business people and entrepreneurs who kick started China's market economy started buying what they wanted, not just what they needed in accordance with the State. But there numbers were limited. From 2001-2010 China developed a rapidly growing and varied consumer economy and the "Gold Rush" for foreign companies to enter and sell in China was in full swing. Since 2010 China has seen the explosion of the middle class (currently about 350 million strong) and the ranks of the wealthy and super wealthy have grown apace.  In accordance with newfound and more importantly, wide-spread disposable income the age of 'China's super consumers' is upon us."
Chan can discuss the rise of Chinese business, who Chinese consumers are, their habits, and what they buy as well as why they buy. He can comment on the rise and success of Alibaba and its impact in the US and China. He is the co-author of "China's Super Consumers" Amazon's September 2014 Best Books of the Month book about China's super consumers released when Chinese businesses Alibaba.com, JD.com and Dianping.com were in the U.S. media spotlight.
Website: http://www.uschinapartners.com/home.html
Media Contact: Bill Corbett, [email protected]

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MEDIA JOBS:

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• Producer - Wall Street Journal (DC)
• Editor - Effingham Daily News (IL)
• Retail & Finance Reporter - Ad Age (CA/NY)

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

• MEDIA 411: ENCOURAGING JOURNALISTS WITH NEWSROOM SOUNDS. What do you to feel good and to get motivated? Perhaps you work out or maybe you listen to music. One newsroom in London has a very unique way of pumping of their staff. Check out what they do to keep their writers motivated: http://prn.to/1BQM3X2
• PROFNET SUCCESS STORY: KERRY HEAPS, STRICTLY MARKETING MAGAZINE. I recently caught up with Kerry Heaps, the publisher of Strictly Marketing Magazine and host of Strictly Marketing Talk Radio. Since she is a loyal ProfNet user, I wanted to chat with her about how she finds success when sending out queries. Here's what she had to say: http://prn.to/1r2PEOi
• 9 HEADLINE WRITING DON'TS FOR ONLINE JOURNALISTS AND BLOGGERS. You spent hours laboring over an article or blog post. You did your research and fussed over sentences until they were just right. The only thing standing between you and your next assignment is a headline. Here are nine things you shouldn't do: http://prn.to/1u1cN6f

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