EKC Client MakeADare.com Featured in Talk & Squawk!

EKC's most daring client, MakeADare.com, was featured in Talk&Squawk! Check out the entry:

All kinds of new sites…
by Shannan Bowen

Since I’ve been writing this blog (uhhhhh I KNOW, I’m so sorry I haven’t blogged lately – been swamped and out of my usual routine), I’ve been getting a lot of news releases about a variety of social networking sites and applications that are popping up.

I’ll take some time now to show you a few of these.

Make a Dare: According to the news release, MakeADare.com is a social network that “allows people to liberate themselves from the rigid rules of societ and have a little fun. The site plays host to a variety of dares and videos of members performing daring acts, which they post to earn ’streetcred’ from fellow members to establish their reign in the community.” The site was created by 21-year-old Troy Osinoff who was inspired to build the site after watching videos of others perform crazy, daring stunts online. Check it out here.

Dr. Bobbie Hosts a Free Hypnosis Event in OC!

This weekend, psychology expert, hypnosis wiz and EKC client Dr. Bobbie McDonald will share some of her methods for decoding the unconscious mind, at a one time-only workshop in Orange County.

Dr. Bobbie will guide attendees in meditation and visualization exercises as she demonstrates basic techniques for tapping into the power of the unconscious. There will also be drawings to win free hypnosis goodies!

We've heard some pretty amazing things about hypnotherapy-- how it can help with everything from eating healthier to coping with anxiety. For any OC residents who've ever wondered about hypnosis, this is a great (and free!) opportunity to see what all the fuss is about, and to start exploring all the cool things your mind can do!

The workshop will take place tomorrow from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Turtle Rock Recreation Center in Irvine. Admission is free, but please RSVP, as space is limited: 877-743-8935. Can't wait to see how it goes!


Eileen Koch & Company is on Formspring!

Have you heard of the new site, Formspring, where users can anonymously ask each other questions? EKC PR just made an account, so feel free to grill us about public relations, the entertainment industry, celebs, the work we do...Ask us anything-- we dare you!

HOT from KOCH: EKC Reflects on the Changing Landscape of the PR World

Once upon a time, "public relations" was the relationship between an editor and a publicist. Success was synonymous with talent, or at least noteworthiness. Exposure meant catching the eyes of a small and elite group of gatekeepers. If you were an actor hoping to make it big, your success depended on the perfect combination of hard work, connections and the right look. Meanwhile, a fashion designer's publicist had to be cozy with the people at Conde Nast, because a spread in Vogue was the only way to get international recognition.

But today, the playing field has expanded from a sandbox to a football stadium. An unknown young professional can be propelled to reality show superstardom literally overnight. A middle school student can become a global fashion authority. The world's fascination with media and celebrity is at an all time high, and there's no shortage of channels for people to get their fix.

On one hand, new media has given people and brands unprecedented access to worldwide exposure; on the other, it is becoming increasingly difficult for brands to be recognized and taken seriously in the age of information overload. It now takes an army to do what a single publicist used to be able to do. Firms now have staff whose sole job is to manage clients' Twitter accounts (there are even entire agencies that just do Twitter!). It's not surprising that the world is taking such an interest in what goes on behind the scenes of a PR machine-- take the huge success of Bravo's Kell on Earth (and we hear there's a similar show in the works at another major network).

In any case, there's no denying that a PR practitioner's job is now more exciting, demanding and all-encompassing than ever before. Having to keep up with the pace and constantly adapt to the changing landscape is definitely a challenge, but a welcomed one. We can't wait to see how our field --and the world-- will continue to transform over the course of the new decade!

HOT From KOCH :: Young Entrepreneur Launches Online Community for Dare-Takers

What happens when you take a community of camera-toting, stop-at-nothing adrenaline junkies and give them a global platform on which to showcase their daring acts? On Monday, March 22, MakeADare.com will create a new niche in the social networking realm, as it makes its debut as a unique online community for the thrill-addicted.

The brainchild of 21-year-old entrepreneur Troy Osinoff and his partner Jared Lunde, MakeADare.com was created with the goal of providing an online home for amateur pranksters and stuntsmen that would give them the optimal opportunity for exposure. Described as “YouTube meets ‘Jackass,’” MakeADare allows members to create and share dare videos, dare others and vote for the best dares. Users award each other “street cred,” a point system based on votes, which can be redeemed for prizes dedicated to the continuing pursuit of dare-filming, such as video cameras, multi-media equipment and editing software.

Two years ago, Osinoff conceived the concept for MakeADare.com, after having spent years watching people perform extreme stunts on sites like YouTube for minimal recognition. He quickly recognized the need for an interactive online forum that would provide users with a form of compensation for their risky attempts, with the potential of connecting them with TV producers for even greater exposure. He enlisted the help of Jared Lunde, established web designer and programmer, and the two have been working tirelessly together ever since to recognize Osinoff’s vision.

Today, MakeADare.com debuts as the premiere centralized platform for the ever-growing, worldwide population of dare enthusiasts. Equipped with full interactivity and real-life prizes (to increase in value as the site grows), MakeADare.com provides the thrill-seeking community with unprecedented global access to competition, camaraderie and exposure.

For more information on MakeADare.com, or to interview Troy Osinoff, please contact Eileen Koch @ Eileen Koch & Company INC, 310.441.1000 or email Eileen @ Eileen@eileenkoch.com. Please visit www.eileenkoch.com.

EKC Client Laura Bryna Interviews American Idol Contestent Danny Gokey on "True Country"

EKC client and international recording artist Laura Bryna interviewed last season's American Idol front runner Danny Gokey on GoTV's "True Country" entertainment programming during CRS 2010.

Watch the interview on True Country --

EKC Client Laura Bryna on ABC's "What's the Buzz"

International recording artist and featured EKC client Laura Bryna chats with ABC's "What's the Buzz" on her latest single, "I Don't Have A Thing to Wear" and her involvement with the Air National Guard --

Follow Laura on Twitter (@LauraBryna) and become a fan on Facebook!