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EXPERT ALERTS
- Super Bowl Ads
- First-Time Super Bowl Advertising: Rolling the Dice or a Smart Move?
- Man Adopts Girlfriend as Asset Protection Technique
- Revised STOCK Act Eliminates Gray Area
- Third-Party Debt Collectors Have Positive Impact on Economic Health
- How Will We Know When the Housing Market Is Better?
MEDIA JOBS
- Reporter - NYC
- Copy Editor - Cleveland
- Social Editor - Santa Monica, Calif.
- Reporter - Washington, D.C.
OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES
- Top 10 Super Bowl Ads
- Tool Spotlight: Google Insights for Search
- Grammar Hammer: Punxsutawney Phil and His Long Clause
- February MEDIAware
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EXPERT ALERTS
Expert Alerts are listings of ProfNet members who are available to discuss timely news topics. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact their media representative at the end of the listing. You can also find Expert Alerts online at bit.ly/pncalerts
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Super Bowl Ads
Ann Bastianelli
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Senior Lecturer of Marketing
Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business
Bastianelli is longtime advertising executive, and an expert on interpreting trends in corporate and consumer behavior and identifying what is possible, probable and preferable for marketers and consumers alike. She is available to address a range of issues related to Super Bowl advertising.
"The game provides an unparalleled opportunity for advertisers, but to be successful, it is vital to determine who, among the millions glued to the TV during the big game, is their intended audience. The more targeted the message, the more special the intended audience feels and the more likely they are to buy the product."
News Contact: Brianne O’Donnell, brianne.odonnell@gabbe.com or +1-212-220-4444
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First-Time Super Bowl Advertising: Rolling the Dice or a Smart Move?
Damon Ragusa
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Chief Strategy Officer
ThinkVine in Cincinnati
"In 1984, unknown Apple Computer made a bold move: It consolidated its ad spend for the year and spent it on one ad during the Super Bowl. Another first-time Super Bowl advertiser, Go Daddy, did the same a few years back. The rest is history. Some of this year's first-time advertisers -- Dannon, Century 21, and H&M with Gordon Beckham's new line of clothing -- are hoping for a similar big payoff. But how do they really know it will work?"
Ragusa is frequently asked to present for ad:tech, the American Marketing Association (AMA), The Advertising Research Foundation and the Institute for International Research.
Website: www.thinkvine.com
News Contact: Randy Pitzer, randolph.pitzer@sbcglobal.net
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Man Adopts Girlfriend as Asset Protection Technique
Mark J. Kohler
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CPA and Attorney
Author of best-selling book "Lawyers Are Liars: The Truth About Protecting Our Assets"
"Asset protection strategies are alive and well, even if taken to extremes. A wealthy millionaire in Florida, John Goodman, adopted his girlfriend as a daughter to protect his assets from a DUI death and lawsuit. Will this really work?"
Kohler can comment on the strategy employed by Goodman and the issues of asset protection and incest in the state of Florida.
Profile: www.profnetconnect.com/mark_kohler
News Contact: Leanne Harvey, lharvey@entrepreneur.com or +1-949-622-7131
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Revised STOCK Act Eliminates Gray Area
Donna Nagy
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C. Ben Dutton Professor of Law
Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Nagy is a securities law expert who testified before the Senate and House last month, and is available to discuss the revised Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act and general insider-trading laws.
"The revised STOCK Act makes it unmistakably clear that the insider-trading prohibitions under the federal securities laws apply to Congress and congressional employees, thereby eliminating what many regarded as an uncharted gray area in existing law. Questions surrounding the scope of Congress' obligations under the federal securities laws warrant clear and unambiguous answers, and the Senate’s STOCK Act accomplishes that tremendously important goal."
News Contact: Brianne O’Donnell, brianne.odonnell@gabbe.com or +1-212-220-4444

Third-Party Debt Collectors Have Positive Impact on Economic Health
Patrick Morris
CEO
ACA International
"Third-party debt collectors play a critical and positive role as service providers in recovering unpaid consumer debt on behalf of the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Moreover, third-party collectors are actively engaged in their local communities as employers, volunteers, philanthropists and taxpayers."
Ernst & Young and ACA International recently released a study on the role of third-party debt collection in national and state economies.
Website: www.acainternational.org/economicimpact....
News Contact: Mark Schiffman, schiffman@acainternational.org or +1-952-259-2124
How Will We Know When the Housing Market Is Better?
Stephen Shapiro
Chairman
Westside Estate Agency in Beverly Hills, Calif.
“I was disappointed that more attention wasn’t given to foreclosure realities and rebuilding the housing market in the president’s State of the Union address. The president’s proposals for refinancing underwater mortgages and investigating abusive lending practices focus on the fallout from the current crisis. But they don’t have any influence toward making the market better. So the question everyone seems to be asking is: How will we know when the market is better? To me, it will be when homeowners quit buying down as a means to save money or stave off foreclosure. When most sellers are again choosing to sell their homes as a means to purchase something more valuable, it will be a true sign of market strength.”
With 30 years of experience and as one of Southern California’s top luxury Realtors with hundreds of millions in sales, Shapiro can comment on all aspects of high-end real estate and market recovery. He can discuss foreclosure bottoms, the current trend of low appraisals and the difficulty of borrowing on homes.
News Contact: Kent Barrett, kbarrett@hoytorg.com or +1-310-373-0103
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MEDIA JOBS
Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: bit.ly/pncjobboard
- Reporter - NYC
- Copy Editor - Cleveland
- Social Editor - Santa Monica, Calif.
- Reporter - Washington, D.C.
See more listings here.
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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 profnetalerts@prnewswire.com
- TOP 10 SUPER BOWL ADS: ProfNet Director Maria Perez lists her favorite commercials from the Big Game: bit.ly/AesJtW
- TOOL SPOTLIGHT: GOOGLE INSIGHTS FOR SEARCH: ProfNet Senior Editor Jason Hahn explains how Google Insights for Search is useful for journalists and PR pros: bit.ly/xrBWzm
- GRAMMAR HAMMER: PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL AND HIS LONG CLAUSE: ProfNet Senior Editor Grace Lavigne explains dependent and independent clauses: bit.ly/AgH9OM
- FEBRUARY MEDIAWARE: PR Newswire's Kevin Frey recaps media industry news: bit.ly/AhJLpd