In 2009 YFC/USA has determined a need to rebrand themselves and establish a new web strategy and presence that reflects the new direction of the organization in the 21st century. Headstand Media initially engaged with YFC in April of 2009 in a consulting and advisory role. Randal Birkey visited the YFC/USA headquarters near Denver CO and facilitated a 2-day discussion centered around YFC’s web strategy and web presence. From this discussion, a new strategy was described and funding for the project was sought. In 2010, as funding was realized and new staff resources were put in place, Jake Bland, Director of Digital Innovation developed two requests for proposal which were released in May 2010. Headstand Media responded to these RFP’s and in June 2010, was selected to be the implementation vendor of the new web strategy.

The two 2010 projects consist of providing technology, search and social media advice during the design phase, and then production and implementation of the national organization’s public website, and 5 chapter websites by Fall 2010.

Headstand Media is honored to be selected to partner with YFC in this strategic role and looks forward to the successful implementation of an effective new web and social media strategy for the organization in 2010.

• Background: on the hotel itself, the Hard Rock brand, and why they decided to jump into the social media moshpit to begun with
• Implementation and Strategy: general info about listings, strategies used to pick up fans and followers, and some sample guest interactions
• Social Media Method to Providing Kick Ass Service: discussing rewards programs, and some entertaining social media guest stories
• Damage Control: how Hard Rock Hotel responds to complaints, and strategies for acquiring positive consumer reviews

Melissa and the rest of the Nightstand attendees discussed the ins and outs of social media, how it applies to the hotel and service industries, and what kinds of things might be coming down the line.

As always, we enjoyed a tasty dinner and spent time meeting new people, networking, and having a grand old time. We would like to thank Melissa for presenting well-organized and engaging material that provided some great fodder for discussion. Thanks also to all our guests who came out to Nightstand 15. See you all next time!

The Hard Rock Hotel Chicago presents tips and tricks of how a soft-branded hotel was able to use a brand culture of authenticity, and occasionally even irreverence, as a guiding force in interactions with guests on Twitter and Facebook, and its success in balancing that cheeky voice with a true focus on customer service.

Headstand Media is excited to welcome Melissa Meulenberg, eCommerce Manager at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, for Nightstand 15 on May 27th. Melissa will host a discussion on using promotions, making relevant (and even irrelevant) posts, and taking the Hard Rock’s commitment to pleasing the customer offline to provide truly awesome customer service. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear about a sassy mom caught tweeting on the toilet, and a 22-year old Army couple whose Facebook post gave them the stay of a lifetime on Michigan Avenue.

About Melissa Meulenberg

Melissa Meulenberg has been the eCommerce Manager at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago for 2 years. She joined the hotel in 2008 after 3 years working for the online travel company Expedia Inc. (owner of expedia.com, hotels.com, and tripadvisor.com). She has been (mis)quoted in HOTELS Magazine (but she’ll take what she can get), is a featured speaker at the 2010 BrandSmart Conference in June, and is in the running for a featured spot at the EyeForTravel 2010 North America Travel Distribution Summit in October.

Melissa holds a (much-neglected) bachelor’s degree in psychology and Russian/East European studies from the University of Michigan. Outside of work, she spends her free time schooling her friends at pool and training for races (she completed a Half-Ironman race last summer and is registered for the Chicago Marathon this year).

May 27, 2010
6 PM – 7PM: Food & beverages, informal networking (We’re ordering in from Star of Siam!)
7 PM – 8:30 PM: Introductions, presentation, discussion

Invite Others!

We’d love to see many of our past guests again, and we encourage you to pass on this invitation to others in the industry who would benefit from this presentation topic and networking event. RSVP by leaving a comment with your name and company or organization below.

We’d love to have you join us!
Headstand Media: Randy, Benjamin, Kyle, Matt, Taylor, and Megan

CONFIRMED ATTENDERS – 34
Headstand Media (6)
Melissa Meulenberg – Hard Rock Hotel
Steve Wilson – McDonald’s
Jake & Ali Bland – YFC/USA
Alex Garcia – Chicago Tribune
Tim & Lauren Schwaar
Jim & Mary Whitmer – Jim Whitmer Photography
Katie Scarpelli – Scholle Packaging
Diane Chewning – Scholle Packaging
Nastia Kryvulia
Shane Montgomery – VIP Property Chicago
Corey Wilkinson – Bolder Image
Patrick Richards – Richards Patent Law
Kent Thompson – Action Web Apps
Conor McCarthy – TheTalkingMirror.com
Donny Williams – Independent Producer
Lauren Dillon – Oasis International
George Gill – RentaBikeBow.com
Evelyn Way – Acoustics Consultant
Marina Beric – Designer
Debbie Kong – Designer
Eric Vorhes – VSA Partners
Greg Forst – Moji
John Stoffer & Maura Gaskill – Stoffer Photography
Andrea Nordstrom

If you are new to the “web 2.0” world, and are wondering what these new terms mean, this YouTube hosted, video blog site is for you. Each video topic tackles one aspect of the web in about a minute.

If you learn something new, and find WebSmart.TV to be useful, tell your friends and colleagues!

Project Strategy

Headstand Media provided a comprehensive online web strategy that will allow AboutBoxedWine.com to become the definitive expert site on boxed wine. We created their new logo and online identity, designed and produced the site, provided a comprehensive SEO strategy and developed a viral web marketing plan to spread the word about AboutBoxedWine.com.

Project Technology and Integration

Headstand Media used the open source WordPress content management system to build the site upon. This tool uses open source PHP, mySQL, Javascript and Ajax technologies and is extremely easy for clients to learn and use. Our interface design was integrated as a custom theme using PHP and CSS technologies. On this platform we were able to seamlessly integrate a unique boxed wine rating system and vBulletin discussion boards.

More About Boxed Wine

AboutBoxedWine.com is designed to be the definitive resource on boxed wine packaging, also known as bag-in-box and wine casks, for wineries, distributors, retailers, restaurateurs, and consumers. It is the hub around this exploding packaging category, which saw growth in retail sales of 49 percent in 2008 and 44 percent in 2007. Given the increasing popularity of boxed wines among wine drinkers and wineries, Scholle Packaging felt the time was right for a comprehensive Web 2.0 website devoted to this innovative packaging.