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Events Featured NYC

Midsummer New York 2020

Midsummer New York 2020

Sweden Invites New York to Experience Midsummer With Live Streams, Midsummer Picnic Baskets for Pickup, and Complimentary Flower Crowns

For the first time in 24 years, the annual Swedish Midsummer Festival in New York City is canceled, due to the coronavirus pandemic. But it is still possible to experience this major Scandinavian holiday, recognizing summer and the summer solstice, through live streams from all over Sweden on Friday, June 19. For New Yorkers who wish to partake in the activities, complimentary Midsummer flower wreath kits will be provided by Visit Sweden in partnership with Morgan+Grand Flowers, and a few restaurants in New York City have announced “Midsummer specials” for pickup.

 

Midsummer New York 2020
Photo: Anna Hållams/imagebank.sweden.se

 

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus-

this year’s Midsummer festivities in Sweden will look a little different. All major Midsummer events in Sweden have been canceled, but Swedes will still celebrate this special day in smaller groups, with family or close friends. In fact, this year’s Midsummer will be even more special because the nationwide celebration – from Skåne in the south to Swedish Lapland in the north – will be shared with everyone through Visit Sweden’s Facebook live streams. Local Swedish hosts will guide the viewer through activities and share their very personal Midsummer traditions: from their take on the infamous frog dance around the Midsummer pole to skiing under the midnight sun.

Visit Sweden Facebook Live Stream Schedule (US/Eastern Time)
5 am Flower-wreath making in Skåne 
7 am Midsummer lunch in West Sweden
9 am Dancing around the Midsummer pole in Dalarna
1 pm Flower picking and evening dip in Roslagen
6 pm Midnight sun and skiing in Swedish Lapland

Midsummer Live Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/265902574468529/

Midsummer Celebration in New York City

The Consulate General of Sweden, in collaboration with Battery Park City Authority, typically hosts the annual Swedish Midsummer Festival in New York, which is the largest official Midsummer celebration in the world outside of Sweden. This popular event, dating back to 1996 and drawing thousands of visitors every year, has been postponed until 2021. Instead, the Consulate General of Sweden will honor the Swedish tradition on social media during the week of June 15 leading up to Midsummer’s Eve.

New Yorkers wishing to continue the tradition of celebrating Swedish Midsummer can also pick up a Midsummer flower wreath kit from two locations in Manhattan, by Central Park and Union Square, as well as one in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Visit Sweden is offering these kits free of charge (maximum two per person) on a first-come, first-served basis. Check Morgan+Grand Flowers’ Instagram account for updates: instagram.com/morgandgrand/

Michelin-starred Swedish restaurant Aquavit as well as Swedish top chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Harlem eatery Red Rooster are offering contactless pickup of Midsummer baskets featuring traditional smorgasbord favorites. Pricing and information on how to order the baskets will be available on their websites.

Aquavit is offering a Midsummer Picnic Basket for $155 each. I have attached the full menu and a photo below but each basket feeds at least two people including dishes like herring, Gravlax, Deviled Eggs, Sausages, Swedish Meatballs, and strawberries and cream for dessert; beverages include a flight of housemade aquavits and two Carlsberg beers. The baskets are available to pre-order by calling the restaurant at 212-307-7311 or by visiting the website at www.aquavit.org. Guests can pick up the baskets Thursday, June 18th through Saturday, June 20th from 2 pm to 8 pm.

For those who want to cook their own food, grocery lists and recipes will be shared on

Visit Sweden’s Facebook page.

Midsummer New York 2020
Midsummer Live Facebook event

Swedish Midsummer – the Origins
In agrarian times, Midsummer celebrations in Sweden were held to welcome summertime and the season of fertility. It was not until the 1900s, however, that this became the most Swedish of all traditional festivities. Midsummer Night, one of the lightest of the year, was considered a magical night, as it was the best time for telling people’s futures. Also that night, it was said, water was turned into wine and ferns into flowers. Many plants acquired healing powers on that one night of the year.

Swedish Midsummer – the Movie
Last year, many Americans had their first encounter with the tradition in Ari Aster’s horror movie “Midsommar.” The live streams will be a chance to see what Swedish Midsummer really is like – some may recognize the Midsummer pole and dancing, Swedes’ special connection with nature, as well as the light, beautiful nights.

Social Media Hashtag
#MidsummerLive

Links, Recipes, and Information

Categories
Business Technology

4 Social Media Marketing Metrics That Provides High ROI

4 Social Media Marketing Metrics That Provides High ROI

 

Social media advertising is one of the best channels to promote your company these days.

 

Analytics plays a crucial role in understanding which marketing techniques provide better ROI. But how will you understand which marketing technique is more successful? Your answer lies in the following questions.

 

  • Are you communicating with the correct target audience?
  • Does your marketing content reach the right group of people?
  • How many people from your target audience ask about your products and services?
  • How many of those people convert to customers?

 

Let’s break down these questions to understand why they are crucial for analyzing the performances of your marketing campaigns.

 

Engagement

 

Engaging with the correct audience is the first step toward a successful social media marketing campaign. Don’t go pitching utensils to dentists. That wouldn’t work at all. Instead, spend time in finding your target audience. It is tough to have a group of followers immediately after starting a company. You can rely on third-party websites that sell followers. Famoid is one of the popular companies that sell genuine followers. Ask them to spread your company’s brand name to their friends, colleagues, and relatives. It will help you build a laser-targeted audience quickly.

 

4 Social Media Marketing Metrics That Provides High ROI
Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels

 

Reach

 

How do you know that your promotional video or image is reaching the right group of people? How do you calculate the number of viewers? This is where you need to analyze social media marketing metrics, such as likes, clicks, shares, and brand mentions. For example, compare two promotional posts based on the shares they get. Count how many people shared a video post. Then count the people who shared a post with an image or GIF. This helps you understand which marketing technique works better for your brand.  

 

Leads

 

How many people inquired about your products and services after sharing your promotional posts? You not only need to make a list of these people but also send them reminders urging them to try your products. You can drive your sales by offering them discounts on their first purchase. Merely uploading a promotional post doesn’t end your marketing campaign. Tracking your leads is equally important. If you want a higher ROI for your promotional posts, don’t forget to send personalized messages to people who inquired about your products. 

 

Potential customers like to feel noticed. A personalized message or email can go a long way toward making them feel special. This will help to convert your leads into customers.

 

Conversions

 

Which marketing technique or campaign provided the maximum number of conversions? Compare this metric to identify what type of campaign to use in the future. Yes, following the same promotional method and pattern can become monotonous. That’s when you can use your second-most successful marketing campaign. You need to list all your campaigns and their responses according to their success rates. This will help to find leads that are more likely to convert to regular customers.

 

Measuring your social media metrics will streamline your marketing campaigns. Instead of focusing on a lot of things, you can concentrate on a specific path that provides better ROI.

Categories
Culture Entertainment Featured

Former Facebook VP Paul Ollinger Makes His Stand Up Headlining Debut at Caroline’s on Broadway

A lot of comedians have uncommon career paths (think Dr. Ken Jeong), but unlike Paul Ollinger, not many of them cannot say that they have an Ivy League MBA or worked at Yahoo! and Facebook. We chatted with the Atlanta-based comedian about his career transition, what his family thinks, and his brand new podcast, Crazy Money. New Yorkers can see Paul’s headlining debut at the legendary Caroline’s on Broadway this Wednesday at 7:30.

Downtown: Were you always a funny person?

Paul Ollinger: As one of six kids in my family, I only got 17% of my parents attention (rounding up). I had to fight for air time at our dinner table, so I hammed it up or said outrageous things to get a disproportionate number of eyes and ears pointed in my direction. 

Downtown: What was the decision like leaving your corporate job to try stand up?

PO: I’ve done it twice. I left Yahoo! in 2005 (when I was single) and hosted every weekend at The Improv’s Orange County clubs in California. After two years, I got engaged, and decided I should probably go back to the corporate world (my future father-in-law agreed). In 2007, I joined a 250 person company called “Facebook,” which eventually empowered me to do whatever I wanted to with my career. Comedy was still my dream, but I feared failure and didn’t know how to get back into it. I dragged my feet, but in 2014, I started back at the open mics where I could bomb in anonymity until I earned my way onto the bigger stages.

Downtown: Who are some of your comedy inspirations?

PO: Dennis Miller (yes, Dennis Miller), Norm Macdonald, Chris Rock, Gary Gulman, Jim Jefferies, Sarah Silverman, Dana Gould, Todd Barry. 

Downtown: What’s your joke writing process like?

PO: Write. Say it on stage. Prune. Re-write. Add tags. Say it on stage. Repeat 100x. 

Downtown: How did being in the corporate world help you in the comedy world?

PO: My corporate career earned me the financial flexibility to follow my dream without sacrificing any of my family’s needs. There is no substitute for putting in the reps, but I’d be kidding myself if I didn’t acknowledge how much of an advantage having a nest egg is. I can afford to work as an out-of-town club’s feature act (the middle person on the show) that pays $300, or -$600, net of travel. There are plenty of other ways my corporate experience helps, but I don’t think I’d be doing this if I didn’t know how I was going to pay for my kids’ college education. 

Downtown: What did your family say when you decided to go into comedy?

PO: I met my wife in the showroom at Caroline’s on Broadway. On our first date, I told her that I was going to quit my job at Yahoo! and pursue comedy. So it’s been there from the beginning, and – at the very least – I gave her an easy-out! In all seriousness, she has been nothing but supportive. She is okay with me telling jokes about our relationship onstage and is the first one to say “go for it,” when a new opportunity arises. 

Downtown: Does she think you’re funny?

PO: Does any wife think her husband of a decade plus is funny? 

Downtown: How did you decide to launch a podcast?

PO: I launched the Crazy Money podcast to explore how our relationship with money leads us towards or away from contentment in our careers, relationships and life in general. Having longed for wealth my whole life, its arrival was very different than I expected it to be. Awesome, but different, and I made a lot of mistakes. The show is a lighthearted approach to an important topic. I’ve already recorded episodes with Dr. Drew Pinsky (Loveline, Celebrity Rehab), three New York Times best-selling authors, and Ed Roland, the lead singer of Collective Soul. Find it on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Downtown: What have you learned about yourself through your comedy journey?

PO: Chasing your dream is a huge privilege, but it’s freakin’ hard. To get good at a new craft, you have to suck at it for a long time first. Sucking isn’t fun, especially when you’re in middle age and were pretty good at whatever you were doing before. But there’s no avoiding the suck. You have to steer into it, and blast through it.  

Downtown: What’s next?

PO: 1. Continue to improve as a dad, husband, comedian, and podcaster. 2. Be grateful for every day. 

Follow Paul on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and be sure to pick up tickets to see him at Caroline’s on March 13th!

Categories
Featured Living

The Perfect Pie Crust

Only Two More Weeks ’til Thanksgiving!

Downtown wanted to add some fun to your Thanksgiving prep stress. Today, go with Downtown to Facebook live with Butter & Scotch to learn the real secret to the perfect pie crust.

Classic Apple, Whiskey Peanut Butter Apple, Pumpkin Sweet potato Bourbon Ginger Pecan, S’mores and Key Lime, oh my…

Choose from Classic Apple, Whiskey Peanut Butter Apple, Pumpkin Sweet Potato, Bourbon Ginger Pecan, S’mores, & Key Lime….Or don’t and get them at all!

Have your pie and eating it too!

Tune in Today, 11/9 at 2:30 EST to learn their secrets to making perfect pie crust every time! You’ll be able to ask Allison & Keavy, the pie crust experts, all of your baking questions and quandaries as they take you through our famous All-Butter Pie crust recipe!

 Follow @drunkbakers on Instagram.

Categories
Business Culture Entertainment NYC

Cristina Alesci on her new CNN series “The American Dream: New York,” life as a journalist, Downtown Manhattan & more

Cristina Alesci

Cristina Alesci
Cristina Alesci

A lifelong New Yorker, Cristina Alesci is an award-winning television and digital correspondent. Even before joining the CNN team in 2014, she had interviewed countless business leaders and tastemakers as a correspondent for Bloomberg. Facebook’s IPO, Dell’s takeover battle, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s “common woman” interview are among the stories that have helped make Cristina one of the go-to New York journalists for breaking stories.

As hosted by Cristina, The American Dream: New York will be premiering on CNN’s digital platforms on Monday, Feb. 13. The American Dream is a multi-part documentary series exploring how living in New York during the first half of the 20th century inspired some of New York’s most successful residents. Interviewees include J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler, Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, hip-hop legend Russell Simmons, and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. The series will also be showing on CNN International shortly after its Feb. 13 premiere.

Downtown spoke with Cristina about The American Dream, daily living as a journalist, and what keeps her based in New York all these years later. She can be followed on both Twitter and Instagram.

Do you yourself have a definition of what the “American Dream” is?

Cristina Alesci: Now more than ever, I believe the American Dream is hope. At its core, the American Dream is having the freedom to achieve success as you define it, regardless of where you’re born and who your parents are. While government programs and policies can nurture an environment of possibility, the individual needs ambition, resilience and a decent amount of luck. It’s a struggle and it’s not easy. The American Dream is an ideal we should all aspire to achieve and preserve for future generations.

Where did the idea for this series come from?

CA: My family and New York, two of my favorite things. My parents and grandparents inspired it in large part. Like many others in this country, they emigrated to the U.S., in their case from Italy. To me, they embody the spirit of the American Dream, unrelenting hard work and hope. My mother arrived when she was 12 years old and had to learn a new language, a different culture and how to take care of herself in some very tough neighborhoods. The same with my father, who eventually started a successful small business. I’m in awe of what they’ve been able to achieve. Also, New York was a breeding ground for their dreams and so many others who found success in this country. I wanted to understand it, document it and share it so it can inspire others.

Do you have a favorite moment or interview from the upcoming series?

CA: I have many, actually, but as a woman covering corporate America eight years was struck by Xerox CEO Ursula Burns‘ observation that despite all the advances women have made in business over the last few decades, men still seem to have the advantage. She made a point about how women sometimes may overlook picking a kind of partner who will help them share the burdens of their personal and family lives.

Who was the first person you ever interviewed?

CA: My younger sister Laura, I was eight. My parents had just bought a video camera and my first thought was, “I want to do an interview for the news.” I actually watched the video over Christmas for the first time in years, and it was a lot different than I remembered. It was more like an interrogation.

What about the first celebrity?

CA: Gwyneth Paltrow. It made some headlines…

You’ve interviewed a lot of big names, but are there people that you’re still hoping to talk with?

CA: The bold-faced names often don’t lead to the most riveting stories. Jimmy Breslin likes to say that the more compelling stories are found in the losing team’s locker room. One of the biggest stories of Breslin’s career, which is still taught in journalism school, was a column he wrote following President Kennedy’s assassination, where he interviewed the gravediggers who would be burying the President. I firmly believe the best way to report on something is by looking in the less obvious places.

Rumor has it that you wanted to pursue a career with the FBI before getting into journalism. What was it that drew you to the FBI?

CA: The rumor mill was right! I was always drawn to the idea of public service. At the time, it seemed like the best way for me to make a difference in the world. Also, Agent Alesci seemed to have a nice ring to it…but I had no poker face, so I wouldn’t have been very good at undercover work.

Have you been able to interview anyone from the FBI?

CA: Not on the record.

You helped break the story on Facebook’s initial public offering. Movies usually show a reporter getting a call in the middle of the night from an anonymous source. How does breaking stories usually come to you?

CA: I do get a lot of late-night calls but breaking a story is rarely that easy. It’s always the product of shoe leather. That, and not taking “no” for an answer—even if you’ve heard it a dozen times. But it can be a lot of fun.

I had a two-year rivalry with another reporter at a major financial newspaper. We were always trying to one up each other on breaking financial news. One time, after a week-long vacation, I scooped him on three stories my first day back. He e-mailed that night and begged me to go back to the beach.

What is a typical day like for you as a reporter? How much of the day is actually spent reporting or writing?

CA: A typical day is five hours of sleep, one hour of eating, one hour in the gym and the rest spent reporting and writing. How much is reporting versus writing changes from one day to the next, but I do both every day.

CNN series aside, what else is coming up for you?

CA: I’m focused on the nexus of money and politics, and its impact throughout the country. I believe it’s more important than ever to ensure the public understands that relationship.

You’re a CUNY graduate. What is it that keeps you based in New York?

CA: That seems like a trick question! I was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens and now that I live downtown, I can’t imagine myself living in too many other places.

When not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?

CA: With my family. I have four younger siblings; three sisters and a brother. My husband and I love cooking big meals and having everyone over for dinner — I’m Italian, after all.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?

CA: It’s hard to have one favorite restaurant in New York. I have my top ten, but it’s always changing. Right now I really like Café Altro Paradiso, Via Carota and Le Coucou. I don’t have time for brunch, but for a simple breakfast on a Sunday, I love hitting the Greek bakery Pi in Soho.

Do you have tickets to any upcoming concerts or events?

CA: My husband just told me he got us tickets to see the Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet [Of 1812]. He always makes sure there’s a frosted side to my mini-wheat.

Finally, Cristina, any last words for the kids?

CA: Read as if your life depends on it, because it does. And question everything.

Categories
Fashion

Dior teases consumers with its new fragrance campaign

Camille Rowe for Dior / Photo: Dior

Camille Rowe for Dior / Photo: Dior
Camille Rowe for Dior / Photo: Dior

As learned about in Luxury Daily, French fashion house Christian Dior is continuing to be an industry leader with its new campaign. Last week, Dior released a trailer for its latest campaign, as featuring a dramatic dance performance. This creative direction puts emphasis on Dior as a provider of both art and entertainment with its promotion, rather than traditional advertising.

Said Michael Becker, managing partner at mCordis, to Luxury Daily: “Advertising can be an effective tool for building brand awareness, triggering an initial engagement or if timed right it can generate transactions, but advertising is not necessarily the best medium for telling the brands story…A brand is built first and foremost by what it does, how it delivers its value.”

Becker continued: “A brand can amplify its efforts through effective storytelling, but creating content and sharing its domain expertise with the market, as well as with intimate conversation with individuals at scale through emerging platforms like Facebook messenger and chatbot.”

The Poison Club video from Dior mirrors a major motion picture, and was initially teased with a short trailer to get fans excited. The video stars model/actress Camille Rowe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re4icu2NXO8