Belfast, Antrim -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/30/2012 -- Is there such a thing as too much good press? We don't see much good press in the social media as celebrities steal the spotlight with their different antics but, what happens when celebrities do something good for the common man/woman? What happens when they promote a product they particularly like, one woman who can relate to this is Lori Karmel owner of the 'We take the cake' bakery. Stream Advertising can understand massive demand for their services like Lori Karmel.

When in 2004 Oprah listed her bakery as one of her favorite things Lori was warned in advance that she would be 'slammed' with orders "I didn't know what slammed meant" Karmel says. "I thought it meant a few hundred orders." but she was not prepared for what followed, as being a feature on Oprah's show was the mother of all media blitzes. A source for Stream Advertising has said "Lori Karmel is a small business owner, she has what she needs to help her business function, When a big celebrity like Oprah promotes your product you have to be prepared for what follows of course no one really expects it to be as bad as it gets but when you have so many admirers who follow your every footsteps as Oprah does then you have to take unto consideration the positive and negative points."

The cake shop's shared Web server couldn't handle traffic and its site went down repeatedly. The mailboxes for three phone lines filled to their 45-message capacity every few minutes. Employees resorted to returning customer calls from home phones. Six years later and Karmel is still learning about limits. She recently sold 2,000 of her signature cakes in one hour on QVC. When asked if she could return in December to offer 3,000 more, she had to decline. "Everything we do is by hand," she says. "It's physically not possible to take it on during fourth-quarter season."

For business owners like Lori a media blitz if handled the wrong way can be the rise or fall of their company or if that doesn't happen they could find themselves at the centre of a controversy. When the story catches fire, you can crash and burn—or you can bask in the glow. Here's how to make the most of your moment. A source with Stream Advertising has said, "handled the wrong way a media blitz can completely crumble your business, company owners must always remember that if they feel the pressure is getting to much they must turn away as the consequences many companies face is dire."

- Be ready with a media kit: have a bio, photos, a fact sheet and a pitch letter on your website.
- Prepare your website for a big traffic boost.
- Streamline your commerce process: coming up with a best-case scenario and a worst-case scenario, so manufacturing can quickly be ramped up if needed.
- Prioritize interviews.
- Perfect the message: In any campaign, leave your customer with a good feeling
- Strive for calm.
- Set up appropriate filters: focus on only you can do – delegate everything else.
- Comment carefully.
- Offer extras to the press and potential clients: this helps increase your business with the right people.

Stream Advertising a successful Belfast based sales and marketing company can relate to this kind of scenario. The Managing Director goes further to say, 'following a clear system is important – I would lose my head if I didn't follow a clear action plan for my business. A saying that I stand by in all aspects of my life is – failing to plan is planning to fail.'

http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/11/10-tips-for-handling-a-media-blitz.html

http://www.prlog.org/11828916-stream-advertising-on-golf-resort-at-runkerry.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stream-Advertising/170284093085688

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Belfast, Antrim -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/21/2012 -- Professor Stephen Smartt from Queen's University Belfast is to lead a five-year mission to hunt for the first supernovae, or exploding stars. The professor of astrophysics will head up a team of 12 international scientists, who will begin work on the project at the university next month. The project hopes to gain a better understanding of the origin of chemical elements. We spoke to a staff member at Stream Advertising, a Belfast-based sales and marketing company, who said, "There's an amazing amount of talent at Queen's, and it's great to see such an ambitious project being taken on locally."

Professor Smartt, who is also the director of the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen's, said, "With this research, we hope to understand how chemical elements were first created in the universe - we think that they were created by the explosions of the most massive stars. The project has an ambitious goal to find the first supernovae that exploded in the universe." The research was made possible the award of one of the most prestigious Science and Social Sciences research grant in Europe. The European Research Council granted £2.3m to the project.

"It's fantastic that all that money is making its way into Belfast," said our source at Stream Advertising, "In troubled economic times it's healthy for money like this to be filtering in, rejuvenating the economy."

Professor Smartt said, "Just recently we have made new discoveries of the brightest supernovae ever found and this grant will build on that success." He faced stiff competition from around Europe for the research funding, and said that he was honoured to be awarded such a prestigious grant. The award is testimony that Queen's is recognised globally as a leader of research. He added, "This is great news for Queen's but also for Northern Ireland as this money will be invested in the local economy."

Professor James McElnay, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Postgraduates at Queen's, said, "This year, the Nobel prize in Physics was awarded jointly to two teams who used exploding stars to map the shape and expansion of the Universe. These pioneering studies of exploding stars, or supernovae, has led astronomers and physicists to develop new technologies for mapping the skies. Professor Smartt's award will make the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen's a major hub for European research and we are delighted to see Queen's recognised at this level of competition."

The European Research Council grant is aimed at funding "ground-breaking, high-risk projects that open new directions in their respective research fields or other domains".

"Investment in the sciences and research is important, and Belfast has so much potential," said our contact at Stream Advertising, "I look forward to hearing about the continued progress of the project."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17285783

http://www.briefingwire.com/pr/stream-advertising-comment-on-ni-high-streets-up-for-sale

http://twitter.com/#!/StreamAdvtising

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Belfast, Antrim -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/19/2012 -- Stream Advertising might not be part of the great pantheon of arts and culture, but that does not mean the Belfast-based firm is not well aware of the city's expanding art scene, and a recent cash injection for the Cathedral Quarter has not gone unnoticed by the firm. It seems the Laganside Events Grant (LEG), which had been due to shut up shop in March, is to receive funding of £250,000 – £200,000 from the Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, and £50,000 from the Department of Social Development (DSD) – which a source at Stream is confident will give the area a much needed adrenaline shot. Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland clearly shares Stream Advertising's optimism and hope for the area, saying recently that his department was "keen to see the area developed".

Mr McCausland had already informed groups previously funded through the grant that funds were to be cut off. It was reported by the BBC News website that the Social Development Minister was grateful that Sammy Wilson managed to drum up additional money to support the grant, but stressed that it was "important that those groups who have received this grant previously now work to achieve long-term financial sustainability", and urged that these groups "move away from reliance on public funding". Mr McCausland went on to say: "I hope to engage with the Cathedral Quarter in the coming weeks, to explore how best to achieve this necessary objective, given the current economic climate."

Stream Advertising can see the benefits in developing a long-term game plan. "The cash boost will help the Cathedral Quarter, no doubt, but it's not a permanent solution to the problem of funding. If the groups using the Cathedral Quarter are to thrive, they need to find a way of being completely self-sufficient in the future."

The Laganside Events grant supports cultural events in Belfast, and the hub of all artistic and cultural activity within the city is undoubtedly the Cathedral Quarter. Paul McErlean, chairman of the Cathedral Quarter Steering Group, was quoted on the BBC News website as saying: "The events which this fund underpins are extremely popular both locally and with visitors from further afield and this is just recognition of the work that has taken place in the Cathedral Quarter over many years to create a shared cultural space in the most historic part of the city."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17067176

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Belfast, Antrim -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/19/2012 -- It's not enough to have just one way of leading: Different circumstances require separate management styles. "Business is dynamic, and that means that leadership has to be dynamic and adaptable too," said a source from Stream Advertising, "Most people have a certain style of leadership that they tend to stick to, but in reality we need to be able to adapt our approach to the situation."

Here are the four basic styles:
1. Directive: One of the oldest styles and frequently described as autocratic. Someone using this style tells people what to do and expects them to jump to it.
2. Participative: This style seeks input from others and participates with those they are leading in the decision making process.
3. Laissez-faire: Typically a hands-off approach allowing for both initiative and the latitude to determine process to affect an outcome.
4. Adaptive: A fluid style that takes into consideration the context of the environment and the individual being led.

"Miscommunication in the workplace can be very damaging to productivity," said our source at Stream Advertising. When we are highly stressed and up against tight deadlines we frequently act a little out of character. Have you ever been in one of those moments and had someone come to you with an issue or idea that in the greater scheme of things does not come close to meeting the priority of what you are working on? Many of us may have been a little terse in our response, creating an immediate reaction from our subordinate that comes in the form of a shocked expression. This is a leadership misfire. The situation as they saw it did not match up to your response. Putting things in context in terms of the situation and individual you are dealing with is important.

Here are a few illustrations:
1. Context: A new employee has just started their first day. Individual: New to the industry and therefore brings no experience to the table. The most appropriate leadership approach is directive. They need a lot of direction as they learn to find their way.
2. Context: A problem has come to the surface that needs remedy. Individual: A subordinate that has been on the job for some period of time, they have mastered the basics but are still learning the nuances. The most appropriate approach is participative. This allows the person to participate in solving the problem based on their knowledge and gives you an opportunity to see how well they are developing.
3. Context: A major sales lead comes in which represents an excellent opportunity. Individual: Your most seasoned sales person who closes a high percentage of his/her business and takes great initiative. The most appropriate approach may be laissez-faire. You don't want to hover over or stymie this individual's performance.
4. Just to put a point on this let's consider the last example. Given the same experienced individual sitting at their desk, you discover the building is on fire. You wouldn't casually stroll in and mention the building is on fire. The context would dictate that you use a directive approach and tell them to get out of the office.

Our source at Stream Advertising commented that being able to switch smoothly between these styles of management is one of the most important skills a leader can develop.

http://www.inc.com/glen-blickenstaff/4-leadership-styles-to-master.html?nav=pop

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Belfast, Antrim -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/16/2012 -- Fancy owning a bank or a police station? Businesses from town centres across the country are being auctioned off at bargain prices. The bank and police station are up for auction next month, and if that's not your cup of tea, four pubs can also be bought by 'private treaty'. The auction, run by Osborne King is similar to some held recently in the Republic, and is a real indication of the huge downturn in Northern Ireland's property market. A source from Stream Advertising, a Belfast-based sales and marketing company commented, saying, "It really just shows how far the property market has dropped. These are some fantastic buildings going on sale for prices that would have been unbelievable five years ago."

Many other commercial properties and town centre sites are up for sale, including repossessed properties and unwanted land which the owners hope to move on at a profit. One of the properties is the former Newtownstewart PSNI station, which closed in August 2009, which is on sale with a reserve of £70,000 for a 1.6 acre site. In Aughnacloy, the former Northern Bank building is on sale starting at £50,000. "A lot of large businesses and even public services are downsizing heavily as a reaction to the economic crisis," said our source from Stream Advertising, "This means they'll often be trying to get rid of buildings, and do so quickly, just to recoup some cash. It presents a great opportunity for anyone interested in investing in some property which is a little more interesting than the usual."

The pubs and restaurants are for sale in more traditional ways. The recession has hit the licensed trade hard and many pubs and bars have closed over the last three or four years. Dozens of these are now available to new owners. This week, the First and Last in Banbridge is for sale, as well as a former social club on the Shankill Road in Belfast.

The Osborne King auction is to be held on the 8th of March in Belfast, and will be the third this year. "It is a simple sale in terms of the product," says associate director Mark Carron, "We did sell a police station in Coagh in the last auction in September. It is a mixture of high street properties and homes. We have sold a number of banks for the Northern and there are a number for sale at the moment." He added, "In Great Britain they are held every month. It is a smaller market in Northern Ireland but we are looking at doing them on a quarterly basis."

"It's certainly a sign that the property market is nowhere near out of the woods," said our source at Stream Advertising, "It will definitely be a benefit to the economy though to see some of those businesses bought over and possibly rejuvenated into something profitable."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17029948

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Belfast, Antrim -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/16/2012 -- Noel Molloy is a man with a mission to explain – and entertain. He is project manager for Titanic Belfast, a structure as monumental as the ship it commemorates. "That's where she was built. That's where she was designed. That's where the workers lived." As any Belfast resident will tell you, "Titanic was fine when she left us" on 2 April 1912. Twelve days later, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, Titanic struck an iceberg. As she sank, with the loss of 1,517 lives, at 2.20am the next morning, the seeds of a thousand legends took root.

A source for Stream Advertising said "When she sank emotions ran very high as the titanic was known to be the unsinkable ship" For many of that era the loss of the titanic was hard to take in, When built she was designed to withstand the toughest seas, who knew it would be an iceberg that would bring down this fantastic ship.

For once, the term "of Titanic proportions" applies literally. The top of the five-storey building is exactly as high as the tip of Titanic when the transatlantic liner was completed at the Harland and Wolff yard a century ago. During construction, she was known as SS No 401; her twin, Olympic, occupied the adjacent slipway as SS No 400. "We know thousands of people whose relatives worked on Titanic," says Mr Molloy, "but we can't find anyone who worked on Olympic."

Built in Harland and Wolf, Belfast's biggest and best the Titanic nicknamed 'The Unsinkable Ship' was destined for greatness. While Harland and Wolff did not have a monopoly on large ships, The White Star Line wanted to achieve supremacy on the world's leading intercontinental link, which – then as now – connected southern England with New York.

One hundred years ago, Northern Ireland's capital was a proud and wealthy powerhouse of the British Empire, its foundations resting on the linen trade and heavy engineering – with the finest shipbuilders on earth. A source at stream advertising said "We all know the history of the Titanic; It is easily regarded as the most famous ship in the world, even one hundred years on, in the 21st Century people still get emotional when thinking or referring to the titanic" Voices of some survivors, recorded in the 1960s, recount that horrifying night. The needless loss of life was soon exposed by official inquiries by the Board of Trade and the US Senate, which revealed how cost-cutting and a botched evacuation took many lives. Titanic carried lifeboats for fewer than half her passengers and crew, and many of the vessels were only half-full when they were launched.

One more strange twist remains: not in the Titanic story, but in the Titanic Belfast building itself. Most of it is an ingenious commemoration of the genius and follies of man. But the top two floors comprise a banqueting suite, resembling a dozen upmarket hotels between here and Dublin. Sales conferences and wedding receptions will help pay the rent, which will help if Titanic Belfast fails to meet visitor targets. But its prospects, unlike its subject's, seem set fair. The opening on 31 March will harness the surge in interest around the centenary of the sinking and it may also help the city lay its own ghosts to rest: "It took many, many decades before Belfast itself could come to terms with the loss." A source for Stream Advertising said "Titanic Belfast is a great way to commemorate those 1,517 people who lost their lives on the fateful night that was April 2nd 1912, It shows the relatives of those who lost their lives that they will never be forgotten, even after one hundred years since the tragedy we all live it as if we were their ourselves"

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/titanic-endeavour-simon-calder-previews-belfasts-newest-attraction-7469161.html

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm