I get it, not everyone is a numbers person. I also understand that not everyone enjoys reading about earnings. I’m sure you took your basic math and accounting class in college and then vowed to never crack another financial textbook. That’s cool, but you’ll have a competitive advantage over other PR folks if you take a little time to understand the basics.

A few reasons why you need to understand financial data:

• It’ll get you a seat at the C-table – Want to impress your CEO, CFO, SVP? Know the numbers that they talk about. Yes, other things matter, but the C’s and upper management are concerned about numbers and profitability. I’m sure they are concerned about the cute ad campaign that’s going on, but how does that help the books?
• The media and your customers are curious – Just cut your dividend? What’s the difference between net income and net revenue? Your company was in-line or beat expectations but your stock is down? Being able to translate the lingo with the media and customers can prevent uneasiness and cure any concerns that may cause a crisis down the line.
• Know why your company is doing what it is – It’s common sense that the economy is having an impact on most businesses. But what’s the reason behind some of your company’s recent actions? For example, you read that banks aren’t lending, but what’s the reason? Maybe net charge-off’s on credit cards are up 1%; maybe the delinquency on commercial loans are at 2.4%.  Why is your company hiring in one department, but laying off in another? You’re earnings report probably tells a good story why.
• Most importantly, it affects your paycheck – If there’s a better reason out there, let me know. Understanding the financial information behind your company is directly correlated with your paycheck. It gives me reassurance knowing that I’ll have a job next quarter because I understand that my business line contributed X amount. If I were in a department in which sales were slowing, I’d be a little more skeptical about the security of my position.

At this point I’m sure you’re all running out to pick up the latest book on investing and understanding financial data – the subject is riveting, I know. But do you see where I’m coming from? I hope you can at least understand why the C’s make such a fuss about earnings reports and basic financial information. Take 30 minutes and sit down with someone at your company that handles this information – be it accounting, investor relations, your CFO or whatever title/position your company calls it. Have them explain the basics to you and why it matters.

Dave’s post made great points on understanding some of the basics when it comes to math. Being able to gather and translate research, trends, data is vital in today’s market. But take it up a notch – be the numbers person at your company. It’ll open a lot more doors and opportunities than you think.

“It’ll blow your mind away.” Umm, no. Not so much.

As a woman, I’m not sure whether I should be shocked or offended at the latest advertisement by the King of Burgers. But as a public relations professional, I’m most definitely confused.

While, Starbucks is introducing their sandwich and lunch options, McDonald’s is introducing McCafé, and Pizza Hut is rebranding themselves as ‘The Hut’ with new meal options – Burger King is spending oodles of money on cheap-looking advertisements that Bishop’s Finger did better? Heck, Dolce & Gabbana at least gives the sleazy some class…sort of.

Seriously?

Sure, sleazy, double-entendre advertisements are nothing new. In the UK, they keep Ofcom in business. But, if the recession is even affecting the big cats in town, what’s up with Burger King?

No seriously, what’s up with Burger King?

I’m pretty sure, I’m not the only one who does not associates beefy patties, lumpy buns and juicy tomatoes with sexy. Hmm, maybe after that sentence, I should consider working for BK. (Hey, BK hire me!)

Perfume? I can digg it.

Beer? Why not.

Vodka? Of course.

Red meat? Not unless you are Brad Pitt starring in Troy. Sorry.

I was under the impression that the goal of any business was to make money.

When money is in vast amounts, the goal is to attract attention. When money is dwindling, the goal is to reinvest, uproot and reinvent.

Clearly, someone didn’t get the memo.

Sasha Muradali runs the ‘Little Pink Book’ . She holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida (’07) and an M.A. in International Administration from the University of Miami(’08). She loves Twitter and all things social media, so you should find her @SashaHalima.

That mindset of avoiding technology has changed, however, as more financial institutions are aggressively increasing their focus on technology. Yes, there is a push to start investing in social media (see previous post on this issue), but what I find fascinating – and what’s not getting much mainstream attention – is a focus on mobile technology.

I’m not talking about accessing your account on your mobile phone – although that feature still has room to improve. Most large banks offer that feature. With the smart-phone craze right now, creating technologies that make it easier and more efficient for consumers to make payments, process payments and manage their finances are what will shape the future of the financial industry.

A few concepts that I believe have potential – keep in mind, I’m not an IT or technology expert.

Payment processing – The days of being able to make and accept payments via your mobile device is definitely coming. There’s two different routes that technology can work here – 1) an alternative for credit card acceptors and 2) linking your mobile device to your account to make payments, send and receive money, etc.

The one hurdle here is security. Who’s responsible for fraud issues? Does the liability fall in the mobile carrier’s hands or with the financial institute? Financial institutions have seen an increase in ATM fraud, text messaging fraud and Relay fraud, to go along with the traditional fraud that’s always existed.

Two examples of interesting concepts:

1. Zoompass – courtesy of Danny Brown
2. Bling Nation

Easier purchasing access – We’ve seen the transition to cash to checks to plastic. Now we’re aiming to eliminate all three and introduce near field communications. One of the neatest technologies is a swipe-n-go method currently being tested. With this method, you can apply a credit card-like sticker to your mobile device and simply wave your device across a sensor. The sticker (for lack of a better word) is attached to either your  credit card or bank account and automatically deducts the amount of your purchase. Again, the biggest issue is security.

As technology continues to advance, the financial institution has the potential to make our lives a little bit easier. While social networking is the “hot thing” right now, don’t bet against mobile technology becoming a bigger role in your finances.