Car-buying platform Edmunds.com today released an update to its acclaimed mobile app with a new feature that now makes it possible for shoppers to send text messages to car dealers with just a touch of a button. The innovation is the latest step in the growing trend of consumers drawn to “place messaging,” which offers a convenient way to interact with businesses via text in the same way that they do with friends and family.
Unlike other place messaging solutions that only work in concert with apps such as Snapchat and WhatsApp, Edmunds’ texting solution uses the phone’s native texting platform. That means all smartphones are capable of messaging dealers without relying on any other apps.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523651-edmunds-com-text-car-dealers-app/
Today, more than six thousand pancake lovers from around the globe gathered in Monument Circle in Indianapolis, Indiana for a pancake fundraiser hosted by IHOP Restaurants and Kiwanis International. Thousands of Kiwanis volunteers, in town for their annual convention, and members of general public enjoyed free IHOP pancakes and coffee. Two dozen IHOP cooks prepared the pancakes made from more than 240 gallons IHOP’s famous buttermilk pancake batter, which were accompanied by 189 gallons of maple syrup, 94 pounds of butter and 625 gallons of coffee.
The celebratory event raised funds through voluntary donations to help eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus through the Eliminate Project. It was the first in a series of events planned by IHOP Restaurants as part of its “Summer of Smiles” campaign that celebrates individuals and organizations which have devoted countless hours to making others smile through their philanthropy. The celebration coincides with the family-friendly brand’s launch of a new ‘smiling’ logo and its 57th Anniversary.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7428053-ihop-summer-of-smiles-pancake-party/
Service members and their families stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, one of the largest training bases for the U.S. Army, received a special visit on May 3 from The First Lady, Dr. Biden and Astronaut Mark Kelly. They were joined by lifelong literacy advocate LeVar Burton, the host of Reading Rainbow®, for a story time event for students on-base at Thayer Elementary School. The event was part of the White House’s Joining Forces initiative. Celebrating its 5th anniversary, the initiative works to ensure that service members, veterans, and their families have the tools they need to succeed throughout their lives.
Burton, whose father was in the army and mother an English teacher said of the event, “I was truly honored to be asked to join the First Lady, Dr. Biden and Captain Kelly for the book reading to children of military families. I know from personal experience the sacrifices they and their families make every day on behalf of our nation.” Burton also added that the event was especially important as it focused on reading. “Literacy is the gateway to children reaching their full potential as human beings.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/74044512-reading-rainbow-skybrary-school/
MSC Cruises, the largest privately-owned cruise company in the world, announced today that the first of its next generation “Seaside” class of ships – set to debut in November 2017 – will be named MSC Seaside and sail year-round from Miami to the Caribbean.
In addition, MSC Cruises announced that its Miami-based cruise operations will benefit from a newly renovated and expanded dedicated berth and terminal at PortMiami – a testament to the company’s growing ambitions in the North American market and to providing guests with the best service possible.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7473951-msc-cruises-seaside-class-ship/
Lord & Taylor’s annual holiday windows have acted as host in the creation of many memorable family moments. Sharing the story of L&T’s hundred-year-old building and New York City’s unique holiday experience, the windows are inspired by vintage New York, capturing its rich history and tradition.
Fifth Harmony performed two traditional holiday songs as well as two songs from their recently released EP, Better Together, currently ranked in Billboard's Top 10. Following their performance, Fifth Harmony made an in-store appearance, where they took photos with customers and handed out signed copies of their new EP.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/64220-lord-and-taylor-annual-holiday-windows-unveiled-fifth-harmony-performance
October is National Plan a Cruise Month and the cruise industry is celebrating by launching #CruiseSmile, a simple and exciting chance to win one of 31 cruise vacations from 23 different cruise lines awarded each day, from October 1 through October 31, 2015. Anyone can enter each day during the sweepstakes by simply submitting a photo featuring a ‘cruise smile’ at CruiseSmile.org, or posting their ‘cruise smile’ on Twitter or Instagram using #CruiseSmile and #Sweepstakes. Participants will have the opportunity to share their posts for more chances to win.
“Those who cruise have a secret: they love cruising and cannot stop smiling about it. Whether it's planning, booking, dreaming about or basking in the memories of taking a cruise vacation, it's hard not to smile,” said Cindy D'Aoust, Acting CEO, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). “The #CruiseSmile campaign is a fun way for the cruise industry to spread the love of cruising during National Plan a Cruise Month as well give vacation dreamers the chance to win a remarkable cruise vacation for two.”
The #CruiseSmile sweepstakes prize calendar is filled with incredible cruise vacations for two, including a seven-night luxury voyage to Tahiti and the Society Islands in the South Pacific, an eight-day European river cruise on the Seine River from Paris, a magical family-friendly three-night Bahamian voyage at sea and even a 14-day Far-East Discovery cruise visiting exotic ports throughout Southeast Asia.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7584131-clia-national-plan-a-cruise-month/
Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, has implemented an internal customer satisfaction scoring system aimed at measuring the overall experience of its home loan origination process.
The internal customer satisfaction score that Vanderbilt has created is a metric calculated from surveyed responses by customers within two weeks of funding their loan. The customers are asked to give a score ranging from zero to 10 on how likely they are to recommend Vanderbilt Mortgage to family and friends based on their home loan origination experience.
“We want to be transparent about the feedback we receive from our customers,” said Eric Hamilton, president of Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc. “Continuously listening to customers’ needs in order to improve is our top priority. This scored system gives us a structured way to measure how we are doing and determine in which areas we can do better. It’s important for us to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7716456-vanderbilt-mortgage-customer-survey/
Today, the award-winning Adoption from Foster Care campaign from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AdoptUSKids and the Ad Council unveiled a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) that aim to encourage the adoption of older youth from foster care.
Of the 415,000 children in the U.S. foster care system, 108,000 children under the age of 18 are currently waiting for adoptive families, according to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). Since the AdoptUSKids project began in 2002, 25,000 children who were once photo listed on adoptuskids.org are now with their adoptive families and nearly 38,000 families have registered to adopt through AdoptUSKids. 41 percent of the approximately 5,360 youth listed on the website are aged between 15 and 18 years old.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7673451-ad-council-national-adoption-campaign/
A big year awaits travelers to Orlando, Theme Park Capital of the World®. Thrilling new attractions will launch guests further and faster than ever, new resorts will feature additions like future-forward “smart rooms” and rooftop lounges for firework-watching, and unique new dining experiences will arrive, ranging from a Master Sommelier’s wine bar to a 100 percent all-vegan deli.
“Every Orlando vacation is unique, with so many attractions and activities for visitors to mix and match, but 2018 will be an exceptional year for experiences that really stand out,” said George Aguel, President and CEO for Visit Orlando. “A great vacation lets you escape from the everyday and experience something new, and there is no shortage of that this coming year, ranging from being immersed in a high-speed car chase with the Fast & Furious to plunging down the world’s tallest river rapid drop.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8233251-visit-orlando-new-stay-play-dine-2018/
Meet your family’s new best friend thanks to Onelink by First Alert! Today at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, First Alert is introducing the new Onelink Safe & Sound with Amazon Alexa built-in. Experience the first announced Alexa-enabled smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm and premium home speaker at a fun-filled Amazon Treasure Truck event, just outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The revolutionary device delivers added convenience and enjoyment to every household, acting as a smart smoke/CO alarm, premium home speaker and Alexa-enabled smart device. The Onelink Safe & Sound provides hands-free access to Alexa, letting people simply use voice to play music, hear the news, check the weather, control smart home devices, and more.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8251551-first-alert-onelink-amazon-treasure-truck-ces-2018/
For students and families alike, spring break goes hand in hand with sun and fun. However, it often also means big crowds and higher prices. Internationally recognized travel expert and Editor-In-Chief of Travelgirl Magazine, Stephanie Oswald, understands how easy it is to experience a travel mishap. Whether you’re traveling as a family or a beach bound college student, Stephanie is here to offer up her best tips to ensure your spring travel plans go smoothly.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/82770241-spring-travel-tip-stress-free-getaway/
The holiday season provides the perfect opportunity to give thanks and to give back to youth who are facing challenges within our communities. In days of uncertainty, there are still people who are providing direction and mentoring to high-risk youth to help them succeed in spite of the unfortunate circumstances they may have encountered. Many studies indicate that a young person’s success can be greatly enhanced by an advocate or mentor — an adult who consistently helps a young person stay on track to graduate and make better life choices. Goodwill’s GoodGuides program is the source of many modern-day mentoring success stories.
The GoodGuides program provides mentoring to youth, ages 12–17, who are at risk of dropping out of school and/or falling into delinquency. The program helps them finish school, transition into the world of work and prepare for success by pairing them with trusted adult volunteer mentors. Mentors help youth overcome disadvantages such as failure in school due to poor grades or low attendance, or avoid delinquency due to issues such as abuse, disability, drug or alcohol dependence, family violence or gang membership.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7057252-goodwill-givegoodwill-campaign/
