Ever wonder what it takes to be Georges St-Pierre, world welterweight champion of the UFC? That’s the question we asked journalists in order to drive coverage of the G Series, the latest innovation in sports nutrition from Gatorade designed to provide athletes with the necessary fuel, fluid and nutrients before, during and after activity (see the Facebook info tab we built for it here).

(And yes, being naturally blessed with good genes helps but it’s the years of hard work and strategy that have gone into GSP’s training and nutrition regime that have made him into one of the toughest men on the planet.)

 Why did we ask journalists that question?

 The Goal: Generate media coverage for the G Series by focusing on Gatorade athlete Georges St-Pierre’s title fight at UFC 129, the biggest UFC event ever.

The Challenges: No access to GSP himself (in training, naturally…) and a very crowded news week (the UFC’s own activation & the Royal wedding among other things).

The Solution: On April 26, 2011, Gatorade Canada held a day-long media tour with the amazing Firas Zahabi, head trainer to the champ himself.  Firas held court at a downtown Toronto MMA gym to talk about the importance of sport nutrition and teach journalists and bloggers a few key MMA moves that they might see GSP himself throw down.

Outfitted in their G Series-branded gi, media worked up a sweat and got tips from Firas in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and striking stations. Throughout their workout, journalists learned the role the G Series can play in getting the proper nutrition before, during and after training. It’s like Firas says: you can be the fastest car on the track, but if you don’t have the right fuel, you’re not going to go anywhere.  Think you’d have what it takes? Check it out.

This week, Mia’s column addresses the hesitation that some business owners have about integrating social networking into their public relations strategy.

She writes: “The idea of putting yourself and your products on display for uncensored, uncontrolled commentary may seem scary – but if it’s done right, the benefits are staggering.”

In the column, Mia features a truly inspiring entrepreneur: Hana Zalzal, president and founder of the globally successful CARGO Cosmetics. Zalzal has found innovative ways to use social networking tools such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to seek product feedback and improve customer loyalty, fully inviting her customers to “co-parent” the CARGO brand.  Even more uniquely, Zalzal personally checks each and every post on her company Facebook page.

“As business leaders, our companies and our brands are so important to us,” writes Mia. “We engage advisory boards, conduct surveys and hold focus groups to ensure we’re on the right track. Social media has taken public engagement to the next level: with a bit of investment and a solid strategy, much stronger relationships with our customers are right at our fingertips.”

Check out her column every Thursday in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.

Microsoft Canada recently conducted a survey that examines how Canadians are using the Internet and their favourite social networking sites. The survey revealed that on average, we have about seven different personal profiles but most aren’t managing these effectively –putting their online identities at risk.

The survey results took me back to my time at Carleton University when I studied journalism. Armed with a Hi-8 video camera, another student and I decided to make a documentary that examined how the “World Wide Web” would affect television journalism. I’m sure if I could find a VCR to watch this groundbreaking exposé again, we would find it quaint in retrospect.

Back then, the media were still calling the Internet the “Information Superhighway ”. While I don’t think we had the vision to imagine the mechanics of YouTube, Facebook or Twitter , our documentary concluded that the Internet would make the news more democratic; new “prosumer ” technology such as DVD camcorders would make it more accessible for consumers to tell their own stories and the Internet would make the nightly newscast more interactive.

Ten years later, social networking sites have made consumers their own broadcasters. Cell phones with advanced photo and video capabilities have made the user the paparazzi. The ethical standards and editorial filters of traditional journalism are ignored online. As a result, individuals most now think of their online identity or persona in the same way a marketer would manage their corporate brand.

Like it or not, it’s the same for companies. Businesses are finally beginning to realize that if you are not online someone else is in control of the message. Are you happy with the results people get back when they input your name in a search engine? Are you effectively monitoring what bloggers are saying about you? Are you reviewing and looking to implement social media analytical tools to measure and manage your online identity?

If not, why not?