PR

Brian Solis
The State of Social Media Around the World 2010

brian

8 Feb 2010 | 3:09 am

If you were to look at Social Media the United States and many other parts of the world, you would believe that the world of Social Media was flat, dominated by social continents including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, and Flickr. As we zoom in, we visualize other established and emerging social services that depict provinces and outlying settlements of our social atlas.Upon publishing the original Conversation Prism, which was the culmination of a year’s work documenting and organizing the social web by usage and conversational patterns, the world responded by creating…
The Roles of Facebook and Twitter in Social Media Marketing

brian

5 Feb 2010 | 4:14 am

Social Media marketing is rapidly earning a role in the integrated marketing mix of small and enterprise businesses and as such, it’s transforming every division from the inside out. What starts with one champion in any given division, be it customer service, marketing, public relations, advertising, interactive, et al, eventually inspires an entire organization to socialize. What starts with one, a domino effect usually ensues toppling each department, gaining momentum, and triggering a sense of urgency through its path. And, it also marks the beginning of our journey through the ten…
Mobile Internet Market to Eclipse Desktop Internet

brian

3 Feb 2010 | 4:42 am

Sounds like a sensationalistic headline, but if you read Morgan Stanley’s latest series of reports on the Mobile Internet, you’ll walk away with the same impression.Morgan Stanley’s global technology and telecom analysts documented the rapidly changing mobile Internet market to provide a framework for emerging trends and direction.To set the stage, Morgan Stanley forecasts that the mobile Internet market will be at least 2x the size of desktop Internet when comparing Internet users to mobile subscribers.According to the report, Apple’s iTunes + iPhone/Touch ecosystem…
The Human Algorithm: How Google Ranks Tweets in Real-Time Search

brian

1 Feb 2010 | 4:57 am

In 2009, Google struck a deal with Twitter, rumored at $15 million, to integrate tweets into keyword related Google searches. And last month, Google also integrated real-time search technology to surface blog posts and news content as they hit the Web – dramatically improving the previous five to 15 minutes its spiders would take to crawl the Web. I should also note that Collecta also offers the ability to search the real-time Web, but its results also include popular networks within the social Web. Between Google and Collecta, Twitter Search is starting to show its age.The opportunities…
Who is the ME in Social Media?

brian

29 Jan 2010 | 4:11 am

Good friend Stowe Boyd recently shared a quote by Gabriel García Márquez, “Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life, and a secret life.”Indeed, quite simply many of us live life allowing specific, trusted individuals to know us in one or more of our personae. Our moral compass as well as outside influences affect how we balance our three lives. The size and permeability of our personal dividers vary in the separation of each life and resemble doors that open and close based on our desires. We nurture each individually with slight coalescence, but concentrate on…

PR News Online
PR News Q and A: For Aflac’s Kane, Reputation Is Everything

9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

In this preview of PR News' March 23 Measurement Conference, Aflac’s VP of external communications discusses how data has helped her company target areas that scored low in reputation and reveals her favorite metric tool....
PR as the Driver of Unification in an Organization

8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

How more PR execs are leveraging Web 2.0 technologies to streamline their own strategies and operational responsibilities....
Out-There Execs: PR Strategies To Optimize Speaking Opportunities

8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

Despite living in an age when an endless amount of content is streamed out into cyberspace and back to the small screens of our digital devices, the spoken word—in a live venue—is not dead. In fact, it’s very much alive and becoming a more integral part of a PR executive’s arsenal. A...
Humor as a Serious Weapon

8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

A turning point in the campaign to get the California menu-labeling bill (SB 1420) passed into legislation (and secure gubernatorial approval) was the release of a YouTube video that used irreverent humor to fortify its stance against the opposition, in this case, the Restaurant Association in California....
Executive Speaking Tips From a Speechwriting Vet

8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

Robert Lehrman, communications professor at American University, offers some sage advice on how to get the most out of your executive speaking opportunities....

Pitchengine
Quality Over Quantity

jk

5 Feb 2010 | 6:36 am

Quality over Quantity: PitchEngine releases are more engaging to your influencers than traditional press releases from PR Newswire, BusinessWire or PRWeb. (Source Alexa.com)
Case Study: PFS Marketwyse

jk

2 Jan 2010 | 10:04 am

PFS Marketwyse Social Media Release Distributed via PitchEngine Are you questioning the effectiveness of a PitchEngine social media release? Curious to know how distributing your PR content through the social web can actual drive traffic to your website, newsroom or blog? Below is a case study compiled by PitchEngine users PFS Marketwyse generated using Google Analytics. *based on the average page visits of the previous 30 days Traffic Summary Week of March 23-29 Monday, March 23 433% spike in traffic Tuesday, March 24 1100% spike in traffic (day…
Getting Started

jk

27 Oct 2009 | 3:43 pm

The Quick Start Guide to PitchEngine SMRs Using our social platform is as easy as creating Facebook profile or a blog post (maybe easier)! This isn’t an “easy button” – it’s a tool to enable better collaboration and engagement for your public relations. Discover why more than 13,000 brands have flocked to PitchEngine as theirpreferred alternative 1. Create an account. This is free and easy. 2. Build your first Social Media Release (SMR) Take a look at an example SMR. Gather your assets (YouTube videos, images, etc.,) Type or copy-and-paste your SMR into the form…
PR Distribution Process Evolved in Six Slides

jk

11 Sep 2009 | 11:09 am

PR Distribution Process in Six Slides View more presentations from Jason Kintzler.
A Conversation with Jason Kintzler

jk

14 Jul 2009 | 12:41 pm

Here’s a recent interview with Jason Kintzler, PitchEngine’s Founder/CEO From Arik Hanson: “One of the very interesting dynamics of engaging online is meeting folks in real life that you’ve only followed and interacted with on Twitter and other social platforms. Yesterday, I had the pleasure to meet Jason Kintzler, CEO of PitchEngine, in person. And I was not disappointed. Genuine, personable and “social smart”, Jason lived up to expectations. I even stole a few moments with him right after his keynote address to discuss the future of the traditional news release, how…

PRSA Tactics and The Strategist Online
PRSA to Address Intellectual Property Protection

7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

PRSA to Address Intellectual Property Protection
For teens, blogging is so 2006, Pew survey finds

4 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

For teens, blogging is so 2006, Pew survey finds
Mechanical fix might not solve Toyota’s accelerating PR problem

2 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

Toyota's effots in the wake of the recall may not be enough to convince a skeptical public that its latest fix will prevent vehicles from accelerating out of control - especially if the company had known about the problem previously.
What’s top of mind for PR pros in Los Angeles?

1 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

What’s next for the PR profession in Los Angeles? The following highlights from the panelists in the “State of the State of PR” event, hosted by PRSA’s Los Angeles Chapter, look ahead at the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Writing the conversation: How social media is redefining PR’s content creation

31 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

The explosion of social media, combined with the decline of traditional media, presents a new challenge for PR writing.

360PR Blog
Happy Birthday, Dear Facebook

JohnLeRoy

4 Feb 2010 | 2:06 pm

Today is said to mark the day that Facebook turns 6, and what a six years it has been. I came across this great post about the social networking giant on Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech blog, in which writer Jessi Hempel examines six ways that Facebook has “shaped our culture.” My personal favorite from the list [...]
Red Cross Texting Campaign Raises Millions for Haiti - Power of Social Media in Crisis

EliciaBasoli

26 Jan 2010 | 5:38 am

Simply stated, social media has changed the way we communicate during disasters. This is now abundantly clear with all of the online activity surrounding the recent hurricane in Haiti. Over the past couple weeks, there has been a tremendous outpouring of support for the Haitian people. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy donations have exceeded $470 [...]
The New Facebook Rules

CindyGordon

18 Jan 2010 | 1:09 pm

There’s a lot of confusion about the new rules governing how brands can run contests and sweepstakes on Facebook. We dug into the rules with help from 360PR friend Susan Getgood, and we’re happy to share our learnings in this post. Get Your Contest Approved. The most important thing to know is that all promotions administered on [...]
Weekly Digital News: Happy Digital New(s) Year

SkyeMcIntyre

18 Jan 2010 | 11:02 am

The wait is over! The first weekly digital news round-up of the New Year is finally here. I know you’ve been waiting with bated breath to find out what’s going on in the world of social media, so here it is. To ease you into a year that’s sure to be a digital whirlwind, below [...]
CES: A Brief Reflection

JohnLeRoy

11 Jan 2010 | 4:12 pm

As I have finally conquered the hundreds of e-mails that awaited my return from a week in Las Vegas at CES, I have a moment to reflect on some of the things that struck me about this tradeshow in particular. This was the first CES that I have attended (though I had plenty of 360PR [...]

Ogilvy PR 360 Digital Influence Blog
Snowcial Media: Tales from Snowmageddon 2010

Kaitlyn Wilkins

9 Feb 2010 | 9:52 am

Snowmageddon. Snowpocolypse. Kaiser Snowze. The 2009/2010 winter season in DC has gone by a lot of names. One of the most notable side stories in my (social media crazed) mind is the role that social media (or should I say snowcial media?) has played in everything from storm tracking, to commiserating, to clean up efforts. Particularly noteworthy is the way “traditional” players got in on the action. The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang A blog at its core, the Weather Gang blog became my go-to for all things weather related. They give insightful, accurate…
Putting the Social in CSR

Virginia Miracle

8 Feb 2010 | 4:54 am

This week I participated in a Social Media Week New York panel “Putting the Social in CSR” along with Bonin Bough from Pepsico, Deb Berman from Just Means, and Chrysi Philalithes from (RED). Its an extremely timely topic and one we have been thinking a lot about from a number of different angles. The great news? Social media provides the media for corporations to leverage their Corporate Social Responsibility investments to yield greater fruit for both the customer and the beneficiary. The time-worn model of CSR of “Purchase X and we’ll contribute to Y up to $Z…
OPR Mini-Study: Media Perception and Usage of Social Media

Priya Kapoor

5 Feb 2010 | 12:52 pm

Social media continues to evolve, shaping not just our thoughts on connectivity and information consumption online, but how it applies to our everyday lives. This is not breaking news. Still, there are many people, brands and companies that are still dipping their toes in the social media pool, trying to gauge the value of social media platforms and leveraging these sites to connect with their key audiences. As a digital strategist with a traditional public relations background, I can see the value in both online and offline media, but note the increased convergence between the two…
TGIF: Facebook Friday- Happy 6th Birthday Facebook!

Nicole Landguth

5 Feb 2010 | 11:57 am

This week, Facebook Friday will look at six of Facebook’s top news stories and how they affect brands. As a bonus- a link to a bit of Facebook psychology. Facebook recently introduced per-post analytics for Facebook pages- these show up only for authenticated pages (see below). For each link, video, wall post, or other content a page administrator posts you’ll be able to see the number of impressions it has gotten along with a feedback percentage (formula: comments or likes/impressions). Facebook provides some good explanation of each number means on their blog. Does anyone have…
Where’s Your Heart?

Kristin Parrish

4 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

National Wear Red Day at Ogilvy PR If you haven’t realized it by now - RED is one of our favorite colors here at Ogilvy. Not only does it represent our brand and our company mentality, but it also stands for a cause close to our hearts (no pun intended). Heart disease is the #1 Killer of Women - It is the goal of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Heart Truth campaign and Ogilvy to build awareness and provide resources for individuals, especially women who are less aware of their top health risk, to help reduce their risk of heart disease. (disclosure: The…

Photostream from Daylife

PR:Perspective
Chevrolet Makes Social Media-Style Road Trip To SXSW

9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm
Microsoft Bing Searches Jumped By Half In 2009, ComScore Says

9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm
In The World Of Facebook - The New York Review Of Books

9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm
Google Street View On The Slopes Of The Olympics

9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm
Twitterreaktionen Auf Ihre Marke

9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm

prsarahevans.com
#journchat partnership with Cision

PRsarahevans

9 Feb 2010 | 9:32 am

// Share This morning the leadership of Cision and I announced a new partnership around #journchat. I want to let chat participants know a few things: 1) I will remain as the chat moderator; 2) The format will remain the same (although we’ll experiment with other platforms like LiveFyre); 3) Ownership over question selection, chat themes [...]
Random thoughts: “Don’t judge,” “empathy” and “how to get it all done”

PRsarahevans

8 Feb 2010 | 12:28 pm

I was out of the country last week and therefore did not regularly post. So, I present to you, my random thoughts from the week: Don’t judge a blog by its title. Same concept as that old book adage. I’ve made the mistake before thinking a blog post would be amazing because of its title. [...]
What’s your social network routine?

PRsarahevans

4 Feb 2010 | 9:52 am

// Share The majority of businesses I work with want to know how they should spend their time via social networks. They get past the basic “how to” tutorial sessions and want to build in some semblence of a daily routine. While situations can arise outside the planned activities, I provide them a starter guide. [...]
CROWDSOURCED: iPad launch an iWin or iFail?

PRsarahevans

27 Jan 2010 | 12:16 pm

// Share Am I an Apple fan girl? I own an iMac, Mac Book and iPhone so I guess I’d fit the description, but I’m no iJustine. I do spend my time analyzing technology and how it impacts the way we communicate. It was amazing to watch (at least what I could process) the amount [...]
NYU’s Jay Rosen shares expertise via #journchat

PRsarahevans

27 Jan 2010 | 8:54 am

The #journchat community had an opportunity to pick the brain of NYU’s journalism professor Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_NYU) this past Monday. This is a complete transcript of the questions and Jay’s responses. The complete #journchat transcript from 1/25: http://j.mp/60myJH (270+ participants, 1,300+ tweets). Q1: What do you think of journs using only Facebook and Twitter to test the [...]

Don't Fear the Firehose
Buzz. Hurh! What is is good for?

Paul Armstrong

9 Feb 2010 | 12:45 am

Quite a lot if of dough if you believe ze folks from General Sentiment Interesting doco that chronicles "the dollar value of the buzz, content, and conversation taking place online" (interesting methodology and more from the TechCrunch boffs too). Get a coffee, read and dissect - there's big budgets here but some interesting learnings too. Suprised to see Maccy D's and Dell so low considering their um...histories and wide reach. Anything shocked/interested you? brand
Content gets a licking by THE FIRE BRIGADE... set your hoses to stun.

Paul Armstrong

4 Feb 2010 | 3:40 pm

You hear it all the time. I spout it a lot but is it still true in this uber connected, iPhone upload before you stop shooting world? Content is king. The be-all and end-all. When a photo can be used on the BBC quicker than a video montage do content creators stand a chance? Have standards dropped or were they never there to begin with? Or is this all just puff and content remains cream of the crop and free is just a passing fad Chris Anderson needs to get over? The Fire Brigade were split but refreshingly, sweet-smellingly, forward looking.
Think you know what Apps people are buying?

Paul Armstrong

4 Feb 2010 | 2:20 pm

Bearing in mind it's likely a US/Facebook only skewed survey...it's easy to forget that there are other phones out there other than the iPhone (I know, it's true!). Here's a handy guide from the perfectly formed folks over at VentureBeat (well worth your time fyi) charting the most popular game categories on the three major devices currently available. Couple of interesting things 1) Love for The Sims is pretty universal across platform - position if not numbers of downloads etc (whodathunk on Bberry though?) and 2) Don't underestimate…
PowerPoint Fodder : Facebook

Paul Armstrong

3 Feb 2010 | 2:20 pm

Thought I'd start a regular post style called 'PowerPoint Fodder' basically a collection of the finest stats, chart and general info to wow clients with via the... miracle of PowerPoint. Starting with Facebook seems right so have at it and leave more in the comments. If you'd like to request a fodder topic email prweekblog@gmail.com or leave a comment below. WORLDWIDE: +350million unique users per month per comScore (rumours of 450 actual accounts). 70% of Facebook users are outside of the US [Trak.In].UK : +32million in December 2009 (per comScore).
10 Essential Social Media Documents You Need To Bookmark

Paul Armstrong

1 Feb 2010 | 2:34 pm

1) Facebook's privacy policy [LINK] - everyone should know what's legal and what's not.2) COI Social media engagement [LINK] - great stake in the ground. 3) Social media policy database [LINK] - over 100 in here - handy. 4) Digital youth report [LINK] - Know how they think and how they have grown. 5) engagementDB [LINK] - SM doesn't = money? Errrrrnk. 6) Technorati's State of the Blogosphere [LINK] Good for a year at least! 7) Razorfish's 'FEED' [LINK] Amazingly honest and open document. Kudos. 8) Air Force Engagement Matrix [LINK] Oldy but a goody.

PR Week RSS Feed
Homelessness charity Brighton Housing Trust buys PR shop Blue Rocket

9 Feb 2010 | 1:05 am

Homelessness charity Brighton Housing Trust has become one of the first charities to buy a PR agency.
Cirkle Communications' beauty and fitness chief Rikki Weir handed board role

9 Feb 2010 | 12:52 am

Cirkle Communications' head of beauty and fitness Rikki Weir has been promoted to board director after two years at the agency.
The British Heart Foundation launches celebrity-studded campaign

8 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am

The British Heart Foundation has rounded up a host of celebrities to raise awareness of its 'National Wear Red' day on 26 February.
Hills Balfour Synergy wins brief with Mauritius tourism body

8 Feb 2010 | 6:25 am

Travel PR shop Hills Balfour Synergy has picked up the tourism account for the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority.
Conservative leader David Cameron launches surprise attack on lobbying

8 Feb 2010 | 4:33 am

Conservative Party leader David Cameron has warned that extensive corporate lobbying in Parliament is 'the next big scandal waiting to happen'.

The Flack
Doubting Thomases

8 Feb 2010 | 11:04 am

Washington Post media columnist and CNN "Reliable Sources" host Howard Kurtz set tongues-a waggin today with his column echoing complaints that President Obama has purposely avoided the White House press corps in order to control his message:"Every president attempts to circumvent the press corps, viewing it as obsessed with process stories and "gotcha" questions. That's not exactly fair -- they do traffic in substance -- but talk shows have provided an easier forum since the days when Bill Clinton first went on Larry King and MTV. Obama, for his part, is the first Internet president, with…
The Tweeky Wheel Gets Oiled

6 Feb 2010 | 3:34 pm

I recently noticed Craig Newmark, yes that Craig, give a Tweet-out to @comcastcares (aka Frank Eliason) over some issue he was having with his cable service.I thought at the time how Craig, the mensch that he is, would have little problem soliciting Comcast's attention. What consumer-facing company in its right mind today would dare to ignore someone with 19,000+ Twitter followers (and their followers...and their followers)?It was only a few years ago that A-list bloggers were alone among the citizenry in their capacity to strike fear into the hearts of corporate reputation managers and their…
Bye Bye Bobby

5 Feb 2010 | 6:19 pm

A few friends sent me Jim Barron's New York Times "City Room" piece on PR man Bobby Zarem's decision to leave his adopted city for his boyhood home of Savannah, Georgia. And why should I care? Well, other than Elaine's losing its most famous patron (and promoter), and the city, its most original (and supportive) PR persona, Zarem Inc. is where I cut my teeth in this business.The methods we used to build (MSM-only) buzz and awareness back then were starkly different than today. For starters, the office arrival of our first IBM Correcting Selectric typewriters (Zarem kept his manual) was a…
Social Media Week Sound-Off

3 Feb 2010 | 10:33 am

Yesterday was the official start of Social Media Week, which this year expanded from one city (New York) to a six-city extravaganza of pundits and prophets extolling the personal and professional promise of this media, marketing and communications juggernaut.With its hundreds of events -- 80 alone in the Big Apple -- this cornucopia of compelling content and characters would not be complete without the obligatory launch party. So here I was at Elizabeth on Elizabeth Street somewhere between Soho and Nolita. SMWNYC's lead organizer Toby Daniels secured three sponsors -- Meebo, Pepsi and Diageo…
A Transparent Apple

1 Feb 2010 | 9:29 am

Here's the opening line of the 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual global opinion leaders study: "For the first time, this year's Trust Barometer shows that trust and transparency are as important to corporate reputation as the quality of products and services." We now find ourselves in the frothy wake of this week's biggest corporate event, other than Ford's swing to an annual profit of $2.7 billion or Toyota's historic global recall at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion a month (and untold amounts in devalued reputation).I'm talking about the Steve Jobs show, the most recent subject of…

A PR Guy's Musings - Stuart Bruce
The PR social media award unboxing video

Stuart Bruce

4 Feb 2010 | 6:23 am

I wonder if this is the world’s first awards unboxing video? Certainly makes a change from phones and gadgets.
An inconvenient PR truth: experience and training are what counts

Stuart Bruce

2 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

Last week saw the launch of the an Inconvenient PR Truth campaign. I’ve got mixed views about it.There’s been quite a lively debate on PR Week comments and the public relations blogs. While I applaud the initiative, I’m not totally convinced about either the approach or if it will work. It also fails to mention the elephant in the room – the media database companies. When I started in public relations in 1989 I was taught to create proper media lists. That meant you sat down with a proper ring bound directory printed on paper (I can still remember the PR Planner section numbers such…
Charlie Brooker – How to report the news

Stuart Bruce

29 Jan 2010 | 10:10 am
Wolfstar is recruiting new consultants to work in online PR and social media

Stuart Bruce

28 Jan 2010 | 8:12 am

If you pop over to the Wolfstar blog, you’ll see that we’re recruiting experienced public relations consultants to work on global, European and UK online PR and social media for clients such as Sony Ericsson, Discovery Channel, First Direct and Philips.
Wolfstar has won the UK’s Best Use of Social Media campaign award

Stuart Bruce

28 Jan 2010 | 4:26 am

We’ve been celebrating in the Wolfstar office today as we’ve just found out that we’ve won the Chartered Institute of Public Relations President’s Grand Prix Award for Best Use of Social Media Award for our campaign to support the global launch of Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X1 mobile phone. That makes it officially the UK’s best social media campaign. I didn’t do it on my Wolfstar blog post, but I want to do so here and say a massive thanks to Sony Ericsson for being a brilliant client and being brave enough to not be afraid to push the boundaries of what’s possible with social…

Media Bullseye
When 'just the facts' blogging works just fine

Bryan Person

29 Jan 2010 | 12:26 pm

When 'just the facts' blogging works just fine by Bryan Person There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to social media. From the kind of updates brands publish on their Facebook Pages to how often small businesses or media companies promote their own projects on Twitter, there's no single, definitive "rulebook"' for creating engaging social content. There are some generally accepted best practices, to be sure, but even a social media project that follows all the so-called "to-dos" can fail. That's why a retweet from Sharon Mostyn arguing definitively against blogs that…
Everyone Has A Printing Press

Wayne Kurtzman

28 Jan 2010 | 11:41 am

Everyone Has A Printing Press by Wayne Kurtzman "Mr. Jefferson, so what would become of this amendment if everyone, regardless of status, had access to a printing press?" This hypothetical question to Thomas Jefferson would certainly have an interesting answer, but that answer is now nearly moot. Everyone does have that potential using their computer and a web site. Your concern should be 'how are they talking about you'?I'm not talking just about social media, spewing their love or disdain of a business on Facebook and Twitter for the masses. I'm talking about expanding their ideas, being…
Blunder, or best naming idea ever? Welcome, iPad.

Jen Zingsheim

27 Jan 2010 | 12:40 pm

Editor's Blog Blunder, or best naming idea ever? Welcome, iPad. by Jen Zingsheim So, where on the "any press is good press" spectrum do you fall? Because Apple's new product is either a naming disaster or a stroke of genius.Men: sorry--but here goes. Naming a tech product an "iPad" has unleashed a tsunami of feminine-hygiene related jokes across the Internet. A fairly comprehensive rundown can be found, unsurprisingly, at Jezebel (thanks Wurrey, for the link!). Most of the women I know are wondering how on Earth this got through the marketing department--how can it be a good thing when the…
Coming soon...

Jen Zingsheim

27 Jan 2010 | 11:13 am

Coming soon... by Jen Zingsheim When we started Media Bullseye, we weren't sure how it would go over--after all, we were focusing on long-form pieces at just the same time most folks were turning to 140 characters. Ever the contrarians, we sallied forth. Since its launch in 2007, we've steadily grown the site, and launched new programs like the Media Bullseye Radio Roundtable.For 2010, we're revamping the Media Bullseye site and will soon be unveiling a whole new look and feel for our online magazine. We also are working to get daily reporting coverage during SXSW, and are adding some new…
Building a Niche

Robert Quigley

22 Jan 2010 | 12:02 pm

Old Media, New Tricks Building a Niche by Robert Quigley On a sunny, warm Wednesday afternoon in Newport Beach, Calif., surfers took in some waves in the cold Pacific Ocean waters, people shopped along the boardwalks and the lone content producer for Hookem.com was combing the beach for University of Texas Longhorn fans. Thousands of people decked out in the distinctive burnt orange clothing were in Southern California for the BCS championship game, and Hookem's Dave Behr was on a mission to find, talk to, video and photograph as many of them as possible. He was to be the eyes and ears for…

Social Media PR Blog Feed
Sleep Expert on “Sleep Talkin’ Man:” It Could Happen To You

Steve Mullen

5 Feb 2010 | 2:14 pm

Sleep Expert on “Sleep Talkin’ Man:” It Could Happen To You Summary: Noted sleep expert and SleepBetter.org contributor comments on nighttime chatterbox who has become an Internet sensation. (Richmond, Va.) — An English ad-man’s overnight verbal outbursts are an Internet phenomenon, but noted sleep expert Michael J. Breus, PhD, a contributor to sleep tips web site SleepBetter.org, says sleep talking is actually quite common and may have a genetic underpinning. If you haven’t heard about Adam Lennard by now, you probably will. Lennard has become a world-wide…
Sheltering Arms Awarded Prestigious Accreditation for Stroke Care

Steve Mullen

2 Feb 2010 | 6:06 am

Sheltering Arms Awarded Prestigious Accreditation for Stroke Care (Richmond, Va.) – The Sheltering Arms Hospital has been given a rare honor that reinforces the high level of care its Inpatient Rehabilitation teams give to patients every day. The hospital received a ‘Disease-Specific Care Certification’ in Stroke Rehabilitation through The Joint Commission – with no requirements for improvement! The certification and Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission means that Sheltering Arms’ Stroke Rehabilitation program complies with the highest national standards for…
Facebook is Better for “Old Folks”

Steve Mullen

29 Jan 2010 | 7:04 am

There’s a great post today on Mashable about something I’ve been talking about with clients and when I present to groups for quite some time — the fastest growing segment of the social media world has grey hair. The article, Baby Boomers and Seniors Are Flocking to Facebook, has some great stats about the growth of the number of Americans 44+ on Facebook. According to Deloitte data, 2009 was the year that social media bloomed for Baby Boomers, with nearly 47% of them actively maintaining a profile on the social web, which is up 15% from 2008. Further driving home that 2009…
Sleep Tips Web Site SleepBetter.org to Release “My Sleepy Valentine Survey”

Steve Mullen

27 Jan 2010 | 6:31 am

Sleep Tips Web Site SleepBetter.org to Release “My Sleepy Valentine Survey” (Richmond, Va.) – Has Valentine’s Day become “just another day” for work-stressed Americans? What do men and women value more, good sex or a good night’s sleep? Those are just a couple of the questions that will be answered by the My Sleepy Valentine Survey by SleepBetter.org, to be released soon at sleep advice web site SleepBetter.org. The My Sleepy Valentine Survey by SleepBetter.org polled American couples on topics related to Valentine’s Day, relationships and sleep,…
Maker of Revolutionary Portable Personal Health Record Unveils New 911 Medical ID Medallion

Steve Mullen

22 Jan 2010 | 8:07 am

Maker of Revolutionary USB Portable Personal Health Record Card Introduces New 911 Medical ID Medallion 911 Medical ID Card & Medallion Help Users Easily Create a Portable Personal Health Record (PHR) Louisville, KY (January 25, 2010) – Just months after introducing the 911 Medical ID™ USB portable personal health record (PHR) wallet card, its maker, MEMI Tech, is launching another revolutionary product. The new 911 Medical ID Medallion™ is designed to be worn around the neck, and includes the same features and functions as the wallet card. The medallion is perfect for use by the…

Tom Murphy - Murphy's Law
Pining for the Six Nations

Tom Murphy

5 Feb 2010 | 2:57 pm

This time of year means one thing for me (and it doesn’t involve the weather), it’s Six Nations time. This is the time of the year when the excitement starts to build. When thousands of Irish, English, French, Welsh, Scottish and Italians criss-cross Europe following their teams. When town centres are crammed with supporters, colour and excitement. This year, for me at any rate, it means getting up an ungodly hour to support the boys in green – the (ahem) reigning Grand Slam champions (probably the last time in my life time I’ll be able to type that). Aidan Cunningham from…
PR Miscellany – January 31st 2010

Tom Murphy

31 Jan 2010 | 1:56 pm

So you won’t be surprised to find out I’ve been a little behind on my RSS feed reading. It’s been busy recently. Slipping through the (PR) feeds, it’s interesting to note that probably 90+% of “PR” posts are actually about social media. Now social media is clearly very important, but to me, the intersection of PR and social media or even business or marketing to social media is far more important. So what interesting stuff is there this week – at the risk of drawing Valeria’s ire ? First a surprise, for me at any rate. In the blogs I scanned there is very little…
Where’s your pride?

Tom Murphy

30 Jan 2010 | 12:15 pm

On a cold Dublin day in 1985, the Irish rugby team were playing England at Lansdowne Road. The country’s rugby team has traditionally played with a lot of pride and passion, but never had the quality to trouble the world’s best teams on a consistent basis (I am delighted to report that the situation is a little different today). This day they had the opportunity to win the “Triple Crown” by beating the old enemy (well everyone’s old enemy ). It was a tough match and the English team clearly had the upper hand. In fact it was becoming apparent that once again…
The secrets of controlled media leaks…

Tom Murphy

7 Jan 2010 | 8:11 am

There’s a lot of great content online. If you wade back into the mists of time (I’m probably talking about oh 2001) then there really was very little information to find on subject areas like PR (believe me I used to look for it). But now we have the luxury of thousands of people actively blogging and twittering about PR and PR-related issues. This is fantastic. Even when you consider quality-versus-volume, we’re still in a far far better place. However, sometimes as I monitor what’s getting lots of Twitter love I just scratch my head and wonder. The latest is this piece…
Seriously… dump that social media stuff and get back to work

Tom Murphy

6 Jan 2010 | 1:18 pm

Happy New Year. I had a lovely time, thanks for asking. I have spent far too much time over the past couple of weeks monitoring the online chatter. My god there’s a lot of noise. I think I am having Social Media sweats. There are just so many articles, posts, rants and links. Now don’t get me wrong it’s great that people are sharing their views, and opinions and, in a very small number of cases even their experiences. But really… there are only so many Social Media Top 10s, 10 things to avoid, 10 brands that…. you know… enough already. Social Media is incredibly…

Online Public Relations Thoughts
Never Say "Never"

Jim Horton

9 Feb 2010 | 2:04 am

If there is one dangerous word to use, especially in turbulent times, it is the word "never" as in "will never happen." The Secretary of the Treasury said that the US will never lose its high credit rating, but really, how does he know, especially with deficits facing the country for years to come? His statement is filled with hubris, as if he can personally guarantee that the country will remain a strong credit. Of course, he can't. It is understandable that he wants to project a sense of calm and control to a reeling country, but there are ways of doing that without making promises one…
Weather Hysteria

Jim Horton

8 Feb 2010 | 1:59 am

The snowstorm that hit the East Coast over the weekend provoked the usual crowd reactions. People loaded shopping carts with food and other necessities so they wouldn't run out if they couldn't get out of the house for days. The storm, which was bad in southern New Jersey and below, failed to reach northern New Jersey, New York and New England. So while Washington DC had more than a foot, New Yorkers had nothing at all or at most, a dusting. However, that didn't stop crowd behavior in the unaffected areas. TV meteorologists fueled the hysteria with dire predictions. News crews scrambled to…
Familiarity Breeds Trust

Jim Horton

5 Feb 2010 | 2:05 am

The old saying that "Familiarity breeds contempt" has apparently been turned on its head in online marketing -- at least if this forecast is accurate. What it highlights is that marketers demands for exact measurement were largely excuses to avoid using a new medium that they didn't understand. If this forecast is correct, it is another blow to traditional media, especially to print, and 2010 will be as bad as 2009. Look for more magazines and newspapers to disappear.
Proper Use of Populism

Jim Horton

4 Feb 2010 | 4:15 am

TO: Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHoodFROM: SpinmeisterSUBJ: Proper Use of PopulismMr. Secretary, it has come to our attention that your comments yesterday advising drivers of Toyota autos to "stop driving" their cars was an improper use of populist rhetoric. The object of populism is to incite citizens against an evil, such as a large corporation, a bank or other force and in so doing to win votes for your side. The object is not to panic citizens and turn them against you, thereby costing your party votes in the next election. Of course, we know populism doesn't have to be true or…
Hokum?

Jim Horton

3 Feb 2010 | 1:58 am

The developing practice of neuromarketing is still at a stage when one wonders whether it is an aid to marketers or hokum. Marketers and PR practitioners should approach it with a sense of skepticism. The claim that it helps marketers know what to avoid more than what to choose appears to be reasonable. On the other hand, what marketers and PR practitioners need most are directions rather than stop signs. There is a chance that neuromarketing will become a more precise discipline over time. Until then, proceed with caution.

Public Relations Online - Thoughts & Theory
CDC's tips on using Twitter

4 Feb 2010 | 9:48 am

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/02/cdc_twitter_primer.html?ft=1&f=103537970 Posted via email from Tom Kelleher's posterous
Thanks to Guy Kawasaki, I'm going to show this in COM 201 in discussing multimedia

5 Nov 2009 | 11:45 am

Posted via email from Tom Kelleher's posterous
Spam Musubi @UHPRSSA bakesale

28 Oct 2009 | 2:49 pm

Posted via email from Tom Kelleher's posterous
Testing posterous

14 Aug 2009 | 3:28 pm

View from office window (Diamond Head behind tree). Sent from my iPhone Posted via email from Tom Kelleher's posterous
Internship Availability

14 Aug 2009 | 3:22 pm

Begin forwarded message: Aloha! I hope all is well! We haven’t talked in a while about internship opportunities. Please pass this along to your students. We have a few new updates for McNeil Wilson Communications, and some great opportunities for students this Fall semester. Please note the new details and contact below. We are always looking for bright minds and new talent. CONTACT:

Wired PR Works
Social Media Gets Bigger Budget Share

Barbara Rozgonyi

9 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

MarketingSherpa’s chart of the week shows that social media’s share of the online budget is now at 11%. According to MarketingSherpa’s Social Media Marketing Benchmark Survey,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Study Shows Tech, Media, Buying Power

Barbara Rozgonyi

9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

As a marketing student, I find it interesting to look into communities. Here are a few highlights from a recent study about the African American market. “‘African Americans... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Videos Watched in One Month 33B

Barbara Rozgonyi

8 Feb 2010 | 7:05 pm

Americans LOVE video so much that they watched 33.2 billion of them in December 2009. Why do you think Americans watch so much video online? Highlights from the comScore Video Metrix service... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Social Media 101 Workshop Presentation

Barbara Rozgonyi

8 Feb 2010 | 11:31 am

Three out of four marketing and PR workshops for IAPD IAPR went well: lots of space, time and room for conversation. When I saw the room for my Social Media Sampler presentation, I got a bit... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
25 Web Celebs

Barbara Rozgonyi

4 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

Who’s who on the Web? Forbes recently released its fourth annual 25 top Web Celebs. To be a contender, you had to meet this criteria . . . Each candidate was ranked in four areas: Web... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

a shel of my former self
Undercover Boss makes for good television—and bad management

shel@holtz.com

9 Feb 2010 | 9:47 am

Once the Super Bowl—the most-viewed television program of all time—ended, 38.6 million people (about 36% of the Super Bowl audience) stuck around for the premiere of CBS’s new “reality” show, “Undercover Boss.” In case you’ve just emerged from a coma and aren’t aware of the show, the premise is simple: Company leaders go undercover on the front lines of their companies to discover what it’s really like to do the heavy lifting. Surprised at what they see—from abuses to the horrific consequences of their own policies—their…
Blocking access isn’t the only way to protect your company

shel@holtz.com

8 Feb 2010 | 1:49 pm

In a comment left recently to a post I wrote for Stop Blocking back in October 2007 about malware on Facebook, David Jones with CommerceMicro wrote: Stupid, out dated information. We have users that repeatedly get infected with viruses and spyware no matter what level or type of antivirus and antispyware software we install. It’s rather odd that ONLY THOSE particular users get re-infected day after day and that they all have MySpace accounts, FaceBook accounts, or whatever. Their employers have to continually pay us to come and clean these infections. My reply was a bit terse. I asked Jones…
The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #524: February 8, 2010

shel@holtz.com

8 Feb 2010 | 12:59 pm

Content summary: MediaFunnel FIR interview is up; Help A PR Pro Out; Michael Netzley reports from Singapore; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits: what Vodafone did when an employee tweeted obscenely, wide and mostly negative reaction to Forrester Research plans to stop analysts from blogging personally; listener comments discussion and FIR Friendfeed Room round-up; news about Thursday’s show; music from Antiqcool; and more. Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (26.2Mb, 65:26) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought…
Are we overvaluing real-time feedback?

shel@holtz.com

6 Feb 2010 | 2:38 pm

Warning: Lost post follows Back in 1995, “Snow Crash” author Neal Stephenson teamed up with his uncle George Jewsbury under the pseudonym Stephen Bury to produce a potboiler titled “Interface.” The premise: A presidential candidate suffers a stroke and has a chip implanted in his brain. The chip features a wireless connection to feedback from thousands of watch-like devices distributed to a representative sample of Americans. These devices gauge the wearer’s reaction to political speeches, allowing the candidate to make mid-course adjustments and bolster public…
FIR Interview: Andreas Wilkens and Michele Macpherson of MediaFunnel

shel@holtz.com

5 Feb 2010 | 1:46 pm

MediaFunnel is a web-based platform for managing team contributions to an organization’s social media output. Initially developed for teams contributing content to branded Twitter accounts, it is expanding into Facebook and other social media channels. In this FIR Interview, co-host Shel Holtz speaks with one of the platform’s co-founders and its business development adviser about the potential uses of the platform and how it works. Get this podcast:

The Bad Pitch Blog
Batter Up: The Bad Pitch From HR!

Richard Laermer

3 Feb 2010 | 4:13 pm

We all know that PR folk are not the only ones who send bad pitches! As we are aware, our HR colleagues pitch all day, every day. When they recruit, what are they doing: they're pitching. When they announce inevitably negative changes to benefits packages, that's really a pitch. You get the idea.Late last year, a zealous HR pro (her title is a misnomer: Manager of Talent Development) sent an email to a former employee at my agency, RLM. Never mind that he’d been gone for months and is no longer listed on our site — we forgave her idiocy. But she also phoned, sounding anxious to speak with…
Arrogant Brands & Saying No to the Media

Kevin

1 Feb 2010 | 8:31 pm

"You're so vain. You probably think this post is about you."PR Newser points out that Apple only let one reporter, Walt Mossberg, touch the robes of Steve Jobs so that he might be healed. It reinforces some of the opinions I’ve been tweeting about Apple. Let’s face it – they’re an arrogant brand.The Bad Pitch Blog was contacted by an anonymous source who is calling out another arrogant brand – Ralph Lauren.Based on the way Ralph Lauren’s PR peeps are handling media relations, it looks like they could use an ego check.--Subject: Ralph Lauren Fall 2010 Fashion ShowFrom:…
Slick’s Twitter Pitch Fit

Kevin

31 Jan 2010 | 10:53 am

Slick’s Twitter Pitch FitThis is the first pitch wherein I can out the author because they pitched me on Twitter in plain, permalinked view of the world.This bad pitch shows a clear lack of understanding of Twitter. As we approach Valentine’s Day, I do not have a heart on for this pitch from @twsprfirm. Its only accomplishment is finding how to suck in less than 140 characters.@NABJ @royaletee @prblog Check out The #UnAgency Approach from Atlanta Based Agency ~ Press Release: http://twitter.com/twsprfirm/status/7647442425" - TWS The UnAgency (@twsprfirm)How do I hate thee? Let me post the…
"There Be No Vapor": A Lesson In Good Pitch Practice

Richard Laermer

28 Jan 2010 | 6:56 am

Last week I was quoted in a major (so to speak) publication saying that most corporations put out vapor like it's flowing water. The question reached my messy desk: What is and what isn’t vaporous today?Let’s review the facts: There are only so many reporters covering the field or industry you play in, whether it’s automotive technology, software, clothing, or architectural design. With time and experience, you will wind up speaking to them all one day—or their brethren. In a world of instant comm and ever-shrinking inner circles, a PR person who cries wolf with a few off-mark pitches…
Five Stories About The Media!

Richard Laermer

27 Jan 2010 | 7:38 am

Hello, participants in this experiment. You are reading the premier of a regular Bad Pitch Blog post, “Five Stories About The Media!” I hope you enjoy it and know it’s impossible not to.De-Hyping David "@carr2n" CarrIn October 2001 I read something in the New York Times that made me think hype was Apple’s only bet—and maybe the brand new “iPod portable music player,” as the Mac device was then known, might not be as substantial as its over-the-top pre-release made it to be. I wrote my thoughts down and it crept into the Times on 11/1/01:“Hype is of no value unless it's got…

Trevor Cook
In the World of Facebook - The New York Review of Books

Trevor Cook

9 Feb 2010 | 2:08 am

Facebook, the most popular social networking Web site in the world, was founded in a Harvard dorm room in the winter of 2004. Like Microsoft, that other famous technology company started by a Harvard dropout, Facebook was not particularly original. A quarter-century earlier, Bill Gates, asked by IBM to provide the basic programming for its new personal computer, simply bought a program from another company and renamed it. Mark Zuckerberg, the primary founder of Facebook, who dropped out of college six months after starting the site, took most of his ideas from existing social networks such as…
Working for free: a glimpse into the future of 'journalism'

Trevor Cook

8 Feb 2010 | 7:04 pm

The rush of information and comments following my appeal to freelancers to let me know what they are paid and how they are treated continues. Here is a table summarising the latest data. It adds to the one published on this blog yesterday. via blogs.crikey.com.au With the rapid onward rush of new and social media, the prospect of actually making a living from journalism is fast becoming a thing of the past. Of course, Mark (don't insult Beijing) Scott favours the pro-am model where he gets paid and so does his management and his staff but a whole bunch of others do stuff for free as part of…
Too much noise: commenting on the commenters

Trevor Cook

5 Feb 2010 | 6:15 pm

The santimonious people at Crikey, who make a modest living chastising the mainstream press via www.thepunch.com.auThis tart, partially accurate, and amusing, remark by the editor of the punch, David Penberthy, is a good example of the absurdity of much of what goes on in Australia's burgeoning 'opinionsphere', where people who know little of any substance on the great issues of the day spend their time swapping cleverly worded insults. As the 'opinionsphere' has grown over the last year or two we have had much more noise, but little by the way of illumination.More matter, less art please.
I knew I must have a dopplelganger somewhere

Trevor Cook

4 Feb 2010 | 2:12 pm

On a bathroom wall in his office building, Minneapolis investment adviser Trevor Cook displayed a framed newspaper clipping touting his astute global currency trading. Around it, he placed sketches of mob bosses John Gotti and Al Capone, and tough-guy actor Al Pacino from his roles in the gangster movies "Scarface" and "Carlito's Way." The mini-gallery offers a glimpse into the man who now sits in jail accused of running a $190 million fraud scheme. Cook, 37, appeared to be a successful businessman with an international portfolio. He persuaded about 1,200 people to invest with him, including…
Web 2.0 and democratic participation

Trevor Cook

27 Jan 2010 | 4:31 pm

One of the tantalising hopes for web 2.0 has been the promised revitalisation participation of ordinary citizens in public debates and, down the track, decision-making, though how the latter would occur has never been coherently articulated.There's no doubt that we have a surfeit of opinion. The most popular stuff in Australia is on the sites owned by the major media outfits like Fairfax, News and the ABC. Much of this stuff is more entertaining than edifying and whether it adds much to the quality of our democracy is an open question.These opinion sites are not revolutionary. Much of it is…

Denver PR Blog
Pro Bono Opportunity: Colorado Horse Rescue

denverprblog

9 Feb 2010 | 9:15 am

Colorado Horse Rescue, a 501(c)3 non-profit operating in Longmont, is in need of some pro bono public relations help. According to CHR’s Erica Churgin, “Outreach is a very important aspect of our organization in terms of educating people about the unwanted horse issue as well as reaching our current stakeholders/donors and trying to attract new ones.” If you would like to help, contact Erica at 303-684-9688 or ejchurgin@gmail.com.
PRSA Luncheon: PR in a Digital World

denverprblog

9 Feb 2010 | 9:11 am

GroundFloor Media VP and Managing Partner Ramonna Tooley will headline PRSA’s monthly luncheon with a presentation titled, “PR in a Digital World: What’s in your Toolbox?” Tooley will present some of the digital PR strategies her team recommends to clients to stay competitive in a digital world and share examples from a variety of industries including nonprofit, food and beverage, and sports and entertainment. Details are: PR in a Digital World: What’s in your Toolbox? Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. MST The Curtis Hotel, 1405 Curtis St.,…
Metzger Celebrates Social Media Anniversary

denverprblog

9 Feb 2010 | 9:03 am

Congratulations to Doyle Albee and the team at Metzger, who are celebrating the fifth anniversary of its social media practice with a social media breakfast on Thursday, Feb. 18, from 8-11 a.m. The breakfast is free, but reservations are required and donations to the Colorado Haiti Project will be accepted. Among the presenters at the breakfast will be Albee, Filtrbox’s Ari Newman, AskDaveTaylor.com’s (and Metzger consultant) Dave Taylor, CenturyLink’s Linda O’Neill, and Metzger’s Dean Rizzuto. Click here for details and to RSVP.
Worst Valentines Day Ever

denverprblog

9 Feb 2010 | 8:55 am

Denver’s Fox31/The Deuce searches for the worst Valentine’s Day ever, and pretty much hits a bullseye.
Denver PR Jobs

denverprblog

8 Feb 2010 | 11:08 am

Among those hiring this week are Vladimir Jones, Malenke | Barnhart, RTD, The Winsor Group, AANAC, American Income Life Insurance Company, Checkers Industrial Safety Products, Dalbey Education Institute, Grand Tetons National Bank, U.S. Olympic Committee (Colorado Springs), City of Scottsdale (Ariz.), and the MPAA (Washington, D.C.).

Drew B's take on tech PR
Four ways to make yourself indispensable: break rules, make change, ship it and impress

Drew B

4 Feb 2010 | 2:47 pm

There's a write up on the Business Week innovation blog by Helen Walters of Seth Godin's talk today at PSKF, which was part of global Social Media Week. Fascinating stuff and all of which I totally subscribe by, and wish more people would. (oh, by the way, we hosted a talk for the same event in out London office this morning as well...). Seth's four ways to make yourself indispensable (also read as how to be good at work). 1. Make your rules2. Make change that matters3. Get stuff done quick and move on (aka 'ship it')4. Everything is an opportunity to do best and impress, not to just to…
Bye bye status. Hello check in. Foursquare one year on

Drew B

17 Jan 2010 | 12:55 pm

Back in March last year I started using Foursquare, which was back then a US-only service that seemed to plug nicely into Twitter and which I heard all the right people had moved over to. In October it launched in the UK, and this month, it seems to have hit its first UK tipping point. From my login anyway, as much is happening on Foursquare every day that used to happen in an average week last year. So could this be the making of Foursquare? Will its ability to link brands with users in a much smarter way than Twitter be its golden ticket? Background reading: My posts from April and August…
People moves

Drew B

17 Jan 2010 | 2:34 am

Some news on people moving about the PR and marketing social media game: PR Week has reported that Rob Boella, who left Immediate Future in the UK last year to join 3 Monkeys as an account director, has left there to join Publicasity as a director of online and social media Chris Messina, the social media technologist, and a prominent voice in the interwebs, has joined Google to work on the company's open web team David Armano has left Dachis Group in the US, the consultancy that recently bought UK company Headshift, to join Edelman as a senior vice president in the digital department BL…
Five ways we are changing the way we use email

Drew B

12 Jan 2010 | 3:04 pm

This morning I received an out of office auto-reply from someone on email that went a bit like this: "Thanks for your email. I am busy in meetings today so might not be able to get right back to you...."This is a rising trend that I'm noticing - to warn people that you don't sit on email all day so may not be able to respond quicker than, say, a business day. But since when was Email the same as IM? Is it right to tell senders that they should expect a slow response on a system that was never meant to be 'live'. As a consultant with clients and as an employer with a business to run, I think…
Social TV vs socialising with TV. My hopes for the real future of small screen viewing

Drew B

21 Dec 2009 | 1:56 pm

Technology industry veterans will be familiar with the concept of the backchannel: an unofficial online discussion channel that opens up spontaneously around social gatherings, such as conferences, where the delegates turn to the social web for commentary on the goings on. Those not at the event ultimately feed from the backchannel to see the opinion from the crowd.Backchannels have been common for years now. And with the mainstreaming of Twitter, we're seeing the backchannel increase the socialisation of something else, a bit more mainstream than the tech conference, that brings other groups…

Minnesota Public Relations Blog
Gibbs promoted to VP at Beehive

Ryan May | MNPR

9 Feb 2010 | 11:05 am

Nicki Gibbs has been promoted to vice president at Beehive PR. As vice president, Gibbs will lead the agency’s new business development and Beehive’s Livewire offering, a short-term, customized strategy development service for brands that need a strategic and creative spark. Gibbs will continue to oversee Beehive’s consumer, retail and sports marketing client portfolio. She also will contribute her expertise to Beehive’s specialty services: crisis management, sponsorship activation and spokesperson coaching. Gibbs has nearly 15 years of experience providing public relations counsel to…
Jobs and more jobs...plus internships at Padilla

Ryan May | MNPR

9 Feb 2010 | 7:44 am

Padilla Speer Beardsley - Interns Padilla Speer Beardsley - Agriculture and Environmental Science Padilla Speer Beardsley - Senior Research Analyst
Job - CLS seeking account management professional

Ryan May | MNPR

8 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pm

CLS seeking account management professional
Job - OFFICE OF MAYOR CHRIS COLEMAN - Director of Communications

Ryan May | MNPR

8 Feb 2010 | 6:56 am

OFFICE OF MAYOR CHRIS COLEMAN - Director of Communications
GIANT CUPS OF COFFEE ARE LANDING ON NICOLLET MALL

Ryan May | MNPR

7 Feb 2010 | 12:57 pm

Hot java on tap — a February gift from local agency OLSON and its client, Chinet WHAT YOU’LL SEE: OLSON, is jolting the city awake Monday morning with a fun coffee stunt for client Chinet. Nicollet Mall will be smelling great with huge prop Chinet Comfort Cups, emitting steam, coffee aroma and even heat, tempting commuters to come closer, closer, to sample actual cups of coffee, served in real Chinet Comfort Cups. Street teams with backpacks shaped like the new cups will be sampling the coffee for consumers in the brand new take-out coffee containers. WHEN: Monday, February 8, 7 a.m. to…

O'Dwyer's Blog: Covering PR, public affairs, marketing and the world of communications.
IT Specialists Move in for the Kill

8 Feb 2010 | 6:31 am

Redwood Collaborative Media, whose founder is Andrew Muns, publisher of Software Test & Performance magazine, is promoting the NewComm Forum on social media April 20-23 at the San Mateo Marriott. Full registration is $1,495. Jennifer McClure Muns is not personally involved in the conference, which is offering a $200 discount for registrations received by March 12. A $100 discount on pre-conference workshops is available until that date. NewComm alumni receive a $100 discount and NewComm Collaborative members receive a $200 members-only discount. Charter membership rate is $195. NewComm…

PR, Social Media, and Marketing Mentor ?
An Unrelenting Passion to Make the World Better

Today is Beth Kanter's 53rd birthday. I have met Beth in person several times and have always (not so secretly) wanted to work with her on a project. She is a complete inspiration, one of my heroes, a person whose excitement and enthusiasm for using social tools to help a ...
Client Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley’s Social Media Program Wins a 2009 SNCR Award for Excellence in New Communications

An animated fly-over video of what the new Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley hospital will look like when completed in 2013. Produced by The Devenney Group, the architecture firm for the new hospital. Posted also by Cassandra Clark, Project Communications Director, on the Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley blog site. Sutter Medical ...
Society for New Communications Research Honors Award Winners for Innovation and Success in Their Use of New Media

For Immediate Release Society for New Communications Research Honors Award Winners for Innovation and Success in their Use of New Media Winning Social Media and New Communications Case Studies Published by SNCR San Jose, California, U.S.A. — November 12, 2009 — The Society for New Communications Research (SNCR), a global nonprofit research ...
Society for New Communications Research Issues Call for 2010 Fellows

For Immediate Release Society for New Communications Research Issues Call for 2010 Fellows November 11, 2009 — San Jose, California, U.S.A. — The Society for New Communications Research, (SNCR), a global nonprofit 501(c)3 research and education foundation and think tank dedicated to exploring the latest developments in new media and communications and ...
2009 SNCR Excellence in New Communications Awards Submission Deadline Extended to Thursday, September 10th

Each year, the Society for New Communications Research presents the prestigious SNCR Excellence in New Communications Awards. The deadline for application submissions for this year's awards has been extended from September 7th to Thursday, September 10, 2009, to allow applicants who are away for Labor Day Weekend to finish and ...

Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York
PR Damage Control Tips For Toyota

Shannon Nelson

9 Feb 2010 | 8:05 am

Toyota has found itself in quite a PR crisis lately due to their massive recalls, but also due to their slow-to-respond CEO, Akio Toyoda, who only made a public appearance this past Friday after Toyota's consumer confidence and stock continued to plummet. This is most likely at the urging of Japan's government, as the brand is so closely aligned with Japan's identity as a leader and super power. But with a recall that is so far reaching into more than 60 countries, why would Toyoda wait so long to re-assure its consumers, retailers and shareholders that the automaker has the…
Real Housewives of Orange County

Sara Goodman

8 Feb 2010 | 10:30 am

The one that started it all is becoming as monotonous as their wrinkle-free faces. The Real Housewives of Orange County is in the midst of its fifth season on Bravo and the antics continue with each passing episode. A new blonde beauty is in the mix with the addition of Alexis Bellino entering the show. There’s the usual drama between the housewives, along with the forced luncheons, dinners and slumber parties. But even with the occasional laugh, we can’t help but wonder when is it time to say good-bye to the Southern Cal gals? Ever since The Real Housewives of New Jersey showed…
Will the iPad put Print Mags Under?

Alexa Greenman

8 Feb 2010 | 9:27 am

Technology just keeps taking over the world. Apple recently created a new device, the iPad which allows you to experience the web, emails, photos, and videos by just using the touch of a finger. Who would’ve thought that all these everyday tasks could be so simple to do so fast? Now we don’t have to worry about being noisy with the clicking of our laptop keys while were waiting for the plane to take off. Talk about the perfect travelling gizmo! This extraordinary device only weighs 1.5 pounds and is 0.5 inches thin, making it easy to carry around everywhere. …
MAC & MILK Partners w/ LVMH for The Art of Craftsmanship Revisited

Jenelle Forin

5 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am

Fashion PR News: New York Fashion Week is fast approaching, but this season young, budding students will also get the chance to showcase their products. Global luxury brand LVMH announced the launch of a new project “The Art of Craftsmanship Revisited: New York". A back-to-basics approach to craftsmanship and creativity, Parsons students were partners with local New York City artisans in late 2009, to learn from and shadow. As a result of the project the students created an original fashion piece and documentary shorts, that were inspired by the Master Artisan their…
Beauty PR: Shear Genius Season III

Sara Goodman

3 Feb 2010 | 3:04 pm

Bravo gave Shear Genius a casting makeover before returning the hair styling show to its schedule for a third season. Gone is former host Jaclyn Smith, famous for her Charlie's Angels days. In her place, welcome Camila Alves. An International super model and girlfriend of Matthew McConaughey, Camila brings her Brazilian looks and (Bravo hopes) a fresher, younger angle to the third season. Also joining the cast as a judge is Jonathan Antin, who’s no stranger to Bravo. His series “Blow Out” aired on the channel in 2004 and viewers watched the process of opening and…

Quest PR Blog
How did I live before the advent of Facebook?

Harriet Cullum

9 Feb 2010 | 1:52 am

Before venturing into the world of PR when I was in my first year at University, a friend who lived in my halls exhorted me to join Facebook. “Please sign up,” he said “I need more friends!” I did so – and my relationship with the social networking site began. In 2006, when opening my account, the site was only accessible to students from certain Universities. Many of my school friends were excluded because their institutions weren’t on the fateful ‘list’. The creators of Facebook realised they were missing a trick and over the next couple of years the website became all…
Back on the other side of the camera – did I practice what I preached?

Sharon Cain

29 Jan 2010 | 5:06 am

As a poacher turned gamekeeper who specialises in conducting media training sessions across the UK, it was surreal to see myself back on the telly in an ITV Wales programme which reviewed major news stories. As highlighted in my previous posts, I was interviewed about covering what appeared to be a fairly innocuous story about a man reviving local cinema. The man in question later turned out to be a serial killer – and I was sent out to report on one of his gruesome murders! I am now critically assessing my performance and referring to my own tips on how to conduct a television interview.
The importance of where

Paul Rayment

21 Jan 2010 | 7:29 am

Back when I was doing my degree one of my first (and most basic) journalism seminars covered the subject of the ‘five Ws’. It was hardly rocket science, but it is still a fundamental part of journalism and PR and one that is just as applicable to social media. Until recently social media has been focusing on four of these Ws: Who – Whether it’s using @tags on Twitter or simply referencing someone on Facebook. What – The key to most tweets, updates and blog posts. When – Whether you pay close attention to trending topics or not, nearly all posts are time stamped. Why – Often the…
Why 2010 is a great time to start a new business – guest post by Jo Haigh, Head of Corporate Finance, MGR

Sue Roberts

19 Jan 2010 | 3:11 am

‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way.’ Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities. English novelist (1812-1970) A classic quote over 100 years old yet so pertinent to the current economy. A time, no doubt, when there are substantial opportunities for those brave enough to…
Essential iPhone apps for PROS

Paul Rayment

15 Jan 2010 | 9:25 am

In November I finally joined the iPhone party, having previously put my money behind Samsung’s Omnia and a weighty 18-month contract. It was a mistake reiterated by Samsung themselves as they canned the phone not long after launch. Since Apple released their revolutionary device I’ve kept my eyes on its development and the impact it’s had on the way we communicate, do business, socialise and a whole host of other activities. However, it wasn’t until I became addicted to their app store that I learnt how useful it can be not only for my life but also in PR. Here are my top…

RushPRnews - Newswire & Global Press Release Distribution
Wolfgang Puck to Create 2010 Governors Ball Menu

9 Feb 2010 | 6:17 pm

— For the 16th consecutive year, master chef Wolfgang Puck has been selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create the menu for the Governors Ball, the celebration immediately following the 82nd Academy Awards® presentation on...
Credits Determined for Documentary Feature Nominee

9 Feb 2010 | 12:31 am

— Nominee credits for Best Documentary Feature nominee “The Cove” have been determined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Documentary Branch Executive Committee. Credits are as follows: “The Cove” – Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens Academy rules for...
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin On Oscar® Shoulders

8 Feb 2010 | 6:44 pm

Oscar® Shoulders Co-Hosts in 82nd Academy Awards® Poster — 82nd Academy Awards® co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have landed on the shoulders of the Oscar in the official poster of the March 7 telecast. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts...
Oscar Night® America 2010 to Benefit Charities Nationwide

5 Feb 2010 | 6:12 pm

— On Sunday, March 7, charities in 51 cities will host official Oscar® viewing parties during the 82nd Academy Awards® ceremony as part of Oscar Night America (ONA), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ grassroots outreach program. The Academy...
U.S. Air Force Selects IBM

4 Feb 2010 | 7:28 pm

U.S. Air Force Selects IBM to Design and Demonstrate Mission-Oriented Cloud Architecture for Cyber Security Cloud model will introduce advanced cyber security and analytics technologies capable of protecting sensitive national data The U.S. Air Force has awarded IBM (NYSE:IBM) a contract to...

Richard Edelman - 6 A.M.
A Sober and Reflective Davos

3 Feb 2010 | 1:49 pm

I attended my twelfth World Economic Forum meeting in Davos this past week. In previous years, there were exuberant “dot-com” savants (1999), self-assured US diplomats just before the invasion of Iraq (2003), impressive sovereign wealth funds (2007) and confident private equity barons (2008). In turn, each has been humbled within eighteen to twenty four months. Last year in Davos, the world stood at the precipice, with insolvent financial institutions looking to government as lender of last resort and global trade plummeting as recession gripped the economy. Economic collapse has been…
Edelman Trust Barometer 2010 - A New Mandate for Business

25 Jan 2010 | 9:39 am

I have just arrived in Davos, ready to present the findings of our tenth annual Edelman Trust Barometer at a breakfast panel co-hosted by the Financial Times tomorrow morning. Here are a few of the important conclusions from this year's 22-country study of opinion formers, who are "media attentive," have more than $75,000 annual income and at least a college degree: Trust in business has stabilized and is trending upward, with a substantial jump of 18 points in the US (from an all-time low of 36% in 2009 to 54% in 2010). Trust in business falls into three categories (High-Brazil, China,…
Breaking Media -- The Vertical Play

19 Jan 2010 | 6:44 am

I had lunch with my old friend, Jonah Bloom, until recently the editor of Advertising Age and now the CEO of Breaking Media, a collection of vertical professional sites launched over the past four years. Jonah helped expand Advertising Age’s-- a must-read for us-- focus on the broader communications industry, and report the most compelling ground breaking work as well as the big campaigns and brands. The media brands under the Breaking Media umbrella include Fashionista (fashion), Dealbreaker (M&A), Above the Law (legal) and Going Concern (accounting). Here are the highlights from our…
Without Boundaries

12 Jan 2010 | 1:40 pm

I went to a luncheon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City yesterday in honor of the late Eunice Johnson, who died last week at age 93. Eunice and her husband John were co-founders of Johnson Publishing Company, which owns Ebony (1.2 million circulation) and Jet (900,000 circulation) magazines, trailblazers in Black media and still among the leading media for the African-American community. The Johnsons were close friends of my parents in Chicago; here are my observations about this unique success story from 35 years of acquaintance. The Johnsons operated as partners, with John…
Losing the News

8 Jan 2010 | 2:44 pm

Alex Jones, who runs the Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy at the JFK School of Government at Harvard, has written a book called, Losing the News. In it he chronicles the shrinking of the “iron core” of authority news. He contends that 85% of authoritative content is published in newspapers, while local TV, radio and bloggers are generally “piggy-backing” onto the investigative or accountability news. He acknowledges that “part of the news crisis is finding a solution that will pay the significant costs of generating accountability news that is essential to our…

Strategic Public Relations
Thesixtyone Turns Social Media Up to Eleven*

Kevin Dugan

26 Jan 2010 | 7:43 am

Characterized by TechCrunch as “a Digg for Indie music,” my new favorite site of the week/month and beyond is thesixtyone. Thesixtyone serves up the latest Indie bands in a format that is as simple as it is dramatic, telling visitors that “new artists make music and listeners decide what’s good.”With well-established sites like the Hype Machine and Pandora indulging my online music needs, why am I proclaiming my love for this self-described music adventure? Well in addition to music, thesixtyone has several interesting elements in social media and design to catch my…
The REAL Wisdom of Flash Mobs, Crowd Sourcing and Social Shopping

Kevin Dugan

31 Dec 2009 | 9:06 am

Happy Holidays from FRCH from Dan Reynolds on Vimeo**When I see trends discussing crowd sourcing, wisdom of the crowds or flash mobs, I'm always reminded of the misconception of "free PR."The misconception behind all of these shiny topics is the assumption that in some capacity they're faster, they're cheaper, they're easier to execute or, in some cases, they're "free" because they involve passionate consumers.This could not be farther from the truth. he REAL wisdom behind all of this is the reality. You have to participate in the crowd and be a member of the community to get their wisdom or…
10 Years in One Picture?

Kevin Dugan

28 Dec 2009 | 9:25 am

The ability to boil down a lot of information without oversimplifying it is an art and a science. This NYTimes inforgraphic, "Picturing the Past 10 Years," illustrates my point quite literally. This opinionated summation of a decade of news reminds me that if you can't boil content down to something simple and easy to remember, perhaps it's too complex?
Using Visuals to turn Data into Content | Four Links | 11.22.09

Kevin Dugan

22 Nov 2009 | 6:51 pm

My appreciation for all things visual did not peak with my article on why PR needs visual thinking. My focus on the topic has increased and there are plenty of sites driving this passion. Here are just a few of them. The Popular Ones: It’s no surprise that Indexed and Post Secret have books stemming from their popular sites. Post Secret tapped into an entire world’s need for expression while Indexed shows us the power of simplicity. The Smart Ones: Flowing Data and Infosthetics are my two must reads when it comes to the latest in data visualization. They even point to great content like…
Fight Club 2.0: AdWeek’s Digital Hot List | Brian Morrissey Interview

Kevin Dugan

9 Nov 2009 | 7:06 pm

Reading AdWeek’s “2009 Digital Hot List” it becomes clear we’re in store for a dynamic and competitive digital landscape in 2010. As the brands on the list fight for market share, it almost reads like a script for Fight Club 2.0. Brian Morrissey provided Strategic Public Relations his opinion on some of these brands and, in the process, some insight into the Hot List. 1) Social networks are comparable to a bar scene. There's always a hot bar everyone goes to until it gets old and they move onto the next hot bar. How long can Facebook hold onto their hot bar status that, in part, put…

The Home of Peter Shankman - Shankman.com
Sydney: Day Three: Rainbows, Waterfalls and Leeches!

Peter Shankman

9 Feb 2010 | 2:58 am

Day Three in Sydney started at the ungodly hour of 4:30am. Why? Because I was awake. I couldn’t get back to sleep. Since it was mid-day in NYC, I got some work done, caught up with Meagan, and essentially just used the time wisely. Tourism Australia had me starting out at 6:30am for an all [...]
Sydney: Day Two (Who Dat Edition)

Peter Shankman

8 Feb 2010 | 1:50 am

After getting a spectacular night sleep, I woke up to check out of the Novatel, and head to downtown Sydney, to check into the Diamant Hotel – Lovely place, reminds me of the W. The front desk woman was kind enough to not only inform me of the best restaurants in the area, but also [...]
Sydney, Day/Night One

Peter Shankman

7 Feb 2010 | 2:29 am

So it’s the end of day one in Sydney… It’s Sunday night, around 20:50 here. I arrived around 11:30am, after a few hours delayed on QF12 out of LAX. Left NYC around 3:30pm on Continental to LAX, sat in the OneWorld lounge for a few hours, boarded the Qantas flight, found my Business Class seat, [...]
The Power of SEO – I’m now a believer

Peter Shankman

2 Feb 2010 | 6:33 am

Go to Google right now and type in the word “Publicity” without the quotes. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Notice the second item that comes up in search? NOT in the Google ads, but in actual organic search? Here’s a photo, in case you didn’t. Yes, that’s HARO right there as number two, right behind Wikipedia, and in [...]
Five reasons why you should ALWAYS answer that first email

Peter Shankman

28 Jan 2010 | 2:00 pm

I got to wear the 1986 New York Mets World Series Ring and hold the trophy today, in a parking lot of an Embassy Suites, in Omaha, Nebraska, because Ed Hearn, a former NY Mets player, sent me an email asking for advice about publicity. 1986 Mets World Series Ring and Trophy I get a lot of [...]

Ries' Pieces
Super Bowl Ads 2010

Laura

8 Feb 2010 | 12:49 pm

Best ads of the game Google: Google transformed how we think about search and now Google has transformed how we think about Super Bowl ads. Without any celebrities, special effects or juvenile jokes, Google did what Google does best. It showed us in a simple clear how Google had changed the world. The ad is unlikely to win any creativity awards but unlike most ads I think it made a powerful, lasting impact in the mind on consumers. Doritos: Who needs a fancy award-winning agency when you can hold a contest and get your ads for free? Doritos showed us again that there are a lot of aspiring…
Verizon and its Atomic Bomb

Laura

27 Jan 2010 | 11:02 am

Marketing wars are fought with lots of words, but wars are won when you combine your words with a visual. We have seen several epic marketing wars: The Cola War of Coke vs. Pepsi, The Beer War of Budweiser vs. Miller, The Mouthwash War of Listerine vs. Scope and The Battery War of Duracell vs. Energizer. But they all fail in comparison to the money and firepower currently being expended in the Cellphone War between AT&T and arch-rival Verizon Wireless.
Domino's Should Apologize

Laura

12 Jan 2010 | 10:53 am

Everybody knows the rule. When you do something wrong, you say you are sorry. As a society we love to scold but we also love to forgive. And the simple act of just “saying” sorry goes a long way in righting many wrongs. But how, when and why you say you are sorry also matters. Say it too often and nobody will believe you anymore. Detroit has been begging for forgiveness for decades. Say it with advertising instead of PR and it looks phony. JetBlue…
It's what Tiger does next that counts

Laura

8 Dec 2009 | 2:02 pm

Tiger Woods was a rare breed. A phenomenal athlete who delivered consistent record-shattering victories on and off the course with style, grace and integrity. In an intense game like golf, Tiger built his reputation by performing under pressure. And like his idol Jack Nicklaus, Tiger transcended from being one of the best athletes ever to being one of the best celebrity brands ever. The latest Forbes Celebrity 100 list put Tiger at number five just behind Angelina, Oprah, Madonna and Beyonce. And ahead of…
Under Armour: Too Big for its Shirt?

Laura

4 Nov 2009 | 12:19 pm

It's amazing how many of the world's most successful entrepreneurs quickly forget what made them famous. The latest example is Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour. What made Under Armour famous? It wasn't a Super Bowl ad. It wasn't a massive marketing campaign. It wasn't ego or hype. What made Under Armour famous was "performance apparel" a new category Kevin created and carefully nurtured. As an ex-Maryland football player, Kevin Plank was sick of wearing…

EndGame Public Relations News
Sleep Tips Web Site SleepBetter.org to Release “My Sleepy Valentine Survey”

Steve Mullen

27 Jan 2010 | 6:31 am

Sleep Tips Web Site SleepBetter.org to Release “My Sleepy Valentine Survey” (Richmond, Va.) – Has Valentine’s Day become “just another day” for work-stressed Americans? What do men and women value more, good sex or a good night’s sleep? Those are just a couple of the questions that will be answered by the My Sleepy Valentine Survey by SleepBetter.org, to be released soon at sleep advice web site SleepBetter.org. The My Sleepy Valentine Survey by SleepBetter.org polled American couples on topics related to Valentine’s Day, relationships and sleep,…
Maker of Revolutionary Portable Personal Health Record Unveils New 911 Medical ID Medallion

Steve Mullen

22 Jan 2010 | 8:07 am

Maker of Revolutionary USB Portable Personal Health Record Card Introduces New 911 Medical ID Medallion 911 Medical ID Card & Medallion Help Users Easily Create a Portable Personal Health Record (PHR) Louisville, KY (January 25, 2010) – Just months after introducing the 911 Medical ID™ USB portable personal health record (PHR) wallet card, its maker, MEMI Tech, is launching another revolutionary product. The new 911 Medical ID Medallion™ is designed to be worn around the neck, and includes the same features and functions as the wallet card. The medallion is perfect for use by the…
Henrico Business Leaders Provides Forum for Communication

Steve Mullen

5 Jan 2010 | 11:24 am

Henrico Business Leaders Provides Forum for Communication HBL Goal Is To Facilitate Direct Interaction Between Businesses, Residents, and Government (Henrico County, VA) – A new organization is launching in Henrico County, with a goal of creating opportunities for face-to-face conversations between business owners, residents, and government leaders. The Henrico Business Leaders Inaugural Event will take place on January 11th at 7:15am at the Richmond Marriott West. Henrico County Manager Virgil Hazelett will give a “State of the County” update and speak about future plans for the area.
New Portable Personal Health Record (PHR) Card is a Life Saving Last Minute Holiday Gift

Steve Mullen

8 Dec 2009 | 7:06 am

Give the Gift of 911 Medical ID, and Protect the Recipient’s Life (Louisville, Kentucky) – Holiday shoppers looking for that perfect last minute holiday gift have a new option this year that could literally save the recipient’s life. The new 911 Medical ID™ card provides the security of personal medical information that can be carried as easily as a credit card, and is a great present for travelers, seniors, caregivers, parents, students, the chronically ill, and many others. If you’re severely injured in an accident, suffering from a severe allergic reaction, or impaired…
SleepBetter.org Offers Holiday Stress Sleep Tips

Steve Mullen

8 Dec 2009 | 6:00 am

SleepBetter.org Offers Advice for Better Sleep Despite Holiday Stress (Richmond, Virginia) – Holiday time is upon us, and with it comes family trips, household visitors, home decorating chores, party planning, gift-shopping and — of course — all those extra bills to pay. All of this added stress can lead to sleepless nights, but it doesn’t have to. SleepBetter.org, one of the premier sites on the web for sleep advice, is offering a series of tips to help ensure that holiday stress doesn’t keep you from getting a good night’s sleep. According to well-known…

Voce Communications
LaunchCamp; Boston Conference Underscores Need for More “101,” Not Less

Doug Haslam

8 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

I recently had the pleasure of attending LaunchCamp in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The event, organized by Todd Van Hoosear and Chuck Tanowitz of Fresh Ground Communications (and both former colleagues), was a new one but took place in partnership with the long-running Social Media Breakfast and the Social Media Club. The partnership implied that a number of the veteran, active members of the thriving Boston social media scene would be there, and they were. However, I was hoping for a lot of new faces to get social media talk outside that fishbowl we all keep talking about, and I was not…
Voce Sponsors The Conversation in New York City

Chris Thilk

5 Feb 2010 | 8:31 am

So many great ideas come as the result of a bunch of smart, passionate people getting in the same room and trading thoughts. That’s why I’m happy to announce Voce is among those sponsoring The Conversation, an event organized by writer and new media distribution thought-leader Scott Kirsner. The Conversation, which was first held (and attended by me) in 2008, seeks to bring together folks from all over the filmmaking and entertainment spectrum – from people trying to get their independent film financed and seen to those who work on the cutting edge of film technology at…
Girls in Tech Catalyst Conference – Social Media Takeaways

Leah McLean

1 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

I had the pleasure of attending the Girls in Tech event this past Tuesday at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. It was a great conference with panels on branding, the art of negotiation, coding & developing and social media. The social media panel was moderated by Altimeter Group’s Charlene Li. Panelists included Jeanine LeFlore of LiveHit, David Sacks of Yammer, Clara Shih of Hearsay Labs, and Wendy Lea of GetSatisfaction. Social media was described as the “wild west – still everywhere, all the time.” The discussion focused on how over the last 15 years with the rise of…
Doug Haslam Joins Voce

Mike Manuel

28 Jan 2010 | 12:33 pm

We’ve been quietly sitting on this news for a while now, but it’s indeed official, this week Doug Haslam joined Voce Communications, and yeah, we’re very fired up to have Doug batting for our team. As some of you know, Doug comes to us with a background working for smart independents like Shift and Topaz, as well as a history and reputation of investing his own time and energy into successful local efforts like PodCamp Boston, Launch Camp and the like. It’s this sort of experience and insight into communities, marketing, and, well, the ways all of us are trying connect…
Social Media as the ‘Last Mile’ – Part 3 – Scaling

Josh Hallett

21 Jan 2010 | 8:09 am

It’s time for Part Three (see Parts 1 and 2 for reference): Scaling. Here’s the point I raised in Part 1: Building infrastructure to serve a large market is tough, just ask the telcos. The same goes for corporate interactions with customers. This actually goes both ways. It’s tough for social media to scale up or down. One of the core principles of a social media program is listening and responding (or ‘conversation’ as the kids call it). Conversation takes resources, people and time…and if you’re a large brand using one of the monitoring tools it…

Bite Communications
Why ‘lazy’ marketing’s days are numbered

Clive Armitage

9 Feb 2010 | 7:51 am

The dog days are over for lazy marketeers not willing to put in real effort for their clients If there’s one thing I really hate, it’s ‘lazy’ marketing. I’ve been involved in the marketing industry for 20 years now so I’ve seen plenty of it in my time. And yep, I’m sure I’ve been guilty of it from time to time (ain’t nobody perfect no matter what anyone says). So what do I mean by lazy marketing? In short, anything that isn’t well thought through, original, creative, targetted or designed to actually elicit a response (you…
Industry events – an expensive schmooze or a real return on investment?

Fionnula Fitzsimons

5 Feb 2010 | 3:45 am

What is the real cost of attending industry events? The recent economic weather storms have made us all do some wallet-gazing and think twice before making any large purchasing decisions. For our clients, and indeed for every vendor, a cautious approach had to be adopted. Return on investment (ROI) has been the mantra, everything we do should equal to value and tangible results. So as we draw nearer to the heady days of MWC 2010, I pause once again to reflect on what the ROI is on industry events and how can we really prove the value in financial terms? Every year, vendors set aside…
The Best of the Worst in Social Media

Matt Basford

4 Feb 2010 | 2:53 pm

With New York in the throes of Social Media Week, a few of us stopped by one of the more unique events last night, The SUXORZ. The premise is simple: people do dumb things. Some of those people even represent brands and do so in the embarrassingly public realm of social media. The SUXORZ gave us the worst social media campaigns of 2009 – a refreshing deviation from conversations of emerging platforms and social media ROI. More than anything, this was a crash course in common sense. The distinguished finalists – as chosen by the panel of Caroline McCarthy, BL Ochman, Steve Hall and Ian…
Why not cut the cable?

Hamish Macphail

4 Feb 2010 | 5:28 am

I’ve been using media center PCs at home for over a year now, all the time wondering at what point I’d be brave enough to cancel my satellite TV subscription. Over the last couple of years the breadth and depth of online entertainment available has exploded – the Netflix Watch Instantly service is fantastic, there’s Hulu and the broadcast networks’ own sites like abc.go.com, there’s iTunes, Amazon and Blockbuster where you can instantly rent or buy almost any movie you want. In the UK the online TV services from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are all outstanding. You choose what you…
The art (and science) of employee engagement

Rowan McKinlay

3 Feb 2010 | 1:52 am

Stimulating work and little things like fruit bowls are the key to unlocking employee and business potential How can organisations ensure that their employees are engaged? To clarify, by this I mean motivated, committed and enthusiastic about their roles, rather than fretting about ebay sales, dinner plans or birthday gifts! Given that industry sector, company size, culture and even individual personalities impact upon how people engage with their job and workplace, creating an environment to encourage this seems a rather mysterious art… Thankfully, a UK organisation called Best…

mediabistro.com: PRNewser
Havas Q4: Revenue Down 4.4%; Less Than Previous Three Quarters

9 Feb 2010 | 11:41 am

Havas Q4 2010 Earnings Release Havas (Euronext Paris: HAV.PA) today reported a Q4 2009 revenue decline of 4.4%. The drop is less than the previous three quarters of 2009, where revenue declines all exceeded 8%. Revenue totaled approximately $648.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2009. Revenue for all of 2009 fell 8.1 percent to $1.99 billion. The company said digital business increased revenue share "from 9% in 2006 to over 16%" in 2009. In addition the company's corporate communication businesses "for the first time in the year returned to positive figures" in Q4 2009. The company didn't…
President Obama Unexpectedly Appears at White House Press Briefing

9 Feb 2010 | 10:49 am

President Obama appeared at today's White House press briefing and took questions from the media, beginning with Fox News' Major Garrett. Many members of the media have complained in recent weeks that the administration is attempting to bypass press conferences, in favor of releasing information via one-on-one interviews and social media channels. This the President's first press conference since July. As Fox News' Garrett notes, Obama has held 27 total press conferences in his first year in office, compared to 19 for George W. Bush and 45 for Bill Clinton. TVNewser has more. New Career…
Fusion PR Group Aims For App Market; Offers $750 Monthly Retainer

9 Feb 2010 | 10:14 am

There are millions of mobile applications out there, and getting good press is often key to helping different apps stand out from the masses. However, many mobile app developers don't have a large budget for PR. That is Fusion Group PR's pitch, as the agency is aggressively courting the mobile applications industry. The agency announced a new pricing model for application developers today with prices as low as $750 a month for a "basic media outreach program." "We recognize that many of these companies often cannot afford traditional PR retainers, yet PR services are critical for each product…
Reactions To Forrester's Analyst Blogging Policy

9 Feb 2010 | 9:04 am

PR and marketing professionals are sounding off on research firm Forrester's decision to make all analysts blog on Forrester.com as opposed to their own personal blog. The caveat being if the content on their personal blog is of the same topic as their area of coverage as an analyst. Waggener Edstrom Social Media Director Tac Anderson writes: The problem with Forrester's decision is the heavy-handed nature it is taking in implementing it. All three Forrester bloggers talked about the new blog platform being developed and the new capabilities it would have. This is the real missed opportunity.
Goldman Sachs PR Head Responds To New York Times Via Huffington Post

9 Feb 2010 | 8:02 am

In his first byline for the Huffington Post (and first blog post ever?), Goldman Sachs Head of Corporate Communications Lucas van Praag uses the platform to counter a New York Times story, "Testy Conflict With Goldman Helped Push A.I.G. to Edge." In a byline titled simply, "Goldman's Response to the New York Times," van Praag begins by stating "theories" in the article are "contradictory and many of the supporting 'facts' don't stand up to serious scrutiny." He then goes on to specifically address 10 NYT assertions, as he calls them, followed by Goldman's rebuttal. Reuter's Felix Salmon is a…

DISRUPTology
10 Risks for Corporate Social Media Early Adopters

Aaron Uhrmacher

14 Jan 2010 | 7:52 am

In my last post, I discussed 10 rewards for companies that are early adopters of social media. There’s another side to this that I want to address separately: the biggest risks companies face when jumping into an unknown community. Failure Of course this is the big one, but it’s easily avoided. Failure means that the brand comes in and behaves like it does on other platforms instead of understanding what the community wants. Don’t regurgitate. Innovate. Mistakes Or better put, not learning from mistakes. Your brand will make mistakes. But the inability to learn and adapt is…
10 Rewards for Corporate Social Media Early Adopters

Aaron Uhrmacher

12 Jan 2010 | 6:26 pm

One of the best parts about going to social media conferences is seeing which case studies the “experts” draw from. In the beginning, many pulled from the same four or five case studies (Dell, Starbucks, Blendtec, Comcast…). Now, the gates have opened up and it’s more interesting, in many cases, to look at the companies who AREN’T using social media. But here’s a short list I put together of the 10 biggest rewards for getting involved with social media early: Mainstream Media Attention If your brand is among the first to establish a presence on a new media…
Analytics Software: 8 Features Agencies Should Demand

Aaron Uhrmacher

6 Jan 2010 | 3:54 pm

I recently spoke to four different start-ups in the social analytics space, all looking for insight into what features are most important for perspective buyers (PR agencies and their clients). If I still worked at an agency (and had the weight of Fortune 500 companies behind me), here are the features I would insist upon from my vendor: Client View/Agency View: There should be a way for an account team to share graphs and data with a client without exposing them to the back-end. This is both for convenience and to ensure they don’t mess it up. Outstanding Support Forums: Strong…
CASE STUDY: Subscribers Are Not a Good ROI Metric

Aaron Uhrmacher

20 Dec 2009 | 3:00 pm

Situation I wanted to start a new blog to share links, graphics, photos and other interesting nuggets encountered during my endless hours of Internet research, which my wife refers to as “piddling around.” I created a new scrapblog using Posterous, an upstart blogging platform that was all the rage in social media circles two months ago. During the next two weeks I added a link or so a day, but didn’t tell anyone about it. You can imagine my surprise then when I checked my Feedburner statistics and saw this: 611 subscribers! Woo-hoo! Analysis Then reality set in. Impossible.
The Five Types of Blog Commenters

Aaron Uhrmacher

14 Dec 2009 | 3:46 pm

Soldiers: These are the commenters who enjoy being the first to comment, even if they have nothing to say. Soldiers comments are typically encouraging but lack substance. They include phrases such as, “great post,” “interesting,” and “nice work.” Soldiers are always polite. Their comments are short and serve more of an acknowledgment that they read the post or visited the blog rather than substantive or thought provoking. If your blog had a “like” button, they would probably just click it. Most bloggers, myself included, appreciate these…

down the avenue
Munich's Pulse During a Frigid January Week

Renee Blodgett

8 Feb 2010 | 3:54 pm

Below are a sampling of colors and shapes and lack thereof during a cold January week in Munich this past month.
Mark Pincus on Embracing Process

Renee Blodgett

7 Feb 2010 | 2:17 pm

Mark Pincus gave a presentation on lessons learned from start-up to sale this past week. He emphasized to a largely start-up entrepreneur audience at VatorSplash in San Francisco, how important it was, at least in his case, to embrace process as you grow. "I used to hate process, but now I love it," he says. "We're scaling and it's working, because we embrace metrics and process." He also told attendees to "keep your eye on the prize," and added with humor, "I didn't want a fur coat moment too early on." (this was when he was around 26 and am pretty sure Mark and I are about the same age now,…
Winefinder Makes Buying Wine Fun

Renee Blodgett

7 Feb 2010 | 10:47 am

Cortexica's Steve Semenzato demos Winefinder at VatorSplash in San Francisco this past week. The magic behind Winefinder is an image recognition technology that informs a buyer of the kind of wine they are buying simply from a photograph of the label. They can also learn where they can purchase it for less. While currently only available in the U.K, they plan to expand to other countries soon.
Vator.TV's VatorSplash Makes a Splash

Renee Blodgett

6 Feb 2010 | 12:27 am

Bambi Francisco and her team at Vator TV pulled together an incredible evening of start-up pitches, networking, table-top demos and music, at San Francisco's Cafe Du Nord earlier this week. VatorSplash was the first event they've done in this format, hopefully the first of many others we'll see on the calendar in 2010. Client Answers.com sponsored the event, one which brought start-ups and emerging technology companies to the front stage and demo-pit from as far away as Europe. The RentCycle won the crowd and judges over, winning the best of at the end of the night. Other companies that…
Social Media Week Winds Down - #smw #smwsf

Renee Blodgett

6 Feb 2010 | 12:14 am

Mashable, Social Media Club and all of the participants, organizers and sponsors from a week long of social media events celebrated at a closing bash in San Francisco last night. Over 1,000 people participated in Social Media Week activities in the city this week. Thanks Chris, Kristie and gang for gathering a great group of people, a sampling of that energy below. Kamal Shah of Fotobabble, Patrick Schwerdtfeger, Renee Blodgett, Carla Schlemminger Ben Parr, Chris Heuer Dolby's Michelle Lemire, Bill Sanders Brian Zisk Barak Hachamov, My6Sense

India PR Blog
Mile sure mera

Ganapathy Viswanathan

4 Feb 2010 | 2:28 am

Mile sure mera… more credible and original. Exactly 2 decades back when ‘mile sure mera tumhara’ was created by Suresh Mullick, the brief from the then Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi was to infuse national integration through a strong film. And the film truly achieved it by bringing the different religion and colors across India by using well known celebrities from sports, films and music. All this was supplemented by composing the entire lyrics with rag bhairavi and driving home the message India is one. Being in the communication business for more than 2 decades any piece of…
3 categories of Indian youth and why Orkut is falling

Palin Ningthoujam

30 Dec 2009 | 10:34 am

There is a very interesting report on Indian youth trends at Ingene. What stuck me the categorisation of the Indian youth: 1. The Bharatiyas: 67% of the Indian youth who lives in the rural areas with least influence of globalisation, least economically priviledged and high on traditional values and highly Bollywood influenced. 2. The Indians: 31.% of the youth who have moderate global influence but still rooted to Indian family values. 3. The In’glo’dians: Minimal in number but globally inclined, exposed and affluent. Always try to be different. Read more from the original post here.
Support your online media campaigns with mass media & mobile phone marketing

Palin Ningthoujam

22 Dec 2009 | 11:30 am

I couldn’t agree more with what Lakshimipathy Bhat wrote in the Financial Express that the Sunsilk Gang of Girls, often taken as the benchmark on digital campaigns in India owes a part of its success to the massive offline mass media support it got. Often for our clients we most of the time try to integrate digital support to PR and marketing activities. I think to pull off really big digital campaigns, it is now time for the other way round. Big bang digital idea, which has its heart on the web, executed well online and supported by offline mass media. And of course, supported by…
No shortcuts to thought leadership & some great examples

Ganapathy Viswanathan

20 Dec 2009 | 8:30 pm

The word thought leader has been most commonly used in the PR and communication industry and at the drop of the hat. You go for a new business meeting and the prospects key agenda is to get the thought leader position for their spokesperson which could be the CEO or the Business head. That is ultimately the ambition of every client. But all of us need to understand to achieve the thought leader position one need to be patient and one need to demonstrate and show results. Name any good leader, be it in retail, technology, advertising or banking, the thought leader in their respective category…
Negative Image of brand ambassador – Will it erode brand equity?

Ganapathy Viswanathan

7 Dec 2009 | 4:56 am

When you are in peak you get great laurels and corporates are willing to shell out huge dollars and rupees to tie up with brand ambassadors. But what happens when the barometer drops for various reasons. Few years back it was got to do with the performance of the Indian cricket team in the world cup in the Caribbean where we got knocked out in the preliminary rounds and brands like Pepsi were so livid that they terminated the contract of some of the players. They were not keen at all to use them as brand ambassadors as it may damage the equity of the brand. This is also common with bollywood…

davefleet.com
Customer Service In The Age Of Social Media

Dave Fleet

9 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am

Yesterday I spoke with City News‘ Kris Reyes about the challenges businesses face in customer service in the age of social media. In Toronto we’ve seen numerous recent instances of “citizen journalism” highlighting problems at the TTC – a TwitPic of a TTC worker sleeping; a video of a bus driver’s unscheduled coffee break in the middle of a route and finally a perhaps ill-advised Facebook page set up by some TTC staff. It’s a tough time to work in a customer-facing job. It just takes one slip-up and, if you’re unlucky, you can find yourself all…
Launching The Social Mediators Video Podcast

Dave Fleet

8 Feb 2010 | 10:20 am

Today we’re launching the Social Mediators video podcast. Each week, Joe Thornley, Terry Fallis and I (three guys who, as Joe says, should never be on camera!) will chat about social media and its intersection with communications, organizations and society in general. As Joe put it on his site: “We’re always on, always connected. How are we taking advantage of the new capablities that gives us? And how is that affecting the way we relate to one another and how we organize around common interests? Finally, what does that mean for traditional organizations – companies,…
Use Social Media To Make Them Feel Special

Dave Fleet

5 Feb 2010 | 5:53 am

80+ tweets, dozens and dozens of Facebook wall posts and numerous private messages. That’s all it took (along with some kind and hilarious antics from my co-workers) to make me feel truly special on my birthday yesterday. Are you doing this kind of thing for your customers? Are you taking a few seconds (or minutes) to make them feel special? It really isn’t difficult – it just took a few seconds to post those messages, but the effect was disproportionate to the effort required. If you’re connected to customers in such a way (online or offline) that you know their…
More Journalists Prefer Bulk Email Than Personalized? Huh?

Dave Fleet

3 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

Last week saw the launch of a campaign entitled “An Inconvenient PR Truth,” aimed at trying to weed-out some of the black sheep in the PR family. Many of us in the profession have been arguing for similar practices to those advocated there for a while. While the campaign’s approach raised my hackles somewhat, the motives stated seem reasonable on the face of things. This post isn’t about the broader campaign though. Buried deep in a slide deck supporting the campaign was a slide about the way journalists prefer to receive “press release emails” (a term that…
Charlie Brooker Shows Us How To Report The News

Dave Fleet

1 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

A little light viewing for you. You may have already seen this – if so, watch it again. Otherwise, take two minutes to watch it. It’s worth it.

PerkettPRsuasion - The PerkettPR Blog
2010: So Far, So Good at PerkettPR

Christine Perkett

2 Feb 2010 | 12:26 pm

I’m excited to share some good news from our agency – news focused on growth, hard work and expansion, thanks to the dedication of the amazing staff at PerkettPR. We’ve kicked off 2010 with a new attitude – shaking off the cobwebs of 2009 and jumping right into the New Year with a “Best Tech PR” finalist nod from the tech community in January’s Crunchies (co-hosted by GigaOm, VentureBeat and TechCrunch), as well as the recent addition of several new clients across healthcare, technology and higher education. We also expanded our footprint into the Research Triangle region near…
Persuasive Picks for the week of 01/25/10

Jeff Glasson

29 Jan 2010 | 8:47 am

6 marketing opportunities on FoursquareMany are predicting that 2010 will be the year of mobile marketing. If thats the case, then iPhone and Blackberry app Foursquare is on its way to being a leading platform in that space. Tony Felice from iMediaConnection shares 6 ways marketers can take advantage of this increasingly popular mobile app. Facebook Marketing Tips: Make the Most of Your Fan PageOnline Marketing Blog Copywriter, Michelle Bowles shares a few great tips on making the most of your Facebook Fan Page and provides examples of real pages that are inline with her advice. Coca-Cola’s…
Persuasive Picks for the week of 01/18/10

Jeff Glasson

22 Jan 2010 | 7:24 am

Small Business Leaders Prefer ‘Passive’ Social Media, For NowThis MediaPost.com article by Ben Hanna shares the results of a recent Business.com study that revealed small business owners are still slow to engage in more “active” social media resources. Why All Media Soon Must Be SocialKirk Cheyfitz, CEO and Chief Editorial Officer of Story Worldwide, suggests that “social media” is not to far away from being plain “media,” and he provides a few excellent stories to strengthen the idea. Social Media Development — Three Case Studies, Part 1 of 4Conrad Hall kicks off a…
Another Reason to Hire a Social Media-Savvy PR Firm

Christine Perkett

20 Jan 2010 | 12:07 pm

Earlier today, Cision and Don Bates of The George Washington University’s Master’s Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations released results of a national survey on how journalists rely on and use both social media and public relations resources for story research. While the headline, which reads “Majority of Journalists Now Depend on Social Media for Story Research” may have “social media experts” jumping to all sorts of conclusions and claims, reading further offers more validation that hiring a social-media savvy PR firm (or internal manager) is the best bet…
Action vs Talking – How do you DO it?

Christine Perkett

19 Jan 2010 | 1:40 pm

I’ve had that well-known Nike slogan running through my mind lately, “Just Do It.” It’s a catchy slogan that’s easy to remember, and reminds me a lot of our vision for 2010 at PerkettPR – don’t just talk about it, do it. This year, we’re focused on action and moving forward (after 2009, who isn’t?!) – how about you? There are a lot of advantages to big business but one thing that stands out for me when meeting with a lot of larger companies is how many layers of talking there are to get to action. I enjoy working with both large and…

PerkettPRsuasion - The PerkettPR Blog
2010: So Far, So Good at PerkettPR

Christine Perkett

2 Feb 2010 | 12:26 pm

I’m excited to share some good news from our agency – news focused on growth, hard work and expansion, thanks to the dedication of the amazing staff at PerkettPR. We’ve kicked off 2010 with a new attitude – shaking off the cobwebs of 2009 and jumping right into the New Year with a “Best Tech PR” finalist nod from the tech community in January’s Crunchies (co-hosted by GigaOm, VentureBeat and TechCrunch), as well as the recent addition of several new clients across healthcare, technology and higher education. We also expanded our footprint into the Research Triangle region near…
Persuasive Picks for the week of 01/25/10

Jeff Glasson

29 Jan 2010 | 8:47 am

6 marketing opportunities on FoursquareMany are predicting that 2010 will be the year of mobile marketing. If thats the case, then iPhone and Blackberry app Foursquare is on its way to being a leading platform in that space. Tony Felice from iMediaConnection shares 6 ways marketers can take advantage of this increasingly popular mobile app. Facebook Marketing Tips: Make the Most of Your Fan PageOnline Marketing Blog Copywriter, Michelle Bowles shares a few great tips on making the most of your Facebook Fan Page and provides examples of real pages that are inline with her advice. Coca-Cola’s…
Persuasive Picks for the week of 01/18/10

Jeff Glasson

22 Jan 2010 | 7:24 am

Small Business Leaders Prefer ‘Passive’ Social Media, For NowThis MediaPost.com article by Ben Hanna shares the results of a recent Business.com study that revealed small business owners are still slow to engage in more “active” social media resources. Why All Media Soon Must Be SocialKirk Cheyfitz, CEO and Chief Editorial Officer of Story Worldwide, suggests that “social media” is not to far away from being plain “media,” and he provides a few excellent stories to strengthen the idea. Social Media Development — Three Case Studies, Part 1 of 4Conrad Hall kicks off a…
Another Reason to Hire a Social Media-Savvy PR Firm

Christine Perkett

20 Jan 2010 | 12:07 pm

Earlier today, Cision and Don Bates of The George Washington University’s Master’s Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations released results of a national survey on how journalists rely on and use both social media and public relations resources for story research. While the headline, which reads “Majority of Journalists Now Depend on Social Media for Story Research” may have “social media experts” jumping to all sorts of conclusions and claims, reading further offers more validation that hiring a social-media savvy PR firm (or internal manager) is the best bet…
Action vs Talking – How do you DO it?

Christine Perkett

19 Jan 2010 | 1:40 pm

I’ve had that well-known Nike slogan running through my mind lately, “Just Do It.” It’s a catchy slogan that’s easy to remember, and reminds me a lot of our vision for 2010 at PerkettPR – don’t just talk about it, do it. This year, we’re focused on action and moving forward (after 2009, who isn’t?!) – how about you? There are a lot of advantages to big business but one thing that stands out for me when meeting with a lot of larger companies is how many layers of talking there are to get to action. I enjoy working with both large and…

Brian Solis
The State of Social Media Around the World 2010

brian

8 Feb 2010 | 3:09 am

If you were to look at Social Media the United States and many other parts of the world, you would believe that the world of Social Media was flat, dominated by social continents including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, and Flickr. As we zoom in, we visualize other established and emerging social services that depict provinces and outlying settlements of our social atlas.Upon publishing the original Conversation Prism, which was the culmination of a year’s work documenting and organizing the social web by usage and conversational patterns, the world responded by creating…
The Roles of Facebook and Twitter in Social Media Marketing

brian

5 Feb 2010 | 4:14 am

Social Media marketing is rapidly earning a role in the integrated marketing mix of small and enterprise businesses and as such, it’s transforming every division from the inside out. What starts with one champion in any given division, be it customer service, marketing, public relations, advertising, interactive, et al, eventually inspires an entire organization to socialize. What starts with one, a domino effect usually ensues toppling each department, gaining momentum, and triggering a sense of urgency through its path. And, it also marks the beginning of our journey through the ten…
Mobile Internet Market to Eclipse Desktop Internet

brian

3 Feb 2010 | 4:42 am

Sounds like a sensationalistic headline, but if you read Morgan Stanley’s latest series of reports on the Mobile Internet, you’ll walk away with the same impression.Morgan Stanley’s global technology and telecom analysts documented the rapidly changing mobile Internet market to provide a framework for emerging trends and direction.To set the stage, Morgan Stanley forecasts that the mobile Internet market will be at least 2x the size of desktop Internet when comparing Internet users to mobile subscribers.According to the report, Apple’s iTunes + iPhone/Touch ecosystem…
The Human Algorithm: How Google Ranks Tweets in Real-Time Search

brian

1 Feb 2010 | 4:57 am

In 2009, Google struck a deal with Twitter, rumored at $15 million, to integrate tweets into keyword related Google searches. And last month, Google also integrated real-time search technology to surface blog posts and news content as they hit the Web – dramatically improving the previous five to 15 minutes its spiders would take to crawl the Web. I should also note that Collecta also offers the ability to search the real-time Web, but its results also include popular networks within the social Web. Between Google and Collecta, Twitter Search is starting to show its age.The opportunities…
Who is the ME in Social Media?

brian

29 Jan 2010 | 4:11 am

Good friend Stowe Boyd recently shared a quote by Gabriel García Márquez, “Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life, and a secret life.”Indeed, quite simply many of us live life allowing specific, trusted individuals to know us in one or more of our personae. Our moral compass as well as outside influences affect how we balance our three lives. The size and permeability of our personal dividers vary in the separation of each life and resemble doors that open and close based on our desires. We nurture each individually with slight coalescence, but concentrate on…

PR, Social Media, and Marketing Mentor ?
An Unrelenting Passion to Make the World Better

Today is Beth Kanter's 53rd birthday. I have met Beth in person several times and have always (not so secretly) wanted to work with her on a project. She is a complete inspiration, one of my heroes, a person whose excitement and enthusiasm for using social tools to help a ...
Client Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley’s Social Media Program Wins a 2009 SNCR Award for Excellence in New Communications

An animated fly-over video of what the new Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley hospital will look like when completed in 2013. Produced by The Devenney Group, the architecture firm for the new hospital. Posted also by Cassandra Clark, Project Communications Director, on the Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley blog site. Sutter Medical ...
Society for New Communications Research Honors Award Winners for Innovation and Success in Their Use of New Media

For Immediate Release Society for New Communications Research Honors Award Winners for Innovation and Success in their Use of New Media Winning Social Media and New Communications Case Studies Published by SNCR San Jose, California, U.S.A. — November 12, 2009 — The Society for New Communications Research (SNCR), a global nonprofit research ...
Society for New Communications Research Issues Call for 2010 Fellows

For Immediate Release Society for New Communications Research Issues Call for 2010 Fellows November 11, 2009 — San Jose, California, U.S.A. — The Society for New Communications Research, (SNCR), a global nonprofit 501(c)3 research and education foundation and think tank dedicated to exploring the latest developments in new media and communications and ...
2009 SNCR Excellence in New Communications Awards Submission Deadline Extended to Thursday, September 10th

Each year, the Society for New Communications Research presents the prestigious SNCR Excellence in New Communications Awards. The deadline for application submissions for this year's awards has been extended from September 7th to Thursday, September 10, 2009, to allow applicants who are away for Labor Day Weekend to finish and ...

Loop PR
Streetcar iPhone App reviewed on Techcrunch

admin

25 Jan 2010 | 6:02 am

Here’s the headline: Streetcar’s futuristic iPhone app lets you locate, book and unlock your hire car And the article’s here Oh we do love techcrunch!
STREETCAR APP NOW AVAILABLE FROM APP STORE

admin

21 Jan 2010 | 7:30 am

London — January 20, 2010 — Streetcar today announced its Streetcar App for iPhone and iPod touch is now available from the App Store. The app (www.streetcar.co.uk/iphone) allows users across the UK to locate, book and even open a car using their iPhone or iPod touch. “We are delighted to launch an app that gives [...]
Streetcar iPhone App gets rave review on CNET

admin

20 Jan 2010 | 4:50 am

London car-sharing club Streetcar has released a new version of its iPhone app that turns your phone into a magic car-opening wand.
STREETCAR EXPANSION PLANS TO INCLUDE BMW

admin

14 Jan 2010 | 5:30 am

Streetcar, the UK's largest car club, has announced it is to almost double its fleet within nine months, and add several new vehicle types to the scheme.
Pitter Patter of Tiny Tears Feet - could a stunt doll make your dog child safe?

admin

30 Nov 2009 | 6:10 am

A ‘stunt’ doll is being used as part of a new training programme to help prepare dogs and cats for the arrival of a new baby or improve their relationship with young children.

StevenSilvers.com
Super Bowl ads hits, misses and dismal failures

Steven Silvers

9 Feb 2010 | 6:41 am

Now that’s advertising… Audi’s “Green Police” ad – showing a world where people get busted for using Styrofoam cups and incandescent light bulbs – was exaggerated enough to get buzz going on both sides of the debate about environmental extremism. CBS News noted that liberals and conservatives alike still don’t whether to “celebrate or denigrate the spot.” Brilliant. Soft sell… The Tim Tebow ad for Focus on the Family may have been brilliant, if the idea was to stir up national controversy about a single spot that turned out to be as unfulfilling as a Hostess cupcake.
Reporters becoming PR people: Why it works. Why it doesn't.

Steven Silvers

3 Feb 2010 | 7:32 am

More than a year ago I suggested that unemployed journalists will take many of the jobs that would have gone to publicists and communicators without newsroom experience. That was an understatement. In less than ten years, the nation’s news business has lost more than 14,000 jobs – some 25 percent of the entire industry. And things have yet to hit bottom, especially for newspapers and magazines. The result, as the Atlantic’s Jeffery Goldberg calls it, is the The Great Journalism Exodus. Every PR agency, communications department and public affairs office across the country is hearing…
Health care reform: Blaming bad communications doesn't fix bad attitudes

Steven Silvers

24 Jan 2010 | 10:53 am

In the spin following the GOP’s game-changing Senate win in Massachusetts, the White House defended its beleaguered health care legislation with an old standard: What we have here is a failure to communicate. "We lost some of that sense,” President Obama told ABC News, “…of speaking directly to the American people about what their core values are and why we have to make sure those institutions are matching up with those values.” That talking point has been played down since then. Good thing, too. Because it’s terrible PR. Think of health care reform as a high-profile but…
GBSM has rare opening for senior associate

Steven Silvers

20 Jan 2010 | 2:58 pm

My firm, GBSM Inc., is looking for a new senior associate to join our very select strategic consulting, communications and public affairs team. You’ll need at least six years experience with a proven background in behavioral-focused integrated communications and community-based social marketing. Read the entire job description here. Send your resume, cover letter and few samples of your best work to Raleigh Decker. We look forward to meeting you. . . . . . . . . . .
What Tiger Woods and other scandals really tell us about crisis management

Steven Silvers

6 Jan 2010 | 6:50 am

I disagree with PR and media types who over-analyze the Tiger Woods mess. There are only a couple of lessons here. But they’re big ones. Here’s the first: The threat of discovery doesn’t always stop some people from behaving badly. Tiger’s massive melt-down isn't the failure of a crisis plan. There wasn’t one. None of the Tiger Inc. image handlers prepared memos outlining what to do if it came out that Mr. Woods enjoyed extramarital affairs like some people collect souvenir snow globes. Damage control strategies started after the truth. Not before. Today’s Internet-driven…

pr-media-blog.co.uk
Google Buzz on Social Networking

Rob Brown

9 Feb 2010 | 11:03 am

In a live press conference broadcast through YouTube, Google today announced the launch of Google Buzz a social networking application built onto Google Mail. Todd Jackson, Gmail Project Manager explained how it uses Gmail contacts to create a ready made friend list but then allows users to pull in contacts from other social networks. It borrows a lot of the ideas born out of twitter but adds a new level of sophistication. For example the recommendation engine will over time filter ‘good buzz’ from ‘bad buzz’ - if you like an intelligent retweet…
Trinity Mirror Buys Manchester Evening News

Rob Brown

9 Feb 2010 | 2:32 am

The Manchester Evening News and its associated titles have been acquired by Trinity Mirror for £45 million in a deal announced today. It spells the end of the long association between the Guardian (once The Manchester Guardian) and the MEN. Sly Bailey, Chief Executive of Trinity Mirror , commented: “GMG Regional Media is a perfect strategic fit for our Group. This acquisition, which includes the Manchester Evening News with its proud and rich journalistic heritage, together with the weekly titles and associated websites extends our reach across print and online and is a further…
Social media ROI - is it a Euro, buck or pound?

Jon Clements

7 Feb 2010 | 9:31 am

Return on investment from social media? Step forward, please, the social media alchemist who has struck gold… The leading voices in social media practice and debate are certainly giving it their best shot: Brian Solis’ recent guest post on Mashable paints a daunting picture of senior executives’ views on ROI from social media, including the bar chart below lifted from a study by Bazaarvoice and the CMO Club. In short, the marketing decision makers remain unconvinced; so, if selling social media is the way you’re aiming to pay for dinner tonight, be prepared for a light…
Keeping Mum - the new political battlefield

Ben Furber

27 Jan 2010 | 1:28 am

Today’s guest blog post by Ben Furber, a design and communications professional based in Manchester who specialises in political and non-profit organisations, and who has worked on new media campaigns for Labour, focuses on how politicians are working hard to win over she who knows best: Mum… Every week one columnist or another is hypothesising about what the general election will be about. So when, in November, Rachel Sylvester wrote that the ‘election will be won at the school gate’ and cited the Biscuitgate affair on Mumsnet, I paid the column little attention.Why…
Broadcasters’ respond to Haiti earthquake

Mark Perry

26 Jan 2010 | 1:43 am

With 24 hour news channels we have instant access to the latest information when incidents like the Haiti earthquake happen. Within hours broadcasters have teams reporting from the front line. But what we don’t often think about is how many people broadcasters like the BBC, Sky and others are committing to the story and how they are able to sustain themselves while all around there appears to be hardship and suffering. This was the subject tackled on Newswatch, a 15 minute weekly segment on News 24, where the public get to ask questions about the BBC’s news coverage. It was…

RONN TOROSSIAN, 5WPR CEO: NY PR FIRM, PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY, MEDIA & PUBLICITY
KNOW WHEN TO DROP YOUR FIRE EQUIPMENT

admin

9 Feb 2010 | 10:34 am

During this morning’s monthly networking meeting at 5WPR, Laurence Haughton, a New York Times bestselling author, told an inspirational story that serves as a great lesson to entrepreneurs. The story which captivated twenty of us: In 1949, 13 firefighters lost their lives at Mann Gulch. In 1994, 14 more firefighters lost their lives under similar conditions at South [...]
LIFE & TIMES OF A PR AGENCY CEO

admin

5 Feb 2010 | 5:45 am

Yesterday’s unexpectedly hectic day is a perfect example of why I love owning my own public relations agency: ·The morning got off to a slow start. At 9 am, I began back to back potential new hire interviews to fill five vacant mid-level positions at this PR firm. Thankfully, 2010 opened with a bang. A number [...]
PR PEOPLE NEED A BLACKBERRY ADDICTION… AND BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS!

admin

2 Feb 2010 | 4:19 pm

I am undoubtedly addicted to my blackberry, but it is a mandatory addiction for anyone who works in the Public Relations industry. As I often tell clients, there are a million other tasks that need to be attended to simultaneously, making it nearly impossible for me to go two hours without checking email. For example, if [...]
APPLE PUBLIC RELATIONS: THEY DO IT THEIR WAY!

admin

1 Feb 2010 | 10:17 am

Kudos to the public relations team at Apple for doing things their way. I read this article over the weekend, which discusses how Apple has closely guarded their message and brand, refusing to open up to the media. I admire them for playing by their own rules and refusing to succumb to the pressure of outside [...]
PUBLIC RELATIONS IS NOT JUST FOR THE PARIS HILTON’S OF THE WORLD

admin

1 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am

This article ran in The New York Times over the weekend. It speaks about the MLB rookie camp, which brings together professional baseball’s brightest prospects for three days to prepare them for “life under the lights.” It is a must-read for all CEO’s and company leaders as there is also much non professional athletes can [...]

Fashion PR Blog PR Couture
Fashion PR: Fashion Stylist Janel Molton on Branding and Setting up Shop Relic NY

PR Couture

9 Feb 2010 | 9:38 am

Janel Molton is a stylist and entrepreneur who grew up in Montclair, New Jersey and received her requisite undergraduate degrees in LA (a BA in Art History from USC, an internship at W and vintage Hollywood shopping sprees). After graduation, Molton returned to the east coast to settle in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. While working in fashion [...]
Designer Fashion PR: Find Sales Representation and Showrooms

PR Couture

8 Feb 2010 | 10:30 am

Any one who’s started an apparel or accessories line can tell you that building a successful fashion line can be a daunting process; the battle to gain notoriety and competition for exposure is intense. When a designer launches their line, they often find it hard to get their product in boutiques or showrooms unless they’ve [...]
New Listings! Fashion PR Jobs, Internships

PR Couture

3 Feb 2010 | 9:59 pm

Looking to hire? Forget weeding through hundreds of Craigslist emails or spending a fortune to advertise your position. The PR Couture Fashion PR Job Board is an easy, inexpensive way to reach targeted applicants passionate about fashion PR. We support all paid postings with extra tweets to our over 14k followers as well as over [...]
Top Fashion PR/Social Media Marketing Links 1/29/10

PR Couture

29 Jan 2010 | 8:37 am

Can social media save haute couture? (via The Star) The precious enclave of the Paris-based couture industry – fashion at its haute-iest pinnacle – is as much a talking point for bloggers and tweeters as the latest misstep of a Hollywood starlet. Why Brands Still Fear Working With Bloggers. (via Yuli Z) While blogging is evolving as a [...]
Fashion PR Events: How To Pull Off Last Minute Parties

Nancy

21 Jan 2010 | 11:05 am

My firm had two weeks to put together a viewing party event (think watching TV with a bunch of people in a fancy place) for a fashion designer. Needless to say, its been a little hectic. With everyone focused on the New Year and new beginnings, a great deal was already going on and many people [...]

stedavies.com
Ten Trends of 20-somethings

Stephen

4 Feb 2010 | 3:14 am

A friend of mine is doing the PR around the One Young World initiative which is being touted as ‘the Davos for young people’ and which is taking place in London on 8th – 10th February. It’s a very interesting concept and I’m disappointed that I’ll miss it since (ironically) I’ll be in Davos for the Communication on Top Forum over the same period. From the press release, “A group of the world’s most influential leaders will descend upon London on Feb. 8, 2010. Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Sir Bob Geldof, former President of Peru…
YouTube: the channel of choice for C-level execs

Stephen

3 Feb 2010 | 2:07 am

Something bad happened to your company? Scandal occurring? Negative press from the traditional media outlets? Reputation damage? There’s always YouTube. YouTube is becoming the communication channel of choice among senior executives during a time of crisis. CEOs, presidents and other important senior staff are using YouTube to go direct to their stakeholders while cutting out the (often negative) traditional media in the process. The latest example is Toyota Motor Sales President & COO, Jim Lentz (see below) who is using YouTube to communicate with customers regarding the recent…
An Inconvenient PR Truth – time to end PR pollution

Stephen

28 Jan 2010 | 1:16 am

www.inconvenientprtruth.com 1.7 billion irrelevant press release emails estimated to be received in total each year by UK and US Journalists alone 78% of press release emails are received by Recipients to whom they are irrelevant 55% of Recipients have taken action to block a sender of news Disclosure: RealWire is a client and I was involved in this campaign
I too have Social Media sweats

Stephen

6 Jan 2010 | 6:02 pm

Tom Murphy, Irish guy who does PR for Microsoft in the States and one of the first people I met through social media*, nails it with his latest blog post. I think I am having Social Media sweats. There are just so many articles, posts, rants and links. Now don’t get me wrong it’s great that people are sharing their views, and opinions and, in a very small number of cases even their experiences. But really… there are only so many Social Media Top 10s, 10 things to avoid, 10 brands that…. you know… enough already. * It was called ‘blogging’ at the time
Brand Britain is fine

Stephen

4 Jan 2010 | 4:48 pm

The PR-otaginist, Dom Whitehurst, who is also a mate of mine, is annoyed. He feels Britain’s going down the swanny. Dom says, “British people don’t care about the UK any more. The era of national pride has passed and all that is left is a divided, self-interested populous with more loyalty to celebrities and brands than to British people.” To me it sounds like something an old age pensioner with a faded memory and a pair of rose tinted spectacles would say when reminiscing about “the good old days” of years gone by. It’s easy to look back at the past…

Don't Eat the Shrimp - Josh Morgan's Take on PR, Social Media & Marketing
Let’s All Help UC Davis In Building Visionary Companies In The Sacramento Area

mdpr

7 Feb 2010 | 12:53 am

UC Davis is an amazing research university right next to Sacramento. There are scientists doing groundbreaking work in medicine, green technology and food science just across the causeway every day. UC Davis should be an entrepreneurial hub for the region. It’s not there yet, but an article in the Sacramento Bee shows they are taking the idea a little more seriously. The fun thing about this article is that it’s full of people and companies I’ve worked with over the past few years including former clients Freepath and Pediatric Bioscience, CEO Chris Soderquist and investor…
The PR Guy’s Dilemma – pictures with famous people

mdpr

1 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

As part of my job I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with quite a few famous people. One evening while swapping stories, my father asked why I don’t have pictures of my with all of them up on my office wall. Part of my job in working with people is to make them feel comfortable, and accomplish whatever task needs to be done. If I’m taking pictures with them, I’m not doing my job.What I’ve found is that I’m able to be a lot more effective at my job if I’m not a fan, but just the guy there to help them get things done. Seems to make them much…
Have questions about how to write “Letters to the Editor?”

mdpr

31 Jan 2010 | 11:45 pm

If you’ve ever wondered why some “letters to the editor,” get printed an others don’t, or maybe when is a letter more likely to get printed then today is your lucky day. Stuart Leavenworth the editor of the Editoral Page at the Sacramento Bee has published a short Q&A answering a few of the most often asked questions. If Stuart’s name seems familiar to readers here it might be because we wrote about his sabbatical when he was working in a restaurant as an apprentice chef. Read the Q&A here. One interesting thought I’ve had. In the Q&A it…
Public Speaking Tip from Matt Mullenweg

mdpr

28 Jan 2010 | 10:48 pm

I’m doing quite a bit more public speaking these days. Most of the time it goes very well. Sometimes not as well, like two weeks ago in Las Vegas where my voice completely gave out. Did it freak me out? Yes, a little bit. Not every public speaking gig is going to go perfectly and when it doesn’t, smile and laugh along with your audience. That last little advice is from Matt Mullenweg, the creator of WordPress and all-around good guy. I met him three years ago when he was at one of the SacStarts dinners. Tagged: matt mullenweg, public speaking advice
Healthcare and Home Prices in the State of the Union

mdpr

28 Jan 2010 | 1:08 am

Health care and home prices. Two little things covered in Wednesday’s State of the Union Address from President Obama. I’m not going to address political issues here as much as economic issues. Health care and home prices are real issues that impact everyone since they are dealt with on a regular basis and consume a huge portion of personal spending, while also being responsible for a huge number of jobs. The two points I make below are addressed at both Republicans and Democrats as neither party seems to view these issues as I do. Health Care In regards to health care, below…

Open The Dialogue
Tracking the iTablet

Alex Payne

26 Jan 2010 | 5:04 pm

Tomorrow the world’s most important tablet since Moses will descend unto the frothing masses from Apple. Yes, the long awaited iTablet is no longer a whispered about dream, it appears to be a reality. And it appears that the social media elite just can’t stop talking about it. Gizmodo and Mashable both have dedicated tags for the mythical beast and if it does launche tomorrow say goodbye to the front page of Techmeme. But for a true look at the enormity of the iTablet, we need to use D.Insight to track the iTablet. To get a comprehensive look at the conversation over the last…
LOTD: 1/19/10

Nazim Uddin

19 Jan 2010 | 10:21 am

Facebook Privacy Debate Rages On As Sensitive User Information Is Made Public Marshall Kirkpatrick does an excellent job of laying out the arguments on both sides. While the response from the Facebook camp has been both inconsistent and unconvincing, Marshall also presents some legitimate privacy concerns about the current public-only features of the profile pages. Also check out Shel Israel’s open letter to Marck Zuckerberg. From a network that attracted users by promising to let them connect to friends only within their college network but then transforming to one that now exposes…
Job hunting? Use social networks to your advantage

Megan Vandervort

8 Jan 2010 | 12:36 pm

A job candidate brings their resume, portfolio, and is dressed immaculately professional. After discussing their past job experiences and skills, a question arises that may leave a potential candidate floored – “Can you give me your login information to your Facebook account?” As graduation is rapidly approaching for me, I’ve heard horror story after horror story of friends who have been asked this question on interviews. It is a complete eye-opener for those who haven’t even monitored what is on their page or what they are tweeting about. It is has become substantially more…
How Your Brand Can Leverage Real-Time Conversations

Saurabh Wahi

4 Jan 2010 | 4:30 am

As we close the year, real-time conversations, and their implications for brands, are emerging as one of the mainstream trends going into 2010. Consider these introductions, to name just a few. As we mentioned in our last post, every marketing manager will sooner or later need to deal with these conversations aggregated in one central location. The question remains: Should you capitalize on these conversations? And if so, how? A Simple Framework Here’s my stab at a simple framework that uses easily available data to bring clarity to such decisions. It isn’t all encompassing or definitive.
Why Aggregating Real-Time Conversation is an Opportunity for Brands

Saurabh Wahi

21 Dec 2009 | 6:31 am

The real-time web is creating thousands of conversations about brands and products. These conversations, ranging from tid-bits of opinions to live mobile streaming videos, aren’t fleeting away as fast as they were created. Instead, they’re indexed, archived, streamed and searchable. Combined together, these conversations form a collective intelligence that is influencing choices, opinions and purchase decisions. Can brands find opportunity in these streams of chatter? Can they use them to reach more customers or build greater loyalty? We think the answer is a resounding yes as long as…

Mark Borkowski - Mark my words - Borkowski Blogs
Celebrity, Brands and Risk

Mark Borkowski

9 Feb 2010 | 8:53 am

I’m taking part in a couple of debates in the next few days. First up is Risky Business: Risk and Reputation, an early morning debate on the nature of risk, this Thursday, February 11th, at the Cass Business School. Given the year just gone and the way the financial crisis has played out, it should be an interesting and possibly heated debate – take a look at the article linked here to get some idea of the sort of topics that could come up. I’m appearing alongside some high calibre speakers, including Lord Levene, Philip Booth, Tommy Helsby and John Cridland CBE. Next up after that is a…
More on Terry

Mark Borkowski

9 Feb 2010 | 7:14 am

I was asked my opinion on the John Terry affair by the Independent a few days ago, alongside Phil Hall, who has been drafted in to look after Terry. We found ourselves in agreement on the way footballers deal with problems and the people they surround themselves with. Here’s an excerpt from the article: “The publicist Mark Borkowski, a Chelsea supporter, said the Terry case would send a ’shiver’ through football. He said he would have advised Terry to hand the armband back before being stripped of it and said advisers should have been aware of the dubious PR value of…
For the good of the sport: Football, charity and PR

Mark Borkowski

8 Feb 2010 | 8:36 am

I watched some of the Super Bowl yesterday, still reflecting on the difference between British and American footballers in the wake of John Terry’s spectacular PR meltdown last week. I think I’ve now spotted the one major difference between the two breeds of footballer on either side of the Atlantic: the British footballer, at the height of his game and money-earning potential, tends to be a rock-em-sock-em hedonist, in it only for the lifestyle, the thrill, the women, the ability to be so rich they can get away with it. American footballers, on the other hand, tend to be do-gooders. Most…
No Sport Please, We’re British

Mark Borkowski

5 Feb 2010 | 10:37 am

What a depressing week for lovers of football. What a sorry, sad, insane mess played out by fools and halfwits. Ordinarily, the focus would have been on the big game, Arsenal v. Chelsea. Instead, this weekend, our interest in the game will be for all the wrong reasons. So, instead, I have decided to focus on the American version of football, which reaches its colossal climax on Sunday. I hanker after the hype, showmanship and ballyhoo of the Super Bowl. US and UK sport have always been different – from the amount of body armour the Americans wear to play what amounts to rugby to the way the…
John Terry and the Future of Football

Mark Borkowski

1 Feb 2010 | 12:01 pm

The question of whether or not John Terry should be stripped of the England captaincy after recent revelations is irrelevant. There are bigger issues at stake in the world of football. If we’re to learn one thing from the wretched saga surrounding Terry it’s that it is not his career and reputation that faces a meltdown – the reputation of football is on a fast track to the sewer and is in need of urgent PR. Money is the acne on the face of football and with teenage afflictions comes teenage behaviour. Young men with that much loose power stuffed in their wallets are prone to go a…

Deirdre Breakenridge
The Virtual vs. Physical Event

Deirdre

8 Feb 2010 | 5:58 am

It was Saturday morning and I woke up to 8 inches of snow. It was only 7:00 a.m. in the morning and the weatherman was predicting more snow, anywhere from 12 to 18 inches for our area. I knew the snow was coming, but didn’t think it would hit that hard and with so much force (blizzard like conditions). Of course, it wasn’t just any old Saturday, it was the Saturday of Event Camp and I needed to be in New York City at the Roger Smith Hotel for a 4:00 p.m. presentation. As soon as I saw that the snow was almost over my dog’s head, I sent a DM to @jessicalevin and asked her, “Do we…
Thom Brodeur: Update on HARO

Deirdre

5 Feb 2010 | 8:14 am

Back in June 2009, I interviewed Thom Brodeur, COO of HARO. At the time, he had just accepted the position and was on the fast track to take HARO to a new plateau. Thom was true to his word! I caught up with Thom recently and he shared a what’s new and exciting at HARO: Q. There are some new and exciting developments at HARO! Tell me what’s changed since you took your position in June 2009. A. Wow. What a difference 7 months makes! As you probably saw, the new and improved HARO 1.0 at www.helpareporter.com was launched on January 19. This was the culmination of an aggressive…
Events Past vs. Present Day Event Social Engagement

Deirdre

1 Feb 2010 | 4:59 am

I’m really excited about Event Camp on February 6th. I’ll be traveling into NYC and speaking at the Roger Smith Hotel to discuss best practice Engagement Strategy for events (from planning your event to measuring participation/engagement). As a quick aside, I’ve been walking down memory lane this past week, as my agency cleans out our offices and move to new office space. As I was packing up some binders, I noticed one in particular that stood out. It was called, “PR/Marketing Event Checklist.” This was a binder used by PR and Marketing managers at my agency more than 10…
Social Media Definition in a Cloud

Deirdre

29 Jan 2010 | 8:19 am

I met Adam Vincenzini (@adamvincenzini) when he shared his newspaper experiment with me, which has been featured by international media including El Mundo. Adam decided to go 365 days without reading a newspaper and began to share his experience through his blog, The Comms Corner. I thought it was a creative and very difficult experiment (at least it would be for me at this point in my life). Then, Adam asked me to participate in another creative exercise called 140 Characters from 140 Comms Characters. He gathered 140 communications professionals and asked them to, in 140 characters…
#PRStudChat February Valentine’s Chat

Deirdre

25 Jan 2010 | 6:22 am

After the January #PRStudChat, I announced that we would have a February Valentine’s chat focused on relationships. Because public relations is focused on relationships and so is social media, for this session, @valeriesimon and I wanted to invite a special guest expert into the discussion. Our guest will really shed some light on relationships in the social sphere. I’m thrilled to announce that our February 17th #PRStudChat special guest will be Mark Gammon (@markgammon). Mark is a PhD in sociology with an emphasis on the social and cultural aspects of new media/technologies. …

Blueprint Creative Group
Haiti’s Connection to America

BlueprintCreativeGroup

14 Jan 2010 | 9:59 pm

“Ayiti Cheri” (or Haiti My Dear) is bleeding from devastation of a massive 7.0 earthquake that rocked the island on January 12, 2010. While the words- “the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere”- continue to echo throughout the media, we never get to see the side of Haiti that is full of a rich culture and a history of leading other nations to freedom. Many are simply unaware of Haiti’s historical context and contribution to the Americas, and despite the fact that much of our black history is often buried and never told, we are so much more connected to Haiti than we know. The…

Inspiring Dialogue
Social Media's Law of Evidence

David Libby

7 Feb 2010 | 9:45 pm

If there's one thing I know from being forced to watch too many episodes of NBC's Law & Order is that there is a "law of evidence." Evidence must be relevant to a case or it doesn't apply. The same...
Does the online ratings system need a redux?

David Libby

20 Jan 2010 | 9:23 am

I had the pleasure of taking my sweet little family away over the weekend to Carmel. If you haven't been there, make it a trip. Carmel-by-the-Sea, as it is officially named, is a California fairytale, maybe even a place comparable...
Pop quiz: You LOVE the TV show Mad Men, go to its web site, what's missing?

David Libby

17 Oct 2009 | 10:27 pm

You watch Mad Men on AMC every Sunday at 10PM. You love it! There's something Thirty Something about it, in a 60's kind of way. You want more. You go to the web site. There's a blog. Cocktail guide. Facebook...
Small businesses think too small when it comes to public relations and social media marketing

David Libby

11 Oct 2009 | 6:02 pm

I've been running my public relations consultancy for over 8 years now and can tell you that when it comes to marketing, the small businesses we've worked with think too small. It's not that the small businesses don't think about what they can do with their small business, they don't know how to think about it - beyond what it's going to cost, and, in some cases, don't know where to start. Here's some tips on how to think about public relations and social media marketing for your small business.
Listen up PR peeps, make social media work for you, now!

David Libby

4 Oct 2009 | 10:50 am

If you're a public relations professional like me, you're probably using Cision (aka MediaMap) or Vocus or EdCals.com, or one of the many other tools to make your life more effective for your clients. But, many of you are not...

Honestly...
Toyota Pushing the Pedal to the Metal

admin

3 Feb 2010 | 8:50 pm

TOYOTA IS IN THE ICU Does Toyota ever need crisis communications– for this once-stellar company is hemorrhaging everywhere. Every time a new edition of an online report comes out there seems to be some new allegation or fine being imposed on this global Japanese car manufacturer. They are in a heap of trouble. As I mentioned yesterday, no one has answered whether or not the cars in question are safe to drive. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in a congressional hearing, appeared to warn owners not to drive recalled vehicles, but he later said he misspoke. He just really wants…
Toyota’s Accelerating PR Problem

admin

2 Feb 2010 | 2:16 pm

A PR Case Study in Transparency I own a Toyota and even though my car is not on the recall list, I still wonder if my car will accidentally lunge forward. There are just too many models that are affected for me not to think that it could happen to mine as well. So, if I’ve lost some confidence in my car’s manufacturing – you can better believe that those who own Toyotas on the recall list are a bit worried as well. And they have every right to be. Lives are on the line. Did you happen to catch Toyota’s open letter this morning. Let’s just say they…
2010 Olympic Team Skip Shuster to LA

admin

28 Jan 2010 | 12:56 pm

MEDIA ALERT U.S. MEN’S OLYMPIC CURLING TEAM SKIP JOHN SHUSTER VISITS THE SOUTHLAND PRIOR TO THE VANCOUVER GAMES SUNDAY, JANUARY 31-MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 America’s Top Men’s Curler Visits Los Angeles for the First Time Offering Instruction and Signing Autographs at Hollywood Curling’s Learn-to-Curl Event Sunday, Jan. 31 Who: John Shuster, the Skip (Captain) of the 2010 U.S. Men’s Olympic Curling Team, is making a guest appearance at Sunday’s Hollywood Curling Club Open House/Learn to Curl session. Shuster will be providing instruction, greeting new curlers and explaining the…
Conan O’Brien’s Unemployment Exit Statement

admin

24 Jan 2010 | 8:33 pm

Entering is so much nicer than exiting. One of of your first days in out placement services, you attend workshops to finesse things like your resume, career objectives and more importantly, your exit statement if your position was redundant. They teach you Never to say the words “laid off”- the term “Laid Off” is apparently dirty words in the career placement world. To get around using this derogatory term they have you write up an exit statement and I was just thinking about what in the world Conan or his staff say about their job transitions. Some sample…
Conan O’Brien’s Package

admin

22 Jan 2010 | 2:01 pm

Did you see the size of Conan’s O’Brien’s package? He’s bringing home a cool $30 mill* in his severance from NBC, while his brood gets to split approximately $11 million*. Not bad for a guy who tells funny jokes before our bedtimes. Is Fox in His Future? As one who is familiar with severances of late, I did a little math for I wanted to see how his staff made out for seven months work in Los Angeles. Basically, his 190 person staff would each receive $41,000 (after taxes) if the $11 million was split evenly among them, which I’ m sure it will not…

Beyond The Hype
BrandBowl 2010 is nice, but what about Facebook?

Ted Weismann

5 Feb 2010 | 10:27 am

Our Patriots disappointed us this year, so I realize how spoiled we were during the glory years when thinking about Sunday's big game. Despite my team not being in it, I'll be interested for two reasons. One is the Saints (Who Dat!). Do it for all those paper bag-headed fans of old! The second is the ads. What will make them more fun is something cooked up by Mullen and our friends at Radian6 -- BrandBowl 2010. It is a real-time "scoreboard" of the brands (not ads) and how they rank based upon a combination of factors drawn from Twitter chatter. The ranking is based upon a…
How well do you know your Twitter followers and Facebook fans?

Ted Weismann

3 Feb 2010 | 2:41 pm

At yesterday's Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) event, Katie Paine gave her latest presentation on social media measurement. I've seen her talk many times, but she does a nice job keeping her pitch very current, so I always walk away with something new. Yesterday, it was the inclusion of number of Twitter followers/Facebook fans on her list of "Old School Metrics." It was great to see this.The basis of this is the fact that what matters the most is the action taken around social media, with key metrics being influence, engagement, advocacy, sentiment and ROI. …
Conan Understood "Less is More"

Lois Paul

1 Feb 2010 | 8:51 am

From the earliest moments in the ridiculous PR mess NBC got itself into when its prime-time "Jay Leno Show" was canceled and it started messing with the time slot of the venerable "Tonight Show" and its not-ready-to-go-gently-into-that-good-night current host Conan O'Brien, the latter has shown mastery of one of the best communications skills you can have -- understanding that "less is more." His initial statement rejecting NBC's offer to bump his time slot to 12:05 was clear, heartfelt, and focused on the impact it would have on the proud institution of the "Tonight Show." It wasn't a…
Dick McGlinchey Memorial Service set for March 28 in Boston area

Lois Paul

29 Jan 2010 | 8:09 am

The Boston area memorial service will be held at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 28. Dick McGlinchey, the co-founder of Lois Paul & Partners (then McGlinchey & Paul) with me in 1986, loved antique race cars and fabulous automobiles in general, so this is a perfect location for his friends to gather to remember him and celebrate his life. For those of you who did not read the post I wrote a month ago, Dick died from complications of a long-term illness in December and we promised those who knew him that we'd post details of his planned…
Google's quest to create a meta social network

Ted Weismann

28 Jan 2010 | 10:03 am

I caught this in my Feedly reader this morning: Google moved its social search feature from its labs to beta. This means that Google will show within its mainstream search results the opinions of those in your larger social graph about the keyword or topic on which you are searching. I wrote about the implication of this for marketers back when it first rolled out. It is noteworthy how quickly this moved from labs to beta, which shows me how important social and real-time search are to Google and that it can't be ignored. But here's what's more significant about this. Embedded below is a…

Extanz LLC
If you’re going through Social Media Schizophrenia, keep going: The re-wiring of community communication has begun.

Yann Ropars

8 Feb 2010 | 12:23 pm

The only way I can get a timely response from our babysitter (16) is to text her. I am ok with that but had to learn. Learning, I can do this, right? S**t, that’s what every identity (read brands, personal or organizational) is currently re-wiring. The 1st Symptom of Social Media Schizophrenia: Personal VS Corporate Digital [...]
Ski Resorts and Snow Reports and Social Media: A match made in heaven?

Katie Van Sant

19 Jan 2010 | 7:48 am

Howdy, Katie Van Sant here, of Extanz.com fame. As those who read this blog know, here at Extanz, we’re always keeping an eye on trends and creative ideas in the social media sphere. My attention, therefore, is always (and naturally) piqued when the conventional media looks at the use of social media in sectors in which I’m personally [...]
10 Social Media benchmarks, what are your plans for 2010?

Yann Ropars

1 Dec 2009 | 7:38 am

“Am I doing the right thing?” most agents involved in social media ask. This blog intends to offer a reflection on where and how to ground benchmarks for an organization or brand. It’s not a one size fits all approach. A few weeks ago, Sergio Balegno from MarketingSherpa was engaged in an interesting conversation about [...]
Is your social media strategy C.U.T.E?

Yann Ropars

19 Nov 2009 | 11:25 am

What do fans have in common? Why is it easy to have a conversation with some strangers and not others? Having moved around quite a bit (living in 4+ countries and not done yet), I tend to think that my village a gypsy type one. The more I think about social media, the more [...]
5 Big Fat Social Media Trends

Yann Ropars

9 Nov 2009 | 8:49 am

Social Media is like the new West. 3 or 4 years ago we were barely calling it “new media”. Last year, I couldn’t use the word “social media” or people would look at me like I was talking French. It was a new frontier, but today, everyone has arrived. Now there are way too many [...]

twofourseven
#newsrw: how is journalism developing?

Julio Romo

19 Jan 2010 | 10:06 am

We all know how the downturn in advertising spend has affected the press and publishing industries. Newsrooms appear to have been decimated as publishers across all sectors laid journalists out to pasture. In far too much haste commentators wasted no time in penning the obligatory obituary for their own industry. But how wrong they appeared [...]
BBC, journalism and social media

Julio Romo

11 Jan 2010 | 6:17 am

The BBC’s User-Generated-Content (UGC) unit will be celebrating its fifth birthday this summer. Since it was set up in 2005, the unit has quietly been transforming how the BBC gathers and reports news. The unit is now a hub of 23 journalists that sift through stories, pictures and videos sent in by people who either [...]
The Changing Business Culture – Reacting To Consumers And Social Media

Julio Romo

23 Dec 2009 | 6:59 am

It has been an interesting year for public relations. The recession has affected how businesses communicate. Reputation and issues management have been the watchwords as companies throughout the world battled to safeguard their image and reputation during what could be described as the first major downturn in this globalised era. And it has taken no [...]
News and publishing companies, redesigning their business?

Julio Romo

3 Dec 2009 | 6:37 am

A lot of rumours are floating around at the moment about how publishing companies are developing digital platforms for the print offerings. Condé Nast recently showed off a concept video of Wired’s supposed iTablet application at Wired’s New York store. The video shows Wired magazine as an interactive title that’s updated with not just print but [...]
'Journalists And Social Media: What PRs Should Know' event overview

Julio Romo

28 Nov 2009 | 8:23 am

Nic Newman summed up the impact that social media is having on journalism when he said that based on volume and time spent on site, “Facebook was six times bigger than CNN.” People today spend more time on social networking sites than on news sites, with industry commentators citing this to highlight the reason for [...]

Solo PR Pro
PR Consulting Clients Want Specialists

Kellye Crane

9 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am

This is a guest post from Kevin Dinino, Founder & CEO, KCD Public Relations Inc. I started out like many in the PR field, as a generalist Account Executive at a mid-size PR agency pre-Internet bubble. Once the sky started to fall and clients such as Neopets.com disappeared overnight, I was moved to start supporting large financial firms involved in venture capital and leveraged buyouts. It was a rewarding job, working with these masters of the universe and becoming immersed in the financial media and learning how no news sometimes was a good thing. Two years later, I was lured to the…
Help PR Pros Find a Job

Kellye Crane

8 Feb 2010 | 7:09 am

PR consulting is the best life there is. In fact, just today the Wall Street Journal stated we’re in the “Age of Going Solo.” But this month, I’m issuing a call to Solo PR Pros to participate in an upcoming Twitter event called “Help a PR Pro Out” day. (#HAPPO for short), designed to help PR job seekers locate the growing number of PR jobs that are finally becoming available. So, why is an independent gal like me participating in this “real job” event? First, it’s being organized by Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon, two great people who have recruited HAPPO champions for all…
Subcontracting, SEO and More

Kellye Crane

4 Feb 2010 | 8:05 am

Experts in PR consulting once again offered hundreds of pieces of sage advice in this week’s #solopr Twitter chat. During the discussion, there was a universal sentiment that subcontracting or outsourcing non-core services is important for long-term success as a PR consultant. Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for guidance on all of the topics this week: 1. How much of an SEO expert should we be, or is this best outsourced to the real experts? 2. How do #solopr manage subs? How do you handle billing for subwork? 3. Is there more to #solopr than media relations and writing? 4.
Do You Have Ugly Stuff?

Kellye Crane

2 Feb 2010 | 10:35 am

We’ve all seen them: unappealing logos, lame business cards printed out on the home printer, and remedial PowerPoint presentations. PR consultants often focus so much energy on our content, too often we suffer from “ugly stuff” syndrome. But design plays an important role in establishing credibility — especially important for independents. You’ve heard the expression “perception is reality?” This is actually backed up by research, with one study confirming that people expect visually appealing Web sites to contain better information than Web sites that are less…
Tips on Finding PR Consulting Clients

Kellye Crane

28 Jan 2010 | 10:55 am

How did successful PR consultants find their first clients? That was just one of the many interesting questions covered in this week’s #solopr Twitter chat. Interestingly, many of the top pros participating did not have clients before taking the leap toward independence. Among those who did, some highlights: @LauraScholz: I think it’s all about activating your network. It’s amazing how many people will come to you once you get the word out. @LuAnnGlowacz: I was lucky to get pulled in by a friend (now client) w/ a PR budget, big dreams, & strong belief in me. Find your…

Manage your Message
How the TTC mishandled the media in the 'case of the snoozing worker'

Warren Weeks

4 Feb 2010 | 12:40 pm

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) faced a PR challenge last month after a cellphone picture of a sleeping worker went viral on the Internet. For the TTC, the embarrassing photo was the latest in a string of public missteps in recent months, including an unpopular fare hike, a token shortage and a major service disruption to the Yonge line after a private contractor cut into a subway tunnel. The photo struck a chord with the public and sparked a flurry of media coverage. In its handling of the issue, the TTC made some key mistakes that only added fuel to the flames: Mistake #1: Too Many…
Two takes on the value of media training

Warren Weeks

4 Jan 2010 | 10:05 am

Over the years, I've found it interesting that the people who think they don't need media training are often the ones who could benefit most from it. Case in point - this recent article in the Stayner Sun. Several municipal politicians from Simcoe County shared their thoughts on the value of a recent media training session conducted by Fleishman-Hillard. New Tecumseth Deputy Mayor Rick Milne is comfortable dealing with the media, but thought the session was worthwhile. "I've ridden a motorcycle for 45 years and every so often, I retrain, not because I'm a poor rider, but because I want to…
An early Christmas gift

Warren Weeks

24 Dec 2009 | 8:11 am

A true feel-good story for the holidays...Disclosure - RPNAO is one of our clients.
Don Cherry says doctor's accusations 'totally unfair'

Warren Weeks

20 Dec 2009 | 4:29 am

This is a quick follow up on the story we've been following this week about the doctor who accused Don Cherry of being responsible for head injuries in the game of hockey.In his December 19 Coach's Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada, Cherry called Doctor Tator's accusations 'totally unfair'. He even went so far as to say, "I would hate to think Doctor Tator is doing it just to get his name in the paper."You can view the Coach's Corner segment here.
The wrath of Grapes...

Warren Weeks

16 Dec 2009 | 11:50 am

Quick follow up to yesterday's post about the brain surgeon who attacked Don Cherry as a way to get his story about head injuries in hockey in the media. It has only been one day but the payback has started to roll in. Check out Bruce Dowbiggin's story today in The Globe and Mail. And this link has an audio clip of Don Cherry refusing to do a radio interview on the topic. Warning - multiple expletives....Coach's Corner should be more entertaining than usual this Saturday night.

PR In Your Pajamas
How To Use an Editorial Calendar to Get PR

Elena

9 Feb 2010 | 8:37 am

If you’re new to the term, an editorial calendar is a listing of the major themes or features planned for upcoming issues of a magazine. An editorial calendar is often in the Media Kit created by magazines (and sometimes newspapers) to attract advertisers. In theory, an editorial calendar tells you in January, what the magazine will write about all the way till December. Sometimes they are made public so that writers and PR consultants (or even you, the small business owner!) can approach the magazine to send a media pitch in advance of the story’s planned publication. Think of the themes…
Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

admin

4 Feb 2010 | 7:11 am

Last week, Steve Jobs and Apple launched the new and eagerly anticipated iPad. Over the years I have admired Apple for their branding, product launches and product innovation. This post is a more personal glimpse at a much-respected and innovative thinker. I thought I’d share with you a speech by Steve Jobs where he shares three very powerful stories. It never fails to inspire me. Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is…
How to Use Photos to Get PR (and save time and money)

admin

2 Feb 2010 | 4:33 am

Sometimes a good photo can illustrate a story more than words. I guess that’s why they say “a photo is worth a thousand words.” When we had our men’s socks company (which due to a ton of media coverage, attracted a buyer less than a year after we started it), one of the things we struggled with was, “how on earth do we show photos of boring men’s socks?” The whole point of the company was to sell something mundane that people forgot to buy or replace, but do it in a clever way (socks by mail subscription) so people never had to think about buying socks again. What kind of fun…
Business Baby Shower

Elena

31 Jan 2010 | 5:38 pm

When I heard Traci Bisson and Lucinda Cross launching the Business Baby Shower, I knew it was the type of contest I’d like to support. Although I’ve been working with very large companies for years, once I had my own children, mompreneurs and smaller businesses took over my heart. Starting and running a business is hard enough under any circumstances, having toddlers afoot wanting your attention and love while you’re trying to close a deal takes an infinite amount of patience, resourcefulness and grace. The Business Baby Shower Contest runs from January 1 – April 30, 2010 and…
10 Questions To Help You Write a Media Pitch

Elena

25 Jan 2010 | 11:23 pm

I have friends whose big dream is to sequester themselves and write a book. Although I like to write, it’s not something I dream of doing day in and day out. I don’t like sitting in front of a blank page, but I do know that once I get an idea and get started, things usually flow. Most entrepreneurs I know are not writers. You started your business because your passion and natural gifts are in a particular space. Most entrepreneurs I know didn’t realize how much marketing they would need to do in order to succeed. And that effective writing- from websites to sales materials, direct mail…

First Person PR
Add ‘Personality Not Included’ to Your Reading List!

Kari

25 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

Perhaps the biggest perk to commuting from Boston to Austin is the time on the airplane between when my laptop battery dies and we land that I use to catch up on reading. I lost my appetite for the “PR is dying,” the “social media will save PR/marketing,” and the “I have so many followers on Twitter that I’m now an expert” books – primarily because it’s not, it won’t, and you’re not. For the last year or so I’ve been consuming as many branding books as possible, particularly ones that dissect the science behind branding. Many were repeats of my marketing text books…
Three Recessionary Spending Lessons for 2010

Kari

4 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

While a lot of bloggers are posting their 2010 predictions, I thought I’d share three rules to keep in mind for your 2010 spending. All of these were valid long before the recession, but I became even more important in the last 18 months. 1. Focus on value. One of the first lessons of the recession is to find and eliminate spending bloat. Too often, I think we do things simply because it’s how we’ve always done them. For example, I strongly suggest everyone take a look at your press release distributions. Releases still serve a purpose, but they don’t drive coverage and don’t…
Tips & Tricks for your Corporate Social Media Efforts

Kari

3 Aug 2009 | 6:36 am

As I wrote last week’s post on the MarketingProfs’ B2B Forum, one particular session stood out to me – it was insanely interesting, interactive and valuable. Hosted by Jason Baer (of Convince and Convert fame), the session entailed three actual attendees letting the audience evaluate, analyze and critique their B2B social media efforts – whether it be a corporate blog, a community forum, Twitter, etc. or a combination. Jason started the session off with an incredibly brief appeal to all B2B marketers to define what success is, and know your strategy on social media.
My [belated] Top 10 Take Aways from MarketingProfs’ B2B Forum

Kari

30 Jul 2009 | 10:04 am

Earlier this summer, I attended the MarketingProfs’ BtoB Forum in Boston and had every intention of posting my thoughts the following week. In a nice (for me) twist, I came away with so many ideas and to dos that I focused on incorporating them into my existing program and quickly forgot about writing a blog post. But now I’m finally getting around to sharing the key themes that resonated with me from sessions on social media, marketing in a recession and measurement. Each session built on one another, and as a result my notes felt more like a Twitter stream than the linear notes…
Cutting out the techno carbs

Kari

25 Mar 2009 | 2:08 pm

For the past several months, I’ve been on a high-tech diet. The problem started innocently enough with a minor PDA addiction. I’d randomly check work email in the evenings, on the weekends and even during my commute. Then, with Facebook and Twitter, the socnets took over. And being the news junkie that I am, I was always reading something in between the two. Like many, I reveled in the always on, always connected, mentality. But I had hit the point where constant connectivity was overwhelming and it actually became counterproductive. Don’t get me wrong, I was always…

Paul Stallard's Technology PR Agency Blog
Steve Mobs and Mapple

paulstallard

9 Feb 2010 | 2:17 am

My dear friend Josie Herbert at Phiness PR pointed me in the direction of this clip from the Simpson mocking Apple after she saw my interview on PR Week. Classic line “Who dares mock our leader that we sacked ten years ago?”
PR versus advertising

paulstallard

8 Feb 2010 | 3:37 pm

One of my newer clients was attending an exhibition last week and was approached on her booth by a publisher for one of her trade titles. Having sat through a series of media interviews and similar approaches with me, she was well versed at listening to what they had to say about their exhibitions, advertising [...]
Looking for a job in PR

paulstallard

4 Feb 2010 | 4:11 pm

Thankfully we are going great guns at the moment at Berkeley PR and have signed a raft of exciting new clients. With this has brought the need to expand our team so we are looking for an experienced PR account manager. If up to 26 days holiday plus the whole of Christmas and New Year, [...]
Why it’s time to take SEO more seriously

paulstallard

4 Feb 2010 | 3:38 pm

I was looking at where my traffic had come from this afternoon on the blog and saw that quite a few had been directed from the WIRED blog. Intrigued I followed the link back to see that it was written by David BakerS who had participated in one of my meet the media interviews. Apparently one of [...]
PR Week video interview

paulstallard

4 Feb 2010 | 3:21 pm

This week I was invited to take part in a PR Week video interview about the recent Apple iPad launch. An interesting experience and one that has given me added sympathy for clients who participate in interviews.

Wired PR
Free Must-Use Online Tools for Businesses

beth

4 Feb 2010 | 1:28 pm

There are countless free online tools out there – everything from white papers to eBooks, to tool kits and guides. While they run the gamut on what they offer, there are a handful of useful tools to help manage, market and maybe even grow your business. Google offers a fare share of resources, as well as Bing, Yahoo and several other sites dedicated to the small business. These tools will focus on creating awareness and driving people to your brand online: Google’s Local Business Center – as local search grows this will become a valuable stream for businesses. It enables you to list…
Valley Entrepreneurs Join Forces to Form Production Company

beth

30 Jan 2010 | 12:54 pm

PHOENIX (Jan. 22, 2010) – Entrepreneurs Cecil Chambers, a Grammy-Award winning music publishing executive, and Jeff Lowy president of Encore Creative an award-winning event production company, have announced the formation of Big Tyme LLC, an independent production company with three television shows slated to debut later this year. Big Tyme’s first venture will be a musically-driven reality show similar to American Idol in which winners will be signed to a recording contract at the end of the season. Chambers and Lowy recently entered management agreements, pending a studio deal, with two…
Googlefying Your Business: Getting Found Online

beth

22 Jan 2010 | 7:16 am

Is your site the top listed in Google search results? Or is it buried in the fifth “O” of Gooooogle? There are a few good practices you can implement to influence Google’s algorithm and improve where you land in search engine result page (SERP). This post will concentrate on two key influencers of search results – relevance and authority – and how to impact them – that is if you don’t hire someone that specializes in search engine optimization (SEO). Keep in mind, there are many schools of thought on SEO tactics, but a good, searchable site starts with great content and…
Googlefying Your Business: Understanding Google Basics

beth

14 Jan 2010 | 10:30 pm

Are you being found on Google? If not, how can you be sure that you are? After you’ve run your site through Websitegrader.com, created Google Webmaster and Analytics accounts, and submitted your URL and Sitemap to the major search engines, understanding the basics of how Google works can help you improve where you show up in search results. As part two of this four-part series on “Googlefying Your Business,” this post will cover a brief anatomy of Google. While Google uses an intricate algorithm to determine search ranking, there a few key components to improving your search results:…
Googlefying Your Business (Part 1): 5 Easy Preps

beth

30 Dec 2009 | 7:29 am

It’s no secret that Google is the number one search engine, so it should come as no surprise that it can also make or break the traffic on your site. Google is extremely powerful and when a site is properly optimized traffic can reach new heights, resulting in more potential leads. This post is part one of four part series on “Googlefying Your Business.” First, a few easy steps to get you started on the right foot. 1. Websitegrader.com – Measure the marketing effectiveness of your site. This free tool by HubSpot will review your on-page SEO, Google Page Rank, indexed pages,…

Spinfluencer
How to Generate Leads on SlideShare

Schwartzman & Associates

8 Feb 2010 | 1:49 pm

It will probably come as no surprise that the pre-dominant activity on SlideShare, according to the company's CEO Rashmi Sinha, who I spoke with recently about the launch of their new branded channels, is B2B lead generation.B2B sales cycles exceed those of B2C, because the former requires someone be walked through a process, learn best practices and see relevant case studies to arrive at a purchasing decision. And currently, PowerPoint presentations are the popular media used in business to get that done.Google Adwords and online display ads may bring the horse to water, but before a B2B…
Dr. Mark Drapeau on Social Media Engagement

Schwartzman & Associates

4 Feb 2010 | 4:42 pm

This is a video excerpt of Mark's presentation in my Social Media Master Class last week in Washington, D.C. I will also be releasing his entire talk as a podcast shortly.If you're interested in attending the next Social Media Master Class, we're in New York City on Friday, March 26, 2010.We'll also be doing a Social Media Boot Camp on Wednesday, March 24 and Thursday, March 25. Hope to see you there.The Social Media Boot Camp comes to Los Angeles, August 16-17, 2010. Bring your laptop, log on and learn the ins and outs on social media engagement and SEO. Sign up at…
Twitter Strategy: Branded vs. Individual Twitter Accounts

Schwartzman & Associates

3 Feb 2010 | 1:09 pm

A frequently asked question in my social media boot camps is whether or not organizations should tweet from a branded Twitter account with their logo as the profile picture, or just have employees use individual accounts.It's easy to see why someone would be skeptical about having a conversation with a counterpart hiding behind a corporate logo. It's an issue of transparency and attribution. Logos don't talk. People do.But what about an organization that wants to use twitter to unload closeout merchandise by tweeting out sales prices? Or what if an airline's decided to use Twitter for…
4 Ways B2B Social Networks Drive Commerce

Schwartzman & Associates

2 Feb 2010 | 4:58 pm

While there has been a great deal of recognition and discussion among social media enthusiasts about the use of social networks to engage consumers, in the world of B2B marketing, high profile case studies have been fewer and farer in between.But after a discussion with Mark Yolton, the senior vice president of the SAP Community Network, a B2B social networking site nearly 2,000,000 members strong and growing monthly at the rate of roughly 30,000 new members spanning 200 countries worldwide, I'm convinced that social networking just may be the killer app for B2B marketing online, and here are…
SEC New Media Director Mark Story on Social Media

Schwartzman & Associates

1 Feb 2010 | 6:20 pm

This is an excerpt of a presentation by Mark Story (@mstory123), Director of New Media at the SEC, who appeared as a guest speaker in my Social Media Master Class in Washington, D.C. last week. If you'd like to check the schedule for upcoming sessions, you can do so here.The Social Media Boot Camp comes to Los Angeles, August 16-17, 2010. Bring your laptop, log on and learn the ins and outs on social media engagement and SEO. Sign up at http://www.socialmediabootcamp.com

David Henderson
Social Media Reality Check

DH

9 Feb 2010 | 6:57 am

Let’s get real about the current hysterical … near orgasmic … hoopla over social media. While there are new tactical tools in this digital era, the concept of social media is nothing new. Social Media Guru or Troglodyte I’m writing about this angle of social media because I noted on Twitter what might be one of the most naïve pontifications yet about social media, quite possibly from one of those self-anointed “gurus.” It’s called, “28 reasons some companies aren’t using Social Media.” Such lists don’t show much depth of…
How to Get Great Media Coverage

DH

7 Feb 2010 | 1:07 pm

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal with Lonnie Champagne of Louisiana Sugar Refining, Alan Willits of Cargill and John Sheptor of Imperial Sugar Company posing for photos. Event publicity is a tough business. There always seems to be something sexier, more appealing competing for the media’s attention. On top of that, resources of today’s mainstream media to cover stories is stretched by cutbacks and shrinking budgets. So, what to do when a client asks for coverage of an event that’s to be held in a small town, 35 miles from any major media city? The team at The News Group Net, of…
First Attempt to Dig Out of Snow Storm

DH

6 Feb 2010 | 7:56 am

My neighbor Drew was first out today with his trusty snow blower, attempting to dig out of the massive amounts of snow dumped on the Washington, D.C., area. His girls seemed a bit overwhelmed by huge snow drifts in front of their home in north Arlington. I have no idea how much snow is on the ground here. Best guess is about 20 inches. Here’s some HD video:
How Looks Can Be Deceiving

DH

2 Feb 2010 | 8:29 pm

It would be so easy to drive through Lutcher in southern Louisiana and not pay any attention to the weathered, century old, two-story storefront in bad need of paint. The building appears that it might even be abandoned, at first glance. Ah, but looks can be deceiving. It’s called Nobile’s … and in this part of Louisiana Cajun Country, Nobile’s is legendary for its home cooked food. Why am I writing about a restaurant … a bit far afield of my usual writing? The answer is easy – Nobile’s is outstanding. It’s like a precious culinary gem in…
Anatomy of How to Report TV News

DH

29 Jan 2010 | 7:48 am

Television news today – local, cable or national – is all formula driven. There are a few exceptions, like PBS NewsHour and HD Net’s World Report, but just a few. The rest of it is mostly shallow, inane and predictable. Nobody has explored the anatomy of how to report TV news better than Charlie Brooker in London:

PR Meets Marketing
Are You a Crazy Marketer

csalomonlee

4 Feb 2010 | 3:25 pm

I was speaking to a friend the other day and we both joked about “Crazy Marketers.” After being in-house for four years now, I now understand why marketers may seem crazy to agencies. Here is a quick 5 step quiz to determine if you’re a crazy marketer or work with one: Scatterbrained: Your attention is split among 100 different projects, all equally important in terms of priority. If yes, give yourself 5 points. Constantly Changing Decisions: You make a decision but change it days, if not hours later. If yes, give yourself 5 points. Your To-Do List Never Goes Down: You start your day…
One year later

csalomonlee

1 Feb 2010 | 3:33 pm

"Pink Slipped" One year ago, both my husband and I were laid off within days of one another. That experience spurred the post about the worst week of my life. Though I was able to find work quickly, the same could not be said of others, including my husband. When reflecting on the past 12 months, I realize how blessed I am – a roof over our heads, food on the table and loving husband, family and friends. It could be worse. There is hope with news of GDP growth in the 4th quarter. Unemployed friends see “signs” of a stirring job market, though we all wish it would…
PR Freelancers versus PR Agencies: Five Points to Consider

csalomonlee

15 Dec 2009 | 7:09 am

Four years ago this month, I left the agency side to move in-house. During this time, I’ve had the opportunity to work with different types of agencies, do an agency search and consider the value of working with a PR freelancer. If you decide to bring in outside PR help, here are five points to consider: Administration The general rule of thumb is that 10% of any retainer goes toward administration. On this point, I do favor opting for a PR freelancer over an agency, especially if you have a smaller budget. Working closely with a contractor streamlines the process, focusing more on the…
Marketing and Public Relations – Nothing but lies?

csalomonlee

11 Oct 2009 | 5:34 am

Note: This past year has been one of reflection regarding family, friends and career, especially in light of what happened earlier this year. This will be one of many posts regarding various topics that I’ve mulled over from time to time through the year. Thank you in advance for your support and comments as I explore these topics. My husband likes to say that marketing and public relations is about who lies the best. When he tells me this, I am completely offended. Yet, I have to admit, there is a kernel, and probably a big one at that, of truth in his perception. Our job is to…
Five Simple Tips for Managing a LinkedIn Group

csalomonlee

7 Sep 2009 | 9:18 am

One of the great things about LinkedIn is the ability to start a group around an organization or topic. I co-manage the Virtual Events Forumwhich addresses topics related to virtual events and environments. In managing this group and looking at successful examples as the Event Planning and Management group founded by Julius Solaris, whom I’ve met virtually and one day will meet in person, I have these five simple tips for managing your LinkedIn group: Set Up Email Templates: There is an option to set up automatic email responses to people seeking to join the group and when they are…

Tech Affect
Social Media Week: The Road from Listening to Activation

Kaylen McNamara

5 Feb 2010 | 10:08 am

Throughout Social Media Week, it has become increasingly obvious that companies understand what social media is and how it works. However, are these companies really listening to what is being said about their brand? Yesterday morning, I attended a panel discussion on The Road from Listening to Activation, which discussed how mining and analyzing conversations can be used to develop a strong activation strategy between brands and their audience. Read about my takeaways from this discussion on the Johnson King blog!
Social Media Week: A Shaq to the System- Tebow, Tiger and the New Online Realities of Sports Journalism

Kaylen McNamara

5 Feb 2010 | 7:15 am

Real-time updates, instant analysis and interaction with sports fans as the game is played – social media has completely changed the landscape of how sports are covered and written about. Pete Cataldo, account executive at Affect Strategies, shares his insights from a Social Media Week panel of five well-known sports journalists on how their roles have evolved … and what it means from a PR standpoint. Read the full post on the Johnson King blog!
Social Media Week: The Advancement of Twitter

Katie Safrey

4 Feb 2010 | 10:58 am

What have you learned so far during Social Media Week? Our next social media-themed blog post comes from Jonathan Mathias, senior account executive at Johnson King Johnson King, our partner, is a European technology PR agency headquartered in London. The Advancement of Twitter By Jonathan Mathias Since signing up to Twitter two years ago, I’m now following over 400 different accounts – something which recently led to an alarming crisis of confidence and a subsequent overhaul of how I use it. It’s always been clear to me that Twitter would be a powerful tool, but given its ever-changing…
Social Media Week: What do the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones and MarketWatch have in common? Social media.

Julia Gaynor

4 Feb 2010 | 8:58 am

Earlier this week I had the privilege of attending the Publicity Club of New York’s “The Wall Street Journal, Et. Al.” Social Media Week panel discussion. As I sat down to eat my dry chicken breast and salad, I noticed that I was one the younger people in the room. I couldn’t help but think to myself, “This isn’t exactly the audience I expected at social media week?” Boy, did they make me looks stupid. Turns out social media tools are no longer just for the young and nimble, but everyone now seems to be seeing the value in connecting via the world wide web—well everyone except…
Get More Twitter Followers – 9 Legit Tips, No Gimmicks or Tricks

Sandra Fathi

3 Feb 2010 | 9:21 am

Image Credit to TeachersPodcast.orgA friend and colleague of mine recently shot me an email asking me how can he gain more followers on Twitter. As I started to respond, I realized that although there were many resources available, my quick and dirty response could help some other folks as well. So, here is my best/shortest advice on gaining more Twitter followers: Follow folks who are going to be interested in what you have to say. (For the non-rock stars among us, there is a direct correlation between the number of people you follow and how many follow you.) Say something interesting –…

Everything PR
Beware of Valentine’s Day Spam

Liliana Dumitru-Steffens

9 Feb 2010 | 11:10 am

It’s that time of the year again, when love becomes a commodity, pretty much like Christmas. And both wear red, mind you. And both are about spending money. At least this is the impression I get from the emails I receive every day from Amazon, eBay, and other online shopping portals I dared to visit once to buy a random treat or two. I even got mail from a dating company that wanted to introduce me to a hot Russian lady, despite the fact that I am a woman, and happily married on top of that. But spam knows no gender, does it? I mean, companies that use spamming as a marketing strategy…
Sports Illustrated Does 2010 Swimsuit Issue Up Right [video]

Phil Butler

9 Feb 2010 | 10:18 am

Sports Illustrated just released the 2010 issue in something of a media frenzy. The seasonal issue is always a hit, and this year, with all the added video and coverage, appears to be the best ever. On the cover? 22 year-old Brooklyn Decker, a five time SI model, and one of the favorites this year obviously. Decker is now the poster girl for the fabulous models who grace the inner pages, and the website of Sports Illustrated. The issue, and Decker, have become a trend on Google today, Decker even thanked her fans on Twitter, tweeting how happy she is at the cover. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook,…
Valentine’s Day Ideas for Twitter and Social Media

Mihaela Lica

9 Feb 2010 | 10:18 am

On Twitter the marketing frenzy begun a few days ago, but only recently “V-Day” became an active trend. Tweets like “Make your love sing, give your honey V-Day bling.” followed by links to sites that “sell” the bling are as frequent as those that inquire about Valentine’s Day the movie. Will it be worthwhile, will it be a flop and more importantly, will you go to see it on Valentine’s? As any other trend, “V-Day” is a blessing for marketers, and a major annoyance for some – let’s call them more skeptical – users.
Young Poor People Prefer Pets to People on Valentine’s Day

Kristen Nicole

9 Feb 2010 | 10:03 am

Is the pressure of Valentine’s Day getting to you? There’s the big spending on flowers, candy, cards, dinner, Pajama grams and lingere. There’s the heightened expectations around expressing your love in the most abundant way possible, giving many people anxiety about the upcoming day of romance. Perhaps that’s why nearly 25% percent of people in a recent survey say they would prefer to spend time with their pet on Valentine’s Day than their spouse. It’s only 1 out of every 5 people, but still. Ouch. Puppy love just got a whole new meaning. The interesting…
Facebook Adultery Becoming a Real Issue

Kristen Nicole

9 Feb 2010 | 9:41 am

More divorces these days are being blamed on Facebook. It seems that connecting, or reconnecting, with friends can lave a pretty ugly snowball effect. According to a UK divorce website, 1 in every 5 divorce suits filed mention Facebook. Whether it’s a wall post that you thought was private or a session you forgot to log out of, Facebook activity can get married people caught up. It used to be other tell-tale signs that got married people in trouble, such as perfume on the clothes or a phone number left in a pocket. Then it was email and text messages. Now it’s Facebook. Not only…

The Marketing Journalist
5 Steps to Bridge Social Media and Security

cindy kim

2 Feb 2010 | 9:05 pm

As businesses move at a rapid pace to integrate social media as part of their overall corporate strategy to engage, build brand awareness and drive thought leadership, unfortunately, security has taken a back seat leaving businesses wide open to these Web 2.0 threats. The use of Web 2.0 has opened new risk channels for the bad guys to exploit to take advantage of users’ trust to further gain control of their passwords and infiltrate the “trusted” community. This has added a new element to disaster control for businesses. It is time for businesses to wake up and understand the security…
Why Bad Headlines Can Kill Good Content

cindy kim

26 Jan 2010 | 9:08 pm

I was at #SMAZ (Social Media for Business) event recently for several reasons – networking, moderating a panel on ROI and Social Media Measurement, and listening to some of the best speakers this valley has to offer – including C. Edward Brice (my boss on Top 10 Social Media Trends for 2010), Jay Baer, Evo Terra, and Jeff Moriarty. Thanks to Founder (and organizer) Fred Von Graf for putting this event together. In between my regularly scheduled conference calls, I got a chance to listen in on some of the best presentations that this event had to offer – thus, my…
5 Powerful Steps to Optimize Your Business with LinkedIn

cindy kim

26 Jan 2010 | 7:14 pm

Post originally published on www.agencyside.net http://bit.ly/b2IraA. With more than 50 million professionals entrusting their personal brand and identities with LinkedIn, the social networking platform has evolved into the largest business networking platform. While LinkedIn is still largely used by professionals to connect with other colleagues, LinkedIn has added powerful capabilities to extend personal and business brand, enhance SEO, and engage with a thriving community. LinkedIn goes a step further on networking by allowing you to build a community to share information, educate,…
Social Media Outsourcing: Good Business or Fake Dialogue?

cindy kim

16 Dec 2009 | 8:52 pm

Source “Brands are the stories that unite us all in a common purpose within an enterprise, and connect us with the people we serve on the outside. These brand stories give meaning to who we are and what we do.” – Mark Thomson Social media outsourcing has been dubbed the next big thing — which could mean placing your brand in the trusted hands of outside agencies. Social media is about building relationships between your brand and your community — about listening to the conversation and engaging in it. As agencies are claiming to be social media experts, more companies…
Social Media: Balancing Security & Authenticity w/o Controlling the Message

cindy kim

10 Dec 2009 | 10:03 am

Social media is all the rage. According to a recent report, 94 percent of Generation Y has joined a social networking site. Social media is believed to be leading the next social revolution. In fact, social networking has grown so dramatically that it is now the number one activity on the Web. In response to this social media phenomenon, businesses are moving at a rapid pace to take advantage of the untapped opportunity by making social media an integral part of their business strategy. On the flip side, the rise in this trend is giving hackers more motivation and greater opportunities to…

Stalwart Communications: Pay-on-Performance
What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from the Leno/Conan Debacle

David Oates

To be honest, I hadn’t given any real attention to the whole deal about which middle-aged white millionaire was going to come out on top of the NBC Late Night show saga. I only watched Leno’s 10 p.m. program during its first week, and saw only five or six “You Tube” broadcasted segments of Conan’s Tonight Show. I also found the whole soap opera-esque drama that occurred over the past month a bit silly given more important news of the day. Yet as Jay’s last night in prime time broadcast comes tomorrow, I can’t help but see the lessons we as entrepreneurs can take from this issue.
Stalwart Communications Celebrates Success In Style

Alyson Rybar

Last night nearly 160 people attended our Stalwart Communications company celebration at Confidential Restaurant downtown San Diego. We’ve just passed our third anniversary, grew nearly 30 percent last year, doubled revenues over the last two years and are well on our way to another successful year! Clients and guests enjoyed a night of signature cocktails, heavy appetizers, door prizes, cigar lounge and good conversation. Thanks to all of those that have supported us and are responsible for our achievements to this point!
Who's using FourSquare?

David Oates

I just started, and think it's got some great potential for marketers looking to draw attention to businesses. The places I've visited and "checked in" have already brought comments to my Facebook and Twitter pages. Anyone else got an opinion on it? I welcome them all.
Will Editor & Publisher's Stay of Execution be Short-Lived?

David Oates

I say yes. Media Business Magazine ‘Editor & Publisher' could still face rough sailing Sean Callahan Story posted: January 19, 2010 - 2:09 pm EDT Last Thursday Duncan McIntosh Co. saved Editor & Publisher from drowning when it acquired the iconic b-to-b magazine from Nielsen Business Media, which had shuttered it as of Dec. 31. Now comes the hard part. “I do not think there is much of a future (for E&P),” said one industry observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity and cited the lack of advertisers seeking to reach the struggling newspaper industry, which the publication…
PR Rule #1 - The Genie Will Not Go Back In The Bottle!

David Oates

Source: http://nuclearabolitionist.blogspot.com/2009/07/putting-genie-back-in-bottle.html I was at a high profile networking event this past Wednesday here in San Diego. The speaker was a venture capitalist who was incredibly forthright about the state of his industry and the lack of liquidity within it. It became clear to anyone in the room that this man was wickedly smart. I wish I could say the same for the moderator. About halfway through the talk he announced to the room how much he appreciated his guest's candor and reasoned his willingness to do so in part because he told him that the…

OgilvyImpact: Employee Communications
Crash Blossoms

Beth Haiken

1 Feb 2010 | 3:27 pm

Ben Zimmer’s “On Language” column in this week’s New York Times Magazine was about crash blossoms – headlines that have been pared down so far they unintentionally allow for alternative meanings. The term was coined when an American editor based in Sapporo, Japan, spotted the headline “Violinist Linked to JAL Crash Blossoms” and wondered, “What’s a crash blossom?” Classics of the genre include: “Giant Waves Down Queen Mary’s Funnel” “MacArthur Flies Back to Front” “Eighth Army Push Bottles Up Germans”…
Best and Worst Jobs - which one do your employees have?

Beth Haiken

6 Jan 2010 | 5:50 pm

The website Careercast.com has once again posted its best and worst jobs list. Anyone interested in employee engagement should take a look. At first glance, it’s not that surprising – the top jobs, starting with actuary, are generally white collar, and those at the bottom of the list are physical and risky (roustabout – providing “routine physical labor and maintenance on oil rigs and pipelines” – takes the last spot on the “worst” list). The list isn’t perfect, and the generalized criteria used won’t fit every individual circumstance. Take me, for…
Lessons from the Corner Office

Beth Haiken

5 Jan 2010 | 5:48 pm

Last Sunday’s Corner Office column in the Sunday New York Times featured Gordon Bethune, the former chief executive of Continental Airlines (for more background, and a crisis management classic, check out Greg Brenneman’s “Right Away and All at Once: How We Saved Continental”). It’s a great column but a couple of things stood out: On leadership: “I was a mechanic in the navy… You may have more stripes than I do, but you don’t know how to fix the airplane. You want me to fix it? You know how much faster I could fix the airplane when I wanted to, than when I didn’t…
How NOT to make this list

Beth Haiken

10 Dec 2009 | 11:07 am

For the first time, eBossWatch.com, a website dedicated to helping people avoid workplace harassment and bullying, assembled a panel of experts to choose and rank the 25 Worst Bosses of 2009 in the U.S. and abroad. The list is a carnival of horrors, but once the shock factor ebbs, some basic rules of the road emerge: Don’t harass your employees – about race, about or for sex or sexual orientation, about a disability, for ANY reason. Don’t yell at, swear at, insult, or bully your employees. Don’t punch or hit your employees. Don’t pay less than the minimum wage, refuse to pay…
Dilbert Says It All

Beth Haiken

25 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm

Today’s Dilbert cartoon is the perfect commentary on employee engagement - and a useful “heads up” for employers about how engagement efforts may be perceived in an atmosphere of cost-cutting. Just food for thought. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tech PR Nibbles
Top 11 Priorities for PR Professionals in 2010 - UPDATED

Luca Penati

2 Feb 2010 | 7:12 am

In early January I posted a blog on the “Top 10 Priorities for Tech PR Professionals in 2010.” I received quite a few comments on the blog itself as well as through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and email. I waited a month and now have decided to re-post it with a single additional priority and some minor changes. The most evident is in the title, now “Top 11 Priorities for PR Professionals in 2010.” I left out “tech” because they are relevant to PR pros across practice areas. I added one priority (thanks to Lucy for the important reminder): “Building Communities”, now priority…
Location-Based Social Networks: Interview with Tristan Walker of Foursquare

Christine Ngo

27 Jan 2010 | 4:40 pm

Over the last year, location-based social networks such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Brightkite have exploded among early adopters. It’s no question—with increasing adoption of smart phone usage, location-based social networks are rising in popularity every day. Recently covered in GigaOM, CNN, Ad Age and The New York Times, Foursquare is currently one of the most buzzed about location-based mobile social networks. Intel and Ogilvy recently used Foursquare to drive traffic to and create buzz around Intel’s offline events and activities at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month.
Stats Sell!

Emily Peterson

27 Jan 2010 | 10:50 am

In today’s changing media landscape, many of us are looking for ways to make waves. Surveys can be a great way to accomplish that. I have done a few surveys in the past, but recently it seems that colleagues of mine are doing more of these and looking for guidance, so I thought I would share some best practices for developing and promoting surveys. 1. Select a topic that is not self-serving. For example, if you’re a b2b company with little brand recognition, pick a topic that a broader audience would be interested in, rather than one that answers questions about how well-known your…
And the Pulitzer goes to…

Anna Hughes

21 Jan 2010 | 3:54 pm

Today’s news that the National Enquirer is planning to apply for a Pulitzer is an important reminder of today’s changing media landscape. We all read daily about the emergence of blogs and social media sites as new sources of news and information, but it’s important to remember that even traditional print media is changing its ways and redefining its focus. If a publication best known for announcing alleged alien invasions can break a major political news story, than what other changes might we see from print media in the coming years? Less tawdry examples abound. Consumer tech coverage…
Top 10 Priorities for Tech PR Professionals in 2010

Luca Penati

4 Jan 2010 | 2:25 pm

There’s no doubt that 2009 was a year that (further) changed our job as PR professionals. As I’m sure you’ve heard a million times, it’s an all new, ever changing world and we need to learn, move and adapt quickly. But, in concrete terms, what does that mean? From my point of view (mostly from the agency side) I thought I’d list out the priorities for a tech PR practitioner in 2010. I think they stand for both experienced professionals and people just getting into PR. One thing is for sure: our job is indeed getting more and more complex, challenging, and fascinating. All three…

The Media Is Dying
themediaisdying: iPhone Magazines on the rise | PDA-247 http://ping.fm/43onZ (RT @ipadfrenzy)

9 Feb 2010 | 5:23 am

themediaisdying: iPhone Magazines on the rise | PDA-247 http://ping.fm/43onZ (RT @ipadfrenzy)
themediaisdying: PLEASE RETWEET! What topic would you like to see tackled by The Fire Brigade this week? Join TFB by emailing prweekblog@gmail.com

9 Feb 2010 | 1:05 am

themediaisdying: PLEASE RETWEET! What topic would you like to see tackled by The Fire Brigade this week? Join TFB by emailing prweekblog@gmail.com
themediaisdying: If you could ask @Mumsnet anything what would it be?

8 Feb 2010 | 3:31 pm

themediaisdying: If you could ask @Mumsnet anything what would it be?
themediaisdying: Azipan.com : http://bit.ly/acouZm -- a marketplace for writers and the vendors looking to hire them. (RT @tomforemski: RT @samwhitmore)

8 Feb 2010 | 2:46 pm

themediaisdying: Azipan.com : http://bit.ly/acouZm -- a marketplace for writers and the vendors looking to hire them. (RT @tomforemski: RT @samwhitmore)
themediaisdying: Nobody wants to buy a magazine from the newsstand anymore : http://bit.ly/a2fXjI (@sainsider)

8 Feb 2010 | 2:38 pm

themediaisdying: Nobody wants to buy a magazine from the newsstand anymore : http://bit.ly/a2fXjI (@sainsider)

Newsvetter
Want to succeed in PR? Grow a mustache

Andrew

28 Jan 2010 | 9:26 pm

If you still need convincing that PR can pull off humor, take a good look at the American Mustache Institute. AMI is the brainchild of three former Fleishman Hillard alums who created the fake institute to prove a point to their masters – that humor can be a serious public relations strategy. The masters at Fleishman didn’t feel that way so Brian Cross, Aaron Perlut, and Dan Callahan (see photo on right) left in 2009 and formed Elasticity, a St. Louis-based firm that “blends the competencies of traditional public relations and digital strategies with the creativity of…
Humorwire: A Creative PR Playground

Andrew

22 Jan 2010 | 10:29 am

Based on the feedback from last week’s post, one thing appears to be clear: PR people want to be funny and creative but sometimes their clients or bosses won’t let them. Aaron Perlut, Partner at creative PR firm Elasticity But does that mean you should suppress that creativity? No. Find an outlet for your talents and build a case study or two that will help convince your client or boss that creative and/or humorous approaches in PR have real merit. I’ve used my Guhmshoo cartoons in this way. To help PR people do this, I’ve decided to launch something called Humorwire.
Are PR people boring or just bored?

Andrew

13 Jan 2010 | 11:39 am

I just finished reading the press releases from the Consumer Electronics Show. You’re probably wondering what kind of masochist would do such a thing. Well, I was looking for examples of companies that used humor (or creativity) in a press release at CES. Sadly, I didn’t find any great examples. Some of them showed promise but I wish they had gone so much further. For example, MWV, a company that creates plastic packaging for electronics, could have done something fun with how their product reduces “wrap rage.” For a conference that showcases some of the most…
A holiday wish from Guhmshoo

Andrew

18 Dec 2009 | 11:03 am

This is my final cartoon of the year. A big thanks to all of you for your support in 2009. I have a holiday wish that I hope will come true in 2010: My wish is for PR professionals to integrate more humor into their work. As I’ve written before, humor can be a powerful tool for achieving serious PR objectives. That said, I realize that many of you still need to be convinced of its value. I will do my part to share more case studies, strategies and interviews in 2010 from PR people who have been successful using this approach. Feel free to contact me if you have a case study to share or…
Our top predictions for 2010

Andrew

8 Dec 2009 | 11:15 am

Warning! This is not your typical top prediction post. Stock prices will rise and fall based on what is written below. To increase the accuracy of our predictions we opted against using Google search. Instead, we turned to Alta Vista (when it takes a full 5 minutes to calculate your search results, you know that it’s so right). In addition, we consulted the works of L. Ron Hubbard and looked through Bill Gate’s trash. What we’ve discovered will leave you awestruck. No, dumbfounded. So with that, we give you our top predictions for 2010 (in no particular order of importance…

PRtini
Will Super Bowl Ads Integrate Online & Offline?

Heather Whaling

7 Feb 2010 | 9:54 am

Update: It turns out that most of us gave advertisers too much credit. Only a few commercials incorporated social media — and those that did took a very subtle approach. If you’re interested in learning more about which advertisers went social, the KBuzz blog recaps some of the “social” ads. We all know it’s Super Bowl Sunday — which means some of the year’s best commercials will be debuted. While there’s some debate about the value of spending millions of dollars for 30-seconds of air time, no doubt tomorrow’s water cooler talk will…
Yelp for Nonprofits

Heather Whaling

2 Feb 2010 | 5:51 am

More than 30,000 nonprofits have created Facebook pages, while there are at least 15,000 nonprofits using Twitter. However, those two networks aren’t the “end all, be all” for nonprofit social media. Other sites/networks may provide more value, or a stronger connection to a group’s stakeholders. For example, what can nonprofits do with Yelp? I frequently rely on Yelp to discover new restaurants, but it’s so much more than that, as this video interview with San Francisco’s Women’s Community Clinic communication director illustrates. (The…
Mobile’s Place in PR 2.0

Heather Whaling

27 Jan 2010 | 4:39 pm

I remember the first time I was involved in a project that potentially included a mobile component. Conceptually, it was a fantastic idea. Actual implementation? The team wasn’t quite sure where to start. The web team was looking to PR for information, while the PR crew was looking to interactive for direction. While that particular project never came to fruition, the initial process illustrates a challenge facing the PR industry (agencies, in-house and independent consultants alike): How and where does mobile fit into the PR 2.0 landscape? Mobile is being touted as “the next…
5 Metrics for Nonprofit Communication

Heather Whaling

26 Jan 2010 | 4:22 am

A collaborative effort, this post was co-written by Chuck Hemann and myself. Two key components of a nonprofit organization’s communication strategy — traditional media relations and social media marketing — fall into the “hard to measure” category. By now, hopefully you believe in the importance of securing placements in key media outlets and developing a strong, engaging online presence. But how do you know if your efforts are working or if it’s time to go back to the drawing board? Nonprofit organizations — as well as for-profit companies operating…
Double Shot: How To Be More Effective

Heather Whaling

22 Jan 2010 | 6:49 am

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “Double Shot” post, but this week, I read two very helpful “how to” posts that I wanted to share, especially relevant for nonprofits and others operating on a budget (and who these days isn’t?!?), and those interested in learning more about effectively measuring PR and social media: “HOW TO: Set up a Free Online Monitoring System,” courtesy of Sarah Evans. This post offers a step-by-step guide to monitor your brand without breaking the bank. Online reputation management — and actively watching…

thebluedoor pr
The Future of PR – is it really digital?

8 Feb 2010 | 5:48 am

Digital PR is increasingly being talked about in the PR and Marketing media. PR agencies are starting up divisions or spin off companies to focus on digital communications services for potential and existing customers. There’s no doubt that online communication tools such as Twitter, social networking and blogs are all part of society today, but so are conversations at bus stops, in coffee shops and in people’s homes. These face-to-face conversations are driven by information from print newspapers, TV and word of mouth news and views. We’ve got to remember that not everyone spends their…
Surrey Tweetup: digital networking in real life

4 Feb 2010 | 5:13 am

Last night, thebluedoor - Surrey based digital PR agency - hosted the second Surrey Tweetup in Farnham with very generous support from iBundle.Organised through the power of Twitter - specifically using the recently rolled out lists and geolocation functions - 45 people came along to a very successful Surrey Tweetup. Kindly sponsored by innovation hub, iBundle, those attending were not only treated to drinks but also to an insight into the complex issues surrounding digital data interoperability by iBundle's founder Julian Ranger.thebluedoor is committing to organising this free digital…
Success for Startups that look to the future

29 Jan 2010 | 1:44 am

We’ve all watched entrepreneurs with ‘brilliant’ ideas struggling to make an impact on Dragons Den. Okay, some of the ideas aren’t so brilliant and some are just plain mad but why is it that some truly brilliant ideas fail once they have the word ‘incorporated’ tagged on to them? At the end of last year Jason Fried of 37Signals gave a talk at Y combinator’s startup school in Berkeley, you can see the summary of Jason’s talk on TechCrunch. Among the many insights into the pitfalls of starting you own company, Jason gave the advice that ‘failure is not a pre-requisite for…
Social media and Web 2.0 statistics: a round-up

25 Jan 2010 | 8:50 am

In order to truly understand a business sector and develop an expertise, an avid reading habit is required. thebluedoor is a digital PR agency so consequently our reading material is quite varied to cover both the PR sector and those of our clients. Our PR focused reading list is quite broad (both online and in dead-tree format), and includes Wired, New Media Age, .Net, PR Week, Marketing Week, B2B Marketing and The Economist.I thought it might be useful to post some of the recent digital media and online PR statistics that we have read about.Facebook:300 million global active users22 million…
The year of innovative communication – a PR view of CES 2010

20 Jan 2010 | 3:27 am

Las Vegas has been the place to be this month for anyone with an interest in technology and/or PR. So for an active digital PR person like me, it was a dream to follow the latest news online and via Twitter. The 2010 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) saw more than 2,500 technology companies introduce more than 20,000 new products over the four-day event. From a PR perspective, there was a vast amount of work to be done. The show itself claims in its official press release to have launched the ‘next decade of innovation’ with a record number of new consumer electronics products…

Sword and the Script
E-mail: Still a killer app

4 Feb 2010 | 8:16 pm

Unleashing the Killer App. Remember that book? For me it brings back a rush of memories. Equalfooting.com is a good example. Raised $140 million in VC funding, lead by Wharton grads, shuddered in 2000 or 2001. I cannot recall. It's a blur. Almost surreal.Harvard Business Press published that book in 1998, but a number of posts or studies of late on the topic of e-mail got me to thinking about it again. I pulled it off the shelf to have a look and thumb through the pages I carefully highlighted and tabbed a decade ago.No Twitter handle on the back cover. No Facebook fan page. No blog link.
Smart things I've heard lately (Vol. 1)

14 Jan 2010 | 8:11 pm

Smart things I've heard lately (Vol. 1)Now and again you hear things that make you pause, reflect and consider -- "that was really smart." I'm going to start a series that posts the smart things I've heard recently and here's my chop at the first volume.1. "Here’s our product. It is great. Here are customers who say it is great. Now buy some of our product." David Meerman Scott writing on his blog about "conflict-driven business writing" and who earlier quoted a writing teacher as having said, "One writing teacher went so far as to say, "Writing without conflict is propaganda."2. "We still…
Blog panel Part III: Outlook for PR beyond 2010

4 Jan 2010 | 7:18 pm

There have been a lot of predictions for 2010, which is why this third and final question posed to our panel of bloggers – John, Krim and Meredith – is unique. A lot can change in 12 months, so a forecast for a year is challenging enough, let alone the next two years.Even so, the mental exercise that goes into thinking beyond just the next year is useful because I find challenges me to think big, to imagine, and provides a literary license to be daringly creative. So this is my attempt to answer the following: What changes will the industry see beyond 2010 in the next 18 to 24 months?The…
Blog panel Part II: How adaptation will shape PR thinking in 2010

30 Dec 2009 | 8:33 am

"Adaptation is the process whereby a population becomes better suited to its habitat." - WikipediaAdaptation was the theme of my last post for a blog panel that includes John SidlineKrim Stephenson and Meredith L. Eaton. Adaptation was my answer to the question, "What was the biggest lesson for PR and marketing professionals in 2009?" This post focuses on the second of three questions: how will that shape our thinking in 2010.Adaptation will shape PR in two key areas in the next twelve months with a renewed focus on process innovation and skills acquisition.Process innovation. If 2009 was…
Blog panel Part I: Biggest lesson of 2009

28 Dec 2009 | 11:13 am

What was the biggest lesson we – marketing & PR – learned in 2009? Adaptation.It’s fascinating to watch a new industry evolve. A forward-thinker identifies a business problem, a gap in existing product lines, or discovers a better, faster or easier way to conduct business, and magnificent transformation is set in motion. Sometimes this transformation is in thinking and sometimes in innovation.The sun does not revolve around the earth. The world is not flat. Man can fly.Why do we resist change when change is so inherent to life? Change finds holes in long-held assumptions, challenges…

It's All Very PR
RECAP: “What is Your Social Music Currency?”

alyson

5 Feb 2010 | 8:07 am

Last night, SoundCTRL — a group that explores the convergence of music & tech — hosted an Official Social Media Week panel on the future of music in the digital era and the question “What is your Social Music Currency?” The event was fittingly held in the old Tower Records space on 4th & Bway, which felt so desolate and sad, after being stripped of its musical inventory. Brightening things up though, was a non-profit organization entitled “No Longer Empty” which brings temporary cultural exhibits to unused real estate throughout the city. As…
INVITE: SoundCTRL hosts only music-centric panel during NEW YORK Social Media Week

alyson

30 Jan 2010 | 1:30 pm

Entitled, “WHAT IS YOUR SOCIAL MUSIC CURRENCY?” SoundCTRL hosts the only music-related panel during this week’s Social Media Week in New York. The discussion will be moderated by social media maven, James Andrews (Co-Founder, BeEverywhere.tv & TheKeyInfluencer.com), and the panel will feature: ?uestLove (National recording artists & infamous drummer of The Roots and The Jimmy Fallon Show), Andrew Katz (Senior Marketing Manager, PepsiCo), and Marisa Bangash (Co-Founder of Uncensored Interview). In partnership with PepsiCo Music, dotMusic & No Longer Empty, the…
INVITE: Hearts For Haiti – Haitian Relief Fundraiser (Wednesday, Jan. 20) in NYC

alyson

18 Jan 2010 | 10:32 am

There is a Haitian motto, “L’union fait la force,” which is French for “unity makes strength.” Here in New York, it’s business as usual, as we’re forced to move on with everyday life while the devastation continues in Haiti. If you’re in NYC this week and looking for additional ways you can do your part to help our Haitian brethren, there’s an event taking place on Wednesday that could use our support… “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” – Elie Wiesel HEARTS FOR HAITI invites you to make a…
Blazetrak presents at the January NY Tech Meetup

alyson

6 Jan 2010 | 9:28 am

Last night, the managing partners of Blazetrak, Corey J. Stanford and Nate Casey, presented a live demo at the monthly NY Tech Meetup to over 750 New York technologists. Currently organized by Nate Westheimer, the meetup occurs on the first Tuesday of every month. Kicking off 2010 right, four NY tech start-ups were invited to live demo their websites in 1-minute or less [PressLift, NYC Way, Taxi Hack, Yogoer] and four more start-ups were invited to live demo their websites in 5-minutes or less (SpeakerText, Artlog, UDorse, and Blazetrak included). Pulling one over on their trusty publicist…
“The Power of Hair” at Saks Fifth Avenue

alyson

16 Dec 2009 | 10:03 am

Last night, LeMetric Hair Center INC hosted a special womens event at Saks Fifth Avenue entitled “The Power of Hair.” The expert panel featured Qianna Smith (Editor-at-Large for FashionQandA.com), Dr. Judith Hellman, MD (Dermatologist), Eugene Smith (Celebrity Hair Stylist, Ted Gibson Salon) and Dr. Dennis Lin, MD (Sex Therapist and Psychiatrist). Moderated by Elline Surianello, the founder & CEO of LeMetric, the discussion explored “hair” as it relates to women, fashion, culture and society. In addition to the panel discussion and question & answer period, guests were…

Next Communications
Mining PR Gold: Being Human and Going Red

Richie Escovedo

3 Feb 2010 | 9:40 pm

As a tool for quick conversations, networking, research, etc. Twitter is a must-use tool for me. Every so often Twitter is another time-suck and not very worthwhile. And then some days, the serendipity of Twitter lead to the remarkable. Today was one of those days. A PR colleague in health care, Laura Van Hoosier, APR, retweeted Reace Alavarenga-Smith, APR who works for Texas Health Resources: RT @ReaceS: It's Go Red week--check out what @texashealth FW did to increase awareness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjHz-ErKqlg Why this video is PR gold The team at Texas Health Resources were able…
School PR response to the H1N1 Crisis

Richie Escovedo

27 Jan 2010 | 9:31 pm

Earlier this month, the Greater Fort Worth Chapter of PRSA kicked off 2010 with a program that featured the Fort Worth ISD's Communications Department and their presentation H1N1: Six Days in May and Beyond. The presentation was in essence the school district's communications/PR response to the H1N1/Swine Flu outbreak that hit our area and the controversy they had to tackle. Below is the video the team presented: What struck me about that District's response was that it had to be an integrated effort by all areas in order to be successful. This was no time for silos and worrying about…
PR pros thrive and learn @FortWorthPRSA

Richie Escovedo

21 Jan 2010 | 7:49 pm

I am a member of and hold a board position with the Greater Ft. Worth Chapter of PRSA. At the January Board meeting, we were given the local results from the PRSA's all-chapters survey that was launched in March of last year. According to William Murray, the President and COO of PRSA, the purpose of the survey was "to identify, in a methodical, statistically sound way, which Chapters represent best practices in the area of service delivery, and who can serve as models for other Chapters to learn from and emulate." The Results Here are some of the interesting and in some cases, surprising,…
Mining PR Gold: 5 Tips for Pitching Local TV News

Richie Escovedo

14 Jan 2010 | 6:22 am

I subscribe to a rather larger number of RSS feeds and e-mail newsletters from within the communications and PR industry. There are some excellent resources out there for professionals who are serious about learning and getting better at their craft. I am going to start sharing more of these great ideas, posts, videos, etc. here on my blog as a way to spread the wealth of knowledge readily available. The PR gold I came across this morning was waiting for me in my inbox. Ragan.com's PR Daily e-news featured a link to a video by Seth Odell on tips for pitching your local TV news stations. Odell…
How thick is your PR skin?

Richie Escovedo

7 Jan 2010 | 10:05 pm

Image by ricardo.martins via Flickr Inclement winter weather happens. That's pretty much a given. What isn't always a given is what school districts will do when winter weather threatens to sting them. The short-version: Our area experienced record low temperatures resulting in slight accumulation of ice in areas around the district. We opened schools at regular time. Many parents and students took longer times to get to school. Parents (and some students) expressed displeasure in the decision to remain open. They chose to share their displeasure via angry phone calls, on our Facebook fan…

imPRessions
Super Bowl Advertisers Score PR Points By Getting “Banned”

Dorothy Crenshaw

3 Feb 2010 | 7:34 am

Someone blogged recently that the Super Bowl’s like “American Idol” for advertisers…with a little football thrown in. They called it right. And this year, with social media kicking in like never before, the Super Bowl is still a winning PR strategy for the brands that pay to play. Most are looking to extend their investment through the social Web. In fact, there are so many ads previewed before the Bowl that the event itself might be an anti-climax. But, with so much noise out there, how do smaller brands get attention? Some are trying to pull an end-run before game…
What Goldman Can Learn From Toyota: Apology Communications

Dorothy Crenshaw

30 Jan 2010 | 10:04 am

Lately, the public apology has been cheapened to the point of commodity. Hardly a month passes without a tearful, televised mea culpa from a politician or athlete. On the corporate front, the typical PR offering is more along the lines of “mistakes were made” – a masterful mouthful of nothingspeak. The banking industry’s contrition is epitomized by Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein’s stilted apology last November, followed by an orchestrated move to throw money at the problem. But, like the actions of a guilty husband trying to gift his way out of the…
Does Apple Have A “Female Problem”?

Dorothy Crenshaw

27 Jan 2010 | 7:13 pm

No other company could have raised the anticipation bar as high and managed the PR tsunami as deftly as Apple did in the months leading up to the unveiling of the new iPad tablet. But contrary to the stratospheric expectations, the iPad didn’t self-levitate, dispense cash, or heal the sick. Apple-watchers had their criticisms. Many called it nothing more than a “giant iPod Touch.” Personally, I was a little glad to read mixed reviews, given charges by some that major media – who might have much to gain by the iPad’s success – are incapable of covering…
Royal Caribbean In Haiti: A Tough PR Call

Dorothy Crenshaw

21 Jan 2010 | 9:01 pm

When I first read about the Royal Caribbean Line ship that docked at Haiti’s Labadee beach shortly after the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, I was taken aback. To say it created a royal PR problem for the cruise line was an understatement. The storm of criticism was so fierce that it was hard to glean the facts. After a story ran in the UK Guardian, the floodgates were opened to media and bloggers who excoriated the cruise line. Under a headline screaming ”Ship of Ghouls,” the New York Post , in true tabloid form, reported that passengers frolicked…
What PR Boom?: Why The Recession Hasn’t Helped Public Relations

Dorothy Crenshaw

18 Jan 2010 | 4:33 am

Like my peers, I was interested to read the latest article about our industry in The Economist. Titled “Good News,” the piece posits that PR has profited during the recession, since so many companies have suffered business and reputation declines. It cites the latest Veronis Suhler Stevenson data indicating a 3% growth for the PR business in 2009, although the gains have come amidst layoffs and declining budgets for many firms. Good news for PR? I don’t think so. The recession may have underscored the need for a long-term, strategic approach to reputation management.

PR junkie
On comeback trail, Mel Gibson calls reporter an ‘a**hole’

3 Feb 2010 | 8:01 am

As you probably know, Mel Gibson is making his comeback—or trying to—after very public blowups involving his drinking and apparent anti-Semitism. Last weekend, his new movie, The Edge of Darkness, debuted at No. 2 at the box office, behind Avatar, and he’s been making the media rounds. And thank God for that, because if he wasn’t we wouldn’t have gems like this. Gibson did an interview live via satellite with Chicago’s WGN TV’s Dean Richards. During the interview, Richards—being a journalist and all—asked Gibson if the public perceives him differently because of personal…
J.D. Salinger worked in public relations, briefly

28 Jan 2010 | 5:25 pm

As you know, reclusive author J.D. Salinger died. But did you know Salinger also worked in PR? According to one timeline of his life, he did PR work in the Army. Here's the scoop. He was drafted into the Army in 1942, after first receiving a medical deferment one year earlier due to a heart condition. In 1943, Salinger was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant and transferred to Patterson Field in Fairfield, Ohio, where he performed public relations work before joining the Army's counter-intelligence unit and heading off to Europe to fight in World War II. This timeline tells the story of…
Where was the mention of a PR firm in Obama’s State of the Union?

27 Jan 2010 | 10:34 pm

Yesterday, I wrote that President Obama planned to highlight Indianapolis PR and advertising firm, TrendyMinds, in his State of the Union speech. The PR firm had experienced 200 percent growth during the recession. I watched the whole speech—though I did leave the room once, briefly—and didn’t hear the president mention this PR firm. Did I miss it? Word of the president’s plan to mention the PR agency came from an employee at TrendyMinds. I’ve scheduled an interview tomorrow with the firm’s founder, Trevor Yager. I’ll let you know. The Washington Post did note Wednesday night…
Obama to highlight PR firm in State of the Union address

26 Jan 2010 | 11:45 am

Indianapolis-based PR pro Trevor Yager plans to attend President Obama’s State of the Union address Wednesday night. Did he land a plane in a river? No — well, not that I know of. Instead, Yager’s PR and advertising agency, TrendyMinds, has experienced 200 percent growth and given back to the community. The president plans to highlight the agency for these accomplishments. In 2009, the 15-year-old TrendyMinds doubled its employees, gained 15 new accounts, and underwent a renovation to accommodate the massive growth. And, according to its Web site, the company is still hiring (an account…
If you like the semicolon (or punctuation in general) …

20 Jan 2010 | 8:32 pm

Yesterday, I received an e-mail regarding the story I wrote about semicolons for Ragan.com. The e-mail came from Trevor Butterworth—if that is your real name—an Irish writer based in Washington, D.C. He offered his congratulations on my article and then shared a piece he wrote in 2005 for the Financial Times, in which he defends the semicolon at length. This is good stuff for punctuation fans. “Indeed, part of the semicolon’s mystique is the way that it wantonly gives itself to great writing without offering a clear rule for lesser writers to follow,” Butterworth wrote. “This has…

Nettie Hartsock
If I Were An Author I Would…

Nettie Hartsock

7 Feb 2010 | 7:02 am

1. Spend most of my time researching blogs and online websites instead of kvetching that my traditional publicity firm is just not trying. 2. Understand that I don’t need a publicist, mygrandma or even my publisher to work on my behalf to get coverage for my books! I can compile a list of blogs and start participating way before my book is out! 3. Take to heart that it is an author’s job to help publicize their book. 4. Get on Twitter and start tweeting. 5. Remember that if I’m going to build a FACEBOOK fan page I’m not done working with it just because I built it.
You Can Save Yourself from Buying Social Media “Guru” Products by…

Nettie Hartsock

4 Feb 2010 | 1:51 pm

MYTH: You’re only going to find out the real deal on how to use social media off a long-copy sales page and a series of bonuses and webinars which you have to purchase. REALITY: There are tons of absolutely free and in-depth social media help sites. If you spend just one hour a week on them, you can learn everything you need to do. REALITY EXTRA: You cannot possibly learn any of this stuff by just reading – you have to start doing! 5 Sites That Give You LOTS of GOOD FREE Social Media MOJO: 1. For Facebook turn to Allfacebook.com – superb, updated daily and tons of…
GalleyCat and How it Benefits You…

Nettie Hartsock

3 Feb 2010 | 2:57 pm

I’m a giant fan of Mediabistro’s GalleyCat and think they’re doing a great job of providing resources for writers, authors, and idea-thinker uppers in regard to Web 2.0 tools. Their latest piece titled, “The Most Popular Book Reviewers On Twitter” by Jason Boog is something you should definitely read and take actionable insight from! What insight? The column gives you some top Reviewers on Twitter, two of my faves being Susanna K. Hutcheson (top Amazon reviewer too) and my friend Wayne Hurlbert of BlogTalkRadio’s Blog Business Success. They also give you…
How is Paid Content Going to Impact Your Local Paper and Your Obit…

Nettie Hartsock

3 Feb 2010 | 4:34 am

We’re just days away from seeing Journalism Online‘’s system put into action with several newspapers. Journalism Online is a relatively new start-up venture aiming to facilitate newspapers’ efforts to charge online. Here is a link to the full story , and I could not resist putting an excerpt from the story here, “”We’re starting small, so if this really turns people off, we’re not playing with a huge chunk of our readership,” Schreiber told the Times, reflecting a commonly-held fear among publishers of scaring away readers and losing…
Bloggers Want to Hear About Your Books

Nettie Hartsock

1 Feb 2010 | 12:33 pm

Don’t let any publicists convince you that you absolutely NEED them to do blog outreach on your behalf. To the contrary, it should always work as a partnership and it’s very important to put the YOU in the online outreach. While many of you might not have the time or inclination to reach out to bloggers, and will want to hire a publicist to help you, keep in mind that you still need to participate as much as you can in terms of blogging, building good content to repurpose as guest bylined articles, and pro-actively thanking (via commenting) bloggers for featuring the book. The…

PRBreakfastClub
Raising Your Hand Isn’t the Only Way to Get Noticed

Alex Tan

8 Feb 2010 | 9:02 pm

At any stage of our PR careers, most of us have our eye on the next rung of the hierarchal ladder. Chasing after the next promotion isn’t the only reason we give everything we have to our clients, but let’s be honest, we didn’t jump into the sandbox to avoid building a castle. When I entered the PR world, I thought the clearest path to an upwardly mobile career was to raise my hand for every new project, taking on as much as I could. Taking this approach puts you in the position to be the one to secure that big placement, execute on a massive client program or contribute to a new…
Are you a Twitter Snob?

Kate Ottavio

8 Feb 2010 | 9:01 pm

The most fascinating aspect of Twitter is that you can literally find millions of different people with personalities that span the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. I love it. One thing that I’m always keen on studying and writing about is narcissism and ego in social media. So I came up with a little quiz to determine whether or not you are a Twitter snob. Please keep score as you go along. 1) Have you ever muttered the words or a variation of “Eww, he only has 800 followers.” ?? Yes No It was more like only 300 followers. 2) I only follow…
HAPPO Days are Here

PRCog

7 Feb 2010 | 9:03 pm

For any of you who missed Friday’s announcement, the next two leading up to what should be an amazing 4 hours on Friday February 19th. This new project, spearheaded by Arik Hanson and the amazing Valerie Simon, this amazing project looks to put together job seekers with those with job openings. For the full background and inspiration, including inspiration from Dave Mullen, be sure to check out Arik’s post, linked in the first sentence. For those of you looking for the short version, and what you can do to participate in HAPPO day, take a look below: On Friday 2/19, between…
The Intrigue of Sports Villainy

Mike Schaffer

7 Feb 2010 | 9:02 pm

We love our sports heroes. Oh, do we LOVE our sports heroes! Babe Ruth, Joe Montana, Magic Johnson, Roger Federer, Mia Hamm, Cal Ripken, LeBron James, Peyton Manning – the “good guys” of sports are beloved by fans and marketers alike. These stars win championships (or compete for them every year), donate money, work in the community, sponsor brands – they do everything heroes should do. Heck, Drew Brees has helped rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina with time, effort and money – and just last night brought the Super Bowl trophy to his adopted hometown. It didn’t…
Are you done talking yet?

TJ Dietderich and Christina Khoury

7 Feb 2010 | 9:01 pm

We all have that friend or colleague that will come in Monday morning, uber excited to tell you all about their weekend and you’re already cringing at the thought of it. It’s not that the story won’t be interesting. Perhaps they won a million dollars or got engaged. It doesn’t matter. Your friend can’t tell a story to save her life. In fact after she finishes the story, you’ll have aged about 20 or so years and forgotten what she was talking about in the first place. What does story telling have to do with PR? Well, everything. Telling a story, in my…

JessicaRandazza
Save Yourself From Metrics

Jessica

9 Feb 2010 | 8:04 am

I’ve been fortunate enough in my life to surround myself with incredibly talented people. People that I admire, respect and love. People who serve as incredible friends, outstanding mentors and confidants. Some of them are 30 + years my senior, some my age, and some younger. Some are in my space (public relations and social strategy), some are on the periphery, and some may not be working on anything related, but still impress the heck out of me. I’m fortunate to know them. This past week was Social Media Week here in NYC, which means I got to connect with some of the wonderful…
Social Media Overshare Makes Me Emo

Jessica

30 Jan 2010 | 6:30 am

There used to be a time when you could break up with someone, and you could keep it under wraps while you deal with the emotional side and heal privately. You got to chose when you told friends, and not them finding out before you (because your significant other clicked “cancel relationship” on Facebook to let you know things are over). Broadcast to your network and open to their commentary. It’s become nearly impossible to have a “private” life if you actively engage in social networks. Take this example I found in my newsfeed this morning: The openness of…
Craigslist, I

Jessica

24 Jan 2010 | 8:16 pm

I’ll admit, I’m mostly a Craigslist hater. It just always seemed so shady, and every experience whether it was selling furniture (like my bed which is probably one of the saddest stories you’ve ever heard so I’ll spare you the details) or looking for roommates, it was just always….well subpar. When I moved to New York, I was absolutely overwhelmed with the idea of scoping out an apartment on foot, I could certainly get a sense of what neighborhoods that I thought would fit, but to find something in my price range, with roommates (believe it or not I actually want…
How To: Socializing Brands

Jessica

21 Jan 2010 | 9:08 am

It’s hard to go anywhere without being inundated with placards, posters, t-shirts or signs that proudly proclaim on business storefronts “follow me on twitter.” Just seems a little too passive and a lot too vain for me. As a social media marketer, believe me, I get it. There is perceived value to the number of followers/fans that businesses can brag they have, and it does provide a potential in road to activation/engagement. I'll be honest, I own these. In my new position I’ve been charged to build a “social media strategy” for large consumer brands…
Today’s How To: Meeting People

Jessica

14 Jan 2010 | 5:51 am

After attending my first official New York City Social Media Mixer last night (Digital Somethings at Roger Smith Hotel), it got me thinking – I’m really bad at meeting people. It’s not that I don’t engage. It’s not that I don’t have conversations, or feel a connection with a lot of wonderful people at social functions. My problem is that I don’t ask questions. I spend way too much time talking about myself. Surprise, huh? A social media/public relations person who is a little too self-involved? When a friend asked me last night what someone (who I had…

PRWeb - Daily News Feed
Search Marketing Expo – SMX West Announces Networking Activities for March 2-4 Conference

In-person and online networking opportunities announced for SMX West; Ignite SMX West added as part of Global Ignite week; Bing.com and Ask.com are featured sponsors (PRWeb Feb 9, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/smxwest/networking/prweb3582044.htm
Kelly Hoppen Interior Designer Launches Plantation Shutters Collaboration

London based interior designer Kelly Hoppen is well known for an opulent clean interior style which created the perfect match for the UK’s premier shutters installation company Shutterly Fabulous. Together these two expert interiors companies have launched a stunning new range of wooden shutters. (PRWeb Feb 9, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/KellyHoppen/PlantationShutters/prweb3560694.htm
Don't Be a Sex Ed Horror Story — Keep the VD Out of Valentine's Day

TeezITNow.com is encouraging parents to use this Valentine's Day as an opportunity to give their teens a gift of knowledge and empowerment, because when romance heats up, teens often find themselves under pressure to give in to sex. (PRWeb Feb 9, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/02/prweb3579294.htm
PRWeb Partners with Zemanta to Enhance Visibility of News Releases in Blogosphere

Online News Distribution Service the First to Partner with Social Media Tool that Assists Bloggers by Recommending Relevant Content (PRWeb Feb 9, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/partnership/zemanta/prweb3554864.htm
Whatcom All-Ages Arts and Music Seeks New Home

Whatcom All-Ages Arts and Music (http://www.whaam.org) (WhAAM) is announcing that the organization will be moving out of The Old Foundry (100 E. Maple Street) and is now seeking tenancy in a new building. (PRWeb Feb 9, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/all-ages_music/whaam_bellingham/prweb3585674.htm

Richard Edelman - 6 A.M.
A Sober and Reflective Davos

3 Feb 2010 | 1:49 pm

I attended my twelfth World Economic Forum meeting in Davos this past week. In previous years, there were exuberant “dot-com” savants (1999), self-assured US diplomats just before the invasion of Iraq (2003), impressive sovereign wealth funds (2007) and confident private equity barons (2008). In turn, each has been humbled within eighteen to twenty four months. Last year in Davos, the world stood at the precipice, with insolvent financial institutions looking to government as lender of last resort and global trade plummeting as recession gripped the economy. Economic collapse has been…
Edelman Trust Barometer 2010 - A New Mandate for Business

25 Jan 2010 | 9:39 am

I have just arrived in Davos, ready to present the findings of our tenth annual Edelman Trust Barometer at a breakfast panel co-hosted by the Financial Times tomorrow morning. Here are a few of the important conclusions from this year's 22-country study of opinion formers, who are "media attentive," have more than $75,000 annual income and at least a college degree: Trust in business has stabilized and is trending upward, with a substantial jump of 18 points in the US (from an all-time low of 36% in 2009 to 54% in 2010). Trust in business falls into three categories (High-Brazil, China,…
Breaking Media -- The Vertical Play

19 Jan 2010 | 6:44 am

I had lunch with my old friend, Jonah Bloom, until recently the editor of Advertising Age and now the CEO of Breaking Media, a collection of vertical professional sites launched over the past four years. Jonah helped expand Advertising Age’s-- a must-read for us-- focus on the broader communications industry, and report the most compelling ground breaking work as well as the big campaigns and brands. The media brands under the Breaking Media umbrella include Fashionista (fashion), Dealbreaker (M&A), Above the Law (legal) and Going Concern (accounting). Here are the highlights from our…
Without Boundaries

12 Jan 2010 | 1:40 pm

I went to a luncheon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City yesterday in honor of the late Eunice Johnson, who died last week at age 93. Eunice and her husband John were co-founders of Johnson Publishing Company, which owns Ebony (1.2 million circulation) and Jet (900,000 circulation) magazines, trailblazers in Black media and still among the leading media for the African-American community. The Johnsons were close friends of my parents in Chicago; here are my observations about this unique success story from 35 years of acquaintance. The Johnsons operated as partners, with John…
Losing the News

8 Jan 2010 | 2:44 pm

Alex Jones, who runs the Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy at the JFK School of Government at Harvard, has written a book called, Losing the News. In it he chronicles the shrinking of the “iron core” of authority news. He contends that 85% of authoritative content is published in newspapers, while local TV, radio and bloggers are generally “piggy-backing” onto the investigative or accountability news. He acknowledges that “part of the news crisis is finding a solution that will pay the significant costs of generating accountability news that is essential to our…

Bernard Dahl
How to report the news like a pro. Sort of.

Journalism, like most Public Relations, has too much Cut+Paste and Templates. Interested in being a reporter? Here is the formula : Dominic Arpin is the one who found the clip, you should check out his site.
The 10 Minute Book

Seth Godin has put together a “Best-of” from a bunch of brilliant authors and thinkers. He is probably the only person who could have gotten all of these people together – to make a free book, nonetheless! It’s free, and it’s important – because it gets you thinking. Seriously. There is one page in there, I swear, I [...]
Fixing the right problem. Or: Avoiding professional failure with better definitions

Some people would say that a doorman or security guard is there to keep people out, to manage the door and/or for crowd control. That makes him the law. He only has the power to say no. Another way to look at it is to make sure that the person at the door lets the right people in, with the power to [...]
Sometimes, Social Media Steals From Charitable Causes

I saw this on Facebook : Fight Child Pornography 421,533 Members $136 donated If you do the math, that is an extremely weak donation. Less than a penny per person. And no mention of where the money goes. I mean, it’s great that people are against child pornography – I’m just saying that as an exercise, this is somewhat [...]
The biggest mistake when marketing “green” virtues…

Here is a transcript from last month’s discussion with my mobile phone service provider, who shall remain nameless. Me: “So… you just stopped sending me invoices by mail?” Them: Exactly, your invoice is available on the Internet, which you chose. Me: Really? -When did I choose this? Them: This was a note on your invoice 2 months ago. It [...]

Ishmael's Corner
Crisis PR: Toyota’s Second Letter to Customers Stays On The Road

Lou Hoffman

6 Feb 2010 | 12:39 pm

I skewered Toyota earlier in the week in the post “Open Letter to Toyota Customers Hits Pothole.” Instead of addressing the issue head on, Toyota started the letter harking back to its 50-year heritage. The narrative went downhill from there. I don’t think Toyota was particularly proud of the letter either given it’s no longer on the web site (although it does show up in the image library). I’m convinced every crisis reaches a fork in the road in which a company must make a choice on who’s leading the charge, legal or common sense. It was clear from scrutinizing Toyota’s…
Toyota Recall Crisis Part II: Journalistic “Fishing” a la Twitter

Lou Hoffman

4 Feb 2010 | 4:55 am

It’s standard practice for journalists to put a “face” on a crisis. It’s called humanizing the story. Which brings me back to the Toyota debacle which I addressed yesterday in the post “Open Letter to Toyota Customers Hits Pothole.” As you would expect, the reporters crafting follow-on stories to the Toyota crisis are indeed striving to put a “face” on their stories. Nothing unusual there. Between working the phones, knowing someone at a Toyota dealership or hanging out next to Toyotas in a Safeway parking lot, there are a myriad of ways to find…
Open Letter to Toyota Customers Hits Pothole

Lou Hoffman

3 Feb 2010 | 8:29 am

You know the Toyota debacle has reached a new low when it snares Steve Wozniak. And Woz’s issue isn’t even with the sticking gas pedal (the darn cruise control was malfunctioning). I think it’s fair to say the timing for this celebrity endorsement isn’t ideal. To ensure the “we-care” message reaches the masses, Toyota crafted a letter to customers that ran in major dailies and its Web site. After watching Bridgestone/Firestone take a public flogging years ago when management took the denial path, Toyota decided to address the issue head on. So far so good.
Is The Wall Street Journal Moving Away From Business?: Changes in the Business Media

Lou Hoffman

1 Feb 2010 | 7:05 am

The Wall Street Journal recently kicked off an advertising campaign. An anchor ad caught my attention, which you can see below (note we took liberties with the typeface to improve legibility of the scan). View a larger version here. Notice anything about the body copy? There’s no mention of the “B” word. Maybe they expect the reader to conclude that The Wall Street Journal means business because the photo depicts a guy in a suit reading the paper. (BTW, what kind of business person stands on a sidewalk, leans against a wall and enjoys a “relaxing” perusal of a…
Who Says Johnny Can’t Write (A Good Story)?

Lou Hoffman

27 Jan 2010 | 7:14 am

I’m tired of reading how American students lag behind their international counterparts on the academic front. Johnny can’t write. Johnny can’t add. Johnny can’t spell. Even The Wall Street Journal has piled on with an article which highlights that only 23 percent of the 2009 high school graduates taking the ACT admissions test have the skills to succeed in college. Enough already. There’s plenty about today’s youth to prompt optimism. In fact, one of my colleagues John Radewagen pointed me to a listing of metaphors and analogies purportedly from high…

The Comms Corner
No Papers, Wk 5: Sentenced to 'Conversation Jail', without Bail, after detail 'fail'

7 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

By Adam VincenziniOne of the by-products of working in PR is that you are (generally) a pretty good dinner party guest.It has nothing to do with our sparkling manners (!), or our generosity (!!), but rather our almost limitless knowledge of news and current affairs.Whenever a heated conversation kicks off around the table, not only will we get heavily involved (what, me, opinionated?), but we'll often act like a human 'Google' - filling in the details of virtually any topic thanks to our religious-like media consumption during the week.Now, when I embarked on my 'newspaper-less' experiment I…
Google searches for Foursquare triple in January...but creativity lagging behind...

5 Feb 2010 | 4:05 pm

Stats up, but creativity down for Foursquare...let's take a look at both...Is this another sign Foursquare about to take off? Or are just a few more people intrigued because of the increase in talk / buzz?No matter what, there's enough evidence to suggest it's creeping closer to mainstream adoption.Google InsightsAccording to Google Insights, searches for Foursquare have more than tripled since the end of December 2009.Interestingly, regional interest (based on the search data) tells us seven countries in particular are showing the most interest:United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, United…
Wanted (Dead or Alive): 'Check-outs' on Foursquare

1 Feb 2010 | 7:37 pm

Issued by: Brand Managers WorldwideReward: Respective Marketing BudgetsI received an anonymous call today from someone who claimed to be representing the newly formed BMWA (Brand Managers Worldwide Alliance).He (well, I think it was a 'he') said his friends were a bit confused about Foursquare.I immediately started to give him my explanation about it before he stopped me and said:"Why doesn't Foursquare ask you to check-out?"I paused, and said; "Ummm, can I call you back?"It was one of the most obvious questions I've ever been asked and yet I couldn't answer it.He followed up his call with an…
The Complete Twitter 'Follow / Unfollow' Toolkit

1 Feb 2010 | 8:58 am

My search for the ultimate Twitter management solution...Three parts to the post:A) The best 'overall' toolsB) The best 'supplementary' toolsC) The best 'advice' (courtesy of @mattsingley)This post has been cobbled together out of frustration.Put simply, most of the tools I've used of late that are supposed to make my Twitter account easier to manage have done the exact opposite.The problem? Too many tools trying to do too many things (probably), but also many of these tools are created by one-man bands for free and aren't subsidized in any way, which means maintenance is challenging.The…
No Papers, Wk 4: A Reason To Pull The Trigger?

31 Jan 2010 | 12:23 pm

On the 1st of January 2010, I decided to give up newspapers for 12 months to see what impact it would have on me as a person, but also as a PR consultant.I've already learnt a lot in the first month, ranging from how difficult it is to avoid newspapers in a city like London to (very surprisingly) how much I miss print advertising.This week, with a very heavy heart, I look at a pretty compelling reason for newspapers to be made extinct...and please excuse the over-dramatic tone...it's part of my DNA...A reason to pull the trigger on Newspapers?I think most PR Pros will forgive me for using…

The Firm Voice RSS
A Frank Discussion about Client-Agency Relationships

8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

By Matt Shaw, Senior Vice President, Director of Communications, Council of Public Relations Firms So what are clients and PR firms saying about their "relationships" these days? Last week, the Council co-sponsored the 6th annual Public Relations Leadership Forum with the Institute for Public Relations and Arthur Page Society, a program that brings together corporate and agency people for an intimate networking and educational experience.
Ethics and ROI in PR Firms: Why It's Now Critical to Educate Staff in Ethical Best Practices—and How to Do It

8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm

This week's contributors: • Robert M. Burnside, Partner and Chief Learning Officer, Ketchum • Ann T. Subervi, President, Utopia Communications • Michael Lasky, Partner, Davis & Gilbert • Carol Orsborn, Senior Strategist,VibrantNation.com Ethical lapses — corporate, political and otherwise — dominate the headlines. Not only is the media and general public on the prowl for corporate missteps, misdeeds and miscreants, but activist investors are increasingly pushing corporate social responsibility through proxy…
Six Steps to Cashing Out: How to Position Your PR Firm to Be Sold in a Bullish Market

25 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

This week's contributors: • Art Stevens, Managing Partner, StevensGouldPincus • Brad Schwartzberg, Davis & Gilbert • Margaret Booth, President, M Booth & Associates • Abby Gouverneur Carr, Managing Director, Bliss PR • Don Middleberg, CEO, Middleberg Communications • Kathryn Morrison, President and CEO, SunStar
Where Do You Anticipate the Most Growth in the PR industry in 2010?

25 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

1. Online media (includes social media) 82% 2. Consumer Marketing 41% 3. Issues and Crisis management 35% 4. CSR 27% 5. Corporate Communications 27%
Getting an Early Read on 2010

25 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm

By Kathy Cripps, President, Council of PR Firms I like the way 2010 has started. Business opportunities for public relations firms abound, and I am confident that firms will capitalize. Recent survey data as well as discussions with dozens of Council members over the past several weeks has bolstered this opinion, which was also nicely re-enforced in The Economist two weeks ago.

RushPRnews - Newswire & Global Press Release Distribution
Wolfgang Puck to Create 2010 Governors Ball Menu

9 Feb 2010 | 6:17 pm

— For the 16th consecutive year, master chef Wolfgang Puck has been selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create the menu for the Governors Ball, the celebration immediately following the 82nd Academy Awards® presentation on...
Credits Determined for Documentary Feature Nominee

9 Feb 2010 | 12:31 am

— Nominee credits for Best Documentary Feature nominee “The Cove” have been determined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Documentary Branch Executive Committee. Credits are as follows: “The Cove” – Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens Academy rules for...
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin On Oscar® Shoulders

8 Feb 2010 | 6:44 pm

Oscar® Shoulders Co-Hosts in 82nd Academy Awards® Poster — 82nd Academy Awards® co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have landed on the shoulders of the Oscar in the official poster of the March 7 telecast. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts...
Oscar Night® America 2010 to Benefit Charities Nationwide

5 Feb 2010 | 6:12 pm

— On Sunday, March 7, charities in 51 cities will host official Oscar® viewing parties during the 82nd Academy Awards® ceremony as part of Oscar Night America (ONA), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ grassroots outreach program. The Academy...
U.S. Air Force Selects IBM

4 Feb 2010 | 7:28 pm

U.S. Air Force Selects IBM to Design and Demonstrate Mission-Oriented Cloud Architecture for Cyber Security Cloud model will introduce advanced cyber security and analytics technologies capable of protecting sensitive national data The U.S. Air Force has awarded IBM (NYSE:IBM) a contract to...

B2B Bliss
Ideas that Sell: Does Thought Leadership Really Drive Revenue?

Meg Wildrick

9 Feb 2010 | 9:23 am

Over the past year, content marketing and thought leadership have become popular catch-phrases. Try typing “#content marketing” into a Twitter Search and see how many results you get; this past Friday, the topic generated nearly 50 tweets in the span of an hour. For B2B marketers – especially those of us who work with consulting firms, accounting firms and IT service providers – thought leadership is nothing new. We’ve been using content (e.g., trend reports, market analyses, by-lined articles, podcasts, books and e-books, microsites) for years to build differentiation and…
Read all about it! This Week’s Top Line News Summary – 2/8/2010

Sally Martin

8 Feb 2010 | 9:30 am

Bummed it’s the end of the football season? Us too! But to liven up your Monday, we’ve compiled some nuggets of interest from the business world. It might not be as good as a party on Bourbon Street, but its close enough. This week we are taking a closer look at news in healthcare, the markets and banking. Enjoy! Healthcare: During the Super Bowl pre-game show on Sunday, President Obama announced plans to assemble a bipartisan healthcare session at the While House. The session would be televised live this month, allowing Americans to see if/how Democrats and Republicans are working…
Watch the Media Evolve: Wall Street Journal Journalists Weigh in on How PR Pitches Should Change Due to Social Media

Nicole LeBlanc

4 Feb 2010 | 9:50 am

Ok, we get it. The media landscape is changing. So much so that the Twitter handle @themediaisdying has almost 22,000 followers and has tweeted over 3,500 updates since the account launched on November 18, 2008. While “dying” might be a bit of a dramatization, the media is without a doubt evolving – and doing so at warp speed. So why do public relations professionals continue to pitch the media as if it was circa 2002? Good question – and kudos to the Publicity Club of New York for more tactfully addressing this very question. This Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending PCNY’s…
On pedants and dilettantes, gurus and gravitas

Abby Carr

3 Feb 2010 | 8:46 am

I had the opportunity last week to visit with a friend from college, Marshall Sonenshine, whom I had not seen in 25+ years. We had a nice visit in his Park Avenue office, learned that our companies employ roughly the same number of people, and that we market in very much the same way. Both service businesses, they depend on the learnings and experience of the people who run them. The big difference? He’s in investment banking, and I am in public relations. So he gets paid more… but that’s apart from the topic at hand. When I asked him how he markets his firm, he said, “I run a…
What’s New in Business News this Week? This Week’s Top-Line News Summary

Nicole LeBlanc

1 Feb 2010 | 11:50 am

Last night at the Grammy’s all eyes were on big winners like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Kings of Leon and Lady Gaga. This week in business news, B2B PR professionals at BlissPR have nominated Obama’s budget, Real Estate and Retail as the areas to watch. Obama’s Budget: President Obama released today the annual budget. Overall spending is expected to climb to $3.83 trillion and the national deficit is expected to shoot up to $1.26 trillion. Read more here. Commercial Real Estate: REITs are still facing difficulties with decreasing rents and occupancies, but they have rebounded from…

Fedorable
The last post on Fedorable

Rex

2 Feb 2010 | 11:50 am

This will be the last post here on Fedorable. I’m leaving this blog, but I’m not leaving blogging. If you want to read my latest rants on social media, public relations or any of the other random topics I’ve discussed, please head over to StrikePad, Match Strike’s blog on web development, where I will be stretching topicality to its limits. Fedorable was started alongside IvyLees, which would eventually turn into Presskit’n. Greg and I wanted a place to talk about what we were doing, and what we thought about public relations and technology in general. After Greg…
How to create a social media newsroom in 30 seconds

Rex

19 Jan 2010 | 8:17 am

Here at Presskit’n, our product is free social media newsrooms. Not a lot of people have heard of us, so sometimes we’ll see a post on building social media newsrooms (SMNs) that leaves us scratching our heads. Here’s an example newsroom for the curious. So here it is: 1. Create a Presskit’n account. Enter your e-mail, name and password, and then confirm through that same e-mail address. 2. Create a social media newsroom by clicking the big “Create” button. Enter the SMN name and check the box that you’re affiliated. 3. Repeat step 2 until you have as…
The Tonight Show fiasco will lead to a stronger definition of branding. Here’s why.

Rex

13 Jan 2010 | 8:18 am

Conan’s statement that he won’t do the Tonight Show at 12:05 has shaken things up at NBC. The Peacock’s stance is that they won’t be slugging it out legally because it’s just too much of a headache for everyone. However, after seeing the huge difference in opinion over what The Tonight show actually is, I don’t see it playing out all that nicely. It will either go to court or end with NBC paying out Conan’s full termination fee (or, alternatively, Jay being the odd man out). Here’s what it boils down to: Conan: The Tonight Show is defined by its…
Happy Holidays from IvyLees and Fedorable

Rex

24 Dec 2009 | 6:21 am

Just posting to say, “Happy Holidays!” It’s been a pretty wild year (and decade) for public relations. Take these next few days to relax and enjoy the holiday spirit, and most importantly to remember what matters: Friends, family, and good times.
The Great Facebook Brand Backlash

Rex

14 Dec 2009 | 11:10 am

A couple weeks ago I discussed brand backlash using Starbucks’ recent brand issues as an example. I had planned a follow-up article talking about Facebook’s inevitable brand backlash. Well, I waited too long, because last week it became all too clear that the Great Facebook Brand Backlash was upon us. In case you weren’t around, here’s what happened: Facebook rolled out some new suggested privacy settings. It concerned experts. It was a fiasco. It could only be elaborate trickery. I had heard some rumblings by the time the changes got around to me, on Twitter and…

Your Story
360 Vodka Ignites Desire with Introduction of 360 Double Chocolate

PR Newswire

9 Feb 2010 | 11:29 am

360 Vodka Ignites Desire with Introduction of 360 Double Chocolate PR Newswire TORONTO, Feb. 9 TORONTO, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ – To view this [...]
iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations to Expand Into Asian Markets Through Collaboration With Interush, Inc.

PR Newswire

9 Feb 2010 | 11:29 am

iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations to Expand Into Asian Markets Through Collaboration With Interush, Inc. PR Newswire IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 9 IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 9 [...]
Idaho House Moves State Closer to Health Care Disaster

PR Newswire

9 Feb 2010 | 11:27 am

Idaho House Moves State Closer to Health Care Disaster PR Newswire BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 9 Passage of Problem-Riddled Health Freedom Act Could See [...]
NEW Named Finalist for 2010 Stevie® Awards for Sales and Customer Service

Business Wire

9 Feb 2010 | 11:25 am

STERLING, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- N.E.W. Customer Service Companies Inc. (NEW) has been named a finalist in the “Customer Service Department of the Year” category for the 2010 Stevi
CORRECTING and REPLACING Networking Experts Review Best Practices for Compliance and Security to Detect and Stop Insider Threats

Business Wire

9 Feb 2010 | 11:25 am

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fourth graph, title for Kevin Jablonski should read: vice president of Business Development (sted senior director of Business Development).

Online PR and social media consultancy - Liberate Media » Blog
Safer Internet Day and beyond means serious fun with identity and privacy

Tim Greenhalgh

9 Feb 2010 | 1:29 am

Safer Internet Day 2010 has again raised awareness of safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people globally. Insafe launched a pan-European quiz on 1st February, for 5-11 and 12-15 year-olds, open to individuals or school classes who compete with the objective of becoming increasingly aware of their role in protecting themselves and others online. An online SID Fair will also showcase participating organizations across the world, and schools are invited to register the events they will be running to mark the day. SID’s…
Social Media: The songs, From Facebook to Twitter

Andy Merchant

8 Feb 2010 | 6:43 am

In true social media fashion and glorious Technicolour I would like to present ” Social Media: The songs, From Facebook to Twitter” a compendium of hilarious videos on the subject of social media and related platforms. My Personal favourite is: The social media addiction rap, from Chuck at Pop Labs, but a close second is the very detailed paid search 101 rap by m0serious, second from the bottom. Let me know if I have missed any others! Enjoy.
What’s this Facebook status message craze about?

Wendy McAuliffe

5 Feb 2010 | 12:10 pm

Last month I blogged about why women on Facebook were changing their status messages to a colour, which as you now know, was related to a guerilla campaign promoting Breast Cancer Awareness. Since then, the Facebook status message craze has reached epidemic proportions. If you’ve missed them, we’ve had: My fine is…. - a Facebook group that encouraged users to calculate a fine for their misspent youth (i.e. smoked weed £10), and enter the result in their status message. The group is less than a month old and already has 440,837 members, attracting an astonishing 79,181…
So who is using the Internet?

Lloyd Gofton

5 Feb 2010 | 8:28 am

I’ve always appreciated any effort to make the complex networked nature of the Web a bit easier to understand, and this week Focus (the online resource for business and IT professionals) did just that by giving us the ‘State of the Internet‘ Infographic below. It offers more detail on who is using the Internet the most, how they are using it and by how much the amount of usage is increasing. It’s a great fact-filled beast of a graphic, but as a reference piece on the Internet it’s one of the best around. I think the graphic explains all, so enjoy.
Weekly Social Media sites, tools and posts round-up (05-02-2010)

Andy Merchant

5 Feb 2010 | 8:12 am

Welcome to another installment of the ‘Weekly Social Media sites, tools and posts round-up’. 1. Twitteronics is a Twitter analytics tool that will help you to track your brand’s presence on Twitter. What they say: “Integrated Search, Automated Analysis, and Enhanced Reporting together with Influence Measures”. 2. Tweetbuzzer is a very visual tool. It constantly monitors Twitter for brand mentions, and shows some basic social media analytics such as daily mentions and the % of growth/decline. 3. Tweetalater is a simple Twitter site that translates your message into…

CyberFootprint
An Inconvenient PR Truth

Honza

31 Jan 2010 | 9:44 pm

The PROs are doing something wrong. Do you know what it is? Here is a couple of hints for you: mail merge, e-mail news releases blasts, follow-up calls. That’s right, by being irrelevant, we are paralysing the whole industry. Something must be done about it and RealWire is trying to change the status quo by [...]
New Project: Aspirations.cz

Honza

25 Jan 2010 | 5:09 am

A friend of mine is starting a useful site for all Central Europeans aspiring to get to elite schools, like Harvard, Oxford, MIT or Cambridge. I’m helping him with some technical aspects of the project as well as with some editing. I fell for this project because of my fondness of Tomas’s unadulterated sense for irony. [...]
Storytelling Matters: Google Search Stories

Honza

22 Jan 2010 | 2:07 am

Google usually does its marketing right. This time, its marketers came up with a masterpiece. Watch it by yourself. The campaign demonstrates that we all have integrated searching, and especially Google, into our daily lives. The other videos are funny but this one stands out – it shows a deep human story that we can all [...]
Why Are Graduates Unemployed?

Honza

17 Jan 2010 | 2:15 pm

The economy sucks, yet schools are producing hundreds and hundreds of graduates. The unemployment is rising. Differentiation from the mass of other students has become more important than ever and standing out no longer suffices. You have to be exceptional to succeed. There are two challenges you must overcome and both of them entail a [...]
Get The Code 2.0 for Free

Honza

16 Jan 2010 | 2:30 pm

When looking for a book for this weekend I came across the free copy of Lawrence Lessig’s The Code. This is the second version from 2006 and it’s free for download. Thanks, Google! Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Digg this! Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on del.icio.us Share this on Reddit Share this on Technorati