Bailey’s try’s new approach for holiday ad campaign

Bailey’s liqueur has had the same slogan “Serve Chilled” for three years but is now changing it due to a halt in sales growth. To help them in this endeavor, ad agency JWT was hired.

JWT determined that the reason the “Served Chilled” slogan did not work globally was because it could not be translated. The slogan only worked in English. To remedy this, JWT recommended the slogan “Listen to your Lips.” This slogan is intended to persuade Bailey’s drinkers to finish their bottles and purchase a new one. This new ad will run on television, magazine, and billboards.

Pirate PR

In the "you're not going to believe this" category, PR Week reported back in October that a pirate group started doing PR. I guess we can all get familiar with the kinder, gentler side of people who hijack $30 million worth of cargo.

Turn about is fair play. Now a company of pirate hunters hired a firm to do PR for them. I wonder which side will win the PR war?

Local CA Campaign Focuses on Water Conservation

The PR and marketing firm Cook & Schmid is helping the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, 48 square miles of the San Diego area, help educate their residents learn more about, and actually carry out, conserving water. The plan started on October 13.

Some of their tactics included surveying the residents on their general knowledge of water conservation and making a "H20 Running Low" logo that is displayed on all water bills distributed in the San Diego county. Since the campaign started the water use has been down 7% this month.

I think this campaign is smart. Water conservation is important and even though the tactics performed by Cook & Schmid aren't massive, they seem to getting some people's attention. I like how the Olivenhain Municipal Water District website shows people how the water restrictions are only going to become worse over time. Something like this, I feel, would speak volumes.

Mark Cuban facing SEC charges

I'm sure everyone has already heard about Mark Cuban and how he possibly faces SEC charges and jail-time. He saved himself $750,000 by selling his Internet-search firm Mamma.com shares because of information he promised to keep confidential. Mamma.com's Chief Executive, Guy Faure, called Cuban saying he "had confidential information" for him. Yet, Cuban posted an email of the transcript where Faure acknowledges that Cuban didn't explicitly agree to keep the content of their conversation confidential.

I heard on the radio that Cuban could face the same charges as Martha Stewart with insider trading. However, Stewart lied to the Federal Grand Jury that caused her prison time. Cuban has yet to be questioned by the Federal Grand Jury. At this point, it is more of a civil case than a criminal case. He is in the position to be fined substantially, but without jail-time if he plays his cards right. His fate is in his own hands.

KFC becomes the "Official WIng Sponsor" for Super Bowl XLIII

Kentucky Fried Chicken announced the first-ever sponsorship agreement between the chicken chain and the National Football League to make KFC's world-famous chicken wings the "Official Wing Sponsor" of this year's NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl XLIII.

"The sponsorship includes rights to depict the NFL shield and the Super Bowl XLIII logos on KFC's Wings buckets and on 32 oz. NFL promotional drink cups and other packaging, as well as television advertising, online presence and in-store signage." Consumers who purchase a 32 oz. drink will have a chance to win one of several NFL prizes including a trip to Super Bowl XLIV in South Florida in 2010, flat-panel TVs and NFL.com gift certificates.

"It seems only fitting for America's favorite chicken wing to sponsor America's favorite sport on the game's biggest stage," said Javier Benito, executive vice president of marketing and food innovation for KFC. "It's exciting for KFC to have 'wing season' news to share during the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl."

The KFC chain sells more chicken wings than any other restaurant.  The Super Bowl is the peak of the wing season for the company with Americans eating more than 90 million pounds of chicken wings during the weekend of the Big Game. 

This is a brilliant partnership for KFC and the Super Bowl. It will increase exposure for both KFC and the Super Bowl and award those lucky people that buy the  32 oz. drink with once in a lifetime incentives.  These incentives have been popular with other fast food chains like MCDonalds and Subway, it's about time KFC joins the trend.  Also, what can be better than football and wings?! YES PLEASE! 

Facebook Pulls off Pages

"Facebook said on Friday it had removed several pages from its site used by Italian neo-Nazis to incite violence after European politicians accused the Internet social networking site of allowing a platform to racists."

Facebook does support the free flow of information, but these particular pages violated their terms of use. Theses neo-Nazi pages had made threatening remarks to Italian Roma, which are gypsies.

Simon Samuels, a man interviewed for the article who works for a Jewish human rights group, suggested that Facebook should try and create a technology to help filter out "hate speech."

I think it is good that Facebook removed the pages, although Facebook gives a free flow of information, if someone or groups are being threatned the company should step in and take action.

Auditude Lets Myspace Welcome Videos!

As many of you know, there is a problem with people posting pirated video and t.v. snippets on Youtube.com and MySpace.com. These postings are suppose to be taken down as soon as possible so that website builders cannot be held accountable for its unauthorized use. Well now, MySpace has found a solution called Auditude. Auditude technology automatically identifies user-posted segments of shows, then weaves in advertising for copyright owners and tells viewers whose program they are watching.

"Instead of copyright holders chasing down television shows video posted on MySpace pages and then demanding clips be removed in accordance with US law, they can let Internet users be delivery channels complete with advertising."

Obviously this is a great solution for these videos and mySpace users as well and I am excited to see where this leads us in the future.

it girl public relations

It Girl Public Relations, a leading Public Relations agencies in L.A., announced their partnership with the Los Angeles Music Awards and The Hollywood F.A.M.E. awards.  

This event is the longest running red carpet event for independent musicians and Film Makers.  It's been running for about two decades, and is responsible for providing a platform of acknowledgement and entertainment for local talent in L.A. 

Al Bowman, the founder of Los Angeles Music Awards, chose It Girl Public Relations to handle the media and celebrity outreach for the much anticipated event.  

For an event such as this, a good PR firm is obviously extremely necessary.  In order for it to remain one of the main outreach sources for new artists and up and coming talent.  

Iams celebrates 10 years of holiday campaign for pet adoption

Iams Pet Food is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its pet adoption campaign, "Home 4 the Holidays," with the help of Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman. The campaign, in partnership with the San Diego County-based Helen Woodward Animal Center, includes online outreach, traditional media relations, and a new sports-themed challenge. Online, Iams is using Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and its Web site to get the word out about the campaign, said Kris Parlett, external relations specialist for Procter & Gamble Pet Care. Iams is also testing a partnership with two NFL teams—the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns—for the "Cats versus Dawgs" competition, monitoring completions on the field and adoption completions at local animal shelters. Running from October 1 to January 5, the campaign encourages consumers to adopt animals from their local shelters, with a goal of providing 1 million homes during those 12 weeks. As of November 10, there were 291,394 adoptions.

Social media is mentioned all over now a-days. Facebook, MySpace and YouTube are the new websites used for advertisements. Besdies the help of these networking websites, Desperate Housewife, Felicity Huffman, would be a reason enough for most of America to adopt a puppy. I may not speak for everyone, but it is always nice to see a celebrity mentioning adoption. I am all about adoption of puppies who need a home. Iams has a great campaign going on for their 10 year anniversary, "Home 4 The Holidays."

Save a puppy, adopt!

Gillette to team up with EA Sports

Gillette is teaming up with EA Sports to create awareness about the shaving brand. The Gillette-EA Sports Champions of Gaming tournament will offer winners the chance to play against sports celebrities like Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. Through gaming, Gillette hopes to promote brand awareness with 18 to 34 year-old males.

Porter Novelli will act as the head agency and focus on branding. The agency is also taking advantage of online new media tools. Players are now able to trash talk competitors through an online virtual press conference.

I think this is a pretty smart idea. Gaming has a huge male following, so what better way to promote to guys than to team up with a huge game developer?

Trojan Encourages Youth to 'evolve' in Web Effort

http://www.prweekus.com/Trojan-encourages-youth-to-evolve-in-Web-effort/article/120156/

Times are a changing. Trojan is steering its message and brand towards the youth through social media and the Web. This condom company recently kicked off its largest online initiative, “Evolve One, Evolve All,” in partnership with MTV. They hope to provide young US consumers with a place to discuss sexual health in an engaging environment. Media outreach will include entertainment and media trades, and pop culture bloggers. It is going to target social networks with funky widgets that users can download from the site and upload to myspace, facebook, etc. How clever! I'm sure the youth population spread the message of safe sex much more than spreading diseases. It's about time.

Starbucks Focuses on Community

http://www.prweekus.com/Starbucks-focuses-on-community-with-RED/article/120456/

Starbucks recently annoucned they are expanding their social responsibility and commitment to the community through its partnership with RED. RED is an organization that works to eliminate AIDs in Africa. The PR for this partnership is traditonal media relations, online outreach, in-store marketing and events. The online outreach will focus on Starbucks website and JoinRed.com.

The campaign will come up with ways for Starbucks customers to donate to the Global Fund. From November to January 2009 Starbucks will donate five cents to the Global Fund from Starbucks holiday drinks.

Cindy on Palin

Potential first lady Cindy McCain recently came to the defense of Gov. Sarah Palin claming that the media had been too harsh, unfairly criticizing the vice presidential nominee.
The usually poised, Barbie-like McCain showed a different personality with CNN’s Larry King commenting that Palin was not to blame for the poor ratings of the Republican Party, but rather the media.
Unfortunately, in a world where the peoples opinions are influenced by Saturday Night Live sketches and You Tube clips, the “Queen of Beers” is absolutely right on this one.
The Tina Fey/Palin sketch boosted SNL ratings to the highest in 14 years! The problem is it contributed to the overall attitude towards the hockey which trickled down to highlight clips and commentaries from CNN, FOX, and many other major broadcasters. In this day in age, SNL can make or break anyone.
Aside from being ridiculously stunning for her age, it is great to her that Cindy McCain also understands the powerful role that even comedic media plays in shaping our political landscape.

Student-run PR agencies provide hands-on experience

Real world lessons are taught as students across the country explore the PR industry by contributing to student-run PR firms. PR Lab, Boston University's student-run PR agency, is one example of a success story. Last May, PR Lab put together the Eighth Annual Taste of Beacon Hill, an annual event that promotes the neighborhood in Boston. Tickets were sold out ahead of time, and the public response was greater than ever.

The agency is open to undergraduates and grad students in the school's communication department, and students receive academic credit for their work. PR Lab's goal is to replicate a real PR agency and send students into the industry ready with necessary experience. This semester, the firm consists of 35 students and 16 clients. There is also a volunteer-based firm on the BU campus affiliated with PRSSA, called PRSSAgency.

Other colleges that have student agencies are the University of Georgia, Indiana's Valparaiso University, and University of Southern California. USC's TriSight Communications charges their clients $250 per semester, which gives students more experience with budget management. They also offer classes on the business of PR.

I think this kind of hands-on experience is necessary before going into the real world of public relations. I love that our PR Campaigns course is similar to this idea of a real agency. Bobcat Promotions is Texas State's student-run PR agency, but unfortunately, I never hear too much from them. They seem to be somewhat successful, so far, but if they branched out more and promoted around San Marcos or surrounding cities, perhaps they could receive more clients. I'm not sure where or if Bobcat Promotions even meets on campus, but I like the idea of having a separate meeting space for the agency - in an office or some sort of outside environment providing a professional feel. I also think that USC's idea of learning about budgeting and business PR is important and should be taught everywhere.

Did the ad go too far?

DirecTV has been running a commercial promoting its TV service that takes a classic movie scene from the Poltergeist. It features Craig T. Nelson, who played the dad in the 1982 movie, and Heather O'Rourke who played little Carol Ann. 

This hilarious, yet controversial, ad has been trashed with being exploitative, given that O'Rourke died tragically at age 12.  On the other hand, O'Rourke's mother actually approved the concept and though the finished spot was a "wonderful tribute to her daughter."

When I first saw this commercial I laughed and then started thinking about how it was kind of pushing it. Although her death wasn't attributed to the spooky encounters the cast claimed to happen on set, it is a little much for me. Despite the fact that I don't really like it doesn't mean the ad wasn't original, catchy and thought-provoking. 

Obama/Axelrod

I found an interesting article over Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod.

The article highlights the connection between Obama and Axelrod, both professionally and personally. It's interesting to read the opinion over how this type of relationship differs from the traditional relationships between presidential hopefuls and their campaigns officers. It also describes where and how they met, and sketches out a few plans they hope for in the future.

The article even compares this duo to other famous pairs such as Bill Clinton/James Carville and George W. Bush/Karl Rove.

I found this article to give a fresh perspective on political campaigns and showing a different side of politics that isn't necessarily always business, but includes a healthy dose of genuine camaraderie.

article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/27/us/politics/27axelrod.html?em

Diesel does an elephant act

Diesel worked with Fingerprint Communications to generate press for its New York XXX party. This party was to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a rock circus theme. Fingerprint Communications promoted the event with series of suspense. They first distributed racy videos. These videos got viewers curious. Then, the location of the venue was a mystery each time information was released. This kept viewers checking back to the site and searching other sites for more information, eager to learn where this event was and why everything was such a mystery. The turn out was 6,5000 people! 1,500 of them had to stay outside the tent because maximum capacity was reached.

Fingerprint Communications developed a great strategy in promoting Diesel's anniversary party. I think a mystery promotion is an awesome tactic. This keeps people curious, on their toes, and anxious for what is next to come. It also gets people talking, trying to figure out what is next; or talking about the racy video and what they saw. Good job Fingerprint!

Anti-Smoking Warnings Make You Want to Smoke, Claims Study

Ad-industry pundit Martin Lindstrom busts commonly held beliefs about marketing, asserting that subliminal advertising does exist and maintaining that cigarette warning labels make smokers want to smoke more, not less.

Buyology: Truth and Lies About What We Buy," published by Doubleday, lays out the findings of a three-year, $7 million neuromarketing study by Mr. Lindstrom, who is chairman-CEO of Lindstrom Co. He and a team of researchers in Oxford, England, used the most up-to-date neurotechnologies. on 2,000 people from five countries in an effort to better understand consumer behavior.

Mr. Lindstrom said one of the most surprising findings of the study involved warning labels placed on cigarette packs. When project researchers asked test subjects if the warning labels worked, most said "yes." These were the subjects' conscious answers. But their subconscious answers told a different story. When researchers repeated the same question and flashed images of the labels while subjects underwent an fMRI, the images activated "craving spots" in the brain, indicating that the warnings made the smokers want to smoke more, not less.

I think this is a great way to understand consumer behavior. Neuromarketing is a tool that will help improve interaction with customers and will make it easier for marketers to understand their target market. A brain scan can tell you if a customer is truthful, telling you what you want to hear, or influenced by peer pressure. It allows you to get an uncensored initial reaction to something, as opposed to the censored version a customer actually speaks.
Click here for full article!

Bold Move by AT&T

After quite a few delays, AT&T has finally announced the Blackberry Bold launch date: November 4th. This high-tech handheld device will be $299.99 with a two-year contract.

Hmm, isn't there something else going on that day? I swear, I feel like...oh ya, its election day! Smooth move AT&T.

Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer of AT&T Mobility said:

"The BlackBerry Bold is the best BlackBerry smartphone ever, backed by the nation's fastest 3G network and the hands-down best international coverage of any carrier. The BlackBerry Bold is the complete package, providing customers with an absolutely outstanding mobile experience whether doing e-mail, browsing the Web, viewing streaming video or simply making a phone call. And it is being introduced in the U.S. only from AT&T."

Well congratulations Ralphy for a new and improved Crackberry. And congratulations on your bold decision to release the phone on election day. I am not really sure if this is going to help or do anything positive for the sales of the phone. I would hope people would be more interested in who is the next to be top dog of America, as opposed to getting a new phone.


http://technologyexpert.blogspot.com/2008/10/at-be-bold-on-election-day.html

Industry consultants forecast tough 2009

As the economy has turned bad and companies are beginning to cut costs in their operations, many jobs, even PR jobs, could be headed south. With major costs to be reduced, Ad and PR companies are some of the first industries to begin making cuts. There haven't been too many PR industry cuts reported yet, but experts are predicting 2009 too be a rough year for everyone. “I think any agency that says things are hunky-dory is living in a fantasy world,” says Bob Feldman, CEO of Feldman & Partners. “Virtually every... area of spending is coming under scrutiny.” The amount of cuts will depend on the size of the firm whether it be corporate or private. Experts are recommending that PR agencies do a lot for their clients and take a proactive stance in the next few months before the new year starts in order to ensure continued business with their clients.



This is definitely not good news for the PR industry but with the economy in the shape it's in, this was somewhat expected. Hopefully PR companies have been proactive and can afford to take a hit without losing employees. At least the PR and Ad agencies aren't in near as bad as shape as other industries are in right now.



http://www.prweekus.com/Industry-consultants-forecast-tough-2009/article/119781/

Sony does their part to support the war on terrorism... By setting us back 50 years

Sony announced that it will delay the release of its much-anticipated new Playstation 3 game, Little Big Planet. The game was scheduled for release this week, until it was recently discovered that two songs on its soundtrack contain passages from the Quran.

This goes past the issue of political correctness. Whether Sony knows it or not, all they are doing is sending the message that the Quran has no place in our country - not even in a video game.

How long are we going to indoctrinate our country that all Muslims are terrorists? I feel ashamed that our country has created a culture of fear about anything in media associated with Muslims or any people from the Middle-East.

All racism aside... The irony is killing me. Its funny how a game like Grand Theft Auto, one that rewards point for killing police, buying prostitutes and stealing cars, can make its way onto the shelf; yet a game that features two passages from the Quran on the soundtrack are pulled from release.

PR Industry taking a beating in the blogosphere

An article on the PrWeek website cites several examples of prominent bloggers making derogatory statements of the Public Relations industry. Lois Paul, the founder of Lois Paul and Associates and the author of the article, goes on to list several beneficial aspects of the industry which the bloggers may not have considered.
The article then poses the question of whether or not the bloggers are simply jealous of the revenue that the PR industry recieves.
I must say that after reading the list of beneficial things PR does for journalists and businesses it seemed like most of them are either vague, abstract, or should be common sense for corporations. Now I realize that some large corporations need someone to tell them how to handle the media but as the media fragments into hundreds of new and unknown formats (as the last post referenced) will the public relations industry gain or lose revenue?


http://www.prweekus.com/Blogosphere-attacks-on-PR-unwarranted/article/119695/

Emerging trends point to what comes next in marketing world

PRWeek, the public relations industry's leading trade magazine, will soon celebrate its 10-year anniversary. This significant moment has a lot of PR practitioners reflecting on how the industry's trends have changed throughout the years. According to a PRWeek.com article, these changes will be the focus PRWeek's upcoming Next Conference on Nov. 19. Industry experts will discuss the future of content, the in-house PR team, talent and more. Predictions on how the PR world will change include:
1. a chaotic future where there are millions of media, all with a small number of readers
2. traditional writing will decline and computer-speak will likely be the next evolution
3. a lot more will be expected from educational institutions in their methods for preparing students for a PR career

The article then says its important for the industry to adapt to these changes in order to continue to succeed.

I generally agree with that. However, I think a lot of those changes are currently (or have already) taken place. There's already multiple newspapers, TV stations, blogs, Web sites, radio stations, etc. strictly for Austin news. Computer-speak is the underlying definition of Twitter, which is used by some of the top PR practioners and media members. Universities across the country are undergoing a "face lift" of sorts to enhance the PR degree. Maybe instead of discussing these so called predictions at the upcoming conference, PRWeek staff and other PR practitioners simply need to accept these changes as reality.

Dear Joe the Plumber

After last night's presidential debate, Joe the Plumber was made famous. The media is now hounding him for interviews. The once unknown plumber that was worried about his small business should fret no more.  

"This is the kind of PR that's more valuable than low-interest financing to a small business, " says Carl V. Natale from MaineBusiness.com

 

Carl is right. This is the best PR Joe could have ever have got for his business. Banks now will be wanting to help finance his business because it could become an instant campaign for the bank.

The article goes on to encourage other small business owners to contact the presidential campaigns explaining how their policies could help.

You could become the next Sally the Electrician for the Obama campaign!

http://mainebusiness.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=8472

Celebrity Support of Political Candidates

Is our celebrity-obsessed society, it is considered the norm to preoccupy oneself with the lives of the rich and famous. Magazines and television shows reveal just about all there is to know about any respective celeb. It is possible to know all: form favorite books and movies, to popular shopping and dining destinations, to diet and exercise habits.

With the presidential elections looming near, it only seems natural for the public to be interested in what side of the political spectrum celebrities associate themselves with.

It may only be my imagination, but it seems like all the positive press is in favor of Barack Obama. Celebrities like Chelsea Handler and P. Diddy are very publicly showing their support for the democratic hopeful. Justin Timberlake and girlfriend Jessica Biel have also lent a helping hand by participating in a rally for Obama in Las Vegas. Timberlake has also caught attention by “remaking” his infamous SNL song D**k In a Box and renaming it Vote In a Box.

The only news worthy attention McCain’s camp seems to have received is the recurring SNL spoof on Palin which, other than the reference to her former beauty queen status (which implies that she was formerly and/or is currently physically appealing), provides not one ounce of positive outlook.

7-Eleven Election

7-Eleven has launched a political campaign with coffee cups. Customers can choose a "McCain" or "Obama" printed coffee cup and support their candidate. Votes are tallied weekly in USA Today and can be viewed on the 7-Eleven election site. Customers have successfully predicted the last two elections with more information about the past on the 'fun facts' page.

I was unaware of this campaign, and my brother told me about his 7-eleven coffee experience. He wasn't even paying attention when he bought his morning coffee and was criticized as he sat down in class. His classmate said, "Your'e a McCain supporter? Ewww!" My brother said he had no idea what was going on until the guy pointed at his cup.

The results page is quite interesting, showing McCain rating lower than Obama in all participating states, but I am not comfortable with stating my politics on my daily dose of caffeine. For starters, it is simply too early for a political debate. However, I give props to whoever led such a clever and effective campaign. The cups are trendy and the Web site is easy to navigate. So if you want to predict the results of the 2008 election, stop by your local 7-Eleven.

Ikea Goes To Hollywood

Ikea is funding the newest form of entertainment, web television, with the new series Easy To Assemble. This new show is broadcasted by CBS via the web on the site TV.com. There is also a blog specifically dedicated to gossiping about the show called Spazzy Sheraton's Gotcha Blog. Some worry that a show entirely based on product placement may curb viewers but in reality this has not yet been a problem with viewership.

I found this to be interesting as we are now in the digital era and each and every media outlet is turning to the web. And apparently Dara is not the only blog lover as there is one dedicated to this show that has generated a lot of popularity among viewers. I think it will be very interesting to watch the media evolve as it is forced to keep up with the technology changes our society is going through and to see the ways the media will go about doing so.

Hollywood Lounge Goes Green

Tokio Hollywood has almost completed its transformation to Ecco, Hollywood's first and only eco-friendly lounge. Designer Beau Robb, who has also designed Los Angeles-based venues such as Area and Privilege, is turning Ecco into the nation's first eco-friendly L.E.E.D. certified venue. Ecco is set to open its doors in November.

Some of Ecco's features:

- Multi-colored state-of-the-art LED lighting.
- Neutralized carbon emissions through LivClean. http://livclean.ca.
- Green energy supplied by L.A. Department of Water & Power's Green Power resources.
- Certified organic cuisine and beveragges without fertilizers, pesticides, hormones or antibiotics.
- Energy efficient insulation, saving 20% more energy than standard insulation.
- Eco-friendly bathrooms with flushless toilets, Dyson "Airblade" hand dryers, and organic cleansers and hand soaps.
- Free valet service for hybrid vehicles.
- Paperless event ticketing, table and bottle reservations provided by UpCode Solutions USA/Mobile Access & Interaction technology (MAI)(TM).

This is great. I love this idea and can't wait for other businesses and companies to follow suit. I know there are some out there who are already involved in going green, and they do make a difference. Imagine if everyone was like this.

I've worked with the Austin Marathon and have seen first-hand the benefits of going green. I've also seen the benefits that going green brings. Media outlets want to cover events that are green, it's the newest thing. Companies, who give money and sponsorships, love to give to events who are green, it makes their comapny look good for supporting it. I'll have to double check what magazine did this ranking, but the Austin Marathon is the #1 ranked green marathon is the country. We just found this out last week and have let our PR firm, TateAustinHahn, know this so they can get a press release out. All this leads to positive coverage that benefits the event tremenduously. It increases our customers (runners), number of volunteers, media coverage and number of companies who want to be involved in the race.

Going green is the next big thing, while benefitting the earth at the same time. But if used properly, the act of going green can benefit your event or company in a truly positive way.

Palin Booed as "America's Hockey Mom"

Thinking Governor Sarah Palin could be a lucky charm for the Philadelphia Flyers in Saturday night's game was a mistake. In the successful "NHL Rocks" campaign, they took an extra step by inviting Palin to drop the opening puck at the Rangers-Flyers game for the promotion of finding the "Ultimate Hockey Mom." They thought this would be a solid move for both the Flyers and for Governor Palin. They thought that with a Flyers win and possibly a successful season, Palin could be the lucky charm the team has needed for a while now.
However, that wasn't quite the case when Palin was booed dropping the ceremonial puck in Philadelphia. Many people thought of this as tacky and classless. One person stated that we are a "me/first, everything goes" country and we have no standards due to Palin showing up for this event. Another person said never to throw your politics into the face of a Philadelphian. This event was despised by many and a bad idea for the "NHL Rocks" campaign. Someone said that Philadelphia fans boo everyone, from Santa Clause to a handicapped kid who bounced a ceremonial first pitch. Even so, this was a bad, but funny mistake and not a bright idea as a person working on this PR campaign.

US Navy Seals signs with Gallup

The US Navy Seals signed a $500,000 contract with Gallup Consulting.  The 6-month contract states that Gallup will help the Navy with their marketing strategy and branding.  "We're looking for some professional help in defining the right audience for field recruiting," said Greg Geisen, NSWC commander and public affairs officer.  Geisen hopes to recruit individuals who can withstand both the mental and physical rigors of training.  It is reported that only about 25% of participants make it through the entire program.  With only 2,400 Seals currently, Geisen hopes to increase the number by 500 in the next few years.

The 6-month contract requires Gallup to draw up a marketing strategy, but not execute it.  In my opinion the Seals and Gallup could have picked a far better time to do this contract.  With the presidential election in November and all the drama with the war, I'm confused as to why this story even made the news.

http://www.prweekus.com/US-Navy-Seals-choose-Gallup/article/118643/

Full Throttle Fury

Dominating the beverage scene apparently isn't enough for Coca-Cola, so they came out with the energy drink Full Throttle. There are many flavors to choose from and the latest is the orange-flavored Fury. Coca-Cola decided to make the can orange and promote its latest drink by having Big Boi from Outkast as the face in an effort to reach the target audience of... African-American males?

I'm assuming they are targeting African-American males because they are generally good athletes and are hoping for black athletes to drink Fury during sporting events. However, from a health perspective energy drinks are horrible for anyone, much less an athlete. The amount of sugar and caffeine in those drinks is not good for the heart. On top of that, I didn't even know Big Boi was still around. As far as I am concerned Outkast was a semi-popular group of the 90's. Then again I am just a white girl.

JP Morgan Chase Aims at Consumer Confidence

JP Morgan Chase, concerned with customers' decimated confidence in the banking industry, are using messaging in ads to buoy confidence in Washington Mutual, which it recently acquired, reports The New York Times. 

Chase is deflecting the bad buzz and branding questions with tongue-in-cheek headlines, like "We love Chase. And not just because they have a trillion dollars," and more direct tags, like "WaMu & Chase. Safe & secure."

The ads successfully steadied the flow of deposits from WaMu, Thomas Kelly, a spokesman for JP Morgan told The Times.

Edelman's US president and CEO, Matt Harrington, told The Times, "It's more comforting to be treated candidly: 'We're in uncharted waters. We're doing our best. We want to hear your questions. We're here to help you...' You gain a lot of credibility."

From a PR student perspective, I think the quote added to the short article from a prominent PR agency (Edelman) gave the content of this article some value. Each and everyday the financial crisis makes us consumer more and more apprehensible about spending, finances, etc... With all of the financial distrust, now is definitely the time to shine for PR agencies and financial institutions' internal PR!

Hello, Good Buy

Just a couple of years ago, Target was the darling of discount shoppers. The retailer profited from exclusive, stylish goods created by such big-name designers as Issac Mizrahi and Michael Graves. But in today's rocky economy, Target seems out of fashion. Same-store sales are down, and net income is sinking. Even Target executives pin the troubles in part on the widespread perception that the chain is more expensive than Wal-Mart because of its focus on trendy clothes and home accessories.

So how is Target revising its sales strategy as it heads into the holidays? It is actually ramping up its designer collection, with more labels than ever. But the $63.4 billion company is also recalibrating its marketing pitch to highlight low prices. In other words, customers can have hip brands and afford them too.

If you know me at all, you know that my name is synonomous with daily trips to Target. Besides the advertising strategy of Target being (in my opinion) complete genius, I think the PR/Marketing efforts to direct consumer attention to high styles for low prices is a strategy that can almost guarantee success. With our economy being in the lows, consumers are cutting back on their spending; perfect opportunity for Target to promote their affordable, stylish clothing. 

New Poll Indicates That Democrat Ticket Is Benefiting From Financial Crisis

Independent voters are starting to swing behind Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who continue to benefit from economic turmoil and the public response to their debate performances, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

The survey, conducted over the weekend, was full of good news for the Democratic presidential ticket. Sen. Obama increased his advantage over Republican rival John McCain when voters were asked which candidate they prefer to handle economic issues. At the same time, a growing percentage of voters said the economy is their top concern heading into the election.

I agree with the voters who said that the economy is the top concern heading into the election this year, but this is also just a poll that WSJ and NBC News did, and with another debate tonight and one more month till the polls open I'm not sure what the outcome of this election will be. Whatever candidate wins, I hope that the plans will succeed because the future of this country depends on it.

Oprah's being sued

Oprah sued for defamation by ex-school head

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx/?news=333722&GT1=28103

Oprah Whinfrey is being sued for defamation by the ex-headmistress of her school for girls in South Africa, Nomvuyo Mzamane. She is saying that Oprah tried to cover up abuse at the school and that she knew about it all along. Mzamane is seeking more than $250,000 on five defamation counts against Whinfrey

Former dorm matron Tiny Virginia Makopo is charged with abusing six students at the school. Makopo allegedly tried to kiss and fondle the victims and is also accused of kicking and hitting some of them. Makopo has plead innocent to 14 charges of indecent assault, assault and criminal injury.

Due to Oprah's stature and how easily all this is accessed on the internet, Msamane has not been able to find work in this field.

I'm really hoping Oprah had nothing to do with this and had no knowledge of what was going on at her school in South Africa. I hope this is just a sad attempt by a disgruntled ex-employee. That would be the most hypocritical thing for Oprah to do if she in fact knew what was going on. 

The fact that the dorm matron, Tiny, was allegedly doing all these things to the girls just makes me sick. It's really disgusting and terrible. 

Somethign else I have to wonder is how were two women that were so important to that institution, so horrible. Was there not a proper background check? Did they just randomly hire these women? Or is this all just a big lie?

Gillette Sharpens Pitch For Expensive Razor

As the economy seems to be pulling toward a recession, customers and consumers are pulling back spending on many of the items that inhabit their daily routines. Gillette, maker of the very common razor blades, is hoping that although many are cutting back, that people will still stay brand loyal by purchasing their blades. On Sunday Proctor and Gamble introduced a new ad campaign that focuses on getting shoppers comfortable with the some-what high prices of the blade replacements. As it stands, the price for 8 of Gillette's replacement blades are on average $25.03, which is considerably high when you compare them to other brands. Gillette's new launch of their Five Blade Fusion has a memorable ad which is trying to show customers how the price of the razors relates to their pocketbooks on a weekly basis. The advertisement as written is:

"In the world of high-performance, what machine can you run for as little as a dollar a week?" an announcer says amid close-up shots of one of the shavers in the line, "Fusion Power," which vibrates via battery. Nascar driver Carl Edwards's reply: "That's money well spent." (The dollar-a-week calculation is based on the price of Gillette's Fusion Power replacement cartridges and average consumption.)

Although this seems to be a tough situation for companies like Gillette who are selling name brand products at a higher price than competitors, they are hopefull that this campaign will stabilize their customer base and furthermore increase their sales.

Article to read -- HARO vs Profnet

This is a must-read article. Both of the services help match reporters to PR folks. I would encourage you to check out HARO -- it's free and will be impressive to an employer (if going to wor for an agency) that you know about it.

Brita Goes to College

Clorox's Brita is launching a new campaign targeted toward college students. Their "College FilterForGood Eco-Challenge" effort is supported by AOR Edelman.

Brita's on-going campaign "FilterForGood" targets the general audience with a goal to reduce bottled-water waste. It's college campaign's goal is to put a fire under kids to come up with solutions to on-campus environmental issues. The top 5 winners will receive $10,000 each.

Personally, I love Brita. I use my water-filter everyday and haven't purchased bottled water in a really long time. I think it's important to reduce waste when and where you can. Brita was smart to target college kids because they know people recognize their name. That, in general, will cause a stir and get kids motivated to compete in this campaign. That, and the large grand prize. Brita's timing is good too. More and more people are becoming aware of the environment and are making it more of a priority.

The campaign's tactics are very well thought through as well. They're putting their information into 100 college newspapers, getting their campaign onto Facebook and announcing the winners at the spring 2009 Earth Day.

Bernhard's Palin gang-rape joke

I read an article from MSN.com called "Bernhard’s Palin gang-rape joke shocks shelter."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26982470/

To summarize, it stated, "Bernhard said Palin would be “gang-raped by my big black brothers” during a diatribe in which she also criticized Palin for opposing abortion rights."

Bernhard, the comedic performer for a women's shelter, was cut from their annual benefit after she pitched that "joke."

I am one to stand up for laughter and the use of comedy most situations but in order for things to be funny they must also be tasteful. It wasn't as much the joke being utterly offensive as it was the context of the joke and the environment in which it was used. Bottom line: if you are offending everyone in the room, it's not going to be funny.

Saying something like that may be funny at a comedy club but she should have known better than to say it at a women's shelter benefit. I'm not sure that people representing a women's shelter would want to laugh at a joke that involves 'rape' in the punchline. While some may argue that it was only a joke, I think there might have been a better time for a controversial line like that.

700 Billion Dollar Bailout

Today, Wednesday, October 1, the Senate voted to go through with the $700 Billion dollar bailout. The vote was 74-25 and both Senators Obama and McCain voted for this bill.

Senator McCain said, "If we fail to act, the gears of our economy will grind to a halt."

I am unsure of what to think of the bailout, I trust the senate has had good financial advising but at the same time I wonder when they will stop bailing out companies in financial crises. I would like to put my faith in the government, but it is still hard when the number is this big.

I think company representatives and senators need to reassure the public that this is the right thing to do and it will only help our economy.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-10-01-washington-bailout-wrap-Wednesday_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Is morality natural?

I read the article, "Is Morality Natural" on Newsweek.com and found it very interesting.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/158760

Science is tracing the biological roots of our intuitive sense of what is right and wrong. It is suggested by studies that an unwritten moral grammar has been implemented in our universe. The studies also imply that this "moral grammar" has been designed to generate fast, intuitive and universally held judgments of right and wrong.

I found this article to be one of the most interesting articles I've ever read. Honestly! I was not surprised that the three hypothetical situations generated similar responses across diverse groups of people. I think humans as "individuals" have a whole lot more in common with each other than we want to admit.

Einstein once said, "Our seperation of each other is an optical illusion of conciousness."

In my opinion, we are all one. I'm not sure in what way I mean that but I guess what I'm trying to say is that we're all in this together for one reason or another. This article is definitely something to think about. I'm not sure the human race will ever discover the meaning to life or spirituality but studying the topic definitely expands our thought process!

Solvent financial entities boost comms amid panic

Financial companies that are in good standing are communicating with customers and the media about the advantages of investing through their company even during these hard economic times. The majority of these companies are addressing the economic and at the same time explaining why it is still important to continue investing. The director of corporate PR at Charles Schwab, Sarah Bulgatz, said that Schwab has been using many different communication channels to reach its consumers.

“Consumers in general are wondering what's going on and what will happen next,” Bulgatz said. “People generally have a ton of questions, so we've attempted to anticipate and answer some of them in a proactive way. Everything we're doing is designed to try and help people put the situation in some perspective and make good investment decisions, not [ones] based on emotion.”

Schwab and T. Rowe Price have also taken out ads in national newspapers along with large amounts of online information partnered with media outreach showing not all financial companies are in trouble said Steve Norwitz, T. Rowe Price's VP of PR.

“One of the concerns people might naturally have is that if Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, AIG, and companies like that can lose their financial footing, then why can't anybody?” Norwitz said. “We want to reassure customers that's not the case with us.”

I found this article interesting because of the economic crisis and all the financial institutes going out of business I had assumed the majority of financial companies were doing poorly. It's good to see that the companies that are not in economic trouble aggressively communicating this fact to the media and consumers to keep them investing and ease some of the panic.
http://www.prweekus.com/Solvent-financial-entities-boost-comms-amid-panic/article/118427/

Hope for New Plan

The Stocks staged a partial recovery Tuesday following the previous session's historic loss, as investors hoped a revised financial rescue plan will emerge.
Republicans blame House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the defeated $700 billion economic rescue plan. They accused her of delivering a partisan speech just as they were attempting to round up votes in favor of the bailout. Video courtesy of Fox News. (Sept. 30)
Just after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up almost 218 points, or 2.1%, at 10583.36. The S&P 500 rose 2.6%, to 1134.96. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 2.5% to 2034.07.
President George W. Bush made a brief statement at 8:45 Eastern, saying the economic damage to the nation will be "painful and lasting" if Congress fails to pass a $700 billion bailout bill. The bailout's failure has thrown into limbo the prospects for a federal intervention that the White House and many financial-industry veterans believe is necessary to alleviate the burden of soured credit bets lingering on many banks' books. Those instruments have clogged Wall Street's usual financing activities for months and, in a worst-case scenario, could lead to an even more intractable freeze-up that would deal a severe blow to the broader economy.
While im not politically savy, my opionion is that instead of using tax payers money, the foreign aid should be cut back. We spend so much money on other countries it is about time we spend money on us. After the US is resolved with financial expenses, then we should spend more money on other countries. This is a serious issue right now and ALL expenses need to be cut back. Some people were fortunate to not have lost alot of money, but the people that did are going to have to seriously change their life styles!! PRAY FOR EVERYONE!

'Craig' opens up on the Net

PRWeek interviewed the brilliant creator of Craigslist.com last Wednesday, Craig Newmark. We are all aware of the change in the role of communications and media. Newmark just gave his two cents. He highlighted the fact that PR practitioners can’t fake sincerity anymore. Phony attempts are suspect among youngsters, and with the word-of-mouth in the millions you can’t afford to be fake. They can smell you a mile away. Scary? No.

Newmark also suggested that PR folks need to be fully engaged in new technology and keep a spotless reputation. After I read the interview I thought to myself, “I knew that.” But hey, this guy created the website that I dedicate many hours of my web surfing to, so- I read it again.

The three things that are being crammed down our throats in PR Campaigns class- twitter, blogs and facebook, are legit. Thanks Quackenbush. I get it now. It just took the creator of Craigslist to peer pressure me. You win. Facebook, here I come.

PR agencies have new moves for attracting college students

PR agencies are updating their strategies to attract you customers. College students are more than ever connected through new media and technology, and PR professionals want to reach them through these tools.

Havaianas flip-flops company hired Alison Brod PR to launch a 2 day, 5 university tour to promote the brand to college students.

Havaianas president said that research has found that with college students, there is such thing as "over promotion," and it can quickly make things very uncool. They wanted a very relaxed, "organic" campaign that appealed to young adults in their own environment.

Alison Brod PR launched a "Color Wars" campaign on the college campuses, where the winning team won a trip to Brazil. They found that this grassroots approach worked very well.

The "Color Wars" promotion included ambassadors on the campuses, the company Web site and a Facebook page. Along with new media approaches, the PR agency used traditional media such as local radio stations and the campus newspapers.

Bush, Bailouts, and Bling!

As the Bush Administration reaches its end, the media has been in a frenzy over the mortgage bailouts as if it was Ms. Spears exiting a limo. The public address over Senor Bush’s federal plan to save our butts has caused quite the controversy bringing mixed opinions on how to handle the crises.
Should congress allow the allotted $700 billion taxpayer dollars to rescue our doomed mortgage giants? That may depend where you blame the fault; unethical bank lenders or irresponsible home owners. Either way, the situation still stands, there is not a whole lot to look forward to in America in the near future, except maybe the season premier of Grays Anatomy.
I think America has lost sight of what it means to be a united country. By all means YES, help the mortgage giants. It is not out of sympathy, or pity for that matter, but because we forced ourselves into a corner with little options of escape.
If we stop the blame game, it’s easy to see its everyone’s fault. The economy isn’t supported by one industry but by several factors that all contributed to the downfall. How can the American people not want to use the tax dollars to save the economy of our nation? We complain about spending on the war in Iraq and then turn right back around and complain about spending on ourselves. If anything, this is exactly why we pay taxes, for times of emergency, and to allow us flexibility for the inevitable dynamics of an economy.
The anatomy of an economy is extremely dynamic. We need to allow for it to take its course and not be overcome by individual greed stemmed from realty TV. Most of our generation doesn’t even know what a real depression is. So we might not be able to own our big trucks, live in big houses, or afford our daily Starbucks, but if we stick together on this one, we are going to be alright.
--United we stand, divided we fall--

Anti-abortion images spark strong reactions in downtown Austin

Abortion and anti-abortion issues have and will always be a controversial subject, but when two 26-foot trucks showing images of 10-week-old aborted fetuses drove through downtown Austin, it sparked an outrage from the public. Bill Calvin, the truck driver, said the graphic nature of the images serves to prove his point. Not everyone agreed with his method but it definitely accomplished what he wanted.
I personally don't disagree with him protesting abortion, because everyone has the right to do so. I'm somewhat on the fence about how I feel about the way he went about getting his message across. I feel like there is a time and place for these kind of messages to be disseminated and this wasn't very appropriate.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/091708kvue_abortion_images-cb.86fb819a.html

International Diabetes Federation pushes for disease awareness

The International Diabetes Federation has called on citizens worldwide to raise awareness and come up with creative ideas in preparation for World Diabetes Day, which is held on November 14. This year, the theme is "Diabetes in Children and Adolescents" because more than 200 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every day. Each year, 70,000+ children under the age of 15 develop diabetes, and the numbers are growing. Several global projects are already underway.

I've always associated diabetes with adults, but now that I know it affects children at an alarming rate, I know how serious it is. It frightens me to think about our future. Unless our society takes drastic measures to improve our health and awareness, the numbers are likely to increase. This is a very important campaign, and I'm surprised that I haven't heard more about it.

Seattle

It's hard to find something not related to the economic crisis right now, but I'm looking through cnn.com and came across this article over Seattle. I've always liked Seattle, maybe because my dad was a big Frasier fan, so I look through it.

I find it to be a good example of blurring the line between Advertising and PR. Like a lot of students, I switched from Advertising to PR to graduate earlier, thinking there's not a big difference between the two. This article shows why people sometimes think that.

I was in a class where the professor said PR is credible and Advertising is incredible. Incredible meaning unbelieveable, not in the awe-inspiring sort of way, but more along the lines of not being believable. Basically, they're full of it.

Had this been on a travel website or a commercial on TV, I wouldn't have paid as much attention to it. Commercials can make Arizona look like a tropical paradise; but it was on cnn.com, making it seem strange that it looked a lot like a paid advertisement.

The article doesn't just give you general attractions in the city, but gives you specific names, websites, prices, and sometimes even phone numbers. It's like your own personal travel agent hacked into CNN.

Protect Your Brand and Reputation on Twitter

With the recent success of Twitter and its more than 2 million users, companies such as Dell are beginning to realize the influence that Twitter could possibly have on their customers. Although Twitter is beginning to help corportate companies with brand marketing Twitter can also lead to some problems. PR Week has created a detailed corporate guide to enhance safe practices on Twitter. The first rule of course being to fully understand Twitter, its norms and how people use it in their daily life. Other rules such as protecting your brand and being consistent are included in the 10 rules.

I think that this was a good idea for PR Week to write about because with the amount of new people and businesses begginning to use Twitter there should be a standard guideline. Rules should definately be followed in order to protect ones business and brand.

http://www.prweekus.com/Protect-your-brand-and-reputation-on-Twitter/article/116690/

Campaign promises... Hope or Hoax

Both presidential campaigns this year have made big claims about what America would become under their rule. Both candidates promise to produce change in Washington and to throw out pork-barrel spending in Congress. However both offer different views on how they would lead America into the coming years. McCain promises to continue America's focus on foreign interests and has until recently supported lower levels of regulation on companies. Obama preaches about broad social programs and ending the war in Iraq.
But whatever the hopes of these candidates are, the recent financial news has shot any hopes of new spending to the ground. A total of $700 billion tax payer dollars are being put toward an asset that no private institution will buy. And while a portion of this investment will be made back eventually, the incoming preident will still be sitting on top of a deficit of over one trillion dollars. This means that the only financialy sensible campaign platform would be to stop spending on as many programs as possible and to raise taxes as much as the taxpayers can endure. Ofcourse there is no way that this strategy would fly in a general election and so the campaigns have been reduced to a hypothetical situation of what they would do if there were any money to do it with.
Is there any way to convince the majority of a country to vote for you based on the platform of offering less social programs and higher taxes?

Hacking of Palin's Yahoo Account

Sarah Palin's personal yahoo e-mail account was recently hacked into by an "Anonymous" group. They allegedly found her attempts to bypass Alaska's freedom of information law.

O.K. First off, Why is Sarah Palin using her personal e-mail for business? That should be common sense. But I agree she should have her personal space and this information should be confidential even though it deals w/ Alaska's freedom. The "Anonymous" group went so far as to publicize her contact list and personal photos! This is a complete invasion of privacy and shouldn't have gone this far. Even if they were just trying to publicize her business w/ Alaska they shouldn't have gone so deep. I do however, think it was a terrible mistake on her part to use her personal e-mail for business!!

Second off, poor Palin! She keeps getting tossed in the media scramble for little things that really shouldn't matter. Who cares that her daughter is pregnant! It's like bringing attention to Jamie Lynn Spears having a baby. No one knew who she was until she got knocked up. If anything this may even be better PR for Palin because now people are actually paying attention to her and interested in what she has to say and how she will present herself. Why does it matter that her daughter is pregnant? If anything, we should be giving her congrats for becoming a grandmother, not pounding on her for it. It's her personal life and has absolutely nothing to do with politics! If her focus was still on Alaska and not the nation Alaska most likely wouldn't even know about it, and if they did, they probably wouldn't care.

Either way her image isn't looking so great from all the stuff the media is digging up on her. At least she is a strong individual who can hold her own.

Oh say can you... Believe this guy?!?

The Dallas Mavericks star forward, Josh Howard is back in the news. A recent Youtube video shows Josh Howard disrespecting the national anthem. Now this is not the first time a negative light has been shown on the young star. Earlier this year he admitted on a radio show that he, along with most players in the NBA, smoke marijuana. Also, this comes on the heels of a recent arrest for street-racing.

Now I understand that every American has the right to remain stupid. But it boggles my mind that Howard not only puts himself down, but he drags others with him. His Marijuana remarks negatively portrayed every player in the NBA. His remark on the national anthem?

"I don't celebrate that S***. I'm black."

Nice work Josh. I'm sure the African American community is thrilled with your blasphemy. The icing on the cake? This was said at a charity flag-football game for youths.

Can somebody find a good role model for these kids out there?

Song about Twitter

This is too true!

http://tinyurl.com/5g5we6

And if you want to follow me, I'm dquack.

Race for the White House Dives Into Daytime

As the race for the White House comes to a close, it seems as though the presidential campaigns have opened new doors in order to appeal to "out-of-touch" America. For many, enveloping themselves in a news cast or political talk show is more pain than pleasure. To combat this, both John McCain and Barack Obama - and their family members and running mates - have made several guest appearances on daytime TV shows. A Reuter's article claims the candidates' stand on the issues has been overpowered by new found stardom, however, I disagree. What better way to reach avid watchers of daytime dramas, reality and talk shows than to include themselves in their broadcasts? Obama has appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "The Ellen Degeneres Show" while McCain has been on "The View" and cooked ribs during "Rachael Ray" (which will air 9/22). In such a neck-and-neck race, the candidates realize they have to branch out to appeal to certain niche audiences in an effort to grab their interest and their vote. I think as long as people don't base who they vote for on which candidate sits better on a set or laughs harder at a joke, daytime TV appearances are fair game.

BlogHer Hits the Road to Boost its Membership and Awareness

Online women's network BlogHer is planning a six-city “Reach Out” tour to expand the number of its bloggers and boost brand awareness. The tour will start on October 11 in Boston and from there travel to four or five other cities. It will host one-day blogging workshops that highlight the benefits of women blogging and being part of an online community. The organization is seeking to involve aspiring bloggers in other parts of the country.

I think this tour is a great idea for the blogging community in general but also for women. It gives them a chance to understand what an online community really is, what the benefits are from being apart of one, and what steps to take to become part of one. It would give someone like my mom, who is technology/computer illeterate, a chance to be a part of something that is growing in our world today.

Social Media Programs: Cultivate-Don't Control.

The role of social media is at its height and our generation is supporting it as a form of communication in PR. This article offers advice for the PR practitioner who uses social media networks for organizing its efforts rather than forcing control over them. Some believe the development and use of these programs is the gateway to taking over social networks. The author steps over this belief and stresses the importance of the "four pillars of social media success": planning, recruiting, training and promotion. Using social media programs is not one of the four, but it can be used as a mean of communication in each.

Personally, I have explored more new media in the past month than ever before. It is prime time for exploring blogging, micro-blogging, twittering, podcasting, and every other form of social networking that doesn't involve verbal communication. I support the idea of using these programs as a vessel rather than trying to gain control. We are the ones who are going to take new media a step further in the field of PR, and the majority of us are the only ones who have time to focus on the media applications. Rather than seeing it as childish or irrelevent, try to understand how important social networking is in the world of technology and communication.

Election turning into a celebrity circus

As the time comes for us to elect the man that shall run our nation for the next four years, why must we know what brand of shoes his wife is wearing? Is it really important what kind of music his daughter is listening to? According to Larry Hackett, managing editor of People magazine, voters are just as interested in a candidate's personal life as well as their position on major issues, as told in an article in PRWeek. When Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) brough on his babe of a running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), he chose People to introduce her to the world as opposed to a more political driven source of media, such as The New York Times or Meet the Press. Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Joseph Biden (D-DE) also had a feature on the magazines cover.

It's really funny to me that not only are both candidates featured in People magazine, but Us Weekly also chose to exploit their lifestyles. However, the articles are dramatically different. Their Obama story is all about how he loves his wife and his daughters. While poor Palin gets hated on for having a daughter with a bun in the oven and a love for killing giant animals (hot woman + rifle = NIIIIICE). It's easy to see that this trend was a long time coming though, considering people like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Springer are elected public officials. Hmm, maybe I will run for mayor of San Marcos?

Apple Doesn't Offer 'One More Thing' at 'Let's Rock' Event

Apple underwhelmed both fans and industry watchers today with a "Let's Rock" event in San Francisco that ended up being more holiday-product showcase than typical Apple innovation fest. Apple CEO Steve Jobs didn't even bother to offer "one more thing" -- his standard refrain used at the end of many of his speeches to launch an Apple product or service. The new iPod Touch and iPod Nano versions unveiled today were more evolution than revolution.

Apple is known for their technology and coming out with new and exciting products. It seems like they are just updating, which leads me to wonder if they have hit a roadblock.

McCain campaign and Palin's pregnant daughter

Recent news is reporting the discovery of Republican Vice President hopeful Sarah Palin's daughter and her pregnancy out of wed-lock. The article found in PRWeek states that the news of Palin's daughter's pregnancy shows that the McCain camp did not completely review his running-mate. Reports say that after hearing the news, McCain's team rushed to Alaska to investigate the situation. Since then McCain's team has denied the trip to Alaska being in reference to this new information.

I personally do not think that anything having to do with Palin's daughter's extra-curricular activities and her becoming pregnant at 17-years-old is relevant to the campaign. Nor does the discovery of this pregnancy in no way show that the McCain camp has been inadequate in the reviewing of Palin. I think adviser Steve Schmidt puts it best when unpredicted things happen in life as he tells the Huffington Post, "Life happens."

All about Twitter

For those of you who are interested in learning more about Twitter, check out this primer, written by Omar Gallaga at the Statesman. He, along with several of the people he mentions, will be at Mass Comm Week.

CW Network Compromises Integrity for Ratings

The network that used to be known for showing re-runs of Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond has traded in for a more risque reputation in an effort to draw teens. Television shows like Gossip Girl and the remake of 90210 are in two prime time slots. Instead of being a family-friendly network the CW is encouraging advertisers to purchase ads during the shows that depict high school students as drug crazy sluts.

I understand television shows want to push the envelope on what is shown and said on the air, but it has gotten out of control. The CW should have higher standards considering how many teens watch the network. With the Parents Television Council on the backs on advertisers, hopefully the CW's public relations team will be able to inform the network of the disapproval. It sounds like the PTC is threatening a boycott of any advertisers that knowingly contribute to the network. Not only is this affecting their reputation, but potentially advertisers. I can't say I blame the PTC- I would be outraged if I was a parent and my child was watching this crap.

Webisodes- The New Generation for Television Shows

Who needs a television anymore when you can watch almost anything on the Web? You can watch anything from television series and movies, to live video podcasts and newscasts. Why wait to see your favorite show premiere on television, or a new movie to come out on DVD? The new website Hulu allows you to watch television shows before they are aired on TV. On TV Links you can watch streaming free TV, movies, cartoons, anime and documentaries. 

A great example of the Web expanding in entertainment is the launch on a new Web video series from HBOlab (the offshoot of HBO that focuses on online programming). The 10-episode show will be called "Hooking Up" and will premiere Oct. 1 on  YouTube, MySpace and hookingupshow.com. They did not recruit your typical actors, instead they found stars on the Web. Web stars like Jessica Rose from "lonelygirl15" and other YouTube talent video bloggers sxePhil and KevJumba. The show will be based on fictional students that spend there time e-mailing, instant-messaging and Twittering.

People in the industry are all starting to realize that there is much money to be made online. Could the Web eventually take over television and cable's public viewership?

Microsoft Ad Draws Criticism

The Microsoft ad that aired Thursday night during the first NFL game of the regular season has Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld in it. Seinfeld follows gates around a shopping mall as he tries on shoes. This ad really has nothing to do with anything, or does it?
This is Microsoft's first commercial in a $300 million campaign and was viewed by hundreds of thousands later on YouTube, all in an effort to make Windows more appealing. All this commercial has done is bring attention to the company and its products. This type of ad is called a "teaser ad" because it really doesn't talk about the product, it just brings attention to the topic. This lays the foundation for later commercials that will better inform the consumer of the product. I'm sure Microsoft has some tricks up its sleeve after this commercial.
When I first saw the commercial I watched and waited for something to pop up or be said that had any relevance to the main characters that I knew, and when nothing came about I was shocked. After reading up on the topic I'm beginning to see what Microsoft is doing. They had their recognizable chairman, Gates, and an extremely well-known comedian, Seinfeld, just walk around while Gates shopped for shoes. All this has done is to create excitement because people want to know what is next. Sure some people may think the commercial was a waste, but those people are still talking about it, still writing about it, and still blogging about it, aren't they?
And that is exactly what Microsoft wants.

Nonprofit PR trends

City Harvest, one of the most well-known nonprofits in New York City, has hired Rubenstein Public Relations (RPR) to provide media outreach for its yearly events. City Harvest delivers food rescued from local restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, farms, wholesalers and manufacturers to more that 260,000 people in need. By hiring RPR, the 26-year-old nonprofit veteran hopes to secure pre-event interviews for chefs who support City Harvest and prepare food for the organization's event.

I found this article interesting because I have been noticing an increased trend in the nonprofit need for PR. Giving from the goodness of our hearts just isn't happening anymore if our hearts aren't even being targeted or marketed well enough. Even well-known nonprofits are having to hire on agencies (both PR & advertising) in efforts to gain more attention and support.

Advice for PR people

BusinessWeek senior business correspondent David Kiley has some advice for PR people – serve the media. This will help you serve your client. One of his biggest complaints is PR people who pitch their clients for a story after a story runs. “Hey, I saw where you just wrote a story about XYZ. Well, I want to tell you how my client does that as well.” In the PR world, we call these bounce backs but in the world of journalism, they are called annoying.

I agree, we need to serve the media. The difficulty is in the world of information and new media, some of our traditional methods are falling by the wayside. We need to make sure we keep evolving and stay up-to-date.

Hillary's DNC speech

This post is an example of a post that you might do for your blog assignment.

I've been hearing a lot this morning about Hillary's speech at the the convention last night. I'll admit I didn't watch it, but it's interesting to see her supporters still rally around her. So I found it interesting when PRNewser posted that Mark Penn, CEO of Burson-Marstellar, advised Hillary on her speech. Seems that even though he was ousted as an adviser during the campaign, he's still playing a major part in her image creation.

On a side note, Mark wrote the book Microtrends, which I think is fabulous. Read it. On another note, I tried to get him for Mass Comm Week but he turned us down. :-(

Sources for blogging assignments

To help you keep up with trends and issues in PR, marketing and communications, and to help you explore PR and new media, we will be keeping a blog for this class. Each of you will be asked to contribute several posts during the semester and all of you will comment on a bi-weekly basis. Yes, I know, I’m forcing a conversation which should grow organically, but let’s face it, if it’s not graded, it wouldn’t be done (but wouldn’t it be nicer if that wasn’t the case?).

Post topics can be about anything related to PR, communications, marketing, advertising, new media or journalism. Posts should link the original article and be1-2 paragraphs long. Longer is okay, but the idea of a blog is to keep it in chunks. Original articles can come from a variety of sources. Below are some of my favorites, but you are not limited to them:

PR Week

Wall Street Journal

Marketing Daily

MediaBistro’s PRNewser blog

PR Week’s The Cycle blog