A Powerful Tool in The Hands of PR Professionals

A recent KPMG survey, polling more than 200 marketing and advertising executives, found that 75 percent of executives predict that advertisers will shift more than a quarter of their media time and resources to “new media,” social networks and mobile marketing.

The survey also found that 30 percent of ad agencies have a plan in place to manage social media for their clients. Social media have become a powerful tool in the hand of PR professionals and it represents a competitive advantage that PR firms have gained over ad agencies or digital marketers.

Social media management is rapidly becoming one of the fastest growing sectors for PR. It can be sold separately or be a part of a larger program.

Unlike advertising, there are hardly any barriers between traditional PR and social media. PR, like social media, is all about two-way conversations,sharing information, developing relationships and influencing actions.

“One of our clients had been using an ad agency to write its online content. The copy was promotional, fine for advertising, but totally inappropriate for the social media.” Said Ken Makovsky, CEO,Makovsky &Company.

“We told the client to talk to them, not at them. It’s not about marketing. It’s about cultivating a dialogue. The client moved the assignment from its advertising agency to us," said Makovsky.

http://us.kpmg.com/RutUS_prod/Documents/8/PULLBACKOFADDOLLARS.pdf

http://insider.prweekblogs.com/2009/06/15/are-we-in-a-battle-you-bet-and-pr-must-win/

AP Stylebook Launches iPhone App

After four months of hard work, the minds behind the AP Stylebook are taking a step up in the technological world and launching a new AP Stylebook iPhone app. The app will be a hybrid of the online and print versions of the stylebook, and is designed for journalists on the go.

The app will cost $28.99 and will include 3,000 AP entries as well as the means to create a customized listing.

“AP Stylebook fans have been asking for a mobile application so they can have style guidance wherever they go,” Colleen Newvine, the AP’s head of market research and the Stylebook’s product manager, said in a statement. “Journalists never know when they will need to run out the door to chase a story, so as long as they have an iPhone in their pockets when they go, the Stylebook can go with them."

I think this is a great new app for the iPhone, especially for journalists or individuals in similar fields. Who wants to flip through a book (a fairly large one) when they can just type it into their phone?

Source: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004016377

Leaping Hurdles

So it's that time of the year again when you break out your sweaters, heat up the cocoa and campaign for The Olympics in your city?

That's right. Many Chicagoans, including the first Olympic city bid by a sitting President, are out gaining support for The 2016 Olympics to land in their city. Except, some are not, and the city doesn't like that too much. A group calling themselves Chicagoans for Rio is a large group of Chicaogoans with the slogan, "Just let Rio host the 2016 Olympics. We don't mind. Honest." The group has protested most of the Chicago Olympic committee meetings and has started an entire grass-roots campaign to keep The 2016 Olympics out of Chicago.

Their only problem? They won't be finding coverage in the local news media.

The Chicago Olympic Committee has asked all the local news media not to cover the group and that it would wound Chicago's chances to host The Olympics. WFLD-TV has been the only station that aired anything about the group and immediately recieved a cease and desist letter from the committee and asked for their commitment in solidarity with the bid. The station managers at WFLD-TV immediately ordered all o their reporters to stop writing stories that involved the group.

So the group, who just want some peace of mind, will have to get the attention of The National Media, or just Rio, who have featured the story for the last week on all of its state media.

Sources: http://www.breitbart.tv/chicagoans-for-rio-not-everyone-in-illinois-wants-the-2016-olympics/

http://digg.com/politics/FOX_TV_CHICAGO_ORDERED_NOT_TO_RUN_ANTI_OLYMPICS_STORY

Can twitter be banned?

Mike Leach, Texas Tech Football Coach, announced Monday that all players are being banned from twitter. The announcement came after a player tweeted about Leach's tardiness to a meeting after the Red Raider loss on Saturday.

In the past month there have been a lot of stories about the crack down of social media sites, one of the latest ESPN. Understandably companies are allowed to set rules that govern their employees, but are college football players, or athletes in general, employees of the school they attend?

Offensive linemen Brandon Carter tweeted: “This is not how I saw our season,” and has sense been suspended from the team for violating team rules. The tweet did not specifically use the Texas Tech name, anything against Coach Leach, or any of the players on the team. Carter was simply stating how he felt.

How can a social media site be banned from individuals using their freedom of expression on their own time?

Read the entire story: Texas Tech Football Players Banned From Twitter

More information on twitter bans: Twitter Crackdown Continues at ESPN

Rubenstein's new client

Rubenstein Public Relations Inc. is representing new clients in a strange and painful situation. Rubstein PR, which boasts clients such as Alex Rodriguez and Miss Universe, was selected to represent Sean and Carol Savage, two average Americans under intense circumstances.

Thursday, Carol gave birth to a healthy baby boy, after carrying Shannon Morell's son for nine months. In February, the two women went to an in vitro fertilization center, and Carol wrongly received Shannon's embryo. Due to her Catholic beliefs, Carol decided that she would carry the baby and upon its birth return it to its true parents.

Rubenstein Public Relations Inc. was hired to help the Savage family by spinning the media attention and deal with numerous book and movie offers.

Click to view article

Ross Perot Sells His Final Company...This Time to Dell

Last year Hewlett-Packard Co. bought Ross Perot’s Electronic Data Systems Corp. for almost $14 billion, cutting more than 25,000 jobs. Now Dell wants to finish the job by buying Perot’s other company, Perot Systems.

Dell is buying Perot Systems for $3.9 billion, but this time rather than a complete company takeover, the deal is emphasized as a growth move. In fact, officials from both companies have insisted that their deal is about growth.

"For me and our board, this acquisition makes great sense because of the obvious ways our businesses complement each other and enable us to grow profitably over time," Dell chairman and chief executive Michael Dell said in a conference call after the deal was announced.

Perot Systems CEO Peter Altabef said he was making the same case to Perot employees.

If Dell’s acquisition is all about growth, what does this mean for Perot Systems employees? Dell and Perot are still configuring the details of the merger, but as of now, it seems the only Perot Systems job cuts to ensue are administrative positions, in order to prevent position duplication. Perot Systems has about 2,700 employees in the Dallas area and 23,000 worldwide. It is not yet estimated how many of those employees will go on to work for Dell.

Ross Perot Jr., chairman of Perot Systems, will be joining Dell’s board when the deal is completed. He says that Perot Systems will eventually manage Dell’s services division.

So will this “nice” company buyout really merge the two companies together, rather than take over Perot Systems, terminating its mission and eliminating the jobs of thousands? Indeed, Dell and Perot have had a relationship for the past two years, and Dell has been pitching the sale of Perot Systems for almost that long. Now that Dell has finally closed the deal, we will see what becomes of the last Perot company.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-dellperot_22bus.ART.State.Edition2.4bb188f.html

Breaking News and New Media

In the past, things were done in a very particular manner. Deadlines were set and those in charge of discovering or creating news adhered to them. It was also a process that required that those who submitted the news were verified, credible sources.

With all the new media that is in place, those two basic rules have been thrown out the window. Some argue that sites such as Twitter and Facebook have too much potential for abuse, and do not provide sufficient credibility to take what is communicated as real news. However, Danny Shea of the Huffington Post was recently interviewed at a Publicity Club Of New York luncheon, and reaffirmed the idea that news published on these sites is definitely something that reporters look to in forming ideas for a story.

With respect to time, the world of deadlines is now obsolete, and has been replaced with a 24-hour revolving door where ideas, not people, come and go. Stories can be put out there at any time, and require that they be chased at all times. In the morning checking Twitter, at lunch seeing what comes in on Facebook, and then deciding which story to move on. While sometimes PR practitioners do break stories after the initial release, they are still looked to as a very-real source for legitimate information.

Find the mini story(Talking New Media Reporting at Publicity Club Of New York Luncheon) and video interview@
http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/

Social Media and Sports PR

More and more athletes are using social media to connect with their fans. This trend is making the job of a sports public relations practitioner much easier. Fans who follow their favorite players on either Facebook or Twitter feel that they have a special connection with them and will in turn spend money on tickets and merchandise.


The article gives four pieces of advice for how PR professionals should use, and help athletes use, social media sites: Determine what you want to accomplish, listen and engage, listen and interact and provide social media training.

The article was very interesting, but it made me realize that sports PR professionals might not be needed in the future, and if they are, to what extent would they be.



http://www.prnewsonline.com/prinsiders/Sports-and-Social-Media-How-to-Engage-Fans-Off-the-Field_13216.html

Are Med-Student Tweets Breaching Patient Privacy?

Personal profiles on Facebook and other social-networking sites are a trove of inappropriate and embarrassing photographs and discomfiting breaches of confidentiality. You might expect that from your friends and even some colleagues — but what about your doctor? (See the most common hospital mishaps.

A new survey of medical-school deans finds that unprofessional conduct on blogs and social-networking sites is increasing among medical students. Although med students fully understand patient-confidentiality laws and are indoctrinated in the high ethical standards to which their white-coated profession is held, many of them still use Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and other sites to depict and discuss lewd behavior and sexual misconduct, make discriminatory statements and discuss patient cases in violation of confidentiality laws, according to the survey, which was published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Of the 80 medical-school deans questioned, 60% reported incidents involving unprofessional postings and 13% admitted to incidents that violated patient privacy. (See the top 10 celebrity Twitter feeds.)

"I didn't expect to find so many incidents of unprofessional conduct," says Dr. Katherine Chretien, medicine-clerkship director at the Washington, D.C., Veterans Administration hospital and the lead author of the study. As a physician responsible for counseling medical students and residents, Chretien says she assumed that students were "educated about professional conduct online and used better judgment."

But medical students, it seems, are no different from the rest of us when it comes to posting drunken party pictures online or tweeting about their daily comings, goings and musings — however inappropriate they may be. Many students feel they are entitled to post what they wish on their personal profiles, maintaining that the information is in fact personal and not subject to the same policies and guidelines that govern their professional behavior on campus. Though medical students would agree that physicians — and other professionals, like teachers — should be held to a higher standard of integrity by society, the new study suggests that they're confused by how rules apply, especially in cyberspace, once the white coat comes off. "They view their Facebook pages as their Internet persona," says Dr. Neil Parker, senior associate dean for student affairs for graduate medical education at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. "They think it's something only for their friends, even though it's not private." (See 10 ways Twitter will change American business.)

That attitude is largely dictated by age, says Parker. In focus groups involving students, faculty, administrators and staff, the school has found a clear generational divide between those who tend to blur the line between their personal and professional lives and those who don't. Younger students were more likely than older staff members to believe that their thoughts and opinions were valid to post online, regardless of their potentially damaging or discriminatory impact on others.

The issue is especially relevant when it comes to discussing patient cases. Laws prohibit doctors from talking about patients using individually identifiable information. However, as Chretien notes, sharing patient-care experiences can be a useful and powerful learning tool for medical students that encourages "reflection, empathy and understanding," she writes in the paper. Although discussing their experiences online may be allowed, students must be made aware that identifying information is not limited to patients' names and that divulging other characteristics and details often violates patient-privacy laws. (See five Facebook no-nos for divorcing couples.)

It's that type of education that medical schools need to include more in their curricula, says Chretien. Ensuring that students are aware of privacy settings on social-networking sites is another. At UCLA, Parker has assigned a task force, which includes students, to devise guidelines that students can follow when making decisions about what to post and what to keep to themselves. "It's going to be difficult," he says. "Most students want us to provide them with education and guidelines, but not policies. It is a different culture; we always say we have to be culture-sensitive to our patients, but we have to be culture-sensitive to our students as well."

Hyundai: Using the Recession to Their Advantage

Hyundai Motor America has not been a threat to other car manufacturers until now. The recession has pushed the South Korean automaker into the competition amongst popular car brands in the United States and Japan. Their sales have significantly increased in the past two years.

In the past, Hyundai has had a reputation as a "second-tiered brand". With people watching their pocketbooks and using the Cash for Clunkers incentive program, the brand appears to be more appealing to the struggling economy. People are beggining to question the extra money that other automakers such as Honda and the Ford Motor Company are asking. Hyundai passed both companies in sales last year and Hyundai fell just short in sales behind Toyato, GM and Volkswagon.

John Krafcik, head of Hyundai Motor America, said, the brand was well placed, “particularly in a recessionlike environment." This is definately the time for the company to flaunt their lower end but lower priced vehicles.

Hyundai is even offering a "luxury sedan", the genesis, that is priced low for "luxury", a term not usually associated with the company. The company is targeting business owners who had to lay off employees and want to project a better budget-friendly company while maintaing their lifestlye.

Also, recession marketing tactics are being used. Offering people who have been layed off a year to return their car and 3-month payment relief are examples that other companies such a Ford briefly borrowed.

This is a right-time and the right-place kind of marketing but it seems to be working ina very positive way for the company. The company appears to even have some lasting power as people are becoming more familar with the brand.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/business/global/22hyundai.html?_r=1&ref=business

Mrs. Butterworth, Back in the Spotlight

NEW YORK: Pinnacle Foods, the makers of Mrs. Butterworth, has launched a campaign to get their iconic symbol back in the hearts of the public. The syrup company plans on revealing the characters previously unknown first name.

The Bender Hammer Group, hired by Pinnacle Foods, held a contest asking consumers to come up with Butterworth's first name and a reason for their guess.

The campaign was targeted mainly to mothers, trade media, food bloggers, Mommy bloggers, radio stations, and throughout Facebook and Twitter.

I think that Pinnacle Foods is targeting the most influential consumers in their market, which is the moms. Using social media as well as traditional media is an effective way to connect with customers and get them involved with a product.

For more information visit:

http://www.prweekus.com/Pinnacle-Foods-to-reinvigorate-Mrs-Butterworth-character/article/149386/

Flecing For Fashion

The muscle building company, Muscle Milk, is re-vamping their consumer base to a new kind of woman. They've already established the brand with women who work out, now they are making an aim at the non iron-pumping girls.

They've developed a new product, 100 Calorie Muscle Milk Light, to use as a meal replacement or on-the-go-snack.

This new drink is tailored to be this years official Fashion Week protein drink. By increasing visibility with this Fashion Week sponsorship, they are able to target fashion forward women, who by nature are usually looking to stay thin and fit.

During Fashion Week, their PR team set up a tent and had models distribute samples to emphasis the message of a low-calorie product.

Shane McCassy, lifestyle marketing manager at Cytosport which manufactures Muscle Milk said, "“Our push toward women is going to continue. It's a segment that for the most part is untapped and every time we're able to get in front of women it's always a huge win.”

In the spring of 2010, the company plans to include a Web video series to help position the brand. They also would like to have celebrity and female athlete endorsements.

I myself find the gym a little too rough, so this product could also be useful for the fast paced lifestyle of a college student who likes to stay in shape as well.

For more information click here.

Korean Financial-Services Firm Swims in Sea of White Space

Hyundai Card/Hyundai Capital bought up all the advertising space in a new subway station in South Korea. They also bought the space in three adjacent stations and most of it in four of the 16 trains serving the new subway line. The three-year deal cost $2.2 million.

What are they going to do with all that sapce you ask? Nothing, they are going to leave it mostly blank.

Inside the stations, giant wall signs are all white, except for a small icon that symbolizes one of the company's services, such as a car for car loans, plus a small company logo.

At the entrance and exits of the stations, the giant white panels have a pink eraser in the lower-right corner and a two-sentence explanation. "The world is flooded with too many ads," it says. "For a short while, we want to leave it empty for you."

I think this is a great idea. Even if they only do it for three years they are definalty making a statement. With all the advertising we are bombarded with on a daily bases, I can't imagine that being anything else but refreshing.

http://global.factiva.com.libproxy.txstate.edu/ga/default.aspx?imt=2&ao=5&aod=0

Why Craig’s List Works…or doesn’t

With a boring interface, spam-filled pages and multiples of the same posts, Craig’s List has a lot to work on to keep their users happy. Craig’s List is a small company, only 30 employees, with a big impact on the market.  The advertising-based site somehow succeeds with an out-dated and outlandish strategy. 

Craig Newmark, owner of Craig’s List attributes the site’s functionality to his belief that, “People are good and trustworthy and generally concerned with getting through the day.” The dull site where almost any ad can be seen will receive no redesign in the near future.  Craig’s List currently has more traffic than three other top job-search sites combined.  It remains a threat to newspaper classified ads and dailies. Because of the site’s success, owner and CEO of Craig’s List are content with the site as is.

The quirky ideas behind Craig’s List’s strategy come from its creator, Craig Newmark. Known for his evading responses in interviews about his financial status and social awkwardness, it is puzzling how he holds this top site.  In interviews he has denied wanting the financial success that Craig’s List has brought. Newmark continues to personally respond to e-mails as he did in 1995, when Craig’s List launched. When asked about his List, his response is always, “Ask Jim.”   Jim Buckmaster that is, CEO of Craig’s List.  Buckmaster and fellow programmers and a few accountants make up the team of employees.

I still can’t figure out why Craig’s List has succeeded.  I must agree with Gary Wolf of Wired Magazine, Craig's List is a mess. 

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/magazine/17-09/ff_craigslist?currentPage=all

Pandora Meets Marketing!

Pandora Media is launcing a pair of video advertising campaigns - a first for the audio-centric company!

Pandora kicked off a campaign for NBA (which is promoting their new nurse themed drama, Mercy) and Electronic Arts (which is promoting The Beatles: Rock Band game.) Both campaigns leverage several new ad offerings such as 30-second spots, useer-initiated exrtended video trailers and branded radio stations by Pandora.

When it comes to NBC's Mercy effort, the campaign will include videos and banners on Pandora's iPhone application (one of the most popular appilications crated for that device).
On the other hand, the Electronic Arts campaign will offer Pandora users access to a 30-second demo of the Beatles game until October 11.

The push into video is progressive for Pandora due to that face that the site provides mostly an audio experience for its users. Now not only can users spend time on Pandora.com listing to radio stations online or via their iPhone without spending much time looking at their computer or phone screens, but the stations can also provide a variety of options for Pandora.com users!

Welcome to the marketing world, Pandora. It's about time!

Facebook and Free Food...a Winning Combination

T.G.I. Friday’s knows there is one surefire way to get people into their restaurant…give away free food on Facebook.

The company launched a campaign on Facebook featuring “Woody,” their “self-proclaimed” number one fan. Initially, the deal was that if Woody could get 500,000 fans on Facebook by September 30, then everyone who registered would receive a coupon for a free Jack Daniel’s burger or chicken sandwich.

T.G.I. Friday’s underestimated the power of social media because Woody reached his goal of 500,000 Facebook fans on September 13. Therefore, the company decided to extend the promotion. Now, if Woody can garner support from 1 million fans on Facebook by September 30, then all of those fans will also receive a free burger or chicken sandwich.

T.G.I. Friday’s is apparently working double-time right now because they are also running another special as part of the campaign. They are jumping on the $5 special bandwagon (every restaurant seems to be latching on to $5 specials right now; from subs, to pizzas, to complete fast-food meals) and they are offering $5 off any Jack Daniel’s entrée and $5 burgers.

T.G.I. Friday’s is just one of the many companies to jump on the Twitter/Facebook bandwagon and use the social media outlets to promote their organizations in the cheapest possible way…for free. Twitter and Facebook have recently flexed their muscles and shown just how strong word of mouth and social media can be.

Links:

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-15-2009/0005094763&EDATE

http://valuedining.com/restaurants/tgi-fridays/583-tgi-fridays-woodys-facebook-burger-hits-the-air

PR failure: Swine Flue Outbreak in Japan

Since the major swine flue outbreak occured around June in world wide, there are so many people infected.

In Japan, more than 10 people, including the latest case of a 24-year-old lady in Okinawa, have died from H1N1 flue.

In the beggining of this outbreak, around June, there was no one infected in Japan whears so many people suffered all over the county especially in Mexico. Japanese government stated that they contunied conducting the thermography test at the airport, which they believed they were preventing the outbreak in Japan effectively.

However, within a week or two, the situation got changed 180 degree. Japanese people began to be infected with swine flue everywhere. As following the issue of the outbreak in Japan, Japanese government held a media press conference, admitting that they did not conduct thermography test on not every single plane because there were too many planes that arrived in Japan every single day, because Especially around that season, Japan faced a big vacation holiday season.

Along with that fact, not checking every single plane comes from abroad, Japanese government started a campaign of lowering the cost of using highways in nation wide, even though they should have promoted that people should not be shuffled. At that time, the Japanese cabinet faced a difficulty of winning in the election in Aug, 2009, they focused on "pleasing" the Japanese citizens by lowering high way fees. Thus, They conducted a great amount of PR for launching the campaign on TV or even at locations like department stores or parks to make the campaign aware to the citizens while the government did not spend much time for media outreach of a swine flu information.

The way that the government conducted media conferences was also problematic. When the Japanese government held media conferences regarding a swine flu outbreak, they only mentioned how many people got infected or how many people have died at where. On the other hand, I believe what Japanese people wanted to know was that how dangerous the flu is, how to prevent from getting the H1N1 flu, or some other kinds of effective informations on top of the statistic of the situation.

Even though I cannot say the PR failure can be the only cause of the major outbreak of a great amount of people's death from a swine flue, I am sure if Japanese government has chosen the right one to promote as well as conducted a right PR campaign, many precious lives could be saved.

Senior Citizens Make Changes to Retail Market

Most Texas State students don’t have trouble shopping, reading labels, and getting through marketplaces with ease. But for senior citizens, that same process is equivalent to being in a maze at a carnival, with cataracts to add to it.

To address this concern, the Kimberly-Clark Corporation sought to show executives at Walgreen Co. and other stores how difficult it was to shop as a senior citizen. Walgreen’s VP sported special glasses that blurred his eyesight and filled his shoes with un-popped popcorn to shop a day in the life of the elderly.

According to the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, by the year 2030 those over 65 will account for more than 71.5 million people. And by 2011, that same age group will be spending an extra $50 billion in consumer products making the need for change fast approaching.

Kimberly-Clark Corp. states that by making accommodations that are “elderly-friendly” such as closer parking spots and maneuverable shopping carts, stores can increase their loyal customers.

Some changes the Walgreen stores are preparing to make are better lighting, available magnifying glasses and call buttons for heavy-item help. Costs per store range from $30,000 to $50,000.

And those costs could be well worth it based on the number of baby boomers that are encroaching on the senior citizen label.

But in the meantime, while all these changes are being discussed and arranged, why don’t we put our health, our eyesight, and our courtesy out to senior citizens who need help shopping? Sounds good.

This article was from: http://global.factiva.com.libproxy.txstate.edu/ga/default.aspx?imt=2&ao=5&aod=0

Sara Lee Deli Targets Moms with Online Videos

Sara Lee Deli has just lauched a new social media campaign targeting moms. The company has posted webcam confessional videos called "Mama Sagas" on their new Facebook fan page. The videos showcase different typical everyday dramas a mother faces. Each video also incorporates ideas using the Sara Lee Deli meats. At the conclusion of the video it asks viewers to post responses to how they would handle the "Mama Saga."

Sara Lee hired actresses to play mothers in the confessional videos. Examples include a mother producing a video for her husband on how to take care of the house and kids while she is on a business trip.

Even though the videos are somewhat humorous and entertaining, I think Sara Lee should have created the Facebook page to allow real moms to post their actual "Mama Saga" web confessionals.

Overall though, I think the campaign is a great idea to bring awareness to the Sara Lee Fresh Ideas brand. It is a fun way for moms to connect and interact while receiving product feedback and increased awareness.

Did YOU know that Jay Leno has a new show?

Well, you should. NBC has coughed up more than an estimated $10 million dollars for the marketing campaign that has made everyone in the country aware that Jay Leno has a new show in prime time.

And just how do people know about this when “98 percent of the country” is not watching NBC?

Simple. Called off-channel marketing, it is what makes the NBC show’s promotion visible every place from a movie theatre to a gas station. This style of marketing allows programmers to attract the ever-fragmented audiences that make up the new media landscape.

And now that the population is soaked in the awareness of Jay Leno’s new show at 10 o’clock (9 o’clock central), will the audience be there? Jay Leno was a beloved figure in American late night television— but will the people be eager to see him after his short-lived absence?

Since the Leno campaign, in my opinion, created much awareness-- then whether the show becomes a hit or is quickly cancelled will be based on the audiences’ acceptance of a non-scripted, comedy show during “crime time” hour. It will also show if this style of invasive marketing tactics will push away or lure audiences in the future.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/business/media/14adcol.html?8dpc

PowerPoint Is Dead Long Live Prezi

On April 2009 BootstrapLabs, a Silicon Valley Business that offers non-US companies business development, has entered an agreement with Prezi, an online, nonlinear presentation tool from Zui Labs based in Budapest, Hungary.

The idea behind the business agreement is to help Prezi to establish a U.S presence and to provide Prezi with strategic planning in the U.S market.

Prezi is a new- innovated presentation tool that delivers any idea into a flexible-alive form by using zooming as a central part of the storytelling. Prezi makes the user think differently about the presentation by allowing him or her to zoom in and out on pictures, videos, notes and PDFs.

Prezi can be compared to PowerPoint; however it is different and better by bringing a new dimension into the presentation.

Anyone can use Prezi . Just go to Prezi.com , work with your presentation online and dowload it on your computer.


Example attached:
(To maximize your experience click
More and then Full Screen)
http://prezi.com/titkwek453_w/




sources of information
http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/haque/2009/07/prezi_ted_and_the_power_of_awe.html

http://prezi.com/learn/

TV Networks Fight Drug-Ad Measure

Recently, proposals have been made to "tax" advertising of prescription pharmaceutical drugs. Said to aid the economy in its current state of recession, the plan to eliminate advertising as a deduction for large companies is seen as a threat to American jobs by the major television networks.

Networks argue that eliminating such deductions will amount to millions of Americans losing jobs and result in a tax on advertising.

The House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Charles Rangel (D., N.Y.), backs the plan and argues that if it is not accepted, the U.S. will be further indebted $37 million over the next ten years.

If companies across the nation, or even the globe, decided to reduce advertising on a grand level, we'd find a large sum of money available for problems plaguing lower and middle-class people, and the starving and sick.

With the issue of the cost of pharmaceutical advertising spurring from a failing or swaying economy, it is easy to take a step back and examine the wide world of media, marketing and advertising.

Especially in the United States, extreme emphasis is placed on developing and maintaining clientele and profit. The executives and presidents of large companies should place less weight on selling for a dollar, and more weight on making a difference in the world in the form of research, contribution and proactive intervention.

Understandably, it is childish or naive to assume that advertising agencies will utilize payroll in underdeveloped countries in the sake of humanity. But it is insightful and logical to assume that these companies can cut down on advertising and focus more on the well being of mankind.

After all, becoming more involved in the community creates good press and will be remembered. Sometimes good deeds can go further than a flashy package or catchy jingle.

Bill Gates' Speech to Students

It appears that President Obama was not the only person spreading the message of the value of education to students across the nation this week.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is partnering with Viacom Inc's television networks to launch "Get Schooled", a five-year awareness campaign targeted at students, especially those at risk of not graduating.

Viacom Inc's television network (which includes MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VH1, BET, CMT and Spike TV) launched the initiative by broadcasting a 30-minute documentary simultaneously across all networks. The documentary highlighted the importance of education in your career path and featured pop artist Kelly Clarkson, basketball star LeBron James and President Barack Obama.

There is a reason Bill Gates is a billionaire. The day before Steve Jobs reappears, healthy, and with announcements of advancements in Apple's greatest selling products, Bill Gates is able to sponsor and spread a message across an entire media conglomerate. Good for kids at home watching MTV and good for Bill Gates.

View article from Associated Press

General Mills's Wheaties Targets Male Athletes With Wheaties Fuel

Wheaties is already known for their tagline, "Breakfast of Champions," but will be adding, "Fuel. Win. Evolve." to the their new Wheaties Fuel cereal. The new cereal is being billed as "the first-ever cereal designed specifically to help fuel wins." The Wheaties brand is hoping to increase sales by targeting their already 60% male customer base.

With the help of sports nutritionist Dr. John Ivy, three formulations were tested among "everyday athletes" drawn mainly from readers of Men's Health. The new Wheaties Fuel offers whole grains, along with more sugar than the flagship formula, 200 calories, 100% of the RDAs for the five B vitamins; five grams of fiber, and calcium and vitamin D. Fuel "takes advantage of the advances in science of the past 85 years," noted Wheaties marketing manager Dan Stangler, in announcing the formulation.

Fuel is featuring five male star athletes (NFL's Peyton Manning, the NBA's Kevin Garnett, gold medal-winning decathlete Bryan Clay, the MLB's Albert Pujols, and triathlete Hunter Kemper) to be featured not just in marketing, but on the initial "collector's edition" version of the cereal's box. For now, the cereal can be purchased online at Fuel's Web site and will be available in grocery stores nationwide in January 2010.

I think this is an appropriate approach for the Wheaties brand to take. The majority of the Wheaties customer base is already males so I think this will help bump up their sales. Also, by involving star male athletes it will definitely grab the attention of their targeted male audience. With Special K already targeting the women audience, it is about time that males have their own cereal, too.
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=113207

AIDS Awareness Video Uses Hitler as Analogy.

This company plans to use mass murders such as Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein and former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin to draw the analogy between mass murder and aids.

Hamburg-based public relations company das commitee sought a shock effect in making the video as awareness of the risks of the disease ebbs, said Hans Weishaeupl, the company’s art director. The 45-second clip shows a shadowy sex scene that rolls to a close depicting a grinning Hitler.

“The criticism’s unfair,” said Weishaeupl by phone from Hamburg today. “We’re not saying aids victims are mass murders but that the disease is.”

A lot of people are angry, understandably, but maybe they just are making the connection. This really has nothing to do with Hitler, except the part where he killed thousands of people, as does AIDS.

I think it is a great idea, it defiantly gets the point across! I think that shock is a great way to get people's attention. Also, I know that if i saw a Hitler look-a-like on a commercial I would want to know what it was about.

I hope that they don't cancel the ad because it is too controversial.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aAFdA6Zlt49M

Dos Equis Promotional Effort Goes Awry

On July 15, Twitter told a tale of terribly planned promotional event; The Dos Equis “The Most Interesting Academy” at Falkenstein Castle.

After a fury of tweets and text messages the picture of what was happening hit the web.
Guests were left sweltering in the heat as self-parking spread over improvised lots, shuttle buses backed up and long lines formed outside the overcrowded faux castle.

Some guests said for the beer promotional party they waited three hours, but were never admitted. Others entered the landmark between Marble Falls and Burnet easily from other parking lots.

“Great intentions, poor transportation logistics, amazing party, lack of communication, high expectations; weak results for many,” tweeted Austin’s Marcus Ceniceros. More than one Facebook page has already cropped up with complaints about the event.

Meanwhile, inside, some of the Austin promoters were left unaware of the crisis.

“It’s amazing what Twitter has done,” says Kristin Owen of Austin’s Do512, which publicized the event and accepted confirmations from guests, along with Rare magazine. “I’m so grateful right now, I wouldn’t have even known there was a problem. I have started to receive some horror stories from guests via e-mail.”

Taylor Perkins, publisher of Rare, says the Academy: “was an absolutely incredible production and was very well-attended by local Austinites that were wanting to partake in the festivities.”

Owen and Perkins emphasized that Mirrorball, a New York-based event coordinator, along with Dos Equis, hosted the event. Attempts to reach a Mirrorball representative were unsuccessful.

“The local police force seemed to be very overwhelmed with the number of people that were attending the event,” Perkins says. “And they were less than pleasant with the guests and attendees wishing to get in to the event.”

Invitations to the party included a long list of activities : “parachutes, edible bugs, vertical wind tunnel, birds of prey, barber shop, martial arts Instruction and demonstration, bungee, and water slides along with live music, DJ’s, and celebrity
guests.”

On August 5, Yahoo! Finance featured the Dos Equis "Most Interesting Man" party on the top 10 Promotional Stunts That Horribly Backfired list.

Goodbye NFL Mid-game Tweets

The NFL has recently announced that players will not be permitted to use social media within the 90 minutes prior to kickoff or during games. Players may not use social media sites themselves nor can a representative of the player post updates on the player’s account.

Players are permitted to update their sites after interviewing with traditional media outlets.

It is more understandable that many teams in the NFL have imposed restrictions on using Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites on the practice field. What goes on in practice is rarely shown in the media, and if it is, it is only in the form of short video clips. On the contrary, games are shown live, so as long as players avoid leaking confidential play information, what should stop them from twittering about how slippery the grass is or how awesome that last run was?

It is most likely that the restriction is an effort to protect the brand rather than an attempt to preserve the game. For example: why was Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie fined $2,500 for criticizing the food service at his training camp? There should be no reason why a personal complaint about one’s meals should interfere with a football team’s efficiency on the field. It is possible, however, that the complaint about NFL-hired help may somehow tarnish the “no nonsense” image the brand fights hard to maintain.

I think this last bit of information reiterates my claim: Charlie Villanueva, previously with the Milwaukee Bucks, tweeted during halftime and got reprimanded by coach Scott Skiles. Was Skiles upset that Villanueva was focusing on other things rather than on his contributions on the field? Well, not really-Skiles was upset that the tweet gave the impression that Villanueva wasn’t focused.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8124976d&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true

Radio Shack Changes Name

Radio Shack is no more. In this new age where people no longer have time to stop and smell the roses and must be able to update their facebook page while doing 80 down I-35, Radio Shack decided their name was ready for a makeover.

I don't like the new name. When I hear "The Shack," I think of a run-down store on the shore of some beach that sells those stupid shell necklaces and other useless that is populated with dirty hippy surfers, and nobody likes a dirty hippy surfer.

I asked my roommates what they thought about the new campaign, and one of them hadn't head about it yet.

"The Shack? Really? That's the best they got?" Said Chris Wilson, senior at Texas State.

The "The Shack" campaign was masterminded by Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners. a marketing firm based out of Sausalito, CA. Lucas Arts, Priceline.com and Chipotle are all clients of BSSP.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=111007