True Irish

Tullamore Dew (Irish Whiskey) launched it's new multi million dollar global brand investment called True Irish.

In what is being called a radical departure for Irish whiskey, a new global TV and print campaign features striking images and charismatic characters, evoking the true spirit of the Irish. It's being touted as both poetic and rebellious.

The campaign features posters, wall art and digital roll-out in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Philadelphia, supported by under-the-radar events, bringing to life the Irish True Spirit. The stunning new packaging is scheduled for introduction in mid-2012.

It's a interesting article because with shows like Boardwalk Empire, you get very influential and relatable Irish characters and back story. Also with the current trendsetting whiskey Jameson, I can see why Tullamore Dew is willing to shell out extra cash to bank on the new trend.

Click here for the article.

PRSA modernizes PR

PRSA has decided to modernize its definition of public relations. Due to shifts in technology, the communication externally and internally has caused the question of what actually is PR. Here is the most recent definition of PR:

Public Relations is the professional discipline that ethically fosters mutually beneficial relationships among social entities.

Since last updated in 1982, PRSA has partnered with many organizations to provide input and modernize the face of PR. They have also opened up the discussion to the public through twitter, blogs and mainstream articles. Some professionals want greater involvement and ownership of the definition, and want a definition they can own. Therefore, PRSA is collaborating all definitions and are compiling them on their website to create a better understanding for everyone.

http://tinyurl.com/bsbzfa3

Sending "Cheer" to Military Families

Cheerios and the USO have teamed up to support military families and thank them for their commitment to their country. This fall, specially marked boxes of Cheerios cereal will feature "Cheer" postcards, which can be cut out and mailed to military families through the USO. Cheerios has also agreed to donate $1 for every post card received to the USO programs that help support military families. All you have to do is.....

.....Locate a specially marked Cheerios cereal box in your grocery store. After purchasing the box, there are just 3 easy steps!

1. Cut out the postcard found on the front of the box. You will see cut out lines around the "Cheer" in the Cheerios logo.
2. On the back-side of the postcard, write a message of encouragement or a simple "thank you."
3. Add postage, and drop the pre-addressed post card in the mail.

I think this is an easy and simple way to get involved and to thank military men and women for the sacrifice they have made, all you have to do is buy some cereal and cut out a post card.

Article: http://www.cheerios.com/Articles/Send-Cheer-to-Military-Families

PRSA plans to redefine "public relations"

On November 20, Rosanna Fiske announced that the Public Relations Society of America has begun an effort to change the definition of public relations. With the new environment created by social media and the Internet, public relations professionals have felt that a redefinition is in order to address the changing climate for communications professionals.

Statement made by PRSA

"Our goal is simple: to develop a modern definition for the new era of public relations. Our aim is to help key audiences and stakeholders better understand the role of public relations and its value to the public and business community."

Entries are being accepted now and follow a simple structure:

Public relations [DOES WHAT] with/for [WHO] to [DO WHAT] for [WHAT PURPOSE].

National 'Unfriend Day'

On Novenber 17, 2010, Jimmy Kimmel created the 'National Unfriend Day,' for those who want to clean their Facebook house. Today many of people are unfriending people who they don't really keep up with or are just simply annoyed by the baheavior of some friends on Facebook.

Here are a few Facebook habits that my get you unfriended, according to Jimmy Kimmel:

Tagging people in every other status update… this includes cutesy games, which are amusing the first 5 or 10 times you see them… but after a while, they really wear thin.

Clicking on every clickjack scam and viral photo out there, which then directs junk mail and viruses to everyone on your F-list. This is more serious, because it makes even your sweet (but naive) Aunt Flo a candidate for the axe.

Being a drama junkie. Status updates like "Why do I even bother? I have had it!" and "I'm so over this [expletive of the moment]. You know who you are!" are simply cries for attention from people who take advantage of that little update button.

Posting a link to every You Tube video you find that repeats your current iPod playlist. Honestly, if you're in an '80s Glam Rock mood, keep it to yourself. Really.
Game-related spam. I used to have issues with this one. Thanks to a successful recovery program (which I affectionately call Lent, 2011), I've weaned myself away from the worst of them.

Source: Yahoo News

Walmart ready to settle Netflix case

Walmart and Netflix conspired to inflate prices to rent and buy DVDs. Knowing they would abandon the DVD-by-mail market, Walmart agreed to turn over customers to Netflix and they would then promote Walmart as a place to buy DVDs. Walmart will settle 27.5 million without accepting fault. Netflix customers will be paid after all the lawyer fees and costs are covered. Unfortunately for customers that means a whole $1.50. If any Netflix customers do not want to receive their part of the settlement they will have to contact the court before February.

Facebook tracking EVERYONE on the Internet.

Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg are in the news for their tracking systems once again. According

to an article on Newser.com - Facebook now tracks any Internet user who comes across a Facebook page for up to 90 days.

Facebook says that they do not use this information for anything other than improvements

on its security system and user experience. Congressmen Ed Markey and Joe Barton, sent letters to Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, asking why Zuckerberg "applied for a patent on a method

of correlating tracking data and ads." Zuckerberg responded saying, "We patent lots of things."

Are you comfortable with the direction of Internet tracking systmes (Facebook specifically) and

do you believe that Facebook really uses this information from anyone who comes across a Facebook page just for the reasons they claim?

Occupy Seattle Protest

Recently an 84-year-old woman and a two-month pregnant teen were both pepper sprayed in the face during an Occupy Seattle Protest. Immediate outcries from concerned citizens started pouring out on Facebook, Twitter and blogs. From what has been deemed a peaceful protest by most, Seattle police were still using pepper spray on several protesters siting that they were blocking rush hour traffic and had been given ample warnings.
From a public relations stand point this is a nightmare. Seattle police are now going to come under more scrutiny than ever. The hard part will be justifying that an 84-year-old woman had become "violent" or "aggressive" enough to warrant such a reaction from police. How do you really explain that to the American public? With these protests becoming more common and more frequent how are police departments going to change protocol to handle these situations?

http://news.yahoo.com/pregnant-teen-elderly-woman-among-pepper-sprayed-113054448.html

SceneTap comes to Austin

A new tech start-up called SceneTap, which originated in Chicago, is relocating to Austin. SceneTap offers a free night-life mobile app that "uses cameras equipped with anonymous facial detection technology to monitor crowds at select clubs."

The app then lists details such as "crowd size, male-to-female ratios and the average age of club-goers" and also lists bar deals and specials. The free app is available for both iPhone and Android users. Venues pay a subscription for SceneTap to install and use its equipment.

SceneTap currently staffs 15 people, and the company is looking to hire "five to 10 additional workers — mostly information technology positions — during the next three to four months and as many as 30 within a year," according to this article in the Austin American-Statesman.

Toys R Us Competing Plan

Toys R Us, a huge kids retail store, has decided to announce that they will be the earliest to open their doors for the Black-Friday sales event. They will be using this opportunity to welcome their customers and open their doors at 9 p.m. on Thanks giving, an entire day before Black Friday. Toys R Us also announced that they will be giving away a $50 gift card to those that purchase of any Apple iPod touch, LeapFrog Leapsters for $24.99, marked down 50% from the regular price, 40% off Ultimate Optimus Prime Transformers, which are usually $79.99 and 10 Squinkies packs for $10, which are regularly $2.49 each. They expect these tactics may help in putting them head of many of their competitors.


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/toys-r-us-unveils-doorbusters-160800536.html

Amazon introduces the new Kindle Fire

On Monday, November 14, Amazon.com Inc. began shipping it's new Kindle Fire tablet in hopes that its new tailored software will help it compete with Apple's market-leading iPad. The tablet sells for $199 and contains several thousand apps including ones from Netflix Inc., Zynga Inc., IMDb movie database, Audible audio-book and Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN. It will also launch new features on the Pulse newsreader allowing consumers to send stories they read on Pulse to other apps on their Kindle.

With the iPad currently commanding 70% share of the tablet market, competing tablets such as Amazon's Kindle have realized the importance of being on the cutting edge of software. However, they are still constantly working on ways to improve hardware design as well. Next year, Amazon is expected to release another tablet computer with a touchscreen that is 9.7 inches in size to go head-to-head with the already 9.7 inch iPad.

Amazon has a particular interest in using this new software to sell more digital books and movies due to the fact that Amazon loses an average of $10 to $15 on each Kindle device sold. They hope that with these new apps that are only available on the Kindle, they can gain more customer interest and make up for their current shortfalls.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204323904577037963397348788.html

Increase in mobile recruiting

Online recruiting research lab Potentialpark is currently working on a study involving mobile recruiting.

Nineteen percent of job seekers stated they use their mobile device for career-related purposes, and more than 50% said they could imagine doing so. Only 7% of employers, however, have a mobile version of their career website and only 3% have a mobile job application. When questioned further, 75% of employers stated they were planning to have either a job app or mobile career website by September 2012

While I find mobile versions of most sites to be helpful, I can't say I completely see the need for companies to make the career portions of their websites available on mobile devices.

Parts of the idea are appealing: being able to see job openings for a specific company, receiving alerts about job openings near you or being able to see the status of your submitted application. These things would be convenient, yes, but 30% of job seekers polled also said they would like to be able to apply for jobs from their mobile device. It may just be me, but I'd like to put more work into an application for a job than I feel would be possible from a smartphone.

http://mashable.com/2011/11/13/mobile-recruiting/

From blunder blossoms a comedian

If Perry is elected he will eliminate three federal agencies Co-co-commerce, um, uh, education and uh, um, I'm sorry I can't name the third....oops. 


Last week's most embarrassing 'oops' by Rick Perry is desperately seeking a comeback through comedy. During a GOP presidential debate Perry fumbled through an answer and ultimately apologized for not being able to name the federal agencies. 


At least he got off on the right foot for his road to image recovery with an apology. An additional tactic he's employed is to become a part of the joke. This tactics was made popular by many politicians before him including Nixon and Palin. It's successful in its humanizing effect and transparency. 


On the other hand, is it working? As of today he has fallen to 5th place in republican candidates. It may be increasing his coverage, but not his votes. It hasn't been long since the blunder last week. There is a possibility appearances in the media will help. 

Ad placement in the non-viral world

Last night at dinner, my roommate was talking about how overwhelmed she feels by advertising these days. She complained that it's impossible to escape ads whether in the car, surfing the internet or watching television. She explained that, since most advertisements she sees don't apply to her at all, she usually tunes them ALL out. I tried express that creative advertising can be engaging, and many advertisements on the internet are so specifically targeted that they are actually very relevant. She agreed that internet advertisement is advancing. YouTube, Facebook and Hulu allows users to voice whether or not an ad is relevant, so they can better choose the advertisements you see. Hulu even gives the user an option of choosing between two different ads to view.

This got me thinking that advertisements out in the non-viral world need to make a stronger effort to engage people, since it's less possible to target a specific group. I think the best way to do this is by clever advertisement placement. Below are some photos of genius advertising placements (a compilation gathered from various design/advertising blogs):

I feel these ads are FAR more successful at gaining attention and engaging the public than a static ad on a billboard. If companies made an attempt to cleverly place FEWER ads, people (like my roommate) would feel less invaded by a mass of advertisements and more turned on the idea in general.

How brands are using Pinterest

Pinterest started out as a fun way to post things you liked from clothes to websites you found interesting. It has even become an easy way to organize your to-do list, get ideas for events and make wish lists. Now companies are using Pinterest to help build up their brands.

Companies such as Nordstrom, Williams-Sonoma and Whole Foods are just some who are taking advantage of the versatility that Pinterest offers. Williams-Sonoma uses their boards to focus on the various ways their products can be used, while Nordstrom uses their boards to post seasonal trends and updates on fashion. Whole Foods posts recipes, seasonal decor ideas and how to use food as art.

As Pinterest grows it will be interesting to see how other companies will use this digital platform to build up their brands.

Michael Jackson Fan Fest Appears in Las Vegas

The first ever Michael Jackson Fan Fest will be taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada on Dec. 4.

The event will be taking place around noon with a Q&A session from his three brothers, Marlon, Jackie and Tito Jackson. The event is scheduled from Dec. 3-14 and will showcase his memorabilia and will give fans another chance to take a look at the stars life from his brothers' eyes.

The fan experience will also extend out with musical appearances and appearances from Michael's friends such as, Joseph Vogel with the music and Miko Brando to give another look into Michael's music videos.

Jackson's awards will be on display as well as things he had from his Neverland Ranch.

Each session of the event will last four hours in the Mandalay Bay's Bayside Exhibit Hall and will allow the visitors to check out the displays. The tickets will be $35 and $75 for VIP tickets.

Click here for more information about the event.

Retailers putting check on holiday expectations

While retailers are looking to make some money this holiday season, they're not expecting a miracle.

According to a Reuters article posted Wednesday, executives at most major retailers are curbing their optimism in preparation for this year's post-Thanksgiving "Black Friday."

The story reported on a survey conducted by BDO Inc., which interviewed 100 CEOs of major retailers in preparation for this year's holiday shopping season.

Revenues are expected to raise just under 3 percent this year, as opposed to a 3.5 percent increase in 2010, the article stated. Inventory purchases stayed about the same as last year.

Retailers are hoping for a better year than in 2008, when consumers cut back in the face of the recession.

While many retailers are expecting less-than-stellar sales increases, executives from major chains say the holiday picture is a bit rosier than those at small retailers.

The survey didn't address how much the retailers are planning on spending for marketing this year. It remains to be seen how successful this year's shoppers (and stores) will be.

On the web: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/09/us-usa-retail-survey-idUSTRE7A84O120111109

Facebook is too big to buy, what a terrible situation for Zuckerburg...NOT

An article on CNN stated that Facebook is now too big to buy. It is too expensive that companies do not even offer anymore said COO Sheryl Sandberg. It was also discussed when Facebook will go public. The company is expected to file for an IPO or to start making financial disclosures in 2012.

What was also discussed in the article is that Facebook is not widely available in China due to censorship.

"If your mission is to connect the entire world ...you can't connect the entire world and not China," Sandberg said.

The article covered a lot of topics with Facebook: its future, women in the tech industry and its role in social media.

I thought it was really interesting!
http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/08/technology/zuckerberg_charlie_rose/index.htm?iid=HP_River

Lennon's Tooth

One of John Lennon's teeth, a rotten molar to be exact, just sold for $31,200 at an auction in England. Lennon's former house keeper, Dorothy Jarlett, was to dispose of the tooth, but gave it to her daughter instead (a raving Beatles fan).

The tooth was to be thrown away between 1964-1968. Dorothy decided it was now time to pass it on, considering she is now 90 years old.

Canadian dentist Michael Zuk bought the tooth Saturday at the auction.


http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57320438-10391698/john-lennons-tooth-sells-for-more-than-$31000/

Is Groupon old news?

Forbes had an article "Is Groupon Toast?", which questions the future of Groupon. It suggests that other, newer group coupon sites will replace the more well-known sites such as Bloomspot & Womply. The article explains that while Groupon is successful to the consumer, businesses are not benefiting the way most people think they would. Bloomspot allows businesses to create deals that last only Sunday-Thursday, allowing businesses to take advantage of their busy times, Friday & Saturday. Bloomspot also guarantees businesses that the average bill will be a certain amount. Another advantage Bloomspot has is it offers 25% of the customers' bill off of their next visit. Womply, on the other hand, works by buying deals on the internet either with your debit card or credit card. When you make the purchase in store with the same debit card or credit card, your account is credited back the amount of the deal. The main argument for this is that the customer does not have to pull out a coupon in the middle of a nice restaurant. Groupon is in the process of making changes to not fall too far behind. Groupon now has an app which allows businesses to release coupons to customers nearby. They have also released a rewards program, which gives customers extra discounts when they spend more than a certain amount at a specific business.

Celebrity tweets earn big bucks

Not only do Twitter users utilize the platform to promote themselves, but they also use the social media site to promote others. Twitter users can utilize hash tags to promote other users. However, depending on how many followers you have or how popular you are, some Twitter users can actually make money from tweeting for companies.

Lindsay Lohan made about $3,500 for one tweet: "These challenges for college kids on #CampusLIVE are SO addicting!" CampusLIVE.com, a website that helps connect advertisers and college aged students paid the actress for the tweet after polling the their interns to determine which celebrity would help generate buzz for the company. It is estimated that Lohan's tweet generated 4,500 clicks for the website.

I think this can be a double edged sword. Traditional advertisements can be expensive and the target audience through those outlets might be harder to reach. With social media, you can choose a celebrity spokesperson with followers who have similar interests and know immediately the number of impressions possible. However, will consumers begin to see this as merely an advertising ploy and start to discount the celebrity tweets?

http://www.statesman.com/life/celebs-tweets-sometimes-come-with-a-price-tag-1954036.html

Album leak spurs #trendingtopic

Canadian artist, Drake, is one of the most talked about artists in the last few years of hip hop and pop music. His new highly anticipated album Take Care drops on November 15, however the album leaked and spurred six of the top 10 trending topics on Twitter this morning. With hashtags attached to song titles from the new album, fans seem to be pleased. Drake tweeted that “I am not sure if the album leaked. But if it did thank god it doesn't happen a month early anymore.” He added, “Listen, enjoy it, buy it if you like it...and take care until next time.”


Being a fan, I'll be buying his album the legit way, however I couldn't help but listen to some leaked tracks. It seems like albums are always getting "leaked" now, when the demand for new music from the artist is high. When there's a solid fan base present, the artists seem unaffected by the leaks, with faith that their hard work will pay off one way or another.


This video was uploaded by "RealDrizzyDrake" on YouTube yesterday, and the song is labeled wrong, but it starts with a line about Texas girls. : ) Thought I'd share.



Source: Yahoo! News: Twitter index

Facebook's new feature can be beneficial to journalists

I know a lot of us are not too happy with all of the changes Facebook has rolled out in the past few months. There's still one addition still in the works, timeline. If you're still mad about the changes, this article may make you feel a little better.

Facebook's journalist program manager, Vadim Lavrusik, spoke at a Mashable's Media Summit and explained how the changes can be useful to journalists. The subscribe feature allows journalists to make posts as themselves. They would need to double check their privacy settings to make sure they're searchable, though.

Another good point Lavrusik made is not everyone is going to use every single feature on Facebook, and that's ok. Trying to keep up with every feature is when Facebook starts to get difficult. The main point is to use what features will help you network and get your stuff out there the best.

check out the full article, along with Lavrusik's presentation slides here.

What is Occupying Wall Street?

The movement of Occupy Wall Street is now in its 8th week. Some people say they are completely against it, while some say they support the movement. The question isn't if you support it, but more simply, do you understand it?

Thousands of people across the world have all taken up the cause and protested using social media to engage others. Protestors in NYC are even getting free food and donations as they camp outside. They may be saving the world but no one actually knows what the heck they are protesting.

There has never been a clear agenda or concise messages to deliver to the people. There is no defense to pro-Wall Street because there is no narrative to tell the story.

One popular grassroots movement was Women's Rights in the 70's. The only difference between the two was people knew what the Women's Rights Movement wanted and OWS just confuses everyone looking in.

If OWS really wants the world's support, there needs to be a story and concise message for everyone to understand. Social Media may be a tool to gain support but soon the support will disappear if social media doesn't spread the message.

Rihanna's Unlocked Campaign

Rihanna has found a new way to launch an album with the release of Unlocked, an interactive Facebook app that that lets fan uncover new details of her upcoming album, Talk That Talk. Once fans "like" the Unlocked Facebook page they are then sent on "missions" to uncover the content released by Rihanna's label, Island Def Jams. So far the missions have included uncovering her new "R" logo, lyrics for the first single, the name of the new single, the album cover and her new website. Since the apps launch in September, Rihanna has gained nearly one million new Twitter followers, created 2.5 million tweets, and 700,000 new Facebook fans. Unlocked has given fans a new way to engage with Rihanna and help promote the album. This new idea can also be applied to other industries and it will be interesting to see who else picks up on the trend.

http://mashable.com/2011/10/18/rihanna-unlocked-new-album/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29

Twitter Stories

I read on PR Daily that this past Tuesday, Twitter launched Twitter stories, a way for the social media site to share tales of how people used the social media site in an interesting way.

From their blog:
“Read about a single Tweet that helped save a bookstore from going out of business; an athlete who took a hundred of his followers out to a crab dinner; and, Japanese fishermen who use Twitter to sell their catch before returning to shore. Each story reminds us of the humanity behind Tweets that make the world smaller"

I went to the Twitter Stories website and read some of the interesting things that people have been able to do with Twitter and it really made me realize that it is not only a networking tool for professionals, a way to keep up with friends or a news source but it can be life saving and fun.

The most interesting story I read was one of a man who tweeted "Sh*t I need a kidney." It only took a few days for 19 people to offer him one. HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!

http://www.prdaily.com/socialmedia/Articles/9937.aspx

Email Fail

There are few things in this world that make me stress as much as sending an important email. I usually spend an embarrassingly long amount of time making sure everything in the email is perfect and that my message is effectively communicated. At times, it can be difficult making sure nothing is added to or taken away from in the intended tone of the electronic message.

That is why I was shocked by the email posted in this article at PR Daily. The email is from a college senior looking for a job at a PR firm (sounds like a familiar situation, right?). Here is what the student said in the email:

"I am a student from XXX State University I plan on graduating this spring and was very interested in applying at your firm. My major is public but I have had experience in advertisement, campaign management, and social media. I will of course sent you a portfolio and resume upon my graduation I just find it appropriate to contact you early. I extremely respect your business and I feel I have the ability to add to your already sterling reputation.
Thank You
XXX XXX
Sent from my iPhone"

The article goes on to talk about all of the obvious errors contained in the email. I'm even more frustrated with this student because I can vividly remember what it was like when I applied for my summer internship. I disappeared off the social grid for two weeks (seriously, some people thought I was missing) to take the time to write cover letters and emails to anyone and everyone that would hire me.

These emails are very important, and they certainly should not be a form letter sent from your iPhone. As public relations students at Texas State, I feel like we have been lucky enough to receive advice about how to handle professional situations like this one.

Do you spend ample time on your important emails? If so, do you have any tips you'd like to share?

Womply's "Effortless Offers" to change daily deal platform model

There is a new and improved offers platform model that helps merchants target specific audiences while making it easier for consumers to use the offers. Womply's Effortless Offers is different than other deal sites because it eliminates the need to print out paper coupons and allows merchants to effectively track if people are using the deal. It is also better because the offers don't rely on a certain number of sales in order for the offer to be eligible.

Consumers can sign up for Womply via Facebook and register their card. When a person registers, Womply tracks the best deals in their area (based on Facebook profile information) and they can choose which offer they want to reserve with their credit or debit card. They then go into the store purchase the product at full price and within a couple of days they are credited back what they spent in the store. If they don't use the offer they are reimbursed in full. The main drawback is that the consumer has to spend more upfront, but the pros outweigh the cons.

Say you find a deal at a local resturant - $50 worth of food for $25. You would pay $25 upfront to reserve the offer, go and enjoy your meal, and at the end you would pay the original $50. However, after 2 days the $50 would be credited back to your card. It is way better than having to keep track of a paper coupon, and if you don't use the offer, there is no loss.

This is also better for merchants because they can track who is buying the deals and have a better understanding of thier audience. It also eliminates waste and impulse buying. Womply is currently in the D.C. area and will expand to five new cities in January. Happy Womping everyone :)

http://tinyurl.com/6g9lftv

BofA, Feeling the Burn, Dumps Debit Fee Plan

Bank of America has decided not to drop its plan to charge $5 per month for debit card purchases after customers got completely pissed off and let the bank know about it.

"Our customers' voices are most important to us. As a result, we are not currently charging the fee and will not be moving forward with any additional plans to do so," co-COO David Darnell said.

Other banks, like J.P. Morgan Chase, have also ditched their debit fee plans.

Bank of America noted that all businesses as some point have to answer to consumers, and evidently Bank of America reached that point.

http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/bofa-feeling-the-burn-dumps-debit-fee-plan_b29524

Awkward Families Everywhere

In June 2011 Embassy Suites teamed up with AOR Emenate agency and AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com to launch the Awkward Family Photo Contest campaign. The contest required people to send in their most awkward family photos in order to win a free 14 night stay at one of three Embassy Suites hotels in the U.S. At the end of the contest more than a hundred photos were sent in during the two month period.

I think this was a great campaign idea. Their angle behind the campaign was that everyone has awkward family moments and they were very right. Not only were all pictures put on AwkardFamilyPhotos.com for everyone to view and comment on during the contest, but the submissions were hilarious. Also, it seemed like they got a good mix of old photos from the 70's and 80's as well as photos from more recent, possibly showing that many different ages got involved.

http://tinyurl.com/6629ob5

Anonymous threatens to expose Mexico Drug Cartels

"Hacktivist" group, Anonymous has threatened to expose the identities and other personal information of members of the Los Zetas drug cartel. The threat came after one of Anonymous' members was allegedly kidnapped by the group during a protest. They have demanded that the person be returned unharmed or come November 5, Anonymous will attack.

Normally, Anonymous has been linked with a bad rep because the renegade persona that is associated with them. They are basically hackers who dance a thin line between black and white hat. They have attacked everything from illegal websites to wall street. It's funny because these are two groups that survive solely based the notion that they remain anonymous, and yet they have created a public image for themselves that we see everyday.

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE.

Good Looks Not Important....REALLY??

BeautifulPeople.com, an online dating community exclusively for "good-looking" people launched their 90-second video, "REALLY?" in response to sustained assault on the site's concept since its launch in 2002. Since 2002 it has launched in over 190 countries with over 700,000 members worldwide, while 5.5 million people have been rejected.

Managing director Greg Hodge said, " We receive hundreds of emails each week from people who are furious with BeautifulPeople.com and we have experienced a continued media backlash."

"Watch 'REALLY?', Hodge continued, "and you'll agree that our critics are fooling themselves."

After watching the video I almost have to agree with the creators of this site. I think it's easy to perceive the concept of this website is shallow but the truth is, attraction is a big part of the beginning of any relationship. On the other side though everyone is attracted to something different and who's to say that someone is or isn't attractive.

Currently, an average of one in eight applicants is accepted. The majority of successful members come from USA, Canada and France and the countries with the highest rejections are the UK, Russia and Poland with the UK and Poland having the least attractive male applicants in the world.

The video is pretty hilarious too, check it out at:

http://www.multivu.com/mnr/50277-beautifulpeople-com-really-movie-good-looks-not-important-ugly-truth

NAA launches social media campaign for online newspaper

The Newspaper Association of America is launching a new "Smart is the New Sexy" campaign to revitalize consumer attitudes for newspapers. A series of ads will run for six weeks in over 1,000 newspapers to push readers to integrate their news intake with social networking.

The campaign aims to promote newspapers through social media and online avenues. The campaign urges readers to show their readership on Facebook and Twitter.

The campaign uses sex appeal by saying knowledge is attractive. It attempts to reinforce the idea that reading newspapers will make a person more attractive to others.

The NAA is hopeful for this campaign, as online newspapers have seen a 20% rise in traffic. The campaign hopes to maintain this and increase traffic while increasing online readership to sustain the newspaper as form of media.

Article: CNN

Sprint Makes iphone Deal with Apple

Sprint has agrreed to provide the iPhone for it's customers but without any profits for atleast four years. Sprint will spend over 15 billion over the next four years on apple's most popular devise.

Sprint believes that their customers in the long run will be more profitable than than their overall purchase.

This is good for Sprint considering that they are the last major mobile company to offer the iPhone for it's providers.

Perry clears up rumors

Texas Governor Rick Perry, retracted the "false" claims that he thinks Barack Obama is not an American citizen. According to Perry, he was 'having some fun with Donald Trump' and was not meant to be taken seriously.

There have been many alleged rumors that potential presidential candidates do not think that Obama is an American citizen. Every election year, whether it be on the presidential campaigns, or your local city council campaign - things get ugly. Things like this can be foreseen before the campaign trail begins, but this is a "new low" according to many journalists.

Although Perry had been quoted on saying that he doubted Obama's citizenship, his recent retraction is within question amongst the public eye. Is this yet another dirty campaign trick, or just a misunderstanding? Only Perry's closes campaign strategists and managers will know.

PETA files lawsuit against SeaWorld for slavery

http://news.yahoo.com/peta-lawsuit-seeks-expand-animal-rights-222219887.html

I first heard about this from a friend of mine at work. She is a huge animal rights advocate and thought that this lawsuit was a fantastic idea and was getting great coverage for PETA. I disagree.
I feel like this reads as a highly expensive publicity stunt that will likely fail. But, PETA is getting a great amount of free press while putting places like SeaWorld in a negative light, as well as in crisis mode.
Personally, I think that SeaWorld is handling the accusations and lawsuit quite well. They released a statement to the press essentially stating that they put animal welfare above all else, unlike other companies in similar businesses. Their crisis team was timely in responding to the allegations which helped them effectively have their voice heard in the media.

Warner Brothers Follows in Disney's Footsteps with Limited Release of Harry Potter DVDs

Warner Brothers announced this week that it will stop shipping all Harry Potter DVDs and Blu-Ray discs on December 29, 2011. The final Harry Potter movie is set to release November 11, just in time for the holidays. However, with this new limited release, fans will only have about two months to purchase the final installment.

Disney has seen great success with their limited release DVDs, but Disney began returning movies to its "Vault" when DVDs gained popularity, creating a demand for customers who either didn't have the movie or only owned the movie on VHS.

Harry Potter DVDs have been on the shelves for 10 years. I'm not so sure Warner Brothers will be able to create the demand for the series once the shelves run out (with the exception of the final installment). Warner Brothers' goal is "to limit supply of Potter DVDs and Blu-rays in order to maintain their financial and cultural value," which is smart, but I would have waited until the final DVD has been out longer to switch to the limited release.

See the full article here.

Top 10 Halloween Cars

Kelley Blue Book, provider of new and used car information, named the to 10 Halloween cars of 2011.
They picked out the top 10 cars that accentuate and complete this years most popular costumes. They state that the perfect costume is not complete without the perfect car to arrive in.
"Let's face it, if you dress as Donald Trump and arrive in a beat-up 1989 Yugo, it just won't make sense," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. "If, on the other hand, you pull up in a vehicle that delivers the perfect complement to your outfit, you will immediately vault to the top of the Halloween class. It's a further refinement of a grand Trick or Treat tradition!"

Some of their top 10 named cars are:
Costume 10: Super Mario- 2012 Fiat 500
Costume 9: Octoberfest Girl- 2012 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
Costume 8: Demented Clown- 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Black Turbo Edition
Costume 7: Sexy Whitch- 2012 Jaguar XK Convertible
Costume 6: Jersey Shore Guy- 2012 Cadillac Escalade

Ect....


http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kbbcom-names-top-10-halloween-cars-132512623.html

-Michelle Reed

Coke Launches Campaign to Save the Polar Bears

Coca-Cola has teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund to protect polar bears and their habitat as part of a new marketing campaign. San Francisco design firm Turner Duckworth has designed a new Coke can for the campaign that will be largely white in color and will be available nationally through the holiday season.

Coca-Cola has already launched a new website, arctichome.com, that reads: "Beginning this holiday season, the more we text, the more we can protect" and they plan to start launching new ads featuring real polar bears to appear in print, outdoors and online. This new campaign is especially appropriate since polar bears have been a staple in Coke's advertising since 1993.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204777904576651572048222338.html?mod=ITP_marketplace_1

Social Jobs Partnership

The United States Department of Labor is teaming up with Facebook to create the Social Jobs Partnership.

This new feature on Facebook will allow those looking for jobs and employers to connect more easily. With an audience of approximately 850 million people, employers will be able to get the word out to more people in less time.

The Department of Labor hopes to use this initiative not only to connect people with new job prospects, but to decrease unemployment rates by providing links to a variety of helpful websites and sources as well as encouraging participation in job training programs nationwide.

Other organizations involved in the partnership include the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies and the DirectEmployers Association.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/facebook-labor-launch-social-jobs-partnership/2011/10/20/gIQAxJIW0L_blog.html

https://www.facebook.com/socialjobs

Social Media and the Yearbook Industry

Yearbooks have been schools' ways to capture and document memories for more than a decade, but the popularity of social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, that allow a more intimate way for students to document their own experiences, are beginning to overshadow the long-standing tradition.Yearbook sales have been dropping 3-4% per year and a few universities have even stopped producing their yearbook programs because of not enough funding.

While to some people this is a threat to the industry, Ellen Siller from Entourage Yearbooks is excited about the new opportunities social media is bringing. She sees that yearbooks are evolving and instead of it being a project by a small group of students, they can include a lot more people in the making. 

The yearbook companies are adapting to these changes, like some schools are encouraging people to send in pictures to be included in the yearbooks. They have also begun implementing Facebook and Picasa onto their websites.

More Facebook friends causing big brain, or just a big head?

Recent research has proven that people with more connections on Facebook have larger amygdalae, the part of the brain measuring emotional reactions, than those with puny friend lists.

Ryota Kanai from the University College in London led a research study of 165 students between the ages of 19 and 28. Their MRI brain scans were then compared with the number of friends they had on Facebook and in the real world. They found a correlation between those with more friends having larger amygdalae.

So, should we start friend requesting every "Person you may know?"

Not necessarily, because researchers have also proven that being more social in general, probably thos

e with more Facebook friends, causes a larger amygdalae considering it is directly associated with emotion, social cues and memories.

"It's possible that Facebook changes the way our brains are wired," suggests Nidhi Subbaraman at Fast Company. "But the more likely explanation is that people who acquire more Facebook friends have brains that came equipped with better friend-making tools in the first place."

Okay, so maybe it's just a coincidence, however while many researchers are spending time trying to prove why the internet is bad for us and causing negative effects on our brains, it's nice to know some are out there trying to justify the good it could be doing.

Even though there is a slight correlation, don't worry about upping the friend list to try growing some brain power. Too many unnecessary Facebook "friends" will probably just lead to a long, boring news feed, and a big head.

Carolyn C

Story Source: Yahoo! News : "Does Facebook make yours brain bigger?"

By: The Week's Editorial Staff

Image Sources: Google Image Search

Neilslade

Technogram

Victoria's Secret Model to Wear $2.5 Million Bra

Miranda Kerr, Victoria's Secret runway model was chosen to wear the new Fantasy Treasure Bra, designed exclusively by London Jewelers for Victoria's Secret. She will be wearing it in the 2011 Victoria's Secret Christmas Dreams and Fantasies Catalogue.

The bra has more than 3400 gems in white and yellow diamonds, pearls, citrines and aquamarines, all of them in 18 karat white and yellow gold. Centerpiece tassel contains two white diamonds (over eight carats each and two yellow diamonds, over 14 carats each). The entire bra contains 142 carats of diamonds. All of the "bling bling" was embroidered onto Victoria's Secret Gorgeous Push-up Bra with custom scalloping. Over 10,000 stones from around the world were found to fit a perfect color, size and shape of gem and required inspection. Each of the gems were hand placed and crafted by master craftsmen in 500 hours of skilled workmanship.



Miranda Kerr and the $2.5 million Fantasy Treasure Bra by Londer Jewlers

Hands on the wheel!

Ford has created a new technology that will be installed in all new and some old vehicles. This technology will read messages from your phone, out loud, as you drive. This feature was created to reduce cell phone use while driving. It's part of the voice-activated technology, Sync, and is already installed in all 2012 Ford vehicles.

Using the bluetooth connection, it syncs the phone and alerts users of messages and email's they receive. It then reads them out loud and can send generic email or messages back.

Keeping the world connected even more, but at least it is safer!

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/18/tech/innovation/ford-vehicles-read-texts-mashable/index.html

Mobile phone trend continues to grow

I know mobile phones are the new "it" platform, but I didn't think about the implications until seeing this. I was actually really surprised because I thought Facebook would be the leader - not Pandora. However, it's not just about social media anymore, the mobile platform is expanding to e-commerce and searching. People really are using their phones like pocket sized mini computers.
Can you believe that eBay's mobile sales are at $4 billion? No wonder I keep seeing commercials showing women buying jeans and shoes from their phones. They are marketing this trend to the fullest because fairly soon it won't be just a trend - it will be the norm.
Amazon and Square are no slouches either with $2 Billion and $1Billion in sales, and PayPal reported $3 Billion in mobile transactions.
Just when it seems a mobile phone can do everything, they come up with something new. It makes me wonder what the next big thing is . . .
http://tinyurl.com/3nzytv6

Thats what Siri said...

Obviously by now, I would imagine everyone has heard and seen the new iPhone 4S and it's virtual personal assistant application, Siri.

Here’s how Siri is supposed to work: An iPhone 4S user holds down the device’s Home button until hearing a double beep sound. Then the user gives Siri a command—“Remind me about the boil I’m having lanced on Tuesday”—and it displays a response on the phone and utters one in a female voice. (via the blog)

I think that it is a helpful tool but I would probably use it more for fun than as a personal assistant. The blog "Sh*t Siri Says" cracks me up and makes me want this new iPhone just to gets those witty answers from her.



http://prdaily.com/socialmedia/Articles/9788.aspx

Good news: We might get hired

I don't think I'm alone when I say it feels like students are constantly being told how difficult it is to acquire a good job. It seems like almost every class, seminar and meeting about employment I attend is always surrounded by an ominous atmosphere. While I think it's good that we're aware of how difficult the job market can be, it can start to weigh you down after the umpteenth time of hearing about it.

As you can probably guess, I was happy to find this article by PR Daily. The article has a lot of positive content for public relations practitioners to get excited about. Here are some of the facts:

• 24 percent growth in PR jobs forecast by 2018;
• 93 percent increase in PR job listings (November 2009 through May 2011);
• 307 percent more "social media marketing" job listings (November 2009 through June 2011);
• 34 percent of PR professionals will reach retirement age in the next four to seven years.

It seems like things might just turn out alright for us in the future; provided we work hard and always continue developing our skills. Anyway, this article made me feel better, and I hope it helps you relax a little, too. How do you feel about the job market? Are you staying positive?

New social network, Chime.in

UberMedia has taken on a new from of social networking that combines Twitter, blogging and Reddit. The new website, Chime.in, has been described by UberMedia's CEO, Bill Gross, "as an interest network." Gross also says that Chime.in is different from Twitter and not designed to compete against them. The new website is distinguishing itself by tackling two problems within social networking: relevance and monetization. Instead of status updates the website has "chimes" which allow for a user to post a short article of up to 4,000 characters. Displayed within the chime is a headline, the first few sentences from the chime, your profile picture, a picture or video, interest tags, and options for liking, commenting and sharing. Threaded comments also include a Reddit-style up or downvote system for surfacing the best comments to the top of a chime. Chime.in also allows for users to choose the topic of chimes you receive from a certain person you follow. The other added feature that distinguishes itself from other social networking sites is the ability for users to gain revenue through the advertising on their profile page. Users are allowed to either sell the ad space themselves, and keep 100% of the profit, or Chime.in will sell the ads on your page and split the revenue 50-50. E! Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Bravo TV and Disney have made deals with UberMedia to participate with the launch of the website Tuesday.

Here are two articles about Chime.In:

http://mashable.com/2011/10/17/chime-in/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2011/10/17/ubermedias-chime-in-interest-network-says-its-different-from-twitter/

McTV

McDonald's launched its own television channel that plays in their restaurants for dine-in customers. It is one of the "most unusual twists in niche programming," according to LA Times. It has exclusive original content designed for customers eating in the restaurant. The programs are customized to specific communities of each McDonald's location (local news and entertainment features, such as spotlights on upcoming films, albums and TV shows).
The McDonald's channel is being rolled out slowly during the next few months and will soon be up in 800 McDonald's restaurants in Southern and Central California. The key factor is that the programming isn't all about McDonald's, it's supposed to be about the consumer.

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/9792.aspx

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-mcdonalds-channel-20111017,0,303650.story

Wendy's old catchphrase gets revamped

Wendy's, along with many other fast-food companies, have altered their marketing practices and images. Twenty-seven years ago, Wendy's asked consumers, "Where's the beef?" Now, the company has answered their own question, "Here's the beef."

With struggling sales and revenues for the past few years, Wendy's has had to change their campaign a few times.
Since Wendy's has launched a new line of burgers, the "Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger," reintroducing the "Where's the beef" campaign may have been the right move.

Wendy's has named Emil Brolick as president and CEO, who has decades of experience in the fast-food industry. With the expertise of Brolick and the new campaign, Wendy's might see success.

http://www.prweekus.com/wendys-old-catchphrase-gets-revamped/article/213018/

YouTube is now a store... Say what?

YouTube just announced a new feature on the website- the Merch Store. It will allow fans of bands to purchase tickets, downloads, meetups, t-shirts and more through the bands' page.

Senior Technical Account Manager Christian Weitenberner wrote about so many artists that have started their career on YouTube. Now, through the Merch Store, once you find an artist you like, you can purchase the merchandise through one site as oppose to have to travel through the web of sites.

Of course, music will still be offered on iTunes but will YouTube put a dent in the monster music company? Or will everyone still pay $1.29 for their favorite new artist?

Whirlpool helps wash away bullying

Whirlpool has recently joined the "It Gets Better" Campaign to fight against bullying in the LGBT youth community. The company has posted YouTube videos sharing their supportive messages, joining other prestigious names such as President Obama, Anne Hathaway and the staff of Google.

Whirlpool's involvement in the global advocacy project is an extension of its values and “every home, everywhere” tagline, said Chris Lacefield, communications specialist at the company.

I think it's a great opportunity for companies to get involved in campaigns like these to help fight violence and get involved in their communities. It's flat out just the right thing to do for powerful companies such as Whirlpool since they have the means to make a difference.

http://www.prweekus.com/whirlpool-joins-it-gets-better-lgbt-effort/article/214203/

Kmart boosts Hispanic outreach

After the advertising launching of its "Work What You Got" campaign, an effort to make women feel confident in their clothing, Kmart has begun creating Hispanic outreach strategies. One effort included adding Sophia Vergara's collection to Kmart and having Sophia herself meet with many Hispanic press outlets.

Iced Media, an online marketing firm, has also helped Kmart connect to its customers through social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Also, in May, Kmart launched its Latina Smart Blogger Community, connecting the company to the Latina demographic.

I think having a celebrity Hispanic woman representing their new collection, and the new blog site will both drastically help communicate to their target demographic. I also think it is perfect timing just after their latest campaign for women.

http://www.prweekus.com/kmart-boosts-hispanic-outreach/article/213766/

My Local Walmart gives customized communications to consumers

Walmart has joined the Facebook App world just in time for the holidays by launching its new "My Local Walmart"application. The application enables custom marketing communications for local deals and products only available in certain stores. This custom marketing would be available for all 3,600 U.S. locations.

Walmart has localized its marketing tactics by providing a place where many consumers already spend most of their time and allowing them to see what exactly is available to them without having to search through a Sunday circular or browse the website.

The end goals is that this new app will increase its site-to-store program and help it beco

me a separate marketing program altogether. Presently Walmart has 9.4 million Facebook fans from its 150 million monthly shoppers. But this new app is not expected to replace circulars or other traditional media marketing.

Walmart launched this program early because of the holidays. The app is accessible on smartphones and will allow users to download maps of their stores to their phones for discounted items during holiday sales.

The app will even allow this customized marketing communication to be tailored to customers based on trends in weather and major sporting or leisure events. Basically, anything that interests the certain type of demographic that patronizes Walmart in a given local area will have customized deals and ads. Local is the new large-scale.

China Closes 13 Wal-Marts Over False Sales of Organic Pork

Several Wal-Mart employees in Chongqing China are being detained for fraudulently selling regular prk marked as organic. Chinese authorities are holding an undisclosed number of employees who are suspicious of mislabeling regular pork for organic pork.

Pork, a staple of the Chinese diet, has been under particular scrutiny because of their souring prices up 52.3% from last year's prices.

Stores are expected to be closed until Oct. 25.

NBA cancels first two weeks of season

The first 100 games have been cancelled for the 2011-2012 NBA season. Last season garnered more media attention then ever with the formation of the New Look Miami Heat and defending champs, L.A. Lakers on a supposed collision course in the finals. Neither of which came to fruition, however, the Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA title. This season would have raised more questions, like "how far the Heat could go this year?" or "Does LA still have a shot now the Phil Jackson no longer helms the ship?" But no. Now we don't even get to see the season start becuase of pa disputes via the players salary and team salary caps preventing every team a shot a the title. I can't decide who looks worse in this situation the players or the owners? Also did anyone think about the thousands of jobs being lost and loss of ad revenue without an NBA season?

Click here for the article.

Samsung delays Nexus Prime after Jobs' passing

Although Samsung and Apple Inc. have been in a heated battle for the past few months; Samsung announced they will delay the release of their new phone named the "Nexus Prime," as the world mourns Steve Jobs' death.

Samsung and Apple are suing each other in 20 different cases involving copyright infringement

in many countries around the world, including, the United States, Italy and Australia to name a few. A day after Jobs' passing, Samsung raised the stakes by filing another lawsuit to ban the sale of iPhones in Australia, Italy, France and other places in Europe. Seeing the aftermath of Jobs' death, Samsung decided that now wasn't the right time as the wake of Jobs' passing is still being felt worldwide.

The Nexus Prime is heralded as the next "big thing" to hit the cell phone market. Many

people around the world are waiting in great anticipation for the phone to be released.

Consumers are once again left hanging as Samsung has not announced a specific date when

the phone will be released.

Kyle Sessions: Qwikster is no more!

After receving an email earlier this afternoon from Netflix I wanted to research some more. Netflix has announced that it will not be splitting its services into two companies any more. In a statement Netflix said that they had moved too fast and underestimated the appeal of having the two joined in one website and one subscription. I think this was a great PR move. Netflix listened to its customers and righted the wrong before it could really do any harm. Since it never officially started the company Qwikster they avoided completely plumetting their stock.


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Netflix-Abandons-Plan-to-Rent-nytimes-4287150265.html?x=0&.v=1

Fried Bubblegum

 

The State Fair of Texas hasn't always been famous for its creative (and often disgusting) fried food. Growing up in the Dallas area, I remember when corn dogs were the food of choice. Then, in 2004, fried twinkies were introduced, and the president of the State Fair knew they had caught on to something big. In 2005 the State Fair of Texas launched the Big Tex choice awards for most creative and best taste. Now Texans anxiously await the news of which new fried foods are going to be available at the fair, which has brought waves of publicity in the last few years.

"The 2011 judging drew 40 media entities, and coverage has extended around the world. Fried Bubblegum hit CNN, Huffington Post, and media sites in the U.K. Multiple-winner vendor Abel Gonzales has been on Rachael Ray, The Today Show, and The View. The Big Tex awards have made it into Jay Leno's monologue and been the subject of David Letterman's "Top 10" List."

I went to the fair this past weekend, and we tried an array of fried foods. Some, like fried pizza, fried cookie dough and fried oreos, were delicious in moderation. Others, like fried bubblegum and fried margaritas, were just a little too disgusting for my taste buds.

For more information on the history of fried foods at the fair, check out this article.