PR Campaigns Class Blog

Public Relations and Social Media Predictions for 2012

2012-01-31T14:38:00.005-06:00

by Blake Brittain

In a Business Wire article published in December, Julia Gaynor presents ten logical predictions of situations to look out for in 2012 involving public relations and social media.

Gaynor predicts that the evolution of social media will have an affect on all aspects of branding, and that traditional PR tactics are to be replaced with new, innovative strategies for engaging target audiences.

A main prediction I found in the article expresses that the process of email pitching becoming obsolete will commence, giving rise to social media connections with journalists. Social media pitching has become a preferable place for journalists, and some think it could completely rid the email pitch in public relations.

Google will continue to thrive in 2012, even with the recession. It is predicted that in 2012, businesses will use Google+ as a strategic platform for communicating with users, and already has more than 50 million users.

Businesses started following the latest social media trends in 2011, and will continue to do so, and will also expect more brands to take a strategic approach. This should offer businesses the greatest return on investment, rather than trying to stay on top of every individual trend.

In 2011, publications like Forbes allowed CEOs to create their own web pages, profiles and regularly post content. It is predicted that CEOs will begin to work with traditional news media to position themselves as thought leaders, a win-win for media outlets and brands.

As in the past, media will still rely on sex, scandal and famous celebrities to sell stories. Gaynor advises us to stay cautious of journalists because they will try to find the most scandalous angle for every story.

I believe these predictions are highly likely due to the sufficient amount of information backing them up. I also believe we, as students, can take these scenarios and learn from them, and hopefully be able to use that advice as we transition into the profession.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/top-ten-public-relations-and-social-media-predictions-for-2012-from-affect-2011-12-12

Facebook Talks Politics

2012-01-31T07:33:00.004-06:00

Facebook is giving its users an opportunity to appear on Times Square, as a part of the “What Matters Most” campaign. It will allow users to choose 3 issues of the 2012 election that matter most to them and share with friends. It will also give those who wish to share the chance of being featured on Times Square.

If utilized, this movement will show the biggest political involvement through the use of social media we have seen. The information Facebook will gather on the opinions of its users will provide as an important tool for politicians. Young adults are sadly known for low political involvement and will be able to express their concern for certain issues with ease.

I find myself at a crossroads. I’m fascinated and excited to see how direct social media engagement will effect the election, but far from convinced to share my own opinions.

Though intriguing, I wouldn’t be surprised if other users find themselves hesitant to take advantage of this campaign as well. Without much thought people share articles, music, interests and even the location of their whereabouts. Sharing opinions on political beliefs will throw users in a completely different and possibly uncomfortable ballpark.

I’ve witnessed many Facebook friendship breakups because somebody got his or her feelings hurt when a status about immigration or abortion got a little too heavy. My friends range from radical, Perry-loving republicans to the ones who claim to be the widely known 99%.

Needless to say, the last thing I plan on doing is airing my political laundry on the Facebook line.

Rebuttal to self: What is a world where we’re all too sensitive to share political beliefs with friends, acquaintances or family?

Mark Zuckerberg’s values include a heavy emphasis on sharing. This campaign will show just how far and sensitive it can become.

To read full article click here.

Landing a Perfect PR Internship/Job

2012-01-30T23:11:00.000-06:00

By Staci De Leon

Since we are all seniors and are in desperate need of jobs after graduating (at least I am), here are a few tips from Kaitlin Doody's, How to land the PR internship of your dreams:

1. Know your audience
2. Build a portfolio
3. Prepare your "pitch"
4. Diversify your experience and
5. Develop a "specialty."

I find number four to be very interesting. Some people do not realize that they are experienced in more than one area. For example, I really enjoy writing press releases, but recently I have become increasingly involved with various blogs and major social media outlets.
Just because you know how to manage your own Facebook and Twitter pages doesn't make you an expert; make sure your status updates and tweets are relevant, make an online brand for yourself. I usually blog (or reblog) about current events that interest me, not celebrity gossip, but real news happening in the real world.

According to a recent WSJ article, now-a-days hiring agencies and companies are focusing more on LinkedIn accounts, video profiles and online quizzes to pick only a handful of the best candidates from hundreds of applicants.

In order to get the job of your dreams in this industry, figure out how to reach out to them through social media. Some people may think social media isn't that great for jobs, but when you use it correctly, you're promoting your online brand to potential employers to increase your network for possible job opportunities after you graduate.

Consumers Unhappy About New Privacy Settings

2012-01-26T00:33:00.003-06:00

Googlesignaled its intent to begin correlating data about its users' activitiesacross all of its most popular services and across multiple devices. The goal:to deliver those richer behavior profiles to advertisers. Likewise, Facebookannounced Tuesday it will soon make Timeline the new, more glitzy userinterface for its service, mandatory.

Timelineis designed to chronologically assemble, automatically display and makeglobally accessible the preferences, acquaintances and activities for most ofFacebook's 800 million members.

Googleand Facebook have repeatedly insisted that the changes are intended strictly toimprove users' experiences. "Facebook works the way it always has,"says spokeswoman Meredith Chin. "There is no new information on Facebookas a result of Timeline, and no privacy settings have been changed with theintroduction of it. It's simply an updated version of the profile."

BothGoogle and Facebook continue to be dominant in their market, but these twosocial media sites are under pressure to increase sales and profits, which aresome reasons for these significant changes.

"Whatthese unilateral decisions by Google and Facebook demonstrate is a completedisregard for their users' interests and concerns," says John Simpson, spokesmanfor Consumer Watchdong."It's an uncommonly arrogant approach not usually seen in business, wherethese companies believe they can do whatever they want with our data, wheneverand however they want to do it."

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-01-25/google-facebook-competition/52796502/1?loc=interstitialskip

Southwest Airlines and Airtran Airways Unite Flight Instructors

2012-01-25T19:01:00.002-06:00

Since the merger between Southwest Airlines and Airtran Airways, the flight instructors from each company have been negotiating the ratification of their Seniority Intergration Agreement and have decided to intergrate the two companies lists. The vice president of flight operations spoke out about Southwest Airlines' pilots and flight instructors stating how proud he was that an agreement could be made among them. This is just one more positive advancement for Southwest Airlines image and reputation.

The PR team for Southwest Airlines most likely chose to highlight this small feat in the company to show how that it was a wise idea for Southwest to acquire Airtran. It also shows the public that the companies are growing together to better their service to the public.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwest-airlines-and-airtran-airways-flight-instructors-ratify-seniority-integration-agreement-138079358.html

Fashion and PR

2012-01-24T14:43:00.003-06:00

Public relations company, KCD, announced that it will now be offering a new service where it will produce some fashion shows entirely in a digital format so that overtaxed editors can watch them online. Fashion week is already hectic enough being that there are around 300 shows scheduled within eight days which causes some designers to be forgotten. By KCD offering this new feature, editors and buyers do not have to drive all across town to make each fashion show. All they have to do is access the shows on their computer or mobile device.

Even though watching a fashion show isn't the same experience as actually being there, the live-streaming shows will offer runway footage and designer interviews which will be only accessed with a password. This also might be interesting to see how it can compete with other power house fashion designers such as Chanel and Burberry who already put an enormous amount of runway footage on their websites. This is also a great concept for the designers who do not have sufficient funds to create their own website. This way, they will be able to develop their own online shows fr people to view.

I think this is a great idea being that it makes almost all of the fashion shows accessible to everyone.

article :http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/23/now-online-only-fashion-shows-for-busy-editors/?scp=1&sq=public%20relations&st=cse

-MacKenzie Baker

Carnival CEO lays low

2012-01-23T22:23:00.002-06:00

Fifteen people have been confirmed dead and 17 others are still missing while news continues to flow from the Costa Concordia tragedy that will challenge parent company Carnival Corp.'s PR efforts. One piece of news is that there were unregistered passengers onboard, an allegation that subsidiary Costa Cruises denies. The other news is that Costa Cruises' are offering 30% off future cruises to survivors, termed by one passenger as "insulting."

CEO, Micky Arison's management style is to let his business units' leadership do the crisis response heavy lifting. Arison's public responses have been limited to some Twitter posts and via statements in press releases expressing condolences. Some have questioned this stay-in-the-background strategy, given the scope of the accident.

Larry Berg, VP & GM of media and marketing company Valassis, says that the CEO should be front and center in a crisis. "The CEO should be a company's representative to the community, acknowledging the key issues, apologizing to the affected families, telling what is known about the crisis so far and giving a commitment to not letting such an incident happen in the future," says Berg.

Arison and his advisers have chosen to let Costa Cruises CEO Pier Luigi Foschi be that representative. So why hasn't Arison visited the scene? A visit from the CEO would be about more than positive PR—it would be a symbol of the humanity of the company.

The Hilarious Downfall of Ocean Marketing

2012-01-23T18:49:00.000-06:00

Ocean Marketing Delivers the Biggest PR Fail in History

Paul Christoforo of Ocean Marketing singlehandedly destroyedhis reputation and career over the Christmas break and in such a way that thewhole world could watch. Christoforo was hired to do marketing and customerservice for the Avenger, a video game controller created to assist thedisabled. But Christoforo threw all standard ethical practices out the windowand did things his way, which turned out to be hilariously awful. Christoforowrote abusive emails to a customer who had legitimate concerns and complaints.He wrote such things as, “you got told bitch,” and, “no one cares what youthink,” and proceeded to list a number of big-named companies he claimed tohave contact with and the tech and video game conventions he would be attending,including PAX East. But in this day and age, all it takes is one little email.The customer emailed the entire conversation to the man behind PAX East and thepopular website Penny Arcade, Mike Krahulik. Shocked by such poor treatment, Krahulikassured that Christoforo would not be at his convention. Krahulik then publishedall of the emails, including some between him and Christoforo, on his website. Peopleon the internet went nuts with anger. The companies Christoforo had claimed toknow came out on twitter saying otherwise. Later in the day, Ocean Marketing was fired by the Avengercontroller creator.

Christoforo is the reason PR has a bad reputation. Butwith social media, it’s easier to keep the bad guys in check. Not only did hisactions wreck his career, but his lack of GSP knowledge made him look like an evenbigger idiot while doing it.

13 annoying communication habits

2012-01-23T13:12:00.012-06:00

PR Daily's David Spark posted an article listing the top 13 annoying communication habits that must end in 2012. I'm sure most of us can agree that as public relations majors we wouldn't dare commit any of these grave communication faux pas, right? Well, not necessarily. Although most of the annoying habits on the list came as no surprise to me because they are among my biggest social media pet peeves, I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm guilty of a whopping three out of these 13 communication transgressions. Here's the condensed version of the list:

1. Shortening someone's name right after you've been introduced
2. Not remembering someone's name right after you've been introduced
3. Tagging objects as people in Facebook photos
4. Tagging people in a Facebook article to get them to read it
5. Opening a panel discussion by allowing the panelists to first talk about themselves
6. Asking a blogger, "Can you blog something for me?"
7. Stringing people along
8. Attaching videos and uncompressed photos to emails
9. Not understanding what Bcc is
10. Sharing without consumption
11. Cross posting all tweets to Facebook
12. Wishing "happy birthday" on Facebook
13. Facebook pages that require you to hit the "Like" button just to see the content on the page

The bulk of the list seems to be common sense. A few habits on the list, namely tagging people in a Facebook article to get them to read about it and not understanding what Bcc is, have been imposed on me countless times by friends, colleagues and employers who should know better. I'm sure this sounds familiar. Other annoying communication habits on the list occur alarmingly often also, such as not remembering someone's name right after you've been introduced and wishing someone "happy birthday" on Facebook, which are two of the habits I'm guilty of committing. The article suggests repeating someone's name several times after you've been introduced to help with memorization and accompanying "happy birthday" wishes on Facebook with a personalized message.

Hopefully I'm not the only public relations major guilty of one or more of PR Daily's 13 annoying communication habits that must end in 2012. I encourage everyone to check out the article. It is a very informative, quick, comical read.

True Irish

2011-11-22T02:46:00.003-06:00

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

2011-11-21T23:39:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-21T18:51:00.002-06:00

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!

Cut out the postcard found on the front of the box. You will see cut out lines around the "Cheer" in the Cheerios logo.
On the back-side of the postcard, write a message of encouragement or a simple "thank you."
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"

2011-11-21T12:09:00.002-06:00

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'

2011-11-17T13:42:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-17T07:36:00.002-06:00

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.

2011-11-17T00:57:00.003-06:00

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

2011-11-16T23:15:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-16T17:53:00.000-06:00

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

2011-11-15T11:58:00.003-06:00

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

2011-11-15T11:21:00.004-06:00

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

2011-11-15T00:39:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-14T14:55:00.001-06:00

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

2011-11-10T13:01:00.007-06:00

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

2011-11-10T09:34:00.003-06:00

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

2011-11-10T07:18:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-09T21:34:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-09T20:15:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-08T12:06:00.002-06:00

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?

2011-11-07T21:39:00.004-06:00

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

2011-11-07T21:22:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-07T13:21:00.006-06:00

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

2011-11-06T10:44:00.002-06:00

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?

2011-11-05T18:42:00.002-05:00

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

2011-11-03T12:20:00.002-05:00

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

2011-11-03T11:19:00.002-05:00

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

2011-11-03T02:47:00.008-05:00

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

2011-11-02T22:28:00.003-05:00

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

2011-11-02T19:03:00.001-05:00

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

2011-10-31T23:34:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-31T23:14:00.005-05:00

"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??

2011-10-31T20:10:00.003-05:00

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

2011-10-31T08:40:00.004-05:00

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

2011-10-27T13:41:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-26T23:03:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-26T22:55:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-26T10:42:00.000-05:00

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

2011-10-25T10:51:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-25T09:15:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-24T17:19:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-24T10:53:00.001-05:00

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?

2011-10-20T12:49:00.008-05:00

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

2011-10-19T22:20:00.002-05:00

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!

2011-10-19T15:03:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-18T23:24:00.004-05:00

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...

2011-10-18T08:53:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-18T01:00:00.014-05:00

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

2011-10-17T21:18:00.004-05:00

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

2011-10-17T15:16:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-17T13:35:00.002-05:00

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?

2011-10-17T09:32:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-13T11:35:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-13T10:09:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-12T08:52:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-11T12:36:00.004-05:00

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

2011-10-11T03:29:00.003-05:00

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

2011-10-10T23:26:00.002-05:00

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!

2011-10-10T22:48:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-09T22:36:00.000-05:00

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.

New Technology for Old Disney Movies

2011-10-06T07:22:00.003-05:00

The Wall Street Journal had an article yesterday in Media & Marketing about Disney's success with re-releasing The Lion King in 3D. The 17 year old movie was re-released to theaters in 3D largely in party to the release of Lion King on Blu-ray. The promotion was a success earning more than $100 million dollars in 3 1/2 weeks. Disney plans re-release other Disney favorites such as Beauty & the Beast, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc and Little Mermaid. With the success of Lion King 3D, the re-releases of other Disney movies in 3D are expected to do well.

Steve Jobs remembered on Twitter

2011-10-06T01:48:00.003-05:00

Steve Jobs death Wednesday night prompted people around the world to share their thoughts about Jobs, Apple and the products they use daily on multiple social media outlets.

Many on Twitter were retweeting the message "RT if you’re touching an Apple product", and one article read that the amount of messages on Twitter "appeared to dwarf any news ever chronicled on the micro-blogging site". While 'RIP Steve Jobs', '#iSad', '#ThankYouSteve' and other quotes from Jobs lead the Twitter trends currently, we should see soon if Steve Job's death becomes the new most tweeted about event.

The scope of Jobs's impact is nearly immeasurable. Nearly everyone has at some point used an Apple product, and many would claim they can't live without an Apple product they carry on them at all times.

As a side note, my favorite Twitter post through all of this was the (always classy) Westboro Church's Margie Phelp's multiple posts about how terrible Steve Jobs was as a person. The numerous tweets were all sent via the Twitter app from her iPhone.

http://news.yahoo.com/world-writes-reads-odes-steve-jobs-twitter-033840115.html

Disney Plans for Four More Classic Re-Releases in 3D

2011-10-05T23:48:00.005-05:00

Disney had a pleasant surprise with the success of Lion King 3D in a limited theatrical re-release. This success has now prompted Disney to continue that successful trend by planning for four more 3D classic re-releases.
The four Disney favorites are to be released sporadically over the next two years. The four announced favorites are Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. and The Little Mermaid.
The success of Lion King came not only as a surprise to Disney Inc. but also to the motion theater industry. The theater industry has taken a hard hit from the recession and the fast developing technologies chomping at the bit as their competition.
I applaud Disney on finding a way to reclaim consumer loyalty through existing motion pictures. Their efforts to not only re-present their product, but to spice them up in 3D for their ever growing and changing audiences within their client base is inspiring.

-Michelle Reed

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/celebritology/post/lion-king-3d-prompts-disney-to-re-release-four-more-films-in-3d/2011/10/04/gIQAERGTLL_blog.html

AutoONE Media Debuts DealerPRO Social

2011-10-05T23:32:00.000-05:00

Auto dealers are struggling with managing their Twitter and Facebook feeds to current and prospective buyers while keeping up with their day-to-day business. AutoONE made a solution for them.

DealerPRO Social is a media solution that connects dealers' websites with social media tool to increase effectiveness and bring more options to their consumers. AutoONE employees are basically extensions of the marketing staff at the different dealers, creating content for Facebook and Twitter.

Dealers like posting their inventory on Facebook and the DealerPRO makes this task incredibly easy and convenient for both the dealer and the customer. It includes the opportunitiy for buyers to post opinions and makes it easy for them to view relevant videos and venture to other social media sites with more information.

DealerPRO Social

People are unimpressed with the new iPhone 4S

2011-10-05T20:00:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday, October 4, 2011, Apple held a press conference to announce the arrival of the iPhone 4S- which apparently looks exactly like the iPhone 4 and has only improved it's camera and processing speed. Bloggers and Twitter users set the bar high for the new iPhone and made it known they were let down by Apple's news.

People's main complaint was that the new iPhone simply did not live up to the "hype" that was created during the long wait for the iPhone 4s. The rumor mill was expecting to see a bigger screen and a new "teardrop" shaped back, but found instead something that appeared identical to it's older model.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/05/tech/mobile/iphone-4s-dud/index.html

Artificial Intelligence for iPhone 5

2011-10-04T07:08:00.002-05:00

The iPhone 5, released today, will include a new feature called the Assistant. This new feature will do anything it can for you through voice recognition. The new intelligence feautre for the iPhone 5 will look for what you want and dial it through your voice command. Let's say you're in another city and you're craving Mexican food, all you have to do is tell your iPhone " Please find me a Mexican restaurant within five miles." This new feauture will do what you ask and it will do it better, it will save you time and it will adapt to you. It will learn through your likes and dislikes. The more you visit a place, it will learn to add that as one of your favorites and keep suggesting it. This is no ordinary feature, this is the future.

http://mashable.com/2011/10/03/iphone-5-assistant/

Customer demand, poor economy bring back Walmart layaway

2011-10-04T06:22:00.003-05:00

Amid an ever-worsening economy, Walmart has brought back its formerly popular layaway program, which was axed in 2005. Company officials say an increase in paycheck-to-paycheck purchases by its clientele has led the mega-retailer to fall back on the program as a way to entice customers to purchase big-ticket items that are seemingly out of reach.

According to an article in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, Walmart is bringing back layaway just in time for Christmas, after its customers -- 20 percent of which don't have bank accounts -- wrote in to demand the return.

Walmart isn't alone. Retailers across the country are realizing that customers who "traded down" to generic store brands and less-extravagant lifestyles during the "Great Recession" may not be coming back, even as finances level off.

Other stores are using different tactics to keep customers. Target, which generally (pardon the pun) targets more affluent households than Walmart, has rolled out a special debit/credit card that allows a five percent discount on all purchases, which brings the store's prices in line with deeper-discount retailers.

As signs of an economic recovery take a turn for the worse, it remains to be seen how retailers will adjust their marketing strategies to hold on to customers that may not be able to afford their previously extravagant lifestyles.

WSJ Online: Frugal Frontier: Retailers Face Reality That Many People Can't Trade Back Up

Umiushi Smapho 2800-Rechargeable Battery with No Extra Cables

2011-10-04T05:43:00.005-05:00

PANS LTD. of Tokyo released the "Umiushi Smapho 2800," a palm-sized, rechargeable battery charger for iPhone and Android phones requiring no external cables or adapters geared directly toward women ages 20 to 40. It contains the battery capacity of 2,800mAh (same as a 4G). It's available in fire red, pearl white and ocean blue. The project only took the PANS one year to build the product.

The Umiushi Smapho 2800, came about at the CEATEC exhibition. The customer can leave the household with this portable charger using it as three things without the use of a cable and/or adapter: a USB adapter for smartphones, an iPhone/iPod dock or just a USB plug for recharging. This non-cable charger, is also a device which can be used worldwide irrespective of voltage.

Future for this device, "the company is expecting to develop sales channels at CEATEC JAPAN 2011, including smartphone accessory stores, hypermarkets, catalog order houses and novelties, both in Japan and abroad." -I looked something similar to this up, and it just included an extended battery charger and not the three other components. I think this has the potential to meet our job market in America, but would reach out to a further audience. Sounds like something I'd buy for myself considering smartphones today (my HTC Evo from Sprint) die after almost an hour of use.

Introduction of the Umiushi Smapho 2800

Using Twitter to attract journalists

2011-10-03T20:56:00.003-05:00

Twitter is making it easier than ever to stay in touch and up-to-date with anyone and everyone, but what some people may not know is journalists are taking advantage of that to find stories. Making contacts with journalists via Twitter can really help you and your client when it comes to media relations. Many times journalists will tweet out that they need help either finding an interesting story or even getting facts and sources for a story they are working on.

In the article "14 ways to use Twitter to attract journalists," Patrick Garmoe says that Twitter has been his most successful tool in building and maintaining relationships with reporters. He then goes on to list the 14 ways in which he uses Twitter to attract journalists. Some of the items on his list are:

-Watch for tweets asking for help, especially on deadline. That's the quickest way to strike up a relationship.

-Monitor and post hashtags of the town or topic you or your client is involved in. Even if the reporters don't tweet, they'll likely monitor it for interesting story ideas.

-Thank them via Twitter for covering an event you attended, especially if you were able to chat with the reporter. This helps solidify the new contact.

I think that each of the 14 ideas Garmoe states are smart and clever. Journalists are looking for a simpler way to find stories that are of interest to the public and PR practitioners are looking for an easier way to get their clients stories out there, thus Twitter helps both parties.

Personalized campaigns via Facebook

2011-10-03T09:40:00.003-05:00

Marketing companies are trying new ways to develop new offering that that seek out more information of Facebook users with the aim of targeted messages, promotions and offers. Technology companies are helping companies build applications for users to download off Facebook to see what promotions are being offered, however, in exchange the company receives access to their personal information: age, gender and email address.

Using this technology allows companies to tap in get users names allowing the company to see previous search & purchase history. By getting this information it will let companies have a more personalized campaign.

Some major companies looking into this are Walt Disney and Sephora.

"Understanding our guests' past stays, favorite experiences and attractions, entertainment preferences and desires allows us to create the most magical vacations possible," says Tom Boyles, senior vice president of global customer managed relationships at Disney Destinations. "Social media is adding to our core 'Know me' strategy" in a significant way, he adds.

http://global.factiva.com.libproxy.txstate.edu/ga/default.aspx?imt=2&ao=14&aod=1811683

Selling yourself

2011-09-30T15:01:00.009-05:00

The other day, I was at work when I googled the name of my company "EnviroMedia" to get to our webpage. I do this a lot, instead of typing the entire url directly into the address bar. Then, an ad on the side of the page caught my eye. It said: "Hey EnviroMedia, I'd like to work for you & help make our world a better place."

Curious, I clicked the ad and saw that it was created by a man named Chris Stiner. He is so interested in working for EnviroMedia that he actually bought a google ad to catch the company's attention. As you can see, it comes up at the very top of the page when searching 'EnviroMedia':

Upon clicking the ad, one sees: "Why I Want to Work for EnviroMedia" in large font. This is followed by a brief paragraph, directed to EnviroMedia's president, explaining the reasons he created the ad and how much he hopes to be considered for a position. Scrolling down, one can see his complete resume.

My initial reaction was, "Who the hell is this guy? Is this for real?" I showed a few people passing by my desk, and they were all equally surprised. We had a good laugh at the fact that he had a typo in the first sentence (not so professional), and also admitted to being "uncreative."

"I hope my approach with the ad you just clicked on is not a turn off. Trying to find a creative way to grab your attention has lead my rather non-creative brain to this method. I tend to Google myself from time-to-time and I was hoping you did the same."

While companies aren't typically looking for uncreative people with bad grammar, I think the ad was a very clever way to capture an employer's attention. I wasn't able to catch anyone from upper management to ask them if they saw the ad, but I can bet if they haven't already, they will soon.

None of my co-workers were eager to give Chris Stiner props when I showed them the ad, but part of me wonders if they were asking themselves, "Why haven't I thought of that?"

AD: http://www.thirtyghostsrecords.com/chris.htm

PR Practitioners Groomed for Corporate Communication in Social Media

2011-09-29T07:06:00.003-05:00

Social media has upgraded from being a past time utilized by college students to an intricate part of the communications business strategy for many companies. It has transcended into a must-have rather than a have-not.

In an article from MarketWatch.com, businesses are utlizing social media outlets to engage with stakeholders in a way that will help prevent an online PR crisis. A conference lasting two days named "PR in the Digital Age" will attract companies like conference brings in insights from companies like PepsiCo, Marina Bay Sands, NUS and more. The conference is intended to inform attendees on how corporate communications help provide for online success.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/are-pr-practitioners-losing-their-foothold-in-the-ever-changing-media-landscape-2011-09-28

The way to a consumer's heart is though old-fashioned charm

2011-09-28T21:29:00.003-05:00

Kim Kadlec, VP of Marketing at Johnson & Johnson, had some advice for companies as she spoke at the OMMA conference Tuesday. She encouraged companies to "bring back the woo" when developing and maintaing relationships with consumers. She said these days building relationships with consumers should be based on the quality, not quantity. Her advice is good not only for consumer relations, but for people whose relationship is on the rocks. Her points were:

1. Show up

2. Be a creature like no other

3. Be generous

4. Be a good listener

5. Choose your words carefully

6. Create special moments

7. Be the first to apologize

8....Make sure they love you

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=159397

Mexican social media boom: Good v. evil

2011-09-28T00:51:00.002-05:00

Internet use in Mexico has doubled in the last six years, including many new members to Twitter. The tables turned when an active blogger contributed to a chat room discussing tips about the drug cartels in Nuevo Laredo. Maria Macias urged others to post tips to help stop the cartels through social media until her mutilated body was found in a busy intersection with her keyboard and a message threatening others who chose to do the same.
Social media gave the community a chance to communicate quickly and what they thought was annonymously. The cartels already have significant control over other media such as local newspapers, television and radio stations. The newspaper Macias worked for wrote a small story about her death, and did not mention her name.
Social media sites offer hotlines for tips going directly to the army or police, and while this gave citizens a way to help stop the problem it also gave the cartels a new target to focus on.
When a country is in turmoil, how can the good members of social media not be silenced by the evil?

Source: Yahoo! New: Tech: Social Media
"Mexican social media boom draws drug cartel attacks"

Carolyn C

Who is stalking your house?

2011-09-27T21:19:00.002-05:00

"Gone for vaca.. Be back next week!" "Out to dinner". Any of these statuses sound familiar your house may be the next one robbed. 78 % of burglars said Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare lets them know who is out and what properties are prefect for a robbery. Google Street View shows if anyone is home.

A convicted burglar even said that people are just inviting them to their houses.

So now the next question is, what can social media do to protect the consumers?

http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-burglars_b14237

Hilton introduces BizWords iPhone app

2011-09-27T06:56:00.002-05:00

There is now a way to make fun of your colleagues and interact with them simultaneously. Go ahead and laugh at your own business jargon usage while you're at it. Yes, there is an app for that. Hilton is expanding the "We Speak Success" branding campaign by adding an iPhone app to the mix. BizWords is targeted toward business travelers which make up the bulk of Hilton Garden Inn's customer base. The app allows users to create a profile and share their favorite business jargon. The app also features a word detail screen that provides a humorous definition of the word and how it could be used in a sentence. Users can "climb the corporate ladder" with the app by contributing content. The most used words are tracked, ranked and organized by region of origin.
The new app also has a link to the Hilton Garden Inn mobile booking app so users can make accommodations on the go. Talk about synergy.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/26/idUS114102+26-Sep-2011+PRN20110926

Do-It-Yourself PR

2011-09-27T06:03:00.004-05:00

Have you thought about what kind of public relations practice you might want to get into? I sometimes think about what it would be like to have a solo career in the field. This article from PR Daily discusses the good and bad aspects of solo PR.

I think "creative freedom" is the most interesting and important positive characteristic mentioned in the article. Working for yourself would allow room to see your singular vision for a campaign play out from beginning to end without any interference. However, I believe a lot of great ideas come from brainstorming in a group of differently-minded people, too. Being able to say "no" and "flexibility" were my other two favorite positive attributes.

The most intriguing downside to solo PR was the "lack of legitimacy." Without something bigger than yourself backing you, I suppose it would be very difficult to achieve credibility in a short amount of time. This places more stress on your personal brand and reputation. The lack of legitimacy would require the solo practitioner to be consistent and handle any personal mistakes as quickly and neatly as possible.

What do you think? Would you like to try solo PR? Would you prefer it over working for someone else? Why or why not?

PR Agency Hired to Avoid the Media

2011-09-27T00:43:00.003-05:00

Usually when someone hires a pr agency they are seeking attention which is frequently gained through the press. In this article, Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W Public Relations, tells about clients who actually pay to be kept out of the media. Torrossian explains that "loudest isn't always best," because not all media attention is always good. Some related instances where businesses choose to stay quite are listed in the article and include:

- Mark Birnbaum, owner of many high end nightclubs, trains his staff not to release any details regarding the high profile guest list.

- Moshe Lax is partners with Ivanka Trump in their diamond stores but his name hardly ever appears because he isn't the celebrity.

- Benjamin Wey owns New York Global Group which is a leading China and US investment bank. Apparently he has tremendous success in China and privacy is vital.

http://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-a-pr-agency-to-not-appear-in-the-media-ask-moshe-lax-mark-birnbaum-and-benjamin-wey-why-2011-9

‘Two and a Half Men’ Gets Ratings, Charlie Sheen’s Roast Gets Tweets

2011-09-26T20:38:00.004-05:00

Two and a Half Men had a record breaking 27.7 million people tune into the premier on September 19, 2011. The show killed off Charlie Sheen's character and introduced Walden Schmidt, Ashton Kutcher's character.

The same night, Comedy Central hosted the Charlie Sheen roast. Sheen seems to be trying to make a comeback with recent appearances on Leno, the Emmys and tweets promoting the roast.

Social media was on full blast the night of both premiers. Whether the Tweets about the roast were positive, negative or neutral, they more than doubled those for the Two and a Half Men premier. Apparently, Sheen has still managed to keep the birdies chirping.

http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/two-and-a-half-men-gets-ratings-charlie-sheens-roast-gets-tweets_b27538

New survey names LinkedIn top social media network for journalists

2011-09-22T11:55:00.005-05:00

Social media is taking the journalist world by storm. Many journalists are turning to social media because it is making it a lot easier for reporters to track down or find sources for their stories on social networks.

Over 90% of journalists now have a LinkedIn account up more than 5% from 2009. While LinkedIn tops the charts, journalists on Facebook has soared from just 55% presence in 2009 up to 85% in 2011.

So, don't be caught off guard, you now need to be prepared and available for jounalists' inquiries on social networks.

I think social media is an important tool for journalists and PR practioners alike, it puts sources and contacts at the click of a button. It saves time when you usually had to call for a meeting, though old practices shouldn't completely be forgotten, the turn to social media is an important one.

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/9354.aspx

Netflix expands it's streaming service

2011-09-22T06:33:00.002-05:00

Two days after it announced the split of it's dvd and streaming services, Netflix announced that it has expanded it's licensing deal with Discovery Communications in order to expand it's catalog of shows.

It can now stream shows like Man vs Wild and How it's made. But as long as the show is 18 months old.

I think it's an obvious move to try and stop the bleeding here for netflix. This isn't the greatest news since the announcement of the price hike or the split. But since they just lost Starz, any addition to their already faltering selection is good news for them. Honestly, I didn't notice the Starz selection until very recently. Hulu and Amazon Prime are beefing up their online selection too, so i'm hoping an alternative is on the way.

Here is the article.

Launching Google Wallet

2011-09-21T22:00:00.003-05:00

Google launched their first version of the wallet app to Sprint on Monday. It was introduced in May but due to extensive testing it was recently released. The idea is to have electronic versions of your credit cards on our phone so you just have to swipe your phone near the field communication and it takes the money from your account.

people at Google say it is safer than carrying a wallet because in order to access the cards you must first put in a PIN number. I'm not sure if now putting the final piece of people's lives on a phone that could potentially be stolen is a good thing, but Google says they have taken the safety measure needed. Aside from the PIN number, there is a separate chip in the phone for the credit card file so it can not be accessible even if the phone is hacked into.

It seems like a cool idea, but I'm not sure it would be that beneficial considering you still have to carry your ID around and sometimes cash, so where now do you put those?

http://www.google.com/wallet/vision.html