I watch a lot of TV, and lately, I have seen the same YAZ birth control commercial that says something to the effect that they are clearing up misconceptions regarding their previous advertisements. The old ads talked about how they help treat the emotional and physical the symptoms of PMDD, premenstral dysmorphic disorder, and moderate acne. I guess people thought that meant something different because in their ad, they restate that and then say it does NOT treat PMS or severe acne. They re-state the side effects, emphasizing the potassium risks, and then the rest of the commercial is the same as their old campaign.

I have been researching it and I can not find much information on it but I did find a few sources they say the USDA is concerned that they are "over-promising the benefits and minimizing the risks" of taking YAZ birth control. 

The FDA issued a letter to YAZ and talked about what they found wrong with the ads. They requested that the advertisements be pulled and that corrective advertising be done- here is the letter- http://www.pharmcast.com/warningletters/yr2008/oct2008/bayer1008.htm

I wonder what the effects of their corrective advertising will be? I can not imagine it has done great things for their image or their sales, until I saw their new advertisements, I thought YAZ was a wonder-drug. It is scary to think how else we are being lied to about in advertisements. The commercial was well done and up front though, so maybe they will get pitty points for that. It will be interesting to research this in a couple of months to see how this has effected their sales figures. 

Smart Software Can Now Find a Target Crowd

PR Matchpoint is a new online service that allows PR practitioners to narrow their target audience before releasing a PR pitch or press release. The new program, just released from Beta today, will automatically rate active journalists and bloggers on their levels of interest in the subject depending on a number of categories. They are weighted by relevance using parameters that can be controlled by the practitioner. These allow for control of exactly what type of user comes into consideration.

The technology is still relatively young, and its effectiveness has yet to be seen. However, by combining the tasks of creating lists, and cross-referencing their bylines, one can be sure to save a lot of time. Find the article @ http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/tips_and_tools/a_new_way_to_match_pitches_to_journalists_107431.asp

-Bueno

A Digital Wake Up Call for PR

With the digital revolution and the falling economy, it seems that even print publications are no longer safe from the axe. Domino magazine, which had over 1 million subscribers, is the latest print publication to get cut. With so many followers of magazines and other print publications, it only seems logical for the PR industry to transition to digital publications for their readers. Some type of print media will always be around, but it has pretty much been replaced. There are so many opportunities for print publications on the Web like a more convienent layout, more efficient communication tools, blogs and so much more.

Also, the readership level will increase because these days most people use the Internet and cell phones to access information whether it be for entertainment or news purposes. So, if the PR industry wants to stay up with the times and look for another option before calling it quits, then it's time to log on and create a digital publication.

Myspace is more than just a social networking site

MySpace plans to debut a new reality Web series as part of the social network's larger strategy to build its reputation as an entertainment portal.

“Get Married on MySpace” is an interactive online series that follows one engaged couple as the MySpace community plans their wedding. Users will be able to influence wedding plans by voting on the winning couple, the bride's dress, the couple's rings, and the wedding location. The 13-episode series will debut in May and conclude with the wedding in August.

The social network is currently raising awareness for the series among users interested in starring as the couple, as well as advertisers for branding tie-ins, said Jason Kirk, VP of video and entertainment for MySpace.

The initiative is intended to draw older users to the social network and help shake off its image as a site only for teenagers. The venture will initially target women between 18 and 34 years old, but hopes the program ultimately draws a wider demographic, including men. The project is also designed to retain MySpace's existing user base.

MySpace wants to show people a different side of the social networking tool. People assume MySpace is just a social network and that it is just for teenagers. But a show like this shows that it's about more than social networking and it's for people getting married, not just teenagers.

AT&T uses Facebook

AT&T is using social media and partnerships with entertainment companies and artists to interact with a younger audience. One of the latest partnerships was with rapper Lil' Wayne. AT&T introduced his latest single using Freedom of Choice and Mobile Music Facebook pages on January 27. By doing this AT&T's data showed that its customers downloaded his ringtones more often than any other artist in 2008.

Sources for blogging assignment

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

Post topics can be about anything related to PR, communications, marketing, advertising, new media or journalism. Posts should link the original article and be 1-2 paragraphs long. Longer is okay, but the idea of a blog is to keep it in chunks. Original articles can come from a variety of sources. Below are some of my favorites, but you are not limited to them:

PR Week

Wall Street Journal

Marketing Daily

MediaBistro’s PRNewser blog

PR Week’s The Cycle blog

Welcome to PR Campaigns

So what does it take to succeed in PR? Check out this video.