MarCom Professional

Debate continues to rage as to whether the massive growth of social media is killing off the public relations industry. 

The contrary view, of course, is that social media is a fillip for the industry. Let's face it, with so many media channels now available, companies and brands need more help than ever with their communications and one could argue quite persuasively that PR is the most suitable discipline to provide the most effective guidance and counsel.

American PR company Horn Group recently hosted a forum to discuss this very issue under the handle Is Social Media Killing PR? (see video below by Kara Swisher from Allthingsd.com). More...

How do you make a mature board game sexy enough so the world's media will sit up and take notice?

Take it to the 'extreme'.To mark the 60th anniversary of the Scrabble, the brand shot a series of amazing photos in which the game was played by fans under 'extreme' circumstances i.e. skydiving, in shark-infested waters, up a sheer cliff, within eating distance of an alligator.

Brilliant stuff!

Locally, the Herald-Sun newspaper ran not one but five photos (across two separate articles).

The story (and of course, pics) was also picked up internationally.

Lessons learned?

• If you want to get noticed, take a risk.

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Hat-tip to those devilish lads at Zoo Weekly who have made 'something' (i.e. media headlines) out 'nothing' (an offer of $30K for a female federal politician to get her kit off for the magazine).

The headlines said it all:

The Zoo offer came hot on the heels of Kate Ellis being voted by her Parliamentary peers as being Australia's sexiest MP.

Ellis, who at 31 is the country's youngest Federal Minister, reportedly turned down Zoo Weekly's kind and generous offer...naturally! But that didn't stop Zoo from milking publicity from their exchange with the Sports Minister. 

Zoo Weekly editor Paul Merrill was quoted as saying:  "We're naturally sad that she's turned down a shoot and deprived her constituents of a much needed morale b More...

In a sign that Twitter in Australia is edging towards mainstream acceptance, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has opened an account with the growing micro-blogging platform and, in his (or someone else's) words - is "looking forward to communicating with you on Twitter".

 

Rudd's Twitter adventure comes hot on the heels of Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull who has been on Twitter for a month or so (at time of writing, Turnbull was 88 tweets in front of his opposite number; he has also reportedly been caught Twittering in Parliament - I mean, why wouldn't you?). More...

Further to previous post - What Brands Can Learn From Barack Obama - I've just seen for the first time Obama's Flickr photostream where he allowed a photographer access while he and his family, friends and associates waited for the announcement of the US Presidential election result. 

The behind-the-scenes pictures feature Obama and wife Michelle watching the election results as they unfold on TV, and then the jubilation (relief?) as the decision is announced; it also follows them as they hit the stage where Obama gives his now-famous victory speech (as well as stacks of other shots of the President-elect in action). More...

This is worth a look if you're interested in social media - the IAB Social Media Handbook - produced by the UK Internet Advertising Bureau.The handbook covers a broad sweep of social media and features articles from a range of UK industry people. It has a touch of the 'big end of town' about it (clients, agencies and social media platforms) but nonetheless it's a useful guide in terms of Web 2.0/101.

Here is the list of contents if you're interested:

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I've just finished watching the 2006 Dixie Chicks documentary Shut Up & Sing. If you haven't seen it, it's worth watching. If you're a PR or marketing person, it is definitely worth a look.

 

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If companies and brands require any further proof that communicating with spirit and conviction as well as telling interesting stories is effective in attracting people's attention (and subsequently getting their buy-in), then look no further than Barack Obama's barnstorming win in the US Presidential race.

 

 

 

Obama spoke fervently and relentlessly about hope and change. He didn't get bogged down in detail - much to the chagrin of the media and his opponents who no doubt wanted to better understand the nitty-gritty of what he stood for. 

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I don't usually bang on about things like this thinking they've probably already done the rounds virally and by the time they've gotten to me, they're perhaps a tad stale.BUT...

This is pretty cool.

A truck carrying Pringles Hot & Spicy chips (actually, it probably is carrying something else, but for the purposes of this post, it's Pringles all the way, okay?!) is painted to give the appearance that Pringles Hot & Spicy chips are indeed, errr, hot and spicy. As I said, cool.

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"Welcome to the new www.britneyspears.com! We're taking you where no paparazzi lens ever could with pics, vids and news from Britney herself." 

(Message on http://twitter.com/therealbritney)

* Photo sourced from britneyspears.com

 

After years of being stalked by the paparazzi and pilloried by the media, Britney Spears has moved to take control of her 'brand' communications by undertaking an integrated social media program that allows her (or at least, her 'people') to communicate directly with fans.

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