10
Aug
'Mommy bloggers' vow to avoid ethical conflicts
New today on CNN.com
And this week, the great “PR BLACKOUT” … very interested to see this go down.
03
Aug
A Little Piece of Happy … website for Trident.
No time to play right now but stumbled upon this when Google recommended it in my dashboard.
At first glance, I LOVE the “Today I …” fill in the blank to get postive feedback from this scary, corporate-looking group of fellows. I know I am happier now :)
23
Jul
This is such a great idea, and HILARIOUS!
Little Debbie’s campaign to “save the interns” at www.InternHero.com (and it’s on Tumblr!)
Little Debbie is giving away hundreds of boxes of muffins to the hard-working interns of America. If you’re ready to go from intern to WINtern, just click here to get started.
Better let our interns know STAT …
22
Jul
Mommy Blogger Backlash
More on the PR Blackout - I really like this article on MediaPost’s Engage:Moms blog.
This whole thing is a catch 22 … no reviews? No free products. No free products? I have a *feeling* we (the PR crew) would feel the backlash.
As a PR person, who frequently asks bloggers to review products (currently working on an under $5 laundry care item … not a $5K fridge, but that’s beside the point) I am fully aware - and not offended - when bloggers deny the opportunity. That’s absolutely your perogative. I am happy to offer you a product, and would appreciate a review (positive or negative) but I am not holding a gun to your head either way. I want you to have, and try this product at your own speed. I have a feeling it’s the same with most PR people who are reaching out to a certain demographic and hoping to turn bloggers on to new products that will genuinely benefit them in their lives (laundry additives, chocolate, etc.).
While I am only slightly offended that the bloggers don’t want to talk to us for a week (vacations are fine!), the way that PR people are being labeled and getting trashed in the PR Blackout does nothing for our self esteem, and in my opinion, paints an unfair picture of our jobs.
16
Jul
Zappos Review Incites Reproach From Agency Creative
I know I know … I am late to the party with this one by a few days actually. But it’s been marinating …
On Zappos + the 100+ agency RFP + Ignited’s issue:
Often referred to as a new media darling for the company’s progressive approach to social media and networking (as well as the true-story fable regarding the customer service rep who ordered his customer a pair of shoes, and a pizza), Zappos hasn’t received much – at least much well publicized – criticism to date. So, the ad agency backlash to its most recent RFP appeal is pretty surprising – and ballsy – of Ignited’s Mike Wolfsohn. I would *guess* that agency honchos around the sphere are high-fiving Wolfsohn’s blog post and wishing they had thought to embed Google Analytics into their presentation, if not specifically to call out the client for their lack of time spent reviewing, but rather to gain the insight Ignited had the foresight to capture.
See the full article from AdAge by clicking here or on the title link above.
Now, I have a not entirely favorable opinion of their CEO - Tony Hsieh – who appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice during its most recent season (winner: Joan Rivers … why?). His presense – or lack thereof – was off-putting, especially for the CEO of one of the most talked about online retailers of the day.
My favorite part of this whole debacle?
“Said a Zappos spokeswoman, ‘Aaron [Magness] thinks the Ignited post has created a fantastic dialogue between clients and agencies — he just wishes it were in a medium where everyone could post a comment as well’ (readers can’t leave comments on Ignited’s site).’”
Ignited: 1 (for their gusto)
Zappos: 1 (for their subtle so.me. dig)
What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to leave comments or email me at kelcy@jsha.com.
15
Jul
As a PR professional - who has worked with both mom bloggers mentioned in this article (MomDot & ClassyMommy) among others - I am still forming my opinion on the great “PR BLACKOUT” (sounds ominous).
I understand her point … and also understand the point of the FTC, who is rightly digging into the backstory of these writers and their posts. There is certainly a fine line, and crossing it can be dangerous.
However, equating a mom blogger’s plight to that of the (surely stressesd) CEO of GM did make me chuckle a bit. I have a slightly different perspective on that one, having been “brought up” in the PR industry working on automotive accounts. Hmmm … I am curious to see what happens here!
14
Jul
Scripted Comedy Central Series to Feature Live Commercials: Michael & Michael Have Issues
In what is believed to be a first for a scripted series, “Michael & Michael” will feature live commercials during six of its seven episodes, as Messrs. Black and Showalter humorously wax poetic about the virtues of products including Unilever’s Klondike, Dunkin’ Donuts, Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Palm Pre. Klondike will be featured in the premiere episode, and the brand will also sponsor a web micro-series featuring the Michaels riffing on the ice-cream bar’s classic tagline, “What would you do for a Klondike bar?”
This is crazy. And kind of cool. I am interested to see how transparent they can be in this format. I can’t wait to see how they pull it off, before I pass judgment.
09
Jul
What Your Favorite Social Network Says About You
Tom Anderson, founder and managing partner at Anderson Analytics (and MySpace Tom?? No, must be a different Tom Anderson), is judging us.
A recent Anderson Analytics study estimates that, “110 million Americans, or 60% of the online population, use social networks.” The article notes that this “number is fairly conservative, because instead of counting unique users or everyone who has an account, as many estimates do, the Anderson study counted only people who have used a social network at least once in the past month.”
Facebook ALONE boasts more than 77 million users. That is a LOT of people. And apparently they can tell a LOT about us from our usage habits. Here are some of the study’s most interesting findings:
- Average income? MySpace users average about $44,000 while LinkedIn members average out at $89,000.
- Riddle me this … MySpace users tend to be single (60%) and students (23%) but seek out information about parenting more than any other social network. Huh?
- If I were you, I would beware of the 10% of social network users who say “they will connect with anyone who’s willing to connect with them.”
- And of the LinkedIn users, as these cats are unwinding by gambling and watching soap operas.
Now, personally, I am one of 77 million Facebook users … as well as active on Twitter and LinkedIn. But like 43% of Twitter users, I do not consider it a necessity (I often forget to update for days at a time … mainly on weekends when I am busy with life). I also use LinkedIn, but don’t count gambling OR soap operas among my fortes (and certainly am not pusshing the 100K salary mark).
Click here for the entire article. I think you’ll be surprised by what you find!
06
Jul
Learning Twitter? Don't Take Your Cues From These Agencies: Some Tweet Deftly, While Others Lag Clients
My first instinct after reading this headline? Scan the article for Twitter handles that we either run or own, thankfully not seeing any of the above on the list. Whew!
Interesting though, since the agencies that run the client handles could be said to be gaining experience through running those handles, altering the strategy as they go. For example, @JSHAPR just cropped up, but @SprayNWash, @DremelBrand and @Redbox (all run internally on behalf of clients) have been active for awhile. Follow us!
01
Jul
Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough
I’ll be the first to admit that I learned about Michael Jackson’s death on my Tumblr dashboard. And while I don’t place my ultimate trust the dashboard or feeds, they always give me something to think about or look for another source to disprove, and often break the news faster than traditional news sources.
In this case, I followed the trail of speculation on Tumblr and Twitter on my ride to the airport last Thursday. I was able to park my car, catch the shuttle to the airport (on the ride I heard a fellow passenger receive word of MJ’s untimely demise via cell phone), print off my ticket, go through security and get to my terminal in time to watch CNN “break” the news on the television monitors . About an hour after the internet began speculating.
It’s mind blowing, really. How do people like Perez Hilton or TMZ.com beat CNN to the punch, feeding “insight” to social mediums across the internet? I saw speculation somewhere that the Los Angeles hospital system likely has gossip rag reporters in doctor’s coats for as fast as these publications and online sources are reporting such news (terrifying thought).
Just something to think about as the great printed newspaper’s battle to survive rolls on!
