Category: Blog

Facebook smears Google

It’s not often that PR makes it to the front page of daily newspapers and when it does the news is never good, as this piece in today’s Daily Telegraph shows.

This story is no exception and it makes me feel very depressed. Not because PR is being used in such a negative way but because a young, innovative, ‘new economy’ (to use a very old term) business is behaving in such a traditional, old business manner.

The worst thing is that negative PR doesn’t work even when you don’t get caught out.

And why does the biggest social network in the world need to behave like this? Are they worried about something?

ShareShare on Tumblr

Coalition innovates with traditional media

Today’s FT reported that publishers have rejected Francis Maude’s request that newspapers should offer free media space for third sector and government campaigns for good causes.

Now I say well done Francis for asking. But given the newspaper reading demographic vs. the viewership of say Facebook and YouTube, isn’t it time to start thinking differently about how you communicate those ‘good causes’?

ShareShare on Tumblr

Political share of voice

Interesting data – last week’s share of voice for the most prominent politicians.

If I were Labour I’d be asking why our new leader can’t get more coverage than both previous PMs given he’s only just been elected.

And the share of voice between Nick Clegg and David Cameron certainly says something about who gets the upper hand in that relationship.

ShareShare on Tumblr

Traditional media

The more I engage with the new online ‘stuff’ – for want of a better word – the more I am struck by the really traditional media.

Notices about lost cats on tree trunks.

And today, a ‘man and van’ card slotted behind my doorbell, and a notice about a local art fair stuck crudely with masking tape on the inside of a car door window.

It’s rude to say crudely, because I noticed the poster. I won’t go to the art fair because it’s not my sort of thing but I saw the poster, I registered it, and I might talk about it to other people. It did it’s job.

Reminded me of a day about a fortnight ago when I was waiting in the lobb

y for one of the strategy partners at Mindshare. I was suddenly struck by this world of smartly dressed people clacking down those glamourous white stairs in their heels.

And I couldn’t help eavesdropping a conversation here and there. One group of three client types were gathered talking about their planned campaign, and one of them said, ‘I think we should just print up a bunch of leaflets and pay students to flood the streets with them’.

One of the most sophisticated media planning outfits in the world face to face with one of the most traditional media types.

Don’t knock what works though. What works, works.

ShareShare on Tumblr

Times paywall

If I ever catch sight of another article on the success, partial success or outright failure of the Times paywall I may just need to do something desperate.

Though it did strike me this morning that if anyone knows what people will pay for on the web it’s Steve Jobs.

Time for the launch of iNews?

ShareShare on Tumblr

Customer CSR

More and more businesses are getting customers – or more rightly, consumers – involved in CSR, the strategy and decision-making. The Pepsi Refresh project is a fantastic example. The company took its sponsorship of the Superbowl and invited people first to nominate projects they wanted support for, then to vote for which projects they think are best.

It’s unusual though to find a business creating a direct link between the purchasing transaction and the CSR impact, which is why I love this. It sounds minute – one pack, one vaccine – but to me, it transforms that moment at the fixture and at the till from shopping to a vote. Good for Ariel – good for Procter & Gamble.

ShareShare on Tumblr