Day: October 6, 2003

Bloggercon took place last weekend and covered a range of issues and discussions around blogging.

As it usual at these get togethers there were a couple of sessions on journalism and blogging.  I didn’t attend but some fast fingered attendees delivered the transcripts:

• Weblogs & Journalism [Ed Cone (EdCone.com), Glenn Reynolds (InstaPundit), Scott Rosenberg (Salon) Josh Marshall (Talking Points Memo)] (Thanks to: The Shifted Librarian)

 

• Interview with a Blogger – [Len Apcar (New York Times), Scott Rosenberg (Salon) and James Taranto (Wall Street Journal’s Best of the Web column)] (Thanks to: Heath Row’s Media Diet)

 

• Interview with a Blogger – [Dan Gilmor, Doc Searls, Dave Winer] (Thanks to: Heath Row’s Media Diet)

Fleishman-Hillard has been named as one of the hundred best US companies for working mothers. Now I am delighted to post a positive big agency story (for a change).

Jim Horton raised the issue of positive PR not being able to solve everything.  He uses Segway as an example.  A product that had a textbook launch, massive build up in every major news outlet and positive lifestyle stories, but, weak sales.

Elizabeth Albrycht followed up Jim’s posting with a very interesting real-life case study along a similar line which highlights that no matter how successful your PR program, it can’t solve a bad products number one challenge… it’s bad.

I think these examples also raise the importance of the entire marketing process to the success of a PR program.

If all the different elements around a product, namely its price, packaging, distribution etc aren’t correct, a PR program will fail.

Furthermore successful PR programs that contribute to the bottom line build and supplement the activities of other marketing disciplines. A successful launch needs a good product, good PR and good marketing.

Hi there, for some reason a combination of Radio Userland and my hosting company have been falling over a lot recently, so apologies to anyone who has been trying to access the blog in vain.  I am alive and well. Hopefully it will sort itself out and if you’re reading this, then things have returned to normal.

Thanks

Tom

Robb Hecht has a new audio entry on his PR Machine blog. Now it’s only a test (reading his sub-head) but it’s a first!