Category: General

Ah the wonders of modern software engineering. The comments are back and none have been lost – I think.

Thanks to everyone for their assistance.

People.  It is time we all took stock on the online environment.

Information flows, therefore we must be careful to ensure sensitive information, plans etc. that are within our control are managed. There’s enough information out there that we can’t control, without adding to it ourselves.

Elizabeth Albrycht, who so kindly alerted me to my “no comment” issue, has sent me a link from Internet Week to another PR blunder. 

While AMD were kindly pre-announcing their product plans for the rest of the year, Auto-ID Center, a research group affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has mistakenly released documents from Fleishman-Hillard, on how to “neutralize opposition” and respond to potential privacy concerns from the public and media.

Nice. Personally I can’t wait to see the follow up on neutralizing leaked information.

Postscript:

Now I know that you are all dying to have a look at these documents, because I am. And of course they have been removed from the Auto-ID website, but they are still available thanks to the wonder of the Internet. Here’s the F-H presentation on Managing External Communications (PDF) and other leaked documents are available at the website of the snappily named Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering or CASPIAN.

Radio Userland has decided, for no obvious reason, that it no longer wishes to take your comments. It’s not personal, honest.

This technical glitch, which was kindly pointed out by Elizabeth Albrycht, will I am sure absorb a lot of what otherwise would be productive time. I just love it when software decides to fall over.

I’m not a departing Userland employee so that removes one possibility, now I just have to nail down, 4,500 other inter-related possibilities.

In the meantime, if you are kind enough to want to comment on any of the trivia you find here, drop me an e-mail.

 The Inquirer takes its usual cynical look at PR, this time the AMD mishap we discussed yesterday. “But being a spin doctor or spinaret is a very high risk job. You’re there to take the blame when things don’t go right. It’s always nice to have a scapegoat with a kickable butt, and the poor PR folk are nearly always the ones who get the thorough kicking.”

 Deborah Barnscum has taken some time out of her vacation to post some typically thought provoking items. She includes a link to a piece from MediaBistro on how an Editor views pitches from freelancers. And you thought you had challenges! “You know that major story that everybody’s going to be writing about? We’ve already assigned it to one of our high-paid contract writers. You don’t have a chance.”

 The Sydney Morning Herald has an article on how advertisers are coming to terms with corporate social responsibility.

 

Vocus, in their own words “the market leader in online software for corporate communications”, has purchased PRAnywhere from LexisNexis. PRAnywhere was previously Press Access.

The Internet has provided unparalleled access to information all around the world. This reach provides all communicators with inherent challenges in keeping up with developments, managing issues, communicating with audiences etc.

But while this global network has unquestionable benefits, I have felt for some time that as the Internet becomes established, we will begin to see more local content as people expect local information on local events and services.

In effect, I believe we will see a two layer Internet.  The Global network we know and love and then a more specific part that deals with our own environment.

NetRamp, the creators of a new search engine, OffRamp.US seem to agree.

OffRamp.US enables locale-specific searches in the United States. While it isn’t heralding a new revolution, it is an interesting development particularly for tailoring PR for local markets.

The BBC has a story on how consumers find technology jargon baffling.

Nothing new there, except as new consumer-friendly technologies hit the market, such as MP3 players, their uptake is stifled by confusion – even though they have fantastic potential for consumers everywhere.

The research points out that jargon that has been around since the birth of Personal Computing, such as megahertz, still mean nothing.

It’s up to communicators (as it has been for the past twenty years) to break down the barriers for consumers. With the jargon in place, these new technologies remain in the hands of the few.  I wouldn’t like to explain to my mum how she needs a USB 2.0 port in her computer to use her MP3 player. I’ve tried similar experiments and it always ends in tears.

I am amazed a pioneer like Apple hasn’t taken a deeper look at these issues.  After all they have a massive opportunity to reach beyond the innovators into the entire consumer market.

The BBC story was based on research commisioned by AMD and was released as planned!

The occurences of unintentionally leaked information continue unabated.

The latest victim or culprit is AMD.  They accidentally sent reporters a summary of forthcoming press releases which included the launch dates of their next generation of microprocessors.

The more cynical amongst you will point out that maybe it was a clever ploy to stimulate press coverage, hype and FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) however I don’t think so.

AMD have alerted their competitors (should that read competitor?) to their plans, giving them plenty of opportunity to put in place counter measures.  In addition, given AMD is a public company, it has also created an expectation that those dates will be met.

The nature of the Internet means that information can be distributed at the click of a button. We all know that.  What surprises me is that even though this is a real threat for every single firm, there has been little done in the way of safety measures.

It might be time to re-think how your client or employer moves information around the organization.

Maybe paper is best! 

 The Publicity Club of Chicago has an excellent report on a recent roundtable they hosted on Public Affairs and its impact on Public Relations. 

 A positive case study on how a South African supermarket chain successfully reacted to a crisis.

 Read how a new UK PR company focused on small business was inspired by (ahem) Oprah Winfrey. It’s called ‘The Editor’s Office‘.

 The Albuquerque Tribune has an interesting story on what PR is.

According to the UK Guardian, Financial Dynamics [FLASH Warning] has been bought in a management buy-out from it’s parent Cordiant for �26stg million.

The news hasn’t made it onto the Financial Dynamics news page.