Media Relations

1.4 Million People Apply For Marketing Job - Web Site Crashes

You get your own island, your own beautiful house, and a six figure income...and all you have to do is blog.  Watch the video, see how they did it, see why their Web site crashed, and see why the job opening was covered by news media around the world.

All for the price of some want ads...not bad.  Watch the video!

The Power of Mommy - General Mills Creates The Mother Of All Blog Networks

The latest from Adweek...General Mills has been very busy.  The company has recruited more than 900 bloggers, 80 percent of them are moms.  General Mills calls this new network MyBlogSpark.  Members "can register to be eligible for everything from sampling campaigns to product coupons to news of a new ad campaign. General Mills plans to use the network to promote its wide portfolio of products in the food and beverage, beauty, home, electronics, health and automotive categories."

This type of wide open outreach might scare some companies.  But if MyBlogSpark participants read the fine print, the conditions for participating read: "If you feel you cannot write a positive post regarding the product or service, please contact the MyBlogSpark team before posting any content."

Read on...

 

Begging Management To Embrace Social Media? Some Good Arguments Here.

It burns in the eyes of many managers.  Absolute fear.  Mention using social media - they see  pictures of teens doing unmentionable things.  Mention YouTube - they flashback to the Domino's nightmare.  Claim that social media can no longer be ignored and they give you the look.  The one that says: "I'm in charge here, and I want to be in charge of my message."

...That's when you refer them to the advertising department.

How can you convince them not to fall behind and miss a major world shift?  How can we break this prevalent attitude of so-me-phobia (social media phobia)?

Tell the boss you'll buy lunch and bring it to her/his office.  Pull up the following podcast: Social Media.  Friend or Foe?  PLAY IT!

The mock scenario...four people try to convince their boss to embrace social media.  The arguments are good.

Podcast: Social Media, Friend or Foe?...with thanks to Ragan Communications

 

Newspapers On Cliff's Edge - Will They Fly Or Jump?

They felt thin and weak in my hand this morning.  Two extremely lean newspapers, plastic wrapped and waiting on my doorstep.  I've subscribed to the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News for a long time.  We've been so fortunate to have two daily newspapers in the Salt Lake City market.  The bill to "re-up" came just yesterday and without hesitation, my check is in the mail.

But changes are coming.  It can't be denied.  We've heard about the newsroom layoffs, the lack of  print advertisers during a down economy, and the gutting of classifieds' revenue by other online entities who do it for free.

The industry is on the edge of a cliff.  Will it fly or jump?  Most importantly, will it hang onto its sage newsroom management and senior reporters?  Will they be there to mentor the newbies who may not understand how easily their words can ruin reputation or influence government and business for better or worse?

What if...

both papers suddenly announced they were going completely online?  Advertisers who've doubted the effectiveness of online ads would have only one option if they wanted to be in the Deseret News or Tribune....get used to online news.  As more advertisers take the plunge, new forms of measurement will follow to satisfy those who live and die by the numbers.

What if...

Kindle and iPhone offered Tribune and Deseret News subscriptions?  Sure, I can currently subscribe to other larger papers, but I want local news.   I'd be the first to buy in, because I refuse to spend my carefully rationed free time in front of a computer monitor.  Just last week, in five quick minutes, I bought a book from Amazon.com on my computer and it was downloaded wirelessly to my iPhone.  I quite enjoy reading from the device.

And what if...

in their hard copy absence, a group of skilled and fresh-out-of-work reporters could cobble together the financing to create a brand new Salt Lake newspaper...the kind you can still hold in your hand when technology hurts the weary eyes.  That would be a blast.  And I hope it happens.

No news reruns.

The news industry can't fill the online space with re-runs.  This is the information age and those who produce the content will always have a place.  Two tough questions remain:  Is it a welcoming, ethical, respectful place, and does it pay enough to make it worth their lifetime dedication?

Bold Obama Speech Viewed By Cheering Utah Crowd

It wasn't enough to witness history watching a mere TV set.  Today I went to Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah and watched it on a big screen with an estimated 1500 Utahns.  Almost as good as being there.

From Obama's speech at what planners are calling the "most defended event in American history" :

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath."

"Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please."

AND WHAT A CLOSER!

A surprise ending in the inaugural benediction by Joseph E. Lowery - 

Listen close...at the very end....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoyyEpHBsmk

Queasy Media. Will Journalists Flee Their Profession? Newspapers In Freefall.

Queasy Media

Last weekend I sipped on hot coffee, and with great indulgence, paged through hard copies of the The Deseret News, The Salt Lake Tribune and  The Wall Street Journal.  How much longer will I have this weekly luxury?  On weekdays, I get my news online...in tense and static moments of free time...bits and pieces between work assignments.  It is so nice to move to the couch, rest my fingers, wrists and tennis elbow, while enjoying the true touch & feel of an old- fashioned newspaper.

The Big Change Looms

1. In a panel discussion I attended recently, an AP reporter indicated he knew of 16 newspapers up for sale.  No takers.

2. According to MediaBuyerPlanner: "A number of newspapers have been on the market for months, including the San Diego Union Tribune and the Austin American-Statesman. The Virginian-Pilot was taken off the market last week when potential buyers could not get financing."

3. Colorado's oldest newspaper, The Rocky Mountain Newsis on the block, even as it approaches its 150th anniversary of existence.

4. The Detroit Free Pressis pushing people to online news by cutting back on home deliveries.

Reporters Are Anxious

I talk to them daily.  I feel their fear.  The economy is speeding up the change we all knew was coming.  Online only. News outlets are building intense infrastructure in cyberspace, each becoming a newspaper, radio station, TV station, podcaster,blog, and presence in social networks.

Exciting, yes.  Frightening, yes.  Convincing advertisers to take the total leap, and thus pay the wages of America's journalists remains to be seen.  I sincerely hope it happens soon, before all the tried and true news people find new professions and simply walk away from the drama.

 

What Did Obama Teach Us?

Donation dollars gushed through the Internet pipeline, making  Obama's campaign cash-rich.  And the money was spent in new and unusual ways.  The exhaustive effort was jam-packed with new strategy and new media.  What should we, as communicators, learn from this?  A must-read, must-save article (with video examples) on the Ragan Communications site today:

Fifteen lessons from the longest and most expensive presidential campaign in U.S. history: What the 2008 campaign taught communicators.  And if you think about it, we are all communicators.
  

 

Quarantined News Media Face Huge Ethics Test On November 4th

On November 4th, those typical exit polls (those that many accuse of skewing election outcomes) will be conducted.  According to an interview on last weekend's On The Media, representatives from the four TV networks and Associated Press will be quarantined.  At 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, those individuals will be given some early and general trend information from those polls.  They are free to take it back to the newsroom where employees are supposed to embargo the information until the Western states have finished voting.

This will be the ultimate test of news media ethics.  After all, TV anchors will be ravenous for anything to say during the long stretch from 5:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. EST Standard Time (when all polls have closed). 

The On The Media piece (click on the podcast Poll Me Twice) addressed the genuine concern that newsrooms may leak the forbidden info to bloggers/citizen journalists, who will then post online...allowing traditional media to simply "cover what's already out there."

And if it happens....will it skew the results as anchors release scraps of online information?  Will Western voters figure their vote won't count if they see TV report a "clear trend" from the exit polls.

The world will be watching.

Utah's New "Business Page." Utah Pulse is a Commendable Venture.

Disappointed by the shrinking newspaper business page and newsroom layoffs?  Ironic it is that in such transformative economic times, some newspapers have cut back the size, or even eliminated the business page altogether.
 
But wait a minute.  The creation of the 401K retirement plan practically forced average US workers to become well-versed in business, investments and the stock market.  So wouldn't you also think that a newspaper's business page would be popular, well-read, and appreciated by news readers?  
 
In Utah, the void has been filled.  We are lucky to witness a new online presense called Utah Pulse.  With seed money from Zions Bank, Utah Pulse is designed to cover the business news that doesn't receive coverage from the daily news anymore.
 
It is media rich, aggregates important daily headlines and has the potential to be not only an online newspaper, but also a radio station (podcasts), TV station (video feeds), a blog, and new social media (whatever form that may take).  And Utah Pulse is setting up alliances with business associations statewide.
 
Sign up to receive the daily email newsletter for free at http://www.utahpulse.com/feeds

Help keep this project alive and flourishing by not only reading and listening to its content, but also by sending your business news to the editor.  If business news affects "Main Street," we can't afford to live without it.
 
I also asked editor Bryan Schott for more information on upcoming features and what he looks for:

"The best way for people to get in touch with me is at [email protected] or on my cell phone at 801.205.8387.  I’m particularly interested in hearing from Utah business people who want to share their expertise with the business community at large.  We’re also going to launch a comprehensive job board in the near future as well."

Kodak Wants Best "Election Moments" Photos

A great marketing ploy!  Kodak just emailed me, asking me to participate in a contest:

"We're on the hunt for spectacular 2008 presidential election photos. These include your best snapshots of election parties, politicians, voters, fundraisers and anything else that captures this exciting time.

If your photo is selected, it will be featured along with your story in next month's KODAK Moment—the day before the election."

You can send your campaign Kodak moment entry to:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/kodakmoment/submission.jhtml

What a way to ride the coattails of the most significant campaigns in US history.