Search Dilema

I don't like change. I'm ok with that. But working in tech PR means you have to be open to a certain amount of change to keep up with new technology, and that I am dealing with, not least when it comes to new search engines.

For those of you who need a little help deciding which engine is best I've found THE BEST tool to help you decide. Enjoy it here!

Forget G4 (if you even know who they are anyway) it's all about G1

Google has finally launched G1 in conjunction with T-Mobile. It's a very different strategy to the launch of the iPhone with O2 and one that, I think, will get more people excited. Ok, so it doesn’t look quite as flashy as the iPhone - in my opinion - but I have to say I'm more keen to get my paws on this bad boy.

One of the most interesting things about it is that it is going to bring debates about mobile advertising into focus. I'm not a big fan of excessive advertising - who is? - but I can appreciate it if it's going to reflect in reduced costs for me. If it's anything like the Gmail advertising - scarily targeted by picking out key words from emails in your inbox - then I don't really have a problem with it. With companies like Phorm leading the way in targeted advertising that won't jeopardise your personal information, G1 may well be a winner.

World Wide Web – freedom of speech vs scaremongering

Sir Tim Berners-Lee is concerned that the web is being used to scaremonger information and is losing its democracy through increasing corporate presence. But surely the majority of media, be it print, online or broadcast, will always be subject to advertising and political leanings of the owner. Using the media and marketing to influence citizens the world over is not unprecedented. Yes, Sir Tim is correct in saying that in recent years we have seen an increase in corporate ‘vested interests’ online, but it is not the sole domain of the Web. Other examples of scaremongering include the Salem Witchcraft trials of the late 17^th Century and 390,000 England and Wales citizens making official their devotion to the Jedi ‘faith’ for the 2001 census.

I wonder if Sir Tim sees the web as a technological Frankenstein – it seemed a great idea at the time (anything does after the first bottle of bubbly) but has morphed out of control causing the destruction of society’s civil liberties in its wake? But no! Don’t worry Tim, we’ve got ANPR and ID cards to do that!

But, these comments are surely not what Sir Tim wants our focus on at this point in time. He’s recently unveiled plans to launch the World Wide Web Foundation, which aims to make it easier for people to get online in a world where currently, 80% of the world’s population don’t have access to the web. What the Web gives is the wondrous right to freedom of speech – and this should be available to us all.

PR and marketing in a 2.0 world - what does it mean?

Web 2.0, social networking and peer2peer and online communities: What does it all mean for business? Some agencies sat back thinking it was a fleeting trend that would die overnight. Some people thought FaceBook would have an RIP written over its head a long time ago and as for Twitter – why would someone be interested in my inner thoughts throughout the day?

Luckily, we realised a while ago that there is a variety of emerging valuable communications tools for the business world. And, these mediums are getting stronger. So strong, that they will have a profound and lasting impact on the business world, internal and external communications and the way brands work.

So, we decided to release an eBook uncovering the mysteries that surround the online world and the changing methods of communications in the PR world. My favourite a chapter is on online communities, it touches on the reorganisation of the business and the economy. Check it out here.

How to outshine Apple...

Finally worked out how to upstage Apple's latest iPod, iPhone, AirBook type PR announcements...

...fire up the worlds largest scientific experiment!

misTweeting an embargo?

Last week I was mildly amused to watch two well known and respected journalists slate a PR story that - thankfully - wasn't mine on Twitter. "New leader in rubbish PR stunt of 08. Firm gets psychologist to "identify" new net deprivation syndrome they call "discomgoogolation" announced ruskin147 (aka Rory Cellen-Jones - BBC). "@ruskin147 oh, is discomg... a Sunday for Monday? No doubt." replied charlesarthur (Guardian)

What I didn't realise was that this same story actually only broke this morning. You can note also that ruskin147 wasn't impressed with this coverage "cannot believe that even Reuters fell for "discomgoogolation". For shame! Only goes to show how smart PR people are…"

Embargoes are never 100 per cent reliable but Twitterers were reading about this news, albeit in brief, five days before it launched. Although 118118, sponsors of the survey, won't be too upset as they've still secured thirty plus pieces of coverage to date, this could have been potentially damaging if the journalists had been discussing a story of financial bearing.

I'm not a great advocate of placing rules and regulations on things like Twitter, which are intended to be informal social networking arenas, but I think it is something PR's need to be taking into account and addressing when pre-selling news to journalists who are active in this sphere.