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Blogger Arpee Lazaro contacts me relating how he was invited by an electronics manufacturer to the launch of their latest line of entertainment devices and gadgets. Upon entry, Arpee fell in line for the registration and before being allowed to register, was accosted by Jayce Perlas (as it says on his name tag) and asked what publication Arpee was from. He answered him “I am a blogger, and gave his URL. He then asked Arpee, “WHO INVITED YOU?” This lead to much humiliation in front of the people in the counter and treated like an arrested shoplifter. Here’s Arpee’s blog piece:  http://gadgets.arpeelazaro.com/?p=67

Arpee, look at the positive; don’t think bloggers are held in such high media regard here in OZ!!

Now a fair dinkum Aussie, I love the concept of ‘keeping the bastards honest’. Three of my fellow Aussies’ - Ryan Junee, Julian Frumar and Simon Ratner - Omnisio service, lets users annotate online videos, mash-up vision and synchronise Slideshare presentations to many clips they find on the web. Extending the interactive publishing modes via which stakeholders can interact with comms campaigns, should strike fear into the hearts of Ad, PR and marketing bullshit merchants. It’ll also warm the heart cockles of culture jammers and truth-seekers everywhere.

Phoney-baloney ad or marketing campaigns can be quickly captioned, challenged, corrected or critiqued ensuring that hollow brand boasts are debunked or soured. PR speeches or statements can quickly have the spin in them revealed and unspun. And from a pro-PR viewpoint, PRs can use incorrect competitor or news report footage to assert, correct, clarify and bring more balance or accuracy to public awareness and debates. Omnisio takes what Viddler started to a new, more interactive level. Some commentators are already suggesting that it’s another phase in an online TV revolution, where you can more easily create your own, discreet news programs using ‘their’ footage and adding your commentary. Any bets on which Ad or PR agency will be the first to get a caning if and when Google - Omnisio’s new owners - integrate this full functionality?

Take one bored country boy…add a forklift truck…loaded with huge reinforced concrete pipes..do a few wheelies…burn rubber…film self using mobile phone…upload to YouTube…pick up job dismissal papers.

http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24649844-15335,00.html

Tomorrow, lunchtime Melbourne, it’s an IABC crisis management hypothetical with loads of emphasis on Web2.0. Designed to be fun and educational…look fwd to seeing summa you there. Mantra on Russell 12.30pm.

http://www.iabcvic.com.au/home/news/iabcnews/1900386294/Article.aspx

Comes the familiar chant from Social Media advocate Dave Knox, citing Motrin as a ‘how not to do this stuff’ example. 

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/11/17/why-every-brand-needs-to-understand-social-media

I can’t keep it in any longer!! Speaking at a conference fairly recently, I was asked a question from the floor that near left me speechless…in a room full of PR professionals, someone basically challenged the validity of my assertion that Social Media would become/is becoming increasingly influential in issues and crisis management campaigns. The person said (and I precis) “How is a blog different from a website and why would anyone in business or an organisation bother with one?” I think I bristled and sounded irked when responding. But how can modern comms practitioners not know the whats, whys and hows of the blogosphere????

I welcome any other pearls of wisdom you blogtypes may have heard of late…?

 

Employees undermining the corporate brands (via Facebook) of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic; that’s the subject of the above article from The Economist. http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12566818

As the publication reports: “On October 31st Virgin fired 13 of its cabin crew who had posted derogatory comments about safety standards and passengers on Facebook. On November 3rd, BA began investigating the behaviour of several employees who had described some passengers as “smelly” and “annoying” in Facebook postings. From a Reputation Management viewpoint (a topic I discussed at a Crisis Summit in Sydney this week), it raises three important issues: 1) Today’s corporations need a rigorous Social Media engagement policy. 2) All organisations must regularly educate staff about acceptable use of the internet. 3) Effective online monitoring systems must be engaged to alert orgs as to the conversations taking place about them, in the online space.

 

 

Over at The Guardian, the editor of PR Week is giving the BBC’s PR team a sound thrashing, by jove.