Here's my latest CBC "Business Network" column. There's a lot happening right now on social media and measurement, as anyone who's keeping up with Joe Thornley's Pro PR blog would know; I've merely scratched the surface with this, which is about all you can do in 2:10 or so.
Ciao,
Bob.
May 20, 2008
Social media and measurement, on the Biznet
Signs of the times -- social media staff positions
One Degree points out that a major Canadian insurance company is looking for a Manager, Social Media.
How long ago would it have been when the HR department would have had to figure out what the heck soial media was before they even wrote the specs? Not very long, I think.
May 15, 2008
Age of Convesation update
It's 10:04 on my mom's birthday, May 15. The Penguins are desperately trying to tie the game in the last three minutes ... and my Age of Conversation essay's been in for over a day already!
Wow, how relaxing that is to write.
I note that a numbr of my co-authors are sharing snippets of their essays on their blogs or on the blogs of others. So here's a snip of mine.
Have you heard of a TV show called "I Led Three Lives???” Now we all live three lives. Our personal lives that we live in offices and homes, where we socialize with friends, chat, work, argue, shop, listen to music and do everything that we all do. There are our private lives -- those parts of us that we keep to ourselves, and perhaps to our spouse or the people we're closest to -- the failings, the fears, the deep desires, the dark thoughts, the revolutionary zeal. And then there are our digital lives -- the homunculus we create online, with words and pictures and videos and emoticons.
Every day, we all choose what of us we share online, what sort of persona we create, how much of it is true to how we see ourselves and how others see us. But when we die, our digital lives will linger like our last exhalation. How do we choose what to leave for our children and the world? Should our digital selves be deleted? Left to decay as our bodies do? Or preserved?
And here are the other authors:
- Ann Handley
- C.C. Chapman
- Cathleen Rittereiser
- Connie Reece
- Daniel Honigman
- Dan Schawbel
- David Reich
- David Weinfeld
- David Zinger
- Deanna Gernert
- Derrick Kwa
- Doug Haslam
- Doug Meacham
- Doug Mitchell
- Douglas Hanna
- Dylan Viner
- Eric Peterson
- Greg Verdino
- Jamey Shiels
- Jeanne Dininni
- Jeff Wallace
- Karl Turley
- Kate Trgovac
- Kevin Jessop
- Kristin Gorski
- Laura Fitton
- Matt J. McDonald
- Nettie Hartsock
- Robert Hruzek
- Ryan Barrett
- Sandy Renshaw
- Stephen Cribbett
- Steve Roesler
- Thomas Knoll
- Todd Andrlik
- Troy Rutter
- Vandana Ahuja
Bob.
Ciao,
Bob.
Liveblogging the Bulldog reporter audio conference on blogger relations
Getting through the first roundyrounds with the Bulldog Reporter audio conference on blogger relations featuring Tom Foremski, Neville Hobson, Kara Swisher, John Biggs, and Dean Takahashi.
First panel round was more or less standard stuff; journos (esp. Swisher) don't like embargos, target your bloggers, know what they write about.
- DEAN: even though bloggers may not have the biggest audience, they are worth pitching because they shape coverage
- KARA: Separating "mainstream" from "bloggers" is silly at this point in terms of pitching or other issues (such as ethical standards). Doesn't make sense any more.
- TOM: Mainstream media is being forced to finally give credit to bloggers, something they've been reluctant to do.
- JOHN: his weekly Times column comes directly from consultation with the Times editor over what he's covered on his blog.
- Tom: HP, recently pitched on EDS merger with VERY rapid response and access to C-suite
- Neville: a phone call. Contact by phone and asked "good time to talk? then pitched." Sez e-mail wouldn't have worked.
- Neville: simple answer: understand the person you're approaching. GT was tired of pitches at her personal e-mail.
- JOHN: Trapani's experience happens a lot; makes pitcher look like an idiot. Use google; follow the rules the blogger sets out.
- KARA: most good PR people know this. Don't get as much as I used to, but she gets far less useless stuff than she used to. Improved immeasurably.
- KARA: Paid standard, NY Times, reads "everything", all the majors, etc.
- TOM : doesn't read too much, scans headlines, but doesn't wanna be influenced. wants to go 'hack the rock out of the rock face,' then come up with something ORIGINAL
- NEVILLE: the usuals, + Marc Andreesen's blog, FT tech content, Techmeme, UK mainstream media, Economist on tech and business, TechCrunch UK, next web, big on aggregators
- JOHN: build google alerts -- useful for blogs too, esp if website has google juice
- NEVILLE: Find out what the people you respect are reading, steal their blogroll or OPML file.
- KARA: doesn't use it
- John: nice ego boost for most popular blogs, but doesn't find it useful for finding blogs in your interest area
- TOM: Google reader allows you to construct your "own personal Techmeme"
- DEAN: Twitter -- sub to Google news on Twitter, he promotes his breaking news.
- Q1: businesswire, etc useful?
- A1: No.
- Q2: Is commenting a good strategy to hit the radar for bloggers?
- A2: TOM - yes; NEVILLE: essential engagement startegy, but has to be done with relevance. Can't be a "parachute" commenter.
- Web 2.0 companies are Web 2.YAWN companies for him; just not much there.
- Tech by itself has no meaning. Gotta be providing meaning, usefulness for people, culture of innovation or rather disruption.
2:07: John Biggs:
- Crunchgear: more irreverant than TechCrunch. Loves handson reviews on the gadget beat, use IM to contact him and his minions; very simple, to the point, please.
- KARA: she runs 'experts' (but doesn't like the term) as guest columnists, often industry types, but it can't be cheerleadery. (No siss-boom-bah, flacks)
- John: (I think) BE QUICK -- can't be tomorrow, must be now, available for Skype call to record etc.
- NEVILLE: Okay with it depending on circumstances. Good to have a discussion with likeminded others. Did one yesterday with multiple mainstream and bloggers, differnet angles resulted, etc.
- TOM: Group is fine, but wants to be able to have one-on-one to get something nobody else has.
- Neville: None
- Kara: None
- John: treat bloggers like newswire providers. He's "never off", Arrington is up at 4 am writing, speed, accuracy, precision, not often time for leisurely lunches, etc.
- TOM: more, more. Embed codes are great
- JOHN: embed is ideal, easiest, just YouTube it.
- TOM: RSS is the central enabling technology of this version of the web.
- TOM: Respond IMMEDIATELY. Don't have committee meets for two weeks.
- NEVILLE (surprise): it depends. Treat it as if it were any other media outlet. Be careful that you don't let the 'genie' out of the bottle -- once the conversation starts, you can't withdraw.
- JOHN: seen cease & desists; treated in blogosphere as an acknowledgement of fact. (BOB note: tehe)
- TOM: don't like "social"; prefers "new media", but yes
- KARA: it's ridiculous; you don't have to name everything with this web 2.0 stuff.
- NEVILLE: name doesn't matter.
- KARA: Don't. It's useless for that. Twitter, e-mail, phone. FB widgets are useless
- TOM: experimented, and found e-mail tools very subpar.
- NEVILLE: finds it useless from messaging; he finds connection comes from twitter more than FB; twitter doesn't have FB's 'baggage' silly quiz apps and the like
- NEVILLE, JOHN: MOBILE MOBILE MOBILE
- NEVILLE: RSS
- TOM: gotta immerse yourself; things are changing all the time, you have to be paying attention all the time. PR used to be media; now it's PUBLICs. There are big changes coming down the pipe.
Ciao,
Bob.
May 13, 2008
Now here's a timely topic ... Bulldog on Blog pitching for PRs
I'm going to be listening in on this Bulldog Reporter Audio Webinar
today. The topic -- given Trapanigate, Longtailgate(hey -- sounds like a feature on a pickup truck), etc, etc , ad nauseam -- is incredibly timely: Tech Blog Pitching Update for PR." I'm hoping to try liveblogging it, which I've not done before. Bear with me.
If you think we PR flacks don't need this, just check out the Bad Pitch Blog or some of the chatter around Help a Reporter.
Disclosure: Bulldog has invited me to sit in on this, but I've promised nothing in return other than to blog about it.
Ciao,
Bob.
May 12, 2008
Social media round table slightly postponed
The Ottawa Network has put off the social media round table that I'll be part of for a couple of weeks, so you'll just have to be patient until early June.
This Wednesday they're hosting a talk by Ray Fisher of Semiconductor Insights on "How to Sell in 2008" at the Nepean Sailing Club.
But I suspect the social media panel will be worth the wait. There are going to be some super smart people there, both of the public relations and non-public relations variety. And me, just to keep the average IQ within one standard deviation of the mean.
More details as they become clear.
Ciao,
Bob.
Bob Rae's humour is always fresh
Tongue planted firmly in cheek, Bob Rae posts what he says is a Secret Letter from Harper to Tim Horton's.
This is undoubtedly the best way to end Timbitgate.
Ciao,
Bob.
May 09, 2008
Heidi Cee gets an F: Hunter College Probe Slams Coach-Sponsored PR Class
Big news on the Heidi Cee case: Journalist Andrew Adam Newman, who wrote Long Story Short, a cover story for Adweek, has broken a new development on the case.
The Senate of Hunter College (the academic governing body) has issued a Report that Slams the Coach-Sponsored PR Class.
The report is published (I think in full) on the Adweek site. But for me, the money shot is this:
" In summary, the committee concludes that there were three aspects of MEDP 299.48 that circumvented the academic freedom rights of Prof. Portlock and his students.
-- The most egregious aspect was that free inquiry into multiple points of view was effectively blocked despite the expressed desire of the instructor to promote such inquiry. Only a single point of view, a distinctly non-scholarly perspective that came from outside of the Academy and hence not subject to the usual rigor of peer-review and other academic standards of higher education, was presented during the course.
-- The unconventional nature of the course, both in its genesis (i.e., from outside of Hunter), and the extremely narrow perspective presented in the IACC's Professor/Faculty Advisor Project Kit, clearly invites discussion about substantive issues of pedagogy at Hunter. The choice of an untenured faculty member whose expertise falls well outside of the scope of the IACC course material predisposed a situation which made it difficult for the instructor to exercise his academic freedom rights, both in his ability to refuse to teach the class beforehand, and in his ability to control the subject matter presented while the course was running.
-- Content of courses at Hunter is reserved to individual faculty, and the faculty collectively through the Hunter College Senate. There was unwarranted involvement in the course from parts of the administration that are not charged with curricular substance, i.e., the Office of the President and the Office of Student Affairs. This blurring of the definitions of shared governance specifically contributed to the academic freedom concerns articulated above."
Ciao,
Bob.
UPDATE: Self-promotion alert: CBC this morning, a panel next week
I'm absoultely flying at work right now with a lot to get done and too little time, so VERY quickly:
- Ontario Morning today (about Timbitgate) went well -- at least host Wei Chen sounded good. Hard to tell when you're in the middle of things. If anyone heard and has kudos or critiques, I'm open. They have a podcast, but I don't know if the item will be added or not at this point. (UPDATE: From a super-secret source, here's the audio).
- The feedback coming from musicians for 76Fanclubs is continuing to be great. We're working to get people signed up to it and their sites populated, so if you're a band and you want help making community and making money, talk to us. We were billeting Wendell Ferguson and Katherine Wheatley last night after the "Still Escaping" show they opened for Scarlett, Washington & Whiteley, and I got a chance to demo it for them.
- I've been asked to join a panel next Wednesday being organized by The Ottawa Network. Details aren't yet up on the site, but it will be about social media and will feature Linda Moran of Sciemetrics and Peter Childs. What I know: Wednesday at the Nepean Sailing Club, about 5:30 pm to 8:00. Feel free to take me out on your yacht afterward.
Ciao,
Bob.
May 08, 2008
You have one new message. Message from: AK-47.
Ever been "pocket-dialled"? I have. People have their phones in their pockets, and accidentally dial you?
Usually, when this happens to me, I get a bus ride, a bunch of papers shuffling, or maybe someone coughing or clearing his or her throat.
But that's far from what the family of a US soldier in Afghanistan got. BBC NEWS has the story and the audio. The Daily Telegraph reports that the soldier and his counterparts were unhurt.
That's what I call unfiltered (except by some desert camo) communications.
I wonder if the U. S. military considers this a disciplinary problem.
Ciao,
Bob.
UPDATED: No TimBit for you! SIX MONTHS!
I'll be on CBC Radio's "Ontario Morning" with host Wei Chen tomorrow, talking about this mini-opera centering on free Timbits, questionable HR practices, corporate apologies, and public backlashes.
If you live in Southern Ontario outside of Ottawa or Toronto, tune in, then laugh at me. If you wanna listen live online, hit this link and choose listen live. I'm on around 7:10 Eastern Time.
Bob.
Update: Blogger and Podcaster Bill Deys has a thought via Utterz about Timbitgate. I agree with him that there might well be reasons beyond the free Timbit for the woman's dismissal. However, it was still the wrong, wrong strategy to take. And what I think is the most fascinating aspect of this is the relationship between one stupid move by a manager and the public relations impact on a national brand. If you don't think your actions as an employee matter, or that your employees can't make a positive -- or negative -- difference, think again.
Ian Ross at PR Voyageur chimes in too.
May 06, 2008
Third Tuesday on First Monday = record turnout
The long-awaited return of Third Tuesday to Ottawa was a ringing success, with more than 60 people forsaking the warmth and sunshine of a lovely Ottawa spring day for the basement of the Clock Tower to hear Ryan Anderson, Brendan Hodgson, and Colin McKay talk about the "Shiny New Object" syndrome, and then get the discussion going.
Some pictures below, taken by the exceedingly amateur me. Other flotsam and jetsam from the event can be found here.
Ciao,
Bob.
May 05, 2008
CBC column on the tattered torch run and corporate sponsors
Due to a scheduling snafu at the Business Network, my column got delayed a week, and just ran this morning. You can listen to it here, but here's the script.
"I'm pretty certain that Baron de Coubertin is doing triple somersaults in the pike position in his grave.
The leadup to the 2008 Olympics has been like no other. When Canada hosted the Calgary Olympics in 1988, thousands of Canadians carried the torch and it was a big unity-booster.
This time, the torch run has been dominated by controversy as pro-Tibet protesters have done everything in their power to disrupt the procession. From fire extinguishers to giant signs on the Golden Gate Bridge, what was supposed to be a triumph has turned into a branding catastrophe for the Chinese government.
My interest, however, is more in the potential effects of this on Olympic sponsors.
For a movement that's supposed to be building a better and peaceful world through sport, the Olympics is big business, and corporations pony up nearly half a billion dollars each year to be part of it.
And I would wager that some of those corporations have been wondering just what is going to happen to their investment in what has become a VERY controversial event.
It's likely that a corporation like Coca-Cola, which has been involved with the Olympics for 80 years, won't break its ties. But it's found itself under pressure, as have other sponsors.
This is likely the highest-level version of a dilemma that all businesses likely face from time to time.
Businesses are pitched all sorts of sponsorships all the time, and have to make complicated decisions. What's the investment? What's the potential return? What are the dangers? How much non-financial investment - time, products, services - will your business have to bring to the table?
If there's a lesson to be learned from the Beijing torch run, or in the phrase Mia Farrow coined, the "Genocide Olympics", it's that businesses need to do some serious due diligence before making any significant sponsorship deal.
Like most things that will have some impact on a corporation's public image, sponsorships or partnerships need to be looked at VERY seriously, with extravagant attention paid to worst-case scenarios.
In one of my jobs, I used to tell my boss that I got paid for thinking of the worst thing that could happen. If you're in business, you need someone to do that. You just might keep your image from getting torched."
Ciao,Bob.
The True Story of a Bogus Blog
People who've been following this blog for a while may remember the case of "Heidi Cee." I wrote about this fictional leader of a sponsored anti-counterfeiting campaign several times this winter.
This morning's Adweek has a major feature on the campaign. The feature, written by Andrew Adam Newman, is called The True Story of a Bogus Blog, and it's a tremendously well-reported, solid piece of work (and would be, even if he hadn't interviewed me).
Perhaps the most disturbing part of the piece for me is the quotes from the student Newman tracked down, Hunter College senior Sarah El-Edibi. From the story:
"Prior to that class, I had two PR internships and they were bullshit. You end up doing the grunt work and you learn the nature of the business, but no methodology...
What does El-Edlibi think of Facebook saying the profile violates its terms of use?
"Oh, please," she responds. "People do crazy shit on Facebook like every day."
El-Edlibi also does not believe the campaign was truly deceptive, because at the end of the semester the class issued a press release revealing Cee was fake, and linked to it on the social networking sites. On Cee's blog, the press release is the 32nd -- and final -- entry, and is preceded with, "Here is the catch -- I am totally not real!"
...Still, if the campaign was less than forthright, El-Edlibi says she believes that's how things really work in the field. "Public relations people, in general, have very little morals when it comes to being completely honest with the consumer," El-Edlibi says.
She also disputes Coach's claim that it didn't give its imprimatur to Cee.
"I think the entire PR team from Coach was in the class, maybe six or seven women," El-Edlibi recalls. "We were supposed to be working for Coach, who was the client, and they really liked the idea of making someone fake. If they had some ethical issues with it, they should have said so. If there was anybody who could have stopped it, it would have been Coach."
One of my concerns when I first heard about this story was that students were not learning that there are ethics to this business. And my concern appears to be well-founded.
Ciao,
Bob
May 01, 2008
CBC gig is evaporating...
I guess it had to happen sometime, but it's a shame anyway.
My eight-year run at CBC Radio's The Business Network will end in June when the show itself ends.
For those of you who haven't listened online or don't get up at 5:40 in the morning, the show is a 15-minute wrap of the previous day's market activity, a feature interview with a business newsmaker, and a column. The Biznet has a stable of 10 columnists, including me, their PR guy.
Other columnists include Deborah Yedlin, Andrew Wahl, Andrew Willis, Jacqueline Drew, David Baskin, Peter Vincent, Ellen Roseman, David Colman, Duncan Stewart, Jim Bray and Loraleigh Kovacic.
I started doing columns in early 2000, and I just might have passed the eight year mark last month, so apparently April is a big month for me to start things. It's been a great run for me, both giving me some pocket money, and allowing me to stay connected to CBC Radio, where I started my working life. I loved going to the Chateau Laurier back in the day, and I've had a number of great producers over the years who I've enjoyed working with (Tracy, Leanne, Amanda, Chuck, Ted, Carol...)
I will be continuing to do columns up until the end of the show in June (next Monday is my next air-date, on the implications of the Olympic torch relay fiasco for corporate sponsors who may be looking apprehensively at Beijing), so it's not too late to listen.
And on the other hand, if you're looking for a slightly used business communication columnist, I'm gonna be looking for something to do in the evenings soon enough.
Sigh.
Ciao,
Bob.
April 30, 2008
From bad to worse... Ottawa's mayor makes a baaad joke.
I've already blogged about some of the troubles of Ottawa's mayor. But I have to post about what could most charitably be described as an incredibly ill-advised attempt at humour by Mayor Larry O'Brien today.
O'Brien, for those of you not familiar with Ottawa civic politics, stands accused of two criminal offences related to allegations against him. It's been alleged that O'Brien met with another mayoral candidate, Terry Kilrea, and offered him both a payout of his campaign expenses and assistance obtaining a patronage appointment from the federal government if Kilrea withdrew from the mayoral race. It is claimed that O'Brien told Kilrea he had influence with the federal minister responsible for the region, John Baird, and that he would use that influence to Kilrea's benefit.
Kilrea did withdraw from the race, although he says he did not take up O'Brien on his offer, and O'Brien subsequently won the election (Kilrea supported the incumbent, Bob Chiarelli).
So. Background out of the way, today, the city of Ottawa launched a new web site promoting Ottawa's festivals. (We have a lot of 'em, from our world-leading Bluesfest to ... Lebanorama) O'Brien was on the speakers' list; in the audience was John Baird.
The celebrity guest was Luba Goy, a comedian and cast member of the Royal Canadian Air Farce, a long-running television comedy sketch show that will end next season. Goy apparently made a joke about needing a job during her bit.
Then, O'Brien took the podium, and said "I'd like also to thank Minister John Baird, if he's still in the audience, thank you very much, and maybe we should get together later to talk about a job for Luba." The clip is available for now at CBC Ottawa's News at Six web site. Until about 7:30 May 1, the show will be available. Scroll to about 23:30 to watch. According to one blogger, Baird left the event, visibly irritated at the comment.
I can't read O'Brien's mind, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on motive and say that he wanted to make a joke, since a comedian was on the podium. This was not a good joke. In fact, his joke makes a mockery of criminal charges that he himself is facing, and which have involved a federal cabinet minister.
I hope that the Mayor makes a public apology for his flippant comment, and learns to take his office more seriously in the future. If he'd like some media training, I can give him a good rate.
Ciao,
Bob.
Happy Blogday to me... (and someone else too)
As the final grains of sand slip out of April's hourglass, I just wanted to note that I have now been a blogger for five years.
- Nearly 1200 posts
- God only knows how many words
- 27,000+ page views since February 2006
- In the top 40,000 of the Technorati ranking
- As of right now ranked #209 on the AdAge Power 150
Thanks for sticking around and reading what I write.
And oh yeah. On Monday, iTunes turned five.
Happy birthday to them too.
Ciao,
Bob.
April 29, 2008
This Twitter explanation may give Common Craft a run for its money
From the Canadian magazine The Walrus, a pioneer woman demos Twitter.
Twitter for Beginners: So Simple A Pioneer Can Do It from twitter howto on Vimeo.
Odd, but compelling. Or is it me?
By the way, if you have a recipe for starch (other than buy a can and press the button), you might want to follow Pioneer Girl.
Ciao,
Bob.
AoC 2008: What are YOUR thoughts?
I've been starting to peck away at notes for my contribution to the 2008 edition of "The Age of Conversation", which has the title "Why don't people get it?"
This year, Drew and Gavin have split up the authors of this unique project into themes, and I'm doing "Life in the Conversation Lane." They suggest that this theme will revolve around: "Bringing it all back to the individual -- how is life in a digitally connected, social world impacting our lives? What is the personal cost and what is the attraction? Is there a balance or are we just kidding ourselves?"
If you have a thought about these questions, tell me. I won't promise that anyone's thoughts will get pulled into what I end up writing, but I would like to know what you're thinking about these questions. Leave a comment. I would appreciate it. And since I'm not getting paid for this, it's not like you're doing my work for me.
And I also thought I'd say a blogging hello to all the folks who are tackling this theme with me, because I have no doubt the diversity of this group will make for a fascinating set of essays. So... HEY ALL Y'ALL:
- Ann Handley
- C.C. Chapman
- Cathleen Rittereiser
- Connie Reece
- Daniel Honigman
- Dan Schawbel
- David Reich
- David Weinfeld
- David Zinger
- Deanna Gernert
- Derrick Kwa
- Doug Haslam
- Doug Meacham
- Doug Mitchell
- Douglas Hanna
- Dylan Viner
- Eric Peterson
- Greg Verdino
- Jamey Shiels
- Jeanne Dininni
- Jeff Wallace
- Karl Turley
- Kate Trgovac
- Kevin Jessop
- Kristin Gorski
- Laura Fitton
- Matt J. McDonald
- Nettie Hartsock
- Robert Hruzek
- Ryan Barrett
- Sandy Renshaw
- Stephen Cribbett
- Steve Roesler
- Thomas Knoll
- Todd Andrlik
- Troy Rutter
- Vandana Ahuja
Bob.
In your FACE, cross-border early adopters...
Looks like the portcullis is being raised and the drawbridge lowered: Rogers strikes deal for iPhone, says Reuters.
The statement from Ted Rogers in full:
"We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year. We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned." It's only been a year since it was introduced -- why so hasty, Ted?
The devil will be in the details (data access, costs, etc) here. But hopefully, not 300 pages worth of detail.
Ciao,
Bob.
April 28, 2008
A colleague gets a well-deserved award
News is circulating around the Thornley Fallis bunkers in Ottawa and Toronto that our VP and General Manager of Thornley Fallis and 76design, Keelan Green, is one of the chosen in the Ottawa Business Journal's annual 40 under 40 program.
Keelan is a very smart guy, and in the time I've been here, I've learned a lot from him about strategy, service, and hard work. I think it's great to see him selected alongside people like restaurateur Stephen Beckta, CTV Ottawa's Kimothy Walker, and Environment Minister John Baird.
It's also nice to see people associated with clients of ours, like Dell Canada's Blair Patakirk, selected by the OBJ.
Congratulations!
Ciao,
Bob.
Department of shameless self-promotion
Don't we look like cool and funky people? Well... you decide.
Ciao,
Bob.
April 25, 2008
I want this more than anything.
I know it's really shallow and selfish (which, I suppose, is one of the reasons that I am not ponying up myself) but if anyone wants to buy this shirt from Angry Journalist for me (men's large, please), I will sing hosannas to you from the mountaintops.
Note: My hosannas will not resemble these, because I find Christian rock creepy.
Hat-tip: Inside the CBC
Ciao,
Bob.
April 24, 2008
------media enters the post-Jeff era
If you were having a geek breakfast and you wanted to ensure people would be beating down the doors to get there, you could do worse than this.
Big news. And boy, don't statements like "And I am not able to say anything else nor can I address any questions about this." make you REALLY curious?
Ciao
Bob.
April 16, 2008
Sign #12 the world will end soon.
No, not the asteroid.
Rather, a book to help children understand why mommy got herself a boob job, tummy tuck, and nose job.
"You see, as I got older, my body stretched and I couldn't fit into my clothes anymore. Dr. Michael is going to help fix that and make me feel better."
I am, in fact quoting. Seriously.
Judy Blume (if she were in fact dead) would be spinning in her grave fast enough to start a fire. As she's alive, she's probably just nauseated.
hat-tip: Boing Boing and Rudy Jahchan
Ciao,
Bob.
Seth on what to do when the Pope is (not) coming
Typically great post from Seth Godin this afternoon slugged The Pope is coming.
I had an immediate flash association hit me to one of my favorite movies, "Big Night", in which Louis Prima stands in for the pope.
A clip:
Seth's argument is admirably simple. When someone special is coming, you do things up right. Why not just do that?
I love that guy. And I love that movie, too.
Ciao,
Bob.
April 15, 2008
Rick Hillier shows how to not comment
Canada's Chief of Defence Staff, Rick Hillier, is stepping down after just over three years in the job.
General Hillier is a Newfoundlander, and like many other Newfoundlanders, is blessed with a unique gift for talking. He's widely regarded as a great communicator, even by critics of the Canadian Forces' deployment in Afghanistan, and he's certainly brought a fighting spirit to his personal communication style with media.
The dogged Julie Van Dusen, a veteran Parliament Hill reporter for CBC Television, happened upon General Hillier today before his announcement, and decided to give him a bit of a going over.
I know we PR types are fond of telling people not to say "No comment," and Hillier breaks that rule, but you have to hand it to him. This is a classic, good-humoured joust between a persistent but polite journalist, and a determined and equally polite general.
I will be using this in media training presentations for years.
Ciao,
Bob.
UPDATED April 23: Ottawa's mayor offers a clinic in how NOT to do media
I've been interested in politics -- as an observer -- for a long time. And since buying a house here in Ottawa in 2000, my interest in civic politics has been keen. And I'm a flack.
With all of that, I have to shake my head in disbelief at the utter hash that Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien has made of his public image.
O'Brien was elected in 2006 on a surprising rush of support, over two serious competitors -- the incumbent mayor, Bob Chiarelli, a less-than-electrifying politician but one who had run the city with reasonably good results for two three-year terms; and Alex Munter, the youngest of all candidates, but one with experience as a newspaper publisher and in civic politics since 1989.
O'Brien was a neophyte politician who had never attended a council meeting. He campaigned on a few main planks:
- "Zero means zero" -- Zero property tax increases over his four-year term
- a review of the city's finances and management
- a review of the city's plans to build a light-rail system to serve the city's transit needs
- a general increase in "tough on crime" type policies.
But it didn't take long for the wheels to fall off.
- He lost his chief of st