News from D: All Things Digital Conference
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Here's Walt Mossberg, co-host of this technorati, media, entertainment fest that feels like old home week. Stay tuned for more pictures of all the new products announced here.
posted by Connie
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Bringing the Internet to the 3rd World
Thursday, May 24, 2007
While the Western world is blogging from its Blackberrys and Treos, the impoverished citizens of the 3rd world can barely get access to the Internet. With these people so deep in the netherworld of information-gathering, how can they overcome their situation and join the world economy? Stepping up to the plate for a viable solution, Nicholas Negroponte introduced the “One Laptop per Child” (OLPC) initiative in 2005 with plans to develop a $100 laptop, the XO, which is stripped to its most essential functions (it doesn’t even need batteries and can be wound up for power!). Recently, Intel also stepped into this arena with its own version of an affordable laptop called the Classmate. To compare the two presents a Mac vs. PC situation – the XO being the Mac and the Classmate, the PC. The XO is more durable and cute and emphasizes creativity by having a built-in camera, music-making software, and capabilities for chatting to anyone in your area. The Classmate, on the other hand, is stripped of these creative functions but is more beefy in terms of power and memory. The XO also comes equipped with something called “mesh networking”, which allows many users to tap into the same internet connection and communicate with one another. This presents an obvious advantage to impoverished nations that cannot afford internet for every household. Our firm works in the education space, so we are fairly versed in the issues. While this initiative is obviously a positive incentive, there are always things to consider when educators make an investment in technology. The foremost of which is to be sure that adequate training and planning is conducted with the teachers; otherwise the cute little green laptop can amount to being nothing more than a toy. Education Week’s Andrew Trotter presented Education Secretary Sudeep Banerjee, the head of the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development, in his recent article on the issue. In it, Banerjee explains that an investment first has to be made to vital resources that are still missing from India’s schools, saying, “We need classrooms and teachers more urgently than fancy tools.” India has rejected the OLPC. Some U.S. states and counties have also experimented with programs that provide each student with a laptop. Hoping to bridge the digital divide, many found that the laptops nurtured more havoc than education. A district outside of Syracuse, NY, for example, is phasing the program out because of ongoing IT issues with laptops breaking down and students misusing the technology. So do these negatives mean that OLPC should be scrapped? On Monday, the AP reported that a small village in Uruguay is piloting the program and experiencing great results. A teacher said, “Some children who didn't like to even write are now getting used to working with a word processing program." And while the US is concerned about leaving no child behind, in a developing nation, even a few children reaching way beyond their potential can make all the difference.
posted by Gina Bolotinsky
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The History of PR & Francis Fukuyama
In 1989, Francis Fukuyama, political philosopher and possible Star Trek fan, posited that we had reached the end of history. He stated,
“What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind’s ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government”
Not everyone agreed.
In 2007, while we tote tiny Wall Street Journal’s and have bookmark indices that read like Technorati’s Top Ten, there are rumblings that we’ve reached the end of traditional PR.
I don’t agree.
As established media outlets acclimate themselves to the non-novelty phase of the World Wide Web, there will be a natural shift, from reporting the news to covering the news. It’s the Malcolm Gladwell model – specific issues covered from every angle to present a full story. There’s a market in evidencing the "why" in a story, and that is difficult to do when you’re racing to post twice a day before the next guy gets wind of what’s happening.
PR pros will simply have to be a resource that help provide pieces of the puzzle. Save your post-apocalyptic chatter for discussions on fossil fuels or your Mad Max chat rooms. I’m moving beyond Thunderdome, Tina Turner in tow, and all I want to know, is who's coming with me?
posted by Matt Mack
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Ads are American as Apple Pie
Monday, May 21, 2007
Last September, Sao Paulo, Brazil officials approved a citywide ban on ads including, billboards, flashing signs, and the like. Even corporate logos now have a prescribed size and shape. In January, the ban went into effect and now, almost 6 months later, the city is feeling the financial repercussions. Bloomberg reported this week that the real strain is being put on businesses that create and install the ads and the small businesses that feel they can only afford this style of marketing (perhaps SEO has not caught on in Sao Paulo!). Luiz Roberto Valente, who runs an outdoor ad firm, had to lay off almost 90 employees, which equals to about half of his company. In response to the ban, he sadly said, “It annihilates an entire industry.” Why would this city, which happens to be one of the biggest in Brazil, take on ads? Sure, they are sometimes an eyesore, but they also generate revenues for cities and help drive their economies. I couldn’t help but try to imagine New York City without ads. What would Times Square look like? That’s when I realized that ads are a part of our culture. Some are annoying, but I think the majority bring us some level of amusement. Times Square would have zero appeal if this type of policy was enforced and while the blinding neon lights, monster-size billboards, and gaping tourists are more nuisances for us New York natives, I bet you we would miss all that if it was taken away. It’s just part of the New York City experience. And what about ads in magazines and on TV? Phillips’ “sense and simplicity” campaign developed a unique technique to deliver its message. It bought out blocks of commercials on news programs like 60 Minutes and NBC’s Evening Nightly News only to give the time back to the programs. Last year, it also paid Hearst $2 million dollars to send out 4 of its magazines free of those pesky subscription cards for a month. It was Phillips’ way of clearing out the clutter. Those extra minutes of your favorite show and reading your magazine without crap falling out of it is certainly appealing. So in the midst of the changing times, is advertising being ousted? My prognosis is that it is highly unlikely. But just as PR is going through a transformation, perhaps advertising will also be morphed by the ripples the spheres of influence create. With Doubleclick, 24/7 Media, and Avenue A | Razorfish all acquired in the last month, the focus seems to also be shifting – surprise, surprise – online. Marketers beware, our brave new world lies within our computer monitors.
posted by Gina Bolotinsky
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Spheres of influence...
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Period. Communication now is about spheres of influence (often referred to as many to many), or our favorite reference here is "gravity" which I have ballooned into "astrodynamics. " How do you send a thought to audiences who are relevant to that message? Picture a heavy object hitting exactly the right spot on a trampoline. You reach out to the most relevant spheres of influence and that sphere touches this sphere and that sphere and so on. I think it falls into chaos theory, although astrodynamics is really growing on me.
Communications/PR/Marketing is far more complex today than putting a press release on the wire. That almost sounds so 80's. Repeat this and think about how you feel when you say it: "let's put the press release on the wire." (Let's make it into a paper airplane and send it out the window.) It's almost more about physics....how to create the maximum sphere-to-sphere influence? Knowledge of quantam gravity required? Who knows?
posted by Connie
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$100 laptop, $30 fridge, 3 cents worth of commentary
Bending back expectation and shattering my rudimentary understanding of science (I mean, burning wood to power fridges? This has a certain Yakov Smirnov “television watches you” logic), a consortium of British universities have designed a wood burning device that acts as a refrigerator, cooker and power generator.
The Stove for Cooking, Refrigeration and Electricity (SCORE) takes advantage of thermoacoustic technology (better believe spell check flagged that one), where sound waves are used to either heat something up or cool it down. As the article on nature.com points out, the SCORE will “generate electricity and cool the fridge while it is operating as a stove.”
So hooray for Third World progress, and a genuine thanks to the scientists and technologists who devoted themselves to this worthwhile goal. But the SCORE is action packed with lesson excitement for us industrialists as well.
It helps to highlight that in developed countries a large swath of the population has moved beyond need as the primary impetus for consumption. We're not designing stove-fridges anymore. As a replacement for need we focus on want, and that means sometimes the line gets blurred between the two. All of a sudden we need things we should want (I see you iPhone and AppleTV) and lose track of a few of the real essentials. So in honor of the wood burning refrigerator, let’s all get a little Yakov Smirnov today. Build a treehouse, see a show, talk to your friends and then talk to your family – IMing doesn’t count. Realize that what you need is hardly ever displayed on an LCD screen or broadcast on the Interwebs. Rinse, wash, repeat and we should get right back on track.
posted by Matt Mack
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The New Rules of Marketing & PR
Monday, May 14, 2007
David Meerman Scott just finished his new book, The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Connors (and HitTail) is one of the organizations he interviewed in the course of his research. We haven't read the book yet, but we have one on order. Can't wait. Yes, Connors Communications is partcipating in re-writing the rules of marketing and public relations.Labels: Marketing, PR firm, PR firms, Public Relations
posted by Mike Levin
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The Mixing of Old and New Media
Friday, May 11, 2007
This week the topic of new media infringing on the old was brought up at the 56th annual National Cable & Telecommunications Association conference. Reuters reported that executives from the industry “said talk of the demise of traditional media in the digital age was overblown.” Elaborating that television still has a firm place in the homes of media consumers and that the “new” technologies have actually resparked interest for some. This type of talk is to be expected from media moguls, and there is also truth in their claims. YouTube, for example, drove thousands to Saturday Night Live after million watched Justin Timberlake perform with Andy Samburg that hilarious Christmas song Andy wrote. Of course, such admitted claims beg the question of why Viacom would be suing YouTube if there is such potential to gain viewership. Regardless, Internet has yet to conquer the complete entertainment spectrum. After all, is there any substitute to sitting in front of the television and being amused so effortlessly? In my opinion, clicking around on the computer screen is not an equivalent… yet. However, what clearly is in peril is the news business. Because while I enjoy watching my favorite TV shows the old fashioned way, I prefer reading my news online. As PR people, we are keenly aware of this phenomenon. We have discussed it at length on this very blog. This week, I ran across another example of how print media can perhaps salvage itself by changing with the times. A new free Boston weekly print publication, BostonNow, has started printing commentary submitted by local bloggers to its website. Editor, John Wilpers, felt this unique inclusion would spike interest in the newspaper by adding a distinct community feel. In a CNET article, Wilpers explained, “It doesn't take a whole lot of smarts to look out at the Internet and see thousands writing on their communities, whether they be geographic or thematic." So why not include their thoughts in print? In this exchange, Wilpers also hopes to generate fans for the bloggers as the bloggers are not paid for their submissions. Instead, it’s a form of free advertising. And with a circulation of 85,000, it’s not a terrible waste of time on the blogger’s behalf. Another point worth noting is that the bloggers’ posts will be scanned by an editor so as to ensure similar standards that we have come to expect from news sources. This notion is certainly interesting and we will have to see whether others adopt the convergence of blogs into the print world in quite this same way. Perhaps this trend will spark interest with the older generation to be more blogger-friendly and for the younger generation to be more newspaper-friendly. For those of you who are wondering why anyone would even bother to create a new print publication, it is safe to say that print still has a pretty healthy pulse. As e-books are still in their infancy and Internet is inaccessible underground, for us urban commuters, print media is actually still very relevant. Labels: blog, new media, pr, Youtube
posted by Gina Bolotinsky
1 comments
The New Silent Majority: Laggards and Luddites
The Economist says that Pew Research says that 49% of adult Americans "are slow or reluctant to embrace new technology because they can't afford it, aren't interested in it, or actually fear and loathe it." I say proudly, and with a sort of fatalistic glint in my eye, I am one of them.
I stand side by side with that new silent majority who, when reading that 48% of people welcome information communication technology (ICT) for helping them gain greater control over their lives, responds "really?"
You don't hear us much because our blogs only have one post from 2003 or got shut down by the bureau, but we're real and we're terrified. A couple decades ago they talked about the go-go 80s, but who's ever hurtled faster into a lesser defined future than us? I mean those jokers only had to deal with where to stash their giant cell phones.
Although many things that have settled down or become ubiquitous and contained, it’s still the Wild West out there (here?). Bang! down goes Altavista, Blamo! my Minidisk player is useless, and now everybody’s gunning for HD-DVD or cable Internet connections, and, of course, always sniping at Google (though Google’s kind of like the giant, metallic spider war-machine you may recall from that docu-drama starring Will Smith). Compared to the permanent revolution of technology, agrarian society starts looking kind of swell.
So how do you reach me and my kind, other than by telegraph and billboard messaging? By offering us distilled versions of complex things that work perfectly. Right now, I’m one of the 15% of people who doesn’t have a cell phone. If I ever get one, I don’t want it to have 5 megapixels of camera capability, or the potential to hold 100 songs, and I sure as hell don’t want to wear my fingernails down to nubs emailing someone from a tiny keyboard. I would just want it to work, not drop my calls and not break when I sit on it.
If you can’t give me that, then you can reach me at my home phone connected to my wall. If I’m not there, hopefully I’ve confronted my fears and bought some prime corn growing land in Nebraska. With the advances they’ve made to biorefineries and the design progress we’ve seen in flex fuel engines, I should be able to do alright.
posted by Matt Mack
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The Irony of Advertising
Thursday, May 10, 2007
I find it ironic that the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) of all organizations is trying to challenge comScore and Nielsen//NetRatings on metrics when they themselves don't even distinguish paid search from the rest of online marketing. Can we even tell if industry forecasts for online marketing include search engine optimization? Not very often. Yet, to us, SEO clearly falls under the realm of public relations. Our work influences the free editorial listings, the same way as we pitch news to newspaper and magazine editors. Honestly we'd be happy if the IAB ignored SEO altogether, but I don't forsee PRWeek or the PRSA picking up the slack. Unfortunately unless more people demand clarification, Google will shape the discussion in its own light by claiming their A/B ad testing tool is optimization… despite 10 years of history that has shown optimization to be clearly about influencing the natural unpaid results. Paid search was pioneered by GoTo.com (a former Connors client, now Yahoo Search Marketing) and it made search engines immensely profitable. Ad agencies and their clients seem to know no bounds in their budgets. However, just as viewers watch TV for their favorite shows and not commercials, people go to search engines for the credible, organic results and not the advertising. There's little doubt that the long term benefits belong to SEO. After all, the web-savvy children who are growing up as Google loyalists often don't even notice the ads. Perhaps the greatest irony of all would be if future generations all used Google and not a single one clicked a text ad. You can bet that is one reason they acquired DoubleClick. Labels: advertising, Google, pr, seo, Yahoo
posted by Adam Edwards
2 comments
Powerset: The New Quaero
Sunday, May 06, 2007
As another month goes by, we are treated to yet another juicy tidbit about supposed Google-killer Powerset. Don't get me wrong, I love to see new innovation in the search engine space. Unfortunately, the only transparent thing we have seen from Powerset is vaporware and some in the media continue to eat it up. Until we, the public, have something to try for ourselves, there are lots of other companies more worthy of interest. Ask, Vivisimo, hakia, Snap. Honestly, I am still wondering what happened to Kartoo. Powerset should really fan the flames, because even if they finally release something, it can no longer live up to the hype. There is a point at which perception needs to be backed up by at least a sliver of reality. Remember how big of a disappointment The Next Big Thing (TM) turned out to be? The Segway. Lacking any gyroscopes, I'm sad to say that right now it looks like Powerset is heading down the path of Quaero. Labels: Google, hype, Powerset, Quaero, search
posted by Adam Edwards
2 comments
Let’s Digg into it
Friday, May 04, 2007
Digg faced a Google-esque controversy this week when Chester Millisock, a 24 year old programmer, was banned from the Digg community for posting a quasi-known encryption on how to illegally copy high definition DVDs and then reregistered and bumped the code up for millions of viewers to take note. When Digg tried to intervene, users were outraged, citing freedom of speech as Millisock’s right - as well as their own - to post and view the information. At first, I was proud of Digg for standing up to the big bad corporate giants. This ethical dilemma of technology cracking the entertainment industry is getting old. Yes, technology is moving forward, and yes, if you want your salaries to remain in the six figures, media moguls, you must move with and beyond it. But then I found out that the information in question is apparently illegal to publish. BusinessWeek’s Catherine Holahan’s article on the issue, explains that this code has been circling for years and in 2000, publishing it was declared illegal in the Universal City Studios vs. Reimierds case. So, Digg is clearly breaking the law by displaying the information. At 1pm on May 1st, Jay Adelson, Digg CEO, blogged to this point by stating, quite rationally, that whether users “agree or disagree with the policies of the intellectual property holders and consortiums, in order for Digg to survive, it must abide by the law.” His common sense left users so unsatisfied that at 9pm on that same day, Kevin Rose, Digg Founder, presented an alternative stance, which was the clear favorite "We hear you,” Kevin blogged, “and effective immediately we won't delete stories or comments containing the code and will deal with whatever the consequences might be. If we lose, then what the hell, at least we died trying." That is a bold statement to make in a world where Viacom is suing Google for what some might argue is a similar complaint. Then again, can a company that relies so heavily on its users afford to take the opposite stance? Digg lawyers thought so, but their advice was obviously not heeded. Instead, Kevin rose – pun intended – to this PR crisis communications occasion by positioning Digg as strictly pro user. His risk implies that he has ample faith that the power of the people will prevail should – maybe more like when – Digg goes to court. Or maybe Kevin realized that he could not risk a boycott and that they need the audience Digg has built up to keep those ad dollars flowing. I wonder what investors Greylock and Omidyar have to say about this. Will Diggers stand by their fearless leader or will the law prevail? We will have to stay tuned. Labels: digg, pr
posted by Gina Bolotinsky
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Yahoo: PageRank 10
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Finally, Google's algorithm has recognized what the rest of the world has known all along: that Yahoo is one of the most important websites in the world. Today it appears that Yahoo has established itself alongside Keio University in becoming a PageRank 10 website. 
Alexa, as imperfect as it may be, has kept a track record for the past five years. Although I'm not entirely sure what happened about this time last year. 
Labels: Alexa, Google, search, Yahoo
posted by Adam Edwards
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