Archive for the ‘Social media’ Category

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A fine way to regulate endorsements

October 15th, 2009 by Melanie

The US has announced a crackdown on product endorsements. For years, we’ve all been used to seeing celebs and models hawking everything from car insurance to beauty products, but surprisingly this ruling isn’t limited to Iggy Pop  or Sarah Jessica Parker – it includes bloggers too.

The new rules say that anyone endorsing a product must give full disclosure about what he or she received – if anything – in compensation for the endorsement or else face fines up to $11,000 (£6,910).

Oddly enough, an attorney for several advertising groups in the States said this ruling is the ‘worst fears of businesses come true’.  That seems a bit of an overreaction to me.  It won’t be a surprise to people that celebs are paid to endorse products (or even lie about them), and most bloggers I know already do disclose the terms in which they’re either endorsing or reviewing a product, i.e. So-and-so asked me to review, I wasn’t paid for this post, etc.

I’m curious to hear what other bloggers think, but my hunch is that we spend so much time trying to prove that we haven’t sold out that this ruling (should it ever make its way across the pond) won’t change very much at all.

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Posted in Product endorsement, Social media | No Comments »

To tweet or not to tweet?

September 30th, 2009 by Andrew

Hands up – who’s recently had a client say to them that they want to do something with Twitter?

It goes without saying that a strong online presence is high on the agenda for a growing number of brands these days. And it’s easy to see why; a strong presence in social media offers a huge opportunity to create a dialogue with consumers and offer a real human aspect to brands that may otherwise seem distant and faceless.

Whole Foods Market is an example of a brand getting its approach to social media spot on. The US supermarket chain has 150 Twitter accounts, each providing highly targeted content and offering a responsive customer service. As a result, the brand has received plaudits for being highly engaged with consumers and creating a strong customer service dialogue.

Starbucks has also been innovative in its approach to social media. The coffee brand offered people a free pastry with their drink for one day, which led to 600,000 fans confirming their ‘attendance’ of the event on the Facebook group, while Starbucks became the number one topic on Twitter. That indicates nearly 1 per cent of total tweets mentioned the brand – nearly 10 times the amount of mentions on a typical day.

Scott Monty, head of social media at Ford, said recently that 90 per cent of social media for brands is showing up, and that it’s the other 10 per cent that’s the hard part. It’s true that success requires creativity and innovation, but the opportunities social media gives to offer a personal touch to consumers (not to mention extended brand exposure) means that it’s something brands can no longer afford to ignore.

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Posted in Onlinefire, PR industry, Social media | 2 Comments »

Digital is nothing to be scared of

August 13th, 2009 by Andrew

Hello – I’m onlinefire’s newest recruit. You’d think I might be a bit daunted about entering working life; what with the world deep in recession, under the grip of swine flu and at the mercy of 10 million Tweeters, it’s all changed very, very quickly.

But I actually think it’s an exciting time to be venturing into online PR.The methods of PR that companies are using are completely evolving through new media, making the opportunity to do something exciting and innovative with a campaign absolutely huge.

Whether you believe that social media symbolises the future of all media and communications or not, at the very least we can agree that it represents a democratisation of information – consumers are starting to speak up and companies are starting to listen. As the marketing director of the IAB  attested when he recently visited Eulogy!, digital and PR are becoming ever more closely aligned.

Social media sites have completely transformed the way brands and consumers interact. The relationship is becoming increasingly blurred. Rather than simply observing a press campaign, it’s got to the point where your average Facebook user, blogger, or Tweeter is becoming part of the campaign themselves. Likewise, campaigns are becoming much more tailored to the individual.

User-generated content, blogs and word-of-mouth are already playing a massive role in online PR; witness the success of the recent ‘Best Job in the World’ press campaign to see that. But online individuals are a fickle bunch, wanting more from the brands they consume like never before, so to get them on board is often easier said than done.

So what better place to face the challenge than with onlinefire? Here, it’s clear that everyone believes new media is something to embrace, rather than something to be scared of. Brands are increasingly realising that new media is not a fad and that it’s where a significant portion of future PR lies. It’s great to belong to a company that is at the forefront of this exciting space.

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Posted in Digital PR, Digital media, Eulogy!, Onlinefire, PR industry, Social media | No Comments »

Too much media choice?

August 7th, 2009 by Phil

Team Eulogy! recently welcomed Kieron Matthews from the IAB for one of our regular ‘Learn & Burn’ sessions.  As well as talking about the IAB’s work and giving his view on the general media landscape, Kieron instigated something of a discussion when he casually asked who preferred Sky Digital to Virgin Media.

I found myself in the minority when proclaiming that Freeview was my preferred choice.  Ignoring the gasps and cries of ‘Luddite’ which followed I went on to make the point that, to me, paid-for digital TV services simply deliver too much choice.

This got me wondering whether the changing, digitised media landscape is such a good thing. 

The assumption is that consumers want more choice; but whether this is true or not, the provision of more choice brings its own consequences.  In the television industry the traditional ad-funded model is failing, or at least stalling, because of dropping revenue, audience fragmentation, the need to expand output in the face of reduced budgets, and competition from the internet.  As a result consumers do have greater choice but quality is undoubtedly beginning to suffer. 

But aside from this there is an even greater issue.  What will these changes mean to the thousands of people who are currently employed in television production?

The term Luddite  comes from a period in British history when the Industrial Revolution threatened the livelihoods of everyday people.  Even the most ardent supporter of the new digital age and the myriad choices it brings can’t deny the similarities between the plight of those eighteenth century textile workers and the uncertain future of many in the media today.

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Posted in B2B, Digital media, Eulogy!, Learn and burn, Media & Marketing, PR industry, Social media | No Comments »

This week at Eulogy! Yes. Yes. Yes.

July 21st, 2009 by Helen

Right now, as I type, Eulogy! is holding court to 75 blonde bombshells who are faking multiple orgasms in our boardroom  whilst being screen-tested for a client viral.

What a bunch of social deviants.

This being a PR agency, and gay men being the savvy communicators they are, it will come as no surprise to learn that most of the men in this office are as familiar with a real female orgasm as they are with a fake one, i.e. not at all.

How does a gay man know what a fake female orgasm sounds like? He doesn’t. So we’ve roped in one of the only straight men in our office to identify the best screamers and moaners ahead of a slick little campaign we’re running for one of our clients.

The giggles and smirks this side of the boardroom glass almost outdid the first two rounds of moans. By 5.30 I imagine we’ll be entirely unfazed and most un-British about it all.

The office is buzzing. Yes, yes, yes? Yes – we’re creative, Yes – we’re daring, Yes – we love social media! Bring on that viral!

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Posted in Creativity, Digital PR, Eulogy!, Social media, Virals | No Comments »

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