I Can See Right Through You (and Other PR Blog Jots)

I Know It When I See It
Media Guerrilla
Mike Manuel cites the difficulty most marketers experience in attempting to define transparency—a word he claims is both “grossly overused and under-defined.” He argues that the only way to determine the transparency level most suitable for your company or client is to take a trial by error approach; no company will require the same set of standards, making the already complicated world of online communicating just that much tougher. “In my experience, it rarely comes naturally or quickly, and be it for better or worse, it takes some trial and error. I think the important thing about transparency is that it's not just about an outcome, it's about an effort too. The only way a company can really figure out its own boundaries for transparency in business is if it tries...”

Terrific Apple Ad
What’s Next Blog
I think it’s easy to forget, as we discuss all the ways that social media has changed communications and public relations, that it has also dramatically changed advertising. BL Ochman posts a truly wonderful Apple commercial that I may not have seen otherwise—I’ve been watching most of my TV on DVR lately, fast forwarding through commercials with a relish. Apple is especially good at creating commercials for TV with the potential to become virals, dating all the way back to their ‘80s “Big Brother” Superbowl spot, easily recognizable more than 20 years later when it was morphed into a Hillary Clinton attack ad. “I'm still waiting for iPhone 2 or 3.0 and a provider other than AT&T, but this sure is a magnificent ad.”

Follow the Money--to the Internet
Buzz Machine
Jeff Jarvis criticizes the Republican contribution to the online conversation in current battle for the 2008 presidential election. He notes that by ignoring, or running from, the Internet, the Republicans are shooting themselves in the foot and leaving millions of online dollars on the table. He is also critical of their general participation, noting poor YouTube offerings, low online fundraising and their collective reluctance to take part in the YouTube debate, citing bias. “If internet video is biased it is a damned bad sign for the right and mighty strange considering the leading work done in the medium by the conservatives in the UK, France, and Germany. Hugh Hewitt frets that listening to YouTube will open up Republicans to cheap shots. That’s merely convenient paranoia. They’re looking for excuses to stay away from this dance.”

Comments

[John T. Mims, APR]

The Apple ad is a fantastic one, but I think that it hit the airwaves in the late 90s. The color logo at the end is a dead giveaway.

It just reinforces what you were saying about how social media has affected advertising. In a social media world, good ads outlive their campaigns.

[Sarah Wurrey]

Interesting! I definitely didn’t realize that.

And excellent point about how long ads are living. The famous “1984” ad is another great example of that. I was only 4 years old when that first debuted, I would never have seen it if not for YouTube…checking out vintage commercials is one of my favorite ways to use YouTube actually.

Thanks for the comment!