January 31, 2011

Creativity Is the Opposite of Routine

0 comments
Creative, creative videos and... made us smile :) 


It's a shame Clickity Camera wasn't using Energizer Batteries. If he had been, he would have made it.    
(via Ads of the World)





Nothing beats a good remote control workout. Of course, without Energizer Batteries, it's not quite the same.   (via Ads of the World)

Trust Transformed: Results of the 2011 Edelman Trust Barometer

1 comments


PR students can benefit a great deal from 2011 Edelman Trust Barometer study. The key findings and video summary share the knowledge and expertise of the leading independent global PR firm Edelman.

The lead of the story must be that trust is transformed. In the wake of the financial market meltdown at the end of 2008, we have gone through a series of corporate crises during 2010 -- from oil spills to product recalls affecting the leading enterprises in five sectors to the near-bankruptcy of five nations in the EU. The result is an even more profound shift in the expectation of companies to operate with increased transparency and in a manner that delivers profit while improving society, captured by my client Indra Nooyi, CEO of Pepsico, in her phrase, “Performance with Purpose.”

We also found unprecedented skepticism, a need to hear, see or watch news as many as ten times before achieving belief, plus an increased reliance on those with credentials and expertise.

Here are the key findings for your perusal:


A. State of Trust

1) Trust in Business
There are now three clear country groupings – the Trusters, the Neutrals and the Distrusters. The Trusters, notably Brazil, China, and India, withstood the financial crisis and had positive economic performance this year. There is evidence of rising trust in business over the past two years even in flat-lined economies such as France, the Netherlands and Italy. The key change in 2011 is the switch of Germany and the USA, with the former now in the Neutrals with Japan, while the USA moves to the Distrusters along with Russia and the UK. Business is as or more trusted than government in 19 of the 23 nations we surveyed this year.
2) Trust in Government
There are fewer countries in the Truster category for government, including Brazil, China, Singapore and the UAE. The largest drops in trust in government were in Germany and the USA. Note that in general, trust in business and government is now in sync, a change in the past two years. Though there are exceptions, such as Germany, where rising trust in business is observed despite less confidence in government.
3) Trust in Media
We note that trust in media continues to rise in the developing world and to slide in the developed economies. The most depressing findings for media were in the US and UK, respectively 27% and 22%, which we attribute to increased politicization, aggressive tone and scandals.
4) Trust in Non-Governmental Organizations
For the first time, trust in NGOs in key developing markets is equivalent to that of business, a remarkable rise over the past five years, which we attribute to the evolution of local civil society brands and rising prosperity. NGOs continue to be the #1 ranked institution in trust in the Western economies, the Fifth Estate in global governance picking up trust lost by the other three institutions.
5) Trust in Industries
Technology continues to wear the halo as the number one industry in both developed and developing economies (98% trusted in China). Banking and Financial Services are now the least trusted industries of the 16 we review annually. The reputation of banks continues to plummet, especially in the US, UK and Ireland, down nearly 50 points in the US in the past three years to a new low of 25%. Automotive has made an amazing recovery, to rank as the #2 trusted industry in the world, attributable to the GM IPO, the launch of electric cars and the association with modernity in the developing world.
6) Trust in the USA
The US was the only country to see a decline across all four institutions, what we describe as an echo decline. We have three hypotheses for this cross-sector drop: the US was the epicenter for most of the corporate crises this year, which centered around leading category and iconic companies; US citizens had strong expectations for economic recovery dashed in a mid-year slump; and most importantly, business and government continued to clash on regulation and taxes, although President Obama has moved in the past month to improve this situation.
7) Trust in Nationality
The companies headquartered in Canada, Germany and Sweden continue to enjoy a trust advantage, while the UK and Switzerland are closing the gap. American companies are much better regarded in the past two years, especially in Germany and Russia, while preserving a strong reputation in such key future markets as Brazil and China. The companies based in the BRIC nations saw rising trust scores in developing nations, but a decline in markets such as the USA.

B. Earning Trust

8) What Drives Corporate Reputation
The top four factors are High Quality Products and Services; Company I Can Trust; Transparent Business Practices; Treats Employees Well. The bottom two are Highly Rated Leadership and Delivers Consistent Financial Returns. This is the second year in a row that we see a reversal of constituent elements of reputation, suggesting a rebalancing of priorities for business.
9) Shareholder vs. Stakeholder
We asked specifically about Milton Friedman’s contention that the social responsibility of business is to generate profit; about 50% of respondents agreed. But, we also probed whether companies need to create shareholder value in a way that benefits society even if that causes a reduction in shareholder value; about 80% agreed with that point of view, from developed to developing economies. This indicates a desire for profit and purpose, a stakeholder approach to shared value.
10) Credible Spokespeople
Given the uncertainty in the economy and plethora of sources of information, respondents said that they believe spokespeople with proven expertise, in order Academics, Technical Experts from a Company (for first time), Financial Analysts and Chief Executive Officers. The recovery of the CEO in reputational terms is remarkable; this is the highest score we have seen in nine years, though in the UK and US that means only about one third believe a CEO is credible. We also found that in a crisis, the number one trusted source is the CEO, followed by an Outside Expert, followed by a Technical Expert from the company.
11) Information Sources
More people go initially to search engines, then to online sources for information about a company. The brands most noted are the familiar mainstream media stalwarts such as the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, BBC, Globo, CCTV. Blogs and social networks substantially lag the mainstream brands.
12) Benefits of Trust
If you go into a crisis as a distrusted company, it takes only 1-2 negative stories for a person to believe negative news. If you go in as a trusted company, it takes only 1-2 positive stories for you to achieve belief. Trust is a protective agent, a facilitator of action. We find further evidence of desire to buy products, recommend products/services and buy shares in a trusted enterprise.

Trust is no longer a commodity that is acquired but rather a benefit that is bestowed, earned through action, reinforced by transparency and engagement. Business has the opportunity to build an enduring foundation of trust if its leaders commit to a strategy that brings value to both investors and society -- the What and the Why. However, today it must further explain How it makes money, a new level of transparency on business practices -- for instance, ingredients in products. Finally, it must build relationships across the entire stakeholder universe, the Where, by engaging audiences across the four leaf clover of media (Mainstream, New, Social, Owned) and joining the continuing conversation by adding value and learning from the critics. 

(via edelman.com

In the video below Richard Edelman summarizes the key findings from this year's Trust Barometer.

January 30, 2011

Business Relations - The Game in Ad Sales

0 comments

The Truth in Ad Sales or the Truth in Business Relations... 
What should Communications & PR students expect from the world of business? 
Video below is a funny interpretation of Business Relations. You might have wondered what is behind corporate behaviour, smiling people with perfect posture and sophisticated language talking in terms of values rather than direct meaning. It is a fun video that maybe tells "The Truth in Ad Sales" :)


January 26, 2011

Ask President Obama a question - on YouTube

0 comments

It is impressive how great the impact of social media has become. 
Read below about the new campaign: Ask President Obama a question. 

By the time of this blog post the results are:
169,688 people have submitted 124,869 questions and cast 1,255,556 votes

Watch campaign video below:


Watch video: Submit your question for President Obama

More details on the campaign (via YouTube descriptions of the above videos):

On Tuesday January 25 at 9 p.m. ET, President Obama will deliver his 2011 State of the Union Address, which will be streamed live on YouTube on http://youtube.com/askobama . This year, you can do more than just watch the speech: you can also submit your questions for the President for an exclusive YouTube Interview that will take place just two days later, on January 27.

Health care. Education. Foreign policy. What would you like to ask the President about the most important issues our country faces?

Go to http://youtube.com/askobama to submit your question.

A few tips:
1. Video questions are highly preferred. Videos should be about 20 seconds long and be sure to ask the question directly.
2. Speak clearly and try to film in a place with minimal background noise. Keep the camera as still as possible.
3. Feel free to be creative (use props, charts, etc.) to help your question stand out. If you have time, find an interesting backdrop that may help reinforce your message.
4. Submit your question early.

You have until Wednesday January 26 at midnight ET to submit your question.

January 23, 2011

Share. Emotions. Taste.

0 comments
When the world talks about sharing... 
Sharing experience, sharing knowledge, sharing emotions. Brands can feel the "sharing trend". 
Watch below how the taste of the holiday season can be shared, too. 
Do you feel it?

The Trend of Spreading: When Creative People Get Inspired

0 comments
When Social Media gives the opportunity 
... anything is possible

YouTube Symphony Orchestra "likes to push the boundaries" - great lead that tells the story of an experiment aiming to gather the art of people from all parts of the world and show it to the world! The video below gives instructions to a creative experimentation that results in a successful social media campaign.

Watch instructions video below!

A great idea can generate hundreds of stories and this is what social media PR aims at.
What happens when the target audience likes your idea?
True. They spread the word. Actually the truth is: they spread the word with enthusiasm.


But there is more. 
What happens when the target audience are creative people, the musicians all over the world? 
See below. Get inspired. :)

January 20, 2011

What is the role of the UK Public Affairs Council (UKPAC)? [CIPRtv]

1 comments
CIPR TV - PR News

CIPR TV reviews the role of the UK Public Affairs Council (UKPAC) as the deadline for lobbyists to sign up to the UKPAC register approaches. UKPAC chairman Elizabeth France CBE and UKPAC and CIPR board member Keith Johnston joined CIPR TV studio to discuss the role of UKPAC and lobbying in the UK.



UKPAC was established in July 2010 with the aim of promoting effective self-regulation of the public affairs sector through the quarterly publication of a voluntary register of lobbyists and the promotion of enforceable codes of practice. Registration closes on 31 January 2011.

Elizabeth is Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints, a member of the British Transport Police Authority and Vice President of Aberystwyth University. Her career has been mainly in the public sector, in the Home Office, as Information Commissioner and more recently as Chief Ombudsman and Chief Executive of the Ombudsman Service, which provides the Telecommunications Ombudsman Service (Otelo), the Energy Ombudsman Service and the Surveyors Ombudsman Service.

Keith is the Director of Policy and Communications at the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. He lobbies international institutions and national governments on legal, tax and regulatory matters affecting professional private client advisors.

 (Via CIPRtv)

January 18, 2011

Social Media Relations and Politics: 'Ask The PM' [case study]

0 comments

In 2008 Gordon Brown launched a YouTube version of Prime Minister's Questions in an attempt to connect with younger voters and dispel opposition jibes that he is not in tune with the digital age.
YouTube preview
During his YouTube clip, Brown invites questions on subjects such as globalisation, climate change, the health service, jobs and housing. "I am here to answer your questions," he says.

Video questions can be submitted on any subject in an "Ask the PM" section on Downing Street's YouTube website. Brown will answer the questions which receive the most votes at the end of June, but the plan is to run the initiative on a regular basis via the video-sharing site.

"Politicians get a chance in prime minister's question time and other question times -- I think it's time the public had a chance," he says.


The move follows Brown's pledge to listen and learn after voters gave the Labour Party a drubbing in local elections earlier this month. Conservative leader David Cameron, who has appeared on live Webcam broadcasts from his breakfast table, has criticised Brown in the past for being an "analogue politician in a digital age".


Unfortunately for Brown, the first question posted was "Why is it on every single video and on your main page that you don't allow comments?"

Brown attempted to burnish his online credentials further when he later spoke at Google's Zeitgeist conference in London, where he said "technological change is transforming the delivery of public services and changing the nature of the relationship between individuals and government". "My aim is to ensure we utilise all the innovation at our disposal to improve public services in this country and to give more power to those who use them," he added.

"Across government and the public services we must present and distribute the information we hold in a way that enables it to be re-used by online communities, potentially reaching many millions more people and helping make Britain a country of technology pioneers."
(via Reuters)

Watch YouTube video below:

January 16, 2011

BMW JOY 3D: Asia's 1st Interactive 3D Building Projection

1 comments
How to play with symbols ... the outdoor campaign of BMW JOY 3D!

Watch how  the busy office buildings in Singapore are transformed from a symbol of work into a symbol of Joy. Witness Joy coming alive at Suntec City, Towers 2 & 3.