Web Worthy Wednesdays – August 15th – 21st, 2012

Posted on August 22, 2012 by admin

Welcome to Mansfield Communications’ Web Worthy Wednesdays! In this feature, we compile links suggested by our staff into a list of the top five most interesting and thought-provoking (in our opinions, of course) articles found this past week on the web. Enjoy!

In no particular order:

The Art of the Political Wife
An interesting analysis of how the media portrays the role of the political wife (especially the Democrat/Republican divide) in American politics.

How McDonald’s created a social media success with questions campaign
The fast food giant is an easy target and Twitter was given free rein to use the burger chain as a punch bag, but it wasn’t scared away. Lessons have obviously been learnt and a current social media effort by the fast food giant, originated by McDonald’s in Canada, is proving to be something of a hit.

Starbucks Facebook Game Decides Who Gets Pumpkin Spice Latte First
We especially like the part at the end about Walmart fans sending the singer Pitbull to Kodiak, Alaska.

Are You a Hero or a Bystander?
Do you think you have what it takes to be a hero? Whether you rush to someone’s rescue in a dangerous situation can depend on more than you may think.

10 Google Chrome extensions for PR pros
Just as the title suggests. And let us tell you, if you’re not using Chrome yet, get on that!

Did you read an article recently that you think is a must-read? Share it with us in the comments!

Web Worthy Wednesdays – August 8th – 14th, 2012

Posted on August 15, 2012 by admin

In no particular order:

If you build it, they won’t give a @#$%
Julien doesn’t beat around the @#$%^&* bush in telling you why your ideas suck, and how to make them better. He also tells you how to make sure people hear your ideas, and how to connect with those who can help spread your ideas and make them successful. Don’t mind the cursing, that’s his way – just take in the message!

Open letter: PR pros, let’s be better
It’s sad but true – the PR industry as a whole can be really lazy with how it deals with bloggers. But we can be better! Stephanie Fusco helps guide us in the right direction with this piece – a must-read for anyone in the industry, and particularly for anyone handling blogger relations.

Is All Publicity Good?
When trying to generate publicity and get your name out there, consider what message you want to convey, prepare for criticism, and ask yourself if you are prepared for the success or failure that may result from your media relations push.

Google Buys Newspaper Ad to Show Why Newspaper Ads Don’t Work (Wait, what?)
Well, isn’t this ironic? Buying ads in newspapers to discredit newspaper advertising… wait, what? Just read it, you will get a laugh at the very least!

Ten reasons to ditch Toronto (for a day)
Summer will soon be drawing to a close, so take advantage of the nice weather and be adventurous! There are many waterfalls, hiking trails, and natural wonders to be seen that are a short trek outside the city.

Did you read an article recently that you think is a must-read? Share it with us in the comments!

Web Worthy Wednesdays – August 1st – 7th, 2012

Posted on August 8, 2012 by admin

In no particular order:

Mitigate the Risk in Social Media Selling
Scared by the lack of control of social media, many companies don’t allow participation, putting their own salespeople at a disadvantage against the competition. This article is all about recognizing and acknowledging risks, then mitigating them.

On the minds of mom bloggers
BlogHer, the eighth annual conference geared toward mommy bloggers, took place last week in New York City. In concert with this massive event, Cohn & Wolfe analysed every post written by 50 top bloggers mom bloggers (according to Babble), over a three-month period, for insights into what’s on their minds. The results are worth certainly worth a read.

What Your Customer Really Wants (It’s Not What You think)
Want your currently unsatisfied customers to be happy? It may be as simple as setting their expectations and communicating.

Answer That Tweet – Or Else!
As social media use increases, there’s a growing expectation that organizations should respond to tweets and Facebook messages with the same urgency as email or phone – but not everyone is prepared.

Non-sponsors look to circumvent LOCOG restrictions
The strict PR and marketing rules of LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) have motivated non-sponsors to get creative and piggyback on the wide reach of the Olympic games by using clever tactics to get noticed.

Did you read an article recently that you think is a must-read? Share it with us in the comments!

Web Worthy Wednesdays – July 25th – 31st, 2012

Posted on August 1, 2012 by admin

In no particular order:

Stepping on Stock Twits’ Toes, Twitter Rolls Out the Cashtag
Twitter has rolled out a new feature focused on ticker symbols, allowing users to search for tweets that mention particular stocks. However, in doing this, it has stepped on the toes of the site Stock Twits.

How Social Media Transformed A Canadian City
In three years, Regina, the capital of the province of Saskatchewan, has built the largest Facebook following of any city in the country and its Twitter account ranks in the top five. Find out how.

American Airlines responds to every tweet with original, non-scripted answers
Now that’s customer service! American Airlines combines customer service and promotions in one account that boasts 400,000 followers, making sure none of its content is ever canned. See how many hours a day it takes them to tailor these tweets.

Mitt Romney in London backpedals on Olympic remarks
Foreign diplomacy and communication. A perfect example of how the power of communication can make or break an important relationship.

Apple-Twitter Deal In The Works? Reports Say Apple May Invest In Social Network
Are Apple and Twitter a match made in heaven, or are they just settling for each other?

Did you read an article recently that you think is a must-read? Share it with us in the comments!

Web Worthy Wednesdays – July 18th – 24th, 2012

Posted on July 25, 2012 by admin

In no particular order:

For Olympic Games, Tweets Will Turn the London Eye Into a Giant Mood Ring
Looking to go beyond quotes and photographs to capture an overall mood, Energy of the Nation plans to use tweets to determine the emotion and mood of those taking in the Olympic Games, and create a spectacular light show on the London Eye. The end result will be a giant mood ring, possibly the world’s largest we’re thinking.

Greenpeace Hijacks Shell’s Brand, Creates Imposter Twitter Account
An excellent example of crisis management: the activist group created a bogus Shell website promoting Arctic drilling, then launched a fake PR response to the site from Shell “representatives,” complete with an imposter Twitter account.

True Secret to Success (It’s Not What You Think)
Here at MCI PR we like people who think differently. Author Geoffrey James is certainly one of those people, as this article proves, and we could all use and take his advice on this, we think.

The Benefits of Hiring a PR Firm
Okay, so we DO have a bit of a bias in sharing this article, but as the author suggests, we in the agency world: do have connections, know how to cross promote, are fab writers, will make your life easier, and are all over damage control. Still don’t think you need us? Read this.

Get Ready for the Facebook Apocalypse
Will Facebook remain the most popular social network, or will another eventually overtake it? The author of this piece believes it’s only a matter of time.

Did you read an article recently that you think is a must-read? Share it with us in the comments!

Digital Dialectic

A blog by Mansfield Communications

Tag Archives: chantal skraba