We're having a party

Facebook Chat fuels the conversation

What a great Web2.0 PR job.
1. Launch an instant messaging (IM) service on Facebook
2. Tell no one about.
3. Wait until users log on
4. Sit back and watch the conversation go viral
All Facebook users around the world can now use the social networking site’s integrated IM (instant messaging) chat application, which the site made available without so much as an official announcement.
While Facebook Chat went live in the UK today. The chat function appears as a bar on the bottom of the screen and indicates to users when a friend is online and allows the option of appearing offline if needed.
The chat bar also displays the user’s status message, as well as recently received notifications. Facebook said it is working on integrating other site features into the real-time chat application in the near future.
I think this great as I have always advocated that social network and Web2.0 PR is all about fuelling the conversation. This takes it to the next level.

GREEN in the awards again

Congratulations to the GREEN team for their recent success in the annual public relations awards run by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
This time we were at the Grand Prix finals in Birmingham after winning three golds in the regional finals for our work on Wensleydale Creamery and Beat Blue Monday.
At Birmingham, were we shared a table with client Northern Gas Networks and some lovely people from Devon County Council, we picked up a Highly Commended Award in the Not-For-Profit category for the work we did for beat Blue Monday.
The picture shows, Ian Green (left) with Account Manager Thomas Atcheson. The picture was taken by Alison Marks from Devon County Council who attended the event with the lovely Clare and Irene. Thanks Alison!

PR Students: The Kids Are Alright

Curious! Three phone calls from PR undergraduates, writing their thesis on PR and blogging asking me my views on how blogs and Web2.0 works in the marketing mix (WTFDIK?).
Hard to answer when I haven't posted here for weeks. But what I found comforting - especially as I was judging a student enterprise competition recently - was how keen these young people were. And not just from the point of view of buttering up a prospective employer but because they were genuinely interested in the subject.
So what did they ask?:
Should all companies have a blog?
My Answer: No - depends on the company, product and the people. Blogs don't work for everyone, or every business. But if they have something to say - consistently a blog is good way to communicate it.
Is the press release past it's sell by date?
My Answer: No - but its means of distribution have changed. I'm still not sure about the SMR as most journalist don't know what to do with it.
What do you do if a blogger says bad things about your company?
My Answer: Thank them for the feedback , then add some thoughts to the conversation.
What do you do if a blogger says good things about your company?
My Answer: See above and offer to send them some product.
Should Web2.0 be regulated like newspapers?
My Answer: God No!
Should we forget about print media?
My Answer: No - print (and broadcast) is still king for now. Who reads the Telegraph or the Times online every day? Not me, or my son. He reads the Guardian, then checks stories out on the web.

Not that insightful I know. But at least the kids are asking the right questions. And The Kid Are Alright.

Chocs, chimps and Web2.0

Now here’s a funny thing…
A year ago, Cadbury's UK chocolate business was in the shit but according to a recent article in The Guardian by Simon Bowers they turned it all around thanks to a gorilla, a drum kit, Phil Collins and Web2.0. Okay…
Knackered by a salmonella-related product recall that had wiped £30m off sales, which also provoked a £1m fine that damaged the group's reputation the company has come out the other end smelling rather sweet! Thanks to an ad campaign that required an actor to dress up in a gorilla suit and drum along to Phil Collins' 1981 hit Coming In The Air Tonight – the company is thriving.
The resulting television campaign boosted sales of Dairy Milk by 9% from when it first aired in September, and helped Cadbury's UK market share in chocolate to enjoy a strong bounce back.
CEO Todd Stitzer gets it but doesn’t get it. He said recently: "For the Chinese, 2007 was the year of the pig. For Cadbury, it was the year of the gorilla… I am a 55-year-old person who has lived through a different advertising experience ... In the end, I trusted in the young and talented people who came up with the idea."
Not only did the ad work well on traditional media - television and posters in particular - it also set a new standard in the viral world, becoming an internet phenomenon. On Facebook there are more than 70,000 people signed up to about 100 Cadbury gorilla-inspired groups. "Why you would want to join one of these, I don't know," Stitzer said, "but 70,000 people do." Of course they do!
The gorilla clip has become the most watched commercial ever on YouTube, spawning a string of spoofs.
For me the trick is how do we do it for GREEN’s smaller clients. Any ideas?

We're planning a BarCamp in Bradford

Over at Bmedi@ - the network for the creative, new media and digital industries in Yorkshire - we are planning BarCamp Bradford as the city's first 'unconference', a event where the participant who attend create the programme of sessions themselves. BarCamps are open, participatory, democratic, 'workshop' events; the organisers and sponsors simply provide wireless broadband, a venue, beverages and food! The attendees provide the content - and the buzz ;- )
Full disclosure - I am a board member of Bmedi@.
An unconference is a conference where the content of the sessions is created and managed by the participants (generally day-by-day during the course of the event) rather than by one or more organizers in advance of the event.
The term BarCamp is primarily used in the geek community. Open Space Technology is an energizing and emergent way to organize an agenda for a conference. Those coming to the event can post on a wiki ahead of time topics they want to present about or hope others will present about. The wiki can also be used as an attendee list and to manage the organization of the event from food through to the provision of wifi etc.
We're anticipating sessions on social media, blogging, 3D printing, digital film making, Augmented Reality interfaces, mobile technology trends, Drupal, games design, co-creation, public relations and marketing in the digital age, an SEO clinic as well as talks from some of the bug digital players of the North.
We'd love for you to come - if you're a creative, an artist, a writer, blogger, technologist, or a developer, geek, entrepreneur, academic researcher, gamer or investor please join us. If you're just curious and interested in digital culture - we'd love to meet you too!
Come and demo, talk, share or just hang out!
We will shortly set up a wiki which will tell you more about the format, our venue, the people who're coming and speaking and the ideas for sessions and what people are thinking about.
The event - venue to be agreed - starts with an introduction by the organisers rearticulating the purpose of the event, the guidelines for conduct during the day, parameters and health and safety.
Parameters explain the start and end time of the event, duration of the sessions, breaks for food, how to access the network etc.
The Rules of Bar Camp?
Rule 1: You must talk about Bar Camp Bradford.
Rule 2: You must blog about Bar Camp Bradford.
Rule 3: If you want to present, you must write your topic and name in a presentation slot.
Rule 4: Only three word intros.
Rule 5: As many presentations at a time as facilities allow for.
Rule 6: No pre-scheduled presentations, no tourists - we might break this rule with a key note speaker
Rule 7: Presentations will go on as long as they have to or until they run into another presentation slot.
Rule 8: If this is your first time at BarCamp, you HAVE to present. (OK, you don't really HAVE to, but try to find someone to present with, or at least ask questions and be an interactive participant.)
Here - I am just seeding the idea and would love some feedback so please do leave a comment. We are thinking of a date in April or May... would that suit?
GREEN for one will be getting involved.

Let's Beat Blue Monday

Right then! Today (Monday, January 21) is the most depressing day of the year. So I suggest you all start making a protest and make it the most wonderful day of the year. In other words blog about what is making you smile.
I, for one, will go into work with a Hiawian shirt and Fez! They always make me feel good about myself.
For a start you can blog about what makes your day - for me I will be in London (after 6.00) so anyone who fancies a beer and curry get in touch with Ian Green (greenboy106@hotmail.com) and we can all meet up for a pigout. Please recommend venues!
By the way please tag your posts with: "beatbluemonday" and let's get people smiling.
What else can you do to Beat Blue Monday? Try these
Try something new
Be creative, or learn something new to get your brain active and start thinking of new things instead of dwelling on the old.
Get physical
By changing your physical state, from a simple shoulder-shake at your desk to a full work-out at the gym, you can change the way you feel.
Contact a friend or relative
Get in touch with someone you have not heard from in a while; thinking of someone else takes your mind off you.
Take a break
Go somewhere different, whether it’s a coffee bar you have never been into, or a faraway luxury holiday; by changing your physical location, you change your perspective on the world.
Be nice to a stranger
Do a random act of kindness; doing good for others is the best form of self-satisfaction.
Help the planet
Be a good ancestor in some way; the planet will be here long after you are gone.
Pamper yourself
Spoil yourself, from a small indulgence to a luxury you have been promising yourself. You can even dye your hair blue to create a stunning eye-catching change.
Plan something new
Whether it’s planning a holiday for later in the year or deciding what to do at the weekend, looking forward to something new or different can be uplifting and refreshing.
Create your own carnival or go to the beach
By turning a bit of your home or office into a carnival or a beach you can pretend your somewhere relaxing and help us create world’s biggest virtual beach party!
Share you thoughts
A problem shared is a problem halved. Visit the Blue Monday blog to see what ideas people have come up with for dealing with life’s little problems.
You can get involved in a range of activities that are taking place across the UK.
Also watch this space - I think we need to have an online party tomorrow - check out the blog at... BeatBlueMonday.

Old Mother Riley - Queen of the Cannibals

The kids are alright

As I sit here my son is playing Beat On The Brat by The Ramones as he gets ready for bed. We’ve just come back from a "Parent’s Evening".
For US readers a Parent’s Evening is an opportunity to go to your child’s school and hear how your off spring are amazing teaching staff with their genius or how they are into hard drugs and attacking classmates in the common room.
Ours is not a genius - nor, I think is he a crack addict, but he is bright and, if he gets the grades for university, is planning a career in journalism. As a former journalist, with no money or pension I have tried to push him in another direction (Note to All Parents: Never, ever push your children in a direction).
But I was intrigued by a recent post by Sacred Facts on the three ages of media and what a career in media means - or what it meant and what it might mean in the future. It goes like this:

Media Career 1.0 (1950s - 1990s)
Go to University, preferably Oxbridge, and take an arts degree to develop your mind. Join a local newspaper or radio station. Blag your way in. Work your way up to a national newsroom or production department. Find an organisation you like and dig in for the long haul. Specialise in print or radio or TV. Climb the vertical ladder step by step, grade by grade. In the 1980s independent production companies open a few more opportunities. It's important to read newspapers, listen to the radio, watch lots of TV. Your employers will even pay you expenses to do so. In the 1990s managers start to talk about "multiskilling". This is obviously a ruse to get you to do two jobs for the price of one and should be resisted. As should any steps to take away your desk/office/locker. You worry content is becoming a mere commodity - it used to be a vocation. Don't panic about the introduction of computers and "emails" - they are just electronic memos. You read "Three Blind Mice" about how the TV networks failed to spot the threat from cable. If you are lucky you may occasionally be asked to go to a conference in another country - airports are exciting. Someone talks about a new idea of "working from home" - sounds like a good way to get a long weekend and avoid dull meetings.

Media Career 2.0 (1990s - 2015)
Take a media studies course that will teach you digital production - or computer science that will teach you how to build web pages. Blag your way in. Move from job to job trying to find interesting projects to build out your CV. Don't specialise in one skill - you need at least two or three. You're your own person and have no interest in a career ladder. If your employer is too restrictive - freelance or, better, offer yourself as a web consultant. Live out of your (Mac) laptop. Your last boss offered you a corner desk to get you to stay - wtf? You never sit at one anyway. You will need Twitter, Facebook, IM as well as email accounts to keep in touch with your peers and find out where the next opportunity may be. You will find yourself watching less and less TV, but radio (or rather audio) is good because you can stream it through your Mac while you work. Don't bother with newspapers - too analogue. What matters are ideas that can be monetized. You read "The Cluetrain Manifesto" about how markets got smarter than business. Make sure you regularly get to one of the many conferences where the digital clan gathers for its global campfire summits. If you can't get a ticket there are lots of social media drinks and breakfasts to go to instead. Airports are a hassle - no free wifi. When you're stoked and on a great project you work 24/7 to get it done - then take 3 weeks off. They can always get you on your mobile and you'll avoid dull meetings.

Media Career 3.0 (2015 - ?)
Take a series of highly vocational courses to give you the widest set of skills you can manage - coding, video, business, psychology, economics, law, web science, marketing. Blag your way in. Network constantly and aggressively. It's all about who you know. The successful ones sit on a beach in Australia and run the website for a European magazine or run an automated digital service which purrs away and earns them money from micro-payments while they sleep; some Californian guy pings you on your all-service IM (which you have open 24/7) to get you to do for his site what you did for the contract before last. Your functionality delivers higher returns than most of your colleagues - so the work chases you. If it doesn't - switch careers. You have to have a network of contacts to thrive - there is no distinction between home and work. TVs? What was the point of those? You watch video on your phone. Print? Too niche. Audio is good because you can stream it on your Mac while you work. You read Lawrence Lessig's latest book on how internet governance failed to keep up with technology. Your mobile screen is your office - you've never met your boss and don't know where he works. Meetings are virtual - video links. Some of the older guys still get on planes to go to conferences and eat together. But airports are hell and since the cost of flying trebled, it hasn't been worth it. You don't do dull meetings.
Yep! I agree with that. And it is already happening.

I agree with all this. But I think Sacred Facts is being a bit too timid. Master Green Gathering Junior, and all his friends, has all this going on:

• A Facebook profile
• A Myspace profile
• A blog
• A wiki - which he shares with his schoolmates
• Has spent time in London in the Sony Playstation House doing cool stuff - which they paid for
  
• A network of friends from China, Russia, US, Asia, Australia, New Zealand etc who he plays games with online
• His blog is regularly sent "free games" for him and his friends to review
• Networks online like his life might be in peril
• Creates his own podcasts
• Is completely mobile
• Plans to live in Japan when he has graduated
• He reads print - but also uses RSS and other online media
• He talks to people online he doesn’t know - but at least they are having conversation

Sigh! That’s just the tip of the iceberg. When I was his age my world was confined to home, people I knew in the street, a pen pal or two and that was it. I think the kids are all right…
What do you think?

Countdown starts to Beat Blue Monday

Yes it’s coming up to that day again – the most depressing day of the year is on Monday, January 21.
Blue Monday is the most depressing day of the year according to a mathematical equation was first devised by Dr Cliff Arnall, former lecturer at Cardiff University and founder of No Pills, a consultancy specialising in confidence, motivation and happiness. Blue Monday marks the start of the final full week in January when people experience a series of combined depressive effects. The mathematical equation is:The model was broken down using six immediately identifiable factors; weather (W), debt (d), time since Christmas (T), time since failing our New Year’s resolutions (Q), low motivational levels (M) and the feeling of a need to take action (Na).The equation calculates that Monday, January 21, 2008 is officially the worst day of the year, when the Christmas glow has faded away, New Year’s resolutions have been broken, cold Winter weather has set in and credit card bills will be landing on doormats across the land - whilst the January pay-check is still one week away.
However, with the Samaritans, the team at GREEN is looking to Beat Blue Monday with a range of feel good activities - we are even going to create a beach party in our offices in the UK.
Here’s some thing you can do to Beat Blue Monday:

Blog - Write a blog about what you are doing to Beat Blue Monday. Make your readers smile. If you do write a blog post on Monday 21 - make sure to tag it: "beatbluemonday".
Try something new -Be creative, or learn something new to get your brain active and start thinking of new things instead of dwelling on the old.
Get physical - By changing your physical state, from a simple shoulder-shake at your desk to a full work-out at the gym, you can change the way you feel.
Contact a friend or relative - Get in touch with someone you have not heard from in a while; thinking of someone else takes your mind off you.
Take a break - Go somewhere different, whether it’s a coffee bar you have never been into, or a faraway luxury holiday; by changing your physical location, you change your perspective on the world.
Be nice to a stranger - Do a random act of kindness; doing good for others is the best form of self-satisfaction.
Help the planet - Be a good ancestor in some way; the planet will be here long after you are gone.
Pamper yourself - Spoil yourself, from a small indulgence to a luxury you have been promising yourself. You can even dye your hair blue to create a stunning eye-catching change.
Plan something new - Whether it’s planning a holiday for later in the year or deciding what to do at the weekend, looking forward to something new or different can be uplifting and refreshing.
Share your thoughts - A problem shared is a problem halved. Visit the Blue Monday blog to see what ideas people have come up with for dealing with life’s little problems.

"Bloggers don't have our ethics"

Interesting item on BBC Radio 4 last night called New Kids on the Blog (geddit!?) – about the rise of citizen journalism in the US and how the political bloggers in particular are becoming more influential.
The main argument of the programme is that the public is becoming increasingly disillusioned by traditional media as the main thrust of most “news media” is led by an adversarial approach.
This involves a tough interview with a key anchor man or simply putting two people together in the same room with contrary views and lighting the blue touch paper. And I do have some sympathy with this view. Operating in public relations and reading the newspapers as an occupational hazard news is increasingly a mean now to express an opinion – particularly in the field of political journalism.
Indeed, some newspapers like the Daily Mail have a agenda on virtually every story they do.
But one of the key issues that the “traditional journalists” – including Dan Rather – raised was the issue of truth and ethics echoing an earlier rant but the former “Dean of the White House Press Corps” Helen Thomas, who claims that “bloggers and everyone…with a laptop thinks they’re journalists…They don’t have our ethics.”
Given that journalism never established itself as a true profession with a governing body, licensing procedure, or an official code of ethics, it’s fair to ask what exactly are the ethics that journalists practice that the rest of us don’t? FULL DISCLOSURE: I was a journalist for many years.
Thomas is wrong. Most bloggers do adopt an ethical stance I found – mainly because if you diss the readership you are going to create a shit storm. At the most basic level bloggers are ethical because they are nice, decent human beings.
And if they do transgress they are quick to admit it, correct, and apologise for errors immediately and publicly.
Now when did a newspaper last do that?

GREEN are recruiting... are you the one?

Yes, we are now recruiting again - we need an account manager with a few years experience who is not afraid of leading from the front.
As a fast-growing, award-winning, public relations and communications agency GREEN is seeking to appoint a new Account Manager/Senior Account Manager to support a wide range of clients.
If you want to work alongside some of the most talented people in the business and you’re passionate about public relations - with relevant previous experience - we want to talk to you.
Our blue chip clients operate in a wide range of sectors from business-to-business, consumer, regeneration and government.
The company currently employs several communications professionals who are specialists in PR, social media, creativity, journalism, design, internet, copywriting, brochure management and events management. GREEN has a wide client list in the corporate, professional services and public services sectors.
We help our clients win the reputation they deserve through intelligent creativity and passionate delivery.
For an informal chat contact via email at ian@greencomms.com and andy@greencomms.com or give us a bell on 0845 4503210.

Banksy at work again

My first podcast interview

Back in November I was interviewed by Anna Farmery of the Podcast Sisters following a presentation I did at BarCamp Leeds on Whisky, Web2.0 and the C0-Creation Company.
I had forgotten all about it until I came across a note from Kevin at FuelMyBlog that the interview was now on the web as a podcast - you can listen to it here.

Some food for thought

Some food for thought:

• More than 12 million American adults currently maintain a blog.
• More than 16 million European adults maintain a blog.
• More than 147 million Americans use the Internet.
• More than 150 million Europeans use the Internet.
• More than 57 million Americans read blogs.
• More than 60 million Europeans read blogs.
• 1.7 million American adults list making money as one of the reasons they blog.
• 89% of companies surveyed say they think blogs will be more important in the next five years.
• 12% of internet users say they have created blogs .
• Technorati is currently tracking over 70 million blogs
• More than 120 thousand blogs are created every day.
• There are over 1.4 million new blog posts every day.
• 22 of the 100 most popular websites in the world are blogs.
• 120,000 new blogs are created every day.
• 37% of blog readers began reading blogs in 2005 or 2006.
• 51% of blog readers shop online.
• Blog readers average 23 hours online each week.

Meanwhile, the top ten most popular online activities across Europe are:

• Search - 87% (note search is bigger than email, not second)
• Email - 81%
• Communicating via social networking sites - 42%
• Instant messaging - 37%
• Music downloads - 31%
• Listening to radio - 31%
• Watching TV, film or video clips - 30%
• Rating and reviews - 27%
• Sharing thoughts on forums - 26%
• Downloading a film, TV or video clip - 20%

Resolutions for the New Year

Resolutions for the New Year. Well I don’t really do resolutions as my liver will testify but there are more things I need to concentrate in 2008. These fall into two camps – professional and personal.
So here they are:

Professional
Concentrate on the bottom line. GREEN is a great agency doing some fantastic things for clients but like most creative agencies we don’t pay enough attention to profit. That will change this year and we will be counting the pennies and measuring ROI.
Encourage colleagues to take leadership. Too often I take on too much in spite of the fact that I am surrounded by talented people who would do a better job than me.
Engage with clients more. If everything is going well we take no calls. When there is a crisis we are in the thick of it sorting things out. I need to talk more to clients during the down time.
Do More Social Media Gigs. Pat on the back to me but I do know what I am talking about and can be very entertaining – certainly that’s the feedback I get. So this year I plan to do one speaking gig a month. Social Media & Web2.0 anyone?
Think strategically. I think 2008 is going to be a period of turmoil and unless you have a plan of action any business is going to sink deeper than whale shit.

Personal
Shut up and listen. I’ve learned that when I take the time to shut up I learn a lot more from other people.
Spend more time with my wife. Need I say any more!
Spend more time on the river. I’m not a passionate man but I am passionate about rowing. That’s why I plan to go sculling the day after Boxing Day.
Travel more. So many places and so little time.
Do some journalism. I’ve always been uncomfortable working in PR and writing as a journalist at the same time. But it is one of the few talents I possess so I might indulge in some freelance work.

Happy Christmas Everyone and here’s to an interesting New Year. Cheers!

Blogs are ten years old

The blog is now ten years old! Not this one you understand but the weblog itself as an online journal, with the first one created on December 17, 1997 by Jorn Barger through his Robot Wisdom web page.
A decade on and Technorati reports it is tracking more than 70 million web logs – which is one of the reasons why we started Fuelmyblog, the social network for bloggers. While many people maintained regular journals or diaries before the word was coined, 1997 marked the point when they started to become a particular online pursuit.
In 1999 the phenomenon took off as easy to use tools – like Wordpress and Blogger - started to appear which made it much easier to write and maintain these sorts of websites. Also in 1999 the word “blog” was coined as a shortened form of the original term.
Nowadays, blogs almost look old hat. Especially with the rise and rise of social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. However, as a means for individuals to talk to the world they remain a very potent tool. Not least in the world of public relations, our main job, and we are increasingly seeing clients adopt the blog as an adjunct to their corporate websites.
But will they ever become part of the mainstream communications mix for organizations? I am not sure.

What is a blog?

One of the most common questions I am asked is: what is a blog? I do presentations on it and have lectured on issues of social media but have not yet been able to come up with a succinct definition and demonstration. So I am indebted to Common Craft for this neat video.


I will also put up some further videos on social media when I get the time.

Facebook goes offline

The new and old worlds will always collide. And so it has come to pass - Facebook has its own dedicated magazine.
Dennis Publishing has launched a "bookazine" according to The Guardian. It is a magazine/book hybrid - about the networking website.
The Guardian says the 148-page publication, produced without the cooperation of the social networking website, includes articles "Famous on Facebook" and "Create a real life Facebook event".
Bruce Sandell, the managing director of Dennis' lifestyle division, said: "The Facebook Bookazine started quite simply. Like many media companies we have a huge amount of Facebook fans at Dennis - we thought we could channel that enthusiasm with our expert knowledge of 'how to' bookazines to make a really compelling product that taps into a massive consumer interest at exactly the right time.
"The bookazine will be bought by Facebook experts and novices alike, as it covers everything from a step by step guide to getting started through to smart security tips."
Note to self: What is a Facebook expert?
Dennis has printed 20,000 copies of the Facebook bookazine, fewer than a normal magazine, but the bookazine costs £5.99 and has a longer shelf life than magazines, staying on shelves for up to six months. Dennis will monitor sales before deciding if it will produce a sequel.
Well should they produce a sequel?