prblogger.com closes down…
Posted Friday, December 22, 2006 at 1:15pm in Off topic | 3 Comments
…for the holidays. Not like I’ve been really active lately. Unless I feel the need to share some exciting information expect it to be quiet around here. Have a Proper Crimbo and all the best for New Year!
We’re hiring
Posted Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at 2:14pm in Off topic | 5 Comments
The Edelman Interactive team are on the lookout for a junior web developer as we look to expand our growing team of online specialists. It’s an ideal position for a design grad looking to get his/her foot on the career ladder as we believe creative drive and a keen interest for everything online is just as important than years of work experience.
Roles will include maintaining and developing current online projects as well as developing fresh concepts for pitches and potential clients. Key skills needed are: Fluency in XHTML and CSS, bloody brilliant in Photoshop, you like a bit of Flash and ActionScript, a knowledge of PHP/MySQL or ASP/MS SQL and experience in audio and video editing is a bonus too.
Roles will include maintaining and developing current online projects as well as developing fresh concepts for pitches and potential clients.
Essential soft skills needed are teamwork, creativity and an interest and understanding of the changing web. For the right person this is great opportunity to become part of a fun and friendly team working in a dynamic environment at a crucial point of growth and development. However, you might draw the short straw and be sat next to me. It’s not all blue skies you know! 
Ideally a passion for Friday night duck at Mr Kong’s Chinese restaurant would score well with the team also. Particlularly the lead developer.
The role will initially begin as a two month contract leading onto possible full time employment thereafter. With that said, we’re always looking for great account people at any level too so if you are (or know someone that is) interested in any particular position let me know using the form below. Ta.
Sceptical blogging
Posted Monday, December 4, 2006 at 8:14pm in Blogging, PR General | 3 Comments
The latest edition of PR Week has a pull out section on new media called Digital Essays. Forwarded by PR Week’s editor, Danny Rogers, the supplement contains six er, um, essays on digital media. It’s a very good read and contains some great insights from well respected PR pros, including, David King, APCO, Mark Mellor, Firefly, Jonathan Hughes, Golin Harris, Howard Kosky, markettiers4dc, Pat Pearson, Ruder Finn and the UK PR blogosphere’s very own, James Warren of Weber Shandwick.
What is interesting is Jonathan Hughes of Golin Harris’s sceptical view on blogging. Indeed, the contents page actually describes Harris’s piece with “Blogging is overrated, but don’t let that put you off.” In my opinion, this type of skeptical view is refreshing and sometimes what is needed among the over hyped evangelists including yours truly. However, there are a couple of points made which don’t make sense.
Hughes describes the blog Cute Overload being ranked by Technorati as ‘influential’ and at least 40 places higher than any corporate blog (excluding Google). No doubt this is the case but I don’t think he’s comparing like for like in this instance. A blog showing pictures of cute furry animals will probably hold more appeal globally than, say, a blog by a small sheet metal company. But read this.
Staying on the topic of influence, Hughes says that only 4,000 of the 57 million blogs are considered ‘influential’ (I’m guessing by Technorati). He says that blogs that have over 500 links to and from (to and from??) are only considered to be influential. However, and quite contradictory, he says: “Of course, a blog can be influential with just a dozen links depending on the audience”.
Where the notion of combining inbound and outbound links to determine ‘influence’ comes from I’m not sure but it’s flawed undoubtedly. If that was the case I could happily send out 500 links in this single blog post to make my blog ‘influential’. (Note how I’m putting influence in ” marks. Don’t want to go through that again.)
Another arguable point Hughes makes is that the majority of top blogs are written in Japanese and Cantonese. Well, looking at the Technorati top 100 tells a different story. But even if they are, this shouldn’t make a difference to companies who would surely want to track discussion regardless of language. Should it?
That said, there is some sound advice toward the end of the um, er, essay, like disclosing who you are, asking for feedback from the blogosphere and employee blogging: “Depending on your objectives, don’t assume that people will only want to hear from the CEO or senior exectutives. Using someone from the shop floor can be more engaging”.
Hear hear.
CIPR social media code discussion
Posted Saturday, December 2, 2006 at 8:32pm in Blogging | 4 Comments
On Wedenesday, Edelman Europe CEO, David Brain and I met up with director of media at Green Communications, Ian Green and his colleague, Simon ‘Simon Says‘ Collister to discuss the CIPR’s introduction of its social media code. The get together took place at the well-known Groucho Club in Dean Street, Soho.
It was great to meet both Ian and Simon, particularly since I’ve been conversing with Simon in the virtual sense for nearly a year now. And as well as discussing the code, we had a good old chinwag about new media and recent developments in the new media space. Stuart Bruce would have also been present if he hadn’t have missed his train from Leeds.
David interviewed both Ian and Simon; you can view the videos over at Sixty Second View. I particularly like Simon’s points regarding the code’s view on intellectual property. The code says you can’t (obviously) use copyrighted material but Simon gives reference to CBS’s initiative of sharing their shows on YouTube which has resulted in increased audience viewing figures.
I think Simon’s point illustrates that, in some instances, there will be no clear black or white solution. At times there”ll be shades of grey mixed in there too. I guess that’s why online comms and reputation management is becoming an interesting and exciting area to be involved in at the moment because all the questions have yet to be answered.
Sidenote: The Groucho Club is a quality establishment; I can remember reading about it prior to moving to London. Its Wikipedia entry is currently a stub so if you can add to it, do so.