1. The economy:
The global economic situation has caused companies and consumers alike to be cautious in their spending. As budgets are tightened, agencies that are able to produce detailed cost plans and strategies, showing measurable results for their clients, will have a competitive edge. Campaigns need to be more creative, delivering more value for the clients and the audience. These campaigns should also aim to raise morale in unsure times, delivering optimistic and inspiring messages that add a dash of much needed humour. This is true for both internal and external communications – remember that employees are affected by economic insecurity and it is important to reassure them with creative and confident communications.

2. Integration:
The future of marketing as a whole lies with integration. Agencies that master the 360-degree approach to strategy, ensuring consistent messaging across all platforms including advertising, design, social media and traditional marketing activities, will be the leaders in their field. As the lines between traditional PR and advertising are blurring, a holistic approach is more vital than ever. PR agencies need to represent themselves effectively, proving their ability to keep up with shifts in the industry.

3. Content Rules:
Content is the ruling driver of brand awareness in the industry. A consistent flow of relevant story-telling that is audience specific, thoughtful and impactful will properly reach and engage audiences. Websites should never remain static and should be constantly updated with real-time information. The mobility and technology trends of today mean that communicators need to be innovative in their correspondence, for example the traditional PR release can now be supported by multimedia channels, including direct links to YouTube, blogs etc.

4. The Media:
The digital era has definitely affected the way that the media is structured. Online-savvy users now have access to tools that allow news to find them directly, automatically tailoring a news-stream from particular networks to suit their specific interests. Audiences that choose their own content are often selective in the networks that they engage with. Users are far more influenced by friends than by unknown sources.

5. Social media:
Social media know-how will be a necessity in giving PR agencies much needed credibility. As social media channels are increasingly being managed by PR agencies rather than marketers, it is vital for PR agencies to ensure they update their skills in the digital arena, overhauling the traditional media toolkit. An in-depth understanding of the brand from a consumer perspective, incorporating a people-to-people mentality, is key in creating true engagement with your brand through these social channels. It is equally important for the administrators of social campaigns to beware of the risks that are attached. Unmonitored communications can quickly lead to negative messaging, the Durex debacle of 2011 being a prime example of this, thus a proactive crisis communication plan throughout an organisation is essential.
The growth of social media and digital technology can easily overwhelm communication professionals, making up-to-date skills even more important. PR professionals who are new to these fields should keep it as simple as possible, choosing the most relevant channels for their brand and focusing on them.

Kenneth Cole’s riots

In February, designer Kenneth Cole tried to exploit on the violence in Egypt by posting this unexpectedly self-promotional tweet to the company’s @KennethCole account: “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumour is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo -KC.” An immensely negative response followed, resulting in Cole apologizing for his tweet, calling it “poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate.”

Facebook = Private, NO!

Facebook have been warned excessively about the site’s privacy policy. Some hackers decided to break into Zuckerberg’s profile, posting several private pictures to image-sharing site Imgur with the caption “It’s time to fix those security flaws Facebook.” Needless to say, Facebook finally adhered to the public by implementing changes to block future hacks.

Durex SA gets taught on safety…

The whole thing started off when @DurexSA sent out a tweet saying, “Why did God give men penises? So they’d have at least one way to shut a woman up. #DurexJoke“. They call this joking around? Every single woman and her mother were instantly offended…

@FeministsSA quickly hopped onto this and tweeted back at Durex SA, who responded in the worst possible way:
“@FeministsSA We have posted many jokes, see our timeline… And they’re not violent against woman! Re-read it!!!!!” Needless to say, FeministsSA didn’t respond well and came back by writing a long blog post about it. It didn’t stop there though; every daughter and her BFF stood behind FeministsSA and one of the biggest twitter fights began. Finally, after a few hours Durex SA apologized: “We’re really sorry for causing offence today, not intentional. We believe in the rights of woman and safe sex. Thanks for putting us right.”

This is the problem though: It took them a few hours! Safety people, SAFETY!!!

What would a year be without the ANC messing up?

The ANC blamed an “unintended communication error” on some journalists being bumped off the accreditation list for its provincial conference in Limpopo. It regretted the misfortune, provincial spokesperson David Masondo said in a statement: “An internal administrative mishap led to a few journalists being accidentally informed that their applications for media accreditation had been rescinded.” The journalists involved include City Press’s Piet Rampedi and Sowetan’s Frank Maponya – who have both written critically about the ANC and provincial government leadership…

Tsunami ends Gottfried

People were heart-broken when a tsunami hit Japan. Accept for comedian Gilbert Gottfried, off course. The Aflac spokesperson sent out numerous unsuitable tweets on his @RealGilbert account, including this jewel: “Japan called me. They said ‘maybe those jokes are a hit in the U.S., but over here, they’re all sinking.’” Aflac, which owns a large division in Japan, resorted to donations and the termination of the insensitive comedian. His reign is no more!

Headline mistakes and funnies:

Although Canada is renowned for growing some of the best marijuana in the world, this is unfortunately not the Canadian flag...

Good to know that journalists are human and by ‘human’ I mean putting their feelings down on paper has never hurt anyone... Nothing like an f-bomb hey!

This one just might be my favourite...

This error was relatively common... Numerous media also up mixed facts all.

Media has the tendency of being very stern and serious. It is very good to sit back and have a laugh- bon a petit!

For more information please go to www.livewired.co.za

One company taking a real pounding is McDonalds. Over the last two weeks the McDonalds Facebook  “hoax” reared its head again on Facebook. In 2011, an inbox email scam hit inboxes around the world promoting free dinner at McDonalds, however when you printed the attached coupon it was actually an executable for Malware (software that is intended to damage or disable your computer).

Now according to hoax-slayer.com, the latest Facebook scam is a typical survey scam. “Users who fall for the ruse and follow the link will first be tricked into spamming the same bogus promotion to their friends by “liking” or “sharing” the bogus McDonald’s promotions page. Next, they will be told they must complete a survey or offer before receiving their free McDonald’s vouchers. Some of the “survey” pages ask users to provide personal information including name, address and contact details, ostensibly to allow them to go in the draw for a prize. Others invite them to download dubious toolbars, games or software. Still others will claim that users must provide their mobile phone number – thereby subscribing to absurdly expensive text messaging services – in order to get the results of a survey or go in the running for a prize.”
This is what appears in your inbox.

Eat at McDonalds for FREE! (limited time only)
[Link removed]
McDonald’s is currently giving away free meal vouchers to all Facebook users!

Now McDonalds has its share of problems on social media, what with its recent twitter hashtag fiasco dubbed by USA Today as #McFail http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-01-28/cnbc-mcdonalds-twitter-backfire/52824472/1

McDonalds setup the hashtag #MeetTheFarmers and  #McDStories which they hoped to promote the quality of their ingredients. They expected that fans would share positive experiences. Instead, the tag became a way for animal activists and less-than-satisfied diners to air their grievances.

So what do you do when faced with this type of hijacking or how Forbes Magazine puts it” when a hashtag becomes a bashtag”?

Be prepared. Understand and know that these things happen in the social media space. If your company is not up to speed with the social media realm, find people to help you or explain what can happen in the digital space.

1. Think through all the scenarios. Before creating social media campaigns think about what could possibly go wrong. The problems really could have been avoided at the outset. Activists are very vocal in social media and it is inevitable that they will jump on the bandwagon. With healthy living and eating trends high on the agenda of consumers it is very likely there would be a backlash to this type of campaign.
2. This brings me to the next issue: know the consumer perceptions associated with your Brand.  “The question is whether McDonald’s was wise in using something that could act as a red flag to consumers who might enjoy taking the company down a notch or 12,” says Erik Sherman writer for CBS Moneywatch. “McDonald’s in this case had no idea what their true perception in the marketplace was. They didn’t see their brand the way consumers did. So when they tried to portray their brand as something it wasn’t, at least from a perception standpoint, they got dinged.”
3. While reacting after the fact is not always the best answer, a brand is often judged by the way it reacts. In this case McDonald’s was monitoring responses and had stopped promoting the hashtag within a couple of hours. This probably limited the ongoing discussion, but it couldn’t prevent the media reaction.

The iPhone Lens Dial case comes with three different lenses: telephoto, fisheye and wide-angle. All three lenses are made of “optical-quality” glass, although the case is made out of aluminum.

The case is available for $250 and also comes with two different tripod mounts so the lenses can be used in either portrait or landscape mode.

Mobile apps like Instagram let iPhone users adjust the look of their photos after they take them through use of special filters and effects, but Photojojo’s new case allows users to take photos with legitimate differences, rather than altering them digitally after the fact. The accessory also improves long-distance shots by taking pictures with more scope.

The iPhone 4, and now the 4S with its 8-megapixel lens, have emerged as the best smartphone cameras on the market. Some analysts believe the 4S is even worthy of being considered a valid replacement for stand-alone digital cameras.

Want one? Get it here

“The fact of the matter is that access to information is now more mobile and trendier than ever,” says Leigh-Ann Silber, Registered Dietician. “Like most weight loss tips however, it really comes down to the basics of maintaining a healthy, balanced diet while following an engaging fitness routine.”

There are hundreds of weight-loss or health focused applications available online for a variety of mobile devices, offering different benefits and uses. Most of the apps found are made by different developers and rated out of 5 stars – giving the consumer a bit of a guide.

BlackBerry App World’s Weightloss Sensei claims to work with you during your weight loss programme. The application creates personalised meal plans that fit into your daily lifestyle while providing workout reminders etc. Weightloss Sensei is accessible from your PC or mobile device and costs for this application, or others of a similar nature, vary from being free or up to R300.

Some popular options for iPhones and Android devices include apps like RunKeeper, which lets you keep track of your physical outdoor activities, monitoring pace, time and calories burned through your phone’s GPS, among many other useful features for keeping track of your fitness activities. Another app for iPhone, iPad and Android is MyFitnessPal, a free application which allows you to track your eating habits in proportion to your exercise routine, calculating goals for you based on your specific statistics. Fitness Pro is a all-round physical training application for iPhones/iPads that provides guidance on the types of strength training best suited to you, including activities on the mat, with gym equipment or with weights. Exercises featured use photos and text to instruct you in the correct methods, while also featuring an “Anatomy” section which teaches you about the human body and its different muscle groups.

Other popular applications count kilojoules for you. This is a useful guide to educate you on what foods, healthy or not, you eat each day. The numbers will start adding up revealing those empty kilojoules found in sweets, fried foods and alcohol. For example, a 350ml beer contains 150 kilojoules, that’s as much as a medium bowl of minestrone soup. With this useful information one can make certain adjustments to their diet routine in order to reduce kilojoules intake, for example, replacing sugar with Canderel will greatly decrease the amount of everyday kilojoules we consume.

Silber says, “Considering that the average daily amount of kilojoules each person needs to consume varies in accordance with their age, height, weight and sex, the best way to find out what you should weigh and how much you should eat would be to consult a professional. The same applies to fitness, without the right skills and knowledge tailored to suit you as an individual you will have a hard time realising your goals. Mobile apps can definitely offer a convenient and informative solution, tailor-made to suit the individual user.”

Article by Natalie Norman (0861) 548 394, natalie@livewired.co.za

Unfortunately there is no pharmaceutical pill that one can take to cure obesity, but with the correct eating habits and knowledge people can change their lifestyles and eating habits so that they do not end up obese or a Type 2 diabetes statistic.

It is crucially important to maintain a healthy balanced diet, which is high in fibre, vegetables and fruit and low in sugar and fat. “Low kilojoule sweeteners, instead of sugar, offers people with obesity and diabetes greater variety and flexibility in reducing their total carbohydrate intake: satisfying their taste for sweets without affecting blood sugar. Overall this helps people comply with a healthy meal plan,” says Registered Dietician Leigh-Ann Silber.

Carbohydrates and starches are often the biggest problem as they turn into sugar in the body. Silber comments, “The most important food group for energy production are carbohydrates which contain various sugars. Carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index or LOW-GI foods are the best to eat because they contain sugars which take longer for the body to digest, meaning that energy levels will steadily rise and fall preventing sugar crashes. These foods include whole grain and nutty breads, brown rice, deciduous fruits (apples, pears, peaches) and leafy green vegetables.”

“Foods containing simple sugars such as refined foods, soft drinks, fruit juices etc , are easy for the body to digest and enter your bloodstream quickly, creating a sharp energy spike and a sudden crash causing imbalances in blood sugar levels.”

“Replacing sugar with a sweetener is a great way to enjoy sweet foods and keep sugar levels stable which is perfect to use as part of a weight-loss plan.”

Knowing what your blood sugar/glucose levels are can be the first step in taking steps to prevent type 2 diabetes or address it as soon as possible.

One company helping to educate South Africans about the health risks of diabetes is the sweetener brand Equal who has partnered with Diabetes SA to educate consumers in the Soweto area. “Together we will administer blood glucose tests at selected mall activations, empowering our market with facts about this life changing condition and information on how it can be effectively managed with sweeteners,” says Jason Frichol, marketing head at the Fore Good Group, brand custodians for Equal in South Africa.

Equal is an artificial sweetener that offers all the sweetness of sugar without the kilojoules. One sachet is equivalent to two teaspoons of sugar and is available in tablets to sweeten tea, coffee and other beverages and sachet sticks ideal for sprinkling over fruit, desserts, cereal and other favourite foods.

Paired with a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle, consumers can enjoy the sweet life with their family without the consequences.

1. Type 1 Diabetes is a disorder where the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is an important hormone that aids in moving sugar from the blood to the cells. Various factors may contribute to Type 1 Diabetes, including genetics and exposure to certain viruses.  Individuals that have Type 1 Diabetes are required to take insulin injections to move sugar from the bloodstream.

Type 2 Diabetes occurs when insulin that the body produces is less efficient at moving sugar out of the bloodstream.  Some sugar is moved out of the blood, just not as effectively compared to a person with normal insulin efficiency. Type 2 Diabetes can be curbed with a good diet and medication (not insulin injection).

However, centre owners need to be aware that the way shopping centres are managed in second tier economy areas is different. “In the 90s, shopping centres built in second tier economy areas were constructed without input from the surrounding communities, this often resulted in vandalism or general boycotts of the centre.”

Today, surrounding communities are very involved in the building of new shopping centres and this trend continues throughout the life span of the centre. A strong community involvement will help in your centre’s success but it is management intensive,” says Mark Souris, Managing Director of Periscopic, a leading retail and commercial property management company.

“The most crucial factor is a good community liaison officer (CLO) who is the centre’s ‘face’ in the community. A good CLO is able to glean information from the community be it rural or a township through continuous interaction. Alongside the CLO, centre management needs to market their stores to the surround community to further facilitate and create trust.”

Souris adds that it is critical shopping centres also improve the surrounding infrastructure and positively facilitate informal traders. “All business environments are dynamic and subject to change, what makes a successful entrepreneur is the ability to predict and adapt positively to such change. Jabulani shopping centre one of the larger centres in Soweto and the retail potential of the site is estimated at R615 million1. The centre’s popularity has changed driving and walking habits of the surrounding communities and now there are new roads where hundreds of informal traders have sprung up to take advantage of the passing foot traffic.

Other shopping centres that have had similar effects on their communities are Diepsloot Mall, Pan African in Alexandra and Phumulani Mall in Tembisa. Not only do these new centres change traffic flow and shopping trends they can also be a catalyst for further new residential developments in these areas,” says Souris.

There has often been speculation that these centres have a negative effect on local businesses, but Souris disagrees, “Local businesses that offer perishable goods generally maintain their businesses and value add for consumers and continue to prosper because they offer convenience, and are in prime locations suitable for walking.

“Investors and retailers need to be aware that while your average spend per head might be lower in these areas, there are higher numbers of potential shoppers which exceeds traditional market spend. Consumers in second tier economies are just as brand savvy and want to shop where they receive not only value for money, but also seek service and a fulfilling shopping experience, but not at the expense of their community.”

Taryn O’Brien

Livewired Public Relations

taryn@livewired.co.za

Mark Souris

Periscopic

mark@periscopic.co.za

About Periscopic

Periscopic is a leading South African property management company specialising in retail centre management for emerging and mixed use retail markets. Periscopic successfully manages properties ranging from iconic centres such as Montecasino and Jabulani Mall to second economy centres around the country. Periscopic has the know-how and resources to enhance and achieve maximum value for the property owner’s investment.

Aficianado was born out of the idea that a few great bloggers could get together, share ideas and collaborate with each other, giving readers original and honest content. The bloggers, including Jamie Who, 1For1, Maketh Man, Lady K, The Tudor & Lovemore, all wrote about their individual loves and desires which included everything from beauty to cars. From the outside this seemed like a brilliant idea and the blog was easy to navigate and well designed.

So what went wrong? We all need to pay our bills at the end of the day, and like any other media house Aficionado had to pay their lights and water too. Being in the world of Public Relations our aim is get as much as we can for ‘free’, yet there is a fine line between free publicity, and supporting the media who support you!

Previously when a magazine closed down I felt my heart break as I imagined the blood, sweat and tears that goes into these publications. Just like journalists, these “citizen journalists” aka bloggers also need financial support. Not just freebies and giveaways.

Bloggers need to be taken seriously. We should all stop seeing bloggers as an easy, cheaper medium and start taking them more seriously.

We need to understand the difference between novice bloggers and those that are serious, independent writers that contribute to our society as a whole.

For next year’s brand planning, we are looking at assisting our local talent where possible. Bloggers are really important to us, and vital to Digital PR.

Article by Lucinda Boddy, Senior Account Manager

The result: positive awareness for Canderel in the digital realm.

The bloggers that attended were Simply Delicious, Lucky Pony, Nom Nom Cupcake, The Real Jenty, Dear Max and City Girl Searching.

The on-going PR campaign digitally also consists of a Canderel blog, sending baked goods (made by Canderel Yellow),  Canderel Hampers and hosting giveaways on key blogger’s sites.

Source: istockphoto.com. Photographer: iQoncept

PR professional Heather Yaxley wrote a very insightful article on the PR conversations Blog titled PR Rules Not OK! In short her argument is that imposing rules on Public Relations practice is all good as the industry becomes more professional, but not at the expense of learning from mistakes, trying new things and challenging the status quo.

I agree with her that PR should have the flexibility to change and adapt when things don’t go the way we expect (or the rules dictate). Public Relations should also look for new ways of doing things not just applying what some “deem to be the only way” or best practice.

She makes a great point that we as humans seek order out of chaos, take the internet: “Once this was pioneering territory where change, originality, exploration and experimentation were welcome. Now we have social media guidelines, governmental desire for control and regulation, and numerous books and even qualifications instructing us in how to do online PR.”

I believe as communications professionals we need to consider best practices but also be open to new ways of doing things, creativity and moving with the times. What is innovative or new today are the best practices of tomorrow.

Source: Article